Chapter 107 It’s About to Rain

Chapter 107: It's Going to Rain

The afternoon sunlight slanted in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting large patches of warm light and shadow across the office.

Shen Qingci sat on the sofa by the window, a freshly brewed cup of coffee before him.

He kept his eyes slightly lowered, as if resting his eyes, his lashes casting a small shadow beneath his eyes. The sunlight fell on his cool, refined profile, gilding it with a soft golden edge.

The steam from the coffee rose gently, blurring his refined features.

A soft knock came at the door.

"Come in."

Shen Qingci didn’t lift his head, staying in the same position.

Zhou Jin walked in, carrying a thick stack of documents.

As soon as he stepped into the office, his gaze swept across the room.

He didn’t see the familiar person.

Zhou Jin’s heart sank slightly, a vague unease stirring in him.

He walked up to Shen Qingci and spoke respectfully:

"President Shen, these are the documents President Lu needs to handle today."

Shen Qingci raised his eyes to look at him.

That pair of cold, clear eyes fell on Zhou Jin, then shifted away.

He picked up his coffee and took a light sip, his movements graceful and refined.

Zhou Jin took the chance to quickly scan the entire office again.

Confirming that troublemaker was really not there, his eyelids twitched, sensing something was amiss.

He withdrew his gaze and tried to keep his tone neutral:

"Is President Lu... not here?"

Shen Qingci lowered his eyes and gave a faint "Mm."

He gently set the coffee cup down, and the bottom of the cup met the tabletop with a crisp click.

Then, he raised his eyes to look at Zhou Jin.

In those eyes, there was now nothing but coldness, like a frozen-over, icy pool:

"Lu Lin... didn’t come back to the company?"

Zhou Jin fell silent.

How was he supposed to answer?

Should he say, "Yes, President Lu didn’t come back"? Or should he say, "I don’t know where he went"?

His expression remained calm, but inside he was cursing inwardly:

"Boss, why didn’t you give me a heads up before you went out to play?!"

Seeing that Zhou Jin wasn’t saying anything, Shen Qingci already understood.

He didn’t press further. Instead, he leaned on his cane and slowly stood up.

The movement was unhurried, carrying an innate elegance.

He walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and stopped.

Outside the window lay the city’s bustling scene: towering skyscrapers, a stream of traffic.

The sunlight cast his shadow long across the polished floor.

He stood there, his back slender and solitary, radiating cold solitude.

After a long while.

Shen Qingci’s cool voice rang out slowly:

"Leave them here."

He paused, then continued:

"I’ll handle them for him."

Zhou Jin lowered his head and replied: "Yes, President Shen."

He gently placed the stack of documents on Shen Qingci’s desk, then raised his head to look at the cold, solitary figure standing by the window.

The glow of the setting sun fell on him, cloaking him in a warm light, yet it couldn’t warm the innate detachment radiating from him.

He just stood there, motionless, like an exquisitely carved statue—beautiful in an unreal way, cold to the point of being remote.

Zhou Jin withdrew his gaze and said softly:

"Then I’ll take my leave."

"Mm."

A very faint response came from behind him.

The door was gently closed.

The office fell quiet once more.

Shen Qingci stood still, gazing at the scenery outside the window.

His fingers tapped lightly on the top of his cane, one tap after another.

The sound was so soft it was almost inaudible, yet in this vast office, it was strikingly clear.

It wasn’t until the light outside the window began to dim and the shadows inside the office lengthened,

that he turned around using his cane and walked back to his desk.

He sat down in his chair, picked up the stack of documents Zhou Jin had brought, and began to work through them one by one.

Through the window, the sun was gradually setting.

The golden sunlight turned orange, and then gradually deepened to a dark purple.

The entire sky was set ablaze by the sunset, like spilled paint, brilliant yet fleeting.

Shen Qingci finished processing the last document, clicked the pen shut, and set it down neatly.

He looked up, looking at the fiery clouds outside the window.

The red was so intense, dyeing the entire sky like a magnificent painting.

The clouds hung low in the sky, so low that it felt like he could reach out and touch them.

He stared at the sky for two seconds, then he looked down at the phone on the desk.

He reached out and picked up the phone.

The screen lit up, revealing the familiar chat background.

His fingertips gently glided across the screen.

He typed a few words,

then deleted them.

Typed again,

then deleted them again.

In the end, he placed the phone back on the desk, without sending anything.

He looked up, again looking out at the sky.

The blazing sunset had gradually faded, leaving only a last hint of crimson on the horizon.

The clouds hung lower, so heavy they seemed as if they might fall at any moment.

It seemed it was about to rain.

Shen Qingci thought calmly, then stood up, cane in hand.

Time to head home.