Chapter 1
At the evening dinner, the noise and liveliness were magnified to the extreme amid the clinking of cups.
The lights in the private room were bright, and the rich aroma of wine and food mingled, making everyone feel slightly tipsy. This was a typical gathering among friends, and the attendees were all familiar faces in the circle. The topics ranged from recent work projects to harmless gossip in the circle, and the atmosphere was lively.
In such occasions, Chen Yan always habitually plays the role of a quiet listener.
He was thirty-five, well past the age of needing to prove himself with words or alcohol. He sat quietly by the window, a cup of warm tea between his fingers, the curling white mist blurring the emotion in his deep eyes. Most of the time, he simply listened politely, occasionally responding to questions with a concise reply or two, his voice low and distant.
His gaze involuntarily passed over the clinking of glasses at the table and fell on a girl diagonally opposite him.
Her name is Lin Qi, she is 28 years old, and she is a new face that a friend brought to meet me for the first time.
She seemed a bit out of place at this noisy dinner. While everyone was toasting and talking, she just sat there quietly, her lips slightly curled up, listening attentively. Occasionally, when she was amused, she would just cover her mouth with her hand and let out a very soft laugh that was almost drowned out.
She doesn't interrupt others and isn't stage-frightened. She's like a plant growing quietly in a corner, with a calm and relaxed posture.
This kind of quietness, in the midst of noise, has become the most special sense of existence.
Chen Yan's gaze lingered on her for a few seconds, then he moved away calmly. But it felt like a tiny stone had been dropped into his heart, sending out imperceptible ripples.
It was late at night when the dinner ended.
Everyone said goodbye in twos and threes. Chen Yan watched Lin Qi, surrounded by friends, leave the restaurant. For some reason, he lingered for an extra minute. He said to the friend who had organized the group, "Could you send me Lin Qi's WeChat? We were just discussing a project; maybe there's an opportunity for collaboration."
It was a perfect excuse, mature, appropriate, and without any personal offense.
My friend didn't suspect anything and readily handed the business card over.
After returning home and washing up, Chen Yan stood in the dark night, looking at the quiet profile picture on his phone. He hesitated for a moment, but finally sent a friend request.
The request message was very simple, just three words - I am Chen Yan.
He placed his phone upside down on the bedside table and stopped looking at it. For him, this was the biggest emotional leap of the night, and the rest was up to fate.
After an unknown amount of time, the phone screen quietly lit up.
It is a WeChat notification showing that the other party has accepted the friend request.
Chen Yan picked up his phone, his fingertips pausing for a moment on the cool screen. The dialog box was still blank. He looked at the simple name Lin Qi and pondered how to start their first online conversation.
He didn't want to appear anxious, as that was not in line with his character and would easily put pressure on the other person.
After a minute or two, he slowly typed the first line.
[Chen Yan: Passed. I’m Chen Yan.]
After sending this somewhat redundant self-introduction, he paused for a moment, as if considering the wording of his next sentence. The words "The other party is typing..." briefly appeared above the dialog box before disappearing.
Finally, he offered the safest possible greeting.
[Chen Yan: There were so many people at the table, we didn't talk much. Have you arrived home yet?]
After the message was successfully sent, he put his phone aside and got up to get a glass of water. Waiting for a reply brought with it a long-lost, slightly uncertain feeling.
Soon, a prompt sound rang.
Lin Qi: Hello, Mr. Chen Yan. I am Lin Qi.
[Lin Qi: I’m home. Thank you for your concern:)]
Seeing the address "Mr. Chen Yan," he smiled somewhat helplessly, with the politeness and distance that inevitably exist when adults first meet. But then the small smiley face emoticon, like a gentle breeze, blew away the alienation and revealed a bit of playfulness that was only suitable for her age.
The dialog box briefly displayed "The other party is typing..." again, then disappeared. Chen Yan could almost imagine that she, on the other side of the screen, was probably also considering her words like him.
A few seconds later, his message was sent.
【Chen Yan: Well, I'm glad to be home.】
[Chen Yan: No need to address me like that, just call me by my name.]
[Chen Yan: There are a lot of people here tonight, so it's a bit noisy. Go to bed early.]
He took the initiative to bring this brief exchange to a close. A mature man should know when to end a conversation; this is both considerate and measured.
【Lin Qi: OK.】
This concise reply was exactly the natural ending point that Chen Yan had expected. He did not try to find a new topic, as that would seem deliberate and eager.
【Chen Yan: Good night.】
【Lin Han: Good night.】
On the phone screen, her reply quietly appeared at the end of the conversation. A proper first online conversation should end with a good night.
Chen Yan locked his phone, the screen went dark, and the room returned to silence. Outside the window, the night was deepening.
A few days passed and it was Monday evening.
A gentle drizzle began outside the window, washing away the hustle and bustle of the city. For Shen Yan, rainy nights, especially after a busy Monday, were a rare time when he could completely quiet down.
He didn't turn on the TV, but instead brewed himself a cup of white tea in his study. Under the warm yellow desk lamp, the tea was clear and steamy.
He took out his phone and, for some unknown reason, clicked on the chat box with Lin Qi. The polite "good night" from a few days ago was still on it.
He hadn't contacted her in the past few days. Adult interactions, especially for someone as slow-paced and reserved as Shen Yan, required patience and timing. Too close contact could become an offense.
And this rainy, quiet Monday night seemed like a good time.
Instead of sending any text, he took a photo of the teacup in front of him.
He has excellent photography skills, with clean compositions and gentle tones. In the foreground is a cup of clear, steaming white tea, while the background is a bit blurred, allowing for the faint glimpse of the warm yellow lamp and several thick hardcover books beside it.
This photo, like a small window that he opened on his own initiative, silently showed her a corner of his spiritual world at that moment.
He then sent a message right after the photo.
[Chen Yan: It's raining. It's a rare quiet Monday night.]
After sending the message, he put his phone aside and continued to drink tea and read. He did not expect the other party to reply immediately. This was more like sharing rather than asking.
But to his surprise, the phone lit up quickly.
Lin Qi: Are you afraid of insomnia if you drink tea at night?
This reply was perfectly familiar and playful, completely devoid of the awkwardness of their initial encounter. Chen Yan looked at the message, a faint smile playing on his lips, one he himself hadn't even noticed.
His input state appeared, this time without hesitation.
[Chen Yan: I drank white tea, it was fine.]
[Chen Yan: I've been used to it for many years, so it doesn't have much of an impact.]
【Chen Yan: But you haven't rested yet at this time?】
He naturally returned the concern. The back-and-forth of the conversation prevented it from becoming a one-sided monologue.
Lin Qi: Looking at photos from last week's dinner party, a friend just sent me.
So that's how it is. This answer cleared up his doubts and naturally brought the topic back to their only intersection - that dinner.
【Chen Yan: I haven’t received it yet.】
[Chen Yan: But you were there that day, so the photos should have been good.]
There was a subtle hint of foreshadowing in his words.
Sure enough, the girl on the other side of the screen seemed completely unaware of his "ulterior motives" and replied very readily:
【Lin Qi: Haha, I’ll send it to you.】
Immediately afterwards, a lively group photo was sent over.
The photo loaded up, and Chen Yan's gaze lingered on it for a few seconds. Soon, he found her in the corner by the window.
In that group photo, everyone was laughing freely, except for her, who was sandwiched between a group of laughing friends. She only slightly curled the corners of her mouth, with a smile in her eyes. She seemed a little out of place, yet very special.
Just like how he felt when he first met her.
Lin Qi: Everyone took great photos and laughed happily.
【Chen Yan: Got it, thank you.】
【Chen Yan: Yeah, the atmosphere is very good.】
[Chen Yan: You are in the corner, laughing the quietest.]
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