Chapter 456: The Reason for Voluntarily Working Overtime
Chapter 456: Chapter 456: The Reason for Voluntarily Working Overtime
"Alright, then I won’t try to talk you out of it." When she heard her brother say that, Little Red Carp thought it was a fair trade. She also knew that for artists, inspiration could be fleeting; if you caught it, the quality and efficiency of your creative work would improve dramatically.
Zhao Nuanyue received a call at Immortal Grass Hall, and her heart ached for her younger brother.
So, she told her master she was leaving, went home early, and stewed a pot of chicken soup for her brother, which she brought over in a thermos.
"Nuan Yang, you have to take care of yourself. You must finish all this chicken soup." Zhao Nuanyue handed the thermos to her brother. "I put some restorative medicinal herbs in it; they’re good for you. If you don’t drink it, don’t even think about working overtime again."
Hearing his sister’s caring words, which sounded almost like a threat, Zhao Nuan Yang smiled, took the thermos, and said, "Okay, I’ll definitely finish it all. I’ll get back to work after I’ve had my fill."
"Oh, right, here are some snacks for a late-night meal." Zhao Nuanyue took a food container out of her bag. Working overtime late into the night without sleep was an easy way to get hungry.
"Okay, I’ve got them." Zhao Nuan Yang accepted the items and watched his sisters leave.
"Goodbye, Brother!" Little Red Carp waved goodbye to her brother. ’Once he finishes this project,’ she thought, ’he can take his vacation early, and then he can go with me to the library to borrow books.’
Watching the retreating figures of his sisters, Zhao Nuan Yang took the thermos and food container and returned to his office.
Pan Ling’er was just about to head home for the day when she saw Zhao Nuan Yang was working overtime. Her big eyes darted around as an idea came to her. She put her bicycle away and decided she wasn’t leaving either.
When Li saw that Pan Ling’er wasn’t leaving, he asked curiously, "Ling’er, why aren’t you going home?"
"I don’t know why, but I have a feeling something bad might happen tonight! I want to stay and tighten security. You know some people are eyeing this collection covetedly." Pan Ling’er frowned, her expression serious.
Without waiting for Li to process what she’d said, she had already grabbed a security baton and gone out on patrol, not looking the least bit tired.
"Ling’er, even if something happens, we have other people here. It’s dark out; you should hurry home," Li said, growing anxious. If the boss were to find out his precious charge was staying for the night shift, he’d likely be furious.
But Pan Ling’er was already far away.
Li grabbed his baton and followed, afraid that something might happen to Pan Ling’er.
Wu came in from outside and saw Li rushing off. "Why are you in such a hurry to go back out?" he asked. "Not heading home?"
"Don’t just stand there, come with me! We can talk as we walk," Li said with a grimace. "Ling’er has decided to work overtime tonight. She says she has a premonition that something’s going to happen!"
Wu froze for a second, then gave a bitter laugh. "Sigh. What premonition? It’s just because Zhao Nuan Yang is working overtime, so this little princess has to work overtime too. Her motive couldn’t be more obvious!"
"Huh?" Li was stunned for a moment, and then he understood as well. "Sigh, a grown daughter can’t be kept at home! If she’s like this now, I can’t imagine what she’ll be like in the future!"
"Hey, Old Li, you can’t just say things like that! If the boss heard you, he’d have your head!" Wu quickly reminded him. "She’s the treasure of the whole family. We already sent the results of our background check to the boss last time. I’m sure he’s already investigated and verified it. As for how he’ll handle it or what he thinks, that’s not our concern. We just need to ensure Ling’er’s safety!"
"You’re right, I shouldn’t be spouting nonsense. Let’s go!" Li nodded and headed straight for the office building where Zhao Nuan Yang was. He didn’t even need to guess; they would definitely find Pan Ling’er nearby.
Sure enough, just as they expected, the two of them found Pan Ling’er near Zhao Nuan Yang’s office.
However, Pan Ling’er hadn’t gone inside the office to get warm. Instead, she was pacing back and forth outside, looking hesitant and very nervous.
Ah, a young girl’s first crush, always such a wonderful thing!
Pan Ling’er didn’t dare to go in, but Li couldn’t just let her keep wandering around outside. What if she caught a cold?
"Ling’er, go stand guard by the entrance. The most important items in the museum are in there." Li had walked over and was advising her. "There’s plenty going on outside, and soldiers are on watch. Your presence here doesn’t make much of a difference, so you might as well guard the inside. Be the last line of defense."
Seeing that Li and Wu had both come, Pan Ling’er felt a bit embarrassed. At the same time, she was so cold she couldn’t stop stamping her feet.
"I don’t know if that’s a good idea," Pan Ling’er hesitated. She felt a little guilty that her actions were making Li and Wu work overtime.
"There’s nothing wrong with it. Hurry up and go inside!" Wu urged. "You’re a girl, after all. You can’t just stand out here freezing."
Pan Ling’er was shivering so much she couldn’t stand it anymore. She dashed into the lobby, and sure enough, it was much warmer.
Li went to check the rooms and poured Pan Ling’er a cup of hot water.
Pan Ling’er cupped the enamel mug filled with hot water in both hands, finally feeling some warmth return to her body.
Pan Ling’er would occasionally take a sip, and occasionally peek in the direction of Zhao Nuan Yang’s office. Even though she couldn’t see him, the faint light shining from within sent a sweet flutter through her heart.
At times, Pan Ling’er would also pass by the office door, casually glancing inside as she went.
At that moment, Zhao Nuan Yang was completely absorbed, holding a fine-tipped brush and performing the final touches of the restoration. He didn’t notice the preoccupied Pan Ling’er in the hallway.
Seeing his serious and focused expression, Pan Ling’er’s heart began to pound like a frightened deer.
’How can Zhao Nuan Yang be so handsome?’
This was Pan Ling’er’s innermost thought.
"A man is most handsome when he’s focused"—this would become a very popular saying in a later era, and it coincided perfectly with Pan Ling’er’s inner assessment.
Pan Ling’er, who kept a very regular schedule, would normally have been asleep by nine o’clock. But today, it was already midnight, and she was still wandering about, feeling energized and not the least bit sleepy.
When Zhao Nuan Yang occasionally stretched the muscles in his neck, he would sometimes catch a glimpse of a familiar shadow not far from his door.
’That Pan Ling’er is really conscientious and responsible,’ he thought. ’She’s a good girl, and a good bodyguard.’
Zhao Nuan Yang’s impression of Pan Ling’er improved even more. He felt that he could be friends with her.
Just then, Zhao Nuan Yang started to feel hungry, so he took out the chicken soup from the thermos and the snacks from the food container.
Zhao Nuan Yang was hungry, and as a foodie herself, Pan Ling’er was naturally hungry too. After wandering around all evening, she was so famished her stomach felt like it was stuck to her spine, but there was no food in the cafeteria.
When the rich aroma of chicken soup wafted out from Zhao Nuan Yang’s room, Pan Ling’er’s footsteps came to a halt.
Thinking of Nuanyue’s excellent cooking, the tired and hungry Pan Ling’er wanted nothing more than to charge in and have a bite.