Chapter 22: This Time, He Holds the Flashlight to Find Her...

Under the corridor lights, only Zhou Jinye’s shadow remained, his mind lingering on her gradually reddening cheeks. He slowly savored the moment.

The corners of his lips curved upward, and he couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

At the same time, his phone buzzed with a notification—an incoming message from an overseas number.

[What do you want this time?]

The tone was direct and to the point. This number had reached out to him once before while he was abroad.

He glanced at the closed door, his fingers typing a response as he made his way back to his room.

After sending the message, there was no immediate reply from the other side.

Zhou Jinye continued typing—

[Have you forgotten everything that happened in the past?]

He turned off the screen, giving the other person time to think. No matter what, he needed their help for what he was planning.

Back in his room, he changed into fresh clothes. While tidying up the clothes on his bed, he pulled out a bracelet he always carried in his pocket.

Staring at the familiar patterns, his gaze shifted to the flashlight standing upright on his bedside table.

Since she had left it behind on his bed that night, he had kept it there ever since.

Before that incident, they had just celebrated their last Valentine’s Day together.

He still remembered how these patterns were designed by Xu Wu herself and custom-made by someone else.

It was a gift she had prepared using bonus money earned from juggling multiple part-time jobs during her final year of high school, right before the college entrance exam. She had given it to him as a Valentine’s present.

At the time, she had only recently learned about his nyctophobia. Both of them were beginning to understand each other’s pasts. As they embraced, she opened the simple, makeshift gift box she had prepared. Inside, the golden-patterned designs gleamed with a precious light.

With her eyes full of affection, her smile was tender and sincere. “This is for you.”

“The crescent moon and the sun together—the sun sets, and the moon rises. They alternate every twenty-four hours, and their light will always shine on you.”

She held his hand tightly. “And no matter what, I’ll always carry a flashlight to find you. There will always be light to illuminate you—no more darkness.”

The sun and moon would continue to rise and set as they always had.

But the person who had promised him that illumination had become lost in the deep abyss of despair.

Zhou Jinye fastened the clasp of the bracelet and secured it around his wrist. Under the light, the patterns still shimmered with a golden glow. He flicked on the flashlight, its beam converging into a single circle of light.

If they were both trapped in this pitch-black abyss, then this time, it would be him holding the flashlight to find her again.

________________________________________

“You came over and held me tightly... very, very tightly.”

“Do you have any indescribable thoughts about me?”

Xu Wu fled into her room, her heart racing erratically. Leaning against the door, she recalled his words and felt as though a stone had lodged itself in her chest, suffocating her.

That night, drunk and irrational, she had hugged Zhou Jinye. Everything had veered completely off course, spiraling out of control.

When LUNAR and Fan Xiang had approached her to plan this event, she had considered the possibility but avoided dwelling on it. But Li Qingyang’s words today had confirmed her suspicions.

Now, she deeply regretted drinking that night. She had warned herself countless times—to remain just neighbors, not to cross any boundaries. Yet, all the deliberate distance she had maintained was shattered by her own actions two nights ago.

Years had passed since then. She had already stepped out of his world. Seven years later, even while keeping a certain distance from him, how had she failed to restrain herself from leaning into his orbit once more?

Xu Wu turned off the lights. The cool autumn breeze rustled the gauze curtains. She lay on her back, staring at the ceiling.

That night, in the darkened room, she thought for a long time but couldn’t fall asleep. Her emotions wrapped tightly around her heart like a cocoon. The dry autumn air in the north made her chest feel heavy with every breath.

She got up, lit a soothing aromatherapy candle, and took a sleeping pill. On countless sleepless nights in the past, this had been her routine. Since starting work, she rarely suffered from insomnia, but that night, worried she might not sleep, she had lit the candle.

The scent of the aromatherapy was still the familiar fruity fragrance. Under the influence of the medication, she drifted off to sleep—but her dreams were a tangled web of memories.

From their first meeting to their reunion, and finally waking up in a cold sweat during the rainstorm that marked their breakup.

It seemed the fruity-scented sleep aid didn’t suit her after all. She’d need to try a different fragrance next time.

________________________________________

In the days that followed, Xu Wu deliberately avoided Zhou Jinye. She woke up an hour earlier than usual, delegated oversight of the exhibition hall to Shu Ke, and stayed late at work before returning home. Even her footsteps in the hallway became lighter.

For a while, she successfully avoided encountering Zhou Jinye.

________________________________________

But ultimately, there was no escaping it. The exhibition setup was nearly complete, and as the person in charge, Xu Wu had to personally inspect it.

“Sister Xu, are you going to wrap things up today?” Shu Ke looked up from her phone.

Xu Wu nodded.

Shu Ke quickly stood up, grabbing her bag. “Then take me with you.”

Lately, she had been helping Xu Wu diligently, so out of guilt, Xu Wu intended to go alone. But seeing the hopeful look in Shu Ke’s eyes, she didn’t protest further.

As they walked, Shu Ke kept glancing at her phone. “Oh my god, Xu Tianya seems to have hooked a wealthy benefactor this time.”

“What wealthy benefactor?” Xu Wu frowned slightly.

“Do you know who the largest shareholder of Yangkang Intelligence is?”

“I’ve heard of them,” Xu Wu replied. “That person has never appeared in public, and even those inside the company don’t know much.”

“That’s right,” Shu Ke relayed from her phone. “Someone spotted him recently. Apparently, he just returned to the country and went out to dinner with Xu Tianya and some employees. His face wasn’t captured, but it’s known that he goes by the surname Qin.”

At that moment, Xu Wu felt as if ants were crawling up her spine, sending goosebumps across her skin.

There were plenty of people with the surname Qin. It couldn’t possibly be him returning to the country. She must be overthinking it.

The two arrived at the exhibition hall.

Coincidentally, Zhou Jinye was there, along with Li Qingyang and Wen Tao from Fan Xiang. They were directly ahead of her, making it impossible to avoid discussing work.

Always one to separate personal and professional matters, Xu Wu steeled herself mentally and walked toward them.

She had applied makeup, so even if her face flushed with embarrassment, he wouldn’t notice.

Maintaining a polite, service-oriented smile, she greeted them. “Mr. Zhou, Mr. Wen.”

Wen Tao responded, “It’s been a few days since we’ve seen Miss Xu around here.”

Zhou Jinye’s gaze was fixed on her. Instinctively avoiding his eyes, she looked at Wen Tao instead. “Yes, I’ve been sorting through business data recently and left Shu Ke to oversee things for me.”

“That’s good. Consider it training for her,” Li Qingyang said. Today, he wore a suit, and the red marks on his neck were gone. His hand rested casually on Wen Tao’s shoulder.

“You’re quite demanding of your sister,” Wen Tao remarked, raising an eyebrow.

Shu Ke’s eyes remained glued to him.

Unaware of her attention, Li Qingyang exuded a hint of pride. “Of course. She’s my little sister.”

While they teased each other, Xu Wu glanced around at the setup. However, when her gaze accidentally met Zhou Jinye’s, her lashes fluttered briefly before she calmly averted her eyes.

“This area is almost done. Public Relations Xu, how about we do one last check?”

Zhou Jinye spoke slowly, his lips curled into a faint smile.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that his smile was somewhat mischievous.

As her client, it was only proper for her to accompany him on the inspection. There was no avoiding the proximity.

Reluctantly, Xu Wu walked to his side, stopping at a respectful distance. “Mr. Zhou, please follow me.”

After the exhibition setup, the entire hall was perfectly arranged—neither too crowded nor too sparse. The styles of LUNAR and Fan Xiang merged seamlessly, creating a blend of technology and fantasy.

“You’ve forgotten one thing.”

After a thorough inspection, everything seemed in place. During the process, Zhou Jinye had gradually closed the distance between them until they were barely an arm’s length apart.

“What is it?” Xu Wu asked, turning her head. She hadn’t noticed his subtle movements while focusing intently on the layout.

Too close. As she turned her head, her shoulder brushed against his arm. Despite the layers of clothing between them, she could still feel his warmth. The memory of that night triggered something within her. A flicker of panic crossed her eyes, but she forced herself to remain calm and took a small step back.

Zhou Jinye observed it all. He leaned closer, pointing to the advertisement board behind her. “You included Fan Xiang’s logo but forgot to add LUNAR’s.”

Xu Wu turned to look. “Isn’t it the logo formed by ‘LR’?”

She had researched online, and most references showed “LR.”

“No,” Zhou Jinye moved closer behind her. “It seems Public Relations Xu hasn’t been fully focused on her work.”

Xu Wu pursed her lips. “I’ll correct it as soon as I get back.”

With that, she turned around. At this distance, if he leaned down slightly, his lips could easily brush against her forehead. “Let me check if there are any other oversights.”

Too close. She stepped away, quickening her pace to leave.

The faint blush on her earlobes betrayed her emotions. Zhou Jinye watched her pretend-calm retreat, a satisfied smirk tugging at his lips.

Just then, a staff member wearing a cap caught Zhou Jinye’s attention. The person looked unfamiliar. Glancing in their direction, the man’s eyes beneath the brim flashed with a hint of ruthlessness before he lowered his cap and continued walking.

Zhou Jinye narrowed his eyes. Turning to Shu Ke, who was chatting with Wen Tao, he asked, “How many of your company’s staff have been replaced?”

“Ah, none,” Shu Ke replied, surprised by his question.

“Then why did I just see someone unfamiliar?”

“Oh,” Shu Ke explained, “Sometimes if someone gets sick, they’ll ask relatives or friends to fill in. That’s common during setup.”

Li Qingyang noticed Zhou Jinye’s contemplative expression. “Something wrong?”

Zhou Jinye shook his head. “No, nothing.”

Perhaps he was just overly cautious lately, preoccupied with investigating that person.

________________________________________

Regarding the oversight with LUNAR’s logo, Xu Wu had made a critical error. To ensure everything else was correct, she meticulously inspected each section of the car exhibition booths for additional mistakes.

Completely unaware, a figure in a black cap passed by.

Aside from the small poster with the incorrect logo, there were three or four other similar issues. She carefully counted the errors.

“Creak… creak… creak.”

Zhou Jinye’s voice called out from behind her. “Xu Wu! Move away quickly!”

By the time she realized, a massive shadow loomed over her. It was too late to run.

Just as the curtain was about to hit her, a warm embrace enveloped her. The scent of sandalwood filled her nose.

The space beneath the curtain was cramped and dark. Xu Wu’s trembling hands reached for his face. “Zhou Jinye, are you okay?”

A drop of water fell onto his hand. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a flashlight, turning it on. In its glow, he gently tucked her disheveled hair behind her ear, his expression soft. “Xu Wangshu, stop fussing. I’m fine.”