When the Wind Rises, It's Time to Embrace

Lin Yuan gazed at the screen, where Lu Chenyuan and Mo Qingli stood side by side in battle.

Another face, equally proud and resilient, surfaced in his mind.

Ren Qian.

Ever since that day at Cloud Peak Pavilion, when he had witnessed Qian Shanshan's betrayal firsthand and Ren Qian helped him cut through the chaos with swift decisiveness, they had naturally gravitated toward each other.

There had been no grand confession, no romantic ceremony.

It was like two soldiers who had fought side by side for years, reaching for each other’s hands in a rare moment of respite.

They knew each other too well.

So well that a single glance was enough to convey their thoughts.

They were also busy.

One commanded "Lianshan," carving a path through the jungle of global supply chains.

The other led "Hanqing," pioneering the uncharted territories of fundamental science.

They were the two most crucial wings of Lu Chenyuan’s grand plan.

And they had grown accustomed to this rhythm.

Leaving early, returning late, fighting their battles on separate fronts—only in the dead of night would they find a moment to meet, to exchange a few words.

They both thought this was enough.

They both believed they had plenty of time.

But when Lin Yuan saw Lu Chenyuan and Mo Qingli’s wedding, an unfamiliar panic seized his heart for the first time.

It was the fear of loss.

He suddenly realized how similar he and Ren Qian were to Lu Chenyuan and Mo Qingli before their union.

They shared the same mission, the same unshakable foundation of trust—yet neither had dared to pierce that final layer of hesitation.

What were they waiting for?

For "Lianshan" and "Hanqing" to become titans?

For them to reach the pinnacle of their careers?

For old age to claim them?

What if the unexpected arrived before tomorrow?

Lin Yuan couldn’t bear to dwell on it.

He stood from his chair and grabbed his coat from the backrest.

"Cancel all my afternoon meetings," he told his assistant as the man walked in.

"But President Lin, the video conference with the A-Continent Chip Alliance—"

"Cancel it."

Lin Yuan cut him off, his tone leaving no room for argument.

He strode out of the office.

Some things couldn’t wait.

He had to act now.

Immediately.

---

The headquarters of Hanqing Technologies exuded a stark, industrial futurism.

There was no clamor of commerce here—only hushed corridors and laboratories bearing the names of complex research projects.

The air itself seemed laced with the scent of code and equations.

Lin Yuan’s car came to a stop outside the building.

He didn’t go up. Instead, he sat in the driver’s seat, quietly watching the structure.

He knew Ren Qian was in a meeting right now.

Her work ethic was something he understood all too well.

Once she immersed herself in her tasks, she became an indefatigable machine of precision.

He didn’t want to disturb her.

He was willing to wait.

Just as he had waited all those years for her to turn her gaze away from her admiration of Lu Chenyuan and finally see him.

He pulled out his phone and skimmed through the wedding news once more.

There was Lu Chenyuan, under the eyes of the world, slipping that engraved silver ring onto Mo Qingli’s finger.

In that moment, his expression wasn’t that of a tech emperor or a business titan.

Just a husband—one terrified of losing his wife and willing to give everything to prevent it.

Lin Yuan closed the news page and opened his chat log with Ren Qian.

The most recent message was from that morning.

Ren Qian: "Don’t forget to eat breakfast."

His reply: "Got it. You too."

Simple. Understated. Like an old married couple.

But Lin Yuan knew it wasn’t enough.

Not nearly enough.

What he wanted to give her—what he wanted for himself—wasn’t just morning greetings and late-night companionship.

He wanted to give her a rightful place by his side.

A bond that would stand firm whether the future brought storms or serenity.

Time passed.

Eventually, people began trickling out of Hanqing’s main building.

The meeting must have ended.

Lin Yuan took a deep breath, pushed the car door open, and stepped inside.

The receptionist recognized him instantly and stood.

"President Lin, welcome. Should I inform President Ren of your arrival?"

"No need, thank you." Lin Yuan shook his head with a faint smile. "I’ll wait for her here."

He moved to the seating area and settled in.

He didn’t want his sudden appearance to feel like some kind of "surprise inspection."

This was his way of respecting her.

Another half hour slipped by before Ren Qian finally wrapped up her last task.

Rubbing her temples, she stepped out of the conference room.

She had been in meetings all day.

A high-energy particle collision simulation project had hit a snag in its core algorithm.

Ren Qian had spent the afternoon listening to scientists argue, mediating between them until her throat felt raw.

All she wanted now was to retreat to her office, drink some water, and collapse into her chair, mind blissfully blank.

She pushed the door open and closed it behind her—only to hear a familiar knock.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Soft. Polite.

"Come in," she said without turning.

The door opened.

"President Ren, the reports from this afternoon—" a subordinate began.

"Leave them for now," Ren Qian cut in.

She turned, about to say something else—then froze.

Lin Yuan stood at the doorway.

He was dressed in a crisp suit, car keys in hand, wearing the same gentle smile she knew so well.

But his eyes were different.

They held a tension she had never seen before—a quiet, desperate resolve.

Ren Qian blinked, then dismissed the subordinate with a wave.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, genuinely surprised.

At this hour, he should have been in Lianshan’s office, locked in verbal sparring with someone halfway across the globe.

Lin Yuan stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

He didn’t answer her question.

Instead, he walked toward her—slowly, deliberately—until he stood right before her.

The office was silent.

So silent she could hear their breathing.

Ren Qian studied him.

A premonition flickered in her chest—one that sent her pulse racing beyond her control.

"Senior," Lin Yuan finally spoke, his voice rougher than usual.

"Hm?" Ren Qian responded instinctively.

She watched his Adam’s apple bob slightly.

Senior.

That title, carried through so many years, was achingly familiar. Yet today, the way Lin Yuan said it carried something new.

Lin Yuan seemed nervous.

This man, who never flinched in billion-dollar negotiations, now looked like a teenager stepping onto a stage for the first time.

"I…"

He inhaled sharply, as if gathering every ounce of his strength.

"I watched Old Lu’s wedding."

Ren Qian’s heart plummeted.

Had something happened to Lu Chenyuan in Country J?

She assumed this was about business.

"Yeah, I saw it too," she nodded, forcing her voice to remain steady.