Who wants to be a male model after being reborn? I want to be a male god.

Chapter 365: Maybe faded, but never disappeared
Gu Xingruo stood in the elevator of the Shancheng headquarters building, looking at her outfit today through the mirrored wall.

A light blue dress made her skin look as white as snow, and a thin white belt was tied around her waist, outlining her slender waistline.

She gently smoothed out the non-existent wrinkles on her skirt, her heart beating a little faster than usual.

Her best friend Cao Yanan invited her to go on vacation to an island for a week. Before leaving, she specially made Xu Wen's favorite corn and pork ribs soup to give him a surprise.

The elevator stopped with a ding.

Gu Xingruo walked towards Xu Wen's office carrying the thermal box.

The morale of Shancheng headquarters has been high recently because of its successful fight off of Meituan's competition in Linjiang. Employees are walking hurriedly in the corridor with confident smiles on their faces.

She smiled and nodded to a few familiar employees, then stopped in front of the frosted glass door.

Through the half-open blinds, she saw Xu Wen staring intently at the computer screen, his slender fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard, his brows slightly furrowed, his whole body focused.

The sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, giving him a golden outline; even the tips of his hair were sparkling with tiny rays of light.

Gu Xingruo stood at the door, looking absent-minded for a moment.

In her eyes, Xu Wen was focused, intelligent, and charming, which always made her heart beat fast.

She pushed the door open gently, and the wooden door hinges made a slight sound.

Xu Wen raised her head and saw that it was her. Her eyebrows slightly raised and the corners of her mouth curled up into a smile that she was very familiar with: "Why did you come here suddenly?"

His voice was low and warm.

Gu Xingruo walked up to him, put the thermos box on the table, and said in a deliberately relaxed tone: "I'm flying to the island tomorrow, so I came to see if you had a good meal."

She opened the lid of the thermos box, and a rich aroma immediately filled the air: "It's freshly stewed, drink it while it's hot."

Xu Wen closed his laptop, took the thermal box, and his fingertips accidentally brushed across the back of her hand, giving her a subtle electric shock.

He scooped a spoonful into his mouth and squinted his eyes in satisfaction: "Your cooking skills are getting better and better now."

It’s hard to imagine that the young lady could only make cola chicken wings not long ago.

The soup is sweet and clear, the spareribs are stewed till soft, and the sweetness of the corn is completely integrated into the soup, giving every bite a familiar taste.

Gu Xingruo looked at his enjoyable expression with a gentle smile in her eyes: "Don't just focus on work while I'm away."

She reached out and straightened Xu Wen's messy collar: "Eat on time and don't stay up late."

Xu Wen put down the spoon, suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling gently.

Gu Xingruo was caught off guard and was brought in front of him.

He looked up at her and said in a gentle voice, "Don't worry, I will take good care of myself."

Gu Xingruo sat on his lap, this posture made her half a head taller than Xu Wen.

She gently tapped his nose with her fingertips and pretended to be serious: "I have already informed Shengsheng, he will keep an eye on your schedule."

Xu Wen laughed, with fine lines appearing at the corners of his eyes: "Did you send an overseer?"

"It's your fault that you're always disobedient." She snorted softly, with a hint of coquettishness in her tone, and her fingers unconsciously rolled up the buttons of his shirt.

Xu Wen pinched her cheek, his eyes darkening: "I will miss you."

These words were like a piece of candy that melted in Gu Xingruo's heart, making her cheeks feel hot with sweetness.

She leaned on his shoulder, smelling his light woody scent, and whispered, "Me too."

They hugged each other quietly for a while. The only sounds in the office were the swaying sound of the soup in the thermos box and each other's breathing.

Gu Xingruo closed her eyes, trying to engrave the feeling of this moment into her memory.

Xu Wen's body temperature warmed her, his heartbeat was clearly audible, and the strength of his embrace around her was reassuring.

A week is neither long nor short, but to her, every day away from Xu Wen seems especially long.

Finally, Gu Xingruo reluctantly stood up and said, "I have to go back and pack my luggage. I have a flight tomorrow morning."

Xu Wen nodded and walked her to the door.

Before leaving, Gu Xingruo looked back at him, seeming to want to say something but stopping herself.

She knew she shouldn't ask, but she couldn't help but worry.

Xu Wen noticed her hesitation and asked, "What's wrong?"

She shook her head and tried to force a smile: "Nothing, it's just the Meituan issue. Is everything really okay?"

Xu Wen's expression did not change, and he replied softly: "Don't worry, when you come back, we may have gone out of town to do business."

Gu Xingruo looked into his eyes. At this moment, there was only confidence in those eyes that she loved so much.

After a moment, she nodded gently: "I believe you."

Xu Wen reached out and rubbed the top of her head, his movements gentle: "Have a good vacation, don't think too much."

After watching her leave, Xu Wen returned to the office and turned on his computer again, but his thoughts were drifting away.

Xia Ning did not send many emails, and the content was limited to the progress of her new book and the customs and culture of Tibet.

She seemed to have really walked out of the haze of the past, and her writing was filled with peace and relief.

Xu Wen occasionally replied, as if they were just ordinary friends.

He shook his head and refocused on the screen.

The code of the "Super Brain" project occupied the entire screen, which was the core plan of Flash City.

Optimize delivery algorithms and improve efficiency.

Xu Wen knows very well that the competition among food delivery platforms will eventually come back to service and experience, and delivery speed and accuracy are the key.

He pressed the intercom: "Notify the core members of the technical department to gather in the conference room in ten minutes."

In the conference room, Xu Wen stood in front of a whiteboard and wrote down several key indicators: "We want to make 'Super Brain' a benchmark in the industry, shorten delivery time, improve route planning accuracy, and balance rider load."

Team members nodded one after another, and someone asked, "Mr. Xu, this project has such a high priority, does it mean that we are ready to expand nationwide?"

Xu Wen smiled slightly, and his eyes swept over everyone present: "That's right, Meituan's defeat in Linjiang is just the beginning, we must seize the opportunity."

After the meeting, Lan Qiusheng stayed and handed Xu Wen a document: "This is the recent feedback from riders. The road conditions in some areas need to be optimized."

Xu Wen took the document and quickly glanced through it: "Give it to the technical department and ask them to incorporate it into the algorithm model."

Lan Qiusheng nodded and asked, "Ruoruo is leaving tomorrow. Do you need a car to take her there?"

"No, Cao Yanan will come to pick her up."

Xu Wen paused and looked at Lan Qiusheng: "Please take care of the company's affairs during the days I'm away."

Lan Qiusheng smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll keep a close eye on you."

The next morning, Gu Xingruo and Cao Yanan boarded a flight to the island.

In the cabin, Cao Yanan excitedly flipped through the travel guide and chattered: "I heard that the water there is very blue and the beach is white. We must take more photos!"

Gu Xingruo leaned against the window, watching the city gradually getting smaller under the clouds, and said softly, "Yeah, it's a rare opportunity to relax."

Cao Yanan glanced at her and suddenly leaned closer: "Why are you so absent-minded? Are you thinking about Xu Wen?"

Gu Xingruo's ears felt hot and she pushed her away: "What nonsense are you talking about."

Cao Yanan smiled evilly and said, "Come on, you two are inseparable now, can't bear to be apart for a few days?"

She thought Gu Xingruo would refuse her annual travel plan this year.

Unexpectedly, she agreed.

Damn Xu Wen, always depriving them of their happy daily life as best friends!
Gu Xingruo shook her head helplessly but did not deny it.

Seeing this, Cao Yanan sighed and said, "Honestly, aren't you worried about Xia Ning?"

Gu Xingruo was silent for a moment, his eyes fell on the rolling sea of ​​clouds outside the window: "There's no use worrying, what is going to happen will always happen, and he told me not to worry." "Do you believe what a man says?" Cao Yanan raised his eyebrows, his tone full of doubt.

What she saw in the video before was not real, but now after meeting in real life, she really understood that her best friend might not really want to care about this matter.

Gu Xingruo turned around, her eyes firm: "I believe him."

Cao Yanan was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay, you are quite open-minded now."

Gu Xingruo smiled and said nothing more.

She did trust Xu Wen, but this trust was not without reason.

She knew Xia Ning's position in Xu Wen's heart, and she also understood that the past between them could not be easily erased.

But she believed more that Xu Wen had chosen her now.

The plane passed through the clouds and the sunlight suddenly became dazzling.

Gu Xingruo pulled down the sun visor and closed her eyes.

She remembered that when she was packing her luggage last night, she accidentally saw a discussion about Xia Ning's new book on the Internet.

"The Disease Name is You" has become a bestseller, and book fans are enthusiastically discussing the prototypes of the male and female protagonists in the book.

Gu Xingruo did not click on those posts, nor did he mention them to Xu Wen.

She chose to believe him, just as he had chosen to stand by her at so many critical moments.

At the same time, Xu Wen was teaching at Huagong Education’s summer training camp in the conference room of Chengyi Hotel.

The classroom was full of students and all eyes were focused on him.

Xu Wen stood in front of the podium and wrote the solution to a math problem on the blackboard with chalk in his hand. The steps were clear and the logic was rigorous.

"The key to this question lies in the composition and differentiation of functions. Similar questions have appeared three times in the college entrance examination. Who can tell me where the key to solving the problem is?" He turned and looked at the students.

A student raised his hand: "We need to first determine the relationship between the intrinsic function and the extrinsic function."

Xu Wen nodded: "Yes, this is the breakthrough."

During the break, students came up to him to ask questions and Xu Wen answered them patiently.

Someone asked curiously: "Teacher Xu, how did you predict the questions for this year's college entrance examination?"

Xu Wen smiled and said, "I was just lucky and guessed the direction of the question."

"Can we guess it right next year?" another student asked eagerly.

Xu Wen shook his head, his expression becoming serious: "There is no shortcut to learning. Laying a solid foundation is the key. Predicting the questions is only an aid. The real strength comes from daily accumulation."

That being said.

But only he himself knows that he will be able to win not only next year, but also in the next ten years.

After class, Chen Tianbao came over and patted him on the shoulder: "You spoke well. The students admire you very much."

Xu Wen packed up the teaching materials and said calmly, "They are just interested in guessing the topic."

Chen Tianbao smiled and said, "That's also your ability."

He paused and lowered his voice: "I heard that Shancheng has been developing very smoothly recently?"

Xu Wen glanced at him and said, "You are well-informed."

Chen Tianbao laughed and moved closer: "Linjiang is so small, who wouldn't know if there was a little disturbance? Meituan has suffered a heavy loss this time."

Xu Wen's expression remained unchanged as he put the lesson plan into his briefcase: "It's just business competition."

Chen Tianbao gave him a meaningful look and said, "You have already planned the Huang Jiangang incident, right?"

Xu Wen zipped up his briefcase, raised his head and smiled at Chen Tianbao: "He deserves it."

Chen Tianbao tactfully did not ask any more questions and changed the subject.

In the evening, Xu Wen returned to the hotel's luxury suite.

The moment he pushed open the door, the familiar layout made him dazed for a moment.

Only then did he remember that this was the room Gu Xingruo had arranged for him last time, and even the view outside the window had not changed.

Xu Wen walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and overlooked the night view of the city.

The lights in the night scene are constantly flashing, and vehicles are flowing continuously. The whole city exudes a vitality different from that during the day under the night.

Xu Wen's thoughts couldn't help but drift back to that night.

He and Gu Xingruo were trapped in the elevator.

Xia Ning didn't sleep all night and rushed over the next day. The atmosphere between the three of them was subtle and tense.

Looking back now, it feels like a lifetime ago.

Xu Wen sighed softly, took out his cell phone, and found Gu Xingruo's number.

He wanted to hear her voice, wonder if she had arrived safely, if the wind on the island was gentle, and if the beach was as white as he had imagined.

But after a moment's hesitation, he still didn't dial out. She should be enjoying her vacation with Cao Yanan, and he shouldn't disturb her.

He opened his mailbox and saw the latest email from Xia Ning, titled "The Starry Sky in Northern Tibet".

There were several photos attached to the email. The Milky Way in the night sky was dazzling, and the stars were inlaid like diamonds in the deep blue sky.

Xia Ning's writing is still beautiful and emotional:
"The starry sky here is much brighter than what you see in the city, as if it can wash away all the dust. Sometimes I wonder, if we had come here together, would the ending be different?"

Xu Wen stared at the screen for a long time, his fingers hovering over the keyboard.

He remembered the night when he and Xia Ning watched the stars on the campus lawn, and the twinkling light in her eyes that was brighter than the stars.

Those memories have faded, but never disappeared.

In the end, he only responded briefly: "The photo is beautiful."

He closed his computer, walked to the bed, lay down and closed his eyes.

Gu Xingruo's smiling face and the instructions she gave before leaving appeared in my mind.

She said the postcard would be sent to the company and asked him to remember to check it; she said she would bring back local specialties and asked him to look forward to it; she said.
Xu Wen's lips curled up slightly, and he felt at peace in his heart.

time flies.

From the time they graduated from high school to now jointly running Shancheng to compete against Meituan, they have been through many ups and downs along the way.

Gu Xingruo has grown from a willful young lady to a woman who can stand on her own.

The phone vibrated. It was a message from Gu Xingruo: "I have arrived safely. It's beautiful here. I want to share it with you."

Attached is a photo of the beach at sunset, with golden sunlight shining on the sea, making the waves sparkle.

Xu Wen replied: "Be safe and have fun."

After sending the message, he walked to the window and looked at the lights in the distance.

For some reason, he remembered what Gu Hong said at the dinner table that day, about the expansion of Shancheng, about the support of Hongjing Industrial, and about the retreat.

There was something in Gu Hong's eyes that he couldn't understand, like concern, but also like a test.

Xu Wen shook his head and put these thoughts aside for the time being.

He has an important meeting tomorrow and needs to conserve his energy.

But when he lay back on the bed and closed his eyes, the faces of the two girls appeared alternately in his mind.

One is Xia Ning, who once loved each other deeply but hurt each other, and the other is Gu Xingruo, who now loves him deeply and also loves him deeply.

(End of this chapter)