Chapter 49
Lin Zheng was very curious about what kind of idea Wu Yu could come up with.
He looked at Wu Yu with expectant eyes.
Wu Yu lowered his long eyelashes slightly, gazing at Lin Zheng’s sparkling eyes. His lips moved almost imperceptibly, stopping the words that were about to come out.
The first time Wu Yu saw Lin Zheng, his feelings were just as he had described to him back then. But later, when he recalled that first meeting, the moment their eyes met, something more seemed to have taken root in his heart.
He knew very well what it was.
Wu Yu didn’t have a particularly good impression of Gu Lin, the man by Lin Zheng’s side, but he didn’t dislike him either. It was just that they both stood in the same position, which made him feel that he and that man could never get along.
Everyone has a selfish side, a desire to outdo their rivals.
But Lin Zheng’s eyes seemed to have a magical quality. When he was being looked at by those eyes, the small bit of impurity that had tainted his heart felt as if it were being washed away by a gentle rain, gradually cleansed.
That man meant nothing to him, but it was clear that he held an important place in Lin Zheng’s heart.
Even though Lin Zheng himself didn’t seem to be fully aware of it, that was the truth.
Faced with that pure, trusting gaze, Wu Yu found he couldn’t say what he had originally intended.
His lips parted slightly, and he said earnestly, “How about preparing a handmade gift for him?”
Lin Zheng blinked.
Wu Yu continued, “Gifts aren’t exclusively for celebrating special moments. You can give someone a gift anytime, even if it’s not to celebrate anything. Since he doesn’t lack anything material, a gift filled with your heartfelt sentiments would be far more valuable than an expensive one bought with a lot of money. Such gifts are usually priceless.”
When Wu Yu first suggested a gift, Lin Zheng thought he was joking. But after hearing his explanation, Lin Zheng realized it made sense. After all, you don’t only give gifts on someone’s birthday.
He just had to avoid mentioning the word “birthday.” If Gu Lin asked, he could just say it was a spur-of-the-moment thing.
Suddenly, Lin Zheng felt that Wu Yu’s idea was much more reliable than Yan Yang’s.
But what kind of gift would be filled with heartfelt sentiment?
Looking at the dazzling array of paintings before him, an idea struck Lin Zheng. He asked Wu Yu, “What if I paint a picture for him myself?”
Although Lin Zheng wasn’t a professional, he could manage to create a painting that wasn’t too ugly. He didn’t think his art was particularly valuable, but he could capture the image of Gu Lin in his mind.
He wanted to put the moment he “first” met Gu Lin, the moment he fell for him, onto paper. He wanted to give that moment meaning, because it was the instant his own existence felt justified, the instant he truly became himself again.
It was a secret that existed only between him and Gu Lin.
Seeing the smile on Lin Zheng’s face, Wu Yu’s own lips slowly curved upward.
Is he really that happy?
Wu Yu replied to Lin Zheng, “Of course, you can. There’s nothing more moving than completely revealing your heart to someone.”
Lin Zheng suddenly thought about the time constraint. He asked Wu Yu, “But I only have less than four days left. Is that enough time?”
Wu Yu thought about it seriously. “That depends on the complexity of your work… But to be honest, four days is indeed a bit tight.”
Even Wu Yu thought the timeline was tight. But for now, Lin Zheng couldn’t think of any better ideas, nor could he think of a gift that would be more filled with his feelings.
He might as well give it a try.
He would do his best to finish it in four days.
Just as he was thinking, Lin Zheng received a call from Assistant Shen.
He was surprised. He only ever got calls from Assistant Shen when he was still working at Gu Lin’s company, and it was usually about work. For personal matters, Assistant Shen always contacted Gu Lin directly.
Could something have happened to Gu Lin? Is he unreachable? Lin Zheng grew anxious.
He quickly answered the phone. “Assistant Shen? What’s wrong? Can’t you get in touch with Gu Lin?”
Assistant Shen said something on the other end. Lin Zheng held his phone and looked around, then glanced toward the door. “Huh? You see me? Oh, not yet. I see. Okay, send me your location.”
After hanging up, Lin Zheng received the location from Assistant Shen.
“Is something wrong?” Wu Yu asked.
Lin Zheng nodded. “Sorry, a friend is looking for me. I have to go.”
Lin Zheng had already been helping out at Wu Yu’s for most of the day. Wu Yu had wanted to treat him to a meal to thank him, but now something had come up, and he had to leave early.
There were still many guests in the exhibition hall. Wu Yu offered to see him out, but Lin Zheng refused, waving goodbye and leaving on his own.
Lin Zheng looked at the location Assistant Shen had sent. It was a Western restaurant in the same building, just on a different floor.
He quickly found the restaurant and went inside.
A formally dressed waiter came to greet him and asked for his reservation time. He gave Gu Lin’s name and was immediately led inside.
The restaurant was decorated in warm orange tones, with an atmosphere and environment that exuded luxury. The temperature was perfectly controlled; Lin Zheng even saw several women in elegant, strapless gowns dining gracefully.
He was led to a quiet spot in the back of the restaurant.
Gu Lin was already seated, his eyes fixed on Lin Zheng as he walked toward him.
Being stared at like that made Lin Zheng feel like a child who had done something wrong, even though he hadn’t done anything.
After sitting down, he asked the man across from him, “Assistant Shen said you needed to see me about something. What is it?”
Gu Lin sat opposite him, silent, just watching him.
Lin Zheng awkwardly ran a hand through his hair. “Stop staring at me like that,” he mumbled. “You’re making me feel like I did something wrong.”
Gu Lin finally averted his gaze slightly. “Were you with Wu Yu just now?”
Lin Zheng nodded honestly. “Yeah, his studio opened today, and he invited me.”
Gu Lin looked at him, nodded, and then signaled the waiter to bring the food.
“Didn’t you say you had something to tell me? What happened?” Lin Zheng asked.
“Can’t I ask you out if there’s nothing wrong?” Gu Lin retorted.
Lin Zheng felt that Gu Lin’s tone was a bit strange.
No, it was more than that. Gu Lin himself seemed strange.
Gu Lin wasn’t the type to call him out for no reason, using a fake excuse.
To be precise, Gu Lin was never that idle.
Lin Zheng propped his chin on his hands, frowning theatrically. “Gu Lin, be honest with me. Are you hiding something from me?”
Gu Lin froze, looking up at him. “Me?”
Lin Zheng nodded. Gu Lin wouldn’t be acting so strange unless he had done something out of the ordinary.
Gu Lin looked somewhat helpless. He looked at Lin Zheng sitting across from him, at his slightly furrowed brows, frustrated that he was turning the tables on him.
The food arrived quickly.
Everything placed in front of Lin Zheng was his favorite.
“Let’s eat first,” Gu Lin said. “I have to get back to work this afternoon.”
Lin Zheng felt more and more that something was off.
He was a straightforward person. When he didn’t know something, he had to find out immediately, no matter what.
Gu Lin was the one who had called him out, and he was the one who had piqued his curiosity. Gu Lin had to take responsibility.
He wasn’t going to let it go.
“No!”
Under Lin Zheng’s intense questioning, Gu Lin finally gave in.
“Fine, I’ll be direct…” Gu Lin put down his knife and fork, then looked up, his gaze meeting Lin Zheng’s determined eyes. He spoke slowly, “I don’t like… you seeing Wu Yu.”
Lin Zheng’s expression changed.
Gu Lin hadn’t intended to say it out loud. Once he did, it would make him seem selfish. Lin Zheng loved his freedom, and he was doing his best to build a world with enough freedom for him. But once that world became vast enough, cracks would appear, places he couldn’t reach.
Wu Yu had slipped through one of those cracks.
He shouldn’t interfere with Lin Zheng’s social life, but he couldn’t just stand by and watch Lin Zheng get close to someone who had similar feelings for him. Gu Lin was a very possessive person, whether it was with people or things. He had already made enough concessions for Lin Zheng, but even so, he was still very dissatisfied with the current situation.
Lin Zheng wasn’t exactly naive, but compared to Wu Yu, he was clearly no match.
He was afraid Wu Yu would play tricks, afraid Lin Zheng would be won over by him, afraid Lin Zheng would be moved by him, afraid… that Wu Yu would take his place.
The thought of it all made Gu Lin feel very childish.
So childish that, upon learning that Lin Zheng was with Wu Yu, he had dropped his work without a second thought and called him out, for the sole purpose of separating them.
Gu Lin had never been so childish. In his twenty-plus years of life, he had always been unrestrained, with everything under his control.
But Lin Zheng’s appearance had shattered all of that. He had not only barged into his life but had also disrupted all his rules.
Like a snowflake appearing in summer—a snowflake he couldn’t let go of, couldn’t bear to part with, couldn’t neglect.
“I really… am helpless when it comes to you,” Gu Lin said.
Lin Zheng blushed and slowly lowered his head. He now understood that the problem wasn’t with Gu Lin, but with himself.
He understood that Gu Lin had misunderstood his relationship with Wu Yu.
He also understood why Gu Lin had insisted on going with him to meet Wu Yu, and why he had been so hostile from the moment he saw him.
At the time, Lin Zheng had thought they just had clashing personalities. He never imagined he was the reason for the tension between them.
He raised his head and scratched the back of his neck, explaining awkwardly, “Um, my relationship with Wu Yu isn’t what you think. I told you, right? He’s close to me because he was inspired by my encouragement back then.”
Honestly, if he were in the same situation, he could understand. If someone affirmed him when he was at his lowest, he would also develop a fondness for that person. But it wasn’t the “love” kind of fondness; it was more like gratitude.
Because he understood, he didn’t think there was anything wrong with Wu Yu being close to him.
But he never expected it to look completely different in Gu Lin’s eyes.
“If it were just gratitude, he wouldn’t always be looking at you with those eyes,” Gu Lin said.
“Eyes?” Lin Zheng was curious. “The way he looks at me… what kind of look is it?”
“Look at me.”
At his words, Lin Zheng looked up into Gu Lin’s beautiful eyes.
The eyes that were usually calm and composed at work now held a ripple of emotion, along with a sprinkle of tenderness. It was a mixture of longing and adoration, with something unreadable hidden in their depths.
“The way I look at you is the way he looks at you.”
It dawned on Lin Zheng.
He understood.
But he didn’t say it. Gu Lin’s and Wu Yu’s gazes were definitely different. Because, sometimes, the way Gu Lin looked at him made him blush.
Lin Zheng coughed, covering his hot face.
Thankfully, the lighting here was dim, so it wouldn’t betray his reddened cheeks.
Gu Lin didn’t notice his blush. He sighed softly. “I know it’s hard to ask you not to see him. Forget it. Just pretend I was talking nonsense. Let’s eat.”
Lin Zheng, still half-covering his face, mumbled, “I get it.”
Gu Lin, who was about to pick up his knife and fork, looked up again.
Lin Zheng propped his hands on the table, covering his face, his ears red. “I completely understand now. I can’t promise I won’t see him at all, but I’ll be more careful in the future. If… if you think what I’m doing is meaningful, then… knock on the table to let me know.”
A flash of surprise crossed Gu Lin’s eyes.
Then, his gaze slowly softened.
He raised his hand and tapped the table twice, slowly.
Receiving Gu Lin’s response, Lin Zheng nodded, his heart pounding.
He slightly curled the fingers resting on his forehead.
However, just as he was about to lower his hands, something warm and soft gently pressed against the back of his hand.
Author’s Note: Darlings, today’s update is early~
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