Chapter 67 Premeditation
S City Airport is bustling with people.
As Chu Yan stepped out of the arrival gate, he immediately spotted Gu Ye waiting in the crowd. The young man stood tall and straight, dressed simply in a black short-sleeved shirt and jeans. He had lost some of his youthfulness, and instead had a more composed air. What surprised Chu Yan most was that he was holding a cup of milk tea, a rare sight. The packaging was emblazoned with the logo of a well-known chain store.
"Have you been waiting for a long time?" Chu Yan walked over and took the cup of milk tea from him naturally. It was just the right amount of warm.
Gu Ye looked at Chu Yan, his eyes lit up for a moment, then quickly looked away, his ears slightly red, and he pretended to be calm and said, "No, I just arrived a while ago. I saw it on the road and bought it. I don't know if you like it." He tried to sound casual, but Chu Yan still caught the slight nervousness.
Chu Yan raised an eyebrow, inserted a straw, and lowered his head to take a sip. The rich taro paste mixed with the soft and chewy taro balls had just the right amount of sweetness, and the tea base was mellow.
He took two more sips.
"Yeah, not bad." Chu Yan gave a fair evaluation. It had indeed been a long time since he had tasted something this sweet. He looked sideways at Gu Ye's slightly relaxed expression and found it a little funny. When did this little wolf cub learn this little trick to please people?
The two walked side by side towards the parking lot. Gu Ye now had a car that was not flashy but had good performance when he went in and out of Gu's company.
In the car, Gu Ye briefly told Chu Yan about his recent situation. As Chu Yan had expected, Gu Ye's status in the Gu family had indeed improved significantly. Although he was still far from being a core member, he was no longer the marginal figure who could be easily ignored.
Gu Xu devoted almost all his energy to the relocation and expansion of Ruichuang Technology in City A. He pushed matters at Gu's company whenever possible, and was perfunctory in his approach, his negativity almost blatant. Gu Hongyuan, no fool, naturally noticed this change. Furious, he secretly investigated whether Gu Xu was transferring assets or starting a new business. The internal investigation and external pressure left Gu Hongyuan extremely anxious, but he was stretched thin with available personnel.
At this critical juncture, Gu Ye successfully caught Gu Hongyuan's attention with his outstanding performance in several projects and his down-to-earth and hard-working attitude. He was temporarily promoted and took over several messes that Gu Ye had left unattended.
"The progress is faster than we expected." Gu Ye gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, his voice filled with suppressed excitement and caution. "Gu Hongyuan has been talking to me more often recently. Although he's still wary of me, he's at least willing to give me something concrete."
Chu Yan listened, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the wall of the milk tea cup, his eyes deep. Faster progress was a good thing, but it also meant higher risks. Gu Ye needed to be more careful and not make any mistakes at every step.
The two chatted, but the car did not drive towards Gu Ye's apartment or the Gu family's old house, but turned into a relatively quiet street full of neon signs.
Finally, the car stopped in front of a bar that looked quite stylish and had a strong sense of design.
Chu Yan looked at the flashing "Mist" sign outside the window and paused for a moment. He turned around and looked at Gu Ye, who was unbuckling his seatbelt, with a half-smile.
Bar? At this time? Gu Ye brought him to the bar?
It seems that Gu Ye is deliberately trying to stir up trouble today.
Gu Ye felt a little guilty under Chu Yan's all-seeing gaze, but more than that, he was determined to fight to the death. He took a deep breath, met Chu Yan's gaze, and tried to make his expression look natural: "I'm tired, let's find a place to sit down, have a drink and relax."
Chu Yan's eyebrows rose even higher, and the amusement in his eyes almost overflowed. But he didn't expose her, nor did he show any intention of retreating. Instead, he quickly unbuckled his seat belt, pushed the door open, and got out.
"Okay," he said, his voice laden with a lazy smile, "then relax."
Gu Ye watched Chu Yan walk towards the bar door first, secretly clenched his fists, and hurried to follow. His palms were sweating slightly from nervousness.
What he did today was indeed "planned for a long time".
Ever since Chu Yan went to study in City A, the chances of seeing each other had dwindled. Each brief video or phone call couldn't alleviate the growing longing and inexplicable anxiety. Gu Ye could sense that while Chu Yan still guided him and cared about him, that concern was more like the indulgence of a mentor, a kind of effortless control, rather than an attraction tinged with desire.
He'd replayed countless times the last time he'd drunkenly tried to "test" Chu Yan at his house, a failed attempt that had been easily resolved. It dawned on him that Chu Yan's rejection wasn't because she disliked him, but because she simply didn't trust the strength and durability of his sincerity. In Chu Yan's eyes, he was probably still an impulsive, childish kid who couldn't even handle his own emotions properly.
This realization made Gu Ye feel frustrated, but also aroused his competitive spirit.
He had to prove it to Chu Yan. Prove that he had grown up, that he was a man with desire, determination, and the ability to fight for and take on responsibilities.
So, he chose the bar. It was a place full of adult atmosphere and possibilities. He had started studying several days in advance, even secretly reading a lot of study materials, and he thought his theoretical knowledge was quite rich.
He slowly exhaled, and mentally encouraged himself: Relax, Gu Ye, you can do this. Follow the instructions step by step, and you will definitely make Chu Yan feel comfortable tonight. Let him know that he can do it.
The two of them walked into the bar, one after the other. The interior was dimly lit, the designer lighting creating a hazy atmosphere. The air was filled with the faint aroma of wine and perfume, and soothing jazz music flowed through the air. It was still early, so there weren't many customers yet. They sat in groups of three or four at booths or at the bar, chatting quietly.
The waiter guided them to a relatively secluded booth. Chu Yan relaxed on the soft sofa, took the wine list and casually flipped through it, a faint smile on his face, as if he was really just there to relax.
Gu Ye seemed a little reserved, his back straight, his eyes occasionally glancing at Chu Yan and then quickly looking away, as if waiting for an opportunity. He ordered a low-proof cocktail, while Chu Yan ordered a single-malt whiskey on the rocks.
The wine was served quickly.
Chu Yan swirled his wine glass, the ice cubes hitting the wall with a crisp sound. He looked across at Gu Ye, who was clearly nervous, and found it even more amusing. He deliberately remained silent, simply watching him quietly with a curious and amused gaze, as if waiting for a good show to begin.
Gu Ye's scalp tingled and his heart pounded. He took a deep breath, picked up his wine glass, and took a gulp—but it was too hasty, and he choked and coughed, his cheeks flushed instantly.
Chu Yan finally couldn't help laughing and handed over a tissue: "Drink slowly, no one is going to snatch it from you."
Gu Ye took the tissue, feeling so embarrassed that he wished he could find a hole to crawl into. He had started off badly, messing up the first step. The tutorials didn't mention choking at the beginning.
He pursed his lips in annoyance, deciding to skip the unnecessary small talk and get straight to the point. He put down his glass, leaned forward slightly, and looked at Chu Yan, trying to make his eyes look sincere and aggressive.
"Chu Yan," he said, his voice still a little hoarse from the coughing, "I..."
Just then, his cell phone rang at a very inopportune time, and the ringtone was particularly harsh in the relatively quiet bar.
Gu Ye: “…” Damn it.
Chu Yan looked at him leisurely and made a "go ahead" gesture.
Gu Ye gritted his teeth and pulled out his phone. He saw the caller ID—it was Gu Hongyuan's secretary. His face changed. A call at this hour was probably about an emergency at the company.
He glanced at Chu Yan, who was leisurely sipping whiskey with an expression that looked like he was enjoying a good show.
Gu Ye took a deep breath, suppressed the irritability and the rush of thousands of alpaca horses in his heart, and answered the phone. His voice instantly returned to his usual calm and steady self: "Hello, Secretary Li, what's up?"
Chu Yan looked at Gu Ye, who instantly entered working mode after answering the phone. He saw the unconscious wrinkles between his brows and the calmness that was inconsistent with his age. The smile in his eyes gradually subsided and turned into a barely perceptible complex emotion.
The wolf cub was indeed trying to grow up, trying to get close to him in his own way.
But the process of proving this seems to be always full of some ridiculous surprises.
He shook his wine glass and listened to Gu Ye handling the matters on the other end of the phone in concise and professional language, his eyes falling on the other's ear which was slightly red due to nervousness and annoyance.
It seems that tonight's carefully planned trip to the bar is destined not to go according to someone's script.
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