When Bai Luo Yin finally arrived at Gu Hai’s company, he made a beeline to the receptionist first out of habit. Not a stranger to his appearance, the receptionist immediately dialed to her Gu Zong’s office, but the call was redirected to Yan Ya Jing’s office just like last time. After Yan Ya Jing received the call, she immediately informed the other side that Gu Hai was in the office and will be down soon.
“Gu Zong will be down soon, please have a seat on the couch over there and wait a moment.”
Bai Luo Yin took the opportunity to catch his breath as beads of sweat dripped down his face—and courteously thanked the receptionist when she handed him a towel.
Drawing from her previous lesson, Yan Ya Jing immediately went to Gu Hai’s office after receiving the message.
She pushed the door open only to see Tong Zhe lying across the sofa reading a magazine with a rather lazy demeanor.
“Why are you here again?”
Without saying anything, she walked passed him and went to knock on the door of the private room inside of the office straight away.
Tong Zhe leaped off the sofa at the speed of light, took two large strides over and stood in front of Yan Ya Jing. He grabbed her wrist tightly, forcefully stopped her from knocking on the door. “Gu Zong is resting. If it’s not urgent, don’t disturb him.”
“I have an urgent matter— extremely urgent!!” Yan Ya Jing exerted all her strength to break free from Tong Zhe’s grasp.
However, Tong Zhe still maintained a stone-cold expression. “I said, Gu Zong is resting!”
“I don’t care, I have to wake him up. Someone is here for him. Gu Zong had previously instructed that as long as that person comes, he must be immediately notified no matter where he was or what he was doing.”
Tong Zhe sneered coldly, “Can you make up something a bit more reliable?”
“Who is making it up?” Seeing that Tong Zhe was being unreasonable, Yan Ya Jing did not want to waste her breath with him anymore. She immediately opened her mouth and screamed, “Gu Hai, Bai…”
Suddenly, Tong Zhe covered her mouth and glared at her with a rather freakish and unbelievable set of eyes. “Are you crazy?”
Once she heard that, Yan Ya Jing ruthlessly bit into Tong Zhe’s hand, causing him to momentarily loosen his grip from the pain.
“I have never seen such an outrageous woman like you.”
Yan Ya Jing took a few deep breaths as the look of resentment overtook her face. “I have also never seen such an outrageous man like you!”
With that said, she picked up her cellphone and immediately called Gu Hai. That’s fine if you won’t let me scream out, I’ll just call him directly, okay!?
In the end, the phone sounded from inside of Tong Zhe’s pocket.
Tong Zhe pulled the phone out with two fingers and raised it in front of Yan Ya Jing’s face while deliberately exposing a cold smirk.
“Don’t waste your time.”
Both of Yan Ya Jing’s flaming red eyes stared unwaveringly at Tong Zhe for a while before the temperature gradually dropped. Then as if she had suddenly realized something, she smiled with an unknown intent.
“Fine, you can continue to stand your guard here then.”
After waiting for a full five minutes without seeing Gu Hai come down, Bai Luo Yin had no choice but to get up and walk up to the receptionist desk again.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Bai. Gu Zong got caught up with something for the time being. He cannot come down now.”
“Caught up?” Bai Luo Yin’s distinguish brows slightly rose, “Didn’t you say he was free a moment ago?”
A remorseful expression painted over the receptionist face, “He was indeed free then, but Vice President Yan called just now and said that something unexpected came. She wasn’t able get in contact Gu Zong immediately.”
Hearing those words, Bai Luo Yin did not waste another second and simply called Gu Hai.
In the end, another voice seeped through the phone the moment it connected.
“Hello.” Tong Zhe’s voice sounded.
Bai Luo Yin indifferently asked, “Where is Gu Hai?”
“He is sleeping now.”
He—Is—Sleeping—Now…
Those four words were like ice blades, penetrating Bai Luo Yin’s passionate heart until it shattered into pieces.
Bai Luo Yin stood frozen in the lobby and stared blankly at elevator for ten seconds before he turned around and walked out.
On the road back to the base, Bai Luo Yin rolled down the window and threw the cell phone out. The outer shell of the phone crashed into pieces before a thin but sharp piece of material smashed onto the window, making a sharp ear-piercing sound.
By the time Gu Hai woke up, thirty minutes had already passed by.
Out of habit, his hand felt around for his phone. He wanted to see whether or not Bai Luo Yin had called him, but after searching for some time near his pillow, he could not find it. Without any other option, he yawned and proceeded to stand up before walking out of the private room.
Meanwhile, a cigarette was dangling loosely in Tong Zhe mouth as he stared at some documents in front of him with squinted eyes. There was an unnerving expression on his face—it was as if he had already seen several things that had caused him to be utterly unsatisfied.
“Did Yan Ya Jing come here?” Gu Hai asked.
Without lifting his head, Tong Zhe simply replied, “She came a few times, but I kicked her out.”
Gu Hai’s eyes lit up as he smiled—a smile that seemed to hold a hint of mysteriousness.
“Did she say anything?”
“Nothing else but the same old story.” Tong Zhe placed the document down before he rubbed the middle of his brows. “In today’s society, it’s rare to meet such a silly girl like her. You really don’t know how to appreciate the wealth you’re living in!”
Gu Hai sat beside Tong Zhe and leisurely lit up a cigarette.
“I don’t like that type.”
“I can tell.” Tong Zhe’s tone was dull as he continued, “You like the bold and unconstrained type, a well-bred young lady of an eminent family like her would not be able to satisfy your beastly nature.”
Hearing that, Gu Hai laughed without saying a word.
Tong Zhe took out the cellphone and handed it over to Gu Hai.
“Why did you take my phone away?” Gu Hai was puzzled.
“One of my duty is to block calls for you. I was afraid that if a certain woman wasn’t able to endure the loneliness, she might take advantage of the time you were sleeping to harass you.”
Gu Hai laughed and used his finger to poke Tong Zhe’s forehead. “You actually fucking understand me pretty well.”
With that said, he scrolled through the call history, but his smile suddenly froze when he saw Bai Luo Yin’s number.
“He called me?” Gu Hai hastily asked.
Tong Zhe nodded, “When you were sleeping a moment ago.”
Gu Hai’s complexion abruptly changed, “Did he say anything?”
“He didn’t. He only asked where you were.”
“What did you say?” Gu Hai’s heart tightened.
Tong Zhe’s indolent gaze sailed toward Gu Hai, “That you were sleeping.”
Gu Hai’s thick brows knitted together so closely that it almost overlapped each other.
Without bothering to detonate in anger, he hurriedly called Bai Luo Yin, but his calls never connected. When he scrolled down just a bit further down his call history and saw that Yan Ya Jing called him at the same time, he speedily got up and walked outside.
Finally, Yan Ya Jing’s longing for Gu Hai to come has arrived as a hint of joy overflowed in her eyes.
Unexpectedly, Gu Hai only came to interrogate her with a cold and severe voice when he entered her office.
“Did Bai Luo Yin come by?”
“Yes, he did!” Yan Ya Jing employed a very relaxed tone, “You were sleeping, and Vice President Tong was adamant about not letting me disturb you. I had no choice but to let him leave first.” Yan Ya Jing purposely emphasized the three words, Vice President Tong.
Gu Hai’s face was green with rage. Not only did he not take out his anger on Tong Zhe, but he loudly rebuked Yan Ya Jing instead. “What the hell are you good for? You kept him outside twice in a row!! Tong Zhe didn’t let you disturb me, and you obediently listened to him? Then what is the point of keeping you as a Vice President? It would be enough for me to just keep him!”
By now, Yan Ya Jing also became irritated as she stood up to challenge Gu Hai. “What did you expect me to do? Tong Zhe insistently blocked me when I wanted to go into your room, and when I called your phone, it was in his hands. Do you really think that I want to listen to him? If it wasn’t for his intolerable bullying, would I have sat back and done nothing?”
In the end, Gu Hai’s words became even more trenchant and hurtful after the explanation.
“If your voice was as loud then as it was just now, I would have woken up already! Would there have been a need to use the phone?”
Yan Ya Jing’s tears nearly ran amok from her eyes. Since she was young, she was the daughter of an affluent family who lived like a princess—being cosseted, loved and doted on by everyone. In this lifetime, all the enragement she had suffered thus far were all given by Gu Hai.
“It’s up to you!! You can think whatever you want. It would definitely be better if you fire me!!” Yan Ya Jing yelled in devastation.
Without saying another word, Gu Hai ‘not so calmly’ turned around and took his leave.
Back in the office, Tong Zhe was still unaware of severity of the situation. When Gu Hai returned, he still used a flippant tone to ridicule him. “Didn’t you say you wanted to reduce the time you two interacted with each other? Why did you take the initiative to go to her office?”
At first, Gu Hai was in a rush to go look for Bai Luo Yin, and he was going to wait until he came back to settle the matter with Tong Zhe. But, Tong Zhe’s words completely aroused his anger. He immediately grabbed Tong Zhe by the collar and roared in rage. “Why didn’t you let her in?? Why did you block her?!”
Tong Zhe only responded with a calm and indifferent tone, “Weren’t you the one who told me to do so?”
Gu Hai stared down at Tong Zhe for a few seconds before his eyes closed despairingly. When his eyelids parted once more, there were raging flames shooting out from the depths of his pupils. “Did Gu Yang fucking send you here to mess with me?”
Once he finished that sentence, he angrily walked away.
Gu Hai sped to the military base at top speed—but when he arrived in front of Bai Luo Yin’s dorm, the door was already locked. He used the spare key to unlock the door and entered only to see that it was completely empty; the luggage was not there, and the blankets were folded neatly…
His heart instantly tightened into knots. He raced to the reception office where the officer on duty informed him: “The battalion left half an hour ago and Major Bai’s vehicle was the last to leave. Perhaps, you would have been able to see him if you came a bit earlier!”
There was no need to mention the insufferable feeling eating away at Gu Hai’s heart.
Yin Zi must have received the order at the last minute. He must’ve rushed to my work in a hurry just so he could see me for the last time, but when he arrived, I was actually asleep. Even the phone call was answered by someone else…
Gu Hai could imagine Bai Luo Yin’s resolute appearance as he left. His mind could also draw out the look of utter disappointment on Bai Luo Yin’s face.
When he returned to Bai Luo Yin’s dorm again, the image of their last night together vividly and heartrendingly played out before him.
Underneath the bed, the box of books was still stacked in a neat and tidy position—each of which had Bai Luo Yin’s fingerprints on them.
So… he left just like that—without being able to see him for the last time, without being able to have one last meal, without getting to hear the last complaint…just like that, he left to go through the hard days again. This departure will last for a month. He has to sleep alone beneath the cold blanket for a month, eat the food he does not like for a month and train until very late into the night every day. And when he was so beaten with exhaustion that even taking a breath was difficult, there would be no one for him to vent to…