Undercurrents
After the family dinner, life quietly changed.
Chi Zhuo was still busy, but he started sending her text messages.
"I'll be back tonight."
"I have social engagements."
Concise and to the point, yet no longer a cold, impersonal note.
Lin Tingyue also tries to share her life, such as the clouds outside her studio window and the dishes for lunch.
He replied slowly, often only with a single "hmm," but it made her secretly smile at the screen.
Sharing a bed has become a habit.
At first, she turned her back to him, her body tense.
He simply wrapped his arms around her from behind, placing his arms around her waist, and she gradually fell asleep peacefully in his arms until dawn.
On Saturday morning, sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains.
Lin Tingyue woke up first. She secretly looked at his sleeping profile, where the sharpness between his brows had been completely concealed, and his expression was unusually gentle.
Seeing his eyelashes flutter slightly, she hurriedly closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.
He simply pulled her closer to his chest, without waking up.
She got up quietly, tied on her apron, and prepared breakfast.
The fried egg was burnt on the edges, the toast was overcooked, and the milk was heated too much.
As she hurriedly served the food, she discovered that Chi Zhuo was already leaning against the doorway watching her.
He was wearing dark blue loungewear, his hair was slightly messy, and his eyes were languid.
"Good morning." She tried to block the failed fried egg.
He sat down, picked up the burnt toast, and took a bite.
She watched nervously.
"It's alright," he said in a flat tone.
Just two words, yet they warmed her heart.
"I'm going to the studio today," she reported. "The first draft of the project is due."
He nodded. "Just say so if you need a driver."
"I drive myself."
He didn't ask any more questions, and naturally cleaned up the dishes he had used after finishing his meal.
In the studio, Lin Tingyue was focused on adjusting the design drawings.
My phone vibrated; Chi Zhuo had sent me the restaurant's location and time.
She paused for a moment, then replied, "?".
The reply came quickly: "Let's eat."
His invitation made her heart skip a beat.
Does this count as a date?
She replied "okay," put down her phone, and felt even more motivated to work.
In the evening, she specially changed into a light pink dress.
Chi Zhuo came to pick her up, his gaze lingered on her for a moment, he didn't say anything, but his eyes softened.
The restaurant is a French restaurant on the top floor with a superb view.
He handed her the menu, "Take a look and see what you'd like to eat."
She was a little embarrassed. "You order, I don't really know how."
He took the menu and skillfully ordered food and drinks.
While waiting, she tried to start a conversation. "Thank you for the gift, my dad loves it."
"Um."
“My brother is working on a project abroad and he had a falling out with my dad.”
Chi Zhuo looked up. "A new energy project?"
You know?
“I’ve heard of it. The direction is right, but the risks are high. Your father’s concerns are reasonable.” He paused. “But it’s good for young people to take a chance.”
Her words, spoken with understanding, surprised her.
The dishes were served as exquisite works of art.
He would give a brief explanation when she was curious, with elegant manners.
"How's the studio project going?" he suddenly asked.
"It's alright, the first draft will be due next Wednesday."
"Yes, contact Tingyuan if you need anything."
His ordinary tone warmed her heart.
As they left, the night breeze was slightly cool, and he naturally took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
His coat still carried her body heat and scent; she pulled it tighter around her neck, her ears burning.
The car drove slowly along the riverbank. At a red light, he suddenly spoke up: "Next month is the company's anniversary celebration, you and I will go together."
It's not asking, it's informing.
The anniversary celebration of Zhuoyue Group is of extraordinary significance.
"Okay," she replied softly.
The corners of his lips curved up almost imperceptibly.
However, beneath the surface of this warmth, undercurrents are surging.
A few days later, Lin Tingyue was working overtime in the studio to revise the design draft.
An unfamiliar number called.
"Miss Lin Tingyue? My surname is Su, Su Wanqing." The other person's voice was crisp and efficient. "I'm a friend of Chi Zhuo. I'd like to talk to you about something concerning him. Is that convenient?"
Su Wanqing? The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.
"Sorry, I've been very busy lately."
“It won’t take up too much time,” the other person insisted. “I believe you’ll be interested. It concerns your marriage and some… things you don’t know about your past.”
The words "past events" were like a needle, gently piercing her heart.
She gripped her phone tightly, her fingertips growing cold.
Lin Tingyue ultimately did not go to see Su Wanqing.
She deleted the call log as if nothing had happened.
If he doesn't want to talk about the past, she won't ask.
The studio's project had reached a critical stage, and she had been working overtime for three consecutive days. She fell asleep on the sofa.
When I woke up, I was covered with Chi Zhuo's suit jacket, and he was sitting opposite me looking at documents.
Why didn't you wake me up?
"You're sleeping soundly." He closed the file. "Going home?"
The city was quiet at two in the morning.
While waiting at a red light, she leaned against the car window and fell asleep again.
She vaguely felt someone carry her out of the elevator and gently place her on the bed.
On the final review day of the project, the client suddenly created difficulties.
"Director Lin, this plan is not mature enough."
Despite repeated discussions about the proposed solution, the other party repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction. Lin Tingyue finally understood the other party's intentions.
She calmly closed her laptop. "In that case, we'll terminate our cooperation."
"Penalty for breach of contract..."
“Follow the contract.” She stood up. “My designs are only for those who understand them.”
She received a termination letter upon returning to the studio. Her assistant was frantic, but she remained calm.
"Prepare a new plan; we'll do it ourselves."
When Chi Zhuo came back in the evening, he saw her hunched over the table drawing.
"I heard you quit the project?"
Without looking up, she said, "Yes, our ideologies don't align."
He stood behind her watching her work. After a long while, he gently patted her shoulder.
"Just say so if you need help."
"No need." She turned and smiled. "I want to try it myself."
During this time, Xia Xiaoran called to persuade her.
"Yueyue, you're working overtime every day, don't ruin your health!"
Lin Tingyue, with an increasingly determined attitude, declared, "I'm not afraid; I'm determined to finish this project."
Xia Xiaoran cheered her on, "Okay then, take good care of yourself, I'm off to chase after a handsome guy."
"good."
After hanging up the phone, Lin Tingyue plunged into a new battleground; she needed to find a new client to work with.
Three days later, she met with another client with the new proposal.
The other party was very satisfied and signed the contract on the spot.
When she got home, Chi Zhuo was in a meeting in his study. As she passed by, she overheard him say, "...That's the end of it over there."
She paused for a moment, then continued walking towards the kitchen.
Before going to bed, he brought it up on his own initiative: "Su Wanqing is my college classmate. Her father used to work with my grandfather."
Her hand, which was turning the pages of the book, stopped. "And then?"
"Later, due to some issues, my grandfather ended his cooperation with her family."
“But she shouldn’t have bothered you.” His tone was indifferent and cold.
She closed the book. "Don't you want to know why she contacted me?"
"It doesn't matter." He turned off the light and pulled her into his arms. "It's enough that you didn't go."
On the eve of their anniversary celebration, she accompanied him to try on his suit.
The person in charge is Su Wanqing.
Originally, this matter shouldn't have been Su Wanqing's responsibility, but Chi Zhuo's mother was related to Su Wanqing's father, and the two families had cooperated before, so the matter was assigned to her.
"Mr. Chi looks great in this color." Su Wanqing straightened his collar, her movements affectionate.
Lin Tingyue sat on the sofa flipping through a magazine.
"Miss Lin, why don't you try it?" Su Wanqing smiled. "We've prepared a more youthful style."
The implication in the words is quite obvious.
She put down the magazine, walked over to Chi Zhuo, and adjusted his tie.
“Dark blue suits you better,” she said softly, then turned to the designer, “Please change to the midnight blue one.”
Su Wanqing's expression changed slightly.
That evening, Chi Zhuo appeared in that midnight blue suit. She wore a silver-gray long dress, and the two looked incredibly well-matched side by side.
Su Wanqing, holding a wine glass, gracefully approached, her gaze lingering briefly on Chi Zhuo before turning to Lin Tingyue.
Su Wanqing: "Mr. Chi, Miss Lin."
After clinking glasses with Chi Zhuo, she looked at Lin Tingyue, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
"I heard that Ms. Lin's studio is doing very well lately? She's truly young and promising."
Lin Tingyue raised her glass slightly, her expression calm.
"Thank you. I can't compare to Miss Su's leisurely life; she always has time to concern herself with other people's family affairs."
Su Wanqing's expression changed slightly, but she forced a smile.
"Miss Lin, you're overthinking it. It was just a casual chat between friends, why are you so easily angered?"
Lin Tingyue gently swirled the champagne glass in her hand, her eyes clear and bright.
“Ms. Su, we don’t really seem to be friends. As for being angry…” she smiled slightly, “would you be angry about noise from the street? You’d just find it bothersome.”
Su Wanqing's nails almost dug into her palms, but she maintained her composure on the surface.
"Ms. Lin is indeed eloquent. Indeed, to be able to establish herself in the industry so quickly, she must have exceptional interpersonal skills in addition to her abilities."
Lin Tingyue naturally understood the implied meaning, and her smile deepened.
"My strength lies in the ability to distinguish between what belongs to me and what belongs to others. Anything that doesn't belong to me will only cause more trouble, no matter how much effort I put into it. What do you think, Miss Su?"
Su Wanqing finally couldn't hold back any longer, her tone turning slightly cold.
"Some things, no matter who they seem to belong to, are not necessarily predetermined. After all, there's plenty of time in the future."
Lin Tingyue leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice so that only the two of them could hear, "Miss Su, allow me to remind you, there are some things you couldn't grasp in the past, and you'll have even less of a chance in the future."
She then straightened up, regaining her composure: "As for the future, I look forward to it. Excuse me, please make yourself at home."
She said no more, leaving behind a composed silhouette, naturally taking Chi Zhuo's arm, and turning to blend into the crowd.
Su Wanqing stood frozen in place, her face turning pale and then flushed, the wine glass in her hand trembling slightly.
On the way back, he held her hand.
"You look beautiful today."
"When aren't you beautiful?"
He chuckled softly, “Beautiful every day.”
Lin Tingyue had guessed that the recent events were related to Su Wanqing, but she wasn't afraid of the trouble.
That day, Lin Tingyue was busy in her studio when she received a call from her brother, Lin Yujin.
She was pleasantly surprised. "Brother, why are you calling me?"
My brother hasn't called home in a long time since he went abroad last time, and winter is almost here.
Lin Yujin's voice was somewhat downcast, "Yueyue, I need your help with something. I wonder if you can help me?"
After listening, Lin Tingyue realized that Lin Yujin's project had encountered problems in the short term and urgently needed funds to solve them. However, he had a falling out with his family some time ago and was now too ashamed to go to Lin Yaozong.
Lin Tingyue asked with some concern, "Brother, how much funding do you need?"
She has some money of her own, and if her brother doesn't need much, she can take it out to tide her over.
"Not too much, 20 million will do."
"What? Twenty million!"
Lin Tingyue was stunned after hearing this.
"Brother, I can't help you, I don't have that much."
Lin Yujin lowered her tone and then smiled, "I know you don't have one. Why don't you go find Chi Zhuo? I heard from Mom that you two are getting along very well now."
Lin Tingyue's expression finally turned serious. "Brother, Chi Zhuo is Chi Zhuo, and I am me. These are not the same thing at all."
Across from him, Lin Yujin raised her voice, utterly bewildered: "He's already married you, already helped the Lin family, so what's wrong with him helping me once?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
