The first glance left He Xiaoyuan stunned.
That face… that man… wasn’t this Lu the CEO?
The same CEO he had met once in the elevator, the one who had given him a ride after a late-night overtime shift.
How… how was he here?
It suddenly clicked that Lu the CEO and Lu from the phone were the same person. He Xiaoyuan quietly exhaled, almost stepping back: No—way—!
Every subtle shift in He Xiaoyuan’s expression was noticed by Lu Chen, whose smile deepened at the sight of He Xiaoyuan’s new hairstyle highlighting his striking features.
“Not sitting?”
The low, magnetic voice now carried clearly in person—no longer filtered through a phone, making He Xiaoyuan recall why Lu’s voice had sounded familiar before.
It was because Lu the CEO was Lu from the phone.
He Xiaoyuan widened his eyes and, like a soldier seeing a general, blurted out instinctively: “CEO Lu.”
Lu Chen laughed softly at the reaction.
Was such a surprise necessary?
They weren’t at the office, yet He Xiaoyuan still instinctively used the CEO title.
Did he get a haircut?
The new style made him look even better—impeccable presence, top-tier aura.
Lu Chen, still smiling, didn’t speak further. He simply waited for the young man across from him to process the sight, subtly gesturing toward the seat so He Xiaoyuan could sit first.
He Xiaoyuan sat down, staring blankly at Lu Chen’s face, his reaction slow to catch up. After a few seconds, he realized staring in silence was awkward. Blinking, he slowly spoke, unsure: “Lu… ge?”
Under the restaurant’s spotlights, He Xiaoyuan’s expression and appearance were laid bare.
Lu Chen’s gaze was gentle, his demeanor composed with the effortless elegance of someone in command.
Speaking softly, as if coaxing the young man, he said: “My bad, I should’ve told you sooner.”
He Xiaoyuan blinked, pure and wide-eyed.
Just then, the restaurant manager arrived, breaking the slightly awkward tension at Table A16. Friendly and polite, the manager asked if they were ready to order, recommended some specialties, and mentioned ongoing promotions.
He Xiaoyuan finally snapped out of his daze, taking the menu and flipping through it.
He barely looked—his mind was chaotic, and as the host, it didn’t matter what he liked; what mattered was Lu…
CEO Lu? Or Lu ge?
His brain went blank, unsure what to call him.
Fortunately, Lu Chen remained calm. He flipped through the menu, asking He Xiaoyuan’s preferences. Getting the all-rights answer, he didn’t overthink or show hesitation, ordering steadily.
When it came to drinks, the manager made some suggestions. Lu Chen said: “Not too sweet. Something light.”
Manager: “How about our signature freshly-squeezed lemon tea?”
Lu Chen: “Sure.”
Manager: “Just one?”
Lu Chen closed the menu and handed it back: “Do you have soda water?”
Manager: “Yes.”
Lu Chen: “Give me a glass of soda water. Thanks.”
He Xiaoyuan silently admired himself—despite everything, he had remembered this small detail: Lu didn’t like sweet drinks, preferring soda water.
He Xiaoyuan silently scolded himself: Focus! Just say a few words.
Once the manager left, he looked up at the man across the table and cautiously said, “Lu… CEO…”
Lu Chen immediately interrupted: “Change that.”
He Xiaoyuan obediently corrected himself: “Lu ge…”
And then he froze.
Huh? What was he about to say? He couldn’t remember.
He Xiaoyuan: “……”
Still stunned, he stayed that way.
Lu Chen hadn’t meant to tease the young man, but he couldn’t help smiling. This time, he laughed out loud, then to ease the tension, made a small joke:
“Don’t be so surprised. I’m not some prehistoric relic or a caveman.”
He Xiaoyuan stared at him, eyes flickering slightly, hands on the table, leaning forward—finally showing some reaction: “It’s… you!?” His expression full of disbelief.
Lu Chen leaned back against the sofa chair, smiling: “It’s me. So… ‘not what you expected’? Want to return me?”
He Xiaoyuan leaned closer, responding along the same line: “It’s not ‘wrong item,’ it’s more like… ‘exceeds expectations.’”
Lu Chen’s gaze turned thoughtful: “So in your mind, what kind of person should ‘Lu ge’ be? And in the company, what position should someone like that hold?”
The question caught He Xiaoyuan off guard.
Right… Lu ge is so capable, knows everything… everyone in the department keeps calling him Lu Shen.
Since he was called Lu Shen, having a high-level position in the company wasn’t surprising.
It was just that he never connected Lu ge with the CEO he already knew.
Gradually, He Xiaoyuan’s stunned expression softened. He looked across the table, realizing belatedly: “So… it’s you.”
Lu Chen smiled: “Processing it now?”
He Xiaoyuan paused, then slowly said, “So we’ve met before… and not just once.”
He Xiaoyuan asked, curious: “Did you always know it was me?”
Lu Chen’s gaze stayed on him, patient, warm, and gentle: “Yes, remember? You sent photos… and videos.”
He Xiaoyuan remembered.
Still a bit flustered, now realizing Lu ge and the CEO were the same person, he fidgeted slightly, his gaze flickering as he looked across the table—far less casual and confident than over WeChat or the previous brief encounters.
To Lu Chen, he looked like a small, awkward plush animal unsure where to place its paws, evoking an urge to gently scoop him onto his lap.
Lu Chen leaned across the table and asked: “Want me to send a message or make a call first so you can adjust?”
No, no need.
He Xiaoyuan understood and shook his head.
Lu Chen smiled: “Then you’ll just have to process this quickly, or the meal won’t go so smoothly.”
He Xiaoyuan was already silently trying to process it—Lu ge is the CEO…
He Xiaoyuan got up: “I’m going to the restroom.”
He quickly walked away, leaving Lu Chen amused. It was easy to guess that the young man’s expectation of Lu ge had been a friendly, approachable colleague, maybe a mid-level position—not the company’s top executive.
It’s like opening a mystery box and finding a winning lottery ticket.
Lu Chen raised a brow, thinking: If he knew I was actually the owner of Sprees…
Not long after, He Xiaoyuan returned, sitting across from Lu Chen. Lu noticed the young man’s hairline was still slightly damp.
Smiling to himself, Lu Chen offered a tissue: “Better?”
He Xiaoyuan, like at the office with assignments, couldn’t just say “better,” so he took the tissue, dabbed his hairline, and nodded. Then he looked at the man across from him, curiosity clear in his eyes:
“I remember when I added you on WeChat, it was through the ‘Help Card’ in the big welcome package. Aren’t you a senior executive, like Mr. Qiao? Why would a high-level exec be handling mentoring for trainees?”
Of course, senior executives normally wouldn’t handle trainees. Among all trainees, He Xiaoyuan was the only one who had been paired with this so-called executive.
The so-called executive, without missing a beat, brushed it off: “Not sure, maybe something unexpected happened in the process.”
He Xiaoyuan nodded inwardly, forgetting how smoothly the WeChat connection had been. He realized it would have been impossible for a trainee to be paired with a high-level exec if not for a mix-up.
“Quite a coincidence,” he said, marveling.
The dishes arrived, temporarily pausing the conversation.
Once the server left, Lu Chen picked up his chopsticks and asked across the table: “Now can you accept it?”—accepting that Lu ge and the CEO were the same person.
He asked: “Will you need more time, or should we move straight to a familiar, comfortable dinner?”
He Xiaoyuan picked up his chopsticks, expression relaxing, and said: “Option two.”
Lu Chen, taking a fresh, untouched pair, picked a dish and placed it in He Xiaoyuan’s bowl: “A little gift for you.”
Three words, playful, half-joking, eased the atmosphere perfectly.
He Xiaoyuan looked at the dish, smiling: “Thanks, Lu ge.”
It immediately brought back the familiar, natural rapport they had shared over the phone.
Then he picked up the small gift he had placed on the sofa, handing it to Lu Chen: “I brought a little gift too, please accept it.”
Lu Chen reached out: “Turns out, the overly polite one isn’t me… it’s you.”
Following a more Western habit, Lu Chen asked, “What is it?”
He Xiaoyuan answered directly, “It’s tea.”
He explained, “Once you sent a photo of yourself drinking black tea. Someone in our team happens to have a family business in tea. I asked them to get me some good quality black tea.”
Lu Chen replied politely, “Thank you. I really like it. You’ve gone to some trouble.”
He Xiaoyuan smiled across the table: “Lu CEO, you’re being polite.”
Lu Chen placed the tea on the inner corner of the table and, looking up, heard the teasing tone in He Xiaoyuan’s voice: “Hm?”
With a curious look, He Xiaoyuan said, “The whole team thought you were amazing, and it turns out you really are—already a senior executive.”
He paused, then asked, “Are you a senior executive in the project team?”
Lu Chen had no intention of hiding his true identity forever, but he thought it best not to reveal everything just yet—otherwise the young man might have to rush off to the restroom again. Besides, now that they’d met, learning the truth at work would happen sooner or later.
He answered vaguely: “Something like that.”
He Xiaoyuan’s curiosity persisted: “So your position is higher than Mr. Qiao’s?”
“Yes,” Lu Chen confirmed.
He Xiaoyuan’s eyes widened in awe, followed by a heavy nod and a thumbs-up: Super impressive!
Lu Chen, casually eating, said, “Keep this gesture for yourself from now on.”
He added, “You’re not bad yourself. Your assessments are accurate, and you’ve already developed some business acumen.”
The conversation naturally shifted to work, avoiding any awkward silence.
“Now that your rotation is over, have you decided where you want to go?”
He Xiaoyuan responded, “I have an idea, but I’ll wait for the official assignment.”
Lu Chen asked, “Where?”
He Xiaoyuan replied, “The Financial Services Department—full name, the Capital Finance Development & Strategic Services Department, or Jinfu for short.”
It was a large department under Sprees, focusing on microfinance. Technically, it functioned as a separate company affiliated with the group, sharing the same office building.
Although He Xiaoyuan studied business, he had always had a “finance heart.” He had initially applied to C University for finance but ended up in business management due to his scores. During the rotation, he’d only briefly visited Jinfu—a minor branch within the department—but compared to other departments like New Media or Games, he was more inclined toward Jinfu.
Lu Chen acknowledged with a “hm,” continuing to eat quietly.
He Xiaoyuan asked proactively, “Lu ge, are you familiar with Jinfu? Any advice?”
Lu Chen looked up calmly: “Decide for yourself. The company will consider your abilities and choices; it won’t force you somewhere you don’t want to go, nor guarantee your first choice.”
He Xiaoyuan nodded and asked, “How did you get into the project team?”
Lu Chen’s lips curved slightly: “Because I was excellent.”
He Xiaoyuan laughed and gave a thumbs-up.
Then Lu Chen asked unexpectedly, “Do you want to join the project team?”
He Xiaoyuan blinked, surprised. “Isn’t that really hard?”
So far, he only knew what the project team did from materials Lu ge had given him. During rotations, he never went there.
He thought for a moment and shook his head, not unwilling, just: I never considered it.
Difficult, unreachable things never crossed his mind—luxury apartments, glittering goods on shelves, or the project team deciding company investments and strategies. He only pursued what he could realistically reach. He never daydreamed.
Lu Chen said nothing and shifted the conversation elsewhere. They continued eating and chatting, the atmosphere growing more relaxed.
Near the end of the meal, after another restroom trip, He Xiaoyuan approached the front desk to settle the bill, only to be told that A16 had already been paid.
Already paid? He Xiaoyuan was surprised.
Walking into the restaurant, he saw Lu Chen leaving with the tea.
“Lu ge, you paid?” he asked, astonished and puzzled.
“Mm. Let’s go,” Lu Chen replied.
Walking side by side, He Xiaoyuan turned to the taller man beside him, puzzled: “Weren’t we supposed to split the bill?”
Lu Chen replied casually, “I forgot. Next time, you treat.”
He Xiaoyuan nodded, knowing he couldn’t insist on paying now.
“All right,” he said, emphasizing, “Next time, Lu ge, remember it’s my treat—don’t forget again.”
The seriousness in his tone made Lu Chen’s eyes twinkle with amusement.
He Xiaoyuan then speculated with a sly look: “Lu ge, you didn’t intentionally pay while I was gone, did you?”
Blinking with clear eyes, he added, “I just got paid!”
More earnest than his previous reminder about next time.
Lu Chen chuckled, turning to the boy at his side: “Yes, I did it on purpose.”
He Xiaoyuan: Ah?
Outside the restaurant, Lu Chen stopped, facing him. Dark eyes met He Xiaoyuan’s handsome face as he spoke with a warmth he’d never used before:
“This way, next time you treat, we can have a meal together again.”