Night fell like ink, and the city's neon lights flickered on, their bustle growing increasingly intense against the backdrop of the evening. Zhou Yue stood by the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling glass window, looking anxiously out into the street in an attempt to catch a glimpse of that familiar figure. Inside, soothing music flowed through the air, and the delicate candles on the dining table flickered gently, reflecting Zhou Yue's expectant yet gradually dimming face. Today was supposed to be the romantic dinner she and Lin Yu had long planned, but as the minutes ticked by, Lin Yu never appeared.
"Ma'am, may I serve the food now?" a waiter asked softly, interrupting Zhou Yue's thoughts.
Coming back to her senses, a flash of awkwardness and disappointment crossed her eyes. After a moment of hesitation, she shook her head and said apologetically, "Let's wait a little longer. I'm sorry."
The waiter smiled politely and quietly retreated. Zhou Yue turned her gaze back out the window, her fingers unconsciously swiping across her phone screen. On the screen was her chat history with Lin Yu; the latest message, sent an hour ago, was her inquiry: "Where are you? I'm already waiting at the restaurant." Yet, to this day—or rather, up until now—that message had sunk like a stone in the sea, receiving no reply at all.
Just as Zhou Yue was filled with anxiety, her phone screen suddenly lit up. It was a call from Lin Yu. She hurriedly answered, and before she could even speak, Lin Yu's apologetic voice came through the receiver: "Yueyue, I am so sorry. I suddenly have some urgent work here, so I'm afraid our date tonight has to be cancelled."
Zhou Yue's mood instantly plummeted to rock bottom. She gripped her phone tightly, her voice carrying a hint of grievance and incomprehension: "Work again? What on earth is wrong with you lately? It's been so long since we've been able to properly spend time together."
Lin Yu was silent for a moment before saying softly, "I'm sorry, Yueyue. Once I get through this busy spell, I will definitely make it up to you and spend time with you." With that, he hurriedly hung up the phone.
Zhou Yue stood there in a daze, staring at the darkened phone screen in her hand, her confusion and worry growing heavier by the minute. Lin Yu's recent behavior was simply too abnormal: frequent overtime, cancelled dates, and looking utterly exhausted every time they met, as if he had something weighing heavily on his mind. What on earth was he busy with? Why was he hiding it from her? All sorts of questions swirled in Zhou Yue's mind, driving her to distraction.
A few days later, Lin Yu finally carved out some time to meet with Zhou Yue. They agreed to meet by the lake in the park—a place they used to frequent, where every corner held the echoes of their laughter. Today, however, the atmosphere was exceptionally oppressive. Lin Yu sat on a bench by the lake, his gaze somewhat unfocused, occasionally looking off into the distance as if pondering something important. Zhou Yue sat beside him, watching his exhausted face, her heart aching with sympathy.
"Yu, have you run into some kind of trouble lately?" Zhou Yue finally couldn't help asking, her eyes full of concern.
Hearing her words, Lin Yu's body stiffened slightly. He then forced a smile and said, "No, not at all. Work is just a bit busy, don't overthink it."
Zhou Yue stared into his eyes, trying to find a flaw in his gaze. She knew Lin Yu too well; this was clearly him brushing her off. "Don't lie to me. Your state of mind recently is completely wrong. You're constantly working overtime and don't even have time for our dates. What on earth is going on? Tell me, and we can figure it out together." Her tone carried a hint of urgency and persistence.
A wave of emotion washed over Lin Yu. He knew Zhou Yue genuinely cared about him, but he also knew that the corruption clues he was investigating involved top company executives, and the forces behind them were deeply tangled and complex. He did not want to drag Zhou Yue into this danger. Therefore, he shook his head once more, feigning nonchalance as he said, "Really, nothing is going on. The project I'm in charge of just hit a few snags and needs overtime to sort out. Once the project is wrapped up, I'll take a good rest and go with you wherever you want to go."
Watching his resolute demeanor, though reluctant, Zhou Yue felt she couldn't press him any further.
Yet, the unease in Zhou Yue's heart did not dissipate; instead, it grew even stronger. She decided to keep a secret eye on Lin Yu's situation and figure out what he was hiding. Over the next few days, Zhou Yue began paying close attention to his every move. She discovered that Lin Yu came home very late every night and often went to places near the office after work, staying there for a long time. She also noticed that his phone was never far from his hand, as if he were constantly monitoring some vital news.
One day, taking advantage of the gap while Lin Yu was taking a shower, Zhou Yue sneakily picked up his phone. She felt a bit apprehensive, thinking it wasn't right to do this, but curiosity and worry still drove her to press the unlock key. The phone screen lit up, revealing dense rows of document photos and capital flow charts. Zhou Yue couldn't make sense of these things, but she had a gut feeling they were related to Lin Yu's recent abnormal behavior. Just as she wanted to examine them more closely, the bathroom door suddenly opened, and Lin Yu walked out wrapped in a bath towel. Panicked and flustered, Zhou Yue's hand trembled, and the phone almost dropped to the floor.
Seeing Zhou Yue holding his phone, Lin Yu's face instantly turned stern. "What are you doing? Why are you looking at my phone?" he asked, a trace of displeasure in his voice.
Feeling guilty, Zhou Yue lowered her head and whispered, "I... I was just worried about you. You've been so strange lately, I wanted to know what on earth you're busy with."
Looking at her aggrieved expression, Lin Yu's anger instantly melted away. He sighed, walked over to Zhou Yue, gently took her hand, and said, "Yueyue, I know you mean well, but some things are better left unknown to you. I don't want you to get hurt in any way."
Lifting her head to look into Lin Yu's firm eyes, tears welled up in Zhou Yue's eyes. "I'm not afraid of danger. I just want to face it together with you. When you keep everything from me like this, I get even more scared."
A sharp pang went through Lin Yu's heart. He pulled Zhou Yue tightly into his arms and said softly, "Trust me. When this is all over, I'll tell you everything. For now, you just need to take good care of yourself."
Leaning against Lin Yu's chest, Zhou Yue nodded. Although her heart was still full of worry, she decided to trust him.
Days passed by, and Lin Yu remained busy while Zhou Yue continued to watch over him in silence. She noticed that Lin Yu's complexion grew increasingly haggard, and he became even more taciturn. She knew he must be bearing immense pressure. Finally, on a weekend afternoon, she saw Lin Yu return home exhausted, collapsing onto the sofa as if he didn't even have the strength to speak.
With a heart full of ache, Zhou Yue walked over, sat beside him, and gently stroked his hair. "Yu, stop holding back. Tell me what's wrong. I really am worried about you."
Slowly opening his eyes, Lin Yu looked at Zhou Yue's concerned face, and his internal defenses finally crumbled completely. Sitting up, he told her everything about his investigation into the company's corruption leads, from start to finish.
Listening to it all, Zhou Yue was left speechless with shock. She never imagined that Lin Yu was facing such danger all by himself. "Why are you so foolish? With something this dangerous, why didn't you tell me earlier?" Her voice carried a mix of reproach and deep affection.
Lin Yu gave a bitter smile. "I didn't want you to worry, and even less did I want you dragged into danger. But right now, I really can't hold on alone; I need your support."
Gripping Lin Yu's hand tightly, Zhou Yue said resolutely, "I will always support you, and we'll face it together. No matter what difficulties we encounter, we will never give up."
From that day on, Zhou Yue became Lin Yu's most steadfast backing. She not only took care of him in daily life but also offered him spiritual encouragement and support. Accompanied by Zhou Yue, Lin Yu regained his footing and plunged back into the investigative work. Together, they gathered evidence, analyzed clues, and worked hard to expose the crimes of the corrupt figures. Although the road ahead was fraught with the unknown and danger, they firmly believed that as long as they had each other, they would surely overcome every difficulty.