The snow fell early this winter. It was only the beginning of November, and people were so cold that they had to use heating.
Lin Sitao, wearing a navy blue wool coat and a plaid scarf, walked quickly into the office building carrying a bag.
Chen Yi was already waiting for him.
As soon as she saw Lin Sitao, she smiled and said, "Welcome to the flagship store."
Lin Sitao called Chen Yi his senior. She was his college classmate, two years older than him, and they were from the same hometown. They knew each other since school. Chen Yi now works in the human resources department of the company. The entire company is huge, with nearly 100,000 employees, and there are several branches in Beijing alone. Chen Yi's term "flagship store" is quite appropriate.
Lin Sitao now works in a design institute. In the future, he will come frequently to contact the construction party for a project.
Chen Yi accompanied him to the office, gave him some advice, and said, "This time, the rail hub renovation project may be led by a vice president himself."
Lin Sitao's heart skipped a beat: "Didn't you say Engineer Liang was in charge?"
Chen Yi made an expression: "Who knows? I just heard the news this morning."
Lin Sitao was silent. There were three vice presidents, and it might not be the one he wanted.
Nine years have passed since he first met He Xian. It would be unrealistic (and like a stalker) to say that he has been following He Xian for the past nine years. But every time he decides on the direction of his life, there is a faint shadow. It's like sinking in the deep sea and looking up from underwater at the beautiful spots of light cast by the sun on the water.
Upstream, and upstream again. This is what he kept thinking.
Until today, he had the opportunity to work with He Xian. He was about to jump out of the water. Then what? What was the first thing he should say when he saw He Xian
"Thank you. It's because of you that I am where I am today."
Too rigid.
"Hello. After all these years, do you still remember me?"
Too pretentious.
"Love you. Love you so much. Always love you. Love you like a stalker."
Very good, very good. The only downside is that I can't say it at all.
After parting ways with Chen Yi on the third floor and making an appointment to have a simple meal with her and her husband at noon, Lin Sitao pressed the elevator to the ninth floor. He looked down at his phone and the elevator door opened.
Lin Sitao raised his head.
There seemed to be several people in the elevator, but he only saw one at a glance.
He Xian stood there.
Short hair. Thinner than he remembered. Black sweater, black suit jacket and pants, all in black. With a sniper rifle, he could have the aura of a killer.
"Which floor are you going to?" the killer asked him, holding the door.
Lin Sitao flashed into the elevator and hurriedly pressed the ninth floor.
As he passed by He Xian, he said, "Good morning, Mr. He." The three words were spoken in a clattering manner, like a broken cassette.
He Xian nodded.
It was a miracle that Lin Sitao could stand steadily without jumping up and down.
Several times, he dreamed that He Xian became old and miserable. After waking up from such a dream, he would laugh at his own absurdity after feeling heartbroken.
Now he saw with his own eyes that He Xian was still as healthy and handsome as ever, and everyone's eyes would be focused on him wherever he stood.
Coming out of the elevator, Lin Sitao was dizzy and smiling with relief on his face.
At noon, when I had lunch with Chen Yi and his wife, I was still as excited as if I had been injected with chicken blood. They ate dumplings at a dumpling restaurant near the company and ordered a few simple stir-fried dishes.
Chen Yi’s husband Yu Junchang is also an engineer and had just finished another project. They were all in the same industry, so during the meal they chatted about old classmates, colleagues and the company.
During the discussion, He Xian was mentioned. Naturally, people were impressed by his origins. He family! He Zhongcheng's grandson! This matter was well-known throughout the company system. Everyone seemed to never tire of talking about it.
Lin Sitao wanted to find out more about He Xian indirectly, but then he thought, everyone knows what they should know about He Xian, and they probably won't easily reveal what they shouldn't know. Besides, the interpersonal relationships in the company are very complicated. Although Chen Yi is kind to him, it doesn't mean that Yu Junchang has to open his heart to him and tell him everything.
After expressing his feelings, he asked casually as if he was gossiping, "Is Mr. He married?"
Chen Yi smiled and said, "No. There are many girls in the company who want to challenge Mount Everest, but most of them are probably not worthy of him."
She asked Lin Sitao again: "What about you? Do you have a girlfriend now? Do you want me to introduce you to one?" Yu Junchang hushed her and said: "Why would you bother with such a handsome guy like Xiao Lin?"
Lin Sitao smiled and said, "You know my situation. I still don't have a place to stay in Beijing. Let's work hard for another two years."
Living in Beijing is not easy. He graduated four years ago, and housing prices have been rising, making it difficult to buy a house in Beijing. However, he has no plans to get married, so it seems that there is no need to buy one.
He just bought a two-bedroom apartment for his grandparents in J City at the beginning of this year. The location is good, the layout is good, and more importantly, the elderly finally have their own home and can live out their days in comfort. He rents an apartment or dormitory in Beijing, and as long as it is clean and convenient for work, it is enough for him to live alone.
The next evening, Lin Sitao ran into He Xian again, or to be more precise, saw him from afar. After finishing his work at the company, he was rushing to the station when he suddenly saw He Xian coming out of the flower shop across the street.
He was still dressed in black. The lights were on and the snow was still falling. He was holding a bunch of blooming flowers and walking in a hurry. He was going in the opposite direction of Lin Sitao.
It seemed like a scene that only appeared in a dream. Lin Sitao stood in the biting cold wind, knowing that this was not a dream, but just like in the dream, He Xian had no intersection with him.
The progress at the company was faster and better than he had imagined. As expected, He Xian was chosen as the project's chief engineer.
Two days later, the technical backbones held a meeting. Lin Sitao and his teacher went to the meeting as representatives of the design institute. Lin Sitao was finally able to see He Xian openly. During the meeting, He Xian didn't say a word of nonsense. He roughly determined the work framework and asked a few key design and construction questions. The meeting was very fast, and Lin Sitao didn't have a chance to be distracted.
After the meeting, He Xian came over and said a few words to Lin Sitao's teacher.
Lin Sitao's teacher Zhou Xu has a long career, has won many awards, and has always had a good reputation in the industry. It was expected that He Xian would come over to say hello to him.
Lin Sitao stood behind Zhou Xu, listening quietly to what He Xian and Zhou Xu were saying. Suddenly Zhou Xu said, "This is my student. He also contributed a lot to this design."
Lin Sitao was startled, knowing that the teacher was trying to raise his status. He couldn't help but look at He Xian.
He Xian was also looking at him.
Their eyes met for a second, and He Xian smiled: "I remember you."
Lin Sitao's mind went blank. He Xian said, "Engineer Liang mentioned this to me. There is a young student in Teacher Zhou's team who is very hardworking. Teacher Zhou likes him very much. Is that you? It is true that a good teacher produces good students."
Lin Sitao's heart finally returned to its original place.
He Xian had completely forgotten about him.
He finally calmed down. It would be great if He Xian could remember him, that would be a small miracle. Completely forgetting him would be in line with the normal development of things - after all, nine years have passed, and He Xian's experience in these nine years must be more colorful than his.
Those who attended the meeting in the evening had dinner in a private room in the company cafeteria, with two tables for working meals.
He Xian drank two glasses of wine, and when he was halfway through the meal, Ding Shengguang also came to join in the fun. Ding Shengguang has always been good at dancing, and wherever he is, there will be joy and excitement.
With him around, He Xian’s social pressure was much less.
When the dinner was almost over, He Xian went out to smoke. Ding Shengguang joined him and asked, "Are you still feeling depressed?"
He Xian said: "No."
Ding Shengguang glanced at his face and said, "Are you happy or unhappy? I really can't tell."
He always had a lot of ideas, so he immediately said, "I don't understand the pain of a broken heart. But when I can't find my bedmate number one, I'll go find number two or three. That's how it is with relationships. If one person leaves the other, can't they live on? If the old doesn't go, the new won't come."
"There was a good young man at the table just now," said Ding Shengguang.
He Xian thought of that young man. He was less than 1.8 meters tall, not very tall, but his legs were well proportioned and pleasing to the eye. He had a small face like an actor, very delicate. His skin was strangely white—not so white that it reflected light, nor did it smell like powder, but just clean white, which perfectly set off his amber eyes.
The most important thing is those eyes, the way she looks at him is like she is seeking love.
He said, "That person is from the Design Institute, Zhou Xu's student."
Ding Shengguang laughed: "Several young men, do you know which one I'm talking about? Great, this one caught your eye, and he's both talented and pretty... How about making a bet that you can win him over in a week?"
He Xian put out his cigarette and glanced at him: "One night."