Chapter 37

Qin Chuan wanted to know more.

He wanted to know how, over the past twenty-odd years, she had gone from a little girl abandoned by both parents, with no one to rely on, to the Bo He of today.

Perhaps in many people's eyes, Bo He was not outstanding enough. She hadn't earned a fortune, made a name for herself, or transformed into a glamorous figure to appear before her birth mother and teach her a harsh lesson.

But Qin Chuan knew that for a person to overcome the disadvantages of their birth, rely on diligent study to move from a small town to a big city, establish a firm footing, and even avoid having their personality warped by their upbringing—that in itself was an incredibly difficult feat.

If Bo He had been able to grow up by her birth mother's side, or if she had switched places with An Baohua's second daughter, she might have been even more brilliant and dazzling now.

However, life has no "what ifs." Many people lose at the starting line; one step can define half a lifetime.

There were others in the elevator.

Bo He couldn't say too much.

She stopped at the right moment, and Qin Chuan took the opportunity to change the subject.

"You seem quite strong. Do you work out often?"

Bo He: "I was just born a bit stronger than others. Also, I often helped my parents with chores when I was little. When they set up their stall, I'd help push the cart and move things, so my strength gradually built up."

Qin Chuan was taken aback for a moment, then understood.

The "parents" she mentioned were likely her adoptive parents.

So as not to disturb the others, they both kept their voices low, sounding as if they were whispering intimately.

It wasn't pitch black around them. The faint blue light of the emergency lamp soon shone down from above, weak and feeble, intermittently illuminating the four people's faces, some anxious, some calm.

At a time like this, people who knew each other would subconsciously move closer. The four of them split into two groups. The two young girls, no longer minding the stuffiness, practically snuggled together, trying to draw a sense of security from physical contact.

Qin Chuan and Bo He sat side-by-side on the floor, leaning back. The distance between them was closer than ever before.

He turned his head.

Bo He was talking about her hometown, a small town nestled against a mountain. She used to run all over the mountains as a child, and could effortlessly recount tales of mountain goods and interesting tidbits, especially the seasonal delicacies.

At a time like this, triggering the sense of taste was perhaps the best way to alleviate tension.

Especially when one's imagination roamed among delicacies, the brain would temporarily forget the immediate tension.

But Qin Chuan's interest was not in the wine, as the saying goes.

He turned his head and, by the dim light, studied her.

Bo He's hair was very soft, with fine, slightly curly strands at her forehead and temples, much like her temperament—gentle, yet with an inner straightforwardness.

Qin Chuan had seen many beauties and dated many as well. Chi Yun was a prime example. But thinking back now, even during his time with Chi Yun, his heart never seemed to rise and fall with her every move, to be stirred at any given moment.

It was only at this moment that he understood: there was a kind of beauty that was beautiful to him.

Even if Bo He wasn't that refined and could only be called a minor beauty, not meeting the standard of a great one, in Qin Chuan's eyes, she was perfect in a thousand ways, with not a single flaw.

The so-called "rose-tinted glasses" were nothing more than this.

Bo He seemed to sense it, and her gaze shifted over to him.

Qin Chuan closed his eyes without a trace of movement. The back of his head rested against the elevator wall, the coolness transmitting through his hair to his scalp, slightly alleviating the stuffiness from the lack of air conditioning.

But Bo He misunderstood.

"President Qin, are you all right?"

Qin Chuan kept his voice low and raspy, "I'm a little dizzy."

The next moment, a hand rested on his forehead.

It wasn't a particularly soft hand; the fingertips seemed to have faint, thin calluses. It was warm and moist.

Soon, the hand retracted.

"No fever. It's probably the poor air circulation in here. Someone should be here to rescue us soon."

After saying this, Bo He didn't forget to ask the two young girls.

"Are you two okay?"

The two girls answered listlessly, with no energy.

Bo He stretched out her hand to press the help button again.

Before she could press it, a signal suddenly came from the other end.

After a burst of static, a voice, not entirely clear, spoke up.

"Is anyone in there?"

Everyone's spirits lifted.

Except for Qin Chuan.

The two young girls jumped to their feet, rushing to answer.

"Yes, yes!"

"We're in here! Come rescue us!"

The staff member responded quickly, telling them to wait where they were and not to try to pry open the elevator doors, to avoid injury.

About ten minutes later, the lights at the top of the elevator flickered twice and returned, plunging them back into a world of light.

At the same time, the elevator began to descend slowly, finally stopping on the first floor.

As the elevator doors opened, the group, who had been holding their breath in suspense, finally let out a long sigh of relief.

The two young girls cheered, their joy evident on their faces, their eyes welling up with tears.

In just forty minutes, it was as if they had returned from a great ordeal.

Qin Chuan noticed that Bo He's hand, which had been on his arm, was withdrawn.

She also moved to put a safe distance between them.

In just a few seconds, the world inside the elevator and the world outside were like heaven and earth.

They went from being companions in hardship back to their superior-subordinate relationship in an instant.

Qin Chuan felt a little regretful.

The building staff were already waiting outside the elevator. Seeing the group emerge, they bowed repeatedly and apologized, explaining that the elevator had malfunctioned, which in turn triggered the fire alarm system due to a computer error, and so on. After hearing Qin Chuan's identity, the property manager was even more apologetic, smiling obsequiously and promising to pay a personal visit the next day to apologize and offer comfort to everyone.

His apology was extremely sincere. Everyone was exhausted and had no energy to argue with him. The two young girls soon left together, and Bo He also walked briskly toward the building's exit.

It was now 10:15 PM. There was still over an hour before her subway line stopped running, but after arriving at her station, she still had to walk for more than ten minutes. She also had to eat and wash up at home. Any delay now meant less sleep later.

"Bo He!"

Behind her, Qin Chuan called out to her and quickly walked up.

"Let me take you home."

Bo He waved her hand. "No need, thank you, President Qin. I can take the subway. I'll be home soon."

"I'd like to ask for your help." Qin Chuan looked embarrassed, his expression making it seem hard to speak. "I probably can't drive right now."

Bo He was confused at first, then it dawned on her: Boss Qin had felt unwell in the elevator just now, so he must be suffering from the aftereffects.

"Then, shall I call 120 for you?" she said.

Qin Chuan: "...No need, it's not that serious. I'll be fine after a little rest. Can you drive? Could you give me a ride home?"

Bo He: "Sorry, I can't. How about I call your driver for you?"

Qin Chuan: "It's so late. I already let him go home for the day. It wouldn't be right to make him come all the way back now."

Bo He: "Then how about you take a taxi?"

Qin Chuan: "How about this. You take a taxi back with me. We'll go to your place first, then I'll have the driver take me home."

"You worked overtime tonight, so you can get your travel expenses reimbursed anyway. Just think of it as saving a step. You have to walk a bit after getting off the subway, right? It's so late, a taxi is safer. And I need to get home too." Seeing Bo He hesitate, he pressed his advantage. "Right now, whenever I close my eyes, I remember the scene in the elevator. Please..."

Bo He had seen Qin Chuan's stern side and his mercilessness when scolding people. When the darkness faded, and the earnest plea on this handsome face overlapped with the vulnerability he had shown in the elevator, she couldn't help but soften.

"Then thank you for the reimbursement, President Qin. I'll call a car now."

It wasn't the peak rush hour for commuting, so a car was hailed quickly.

Qin Chuan sat in the front seat, while Bo He got into the back.

Halfway through the drive, Qin Chuan suddenly asked to stop. He told the driver to wait for a moment and got out of the car, entering a convenience store by the roadside.

Bo He thought his cigarette craving had kicked in and he couldn't resist buying a pack.

Who would have thought that when he came out a moment later, he was carrying a full bag, which he opened the car door and thrust directly into her hands.

She couldn't help but be stunned.