He has a girlfriend.

The next morning.

The meeting with the Bincheng Planning Bureau went exceptionally smoothly. The bureau was clearly well aware of Xinghuan Group's strength and the reputation of the "Xinghuan Twin Towers," and the reception was of a very high standard.

Inside the meeting room, both sides engaged in in-depth discussions, showcasing Xinghuan's advantages and sincerity in all aspects. At the end of the meeting, the leaders of the Planning Bureau shook Cui Yu's hand and praised him with a smile.

"We've long heard that President Cui and President Meng are a golden duo, and seeing them today, it's truly well-deserved! With the two of you in charge of this project, we feel very reassured!"

Cui Yu smiled and replied, "You flatter me. It's Bincheng's planning blueprint that's so attractive, giving us room to maneuver. We'll need your and other leaders' continued support in the future."

Meng Yihe also nodded slightly in greeting.

The meeting concluded in a friendly atmosphere, with both sides agreeing to maintain close communication in the future.

"That was a very well-received response regarding the plot ratio," Meng Yihe said suddenly, looking out the window. He was referring to Cui Yu's speech during the meeting, where, when the other party raised a slightly demanding target, Cui Yu skillfully cited successful examples from other cities and offered flexible solutions.

Cui Yu was loosening his tie when he heard this, he paused, turned his head to look at him, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes: "Oh, that's rare, to receive a compliment from Director Meng."

Meng Yihe: "...This is just an objective evaluation."

"There aren't any formal plans next. Shall we go back to the hotel to change our clothes? Or maybe we should visit that old wharf cultural district this afternoon? I've heard it incorporates a lot of local creativity and traditional crafts; it's definitely worth checking out." Cui Yu once again naturally suggested "checking out" the area.

This time, Meng Yihe's silence lasted much shorter.

"Mm," he replied.

Back at the hotel, the two went to their respective rooms to change into more casual clothes.

Meng Yihe was still dressed impeccably in casual pants and a knitted sweater, while Cui Yu wore a high-quality polo shirt and casual trousers, looking more relaxed and handsome.

When they met again, Cui Yu couldn't help but laugh when he saw Meng Yihe's "casual attire" that made her look like she could walk into a meeting room at any moment.

"Director Meng, we're going to conduct an inspection, not to make a merger or acquisition. Relax."

Meng Yihe glanced at him but didn't say anything.

The driver dropped them off at the entrance of the Old Wharf Cultural District and then left.

The afternoon sun shone brightly on the newly paved cobblestone streets, lined with warehouses and buildings that retained their old-world charm. However, their interiors had been transformed into various design studios, independent bookstores, creative shops, cafes, and specialty restaurants.

Cui Yu naturally took on the role of "tour guide," as if he had done his homework beforehand.

They weren't in a hurry to get going; they walked and stopped frequently, going into interesting shops to take a look, chatting casually with the owners, and learning about their business.

Meng Yihe was quickly drawn to this creative and vibrant atmosphere. He would stop to watch the artisans make their products, admire certain ingenious designs, and listen attentively to Cui Yu's conversation with the shop owner, analyzing their business model from a commercial perspective.

In front of a shop that makes art from marine waste, Meng Yihe stared in a daze at the exquisite sculptures made from discarded fishing nets, buoys, and seashells.

"How do you feel?" Cui Yu walked up to him and asked in a low voice.

"It's very creative and has a strong environmental protection concept, but cost control and market acceptance may be issues," Meng Yihe commented objectively.

“Hmm.” Cui Yu agreed, then smiled and said, “But sometimes, besides commercial value, we also need some of this kind of useless beauty to brighten up life, don’t we?” His words were pointed, and his gaze fell on Meng Yihe’s focused profile.

Meng Yihe looked away and did not reply.

As Cui Yu walked, she stopped in front of a small shop selling handmade ice cream.

"Want to try some? They say it's made with fresh local fruit and milk."

Before Meng Yihe could answer, he had already said to the clerk, "I'd like one sea salt lemon and one... um, what flavor do you want?"

Cui Yu turned to ask Meng Yihe.

Meng Yihe wasn't very interested in sweets and instinctively wanted to refuse.

"Try the mango one, it's not very sweet." Cui Yu had already made the decision for him and paid for it.

Two elegantly crafted ice cream cones were quickly delivered to them. Cui Yu naturally handed the mango-flavored one to Meng Yihe. Meng Yihe hesitated for a moment, but still took it. The cool, sweet taste melted on her tongue, carrying a rich mango aroma.

It's really not bad.

Holding their ice creams, the two continued their leisurely stroll along the streets, occasionally exchanging their opinions on a particular shop. For a moment, Meng Yihe even felt a sense of disbelief, as if they were truly just an ordinary couple leisurely exploring the area.

Just then, Cui Yu's phone rang.

He glanced at it; it was supplementary information about the meeting sent by Zhao Lei. He switched the half-eaten ice cream to his left hand, used his right hand to reply to the message on his phone, and continued walking side by side with Meng Yihe without stopping.

Suddenly, his arm very naturally and lightly touched Meng Yihe's arm, in order to avoid a couple walking towards them.

The touch was fleeting, so fast it was almost an illusion; Meng Yihe could almost feel the warmth and firmness of Cui Yu's arm.

Cui Yu seemed completely unaware. He had already finished replying to the messages, put away his phone, and continued eating his ice cream with an air of nonchalance, commenting on the works in a gallery he had just passed.

The main agenda for the second day was to hold preliminary talks with several potential key partners in Bincheng.

The meeting was held in a large conference room at the hotel.

The meeting was fast-paced and packed with content. The other party was a strong local enterprise in Bincheng, which showed great interest in cooperating with Xinghuan, but also raised many specific, even somewhat demanding, cooperation conditions and concerns.

The near-telepathic cooperation between the two put pressure on the representatives of the participating partners, but also earned their admiration and gave them a deeper understanding of the strength of the "Starry Twins".

The last meeting ended in the evening.

Both parties have reached several preliminary cooperation agreements, but further in-depth discussions on details are needed by the teams.

After seeing off the last group of partners, only Cui Yu, Meng Yihe, and a few assistants responsible for taking notes remained in the conference room. Just then, there was a knock on the conference room door, and the secretary of Director Wang, the leader from the planning bureau with whom they had had a pleasant conversation the day before, entered.

"President Cui, President Meng, I'm sorry to bother you." The secretary said with a smile.

"Director Wang instructed me to come and invite you two. Tonight, our Bincheng Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual networking dinner in the banquet hall on the second floor of the hotel. It's a fairly large event, semi-official and semi-casual, and many local businesses and colleagues from relevant departments are attending. Director Wang thinks this is a great opportunity for you two, who are new to Bincheng, to quickly familiarize yourselves with the local environment and expand your network. Would you do me the honor of joining us?"

Without any hesitation, Cui Yu immediately put on a perfectly timed smile, signifying their agreement: "Director Wang, you're too kind. We'd be delighted to have such a wonderful opportunity for learning and exchange. Please tell Director Wang that we will definitely be there on time."

After the secretary left, Cui Yu looked at Meng Yihe and raised an eyebrow: "Looks like tonight's rest plan is going to be ruined, Director Meng?"

Meng Yihe nodded: "It's necessary for work."

“Mm,” Cui Yu agreed.

He then looked Meng Yihe up and down: "Business casual... what you're wearing will do, no need to change. Go back and tidy yourself up a bit, see you downstairs in half an hour?"

Meng Yihe nodded again, picked up her documents, and walked towards the conference room door first.

The banquet was held in the hotel's huge banquet hall on the second floor, where the atmosphere was lively and bustling.

As the secretary said, this was a rather large gathering.

The fame of the "Starry Twins" and the special attention from Director Wang quickly drew them to a crowd of enthusiastic people, and the two soon found themselves busy with social engagements.

Cui Yu was naturally in his element. He moved among all sorts of people with ease and composure, able to have in-depth conversations about industry trends and easily handle all kinds of jokes and banter.

Meng Yihe was much more reserved. He tried his best to maintain basic etiquette, responding politely to those who came to talk to him and answering professional questions clearly and accurately, but he rarely took the initiative to start a conversation.

He stayed about half a step away from Cui Yu most of the time.

Even so, his cool and outstanding appearance and his identity as "Director Meng of Xinghuan" still attracted a lot of attention.

Both of them inevitably drank quite a bit.

Cui Yu's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes were already slightly misty with the effects of alcohol, adding to his dashing and unrestrained charm.

Meng Yihe's face flushed a faint pink from his ears to his neck. Although he tried his best to remain calm, his eyes were more hazy than usual, and his reactions were a beat slower.

As the banquet progressed, the atmosphere became increasingly lively.

Cui Yu had just finished talking with a building materials store owner and was about to turn around to find Meng Yihe, who was being interrupted by someone.

Just then, a young male Omega holding a wine glass happened to pass by him from the side and behind. He was accidentally bumped by a staggering drunk man next to him, let out a low cry of surprise, and instantly lost his balance, falling straight towards Cui Yu.

Things happened so fast that Cui Yu almost instinctively turned to the side, stretched out his arm, and steadily supported the other person's arm and waist, preventing the person from falling to the ground or knocking over drinks in an embarrassing manner.

An overly sweet strawberry-scented pheromone instantly wafted over, causing Cui Yu to furrow his brow almost imperceptibly.

"Ah! I'm sorry! Thank you!" The young Omega, still shaken, quickly apologized and thanked him after regaining his balance.

He looked up and when he saw that the person supporting him was such a handsome, tall, and extraordinary Alpha, two blushes instantly appeared on his face, his eyes were filled with shyness, and his voice became much softer.

"I'm so sorry, I almost bumped into you... Thank you so much..."

His gaze was fixed on Cui Yu's face, filled with undisguised affection.

Cui Yu maintained a polite but distant smile, released his hand from his support, and said calmly, "It's alright, just be careful."

The young Omega seemed to have misunderstood, or perhaps he was blinded by alcohol and the handsome man before him. Instead of leaving, he blushed and, fueled by the alcohol, mustered his courage and took another half-step forward, his voice sweet and coquettish as he boldly asked, "Um... sir."

"Excuse me... do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?"

Meng Yihe, who was not far away, had just finished talking to someone and subconsciously looked up to look for Cui Yu's figure. His gaze passed through the swaying figure and took in the whole scene.

Cui Yu held onto the Omega's arm, the two of them very close.

Omega, with obvious shyness and admiration on her face, was looking up at Cui Yu and saying something.

An indescribable emotion, mixed with the heat brought on by alcohol, suddenly surged into Meng Yihe's head. The sweet strawberry pheromones seemed to have also entered his nostrils, but they made him feel irritable. Before he could even think, his body had already reacted before his brain could.

Just as Cui Yu raised an eyebrow slightly at the abrupt question and opened his mouth as if to say something,

Meng Yihe had already walked a few steps to their side.

His steps were slightly unsteady due to the alcohol, but his posture remained upright. Meng Yihe directly stepped between the two, her arm seemingly unintentionally separating Cui Yu from the Omega who was too close.

Then, Meng Yihe turned her head. Her eyes, misty with alcohol and even more fixed than usual, stared at the stunned Omega.

"He has a girlfriend." Meng Yihe's voice was lower than usual, with an uncontrollable drunkenness, and his tone was certain, even with a hint of declaration.

Upon hearing this, not only was the little Omega stunned, but even Cui Yu, who was standing to the side, showed a rare moment of astonishment. The words that were about to come out stuck in his throat. He widened his eyes slightly and turned his head to look at Meng Yihe, who had suddenly appeared.

"Ah...ah?"

The little Omega was clearly caught off guard by this turn of events. He stared at Meng Yihe's cold yet flushed face, which now exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure due to his drunkenness, and was momentarily speechless.

Seeing that the other party didn't move, Meng Yihe seemed a little impatient, or perhaps the alcohol had made him lose his usual restraint and tact. He leaned forward slightly, stared at the Omega, and repeated, word by word, in a tone that was heavier and clearer than before:

"He has a girlfriend."

The strong smell of alcohol mixed with his own crisp cherry brandy pheromones created an extremely aggressive aura that hit you right in the face.

Now the little Omega understood completely and was terrified. He quickly took two steps back and stammered, "I-I'm sorry! I disturbed you! I apologize!" After saying that, he practically fled and disappeared into the crowd in an instant.

The surroundings remained noisy, and it seemed that no one paid much attention to this little incident.

Only Cui Yu and Meng Yihe remained standing in place.

After saying those two sentences, Meng Yihe seemed to have exhausted all his strength, and his body swayed almost imperceptibly. He was slightly out of breath, his cheeks were flushed, and his eyes were somewhat unfocused, as if he hadn't fully realized what he had just done or said.

Cui Yu quickly reached out and firmly supported his arm to prevent him from falling. His gaze was fixed on Meng Yihe's face, and his usually smiling eyes were now churning with extremely complex emotions.

"Meng Yihe?" Cui Yu called out softly.