Chapter 13: Apply for a Knee Pillow
She knew Zhao Chen might be something special, that he was incredibly knowledgeable, but she had never imagined he could code so swiftly and with such vigor! His speed, his fluency, his focus were even more terrifying than those tech gurus in her company who earned millions a year!
How can this be considered "helping a friend do game UI testing"? This is clearly the level of a top hacker or architect!
Zhao Chen seemed completely immersed in his own world of code, oblivious to the outside world. The code on the screen flowed like a rushing river, without a single stagnation.
His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, were fixed on the constantly updating commands. Occasionally, his brows would furrow slightly, his fingers pausing for a fraction of a second, as if pondering some logical point, before returning to a faster inputting mode. His entire aura was calm and powerful, like a supercomputer operating with exquisite precision.
Yu Ling held her breath, not daring to interrupt him. She could only watch him stealthily, unblinking. It was as if Zhao Chen before her had peeled off a gentle exterior, revealing a cold, hard, and efficiently operating metal core. This stark contrast sent a shudder through her heart, a feeling of both unfamiliarity and a deadly attraction.
Time flows in silence, with only the inaudible "tick-tick" sound of Zhao Chen's fingertips tapping on the keyboard, like the most precise stopwatch counting.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Chen's fingertips landed heavily on the Enter key. The cascading stream of code on the screen instantly stopped. He breathed a long sigh of relief, leaned back slightly in his chair, and rubbed his brow. A hint of relief and fatigue, having completed the challenge, appeared on his face. His aura, as sharp as a drawn sword, slowly receded.
As if remembering someone else was around, he turned his head and looked at Yu Ling. When he met her eyes, filled with shock, inquiry, and a subtle hint of admiration (?), the fatigue on his face instantly vanished, and a gentle, harmless smile returned, as if the "non-human" who had been typing away was just Yu Ling's illusion.
"Finished?" His voice returned to its usual clear and bright tone, with a hint of ease, as if taking credit for it. "It's just a small script, helping a friend optimize something."
Yu Ling: “…”
A small script? Optimizing something? That momentum, that speed, that focus… you call that a “small script”?! She felt like her cognition had once again been subjected to a nuclear-level shockwave!
"You...what did you do before?" Yu Ling couldn't help but blurt out, her voice dry without her even noticing.
Zhao Chen's smile remained unchanged, his amber eyes clear and transparent. His tone was as casual as if he were discussing the weather. "Lingling, are you almost done here? It's almost twelve o'clock."
Yu Ling watched him, his relaxed, "I just took a nap" look, then glanced at the long-forgotten documents on the conversion path on the screen. A deep sense of powerlessness washed over her. Compared to this man's "ordinariness," her own workload seemed like playing house!
"Right...right away!" She hurriedly regained her composure, forcing herself to focus back on the screen. Under Zhao Chen's oppressive aura of "ordinariness," she felt as if her keyboard typing speed had slowed to a snail's pace!
Finally, the final design draft confirmation email was sent out. Yu Ling closed her computer with a sense of relief, feeling as if her body was about to fall apart.
"Let's go home." Zhao Chen had packed up his ultra-thin notebook, put on his coat again, and was holding an empty thermal bag in his hand. He stood beside her workstation with an upright posture and gentle eyes, as if the dazzling code storm just now had never happened.
The office building was silent and still late at night. The elevator slowly descended, leaving only the two of them in the cramped space. Yu Ling leaned against the cold elevator wall, exhaustion washing over her like a tide. She stole a glance at Zhao Chen beside her. He stood quietly, his profile sharply defined in the cold glow of the elevator's overhead lights, a look of quiet beauty.
"Are you tired?" Zhao Chen seemed to notice her gaze, turned his head and asked softly.
"Hmm..." Yu Ling mumbled, her eyelids drooping with sleepiness. The continuous high-intensity work, coupled with the huge "scare" Zhao Chen had just given her, had left her physically and mentally exhausted.
The elevator reached the basement garage. A cool, crisp air, mingled with the scent of gasoline and dust, hit me. Zhao Chen's sleek, understatedly luxurious black Bentley Mulsanne sat quietly in its designated parking space, like a dormant beast.
Zhao Chen politely opened the passenger door for Yu Ling. Yu Ling sat in, the top-grade leather seat comfortably wrapped around her tired body. The car was filled with the faint aroma of cedar that belonged to Zhao Chen, which instantly relaxed her tense nerves.
The car slid smoothly out of the garage and merged into the sparse midnight traffic. Zhao Chen drove intently, his profile appearing remarkably calm under the dim blue light of the dashboard. Soothing classical music flowed through the car: Debussy's "Clair de Lune," Yu Ling's favorite.
Yu Ling leaned back in her chair, watching the city lights speed by outside the window, feeling sleepy. Just as her consciousness was about to sink into darkness, Zhao Chen's gentle and low voice reached her ears, with a subtle hint of coaxing.
"Lingling?"
"Hmm?" Yu Ling responded in a daze.
"Next time you work overtime...will you let me accompany you?"
"...Yeah." She was fuzzy-minded and just wanted to sleep.
"Well...it's a deal." There seemed to be a hint of triumphant smile in Zhao Chen's voice, like a child who had stolen candy.
The car pulled into the residential complex's underground garage and parked securely. Yu Ling struggled to unbuckle her seatbelt, pushed the door open, and got out. As her feet touched the ground, she felt a wave of dizziness and stumbled.
"Be careful." A warm and strong hand supported her arm in time. Zhao Chen had already circled around her without her noticing.
"It's okay..." Yu Ling shook her head and tried to break free from his hand and walk away. However, Zhao Chen's hand held her arm firmly, with no intention of letting go.
"You look so sleepy that you're staggering when you walk." His voice was particularly clear in the empty and quiet garage, with unquestionable persistence, "I'll hold you, be safe." His movements were natural, and the strength was just right, providing support without appearing overly intimate.
Yu Ling was too sleepy to struggle, so she just let him do what he wanted. The two of them walked side by side towards the elevator.
The warmth of Zhao Chen's hand, felt through her thin cashmere sweater, dispelled the chill of the underground garage. Yu Ling's drowsy mind flashed inappropriately through his sharp, focused profile as he typed code, and then his gentle, thoughtful gestures at that moment... The stark contrast sent her emotions tumbling, and her sleepiness seemed to dissipate somewhat.
The elevator went up. In the small space, only the gentle breathing of the two people could be heard. Yu Ling could clearly feel the warmth emanating from Zhao Chen and the pleasant scent of cedar.
"Ding." The elevator arrived at the 16th floor.
Zhao Chen helped Yu Ling out of the elevator and to the door of 1601. He took out his key and opened the door with a smooth movement. The door swung open, and warm light and the familiar, reassuring smell of home poured out.
Yu Ling broke free from his hand and tried to change her shoes: "Thank you, I'm fine."
Zhao Chen, however, got ahead of her and took out her gray plush slippers from the shoe cabinet. He bent down and gently placed them at her feet. Then, he stood up, but did not immediately move away. Instead, he lowered his head slightly and looked into Yu Ling's eyes, which were a little hazy due to sleepiness.
Under the warm yellow light of the entrance hall, his eyes seemed particularly deep and gentle, like a tranquil lake. A faint smile played at the corner of his mouth, and his voice was low, carrying an almost bewitching magnetism:
"Lingling."
"Um?"
"Today I have done a good job in protecting the emperor (driving away my aunt), working overtime with her (even though she was questioning her life because of all the coding), bringing her midnight snacks (the chicken porridge warmed her stomach), and even being a human crutch (helping her get out of the car)..." He counted his "merits" slowly and methodically, moving a little closer with each one he mentioned.
"So?" Yu Ling was a little confused by his sudden "settlement of accounts". Most of her sleepiness disappeared and she subconsciously took a half step back, leaning her back against the cold entrance cabinet.
Zhao Chen stretched out his arm and gently leaned on the cabinet beside Yu Ling's ear, forming a subtle "wall-dong" posture.
He leaned forward slightly, his handsome face magnified before Yu Ling's eyes, his amber eyes clearly reflecting her somewhat flustered expression. His pleasant cedar scent, mixed with the light, cool night air, enveloped her completely.
He placed his thin lips close to Ling's ear, his warm breath brushing against her sensitive skin, bringing a subtle shudder. Then, in a low, slow, nasal voice, as if he were begging for candy, he whispered softly into her ear, word by word:
"So...can I request a...lap pillow...tonight?"
Yu Ling: “!!!”
boom--!
A surge of blood rushed to her head! Yu Ling's cheeks, ears, and neck flushed red at a visible speed! Like a cooked shrimp! Her eyes widened suddenly, staring in disbelief at the handsome face before her, so close, so full of innocence and anticipation!
Knee…knee pillow?! What kind of lewd words is he saying?!
"You...you..." Yu Ling's tongue was tied, her mind was blank, and her heart was beating wildly in her chest, almost bursting out!
Zhao Chen looked at her pretty face, which had instantly flushed red, and her eyes, which had widened and wet with shock. The smile in his eyes deepened, like a fox who had succeeded. Instead of retreating, he moved a little closer, his nose almost touching Yu Ling's. His voice lowered, carrying a fatal temptation and a hint of grievance:
"Lingling... just for a moment... okay? My neck is so sore from coding today..."
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