Chapter 28 Approaching "A-Zheng".
Even Qiao Yunzheng herself couldn't remember how long it had been since she had called him "Dad".
This title, which should have been so familiar as to be almost instinctive, has now become a thorn buried deep in her heart.
Since Qiao Zhende's accidental death, becoming a cold name on the safety accident report, it has been too long since anyone has mentioned him.
At the company, because the safety incident was caused by the company's own negligence, people always deliberately avoid topics related to him.
At home, that long, rainy afternoon was an unbearable nightmare that neither Yao Jing nor Qiao Yunzheng dared to revisit.
Qiao Yunzheng thought that after three years and a thousand days and nights, she could talk about that past calmly.
The truth is, under Wen Hong's calm gaze, he once again lost his composure.
She suddenly remembered a passage she had seen somewhere, which said that the pain of losing a loved one is not particularly heart-wrenching, and you can even continue to work and live calmly.
However, that dull pain can suddenly strike in many ordinary moments, making you feel like your insides are burning and your liver and gallbladder are about to burst.
It wasn't a devastating downpour, but rather a long, damp ordeal that confined one for a lifetime.
When Qiao Yunzheng returned home, Yao Jing was sitting on the sofa flipping through a magazine. Hearing the noise at the door, she put down the magazine, stood up, and smiled gently: "Xiaozheng is back. I asked Auntie to save some food for you."
Not wanting Yao Jing to see her slightly red and swollen eyes, Qiao Yunzheng sat on the shoe stool by the door, slowly changing her shoes. Taking advantage of a moment when she looked down, she said, "No need, Mom, I've already eaten at the company."
"Alright then!" Fortunately, Yao Jing didn't notice anything unusual about her. She just said with concern, "If you're tired, get some rest early. Don't stay up too late."
Qiao Yunzheng gave a soft "hmm," changed her shoes, and went upstairs to her room.
After climbing a few steps, she paused, hesitated for a moment, and then softly called out, "Mom..."
"Hmm?" Yao Jing was putting away the miscellaneous items and placing them on the bookshelf when she heard her daughter call her. She smiled and looked towards the stairs. "What's wrong, Xiao Zheng?"
Her smile was still gentle and peaceful, but Qiao Yunzheng knew that her mother was very different from before.
Without the support of power, that smile became fragile, easily shattered by the slightest disturbance, just like yesterday.
Qiao Yunzheng decided again that she shouldn't tell her about tomorrow.
She smiled and said softly, "It's nothing, goodnight."
Perhaps it's because I think about it during the day that I dream about it at night.
Qiao Yunzheng had a rare dream about Qiao Zhende.
In her dream, she was still a child, and her father dressed her up as a beautiful little princess and took her outside to fly a kite.
"Daddy! Higher! Higher! I want to be the tallest one!" The little girl's voice was childish, and she jumped and bounced excitedly.
Qiao Zhende bent down and easily pulled her into his arms. He then placed the kite string handle in her hand and said with a smile, "If it flies too high, it'll fly away and we won't be able to find it! Little Zheng, hold on tight to the handle so the kite doesn't get away..."
The little girl nodded earnestly and carefully held the handle in her palm.
However, a strong gust of wind suddenly swept in.
Despite her best efforts to grip the handle tightly, the cable broke.
Ah! My kite!
She anxiously ran after the kite in the direction it had drifted away, trying to bring it back.
But when she turned around, she was all alone in the empty field. The kite was gone, and Qiao Zhende, who had been holding her, was also gone.
"Daddy! Daddy, where are you?!"
Qiao Yunzheng shouted anxiously, fear instantly filling her young heart.
Fear, anxiety, loneliness... countless feelings of despair surged up and pressed down on her small shoulders.
I don't know how long I ran, but suddenly large swaths of white mist appeared before my eyes.
Qiao Yunzheng stared intently, straining to see, before she could vaguely make out the outline of the chemical equipment behind the white mist.
The bluish-gray spherical tank stood behind the thick fog, as tall as a three-story building, and a figure was climbing up the steel staircase of the tank.
Qiao Yunzheng felt as if her heart had been suddenly gripped tightly by a large hand, the pain so intense she couldn't breathe.
"Stop!" She instinctively tried to stop the person, straining to shout, but her throat felt like it was locked with an invisible lock, and even as she trembled with all her might, she couldn't utter a sound.
She could only watch helplessly as the small, dark figure climbed to the top of the spherical tank, and then, a moment later, fell off the other side of the tank like a withered leaf.
"Ah..." The restraint in her throat seemed to loosen a little. Qiao Yunzheng ran with all her might in the thick fog, stumbling and struggling, but she couldn't get any faster.
When she passed through the thick fog, the cold, hard steel structures had vanished without a trace, replaced by a blinding white expanse.
There was also the sharp, beeping sound of the instruments.
The stabbing pain in my heart grew increasingly intense and unbearable.
She vaguely understood something, but couldn't remember anything, and could only let the tears fall unconsciously in large drops.
When the intermittent humming of the instruments turned into a piercing, continuous shrill cry, her vision was instantly filled with countless people in white coats.
There was a person lying in the hospital bed they were crowding around.
The person was completely wrapped in bandages, making it impossible to see their face. But those eyes, those eyes filled with heartache and reluctance, instantly captivated Qiao Yunzheng's heart.
When Qiao Yunzheng woke up from her dream, she was soaked in sweat.
It was pitch black and eerily quiet all around, with only a faint light on the table indicating the current time: 4:20 a.m.
She quietly lay back down on the bed, but couldn't fall asleep again no matter what she did.
The appointment for the Chengbei project was at 10:00 AM. When Qiao Yunzheng arrived at the company at 9:00 AM, Wen Hong was already waiting for her in the office.
He was a far cry from his carefree and unkempt demeanor yesterday, and instead wore a very formal black shirt with a tiny white daisy embroidered on the left side of his chest.
Qiao Yunzheng's gaze lingered on that white figure for a long time before she looked away.
Whether it was because of the bizarre dreams she had yesterday or because of insomnia, her temples were throbbing with pain.
"Not asleep?" Wen Hong frowned as he looked at the obvious dark circles under her eyes and the swollen eyes that even makeup couldn't hide.
Qiao Yunzheng shook her head: "I'm asleep. I had dreams all night."
Without her saying much, Wen Hong could roughly guess what she was dreaming about.
He didn't say much, but walked up to her, pulled her to sit on the sofa, and then pressed her shoulders to lean her back against the sofa.
As he spoke, Wen Hong lowered his shoulders slightly, gesturing for Qiao Yunzheng to lean closer.
If it were any other time, and Wen Hong suddenly said these things to her, she would probably have to think about it a hundred times in her mind, just in case he came up with some new idea to torment her.
But at this moment, as Qiao Yunzheng looked at him, an uncontrollable longing arose in her heart.
She did indeed follow her heart and gently leaned her head closer.
Perhaps because of his height of 1.9 meters, he always gives people a slender feeling, but his shoulders are very broad and have a comforting warmth that gives people a rare sense of peace.
Qiao Yunzheng closed her eyes slightly, not falling asleep immediately, but quietly feeling the warmth of another person's body penetrating the thin fabric and flowing continuously into her skin, her nerves, and her blood vessels.
Like still waters running deep, it gradually soothed the unspeakable anxiety and unease in her heart.
Before her assistant could even knock, Wen Hong made a shushing gesture by putting her index finger to her lips.
The assistant understood immediately and wisely made his way out.
Wen Hong waited until the time was up and couldn't wait any longer, then turned her head to look at Qiao Yunzheng beside her.
Her eyes remained closed, her long, thick, curled eyelashes resembling two delicate little brushes. When those eyes were open, sometimes she feigned aloofness, infuriating him to the point of rage; other times, she looked so pitiful that he didn't know what to do to make her happy…
Wen Hong sighed resignedly.
Her even breaths brushed against the crook of his neck, like a feather gently stroking his sensitive and fragile nerves.
Wen Hong subconsciously held her breath, extended her index finger, and very gently brushed the stray hairs covering her face to the side.
"A-Zheng?" Wen Hong called her softly.
Upon hearing this address, Qiao Yunzheng, still somewhat dazed, felt a sense of disorientation, momentarily losing track of time.
"Hmm?" Even though she wasn't fully awake, she subconsciously responded, raising her head and instinctively turning towards the source of the sound.
Wen Hong remained tilting her head to look at her.
Just like that, without warning, his lips brushed across her forehead.
Like morning dew sliding across a lotus leaf, it vanishes in an instant, leaving no trace.
Qiao Yunzheng opened her eyes and stared blankly for a long time before her mind seemed to clear.
"Should we go?"
Yes, she finally remembered that she was going to inspect the project site in the north of the city later. Unexpectedly, she actually fell asleep leaning on his shoulder.
Qiao Yunzheng stood up, stretched comfortably, and immediately felt much better.
However, I'm not sure if it's just my imagination, but my forehead feels slightly cool.
She reached out and touched it, but didn't feel anything, so she didn't think much of it. She straightened her clothes a little and walked out.
He had only taken two steps when he realized that Wen Hong hadn't followed.
Qiao Yunzheng turned around suspiciously and saw Wen Hong still sitting in the same spot, her eyes downcast, seemingly lost in thought and not paying any attention to her.
"Wen Hong?" Qiao Yunzheng took another step back, looking down at him slightly. "What's wrong?"
Her eyes were clear, and she seemed much better than before, indicating that she had slept quite well. When she looked at Wen Hong, her eyes were like a pair of clear glass, untouched by any dust.
Wen Hong unconsciously raised her eyebrows, stared into those eyes, and studied them for a moment before confirming that she wasn't pretending to be stupid.
He shook his head helplessly: "It's nothing."
Qiao Yunzheng nodded and asked casually, "What are you thinking about? You seem so lost in thought."
He finally stood up, casually took the bag from her hand, and said softly, "It's nothing, just a dream."
Qiao Yunzheng: "Hmm?"
Wen Hong: "I got licked by a kitten and couldn't catch her."
Author's Note: (Small announcement)
Thank you to "Sunshine" for the 10 bottles of nutrient solution! Thank you to "Succulent Grape" and "Little Rabbit" for the nutrient solution!
I'm so grateful, words can't express it! Sending you love~
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