A twin room
The warm sunshine shone down on me, and a gentle breeze swept across the grassland, bringing a refreshing scent.
Gradually, with Cui Yu by his side and the tranquil, open environment around him, Meng Yihe's tense nerves finally relaxed. He began to try to control himself less deliberately and instead feel the rhythmic swaying of the horse as it walked, and his body gradually found a sense of coordination.
He could even be slightly distracted, glancing at Cui Yu beside him.
Under the sunlight, Cui Yu rode on horseback. His posture was upright yet relaxed, a contented smile on his lips, and his eyes were bright. He and the steed beneath him seemed to be one, possessing a charm different from the strategist he displayed in the business world.
Looking at him like this, Meng Yihe felt a slight stirring in her heart.
"How are you feeling?" Cui Yu noticed his gaze, smiled, and turned to ask.
"It's alright." Meng Yihe looked away and answered softly, but the upturned corners of his mouth betrayed his true feelings.
Cui Yu smiled but didn't expose him.
The two chatted idly, about the scenery before them, about the horses, and even just some meaningless small talk.
After horseback riding, the two had a light meal at the club's open-air restaurant. Looking at the horses running on the distant grassland and the azure sky, Meng Yihe felt a sense of ease.
"Thank you," he suddenly said in a low voice.
Cui Yu paused in her cutting of steak, looked up at him, and smiled gently: "What are you thanking me for? How about we come again next time the weather is nice? Or try something else? Golf? Or just come here for a walk and soak up the sun, that would be nice too."
He was naturally planning for the next time, and many more times to come.
Meng Yihe did not answer immediately, but picked up the lemonade next to her, took a sip, and then nodded slightly.
The two did not leave the club immediately.
Cui Yu took Meng Yihe for a leisurely stroll in the beautiful club to digest their meal. They walked past the lush green training field and passed by flowerbeds with various small flowers in bloom.
Finally, we sat down on a bench under the shade of a tree.
Cui Yu naturally relaxed his body, leaned back on the bench, closed his eyes, and felt the breeze on his face, looking completely relaxed and enjoying himself.
Meng Yihe sat beside him, her posture still as upright as ever, but her shoulders were relaxed. He also quietly looked at the scenery in the distance, feeling the tranquility and openness, as if his body and mind had been washed by the warm sunlight, relaxed and clear.
After a while, Cui Yu seemed to suddenly remember something, opened his eyes, turned his head to look at Meng Yihe, and smiled: "Are you tired? Do you want to go to the lounge for a drink? The fresh juice here is pretty good."
Meng Yihe shook her head: "It's alright."
He didn't feel tired at all; on the contrary, he enjoyed sitting quietly like this.
"Then let's sit for a while longer." Cui Yu leaned back again, not saying anything more, simply enjoying the tranquility of sitting side by side.
After sitting for a while, he noticed that Meng Yihe's gaze seemed to be drawn to a scene in the direction of the stables not far away.
A young coach is patiently teaching a little girl who looks only seven or eight years old how to brush a miniature horse. The little girl's movements are clumsy but she is extremely serious. The miniature horse stands obediently, occasionally swishing its tail.
Cui Yu followed his gaze and chuckled, "It's adorable, isn't it? That pony is the club's star, especially popular with kids."
Meng Yihe hummed in agreement.
His gaze remained fixed on the two figures, one large and one small, and the pony, his eyes unconsciously softening.
He rarely encounters scenes so full of childlike fun and warmth.
Cui Yu looked at his focused profile and those eyes that seemed exceptionally gentle at that moment. He didn't say anything, but just quietly stayed by his side and watched.
Only after the little girl successfully brushed the horse's hair, jumped up happily, and was picked up and patted on the head by the coach, did the two turn their attention away.
"In the future..." Cui Yu suddenly spoke, his voice soft, with a casual yet meaningful tone, "When we have free time, we can come here often, or it wouldn't be bad to keep a couple of horses here?"
"Um."
After resting for a while, Cui Yu stood up and stretched his shoulders: "Is that enough? Shall we go back?"
"Okay." Meng Yihe also stood up.
On the way back, the atmosphere in the car remained quiet. Meng Yihe seemed a little tired, leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes to rest.
The car window was slightly ajar, and a gentle breeze ruffled his hair. As they approached his apartment building, he seemed to sense something and opened his eyes, his gaze still somewhat hazy.
"Awake?" Cui Yu slowed down the car. "Perfect timing, we're almost there."
"Hmm." Meng Yihe sat up straight, rubbed his temples, and as the car came to a stop, he unbuckled his seatbelt and prepared to get out.
"Yihe," Cui Yu called out to him.
Meng Yihe paused, turning to look at him. Cui Yu took a paper bag from the back seat and handed it to him: "These are cookies baked by the club. They're not too sweet; you should like them. Take them home as snacks."
He paused for a moment, then took the paper bag. The sweet aroma of butter and flour wafted from it. He hadn't expected Cui Yu to notice even that.
Cui Yu smiled gently, her eyes softening. "Have a nice weekend and get some rest."
Back in his quiet and tidy apartment, Meng Yihe placed the paper bag containing the cookies on the coffee table. He took off his coat, poured himself a glass of water, and then sat on the sofa, looking at the bag of cookies, a warm feeling welling up inside him.
He picked up a cookie and took a bite.
Just as Cui Yu said, they were crispy and sweet, but the sweetness was to his liking and he could accept it. He ate the cookies slowly, reflecting on the day.
He picked up his phone, opened the familiar chat window, hesitated for a moment, and then typed and sent:
The cookies were delicious, thank you.
I'm very happy today too.
The message was sent successfully. Meng Yihe put down her phone, her ears slightly red, but her heart felt filled with the sweetness of the cookies.
As autumn deepened, the weather in Linzhou also became noticeably cooler. After a high-level meeting, the CEO specifically asked Cui Yu and Meng Yihe to stay behind.
"There's a project that's not too urgent but quite important, and I need you two to make a trip to it." The CEO pushed a document in front of them.
"Hancheng, you know it? It's in the north, and it's already quite cold this time of year."
Cui Yu picked up the document and quickly scanned it, while Meng Yihe also focused her attention on it.
"The Hancheng government wants to build an intelligent regional logistics hub, and this is their preliminary planning document. They are very optimistic about Xinghuan's technology and experience in smart cities and large-scale infrastructure projects, and have taken the initiative to extend an invitation for cooperation."
"It's not difficult, but you need to go there in person to show that you value it and to get the most direct understanding of the situation."
Hancheng.
A major northern city based on heavy industry, seeking industrial transformation, located in the far north with a cold climate.
“No problem.” Cui Yu closed the file and readily agreed. Then, as if remembering something, she turned to look at Meng Yihe beside her and added in a natural tone.
"The temperature there is much lower than in Linzhou, so you need to bring warm clothes."
Meng Yihe's attention was still focused on the project itself, and she nodded subconsciously upon hearing this.
"Yes, I know."
He never paid much attention to trivial matters like the climate; his mind was already on Hancheng's logistics system and technical interface issues.
The CEO was pleased to see the two interacting so naturally: "Then I'll leave it to you. Let your assistant arrange the itinerary. Be careful."
"Understood," the two replied.
As Cui Yu walked out of the CEO's office, he checked the real-time weather in Hancheng on his phone and said to Meng Yihe, "I checked, and it's already close to zero degrees there at night. Go back and find your thick down jacket, thermal underwear, hat, and scarf and bring them with you." He gave her detailed instructions.
Meng Yihe was thinking about the logistics hub issue and replied somewhat absentmindedly, "...Okay."
Seeing that he clearly hadn't listened, Cui Yu smiled helplessly and said no more, but he already had a plan in mind.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Cui Yu's car stopped right in front of Meng Yihe's apartment building.
Cui Yu dialed the phone: "I've arrived. Take your time coming down, there's no rush."
A few minutes later, Meng Yihe appeared at the entrance of the building with his suitcase. He was indeed only wearing a thin trench coat that he usually wore in Linzhou during the autumn, and he looked thin and frail.
Upon seeing this, Cui Yu immediately got out of the car and went to greet him, taking the suitcase from his hands.
"Didn't I tell you to wear something warmer? It's cold at the airport and on the street."
As he spoke, he unbuttoned his long cashmere coat, seemingly intending to take it off and give it to him. Only then did Meng Yihe belatedly realize the biting chill of the morning, shrinking his neck and stopping Cui Yu's movement.
"I have a thick coat in my suitcase, I'll change into it at the airport."
He was just too lazy to put it on in advance; it wasn't that he wasn't prepared at all.
Cui Yu looked him over and, to make sure he wasn't just putting on a brave face, gave up. But she still reached out to adjust the collar of his trench coat and touched his slightly cool neck: "I knew you'd be like this. Get in the car, it's warm inside."
Meng Yihe's ears burned from his sudden approach and touch, but she didn't pull away. She let Cui Yu straighten her collar and then quickly got into the car with the heater on.
Cui Yu put his suitcase away, returned to the driver's seat, and handed him a paper bag: "Haven't had breakfast yet? Here's some hot milk and a sandwich to tide you over."
Meng Yihe took the paper bag, feeling the warmth of it against her fingertips: "Thank you."
The car drove towards the airport.
On the way, Cui Yu drove while giving detailed instructions like a mother hen: "It's dry and cold in Hancheng, did you bring skincare products? The men need to be careful too, otherwise they'll easily get frostbite. When you get there, buy some hand warmers, your hands and feet get cold easily. Don't tough it out at work, if you feel cold, just say so, the partners there should arrange a comfortable indoor environment..."
Meng Yihe sipped the warm milk, listening to the endless admonitions around her, but she didn't feel annoyed at all.
He occasionally hummed in agreement, indicating that he was listening.
Upon arriving at the airport and completing the check-in procedures, while waiting in the departure lounge, Cui Yu indeed supervised Meng Yihe as she rummaged through her suitcase and put on the thick down jacket.
Seeing the person in front of him completely wrapped up in a large down jacket, with only a fair and handsome face showing, Cui Yu nodded in satisfaction.
"Now it looks like a penguin hibernating."
Meng Yihe glanced at him irritably, pulled up her collar slightly to cover the lower half of her face, leaving only her clear eyes looking at the planes taking off and landing outside the window, but her ears were secretly turning red.
The plane landed at Hancheng Airport.
As the hatch opened, a rush of dry, cold air instantly flooded in, a stark contrast to the damp coolness of Linzhou, carrying the desolate atmosphere unique to the North.
Even though Meng Yihe was wearing a thick down jacket, she was still startled by the sudden chill as soon as she got off the plane and instinctively wrapped her clothes even tighter.
Cui Yu followed him out and, seeing this, stepped forward, using his own body to shield him from some of the cold wind blowing directly on him.
"Hurry up, the car should be waiting."
The representatives from the partner company who came to pick them up had been waiting for a long time and warmly led them to the car. The car's heater was on full blast, instantly dispelling the chill outside.
The car drove towards the city center.
The streetscape of Hancheng differs from that of Linzhou, with a more rugged and robust architectural style. The leaves of the roadside trees have long since fallen, leaving only bare branches pointing towards the gray-blue sky.
Upon arriving at the hotel, the partner representative helped with the check-in process, briefly explained the subsequent itinerary, and then politely took their leave, agreeing to pick them up again the next morning to take them to the project site for a preliminary inspection.
The receptionist smiled and handed two room keys to Cui Yu.
"Mr. Cui, Mr. Meng, these are your room keys. According to your company's reservation, you have been assigned two adjacent deluxe king rooms, both on the 18th floor, with excellent views."
Cui Yu took the room key, turned to look at Meng Yihe who was looking around the hotel lobby, and smiled. He waved the room key in his hand and slowly asked, "Director Meng, you see, this time the hotel has plenty of rooms. We don't have to be 'forced' to squeeze into a twin room like we were in Haicheng last time."
He emphasized the word "forced," and his smile deepened.
"So, in your opinion... how would be a better choice for this room?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Yihe withdrew his gaze from surveying the surroundings and turned to look at Cui Yu. The bright lights of the hotel lobby reflected in his clear eyes, and his face remained expressionless, as if he were genuinely considering the rationality of this accommodation arrangement.
He remained silent for a few seconds, and Cui Yu simply waited without urging him.
Then, he raised his eyes, looked calmly at the receptionist, and said in a cool voice, "One twin room, thank you."
The receptionist was clearly taken aback for a moment, quickly glanced at the reservation record in her hand, and then looked at Cui Yu, seemingly unsure whether the gentleman wanted to change the reservation.
Cui Yu was also somewhat surprised, but he still forced himself to remain calm, coughed lightly, and nodded to the still somewhat bewildered receptionist.
"Listen to him, change to a twin room."
"Okay, okay! Please wait a moment!" The receptionist reacted immediately. Although her gossipy nature might have been burning inside her, her professionalism allowed her to get to work quickly.
Cui Yu then turned his head to look at the person beside him who still looked calm. He took a half step closer, lowered his voice, and his tone was full of barely suppressed laughter.
"Director Meng...you..."
Meng Yihe avoided Cui Yu's gaze. He pretended to be calm as he watched the busy work at the front desk, interrupting Cui Yu in a harsh tone, trying to hide his unease.
"It saves on travel budget and makes it easier to discuss work."
Cui Yu chuckled softly. He didn't press further, but instead stared intently at Meng Yihe's flushed ears with his eyes brimming with laughter. He couldn't get enough of looking at her like this.
"Okay, we'll do as Director Meng says. It'll save on the budget and make it easier to discuss work."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
