The CEO is domineering, the devil Boss is addicted to pampering

Chapter 1419 Yunrui's Sincere Devotion: The Iron Tree Almost Bloomed

The beef chunks in the bowl were large, stewed until tender and flavorful, with bright green scallions and bright red chili oil floating on the surface, emitting a fragrant aroma. Gu Yunxi picked up her chopsticks, gently picked up a mouthful of noodles, blew on it, and put it in her mouth.

The hot soup slid down her throat, warming her to the core. The noodles were chewy, and the beef was tender—just as the eagle had described, it was delicious. "It really tastes great," she said, looking up with bright, sparkling eyes, like a child enjoying a delicious meal.

Seeing her like this, the eagle's smile deepened, and he picked up his chopsticks and began to eat. Occasionally, the two would glance at each other, then quickly look away, their ears secretly turning red.

The night outside the window grew darker, and the light from the streetlights shone through the glass onto the two of them, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

The noodle soup in the bowl had gradually cooled down. As Gu Yunxi put down her chopsticks, her fingertips inadvertently brushed against Cang Ying's hand. They both froze for a moment, then quickly looked away. "This place is definitely worth coming back to," she broke the silence first, picking up her coat from the back of the chair. The hem of her light apricot-colored shirt swayed gently in the breeze. "My lab isn't far from here. Want to sit down for a bit?"

Eagle's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily. Looking at her slender neck peeking out from under her high ponytail, he almost blurted out, "Okay." But as soon as he finished speaking, he felt he had been too hasty and quickly added, "Perfect timing... I also want to see where you work."

As he stood up, he deliberately straightened the collar of his navy blue jacket. Only when his fingertips touched the smooth fabric did he remember that he had ironed this almost forgotten garment before leaving the house.

It was only a ten-minute walk from the noodle shop to the biological research institute. The institute was exceptionally quiet at night, with only the emergency lights in the corridor casting a faint glow. Gu Yunxi swiped his access card to open the laboratory door. After a soft "beep," the motion-sensor lights inside turned on one by one, their soft white light outlining the rows of lab benches.

Eagle followed her in, his footsteps unconsciously lightening. Years of undercover work had ingrained his habit of instantly putting him into observation mode—his eyes swept over the emergency exit sign at the door, his gaze quickly swept over the surveillance camera in the corner of the wall, and he even noticed the fire hydrant hidden under the lab bench. His fingers unconsciously curled at his side.

"This is the molecular biology experimental area, mainly for gene sequence analysis and protein purification."

Gu Yunxi's voice carried a touch of professional gentleness. She walked to the workbench, picked up the white coat draped over it, but did not put it on immediately. Instead, she ran her fingertips across the cool surface of the workbench. "That's the sterile room over there, where we do cell culture. You have to be fully disinfected before you go in. It's too late to show you today."

She turned around and met Cangying's gaze. She noticed he was staring at the emergency exit map on the wall and couldn't help but smile. "Why are you looking at me like you're doing a security check?"

The eagle snapped back to reality, its ear tips turning slightly red, and quickly looked away, focusing its gaze on the PCR instrument in the center of the lab bench.

The silver instrument was exquisitely designed, with a label handwritten by Gu Yunxi on its side, the handwriting delicate yet powerful. "A professional habit," he explained softly, walking to the lab bench. His gaze was drawn to a lab notebook on the bench, and the words "Nightingale Project" on the cover made him pause slightly—this was the scientific research achievement that Black Rock Village coveted so desperately.

“The core data of ‘Nightingale’ is stored on an encrypted server; only some basic experimental records are here.”

Gu Yunxi seemed to see through his thoughts, reached out and flipped to the experimental records, pointing to a diagram on one page, "Look, this is the original gene sequence. Shen Chengyu maliciously modified it."

Her fingertips rested on the chart, and under the light, her neatly trimmed nails gleamed a pale pink. The eagle's gaze shifted from the chart to her fingers, then hurriedly looked away, landing on the end of her high ponytail—a wisp of playful hair swaying gently in the wind, much like the sparkling eyes she had when she ate delicious food at the noodle shop.

An ambiguous atmosphere quietly filled the air. Cangying cleared his throat, trying to break the silence that made him uneasy: "Do you usually work this late?" His gaze swept over the thermos next to the workbench, which still contained a little less than half a cup of warm lemon water, with the research institute's logo printed on the cup.

“Occasionally. I haven’t had high-intensity work for a long time since that incident.” Gu Yunxi closed the experimental records, walked to the computer and sat down, gesturing for Cangying to sit in the chair next to her. “I’ve been organizing the follow-up data for ‘Nightingale’ recently, trying to completely eliminate the possibility of it being misused.”

She turned on her computer, and when the screen lit up, it reflected her serious profile. "Have I ever mentioned someone named Lin Xu to you?"

The name "Lin Xu" was like a pebble, instantly shattering the ambiguous atmosphere in the room. Cang Ying's body stiffened slightly, his previously relaxed posture immediately straightened, and his eyes regained their sharpness.

Only then did he belatedly realize that the invitation from the noodle shop to the visit to the laboratory, those unspoken glances, and those perfectly timed expressions of concern were all just his illusions.

She went through all that trouble, but it was ultimately for the important matter. A fleeting sense of disappointment crossed his mind, but he quickly suppressed it and replied in a deep voice, "You can tell me again in detail."

Gu Yunxi's fingers flew across the keyboard, and complex tables appeared on the screen, filled with dense numbers and English codes.

"He jumped into the river and there has been no news of him since, not even a trace of his body. How could a living person suddenly disappear without a trace?"

The eagle moved closer to the screen, its nose accidentally brushing against Gu Yunxi's hair. The faint scent of shampoo wafted into his nostrils, making his heart skip a beat. He quickly steadied himself.

"These are traces he left in my lab. Shouldn't these be enough for your network?"

The eagle picked up the documents, his fingertips tracing her handwritten annotations; the handwriting was delicate yet powerful. He looked up at Gu Yunxi and found her watching him nervously, her hands unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes, like a student awaiting judgment. Under the light, her eyes shone brightly, filled with a steadfast commitment to justice, and also concealing a subtle, almost imperceptible, dependence.

"sorry to bother you!"

“This isn’t a hassle, it’s my duty.” His tone softened considerably, even carrying a hint of tenderness he himself didn’t realize. “Besides, I feel very reassured investigating with you.”

Gu Yunxi's cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly looked away, gazing at the night outside the window. The light from the streetlights shone through the glass, falling on the ends of her hair and giving it a soft golden glow.

Looking at her profile, the eagle suddenly felt that this was good too—no ​​ambiguous probing, no deliberate flattery, just partners fighting side by side, striving for the same goal. This kind of relationship lasts longer than any fleeting infatuation.

"It's getting late, let me take you home." Cangying carefully put away the documents, as if protecting something precious. As he stood up, he noticed that Gu Yunxi's white lab coat was still draped over the lab table, so he picked it up and handed it to her. "It's chilly at night, put it on, don't catch a cold."

Gu Yunxi took the white coat, her fingertips touching its lingering warmth, and her heart began to race uncontrollably again. She lowered her head and put on the coat, concealing the blush on her face, her voice soft: "Thank you."

The two walked out of the laboratory side by side. The emergency lights in the corridor cast long shadows of them. Occasionally, their bodies would touch each other unintentionally, and they would quickly move away, but they saw the same tacit understanding in each other's eyes.

The night was still dark, but a light shone in both of their hearts—a steadfast commitment to justice and an appreciation for each other.