Chapter 68 Even if the sky falls, someone will hold up a safe haven for her.
Shangqiu Zhu led Yan Shuang away from the messy banquet hall.
"President Shang!" The president of the Fashion Chamber of Commerce jogged up, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "I'm so sorry for tonight, for the fright you and this young lady had. All the thugs have been subdued. We've specially arranged a fireworks display at 9:30. Would you have the honor of inviting them to watch?"
Shangqiu Zhu looked down at Yan Shuang in his arms: "Want to see?"
Yan Shuang's face was pale, and she shook her head.
The composure he had maintained in front of everyone was now completely shattered.
The buzzing in her ears was still ringing, and the sparks from the gun barrel seemed to linger in her vision.
The dark muzzle, the cold metallic sheen, and the deafening "bang" when the trigger was pulled.
That was the first time she had ever seen a real gun, the first time she had been so close to death.
She recalled the thug's ferocious face; if it weren't for Shangqiu Zhu...
"It's alright now," he said in a low voice. "Don't be afraid."
His arms held her tightly in his embrace.
"Another day." Shangqiu Zhu said these two words, then put his arm around Yan Shuang and strode away.
The president stood there, watching the two figures leave. Shang Qiuzhu's tall figure almost completely enveloped the petite Yan Shuang, showing a strong protective stance.
So this is the hidden gem that President Shang has been overlooking.
"It's over, it's over..." Cold sweat poured down his forehead.
He had just allowed this pearl to be covered in dust.
He clutched his chest in anguish, as if he could already see tomorrow's headlines: "Shocking! Business tycoon's darling victim attacked by armed robbers at Fashion Week!"
Moonlight bathed the garden path, and Yan Shuang's steps grew slower and slower.
Shangqiu bamboo stopped.
"Can't walk anymore?" He looked down at her.
Yan Shuang pursed her lips and kicked her legs hard, but she still felt her knees go weak and her legs were powerless.
She lowered her eyelashes and softly hummed in agreement.
She regretted it as soon as she said it.
Shangqiu Zhu's time is priced in seconds. The supplier who made him wait three minutes last time disappeared from the cooperation list the next day.
How could she dare to make him wait? Yan Shuang subconsciously prepared to apologize.
But then I saw his slender hand resting on the buttons of his suit.
The next second, the suit jacket was already draped over her shoulders, and the warm scent of sandalwood instantly enveloped her, completely covering her.
Yan Shuang sniffed.
Then he bent down in front of her, placing one knee on the cobblestones.
"Come up."
Yan Shuang hesitated before climbing onto his back, but was steadily lifted up the next second.
She was completely enveloped in his aura.
Behind her was the suit jacket still warm from the man's touch, and in front of her were his broad shoulders and back, like an impenetrable wall, shutting out all her unease and fear.
Shangqiu Zhu walked very steadily, deliberately taking each step lightly, as if afraid of disturbing her peace.
As the night breeze rustled through the treetops, Yan Shuang felt her heartbeat gradually calming down.
She quietly tightened her arms around his neck and buried her face in the crook of his neck.
His scent lingered around her nose, more reassuring than any calming incense, soothing every inch of her tense nerves.
In the sound of the fountain in the distance, she could hear the rhythm of his heartbeat.
Each sound, steady and clear, carried away the last trace of fear.
The night was as dark as ink, with stars twinkling in the sky.
From a distance, the girl was perched on the man's broad back, her sky-blue dress flowing down her back.
The glow of the streetlights enveloped his upright, pine-like back and her slender, elegant silhouette.
The man's every step was extremely steady, as if he could bear the weight of the entire world.
The way the girl closed her eyes peacefully was as if she had found the safest harbor in the world.
Occasionally, passersby and guests would stop to watch, but none of them could bear to disturb this tranquil and beautiful scene.
"President Shang," Yan Shuang's voice was muffled on his shoulder, slightly nasal, "Why are you here tonight?"
Shangqiu Zhu didn't stop walking: "I got off work early."
Yan Shuang blinked, recalling the abrupt phone call from that afternoon.
She straightened up slightly. "Is there something wrong with the company?"
"What? You're concerned about the company's operations?"
Yan Shuang knew there was something more to his words. For the past two weeks, she had been busy participating in the school's financial project and had even taken leave from the weekly meeting.
But Shangqiu Zhu never said anything, and even had her assistant send the materials to her school.
"Of course I care." She rested her chin on his shoulder, deliberately drawing out her voice. "If the company goes out of business, I'll have to hurry up and prepare my resume to find a job."
"So this is how Secretary Yan treats her savior." Shangqiu Zhu pinched the hand supporting her knees warningly.
Yan Shuang immediately changed her tune, fawningly whispering in his ear, "No, no, after this experience, I've decided to dedicate myself to President Shang until my dying breath..."
"Oh?" Shangqiu Zhu raised an eyebrow. "How exactly does 'dedicating oneself to the utmost' mean?"
“For example…” Yan Shuang’s eyes darted around, “I’ll be the first one to arrive at the company every day and the last one to leave! I’ll help President Shang make lots and lots of money!”
A smile appeared in Shangqiu Zhu's eyes.
The night breeze suddenly became very gentle, and the scent of roses flowed quietly between the two of them.
Yan Shuang lay on Shang Qiuzhu's back, feeling his steady steps as they slowly moved away from this terrifying night.
Her voice was soft and earnest: "Shangqiu Zhu, thank you."
Shangqiu Zhu paused slightly in her steps.
He didn't respond immediately, but tightened his grip on her arm even more.
In the moonlight, his Adam's apple bobbed: "What are you thanking me for?"
"Yes, thank you..." Yan Shuang's voice was muffled by his shoulder line, and she didn't continue.
Shangqiu Zhu didn't press further, simply giving a soft "hmm".
Yan Shuang suddenly remembered the fireworks the CEO had mentioned and muttered to herself, "I should have stayed to watch the fireworks..."
"Want to watch it again?" Shangqiu Zhu stopped and glanced at her watch; the hour hand was pointing exactly to nine o'clock.
Yan Shuang was a little embarrassed. "No... let's go home."
Just as they reached the Lincoln, Shangqiu Zhu bent down and gently put her down.
The car started smoothly, but stopped in front of the Linjiang Hotel ten minutes later.
Yan Shuang looked at the dazzling hotel lights outside the window and turned her head in confusion: "Aren't we going home?"
Shangqiu Zhu had already gotten out of the car and walked around to her side. Hearing this, she leaned down slightly, resting her arms on the car door frame: "Didn't you want to watch the fireworks?"
He didn't take her directly home, nor did he take her back to the banquet hall that terrified her.
He gave her the perfect distance.
So far away that it can erase all unsettling memories, yet so close that you can clearly see the blooming of every single firework.
The door to the top-floor suite slowly opened, and the 270-degree panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows offered a breathtaking view of the entire nightscape.
Yan Shuang stepped onto the soft carpet and walked step by step toward the huge floor-to-ceiling window.
The banquet hall in the distance appeared as a tiny glimmer of light across the river, as if all the panic had been gently cut off by the water.
She gently placed her palm on the cold glass, and suddenly felt warmth behind her.
Shangqiu Zhu's chest pressed against her back, and his arms wrapped around her from behind, enveloping her completely in his embrace.
"It's about to begin." His voice reached my ears.
As soon as the words were spoken, the first beam of golden light pierced the night sky and burst into a giant firework in the clouds.
The dazzling light reflected on the glass, overlapping with Yan Shuang's wide eyes, transforming into gentle starlight.
Then came the second one, the third one...
Each petal shone with dazzling light, illuminating Yan Shuang's burning eyes.
The cold gunshots and piercing screams became phantoms on a distant shore.
Countless rays of colorful light intertwined to form a flowing galaxy, illuminating the long, dark night.
Yan Shuang was looking up at the blue-purple fireworks blooming in the sky when she suddenly felt a chill on her neck.
She looked down and saw a sky-blue pearl necklace hanging quietly around her neck.
The pearl's surface shimmered with the afterglow of fireworks, radiating a violet halo and refracting a dazzling, shimmering gold-like brilliance.
That perfectly round South Sea pearl seemed to have condensed the entire Milky Way into this small world.
"This is......"
Shangqiu Zhu hugged her tighter, resting his chin on the top of her head: "I bought it on a whim."
Yan Shuang turned around and saw countless streams of light flowing between his deep eyebrows and eyes.
At that moment, she suddenly couldn't tell whether the fireworks outside the window were more dazzling or his gaze was more captivating.
As the grandest cluster of golden fireworks burst open in the night sky, Shangqiu Zhu raised her hand and touched Yan Shuang's cheek.
A soul that had lived a life of indifference met a fleeting glimpse of life after calamity in the cracks of time, and was gently stitched together by her gaze.
Amidst the falling light and shadow of countless streams of fire, he lowered his head and kissed her lips.
All the splendor became a blurred background, and she was the only clear point of light.
He would brave bullets to protect it.
His dazzling pearls.
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