He only heard the other person say "you tonight," and then Shen Mianyin quickly hung up the phone.
Was there another man beside Shen Mianyin?
Was she... in a relationship?
Lin Jinshen vaguely recognized the man's voice, but because it was through the phone, the sound wasn't clear, so he couldn't make out who it was.
Although Shen Mianyin had already hung up, she still unconsciously covered her phone and turned her head to say, "I hadn't hung up yet. Why did you speak?"
"Sorry," Gu Huaizhi said with an apologetic expression. "I just saw you put down your phone and thought you had already hung up."
Shen Mianyin: "..."
Gu Huaizhi spoke so seriously and sincerely that she felt embarrassed to blame him any further.
She even started to think that her reaction just now might have been a bit excessive.
He hadn't done it on purpose.
"I..." Shen Mianyin said with her head lowered, "Sorry, I overreacted. I shouldn't have blamed you."
"It's okay."
Shen Mianyin: "..."
After a while, Shen Mianyin finally realized something.
Wait, how did it turn into her apologizing?
Shen Mianyin suddenly remembered that she hadn't sent her address to Lin Jinshen yet.
Every time she's with Gu Huaizhi, she easily forgets things.
Shen Mianyin sent her address to Lin Jinshen.
Lin Jinshen calculated the travel time from Shen Mianyin's place to the airport and said, "I'll wait for you downstairs at your place at 7:30 tomorrow morning."
Lin Jinshen was still hesitant and didn't know how to ask Shen Mianyin about the man beside her.
He also couldn't ask Lin Wanran about it.
Lin Wanran would definitely go ask Shen Mianyin and sell him out in the process.
Lin Jinshen sighed and decided that when he saw Shen Mianyin tomorrow, he would see if he could find a chance to bring it up casually, as if by accident.
Gu Huaizhi and Shen Mianyin rode the elevator. When they reached his floor, Gu Huaizhi didn't get out.
Shen Mianyin looked at Gu Huaizhi in surprise. Without her even having to say anything, Gu Huaizhi could understand her questioning look.
"Didn't you say before that eating alone is a waste and actively invited me to eat with you?" Gu Huaizhi said very seriously, even with a hint of questioning.
What?
Could it be that he was just saying it for show?
Shen Mianyin: "..."
Before, she treated Gu Huaizhi as a friend and genuinely wanted to thank him, which is why she invited him.
But now... now their relationship isn't... hasn't it become a little different?
She simply couldn't treat Gu Huaizhi as just a friend anymore, like she used to.
"Moreover, you also said you wanted to specifically thank me," Gu Huaizhi added.
One boomerang after another was thrown at her by Gu Huaizhi, leaving Shen Mianyin no choice but to nod and say, "Okay."
And so, Gu Huaizhi followed Shen Mianyin home.
"Since it's just the two of us, let's make something simple," Gu Huaizhi said, rolling up his sleeves as he entered the kitchen.
Shen Mianyin quickly said, "I said before that I wanted to thank you. Let's do it tonight. Don't lift a finger, I'll take care of it."
Gu Huaizhi looked at Shen Mianyin, making her feel a little guilty.
Was she being too eager to keep her distance from him?
"Alright," Gu Huaizhi finally nodded slowly. "If you need any help, just let me know."
"Mmm, mmm," Shen Mianyin replied hastily and went into the kitchen.
Being alone in the kitchen finally allowed her to breathe a small sigh of relief.
But to her surprise, Gu Huaizhi simply had a meal and didn't say anything more about the two of them.
The next day, Shen Mianyin got up early, got ready, and waited for Lin Jinshen to arrive.
Before long, she received a call from the security guard, who, after confirming her identity, let Lin Jinshen in.
Estimating that it was about time, Shen Mianyin picked up her bag and went out.
Shen Mianyin entered the elevator, and just as it descended one floor, the elevator stopped.
The elevator doors opened, and as expected, she saw Gu Huaizhi standing outside.
"Morning," Gu Huaizhi said as he stepped into the elevator.
"Good morning, what a coincidence..." Shen Mianyin said with a forced laugh.
How could she have run into him in the elevator?
Gu Huaizhi thought to himself, Not a coincidence at all.
He had been waiting in front of the elevator all morning.
He had pressed the down button countless times.
Each time the doors opened and no one was inside, he continued to wait.
When the elevator reached the ground floor and Shen Mianyin exited, she discovered that Gu Huaizhi had also followed her out.
"This is the ground floor." Gu Huaizhi's car should be parked in the underground parking garage.
"The car broke down and is being repaired at the dealership," Gu Huaizhi said.
Shen Mianyin: "...Didn't I just ride in your car last night? It was fine."
Gu Huaizhi: "...It broke down in the middle of the night."
Shen Mianyin: "..."
The two of them exited together and saw Lin Jinshen standing in front of his car.
Seeing Shen Mianyin and Gu Huaizhi come out together, Lin Jinshen was greatly shocked.
"Mianyin, President Gu, you two..." How could they be coming out together?
They couldn't possibly be living together, could they?
Lin Jinshen's heart seemed to skip a beat. In just a few seconds, he couldn't help but start recalling the interactions between Gu Huaizhi and Shen Mianyin.
Shen Mianyin's voice reached his ears: "It's a coincidence, President Gu and I are neighbors."
"Is that so?" Lin Jinshen, however, did not feel relieved.
"President Lin is going to the airport to pick up Mr. Smith, correct?" Gu Huaizhi asked.
"Yes," Lin Jinshen replied with a smile and a nod.
"That's perfect, I'm going there too," Gu Huaizhi said.
Shen Mianyin: "..."
Lin Jinshen couldn't possibly say no to Gu Huaizhi, so he could only agree.
Then, they saw Gu Huaizhi already opening the back door of his car and getting in.
Shen Mianyin felt awkward making Lin Jinshen her driver. It wouldn't be right if she also sat in the back.
So, she went to open the front passenger door.
Gu Huaizhi narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Director Shen wants to sit in the front?"
"Yes," Shen Mianyin explained, "It wouldn't be right to make President Lin look like a driver."
"You're right," Gu Huaizhi nodded. "It was inconsiderate of me. However, it's also inappropriate for me to sit alone in the back."
Lin Jinshen: "..."
Was Gu Huaizhi usually like this?
Gu Huaizhi then got out of the car again: "I'll sit in the front. Director Shen, you can sit in the back."
Shen Mianyin: "..."
"Hehe," Shen Mianyin gave two dry laughs. Under Gu Huaizhi's gaze, she had no choice but to stiffly get into the back seat.
Gu Huaizhi closed the car door for her and then got into the front passenger seat himself.
Lin Jinshen: "..."
What was going on this morning?
With Gu Huaizhi present, Lin Jinshen didn't have a chance to ask whose voice he had heard on the phone last night.
But for some reason, Lin Jinshen inexplicably suspected it was Gu Huaizhi's.
But he also felt it was unlikely.
How could Gu Huaizhi have left work together with Shen Mianyin?
"I didn't expect President Gu and Mianyin to be neighbors," Lin Jinshen said as he drove.
"She wants to avoid suspicion," Gu Huaizhi said nonchalantly.
Lin Jinshen: "..."
Wait, you're just a neighbor. What suspicion does she need to avoid?
Lin Jinshen looked at Shen Mianyin in the rearview mirror and said, "Why didn't Mianyin tell me about this?"
Shen Mianyin didn't know how to explain, but Gu Huaizhi spoke up, "She doesn't really like to talk about her private matters."
Lin Jinshen: "..."
Why do you talk as if you know Shen Mianyin very well?
"It seems President Gu and Mianyin are quite familiar," Lin Jinshen said stiffly.