Chapter 62 Leaving Without Saying Goodbye However, when she walked into the hotel lobby, she was about to…

The light and shadow on the screen flickered, occasionally glancing at Gu Qingyan's sharply defined profile. He remained focused on the scene ahead, seemingly engrossed in the movie plot. However, his taut jawline, the slight movement of his Adam's apple, and the hot, tightly clasped hand with hers, exuding a powerful sense of control, betrayed a completely different, turbulent emotion beneath his calm surface.

Time lost its measure in the darkness, and those clasped hands became the only anchor, connecting the past and the present, memory and reality, silently telling an emotion more turbulent than the story on the screen.

As the movie ended and the end credits rolled, all the lights in the theater suddenly came on, the blinding light instantly dispelling all ambiguity.

As if burned by a sudden bright light, their clasped hands released each other swiftly and simultaneously, as if electrocuted. The brief separation brought a cool breeze that swept over their skin, which had been pressed tightly together, stirring up a more subtle shiver and emptiness.

Lin Yuwei suddenly lowered her head, her heart pounding wildly in her chest, pounding against her eardrums. She quickly raised her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly as she tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. This action was a futile attempt to conceal the burning heat that had already spread to her ears and the uneasy panic in her eyes. She could clearly feel her cheeks burning, as if the brief skin-to-skin contact had ignited a fire.

At almost the same time, Gu Qingyan withdrew her hand, her movements slightly hurried. She coughed lightly, made a fist, and picked up the almost forgotten, barely touched bucket of popcorn between them with her other hand. She used the action of getting up to avoid any possible eye contact.

"Let's go." His voice sounded a few decibels lower and hoarseer than usual.

The two walked out of the theater one after the other, neither looking at the other nor exchanging a word. But the unspoken tension and excitement in the air were clearer than any words. The hands that had been tightly clasped in the darkness seemed to still retain the other's warmth and touch, burning the skin and the heart.

When they walked out of the cinema, the rain had stopped, and the evening breeze, carrying the chill of the winter night, brushed against their faces, slightly dispelling the heat on their skin. The two walked silently along the dimly lit street toward their parking spot, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing softly in the quiet night.

Finally, Gu Qingyan broke the silence first. His voice softened, with a hint of barely perceptible emotion: "When I was a child, I was depressed for several days because I couldn't see the premiere of this movie. I felt it was a huge regret."

Lin Yuwei's heart skipped a beat, but her gaze remained fixed on the wet pavement covered with the reflections of neon lights. She didn't reply, but simply listened quietly.

“Now that I think about it,” Gu Qingyan’s tone became low and meaningful, “perhaps it’s a bit of a regret that its existence wasn’t the end.” He paused slightly, turned his head to look at her, his gaze deep, “but rather it was to wait for some unexpected yet just right moment in the future, to be filled more thoroughly and perfectly.”

His words, though gentle, carried immense weight, and their implications extended far beyond the scope of the film itself.

Lin Yuwei's heart pounded wildly again, almost bursting out of her chest. She didn't dare turn her head to look at his expression at that moment, and could only stare intently at a point in the void ahead, pretending to be focused on the road, as if she hadn't understood the surging subtext of his words at all.

But Lin Yuwei knew perfectly well that this winter night, this movie that was so long overdue, that hand that suddenly appeared in the darkness and held her tightly, and the words about "regret" and "fulfillment" spoken in a deep voice by the person beside her... all of this would be etched into her memory as if branded with a hot iron, deeply and clearly, for a long, long time, perhaps forever.

****

At five o'clock in the morning, before the sky was fully bright, the city was shrouded in a hazy gray-blue hue, quiet and cold.

Lin Yuwei barely slept a wink all night. The scorching heat and the palpitating atmosphere of the movie theater still seemed to linger around her. A huge sense of guilt and a near-panic panic relentlessly pursued her. To avoid falling deeper into this abyss, she had to leave immediately and return to her familiar and controllable path.

She packed her luggage very quietly, and like a thief, she quietly opened the door and almost tiptoed toward the elevator, afraid of making the slightest sound.

However, as she walked into the hotel lobby and prepared to head for the door, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Gu Qingyan's familiar, tall figure stood with his back to her in the dim morning light outside the glass door, as if he had been waiting for a long time. He was wearing a long black trench coat and trousers, and the black made his tall and thin profile appear even more lonely. He looked down at his phone from time to time, and it seemed that he was also holding car keys in his hand.

Lin Yuwei felt inexplicably nervous. Was he up so early waiting for someone? Was he waiting for... her? The car she had called was supposed to meet her at the hotel's front door, and there was no way to avoid it, so she had no choice but to slowly walk over.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Gu Qingyan slowly turned around. There was no surprise on his face, only a deep, all-knowing calm. His gaze fell on the suitcase in her hand, his eyes flickered with a complex emotion, but he did not question her. He simply spoke gently, his voice slightly hoarse, characteristic of the early morning: "Are you leaving?"

Lin Yuwei's heart clenched, feeling a sense of helplessness as if she had been caught red-handed. She subconsciously tried to make up an excuse, but found her throat dry. In the end, she just nodded and gave a soft "hmm," avoiding his gaze.

"I'll give you a ride." He stepped forward, his tone casual: "I'm going back to Mingchuan anyway, it's on my way."

Gu Qingyan's suggestion was reasonable and even considerate, but what Lin Yuwei feared most at this moment was this space to be alone and the continued ambiguity.

She shook her head almost immediately, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible resistance and urgency: "No need, really no need to trouble you, I... I've called a car, it'll be here soon."

Gu Qingyan looked at her quietly, seeing the panic in her eyes and the stubbornness in her eagerness to draw a line. He did not press her as he had in the past, nor did he show any disappointment or displeasure.

He remained silent for a few seconds, then nodded slightly, stepped aside, and said in a calm tone, "Okay, then... I'll wait for the car with you."

This response was completely unexpected for Lin Yuwei. He didn't insist or ask any questions; he simply chose to respect her, even offering a kind of... protective companionship. This sudden concession and understanding felt like a soft thorn gently piercing her heart, making her more unsettled than any forceful attempt to keep him.

She didn't refuse again, but simply whispered, "Thank you."

So, in the chilly early morning at the hotel entrance, the two stood side by side, with just the right distance between them, silently gazing at the empty street. The atmosphere wasn't awkward; rather, it carried a silent, heavy, and complex emotion.

In this silence, Lin Yuwei realized with horror that she was actually craving this moment. Even without words, even with a sense of guilt, simply standing beside him and feeling his silent yet powerful presence gave her an absurd sense of security and an indescribable attraction. This feeling was too dangerous, like a potent anesthetic, making her want to get closer and drown in it. She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she would be completely lost in this addictive atmosphere and would no longer have the courage to leave.

Gu Qingyan's face remained expressionless, and he didn't say anything more. He simply stayed with her, as if ensuring her safe departure was the only thing he cared about at that moment.

In the distance, a taxi with its "For hire" light on drove by.

After the car came to a stop, Gu Qingyan naturally stepped forward, opened the car door for her, and put her suitcase into the trunk. His movements were practiced and quiet.

Lin Yuwei opened the car door, but before she could get in, she paused. She turned around and looked at him. At that moment, the sun was rising, and the first rays of morning light fell on Gu Qingyan's body and face, outlining his deep features. His eyes were calm but unfathomable.

“Gu Qingyan,” Lin Yuwei said softly, with a hint of complicated emotion, “Yesterday… thank you.” Thank you for getting me out of that predicament, thank you for the sweets, thank you for the movie, thank you for not asking any more questions now, and thank you even more for your restrained respect, which prevented me from completely losing control in this terrifyingly greedy state.

Gu Qingyan looked at her intently, as if trying to etch her image into his eyes. In the end, he merely gave a slight smile, his voice low and clear: "Be careful on the road."

There was no pleading, no promises, just the simplest four words.

Lin Yuwei nodded, and almost as if fleeing, bent down and sat in the car. The car door closed, as if temporarily isolating her from that unsettling world.

The taxi started and slowly drove away. Lin Yuwei couldn't help but look back through the car window. The figure was still standing in the same place, growing smaller and smaller in the gradually brightening morning light, yet it was imprinted in her vision with exceptional clarity, like an indelible mark that pounded on her panicked heart. She found that the moment the car started, she had already begun to uncontrollably recall the warmth of his palm, his silent companionship in the darkness. This almost instinctive dependence and craving made her feel a fear she had never felt before.

Only when the car turned the corner and the hotel was no longer in sight did Lin Yuwei slowly withdraw her gaze, leaning weakly against the back of her seat and closing her eyes. The turmoil in her heart did not subside with departure; on the contrary, it became even more turbulent because of the man's final restraint and respect, and her own almost uncontrollable, nearly addictive lust. She felt as if she had just escaped a sweet yet dangerous whirlpool, still shaken, yet unable to resist recalling the temperature at the center of the whirlpool.

Where Lin Yuwei couldn't see, Gu Qingyan stood still, watching the taxi completely disappear from sight. Only then did the calm on his face slowly fade, transforming into a deep, determined, and complex expression. He respected her pace, but that didn't mean he would give up. He would be more patient than anyone else in this wait.