Zhuang Yijing asked with deeper aning, "Do you want to know?"
Ning Youguang calmly shook her head, "I don’t want to."
Zhuang Yijing was speechless, "Can’t you be a little more curious?"
Ning Youguang laughed, "Why should I be curious about them? What does it have to do with ?"
"It does!" Zhuang Yijing said, resolutely.
As soon as she finished speaking, Ning Youguang still didn’t react much, but the curiosity of the other three people present was piqued.
Especially Xia Fei, who quickly asked aloud, "What is the relationship between Xu Wei and Youyou?"
Ning Youguang was slightly stunned, "Xu Wei?"
Zhuang Yijing laughed heartily, "You rembered, didn’t you?"
Ning Youguang nodded, "Yes."
Seeing she rembered, Zhuang Yijing winked at her but said nothing more.
The Zhuang family twins were fine.
But Xia Fei was scratching her head in curiosity, "What are you keeping secret about? Do Xu Wei and Youyou have any connection?"
A childhood pursuer, that kind of relationship... Ning Youguang certainly wouldn’t say.
Zhuang Yijing also felt it wasn’t good to say, so she just smiled and shook her head, "He was our old classmate."
Xia Fei squinted slightly, "That’s it?"
She didn’t believe it at all.
If Xu Wei and Youyou were simply old classmates, Zhuang Yijing wouldn’t be making such a fuss.
After all, among the attendees today, there are a few old classmates of Youyou, even if not many, you could catch a few; there’s nothing special about it.
But these two kept tight-lipped, giving her vague answers, not speaking the truth, and she couldn’t get anything out of them.
Just as Xia Fei’s thoughts were racing, a critical part of tonight’s charity event began.
She turned her attention away from guessing Xu Wei’s relationship with Ning Youguang, and smiled at the three Zhuang siblings, "Tonight, we’ve set up a segnt where invited guests can co on stage to participate in unboxing exclusive artwork blind boxes. Are you interested in going on stage to play?"
This year’s charity gala the at the Four Seasons Art Gallery is "Unified Love, Art Nurtures the Future," aid at urging everyone to focus on children’s issues.
"No need," Zhuang Yijing said, "Things that spread a good na and enhance social influence should be left to other kind-hearted wealthy celebrities."
When people have money, they want a good reputation, and wealthy celebrities participate in charity events for the sa reason.
The charity gala at the Four Seasons Art Gallery has always been a major event in Jincheng, naturally attracting many journalists to participate.
This sort of event where one can be in the spotlight, there are plenty of wealthy celebrities willing to go.
"Zhuang, you have good deanor," Xia Fei praised.
"Chairperson Xia, we’re not outsiders, let’s not talk about those things," Zhuang Yijing also smiled and said, "According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, wealthy celebrities do charity for self-actualization needs. But my reasons for doing charity are different from theirs; it’s not for tax evasion, networking, enhancing social influence, or public favor."
She paused slightly, then continued, "I’m an orphan myself, who was fortunate to receive help from kind people to be where I am today, so what I’m doing now is just trying to share the kindness I received, so other vulnerable people can also feel the kindness from society."
She raised her glass to Xia Fei—"To the Four Seasons Art Gallery for keeping its original intention of organizing charity events year after year."
Then, she downed her drink in one gulp, boldly saying, "I think charity is one of the best inventions of human civilization, it lets people feel kindness and compassion."
...
The charity donation activity ended.
The free ti of the gala arrived, and Xia Fei was again summoned away.
At Ning Youguang’s table, Zhuang Siqi was busy taking photos, while Zhuang Jianxian was busy browsing his phone and playing gas.
Her best friend having returned from Beijing, Zhuang Yijing didn’t want to leave her side even for a mont and wanted to confide in her.
"I don’t know why, but seeing these scenes always gives a slight sense of disconnection and incongruity."
"That’s because you feel that charity and a glamorous gala, the scene of perfu and powder, don’t match," Ning Youguang said.
"You’re right," Zhuang Yijing said, "I always feel charity should be more down-to-earth, rather than appearing in such a lavish format. I can’t help but feel it’s hypocritical."
Ning Youguang laughed and said, "Charity is charity, the form is the form, you’ve mixed them up."
"Maybe," Zhuang Yijing laughed helplessly, "Actually, many tis, I still have a lot of entrenched childhood notions that I haven’t been able to co around to even now."
"Such as?" Ning Youguang asked.
"For example, when I was a child, I stubbornly believed that poor people were naturally kind and simple, while rich people were unkind and unscrupulous. This belief still influences my impression of others, causing quite a bit of distress," Zhuang Yijing said, looking exasperated.
Ning Youguang could understand Zhuang Yijing’s conflicting feelings.
After all, her current circle of life is vastly different from her previous one. Changing her ingrained perceptions about people requires a transformative shift, which isn’t easy.
"My teacher once told sothing that left a deep impression."
"What was it?"
"She told never to overestimate the goodness of human nature, nor underestimate the evil of human nature. Don’t hold prejudices against any group; everyone is an independent individual deserving of differentiated treatnt. Not all rich people are unkind, and not all poor people are kind and simple," Ning Youguang said gently, "She also advised us to observe various groups in society earnestly. She said, if we start observing, we would find that many extraordinarily lavish and bold rich people may work hard behind the scenes, being generous in charity; many seemingly pitiful and tragic poor people might be lazy, greedy, and selfish, wanting sothing for nothing. Additionally, those who appear to be graceful and modest gentlen, great philanthropists, might be committing huge evils behind the scenes. The world is complex, human nature unfathomable; we can never see their true souls just through our naked eyes, only by observing them over ti, through their actions, can we make rightful judgnts."
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