PB - Chapter 43
Chapter 43
This close, all Gu Jianchu wanted to do was look at Qiao Qi. She smiled, her gaze earnest. She knew Qiao Qi was accustomed to being composed, but she still keenly observed the red on the tips of her ears. Her gaze grew even more brazen, until she noticed a distinct furrow forming between Qiao Qi's brows.
“Are you not feeling well? Is your head hurting?” She took Qiao Qi's wrist and removed the coffee from her hand. “Don't drink coffee if you're not feeling well.”
Qiao Qi pulled her wrist free, letting her take the cup. “You're too kind, President Gu.”
Gu Jianchu asked again, “You took a year off, but you still didn't rest properly? Didn't Jiayin tell you to take good care of your health?”
Qiao Qi found herself somewhat unaccustomed to Gu Jianchu's excessive concern, so she steered the conversation back. “If there's nothing else, I won't disturb your work any longer, President Gu.”
She had used coffee as an excuse to keep her here, and now that she wouldn't let her drink it, she really should let her go. But what she said was, “Yanyan still needs Secretary Yao's help. You might have to wait a little longer.”
Qiao Qi had no choice but to remain seated. She gazed out the window, still not saying a word. There was a time when she would often stand at her own office window, looking in the direction of Rongfang. On a clear day, she could see the glass facade of the Rongfang building. Today was the first time she was looking from here toward Ruifeng. Although the weather was overcast, she could still vaguely make out the large, red characters for “Ruifeng Group.”
Gu Jianchu said, “I heard you went back to the company to end your leave.”
Qiao Qi replied faintly, “Yes.”
“Where did you go this past year?”
“Just wandered around.” She really had just wandered. She traveled, went back to her parents' place, and then set off again. She would stop in unfamiliar places, space out, eat the local cuisine, and buy souvenirs to send back. Perhaps, sometimes, she would also think of Gu Jianchu, remembering the emotions once stirred by her every smile and frown.
It was the first time Gu Jianchu had experienced how much self-control it took to resist touching the person you liked, especially when that person was right beside you, so close she could even hear the sound of her breathing. The air around her was filled with the crisp scent of Qiao Qi's perfume, and she desperately wanted to lean in and smell the side of her neck.
Fortunately, the ringing of Qiao Qi's phone shattered the near-solid silence in the office. It was a call from Xu Yangpu; there was an impromptu meeting she needed to return for.
Seeing her hang up, Gu Jianchu said, “I'll see you out.”
Yao Qiu had assumed Liu Yanyan's claim of needing her was just an excuse, but to her surprise, the other woman genuinely needed her help. So when Qiao Qi came out with Gu Jianchu, she saw the two companies' secretaries in a serious discussion. Knowing Qiao Qi had to leave, Yao Qiu quickly wrapped up her conversation with Liu Yanyan.
“Secretary Liu, I need to take Xiao Qiu back to Ruifeng now. For any unresolved issues, you can call Xiao Qiu anytime.”
Liu Yanyan quickly replied, “Since President Qiao has said so, I won't stand on ceremony.”
Qiao Qi smiled faintly. “As long as Xiao Qiu doesn't mind.”
“Thank you, President Qiao.”
Qiao Qi left with Yao Qiu, and Gu Jianchu escorted them all the way out of the building. Although the rumors at Rongfang hadn't spread as virulently as those at Ruifeng, Gu Jianchu personally seeing her out still sparked all sorts of speculation. After all, the U.E. collaboration had caused waves at both companies, and this exchange of pleasantries now seemed like a mere facade to many.
Back at Ruifeng, Qiao Qi's mind wandered twice during the hour-long meeting. Both times, it was because she was thinking of Gu Jianchu's scorching gaze. She couldn't quite figure out what Gu Jianchu was thinking. She only knew that being stared at like that, no matter how composed she was, still made her heartbeat turn irregular.
“President Qiao?” Xu Yangpu tried to get her attention. When she seemed to refocus, he continued, “The university hopes you can attend in person and be a guest presenter for the awards.”
She glanced at the date. “Alright.”
To adapt to market transformations, companies often sponsor creative projects by university students. As one of the country's leading enterprises, Ruifeng had always maintained close cooperation with universities. This time, Qiao Qi intended to promote domestic scientific research, so she had sponsored a competition co-hosted by multiple universities. In gratitude for her strong support, the university had invited her to attend on several occasions.
A few other matters were settled in the meeting, which ended right at quitting time. For once, Qiao Qi didn't work overtime and drove home herself. The moment she walked in, Ping An circled her feet. She picked him up and sat on the sofa, the person and the cat nestled together, each lost in their own thoughts, leaving only tranquility.
The next afternoon at quitting time, even though Qiao Qi had said yesterday that Gu Jianchu didn't need to pick her up, Gu Jianchu still parked her car downstairs at Ruifeng at five-thirty. She sat in the car and called Qiao Qi, who was upstairs. Ten minutes later, she saw Qiao Qi walk out. She was still in a lightweight suit, but she had changed to a white one with three-quarter sleeves. On her fair wrist was a watch with a thin red band, which matched the ruby brooch on her clothes perfectly.
Qiao Qi got into the passenger seat. Gu Jianchu noticed she had changed her perfume today, which pleased her. She asked, “Were you busy today? It's a long drive. If you're tired, you can take a nap.”
Qiao Qi complied, closing her eyes to rest. By the time they arrived, the hour hand was already pointing to seven. The places Gu Jianchu chose always balanced ambiance and flavor, a fact Qiao Qi knew well. This time was no exception. In the center of a man-made lake was a wooden pavilion draped in white gauze curtains, connected to the shore by a wooden walkway that skimmed the surface of the water. From a distance, it looked as if people were walking on the lake.
A night breeze rippled across the lake. The reflection of the lights in the water looked like fallen stars, and the wooden pavilion was a small boat resting upon this river of stars. Gu Jianchu saw a look of satisfaction on Qiao Qi's face. She asked, “Do you like it here?”
“You've gone to a lot of trouble, President Gu.”
They spoke little during the meal. Gu Jianchu liked this quiet solitude. She would only speak up to gently urge Qiao Qi to eat more when she ate too little. Qiao Qi would always comply. Gu Jianchu knew this was her way of keeping a distance, a coldness meant to avoid unnecessary conversation.
Gu Jianchu said, “Can we talk?”
Qiao Qi didn't speak. Gu Jianchu watched her, waiting patiently. Qiao Qi saw the stars in the water being scattered by the night wind, just like her own turbulent emotions. Finally, with an almost inaudible sigh, she said, “You don't have to worry about it. There's no need to rehash who was right or wrong. Can't we just let it go?”
Gu Jianchu replied, “No.” She said, “I admit that Rongfang's proposal was finalized after we learned of Ruifeng's. I should apologize to you for that.” Qiao Qi's gaze remained on the water. Gu Jianchu's voice softened with apology. “I'm sorry. U.E. was just too important to me at the time.”
Qiao Qi pulled her gaze back from the water and looked straight into Gu Jianchu's eyes, her expression turning slightly cold. She said, “If it was so important, why didn't you come to me yourself back then?”
Gu Jianchu couldn't answer that question, because even she couldn't clearly explain the reason. What was done was done; there were no 'what ifs' and no second chances. In her view, any explanation would be superfluous. Besides, even if she had gone to Qiao Qi back then, how would she have handled it? The two companies, their positions, their relationship, the same project—it was all incredibly complicated.
She just said softly, “I know it was my fault. Please don't be angry, okay?”
Qiao Qi gave a cold laugh. “No.”
Qiao Qi was angry, but not because of the explanation Gu Jianchu couldn't provide. She was angry at herself for completely understanding Gu Jianchu's perspective, angry at herself for being overly considerate of her. So she stood up to leave. Gu Jianchu quickly grabbed her, the anxiety on her face as plain as it had been the day before. A single glance was enough to soften Qiao Qi's resolve, so she averted her eyes. “Let go.”
“Sit down first,” Gu Jianchu said. “You barely ate anything just now. Please sit down and eat a little more, okay?”
“You don't need to worry. I've never had much of an appetite.”
A smile hid at the corners of Gu Jianchu's lips. This Qiao Qi was as adorable as ever. The two of them were like pouting children, locked in a stalemate. Fortunately, Qiao Qi hadn't yet realized her own loss of composure. Once she did, she would revert to her earlier taciturn and distant attitude. She squeezed Qiao Qi's wrist, deliberately teasing her.
Gu Jianchu coaxed her in a soft, gentle voice, “Just eat a little more. After you're done, I'll drive you home. It's so late, it would be inconvenient to have your driver come get you.”
Gu Jianchu's uncharacteristic behavior made Qiao Qi frown. She said, “You don't have to be like this.”
Qiao Qi's anger toward her hadn't yet subsided, and Gu Jianchu knew she couldn't push too hard. She took a step back. “Then how about I have them make some congee for you to take home?”
Qiao Qi shot Gu Jianchu a look and sat back down. The smile was still hidden at the corners of Gu Jianchu's mouth. She understood Qiao Qi and was naturally exploiting her soft-heartedness. Qiao Qi was the type of person who found it difficult to ignore the trouble she caused others. Gu Jianchu was selfish, so she seized on this weakness.
Gu Jianchu knew when to quit while she was ahead and spent the rest of the time in silence with Qiao Qi. The night scenery was beautiful, so the quiet atmosphere wasn't overly awkward. Instead, it felt like a rare moment of peace savored after the end of a long day. This tranquility lasted until Gu Jianchu dropped Qiao Qi off at her door, where it was broken by Qiao Qi's polite words of thanks.
“Aren't you going to invite me in for a cup of tea?”
Qiao Qi didn't pause in opening the car door. She said, “I don't have the habit of drinking tea at night. Drive safely, President Gu. I won't see you out.”
“Alright.” Gu Jianchu waited until Qiao Qi was inside before driving away. On the road, she called Liu Yanyan. The moment the call connected, she said, “Find out which projects at Ruifeng President Qiao is currently in charge of.”
“President Gu, I actually have something to tell you. The university research competition that Ruifeng is sponsoring this time is being led by President Qiao. They've even established a student fund for it. I've checked, and Rongfang has always had good relationships with several of the participating universities.”
“Arrange it for me.”
“It's already being arranged, President Gu.” Liu Yanyan heard background noise from outside and said, “President Gu, are you driving? Please be careful. I'll handle matters concerning President Qiao, so don't worry.”
“Okay. It's getting late, you should get some rest too.”
After hanging up, Gu Jianchu was in a good mood and focused on driving. The first thing she did when she got home was send a message to Qiao Qi to let her know she had arrived safely. Gu Jianchu knew Qiao Qi wouldn't reply and didn't expect one. She was determined to barge back into Qiao Qi's life without restraint, to make up for all the time in the past year that Qiao Qi had spent trying to forget her.
Holding Ping An, Qiao Qi felt a mixture of amusement and exasperation when she saw the message. She'd never realized before that Gu Jianchu could be so thick-skinned. When had she ever cared whether this person got home safely? Seeing that she had stopped petting him, Ping An closed his eyes and nuzzled his head against her palm.
She lifted the big black cat up to eye level and questioned it softly, “Why have you become as thick-skinned as her?” She paused, a hint of grievance in her expression. “Do you have any idea how sad I was back then?”
Of course, Gu Jianchu didn't know. After all, subjective emotions are difficult to quantify and impossible to show to others. Qiao Qi carried Ping An back to the bedroom. The cat found a comfortable spot on the bed and curled into a ball. After taking a sleeping pill, Qiao Qi lay down on her side of the bed. Her year-long leave hadn't improved her insomnia. She still took sleeping pills when necessary, just to make the nights less unbearable.
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