章 9: Aurora Park
Zhang Rui felt a wave of anxiety wash over him as Bo Qiang's intense gaze bored into him, making it difficult to think, let alone respond. Just as the tension reached its peak, Lina stepped forward, effortlessly breaking the suffocating silence.
"He's the president of the Math Club," she explained swiftly, her voice light but commanding, defusing the situation with ease. "He's inviting me to join."
Bo Qiang's expression remained unreadable, but something shifted in his gaze. He vaguely recalled his secretary mentioning that Lina had won some math competition last year, though at the time, it hadn't seemed important enough for him to pay attention. Now, however, the pieces started to come together. As he glanced back at Zhang Rui, the boy's previously stiff posture seemed to shrink under the weight of Bo Qiang's presence, his confidence visibly wilting.
Lina, sensing the awkwardness hanging in the air, took a breath and turned to Zhang Rui. Her voice was firm, but not unkind. "I'll join the Math Club, but I can't commit to attending all the time. I'll only be able to show up occasionally. Those are my terms."
Zhang Rui's expression flickered with hope as he met her eyes. "But... you'll still participate in the most important competitions, right?" His voice was tentative, as if he feared pushing too far.
Lina paused for a beat, considering. Then, with a small nod, she replied, "Yes, I'll do that."
Relief washed over Zhang Rui's face, his shoulders visibly relaxing as a faint smile formed. He nodded his thanks, murmured a quick goodbye, and walked away, his steps lighter now that the confrontation had passed.
As Bo Qiang and Lina made their way to his car, something felt slightly off. There was an odd tension between them that hadn't been there before. He noticed Lina pulling her arm away from his as they approached the vehicle, moving to open the passenger door herself. She slipped inside without waiting for him. Bo Qiang hesitated for a moment, feeling a vague sense of disorientation. It wasn't like her to act distant, and for some reason, it gnawed at him. Shaking off the strange feeling, he walked around to the driver's side and climbed in.
The drive started in silence, with Lina gazing out the window, and Bo Qiang focused on the road. However, as they traveled further, Lina noticed something. The streets and landmarks looked unfamiliar, and the route they were taking wasn't the one that led home. She raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued.
"Are we going somewhere?" she asked, her voice cutting through the quiet hum of the engine.
Bo Qiang, snapped from his thoughts, realized he hadn't mentioned the change in plans. "My father called earlier," he said, his voice steady but slightly detached. "He told me I should take you to the park today. I thought… it might be a good idea. It's the park our company just opened."
Lina blinked in surprise, processing the unexpected destination. "Aurora Park?" she asked, her eyes widening as recognition set in. She hadn't anticipated a visit there, but when she thought of how kind Bo Qiang's father, Wei Jian, had always been to her, it made sense. A soft smile formed on her lips, one that reflected the warmth she felt toward the man who had always treated her like family.
"Your parents are amazing," she said warmly, turning to look at Bo Qiang with genuine affection in her voice.
Bo Qiang glanced at her from the corner of his eye, catching her smile. For a moment, the air in the car felt lighter, less tense. He wasn't used to this—this gentleness, this softness from someone other than his parents, and even from them, it had always been fleeting. Seeing Lina so at ease sent a strange wave of comfort through him, though he couldn't quite explain why.
Lina, noticing the brief silence, turned her gaze toward him, her eyes shimmering with gratitude. "Thank you, brother Bo Qiang," she said, her voice softer now. "I'm sorry for always being such a bother. I'll talk to your dad about it. I don't want him to keep asking you to look after me all the time."
At her words, Bo Qiang's grip on the steering wheel tightened ever so slightly. There was something about the way she said it, about the way she so casually apologized for being a burden, that struck a chord deep within him. He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, trying to find the right words to respond.
"That's… what a brother should do," he replied, though the word "brother" lingered awkwardly on his tongue. He hadn't meant to emphasize it, but as the word hung in the air, he found himself feeling strangely unsettled by it. The concept felt foreign, especially when applied to Lina. But before he could dwell on it, he quickly refocused on the road, driving in silence once again.
Unaware of the subtle shift in Bo Qiang's mood, Lina beamed at his response, clearly pleased. She hummed softly to herself, her thoughts drifting as she whispered almost to herself, "Bo Qiang is such a good brother. He's so much better than the way he was written in the book."
Her words were light and cheerful, but they pierced through Bo Qiang like a blade, leaving him momentarily frozen in place. The way she spoke about him—so casually, so nonchalantly—sent his mind spiraling. She had no idea. She didn't know who he truly was, or what he was capable of. She didn't know that everything she had read in that book was true. Bo Qiang was exactly as the book had described him. He was ruthless, calculating, and distant. But somehow, with Lina, he had become someone else entirely.
As they continued toward Aurora Park, Bo Qiang's thoughts swirled in confusion. What was it about her that changed him? Why did she make him feel things he didn't understand? The road stretched on ahead, but Bo Qiang felt like he was lost in a maze, unsure of where it would lead him.
And Lina, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing within him, simply smiled and looked out the window, content in the moment.
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