Chapter 125: Have You Found Someone?

"It’s fine. Even if the shop is no longer at the original address, I can reach out to people later and find a way to get it for you." Qin Yu’s tone was certain as he gave her his word.

Unlike Bai Xu or Cheng Si, Qin Yu was not one for bluster. When he said something, he meant it; he never gave empty reassurances. As his aunt often put it, every word he spoke carried the weight of a nail driven into wood.

"Sorry to trouble you, Third Brother." Lin Xi breathed a quiet sigh of relief; Qin Yu was truly reliable.

She was amazed that he remembered such a minor detail from so long ago. Having known him for so long, it felt as though there was nothing he couldn't handle.

They drove for half an hour to reach their destination. The streets here were narrow, making it inconvenient for vehicles to pass. They got out and began walking from the start of the street toward the end.

"It should be somewhere in the middle." Qin Yu was trying his best to recall. He couldn't remember the exact storefront, only a rough range.

Back then, Lin Chen had been very active, burning through energy quickly, and since he was still growing, he was always hungry. Before or after his sports, he would often buy something to eat around here. Whether it was specifically sugar cakes, Qin Yu couldn't be certain.

"Okay, I’ll take a close look." Lin Xi was impatient, her gaze darting toward the signs and logos along the road, her pace quickening.

"Hey, hey, watch out!" A delivery truck parked on the side opened its cargo door, blocking her path. It had been in her blind spot.

A split second before the driver called out, Qin Yu reached out, pulled Lin Xi toward him, and shielded her from the door. Lin Xi stumbled, her foot catching, and she fell into his arms. The sound of his heartbeat thundered in her ears.

As she realized what had happened, she pulled away as if electrocuted and straightened her posture. She curled her lips into a faint smile and whispered, "Thank you, Third Brother."

"Watch where you’re going." Qin Yu stepped past her, taking the lead. With him in front, she didn't have to worry about bumping into anything else. She wondered if that was his intention.

They walked from one end of the street to the other. The old, dilapidated shops were long gone, replaced by sophisticated restaurants. Given that over a decade had passed, it was only natural. Now, they could only rely on Qin Yu to see if he could find a way to contact the original owner.

Back at the apartment, Qin Yu stopped at her door. "Leave this to me, don't worry about it. I’ll try my best to find it within three days."

"If you can't find it, Third Brother, don't force it. If it really doesn't work out, we'll just pick something else; my brother will surely understand." Lin Xi hoped he would find it, but she was afraid he would take it too seriously.

"I know." Qin Yu handed her the fruit his aunt had sent. "Go in and get some rest."

"Okay." Lin Xi nodded, entered her passcode, and pushed the door open. Before closing it, she hesitated and looked back at the figure in the hallway. Qin Yu was still standing there, showing no sign of heading to his own place, as if he needed to see her go inside to feel at ease.

Seeing her pause, he poked his head out and asked, "Is something else the matter?"

"..." Lin Xi bit her lip, then offered a small smile. "Nothing. Goodnight, Third Brother."

She had felt it was rude to just walk in without saying a word, especially since he had helped her so much tonight. It was just a "goodnight"—she would say that to a stranger, so why hesitate with Qin Yu?

Qin Yu seemed taken aback. He stared at her for a long moment before giving a slight nod. "Goodnight."

***

The next morning, Lin Xi arrived at the office on time. Having been away for two days, some files had piled up, but fortunately, nothing was urgent; her colleague, Engineer Chen, and the others had handled most of it.

"Engineer Lin, you're here early today." Chen and his team were the same as ever, arriving and leaving together. The quiet office instantly came to life.

Chen handed her a coffee from a bag. "An iced Americano for Engineer Lin."

"Thank you." Lin Xi took it with a smile. Chen brought her coffee every few days. She had once mentioned that the office coffee was poor, and since there was a cafe right below Chen’s building, he had brought her a cup once. Seeing she liked it, he made it a habit. Lin Xi had tried to pay him several times, but he refused, so she eventually gave up and started treating them to afternoon tea instead.

Chen took a sip of his own coffee, leaning over his desk to observe her. The more he looked, the broader his smile grew, his eyes filled with a gentle, fatherly warmth.

"You're in a good mood today, Engineer Lin."

Lin Xi chuckled, not stopping her work on the files. "What makes you say that?"

"You've seemed a bit down lately, but today you're actually smiling. Tsk, tsk." Chen teased, "Don't tell me you took those two days off to go on a blind date?"

"Did you find someone? You look so happy, like you're in love."

As soon as he said this, the others in the office gathered around to listen openly. While there were many single people in their R&D department, they were more concerned about Lin Xi’s love life than their own.

Lin Xi’s pen paused. She looked up at them, amused and helpless. "That's impossible."

"It was just a family friend who came back."

"The soldier brother you mentioned before?"

"No," Lin Xi shook her head. "A family friend, a childhood friend. He just transferred back from abroad after several years away, so things have been a bit busy at home."

Lin Xi quickly changed the subject. "Has there been any movement from *him*?"

Everyone knew who "he" referred to.

"Doesn't seem to be anything unusual. You weren't here for the last two days, and since he's your assistant, his workload was light, so he left early every day."

"He did offer to work overtime with us, but it was just a polite gesture. When we said it wasn't necessary, he left immediately."

That evening, as Lin Xi was packing up to leave, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

The assistant walked in and handed her a file. "Engineer Lin, is there something wrong with this data?"

Lin Xi took it and looked. This was the fake data Chen had intentionally leaked into the group chat the other day.

"No." Lin Xi kept her expression neutral as she explained two points that seemed slightly off. Then, she gave him a reassuring nod. "Since Engineer Chen compiled it, there shouldn't be any major problems."

As she handed the file back and picked up her bag, she asked, "Anything else?"

He hesitated. "Next month's school anniversary... will you be going, Engineer Lin?"

Their only prior connection was the high school in the neighboring city. The anniversary could only be there. But Lin Xi hadn't received any notification.

"Would you like to go with me, Engineer Lin?"