I'll try.
At 10:00 AM sharp, the video conference started on time, connecting the screens and communicating with the design team in Bincheng.
The two instantly switched into "Starry Twins" mode. This seamless collaboration put both pressure on the design team on the other side of the screen and earned their sincere admiration.
The meeting lasted for two hours before it ended.
The video was cut off, and the room returned to silence.
Meng Yihe leaned back in her chair, let out a soft breath, and rubbed her slightly sore eyes.
"Have some water." Cui Yu pushed a glass of warm water in front of him. "The point about the energy-saving system you made earlier was very good; they really hadn't considered that detail before."
Meng Yihe took the water glass and took a sip: "It's because their preliminary research wasn't thorough enough." Although his tone was still flat, the subtle curve at the corner of his eye showed that he accepted this recognition.
Cui Yu smiled and stopped the mutual flattery.
He glanced at the time: "Would you like to eat out for lunch, or stay at the hotel?"
Meng Yihe answered almost without hesitation: "Hotel."
After what happened last night and this morning, he needs some quiet space for the time being and doesn't want to go to any public places to face any potential social interactions.
“Okay.” Cui Yu picked up the intercom. “Then I’ll have them send the food up.”
After the meal, Cui Yu processed several urgent emails.
Meng Yihe continued to study the materials sent by the design team on her tablet, making annotations with an electronic pen from time to time.
The afternoon schedule is relatively relaxed.
The main purpose was to conduct remote video conferences with Lin Xueyue and Zhao Lei to keep track of the work progress at the Linzhou headquarters and to deploy the tasks for the next phase.
After ending the call with headquarters, the sun was already setting outside the window. Cui Yu closed his laptop, stretched his arms, and looked at Meng Yihe, who was still engrossed in his documents.
"Is that enough? Give your eyes a rest."
Upon hearing this, Meng Yihe raised her head, rubbed her throbbing temples, and indeed felt a bit tired.
"I don't have any plans for tonight." Cui Yu walked to the window and looked at the bay outside, which was tinged with gold and red.
"Would you like to go out for some fresh air, or just rest at the hotel?" He paused, then added, "Just the two of us, we'll just wander around and not go to crowded places."
"casual."
Cui Yu smiled and said, "Then let's not go far. How about we take a stroll on the private beach behind the hotel? There should be very few people around at this time."
“Mm,” Meng Yihe replied.
Behind the hotel is a small, private beach with fine white sand and a tranquil environment.
At this time of day, only a few scattered guests were strolling in the distance. The two walked slowly side by side along the waterline, the tide occasionally surging up, washing over their ankles, and then receding, leaving behind damp sand.
Occasionally, Cui Yu would bend down and pick up a seashell or a peculiar stone, polished smooth by the seawater, and hand it to Meng Yihe. Meng Yihe would take it, examine it carefully for a moment, and then hand it back, or occasionally nod in approval.
"The air is much better than in Linzhou," Cui Yu remarked, taking a deep breath of the sea-breathing air.
“Okay.” Meng Yihe agreed.
After walking for a while, Cui Yu suddenly stopped. He turned his head to look at Meng Yihe's profile, which was outlined with a soft halo by the setting sun, and his tone became more serious.
"Once this project stabilizes and we're less busy, how about we take a vacation every now and then?"
This is a private invitation.
Meng Yihe did not answer immediately, but looked into the other person's eyes, which seemed particularly deep and gentle in the sunset. The sea breeze blew through his hair, and the sound of the waves was incessant.
"good."
Just a simple word, yet it instantly widened the smile on Cui Yu's face, making it brighter than the sunset. He didn't press the issue further, but simply resumed his steps, happily continuing his walk along the beach.
Meng Yihe watched his retreating figure, the corners of her mouth curving upwards slightly, before she quickly followed after him.
The work in Bincheng is progressing exceptionally smoothly.
Thorough preliminary investigations, a good relationship established with the planning bureau, and efficient teamwork laid a solid foundation for the project. In the following days, they met with several key partners to discuss cooperation details in depth, basically achieving the expected goals, and even slightly exceeding them.
The atmosphere in the first-class cabin of the return flight was quiet and relaxed.
Meng Yihe was dozing by the window, the fatigue from several days of intense work creeping in as she relaxed. Although physically tired, she felt a sense of fulfillment at the successful completion of the project.
After finishing the last few emails, Cui Yu closed his tablet and turned to look at Meng Yihe beside him.
The flight attendants thoughtfully brought blankets and warm water.
Cui Yu took the blanket and gently covered Meng Yihe with it. This subtle movement made Meng Yihe's eyelashes flutter, and she slowly opened her eyes to look at Cui Yu.
"Did I wake you up?" Cui Yu asked in a low voice, his tone gentle.
Meng Yihe shook his head, sat up a little straighter, and the blanket slipped off his shoulders slightly. He rubbed his temples and said, "No, I'm just taking a nap."
"Mm." Cui Yu handed him some warm water. "Have some water. You've worked hard these past few days. The project was a great success."
He turned to look at the rolling sea of clouds outside the window and spoke, his voice steady yet solemn: "The project is over, and we... should talk about what's between us."
Meng Yihe's fingers tightened almost imperceptibly as she gripped the water glass, her heart suddenly racing.
He certainly knew what Cui Yu was referring to.
The confession, born of alcohol and emotion, in the dimly lit private room in Bincheng, and the tacit closeness and ambiguity that followed in the days that followed, were like a thin veil, neither to be torn through nor ignored.
Meng Yihe didn't speak, but turned her head slightly to look at Cui Yu, waiting for him to continue, somewhat nervous. Cui Yu turned back, looking at her calmly and seriously, no longer with any hint of joking or testing.
"The things I said in Bincheng were all serious. I didn't say them because of the environment or atmosphere."
He paused, observing Meng Yihe's reaction. Seeing that she didn't show any rejection, he continued slowly, "I know this might be sudden for you, and you'll need time to adjust. I don't want to put pressure on you, nor do I want to force you to make any decisions immediately."
“But I don’t want things to remain unclear like this.” His gaze deepened.
“Meng Yihe, let me make this very clear: what I want is more than just a working partnership.”
"So, I want to ask you formally. Would you be willing to give me a chance to try something different, a relationship that goes beyond colleagues and friends?"
The problem was finally brought to the forefront.
No more alcohol as an excuse, no more dim light as cover, but in the bright cabin at 10,000 meters altitude, the answer must be faced directly.
Meng Yihe lowered her eyes, looking at the slightly swaying water in the cup in her hand, and remained silent for a long time.
Cui Yu didn't urge him; he just waited patiently, his gaze always fixed on Meng Yihe.
A long ten seconds or so passed.
Meng Yihe finally slowly raised his head to meet Cui Yu's gaze. He opened his mouth, his voice slightly dry from nervousness, but he clearly uttered three words: "I'll try."
There is no explicit "good" or "I'm willing".
But for Cui Yu, this was enough. It was the closest response to a promise that this person, who was used to burying his emotions deep inside, could give. It represented an agreement, a precious determination to open his heart to him and take that step.
"Okay." Cui Yu's voice was a little hoarse with excitement, but it was full of joy.
"Let's take it slow, there's no rush."
He respected Meng Yihe's pace and cherished this hard-won "give it a try".
After a while, the flight attendants began distributing the meals. Cui Yu naturally took two portions, handed one to Meng Yihe, and casually opened the cutlery packaging for him, handing it to him.
Meng Yihe paused for a moment, then silently accepted it.
After finishing their meal, Cui Yu processed some follow-up work emails, and Meng Yihe also picked up her tablet again.
The flight time is halfway through.
Cui Yu put down his tablet, rubbed his temples, and seemed a little tired. He adjusted the angle of his chair and naturally leaned his head towards Meng Yihe, closing his eyes to rest.
His shoulder almost touched Meng Yihe's shoulder.
Meng Yihe's body tensed for a moment, and he instinctively wanted to shrink towards the window. But he didn't move. He maintained his original posture, feeling the warm body temperature and even breathing of the person next to him, his heart beating strongly in his chest.
After a long while, he carefully relaxed his shoulders slightly and gently pressed them against Cui Yu's shoulders.
Cui Yu, who was resting with his eyes closed, silently curved his lips into an even wider arc from an angle unseen by anyone.
Upon returning to Linzhou, work did not immediately become less demanding.
The project's initial success means that more detailed finishing touches and follow-up planning are needed.
Meng Yihe and Cui Yu quickly got to work, convened a team meeting to review the gains and losses of the trip to Bincheng, translated the agreed cooperation intentions into specific contract terms and execution plans, and began to write a detailed project report.
Cui Yu would more naturally hand Meng Yihe milk, would quietly ask him if he was tired during meeting breaks, and would insist on taking him home after get off work under the pretext of "going by the way" or "discussing reports".
Friday afternoon.
With the final, urgent memorandum of understanding finalized and sent out, the tense early phase of the project finally came to an end.
Cui Yu stretched and looked at Meng Yihe, who was still checking the final report data, and said in a relaxed tone, "Is it almost done? We can finish the rest next Monday. Have a good rest over the weekend."
Meng Yihe looked up from the screen, a hint of fatigue in his eyes, but his spirits were still high. He nodded, saved the document, and closed his laptop.
After a period of intense work, a full weekend is indeed very appealing.
Just then, Cui Yu's cell phone, which was on the table, rang.
He glanced at the caller ID, a hint of surprise on his face, then mouthed "wait a moment" to Meng Yihe before answering the phone.
"Hello, Auntie." His tone immediately became gentle and polite.
Ye Chunhan's enthusiastic voice came from the other end of the phone, and Meng Yihe could hear it even from a short distance away.
"Oh, Director Cui, did I disturb your work? Xiao He said you just came back from Bincheng? How is the project going? You've really worked hard!" Ye Chunhan's voice was full of concern and joy.
"No bothering you, no bothering you. I just finished. Thanks to you, the project is going very smoothly." Cui Yu replied with a smile, glancing at Meng Yihe across from him.
Upon hearing her mother's voice, Meng Yihe sat up straighter, her attention drawn to her.
"That's good! That's good!" Ye Chunhan smiled happily, then got to the point, "Director Cui, tomorrow's the weekend. You just finished a big project, you should really relax. Perfect timing, our housekeeper bought some really fresh seafood, just flown in from Haicheng! You and Xiaohe must come over for dinner tomorrow night! I've already told Xiaohe!"
Meng Yihe: "?"
When did he decide?
Seeing Meng Yihe's bewildered expression, Cui Yu's smile deepened. He spoke into the phone with an increasingly gentle and apologetic tone: "Auntie, you're too kind. You've gone to such lengths to prepare all this. But won't this weekend be too much of a disturbance to your and Uncle's rest?"
"Oh! What a bother! It's settled then!" Ye Chunhan said enthusiastically. "Come over promptly at six o'clock tomorrow night! And tell Xiao He not to make any excuses! She absolutely has to come!"
"Alright, then I'll gladly accept your offer. Thank you, Auntie, see you tomorrow." Cui Yu agreed, exchanged a few more pleasantries with her, and then hung up the phone.
Cui Yu put down his phone and looked at Meng Yihe, whose face was full of complex emotions, with a smile on his lips: "Auntie asked us to come over for dinner tomorrow night, saying... we've already talked to you about it?" He deliberately dragged out his words.
Meng Yihe pursed her lips, a hint of helplessness flashing across her face: "...I didn't."
His mother's ability to act first and ask for permission later is getting more and more impressive.
"Oh?" Cui Yu raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise, then laughed, his tone relaxed.
“It’s alright, Auntie’s hospitality is too much to refuse. Besides…” He paused, looking at Meng Yihe with a meaningful look in his eyes, “Now that the project is finished, it’s time to relax, isn’t it?”
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