Chapter 43 Chapter 43
The night was thick, moonlit clouds drifting. At two in the morning, even P City, known as the city that never sleeps for migrant workers, seemed to have had enough of the bustle. Only the bright streetlights remained on the silent streets.
At the back entrance of Huayi Building, a silver-gray Volvo sat calmly parked on the curb. It was past the no-parking time, and the Volvo's lights were completely off, with no sign of leaving.
The man in the driver's seat lowered his head slightly, looking at the dimly lit screen. His black hand-embroidered shirt blended into the night, and it was almost impossible to see from outside the car that there was another person in the car.
The phone dinged, and Lu Ye swiped the screen to see a simple, clear message: "Director An is downstairs."
He closed his laptop, started the car, turned on the air conditioner and the aromatherapy, like a dedicated driver for a young lady.
The blue interior light strip flickered as if breathing. Lu Ye opened the car door and relaxed his shoulders and neck, which had become stiff from sitting for too long.
An Jiyue walked past the doors of sparsely lit offices. The elevator went down smoothly. She swiped the door opener and walked through the empty lobby of Huayi Building.
Today, she had barely a moment's rest. She went to three or four places to confirm the procedures. Her casual and comfortable sweatshirt and sweatpants were a lifesaver.
At around ten o'clock, Lu Ye sent a message saying that he would pick her up at the back door.
There were many matters that needed to be coordinated in arranging a live broadcast at short notice. An Jiyue knew that it would be a good thing if he didn't have to work all night today, so she replied that he didn't need to wait too late.
Would he still be here at this hour? An Jiyue hesitated for a moment, then unconsciously walked towards the quiet back door.
There is a corridor about ten meters long between the back hall and the main road. It is long, narrow and dark, with only the emergency lights on weakly.
Her steps were weak after a long night, so An Jiyue clutched her bag to her chest and walked to the end of the corridor. A silver-gray Volvo came into view, its cold white headlights shining brightly. A man leaning against the car door looked at her from afar, a faint smile on his lips.
It seemed as if he had been waiting there patiently for her all the time, never leaving.
Maybe four hours. Maybe four years.
An Jiyue's steps were slow and dazed, as if she had returned to the days many years ago when they were still on the Eden-like university campus. He had waited for her like this before.
That was her first time rehearsing a New Year's Eve Gala. With the recommendation of her counselor, she joined the co-director team and worked with her senior classmates to choreograph the program.
Back then, she was a junior who needed to run around. While others would finish their parts and leave, she would follow the rehearsal from beginning to end. When she finally left, she was exhausted.
Lu Ye was waiting for her outside the auditorium, beneath the first streetlight. It was a bitterly cold winter night, and everyone was wearing thick, fluffy down jackets, but he stood straight and unrestrained, his dark eyes quietly absorbing all her weariness.
"Thank you for your hard work, Director An."
The voice was exactly the same as in his memory, gentle and kind, and there was a hint of pride in his eyes for her.
The next sentence is different.
"Let's go, I'll take you back."
At that time, Lu Ye would say "I'll take you home", then hold her hand, put it back into his large and warm pocket, and walk with her all the way back to the dormitory building.
Lu Ye opened the car door for her, his hands resting on the roof. Even on the deserted streets late at night, he maintained his demeanor, his movements graceful and smooth, waiting for her to get in the car.
An Jiuyue was stunned for a moment, but did not move. Suddenly, she tilted her head, her cherry-colored lips formed a proud curve, and her velvety brown pupils stared straight at him.
She shrugged her nose and rolled her eyes, as if asking for something that should have been there but was forgotten by him.
Lu Ye raised his eyebrows in confusion, until the girl stretched out her hand and waved it at him in annoyance, then he realized it and held her hand.
An Jiyue then smiled triumphantly, bowed slightly and prepared to get in the car.
The next second, the man who was a head taller than her suddenly pulled her forward, stretched out his long arms to catch her accurately, and wrapped her tightly in his arms.
The faint scent of cologne wafted towards her face, lingering in her nostrils as she pressed against the firm chest. The clear, powerful heartbeat pierced through his chest and into her eardrums, and An Jiyue listened intently without realizing it.
The man's sharp jaw curve fell on her shoulder, and before she could cry out in pain, his lips, nose and forehead fell on her shoulder.
Lu Ye's breath caused his abdominal muscles to tremble. For a moment, the girl in his arms almost wanted to push him away to check on her, but he was reluctant to let go and whispered to her, "It's okay."
He simply once again sincerely and devoutly thanked fate for its favor and grace.
It was obvious that he had already accepted that nothing could change over the years, so he escaped into the daily busyness, not giving himself a moment to breathe or look back.
Lu Ye stood up, holding the person in his arms with one hand, supporting himself on the car with the other hand, staggered his steps, and pushed her against the car body.
Their legs were inexplicably entangled with each other, and An Jiyue couldn't even stand steadily, but he didn't care about that.
He held her waist, closed his eyes, and leaned down to cover her soft cherry lips.
In an instant, it seemed as if all the street lights were turned off, and her world became a thick darkness, with only the cool, cedar-like breath coming from Lu Ye.
After a few seconds, she realized that she had closed her eyes on her own initiative. The delicate touch on her lips was too wonderful. She was immersed in it and almost didn't want to give it up.
I have almost forgotten the last time I kissed.
It was so long ago that she could no longer recall the blank feeling in her mind, and the joy that followed, as if her heart was pierced by electricity.
She thought there would be no more.
But now it really happened again, and it was still him, the person she couldn't forget.
Lu Ye's movements were careful and gentle. Even when kissing, he only pecked her lips over and over again, politely and gentlemanly stopping when he had done enough.
She wanted him to stop, yet she also wanted him not to stop. Until she lost her patience with this slow flow of water, and accidentally extended the tip of her trembling tongue.
It was as if some hallucinogenic poison had been released, breaking down his defenses. The man suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils unfocused, and gasped.
Then, as if he was in great pain, he made up his mind to let go of her hand, pushed her directly into the car, and slammed the door shut.
Lu Ye, who was left alone outside the glass window, tried to blow some wind to calm himself down, but the air seemed to be against him and remained motionless, with little effect.
He unbuttoned two buttons, clenched his hand into a fist in his trousers, and placed his other hand on his waist. He took a deep breath with each step and walked to the other side.
An Jiyue looked at the faint blush on his calm and cold face, and lowered her head as if she had done something wrong, with ulterior motives in her mind.
Lu Ye said nothing. The car had just driven four or five meters when he suddenly stopped it.
"Seat belt!" He rarely raised his voice, and his voice was louder than usual.
An Jiyue seemed startled by him, her face filled with fear and trepidation. Before she could make a move, Lu Ye had already reached around her body and pulled the seat belt to fasten it for her.
She clearly saw that Lu Ye's Adam's apple rolled, as if he was swallowing some raging emotions.
But today she didn't dare to cross the line any further. Everything was happening to the point where she felt like her heart was hanging in the air, empty and she didn't know where to go.
The silver-gray Volvo finally sped away.
At the back door of Huayi Building, a portly figure finally emerged from the shadows of the trees. Xu Mu, his mouth agape with shock, seemed to have left his body. It took him a while to regain his composure and prepare to hail a taxi.
The person who just informed Lu Ye was none other than An Jiuyue's most capable assistant, Xu Mu himself.
Lu Ye left too hastily that morning, leaving Xu Mu with nothing to show for him. So after the afternoon recording session, he quickly stopped Lu Ye and confirmed the live broadcast schedule.
After receiving the reply of "no problem", Xu Mu breathed a sigh of relief and greeted him with words such as "It was a pleasure to cooperate with him this time" and "I wish him good luck in his future work".
Lu Ye became serious and suddenly asked, "Are Mr. Xu and Director An long-term colleagues?"
Xu Mu thought about it and answered honestly, "Probably. The Interactive Entertainment Group is already discussing the planning of the next program. I'll still follow Director An as his assistant."
Then came an incredible development. This top elite, this aloof male guest with an otherworldly aura, actually asked him for help.
The request for help was to ask him to report Director An's whereabouts from time to time.
Xu Mu was shocked, but he firmly refused, "Mr. Lu, this is illegal. Our Director An hasn't done anything to offend you, right? Why do you need her whereabouts?"
Lu Ye was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. He suddenly felt a liking for this vigilant assistant.
"You misunderstood." He carefully considered his words and admitted in a low voice, "Actually, I have some feelings towards your Director An."
Huh? Xu Mu was stunned, his mood soaring again. He immediately remembered the rumors that had been circulating before. Could it be that Director An and male guest No. 3 were really together?
"Then you're quitting the show because..."
"Yes." Lu Ye nodded affirmatively, "I'm not asking you to take care of every detail, but if she encounters any trouble, please tell me, maybe I can help."
"No problem!" Xu Mu gave the same answer happily.
Lu Ye's eyebrows relaxed, a faint smile on his face. Before turning to leave, he glanced at Xu Mu's phone and was attracted by the colorful screen.
The market was about to close, and Xu Mu, who had a small investment, was sighing at today's green numbers.
Lu Ye pondered for a moment, then casually tapped his phone with his slender fingers. He nodded at him and winked ambiguously. Then, as if nothing had happened, he walked away with long legs.
Lu Ye is a practitioner and knows a lot of inside information. According to regulations, he cannot provide investment advice to others at will.
Xu Mu was stunned for a moment, then gritted his teeth and added some more stocks in doubt.
A few minutes before the closing, one of the stocks suddenly turned red among the green ones. Xu Mu looked at the positive profit in surprise and joy, and subconsciously glanced in the direction where the man had just left.
The man had gone far away and there was no trace of him.
Just like the Volvo that disappeared on the streets late at night, it seemed as if everything that just happened was just his illusion.
Xu Mu rashly revealed the whereabouts of his director to Lu Ye. He followed him out secretly because he was worried about him, but he didn't expect to witness such a scene.
The sleepiness that had peaked in his mind in the conference room had now disappeared without a trace, and he couldn't help but keep muttering to himself.
"Incredible, really incredible."
"As expected of a top financial elite, he acted so decisively. A tiny piece of information could yield such great value..."
Looking back, he had even been a mouthpiece between the two of them, and Xu Mu suddenly felt that he had facilitated a good marriage. At the same time, he finally felt relieved about Lu Ye.
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