Chapter 3: The Walking Machine

Chapter 3: The Walking Machine

Gu Chen escorted Shen Xian away from the bustling crowd, leading her to a quiet corner in the office complex and seating her on a bench.

"It's safe now."

The man's deep voice spoke without any trace of emotion.

Hunched over, Shen Xian's cap concealed most of her face. From Gu Chen's perspective, she appeared unusually slender, with a sharp chin, thin frame, and slightly trembling body. She didn't seem like someone who would risk her life to defuse a bomb in a life-or-death situation.

"Thank you," Shen Xian said with a slightly raspy voice. She didn't lift her head, instead gripping the edge of the bench tightly as if it provided her some sense of security.

Gu Chen didn't leave but chose to sit down beside her.

"You were very brave just now. Can I ask your name?"

"Shen Xian," replied Shen Xian after a long silence, her pale lips barely forming the words.

Gu Chen actually had many questions for her. Why did she defuse the bomb? Why did she let everyone else leave while staying behind herself? Why was she willing to risk her life for a stranger despite being clearly terrified... In the end, he could only ask the simplest of them all.

Shen Xian's work uniform had an unnoticed tear on the shoulder, exposing a patch of fair skin and an unsightly scar half-covered.

Seeing her silence, Gu Chen reached out to help fix her clothes.

But his action seemed to invade Shen Xian's personal space. She recoiled from his touch like she had been electrocuted, her gaze turning wary towards him.

Feeling awkward, Gu Chen retracted his hand mid-air.

"Weren't you afraid just now? Why didn't you run?"

Eventually, Gu Chen asked the question that lingered in his mind the most.

After Shen Xian composed herself, she met the man's bright eyes. Unlike his composure, her question was rather sharp, "Didn't you stay as well? Did you only stay because your assistant was trapped? If it was an ordinary employee, would you still have stayed there?"

Gu Chen was taken aback. He hadn't considered this angle. But one thing was certain – the person trapped wasn't just his assistant, but his brother-in-arms, someone who shared life and death with him!

In that situation, he wouldn't have abandoned him.

"Questions you can't answer yourself, don't burden others with them. Some things leave no room for choice. Danger won't grant you the luxury of time to decide."

Noticing Gu Chen's silence, Shen Xian decided not to push further and got up to leave.

"Wait a moment!"

Gu Chen stood up, pulling out his business card from his suit pocket. "I believe you shouldn't be confined to the warehouse. Here's my card. You can call me anytime you wish, and if your request is reasonable, I'll do my best to accommodate it."

Shen Xian declined to take the offered card. "I genuinely enjoy my current job, and I don't seek any reward for what happened today. Thank you!"

With that, she turned to go.

Seeing this, Gu Chen swiftly slid the card into the pocket of Shen Xian's work uniform. "Take your time to consider what I said. My offer stands forever."

Shen Xian didn't want to prolong the interaction and thus didn't respond further, turning away and leaving.

Gu Chen watched her slender figure fade away. His eyes darkened as he dialed a number on his phone.

"Send someone over immediately to assist the police investigation. Also, look into someone for me..."

The early autumn breeze carried a chill, yet Shen Xian's exposed skin and scars on her shoulders burned as if branded by the fall wind, causing a sharp pain.

She didn't return to the warehouse. Instead, she sent a message to her supervisor asking for leave and left the bustling industrial park.

Shen Xian didn't hail a taxi, take the subway, or board a bus. She still wore her hat to conceal her face and carried her old bag, which held her damaged work uniform. With her head lowered, she hurried along the streets.

She was like an emotionless walking machine! As if only through this mechanical motion could she soothe her restless, fearful, and anxious heart.

In this manner, Shen Xian walked from the scorching sun until nightfall. Her legs felt heavy as lead, but she didn't stop. Tears or sweat, it was indistinguishable, rolled down her face. Her lips were cracked, and her eyes hollow.

With robotic steps, she traversed bustling avenues, crossed a glowing footbridge at dusk... and finally returned to her small home.

She dropped her bag, grabbed two cold beers from the fridge, and stumbled up to the rooftop terrace. Sitting on a stone bench, she tilted her head back and drank hastily.

Streetlights flickered to life before her eyes.

The city continued its dazzling display of lights, indifferent to whether someone might have lost their life or met with an accident in some hidden corner.

As long as it didn't affect them directly, the world seemed peaceful and beautiful!

And what about Shen Xian? Was her world as beautiful?

"Shen Xian."

A familiar yet somewhat estranged voice echoed from the entrance of the rooftop.

Shen Xian's body trembled, halting her action of pouring alcohol. But she didn't turn back, as if afraid of something or desperately denying the existence of that voice just now.

She tilted her head back and took another large swig of alcohol.

Footsteps drew closer, and Shen Xian drank more fiercely.

A long and slender hand reached around from behind her neck, grasping the bottle in her hand.

"Shen Xian, after three years, I've finally found you."

The man's voice was clean, pleasant, magnetic, and spoke softly into Shen Xian's ear.

At this single sentence, Shen Xian's eyes quickly reddened, misting over as everything before her began to blur.

The man took the glass from Shen Xian's hand and approached her, his black attire blending seamlessly into the dark night. His tall and muscular frame exuded an aura as cold as steel, a stark contrast to the gentleness in his voice just moments ago.

"Zhou Mu, you're here," he said.

Shen Xian spoke calmly, her hazy eyes fixed on him as if she had always known he would come.

Zhou Mu sat down on the stool opposite Shen Xian, leaning slightly forward to tenderly wipe away the tears that had escaped her notice.

"I saw the media coverage about the Shenfei Group," Zhou Mu paused for a moment before continuing, "and your photos."

Despite the pictures capturing only half of Shen Xian's face, his familiarity with her allowed him to recognize her instantly. Following the lead of Shenfei Logistics, he swiftly traced her residence.

Three long years, and he had finally found her.

Gazing at the slender woman before him with a pang of heartache, he struggled to suppress the turmoil within him.

"Shen Xian, you've lost more weight."

"And you're still as stoic as ever," Shen Xian managed a faint smile, looking at the man as cold as the night itself.

That smile was more grotesque than a cry.