Chapter 74 How Much Longer Until You Return

Chapter 74 How Much Longer Until You Return

The news of Zhou Xingde's passing quickly spread throughout the company.

Zhou Yu's absence from the Monday morning regular meeting seemed to lend credence to the rumors.

After the meeting, Guo Shengyao followed Lin Yunshu back to his office. She held onto the doorframe, cautiously looked around twice, then closed the door tightly.

"Master, what do we do now?"

Lin Yunshu didn’t respond. He took a bottle of purified water from the refrigerator.

He seemed parched—after twisting it open, he took several large gulps and let out a heavy exhale.

"M-Master," Guo Shengyao said nervously, "you shouldn’t drink like that..."

Lin Yunshu casually tossed the water bottle on the table, nonchalantly. "What’s the problem? It’s not alcohol."

Guo Shengyao: "..."

"Boss said you shouldn’t drink cold water..." she muttered.

"Boss isn’t here. Just listen to me," Lin Yunshu said.

He paused, giving Guo Shengyao a closer look. "Wait—you’re supposed to listen to me anyway. Did he somehow turn you against me without me knowing?"

"Master!" Guo Shengyao was almost in tears. "How can you still joke around at a time like this? You two are practically a couple—what’s his is yours, and what’s yours is still yours. Does it even matter who I follow?"

Lin Yunshu chuckled. "You seemed too tense. I was just trying to help you relax."

"I really thank you," Guo Shengyao said, wanting to cry but having no tears. But after thinking for a moment, she added seriously, "But don’t worry, if I really had to choose, I’d definitely side with you!"

"Enough," Lin Yunshu stopped her before she could exaggerate further. "He’s the one who pays your salary—even my salary comes from him. I have no intention of usurping the position. Show some respect, okay?"

Guo Shengyao made a zipping motion over her lips. "Understood."

"By the way, you still haven’t said—what do we do next?" she asked, becoming worried again.

"What can we do?" Lin Yunshu sighed. "Zhou Yu is already there. The body has been cremated. There’s no point hiding it anymore. Prepare a funeral announcement."

That really was the only option. Guo Shengyao nodded. "Okay, I understand. I’ll get it done right away."

"The funeral arrangements need to be made quickly too," Lin Yunshu said. "It’s all very sudden, so it might be somewhat rushed, but we have to do it properly—make it lavish and ensure all proper etiquette is observed."

It was no secret that Zhou Yu and Zhou Xingde didn't get along well. When Zhou Yu sent his own father to that godforsaken place, it drew criticism from outsiders. Now that Zhou Xingde was gone, the funeral had to be handled with dignity, leaving no room for further criticism against Zhou Yu.

Guo Shengyao memorized carefully. "Don’t worry, I’ll find the right people to handle it, and I’ll personally oversee it."

Still, her expression remained uneasy. "But I’m still worried about the group... You saw how those old directors acted this morning... I’m afraid they might take advantage of this situation to do something..."

That was exactly what Lin Yunshu was worried about too.

When Zhou Yu’s grandfather passed away suddenly, he left behind a mess. It took Zhou Yu a great deal of effort to firmly secure his position within the group.

Now, with Zhou Xingde’s sudden departure, there was a risk of new complications arising from this.

Lin Yunshu absentmindedly tapped his fingers on the desk. Outside the window, the bright morning sun cast a deep golden-orange glow across the eastern sky.

Today would be a rare sunny day in the depths of winter.

The collar of Lin Yunshu’s shirt was dyed golden.

His gaze lingered on the withered tree branches outside the window for a long moment before he turned back to Guo Shengyao with a comforting smile. "It’s fine. Zhou Yu will be back no later than the day after tomorrow. They won’t be able to turn the world upside down... But we still need to keep a close watch."

Lin Yunshu lowered his eyes pondering, his thumb gently resting against his chin. "But you don’t need to worry about that. I’ll discuss it with Li Xun later."

"Okay," Guo Shengyao sighed in relief. "As long as you have a plan, I won’t worry."

Buzz!

Lin Yunshu’s phone lit up on the desk.

Zhou Yu had sent a voice message.

Lin Yunshu glanced at it, picked up the phone, and without thinking, pressed play.

"Baby~" Zhou Yu’s sticky, affectionate voice filled the office. "What are you doing? Today I—"

Click!

It cut off abruptly.

Lin Yunshu hurriedly turned it off, his shoulders tense and his face flushed red.

Guo Shengyao: "Baby~"

She said in a teasing voice, grinning from ear to ear.

"So that’s how Boss talks to you in private," she said, hugging a file folder and joking, "Master, you know how to train him well~"

The message notification kept buzzing. Lin Yunshu simply muted the phone and flipped it face down on the desk.

"You’re getting bolder and bolder," he said, looking at Guo Shengyao with some shock in his eyes.

They were separated by a long desk—Lin Yunshu sitting in his chair, Guo Shengyao standing opposite him.

In the past, this girl was very timid and cautious, at most daring to complain behind his back. Now, she even had the nerve to tease him right to his face.

"Have I been too good-natured lately?" Lin Yunshu asked her.

"No, no," Guo Shengyao quickly shook her head, then corrected herself, "I mean—no, Master, you’ve always been kind. We all like you a lot."

Lin Yunshu gave an understanding "Oh." "So it’s my fault then? I’m too nice, so you feel comfortable joking about me during work hours?"

As he spoke, he slightly raised his eyebrow, making Guo Shengyao tense up.

"Of course not!" Guo Shengyao immediately denied. "I’m sorry, Master."

She apologized faster than anyone, smoothly and fluently, but Lin Yunshu could see no trace of fear in her eyes.

He couldn’t help but sigh to himself.

"Never mind," Lin Yunshu said, holding his forehead. "You can go now. Make sure the tasks I assigned are done properly."

Guo Shengyao nodded energetically. "Don’t worry, Master, leave it to me!"

Lin Yunshu waved his hand, gesturing for her to leave quickly.

Guo Shengyao knew when to stop and scampered off, flashing Lin Yunshu an eager grin as she closed the door.

Lin Yunshu: "…"

He closed his eyes in exasperation.

His phone was still ringing—probably because Zhou Yu, seeing that Lin Yunshu hadn’t responded, had decided to call directly.

Lin Yunshu stared at Zhou Yu’s name flashing on the screen and took his time answering.

"Hello—"

"Baby!" Zhou Yu’s booming voice blared through the speaker, assaulting Lin Yunshu’s ears. "Did you see the messages I sent you, babe?"

Lin Yunshu closed his eyes, held the phone slightly away from his ear, and rubbed his temple.

"I saw them."

"Then why didn’t you reply?" Zhou Yu feigned hurt. "I thought you were ditching me again."

Lin Yunshu: "…Is that necessary?"

He pressed his fingers firmly against his forehead. Why was everyone being so rowdy today?

"Of course I am," Zhou Yu said without shame. "The second you ignore me, I feel utterly insecure."

Lin Yunshu was about to laugh. "Do you—do you even feel embarrassed saying things like that?"

"Embarrassed? You think I get embarrassed?" Zhou Yu sounded dumbfounded. "God, I never thought you’d think I’m that thin-skinned."

Lin Yunshu: "…"

"Just shut up, seriously," he said, unable to take any more.

Zhou Yu chuckled brightly. "Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you. What were you doing earlier?"

"You’re asking me?" Lin Yunshu said irritably. "Guo Shengyao was here earlier, and she caught all of that voice message you sent."

"Really?"

Zhou Yu’s tone was exaggerated, as though he wanted to blindly take Lin Yunshu’s side and criticize the subordinate who lacks boundaries.

But after thinking for a moment, he couldn’t come up with anything worth criticizing.

"So what if she heard it?" Zhou Yu soothed. "It’s fine, baby. It’s not like this is the first time Guo Shengyao has known about us. She’s used to it by now."

"It’s not about whether she knows," Lin Yunshu insisted. "We’re still at the office—it sets a bad example."

"The boss and the wifey being all lovey-dovey is a positive influence in any company."

Lin Yunshu: "…Forget it, you’re impossible."

He stood up and walked to the window, watching the constant flow of people down below. Suddenly, his voice softened.

"Zhou Yu, what do you think of my personality?"

"Your personality?" Zhou Yu wasn’t sure why he was bringing this up suddenly but answered honestly, "You have a great personality. Everyone likes you so much."

But Lin Yunshu was questioning himself. "I’ve been wondering if I should be stricter with Shengyao and the others at work—at least enough so I don’t seem like a pushover."

The line went quiet. Lin Yunshu grew anxious when he didn’t get a response.

"Hey, Zhou Yu? Zhou Yu, are you still there?"

"I’m here, I’m here," Zhou Yu quickly replied.

He pretty much understood what was bothering Lin Yunshu today—that Guo Shengyao must’ve blabbered again and made him flustered.

But someone as hard-mouthed as Lin Yunshu would never admit to being embarrassed. He’d rather reflect on his interpersonal skills.

"So what do you think?" Lin Yunshu asked again.

"Well, you know, baby," Zhou Yu began, choosing his words carefully, "in my opinion, handling staff is a lot like parenting."

Lin Yunshu frowned. "How so?"

"Think of the company as your home—yeah, just like the corporate pep talk I feed you guys in meetings," Zhou Yu rambled on. "So what does every home have?"

Lin Yunshu resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "What?"

"A hardass dad and a soft mom, or a soft dad and a hardass mom. There has to be one of each to balance the family dynamic," Zhou Yu said. "But in their eyes, I’m already… well, a complete lunatic."

Lin Yunshu couldn’t help but smile. "At least you’re self-aware."

"Self-awareness is a virtue," Zhou Yu never turned down a compliment. "But seriously, our little business has stayed stable all these years precisely because you’re the warm, patient presence who shows everyone that there’s at least one voice of reason by my side."

Lin Yunshu: "…"

"So I think your personality is great," Zhou Yu said. "Really."

"Fine, fine," Lin Yunshu relented. "If you say so… When are you coming back?"

"Miss me?"

Lin Yunshu paused. "I was just asking so I can… arrange to pick you up. You are bringing back the old man Zhou’s ashes, after all."

Zhou Yu laughed. "What, if I weren’t bringing back the old man Zhou’s ashes, you wouldn’t come get me?"

"…Can you stop messing around?"

"Ah, whatever," Zhou Yu sighed heavily. "If you don’t want to pick me up, that’s fine. I can find my own ride home. It’s okay—just wait for me at home."

He made a move to hang up.

"Wait!" Lin Yunshu quickly stopped him.

On the other end, Zhou Yu’s low chuckle and breath felt as though they were brushing Lin Yunshu’s ear right through the screen.

Lin Yunshu’s heart fluttered, and he finally caved.

Flustered and irritated, he muttered, "Text me your flight details."