Chapter 29 Revisiting Longquan Village The car door opened, and Gu Qingyan stepped out...

Lin Yuwei, wrapped in a blanket, shivered, her head bowed so her expression was unreadable. She seemed not to have recovered from the shock she had just experienced: "No, no need, I just need to rest for a bit."

Zhou Xubai quickly picked up his clothes and threw them on haphazardly. Watching her silently weep, he felt an unprecedented sense of defeat and heartache. "I'll go to the living room. You rest well. Call me anytime if you need anything."

Lin Yuwei calmed down a bit and looked at Zhou Xubai in front of her. Knowing that the current situation was also intentional on her part, she felt guilty and said softly, "The guest room has been prepared. Why don't you go and rest next door?"

Zhou Xubai nodded: "Okay, whatever you say. Goodnight, Yuwei." He gently closed the door and left, his demeanor returning to its usual gentle and refined manner.

The little incident that night did not affect their relationship. Zhou Xubai remained considerate, and Lin Yuwei continued to enjoy this stable care, but only she knew that something had quietly changed.

That moment of resistance was like a bucket of cold water, instantly waking her up. She could no longer deceive herself; Gu Qingyan's image was still deeply rooted in her heart, possessing the power to easily disturb her mind. It was not an obsession, but a deeper emotional imprint that would not easily dissipate with time or a new love.

True letting go isn't about rushing to replace or deny, but about first honestly acknowledging his importance. She no longer forced herself to forget immediately, nor was she eager to prove anything with a new relationship. Some knots need time to untie, and some wounds need patience to heal quietly. This time, she decided not to rush things.

****

That afternoon, Director Zhang suddenly called. His loud voice came through the receiver: "Ms. Lin! Longquan Village is about to hold the 'Wood Cultivation Festival,' a unique traditional festival in their village. They worship the Wood God and pray for a good harvest. It's very lively! The village has specially invited our project team to come and inspect it. This is a great opportunity to integrate the original ecological culture into the corridor!"

"The Wood-Gathering Festival? Next week?" Lin Yuwei was immediately drawn in. The last section of the cultural corridor needed such vibrant content, and she could almost imagine the stunning effect of digitizing those ritual scenes.

“That’s right! The village specifically requests the original team to go. You, Mr. Zhou, and Mr. Gu’s team from Qichen—not one can be missing! Only through firsthand experience can the design have soul!” Director Zhang’s enthusiasm remained undiminished.

When Lin Yuwei heard Gu Qingyan's name, her heart sank slightly. This meant that she would have to spend several days with Gu Qingyan in that rustic village. She subconsciously looked outside and saw Zhou Xubai bending over to instruct Xiao Li on her work, his profile gentle and a smile on his lips.

After hesitating for a moment, she made a decision.

"Okay, Director Zhang. I'll ask Mr. Zhou about it and get back to you later." After hanging up the phone, she walked to Zhou Xubai's side, explained the situation softly, and finally asked, "Xubai, will you come with me this time?"

Zhou Xubai readily agreed, smiling gently, "Great! We certainly can't miss such a wonderful opportunity to gather inspiration. Perhaps we can find inspiration from the final module of the cultural corridor." Lin Yuwei smiled knowingly, "That's what I think too."

Zhou Xubai's decision to accompany her put Lin Yuwei at ease. With him in the middle, she should be able to avoid a lot of unnecessary contact with Gu Qingyan. She put aside her worries and focused her attention back on the design drawings, beginning to look forward to the creative inspiration that this trip would bring.

On Monday morning, the cool mist had not yet completely dissipated, and the rising sun gilded the city streets with a soft golden edge. Zhou Xubai parked his car downstairs at Lin Yuwei's apartment building on time. Seeing her dragging a small suitcase out of the door, he immediately got out of the car to greet her.

"Good morning, Yuwei." He reached out and took her suitcase, his gaze gently falling on her face: "How did you sleep last night?" Lin Yuwei covered her mouth and yawned softly, the light blue under her eyes revealing her fatigue: "The project's final work is more complicated than I imagined. I stayed up a bit late yesterday and I feel like I didn't get enough sleep."

Zhou Xubai nodded knowingly, then turned and took out an exquisite thermos from the car: "Here, this ginseng tea is for you. You can replenish your energy on the road." Lin Yuwei was touched by Zhou Xubai's thoughtfulness, and she thanked him softly: "Thank you, Xubai."

The two drove to the vicinity of the inspection team's meeting point and saw the waiting minibus in the distance. Many members of the inspection team had already arrived and were chatting in twos and threes.

Just then, a dark gray sedan silently pulled up to the side of the road and stopped. The door opened, and Gu Qingyan stepped out, instantly attracting the attention of those around her.

He usually appears in public dressed in a smart and professional suit, but today he was dressed casually in a high-quality charcoal gray coat that accentuated his broad shoulders. Underneath the coat was a white shirt with the collar casually open and no tie. The morning light shone on him, outlining his sharp, model-like physique.

Compared to his simple and pleasing attire, what truly captivates the eye is Gu Qingyan's appearance. He possesses a vibrant and handsome charm. His hair appears unstyled, with a few strands of black hair casually draped over his forehead, giving him a relaxed look. His deep-set eyebrows and eyes are like a painting, and the lines of his high brow bone and nose are perfectly defined. When he is not speaking, he appears somewhat aloof, but when he looks at someone, his eyes possess a sharp quality, as if he can see right into their heart.

Gu Qingyan spotted Zhou Xubai and Lin Yuwei walking side by side at a glance. Zhou Xubai was listening to Lin Yuwei speak with his head slightly turned, a gentle smile on his lips. Gu Qingyan's eyes darkened for a moment, then returned to calm, so quickly that it was hard to catch.

"Good morning, President Gu." Zhou Xubai also saw Gu Qingyan and greeted her politely and appropriately.

Gu Qingyan nodded slightly, his gaze seemingly unintentionally sweeping over Lin Yuwei beside him. He spoke with a hint of concern, "President Lin looks very tired. Are you having trouble finishing the project? Qichen's technical team is ready to help at any time." Lin Yuwei pursed her lips, avoiding his eager gaze, her eyes fixed on the treetops not far away. Her voice remained calm, "Thank you for your concern, President Gu. We will definitely let you know if we need any technical assistance."

She didn't say "I," but "we," which made the faint smile on Gu Qingyan's lips fade a bit.

As the inspection team members arrived one after another, everyone boarded the vehicle and set off. Zhou Xubai naturally helped Lin Yuwei put away her luggage and sat next to her in the front row. He took out a U-shaped pillow from his backpack and carefully placed it behind Lin Yuwei's neck: "It's a three-hour drive, take a rest."

On the other side of the aisle sat Director Liu from the Cultural Bureau, a woman in her fifties wearing gold-rimmed reading glasses. She looked very kind and smiled as she watched Zhou Xubai's actions: "Ah, it's rare to see such a considerate man these days."

All of this was observed by Gu Qingyan, who was sitting diagonally behind them. He was wearing Bluetooth headphones and had a tablet open in front of him, seemingly engrossed in his work. However, the report on the screen hadn't been turned for over ten minutes. His gaze involuntarily swept over the row in front of him and saw Zhou Xubai get up to adjust the air conditioning vents for Lin Yuwei and hand her a drink. When Lin Yuwei looked at Zhou Xubai and smiled slightly, Gu Qingyan's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, as if he had been stung by something.

Since founding the company, he and his team have created one industry miracle after another. The sense of control over his life that he had gradually accumulated vanished in an instant. He seemed to have returned to eight years ago, becoming that penniless boy again, who could only watch Lin Yuwei date all sorts of boys while he didn't even have the chance to be looked at by her.

The carriage was filled with whispers and soft laughter that made Gu Qingyan increasingly irritated. A kind of anger mixed with jealousy and a sense of loss of control quietly spread in his chest, burning brighter and brighter, almost breaking through his proud self-control.

Finally, just as the anxiety reached its peak, Gu Qingyan spoke. Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable penetrating power, instantly shattering the harmonious atmosphere inside the car: "President Lin." Lin Yuwei and Zhou Xubai turned their heads at the same time.

Gu Qingyan's gaze locked onto Lin Yuwei, his tone businesslike yet tinged with tension: "Could you please come over here for a moment? There are a few urgent details regarding the technical implementation of the interactive exhibition area that need to be confirmed now." A barely perceptible hint of reluctance flashed in Lin Yuwei's eyes, but since they were in the same space, she couldn't think of a reasonable excuse to brush it off. She could only get up, supporting herself on the chair, and walk to the empty seat next to Gu Qingyan. She sat on the outermost seat, maintaining a just-right distance from Gu Qingyan.

"Mr. Gu, which technical parameter needs to be confirmed?" She took out her tablet, opened the document, and focused her gaze on the screen without looking at him.

After a while without hearing Gu Qingyan's reply, Lin Yuwei glanced at him and saw him take out an elegant white box from his briefcase, open it, and hand it to her. Inside were perfectly baked cookies decorated with plump blueberries, and the familiar sweet aroma wafted between them.

"I bought it this morning when I passed by a bakery. The clerk said it was just baked." He pushed the box towards her, his voice slightly gentler than before, the barely perceptible expectation well concealed: "Want to try some? We can talk business after you eat."

Lin Yuwei looked at the box of her favorite pastries, her fingertips curling slightly. She remembered that a long time ago, he would get up early and queue for an hour at a very popular bakery, just so that she could have the hottest blueberry cookies when she woke up in the morning.

The smell of blueberries back then was exactly the same as it is now.

Memories, accompanied by the usual dull pain, surged into Lin Yuwei's heart, setting off alarm bells in her mind. "Thank you, Mr. Gu," she said politely but distantly, gently pushing open the box without looking up at him. "I've had breakfast, I'm not hungry. Let's deal with business first and not delay the project's progress."

Seeing that she had directly refused the snacks, Gu Qingyan's hand holding the box paused imperceptibly. He silently looked at her lowered profile for a second, then casually closed the lid and placed the box on the armrest cup holder, as if his question was just a polite exchange between ordinary friends.

"Okay," Gu Qingyan replied, his voice returning to its usual calm and steady tone. He opened his laptop, pulled up a technical document, and began discussing several complex interaction logic and data interface issues with her.

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Author's Note: These past few chapters have been filled with love triangles and chaotic situations. Can Xiao Gu turn the tide? Please click to add to your favorites and leave a comment with "666" to support Xiao Gu! [Newbie Dog]