When only the two of them remained in the room, Qin He frowned and looked at Gu Qichen.
"Gu Qichen, you asked me to join the Joint Department, and I've been listening to you for nearly a month. Can't I get some rest? Our two families are in a partnership, I'm not your subordinate."
Gu Qichen sat up straight and elegantly, his aura of nobility evident, his tone indifferent. "I know, but I think you need to stay here."
"Why?" Qin He was getting angry.
Gu Qichen looked up at Qin He. When she was angry, her eyes seemed to glow like two small suns, burning with intense flames.
His heart skipped a beat.
"Qin He, have you started dating Lu Mingxi?"
Qin He frowned. "That's my private matter. Besides, what does that have to do with what we're discussing?"
"Lu Mingxi is not suitable for you. If you're trying to free up your work time for dates, that's very irresponsible," Gu Qichen said coldly.
"Whether he's suitable for me or not doesn't seem to concern you," Qin He gritted her teeth. "Even if I want to go on a date, so what? This is the first time I've heard of a project director needing the group president to personally oversee it!"
Gu Qichen's eyes narrowed. "Are you really with him?"
He stood up abruptly and moved closer to Qin He.
Gu Qichen's imposing presence was already intimidating, and now that he was close, it was even more overwhelming.
Qin He felt as if she was completely enveloped. The familiar scent of sunken wood incense wafted over her, and this sensation made her heart pound.
She glared at Gu Qichen. "It has nothing to do with you—"
Gu Qichen's hand suddenly touched her face. Qin He's eyes widened, and she froze.
The man's hand, with a hint of hesitation, rested on her face, not moving further.
Qin He reacted and slapped Gu Qichen's hand away.
"What are you doing!" Her heart was beating fast, a mixture of anger and annoyance.
Gu Qichen pursed his lips. He had been distracted by Qin He's matters lately.
Just now, he had suddenly wanted to test something. Since he was in the Joint Department with Qin He every day yet still couldn't pinpoint the source of his restlessness, he decided to try getting closer to her.
Qin He, indignant, walked away.
Gu Qichen stood in place, his gaze complex.
Qin He's skin was smooth, just as before, yet different.
The warmth of her skin transmitted to his palm. His tentative touch stopped due to his pounding heart; he wanted to grasp it, to hold onto that warmth.
After standing for a few minutes, Gu Qichen suddenly chuckled.
So that's how it is.
He wanted to hold onto her. After losing Qin He, he belatedly realized her importance—
Gu Qichen sat down in a chair. The temporary Joint Department meeting room had poor soundproofing, and the sounds from outside came in with a distorted quality.
Inside the meeting room, time seemed to stand still, while outside, the voices of people bustled.
If only he had tried to understand Qin He even once during those two years, it wouldn't have come to this.
Gu Qichen's dark eyes stared into the empty space.
Now, he and Qin He were divorced, and he understood Qin He's current personality very well.
She would never turn back.
Gu Qichen's lips were tightly pressed together, his hand at his side clenched into a fist so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
He suddenly understood the source of his recent restlessness and unease, only to realize it was an irreparable void.
It wasn't a breakdown in their relationship; it was as if heaven had erased him from Qin He's memory.
Gu Qichen stood for a long time, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
What if Qin He remembered the past?
She had loved him so much before. Since she had amnesia, there was certainly a possibility of her memory returning—
Gu Qichen returned to his office. Through the window, he could see the faint silhouettes of people in Qin He's office.
He pondered for a while and returned to his own office.
In Qin He's office, she was packing her belongings.
Four months pregnant, her abdomen was already somewhat prominent. She had looked at her waistline, her belly looking as if she had overeaten.
If this continued, she wouldn't be able to hide it for long. Qin He wasn't unwilling to stay in the Joint Department; she was afraid of being exposed.
Just as she was halfway through packing, her phone on the desk rang softly.
She glanced at it. It was a message from Gu Qichen.
[Then come over every weekend.]
Was this considered a significant concession?
Qin He was still angry about Gu Qichen's overstepping earlier. She threw her phone into her bag without replying.
After packing her things, she strode out of the Joint Department.
She drove back to the Qin family. Qin He asked the butler and learned that Qin Yun was in the back garden.
She went into the back garden. Qin Yun was sitting in his electric wheelchair, parked under a large plane tree.
Qin He tiptoed over. "Brother, what are you thinking about?"
Qin Yun turned his head to see her, looking somewhat surprised. "Why are you back so early?"
"The initial work of the West District Joint Department has been implemented. When I'm free, I don't need to go over there anymore. Starting tomorrow, I'll go to Qin Corporation."
Qin He sighed slightly after speaking.
Qin Yun's gaze was probing. "Did Gu Qichen do something?"
Qin Yun was also aware of the collaboration between the Qin and Gu families.
But this was Qin He's decision, and he couldn't do anything about it when he was in the hospital.
"He didn't do anything. We're just project partners now," Qin He said, sitting down beside Qin Yun.
Gu Qichen's touch today had left her feeling unsettled all the way back.
When his fingertips touched her cheek, her heart had skipped a beat. This feeling was very unfamiliar.
When she returned, she had thought about it. Actually, Gu Qichen had saved her too.
When she returned from the Vincent family's banquet, if Gu Qichen hadn't pulled her into the car, she might have already died from three gunshot wounds.
Qin He sighed softly. "He and I have now offset each other, brother. Do you have time to call Uncle and discuss it, asking them to stop targeting the Gu Corporation?"
"Offset each other? How?" Qin Yun's expression darkened.
Qin He said softly, "You were injured and in the hospital then, and I was afraid you and Mother would worry—"
She slowly recounted the incident where someone had attacked her, but she omitted the identity of "San Dao" (Three Cuts).
Qin Yun listened, increasingly shocked, and almost stood up from his chair. "Are you stupid? Why didn't you say anything about this!"
Before, he had only thought that someone had infiltrated the Qin family, and he was already very worried about his sister.
Now that he knew someone had acted against her secretly, Qin Yun's face turned cold. "No, you're not going to Qin Corporation starting tomorrow. You'll stay at home!"
"What, brother, are you grounding me?" Qin He asked with a smile, pulling Qin Yun. "I haven't done anything wrong."
Qin Yun raised his eyebrows, about to speak again, but met his sister's smiling eyes.
Well—
He didn't quite dare to forcefully confine her to her home.
The key was that he couldn't beat her either.