Chapter 87 "Are we really going to stay here tonight..."
Lin Chaoyue was highly skeptical of Pei Shuwen's claim of "just passing by".
A few days ago, when he was giving himself special treatment, Lin Chaoyue inadvertently saw his business trip schedule for the next few days.
The schedule was packed from morning till night, making the workload enormous.
Even lunch break is only reserved for mealtime.
Let's not even talk about how likely it is that all those tasks can be squeezed into one day.
Take the weather outside for example.
It had been raining for a day and a night, and by the afternoon, the South Third District was already flooded.
Don't say you were just passing by.
She couldn't believe how Pei Shuwen had come back.
But the thunder outside was still rumbling loudly, so now wasn't a good time to investigate further.
Lin Chaoyue asked, "Shall we go home now? If we go any later, I'm afraid the water level will rise on the way back."
"I can't go home tonight."
"Why?"
Tianhe City is quite close to the law firm. Pei Shuwen can come to the law firm, so why can't they go back?
Pei Shuwen: "The rain was too heavy, and a section of the road ahead was washed away. The water level is quite high on Huazi Street, so we've put up a warning line and are not allowing vehicles to pass."
"When?" Lin Chaoyue looked at Pei Shuwen's expression; he didn't seem to be joking.
Pei Shuwen: "Half an hour ago."
"The road collapsed, so how did you get here?" Lin Chaoyue's expression turned somewhat strange.
Seeing that Pei Shuwen did not speak.
Lin Chaoyue asked again, "Didn't you drive back by yourself today?"
Pei Shuwen: "Drive."
How long did it take?
Two hours.
It takes about two hours to drive from Yushi to Ningcheng.
Lin Chaoyue was about to say, "That's alright."
But when she looked at Pei Shuwen again...
His suit jacket was no longer crisp, his trouser legs were still dripping wet, and his leather shoes were covered with obvious water stains.
Even in the dim light, his expression revealed that he was no longer as composed as usual.
It's better not to think about it, because once you start thinking about it, Lin Chaoyue's emotions are like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.
At first, there was just a 'thud' sound, followed by ripples that continued to spread.
Until a bold idea suddenly popped into Lin Chaoyue's mind: "You...you didn't get out of the car and walked over, did you?"
Lin Chaoyue raised her voice: "You rushed back because I didn't see your messages this afternoon and thought something had happened to me?"
"You're not just passing by; you're worried about my safety?"
A long silence followed.
Pei Shuwen clenched and unclenched his fists, and under Lin Chaoyue's persistent gaze, he finally spoke.
"Yes, I wasn't just passing by. I came back because I was worried about your safety."
A ripple of emotion spread through Lin Chaoyue's heart. She opened her eyes wide, blinked repeatedly, and after a long while, finally said, "Then... then what about your work?"
Pei Shuwen: "It's nothing."
The moment he said "It's nothing," his phone rang urgently.
Pei Shuwen: "I'm going to take this call."
Even more urgent than the phone ringing was the voice on the other end of the line.
"Oh my god, you finally answered the phone! If you hadn't answered, I was going to call the police."
From just the first sentence, Lin Chaoyue could sense the utter panic on the other end.
Zhao Huai'an was more than just overwhelmed with worry.
As soon as Pei Shuwen left, he felt like dying.
The scheduled meeting was postponed, and the cooperation that was about to be finalized was also rejected.
Pei Shuwen drove away in the pouring rain, and then stopped answering his calls and replying to his messages.
While he was busy communicating with his partners, he was also worried about Pei Shuwen's safety.
Those two hours felt like two centuries to him.
Zhao Huai'an: "Did you get home safely?"
"We've arrived, and we've met the person."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Huai'an finally felt relieved, but he still couldn't help feeling lingering fear.
"With such heavy rain today, you got here in just two hours? How fast were you driving? Liu He got back to Ningcheng before you. I just asked her, and she hasn't arrived yet."
Pei Shuwen: Let's not talk about that for now.
Pei Shuwen: "I've already spoken to President Wang about the meeting being postponed. As for the cooperation with Kehui, I think there are some issues. I'll discuss it with you in detail when I get back tomorrow."
"Please don't."
"Don't come back tomorrow."
When Zhao Huai'an heard that Pei Shuwen was coming back, his heart nearly jumped out of his chest: "Half of the way from Ningcheng is mountain road. You're not afraid of dying, but I'm afraid something will happen to you."
Zhao Huai'an: "Anyway, I'll keep an eye on things here for now. I'll call you if anything happens."
"you can?"
"It has to be done, no matter what. At worst, we can hold an online meeting and you can provide off-site guidance. It's settled then. You're not allowed to come back tomorrow..."
The call ended.
The rain outside seems to have lessened a bit.
But the atmosphere grew increasingly silent.
Lin Chaoyue kept her lips pursed and didn't say a word the whole time, glancing at him and occasionally looking out the window.
Pei Shuwen initially thought she was scared.
As another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, Pei Shuwen instinctively wanted to hug her.
But he had only taken one step forward.
Remembering that she was still wet, she lowered her outstretched hand.
"I'm still wet, we..."
Lin Chaoyue ignored him completely and wrapped her arms around his waist.
They didn't care whether it was wet or not.
Her cheek pressed against his chest, and her eyes reddened.
"How many yards?"
"What?" Hearing Lin Chaoyue's obviously heavy nasal tone, Pei Shuwen didn't hold back this time and rubbed her head.
"How fast did you drive back? Aren't you afraid of danger? I'm a grown man, what could possibly happen to me?"
“My parents have always treated me like a child and never tell me anything about family matters. Now you’re treating me like a child too.”
"I'm an adult, I'm not that stupid."
Pei Shuwen pulled her up from his arms, wiped the tears from her cheeks with his clean fingertips, and comforted her, "Nobody said you're stupid."
Lin Chaoyue was both aggrieved and angry, her voice trembling with sobs as she spoke: "You...you were in such a hurry to come back, wasn't that...that's what you meant?"
"no."
"What...what is that?"
Pei Shuwen watched as the young girl in front of him burst into tears in such a short time, and sighed silently: "I just wanted to see you."
Lin Chaoyue awkwardly turned her face away, avoiding looking at the man she was holding.
"That, that's the same thing."
"And at a time like this, you're still spouting sweet nothings! You're a bad person! You're a bad person!"
Pei Shuwen made her look at him, and this time his tone was unusually serious: "It's not the same thing."
"If I just wanted to confirm your safety, I would have many ways to do it, but because it's you, I want to see you, to see you right now, because I'm afraid I might lose you if I'm not careful."
"In that case, do you still think it means the same thing?"
Pei Shuwen is eloquent and persuasive.
Lin Chaoyue felt like she was getting a little confused.
But she still shook her head.
Pei Shuwen hummed in agreement and said, "Don't cry, let's go downstairs first."
Why are you going downstairs?
Pei Shuwen: "Everyone should still be here. Let's go check it out."
"oh."
The hug turned into holding hands.
Lin Chaoyue was still a little dazed, and the whole building was dark, so she didn't bother to pretend that she didn't know Pei Shuwen.
The two of them went downstairs.
There were indeed people in the lobby on the first floor, and quite a few of them.
They were gathered around the logistics staff and the security guard, chatting amongst themselves in a chaotic huddle.
"The law firm is without internet and power, and we can't go outside. What should we do?"
"Has anyone said when the road will be repaired?"
“Our district is considered lucky. The shops in the South Third District were flooded. The municipal government only has so many people, they definitely can’t take care of us.”
"Am I going to have to sleep on the floor in the office tonight? But I only have a small blanket at my workstation."
"What's that? I just went out and came back soaked to the bone, and I don't even have a change of clothes."
“I saw Feng Lu during the day. I wish she were still here, but she had something to do and went home in the afternoon.”
The logistics staff member said, "Don't worry, everyone. I'm still contacting the law firm's leadership to see if they have any solutions."
"I think we have to figure out a solution ourselves. Calling the boss won't help; it's too far away to solve our immediate problem."
"Yeah, yeah, the boss can't possibly come over in this weather, the road in front of the building has collapsed."
The logistics staff doesn't really manage things; the security guard on duty is from an outsourced company.
There is no backbone.
Everyone was filled with worry.
It was at this moment that a deep, calm voice emerged from the crowd.
"There's a backup generator in the machine room on the second floor; the logistics staff will go and turn it on later. Everyone, please go to the sixth floor. Are there any administrative staff there?"
The young woman in administration hadn't even seen who was speaking yet, but when she heard someone ask a question, she silently raised her hand.
"Yes, I'm from the administration department."
"Okay, then go to the administration department to get the keys later, and open all the lounges on the sixth floor that are prepared for clients. Everyone can go there to rest tonight."
"The food from the vending machines in the building will be provided free of charge tonight. If the rain stops tomorrow morning, I will arrange for the cafeteria to provide breakfast."
"Once the power is on, the network problem can also be solved. Everyone should get some rest early tonight."
"I will have the finance department allocate a special fund as compensation for today's unexpected event."
"Is it... Pei Lu?"
"It seems so..."
"Wasn't Attorney Pei on a business trip to Yu City? Why is he at the law firm?"
Everyone finally noticed Pei Shuwen, and their reaction to his appearance was a mixture of surprise and delight.
Everyone's eyes were on them.
Lin Chaoyue wanted to let go.
Pei Shuwen didn't let her break free; instead, he gripped her even tighter: "It's me. Is there anything else? If not, you can move now."
"No."
"No."
Everyone said "no" in unison, and then dispersed.
Only two or three people turned around halfway and gave them a strange look.
Lin Chaoyue had already broken free.
He put his hands behind his back as if trying to cover up the truth.
After everyone had gone far away, Lin Chaoyue sniffed and asked, "The lights will be on soon, shall we go to the sixth floor too?"
"I'm not going to the sixth floor."
"Where to?"
"Are you still able to walk?"
Lin Chaoyue nodded hesitantly, and then Pei Shuwen pulled her all the way up to the twelfth floor.
Even though she was in good physical condition, she was a little out of breath after climbing the stairs for so long.
"Why...why did you bring me to your office?"
"Sleep here tonight."
"The two of us? Sleeping here tonight?"
Pei Shuwen: "Mm."
Lin Chaoyue was about to say, "There's only one sofa here, how are we supposed to sleep?"
Then Pei Shuwen gently pushed the cabinet behind the desk and went inside.
No, to be precise, it should be called the Taoist sect.
"This...this isn't a cabinet? It's a push-button door?"
Pei Shuwen: "Yes, this is the lounge in my office."
Lin Chaoyue followed her inside and saw the furnishings, including a double bed, a wardrobe, and a private bathroom.
She was greatly shocked: "How come I never knew you had a lounge in your office before?"
"Yes, because we didn't need to rest in the office before."
"I don't have any women's pajamas here, could you wear mine for now?"
Pei Shuwen handed her a white shirt.
Lin Chaoyue finally came to her senses after receiving it.
"Are you really staying here tonight?"
"You're coming with me?"
"But this is a law firm..."
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