Looks like I need to hide some money from the sun.

Cui Yu raised an eyebrow in surprise, seemingly enjoying Meng Yihe's rare moment of "not arguing." He straightened up and clapped his hands.

“That’s simple. An art gallery doesn’t necessarily have to tear down walls. We can use flexible installations like holographic projections, movable display stands, and interactive light walls. They’re low-cost, effective, and easy to change themes.” He pointed to the space above the atrium. “As for the lighting, replacing it with a batch of smart energy-saving LEDs will be even better, and we can save on electricity bills.”

"Isn't this a good deal, Director Meng?"

Meng Yihe looked at Cui Yu, whose eyes gleamed with a shrewdness and smugness under the dim mall lights. He had to admit that this plan was indeed more ingenious.

"...It's alright." Meng Yihe awkwardly admitted, quickly jotting down the key points on the tablet. "But the brand upgrade must be thorough. Those that don't fit the positioning must be cleared out, no matter how high the penalty is."

“Of course.” Cui Yu nodded, his tone becoming serious.

“Investment negotiations are my job. As long as Director Meng’s positioning report is convincing enough and can calculate how much can be earned back in the future, I can talk to those ‘holdouts’.” He paused and added, “However, the process may be very tedious, so please don’t complain about my slow progress, Director Meng.”

"As long as your efficiency isn't as slow as a snail," Meng Yihe replied subconsciously.

But it sounds more like habitual stubbornness than a real attack.

The two continued walking while arguing, occasionally discussing how to transform a specific area. Meng Yihe would put forward imaginative ideas, while Cui Yu would be responsible for bringing these ideas back to reality and finding ways to implement them.

As we left the mall after our inspection, the streetlights were just coming on.

Looking at the notes on the tablet, Meng Yihe realized that although the process was full of arguments, the gains far exceeded her expectations.

Cui Yu stretched and said, "I didn't expect that President Meng is not only good at making empty promises, but also has a keen eye. He hit the nail on the head regarding those brand issues."

Meng Yihe paused for a moment, put away his tablet, and without looking at Cui Yu, just stared at the traffic on the street, and retorted, "I didn't expect that Director Cui is not only good at accounting, but also has some knowledge." After saying that, he took the lead and started walking.

Cui Yu watched his retreating figure, chuckled softly, and quickly followed after him.

"It's getting late, Director Meng, you don't need to go back to the company anymore, right?"

Cui Yu took out his car keys, and a dark-colored luxury SUV flashed its lights not far away.

"Let's go, Director Meng, I'll give you a ride." His tone had returned to its usual casualness, as if the person who had just accurately pointed out various engineering problems was just another personality of his.

Meng Yihe initially wanted to refuse, suggesting he could take a taxi, but he swallowed the words back. Firstly, it was indeed on his way, and secondly, they had just had a "brief peace," and immediately arguing again would seem childish. He pursed his lips and stiffly uttered only two words: "Thanks." Then he opened the car door and got into the passenger seat.

The car door closed, and the world instantly fell silent.

The car was filled with a very light, clean woody scent, mixed with a hint of cedar, much like the feeling Cui Yu gave off—gentle on the surface, but noble on the inside.

Of course, this was based on him not speaking, Meng Yihe thought to herself.

Cui Yu skillfully started the car and smoothly merged into the traffic.

Soothing jazz music flowed softly through the car's interior, subtly filling the silence.

Meng Yihe leaned back in his chair, watching the street scenes rushing past the window, his mind still replaying the details of the afternoon's inspection. He had to admit that although Cui Yu's words were sometimes irritating, the questions he raised were always to the point.

Cui Yu seemed very focused on driving, but out of the corner of his eye, he could see the tense profile and slightly furrowed brows of the person next to him. He knew that Director Meng was definitely still thinking about the project.

"Still thinking about which brand has the highest penalty for breach of contract?" Cui Yu suddenly spoke, his voice exceptionally clear in the small space, tinged with a hint of amusement.

Meng Yihe's thoughts were interrupted, and she turned her head to glare at him: "I'm thinking about how to reduce operating costs."

"oh?"

Cui Yu raised an eyebrow, and taking advantage of the red light, turned her head to look at him leisurely.

"What insightful opinions does Director Meng have?"

"Take away your top-of-the-line car audio system, and you'll save a lot of money." Meng Yihe instinctively retorted, only realizing afterward that her words were a bit too naive.

Cui Yu was clearly taken aback for a moment, then chuckled softly, his chest vibrating slightly, as if he found it particularly amusing.

"Director Meng is even going to interfere with my affairs? It seems that as our cooperation deepens, I'll have to hide some money from my own pocket."

He deliberately added a subtle tone to the word "in-depth," which made Meng Yihe's ears burn.

"Who wants to get closer to you!" Meng Yihe immediately turned her head to look out the window.

Her tone was stiff, yet she inexplicably felt the temperature inside the car rise slightly, and the faint woody scent seemed more pronounced. They were both Alphas, and she'd only said something easily misunderstood—how had she become like this? Meng Yihe felt like she'd been struck by lightning. Silence fell over the car again, but the atmosphere was different this time, filled with an indescribable tension.

Cui Yu stopped teasing him, but a faint smile remained on her lips.

After a while, Meng Yihe seemed to feel a little tired. She quietly relaxed her straight back and closed her eyes slightly. After a day of high-intensity work, fatigue began to set in.

Cui Yu noticed his little action.

He didn't say anything, but subtly turned down the music volume and drove more steadily, deliberately slowing down on bumpy roads to ensure a smooth ride. At a long red light, he even reached out and adjusted the air conditioning vent on the passenger side to prevent the cold air from blowing directly on the person who seemed to be falling asleep.

Meng Yihe actually perceived these subtle movements while half-asleep.

A strange feeling welled up in his heart—this guy who was always so sharp-tongued and opposed him could actually be so considerate.

But as drowsiness took hold, Meng Yihe's thoughts gradually drifted away from reality, wandering further and further.

The car finally came to a smooth stop in front of Meng Yihe's apartment building.

"We've arrived, Director Meng." Cui Yu's voice was lower and softer than usual.

Meng Yihe immediately opened her eyes, as if she hadn't almost fallen asleep at all, and quickly regained her indifferent demeanor: "Um, thanks."

He unbuckled his seatbelt and prepared to get out of the car.

"Meng Yihe," Cui Yu suddenly called out his full name.

Meng Yihe paused in opening the car door and turned to look at him in confusion.

Cui Yu looked at him, his eyes appearing somewhat deep in the dim light inside the car, and his smile faded, making him look particularly serious: "Many of the points you made this afternoon were indeed very valuable."

"The Spark Program is a pleasure to work with."

Meng Yihe was completely taken aback by his sudden and formal affirmation, and for a moment he forgot to react, just staring blankly at the other person. After a few seconds, he looked away as if he had been burned.

He replied in an even harsher tone, "You know that's good. I'm leaving."

He almost hastily pushed open the car door and strode towards the apartment entrance without looking back even once. Only he knew that his heart was beating a little fast and his face was a little hot.

Watching his retreating figure, which could almost be described as "fleeing in disarray," Cui Yu finally couldn't help but chuckle as he restarted the car.

It seems that this sharp-tongued and arrogant Director Meng is not entirely invulnerable.

Cui Yu drove home.

Cui Yu's family lived in a villa with his younger brother, Cui Xuyue. His parents divorced when he was 19, and Cui Xuyue was only 12 at the time. Later, his father remarried and his mother remarried, and they each started new families. It was inconvenient for them to take care of the children, but they felt very sorry for the children, so they bought them this villa and regularly sent Cui Yu a large sum of money every month.

For the past three years, he has been raising his younger brother on his own.

The black SUV slowly drove into the garage, and after the engine was turned off, the interior was instantly enveloped in silence.

Cui Yu didn't get out of the car immediately. He sat alone in the driver's seat for a while, the relaxed expression on his face slowly fading, revealing a hint of fatigue. He rubbed his temples; he'd had a lot of information to process today. There was the debate with Meng Yihe, that pretty hedgehog-like guy, and the inexplicably subtle atmosphere in the car at the end.

Dealing with these is even more mentally taxing than dealing with a budget of one hundred million.

As I pushed open the door and stepped into the house, a warm atmosphere mixed with a faint, sweet, milky Omega pheromone scent wafted towards me. The TV in the living room was still on, playing an evening variety show, but the volume was turned down very low.

"Brother, you're back!" A clear, youthful voice came from the direction of the sofa.

Cui Xuyue curled up on the sofa, hugging a cushion, seemingly waiting for him, her eyelids drooping slightly.

"Mm," Cui Yu responded, her voice gentle in a way that was hard for outsiders to detect.

He changed into his slippers, walked into the living room, casually draped his suit jacket over the back of the sofa, and loosened his tie.

"Didn't I tell you to go to sleep first and not wait for me?"

"I just finished my homework, so I'm just watching TV for a bit." Cui Xuyue put down her cushion and walked over in her slippers. "Have you eaten yet? There's some soup I made for dinner in the fridge, I'll heat it up for you."

Although they hired a part-time housekeeper, in the three years since her parents left, Cui Xuyue seems to have learned to be sensible and caring for others far too early, especially for her "omnipotent" older brother.

Cui Yu's heart softened, and she reached out to ruffle her younger brother's soft hair: "You've eaten. Just stop causing trouble and focus on growing up. You don't need to do these things."

If it weren't for the family tragedy, the younger brother at this age should have been a pampered young master who didn't have to worry about anything.

"I know, stop nagging." Cui Xuyue muttered, but still went to pour Cui Yu a glass of warm water.

Watching his younger brother's retreating figure as he went back to his room to sleep, Cui Yu's gentle expression slowly settled, transforming into a deeper tranquility.

He carried his water glass, but instead of immediately returning to his bedroom, he walked to the French windows in the living room. Outside, a quiet courtyard stretched out, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight.

At the age of nineteen, the world suddenly split apart before him and his brother.

His parents' apologies and material compensation couldn't fill the void of being "left behind." From that moment on, he was no longer just Cui Xuyue's brother, but also her only support. This responsibility, like an invisible burden, weighed heavily on his shoulders, forging him through trials. He had to mature faster, become stronger, and more cautious, never showing the slightest weakness, because he knew there was someone behind him who needed his protection.

This is also one of the important reasons why he had to hide his Enigma identity—he couldn't let his brother be exposed to unknown risks.

Enigma is an extremely rare gender, even rarer than top-tier Alpha.

Today's interaction with Meng Yihe, that kind of clash between adults fraught with tension and undercurrents, even that inexplicable attraction—it was all a strange experience, unique to "Cui Yu himself." But back home, seeing his younger brother, he reverted to being the composed older brother he always was.

He took a sip of water, the cool temperature making him more alert.

Meng Yihe's face, which was clearly beautiful yet always carried a stubbornness and mockery, inappropriately jumped into my mind again, especially her almost hasty figure as she got off the bus.

Cui Yu's fingertips unconsciously caressed the rim of the cup, and when no one was around, a genuine smile slowly curved his lips.

That little cat that bristles at the slightest touch... is actually a bit more interesting than I imagined.

He withdrew his gaze and downed the water in his glass in one gulp. All his emotions were neatly concealed.

Tomorrow there's still countless tasks ahead, the "Spark Program" needs to be pushed forward, and he still needs to continue being the impeccable Operations Director, Cui Yu. He turned off the living room light, walked upstairs slowly, paused as he passed his younger brother's room, and only after hearing the even breathing inside did he feel at ease as he headed towards his own bedroom.

The darkness concealed everything, and also embraced all the weariness and tenderness of a young man.