Chapter 74 The Mole Xiaoyu had just hung up the phone when she turned around and bumped into him…
His palm was warm, his strength restrained yet firm. Lin Yuwei's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously turned her head to look in Zhou Xubai's direction. Fortunately, the car was blocking her view; he was looking down at his phone and hadn't noticed what was happening.
Gu Qingyan's movements were light, yet they carried an unyielding restraint. Lin Yuwei looked down at his slender fingers, then looked up into his deep eyes, where too much unspoken worry and reluctance surged.
She didn't pull away, but instead gently covered the back of his hand with her other hand, and then pried open his fingers one by one, which were slightly white from restraint.
“Gu Qingyan,” Lin Yuwei looked directly into his eyes. Her naturally charming almond-shaped eyes were now filled with a reassuring clarity, reminding Gu Qingyan of the vast and clear sky and sea he had seen at the estuary yesterday: “Trust me, I’m fine.”
Worried thoughts swirled wildly in Gu Qingyan's mind, but when she met Lin Yuwei's clear and firm gaze, all her unease strangely subsided.
"Okay." Gu Qingyan finally uttered only this one word, but it contained all her trust and anticipation.
Lin Yuwei took out her suitcase, smiled slightly at him, and then turned and walked towards Zhou Xubai's car without looking back.
Gu Qingyan stood there, watching her departing figure, the warmth of her fingertips still lingering in his palm.
Zhou Xubai's car drove out of the garage, the sunlight illuminating the interior. The two remained silent for a long time before Zhou Xubai finally spoke first: "What do you want to say?"
"I'm sorry." Lin Yuwei looked ahead. "I shouldn't have kept it from you. I did run into Gu Qingyan on this business trip, and I... do still have feelings for him."
Zhou Xubai slammed on the brakes, pulling the car to the side of the road. He turned his head, his eyes bloodshot: "And what about me? What about our engagement? What do these past two years mean to you?"
“You are very good, Xu Bai,” Lin Yuwei said sincerely. “But my time together has made me realize that feelings of gratitude and guilt cannot turn into love. Continuing like this is not fair to you.”
Zhou Xubai shook his head with a bitter smile: "So from the very beginning, you agreed to the engagement just because of your aunt's illness? Didn't you have even a shred of love for me?"
Lin Yuwei was silent for a moment: "At first, yes, but later I also sincerely tried, but..." She sighed softly: "Feelings can't be forced. Xu Bai, I really did wrong you in this matter. Whatever compensation you want, I will do it."
Zhou Xubai leaned back heavily in his chair, closed his eyes, and after a long while, he whispered, "You know what? The moment I saw you standing together in the teahouse, I understood. The way you look at him has never looked at me like that before."
These words were like a knife, piercing both of them at the same time.
"I'm sorry," Lin Yuwei said softly. "Xu Bai, you deserve someone who loves you wholeheartedly."
Zhou Xubai suddenly laughed, a laugh tinged with bitterness: "You know what? The most ridiculous thing is that I clearly felt it a long time ago, but I kept deceiving myself." He turned his head and looked at her seriously: "Lin Yuwei, I let go not because I don't love you anymore, but because I finally understand that a relationship that is forced will not bring happiness."
Can we still be friends?
"Of course, you will always be my good friend, Xu Bai."
A hint of relief appeared on his pale face as he started the car again: "I'll take you home."
When the car stopped downstairs at Lin Yuwei's apartment building, Zhou Xubai didn't unlock the door immediately. He said softly, "Can I hug you one last time?"
Lin Yuwei was slightly taken aback, then nodded.
The hug was light and brief.
When Zhou Xubai let go of his hand, the invisible thread between them seemed to loosen as well. The street was silent, with only the low hum of the car engine next to them.
"Weiwei," Zhou Xubai said solemnly, "I wish you happiness." He paused, as if suddenly remembering something, and a gentle smile, as always, appeared on his lips. Although faint, the bitterness from before was gone. "See you at the studio next week. I'll still be the best consultant at Shiguang Studio."
On Monday morning, Lin Yuwei returned to her studio early. When she opened the office door, she saw Zhou Xubai already sitting in front of the computer. The morning light shone through the blinds, casting fine shadows on his profile.
"Good morning." He looked up, and apart from a slight, barely perceptible weariness in his eyes, he looked no different than usual.
Lin Yuwei sat down opposite him: "Xu Bai, I want to reorganize the office layout and give you a private office as well. Actually, we should have done this a long time ago, but we've been too busy with projects and haven't had time to do it yet."
Zhou Xubai was taken aback, his gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and then he nodded gently: "Okay."
During the regular meeting, the studio members took their seats around the conference table one after another. Zhou Xubai sat next to Lin Yuwei. He was quieter than usual, and his colleagues assumed that he hadn't fully adjusted to the time difference after his long flight and chatted for a few minutes without paying much attention.
“Before we begin this week’s work,” Lin Yuwei looked around at everyone and announced clearly, “I would like to make some adjustments to the zoning of the studio.”
She walked to the center of the office area and smoothly drew a diagram on the whiteboard with her fingertips: "The shipyard renovation project I visited last week gave me a lot of inspiration. I plan to divide our current open space into two main work areas using bookshelves and green plants as partitions."
Her pen tip pointed to the west side of the drawing: "This quiet corner by the window will be used as a separate work area. Later, the craftsman will come and partition it into a separate office for Mr. Zhou's use."
In addition, she expanded the public lounge area, leaving space for sofas, beanbag chairs, a bar counter, and two height-adjustable tables. She also added a coffee machine, microwave, refrigerator, and other amenities to make the space more comfortable for everyone to relax.
After the meeting, everyone immediately set about making adjustments. It was just a matter of moving a few bookshelves and adding a few potted plants, but the atmosphere of the space had already been subtly changed. The furniture and appliances that Lin Yuwei had ordered were also delivered from the furniture store. By evening, the new layout of the studio had taken shape.
Lin Yuwei suggested treating everyone to dinner, and everyone was in high spirits. After a lively discussion, they decided to go for hot pot. Along the way, the colleagues talked enthusiastically about the new layout of the office environment, and the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.
In the dead of winter, everyone squeezed into a warm private room to eat hot pot. The girls had smaller appetites, and after a few rounds, they all lay down on the sofa next to them. Some watched TV series, some read trending news, and some played games in groups, each enjoying themselves.
A short, abrupt ringtone shattered the tranquility. Xiaoyu, who was standing next to the door, was startled like a rabbit. After glancing at the screen, she immediately slipped out through the crack in the door.
Lin Yuwei had been looking for an opportunity to be alone with her. She got up and followed without making a sound, pushing open the door. The chill of the winter night instantly enveloped her. The corridor was empty and quiet, with only Xiaoyu's hushed voice faintly coming from around the corner.
"...Um, Sister Weiwei is treating us to hot pot...President Zhou is here too...Both bosses seem to be doing well today...Okay, that's all for now, come pick me up later."
Sure enough, she was talking to Engineer Zhang. Lin Yuwei's heart sank. It's understandable for lovers to exchange affections on the phone, but constantly mentioning other people in their conversations seemed particularly strange. She composed herself and went to meet Xiaoyu the moment she hung up and turned around.
Xiaoyu had just hung up the phone when she turned around and bumped into Lin Yuwei waiting behind her. She was so startled that she almost screamed and nearly dropped her phone.
"Sister Weiwei!" Xiaoyu was so startled that she took half a step back, her fingers instinctively touching her chest. Her already round eyes widened even more in fright, resembling a startled fawn in the dim light.
"You, what are you doing here... It's so cold outside." She said, her voice trembling slightly, whether from the cold or from guilt, it was hard to tell.
Lin Yuwei didn't beat around the bush; her gaze calmly but directly landed on her face: "Is this Engineer Zhang?"
Those few simple words struck like an invisible thunderbolt. Xiaoyu's face turned deathly pale in an instant. Her lips parted slightly, and she stood frozen in place for several seconds, as if even her breath had stopped. Finally, as if resigned to her fate, she nodded with extreme difficulty, her chin almost touching her collarbone.
Lin Yuwei didn't say anything more. She reached out and pushed open the door to the empty private room next door. The warm yellow light turned on, dispelling the darkness of the corridor.
“Come in and let’s talk.” Her voice was devoid of emotion. Xiaoyu practically shuffled in, each step heavy. The door clicked shut behind her, instantly shutting out the noise outside and plunging the private room into an unsettling silence.
"Sit down." Lin Yuwei pointed to the booth by the window.
Xiaoyu sat down as instructed, her hands nervously resting on her knees, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes tightly. "Sister Wei, I..." She looked up, wanting to say something, but then became speechless, her eyes frantically trying to organize her thoughts.
"Regarding work," Lin Yuwei sat down opposite her, her tone calm but direct and to the point: "Did you tell Engineer Zhang on your own initiative, or did he ask about it?"
“Sometimes… it’s him who asks.” Xiaoyu’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, growing softer and softer, and her head was lowered even further. “He said… President Gu wants to know if you’re doing well, if the project is going smoothly…” She seemed eager to find a reasonable explanation for herself, and her speech became a little faster. “I think you’re so outstanding, Sister Weiwei, and you’re still single. I feel that President Gu and you are a good match. It would be a good thing if… it would be a good thing if he could bring you two together.”
Lin Yuwei gently shook her head, her gaze clear as a mirror, reflecting Xiaoyu's uneasy figure: "Xiaoyu, work is work, and feelings are private matters. I appreciate everyone's concern, but using this method, taking advantage of work to inquire about my personal situation, don't you think it's more like a disguised form of surveillance?"
The word "surveillance" was like an ice pick, piercing Xiaoyu's whole body and making her shudder. She hurriedly looked up to defend herself, her eyes instantly reddening: "No! President Gu just..." She wanted to defend President Gu and herself, but couldn't find more powerful words for a moment.
"Whatever his initial intentions, this is the result." Lin Yuwei's tone remained gentle, yet carried an undeniable seriousness: "When it comes to relationships, I believe more in letting things take their natural course and letting things fall into place naturally. If two people need a third person to constantly pass on messages and create opportunities to maintain their attention, then the relationship itself may have some problems."
Her gaze shifted to the deep night outside the window, her voice softening, tinged with a barely perceptible melancholy: "Let's leave this matter here. From now on, please keep all work-related matters confidential and do not disclose them to anyone. As for what happened between Mr. Gu and me," she turned back, looking at Xiaoyu with earnest and sincere eyes, "let us handle it ourselves, okay?"
“Okay!” Xiaoyu responded almost immediately, nodding solemnly like a child making an important promise: “Sister Weiwei, I’m sorry! I promise I will never make such a mistake again.”
A faint, gentle smile appeared on Lin Yuwei's face, easing the slightly tense atmosphere: "That's good. Let's leave it at that. Let's go back. People will be wondering why we've been out for too long."
She stood up, saying nothing more about the matter, and deliberately refrained from asking Xiaoyu to convey any warnings or sever ties with Zhang Gong. A thought quietly formed in her mind: now, Gu Qingyan was in the open, while she was in the shadows. This unexpectedly exposed "line," if handled properly, might have unexpected uses in the future.
Back in the noisy, cozy private room, the rich aroma of hot pot wafted towards them. Zhou Xubai was picking up a perfectly cooked slice of beef with his chopsticks when he looked up at them. His gaze lingered briefly on Lin Yuwei's face, his eyes deep and holding a hint of scrutiny, before he casually lowered his head again, continuing to skillfully cook meat slices for his colleague next to him, as if that brief eye contact had never happened.
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