Chen Ningsheng seemed not to have anticipated her action, and his fingers slightly retracted.
Chen Bailing held on tightly, not allowing him to back down at all, pressing down on his hand and forcefully putting the ring on.
The ring was on his middle finger. His fingers were long and slender, and the ring seemed to have been tailor-made for him, fitting him perfectly.
Chen Bailing admired it for a moment, then put on her own ring, stretched out her hand, and placed it next to him.
Next to his large hand was her small hand. Chen Bailing admired it and took his hand in hers.
Even as she left the store, she was still smugly recalling the look the salesperson had given her. He had bought the most expensive ring in the store without hesitation, leaving the young woman speechless with astonishment.
This is her man—capable, always attracting the attention of others.
"Ah Sheng, let's commemorate this day. Let's go to your house and cook some dishes for you."
She looked at him tenderly.
"good."
The two went to the supermarket and picked out fresh vegetables, and also bought his favorite beef. When Chen Bailing was paying, she caught a glimpse of him waiting outside, so she casually grabbed some items from the shelf and mixed them with the things she had bought before, and paid for them all together.
Chen Ningsheng carried the things and led her into the house.
Chen Bailing skipped and hopped into the kitchen, directing him to bring over the vegetables, which she skillfully washed, displaying impressive knife skills.
When the dishes were ready and served, she knocked on his bedroom door and found that he was asleep.
He hadn't even taken off his shoes, and with one hand on his forehead, he lay on the bed in a carefree manner, his brows furrowed, looking like he wasn't sleeping soundly.
Chen Bailing tiptoed to his bedside and carefully sketched his features, from his sharp eyebrows to his high nose and angular jaw. His face looked as if it had been sculpted by God, without a single flaw.
Just as she reached out and was about to touch his cheek, her wrist tightened, and she could no longer move her hand.
Chen Ningsheng suddenly opened his eyes. When he saw it was her, the wariness in his eyes faded, but his brows were still furrowed and his expression was not good. "Is the food ready?"
He let go of her hand, sat up, and asked.
She nodded, casually withdrawing her hand, revealing a clear red mark on her wrist.
The two ate their meal in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, but neither of them spoke.
Chen Bailing watched him pick up the beef but never asked how she knew how to make the dish, and felt a pang of sadness.
The meal was awkward and unpleasant. It was completely different from what Chen Bailing had expected, and she felt a pang of frustration.
Chen Bailing tidied up the table, chairs, and dishes. Seeing him enter the room, she took off her coat, leaving only a wool sweater that perfectly accentuated her curves, and followed him in.
As soon as she entered, she noticed the ring she had just been wearing lying quietly on the small coffee table.
His fingers were empty, without leaving a trace.
He noticed she had come in and looked at her with some surprise. "Aren't you going back?"
"What do you mean?" Chen Bailing pouted, revealing an angry expression.
"You want to get rid of me?"
"That's not what I meant," he said, without offering any explanation. He added calmly, "I'm going to sleep."
She followed behind him, annoyed. "I know you're going to sleep."
She glanced at him, then hugged him from behind, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist. "Ah Sheng, I don't want to go back either. How about I take a nap here?"
He remained unresponsive, his expression indifferent. He untied her hand and pointed to the guest room opposite, "There are blankets there. Make yourself some."
Chen Bailing looked at him with a frustrated expression, unsure whether he genuinely didn't understand or was just pretending.
She could only nod silently and slowly walk towards the guest room.
She kept turning back to look at him, and only after seeing that he really had no intention of keeping her did she stomp her foot in anger.
With that stomp, the contents of his pocket fell to the ground with a thud.
She let out a soft "ah".
Chen Ningsheng heard the noise and looked over. When he saw the items on the ground, he was stunned and picked them up.
Chen Bailing couldn't stop him in time and watched helplessly as he held the thing in his palm and looked at her.
Her head was bowed, and she dared not look at him anymore, but there was a strange, faint expectation in her heart.
She caught a glimpse of his expression out of the corner of her eye. He looked bewildered, staring at the object in his hand, and then suddenly looked up at her.
She quickly lowered her head, her heart pounding. In her line of sight, she saw him moving closer and closer to her.
Her heart was pounding faster and faster, as if it were about to burst out of her chest.
Then she heard him say, "Here, don't lose anything."
Chen Bailing froze, looked up in disbelief, and stared at him with wide eyes. His words were like a bucket of cold water, completely extinguishing her illusions.
She didn't believe Chen Ningsheng didn't know what it was for, and that his nonchalant return of it to her showed no concern for her feelings.
Chen Bailing's heart turned cold. She could no longer face him. She snatched the things from his hand and stormed out the door.
The door slammed shut. Chen Ningsheng stood in the doorway, squinting at the closed door, his eyes lowered, lost in thought.
At the company, Gu Yan called Xu Xinchen again, asking her to come to his office. Xu Xinchen repeatedly declined, saying, "Mr. Gu, I'd rather give my report at the meeting."
After a moment of silence, Gu Yan's teasing voice came through the other end, "Do you want to waste the other colleagues' time?"
Xu Xinchen sighed softly, put down the phone, and went upstairs. This was the first time she had met Gu Yan in person since he said those words on her birthday. The awkwardness and embarrassment in her heart were almost suffocating her.
She used to treat Gu Yan purely as her boss, but now, setting that aside, as both her suitor and her boss, she really doesn't know how to face him.
"President Gu." She stopped at the office door and knocked.
"Enter."
She pushed open the door, and Gu Yan, with his head down and busy with several documents, didn't seem to be paying attention to her.
This made her feel relieved without realizing it.
She immediately began reporting on her work progress. Gu Yan was busy with his own work and would occasionally glance at her. Their eyes didn't meet for long, which unconsciously made Xu Xinchen feel much more relaxed.
After reporting her work, she saw that Gu Yan was still busy with the contract and was about to make a quick getaway when Gu Yan suddenly called her back.
"Boss, Xiaolin and I have arranged to eat at the staff cafeteria downstairs, so I won't bother you any longer."
She prepared her prepared remarks and conveyed them to him flawlessly.
The air was quiet. Xu Xinchen couldn't help but look up. Gu Yan was standing at the boundary between light and shadow, his face half-lit and half-shadowed. A mysterious smile appeared on his lips, and his eyes gleamed. After a while, he said, "Go."
Xu Xinchen finally breathed a sigh of relief as she came out of the office.
As usual, she worked overtime when it was time to leave work. Suddenly, a strong wind picked up outside the window and it started to rain. She was stunned. She had rushed out the door and completely forgot to bring an umbrella. She thought she would wait for the rain to subside before leaving and then get back to her work. But after a while, the branches of trees outside the window were broken by the weight of the rain, and the rain poured down from the eaves. The water on the ground was already above her ankles. There were very few pedestrians on the street. She ran around the street corner in a panic, looking for a place to take shelter from the rain.
She looked around; the entire office was quiet, and the lights were all dimmed.
She reluctantly packed her things, went downstairs, and before she even stepped out the door, she heard the sound of rain splashing everywhere.
She went out and looked around, trying to hail a taxi, but the whole street was like an empty house, not a soul in sight.
Left with no other choice, she was about to rush into the raging storm when the doorbell rang behind her. Someone came out again, and when she turned around, she saw Gu Yan and was stunned.
Gu Yan was slightly surprised to see her. He glanced at the torrential rain outside, then at her, and guessed what was going on.
Didn't bring an umbrella?
She nodded.
"Wait."
After saying this, he shielded his head with one hand and walked into the rain. Occasionally, one or two pedestrians would hurry by, their faces disheveled, but he alone stood aloof from the world, walking unhurriedly with his back straight, as if no amount of wind and rain could bend his back.
Xu Xinchen guessed that he must have gone to pick up his car.
She hesitated. The thought of sitting in the same car and sharing the same space with him made her feel suffocated. But if she were to go back alone now, in this heavy rain, she would have to stay in the hospital for at least three days.
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