Chapter 37 Team Building
The priceless "Whisper of the Galaxy" and the dazzling blue diamond star brooch, like two blockbuster bombs, were delivered by Zhao Chen to the cloakroom of 1601 in the name of "special prize".
They were quietly hung in the most conspicuous position, the velvet flowing with deep blue, the stars embroidered with silver thread flickered silently under the light, and the deep blue diamond on the brooch reflected the cold light, reminding Yu Ling of that absurd afternoon all the time.
Yu Ling ultimately didn't press the issue. Zhao Chen's story of "superb luck," "mall event," and "voluntary participation" was riddled with holes, but facing his innocent smile, tinged with a hint of "I'm proud of my wife's luck," all her energy for questioning seemed to be drained away.
If she pressed the issue, she would only get more carefully woven lies, or tear open the curtain that she didn't want to and didn't dare to touch for the time being.
She chose silence, a silence that carried an ostrich mentality, yet also contained a sweet, self-deceptive quality.
She accepted the "special prize" and even late one night, she couldn't help but quietly turn on the light in the cloakroom, carefully brushing her fingertips over the cool and silky velvet skirt, feeling the subtle bumps of the silver embroidery, and imagining what it would look like when she put it on.
The vanity and satisfaction of being extremely pampered in my heart quietly grows like a vine, entwining the seed called "doubt", making it sleep temporarily.
Life seemed to be back on track, wrapped in Zhao Chen's "sticky syrup".
He was still the stay-at-home husband in the whale-shaped apron who fried her perfectly soft-boiled eggs, the "budget man" who meticulously browsed supermarket shelves and kept abreast of discounts, and the mysterious man who gifted Zhou Qian with a pricey brooch during the Zhou Qian scandal and played the role of "lucky husband" in the mall's "special prize" incident. He seamlessly transitioned between these identities, and Yu Ling, in this sweet, chaotic state, gradually learned not to delve too deeply into them.
On a weekend morning, Zhao Chen was busy in the kitchen, his back to the door. He was wearing loose gray cotton home pants and a simple white vest. The fabric outlined the broad, smooth lines of his shoulders and back and the narrow waist. The muscles in his arms bulged slightly as he flipped the frying pan, exuding a sense of strength.
Yu Ling was wearing a comfortable nightgown, leaning lazily on the kitchen door frame, looking at this pleasant and homely scene.
She had just woken up, her hair still a little disheveled, and her eyes held a dazed, satisfied look. Zhao Chen's frying motions were fluid, and with a flick of his wrist, a perfectly runny sunny-side-up egg landed gracefully on the white bone china plate beside him, next to golden, crispy bacon and perfectly toasted toast.
"Awake?" Zhao Chen didn't turn around, but it was as if he had eyes on his back. His low voice was slightly hoarse and cheerful in the morning, "Have you washed up? Dinner will be served soon." He turned off the stove, picked up two exquisitely arranged breakfast plates and turned around.
The sun shone brightly on his face, and his amber eyes held a gentle smile, like melted honey. A few strands of hair on his forehead, slightly damp with sweat, draped casually across his brow bone. He looked fresh and sexy, with a homely, unguarded charm.
Yu Ling's heart skipped a beat without warning. She watched him approach with breakfast in hand. The sunlight danced on his eyelashes. The aroma of the food blended with the clean, refreshing scent of soap nuts on his body, forming a comforting, uniquely early morning scent.
"Wow! It smells so good!" She smiled, walked up to him, and naturally stood on tiptoe, giving him a light kiss on his sweaty cheek. "This is a reward for you, Chef Zhao!" Her voice was crisp, with the innocent charm of someone who had just woken up.
Zhao Chen obviously did not expect this sudden reward. The hand holding the plate paused slightly, and then the smile in his eyes spread out like the surface of a lake where a stone was thrown, so gentle that it could drown a person.
He turned his face slightly and rubbed the top of her head with the tip of his nose. His voice was low and magnetic: "Is this the reward? It's not enough." He pretended to kiss her lips.
Yu Ling dodged with a smile, her cheeks flushed, and snatched a plate from his hand: "Greedy! Go and get the coffee!" She walked quickly towards the restaurant with the plate, like a kitten that had successfully stolen some fish.
Zhao Chen looked at her graceful back and the tips of her slightly red ears, and laughed softly, his chest vibrating. He turned to get the coffee pot, the tenderness and satisfaction between his eyebrows almost overflowing.
Such mornings, such coquettish and sweet interactions, were priceless treasures that no wealth or power could ever exchange for. He savored the solid feeling of being relied upon and close to her, like a traveler in the desert drawing upon a spring of sweet water.
The two of them had breakfast together in the sun-drenched restaurant. The atmosphere was relaxed and sweet. Yu Ling chattered about her dreams from the previous night, and Zhao Chen listened with a smile, occasionally refilling her coffee and placing a peeled soft-boiled egg on her plate.
"By the way," Yu Ling bit into the crispy bacon and suddenly remembered something, "It seems that our department will have a team-building event next week, going to a hot spring resort in the neighboring city for two days and one night." She said casually.
Zhao Chen's hand holding the coffee cup paused imperceptibly, and he looked up at her: "Team building? When?"
"We'll leave next Friday afternoon and be back Saturday night." Yu Ling didn't notice his slight pause.
Zhao Chen lowered his eyes, staring at the dark brown liquid in the cup. Thick lashes obscured the fleeting light in his eyes. Two days and one night? Out of his sight? His fingers tightened slightly around the cup, a barely perceptible white tinge turning to his knuckles.
While Zhang Wei's troubles were temporarily suppressed, the potential for prying eyes hadn't completely disappeared. More importantly... he couldn't bear not seeing her for so long, especially now that she was becoming increasingly dependent on him and increasingly vulnerable. A mixture of worry and intense possessiveness quietly grew in him.
"Hot Spring Villa..." He put down the cup, his tone sounding a bit longing and regretful, "Sounds good. Unfortunately, next week I...well, have a very important project node, so I may have to work overtime on the weekend." His face showed a bit of helplessness and apology brought by work at the right time.
Yu Ling said "Oh" in disappointment: "Okay then. I was thinking of asking if you could go with me."
Zhao Chen looked at her slightly pouting lips, his heart softening, and he quickly made amends: "Next time! Next time there is such an activity, I will definitely make time in advance to accompany you. This time, just have fun and relax."
He paused, and added casually, "By the way, which villa do you live in? How is the environment? Is it safe?" His tone was full of concern.
"Let's call it 'Genting Hot Springs'. I heard it's pretty good, a five-star hotel, so there's definitely no problem with safety." Yu Ling didn't think much about it.
"Yeah, that's good." Zhao Chen nodded, picked up his phone, and tapped the screen quickly a few times, as if he was looking up something. "Yunding... has a good reputation." He put down his phone and picked up another piece of fruit for Yu Ling. "Eat more, it's good for your vitamin C."
Yu Ling was completely unaware of his seemingly casual "check-up" behavior. She was enjoying the feeling of being fed and had already started thinking about what clothes to bring for the hot spring team building.
The afternoon sun lazily streamed across the living room. Yu Ling curled up on the sofa, reading a book, while Zhao Chen sat on the armchair next to her, his ordinary-looking laptop in front of him. His fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard, making a crisp, rhythmic clicking sound.
The screen still displayed a stream of code that Yu Ling could not understand, but his focused profile appeared clearly outlined in the sunlight, with a quiet charm.
Occasionally, Yu Ling's eyes would lift from the pages of her book and fall upon him. Seeing his slightly furrowed brows, watching the rhythm of his slender fingers dancing across the keyboard, a sense of tranquility and grounded happiness filled her heart.
She even felt that just being by his side, listening to the sounds of him working, was a kind of enjoyment. She put down her book, picked up her phone, and secretly took a picture of his profile as he worked—the sunlight outlined his straight nose and focused eyebrows, and dots of light danced on his fingertips.
She looked at the photos on her phone, and the corners of her mouth curled up unconsciously.
At this moment, a sudden and continuous vibration broke the silence!
Buzz—buzz—buzz—
The sound came from Zhao Chen's phone, which he had placed on the coffee table. The screen lit up, and an unfamiliar number with a long international area code flashed wildly on the screen - +1 (650) XXX-XXXX.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
