You Have the Right to Keep a Secret Love

In this way, Qi Xi was led out of the restaurant by Gu Yan.

As soon as they stepped out of the restaurant, Qi Xi let out a sigh of relief. "By the way, Gu Yan, where's your car?"

Gu Yan appeared composed as he pursed his lips. "It's parked quite far away."

Qi Xi didn't doubt him, considering that all the parking spaces outside the Michelin restaurant were indeed full. So she followed Gu Yan along the bustling streets. The atmosphere inside the Michelin restaurant indeed exuded an air of luxury. However, it wasn't until they stood on a lively and ordinary main street that she felt she could truly breathe freely.

But Gu Yan's car seemed to be really far away. Qi Xi walked with him all the way from the bustling financial street to a small alley. There, she finally heard Gu Yan's voice.

"We're here."

?

Qi Xi looked at the narrow alley that could hardly accommodate a car passing through. "Huh? Where's the car?"

Then she watched as Gu Yan calmly walked to the bike parking area and pulled out a set of keys, confidently unlocking a bicycle.

Gu Yan shot her a cool glance. "The car is right in front of you."

"..."

Technically, it was a car... but...

Qi Xi was stunned. "So, you rode a bicycle here?"

"Yes."

If Gu Yan rode a bicycle, it would normally take at least fifteen minutes to get from the law firm to the restaurant. How did he manage to arrive in just ten minutes?

Maybe he rode very fast, after all, he had long legs...

Although Gu Yan's bicycle had a backseat, Qi Xi felt a little embarrassed to sit on it. She had just received an urgent email from Gu Xuehan, asking her to quickly research an issue related to intangible asset equity participation. She had planned to go to the law firm, so she decided to walk back with Gu Yan.

But Gu Yan frowned. "Get on."

"Isn't it better if we walk together, and you push the bike? It could be a light exercise and good for health. I spend too much time sitting in the office."

Unfortunately, Gu Yan didn't agree and kept it brief, "I'm in a hurry. Besides, there are contracts to amend."

Hearing this, Qi Xi immediately felt guilty. If she hadn't asked Gu Yan to help her on such short notice, he wouldn't have left work midway. Maybe he had already finished amending the contracts.

No wonder he arrived in just ten minutes when he rushed from the law firm to meet her! He did that to finish early and go back to work!

Now Qi Xi didn't feel conflicted about accepting the ride anymore. She hopped onto the backseat of Gu Yan's bicycle, and Gu Yan didn't say a word, he just started pedaling.

Although he was wearing a suit, Gu Yan still emitted a strong youthful aura. He exuded a mature charm while maintaining a clean-cut boyish appearance. The combination of a suit and a bicycle didn't seem out of place at all; instead, it carried a unique charm.

Qi Xi didn't realize this until later, but she became aware of it when she noticed the frequent glances from passersby. In everyone's eyes, Gu Yan was handsome, even when riding a bicycle.

However...

Even though he was in a hurry before and had ridden quickly, the return journey was quite slow. So slow that Qi Xi couldn't help but speak up.

"Aren't you in a hurry?"

"Yes."

"But it only took you ten minutes to get here. Now it's been over ten minutes, and we still have about two-thirds of the way to the law firm..."

Facing her question, Gu Yan remained composed. "I didn't have you on the backseat when I came here."

This man fearlessly added, "Do you think you're light?"

...Gu Yan, are you polite?

But she had to admit, sitting leisurely on the backseat of the bicycle, watching the city's dazzling nightlife, the people walking by with smiles, occasionally feeling the night breeze brushing against her cheeks, and the aroma of candied chestnuts in the air, as well as the music from the ice cream truck – Qi Xi felt relaxed and joyful.

This was the ordinary and lively life she liked, within reach and approachable.

Suddenly, Qi Xi felt a bit sentimental, unable to help but sincerely say, "Thank you, Gu Yan, for coming over tonight to help me out."

Qi Xi thought Gu Yan would be indifferent, but to her surprise, he responded. Unfortunately, the content almost infuriated her.

"I didn't come to help you."

This man stated confidently, "As a member of the team, if you start dating shortly after starting work, won't my work pressure increase?"

Yeah, yeah, you're right.

Qi Xi rolled her eyes. She was about to retort, but then her father called.

Qi Ruiming was probably aware of the follow-up to tonight's blind date, and he sounded angry. "Xixi, what's going on tonight? It's difficult for me to handle things this way."

Qi Xi was too lazy to argue and firmly asserted, "I have a boyfriend, Dad, please don't introduce potential partners for me without permission."

"What's the background of that boyfriend of yours? Is he from a suitable family? Most likely, he's a classmate from your school. Let me advise you, you're still young, school romance can't withstand the pressure of reality. When it comes to a girl's marriage, you should listen to your parents' advice. The person I'm introducing to you this time is definitely someone I've thoroughly checked for you. If you don't have any chemistry with Li Chenxin, then never mind. There's a client on my side. Currently, I'm assisting them with the IPO listing for their family business. His son, Meng Kai, is just three years older than you. You should have dinner together sometime."

Qi Xi was a little annoyed, "Dad! I told you! I have a boyfriend!"

"I know, I know." Qi Ruiming seemed determined to take a roundabout approach. His tone was unwavering, "But is it a problem for young people to make more friends? And can you be sure that you and your boyfriend will last? By meeting outstanding young men, you can compare and see that the boyfriend you found at school isn't that great."

"Dad won't talk to you right now. I have something to do. In any case, if there's no chemistry with Li Chenxin tonight, just forget about it. Tomorrow night, meet with Meng Kai."

There was a lot of noise in the background behind Qi Ruiming. As usual, after giving instructions, he quickly hung up, leaving Qi Xi alone, angry with her phone.

Because Qi Ruiming spoke loudly, Gu Yan also heard the entire conversation.

This made Qi Xi very embarrassed.

Gu Yan didn't say anything, he just continued riding the bicycle. But after crossing a street and turning a corner, he couldn't hold it in any longer and his tone became a little sarcastic, "You have quite a lot of blind dates. You're busy tonight, and tomorrow night you have another one. If you fail tomorrow night, are you going to continue the day after that?"

It's no wonder Gu Yan had grievances. As newcomers, Qi Xi and Gu Yan were often assigned to work together by Gu Xuehan. Although it wasn't intentional, having to go on blind dates every night would certainly make Gu Yan unhappy...

Qi Xi felt she could completely understand Gu Yan.

"I don't want to go either, but that's my dad's client. If I don't go, it won't end well," Qi Xi said as she had a brilliant idea, "How about this: tomorrow, I'll just go there for a bit. When the time comes, I'll send you a message, and you can call me midway, and I can pretend to have something urgent and leave. If I happen to encounter someone as persistent as tonight, you can come and pick me up."

"I do have quite a bit of work on hand recently," Gu Yan appeared to think it over carefully, then reluctantly agreed to Qi Xi's request, "But I work efficiently, so wasting a little time shouldn't be a big issue."

Gu Yan was quite considerate, actually!

Qi Xi immediately felt grateful and said, "Tomorrow, I'll treat you to durian!"

Gu Yan, however, didn't seek any credit. He almost instantly declined, "No need."

This man quickly added, "You don't have to treat me to durian. There's no need to be so formal between classmates and colleagues."

That's great!

To be honest, a Musang King* durian was not cheap. To prove herself to Qi Ruiming, Qi Xi hadn't asked her family for money since starting work as an intern lawyer. However, the salary of an intern lawyer wasn't high, and after deducting the rent, she barely had enough for living expenses. Not having to buy durian would indeed save her some expenses!

*Musang King, also known as Mao Shan Wang or D197, is a cultivated variety of durian.

But Qi Xi hadn't had time to feel happy yet when Gu Yan continued—

"Treat me to something else."

"Huh?"

Gu Yan remained calm, "I'm out of money."

Qi Xi widened her eyes, "Didn't you just receive your salary a few days ago?!"

Now they were already downstairs at the Jinghe Law Firm building. Gu Yan stopped the bike, got off, and looked at Qi Xi with an expressionless and calm demeanor, "I spent it all when I paid for our meal just now."

How could she forget about that!

Qi Xi almost immediately asked Gu Yan for the bill. When she took a look at it, she felt faint - over three thousand! That dinner just now actually cost over three thousand! Michelin two-star restaurants were so expensive!

Qi Xi was almost heartbroken, "If I had known, I should have stayed until after finishing the meal!"

Because she was eager to leave the awkward situation earlier, Qi Xi hardly touched her food, and there were still a lot of dishes left.

Thinking of this, Qi Xi looked at Gu Yan with a resentful expression, "It's so expensive; you shouldn't have paid! You're too straightforward! What if I don't pay you back after you've paid?!"

At this moment, Gu Yan was bending over to lock his bicycle, so his voice sounded a bit distant and insincere: "It's alright if you don't pay it back."

At this moment, a gust of wind blew, and the camphor tree leaves on the roadside rustled. Against this background sound, Gu Yan's cold and distant voice seemed to shatter, and there was a broken beauty in the way it sounded, as if it carried a sense of fragmentation—

"Then, I'll give up on you."

Just as Qi Xi was about to follow the mood of his last sentence, the wind stopped, and the fragile atmosphere that seemed to be linked to Gu Yan disappeared. Qi Xi heard Gu Yan continue in a very normal tone, continuing what he hadn't finished just now—

"I've seen through your character, and I can automatically draw a clear boundary with you. No need to cultivate any fake colleague relationship."

I see!

"Rest assured, Gu Yan, I'll be responsible for you till the end! I can't pay you back all at once for this money. I'll pay it in installments! Until then, I'll cover your meals!"

Now, in order to save money, Qi Xi cooked dinner herself most of the time. It was just about cooking a bit more, and it wasn't a heavy burden. She could easily invite Gu Yan to eat dinner together in the house she shared with Zhao Yiran.

But having made a huge mistake with Gu Yan before, even though he seemed emotionally stable now, what if he turned unhappy one day and reported her?

Qi Xi felt she needed to go home and look up "The Complete Gu Yan" to cook something that catered to his taste!

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