The Wind Heard Her Confession - Chapter 11: A Blinding Crush part 1

Tuesday.

Lin Yuran got up and pulled open the curtains. The sky outside wasn’t very clear. Dark clouds piled up above the tall buildings like ink stains. The sun seemed to be asleep under a heavy blanket of smokey ink. She checked the weather forecast: no rain until late tonight.

As usual, Lin Yuran rode her bike to her part-time job at Ranye. School would start again soon. She figured she’d better finish some projects now, while she didn’t have class. She knew once school started, she wouldn’t have much time to draw.

The ideas were flowing like a fountain today. Lin Yuran was so absorbed in her work that she lost track of time and everything around her. It was like she was totally cut off from the outside world. She didn’t even notice when time passed.

Suddenly, she heard a slightly deep voice say, “Lin Yuran.”

Lin Yuran snapped out of her creative zone. She was greeted by a familiar, refreshing scent of wood, with a hint of soap. It was pleasant to smell.

Chi Ye placed a carry bag on her desk. He looked down at her and asked, “What time is it, Lin Yuran?”

What do you mean, ‘What time is it’? Lin Yuran thought. Can’t you just look at your wristwatch?

Without thinking, her eyes darted towards the clock on her computer screen.

2:35 in the afternoon.

Chi Ye tapped his fingers on the table. “Go eat your lunch. If you starve in our company, we’d have to pay you compensation. Besides, it might make it sound like we’re exploiting our employees if word got out. That would damage our company’s image.”

Lin Yuran realized then that she’d forgotten to eat lunch.

“Thanks, President Chi,” she said, grinning as she opened the bag on her desk and took out her lunch box. “Don’t worry, President Chi, missing one meal won’t kill me. Besides, I’m not even an employee of your company.”

Chi Ye raised an eyebrow. “Who cares about that on the internet? If you die of hunger in our company, it’ll be seen as our fault.”

“Alright, then I’ll make sure not to die of hunger while we’re working together. I won’t give you any trouble, President Chi.” Lin Yuran stuck a straw into her juice box and took a sip. “This tastes great. Thank you again, President Chi.”

Chi Ye crossed his arms and watched her for two seconds. Without saying anything, he turned around and went back to his office.

After eating and drinking, Lin Yuran continued her work. She had eaten lunch late, and the food Chi Ye had brought for her was plentiful. She didn’t want to waste it, so she ate it all. She was so full that she didn’t feel hungry at all in the afternoon.

Lin Yuran, no longer distracted by physical needs, became even more immersed in her work. She was almost finished refining Nüwa’s final designs and wanted to complete them that day.

A low voice spoke by her ear, “Lin Yuran.”

She looked up and met Chi Ye’s gaze, which was devoid of any obvious emotion.

“Lin Yuran, what time is it?” Chi Ye asked, his eyes fixed on her.

Lin Yuran shifted her gaze to the window. It was already dark outside. She quickly checked the computer screen – 9:05 PM.

Yawning, Chi Ye probed further, “Lin Yuran, what time do you plan to finish work?”

To Lin Yuran, this was early. When she was in the zone drawing, she would often work until the small hours of the night.

Her current design was nearly complete, and she didn’t want to stop just yet. “Almost done,” she said half-heartedly. “Just need a few more minutes.”

Chi Ye crossed his arms. “Lin Yuran, we don’t do overtime here. If you collapse and die from working too much, not only would it be bad for our reputation, but our company might as well shut down. Didn’t you hear about that big tech company recently? An employee died from working too much late at night. It caused a huge uproar online, with everyone accusing the company of exploiting their workers.”

Lin Yuran was utterly stunned. She wanted to say, It’s not even 10 PM. What business do you have talking about sudden death?!

There were just a few strokes left to finish her work. Unwilling to argue further, she acquiesced, “Fine, fine, fine. I’ll leave right now. I wouldn’t want to cause any trouble for your esteemed company.”

Lin Yuran began packing her belongings into her backpack. Chi Ye didn’t leave either; he stood quietly to the side, watching her tidy up.

Lin Yuran was at a loss for words. Is he worried that if he leaves, I’ll keep working or something?

She shut down her computer, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and rode the elevator down with Chi Ye.

A question suddenly crossed Lin Yuran’s mind: If the company doesn’t allow overtime, why is this CEO still here so late?

Outside, the evening breeze swept away the summer heat. It was then that Lin Yuran remembered the weather forecast mentioned rain later tonight. She’d forgotten to head home early, but at least the rain hadn’t started just yet.

“Well, I’m off,” she said goodbye to Chi Ye and headed straight for the bike shelter. Chi Ye followed behind her at a leisurely pace, walking towards the parking area.

The employees of this large factory all seemed quite well-off. No one used electric scooters or bicycles for their commute; instead, they favored cars. The vast parking lot boasted its size, yet the bike shelter was tiny, with only one spot ever occupied by a motorcycle.