Chapter 116 — Between Blueprints and Heartbeats
The office was finally quiet.
Stacks of papers that had once been messy, overwritten, rewritten, and nearly torn apart from constant revisions now lay neatly arranged on the long wooden table. The upgraded blueprint—no longer the flimsy, unfinished draft Nie Lin first brought—rested atop the pile like a dormant beast. Silent. Innocent. But holding the potential to shake half of 1995 China the moment it awakened.
Bai Xia exhaled slowly, stretching her stiff fingers.
"Done," she murmured, almost in disbelief.
Fu Jian leaned back in his chair, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the room. His eyes were calm, but a sharp, satisfied spark flickered within them.
"Mm. It's stable now. If we follow this structure, it'll work."
The room smelled faintly of ink, paper, and the warm, subtle scent of the tea they'd forgotten to drink hours ago. It was evening already; the soft orange light from the window dimmed into a deep blue twilight.
Nie Lin stood there like a nervous student awaiting a verdict. His palms were sweating, his throat dry. He wasn't even sure how he had survived an entire day working side-by-side with these two monsters.
Bai Xia gathered the pages meticulously, flattening the edges, checking the last mathematical line Fu Jian wrote. Satisfied, she handed the thick stack to Nie Lin.
"You and Fu Jian can start the preparations," she instructed calmly, the tone of someone used to being obeyed. "I'll assign one of my own people to support you. But—" her gaze sharpened, "when the groundwork begins, no one mentions my name."
"But Sister-in-law—"
"I'll operate behind the scenes," she said firmly. "This project is too sensitive. It's safer that way."
Nie Lin swallowed hard and accepted the documents with both hands, almost like he was receiving some kind of ancient decree.
"I… I don't even know what to say anymore," he admitted, still staring at the blueprint with reverence. "I can't even claim this as my work. You two modified it in ways I would never have thought of even in ten years. Truly… thank you. I hope we can work well together."
He lifted his head—
And froze.
Fu Jian was staring at him.
Not angrily. Not warmly. Not neutrally.
Just… staring.
Like a quiet predator considering whether it should let him leave alive.
Nie Lin stiffened, sweat exploding down his spine. He forced a smile so stiff it could snap in half.
"Ah—well—Brother Fu… sister-in-law… I think it's getting late. I'll take my leave first!"
And then he fled.
Not walked. Not exited politely.
Fled as if Fu Jian had already started counting down from three.
The door slammed shut behind him.
Bai Xia blinked.
"…What's wrong with him?"
Fu Jian lifted a brow, expression innocent.
"Maybe he needed the toilet."
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, but before she could interrogate him, his hand slid around her wrist, warm and firm.
"Come here."
He didn't wait for her answer.
He gently tugged her toward his desk, sat down, and then—without hesitation—patted his lap.
"Sit."
It wasn't a question.
Usually, she would glare, grumble, or fight him for at least five minutes before reluctantly agreeing. But today… she was tired. Her legs felt like they'd been replaced with bamboo sticks, and her brain had long since melted from calculations.
So she lowered herself onto his lap quietly.
The moment she settled, Fu Jian's arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her snugly against his chest. He buried his chin lightly against her shoulder, his breath warm on her neck.
"My love," he murmured, voice soft and tinged with playful grievance, "I suffered so much today for you. Won't you reward me a little?"
Bai Xia shot him a sideways glance.
"What reward do you want?"
His eyes lit up instantly, like a man receiving divine permission.
"How about… a kiss?"
She caught his wandering hand that had already slipped to her thigh.
"You're asking for a kiss, but your hands are the ones misbehaving."
Fu Jian froze.
Then, with uncharacteristic embarrassment, he quickly pulled his hands back and placed them properly on her waist.
"I just want a kiss. I swear. I won't do anything else."
She eyed him suspiciously.
"You always say that."
He put on a pitiful expression—one that looked ridiculous on someone as tall and terrifying as him.
"But this time it's true."
She sighed.
Fine.
Before he could react, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek—light, quick, almost polite.
Fu Jian's face darkened.
"I meant a kiss on the lips."
Her ears turned bright red.
"H-how can I kiss you there? Aren't you afraid people will talk?"
"No one's here." He brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, his touch gentle. "Just one kiss. Hmm?"
Her heart suddenly beat too fast. He was her fiancé, yes—but somehow he always made her feel like a little girl who didn't know how to breathe properly.
Finally, she leaned forward and kissed him softly.
Fu Jian responded immediately. His hand cupped her cheek, guiding her into a deeper, slower kiss. Warm. Gentle. Sweet. His lips were steady and confident, while hers trembled slightly—making him smile against her mouth.
Her fingers curled around his shirt without realizing it.
Fu Jian held her close, his arms secure, protective. His other hand slipped absent-mindedly up her back, tracing slow patterns—her spine, her shoulder, the curve of her neck.
She didn't pay attention until—
His fingers brushed the side of her neck.
Then pressed softly—
And she flinched.
Hard.
Her breath sucked in sharply, her body tensing like she'd been stabbed.
Fu Jian instantly froze.
His hand shifted away in panic.
Then he saw it.
A faint smear of red blood on his fingertips.
His expression changed immediately—his eyes darkened, swirling with something cold and violent.