On the phone, Lilia was heard sighing softly. She stood in front of the corridor's window looking at the dreary dry season and listening to the sound of the wind blowing.
"…I am fine," Lilia spoke after being silent for a moment. "About my parents, every time they went to Jakarta, they usually took a week or two. I'm sure that this time too... "
Before she could finish her words, Mellisa interrupted in a meaningful tone, "Actually, it might not be a bad thing for them to come to Jakarta,"
Lilia couldn't see Mellisa's face right now, but she could imagine the sly smile on her lips. Whatever Mellisa planned sure would make an interesting event.
"What do you mean?" Lilia's dim eyes lit up in an instant.
Mellisa said, "Grandpa Simon's birthday is coming in five days,"
Those words alone were enough for Lilia. She could guess what her sister was planning. Her lips curved into an evil smile.
"Let's go to Jakarta tomorrow. There is a birthday party we need to attend," Lilia said.
Mellisa couldn't help laughing. Her little sister was really smart! "Of course!" Mellisa replied enthusiastically.
This was a golden opportunity to celebrate Mr. Simon Irwan's birthday!
After Lilia hung up the phone, she stood transfixed in the corridor for a long time, until—
"Lilia?"
The model immediately turned her head when she heard her name being called. She saw Jenny, who had only been asleep for ten minutes, come out of the ward looking for her.
"Ah, Aunt Jenny," Lilia immediately approached the middle aged woman. "Sorry, did I wake you up? Didn't you just rest for a while?"
"No, you didn't wake me!" Jenny shook her head before pulling Lilia back inside the ward. "I'm old and I can't sleep well. When I wake up, I don't see you inside. I thought..."
Jenny paused with a hesitant expression.
"… I think Chris finally woke up from his coma. So I went out to make sure…" Jenny's voice slowly grew weaker until it finally faded.
Lilia nodded and accompanied Jenny back to the ward. When they had just taken a few steps forward, an idea came to Lilia's mind.
"Aunt Jenny, I heard that you are Mr. Simon Irwan's eldest daughter. Are you also very talented at painting?"
This question was made after careful consideration by Lilia.
She was worried that Jenny would catch her true aim, so she turned around to pour her a glass of water. She purposely avoided the middle aged woman's gaze. Lilia poured a glass of warm water, then she turned around and handed it to Jenny.
Jenny accepted the glass while looking at Lilia with glowing eyes. She asked excitedly, "Do you know who my father is?"
As far as Jenny knew, today's youth rarely paid attention to traditional culture. Let alone something like a landscape painting made in watercolors.
People who regularly ate fast food usually went after something fast and instant. Only a handful of them could sit quietly, enjoy a cup of tea, and appreciate a precious legacy such as ancient paintings.
Lilia's gaze met Jenny's sharp gaze. But the model just stared back at her calmly with a small smile. "I've seen the painting 'Pastoral Scenes' that Mr. Simon made at an auction. But unfortunately, I couldn't get the painting,"
In the fundraising event held by Felix Darmawan, another painting was auctioned?apart from the Van Gong painting. However, Lilia didn't have enough budget to buy the painting made by Simon Irwan.
Hearing this, the sharp look in Jenny's eyes softened. She was looking at Lilia with appreciation now. "Oh, I see. If I had met you earlier, I could have given the painting to you in person," Jenny said, smiling broadly.
The painting 'Pastoral Scenery' was her father's last painting to commemorate the birth of his first granddaughter, Mellisa. Simon personally signed the painting under his name. The painting depicted Simon's hope and sadness. That sadness came when Mellisa died five years ago.
Since that incident, Simon had insisted on sealing his brush and canvas. The old man couldn't stop blaming himself. Because of his paintings, the Irwan family had always been in abundance with money these days. But that was precisely what invited disaster. His first grandchild wouldn't have died in that accident if it weren't for the luxury car that Janice and Richard, Mellisa's parents bought for her.
The old man's mind had too many twists and turns. Even though his family had tried to persuade Simon many times, they still couldn't undo his stubborn thinking.
Lilia sat next to Jenny, watching her expression carefully. Seeing her blurry and dreamy-looking eyes, Lilia didn't dare interrupt her for a while.
Without warning, Jenny straightened her back, her eyes sparkling. Before Lilia could ask, she had already said, "Lilia, you said that you really liked Dad's paintings, right?"
Lilia nodded. "That's right, Aunt Jenny." She did admire the beauty of Simon's paintings, which always looked full of life.
Jenny clapped her hands together. "This Sunday happens to be Father's birthday. Many of his works are still in the Irwan family's house, why don't you stop by and celebrate his birthday? If you find a painting you like, Aunt Jenny will give it to you!"
Jenny couldn't wait for Simon's birthday to come. She praised herself for being able to think of such a perfect arrangement. Jenny was even looking forward to how her father and younger sister would react when they met Lilia. However, Jenny did not know that Lilia had deliberately led her to make this suggestion.
"Can I come?" Lilia's expression was filled with excitement that couldn't be hidden.
But she only showed half of her true feelings. She couldn't reveal her cunning intention in front of Jenny. Thanks to Lilia's experience during the filming process, she had become even more skilled at acting. Just by showing joy and flattery like this, Jenny didn't get anything suspicious of Lilia.
A birthday party for a famous painter as Simon Irwan would require tight security. Although Lilia could ask Jean to help her get an invitation, it would be much better if she was invited by Jenny in person. Plus, Lilia could use the excuse that Jenny intended to give her a painting to approach the Irwan family.
At this moment, Jenny saw Lilia's cheerful appearance and felt happy too. She patted Lilia's hand while pretending to be angry. "Of course, I invite you myself! No one would dare question your presence there. Don't worry about the invitation, Aunt Jenny will give it to you," Jenny said reassuringly.
This was very, very good! Lilia was trying to suppress a sly smile that threatened to appear on her face.
"Then… can you give me two more invitations?" Lilia asked hesitantly. She hurriedly explained. "One of the invitations for Jean, while the other for my friend. She attended the arts faculty and had great respect for Mr. Simon Irwan. I want to help my friend fulfill her dream. Do... Do you mind?"
Lilia deliberately put on an embarrassed and shy expression. As expected, Jenny immediately spoke up.
"Yes, when the time comes, I can give you five invitations! Don't forget to take Jean with you, okay? If any of your friends want to come along, they can all go with you," Jenny said firmly.
Lilia smiled broadly. "Thank you so much, Aunt Jenny," she said sincerely.
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