Chapter 70 The Warmth of Him Lin Yuwei unconsciously took a step forward, lightly…
The car door opened, and a tall, slender figure stepped out briskly, walking quickly towards her in the night. Against the halo of the car lights, the outline of his figure seemed to be coated with a faint edge of light.
As his face gradually came into focus in the light and shadow, revealing his clean and elegant features, and his deep and familiar eyes, Lin Yuwei's breath hitched. Her heart felt as if it had been gently squeezed by something, and then suddenly released.
It was Gu Qingyan.
In this desolate suburb, in the cold and helpless dead of night, even the appearance of an ordinary acquaintance would have been enough to surprise Lin Yuwei, let alone that person was Gu Qingyan. His appearance did not seem like a coincidence, but rather like an unreal dream. At that moment, Lin Yuwei could even clearly hear her heartbeat suddenly accelerating, which was particularly clear in the silent night.
"Are you alright?" He had already walked up to her, his voice low and warm, his gaze carefully examining her face, filled with undisguised concern and worry.
Lin Yuwei opened her mouth, but found herself speechless for a moment. She shook her head gently, and finally found her voice: "It's nothing..." After a pause, she couldn't help but ask the question that had been lingering in her mind: "How did you end up here?"
A biting mountain wind swept by, and she involuntarily shivered.
Gu Qingyan did not answer immediately. He naturally reached out and gently grasped her cold wrist. The warmth of his palm seeped through her skin like a warm current, instantly flowing to her limbs and bones.
"Your hands are so cold." He frowned slightly and gently stroked her wrist with his fingertips. This subtle gesture stirred something in Lin Yuwei's heart: "Let's get in the car and talk first."
His voice was soft, yet it carried a reassuring power. Lin Yuwei let him lead her to the warm car, as if she were walking into a safe harbor. The night was still deep and cold, but her world suddenly became warm and bright because of his appearance.
After walking a few steps, Lin Yuwei stopped and looked up at Gu Qingyan beside her, reminding him, "But I'm still waiting for the tow truck..."
"How long have you been waiting? Those who were supposed to come would have arrived long ago." His tone was gentle yet firm: "Cancel the order. I've already contacted a friend who works in car repair. They'll come and tow your car for repairs. You can come back with me now."
His arrangements were methodical and carried an irresistible sense of security. Lin Yuwei hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to follow his advice. She went back to her car, got her laptop and bag, locked the car, and got into Gu Qingyan's car.
The warm air inside the car instantly enveloped her, dispelling the chill that seeped into her bones. Gu Qingyan handed her a delicate paper box containing several soft and delicious-looking pastries. "Have something to eat first," he said.
Lin Yuwei then realized that her stomach was empty and felt uneasy. After thanking him, she didn't care about her image and quickly started eating in small bites. Gu Qingyan then handed her a bottle of warm water with the cap already unscrewed.
The car drove smoothly back to the city. When the familiar lights came into view, Lin Yuwei's tense nerves finally relaxed, followed by an overwhelming sense of exhaustion.
The car slowly stopped in front of a porridge shop. Warm yellow lights shone through the glass, illuminating the steaming heat inside.
“You look very tired,” he said, turning to look at her. “Wait in the car for a bit. I’ll get you a bowl of hot porridge to eat at home.”
Gu Qingyan's thoughtful suggestion warmed Lin Yuwei's heart. She was indeed too tired to even walk into the restaurant, and she was sincerely grateful that he did not suggest having dinner together, thus preserving her dignity at this moment.
He quickly returned to his car with a takeout bag, the warm aroma of porridge wafting through the car. The car started again and headed towards her apartment.
Lin Yuwei leaned back in her comfortable chair, turned her head slightly, and gazed at Gu Qingyan's profile as he focused on driving. The light and shadow of the streetlights gently swept across his well-defined features, flickering like the whispers of the night. At this moment, she suddenly wished the road back to her apartment could be longer, long enough for her to sort out the subtle yet turbulent emotions that were quietly growing in her heart.
The car finally came to a slow stop in front of her apartment building. Lin Yuwei unbuckled her seatbelt, but hesitated to move. The reluctance to part swelled gently in her chest, like fireworks bursting in the summer night. She took a deep breath, turned to look at him, and said in a soft voice that she herself didn't realize: "Gu Qingyan..."
He turned his head at the sound, his gaze landing gently on her face.
Lin Yuwei noticed that he was wearing a soft gray casual sweater today, which made him seem less distant than he usually is at work, and more approachable and warm.
“Thank you for your help,” she said softly, looking into his eyes, “not just for tonight.”
Her gentle words were like a spring breeze brushing across a lake, rippling between the two of them. Gu Qingyan's gaze lingered on her face, and there seemed to be starlight shining deep in his eyes.
He unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned closer, and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear with his long, slender fingers. The warmth of his fingertips brushing against her earlobe sent a gentle shiver through Lin Yuwei. "I know," he said, his voice as deep as the night. "Go on upstairs and get some rest."
Gu Qingyan got out of the car first, walked around to her side, opened the car door for her, and as the night breeze blew by, he carefully handed her the warm porridge.
Lin Yuwei held the warm porridge, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move. At this moment, the troubles of the past few days, the panic just now, and the gratitude for his thoughtful care all surged into her heart. She raised her eyes, her eyes filled with shimmering tears, and looked into his concerned gaze. Lin Yuwei unconsciously took a step forward and gently leaned into his arms.
The moment her cheek touched his soft sweater, Lin Yuwei felt Gu Qingyan pause slightly, and then a pair of warm hands gently wrapped around her back.
The hug was brief yet reassuring, like a ship that had been adrift for a long time finally finding its harbor.
"Thank you for finding me, thank you for always finding me." Her voice was muffled and choked with emotion as she spoke against his chest.
Gu Qingyan patted her back reassuringly for two seconds, and Lin Yuwei seemed to be able to feel the warmth of his palm.
"It's alright now." His voice came from above, gentler than the night breeze: "I told you, you can come to me if you need anything, anytime, anywhere. I'll come whenever you need me. If you encounter a situation like tonight in the future, tell me immediately, okay? Don't try to tough it out on your own anymore."
"Hmm..." Lin Yuwei sniffed, didn't speak, and stepped away from his embrace. The heavy feeling in her heart seemed to be quietly melted away by this hug and this silent protection. She turned and walked into the apartment building. Gu Qingyan only returned to his car after her figure disappeared at the elevator entrance.
****
Lin Yuwei returned home, and the warm water washed away her fatigue.
Lying in bed, Gu Qingyan's figure, who had appeared just in time in the darkness, became clearer. As the initial shock subsided, reason returned like a tide. She had clearly only mentioned the specifics of being stranded and broken down to Chen Lu. How could Gu Qingyan have found her location so accurately? Recalling his vague answer when she questioned him, the matter seemed even more suspicious.
This isn't the first time. Last time, she casually complained about back pain at a project debriefing meeting, and that very night she received a high-end massage chair from him. If once could be a coincidence, then twice is definitely not something that can be explained by coincidence.
Someone in the studio must be secretly passing on messages to him about her.
This realization weighed heavily on Lin Yuwei's heart, as if something was tightly gripping her. She had always cherished every member of the team, regarding them as her closest comrades-in-arms, but now she had to face this unsettling possibility. Even though the initial intentions of this "help" were good, the feeling of being secretly watched still made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
The next morning, she arrived at the studio early and called Chen Lu into her office. They first discussed the client's feedback on the design drawings from the previous day in detail. After finishing their business, Chen Lu naturally asked with concern, "Sister Weiwei, did you finally get rescued last night? I kept trying to call you, but your phone was always switched off. Xiao Li said he was going to look for you, but unfortunately, he doesn't know exactly where you were stuck."
Lin Yuwei's heart skipped a beat, and she smoothly continued the conversation: "I waited until the rescue team arrived, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get to work on time today. It's kind of you to think of me so much. By the way, did you tell Xiao Li about me?"
Chen Lu smiled shyly and said, "I mentioned it in our little group chat. Oh, that group is the one we usually use to meet up for bubble tea."
"Who else is in your group? Would you mind telling me? If not, just pretend I didn't ask," Lin Yuwei asked casually, but her hand gripping the coffee cup tightened unconsciously.
“It’s Xiao Li, Xiao Yu, and Li Xiao,” Chen Lu answered readily, then asked with slight confusion, “What’s wrong, Sister Weiwei? Is there a problem?”
"It's nothing, I was just asking casually." Lin Yuwei lowered her head and took a sip of coffee, concealing the turmoil in her heart.
Later, she called her assistant, Xiao Li, who was her confidant. After hearing her question, Xiao Li frankly took out his phone and showed her the WeChat group chat history: "Chen Lu did mention your breakdown in the group. This group is a small group that we usually use to meet up for meals. Besides Chen Lu, there's Xiao Yu, Li Xiao, and me."
Lin Yuwei stood in front of the office window, her gaze slowly sweeping across the busy open-plan office area outside. These four people who knew that her car had broken down were all veteran employees who had joined the "Shiguang" studio at its inception and had gone through the hardships of the early days of entrepreneurship with her. Logically speaking, none of them should be doubted.
Assistant Xiao Li? He's been with her since graduation, working diligently for three years. He's extremely tactful and discreet, and when confidential matters are entrusted to him, he keeps them perfectly secret, even from Zhou Xubai. The possibility of him being Gu Qingyan's "insider" is extremely slim.
UI designer Li Xiao? She was a high-end talent personally recommended by Zhou Xubai. To some extent, she can be considered Zhou Xubai's "eyes" in the team. Given the delicate relationship between Zhou Xubai and Gu Qingyan, the possibility of Li Xiao helping Gu Qingyan is almost zero.
As for the designer Xiaoyu... she's the youngest member of the team, with a lively and innocent personality. She can't hide anything, and her emotions are always written on her face. She's the team's ray of sunshine. Asking her to keep a secret is harder than climbing to heaven, so the possibility of her being an "insider" is equally low.
Finally, her gaze involuntarily fell on Chen Lu's workstation. This senior project manager was always calm and professional, and handled things in a very methodical way. In theory, there shouldn't be any major problems, but recently, due to project cooperation, her communication with Venucia Technology had indeed been exceptionally frequent.
Judging solely from the opportunity to deliver a message, Chen Lu is indeed the most likely candidate.
However, Lin Yuwei gently shook her head. It was too early to draw conclusions. Everyone was a suspect, but everyone had sufficient reason to prove their innocence. She needed more time to observe and more solid evidence to corroborate her claims.
Lin Yuwei's suspicions didn't last long. On an ordinary night when she was working overtime, she inadvertently discovered an unexpected secret.
-----------------------
Author's note: Almost there! Good luck, Xiao Gu, and you'll win the heart of your beauty!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com