She Said: A Passionate Kiss [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 34

“She didn’t… didn’t say anything.” Gu Pingwan quickly averted her eyes.

Qiang Huai deliberately stepped in front of her. “Really?”

As she spoke, she leaned down slightly. The towel wrapped around her body was half open, half closed, drawing Gu Pingwan’s gaze completely in.

“Mhm.” Gu Pingwan didn’t know where to look.

“I’m just going to check my phone.” Qiang Huai leaned in under the pretense of grabbing her phone, standing just a fist’s distance away. The warm, clean scent of her body wash was intoxicating.

Gu Pingwan’s breathing grew shallow. She leaned back slightly, bracing herself with her hands behind her.

Qiang Huai leaned in even closer. When she picked up the phone, she naturally brushed against Gu Pingwan’s arm. Even through her clothes, Gu Pingwan could feel the warmth radiating from her.

“Wanwan, your ears are so red,” Qiang Huai whispered, exhaling softly beside her ear.

The tickling sensation made Gu Pingwan’s heart flutter, and she felt completely flustered.

Trying to change the subject, she blurted out, “Wait—can you sign something for me?”

Qiang Huai blinked in surprise. “Huh?”

“My cousin knows we were classmates in high school… she begged me to get your autograph. Is that okay?”

Qiang Huai was speechless. The atmosphere had clearly gotten so charged, and now Gu Pingwan dropped something like that?

Gu Pingwan pulled out a beautifully printed photocard of Qiang Huai from her pocket, then took a pen out of the front pouch on her shirt.

Qiang Huai: …Looks like she came prepared.

After signing, Qiang Huai went back to her room to get dressed. As she walked away, she called out, “I’m getting dressed. Don’t you dare peek, Wanwan.”

Gu Pingwan looked down at the autograph in her hand and muttered, a little unnaturally, “I—I won’t peek.”

By the time Qiang Huai was done changing, Xiaoyu had already booked a restaurant. Gu Pingwan followed Qiang Huai out.

Xiaoyu was waiting at the hotel entrance, and the driver had already arrived.

She glanced between Gu Pingwan and Qiang Huai. “Chief Engineer Gu, are you feeling hot or something?”

Qiang Huai held back a laugh and stayed silent.

Gu Pingwan mumbled, “A little.”

“Yeah, it’s kind of stifling,” Qiang Huai added.

…

After dinner, Qiang Huai offered to drive Gu Pingwan back to the research institute.

On the way, she said, “Wanwan, thank you for coming to my premiere.”

Gu Pingwan gazed out the window, raising an eyebrow slightly. “Supporting a classmate—it’s only right.”

Qiang Huai didn’t respond. Both of them knew clearly that love was never something decided on impulse. To love and to be loved—those things required the ability to bear the weight of the bond that comes with it.

When they reached the research institute, Qiang Huai got out to walk her to the entrance.

“I have to work overtime tonight. Thank you for the ride,” Gu Pingwan said, standing in front of the main gate.

Behind her, the sign read: “Revitalize the Nation Through Technology—Aerospace Leads the Way.” She asked the security guard to let her in and walked through the gate.

Qiang Huai still stood by the car, her gaze fixed on Gu Pingwan.

Gu Pingwan turned and waved, “See you next time, then.”

“Okay.” Qiang Huai smiled as she watched her walk away.

At that moment, she suddenly felt like she and Gu Pingwan were from completely different worlds. They were physically close, but the ten years that had passed between them created a distance that was hard to cross. Fate had allowed them to meet again, but at every fork in the road, they were always heading in opposite directions.

In her life, Qiang Huai had encountered many people, but the only one who had entered her heart and never left was Gu Pingwan.

Beijing’s evening breeze wasn’t as gentle as Jin City’s. It carried a kind of hazy restlessness, mixed with dust, hard to hold onto.

Why, when things seemed to be going so well between them, did Qiang Huai still feel such sadness? She could only hope that from now on, life would not continue to go against her wishes.

She pulled herself together and climbed into the car, but even through the glass, her eyes stayed on Gu Pingwan, who was still standing at the gate, waiting for her to leave.

“Let’s go,” Qiang Huai said to the driver, her nose stinging with emotion.

In her pocket, Gu Pingwan clutched Qiang Huai’s autograph, her fingers brushing over it again and again, as if trying to feel Qiang Huai’s warmth through the paper.

…

In March, Jin City was vibrant with growing grass and chirping birds. Rain and sunshine alternated, and Qiang Huai was busy attending meetings with company executives to discuss improving staff and artist management policies.

The sun shone brightly outside, even amid claps of thunder and pouring rain. The air smelled of wet dust.

Qiang Huai lightly tapped her fingers on the conference table. “Let Qin-jie explain to everyone.”

The conference room was large—an entire floor to itself—and could hold four to five hundred people.

Huai Sheng Group held several large meetings each year. This was the first of the year, and since the end of last year, their artists had been involved in multiple scandals.

Whether or not they were on set, all artists under contract had taken leave to attend.

“First, in order to improve artist management, the following policies will be implemented: 1… 2…”

Qin-jie finished reading the list.

Qiang Huai looked at all the artists and staff below the stage. No wonder people online said she was building an empire—just one glance made that clear.

By throwing herself fully into work, she found herself thinking less about Gu Pingwan. They still exchanged good morning and good night messages, but barely talked otherwise.

During departmental briefings, Qiang Huai paid close attention. The top management team she had hired previously had made some serious mistakes, so they were preparing to bring in new talent from abroad.

That was the benefit of wealth—she didn’t have to manage everything herself. She could pay people to make money for her.

Listening to all the comments from the departments, Qiang Huai thought: even without love, at least she had money and good looks.

After the meeting ended, Zheng Yu hurried over.

“Ms. Qiang,” she said, dressed beautifully today, “thank you.”

Qiang Huai waved her off as she signed a document handed over by Qin-jie.

“Just focus on improving yourself. No need to thank me.” She handed the signed file back.

Zheng Yu beamed. “Still, I want to thank you! Even if you don’t like me, it doesn’t stop me from liking you! I’ll keep climbing higher and higher until you notice me.”

“I won’t get in your way,” she added.

Qiang Huai was a bit stunned. Was this the same Zheng Yu? Her personality seemed to shift so easily. Maybe it was the environment.

Lian Tang came over next, greeted Qiang Huai, then turned to Zheng Yu. “Your so-called affection is the biggest kind of harassment to Ms. Qiang.”

Zheng Yu pouted. “I’m quietly working on myself. Me liking Ms. Qiang is none of your business. If you’re so free, why don’t you go tile the Great Wall or something?”

“What, now I can’t even talk?” Lian Tang snapped back.

Qiang Huai watched their back-and-forth silently. Young people really were full of energy. But she was no longer in her early twenties and couldn’t express love so bluntly anymore.

If she could go back ten years, maybe she would’ve been like Zheng Yu—outspoken and persistent in her love for Gu Pingwan.

As she quietly walked away, one thing occurred to her—why was Lian Tang always wherever Zheng Yu was?

When she got back to her villa, the tree she’d ordered for Gu Pingwan had just arrived. A while ago, she’d shown Gu Pingwan a picture of a snowball tree, and Gu Pingwan had said she liked it.

So Qiang Huai ordered one online. It was being delivered just as she arrived home.

The delivery truck pulled up to her gate. After signing and checking the branches for damage, she had the tree carefully packed for shipment to Beijing.

When Gu Pingwan received a delivery notification, she was confused. She hadn’t ordered anything recently.

She stepped out of the office and went to the security office to collect it.

The guard said, “Your package isn’t here.”

“But I got a message saying to pick it up here?”

“It’s outside.” He pointed toward the main entrance.

Thinking the package was still on the truck, she walked out.

“Excuse me, are you Ms. Gu?” a deliveryman asked.

Gu Pingwan nodded.

“Your tree is here. Please sign.” He handed her the delivery slip.

Gu Pingwan looked at the open back of the truck. “What?”

“A friend of yours ordered you a snowball tree. Where would you like it planted?” A few other workers got down from the truck, holding various gardening tools.

They were all professionals hired by Qiang Huai.

Inside the truck stood a tall tree. Gu Pingwan had only casually mentioned liking them and that she couldn’t plant one at home—maybe at the institute. She hadn’t expected Qiang Huai to actually send one.

Curious coworkers and guards began gathering around.

Xiao Zhang from the office asked, “Engineer Gu, did you order this?”

Gu Pingwan shook her head, then nodded. “A friend sent it.”

The tree was about three meters tall, with many branches. It hadn’t bloomed yet, but green buds were already sprouting. The flowering season for snowball trees was June to August—only once a year.

Gu Pingwan called Director Wu to ask for permission to plant it. He laughed and said, “Of course. We were planning to plant some greenery this spring anyway.”

Once the tree was brought into the institute, Wu finally saw it and realized—it wasn’t just a flower. It was a full-grown tree!

Qin Feng from her office came out and asked, “Engineer Gu, is that a snowball tree?”

“Yes,” she replied, eyes fixed on it.

“That’s one huge snowball tree! Where’d you get the money for that?” Qin Feng was clearly stunned.

Professor Ji came out too. She had loved gardening when she was younger but gave it up to focus on science. She still knew a lot about plants.

“Xiao Wan, even if you’re making money outside now, you should spend it wisely,” she said, though the smile on her face betrayed her true feelings.

“Yeah, this kind of tree must cost over 200,000 yuan,” Qin Feng said, afraid to even touch a leaf.

Gu Pingwan hadn’t realized it would be so expensive. She quickly explained, “It was a gift from a friend.”

“What kind of friend?” Qin Feng asked, catching the clue immediately.

“A high school classmate,” Gu Pingwan replied, heart fluttering as she watched the professionals carefully handling the branches.

The tree was successfully planted in the institute’s backyard, which previously only had weeds and some low shrubs.

Professor Ji remembered seeing someone with Gu Pingwan on a previous trip to Jin City. “Was it the person I met back then?”

“Mm,” Gu Pingwan nodded.

“Your high school classmate is loaded!” Qin Feng was ready to go hug the tree.

“Money’s one thing, but the sentiment is what really matters. A multi-branch snowball tree like this is hard to come by,” Professor Ji said with feeling. She’d once told her ex-husband she liked sunflowers, yet he never bought her a single one.

Gu Pingwan pulled out her phone and sent a message to Qiang Huai.