Chapter 59
In an instant, something seemed to strike Lin Zheng’s soft heart. A wave of warmth flowed from his chest and into his body.
“Gu Lin…”
“Your life, your path, should be chosen by you. My feelings for you are not a reason to bind you.” Gu Lin smiled slightly. “So, you can keep your vacation. If you want to come back, you can come back anytime.”
He seemed to remember something. Gu Lin coughed, and his tone became a little more serious. “But don’t go to my dad’s company. No matter where you work, it’s all the same. The benefits I give you will definitely not be worse than what he gives you.”
Lin Zheng couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Hahaha, are you afraid my uncle will steal me away from you? Hahaha…”
As Lin Zheng was laughing, he heard Gu Lin say, “What if I said yes? Would it make you change your mind?”
“Are you sure you want me to change my mind right now?” Lin Zheng asked with a smile.
Gu Lin moved his hand from Lin Zheng’s head to his face and flicked away a snowflake from the tip of his nose. “Just in case you say I didn’t warn you, my dad loves to play golf. As his close friend, if you want to spend your spare time playing golf with him, then go to his company. Don’t worry, I won’t stop you.”
Hearing this, Lin Zheng immediately stopped laughing.
No, he couldn’t laugh anymore.
Gu Lin smiled, took his hand back, and walked toward the car first.
“Hey, wait for me.” Lin Zheng quickly followed him and said to Gu Lin’s back, “I won’t go. I won’t go to my uncle’s company. I want to go back to your place, Gu Lin, I want to go back to your place.”
A week later, Lin Zheng, whose cold had fully recovered, put on a suit and returned to the company.
When they saw him, his colleagues who were close to him all gathered around, asking where he had been, why he had suddenly resigned, and if his boss had bullied him.
Lin Zheng smiled and explained the reason for his departure. To be honest, no one would have believed him, so he made up a story about a friend he had known since childhood who lived far away and had a terminal illness. After finding out, he couldn’t bear to leave him alone, so he went to spend his last days with him.
As for why he was back now, it was because everything was a misunderstanding. His friend didn’t actually have a terminal illness; he was just misdiagnosed by the doctor.
After listening, everyone around him breathed a sigh of relief for Lin Zheng’s friend.
Lin Zheng thought to himself, I’m sorry, my friend who is far away.
“It’s great that he’s okay.”
“It’s also great that you’re back.”
“You’ve been a great help to the company.”
Lin Zheng said humbly, “The company is the same with or without me. I’m just one person; I don’t make a big difference.”
One of them quickly said, “No, no, no, you are a big help!”
Lin Zheng: “?”
Another person lowered their voice and said softly, “Lin Zheng, you don’t know what the atmosphere in the company was like when you were gone.”
Another person chimed in, “Yeah, yeah, I didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly during that time.”
“President Gu was like a different person during that time. He was so scary.”
“Just being looked at by him felt suffocating.”
“President Gu wasn’t like that before.”
“President Gu still felt a bit distant before, but at least he didn’t give off that terrifying aura.”
“But it got a bit better later. President Gu went on a business trip for a while, and when he came back, he seemed to slowly return to his old self.”
“They all say that President Gu was like that because of a problem at work, but what problem could possibly stump him? During that terrifying time, President Gu won several projects that were worth at least a hundred million each without even leaving his office. Everyone in the company is saying that President Gu became like that because of your sudden resignation. To be honest, I also think it’s a bit unlikely, but there’s no other reason we can think of. And the timing also happens to coincide with your resignation. Lin Zheng, please tell us, what did you do to President Gu?”
Lin Zheng was stunned.
He had no idea that because of his decision, something like that had happened.
He also didn’t expect that his departure would have such a big impact on Gu Lin.
Lin Zheng glanced at Gu Lin’s office, took a deep breath, stood up, and said to the others, “Sorry, I have to go for a moment.” He then walked toward the office.
There was a separate pantry in Gu Lin’s office. When Lin Zheng walked in, Gu Lin was working. Lin Zheng poured a glass of water, and as he was about to place it on Gu Lin’s desk, he happened to meet Gu Lin’s eyes.
Gu Lin saw the hot water in the cup and was wondering why it wasn’t coffee when Lin Zheng spoke, “Since you don’t plan on working overtime tonight, you shouldn’t drink coffee. It’s better for you to drink hot water during the winter.”
Lin Zheng said, placed the cup down, and was about to leave when his hand, which he had not had time to take back, was held by Gu Lin.
Gu Lin’s warmth was transferred through Lin Zheng’s bare wrist. His palm was the warmest, and his fingers, although not very warm, were very firm.
Feeling a warmth that wasn’t his own, Lin Zheng’s cheeks grew a little warmer.
“If you have nothing to do outside, just stay here and keep me company.”
“President Gu, it’s work hours right now.”
“I mean, keep me company while I work.” A hint of a smile appeared in Gu Lin’s eyes. “I hope Assistant Lin didn’t misunderstand something else.”
Lin Zheng tried not to let his cheeks turn too red. He said with a straight face, “Then I’ll have to ask President Gu to let go of my hand first.”
Gu Lin smiled and let go.
Lin Zheng took a few steps and sat down on the sofa not far from the desk. He lifted his chin and said to Gu Lin, “Then I’ll stay here on standby. If you need anything, just tell me.”
Gu Lin said nothing. He just tapped the right side of his desk.
Lin Zheng understood what Gu Lin meant.
He had no choice but to move the armchair and sit down on the right side of Gu Lin’s desk.
Gu Lin looked at the person so close to him with a satisfied expression.
Lin Zheng was wearing a neat suit, and his tie was perfectly tied. Even his hair was carefully styled. He looked like a serious professional, but a faint blush could be seen on his cheeks.
But no matter how faint, how could it escape Gu Lin’s eyes?
“Assistant Lin, were you sneaking snacks during work hours?”
“No, no,” Assistant Lin, who had just sneaked a small cake, stammered.
“Oh, is that so? Then why is there something on the corner of your mouth?”
“Huh? What is it?” Lin Zheng panicked and quickly raised his hand to his mouth.
“Don’t move.” Gu Lin leaned closer, and in a low voice, he took Lin Zheng’s hand away. With his other hand, he used his thumb to gently wipe the corner of Lin Zheng’s mouth twice.
Lin Zheng, afraid of being caught, didn’t even dare to breathe.
But after a while, Lin Zheng suddenly noticed something was off.
Gu Lin’s hand was wiping his mouth, and then it started to wipe his ear?
And…
“Hmm…”
Gu Lin’s fingers gently rubbed his earlobe.
A shiver went down Lin Zheng’s body from the skin under Gu Lin’s fingertips.
Lin Zheng’s cheeks quickly turned red.
Gu Lin looked at the person whose cheeks and ears had turned red, and he smiled. “Ah, I must have been mistaken. It seems Assistant Lin wasn’t sneaking snacks.”
At the company, no snacks were allowed to be eaten during work hours, except during afternoon tea.
Knowing that he had been played with, Lin Zheng abandoned the professional relationship he was supposed to have with Gu Lin and yelled, “Gu Lin!”
“Hahahaha, I’m here.”
“You’re at work right now!”
“I know, but my work is done for now.”
“…”
“I know, I won’t tease you anymore.” Gu Lin slowly stopped smiling and looked at the person who was now sitting on his body because he wanted revenge. He leaned back in his boss’s chair and placed a hand on the armrest. “Then Assistant Lin, shouldn’t you get off me first?”
Realizing his current situation, Lin Zheng’s face turned even redder.
He quickly pulled his leg away from Gu Lin’s thigh and let go of Gu Lin’s tie. He then moved a big step back, keeping a safe distance from Gu Lin. Gu Lin watched him with amusement.
Lin Zheng’s face was as red as a cooked shrimp.
“I’ll just wait outside.” Lin Zheng said and was about to leave.
“Assistant Lin, do you have any plans after work?”
Lin Zheng turned around, “No, my personal time belongs to me, and…” Lin Zheng emphasized again, “It’s work hours, President Gu!”
“Is that so?” Gu Lin’s eyes were full of smiles. “So my little rabbit is so disciplined. Then I’ll ask you again when we get home.”
Lin Zheng couldn’t say anything. His face was red, and he walked out of the office with his fists clenched.
As soon as he left the office, he raised both hands and touched his face.
His skin felt incredibly hot.
This is not right. I’ve never been like this before.
Why is my face so red just because Gu Lin was joking around?
Something is not right, not at all.
At a coffee shop.
Seeing Lin Zheng staring blankly with his chin propped up, Yu Huanyuan waved a hand in front of him, “Zheng’er, what are you thinking about? Did you hear what I just said?”
Lin Zheng came back to his senses, said “Oh,” and said, “It’s nothing, I heard you. I heard everything.”
Yu Huanyuan suddenly sighed. Lin Zheng was puzzled.
Yu Huanyuan said, “When I couldn’t reach you a while ago, I thought something had happened to you. I asked around for your whereabouts, but after a few people, I still couldn’t find anything. I was so worried. But it’s good that you’re back now. As long as you’re okay, everything is good.”
Yu Huanyuan was the first friend Lin Zheng had met here, and he was also his best friend. Lin Zheng felt a bit guilty for leaving without telling him, and he also felt a bit touched. “Thank you, Huanyuan.”
Yu Huanyuan laughed heartily, “No need for a verbal thank you. Just treat me to dinner next time.”
“Okay, I promise. It’s a deal.”
The two of them smiled at each other.
Thinking about what Yu Huanyuan had said, Lin Zheng stirred the juice in his cup and asked, “By the way, what about that girl you just told me about?” Lin Zheng asked gossipily, “Are you two officially together?”
Yu Huanyuan had just told him about what had been happening with him recently and said he seemed to have met the one.
When the girl was mentioned, Yu Huanyuan looked a bit shy. “Actually, we met through a blind date. A blind date is just an arrangement by our parents. At first, I wasn’t interested in that kind of marriage arrangement and was a bit against it. But after spending time with her, I found myself slowly being attracted to her. It had nothing to do with her parents or her background. I realized I had fallen in love with her, and now we are officially dating.”
Lin Zheng was happy for Yu Huanyuan, seeing the joy and happiness in his eyes when he talked about the girl.
It’s not easy to meet someone you like, and it’s even harder to meet someone you have a mutual feeling with.
Lin Zheng was suddenly curious, “When did you realize you were attracted to her?”
Yu Huanyuan didn’t hide anything and said with a reminiscent tone, “At first, our relationship was just like friends. We respected each other’s hobbies and cared for each other. I just thought there was nothing like love between us. Until one time, I saw her and another guy going into a mall together.” When he said this, Yu Huanyuan couldn’t help but laugh. “And then, I didn’t expect to feel so jealous, as if I had just knocked over a vinegar jar. It was pouring out. From that moment on, I realized my feelings for her were more than just friendship.”
“To be honest, emotions are insignificant when you haven’t realized them, but once you do, they become a spark that can start a wildfire. It’s uncontrollable.”
“When I saw her again, I became even more sure that my feelings for her were more than just friendship, so I directly confessed to her. At that time, her feelings for me were still a bit blurry, but that didn’t conflict with my feelings for her.”
“When I realized I had fallen for her, I became unlike myself.”
“When I don’t see her, I miss her. I keep wondering when I’ll be able to see her again. And when I do see her, just a simple smile or a simple emotion from her would make me so happy. My heart would beat so fast, and my face would turn red and hot. Everything would only be about her.”
After hearing all that, Lin Zheng was stunned.
“The details I never noticed before all became clear after I fell for her. For example, she likes to put a little bit of sugar in her oolong tea, and my emotions are always affected by her every move.”
Yu Huanyuan smiled and said, “Slowly, you’ll find that falling in love with someone is like falling in love with a whole new world.”
Lin Zheng tightened his grip on the cup in his hand, and his eyes were filled with a hint of disbelief.
Seeing him with other men would make me jealous, his simple actions would make my face turn red, and I would also notice details I never noticed before.
From the moment Yu Huanyuan started talking, many images from his past with Gu Lin started to appear in his mind.
And Gu Lin’s face.
Is this…
He looked at Yu Huanyuan, his eyes wide with a desire for confirmation. “Is this… falling in love?”
Recommended Reads
![I Can See Esports Players’ Attribute Entries [Transmigration]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/see-215x300.jpg)
![[ABO] After Accidental Marking, I Became Everyone’s Darling](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ABO-225x300.jpeg)