novelraw Chapter 123 It's too early to say it.
Chapter 123 It's too early to say it.
My phone vibrated.
Lu Xiran was lying on the floor peering under the cabinet, then reached out and took a look—
Lin Chen: [Where are you?]
She pursed her lips and shoved the phone back into her hand.
Continue flipping through.
I'm not going back.
There was another earthquake.
Lin Chen: [Go home. Don't stay at the Gu Group for too long.]
Lu Xiran stared at that line of text for three seconds.
How did my uncle know she was at Gu's? How did he know she'd been there for so long? And what does that mean?
Why can't you stay for too long?
She looked up at the camera in the corner of the ceiling.
……oh.
understood.
She made a face at the camera, patted her knees, and stood up.
They've searched everywhere that needed searching. The keys aren't in the office.
He wouldn't actually carry it with him all the time, would he?
Excessive.
Lu Xiran dusted off her skirt, picked up her bag, and left.
The meeting lasted until after 7 p.m.
Gu Yanshen stood up and, unusually, took the initiative to speak: "Let's go eat together."
Lin Chen glanced down at his phone, then looked up and said, "Ranran said she'd cook noodles for me, I need to go back."
He swiped the screen and showed WeChat to Gu Yanshen.
Go home now.
Below is Lu Xiran's reply: 【Then I'll go downstairs now~】
It also included a cute emoji: a little rabbit holding a bowl.
Gu Yanshen's gaze lingered on that message for two seconds.
His originally relaxed brows furrowed slightly.
"Come eat with me," he said, his tone as indifferent as stating a fact.
"There's nothing I can do." Lin Chen put away his phone and walked straight out. "You probably don't understand the feeling of having someone waiting for you."
Gu Yanshen stood still.
It feels like someone is waiting for you.
How could he not understand?
Every day after get off work, that light would be on. She would be nestled on the sofa, and when she heard the door open, she would jump up and run over, looking up at him and asking, "Are you tired today?"
At that time, he thought it would last a lifetime.
When Lin Chen arrived home, Lu Xiran had just finished serving the noodles.
A bowl. Steaming hot, topped with a golden fried egg and sprinkled with bright green scallions.
"Uncle~" she pushed one of the bowls in front of him, "You eat it yourself~"
Lin Chen picked up his chopsticks and paused for a moment.
Where are you going?
Lu Xiran had already put the insulated box into a bag, picked it up and shook it.
"I'm delivering noodles to the uncle~"
Lin Chen's chopsticks stopped in mid-air.
As he watched Lu Xiran's cheerful figure disappear into the distance, he suddenly remembered his words in the conference room earlier: "You probably don't understand what it feels like to have someone waiting for you."
Is it too late to withdraw now?
The door closed.
Lin Chen looked down at the bowl of noodles in front of him, then at the empty living room.
He sighed.
Forget it.
People who are used to being alone won't miss this meal.
Gu Yanshen had just arrived home, and before he could even turn on the light in the entryway, the doorbell rang.
He froze for a moment.
Who?
Others couldn't even get on the elevator.
Could it be... that Lin Chen had a conscience and brought him noodles?
He opened the door.
The person standing outside the door stunned him.
Lu Xiran.
She was wearing a light-colored sweater, her hair loosely tied up, and carrying a thermal lunchbox. The light in the hallway fell on her, bathing her in a soft glow.
"Uncle~" she smiled, looking up at me, "I've brought you some noodles!"
Gu Yanshen stood still, without moving.
He looked at that face, that smile, that insulated food container, and countless nights flashed through his mind—she would stand at the door like this, waiting for him to come home, waiting for him to eat, waiting for him.
Three years.
He thought he would never have another chance like this in his life.
"You won't let me in?" She tilted her head.
Before he could react, she had already slipped inside from his side.
They moved as fast as a kitten sneaking in through the door.
Gu Yanshen snapped out of his daze, turned around, and closed the door.
Lu Xiran had already placed the insulated box on the dining table, opened the lid, and a steaming aroma wafted out.
"Uncle, hurry up and eat," she turned to look at him, "or it'll get cold."
Gu Yanshen walked over.
Sit down at the dining table.
Pick up your chopsticks.
Pick up a mouthful of noodles with your chopsticks.
Put it in your mouth.
That smell instantly transported him back to three years ago.
Back then, she would cook noodles for him every day. Sometimes, when he worked late, she would wait on the sofa.
He then pushed her away.
Later he thought he would never be able to eat it again.
Three years.
For the past three years, he has frequently ordered takeout from Yun Yu Ji, choosing the same few dishes she had recommended. But even with the same recipe and the same noodles, they just don't feel the same.
What she does is different.
Gu Yanshen lowered his head and ate bite by bite.
He didn't say anything.
Lu Xiran sat opposite him, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him.
They watched it very carefully.
He was so serious that he felt a little uncomfortable.
What he didn't know was that while she was watching him eat noodles, her mind was racing.
Master bedroom key. Master bedroom key. Master bedroom key.
Guest rooms? I've already searched.
Living room, study? There should be a chance.
On him? I'll find a chance to rub against him later.
She maintained a "tender and affectionate" expression as she thought about it.
Gu Yanshen finished the last bite and looked up.
The eyes that met his gaze were as bright as stars.
"Is it tasty?"
"……Um."
Lu Xiran smiled.
Her smile was so sweet.
But in his heart he was thinking: How can I find an excuse to stay?
As she was thinking, Gu Yanshen stood up and took the bowl into the kitchen.
Lu Xiran followed and leaned against the kitchen doorway.
"Uncle, what are you doing later?"
"Work."
"Oh." She nodded. "Then I'll wash the dishes."
Gu Yanshen turned to look at her.
She had already rolled up her sleeves, taken the bowl from his hands, and turned on the tap.
The movements were so natural, as if nothing had changed.
These three years don't exist.
She is still the mistress of this place.
Gu Yanshen stood in the kitchen, watching her back, and suddenly didn't know what to say.
Finally, he simply turned around and walked towards his study.
While washing the dishes, Lu Xiran listened intently to what was happening.
The sound of the study door closing.
perfect.
She dried the bowl, put it back on the dish rack, and then wiped her hands on her apron.
Living room. Search for "living room" first.
She remembered that he used to like to leave his car keys in the drawer in the entryway.
Pull it open—no.
There was only a blue keychain, lying quietly in the corner.
It was a gift from her.
He thought it was too girly and refused to use it. Turns out he'd kept it all along. Turns out he'd kept it here.
Under the TV cabinet?
She bent down and reached in to touch it.
There was no key either.
What my fingertips touched—a Polaroid photo.
She pulled it out.
It was her. Her profile was showing as she slept on the sofa, still clutching the remote control in her hand.
When did he take this picture?
She scrolled down.
Another one. She was cooking noodles in the kitchen, standing on tiptoe to reach the bowl on the cabinet.
Further down. She was watering the flowers on the balcony, sunlight falling on her profile.
One after another.
It's all her.
She didn't know he had taken so many photos.
I had no idea he had been secretly hiding so much.
I didn't dare scroll down any further.
Lu Xiran took a deep breath and stuffed the photo back in.
Continue flipping through the sofas.
The first mat is empty.
The second one is empty.
The third piece—
A thin notebook.