Chapter 100 Pleasure [VIP]

Chapter summary: "After all these years, you still get angry with me."

The weather is getting colder and colder than ever before.

Fu Xianyin felt that her daily commute was the most unbearable time of her day. The hotel that Xingfan Technology booked for her was not far from the company, so far that it wouldn't even cost the starting fare by taxi.

It takes less than ten minutes from leaving the hotel to getting to work, which is an extremely difficult commute distance to achieve in Beijing, where land is incredibly valuable.

But the cold was unbearable.

Every day, Fu Xianyin grits her teeth and gets out of bed. After changing her clothes and wrapping herself up like a bear, she even has to take a deep breath and mentally prepare herself before daring to go to work.

Chen Nianke and Cheng Zhaozhao stayed in Fu Xianyin's suite for a while, since the room was big enough to comfortably fit three people.

Fu Xianyin works during the day, and after work she goes out to eat with the two of them. Sometimes, on a whim, they'll go out for a couple of drinks; she lives a rather pleasant life.

My work at Xingfan Technology went exceptionally smoothly.

Ever since Gao Ning was publicly berated by her that day, her work attitude has become so serious that it's impossible to find any fault with her anymore.

Hu Chengcheng's attitude towards her has also entered a strange balance.

But in any case, it won't hinder the work progress.

Fu Xianyin was very satisfied.

And Gu Linzhao...

She hadn't seen Gu Linzhao since their conversation in the hallway that day.

Fu Xianyin, Cheng Zhaozhao, and Chen Nianke spent the entire weekend having fun, hoping to avoid the utterly awkward situation they would face when they met Gu Linzhao on Monday. However, when Monday came, she discovered that Gu Linzhao was so busy that she couldn't see him at all.

It's better not to see him, and it's not necessarily better not to see him.

It's good that she can escape for a while longer and forget the reckless and foolish things she did.

It's bad because everything seems to have come to a standstill.

She had her share of arguments with Gu Linzhao when they were in school.

Even before they were together, Fu Xianyin was already quite presumptuous in front of Gu Linzhao.

At that time, no sooner had they finished arguing than Fu Xianyin and the other two had begun spending every day together again.

Even during the time when they weren't deskmates, she and Gu Linzhao saw each other and spent time together every day.

There's no problem that will be left in a stagnant state indefinitely.

Looking at the present...

Once a problem is set aside, it remains set aside. Unless someone brings it up again, it will remain in a fixed state, frozen in time.

Fu Xianyin sighed. The hand that was browsing the data started moving.

The words Gu Linzhao uttered in the dimly lit corridor kept replaying in my mind.

"It's exactly what you think."

Which one is it?

Fu Xianyin felt like she was going crazy.

Even she didn't know what she was thinking, so how did Gu Linzhao know?

The data on the computer screen seemed to have turned into a jumbled mess of characters. Fu Xianyin took a deep breath, simply tossed aside the mouse, and went out to the tea room to get some water.

In the tea room, Cheng Yu was also waiting with a cup in his hand.

When he saw Fu Xianyin, he looked up and greeted her, then started a small talk: "Teacher Fu, what are your plans for the New Year?"

No one mentioned the chaos last Friday. Everyone has been in the workplace for a long time and knows that some things are best left in the past.

Fu Xianyin was taken aback when she heard this and said, "New Year?"

Cheng Yu said, "Yes, Professor Fu, this Saturday is Lunar New Year's Eve, and we'll be on holiday. Are you going back to the US for your holiday, Professor Fu?"

Fu Xianyin smiled and said, "The holiday is too short, not enough time to travel around. I'll probably stay in Beijing."

Cheng Yu went back to work after getting the water, while Fu Xianyin was stunned by the mention of "annual leave" and didn't even notice that the hot water had overflowed the cup.

By the time she realized what was happening, a lot of hot water had already spilled out, and the cup was full of hot water, making it difficult to lift.

Fu Xianyin carefully held the cup handle and poured out a little hot water. Even though she was extremely careful, her fingertips were still burned by the hot water.

Fortunately, the area is not large, so a rinse with cold water will suffice.

Fu Xianyin carried the cup back, but she couldn't get the words "Chinese New Year" out of her mind.

Over the years, Fu Xianyin has lived his life very hastily.

Friends would often invite her to celebrate her birthday casually, and if it happened to fall during exam week and she was too busy, it didn't matter. Most of her friends celebrated her birthday on February 17th, and apart from close friends like Zhao Wei, no one knew that Lunar New Year's Eve was actually Fu Xianyin's birthday.

Not only do others not know, but Fu Xianyin herself doesn't celebrate her birthday on Lunar New Year's Eve.

Because of Fu Dongyuan and Chen Huimei, Fu Xianyin has hardly ever had a peaceful New Year since she was a child, which has led to her not having any special feelings about the "New Year" since she was a child.

And speaking of which, the only year that was truly memorable was the one Gu Linzhao spent with her on the mountaintop.

She sighed, packed her things, and prepared to go to the conference room for the weekly meeting.

Fu Xianyin was stunned for a moment when she pushed open the door.

Gu Linzhao was sitting in the conference room, flipping through a document in his hand.

In the past few weeks, except for the first week, Gu Linzhao has not participated in their regular meetings.

Why is it happening again this time?

She arrived rather late, and the conference room was already quite full, with no comfortable, secluded spots. Fu Xianyin was just about to find a seat when Gu Linzhao suddenly stopped what he was doing, looked up, and met her gaze.

As if by some strange twist of fate, Fu Xianyin sat down next to Gu Linzhao.

Cheng Yu arrived a little later than Fu Xianyin. He sat opposite Fu Xianyin and was also not far from Gu Linzhao.

With a smile on his face, he pulled out a chair and said, "President Gu is here today too."

Gu Linzhao closed the file, gave a soft "hmm," and said, "This is the last meeting before the holiday."

Fu Xianyin didn't participate in the conversation, instead busying herself with organizing the things she would be reporting later. The burn on her fingertips was still throbbing, and she didn't want to add to the pain by typing, so her typing posture was a little awkward.

This is actually a very subtle action, and with the computer screen covering it, it's almost impossible to notice unless you look closely.

But Gu Linzhao, as if possessed by some kind of superhuman ability to see and hear, suddenly glanced at her and asked quite naturally:

What happened to your hand?

Fu Xianyin tapped the keyboard with her unburned fingers and said, "I got burned."

The person next to me seemed to chuckle slightly, and then said, "How old are you? You still manage to burn yourself."

He sat to her right, in the same spot as when they were deskmates.

The familiar phrases and voice sounded just like they came from high school. For some reason, Fu Xianyin blurted out:

"Yes, you haven't fallen since you learned to walk as a child."

The meeting room fell silent for a moment.

Everyone fell silent and stopped moving. The only sound in the conference room was the intermittent tapping of Fu Xianyin's keyboard.

Fu Xianyin's raised finger remained suspended in mid-air, hesitant to fall.

Wait, what is she doing?

Is she criticizing Gu Linzhao?

Did she really say that?

Fu Xianyin didn't even dare to glance in Gu Linzhao's direction.

She stiffened her neck, maintaining the same angle, her gaze fixed solely on the computer screen, seemingly oblivious to everything else.

My typing hands paused for two seconds before continuing.

The meeting room was also restored to normal at the same time.

However, amidst the hushed whispers, a soft laugh beside her pierced her ears with exceptional clarity.

The meeting went very smoothly.

As the meeting was about to end, Hu Chengcheng suddenly smiled and said, "Speaking of which, I just did some research yesterday, and it seems there's been a meteor shower recently."

All eyes immediately turned to Fu Xianyin.

Fu Xianyin said softly, "It's the Centaurus meteor shower, which usually occurs from the end of January to mid-February. The weather in Beijing has been nice lately, so it's quite suitable for stargazing."

Their project is somewhat related to celestial bodies; the observation and study of Centaurus is also part of their project plan.

Cheng Yu suddenly suggested, "It happens to be related to our project, and this week is the last week before the holiday. Do you guys have some time these few days? Why don't we find a stargazing spot to go out and take a look?"

While everyone was discussing the time, Fu Xianyin simply listened and didn't participate.

Suddenly someone said, "Professor Fu, could you also give us some science lectures and broaden our knowledge?"

Suddenly prompted, Fu Xianyin smiled and said, "Sure."

Hu Chengcheng suddenly spoke up in front of the big screen.

She asked, "Is Mr. Gu free this week? How about we go take a look together?"

Gu Linzhao turned his head to the side and asked Fu Xianyin, "When are you free?"

Fu Xianyin: "...I'm free every day except today."

Only after she finished speaking did she suddenly realize that her words seemed to be directed at Gu Linzhao.

This morning she heard that Gu Linzhao seems to be going on a business trip from tomorrow until his annual leave.

But the words have already been spoken.

Fu Xianyin swore that she really did it unintentionally.

Unexpectedly, Gu Linzhao only thought for two seconds before saying, "Then let's do it on Wednesday. We'll come back before the holiday on Saturday. Three days, let's do it as a team building activity."

The meeting room fell silent for a moment.

No one seemed to expect that Gu Linzhao would give everyone a three-day holiday in the midst of his conversation.

Hu Chengcheng spoke first: "Since President Gu has said so, there is no going back on it."

Gu Linzhao said, "Of course."

He said, "The workload for the next two days can be reduced as appropriate. If it's truly impossible to finish, we can discuss it again after the New Year. Hu Chengcheng, you and Lu Heyu finalize the details of the team-building activity; Fu Xianyin..."

He paused at this point.

Fu Xianyin thought he wanted her to find a stargazing spot or something, but then Gu Linzhao changed the subject and said:

"Come with me for a moment."

Fu Xianyin stood up, just about to close her laptop and follow Gu Linzhao out, when she saw a hand reach out diagonally, close the laptop for her, and then pick it up directly.

Fu Xianyin was stunned for a moment.

In the two seconds she was stunned, Gu Linzhao not only took her computer, but also the notebook she had casually brought with her to do her writing and drawing.

He very naturally helped her carry her things, raised his chin, and said, "Let's go."

Just like many years ago, after school, he helped her pack her things, then carried her schoolbag in one hand and held her hand in the other, saying to her, "Fu Xianyin, let's go home."

The only difference might be that the hand that missed its target.

Fu Xianyin clenched her fingertips, pressing hard on the burned area. The pain brought tears to her eyes.

However, Fu Xianyin did not loosen her grip in the slightest.

It was as if only in this way could she suppress the urge to reach out and hold Gu Linzhao's empty hand.

After leaving the conference room, Fu Xianyin had no idea where to go.

She stood at the door of the conference room and looked up at Gu Linzhao.

He didn't stop walking at all.

He went straight to her office.

He held her laptop and notebook in one hand, and gently placed the other hand on the doorknob. Before pressing it down, he asked Fu Xianyin with utmost politeness, "May I come in?"

Fu Xianyin thought to herself, "The whole company is yours, so what's there to say about who can or can't get in?"

She nodded.

The heavy wooden door was pushed open, and Gu Linzhao put down his laptop and walked naturally to the cabinet next to him.

He crouched down, opened the cabinet drawer, and magically produced a small first-aid kit.

As Fu Xianyin watched his fluid movements, she was momentarily unsure whether to be curious about how he knew so much about the layout of her office, or to say that it was just a little scalded and a quick rinse with cold water was enough, and there was no need to apply any medicine.

Seeing her standing blankly at the door, Gu Linzhao softened his tone.

He asked, "What are you standing there for?"

Fu Xianyin blinked, came to her senses, and said, "No need to apply medicine."

Gu Linzhao showed no intention of putting the first-aid kit back.

Fu Xianyin didn't know when he had become so stubborn. Was it because he was used to being the boss and didn't like others going against his wishes?

She had no choice but to soften her tone and explain, "It was just a minor burn. Even after applying the medicine, it's easy for it to get smeared everywhere, which is quite troublesome."

Six years ago, Fu Xianyin would never have imagined that she would one day be the one to soften her temper and reason with Gu Linzhao.

However, Gu Linzhao simply placed the first-aid kit on Fu Xianyin's desk and said, "Then I'll put it here."

Fu Xianyin: ?

You absolutely have to apply this medicine today, right?

She got angry and frowned, saying, "I already said no, why don't you understand?"

Fu Xianyin didn't know where her quick temper came from. It was just a matter of applying medicine, and judging from Gu Linzhao's attitude, she didn't necessarily have to do it herself. He would probably just do it for her, and she could just sit there and accept it. It wouldn't be troublesome or unfair. What's wrong with applying medicine?

But the subconscious dissatisfaction just wouldn't subside.

It seemed to be a kind of displeasure that one could have freely expressed their emotions without restraint, but was forced to suppress them for some reason.

But she couldn't help herself.

They all vented their frustrations on Gu Linzhao.

The fire hadn't completely died down, but reason had fully returned.

Fu Xianyin stood there, feeling the awkwardness and helplessness caused by the collision of two intertwined emotions in her mind. Unable to move, she could only stand there blankly.

After about two or three seconds, Gu Linzhao was the first to soften his tone.

He smiled, a smile that was both helpless and somewhat expected.

He patiently explained, "It's not that you absolutely have to apply it, but applying the medicine will help you heal faster, otherwise you'll be in pain for a few more days. If you find it troublesome, you don't have to apply it, okay?"

Is that okay?

He asked her gently in a coaxing tone if it would be alright.

Fu Xianyin couldn't speak, so she could only nod vaguely.

The white medicine box on the table was extremely eye-catching, and Fu Xianyin couldn't help but glance at it.

That first-aid kit was quite large; judging by its size and capacity, it probably contained most of the basic medicines needed for daily use.

The doubts that had been suppressed in my heart resurfaced.

Why does Gu Linzhao know the layout of her office so well?

It was as if he had personally arranged every single detail for her.

Once the thought came to mind, I couldn't stop it.

Just as Fu Xianyin's mind was in turmoil, she suddenly heard Gu Linzhao ask her, "Have you never opened those cabinets over there?"

Fu Xianyin said, "No, it's been opened."

Gu Linzhao clearly didn't believe him. He raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on her, a smile playing on his lips.

"real?"

Fu Xianyin said confidently, "Of course it's true."

She opened the cabinet and glanced at the books inside.

Although she didn't even take out a book to read, she did open it.

Gu Linzhao didn't want to argue with her. Seeing that she was stubbornly insisting that she had opened it, he nodded and said, "Okay, I opened it, but I didn't know there was a first-aid kit in the cabinet for you, and I don't know where the first-aid kit is."

Fu Xianyin retorted stubbornly, "Well, I haven't even gotten to that floor yet, have I? Besides, I came here to work from a business trip. I'm not here to search for treasure, looking through this and that."

Gu Linzhao chuckled and said, "If you really find some treasure, then I'll have to thank you."

At this point, my mouth was already speaking much faster than my brain.

Fu Xianyin heard herself say, "Of course."

A smile spread across Gu Linzhao's face.

Fu Xianyin looked at him and saw him smile at her with a helpless expression.

She couldn't help but look away.

A voice broke the silence of the office as my gaze fell upon the lush green plants by the window.

Gu Linzhao's tone was very soft, almost like a sigh, but Fu Xianyin inexplicably heard a sense of satisfied satisfaction in it.

He said:

"After all these years, you still get angry with me."

[Author's Note]

The first chapter was almost glossed over in the first round of review, but Fu Xianyin studied it seriously as if it were the first time she was learning it.

She had few stationery items; she only had three pens—red, blue, and black—plus a pen refill, a pencil, and an eraser.

The exercises laid out at this moment are covered with key points marked in blue and black.

When Fu Xianyin returned after washing her face, she saw Lin Anxu sitting at the table. She tapped Lin Anxu's shoulder, and water droplets from her fingertips dripped onto the table: "Come on, give me a seat. I'm packing up to go back to the dorm."

Lin Anxu smiled and pointed to the chemistry book on the table, asking, "Beautiful lady, you... can't be one of those who only excels in one subject, can you?"

Fu Xianyin didn't shy away from this and readily admitted it:

"Yeah, that's right, it's about being good at some subjects but not others."

As she stuffed the books into her bag, she laughed and said, "To be honest, I've never passed chemistry in my entire life."

That's the truth.

Lin Anxu was straightforward; he asked directly what he wanted to ask. Upon hearing this, he said, "Then why did you choose chemistry?"

After he finished speaking, he felt himself being glanced at by the person next to him.

He tensed up instantly, thinking he had touched a nerve with Fu Xianyin.

Fu Xianyin remained calm and said, "There was nothing I could do; my family made me do it."

Lin Anxu looked at the culprit who was glaring at him, his face clearly saying: Isn't this a perfectly normal reason? Why are you glaring at me?

Gu Linzhao didn't say anything and continued packing his bag.

As I was packing up, a shout suddenly came from ahead: "Yinyin, wait for me, let's go back together."

It was Cheng Zhaozhao's voice.

Fu Xianyin glanced at the time, replied "okay," and then sat down to check flight tickets back to the city.

There is a bus going tomorrow morning and a return bus in the afternoon, so it's a day trip. However, Fu Xianyin has a chemistry class tomorrow morning and doesn't want to skip it.

That means there's only the Friday night bus.

Fu Xianyin quickly booked round-trip tickets. Just as she successfully paid, she looked up and saw Lin Anxu making a face at Cheng Zhaozhao who was walking towards her.

"You dawdler, nyah nyah nyah."

Cheng Zhaozhao grabbed a book and was about to throw it at Lin Anxu's head: "Lin Anxu! How old are you? How childish are you!"

The book made a crisp tapping sound on his head, and Lin Anxu grimaced in pain. Seeing this, Cheng Zhaozhao pouted with a hint of victory and naturally took Fu Xianyin's arm: "Yinyin, let's go, ignore him."

Fu Xianyin found it amusing. She obediently let Cheng Zhaozhao pull her out of the classroom, not forgetting to look back at Lin Anxu, who was covering his head.

The campus at night was full of students who had just finished their evening self-study sessions, and the streetlights stretched the shadows of the two people long.

Amid the rustling of leaves, a faint "gurgling" sound suddenly came from behind.

Fu Xianyin turned to look at Cheng Zhaozhao, who was covering her stomach embarrassedly: "Oh dear, I'm hungry because I expended too much energy during evening self-study."

Fu Xianyin: "Is the cafeteria closed? What about the convenience store?"

Cheng Zhaozhao: "The cafeteria is closed, and the convenience store closes at 10:30. It's just past 10 o'clock now. Yinyin, are you hungry? Do you want to go buy something to eat together?"

It's easy to get hungry after evening self-study. Since they don't check for snacks in the dorm anyway, I might as well buy some bread, biscuits, or something to stock up on.

So Fu Xianyin thought for a moment and said, "I'm hungry too, let's go buy some together."

"Yay!"

Cheng Zhaozhao jumped up excitedly, quickening her pace: "Hurry up, hurry up, there will be a lot of people if we go late, and the queue will take a long time."

The two bought two large bags full of food from the convenience store. Cheng Zhaozhao kept talking the whole way, telling Fu Xianyin which bread was better and which yogurt tasted better.

Fu Xianyin bought a bunch of things based on her recommendation, intending to stock up in her dorm room.

"Yinyin, who do you live with?"

Cheng Zhaozhao opened a bag of bread, broke off half for Fu Xianyin, and then asked while eating it.

Fu Xianyin took the bread and said, "I don't have a roommate, I live alone."

"Wow!" Cheng Zhaozhao exclaimed enviously, "That's so great, I want to live alone too."

Cheng Zhaozhao is a chatterbox; once she starts talking, she can't stop: "But I'll be there soon too. I'm currently in a four-person room with Song Yaoge and two dance students from other classes. Song Yaoge is also a dance student, and they'll be starting intensive training soon. Soon, I'll have the dorm all to myself!"

"Well, I'm a little timid. I'm afraid I'll be scared if I sleep alone."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Lin Anxu's smug voice came from behind her: "Ah, I didn't expect that, Cheng Zhaozhao, you're actually afraid?"

As she spoke, a hand swiftly reached out and snatched the last bite of bread from Cheng Zhaozhao's hand.

"Lin Anxu!"

Cheng Zhaozhao grabbed his ear and shouted, "Give me back my bread!"

Lin Anxu's mouth was stuffed full: "Once it's in my mouth, it's mine."

The two ran off playfully, and Cheng Zhaozhao didn't forget to tell Fu Xianyin, "Yinyin, you go up first, don't wait for me. I'll beat him to a pulp!"

Fu Xianyin smiled and was about to leave with a bag of snacks when she suddenly saw Gu Linzhao not far away.

Fu Xianyin took out two boxes of cookies and two pieces of bread from the bag and ran over.

"You just hurt your leg, be careful."

Gu Linzhao looked at her helplessly and reached out to stop her.

Fu Xianyin just happened to hand him the biscuits and bread.

"Thank you, class monitor, for buying me study materials and bringing me food. I'll treat you to a meal when my leg heals."

Fu Xianyin smiled and said, "I hope the class monitor will deduct fewer points from my score before my leg heals."

Gu Linzhao chuckled: "Is this considered a bribe?"

Fu Xianyin said seriously, "Of course not, it's because I'm kind-hearted."

"The class monitor and I have been sitting next to each other for a whole day. Didn't you realize that I'm a kind-hearted person?"

Chapter 100! The countdown to the end is on... but at this pace, it seems like there are still another 10 or 20 chapters to go before it's finished.

Are there any side stories you'd like to see after the series ends? Feel free to comment!