Chapter 32: Gadgets
Having recovered enough, Yu Ling was finally allowed to return to work. On Monday morning, she changed into her work clothes, looked in the mirror at herself, and took a deep breath.
"Let's go. I'll take you there." Zhao Chen's voice echoed behind him. He was already dressed, still in his washed-out jeans and simple shirt, looking as fresh as a recent college graduate. In his hand was his car keys—a seemingly ordinary joint venture car key.
Yu Ling's gaze lingered on the key for a second. The burning orange beast seemed truly sealed. She nodded, feeling a sense of relief or something else entirely.
The car merged smoothly into the morning rush hour traffic. Zhao Chen drove intently, the morning light streaming through the window, dancing on his chiseled profile. Soothing light music played in the car, creating a tranquil atmosphere.
"Sister Lin Wei sent me a message yesterday," Yu Ling said, looking at the rapidly receding street scene outside the window. She took the initiative to speak, breaking the silence. "She asked about my situation and said that the project was progressing smoothly. She told me not to worry and to focus on taking care of myself before going." Her tone was filled with a hint of relief and gratitude for her boss's care.
Zhao Chen's fingers gripping the steering wheel shifted slightly, almost imperceptibly, before returning to their natural position. He hummed, his voice steady, "Director Lin is a good person, and he really cares about his subordinates."
Yu Ling didn't notice his slight pause and continued, "Yes, she's always taken good care of me. This illness delayed me for several days, and I feel really bad about it."
"Youth is important." Zhao Chen turned his head and gave her a reassuring smile. "There is always work to be done. Only when you are well can you have the energy to deal with it. Director Lin can understand." His tone was firm and natural.
The car stopped downstairs of the Genesis Building. Yu Ling unbuckled her seatbelt and prepared to get out.
"Lingling." Zhao Chen called her.
Yu Ling turned around.
Zhao Chen leaned over and, with a perfectly natural movement, reached out to help her adjust a slightly folded label on the inside of her collar. His fingertips carelessly brushed the skin on the side of her neck, leaving a warm touch. Then, he picked up a thermos cup on the center console and pressed it into her hand.
"Pangdahai and Luo Han Guo soaked in warm water are good for soothing your throat. Remember to drink more warm water and take your medicine on time." His eyes fell on her face, with undisguised concern and a hint of... imperceptible attachment?
Yu Ling held the warm mug, feeling the lingering tickle of his fingertips on her neck. Then, looking into his tender eyes, her heart felt like it had been gently touched, and a surge of warmth instantly flowed through her body. She even forgot that this was downstairs in the office building and that colleagues might be passing by.
"Okay, got it." She whispered, her voice so soft she didn't even notice it, "Drive carefully."
"Okay." Zhao Chen smiled and watched her get out of the car and walk into the revolving door of the building. He didn't start the car and leave until her figure disappeared from his sight.
Yu Ling stepped into the elevator and pressed the floor button. The metal walls reflected her blushing cheeks and the slightly raised corners of her mouth. She looked down at the thermos cup in her hand, printed with a cute cartoon pattern (Zhao Chen had bought it at some point), her fingertips still feeling its warmth. Just now in the car, he'd leaned so close to her as he adjusted her collar; his clean, refreshing scent still seemed to linger on her nose...
The elevator door opened, she took a deep breath, composed herself, and walked towards the office area.
As soon as she approached her workstation, she sensed something was amiss. Several colleagues, with whom she usually had a good relationship, looked away, their smiles strained. Not far away, Zhou Qian and another female colleague, known for her gossip, huddled together, whispering in hushed tones, their glances occasionally glancing in her direction with undisguised disdain and gloating delight.
Yu Ling's heart skipped a beat, and she had a bad feeling. She quickened her pace and walked to her workstation.
really!
On her desk, the computer monitor had been roughly pushed aside, the keyboard tilted. Several documents lay scattered across the table, glaring crosses and question marks scribbled on them in red pen. Most strikingly, a familiar luxury shopping bag with a giant brand logo lay on the corner. It was the same one she had dropped in a panic when Zhao Chen drove the orange Lamborghini to pick her up last Friday! Inside the bag was the expensive dress she had won as the grand prize!
Yu Ling's face turned pale. How could this bag be here? And on her desk in this way?
"Hey, Yu Ling, are you well again? You look well!" Zhang Wei's sarcastic voice rang out immediately. She twisted her waist and walked over, tapping the luxury bag with her finger, just loud enough for everyone around to hear. "It seems... being sick doesn't prevent you from receiving 'gifts'? This brand... wow, it's not cheap! Was it a gift from your boyfriend?"
She deliberately emphasized the word "boyfriend", her eyes full of malicious speculation and provocation.
The air around them seemed frozen. All the colleagues' eyes were fixed on Ling, filled with curiosity, gossip, and even disdain. Clearly, Zhang Wei had spread something.
Yu Ling felt her blood rush to her head, anger and embarrassment turning her fingertips cold. She looked at Zhou Qian's face, which was filled with venom, at the glaring shopping bag on the table, at the various looks around her... Her body trembled slightly with anger, and her throat felt like it was blocked, and for a moment she was unable to speak.
Just when she was isolated and helpless, pinned to the spot by this sudden malice—
“Ding Dong!”
In the dead silent office area, her cell phone suddenly rang with a crisp new message alert tone.
Yu Ling, almost subconsciously, with the eagerness of a drowning person grasping for driftwood, pulled out her phone. The screen lit up with a message from Zhao Chen. It was just two short lines, but like a ray of lightning, it instantly split the gloom and isolation before her eyes:
"Don't be afraid, I'm here. I asked my assistant to deliver the shopping bag. There's a little surprise inside, just to calm you down. As for the barking dog, it'll shut up soon."
At the end of the message was a small emoji of a knight holding a shield.
Yu Ling held the phone, looking at the two short but powerful lines of words on the screen, feeling the incomparable sense of security and powerful protective power conveyed between the lines.
The anger, embarrassment, and sense of helplessness that had swept through me were instantly soothed and dispelled, as if by an invisible hand. A powerful warmth and confidence rose from the depths of my heart, quickly spreading throughout my body.
She raised her head and took a deep breath. The panic and anger on her face faded, replaced by a strange calm and a hint of cold sharpness. She no longer looked at Zhang Wei's disgusting face, but reached out and picked up the luxury shopping bag.
Under the curious and inquiring gazes of everyone around her, Yu Ling calmly opened the bag. Inside, besides the neatly folded expensive skirt, there was indeed a palm-sized, beautifully wrapped velvet box.
She picked up the velvet box and gently opened it under Zhang Wei's almost fiery gaze and everyone's breathless gaze.
Inside the box, a brooch lay quietly. Its design was extremely simple and fluid, with pure platinum outlining an abstract wing form, and in the center of the wing, a perfectly cut, pigeon egg-sized... huh?
Wait! Not diamonds!
Yu Ling took a closer look. The gem, gleaming brilliantly under the office lights, revealed an incredibly deep and captivating blue, like a starry sky condensed into a single, imposing space! This… this seemed to be a blue diamond? And it was this huge?!
An uncontrollable gasp echoed around them! Even Zhang Wei was stunned! Although many people don't understand gemstones, the purest blue and dazzling fire are enough to make anyone realize its extraordinary value! This is definitely countless times more valuable than that dress!
Yu Ling was also taken aback by this unexpected "little surprise," but when she remembered the "calm down" in Zhao Chen's message, she instantly understood his intention. She suppressed her shock and put on a perfectly composed, slightly helpless yet sweet smile, as if she had simply received an ordinary but thoughtful little gift.
She picked up the priceless blue diamond wing brooch and, before Zhou Qian's almost-brightened eyes, pinned it gracefully and naturally to the collar of her business suit. The deep blue gem shone brightly on her chest, instantly brightening her slightly pale complexion and adding a touch of calm and noble aura.
"Thank you for your concern, Zhang Wei." Yu Ling finally looked at Zhang Wei, whose face was ashen. Her voice was calm, even with a hint of politeness. "But, let me correct you, it wasn't given by my boyfriend. It was given by my husband. He saw that I was sick and in a bad mood, so he just wanted to cheer me up."
She spoke in a nonchalant tone, as if the dazzling blue diamond brooch was really just a "little thing" bought from a roadside stall.
She paused, her eyes sweeping across the scattered documents on her desk. Her tone suddenly turned cold, carrying an invisible sense of oppression. "Also, it seems my desk was touched while I was on sick leave? And these documents..." She picked up a document marked with a red cross, her eyes as sharp as a knife, shooting straight at Zhou Qian, "Who gave you the permission to scribble on the project documents I'm in charge of?"
Zhang Wei's face flushed and paled at the sudden outburst of her aura and the dazzling brooch. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. A chill ran down her spine, sending a wave of chills through her. Her colleagues were even more terrified, their gazes toward Yu Ling filled with awe and mixed feelings. A husband who could casually gift her such a "little gadget" to calm her nerves... Just how deep was Yu Ling's background?!
Just then, the door to Lin Wei's office opened. Lin Wei stepped out in high heels, her face serious, her gaze fixed directly on Zhou Qian. "Zhang Wei, come in with me!" Her voice was soft, yet filled with undeniable authority.
Zhang Wei shuddered, her face drained of color, and she looked at Lin Wei with a look of terror. She didn't dare look at Yu Ling again, and like a defeated quail, she followed Lin Wei into the office dejectedly.
A storm, before it could escalate into a larger ripple, was silently strangled in its cradle by Zhao Chen's casual message and a "little gadget." The atmosphere in the office instantly became subtle and quiet.
Yu Ling straightened her back, feeling the heavy weight of the blue diamond brooch on her collar and the supreme confidence it brought her. Recalling Zhao Chen's promise of "I am here", an unprecedented sense of security, of being held firmly in someone's palm and the sweet feeling of being extremely pampered, completely overwhelmed her like a surging wave.
What one-year contract? What mystery of identity? At this moment, everything seemed vague and distant. She only knew that she began to crave this warmth, this protection, and everything this man named Zhao Chen had given her—no matter what lay behind it. The cold agreement was gradually losing its weight on the scales of her heart. She even dreaded the thought of the day when the agreement would expire in a year.
She gently stroked the cool wing brooch on her collar, feeling the delicate touch of platinum and the hard edges of the gem with her fingertips.
This priceless "little thing", like a silent medal, announced her complete fall in this marriage game, and also marked that the first cornerstone of the fence called "contract" collapsed in her heart.
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