Boundary - Chapter 22

When Gu Yetong’s car pulled up at the foot of the Jin Group building, it was already close to 8 p.m. Looking up, she could see that the lights in Jin Nanting’s office on the northwest corner of the top floor were still on.

She had been in a semi-distracted state all afternoon.

Memories from her time studying in Germany kept flashing through her mind—the forests they had hiked together, the wooden reindeer they bought at the Christmas market, and the freshly baked pretzels he had made for her.

But when she thought of that sunny boy who had once warmed the long, cold German winters, she always saw a lonely child standing in the shadows of every corner.

And then, before she knew it, she found herself at the entrance of the Jin Group building.

Over the past two weeks, Jin Nanting had been unusually cold and distant. In the last few days, she had also noticed exhaustion etched on his face. According to the housekeeper, he had been requesting food to be left for him every night, suggesting he hadn’t been eating properly during the day.

The afternoon tea that day had been unexpectedly lavish in both variety and quantity. So, when the secretary asked who wanted to take the leftovers, she had actually raised her hand and fought with a group of single men for the extras.

Perhaps she was the only one who would bring leftover takeout from a company event to visit her husband, who had such irregular eating habits.

Looking at the paper bag on the passenger seat, she mocked herself. Other wealthy wives would at least have their housekeepers prepare some soup or a nourishing dish to bring over.

But then again, she had never been the ideal supportive wife, and perhaps she never would be.

Although she had visited this building many times before, this was the first time she had come without an appointment—and the first time as Jin Nanting’s wife.

Fortunately, Jin Nanting’s secretary was still at work.

“Ms. Gu,” the secretary, who had also served as Jin Nanting’s father Jin Huaili’s secretary, quickly came to the front desk to greet her. “Young Master Jin is still in a meeting with Chairman Jin. Let me take you upstairs to wait.”

“Have they been meeting together often these days?” Gu Yetong asked curiously.

“Yes, they’ve been in meetings for several days in a row,” the secretary replied, scanning her access card and pressing the button for the top floor.

No wonder, Gu Yetong thought. No wonder she had been smelling heavy traces of tobacco on his suit jacket lately.

Jin Nanting didn’t smoke. As far as she knew, he didn’t even like the smell of smoke. Most offices were smoke-free, and the only person who could make him tolerate it without complaint was Jin Huaili, the current head of the Jin Group.

To this day, Gu Yetong had only met her father-in-law once—at her wedding.

She remembered visiting the Jin family as a child. Jin Nanting had always been by his late grandfather’s side. She had also met his then-stern grandmother and several older cousins, and even caught glimpses of his uncle and aunt. But she had never seen him with his father, Jin Huaili.

At the wedding, Jin Nanting had ignored his mother entirely and hadn’t been much warmer toward his father.

Perhaps people with unhappy childhoods really weren’t suited to be together.

Though they could understand each other, did they have enough stable energy to warm and heal each other?

When the elevator doors opened, the door to Jin Nanting’s office also opened. Sure enough, her long-unseen father-in-law stood at the doorway, exhaling a long cloud of smoke from the cigarette between his lips.

“Tongtong?” Upon seeing her, Jin Huaili’s stern face broke into a smile.

Her grandfather had once said that Jin Huaili was a typical “smiling tiger”—outwardly harmless to others, but no one could ever guess what he was really thinking.

Though Jin Huaili’s features weren’t as refined as Jin Nanting’s, he shared the same sharp jawline and nose. Rumor had it that he had been quite the playboy in his youth. Now, nearing sixty, he had maintained his figure and carried an air of沉稳 (composure).

“Dad,” Gu Yetong called softly. The word, which she hadn’t uttered in almost twenty years, stuck in her throat.

“What brings you here?” Jin Nanting stepped out behind his father.

“I brought dinner,” Gu Yetong said, holding up the takeout bag. The thought of her inadequacy being witnessed by her father-in-law made her feel even more ashamed.

“Well, I’m glad someone’s looking out for this kid,” Jin Huaili laughed heartily, seemingly unbothered.

“Would you like to…” Out of courtesy, she felt she should invite him to join them.

“No!” Both father and son answered almost in unison.

“I won’t disturb you two lovebirds,” Jin Huaili said, turning to his son. His smile had vanished. “Think about how you’ll handle next week’s board meeting. And…”

Then he turned back to her. “Since I’m about to retire, how about giving me a grandson to keep this old man busy?”

“Wait for me inside,” Jin Nanting said, stepping in front of her and blocking Jin Huaili’s gaze. After giving her a brief instruction, he turned back to face his father.

“Ms. Gu, would you like something to drink? Coffee or tea?” The secretary tactfully guided her into the office, leaving the father and son to their confrontation.

From the snippets Jin Nanting had shared about his restructuring plans, it was clear that what he wanted to do was a direct challenge to his father’s authority. The battle between father and son was undoubtedly fierce.

And from Jin Huaili’s words earlier, had Jin Nanting won this round?

When Jin Nanting re-entered the office, his face showed no signs of a victor. Instead, he frowned and walked straight to his desk without even glancing at her.

Gu Yetong didn’t say anything either. She quietly unpacked the pastries from the takeout bag and arranged them on the small conference table in front of Jin Nanting’s desk. Though she had chosen items that could be stored without reheating, they had long lost their original appeal and no longer looked appetizing.

When the secretary brought in the tea, Jin Nanting finally looked up from his computer. “Secretary Wang, I’ve just emailed you the tasks for tomorrow. It’s getting late—you can head home.”

Only after the secretary left did Jin Nanting sit down across from her.

“What brought you here today?”

Was it because she felt guilty for reminiscing about her first love? Or because his recent distance had made her lose patience?

“There was some leftover food from the company’s afternoon tea,” she replied.

Jin Nanting didn’t press further. He picked up a wasabi shrimp tart and began eating. He didn’t seem to mind that the food had lost its freshness, quickly devouring most of what she had brought.

The secretary had been right—the pastries from Ouyang Xudong’s shop were indeed better than those from many five-star hotels. But she felt the flavors were too complex, losing the essence of the ingredients.

“Was Gu Group celebrating this afternoon?” After finishing, Jin Nanting began clearing the table. When it came to tidiness, he never waited for others to help. At home, too, any misplaced eyebrow pencil or piece of clothing would be promptly put back in its place.

“Yes,” Gu Yetong nodded, offering a rare smile. “I suppose I should say, ‘Pleasure working with you’?”

“I’ve already approved the contract,” Jin Nanting said, still focused on tidying up and seemingly oblivious to her attempt at warmth. “From now on, you’ll mainly be working with the project department.”

Perhaps it was because, when two such different men appeared in her thoughts, she couldn’t help but try to figure out what she truly wanted.

Or perhaps Ouyang Xudong’s reappearance had made her realize that she needed to take action before things spiraled out of control.

She had always been good at nipping unwanted emotions in the bud, hadn’t she?

Before she truly allowed herself to depend on Jin Nanting.