The brilliant starlight of the night was suddenly obscured by a dark cloud.
The wind picked up, and soon fine raindrops began to fall.
After an unknown period, Li Qianfan reached for his phone and checked the time.
In another hour, the sky would turn bright.
Li Qianfan flipped over and sat up, his left foot resting on the edge of the bed as he lit a cigarette.
What he had to do, and what he shouldn't have done, he had already done.
It was set in stone, and he could never return to three and a half hours ago.
So, what he needed to consider next was damage control.
He glanced quietly at Shen Yun.
Shen Yun's mouth was still gagged, her hands tied high above her head, her eyes tightly closed, the tear tracks on her face clearly visible.
What was she thinking?
Li Qianfan didn't know.
He coughed lightly and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"I'm thinking, I'm so happy."
Shen Yun replied in her heart.
"Can you promise me, not to scream or shout?"
Li Qianfan asked.
Shen Yun nodded silently.
Li Qianfan slowly peeled the tape off her mouth.
But he was prepared to gag her again immediately if she started to scream.
Shen Yun merely took a deep breath, showing no irrational reaction.
Only then did Li Qianfan relax and untie her hands.
With her hands finally free, Shen Yun began to gently rub the places that had turned bruised and purplish from being bound.
Her eyes remained closed, and she remained silent.
Li Qianfan hesitated for a long time: "Will you, tell your family?"
Shen Yun finally spoke: "You, do you want me to tell my family, or not?"
Li Qianfan replied: "Of course I want you to. Otherwise, wouldn't I have wasted my efforts tonight?"
Shen Yun's somewhat pale face immediately flushed.
She opened her eyes: "Then have you ever considered, how could I possibly have the face, to tell my family? Moreover, if my family found out, what would they do to you?"
These two questions—
Li Qianfan spoke the truth, he really hadn't thought about them.
Shen Yun said softly: "But I will tell Jun Lin at the most appropriate time. I believe Jun Lin will have no face to tell others after she knows. However, she will definitely come to settle the score with you."
"That would be for the best!"
Li Qianfan breathed a sigh of relief.
Shen Yun frowned, biting her lip, and with difficulty, sat up: "What will you do to me in the future?"
This question—
Li Qianfan spoke the truth, he really hadn't thought about it!
"You don't need to rush to answer. I can give you plenty of time to handle this."
Shen Yun lowered her head and said, "Until you've figured it out, let's pretend nothing ever happened."
"That would be for the best!"
Li Qianfan's face lit up, and he blurted out: "If Du Jun Lin could be as understanding as you, that would be great."
Shen Yun's lips twitched, and she asked, "After being violently harmed by you, I didn't make a fuss or force you to take responsibility for me, and that's being understanding?"
Li Qianfan didn't know how to answer.
After much stammering, he finally said, "Thank you."
Shen Yun asked: "Is your thank you, the compensation for hurting me?"
"Of course not. I thank you, for being rational about this matter."
Actually, Li Qianfan didn't know how the conversation was supposed to continue.
He thought he would be like a tyrant, leaving after dealing with Shen Yun.
But in reality?
After he sat up, he didn't dare to look at Shen Yun again.
Guilty?
No.
Afraid?
Not at all.
Then what was it?
He couldn't quite say.
He just gathered his courage, looked back at Shen Yun, and inexplicably said, "Your skin is really fair."
"Mm, this is my original skin."
Shen Yun lowered her head and said softly, "Before, to fool you, I specially concocted a dark luster paste that could darken my skin. But from now on, I won't use the dark luster paste anymore."
Her true identity had been "seen through" by Li Qianfan.
Therefore, there was no need to conceal her fair skin, which most women envied, were jealous of, and even hated.
"It's really fair, like solidified tofu pudding. Can I touch it?"
Li Qianfan looked at Shen Yun's legs, and his mind went blank again.
After he said it, he realized it was not right.
He chuckled awkwardly, and just as he was about to explain something, Shen Yun took his hand voluntarily.
Then, she turned off the bedside lamp.
The light in the room instantly dimmed, and Li Qianfan pulled back the curtains, looking out the window.
At this moment, it was the final moments of dawn, just as a new day was about to begin.
The sky brightened.
But a golden sun rose from the east, as if the weather had never changed.
Old Su drove his old car into the company with a swagger.
In the back seat lay the chicken soup that his "little cotton jacket" had woken up early to stew for Old Su's beloved son-in-law.
Sister Su's husband had not come home for three consecutive nights, constantly working at the company without rest or food. Who wouldn't feel for their own husband?
"Beloved son-in-law, look what your old dad brought you."
Old Su, holding a small thermos in his left hand and a bag of Goubuli bought on the way in his right, nudged open the deputy general manager's office door with his toe.
Li Qianfan was sleeping on the sofa.
Old Su, out of habit, was about to put on a show and scold him for sleeping during work hours, when he remembered that he must have worked overtime last night, and had stayed up all night.
Otherwise, his dark circles wouldn't be so obvious.
His complexion even looked a bit haggard.
Father Su immediately felt heartache and grumbled about why he didn't sleep more in his dormitory.
Li Qianfan didn't really appreciate Old Su's fake concern.
He asked him to put the things down and leave quickly, so as not to delay his nap.
"Eat it while it's hot."
Old Su specifically instructed as he retreated.
He strode into his own office.
Shen Yun, who always arrived at the office earlier than him, was cleaning.
"Little Shen, please notify the company's middle and high management to have an early meeting later."
The Hanfu project was officially coming to an end, and Old Su, as the general manager, naturally had to hold a meeting to praise the research and design team.
The biggest contributor, of course, was his beloved son-in-law.
"However, don't call Vice President Li just yet."
Old Su said, "I just went to see him. Sigh, looking at him, I know he must have been exhausted last night."
Yes.
According to the saying "the first time is strange, the second time is familiar," he had become friends with me, so how could it be easy!
Shen Yun instinctively thought of this, her face instantly turned red, and she quickly picked up the mop and walked towards the door: "Okay, President Su, I'll go notify them right away."
Just as she was about to open the door, Old Su's voice came from behind: "Little Shen."
Shen Yun turned back: "President Su, do you have any other instructions?"
"Did you fall?"
Old Su, with a face full of concern, looked at Shen Yun's legs: "It seems like you're having trouble walking."
Ah?
Oh!
Shen Yun's heart pounded, but she put on a bitter smile: "Isn't it? I was going downstairs wearing high heels and accidentally stumbled and fell. But please don't worry, I won't let it affect my work."
"Hey, what work and what not? Health is the most important thing."
Old Su exclaimed: "How about this, let's postpone the meeting to the afternoon. You go back to the dormitory to rest this morning, and come to work this afternoon. By then, Vice President Li will have also rested enough."
"Thank you for your concern, President Su."
Shen Yun was indeed exhausted as if her whole body had fallen apart and wanted to go back to sleep. She quickly bowed to express her thanks.
One o'clock in the afternoon.
Shen Yun, who had fallen asleep in her dormitory, was awakened by a dinging message.
Nencao messaged: "Old buddy, I lost. My friend really found a damned undercover agent last night! And they even became friends three or four times. Haha, although I lost ten thousand yuan, I feel it was worth it!"