Chapter 43 Glimmer (12) This is an advance reward.
Wen Chen stood on the stage, his fingertips lightly tapping the edge of the podium. His expression was calm, but a thin layer of frost clung to his eyes.
"You must all be curious about which intern's 'masterpiece' this is." His voice, gentle yet sharp, came through the microphone, silencing the whispers below and clearly reaching every corner. His gaze swept across the throng, landing directly on the figure that suddenly froze.
"This is not my manuscript."
Before the words were even finished, Engineer Wang immediately raised his voice: "What do you mean by that, Designer Wen? Does someone else write it for you? Or are you simply incapable of completing this design and can only use this shoddy work to fill the gaps?" He deliberately paused, his gaze sweeping provocatively in Gu Moheng's direction, "After all, with Mosheng Capital backing you up, even if Designer Wen shirks her responsibilities, someone will still foot the bill, right?"
The audience erupted in uproar, all waiting to see how this farce between capital and the design world would end.
Gu Moheng stood rooted to the spot, his blood seemingly freezing instantly. He instinctively clenched his fists, his expensive suit taut and sharp lines accentuated. It was a secret he kept hidden in the deepest recess of his study, a secret he hadn't even told Wen Chen.
Wen Chen ignored Wang Gong's clamor. He turned his head slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips, and his cool gaze swept over Wang Gong's flushed face as he said, word by word, "These are my partner, Mr. Gu Moheng, the president of Mosheng Capital's... 'study notes'."
The entire venue erupted in chaos. Hundreds of eyes, like searchlights, shifted from Wen Chen to focus entirely on Gu Moheng.
Gu Moheng seemed to be frozen in place. A rare look of surprise flashed across his usually deep and unfathomable eyes.
That was the secret he hid in the bottom drawer of his study. It was evidence of the countless nights he spent scratching his head, awkwardly trying to grasp at that unfamiliar world, while staring at Wen Chen's design drawings.
He thought he had covered it up perfectly.
Gu Moheng's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and he subconsciously wanted to raise his hand to cover himself, but he held back the moment he met Wen Chen's gaze. He stood straight, his expensive suit outlining his broad shoulders and back.
Those who got closer and looked closely could see that the ears of this decisive and ruthless CEO Gu were so red they were almost bleeding. That blush spread down his earlobes, looking particularly incongruous and creating a stark contrast on his cold and aloof face.
Wen Chen withdrew her gaze and looked back at the audience.
“For the past month, in order to understand what ‘flowing light and shadow’ and ‘breathing architecture’ are, President Gu has only slept four hours a day.” Wen Chen’s tone was calm, as if stating an ordinary matter. “He is a financial hunter who can turn the world upside down, but he has forced himself to become half an architecture freshman.”
A few good-natured chuckles came from the audience, and the tense atmosphere quietly melted away.
Wen Chen's smile faded slightly, and his gaze became serious and sharp. "Some people think that capital and art are opposed, and that investors only need to throw money at it. But I believe that true respect is not about waving checks and being high and mighty. It's about being willing to lower yourself and, even if you're clumsy, try your best to enter the other person's world."
The large screen image froze on the annotation: "Wen Chen said there must be a sound of wind here."
Wen Chen didn't give that clown another second. He turned off the projector, the screen went dark, and the crystal chandeliers in the banquet hall became dazzling again.
Gu Moheng remained standing there, like a handsome statue, his gaze fixed on Wen Chen, forgetting even to breathe. The shame of having his innermost feelings exposed in public, coupled with the ecstatic joy of being publicly protected by his beloved, surged within him. These two extreme emotions clashed violently, making his eyes well up with tears and his fingertips tremble slightly.
Wen Chen stopped three steps away from him.
Their eyes met. Everything around them seemed to become a blurred backdrop.
Wen Chen lowered her head slightly, looking at the man who was half a head shorter than her. She noticed the almost overflowing yet cautious love in his eyes, and his burning red earlobes.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Wen Chen raised his hand and gently straightened Gu Moheng's gray striped tie. It was his former glory, now tied around Gu Moheng's chest, becoming a secret yet high-profile bond between the two.
"President Gu." Wen Chen's voice was soft, carrying a playful and gentle tone that only they could understand, with a slight rise at the end.
"Hmm..." Gu Moheng's voice was terribly hoarse, as if his throat was blocked with cotton wool. He subconsciously tilted his head slightly, his posture submissive.
Seeing his tense expression, Wen Chen's coldness melted away, and her smile spread like a spring breeze melting snow.
"This elective course, though your foundation is a bit weak and your drawing skills are a bit clumsy," she said, lightly patting Gu Moheng's bow tie twice with her fingertips, as if giving a silent compliment, "but..."
He leaned down slightly, his warm breath brushing against Gu Moheng's burning chin. Gu Moheng's body tensed even more instantly, his ear tips turning almost bloodshot, and even his eyelashes trembled slightly.
"Gu, you did a good job with your homework."
In that instant, all that remained in Gu Moheng's world was Wen Chen's voice and the deafening pounding of his own heart.
-
The heavy doors of the banquet hall closed behind us, completely shutting out the elegant ladies and the clamor of clinking glasses.
The cold winter wind, carrying damp, salty snowflakes, blew against my face like blades.
Wen Chen subconsciously shrank her neck and buried half of her face in the cashmere scarf.
The next second, a figure sidestepped and blocked the wind perfectly. Gu Moheng didn't say a word, but silently opened the large black umbrella, tilting it to cover most of Wen Chen's head.
The streetlights cast a dim yellow glow, and snowflakes danced wildly in the beams of light, landing on Gu Moheng's well-tailored dark coat and quickly leaving a deep, wet stain. The two walked side-by-side to the parking lot in utter silence, broken only by the crunching sound of their footsteps on the snow.
Gu Moheng walked on the outside, his steps slightly heavy. The fierce aura that had burst forth in the banquet hall to protect Wen Chen had subsided, but it had transformed into a deeper sense of oppression, like the bewilderment that followed extreme tension.
Arriving at the black Maybach, Gu Moheng opened the passenger door, carefully placing his hand on the top of the door frame. Wen Chen bent down and sat down; the car's heater was already on, and the scent of leather mixed with a faint warmth wafted in.
Gu Moheng walked around the front of the car, got into the driver's seat, but did not start the car immediately.
Wen Chen took off his glasses and rubbed his sore temples. The intense concentration he had maintained all night had left him feeling slightly tired.
"Aren't you leaving?" Wen Chen asked lazily, her eyes closed. The person beside her didn't respond; even their breathing became heavy and labored.
Wen Chen sensed something was wrong and was about to open his eyes when a rapid rustling sound of fabric suddenly rang out, followed by the soft click of a seatbelt buckle popping open. Before he could react, a figure had already leaped over the center console and pounced on him. Here.
Wen Chen was slammed hard against the leather seat and let out a muffled groan.
Ignoring everything else, Gu Moheng wrapped his arms tightly around Wen Chen's waist like iron clamps, burying his head in the crook of his neck. Wen Chen's body stiffened for a moment, and his fingers on his knees curled slightly, a natural defensive mechanism.
The cool, pine scent emanating from Gu Moheng lingered around his nose, mixed with a hint of the tobacco smell he had picked up at the banquet, a smell that he found repulsive.
"What's wrong?" Wen Chen lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the soft, black hair buried in the crook of her neck.
Gu Moheng's body was trembling violently, and the entire carriage seemed to resonate with it. "You called me... 'Classmate Gu'." The man's voice was muffled between his scarf and skin.
Wen Chen was taken aback, and then a look of helplessness appeared in his eyes.
"Just for this?" Wen Chen chuckled.
Gu Moheng suddenly tightened his arms. "It's not just this." He raised his head, his usually deep and sharp eyes now bloodshot, shimmering with light.
In front of Wen Chen, he had long since lost any of his prestige as President Gu, leaving only his naked sincerity.
"You've publicly acknowledged me." He grasped Wen Chen's hand and pressed it against his rapidly beating chest. His heart was pounding so fast it was almost out of control. "As... someone trying to enter your world."
Ever since that rainy night eight years ago, Gu Moheng felt as if he were living in an eternal night. All his achievements, money, and status were nothing more than cold solace groping in the darkness.
Even today, under that spotlight, Wen Chen publicly calls him "Classmate Gu".
At that moment, he heard the sound of the ice cracking.
“Wen Chen,” Gu Moheng looked at the person in front of him, tears streaming down his high nose bridge, “I think… I saw the light.”
Outside the car window, the snow fell heavier and heavier, blanketing the entire city.
The carriage was so quiet that only the sound of each other's heartbeats could be heard.
A bittersweet feeling welled up in Wen Chen's heart once again.
Did I hate him? Of course I hated him.
But he knew even more clearly that this once arrogant man had humbled himself to the dust for this so-called "light".
Wen Chen sighed softly, finally raising her hand that had been hanging by her side. Her cool fingertips brushed through Gu Moheng's slightly disheveled hair, the movement gentle and soothing. Then, her palm slid down his back, patting him lightly.
"Now that you've seen it, don't keep blindly stumbling around." Wen Chen's voice was calm.
Gu Moheng was visibly shaken, and an unbelievable surge of ecstasy instantly flashed in his eyes.
Wen Chen withdrew his hand, pushed up his glasses, concealing the fleeting emotion in his eyes. He turned his head to look at the swirling snow outside the window. "Now that we've seen the light, we must stay close."
Wen Chen paused, his voice coming through the reflection in the car window, somewhat ethereal, yet each word clear.
"Gu Moheng, don't lose yourself again."
-
The Maybach slowly glided into the underground parking garage, its headlights piercing the oppressive darkness. The engine shut off, and the cabin returned to silence, save for the lingering warmth and the intertwined breaths of the two passengers.
Wen Chen leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the gray cement wall outside the window. He unbuckled his seatbelt, the crisp "click" echoing clearly in the cramped space.
As she pushed open the car door to get out, a gust of cold wind blew in through the crack, jolting her awake. Suddenly, her wrist was gripped by a burning hot hand. The grip was strong, with an urgent force that left no room for resistance, yet it restrained itself slightly the moment it touched Wen Chen's skin.
Wen Chen turned around and met a pair of eyes that shone brightly in the darkness. Too many emotions surged within them. He looked down at the hand gripping his, not pulling away. "What else do you want to say?"
Gu Moheng stared intently into his eyes. "At the banquet just now... you acknowledged me, which means you performed well. The agreement states that there will be rewards for good performance."
"so what?"
"Can I redeem it now...?"
Wen Chen looked away, her other hand lightly resting on the car door handle. "What do you want to exchange for?"
Gu Moheng's heart was pounding so hard it almost shattered his eardrums. He knew this might be his only chance.
"I want to...officially pursue you."
One sentence exhausted all his courage, yet he stubbornly refused to look away, fixing his gaze on Wen Chen's face, not missing a single change in expression. "It's not atonement, not because of guilt from eight years ago, and not some damned compensation."
He spoke very quickly, as if afraid of being interrupted, and as if he wanted to pour out all the words that had been suppressed in his heart for eight years, "I am just a man who wants to pursue the person he has loved for ten years. I want to pursue you again, on equal footing, even if it means starting from scratch."
"May I?"
The once spirited young man before me now has the marks of time etched on his face, yet his love remains even more ardent and obsessive than it was eight years ago.
The night was deep, and a cold wind howled in the underground garage.
Just as the light in Gu Moheng's eyes gradually dimmed, and he thought he was about to face that suffocating silence again.
Wen Chen suddenly leaned over, his shadow instantly looming over him.
The next second.
Two warm, soft lips gently pressed against Gu Moheng's cool, thin lips.
Instantly separate.
Gu Moheng froze, his mind blank, all his senses focused on the fleeting warmth on his lips. Wen Chen, however, had already stepped back, opened the door, and stepped out of the car.
He stood still in the cold wind, looking back at the man inside the car who seemed frozen in place. Those eyes, which always held a sense of detachment, now held a faint, subtle smile.
"This is an advance reward."
Wen Chen's voice was somewhat scattered by the wind.
"We'll see how you perform afterward."
After saying that, Wen Chen wrapped her coat tighter and turned to walk towards the elevator.
The red numbers started flashing as the elevator doors closed.
Gu Moheng remained seated in the driver's seat, maintaining the same posture. He slowly raised his hand, his fingertips trembling as he touched his lips. The warmth of that moment still lingered there, like a spark that instantly ignited his desolate world.
"Heh..." A low laugh escaped from deep within his throat.
Gu Moheng lowered his head, his shoulders began to tremble violently.
He won his bet.
The phone screen suddenly lit up, appearing particularly glaring in the dimly lit carriage.
Gu Moheng picked up his phone.
Come up here, let me change your dressing.
Don't giggle like an idiot in the car.
Gu Moheng was startled and subconsciously looked down at his right hand. In his rage at the banquet, his fingernails had dug deeply into the old scar on his palm, and now a trickle of blood was seeping out, but he hadn't even noticed it.
So, he saw everything.
Gu Moheng stared intently at the text message, the gloom in his eyes completely dissipating, and a more foolish smile appeared on his lips. He typed a reply quickly, his fingertips practically dancing on the keyboard.
[Coming soon.]
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