He Xiayuan liked that so much he could barely contain himself. Still half-climbed up, he lowered his head to kiss Lu Chen on the forehead, then jumped down. Facing him, he lifted his arms and draped them over Lu Chen’s shoulders, leaning in to kiss his lips.
Moonlight hung high outside the window, and moonlight filled both of their hearts.
They moved to the sofa. Lu Chen lifted He Xiayuan’s legs and laid them crosswise over his own, an intimate posture, as he began explaining the topic that had been puzzling He Xiayuan—why Qin Chengfei’s project had been cut.
“At the beginning, I hadn’t looked at his application or proposal. That part of the review was handled by Qiao Sixing. He has the authority and doesn’t need to report everything to me, so at first I didn’t even know there was such a project.”
“When I finally saw it, it was before last year’s Spring Festival. I skimmed it and thought it could be done.”
“But this year, about a month ago, Qin Chengfei submitted the funding request for the project—the upfront buyout for that logistics patent. It was around one hundred and fifty million yuan. After reviewing it, Qiao Sixing felt the cost was too high and sent it back.”
“Up to that point, I still didn’t think the project couldn’t be done. At most, it was just asking for too much money. Besides, that one hundred million-plus was only the upfront cost—the follow-up investment would require pouring in even more money.”
He Xiayuan leaned against the sofa, sitting in Lu Chen’s arms, listening quietly.
Lu Chen then summarized Qin Chengfei’s project in broader terms. “It’s not just about improving logistics efficiency. He wants to use traffic data to recalculate and design a more efficient logistics operation. Even Simpu’s current warehouse bases would have to change locations.”
He gave an easy-to-understand analogy. “It’s basically tearing down the old buildings and rebuilding everything from scratch—not just rebuilding, but even changing the land and addresses.”
He Xiayuan understood. “That’s a massive undertaking.”
Exactly.
Lu Chen said, “So once I knew, I cut the project directly.”
He Xiayuan discussed it with him. “I don’t know the details, and I don’t really understand logistics. But hypothetically—just hypothetically—if his project had no inherent problems, just a huge scale, and if it really could improve logistics efficiency by more than ten percent once completed?”
Lu Chen held the person in his arms and said patiently, “A project doesn’t necessarily deserve to be done just because it’s effective or works well.”
“From the perspective of you project people, you’d feel there’s a need to keep pushing it forward.”
“But if you stand at the level of the entire company and consider more factors, there are projects that—even if they make money or improve efficiency—still don’t have much value or meaning.”
That left He Xiayuan a little stunned. He didn’t quite understand.
It could make money and improve efficiency, yet still lack value and meaning?
What did that mean?
Lu Chen took it step by step. “Simpu has its own logistics system, right?”
He Xiayuan nodded.
Lu Chen asked, “How do you think Simpu’s logistics perform?”
He Xiayuan couldn’t evaluate it professionally, but back when he was a student, he had already been shopping on Simpu’s e-commerce platform. Everything was delivered by Simpu’s own logistics—efficient and with good service.
So he nodded and said, “Pretty good.”
Lu Chen continued, “What does logistics involve? Warehousing, manpower, equipment—right?”
He Xiayuan: right.
Lu Chen went on. “Behind warehousing, manpower, equipment—what’s actually there?”
Behind them?
He Xiayuan was lost again.
Lu Chen said, “Employment rates and tax revenue.”
He Xiayuan froze.
Lu Chen said, “Qin Chengfei wants to improve warehouse logistics efficiency. There’s nothing wrong with that, and the direction itself is good. But he’s thinking too simply.”
“First, the upfront patent buyout and investment costs are a problem. Second, changing warehouse locations and logistics routes will inevitably involve manpower—and behind manpower are local employment and tax contributions.”
“You might think taxes aren’t a big issue. If they’re paid here or there, as long as the total isn’t less, it’s fine.”
“But what about employment?”
“When a foreign factory withdraws or relocates, affecting one or two thousand people, it already alarms local governments and higher authorities. Logistics involves far more people than that. When the time comes, how are those people supposed to be settled? Lay them off directly with N plus one compensation?”
Lu Chen continued, “Even if the new logistics system can improve efficiency by ten percent, when you compare that ten percent to everything that needs to be considered behind it, is it really meaningful?”
He Xiayuan had never thought about a project from this angle before, and he couldn’t help feeling quietly shocked.
Lu Chen said, “Now think again. For a company—a large conglomerate like Simpu—when considering a project, is it really just about whether the project can help the company make more money, or make money more efficiently?”
Lu Chen looked gently at the young man in his arms. “It’s not just that, right?”
He said slowly, “Social responsibility. That’s the responsibility of large enterprises.”
He Xiayuan felt a jolt in his heart. This was a perspective he had never had before.
Lu Chen was only lifting the corner of the iceberg for him, yet He Xiayuan already felt as though he were standing at the foot of a mountain, craning his neck to glimpse the enormity of the peak before him.
So this was how projects looked from Lu Chen’s perspective—considered from all sides.
So where Lu Chen stood was far beyond just the tower peak.
He Xiayuan couldn’t precisely describe what he was feeling, but when he heard the words “social responsibility” and “the responsibility of large enterprises” from Lu Chen, he suddenly felt how simplistic his past understanding had been.
He digested it quietly, and even the way he looked at the man before him changed.
Lu Chen said, “Hmm?”
He Xiayuan said slowly, “So that’s why you told Qin Chengfei it had ‘little significance’?”
Lu Chen lightly patted the hand resting on He Xiayuan’s leg and offered another line of thought. “Do you know how to make Qin Chengfei’s project realize its maximum value?”
He Xiayuan: ?
Lu Chen said, “This project should be sold to companies that are investing in and developing the logistics industry. If it can really be launched and executed well, and if it truly raises logistics efficiency by more than ten percent, then it will inevitably impact the logistics companies currently on the market, including Simpu. When that happens, most logistics companies will look for ways to improve their own efficiency, and Simpu will take action as well. Making changes at that point—even if it involves some of the things behind the scenes—won’t face that much resistance.”
This time, He Xiayuan understood. “You mean that even if the project hadn’t been cut now and Qin Chengfei kept working on it, once it reached the implementation stage later on, it would still run into all kinds of obstacles at different phases?”
Lu Chen nodded and gave an analogy. “For example, if Tang Xingzhou wanted to poach you from the project team and bring you over to his side right now—if you said yes, could you just leave like that? Yang Yun wouldn’t let you go, so how would you leave? And even if Yang Yun agreed, there would still be me. How would Tang Xingzhou get you over here?”
He Xiayuan thought it over, his expression showing dawning understanding, and silently nodded.
Coming back to himself, He Xiayuan asked, “Can I pass what you said on to Qin Chengfei, just phrased a little differently?”
Lu Chen gave a look that clearly said, do whatever you want.
He Xiayuan wrapped his arms around Lu Chen’s neck, looking up at him with bright, delighted eyes. “Boyfriend, you’re amazing. I’ve never thought about things the way you just explained them.”
Lu Chen smiled, clearly enjoying the praise.
The look in He Xiayuan’s eyes grew even more fascinated and admiring. “Did you figure all of this out on your own?”
No one taught him—no one analyzed things for Lu Chen the way Lu Chen was doing for him?
Lu Chen replied calmly, “Some truths you understand after taking a few losses. Some things, you only understand once you’re standing high enough.”
He Xiayuan couldn’t help leaning in to kiss Lu Chen. “So that’s why you’re a tower.”
He swayed slightly as he said, “Tower, let me climb you. Take me with you.”
It sounded almost like he was acting spoiled—something very rare for him.
Lu Chen pulled him even closer into his arms, forehead pressed to forehead, and said with incomparable gentleness, “Climb. When have I ever stopped you? You can climb however you want.”
He kissed He Xiayuan, lips to lips, his tongue stirring a wave of tingling numbness.
Then, amid their tangled breaths, he tempted him softly. “Should I transfer you to my side? Hmm?”
He Xiayuan was kissed until he felt lightheaded, but he still managed to keep a sliver of rationality.
This time he didn’t refuse outright. Leaning against Lu Chen, he reached up and touched the man’s face, asking first, “Where would you transfer me to?”
The president’s office?
Lu Chen said slowly, “I’m planning to have Qiao Sixing take over as CEO of the North American branch. His position will be vacant then.”
He was talking business, but his hands were anything but businesslike—slipping into the younger man’s clothes, one arm holding him at the waist and lower back, the other roaming over his lower abdomen.
He Xiayuan, ticklish, laughed softly and leaned into him. “Better not. I don’t know how many people have their eyes on President Qiao’s position. If I went, I’d be parachuted in, and there’d definitely be a lot of gossip.”
Lu Chen, of course, knew all this. He had his own plans and preparations; He Xiayuan didn’t need to worry.
Amid the intimate caresses, he asked, “Do you want to come?”
He Xiayuan laughed because it tickled, almost unable to take it, but he shook his head. “I’m doing pretty well in the project team. I like doing projects.”
Lu Chen coaxed him. “Come on, hmm?”
His hand didn’t stop, sliding upward after lingering on his stomach.
He Xiayuan curled up like a shrimp all at once. “Don’t touch there!”
Lu Chen didn’t pull his hand back. “Coming?”
“No, I don’t want to.”
Laughing and struggling, He Xiayuan squirmed around in Lu Chen’s arms, calling out between laughs, “It tickles!”
…
Early the next morning, on the outdoor track at the stadium, He Xiayuan organized Lu Chen’s words and relayed them to Qin Chengfei in a summarized form.
Qin Chengfei was dressed in sportswear, arms and legs bare, one hand resting on the railing between the track and the front row of seats, the other on his hip. He lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then looked up at He Xiayuan with curiosity. “Who did you hear all this from?”
He Xiayuan shrugged. “Don’t ask that. Just tell me—does it make sense?”
Qin Chengfei turned around, both hands gripping the railing, supporting himself as he lowered his head to think in silence.
When he looked up again, he said, “Your boyfriend told you this? You’re not dating some company executive, are you?”
He Xiayuan: “……”
He Xiayuan wanted to punch him. He really had a talent for bringing up exactly the wrong thing. Was that the important part?
He Xiayuan denied it. “No. That’s not it.”
Qin Chengfei showed an expression of sudden understanding mixed with realization. “So it really is, then.”
He Xiayuan: “……”
He turned around and waved his hand. “I’m leaving.”
He had delivered the message. Whether Qin Chengfei could think it through was up to him.
That afternoon, He Xiayuan was busy at his computer when Qin Chengfei showed up—dress pants, dress shirt, looking properly ready for work—and plopped down in a chair at his workstation.
Without stopping what he was doing, He Xiayuan turned his head slightly. “Thought it through?”
Qin Chengfei didn’t say anything at first. After a while, he muttered, “I kind of don’t have the face to come to work.”
He Xiayuan snorted inwardly. That was normal. In his own President Lu’s words, young people are just too thin-skinned. With more experience, their skin thickens.
He also thought that Qin Chengfei really was smart—a top student. Everything Lu Chen had said clicked for him the moment it was pointed out.
He Xiayuan switched pages, opened the OA contacts, and privately messaged Qin Chengfei:
He Xiayuan: Still resigning?
Qin Chengfei: Too embarrassed to resign.
Seeing that, He Xiayuan smiled at his screen, thinking, at least you know—resigning just because a project failed would be truly embarrassing.
He Xiayuan: What are you planning to do next?
Qin Chengfei: Last year I applied for every boss’s project and didn’t follow a single one through. If I try to join someone else’s project now, who would want me?
So you know that much, huh.
He Xiayuan felt that Qin Chengfei’s mentality was actually pretty solid. He had thought it through quickly, come back quickly, and understood that if his own project couldn’t be done, he should join someone else’s and start from the basics. Able to bend and stretch.
He Xiayuan helped him think of an idea:
He Xiayuan: In our office, President Xue has the softest heart.
Qin Chengfei: “……”
Before working on his own project, the one he had ditched was precisely Xue Jinming’s project—and he had even been called out and chewed up by Xue Jinming for it.
Qin Chengfei: Are you sure it’s President Xue?
He Xiayuan: I’m sure. President Xue has been working on a case recently about improving the charging efficiency of electric vehicle batteries. Aren’t you pretty familiar with the EV field?
Qin Chengfei: So I just go straight to him and say I want to join his project?
He Xiayuan: Butter him up a little. Be sweet with your words. You have to believe that President Xue’s heart is made of tofu.
Qin Chengfei: ? How sweet?
He Xiayuan: Just praise him.
Just then, Xue Jinming stood up from his workstation, briefcase in one hand and a stack of documents in the other, striding quickly toward the office door. He Xiayuan hurriedly reached out and shoved Qin Chengfei. Qin Chengfei craned his neck and watched Xue Jinming for a few seconds, hesitated, and didn’t get up.
Go on.
He Xiayuan signaled him with his eyes.
Only then did Qin Chengfei stand, grab his suit jacket, and hurry out after him, calling, “President Xue.”
Xue Jinming had already reached the office door. Hearing him, he turned his head, glanced at Qin Chengfei while pushing the door open, said nothing, his attitude faintly cool, and left.
Qin Chengfei quickened his pace and chased after him.
He Xiayuan went back to his own work, lips pressed into a smile as he looked at his computer. He knew Qin Chengfei was going to get quite a few cold looks from Xue Jinming—but a new beginning always comes with setbacks. That was normal.
Hang in there.
He Xiayuan silently encouraged him in his heart.
He himself also needed to work hard.
Lu Chen stood at such a high position—He Xiayuan had to hurry to catch up.
Even if he couldn’t catch up, at least he wanted to close the distance.
His heart brimmed with motivation.
Two weeks later, He Xiayuan, Qin Chengfei, and Qin Chengfei’s senior who held the logistics patent met an investor surnamed Cao—someone interested in logistics—in a private dining room at a restaurant. The patent in the senior’s hands was precisely the one tied to Qin Chengfei’s project that had previously been cut.
President Cao was an investor He Xiayuan had come to know during his own project, through a few indirect connections.
President Cao was very interested in the patent the senior held. Although the eventual investment would certainly fall far short of the amount Qin Chengfei had applied for at Simpu, it was still far better than having the senior’s efforts go completely to waste just because Qin Chengfei’s project had been cut.
He Xiayuan and Qin Chengfei were happy to help make this connection, and President Cao and the senior chatted smoothly and pleasantly.
After the meal, the senior left with President Cao. Qin Chengfei and He Xiayuan left together.
The two walked toward a nearby parking garage to get their cars. Qin Chengfei said gratefully to He Xiayuan, “Thanks for helping set this up. When my project was cut, I felt really guilty toward my senior. I felt like I’d let him down—made him waste time and energy following me around.”
He Xiayuan clapped a hand on Qin Chengfei’s shoulder. “It’s nothing. No need to be so polite.”
Smiling, he added, “Just remember to pull me in next time you have a good project.”
Qin Chengfei said, “Definitely.”
He Xiayuan followed up, “How’s it been lately, working under President Xue?”
Qin Chengfei replied, “I carried President Xue’s bag for two weeks before he finally started looking at me properly.”
He Xiayuan laughed. “I told you. President Xue’s heart is made of tofu. If it were President Chang, you could carry his bag for two years and it still wouldn’t help.”
The two laughed, their relationship clearly warmer than before.
As they continued toward the parking garage, Qin Chengfei chatted casually, “Those books I recommended to you before—have you read them?”
He Xiayuan nodded. “I’m reading them now.”
Moving closer to excellent people and learning from them—not only was He Xiayuan full of drive, he also had a method.
He added, “There are two parts I didn’t really understand. I’ll ask you about them when we’re back in the office on Monday.”
Qin Chengfei said, “Okay.”
When they reached the entrance of the parking garage, Qin Chengfei checked the time. “Perfect timing. I need to go find President Xue.”
Working even on the weekend, huh.
He Xiayuan said, “Go on. Bye.”
Qin Chengfei said, “Bye.”
They split up and went to get their cars.
But just as He Xiayuan was about to reach his car, he felt a strange sensation—as if someone were watching him.
He was quite sensitive to that kind of thing, and his instincts were usually accurate. After all, he had been good-looking since he was young and was no stranger to being stared at.
Frowning slightly, he turned his head and scanned the area, but didn’t see anyone.
Strange.
He didn’t think much of it and continued toward his car.
He had no idea that there really was someone nearby, following him—keeping their figure hidden behind rows of parked cars. Taking advantage of his inattention, they raised a camera, aimed the lens, and clicked, click-clicked, snapping photo after photo……
On the road, He Xiayuan received a call from Lu Chen. “Finished eating?”
He Xiayuan was driving. “We’re done.”
Lu Chen asked, “Still chatting, or are you coming back now?”
He Xiayuan curled his lips and laughed. “Boyfriend, you’re so clingy.”
Lu Chen said, “Come back quickly. I’ve already missed you hundreds of times.”
When he got home, the moment He Xiayuan stepped out of the elevator, Lu Chen came up to him, cupped his face, and kissed him thoroughly. He Xiayuan couldn’t help laughing, lifting his head to kiss the man in front of him in return.
—It had been more than two weeks since they moved in together. Just as Lu Chen had said, they had established an intimate relationship. Aside from working hours when they weren’t together, or the occasional time one of them had business outside, they were always together—eating, chatting, laughing, dating, being affectionate, touching, even kissing each other endlessly before bed, hands roaming over each other’s bodies.
Those two weeks had passed quickly. He Xiayuan felt extremely happy—so happy that he thought he had never been this happy in his entire life. The intimacy also nurtured a softness, a sense of security, and reliance deep in his heart.
He clung to Lu Chen, and Lu Chen clung to him as well.
On a leisurely weekend like this, He Xiayuan didn’t want to go anywhere—he just wanted to be with Lu Chen.
So after sticking close and fooling around at the elevator entrance, the two moved to the sofa. Lu Chen turned on the projector and cast a documentary onto the screen, while He Xiayuan leaned beside him, reading the book Qin Chengfei had recommended.
He Xiayuan couldn’t sit still. One moment he sat upright, the next he sprawled sideways; he’d read for a bit, then lie down; then sit back up and fold his legs. Lu Chen, beside him, adjusted along with his movements—either pulling him into his arms or letting the young man rest his head on his thigh. From time to time, he would steal a kiss—pressing one to his cheek, brushing his lips, or touching their mouths together lightly.
When He Xiaoyuan lay back down on Lu Chen’s lap again, holding a book up in front of his face to block it, Lu Chen reached out, nudged the book aside, bent over, lowered his head, and kissed the boy’s lips. After the kiss, he murmured softly, “Love you.”
He Xiaoyuan snorted with a laugh, lifted his hand to hook around the man’s neck, raised his chin to kiss him back, and replied, “I love you too.”
…
In May, when the weather turned warm, when did He Xiaoyuan suddenly realize that he had already been with the company for a full year?
It was not when he received the one-year anniversary gift from Human Resources. It was when he took the elevator up to the Human Resources floor, the doors slid open, and a large crowd of fresh, youthful faces—young colleagues who still carried a strong student vibe—poured in.
He recognized them as this year’s new hires, fresh graduates still in their training period. Only then did it dawn on him that he had already been at the company for a year.
Standing at the very back of the elevator, he listened to the young colleagues chattering away about the cafeteria and assignments. He thought of himself a year ago, together with the other management trainees from his cohort, and smiled to himself in silence.
When the elevator reached his floor, he turned sideways and said, “Excuse me,” squeezing through the crowd to step out. As he exited, he heard a sharp intake of breath from inside the elevator, followed by someone saying, “So handsome.”
He Xiaoyuan heard it, didn’t turn around, and simply smiled lightly.
After finishing his errand and riding the elevator back to his project team, he sent a message in the large group chat that had been created for their management trainee cohort back then:
【Just took the elevator and ran into this year’s new graduate hires.】
Someone replied instantly:
【A bunch of little noobs.】
He Xiaoyuan smiled and replied:
【Weren’t we the same back then?】
Qin Chengfei:
【Thanks, I’ve never been a noob.】
Yuan Miao:
【Thanks, me neither.】
Ge Luming:
【Tank you, me too no cai.】
Zou Fanping:
【Kick these three out of the group!】
Jiang Weiwei:
【Smile.jpg But in the end, Xiaoyuan got first place.】
Someone suggested:
【By the way, shouldn’t we get together? One-year anniversary. If this were a relationship, it’d be a major milestone.】
Yuan Miao:
【Get together!】
Zou Fanping:
【Get together.】
【Get together.】
【Get together.】
…
A whole string of “get together.”
Holding his phone, He Xiaoyuan walked out of the elevator. As he headed toward the office, he typed in the group chat:
【Want to set something up? I’ll book the restaurant.】
【Yes.】
【Yes.】
【Yes.】
…
【Ugh, I’ve been working overtime lately.】
【Doesn’t matter, one less person won’t make a difference.】
【Smile.jpg Just you wait, I’ll skip work if I have to and still come.】
【Why wait for you.】
【I’ll slap you. Smile.jpg】
…
He Xiaoyuan:
【When?】
【Anytime, I can skip work.】
【Anytime, I can skip work.】
【Anytime, I can skip work.】
…
He Xiaoyuan:
【Why pick a day when we can just do it today—tonight?】
【Works.】
【Works.】
【Works.】
…
So He Xiaoyuan counted the approximate number of people in the group chat, stood in the corridor outside the project team’s office, and called to book the restaurant. After that, he sent the exact address and time to the group. He didn’t book anything far away—just somewhere near the company.
【OK.】
【OK.】
【OK.】
…
Someone asked:
【AA or what?】
He Xiaoyuan:
【No need, it’s on me.】
【Whoa~~】
【Whoa~~】
【Whoa~~】
…
【So has Xiaoyuan been promoted?】
【Doesn’t seem like it, he’s still in the project team, right?】
【I mean level.】
【Then yeah, Xiaoyuan’s the highest—he’s already level six.】
…
Suddenly someone popped up with a message:
【Whenever I see Xiaoyuan, I think of Brother Lu.】
【? Who’s Brother Lu?】
【Wow, Brother Lu—he’s an old acquaintance from our team.】
【What acquaintance, he’s our benefactor.】
He Xiaoyuan had already pushed open the office door. Seeing people mention Brother Lu in the chat, he smiled at his phone.
He switched chat windows and privately messaged Lu Chen:
【Brother Lu, I’ll be back a bit late tonight. One-year management trainee dinner.】
Lu Chen replied:
【Brother Lu?】
That sounded awfully distant.
He Xiaoyuan:
【Little dinosaur pouting and kissing.jpg】
He Xiaoyuan:
【Honey.】
Lu Chen:
【Alright, baby. Have fun. Big dinosaur kissing little dinosaur.jpg】
-The End-