"Assistant Zhang," Feng Lin interrupted him, his voice icy. "Do you think you're the only smart one?"
The assistant instantly fell silent. "Sorry, sir. I shouldn't have made unfounded remarks."
"Also, keep today's matter to yourself. If Miss Yu finds out you investigated her..."
He didn't finish, but the ferocity in his eyes said it all.
"I'll never let the madam know." God! It wasn't his intention to investigate!
"Keep your mouth shut, and your year - end bonus will be doubled."
"Don't worry, sir." I'll always be your most loyal assistant!
After the assistant left, the study returned to silence, and Feng Lin finally let out a sigh of relief.
It turned out to be a false alarm!
As for who that woman was, why the factory building collapsed, and even what Yu had done that day... none of these mattered.
His Yu had grown up in an orphanage since childhood, enduring a great deal of hardship.
If she didn't have some sharp edges, who knew how much more bullying she would have to endure. She must be hiding a past that he knew nothing about.
But so what?
Those were the thorns she had to grow in the days before he came into her life.
What he had to do was not to pluck those thorns or to inquire about the past he had missed, but to stand firmly behind her.
---
Su Xianyu had been a bit annoyed lately.
She shouldn't have overlooked the fact that a love - starved and stubborn person is most addicted to passionate and obvious affection.
After all, she herself had once felt this way.
Feng Lin had always been gentle and considerate in front of her, almost making her forget that he was a potential yandere.
So she took the opportunity to give the servants in Feng's mansion a few days off. It would be better to cultivate their relationship when they were alone together～
They prepared dinner together, and occasionally did some housework. There was no deliberate romance between them, but intimacy was everywhere.
In the afternoon, there were some matters in the company, and Feng Lin planned to go out.
"Then finish your work quickly," Su Xianyu leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I'll miss you."
Feng Lin tried hard to suppress the upturned corner of his mouth and nodded coolly. "Yeah, me too."
"What?"
"I'll miss you..."
Seeming a bit embarrassed, he quickly left after saying that.
Su Xianyu watched his somewhat hasty back and smiled silently.
After confirming that Feng Lin had left completely, she called Xiaoshuang from the flower shop.
After making sure there was nothing wrong in the shop, she nestled alone in the home theater to watch a movie.
As the sky gradually darkened, thunder suddenly rumbled outside. Big raindrops pounded on the glass, making a crackling sound.
She had just stood up when the floor lamp in the living room suddenly flickered and went out.
The whole house was instantly plunged into darkness. Only the lightning outside the window occasionally illuminated the outline of the room.
Su Xianyu instinctively shrank her shoulders, and her fingertips felt a bit cold.
She had been very afraid of the dark when she was a child, especially thunder.
In the orphanage before, on thunderous nights, she always hid under the bed and covered her head with a quilt, not daring to come out until dawn.
She fumbled for her phone. Her fingertips were a bit shaky as she dialed Feng Lin's number.
"Hello?" His voice came through the receiver, with a hint of work - related solemnity, but it instantly made her feel a bit more at ease.
"A Lin..." Su Xianyu's voice trembled a bit. "The power is out at home. It's so dark..."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by the sudden stop of keyboard - typing sounds.
"Don't be afraid. I'll ask Assistant Zhang to go and check. He should be nearby."
"No," she immediately refused, her voice tinged with grievance. "I don't want anyone else to come. I only want you."
This time, the sound of someone getting up and the rustling of a coat came from the other end of the phone.
"Stay put and lock the door. I'm coming back now. I'll be there in twenty minutes."
"Okay." She sniffled. "Drive slowly. The road is slippery when it's raining."
"Don't worry."
After hanging up the phone, Su Xianyu sat on the sofa, hugging her phone.
In the darkness, her eyes became much clearer. The panic and fear from before faded away, leaving only a complex emotion.
In fact, she wasn't that afraid of the dark after growing up. When she stood up just now, she saw that the main switch had tripped, and she could have easily turned it back on herself.
But thinking of Feng Lin, she felt she should do something to let him know that she needed him, badly.
Fifteen minutes later, the sound of the door lock turning came.
Su Xianyu immediately stood up from the sofa and ran towards the door.
As soon as Feng Lin entered the door, he was embraced by a soft body. "A Lin!"
He quickly reached out to catch her. "Scared?"
"Yeah." She buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled. "The thunder was so loud just now. I didn't dare to move alone."
"The main switch might have tripped. I'll go turn it back on."
"No," Su Xianyu tightened her arms around his neck, not letting him go. "Hug me for a while longer. I haven't calmed down yet."
Feng Lin felt the person in his arms trembling slightly. He didn't know if it was from fear or cold.
He undid his buttons and wrapped her in his arms.
"Next time when the power goes out, turn the main switch back on first. Got it?"
"I don't know where it is." Su Xianyu said confidently. "I don't understand anything about the house. You know that."
Feng Lin couldn't help but smile.
This house was decorated by them together. Yu knew better than anyone where everything was placed. How could she not know where the main switch was?
But he didn't expose her. "Yeah, I haven't taught you. I'll teach you later. Then you won't be afraid in the future."
"I don't want to learn," Su Xianyu looked up at him. Her almond - shaped eyes sparkled in the dim light.
"Why should I learn these things when you're here? When you're not around, I'll just wait for you to come back. Anyway, you'll always come back, right?"
Feng Lin felt his heart ache and soften at the same time. He slowly lowered his head...
When the lights came back on, Su Xianyu blinked. Seeing the face so close, her ear tips suddenly turned red. She pushed him. "The lights are on."
But Feng Lin didn't let go. Instead, he hugged her even tighter. "Yu."
"Hmm?"
"Tell me everything from now on, no matter what happens, okay? Don't bear it alone."
Su Xianyu's body stiffened for a moment, then relaxed. She reached out and wrapped her arms around his back, gently patting him as if soothing an injured large dog.
"I'm not bearing it alone. Look, I came to you as soon as something happened, didn't I?"
"Don't think too much." She paused, her eyes serious and dependent. "A Lin, you're the only one for me."
You're the only one.
These three words instantly smoothed out all the wrinkles in Feng Lin's heart.
"A Lin, you should also discuss things with me when something happens. Don't make decisions secretly in the name of being good for me and leave me alone, okay?"
"Okay." He replied in a low voice, hugging his lover even tighter.
This strong sense of being needed made the love in his heart burn more and more vigorously. This time, the palpitation was clearer and more profound than ever.
He knew that Yu might be acting coquettishly or even deliberately showing weakness, but he just fell for it.
Love is, after all, a sober kind of sinking.
He just loved how Yu relied on him and how there was only his figure in her eyes.
"I won't leave you alone," Feng Lin said in a low voice, gently resting his chin on the top of her head. "Never."
[Announcement: Congratulations to the supporting actress Su Xianyu. Her strategy progress and reward amount have been promoted to the top supporting actress. She is about to enter the final challenge stage. If successful, she will be promoted to the new leading actress...]