In Chapter 30, the lingering warmth left Gu Qingyan only gave a very soft "hmm"...

His explanation was professional, precise, and to the point, without any unnecessary words. Lin Yuwei quickly got into the zone, responding attentively and offering her own insights. The somewhat awkward atmosphere between the two seemed to return to that of a pure working partnership.

As the car drove out of the city, the road conditions became somewhat bumpy. Suddenly, the car lurched violently. Lin Yuwei, who was looking down at her tablet, was caught off guard and her body was thrown forward by inertia. Her forehead was about to hit the hard back of the front seat.

In a flash, a slender hand swiftly and steadily reached out, precisely blocking her forehead from the seat.

"Bang." A muffled sound was the sound of Gu Qingyan's knuckles hitting a hard object.

The expected pain from the impact did not come. Lin Yuwei only felt a warm, broad palm gently touch her forehead, with an extremely gentle protective gesture, cushioning all the impact for her. The touch was so quick that it was almost an illusion, but it left his warmth on her forehead, as well as a very faint, uniquely his cool scent.

Lin Yuwei stood there, stunned. The lingering warmth on her forehead wouldn't go away. She could feel her heart skip a beat for a moment before racing again. She quickly glanced at Gu Qingyan's hands on the keyboard; the knuckles seemed slightly red.

The jolt startled the drowsy passengers, who gasped in surprise. Zhou Xubai quickly turned around and asked, "Yuwei, were you hurt?" Lin Yuwei, suppressing her worries, smiled and shook her head at him, "I'm fine."

Her gaze returned to the tablet, and she whispered, "...Thank you, Mr. Gu." Noticing that her voice was a little tight, which made her heart pound even more, she couldn't help but raise her hand to tidy her hair, which wasn't actually disheveled, trying to hide the panic she felt for that moment.

Gu Qingyan simply gave a very soft "hmm," her gaze remaining fixed on the screen, as if the little incident from earlier had never happened.

Something seemed to have subtly changed in the air. The previous formal and distant atmosphere was torn open by this sudden, subconscious protective action, and a silent, subtle tension flowed quietly between the two.

Lin Yuwei gripped the tablet tightly again, finding it difficult to concentrate on the data curves. That brief moment, the warmth and sense of security from that hand, was like a pebble thrown into a still lake, creating ripples in her heart that were hard to calm.

She secretly glanced at Gu Qingyan out of the corner of her eye. His profile was still cold and hard, and he was focused on the screen, showing no emotional fluctuations. It was as if everything just now was just a casual act of gentlemanly conduct. But she could not ignore the complex and chaotic emotions that suddenly surged in her heart.

After the car regained stability, Lin Yuwei forced herself to refocus her gaze on the cold data on the tablet. She repeatedly told herself: Lin Yuwei, you need to calm down. Haven't you already made your decision? Look forward, let go, come on, face him like you would any past business partner. Only in this way can you truly overcome those unnecessary ripples in your heart.

Her reason was so clear and logical, like the most meticulous design draft she had ever written, but... why did her heart feel like it was blocked by something, both sore and swollen? Why did the heat on her forehead, where that hand had briefly lingered, linger, instead like a small, weak flame, silently scorching her composure?

She tried to analyze it logically, concluding that it was just a subconscious gentlemanly act, perhaps one that even Gu Qingyan himself hadn't thought much about. He would probably have done the same thing no matter who was sitting next to him. Yes, that must be it.

However, another voice in her heart weakly but stubbornly refuted: No, how could she be the same as others to him? The fleeting tension in his eyes, the hand that reached out faster than she could think, the warmth from his palm that was exactly the same as she remembered... every detail was like a tiny needle, precisely piercing through the psychological defenses she had tried so hard to build.

The brief yet lengthy project discussion finally came to an end. Lin Yuwei put away her tablet, got up, and returned to her front seat. The scenery outside the car window rushed past. She leaned against the window, her thoughts swirling, and unconsciously drifted into a light sleep.

In a hazy dream, she seemed to fall into a soft embrace, warm and reassuring, allowing her to relax and drift off to sleep. She didn't know how much time had passed when she felt the car slowly come to a stop. When Lin Yuwei woke up from her light sleep, the carriage was already bustling with activity. Members of the inspection team were getting up and getting off the car one after another. There were rustling conversations and footsteps coming from the aisle. She realized that she had leaned on Zhou Xubai's shoulder without him noticing, and he was considerately keeping his position still.

"Oh dear, Xiao Lin is awake?" Director Liu stood up and looked at them with a smile, his eyes filled with the loving kindness of an elder: "Xiao Zhou has been protecting you like this for the past few hours. You should really cherish such a good boy."

Lin Yuwei immediately snapped out of her daze, quickly sat up straight, and a blush rose to her face: "Director Liu..."

Director Liu patted Zhou Xubai's shoulder meaningfully, then winked at Lin Yuwei: "I worked in the Civil Affairs Bureau for more than ten years, and I have excellent taste. In my opinion, you two are a perfect match, a rare find."

Having spent so long abroad, Lin Yuwei was caught off guard by such a blatant matchmaking attempt. She turned her head and her gaze inadvertently met that of Gu Qingyan in the back row. His usually calm and composed eyes flashed with an emotion she had never seen before—a complex look that mixed bitterness, forbearance, and sorrow, like a blunt knife that unexpectedly sliced ​​through her heart.

In just a moment, Gu Qingyan lowered her eyes, the shadow cast by her long eyelashes concealing all her emotions, but that glance was enough to shake Lin Yuwei's heart. She had never imagined that Gu Qingyan, who was already capable of standing on her own, would show such a sad emotion.

Zhou Xubai smiled and tried to smooth things over with Director Liu: "Director Liu, don't joke with me. President Lin is my boss, it's only right that I take care of her." After saying that, he considerately handed Lin Yuwei a bottle of water: "Here, have a sip to moisten your throat, we're getting ready to get off the bus."

"Thank you." She took the water, but felt a burning sensation on the back of her neck, as if a gaze was following her. When she looked up again in Gu Qingyan's direction, she found that he had already gotten off the bus.

****

When the delegation arrived at Longquan Village, the village entrance was already decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and the air was filled with the lively atmosphere of a festival. Walking into the village's alleys, one could smell the sweet aroma of glutinous rice wine and smell the smoke from wood-fired stoves, which made everyone feel excited and expectant.

Because Zhou Xubai had established a good relationship with the village during his last inspection, and because he could speak fluent local dialect, he naturally became a bridge of communication between the inspection team and the village committee.

After a brief welcoming ceremony, the enthusiastic village chief proposed, "Distinguished guests who have come from afar, we have prepared traditional 'brocade costumes' for you. Please put them on and join us in the upcoming sacrificial rites and celebrations to receive the blessings of the mountain god and experience the true atmosphere of our Muyun Festival!" Several women from the village immediately smiled and presented stacks of brightly colored ethnic costumes embroidered with exquisite bird, animal, and flower patterns for everyone to choose from.

The brocade garments were exquisitely crafted, especially the patterns, which were both ancient and rare. Many young people in the inspection team were very interested and stepped forward to choose one. Lin Yuwei stood quietly in the back row, intending to wait for the city government leaders to choose first before she went over to get one herself.

Unexpectedly, Director Liu, who was picking out clothes in the front row, chose two outfits and walked straight to Lin Yuwei. He enthusiastically handed her a moon-white embroidered dress, saying, "Little Lin, this pattern suits you very well. Go and change into it." Lin Yuwei was a little surprised, as she had only just met Director Liu. However, seeing his enthusiasm, she thanked him and accepted the dress.

She had just turned to leave when she heard Director Liu calling to Zhou Xubai again: "Xiao Zhou, this is yours, go and change!" Lin Yuwei turned around and saw Director Liu handing a dark blue brocade jacket to Zhou Xubai. The color and pattern of the fabric matched the style of the jacket in her hand perfectly.

At this moment, an older colleague from the Cultural Bureau couldn't help but whisper and joke, "Director Liu's occupational hazard is acting up again. I heard she used to be the director of the marriage registration office, and she can't shake her habit of matchmaking wherever she goes." Another colleague also chuckled, "That's right, look at how enthusiastic she is, she can't wait to get General Manager Zhou and General Manager Lin's marriage certificate today."

Amidst their whispers, Lin Yuwei finally realized that she hadn't overinterpreted Director Liu's actions. She didn't care much about what she wore, but since Director Liu had made a special choice, she went along with it.

As for Zhou Xubai, although she and Zhou Xubai were not officially together, she had thought about it. After all, if she really wanted to settle down, Zhou Xubai was undoubtedly the best person to be by her side. She was lost in thought and did not notice the increasingly deep look in Gu Qingyan's eyes behind the crowd.

When the curtain to the changing room was lifted, the crowd fell silent for a moment.

Lin Yuwei, dressed in a moon-white embroidered top and an indigo pleated skirt, gracefully emerged. The moon-white top accentuated her snow-white skin, while the indigo pleated skirt further highlighted her elegant figure. The intricate and exquisite colorful embroidery on the collar, cuffs, and hem of the skirt shimmered in the sunlight, making her look radiant and breathtaking, with a rare ethnic charm, like a fairy stepping out of an ancient painting.

At the same time, Zhou Xubai, dressed in a dark blue suit, walked out of the fitting room on the other side. The clothes perfectly highlighted his gentle and refined temperament. The crisp fabric and neat tailoring made him look even broader in the shoulders and longer in the legs. The black piping added a touch of heroic spirit. He stood beside Lin Yuwei with a gentle smile, looking exactly like a gentleman who had stepped out of a traditional Chinese ink painting, perfectly complementing the rustic village background.

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Author's Note: Director Liu, you... [resting chin on hand]