Chapter 48 - Picking Someone Up
Waking up the next day, Ji Linxue stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought for a good while.
Even now, he still felt a sense of unreality.
He subconsciously touched his cheek, a soft sensation seemed to linger there. After Gu Hengzhi said those words yesterday, he froze on the spot, stiff as a piece of wood.
Just a year abroad, how could things change so drastically?
If the person in front of him hadn't been so familiar, he would have thought someone was impersonating him to deliberately mock him.
Seeing him lower his head and stay silent, Gu Hengzhi didn't press. He just said, "You can think about it slowly, I'll wait for you."
His tone and demeanor were calm and at ease. At the time, Ji Linxue was too preoccupied to notice anything unusual, but looking back now, he caught a detail.
When Gu Hengzhi spoke, his face wasn't completely cold. When Ji Linxue looked up at him, he subconsciously straightened his body, and even the fingers hanging by his side trembled slightly.
Thinking of this, Ji Linxue felt surprised and a little amused in his heart. He didn't expect that Gu Hengzhi, like him, was also nervous.
After realizing this, his steady heartbeat gradually accelerated. Ji Linxue pursed his lips and decided to find something to do to avoid overthinking.
He had returned in a hurry yesterday and didn't have time to unpack. His suitcase was still untouched in the corner. He didn't bring much, except for personal clothing and toiletries, the rest were gifts for his friends. After sorting things out category by category, Ji Linxue held several gift bags and pushed open his bedroom door.
The living room was empty. Gu Hengzhi must have gone to work. The other two bedrooms were closed. After hesitating for a moment, Ji Linxue placed the gifts on the living room coffee table, where they would be visible as soon as one entered.
He spent the entire morning tidying up and also cleaned the entire apartment. Although there was a house cleaner who came regularly, he still preferred to do it himself.
Towards noon, there was a sudden knock on the door. Ji Linxue initially thought Gu Hengzhi had returned. He opened the door, however, to find a stranger standing at the entrance. The person introduced himself as Gu Hengzhi's life assistant, his face showing a gentle smile.
"Mr. Ji, my surname is Chen. Mr. Gu sent me to pick you up."
Ji Linxue frowned, "Pick me up?"
Assistant Chen looked down at his wrist, his voice gentle, "Do you need me to help you pack your luggage? You don't need to worry about daily necessities, they've already been prepared over there."
He acted as if he hadn't seen the confusion on Ji Linxue's face. Although his attitude was respectful, his movements were swift and decisive, "We have one hour."
"Where's Gu Hengzhi?"
"Mr. Gu is in a very important meeting, which will end in about half an hour. We will depart to meet him at the airport in one hour."
Ji Linxue opened his phone. Half an hour ago, Gu Hengzhi had sent him a message. At that time, he had just finished his chores and was taking a shower, so he didn't have his phone with him.
Since things had come to this, Ji Linxue could only obediently pack his luggage. Gu Hengzhi said he wanted to take him somewhere, but he hadn't specified the exact location.
He had to try to find out subtly, "Do you know where we're going?"
Assistant Chen shook his head helplessly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Ji, I'm not clear on the specifics. I'm just picking you up and taking you to the airport, I won't be traveling with you. Assistant Liu will be responsible for all the arrangements for this trip."
Assistant Liu? That should be Xiao Liu.
Ji Linxue nodded, accepting the arrangement. Fortunately, he didn't need to bring many things. With Assistant Chen helping, he quickly finished packing, only one small suitcase.
After getting into the car, Ji Linxue felt sleepiness surge over him. He had done housework all morning and was already a little tired. When Assistant Chen arrived, he was about to take a nap. It was also lunchtime, a time when people easily feel drowsy.
Within a few minutes, he fell into a deep sleep. The car drove smoothly, he didn't even know when it stopped.
Half-asleep, he thought he heard Gu Hengzhi's voice, seemingly talking to someone. A few minutes later, the car became quiet again.
In the silent car, all his senses were amplified. Ji Linxue felt someone sitting beside him, the person seemingly tracing his features with their gaze.
He deliberately twitched his eyelids, but the person remained unmoved.
"Gu Hengzhi," Ji Linxue opened his eyes and glanced outside the window, "Are we there? Why didn't you wake me up?"
"There's no rush, let you sleep a few more minutes," the man's long legs were crossed, his hands resting casually on his lap. He turned his head to look at him, "Didn't sleep well last night?"
"It was okay, I just wanted to sleep in the car."
"Had enough sleep?"
"Yeah."
"You can sleep a little more on the plane later."
The two tacitly avoided mentioning last night's confession. Ji Linxue took the wet wipes from him and wiped his face, asking, "Where are we going?"
"To find Shen Shaoyan and Lu Yu."
Ji Linxue hesitated, "...Didn't you say they were traveling in Africa?"
"You actually believed me when I said that casually?" Gu Hengzhi pinched his cheek and chuckled, "I was just teasing you."
This intimate action instantly broke the subtle balance. The atmosphere suddenly became silent. Gu Hengzhi silently withdrew his hand, "Let's go, it's time to leave."
"Okay."
Getting out of the car, Ji Linxue saw Xiao Liu waiting not far away. He was pushing two suitcases. One was his, and the other should be Gu Hengzhi's, a simple grey style.
He took two steps forward to catch up with Gu Hengzhi and walked side by side with Xiao Liu.
Xiao Liu gave him a bright, sunny smile, "Mr. Ji, good afternoon."
"Hello," Ji Linxue nodded, "Are you coming with us too?"
"Yes," Xiao Liu's face was beaming with happiness, "Is there anything Mr. Ji would like to ask?"
Ji Linxue didn't expect his intentions to be so obvious. He cleared his throat, "Do you know how long we'll be gone?"
Xiao Liu, "The temporary plan is two weeks, but there's a lot going on at the company, and Chairman Gu needs to make decisions on many projects, so it's very likely we'll return early."
Ji Linxue nodded, "Actually, I still have one question."
Looking at his serious expression, Xiao Liu also became serious. Chairman Gu had instructed him not to reveal the destination's information, otherwise, there would be no sense of anticipation. He couldn't let it slip.
"You'll be gone for so many days, what about your children?"
"Ah?" In his many years of career, this was the first time Xiao Liu showed an astonished expression, "What did you say?"
He immediately felt like crying and laughing at the same time. Who spread such false information? It was completely ruining his reputation!
"Mr. Ji, you might have misunderstood. Although I am twenty-seven years old, I am not married and have no illegitimate children."
"Didn't you raise a Border Collie and a Ragdoll?" Ji Linxue smiled, "Gu Hengzhi said you called them your son and daughter."
Xiao Liu's expression instantly became awkward, "Oh, you were asking about that. I thought..."
"Actually, they are very easy to raise, very hassle-free," Xiao Liu said, "When I have to travel for work, I find someone to come over and feed the cats, clean their litter box, and walk the dogs."
"I see," Ji Linxue said thoughtfully. He thought that after the plot ended, perhaps he could also get a cat or a dog.
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