Chapter 3
Chapter 3
For the month after that day, everything was calm.
Fu Shiyu never brought up our chance encounter on the terrace, and his attitude toward me at work remained unchanged.
I completed every interpreting assignment and every document he needed, step by step, as usual.
Only Zhou Yun seemed to come looking for me a little more often.
Sometimes it was to pass along instructions that were hardly urgent. Sometimes it was to ask about a more natural translation for a technical term.
And when he looked at me, there was an almost imperceptible trace of scrutiny that hadn’t been there before.
I accepted it all without reaction, remaining respectful, professional, and beyond reproach.
Until that stormy night.
An international video conference dragged on late into the night. By the time it ended, it was nearly midnight.
Outside, lightning flashed and thunder rolled.
The other employees had long since gone home. On the top floor, only Fu Shiyu, who had just finished the meeting, Zhou Yun, who was always on standby, and I remained.
I organized the meeting minutes, sent them to Fu Shiyu’s email, and shut down my computer.
Just as I was about to leave, Zhou Yun hurried over.
“Miss Jiang, I’m sorry. The driver just called. There was a chain-reaction accident on the elevated road, and traffic is completely blocked. Even if he takes a detour, it’ll take him at least another hour to get here.”
He glanced at the curtain of rain pouring down outside.
“This rain doesn’t look like it’ll stop anytime soon, and getting a taxi will probably be difficult. CEO Fu said that if you don’t mind, you can ride with him. It’s on his way.”
On his way?
Fu Shiyu lived in an exclusive private residence in the east of the city, while I rented a place in the west. The two were practically on opposite ends of the capital.
What kind of “on his way” was that?
I lifted my eyes and looked not far away.
Fu Shiyu stood before the panoramic windows with his back to us, seemingly gazing at the city lights beyond the glass.
He had taken off his suit jacket and wore only a crisp white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his forearms.
“Then I’ll trouble CEO Fu,” I said, not refusing, accepting calmly.
Zhou Yun seemed to let out a breath of relief and quickly went to make arrangements.
When we reached the underground parking garage, the black Bentley was already running, parked steadily in its exclusive space.
Zhou Yun opened the rear door for me.
Fu Shiyu was already seated on the other side, his eyes closed as he rested.
“Address,” he said without opening his eyes.
I gave him the name of my residential complex.
There were only the two of us in the car. Rain hammered against the windows, cutting the world off outside.
At a red light, he suddenly spoke. “That painting from last time, Eclipse. What did you think of it?”
“Destruction and rebirth coexist,” I said. “The intensity of the colors is only the surface. It’s the process of burning, and also a cry of pain.”
“And you?” He turned his head. “What are you hiding beneath your surface?”
My heart skipped a beat, my fingertips digging into my palm.
His eyes were still closed, as if it had merely been a casual question.
Just then, the car jolted violently, followed by a dull thud.
The driver cursed under his breath and hurriedly pulled over.
“CEO Fu, we seem to have run over something. The tire blew.”
The rain was too heavy to make out the road conditions.
The driver got out into the rain to check, then quickly returned, soaked through.
“CEO Fu, the front left tire’s punctured. The spare is in the trunk. It’ll take a while to change.”
There was nothing in front of us and nothing behind us. This was a side road leading to where I lived.
Outside the window, there were only greenbelts swallowed by the downpour and a few dim streetlights in the distance.
Fu Shiyu’s brows furrowed slightly as he glanced out the window.
“Change it first.”
The driver took the tools and an umbrella, then rushed back into the rain.
Once again, only the two of us remained inside the car.