Chapter 35
Lin Xiaotang ultimately couldn't bring herself to leave. Looking at Bai Sinian's furrowed brows and uneasy sleeping face, even in his drunken stupor, and at this simple room so incongruous with his status, the softest part of her heart was touched. She dragged over the creaking wooden chair and sat down by the bed, intending to wait until he was more soundly asleep before leaving.
As night deepened, the town fell completely silent, save for the occasional chirping of insects outside the window and the faint sound of flowing water in the distance. Inside the room, only the sound of Per Sinian's breathing, sometimes steady, sometimes rapid, could be heard. Lin Xiaotang leaned back in her chair, fatigue and drowsiness gradually creeping over her, but she forced herself to stay awake, watching his movements, afraid he might vomit or fall off the bed.
During this time, his phone kept lighting up and turning off in his pocket, vibrating repeatedly, sounding particularly jarring in the quiet night. Lin Xiaotang glanced at it but ignored it.
And so, without realizing it, the sky gradually turned a pale white.
Persian woke up with a severe headache and a dry mouth. He struggled to open his heavy eyelids, the discomfort of a hangover instantly engulfing his body. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the old curtains, causing him to squint uncomfortably.
He subconsciously looked around the unfamiliar, shabby room, fragments of memories flooding his mind—last night's drunkenness, the food stall, and... Xie Junhao?
Then, his gaze settled on the chair by the window.
There sat a figure, leaning back in her chair, her head slightly tilted to one side, seemingly asleep. The morning light outlined the soft contours of her face, and her long eyelashes cast a small shadow beneath her eyes.
It's Lin Xiaotang!
Persian was startled, almost thinking he was still dreaming. He subconsciously propped himself up, the movement aggravating his injuries and the discomfort of being drunk, causing him to groan softly.
The slight noise startled Lin Xiaotang, who was in a light sleep. She opened her eyes abruptly and met Bai Sinian's shocked yet uncertain gaze.
Their eyes met, and for a moment the air seemed to freeze.
“…Xiaotang?” Bai Sinian’s voice was hoarse, filled with confusion and disbelief from just waking up. “You…how did you get here?” He looked down at himself and then at the room, clearly having a hazy memory of what happened last night.
Lin Xiaotang looked away, her expression returning to calm, even with a hint of detachment, as if the momentary moment of tenderness she felt last night was just an illusion. She pointed to the phone that was still vibrating on the bedside table, her tone indifferent: "Your phone has been ringing all night, it might be urgent."
Only after she pointed it out did Persian notice the persistent buzzing. He rubbed his throbbing temples, picked up his phone, and saw a dozen or so missed calls on the screen, mostly from his assistant and the company's emergency numbers.
A bad feeling washed over him. He immediately called back.
The call was answered almost instantly. An assistant's anxious voice came through the other end: "Mr. Bai! You finally answered! Something terrible has happened in Pingzhou! The tech company we just audited and were about to sign a contract with has been exposed for financial fraud! The amount is huge! We can't contact their CEO now! We must send people over immediately to handle this urgently, otherwise all our previous investment will be wasted, and we may face huge claims and a reputational crisis! The board of directors is going crazy!"
Per Sinian's expression instantly turned extremely serious, the hangover headache seemingly suppressed by this sudden crisis. He quickly returned to work mode, his voice hoarse but unusually calm: "I understand. Immediately book me the earliest flight to Pingzhou. Notify the core members of the project team to have an online meeting in an hour and send me all the relevant materials."
After hanging up the phone, he took a deep breath and looked at Lin Xiaotang, who was standing by the window with her back to him, his eyes filled with complex emotions and urgency.
“Xiaotang,” he stood up, his body still swaying slightly, but his eyes had become clear and firm, “The company has encountered a very urgent situation, and I must go to Pingzhou immediately to deal with it.”
He walked up to her, looking at her indifferent profile, his tone urgent yet sincere: "Five days, five days at most! I'll be back as soon as I'm done! Can you...can you just wait for me here? When I get back, we'll talk properly, and I'll tell you everything, the whole story. Please, wait for me this once, okay?"
His eyes held a pleading look, along with an unmistakable hint of anxiety and seriousness.
Lin Xiaotang didn't turn around or answer. Her fingers, resting at her side, simply curled slightly.
Percy gave her a deep look, knowing that time was of the essence and there was no time to waste. He picked up his coat and car keys, and said one last thing: "Wait for me to come back."
Then he hurriedly left the room, his footsteps quickly disappearing into the old stairwell.
Lin Xiaotang was left alone in the room, with the gradually brightening morning light outside the window. The air still seemed to carry the lingering smell of alcohol and his pleading words, "Wait for me to come back."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
