Chapter 84 A Thousand Miles of Marriage Connected by a Single Thread

Dean Li gave Lin Yu, who had been sitting quietly by the door, a wink, then pointed to the empty seat next to Chen Guang and said with a smile, "Little Lin, don't just sit there eating."

"Come, come over and toast Section Chief Chen! We'll definitely need Section Chief Chen's guidance on future projects."

After saying that, he seemed to suddenly remember something and turned to Chen Guang beside him. "By the way, I heard you two are alumni? Didn't we meet in college?"

Lin Yu stood up, her fingers tightening slightly as she held her wine glass. Just as she was about to deny it, Chen Guang stood up first, gentlemanly pulled out the empty chair next to her, and naturally continued the conversation.

"We're not just alumni, we're classmates."

These words immediately sparked a lively discussion at the table. Mr. Zhang, the marketing manager, jokingly remarked, "Oh, what a coincidence! A match made in heaven!"

"Team Leader Lin usually keeps to himself and focuses on research and development, oblivious to everything else. I never expected he had this kind of connection!" The other leaders also revealed meaningful smiles.

Lin Yu raised his eyes, his gaze briefly sweeping over Chen Guang's profile. The warm light from the private room cast a sharp shadow on Chen Guang's jawline, giving him a calm yet aloof air.

She understood, of course, that he was trying to get her out of a difficult situation, but she couldn't accept his kindness. She didn't want to be involved with him again after moving to a different city.

Lin Yu took a deep breath, put on a polite but distant smile, and explained, "Section Chief Chen is right, we are indeed in the same class."

"But I was only focused on studying at the time, and I wasn't very familiar with anyone in my class. I didn't even talk to many of my classmates. Section Chief Chen probably didn't remember me, since I was such a nobody."

Upon hearing this, Chen Guang turned to look at her, his eyes showing no emotion. He nodded slightly and teased her in a half-joking, half-asleep tone, "Team Leader Lin is too modest."

"Back then, you were the top student in our department, with very high standards. We ordinary people never even gave you a second glance."

These words were incredibly sarcastic, carrying a subtle sense of grievance, as if he had tried so hard to create a story with her back then, but never got the chance.

Mr. Zhang keenly caught the lingering meaning in the words and couldn't help but laugh, immediately having the idea of ​​matchmaking.

Although they didn't expect Lin Yu to be of any real use, they hoped to use this not-so-deep relationship to ease the subtle tension at the table.

Thinking of this, she raised her wine glass and laughed, "Young people just love to say the opposite of what they mean! If we weren't really close, would Section Chief Chen remember so clearly?"

She winked at Lin Yu. "If you ask me, this connection should be rekindled through this project. Lin, why don't you quickly toast your old classmate?"

But just as Lin Yu raised his glass, Chen Guang gently pressed it down. He calmly stood up, raised his glass, and looked around at the leaders present.

"Supervising the project is part of my job, and the project's progress is inseparable from your company's strong support."

"I want to make a statement here: as long as the request is within the scope of compliance, I will do my best to coordinate it."

"Let's work together to make this project a success. This toast is for everyone, to thank you all for your support!"

These words were so well-spoken that Lin Yu, looking at Chen Guang's composed profile and his well-defined knuckles resting on the edge of the turntable, suddenly realized the transformation that had taken place in him over the years.

That once spirited young man has now smoothed out his rough edges and hidden his true nature beneath proper manners.

The environment can indeed completely reshape a person. Lin Yu sighed inwardly, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere at the table gradually warmed up. The conversation shifted from work to life, and unsurprisingly, it eventually circled back to Lin Yu.

"Xiao Lin, I remember you have a boyfriend?" Dean Li took a sip of his drink and asked with a smile, "How's it going? When are you planning to invite us to your wedding?"

Lin Yu paused slightly in his chopsticks as Jiang Chuan's face flashed through his mind, along with those obscure chat logs.

Thinking about their earlier discussions about marriage, she was momentarily at a loss for words, managing only a forced, less-than-attractive smile. "Soon, I guess," she added after a moment's thought. "He's usually quite busy."

"Oh? Where do you work?" Mr. Zhang, who was standing nearby, also chimed in.

"Lawyer..." Lin Yu replied briefly, not wanting to speak too frankly with these shrewd and calculating leaders.

"That's really something for someone so young," Dean Li exclaimed. "Our Xiao Lin is the darling of the hospital. If that kid dares to bully you, we old folks will be the first to object."

Lin Yu knew, of course, that this was just the dean's polite remark, and smiled in agreement.

At this moment, Chen Guang lowered his eyes and took a sip of tea. The rim of the white porcelain cup perfectly covered half of his face, making it impossible to see his expression clearly.

Dean Li changed the subject, looking at him with a smile. "Section Chief Chen is young and promising. Have you resolved your personal issues?"

Chen Guang paused, put down his teacup, and didn't answer the question directly. "I'm too busy with work to think about these things right now."

"Oh dear, that won't do!" Dean Li leaned forward slightly, his tone warm and admonishing, like that of an elder. "Quite a few young women at Company T have been asking me about you."

"Young people should focus on their careers, but starting a family shouldn't be neglected. If they meet the right person, they should seize the opportunity."

Upon hearing this, a hint of mischievousness flashed in Lin Yu's eyes. Of course, she couldn't point out that Chen Guang had already been through the wringer of marriage; she just wanted to see how long he could continue to act so hypocritically and without batting an eye.

A strange emotion welled up inside her, and she couldn't help but let out a very soft, clearly mocking laugh.

The soft laugh wasn't particularly loud in the slightly noisy private room, but it was enough for a few people nearby to hear.

Dean Li's gaze shifted back and forth between Lin Yu and Chen Guang, and he added half-jokingly, "If Lin Yu weren't already taken, the two of you would look quite well-matched standing together."

Lin Yu almost spat out his water. Chen Guang, however, remained calm and composed, smiling politely at the dean and subtly steer the conversation back to the project, as if the awkwardness from just moments ago had never occurred.

At the end of the dinner, Sister Zhang tried several times to get some inside information about the approval process, but Chen Guang skillfully deflected her questions. His words were polite and impeccable, yet they inexplicably created a sense of distance.

Lin Yu sat to the side, watching him methodically break down the project's workflow. A fleeting thought crossed her mind of the boy in college who would cheer wildly for a perfect three-pointer and even throw a punch for her.

Now, he wore a crisp shirt and spoke with impeccable composure, so much so that he seemed like a stranger to her. She took a breath, her heart filled with a mixture of melancholy and something else.

After dinner, Lin Yu waited for the car downstairs with the leaders. Chen Guang had drunk quite a bit and was unsteady on his feet, but he didn't show it on his face; he just seemed to be talking less.

Dean Li stepped forward and patted Chen Guang on the back. "Where does Section Chief Chen live? Can the driver give you a ride?"

Chen Guang suddenly turned around, his gaze passing through the crowd and landing precisely on Lin Yu in the corner, a mischievous smile appearing on his lips. "No need to trouble yourself, I live with Team Leader Lin, I'll just take a walk back."

"Live together?"

Two people who claimed to be strangers at the dinner table were now living together. Moreover, Lin Yu had a boyfriend. This complicated relationship caused Dean Li's eyes to widen in disbelief, and he unusually lost his composure as a leader.

Several mid-level managers standing nearby also turned to look at them with surprise.

Lin Yu finally stepped out from the corner and hurriedly explained, "They're neighbors... living in the same building, upstairs and downstairs!"

Amidst the laughter of everyone's sudden realization, Chen Guang secretly winked at her.

Lin Yu looked at him with some anger, as if she had rediscovered the familiar feeling they had when they were together in college, and finally believed the old adage that it is easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature.

"Alright, be careful on the road." Dean Li's gaze suddenly became meaningful, but he said nothing more. "Xiao Lin, make sure you get our Section Chief Chen home safely."

Lin Yu nodded in agreement and silently watched the vehicle drive away until its scarlet taillights disappeared into the night.

The two walked one after the other along the empty street, deliberately keeping a distance between them, neither intending to break the silence.

After walking for a while, Chen Guang seemed to finally drop his pretense and let out a soft sigh of relief. He loosened his tie, and his steps became slightly unsteady.

During the meal, he subtly shielded Lin Yu from a lot of drinks, a figure that both overlapped and diverged from his behavior in college. But at least now, his thoughtfulness could no longer evoke any gratitude in her.

Lin Yu heard uneven breathing behind him, but maintained a pace half a step ahead, as if deliberately maintaining some kind of physical safety boundary.

Chen Guang's footsteps faithfully followed hers, the moonlight sometimes drawing their shadows closer, sometimes pushing them further apart, just like the tangled and complicated relationship between them.

As they approached the building entrance, he suddenly caught up with Lin Yu, grabbed her sleeve, and asked softly, "Your birthday is coming up soon?" Although it was a question, his tone was firm.

Lin Yu shook off his hand, stopped, and turned to look at him. "Get to the point, stop pulling and tugging."

Chen Guang chuckled softly, his breath reeking of alcohol. Lin Yu then noticed the redness in his eyes and frowned. "How much did you drink?"

"Didn't you see it all?" Chen Guang smiled at her, feigning ease, a smile that was seven parts drunkenness and three parts seriousness.

The moonlight shattered into a galaxy in his slightly tipsy eyes, and his thin lips, stained crimson with alcohol, gleamed with a moist sheen. "You're half responsible for how drunk I am."

Lin Yu turned his face away, a sudden, inexplicable urge rising within him. He cleared his throat awkwardly and said indifferently, "Adults only need to be responsible for themselves."

A faint smile still lingered on Chen Guang's lips, his voice lowered, tinged with a hazy, hesitant quality. "I thought... you would at least care about me a little bit."

As he spoke, his amber eyes stared intently at her, as if trying to pierce through her very soul.

The gaze was so intense, so direct, that it made Lin Yu's back involuntarily break out in a thin layer of sweat on the September night in Shanghai.

The two faced each other in silence. Chen Guang stared at her for a long time, while Lin Yu stared intently at the rough cement road beneath her feet, as if there was something extremely attractive about it.

Until a cool finger gently brushed across the tip of her nose.

Startled by the sudden touch, Lin Yu took two steps back, covering his nose and whispering angrily, "What are you doing?!"

Chen Guang looked at her with feigned innocence, raised his hand, and with a drunken smile on his face, slowly said, "Don't be nervous, Banban. I just want to help you wipe your sweat."