Lu Chen stepped forward, opening the umbrella to cover both of them.
They stood together beneath the dark canopy, side by side.
He Xiaoyuan’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Lu Chen, joy lighting his voice: “You actually came back.”
Lu Chen smiled: “Have you eaten? If not, we can eat together. If you have, eat a little more with me.”
He Xiaoyuan happily responded: “Sure! Where to?”
Lu Chen: “Just nearby.”
Together, they walked side by side toward a nearby mall.
The fine snow fell softly, the neon lights outside seeming to shimmer behind a gauzy veil.
Lu Chen glanced over and noticed snow on the top of He Xiaoyuan’s head. Switching the umbrella to the other hand, he reached out and brushed the snow off.
Once the umbrella was back in his hand, He Xiaoyuan turned toward him, walking alongside: “Weren’t you supposed to be away for two more days? How come you’re back today?”
Lu Chen looked at him: “I suddenly remembered—it’s the 14th, Valentine’s Day.”
He Xiaoyuan froze for a moment, startled: “Ah?” His heart skipped a beat.
Lu Chen smiled softly: “I didn’t want our single little kitty to feel lonely on a day meant for couples.”
“…“
He Xiaoyuan raised his hand, playfully swatting Lu Chen.
Lu Chen chuckled.
“What should we eat?” He Xiaoyuan asked.
“I’ve already made a reservation,” Lu Chen replied.
He Xiaoyuan commented in mild awe: “Wow, you actually got a table today.”
As they approached the mall, they passed numerous flower vendors.
He Xiaoyuan looked curiously, and Lu Chen glanced at him.
A young girl approached, holding flowers, calling out “Mister! Mister!” She asked if he wanted to buy a flower for his boyfriend, saying that giving a flower to such a handsome boyfriend on Valentine’s Day would ensure a year without quarrels.
He Xiaoyuan’s first instinct was to look at Lu Chen. Calmly smiling, Lu Chen took the flower from the girl and handed it to He Xiaoyuan, then reached into his coat pocket without asking the price and handed her a red bill. The girl happily said, “Happy Valentine’s Day!” and skipped away.
He Xiaoyuan looked at the flower in his hand: “They don’t even cost a hundred each today. I should’ve just paid by QR code.”
Lu Chen put away his wallet and continued walking with He Xiaoyuan toward the mall. “It’s not about the price,” he said casually.
He Xiaoyuan tilted his head: “Huh?”
Lu Chen glanced at him: “Everyone else has flowers. Of course, our little Yuan should have some too.”
He Xiaoyuan laughed: “But everyone else gets bouquets or boxes.”
Earlier at the office, several female colleagues had already received flowers.
Lu Chen raised his hand to signal the street vendor outside the mall, but He Xiaoyuan quickly tugged him away, hurrying inside. “I’m joking, one is enough,” he said with a laugh.
Inside the restaurant, He Xiaoyuan glanced around as he sat down—nearly every table was a couple. He discreetly looked at Lu Chen, who was calmly perusing the menu. The waiter explained the special couples’ set for 1,688 yuan.
Lu Chen closed the menu and said steadily: “We’ll take the set.”
The waiter nodded: “Sure, your order will be ready shortly.”
Lu Chen: “Thank you.”
He Xiaoyuan quickly turned away, pretending not to watch, and placed the rose into the small flower vase on the table.
“Not using it?” Lu Chen asked.
He Xiaoyuan, arranging the flower, said, “Just put it here for now. I’ll take it when we leave.”
Under the warm lighting of the restaurant, their faces—one with clear, bright eyes, the other focused and calm—sat across from each other, looking no different from the other couples around them.
He Xiaoyuan’s mind drifted a little but he restrained himself and chatted normally: “It’s snowing. The snow’s pretty heavy… did the planes still fly?”
When He Xiaoyuan first sat down, his thoughts wandered. But as they ate and talked, his mood settled, returning to the usual relaxed, playful banter he shared with Lu Chen.
They talked about whatever came to mind, including work. He Xiaoyuan mentioned meeting a small SaaS company owner through a colleague after his recent report.
He challenged Lu Chen to guess the company’s monthly revenue.
“If they’re doing well, a few million shouldn’t be a problem,” Lu Chen said.
He Xiaoyuan marveled: “I heard at their peak it could reach over ten million. I really realized how little I know about the internet industry.”
Lu Chen listened attentively.
He Xiaoyuan continued while eating: “I used to think only big companies, gaming, e-commerce, and livestreaming made real money.”
Lu Chen: “Technically, SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS are software services, technology-based.”
He Xiaoyuan lifted his eyes: “Even Huaqiangbei claims they’re in the internet business.”
Lu Chen smiled: “True.”
He Xiaoyuan followed up: “Our company seems to have some software service products too?”
Lu Chen: “Yes, one provides customer service software.”
Their conversation topics were far broader than those of the couples around them. They ate and talked as the restaurant filled and gradually emptied. Finally, after finishing another topic and looking around, He Xiaoyuan realized the restaurant was nearly empty, and the time was 10:30.
“Shall we go?” He Xiaoyuan suggested.
Lu Chen signaled the waiter for the check, pulling out his phone.
He Xiaoyuan watched him, noticing the phone, and said: “The card?”—his own salary card.
His expression was quiet but teasing: “You never use it.”
Lu Chen set the phone down and reached into his coat pocket for his wallet. He took out the card and handed it to the waiter, who had just arrived with the card reader.
He Xiaoyuan calmly and pleasantly watched the entire process, simply delighted to see Lu Chen using his card.
After paying the bill, the waiter left, and Lu Chen slid the card back into his wallet. He looked at He Xiaoyuan and asked, “All set?”
He Xiaoyuan nodded with satisfaction.
Lu Chen smiled knowingly: “Feeling happy?”
He Xiaoyuan nodded again, beaming.
He stood up and, without forgetting, retrieved the single rose he had temporarily placed in the vase.
As they walked out of the restaurant together, Lu Chen asked, “Heading home?”
He Xiaoyuan had originally planned to return—late night, and work awaited tomorrow—but paused, hesitating. He didn’t feel like ending the evening just yet.
“Do you have anywhere to go?” he asked.
“Winery,” Lu Chen replied.
He Xiaoyuan’s eyes lit up: “The one from last time?”
The place he’d visited with Manager Yang?
“Let’s go!”
Excited, He Xiaoyuan linked his arm with Lu Chen’s, gently nudging him toward the elevator.
“Drinking?” Lu Chen asked.
He Xiaoyuan’s eyes sparkled: “Sure! I’ll drink a little.”
At the winery, Lu Chen first led him down to the cellar to retrieve wine. Back upstairs in the main hall, they didn’t sit on the sofa but at a table, set with wine, a decanter, and glasses.
Knowing He Xiaoyuan neither liked nor drank much, Lu Chen poured only a small amount.
Yet, unusually, He Xiaoyuan picked up his glass and sipped, staring at the deep red liquid. “Why such a small pour?”
Lu Chen added more wine, observing him: “I thought you didn’t like it.”
He Xiaoyuan looked at the glass and said firmly: “One must be brave enough to try.”
Once their glasses were filled and Lu Chen seated himself, they began talking about He Xiaoyuan’s “bravery in trying.”
It turned out that He Xiaoyuan’s plan for the year included meeting more people across the industry, building connections. Whether at social dinners or professional salons, drinking would be unavoidable. He politely declined strong liquors, but red wine was a good starting point.
Lu Chen listened, nodding appreciatively at He Xiaoyuan’s thoughtful planning.
He sipped again, thoughtful. Lu Chen asked: “Is this part of your plan for the new year?”
He Xiaoyuan looked at him and nodded slowly.
“Networking is important, but there’s no rush,” Lu Chen said. “You just started; focus on doing your current tasks well and learning how to manage projects.”
He leaned back, resting his hand on the edge of the table, lightly spinning his glass with the tips of his fingers—a casual demeanor that masked his patience and attentiveness toward He Xiaoyuan.
“I know,” He Xiaoyuan replied softly, taking another sip.
“Don’t rush. Nobody in the project team achieved success overnight. Step by step, piece by piece.”
“Don’t compare yourself to others.”
“And it doesn’t matter whether it’s your own project or you’re assisting someone else.”
“Accumulation takes time.”