Beijing Intersection Line
The night before the Hu Li Apartment in Beijing
The space, which she hadn't been home to for a long time, still retained the scent of summer. As soon as Hu Li entered, she opened the window to let the accumulated dust and stuffiness dissipate. She changed into a casual shirt, wiped the tabletops one by one, and reorganized the scattered paintbrushes. The place, which was messy when she left three months ago, was now gradually returning to order under her care.
She propped the canvases up against the wall, examining them one by one, selecting the works she would take to France for the exhibition. She carefully wrapped them in kraft paper, writing notes on the back. Each canvas was like a milestone, reminding her of the past three short months, from her initial meeting and conflicts with him in early summer to their current companionship and tacit understanding in early autumn. These changes were like a whirlwind, so fast it took her breath away, yet within them she gradually found peace and tranquility in her heart.
During a break from tidying up, she opened her phone and scrolled to the message bar of that number. The brief words were cold yet weighty, each sentence reminding her of her time at the resort and in Beijing. She read them slowly, digesting them, pondering her next step: should she only let her work go out into the world, or let her heart bravely follow?
[Good morning at the Mu's headquarters in Beijing]
The early autumn sky was not yet fully bright, and the exterior of the headquarters building was sleek and clean. A gust of wind blew up the revolving door, lifting the edge of the carpet, and a security guard nodded at the door. Hu Li, carrying a simple backpack and a drawing tube, entered the building, his heels clicking crisply on the stone floor.
The receptionist recognized her and greeted her in a low voice. She nodded, exchanged her ID, and then tucked the folded itinerary from her pocket back in, leaving only a corner showing. As the elevator ascended, she saw herself on the stainless steel interior: her hair tied back, her eyes clear, her shoulders slightly hunched. She switched the chart tube to the other hand, her fingertips touching the tiny scratches left from a few days ago, smiled, and didn't pay them any mind.
The elevator doors opened to the eighteenth floor. The corridor was brightly lit, like light drawn from the earth's core. Her colleagues from the design team waved to her from afar, and she returned the wave. Just as she turned the corner, the door to the president's office opened, and her assistant, Xiao Zhou, rushed out carrying a stack of documents, almost bumping into her.
"Good morning, Designer Hu." Xiao Zhou stopped and stepped aside. "President Mu is inside."
She thanked him and knocked twice on the door.
"Enter."
[Morning from the President's Office at Mu's Headquarters]
The interior was sparsely decorated, with clean lines and bookshelves arranged in straight rows. A morning mist still lingered outside the French windows. Mu Tianlang stood by the table, his shirt cuffs buttoned to the last button, his knuckles clean. Seeing her enter, his gaze first fell on the drawing tube before returning to her face.
"Send me a copy of the France itinerary," he said first, his tone low and steady.
She flipped to the notes app on her phone and handed it over: "We're going to Provence at the end of autumn. The itinerary is roughly to arrive in Avignon first, and then go to the town where the exhibition is located. There will be three to five works. The list is already arranged, and we still need to prepare explanatory notes and translations in the early stages. We need to be on-site to set up a week before the exhibition starts."
After listening, he nodded: "I'll review the details again, and send people if necessary. You just need to keep an eye on the exhibition setup and the condition of the artworks on site; leave the moving, translation, and coordination to me."
She raised an eyebrow: "You're very busy."
He stated bluntly: "You are more worthy of my time and effort."
She smiled, her eyes sparkling: "In that case, I won't stand on ceremony."
He didn't laugh, but instead pushed the white paper cup on the table toward her: "How many hours did you sleep last night?"
"Three, I guess." She took a sip of water and turned the rim of the glass to her preferred angle. "It's alright."
He stared at her for two seconds, as if suppressing something, before finally saying, "The rumors about the arranged marriage—I will not agree to them. That's not the life I want, nor is that the kind of cooperation I want. You don't need to carry that burden; let me handle it."
She looked up, her eyes gleaming like the tip of a fox's tail: "I have no burden. You decide your own affairs. I'll only take care of myself and my work."
He gave a soft "hmm," his tone softening slightly: "Okay."
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. She placed the drawing tube on the corner of the table, opened it, and took out two review lists and a small hand-drawn sketch, laying them out on the table. The lead gray and light ink intertwined, the lines clean and crisp.
"I made two versions of the 'warming up' theme for business hotels in Beijing." She pointed to one of them, "Lobby version: light temperature +200K, fabric backboard for the front desk, wooden side table + flower vase, citrus fragrance, and the welcome message changed to 'Welcome Back'; Guest room version: reading corner in the hallway, checkered carpet, bench at the foot of the bed + soft blanket, and the minibar changed to 'City Snack Plate'."
He leaned down, his gaze following her fingertips, and whispered, "Which one do you prefer?"
"The second one," she said, "is to make the room feel safe first, then clear the way."
He nodded: "I'll choose the second option too. We'll start by making a few sample points in the public areas, just like the first version." Then he added, "Don't move anything yourself while you're there."
She smiled, raising an eyebrow: "I understand, Mr. Mu. But your hotel is naturally a bit cold, so you'll need to raise the temperature a few degrees."
He looked at her, his tone unhurried: "I'm learning. You teach me."
She laughed: "The tuition is very expensive."
"Give me the price list." He took it very seriously.
She coughed deliberately, "Then treat me to lunch first."
He didn't change his tune: "We'll decide on the route while we eat lunch in the conference room, which will save time."
[Member Headquarters Meeting]
The meeting room lights were brighter than in the morning. The screen displayed only two main lines: a list of "heating plans" for business hotels in Beijing. The operations director, public relations manager, risk control officer, and finance officer took their seats one by one. Xiao Zhou placed the lunchboxes beside the two of them and whispered, "The vegetables are on the bottom shelf."
Mu Tianlang first asked the operations team to report on the current situation. The operations director said, "The hotel's current customer complaints are mainly focused on a 'cold feeling,' which is not a hardware issue, but mostly related to smells, lighting, temperature, and the perceived distance from the front desk. If we follow Hu's second design, we will prioritize adjusting the views in the rooms and hallways, and we should see a noticeable difference in the customer experience within two weeks."
The public relations manager added, "We simultaneously adjusted our greetings and service points—changing 'Hello, welcome' to 'Welcome back, how was your trip today?' We also added a small card at the elevator entrance with the city weather and a list of books to read at night."
The finance officer pushed the spreadsheet to the front: "Here's the budget for the first phase of the heating project. Soft furnishings and fragrance replacements account for the largest share."
After listening, he didn't rush to make a decision, but asked Hu Li, "What's your opinion?"
She put down her chopsticks, wiped her fingertips, and then began, "Let's start with the 'places people will encounter first': add a small reading corner at the end of the hallway, with two city books; add a bench and soft blanket at the foot of the bed in the guest rooms, and provide one soft and one firm pillow; change the fragrance to a cleaner citrus scent with a small amount of cedar, change the fabric texture of the reception backdrop, and raise the light temperature by 200K, but not to the point of being distorted by yellow. The greeting should include the words 'come back,' so that people feel remembered."
She spoke slowly, each sentence hitting the nail on the head. Someone across the conference table responded with an "okay," while others lowered their heads to take notes.
Mu Tianlang nodded: "Go with her pace. The first batch of model homes should be completed within three days, and a basic outline of Duanjing should be erected today. Send me the draft design tonight." He paused for a moment, then added: "I will oversee the approval process for the corporate side."
Hu Li nodded: "Understood."
He looked away: "Next item."
The lunchboxes on the table emitted a faint aroma of food. Someone coughed softly, and the meeting continued.
[Mu's Headquarters Database - Afternoon]
After dinner, the two went their separate ways to check the documents. The archive was cold, and the metal shelves were arranged like a small maze. Hu Li followed the labels to find the photos for archiving, walked through the aisles where light and shadow intertwined, turned into the innermost row, and stepped on the dust mat beside her, making a soft rustling sound. She pulled a cardboard box from the top shelf, her center of gravity swaying backward.
Someone behind him raised their hand to support the bottom of the box; it was him.
"Heavy," he said.
She laughed, "I did what I could." She put the box on the cart, "It just looked heavy."
He didn't leave, but stood on the other side of the cart: "I want to hear the second version of the entrance you just mentioned again."
She looked at him and said softly, "Give me the answer first, then clear the way. Like you."
He paused for a moment, then met her gaze without looking away. Something was pushed closer.
Someone passed by in the distance, the sound of shoes scraping against the ground smoothing the air. He took a half step to the side: "I'll walk you downstairs later."
She tilted her head: "I'm not a child."
He didn't change his mind: "I'll walk you downstairs later."
She chuckled and stopped arguing.
[Initial site inspection of business hotels in Beijing this afternoon]
When the model room was opened, the air conditioner still carried a faint mechanical cold smell. Hu Li drew the curtains halfway, tested the angle of the light falling on the bed and the corner of the wall, then pressed down on the pillows and said with a smile, "This one is too hard. Add one soft and one hard pillow, and let the guests choose."
The operations team noted the key points: "Pillow inserts should be prepared in both soft and firm styles."
Hu Li pointed to the foot of the bed: "Add another soft blanket so the room looks like a place to 'live' rather than just a place to 'spend the night'."
Note the key points for the project and guest rooms respectively: the lighting is warmer, the fragrance has been changed to citrus and cedar; the minibar price tags have been changed to handwritten font, making it feel more like home.
Hu Li squatted down to take measurements, and the operations manager handed her knee pads: "Don't let your knees hit the ground." She raised her hand to indicate that she had received them, and wrote the measurements down in her notebook: "Today, we'll make one sample room and one end view. Send me the photos tonight. Please have the president come over for a review this evening."
[Beijing Business Hotel Re-inspection in the Evening]
Returning to the model apartment in the evening, the first round of adjustments was complete. Operations, public relations, engineering, and housekeeping staff were already waiting at the door for a follow-up inspection. As she opened the door, a guest happened to pass by and frowned: "The smell is a bit strong."
Hu Li immediately instructed the engineering and housekeeping departments to lower the fragrance concentration by one level, turn on the fresh air system for five minutes, and then adjust the curtains to a smaller angle to prevent the odor from lingering above the bed. She also instructed the housekeeping department to change the bed sheets and pillowcases, and the public relations department to record the front desk's instructions and online follow-up script. She nodded and apologized to the guest, saying, "We'll adjust it immediately."
Ten minutes later, she asked the customer to come closer and smell it again. The customer nodded: "Much better."
He stood by the door and briefly explained, "Immediately rectify any deficiencies on site, leave a rectification order, and return for inspection tomorrow morning." He then looked at her, "Quick response."
She handed him the notepad: "Write the fragrance concentration into the standard, and lower it by one level during the evening session; PR finalize the copy for the reminder cards tonight; operations should include this in the SOP."
He hummed in agreement: "I'll do as you write."
She reached out and moved the bench at the foot of the bed a little straight, then stepped back to take a look at the overall situation. Mu Tianlang turned to the side and gestured, "Let's go, let's go to the terrace and check the wind direction again, then wrap things up."
[Sunset on the Terrace of a Business Hotel in Beijing]
As evening fell, the wind picked up, and a thin layer of condensation formed on the windproof glass of the terrace. She stood by the railing, holding a paper cup, the city in the distance resembling a crumpled and flattened image. Footsteps came from behind the door, and he draped his coat over her shoulders.
"No need," she said, pointing to her long sleeves.
"Put them on." His tone wasn't commanding, but it left no room for argument. "It's windy on the terrace. You've been squatting in the showroom for too long; your shoulders and back will get cold."
She snorted, but still took the coat, pulled it tighter, and straightened the collar: "Okay."
He added quietly, "Don't leave the windows open for too long when you get back."
She laughed: "Now you're even going to control the wind?"
He said calmly, "Well, at least don't let it blow on you."
She pulled her coat tighter and smelled the clean scent of his fabric.
"You just replied to the organizer's email," he said.
She nodded: "Tell me you're willing to participate first, and I'll send the proposal today."
"I need a translation."
"My senior will help me check first." She looked into his eyes, her tone deliberately casual. "You don't need to worry about every single step."
He didn't dodge the question; instead, he answered directly, "I know. But there are some things I want to be there for."
She smiled and said, "It's good that you're here."
The distant clouds were sliced open by the sunset, leaving a thin line of light, like someone carving on thick paper.
[Mr. Group Headquarters President's Office Overnight]
The noise on the floors was much quieter at night. The latest resort financial report was spread out on the conference table, with a few lines of numbers highlighted in red standing out. The motion-sensor lights by the window were manually turned off, leaving only the table lamp casting a small circle of light on the paper.
He finished reading the entire stack of papers, then raised his hand to rub his temples. His phone lit up; it was a provocative message from an unknown number: "I heard your designer is good at leveraging connections."
He forwarded the screenshot to his special assistant: "Check the source."
As I turned around, there were two light knocks on the door.
"Enter."
It was her. She placed a small box on the corner of the table: "I just bought these snacks on my way downstairs. Don't go hungry, you'll be busy until late."
He looked at the back of her hand; the two fine scratches had faded.
She shook the box: "Your brow is furrowed like a nail hole."
He didn't laugh, but pushed the box aside and asked casually, "Which stop should we go to first tomorrow?"
"Recheck the sample room at the business hotel, and return to headquarters this afternoon to align the heating checklist." She stated the time, "10:00 AM."
He nodded: "I'll be there at 11 o'clock. Just let me know if you need me to keep more people on site."
She looked up at him: "I listened carefully to what you said today, 'Let me handle it.'"
He met her gaze, his voice even lower: "I won't trade you for anything. I'll take this position myself."
She didn't speak, but reached out and pressed the last stitch of his sleeve just half a millimeter tighter. Her fingertips lightly touched the edge of the fabric, a touch so subtle it was almost as if nothing had happened.
He suddenly spoke up: "If you want to go further in the future, go ahead without worry. I'll be there to protect you from the wind."
She laughed, as if releasing some kind of tension: "Then I'm off."
He followed her to the door, but didn't go out; he just stopped at the door frame and said, "Let me know when you get home."
She turned around and nodded gently: "Okay."
[Night at Hu Li Apartment in Beijing]
The sound of the door lock turning filled the quiet space. She placed her backpack on the chair, first setting up her canvas, then sorting the tools in the three drawers—pencils, charcoal, a knife, and nail polish. She opened her suitcase; the empty bottom looked like a sheet of paper waiting to be written on.
She carefully wrapped each artwork she wanted to take with her in kraft paper, then put them into a painting tube, intending to carry them with her when she went abroad. As she wrapped them, she made small notes on the back: "Left of the entrance," "Lighthouse corner," "Near the left of the line." When she wrote the notes for the third artwork, her phone vibrated.
Mu Tianlang: Are you home yet?
She leaned against the wall and smiled, replying: Just arrived.
He said: "Don't move any heavy objects before 10 a.m. tomorrow. People will arrive at 11 a.m.
She: Yes, ma'am.
She turned off the screen, stood still, and let her shoulders slump back, as if putting something down. The wind chimes on the table were struck by the wind, making a clear, ringing sound.
She walked to the window, pushed it open a crack, and the night breeze came in through the crack, carrying the scent of osmanthus. She suddenly remembered what he had said, "I will shield you from the wind where you can't see me," and her heart felt light, yet also gently tugged.
[Beijing Business Hotel, the following morning]
At 10 a.m., Hu Li arrived at the model room with the inspection checklist. The operations, public relations, engineering, and guest room teams were already waiting. She checked the labels and locations of each item to confirm that all the rectifications made the previous night had been completed.
At 11 o'clock, the elevator doors opened, and he arrived on time.
"Good morning," he said first, as if continuing from last night.
She stepped aside: "Good morning. Let's check the smell and the light position first."
He nodded and gestured to his entourage: "Follow Hu's plan, take notes as you go, and correct any omissions immediately."
[Beijing Mu's Headquarters, Afternoon]
The afternoon meeting consisted of three consecutive sessions. During the board's video conference, he reported on the resort's latest financial highlights and the progress of the business hotel revitalization plan in Beijing, focusing on three key indicators: occupancy return rate, member conversion, and complaint reduction. One board member asked, "How much market share can this generate?"
He replied, "Don't just look at quantity, look at quality. Once you win back the city's trust, quantity will naturally follow."
After the meeting, he saw her and the operations team aligning the sample room review minutes and lighting adjustment sheet at the corner of the headquarters corridor. She circled a section of light slowly rising on the tablet. Someone passed by from the opposite side and glanced back at them.
He didn't step forward, but stood two steps away, listening to her conclude, "First, implement the key points, and then follow the SOPs for the rest."
[Stairs outside headquarters at dusk]
The sky was just beginning to darken, and the wind was blowing the flags askew in one direction. The first round of adjustments to the model home was complete. She put away the inspection checklist and closed her notebook. The sticky feeling of tape still lingered on her fingertips.
He came out of the building, walking a beat slower than usual, as if he were waiting for her.
"Are you painting again tonight?" he asked.
"Go to sleep first, so you'll feel better tomorrow morning," she said.
He nodded, paused, and said, "I have a meeting tomorrow morning, which ends before noon. We'll go to the model house together in the afternoon for a final inspection."
She turned her head to look at him: "Aren't you busy?"
He looked at her: "Busy. But you're on my schedule."
She was taken aback by that remark, but her eyebrows curved into a smile: "Then I'll update the schedule for you."
He hummed in agreement, suppressing his emotions: "Drive carefully on the way back. Let me know when you get home."
She raised her hand in a small salute in the air, then turned and descended the steps. Upon reaching the third step, she suddenly turned back: "Mu Tianlang."
He looked at her.
She said, "I'll wait for you to handle it."
He chuckled very softly, almost imperceptibly: "Yes. I won't let you hear a word of it. Just focus on your work."
The wind passed between the two men, and the flags overhead faced the same direction.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
