Warming up
As the last police car roared away at the end of the dock, the clamor around the warehouse gradually died down. Like hunters returning with a full load, the reporters rushed back to the newspaper office, contentedly eager to publish this headline news that would rock Shanghai.
The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the Huangpu River into a magnificent golden color.
Ling Xiuqing stood at the warehouse door, the sea breeze blowing her clothes and hair. Her nerves, tense for days, finally relaxed a little.
She won.
Won the most crucial and dangerous battle since his rebirth.
Han Shaoheng and Chuntao, the culprits who pushed her into hell, finally got their due retribution. Although this was far from enough to repay the blood debt they owed in their previous lives, it was undoubtedly a satisfying start.
"What are you thinking about?"
Murong Bai's voice came from behind him. He had walked to her side without her noticing, took off his suit jacket, and gently draped it over her slightly thin shoulders.
The coat also carried his unique scent of a mixture of tobacco and ink, as well as a hint of warmth.
Ling Xiuqing turned her head and looked at him.
In the backlight, his handsome profile was clearly defined, and his peach blossom eyes, which usually carried a hint of cynicism, were now filled with deep emotions that she could hardly understand.
From the initial chance encounter on the street corner to the rescue at the Jin Mansion; from the publicity to risking his life to accompany her through this drama tonight... This man always seemed to appear when she needed him most, clearing the way for her and protecting her.
If she had initially used him and was wary of him, then at this moment, a complex and unfamiliar emotion was quietly spreading uncontrollably in the frozen lake of her heart.
"Nothing." She retracted her gaze and said softly, "I was just thinking that all this can finally come to an end for now."
"It's over?" Murong Bai chuckled. He walked over to her, leaning against the door frame of the warehouse. He took out a cigarette case from his pocket, but didn't light it. He just played with it between his fingers. "For Han Shaoheng and the others, it's over. But for you, everything has just begun."
Ling Xiuqing was silent.
She knew he was right. Toppling Han Shaoheng only removed the biggest obstacle on her path. Her true goal—restoring the glory of the Ling Family Embroidery Shop and establishing her own fashion empire—still had a long way to go.
"Thank you so much for today." She looked at him and said sincerely, "If it weren't for you, I would never have been able to do it so perfectly on my own."
"There's no need to thank me between you and me." Murong Bai looked at her deeply, his eyes becoming more serious than ever. "I'm helping you not just for the news, nor just out of friendship."
The air seemed to freeze at this moment.
The evening breeze blew, bringing with it a hint of salty and damp air.
Murong Bai's Adam's apple moved, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he swallowed the words that were about to come out. He simply reached out and very gently brushed a strand of hair that was blown by the wind away from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear.
His fingertips touched her earlobe lightly, with a slight cool temperature, but it made Ling Xiuqing's heart feel like a small stone was thrown into it, causing tiny ripples.
She subconsciously took a half step back to avoid his touch.
"It's getting late, let's... go back." She said a little unnaturally.
Seeing her slight evasion, a barely perceptible disappointment flashed across Murong Bai's eyes, but it was quickly covered up by his usual carefree smile.
"Okay, I'll take you there."
On the way back in the car, the two of them were silent all the way, but the atmosphere was no longer as relaxed as before, and there was a hint of subtle, tacit ambiguity.
The car stopped in front of the "Zhi Xiu Fang".
Ling Xiuqing opened the car door and returned the suit jacket to him: "You've worked hard today, go to bed early."
"A Xiu." Murong Bai suddenly called her.
She turned around and saw him leaning against the car window, looking at her intently. "Although Han Shaoheng has gone bankrupt, Han's Textiles has left behind a mess. Bank loans, workers' wages, and a huge pile of low-quality fabrics... What are you going to do with them?"
Ling Xiuqing smiled slightly when she heard this.
She knew that this man not only understood romance, but also understood her ambition.
"Old machines naturally deserve to be eliminated. But the veteran craftsmen who have worked at the Ling Family Embroidery Shop for decades are our most valuable asset." Her eyes gleamed with strategic planning. "As for those accumulated fabrics... in my hands, they'll find a better use than being discarded as waste."
Murong Bai looked at her confident look and felt completely relieved.
He knew that the woman he admired already had a grander plan in her mind.
"Okay." He started the car. "I'll wait for your good news."
After watching Murong Bai's car drive away, Ling Xiuqing turned around and took the key to open the door of "Zhi Xiu Fang".
The house was silent.
She didn't turn on the lights, but walked to the indigo blue orchid dress in the moonlight.
She reached out and gently stroked the butterfly embroidered with "Ice Silk." This thread, a gift from the kind widow, was her only connection to her past life.
And tonight, there is one more thing.
She lowered her head and looked at her shoulders, as if the warmth of the suit jacket and the unique scent of that man were still lingering.
This is a brand new bond of rebirth.
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