Chapter 72 The Realm Without Winter "Come closer, young man!" Old...
Lin Yuwei finished her tour and had just stepped out of the shipyard when the sea breeze hit her face. Her phone vibrated a few times in her bag. She took out her phone, tapped the screen, and a new message jumped out at her eyes. It was from Gu Qingyan: "Want to have dinner together tonight? It's rare to run into you."
She stared at the text message for a moment, then tapped her fingertips lightly: Okay.
Lin Yuwei found a seaside cafe nearby and sat down. She compiled the photos of the shipyard she had just taken and her impressions of the visit into a document and sent it to Xiaoyu. As soon as the message was successfully sent, the dialog box displayed "typing".
Xiaoyu: Sister Weiwei, you must have gained a lot from this trip, right?
Lin Yuwei stared at the words, her gaze slightly narrowed. She was pretty sure that Xiaoyu was sending a message to Gu Qingyan. Reading the sentence again now, she felt that there was a hidden probing meaning in the words.
Just as she was about to reply, the doorbell of the coffee shop rang softly. Looking up, she saw a familiar figure push open the door and enter. Gu Qingyan stood at the door, his gaze sweeping around the shop before quickly and precisely landing on her.
Lin Yuwei's mind stirred slightly, and she quickly typed: Of course, I won't say anything now, I ran into an acquaintance.
Xiaoyu replied instantly with a laughing emoticon: Okay, Weiwei, let's catch up! I'll take care of the report, I'm outta here~~
Seeing this lively reply, Lin Yuwei smiled helplessly. This girl was being used without even realizing it. She was so naive that she would be sold out and still count the money for the seller.
Gu Qingyan had already walked to the table, straddled it, and sat down opposite her. Lin Yuwei closed her laptop, put it in her bag, and looked up to meet his smiling gaze.
"Finished so quickly?" He took off his suit jacket and draped it over the back of the chair, revealing a neatly pressed white shirt with the cuffs casually rolled up to his forearms, showing off his sleek wrists.
“I can’t let you invite me to dinner for nothing.” Lin Yuwei leaned back in her chair, looked directly into his eyes, and smiled slightly. “After all, it’s not every day that you get to run into an acquaintance in a strange city.”
Outside the window, the afternoon sun was slowly setting in the west, casting the shadows of the two people onto the wooden tabletop, where they quietly overlapped.
"Shall we set off now?" Gu Qingyan did not reply to her mention of "luck". He leaned forward slightly and said, "I know a restaurant where the fish is particularly fresh. They are all caught at the dock and served directly to the table within a few hours."
Lin Yuwei knew he must have made arrangements, so she smiled and nodded. Gu Qingyan put on his suit neatly, got up and walked to her side, taking her laptop bag with practiced ease and holding it in his hand.
The restaurant was not far from the cafe. The two walked along the seawall. The setting sun shone like gold, turning the distant sea a fiery red. The dock was full of fishing boats returning home, and the fishermen were busy unloading their catch. The air was filled with the salty smell of the sea breeze and the lively hustle and bustle of the city.
"This is it." Gu Qingyan stopped in front of a seemingly ordinary fisherman's restaurant. Through the glass window, she could see that there were already quite a few diners inside, and the noise was mixed with the crisp sound of bowls and plates clattering.
He stepped aside to open the door for her, and the sea breeze slipped into the room, ruffling her hair. In the warm space filled with the aroma of fish soup, he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "The steamed grouper here will let you taste the sweetness of the entire ocean."
Lin Yuwei is a serious seafood lover. This restaurant is not even considered high-end among the many restaurants she has been to, but it is indeed the freshest fish she has ever eaten in her life.
The cooking method was extremely simple, just the most basic steaming, yet it perfectly preserved the fish's natural sweetness. She had a great appetite and unknowingly ate two bowls of rice.
As Gu Qingyan ate, he habitually picked the tenderest, least bony parts of the fish and put them into Lin Yuwei's bowl. Lin Yuwei quickly waved her hand and said, "You should eat too."
“I didn’t specifically give it to you,” Gu Qingyan said sincerely, her eyes gentle. “You know I like to eat fish heads.”
Lin Yuwei was stunned for a moment, and memories flooded back. Indeed, from childhood to adulthood, whether at home or in a restaurant, Gu Qingyan always saved the fattest and most delicious fish belly for her, while he focused on gnawing on the fish head.
She had always taken this for granted as his way of taking care of her, never imagining that he genuinely liked eating fish heads. How could someone in this world not like meat but prefer fish heads with more bones than meat?
Gu Qingyan placed the fish head on his plate, his tone light: "You must have heard this story: Bo Ya was skilled at playing the zither, and Zi Qi was skilled at listening to music. Everyone says that Zi Qi was accommodating Bo Ya, but they don't know that Bo Ya's playing was the highest enjoyment for Zi Qi." He looked at her with deep eyes: "Giving and receiving are always about mutual fulfillment. Actually, between us... perhaps we're not as incompatible as you think. Maybe..."
Lin Yuwei was deeply shaken. She quickly lowered her head to eat the fish to hide her turbulent emotions. He was right. She enjoyed the freshness of the fish meat, while he adored the taste of the fish head. In the past, she had been willful and capricious, and he had always been tolerant with a smile. Wasn't their relationship a perfect complement? Compared to many couples who were only superficially compatible, they were surprisingly in sync in every little detail. Thinking of this, a warm feeling quietly crept into her heart.
Fortunately, Gu Qingyan didn't continue the topic and instead talked about the century-old history of this time-honored restaurant.
After the meal, the two strolled along the riverbank and unknowingly walked to the estuary.
In stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of fishing boats returning to port at dusk, the seaside is now completely silent. A bright moon hangs high in the sky, casting its cool silver light onto the sea. The shimmering waves sway in the wind, as if someone had crushed the stars in the sky and scattered them casually on this deep blue velvet.
They chatted about everything from fun times in college to their entrepreneurial experiences. In this dreamlike setting, even their conversation became more relaxed.
Looking at Gu Qingyan's profile outlined by the moonlight, Lin Yuwei suddenly made up her mind—she would go back and break off the engagement with Zhou Xubai. She knew all too well that she had never felt such a racing heartbeat when she was with Zhou Xubai.
As for whether to start a relationship with Gu Qingyan... she sighed softly in her heart. She didn't have enough courage to face the past and was afraid of experiencing the pain of loss again, especially when the other person was Gu Qingyan.
"What are your plans for tomorrow?" His gentle voice interrupted her thoughts.
No, what about you?
"The scenery in Huaiming Valley in Hechang City is very beautiful. Would you like to go and see it?"
"Okay." Lin Yuwei nodded with a smile: "Since we're already here..."
A gentle sea breeze lifted her hair, and under the shimmering light of the shimmering waves, their figures, side by side, gradually blended into the tender and profound night, as if they were meant to be a part of the night scene.
The next morning, Lin Yuwei spent more time than usual putting together her outfit. She chose a warm beige cashmere turtleneck sweater, a floral midi skirt, and a light gray plaid wool coat. Her makeup was elegant, with a soft red lipstick that brightened her complexion without being overly deliberate. When she went downstairs, Gu Qingyan was already waiting in the lobby. He was also dressed more meticulously than usual today. His dark blue fitted coat accentuated his upright shoulders, and the collar of his light-colored shirt was casually open, adding a touch of leisure.
He looked up at her, his gaze lingering on her for a moment, a faint smile playing in his eyes. "Good morning."
"Good morning." Lin Yuwei walked up to him.
After a quick breakfast, they took a taxi to Huaiming Valley.
The scenic bus wound its way up the mountain road. Outside the window, most of the winter mountains and fields were withered and barren, but amidst the gray and brown landscape, the lush greenery of Huaiming Valley appeared all the more vibrant.
The car radio came on at just the right moment, and a gentle female voice explained the reason for the formation of this "Shangri-La". The special terrain creates a warm and humid microclimate in the valley, making it a "winterless place" with evergreen vegetation all year round.
Upon entering the deer park in the valley, Lin Yuwei and Gu Qingyan were quickly surrounded by a group of fearless deer. These little sprites used all their charms to get the snacks from the tourists, either blinking their big, wet eyes or gently rubbing their heads against people's palms, looking adorable.
Gu Qingyan bought two buckets of carrots and handed them to Lin Yuwei. Then, smiling, he took out his phone and patiently captured the moment when Lin Yuwei bent down to feed the deer and made eye contact with the fawns.
"You two are such a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman!" An elderly lady on the same bus had been watching for a while and couldn't help but smile and praise them. She then enthusiastically suggested, "How about I take a picture of you two together?"
Gu Qingyan was slightly taken aback, then calmly handed over his phone and whispered "thank you." Lin Yuwei walked to his side and stood down, her coat sleeve brushing lightly against his jacket.
"Get closer, young man!" The old lady took two pictures, but felt they weren't good enough, so she held up her phone and directed, "Yes, closer, smile!"
Just as Gu Qingyan's arm gently touched Lin Yuwei's shoulder, her cell phone rang at an inopportune moment, with the words "Xu Bai" clearly displayed on the screen.
In that instant, the warm air around her seemed to suddenly cool down. Although Lin Yuwei had made up her mind, the phone call was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the small spark that was burning.
Gu Qingyan had obviously seen the caller ID as well. The light in his eyes dimmed almost imperceptibly, but he then strode over to the old lady to retrieve her phone, saying gently, "Thank you for your help."
Lin Yuwei steadied her suddenly racing heartbeat, turned around and walked to a tree a few steps away, then pressed the answer button.
"Hello?"
A familiar voice came from the other end of the phone, tinged with a hint of estrangement from someone they hadn't spoken to in a long time: "My parents and I are back in China. Shall we have dinner together tonight?"
“I’m on a business trip in Hechang, meeting with clients,” Lin Yuwei answered truthfully, trying to keep her voice steady. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to get back tonight.” More importantly, she no longer wanted to cooperate with him and put on a harmonious act in front of his parents.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before Zhou Xubai replied, "Okay. I'll be back at the company next week, so... see you then."
"Okay, see you then."
Lin Yuwei hung up the phone, her fingertips lingering for a moment on the cool surface of the phone. The subtle tension and faint sweetness that had just been interrupted dissipated quietly in Zhou Xubai's calm voice. She took a deep breath, turned around, and found that Gu Qingyan was neither looking at his phone nor looking anywhere else.
He stood a few steps away, quietly watching her.
Those usually gentle eyes were now as deep as the bottomless blue pool of Huaiming Valley, churning with too many complex emotions: undisguised longing, unspoken restraint, and a kind of... focus as if trying to completely imprint her image in one's heart.
He gazed at it so intently that the noise of the surrounding tourists and the breeze in the valley seemed to stand still. He clearly didn't say anything, but his gaze spoke of his reluctance to leave more directly than any words.
Lin Yuwei's heart skipped a beat.
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