Chapter 8

Question: On a rainy night, if you happen to encounter your big boss whose car has broken down and is getting drenched, do you pretend not to see him and head back to his place, or do you turn around and hold an umbrella for him?
If this had happened during her internship days, Zhu Xinyue would have chosen the former without hesitation. But now, she had learned the ways of the world.
So, after recognizing Ji Linyu, Zhu Xinyue turned back and held the umbrella over him.
Ji Linyu was a head taller than her, and to keep him under the umbrella, she had to exert effort, gripping the handle with both hands and tilting the umbrella slightly.
The driver finally reacted and turned to take the umbrella from his boss. “Thank you, Mr. Ji and Miss Zhu should wait in the car.”
Ji Linyu’s palm met empty air, leaving only the girl before him, struggling to hold up the umbrella for herself.
He reached out, grasped the wobbling umbrella frame, steadied it, and shielded her from the rain drifting in from behind her.
“Get in the car.” Ji Linyu didn’t comment on her remark about it being a coincidence. Instead, he took the umbrella from her and motioned for her to get into the car.
Zhu Xinyue had initially wanted to flatter him, how could she let the big boss hold an umbrella for her? But when she met his eyes, darker than the night, she swallowed her words and obediently handed the umbrella to Ji Linyu. Under his “escort,” she got into the car and even scooted further inside.
The car was cramped. Once Zhu Xinyue was inside, the sound of the rain outside softened, and the chill gradually faded, leaving only the faint scent of the car’s air freshener.
Zhu Xinyue turned her head to look at Ji Linyu standing outside the car. Holding the umbrella, he wasn’t looking at her but toward the driver, as if he had no intention of getting in.
She realized he was avoiding any appearance of impropriety.
Ah, it’s really hard to get close to the boss.
“Brother Linyu,” Zhu Xinyue called out, catching his attention. “Aren’t you going to ask why I’m here?”
Ji Linyu lowered his gaze and saw the mischief in her eyes, like a little fox.
He glanced around. There were no passing cars nearby, but a shared bicycle parked not far away gave him a rough idea.
Zhu Xinyue followed his gaze, leaned out slightly, and looked at the bicycle, knowing he had guessed something.
“It really is a coincidence. I just finished dealing with that video issue, had a late-night snack with her, and after seeing her home, I rode the bike back myself. I never thought I’d run into you on the way.
“Speaking of which, I learned the habit of seeing people home from you, Brother Linyu. If I hadn’t escorted her back, I wouldn’t have bumped into you here. Don’t you think fate arranged this for us?”
Fate?
Ji Linyu let out a faint, ambiguous laugh.
Zhu Xinyue took the memory card from her pocket, palm facing up, and offered it to Ji Linyu.
“This is the memory card from the video they shot. She assured me it’s the only copy.” Her expression was animated, as if seeking praise.
Ji Linyu didn’t take the memory card from her palm. Instead, his gaze shifted upward, settling on her face.
To make it easier to talk to him, Zhu Xinyue had turned her body fully toward him, her legs dangling. Occasionally, stray raindrops landed on her eyelids, making her blink rapidly, but she kept her eyes fixed unwaveringly on Ji Linyu.
She seemed to enjoy staring so openly at others, her gaze straightforward and devoid of ulterior motives.
It made one reluctant to shatter her innocent illusions.
Guarantee? How can you guarantee it? Relying on the other party's precarious credibility? If guarantees were effective, what would be the need for laws?
Ji Linyu tightened his grip on the umbrella handle, the words on the tip of his tongue, yet he said nothing, only letting out a soft sigh.
Hearing his sigh, Zhu Xinyue’s heart sank.
She lowered her gaze, looking at the memory card in her palm, about to curl her fingers and take it back.
A gray shadow fell over her palm.
He picked up the memory card, as if they were partners sharing a mission.
In the cool, rainy night, his voice was deep and resonant, like listening to him tell a story by the warmth of a winter stove.
"You did well. Leave the rest to me," he said.
Zhu Xinyue tilted her head slightly, meeting Ji Linyu’s calm, dark eyes.
Behind him stood a tall, warm-yellow streetlamp. Raindrops fell into the light, forming golden threads that outlined his silhouette, enveloping him in a soft glow.
She instinctively swallowed, closing her empty palm and letting it drop to her side.
Seeing her quiet down, no longer as excited as before, Ji Linyu suddenly felt unaccustomed to it.
"What reward would you like?" he asked.
Zhu Xinyue’s eyelids twitched, and she looked up at him again.
Truthfully, what she had been thinking earlier was that he should scold her, call her childish, too trusting of others. Then she could reveal her cunning side, telling him how she had used both threats and incentives, even deleting the video from Li Zi’s chat records, confirming that only the memory card contained that video, making him realize how capable she truly was, and then giving her a hefty promotion and raise.
But instead, he praised her for doing well and even asked what reward she wanted…
Ji Linyu, you’re so good it’s annoying!
It made her seem dark and hypocritical, not sincere at all.
Zhu Xinyue’s heart felt as if it had been pricked. She wasn’t used to others treating her so well, just like how Zhu Shilang never questioned how much money she spent, making her feel increasingly guilty the more she spent.
"Any reward is fine?" Zhu Xinyue retorted.
Ji Linyu was about to agree but then remembered she had confessed her feelings to him earlier. If she used this "reward" to ask him to be her boyfriend or something similar, it wouldn’t be appropriate.
So he changed his response: "Tell me what you have in mind."
Zhu Xinyue pinched her chin, seriously pondering the question.
Outside, the rain shifted from heavy droplets to a lighter drizzle.
The rain stopped.
"How about this," Zhu Xinyue said, holding the car door as she stepped out, pointing toward the road back to Li Mountain. "I’m a bit too full from the late-night snack. Linyu, could you accompany me for a walk to help digest it?"
Ji Linyu blinked slowly and agreed.
"Alright."
On the rain-soaked night, the streets were mostly empty. Occasionally, a passing car would cast its headlights from behind, stretching and shortening their shadows. One shadow was tall, the other shorter, separated by a small distance. As their paces fell out of sync, the gap between them grew wider.
Ji Linyu walked on the outer side of the sidewalk, maintaining his usual pace. But as they walked, the person beside him fell behind, so he stopped and turned to look back at her.
She stood with her hands behind her back, tiptoeing slightly, seemingly unaware that she had lost track of him. Instead, she kept her head lowered, carefully avoiding the fallen petals scattered by the wind and rain, whether to keep her shoes clean or out of pity for the withered blossoms on the ground, it was hard to say.
Ji Linyu found it amusing, yet it seemed like something she would do. After all, she was someone who paid close attention to her surroundings, she had even noticed the damp spots where the floor tiles had warped.
Zhu Xinyue caught sight of the shadow of the person walking ahead of her coming to a halt. She lifted her head and looked toward Ji Linyu, who had stopped and turned back to wait for her. Startled, she quickened her pace and caught up to him.
This time, Ji Linyu slowed his steps.
The chaotic thoughts in his mind, the exhaustion from days of work, and the various unexpected incidents during his return journey all seemed to fade into the background. All that remained was his focus on the person beside him, ensuring she wouldn’t fall behind again.
After all, he had promised to walk with her for a while.
“When I used to walk alone at night, I was always most afraid of someone following me. If I heard footsteps, I’d start running,” Zhu Xinyue said.
Ji Linyu switched the hand holding the umbrella and tucked the one closer to her into his pocket.
“Last time you went back to your rental place, weren’t you planning to go alone?” he asked. After getting out of the car, she had walked into the pitch-dark alley by herself, seemingly unafraid.
Zhu Xinyue glanced at him and lowered her head.
“I couldn’t bring myself to ask you to walk me back.”
Ji Linyu raised an eyebrow, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
“I can’t just take advantage of your kindness and keep making requests,” Zhu Xinyue said, twisting her fingers. “It’d be easier if you knew how to refuse, but I’m afraid you don’t.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Ji Linyu’s lips.
That was a novel way of putting it.
“What makes you say that?” he asked.
“My intuition,” Zhu Xinyue said, her eyes curving into a smile. “I think, Brother Linyu, you’re the type of person who… as long as the request isn’t too unreasonable, will agree to it.”
Ji Linyu shook his head, indicating he didn’t agree.
“It seems you don’t know yourself very well,” Zhu Xinyue said, her tone teasing as if challenging him.
She took a few steps ahead, then turned to face him, walking backward. “How about we do a test?”
“What kind of test?”
“A test to see if you would’ve refused me if I’d asked for a different reward earlier,” Zhu Xinyue said, stopping and waiting for him to catch up.
Ji Linyu thought to himself, so this was where she was leading him.
People are greedy by nature, and she was no exception.
“Go ahead,” he said, having already braced himself for it.
Ji Linyu suppressed his smile and stopped in front of her.
“I want…” Zhu Xinyue looked at his serious expression. The darkness in his eyes was like an abyss, so deep it seemed no light could penetrate it.
Zhu Xinyue had originally intended to tentatively bring up the idea of revising the contract terms, but she keenly sensed that now might not be the right time. So she changed her words.
"Brother Linyu, cook a dish for me yourself."
Ji Linyu raised an eyebrow.
Zhu Xinyue looked at him seriously, analyzing the situation logically: "Cooking is a troublesome and time-consuming task. For someone as busy as Brother Linyu, time is money. You probably wouldn’t deliberately set aside time to cook for me, right?"
Ji Linyu turned his head away and continued walking, pretending not to hear.
In a place she couldn’t see, he pressed his lips together, suppressing a smile at the corner of his mouth.
This girl...
Saying one thing but meaning another, playing hard to get, full of tricks.
"Brother Linyu, Brother Linyu!" Zhu Xinyue quickly caught up, tugging at his sleeve to make him wait for her. "Your silence, does it mean you’re refusing or accepting?"
Ji Linyu let her hold onto his sleeve, slowing his pace slightly.
“You don’t need to think of reasons for me to refuse. I’m not as easily swayed by others’ requests as you might think. Helping you was just a small effort. Rewarding you was my promise. Since it’s a promise, I’ll fulfill it. As for cooking... you decide the time."
Zhu Xinyue widened her eyes, nearly biting her tongue.
What? Did she hear that right? He actually agreed! If only she had brought up the contract terms instead!
Zhu Xinyue released his sleeve, so frustrated she could beat her chest and stamp her feet.
"What’s wrong?" Ji Linyu asked.
Zhu Xinyue replied tearfully, "I’m just too happy!"
Perhaps infected by her "happiness," a hint of a smile also appeared in Ji Linyu’s eyes.
By the time the two of them walked back to Linshan, it was almost 2 a.m.
The lights in the living room were still on, as if someone hadn’t gone to bed yet.
Zhu Xinyue changed her shoes at the entrance, while Ji Linyu placed the umbrella in the umbrella stand.
The sound of a door opening and closing came from upstairs. Drawn by the noise, Zhu Xinyue looked up.
Ji Qingyuan, who had just stepped out of his room, leaned against the railing. Meeting Zhu Xinyue’s gaze, he smiled and was about to speak when he noticed his brother standing beside her.
Ji Qingyuan’s smile stiffened for a moment. Resting his hand on the railing, he descended the stairs while greeting them.
"Brother, Xinyue. How come you two came back together?"
"We happened to run into each other on the way," Ji Linyu replied after changing his shoes. He greeted Ji Qingyuan and headed inside.
Ji Qingyuan walked past Ji Linyu and, as usual, habitually placed his hand on Zhu Xinyue’s shoulder. He called out to his brother, who had reached the staircase, "Brother, want to have lunch together tomorrow?"
Ji Linyu glanced over, his gaze pausing briefly on Zhu Xinyue’s shoulder before shifting away. He continued upstairs and casually replied, "We’ll see."
Just as Zhu Xinyue was about to move to escape Ji Qingyuan’s "clutches," she heard a light cough from the person who had reached the second floor. When she looked up, he pointed to his watch.
Ji Linyu: "Decide on a time and let me know."
Zhu Xinyue knew he was referring to the cooking matter, so she nodded and watched him return to his room.
When she turned back to look at Ji Qingyuan beside her, she found him staring at her with a strange expression.
"A-Yue, you’re not really falling for my brother, are you?" Ji Qingyuan asked.