Lu Chen opened his eyes and saw that He Xiaoyuan was already awake. Wrapped in one corner of the blanket, knees drawn up, he sat beside him scrolling on his phone, the glow of the screen lighting up his face.
Lu Chen himself had slept for a while too. Just waking up, he felt heavy and sluggish, and seeing such a homey scene made him even less inclined to move. He closed his eyes again briefly, adjusted his position, and his bent leg shifted unconsciously.
Sensing the movement, He Xiaoyuan immediately turned his head to look over. But seeing that Lu Chen hadn’t opened his eyes, he assumed he was still asleep. He turned back to his phone and even tugged the slipping blanket up a bit, covering Lu Chen more securely.
“What time is it?” Lu Chen’s low, hoarse voice suddenly sounded.
Awake?
He Xiaoyuan immediately turned back.
“After eleven,” he answered.
As he spoke, he put his phone down and lowered his legs from their curled position.
He turned his head and saw that Lu Chen had changed posture, lying flat on his back against the sofa, eyes still closed. He Xiaoyuan leaned a little closer and said softly, “Brother Lu, it’s really late. I won’t bother you anymore—I’ll head out.”
After a pause, he asked, “How do you take the elevator?”
Lu Chen was silent for a few seconds. Still without opening his eyes, he said slowly, “The elevator shuts down after ten-thirty at night.”
“Ah?!”
He Xiaoyuan was stunned.
Lu Chen finally opened his eyes and turned his head. In the deep, pool-like gaze of someone just awake, there was a trace of amusement.
Seeing that look, He Xiaoyuan immediately realized Lu Chen was messing with him again, and he couldn’t help but laugh helplessly.
“I’m really leaving,” He Xiaoyuan said. “No jokes—how do you use the elevator?”
Lu Chen could tell at once that He Xiaoyuan had originally planned to slip away quietly on his own.
Still looking half-asleep, Lu Chen closed his eyes again, lifted an arm, and draped it across his forehead. His voice was low and unhurried. “It’s too late. Don’t go.”
He Xiaoyuan felt awkward about it and replied, “It’s not far. Getting a cab is easy. I’d better head back.”
He asked again how to use the elevator.
Lu Chen’s tone was lazy. “You don’t have to be so formal.”
Then he added, “If you go back now, you’ll still have to come over again tomorrow morning. It’s just a few hours in between. Going back to sleep isn’t as good as staying here—it saves you the hassle.”
Hearing it that way, it did make sense.
Lu Chen might not treat him like an outsider, but He Xiaoyuan couldn’t bring himself to do the same. To him, this was basic courtesy.
“I’d better not,” He Xiaoyuan said.
Besides, he still needed to shower before bed, and there were no clothes here for him to change into.
At that, Lu Chen turned his head slightly, opened the eye beneath his arm, and looked over. His tone carried a hint of displeasure. “And you say you’re not being formal?”
He Xiaoyuan laughed awkwardly. “Brother, I can sleep in the bed, sure—but what about clothes?”
Lu Chen closed his eyes again and lay back down, as if that weren’t a problem at all. “I’ve got clean robes. You can wear mine for the night. Wash your clothes and dry them—they’ll be ready to wear tomorrow.”
That was when He Xiaoyuan realized Lu Chen truly meant to keep him, not just out of politeness.
He hesitated. If he refused again, would it make him seem distant, like he wasn’t giving Lu Chen face?
Still, He Xiaoyuan wanted to go back. Staying over felt like too much of an imposition, and not something you did the first time you visited someone’s home.
Just then, Lu Chen threw off the blanket and stood up, heading straight for the stairs as he spoke. “When you’re at my place, no need to be polite. Treat it like a friend’s place.”
He Xiaoyuan paused.
A friend…
Lu Chen was already stepping onto the stairs, his tone relaxed, the casual ease of someone inviting over a friend. “Come on. Might as well take a look upstairs—you haven’t been to the second floor yet, have you?”
That was when He Xiaoyuan stopped insisting on leaving.
Friends.
He thought about it.
Were he and Lu Chen already friends?
Something stirred quietly in his chest. He realized then that Lu Chen didn’t just treat him well—he treated him with closeness.
Friends…
He Xiaoyuan absorbed the word in silence, his emotions subtly tugged by it. That single “friend” moved him more than he expected.
A beat later, he finally stood up, folded the blanket that still held some warmth, and set it back on the sofa. A little embarrassed, he said, “Then… sorry to trouble you,” and followed Lu Chen upstairs.
When they reached the second floor, He Xiaoyuan was once again stunned by the mansion’s design. The entire floor had no solid walls—only large panels of gray glass separating different areas.
Following Lu Chen, he turned left at the top of the stairs. Floor lights nearby switched on automatically. When He Xiaoyuan looked up, the first thing he saw was a walk-in closet behind gray glass, rows upon rows of shirts and suits neatly hung.
Farther down the corridor, through an open glass wall, he saw a bathtub.
Beyond that, more expanses of gray glass, glimpses of rooms here and there, and the same open, spacious layout as the first floor…
It was safe to say the entire house was beyond anything He Xiaoyuan had ever imagined a home to be.
Thankfully, the guest bedroom was straightforward—four solid corners, and aside from the gray glass “walls,” it looked much like an ordinary bedroom. That, at least, fit his idea of what a bedroom should be.
After bringing him to the door, Lu Chen turned to leave. “Go ahead. I’ll grab a robe.”
He Xiaoyuan stepped into the guest room and looked around. Even the guest room had its own walk-in closet, a private bathroom, a balcony, and a washer-dryer combo. In his mind, only one word surfaced: luxury. Ridiculously luxurious.
Not long after, Lu Chen came in and handed him some clothes. “Get some sleep.”
Then added, “Toothbrush, towel, and slippers are in the bathroom.”
“Okay, thanks,” He Xiaoyuan said as he took them.
Lu Chen left. “Good night.”
“Good night.”
The door closed. He Xiaoyuan glanced around again, curious and unfamiliar with everything. In the bathroom, he found a tub, a shower, everything you could ask for—spacious and beautiful. He couldn’t help silently praising it again: luxury.
If there was anything about staying over that could be called even slightly “inconvenient,” it was probably stepping out of the shower in a robe—with no underwear. It felt oddly empty underneath.
As he stuffed his clothes and pants into the washer-dryer, He Xiaoyuan thought, It’s fine to go commando tonight. As long as I’ve got underwear tomorrow.
Back in bed, lights off, he stared at the ceiling, not sleepy at all. He rolled onto his side and thought: people really shouldn’t broaden their horizons too much.
Before coming to Lu Chen’s place, he’d thought that buying a small two-bedroom would be great. Even a one-bedroom would be fine if he lived alone.
After seeing Lu Chen’s place, he finally understood how genuinely comfortable a big house could be.
He closed his eyes and immediately scolded himself: think realistically.
If he couldn’t even afford a one-bedroom, was he really going to live in a mansion like Lu Chen’s?
Get a grip.
Meanwhile, after leaving the guest room, Lu Chen didn’t head straight to bed. Instead, he went back downstairs.
He’d always had plenty of energy, and after napping earlier, he felt even more alert now.
Since he wasn’t sleepy, he decided to finish the movie.
But when he pressed the remote to resume playback, his attention wasn’t on the film at all. Instead, his gaze kept drifting to the blanket left on the sofa.
Lu Chen casually picked up the blanket and looked at it, an image flashing through his mind—waking up earlier to find that he and the young man beside him had been sharing it.
At the time, he hadn’t thought much of it.
Now, though…
Lu Chen set the blanket down, turned his gaze back to the movie, and quietly began turning things over in his head.
He hadn’t planned on moving so fast, and he wasn’t someone who lacked self-control. But ever since the young man gave him that watch, he had to admit it—his heart had stirred, stirred to the point that it was getting hard to rein in.
Lu Chen couldn’t clearly articulate how emotion altered a person’s rational thinking. He only knew this much: when it came to He Xiaoyuan now, what he felt was that wolf-watching-a-lamb kind of impulse—the urge to draw him into his own territory.
On the work side, he’d already given Yang Yun a heads-up. It was only a matter of time before He Xiaoyuan joined the project team. As for privately…
Lu Chen thought: what kind of approach would make He Xiaoyuan willing to move in?
He snapped back to himself, realizing his thoughts had crossed a line.
He didn’t let himself keep going, but the hand resting beside him unconsciously pinched a corner of the blanket, rubbing it lightly between his fingers—a habitual little motion he made whenever he was thinking deeply.
—
The next morning, before He Xiaoyuan had even come downstairs, Lu Chen was already standing at the stove, frying eggs.
When He Xiaoyuan came down, fully dressed, the first thing he saw was Lu Chen busy in the kitchen—wearing only a pair of pants, bare-chested.
Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, evenly defined muscles—anyone who saw him would have to admit he had an exceptional physique.
He Xiaoyuan saw it… and reacted as if he hadn’t seen anything at all. He didn’t spare a second glance. He walked into the kitchen, greeted him, and asked if there was anything he could help with.
“No,” Lu Chen said. “Almost done.”
From the corner of his eye, he glanced at He Xiaoyuan, who truly hadn’t looked at him again, and came to a clear conclusion—
Straight. As straight as it gets.
So what was Straight Guy He Xiaoyuan thinking about right now?
He was thinking: Brother Lu’s eggs smell amazing.
—
He Xiaoyuan spent a pleasant weekend at Lu Chen’s place. When Monday rolled around and it was time to go back to work, he felt refreshed and energized.
He had originally thought his morning would be idle again, that he’d kill time until just before eleven and then meet up with the equally bored Qin Chengfei in the cafeteria. Instead, Yang Yun showed up at ten sharp. With his hands clasped behind his back, he strolled unhurriedly toward his office. Passing He Xiaoyuan’s desk, he said, “Come on, kid. Brew me a pot of tea.”
“Okay, President Yang,” He Xiaoyuan replied.
“What would you like?”
“Anything’s fine.”
So He Xiaoyuan brewed a pot of Longjing and delivered it to the office.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, Yang Yun suddenly asked, “Do you remember how many kinds of tea are on the shelf?”
He Xiaoyuan paused, not understanding the sudden question, then turned back and answered, “Longjing, Caoqing, Maojian, Jinjunmei, Buddha’s Hand, Yunwu, Silver Needle, and Pu’er.”
Yang Yun hummed in acknowledgment, then asked, “Do you know what temperature water you use for Pu’er?”
Still puzzled about why he was being asked this, He Xiaoyuan answered, “Boiling water.”
“How do you brew it?”
“First rinse the teaware with boiling water. Then pour freshly boiled soft water over the tea leaves, discard it and drain—this wakes the tea. After that, brew it normally. The first infusion is about a minute, then you pour out the tea liquor and drink.”
Yang Yun gave another “Mm,” then asked, “What about Yunwu?”
“It’s similar to Pu’er, but Yunwu is a green tea, made from tender buds. You can’t use boiling water—seventy-five to eighty-five degrees Celsius is best.”
Leaning back in his chair, Yang Yun said lightly, “Looks like you paid attention.”
He Xiaoyuan didn’t respond, tacitly accepting it.
“Who taught you?” Yang Yun asked.
No one taught him. He’d looked it up himself.
Honestly, He Xiaoyuan said, “Last week was pretty slow. There wasn’t much to do, and since you taught me how to make tea before, President Yang, I just took the time to learn a bit more.”
Yang Yun hummed again. His expression revealed nothing, but inwardly, he was satisfied.
“All right. You can go,” he said, offering no further comment.
He Xiaoyuan didn’t quite understand the exchange, but he didn’t ask. He acknowledged and left.
Throughout the rest of the week, whenever Yang Yun came into the office, he would chat with He Xiaoyuan from time to time.
Sometimes he asked what He Xiaoyuan did when he had downtime at work. Other times they talked about his previous rotations.
One day, standing by He Xiaoyuan’s desk, Yang Yun noticed a few cups arranged in the corner. After glancing at them, he suddenly asked, “You’re pretty familiar with President Lu, aren’t you?”
The question caught He Xiaoyuan off guard—especially how direct it was. It wasn’t easy to answer. After a moment’s thought, he replied cautiously, “I do know President Lu.”
“From before you joined the company?” Yang Yun asked with a smile.
“No. After I joined.”
Yang Yun smiled kindly. “How did you meet? Let’s hear it.”
He Xiaoyuan silently weighed what he could say.
Thinking of how Lu Chen had mentioned that transferring him to the project team had already been discussed with President Yang—and that Lu Chen spoke well of him—He Xiaoyuan figured the two of them were likely close.
So he explained about adding each other on WeChat through the new-hire welcome package.
Yang Yun chuckled when he heard that. “You can add President Lu through something like that?”
The implication was obvious—someone of President Lu’s status, would his contact info really appear in a new-hire package?
“I’m not sure either,” He Xiaoyuan said. “Later, when I talked it over with President Lu, we thought maybe there was an issue in one of the steps.”
Yang Yun gave an “Oh,” smiled, and said nothing more.
Privately, he thought: fresh graduate—so innocent.
After that, Yang Yun would occasionally send He Xiaoyuan on errands—picking up lunch, buying coffee, and the like.
He Xiaoyuan did every task without complaint, and did them well. He even asked ahead of time about Yang Yun’s preferences—milk or sugar in his coffee.
Later, Yang Yun asked him, “You’re a management trainee. Doing things like this—don’t you feel wronged?”
“No,” He Xiaoyuan replied.
What he thought was: why would I? Work is work. Some tasks are important, where you shine and make an impact. Others are small and scattered, just being an ordinary cog in the machine.
Back in his student days, he might have felt frustrated. Now, he focused on doing things properly first—approaching everything with reason instead of letting emotion lead.
Running a few errands for leadership was nothing.
Besides, it wasn’t like he was busy anyway. Might as well move around a bit.
Yang Yun, however, seemed to have taken the wrong medicine. Throughout the week, he kept calling He Xiaoyuan into his office for chats—painting rosy pictures of his bright future as a management trainee, then gently trying to persuade him. Since he’d only just been assigned and hadn’t officially started for long, why not consider switching to another department? And besides, Yang Yun added, “If you go to another department, you can still transfer to the project team.”
???
He Xiaoyuan listened to it all, but none of it moved him in the slightest. He just kept doing what he was doing.
Yang Yun put on a show of irritation. “President Lu promised you—did I promise you?”
He Xiaoyuan replied patiently, “President Yang, let’s calm down first. Would you like some tea? I can brew you a pot.”
After a week of this back and forth, Yang Yun had formed a preliminary impression of He Xiaoyuan. Setting aside specifics like personality and ability, as a newcomer to the workplace, He Xiaoyuan’s mindset was exceptionally well-adjusted. He was neither servile nor arrogant, willing to put thought into his work, considerate in dealing with people, and impeccably polite.
Yang Yun had intended to test him, yet He Xiaoyuan passed every hurdle with ease—he even made an effort to build rapport with him.
Earlier, Yang Yun had thought: He Xiaoyuan’s degree wasn’t impressive, his résumé wasn’t strong enough. How was he supposed to get into the project team—just because Lu Chen liked him?
Now he thought differently. Being liked by Lu Chen clearly wasn’t just about a good-looking face. The kid had qualities that most people didn’t.
That Saturday, Yang Yun called He Xiaoyuan in to work overtime.
Calling it overtime was a stretch—there was no actual work. Instead, Yang Yun handed him a USB drive and told him to take it home and look through it, adding, “If you don’t understand something, come ask.”
He Xiaoyuan returned to his desk, plugged the USB into his computer, and opened it—only to find that it was filled with case materials, neatly organized by year and category.
He Xiaoyuan: !
He looked up, genuinely shocked, staring at the closed office door in front of him.
Not long after, Yang Yun—sitting in his office playing a match-three game on his phone—received a private message from He Xiaoyuan on the OA system.
He Xiaoyuan: 【Thank you, President Yang. Little dinosaur bouncing.jpg】
Yang Yun smiled as he looked at the chat window and the little dinosaur hopping up and down, as if he could see He Xiaoyuan bouncing around himself.
This, he thought, was what a young person should be like.
Out in the open office area, He Xiaoyuan—who had just started going through the case materials—received a message from Lu Chen.
Lu: 【Why did Yang Yun call you in to work overtime?】
He Xiaoyuan: 【It’s not overtime. President Yang gave me some materials to look at.】
Lu: 【Where are you?】
He Xiaoyuan: 【In the office.】
Not long after, Lu Chen appeared in the Commercial Services Department office.
He gestured for He Xiaoyuan to ignore him and keep going, then pulled over a chair and set it beside the workstation. He took off his suit jacket and draped it over the chair back, rolled up his shirt sleeves as he sat down, leaned lightly against the chair, crossed one leg over the other with calm composure. Once he finished rolling up his sleeves, he leaned back and raised his phone. When he noticed He Xiaoyuan turning to look at him, he said nothing—just signaled with his eyes for him to keep working.
He Xiaoyuan: ?
Lu Chen looked back at his phone, stayed beside him, and calmly said four words: “Ask if you don’t understand.”
He Xiaoyuan: …
That day, when Yang Yun finally came out of his office, intending to stroll over and see how He Xiaoyuan was doing, he opened the door and saw Lu Chen sitting outside with his legs crossed. Yang Yun immediately shut the door again.
Had he played that game for too long and started hallucinating?
Yang Yun closed his eyes and shook his head.
He opened the door again. The big boss Lu hadn’t disappeared.
Yang Yun: “……”
Taking a closer look at Lu Chen’s posture—like a hen guarding her chick, or a hawk watching over a rabbit—Yang Yun let out a silent “well, I’ll be damned.”
That was new.
But instead of watching the spectacle, Yang Yun chose to back his hands behind him when Lu Chen glanced over, acting as though he’d seen nothing at all. He strolled leisurely past the desks and Lu Chen, pushed open the glass door to his office, and promptly made himself scarce.
Yang Yun: I saw nothing. I know nothing.