Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"How did you end up there, Dali?" On the way back to Longchuan, Xin Yi asked Qin Dali, who was sitting in the passenger seat, as she drove. She had only learned his name from what he had just said to Captain Li.
"You two know each other?" Wang Fang, who had been mostly silent, suddenly asked.
"Uh, well..." Qin Dali clearly didn't know how to respond. Should he tell her that he had once been hired to kill Xin Yi, which was how they knew each other?
"Oh, Dali is a good guy. He acted bravely last time, but we have only met once," Xin Yi fabricated a story, helping Qin Dali out of a tight spot. Qin Dali cast a grateful glance at Xin Yi.
"Oh." The two girls in the back seemed to like Qin Dali even more, but Shu Rui felt a bit skeptical. Why were there so many brave people around? Could it be that this guy was the legendary professional do-gooder? Someone like Spider-Man?
"I... actually work at President Shu's company, the one at the construction site... Today President Shu and Assistant Wang came to inspect the site, and I secretly followed them. Later, when they left, I saw their car get intercepted right at that intersection... So I just kept following," Qin Dali stammered for some reason.
"Oh? Why did you secretly follow us when President Shu and I went to the construction site?" Wang Fang caught on to a flaw in Qin Dali's story and pressed him.
"N-nothing," Qin Dali stuttered in panic.
"Come on, do you have some ulterior motive? Speak!" Wang Fang pretended to scold him fiercely. However, she believed that Qin Dali was a good person, not only because he had just saved them but also because he seemed genuinely honest.
"No! I didn't!" Qin Dali shook his hands anxiously. Even Xin Yi found it strange; was this really the calm and composed assassin from that night? Why did he suddenly seem like a shy big guy?
"Still trying to deny it! Oh, I see," Wang Fang teased Qin Dali. "You must think President Shu is pretty and have some improper thoughts about her, right? Come on, admit it!"
"No! I followed you because of you! I thought you were Xiao Yu..." Qin Dali blurted out his thoughts without thinking.
"Huh?!" This time Wang Fang had truly dug her own grave. However, being the assistant to the general manager of Junxing Group, she quickly regained her composure despite feeling a bit embarrassed. She soon noticed another inconsistency in Qin Dali's words.
"Xiao Yu? Who is Xiao Yu? Do I look very much like her?" In fact, Wang Fang sensed something odd about the situation. When Qin Dali rushed into the Cement Factory earlier, he had called her Xiao Yu and protected her as if she were precious. At that moment, she had been too nervous to think much of it, but now it seemed like there might be some truth to it. She was curious about who Xiao Yu was and what kind of relationship she had with Qin Dali; it must be someone very important to him. Wang Fang secretly anticipated Qin Dali's answer.
Unfortunately, Wang Fang did not receive an answer. Qin Dali remained silent, his head lowered, and only Xin Yi could see the crimson rims of this formidable man's eyes from her position.
The atmosphere in the car fell into silence as it sped down the highway, Longchuan already in sight.
Xin Yi first dropped Wang Fang off at home. It wasn't appropriate for them to go to the office in their current state. Wang Fang's home was not far from Junxing Group. After getting out of the car, Wang Fang glanced at Qin Dali through the car window, but he merely kept his head down. It was only when Wang Fang turned to leave that he lifted his head and stared blankly at her departing figure.
Then she took Qin Dali back to the construction site. For workers like Qin Dali who came from out of town, their home was wherever the construction site was located. Xin Yi suspected that the incident where she had hurt him last time led to Qin Dali now having to work menial jobs. However, with Shu Rui around, he couldn't say much. In any case, it was already known that he worked at Shu Rui's company, and he would naturally come looking for her again in the future. Xin Yi really needed someone like Qin Dali right now. After dropping him off at the entrance of the site, Qin Dali thanked her and walked away without looking back.
At that moment, Shu Rui also got out of the car and sat down in the passenger seat, her eyes never leaving Xin Yi, making Xin Yi feel quite uncomfortable. Xin Yi smiled and said, "What’s wrong? Do I look like a bad person?"
"Don't you have anything to say to me?" Shu Rui said softly. "Your car's front is all dented."
"Oh, it's just a minor issue. As long as it doesn't affect driving, it's fine. Luckily this car is tough," Xin Yi deliberately changed the subject.
"How did you know we were kidnapped? And how did you know we were at that place?"
So Xin Yi briefly recounted what happened when she returned the car to Junxing Group and what the secretary had told her. Of course, she didn't mention that it was Brother Three who provided the address; she simply said it was information obtained with help from the brothers of Three Tiger Hall. Xin Yi also held a position as Third-in-Command of Three Tiger Hall, which Shu Rui wouldn't doubt.
"How long did it take you to get from Longchuan to H City?" Shu Rui suddenly asked a seemingly random question.
"Um, about forty minutes."
Shu Rui fell silent after that, but a smile appeared on her face. The journey from Longchuan to H City usually took two hours; he had managed it in just forty minutes. This showed how anxious he must have been, indicating that he still cared about her—that was enough.
"Don't drive so fast in the future," Shu Rui suddenly said after a while, her tone gentle as if a spring breeze were brushing against them.
"Come in and have a seat," Shu Rui said to Xin Yi as they arrived at the entrance of Shu Rui's villa.
Xin Yi did not refuse; he had already turned down Shu Rui once last night. Besides, sitting down for a bit was not a big deal, so there was no need to act all shy and reserved as if he were a saint.
What surprised Xin Yi was that Shu Rui's villa was decorated in a very cartoonish style. The entire hall gave him the impression of a kindergarten teacher, with exaggerated cartoon characters and flowers painted on the walls. All the furniture was cute, and there were toys and stuffed animals scattered everywhere on the floor and sofa. In the middle of the hall stood a swing, its seat polished smooth from frequent use. Xin Yi couldn't help but laugh at the thought of the usually expressionless President Shu wearing cute cartoon clothing and swinging barefoot.
"What are you laughing at? Can't I have my own hobbies?" Shu Rui shot Xin Yi a glance. She knew he would find it amusing; after all, she was the general manager of a large corporation, usually working with great intensity. Who would expect her house to be decorated so adorably? Even Wang Fang had been taken aback when she first visited, her mouth agape enough to fit an egg, let alone someone who had only recently met her like Xin Yi.
"Not that," Xin Yi took a deep breath, suppressing his laughter as he asked, "President Shu's decoration is quite unique. But can your guests get used to this style?"
"Guests?" Shu Rui replied casually. "Aside from Wang Fang, you're the first person to enter this house. Feel free to look around; I'm going upstairs to change." With that, she hurried up the stairs, leaving Xin Yi alone in the hall.
"Wait, did I offend her just by laughing?" Xin Yi thought no more about it and began exploring the surroundings. To be honest, he quite liked this style; it felt like stepping back into childhood. Unlike other children, Xin Yi's childhood had not been colorful; he didn't even have a toy of his own. From what he could remember, it was just endless training and studying. Therefore, his childhood was incomplete. Now, suddenly immersed in this dreamlike childhood world, his suppressed childlike spirit was fully awakened as he picked up toys scattered around and played with them joyfully.
Eventually, Xin Yi's gaze landed on the swing in the middle of the hall. He looked up to see that Shu Rui had not yet come down, so he quickly walked over and sat on it. It felt very comfortable. Stealing a glance at the staircase, Xin Yi began to push off the ground with his feet to swing back and forth. He realized how enjoyable swinging could be and continued to sway contentedly.
"Hehe... wasn't someone just laughing at me? Why is he now so engrossed in playing?" Shu Rui stood at the top of the stairs for quite some time, watching Xin Yi seem to be having more fun than she usually did while playing. She thought that perhaps there was no need to change the decor of this house since both of them liked it; wasn't that great?
Suddenly hearing Shu Rui's voice, Xin Yi quickly jumped off the swing, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Here he was, almost thirty years old, being seen enjoying himself on a swing like a child—what kind of situation was this? He forced a self-deprecating smile and said, "I had nothing else to do; this thing is actually quite fun."
Shu Rui had just taken a shower and casually wore a light yellow T-shirt paired with faded jeans. Her hair fell naturally around her shoulders, and her pretty face was flushed red—she looked nothing like a powerful business executive but rather like a college student. Xin Yi couldn't help but feel captivated.
"What's wrong? Don't recognize me?" Shu Rui smiled as she gracefully descended the stairs. Xin Yi suddenly realized he might have acted inappropriately but thought it wasn't a crime to admire beauty; he quickly relaxed and smiled back, saying, "President Shu really is full of surprises; this look feels much more approachable."
Shu Rui felt secretly pleased but didn't show it on her face. Instead, she pretended to be annoyed and said, "Are you implying that I usually keep people at arm's length?"
"Uh, no, it's just that the current President Shu feels more approachable."
"Alright, stop only saying nice things. There's no one else here, so isn't it a bit awkward to keep calling me President Shu? Just call me Xiaorui from now on," Shu Rui said, her face turning even redder, seemingly a bit shy.
No one else here? So I’m considered one of them now? Xin Yi thought to himself, it seems Shu Rui has more to say.
"Okay then, Xiaorui. I think I should head back now; you should rest a bit," Xin Yi said. He figured it was time to take his leave; staying here for too long wasn't good. What if he ended up doing something inappropriate in front of such an alluring beauty? How could he face Lijie, who might be in danger right now?
"No way! You can't leave! Stay and have dinner with me!" Shu Rui insisted.
Could it be? Oh heavens, are you testing my willpower?
To his surprise, Shu Rui's cooking skills were top-notch. By the end of dinner, Xin Yi's stomach was pleasantly full. Shu Rui was very happy and kept serving him food while she only ate a little herself, claiming she needed to maintain her figure. Xin Yi didn't care about that; he enjoyed the meal heartily and figured he could just exercise more tomorrow.
While Shu Rui was in the kitchen cleaning up the dishes, Xin Yi quickly brought up his departure. Shu Rui had become bolder; when he finished eating, she even tried to wipe his mouth with a napkin, startling him into leaning back. But Shu Rui just giggled proudly. If he stayed any longer, Xin Yi feared he would really get caught up in Shu Rui's charm, so it was best to make a strategic retreat.
In the end, it turned out that Xin Yi was just overthinking things. Shu Rui didn't try to keep him from leaving; she simply leaned against the car window after he got in and softly said, "Come by often in the future," before heading back inside. There was no lingering sentimentality as Xin Yi had expected, which left him feeling unexpectedly disappointed.
Comment 0 Comment Count