He was wearing a warm-toned hooded sweatshirt and looked around as soon as he got out of the car. When he saw Ye Qingliu and the others, his eyes lit up instantly, a huge smile spread across his face, and he waved and shouted, "Qingliu! Sister Ning! We're here!"
His words dispelled the slight chill Chao Youye had brought. Chao Youye's gaze finally turned to Ye Qingliu and the others, and he gave a barely perceptible nod in the direction of Ning Xiwan and Duan Shuce as a greeting.
When his gaze passed by Ye Qingliu, it paused for a brief moment, and there was a hint of familiarity and recognition in his eyes, that belonged to a friend.
But when his eyes fell on Mu Xinrong, who was excitedly greeting Hua Jinyue and Bai Zhiye beside him, the freezing coldness in his expression quietly melted away, and he became focused and gentle.
"Is everyone here?" Ning Xiwan looked around, nodded with satisfaction, and naturally switched to the role of organizer, her tone brisk with a bit of a big sister.
"Come on, let's check in and put our luggage away! The villa manager has arranged a barbecue area. We'll cook for ourselves tonight and have enough food and clothing! Shuce, carry the suitcases!"
She patted Duan Shuce's arm very smoothly.
Duan Shuce pushed his glasses up, his face expressionless, but he went to the trunk to get Ning Xiwan and his own luggage. Ye Qingliu also signaled his driver to move the luggage.
Hua Jinyue had already gathered together with Bai Zhiye and Mu Xinrong. The three young people were talking and laughing in low voices, while Chao Youye silently followed Mu Xinrong half a step away, like a quiet guardian.
Ye Qingliu looked at his friends gathered in front of him, the bright lights of the villa reflected in his gray-blue eyes, and the sense of alienation when he was alone was replaced by a more relaxed warmth.
He tilted his head slightly and whispered to Bai Zhiye beside him: "Let's go."
The weekend team building officially kicked off in the early summer mountain evening breeze and the aroma of food.
On Saturday morning, the sun generously bathed the entire valley. The air was as clear as freshly filtered spring water, carrying the fragrance of grass, trees, and earth.
Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows are rolling hills covered with fresh green, and the outlines of the distant mountain peaks are faintly visible in the light blue mist.
Ye Qingliu held the plate with such grace that it seemed as if he were performing some kind of ritual. There wasn't much food on the plate, but it was arranged meticulously.
He pulled out a chair and sat down, his gray-blue eyes calmly scanning the magnificent mountain scenery outside the window. The morning light fell on his well-defined profile, coating it with a layer of light gold, and even his cold skin tone seemed a little softer.
"Brother! Look at this!" Hua Jinyue came over like a gust of wind, pulled out the chair next to him and sat down.
She held up her cell phone in her hand, and on the screen was a photo she had just taken - a colorful tit was perched on a branch outside the window, with its little head tilted and a lively expression.
"Isn't it cute?" She handed the phone to Ye Qingliu like presenting a treasure, her big eyes sparkling as she waited for praise.
Ye Qingliu withdrew his gaze from the window and fell on his sister's mobile phone screen. His focused expression seemed as if he was examining an important document.
After a few seconds, he hummed softly, his tone steady: "Not bad. The light is captured very well."
"Right, right!" Hua Jinyue was immediately satisfied. He put away his phone and began to look at the next photo with great interest.
At this time, Bai Zhiye came over with two cups of hot milk, one placed in front of Hua Jinyue and the other placed next to Ye Qingliu.
She was wearing a comfortable off-white linen shirt and trousers, her long hair draped softly behind her shoulders, and her movements were full of quiet rhythm.
"Jinyue, drink some milk." Her voice was gentle.
"Thank you, Sister Naizi!" Hua Jinyue smiled sweetly, picked up the cup and took a big sip, leaving a cute circle of milk stains on her lips.
Bai Zhiye sat down on the other side of Ye Qingliu, picked up the knife, and very naturally cut a small piece of the fried egg on his plate and placed it next to Ye Qingliu's favorite grilled mushrooms on his plate.
Ye Qingliu didn't look at her, but just picked up the fried egg with a fork and put it into his mouth very naturally. His movements were so smooth as if he had practiced them thousands of times.
"Qingliu, Naizi, Jinyue, good morning." Ning Xiwan's voice was filled with the laziness of waking up in the morning. She and Duan Shuce walked over together.
Ning Xiwan was holding a bowl of steaming oatmeal porridge, while Duan Shuce was holding a cup of coffee and an unfolded A4 paper that seemed to have something printed on it.
He pulled out the chair next to Ning Xiwan. After Ning Xiwan sat down, Duan Shuce sat down and pushed the cup of coffee in front of her.
"Good morning, Sister Wan, Shuce." Ye Qingliu raised his eyes and swept his gaze over them.
"Good morning, Sister Ning, Brother Duan." Hua Jinyue and Bai Zhiye also greeted at the same time.
Ning Xiwan took a sip of her coffee and scanned the restaurant, "Those two haven't come down yet?"
She was referring to Chao Youye and Mu Xinrong.
"Xinrong played in the water a little late yesterday, so he probably hasn't woken up yet." Bai Zhiye explained softly.
Ning Xiwan nodded in understanding and turned to Duan Shuce: "Is today's itinerary set?"
Duan Shuce pushed the A4 paper in his hand to the middle of the table. It had a few lines of text printed clearly on it, along with a rough map mark.
"Yes. Three directions." He spoke concisely, fingering the paper. "The first route: southwest, river tracing. Moderate intensity. There's a small waterfall at the end where you can play in the water. The second route: northeast, hiking to the summit. The view is the best, but the intensity is slightly higher."
"The third route: On the east side of the villa, there is a gently sloping trail suitable for leisure. The scenery is also nice, with a large slope of wild flowers."
After he finished his introduction, he looked at Ye Qingliu with a questioning look.
Everyone's eyes subconsciously focused on Ye Qingliu.
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