Chapter 10

After hearing Gu Xiaoqing's words, Ou Linxi laughed even louder

Gu Xiaoqing was taken aback; she did not expect to have slept for such a long time. She apologized to Ou Linxi, saying: "I am sorry for disturbing you for so long"

Ou Linxi explained to Gu Xiaoqing that the 3rd to 5th floors are private clubs, and only members are allowed to enter

Ou Linxi felt that Gu Xiaoqing's eating actions, although not particularly graceful, did not come across as overly aggressive or unattractive; instead, they exuded a sense of authenticity. In this day and age, there are too many pretentious people and things, and someone like Gu Xiaoqing made him feel that this girl possessed something that set her apart from others. He recognized that this unique quality was precious.

Gu Xiaoqing originally intended it as a polite remark, but unexpectedly, Ou Linxi raised his head energetically and said to her: "Great! Then I will trouble you with it."

Gu Xiaoqing walked over and sat down on the sofa. As soon as she sat down, a wave of fatigue washed over her; she was extremely tired, and the softness of the sofa made her want to take a nap on it

It is nine thirty

Due to this matter, Gu Xiaoqing felt much more relaxed around Ou Linxi. After dinner, Ou Linxi did not keep her any longer and accompanied her all the way to the parking lot downstairs

Ou Linxi saw her about to leave and quickly said: "Don't go, I've been waiting for you to have dinner."

The elevator stopped on the fifth floor, and Gu Xiaoqing supported Ou Linxi as they stepped out. Gu Xiaoqing raised her eyes to survey the surroundings, feeling a moment of small astonishment. Directly facing the elevator was a wide corridor; if the second floor could be described as resplendent, then this place should be characterized by understated luxury. The soft and silent wool carpet beneath their feet concealed the texture of the wallpaper that emitted a dim metallic sheen. The walls were adorned with black walnut wainscoting, upon which hung several oil paintings. The soft and silent wool carpet beneath their feet concealed the texture of the wallpaper that emitted a dim metallic sheen. The walls were adorned with black walnut wainscoting, upon which hung several oil paintings.

Ou Linxi could have left after finishing the intravenous drip, but for some unknown reason, after Gu Xiaoqing arrived, he stayed in the hospital and had lunch with them.

Gu Xiaoqing ignored them and walked to the window, pushing open all the windows

Ah? Gu Xiaoqing looked up at him in surprise. She had already finished eating and took a napkin from the side to wipe her mouth, trying hard to recall. Gu Xiaoqing's life was very simple; in her circle, she had never encountered someone like Ou Linxi. She thought for a long time but ultimately came up empty-handed. She looked up at Ou Linxi with confusion.

Having eaten his fill, Zhang Yaoyang lay on the bed feeling somewhat drowsy, while Ou Linxi was quite energetic, playing mobile games beside him

Gu Xiaoqing did not expect that while sitting in the empty office, she would fall asleep before Ou Linxi arrived. When she woke up again, it was already bright with lights outside.

Ou Linxi smiled slightly, looking up at the ceiling as if reminiscing: "Hmm, probably about five years ago, you were driving a taxi and took a passenger to the airport. At that time, I couldn't speak Mandarin, and I praised how cool your driving was. Do you remember?"

Gu Xiaoqing turned around with her bag and asked Ou Linxi: "Mr. Ou, would you like me to see you off?"

Then Ou Linxi hummed a few more words before hanging up the phone. When he looked up, he saw Gu Xiaoqing staring at him. He smiled apologetically at her and said, "Please wait a moment, I will go make you a glass of juice." After saying that, he bounced out of the room. Gu Xiaoqing watched him, dressed formally yet bouncing around, which looked somewhat comical, and couldn't help but chuckle.

Gu Xiaoqing smiled at him and said, "Alright, give me your phone number so that I can bother you in the future"

After Gu Xiaoqing set down the kettle, she sat down on the stool between the two beds. Once seated, she could not help but yawn.

Ou Linxi got out of bed, standing on one leg with a limp. Gu Xiaoqing had no choice but to step forward and support him as they walked out. As they walked, Ou Linxi turned back and said to Zhang Yaoyang: "Yaoyang, you take care of yourself first, I will leave now!"

She thought for a moment, stood up to take her handbag, and said to Zhang Yaoyang: "Then I will head back first, call me if you need anything."

Ou Linxi held the microphone and said: "I am fine now, just returned. You handle this matter, let Ye Cheng'an compensate me for the renovation costs of this bar, as well as the medical expenses for my employees. After all, you still have business to do with him. As for the future, you can help me recover it gradually."

Gu Xiaoqing suddenly recalled a scene in her mind, where a young man pointed at himself and said in broken Chinese: "Oh, Lin, Xi, my name." Her eyes gradually widened in realization, but she found it impossible to connect the punk-styled youth, with his hair standing on end and a very loud demeanor, to the successful gentleman in a suit before her

Ou Linxi led Gu Xiaoqing to the fourth floor, where there was a small restaurant with only about a dozen seats. The decor was in the same understated yet luxurious style as the one above.

When Gu Xiaoqing arrived at the hospital, it was nearly 12 o'clock. As she pushed open the door to the ward, she saw two men leaning against the head of the bed, each with a cigarette in their mouth, looking at her with the same astonished expression

"Um, what time is it now?" Gu Xiaoqing asked him while rubbing her eyes

They are all cleaning in the private room upstairs and the warehouse at the back. Yesterday, Xiao Yang and Da Jun were both injured, and after the police arrived, they were sent to the hospital. This morning, Brother Lu went to the police station to bail us out. Brother Lu asked us to do some cleaning first, saying that you would come over shortly

Once they recognized that it was Gu Xiaoqing who had entered, they all simultaneously let out a sigh of relief. Zhang Yaoyang seemed to have forgotten what he had said to Gu Xiaoqing earlier that morning, and in his usual casual tone, he said to her: "You scared me to death; I thought it was that fierce little nurse from earlier."

Gu Xiaoqing hardly slept at all the entire night, and truly had no appetite, so she hastily ate a few bites to settle her lunch. After finishing her meal, she cleared away the lunch box and prepared a pot of hot water for Zhang Yaoyang, placing it on his bedside.

"Alright, I understand. You go ahead and get busy," Ou Linxi said, watching the boy run away. He then turned to Gu Xiaoqing and said, "Could you please help me upstairs?"

After Gu Xiaoqing returned home, she changed her clothes and hurried to the company. Upon arriving at the company, she first arranged all her work. She was originally supposed to visit a construction site today, but she had no choice but to call and postpone it to tomorrow. After organizing her own matters, she called Zhang Yaoyang's assistant to instruct her to block any clients looking for General Manager Zhang if possible; if not, she should have them call Zhang Yaoyang directly.

Upon arriving at the destination, Gu Xiaoqing saw Ou Linxi grimacing as he awkwardly maneuvered one leg out of the car. Reluctantly, she had no choice but to get out of the car to assist him

Gu Xiaoqing looked at the man with a mischievous smile in front of her and said, "This world is indeed crazy"

Ou Linxi's manner of eating is very refined, as he hardly speaks. Gu Xiaoqing is indeed very hungry, quietly eating with her head down. The dining table was once very quiet.

Gu Xiaoqing then remembered that it was almost noon and that she had forgotten to bring them lunch when she came. She turned to look at the two of them and said, "I forgot to bring something when I came. What do you want to eat? I will go buy it."

After Gu Xiaoqing finished making arrangements, she looked at the time and realized it was nearly 11 o'clock. She hurriedly greeted her colleagues in her group and left the company to head to the hospital

The light from above cast down, and Gu Xiaoqing couldn't help but squint her eyes. She heard Ou Linxi hopping over and asking her in front of her, "Are you awake?"

"Ah? You still haven't had dinner?" Gu Xiaoqing asked him in surprise

Ou Linxi was quite happy to take out his phone and exchange numbers with her. After saving Ou Linxi's number, Gu Xiaoqing waved at him and drove away.

Shortly after they sat down, the waiter quickly brought a table full of dishes. Gu Xiaoqing was amazed to find that although the place was decorated like a Western restaurant, it served authentic Chinese cuisine

Zhang Yaoyang said, "Whatever, neither of us is picky about food"

Ou Linxi heard a sound and looked up, seeing Gu Xiaoqing already sitting up. He turned around and turned on the main light in the room

Ou Linxi suddenly spoke to Gu Xiaoqing, saying: "Gu Xiaoqing, do you know that we have met before?"

Gu Xiaoqing did not expect that when they reached the second floor, Ou Linxi had no intention of stopping. He gestured for Gu Xiaoqing to continue walking forward. As Gu Xiaoqing supported him around the small hall, she suddenly discovered that there was an elevator ahead. After entering the elevator, Ou Linxi took out a card and swiped it on an electronic device inside the elevator, directly pressing the button for the 5th floor

Zhang Yaoyang glanced at her and said, "You can go back first. I will observe again in the afternoon, and I will be able to be discharged in the evening. I can return by myself then."

Gu Xiaoqing glanced at him without saying a word and drove the car out

Gu Xiaoqing smiled slightly, not taking his words to heart. She stood up and said to him: "It is already so late, I will not disturb you any longer. There is work tomorrow, so I will head home now"

Well, let's go. I have left some food in the kitchen downstairs, let's go eat together

Gu Xiaoqing knew that Zhang Yaoyang's mother was from Ningbo, and he usually preferred sweeter flavors. She specifically went to a restaurant that specialized in Shanghai-style cuisine to take away several dishes.

The young waiter, still with a bruised face, ran up to them and asked Ou Linxi, "Boss, are you alright?"

Gu Xiaoqing eats a lot, but today she has hardly eaten anything. She is really hungry now and has already eaten two bowls of rice

Zhang Yaoyang propped himself up with his elbow to look at them, seemingly wanting to say something. He opened his mouth slightly, but in the end, he said nothing, relaxed his hand, and, as if giving up, fell back onto the bed.

Gu Xiaoqing hesitated for a moment as she stood there, perhaps recalling the reason he was called Ou Linxi, and she did not refuse. She followed him downstairs

Gu Xiaoqing noticed that Ou Linxi had changed into another set of clothes, still dressed in a suit and leather shoes. He looked down at her from a height and said in a gentle tone: "What are you being so polite for? You saved me yesterday, didn't you?"

After Gu Xiaoqing got into the car, Ou Linxi called out to her through the window. Gu Xiaoqing turned her head to look at him, and at that moment, Ou Linxi's expression was very serious. He looked at Gu Xiaoqing and said: "Gu Xiaoqing, let's be friends. In the future, feel free to come by and visit me."

Ou Linxi stood by, watching the car as it exited the parking lot and turned onto the road, merging into the flow of traffic

"Alright, you all wait a moment, I will go buy it right away." After saying this, she took the car keys and walked out again

It was likely past mealtime, as there were no dining guests inside when they entered. Ou Linxi took Gu Xiaoqing to a window-side seat and sat down.

Zhang Yaoyang asked her from behind: "Gu Xiaoqing, you didn't bring us lunch, did you?" The tone was so taken for granted

After Gu Xiaoqing entered, she discovered that it was an office. A large desk was placed by the floor-to-ceiling window, next to it was a filing cabinet, and in front of the desk was a set of spacious sofas. The area inside was quite large, decorated simply, giving it a somewhat desolate and empty feel

Gu Xiaoqing helped Ou Linxi into the car, and she did not expect that the address he provided was actually the bar "Silver Empire," where an incident had just occurred yesterday

The second floor of the bar is quite spacious. At the corner of the staircase leading upstairs, there is a small hall, connected to which is a long corridor. On both sides of the corridor, two rows of private rooms can be seen. From the outside, the entire second floor is evidently decorated in a luxurious manner, which can be described as resplendent.

Gu Xiaoqing does not understand oil painting, but she estimates that these should all be genuine works.

Ou Linxi had Gu Xiaoqing support him as he walked to a door at the end of the corridor, where he stopped to take out his keys. As he was doing so, the sound of a phone ringing came from inside. He quickly opened the door and hopped in on one leg.

Ou Linxi finished eating before Gu Xiaoqing. After he put down his chopsticks, he lit a cigarette. Gu Xiaoqing looked at him with curiosity, realizing that this person always did things that were inconsistent with his appearance

Gu Xiaoqing supported Ou Linxi as they walked into the "Silver Empire". She pushed open the door, and the lobby was quite spacious, clearly indicating that the tables and chairs damaged yesterday had already been cleared away. Two uniformed waiters were mopping the floor, and one of them ran over with a mop upon seeing them enter.

Ou Linxi looked at Gu Xiaoqing's increasingly wide eyes and smiled mischievously: "You remember now, don't you"

Ou Linxi scanned the lobby with his eyes and said: "I am fine, what about the others? How did it go after yesterday?"

Gu Xiaoqing seemed to hear Ou Linxi shout into the phone: "Brother." She couldn't help but look up at him

Ou Linxi looked at Gu Xiaoqing through the haze in front of him. He noticed that Gu Xiaoqing did not eat delicately; unlike the ladies he had encountered before, who would take tiny bites like cherries, carefully sending strands of food to their mouths and placing grains of rice one by one. Her meal was as minimal as cat food.

She opened her eyes, feeling warm all over, and slowly sat up from the sofa, looking down to see a blanket sliding off her body. The room was very dark. A faint light from the computer screen illuminated the desk, where Ou Linxi was sitting in front of the computer, typing on the keyboard

Gu Xiaoqing made a sound of acknowledgment but did not speak. She was merely curious about the elevator; as for the private club, it had little to do with her, and she had no particular curiosity about it.

Gu Xiaoqing thought that there was indeed nothing for her to do here, as Zhang Yaoyang no longer needed to receive intravenous drips. Staying here was merely a precautionary measure requested by the doctor for observation purposes.

In the early hours, Zhang Yaoyang told her that he had guarded her for three years and waited for her for three years. She was fully aware of this, and precisely because she understood it so well, she could not give him any hope. Looking back to that hot afternoon many years ago, she walked over step by step, and it has been eight years since then. Now she is 26 years old, and the 18-year-old Gu Xiaoqing, full of romance and passion, has become a faint shadow, allowing her only to occasionally gaze at it across the distant expanse of time and space. Yet, it was that very Gu Xiaoqing who left a string in her heart, a string that has always entangled her. It is this string that forces her to keep Zhang Yaoyang at bay; she knows too well the hopelessness of such persistence, which is why she cannot surrender herself to him, for she cannot offer him a complete heart.

Zhang Yaoyang lazily responded with a soft "mm" as an acknowledgment to her

After leaving the hospital, Gu Xiaoqing drove home first. It was now early autumn, and the morning air was quite refreshing. She rolled down the car window, and the cold breeze rushed in, slightly invigorating her listless spirit.