Chapter 5

The conversation about "purity" late on Monday night was like a drop of ink falling into clear water, silently but clearly changing the color of the glass of water between them.

They didn't contact each other for the next few days.

Each of them busied themselves with work, returning to their normal lives. But the silence was completely different from before. It was no longer the distance they had deliberately kept to maintain a sense of propriety when they first met. Instead, it felt like a tacit understanding between adults.

Something has taken root and sprouted. They are not in a hurry, but just quietly waiting for it to sprout the first new leaf in their hearts.

Time passed quickly and it was Friday evening.

As the clock neared the end of the day, the office began to take on the unique, relaxed atmosphere of the weekend. Lin Qi had just finished a day's work and was packing up when his phone quietly lit up.

Still from Chen Yan.

This time, he did not send any text, but shared a music link first.

Lin Qi clicked on it curiously and saw the cover of the song. It was a deep, brilliant starry sky, tranquil and evocative. She glanced at the song title, a string of unfamiliar words, but it was labeled "instrumental music."

Then, his message came.

【Chen Yan: Listen and see.】

[Chen Yan: There's only the melody, no lyrics. See what images it brings to mind.]

Seeing these words, Lin Qi laughed out loud.

It turns out that he still remembers.

Not only did he remember her habit of "listening only to the melody," he even went so far as to find her a special "test question." This gesture, more than any deliberate greeting, warmed her heart.

She didn't reply immediately, but put on her headphones and pressed the play button.

The soothing piano music, mixed with the ethereal string music, instantly enveloped her like a quiet, starlit river. She leaned back in her office chair, closed her eyes, and gave herself completely to the melody that was not defined by lyrics and could be imagined endlessly.

Outside the window, the city's evening rush hour was bustling with traffic, but in her world, there was only the quiet starry sky.

After quietly listening to the song, Lin Qi felt that all the fatigue of the whole day had been washed away. She opened her eyes and looked out the window at the completely dark sky. With a smile on her lips, she picked up her phone.

She didn't say anything nice or thank you. She just told him exactly what she had seen in the melody.

Lin Qi: I've finished. I'm lying on the grass under the starry sky, completely silent, pondering the mysteries of the universe.

After the message was sent, Chen Yan’s reply came almost instantly.

He seemed very amused and even a little surprised by her imaginative answer.

[Chen Yan: A very artistic picture.]

Then he sent a calm and considerate message with his distinctive personal style.

[Chen Yan: However, the grass late at night should be a bit chilly.]

He expressed this concern in a matter-of-fact, emotionless tone, which made Lin Qi burst out laughing. She felt that even this man's concern was expressed with the rigor and cuteness of a science student.

He seemed to feel that the previous topic had drifted a little too far, so he naturally brought the conversation back to reality.

[Chen Yan: It's the weekend. Any plans?]

Lin Qi: I'm planning to go to the bookstore on Saturday and buy some books. How about you?

She naturally told him her plan: going to the bookstore was a quiet, independent activity full of the joy of being alone.

Chen Yan looked at the plan she sent, his fingertips paused on the screen, as if he was thinking about something.

Going to the bookstore. This activity was highly consistent with his impression of her.

An opportunity slowly took shape in his mind.

[Chen Yan: It's just right. I'm planning to go out on Saturday as well.]

Chen Yan: I originally wanted to go to a record store. Many good bookstores also sell records.

He used a factual approach to establish a subtle, logical connection between two seemingly independent itineraries. He didn't say, "Let's go to the bookstore together," because that kind of invitation is too purposeful and could easily put pressure on people.

He simply provided the most reasonable explanation for the fact that they might "meet by chance" and "travel together".

After completing all the preparations, he finally extended the real invitation.

【Chen Yan: If you don’t mind, maybe we can come together?】

After making this invitation, he seemed afraid of causing her any psychological burden, and immediately added another sentence, putting all the choices back into her hands safely.

[Chen Yan: Of course, if you feel more comfortable shopping alone, that's totally fine.]

He looked at the few paragraphs he had sent out, quietly waiting for her verdict.

This was the first time since they met that he had so explicitly extended an invitation to "spend the weekend together." This time, there was no film festival tickets as a cover, nor was it just a polite greeting after dinner.

This is a purer invitation that is only about “us”.

He didn't know whether she would agree.