So it turns out you can get tired too.
Soon, the new room keys were ready, and the waiter handed them the keys with a smile: "Here are your room keys. We hope you have a pleasant stay!"
"Thank you." Cui Yu took the room key, then casually pulled over their suitcases. "Let's go, Director Meng, let's go discuss work."
Meng Yihe didn't say anything, but just pursed her lips and followed his steps toward the elevator hall.
Swipe to open the door.
A wave of warm, dry air rushed in, a stark contrast to the cold outside. The room was large, a standard deluxe twin room, fully equipped, and decorated in a simple and modern style.
Cui Yu placed their suitcases against the wall, took off his heavy coat and hung it in the closet. He let out a long sigh and said with a smile, "It's so much warmer inside. The heating is really strong."
Meng Yihe also took off his bulky down jacket, revealing only a thin, close-fitting sweater underneath that accentuated his slender figure. He walked to the window, looked at the passersby hurrying along the street below with their necks hunched, and softly hummed in agreement.
"Shall we pack our things first? Or take a rest?" Cui Yu walked to the other bed and sat down.
The project meeting is tomorrow, so I have plenty of free time this afternoon and evening.
Meng Yihe turned around, her face still slightly flushed from being outdoors: "Let's go through the project materials first."
A workaholic's nature is hard to change.
“Okay.” Cui Yu was not surprised at all.
He picked up the remote control from the sofa and turned the air conditioning down a little to avoid it getting too hot. Then he went to his suitcase and took out his laptop and the project documents about the Hancheng Logistics Hub.
Meng Yihe also came over and took out her tablet and notebook from her bag.
The sofa is spacious enough for two people to sit side by side with room to spare.
Cui Yu naturally sat in the middle seat and spread the documents out on the coffee table. Meng Yihe hesitated for a moment, then sat down next to him, with a fist's distance between them.
However, as they began to focus on the documents, that initial distance quickly disappeared in the unconscious discussion and closeness.
"The initial concept of Hancheng is still too traditional. Although it mentions intelligence, the specific implementation details are very vague." Meng Yihe pointed to a node on the planning map, his brows furrowing slightly.
"Hmm." Cui Yu moved closer and followed his finger; their arms were almost touching.
"Their advantage lies in their existing transportation hub infrastructure and government support. But their technological shortcomings are obvious, which is precisely our opportunity."
Wearing only a thin sweater, Meng Yihe could feel the heat source beside her and the faint scent of cedar.
"Their throughput estimates are also conservative, probably based on existing hardware. If we introduce our intelligent scheduling system, efficiency can be improved by at least 30%."
“That makes sense.” Cui Yu nodded in agreement. “However, the initial investment cost is definitely a key consideration for them, so we need to prepare several plans.”
The two of them sat with their heads close together and shoulders shoulder to shoulder, engrossed in the initial discussions of the project.
During a break in the discussion, Cui Yu got up to pour two glasses of water. When she returned, she placed one of the glasses in front of Meng Yihe and then sat down next to him again. This time, she sat closer to him than before, the sofa slightly sagged, and the outer sides of their thighs were almost touching.
Meng Yihe was focused on the data on the tablet when she subconsciously took a sip of water from the glass, unaware that the distance between them had been closed again.
It wasn't until he put down his water glass and was about to continue speaking that he suddenly realized Cui Yu's face was inches away, her smiling eyes staring intently at him.
Meng Yihe's heart skipped a beat, and her breath hitched slightly.
"……What's wrong?"
He shifted his gaze somewhat uncomfortably, his fingers unconsciously tightening their grip on the water glass.
"It's nothing," Cui Yu smiled, her tone relaxed and natural. "I just think that Director Meng looks particularly good when she's working."
The praise was straightforward and candid, without any concealment.
Meng Yihe's face flushed red instantly, even his neck turned a light pink. He stood up abruptly, his movements somewhat hurried: "...It's a bit hot, I'll go turn the heating down a bit."
He walked toward the air conditioner controller, his back view revealing his panic.
Cui Yu watched his retreating figure, chuckled softly, and leaned back on the sofa in a cheerful mood, no longer teasing him.
After adjusting the temperature, Meng Yihe did not immediately sit back on the sofa. Instead, she walked to the window and pretended to look at the scenery outside, trying to cool down the heat on her face.
Cui Yu didn't urge him, picked up the documents, and continued reading on his own.
Meng Yihe felt the heat on his face finally subside and his heartbeat return to normal. He took a deep breath and walked back to the sofa area.
Cui Yu was looking down at her tablet, taking notes on the key points of the discussion. Hearing the noise, she looked up, smiled at Meng Yihe, and asked naturally, "Are you calm now?"
Meng Yihe: "..."
He shouldn't have expected this guy to forget!
He pursed his lips, ignored him, and sat down at the other end of the sofa, pretending to be calm. He picked up his documents again and abruptly changed the subject: "We were just talking about cost-sharing ratios. I think there's room for improvement in the second option."
"Okay, go ahead." Cui Yu put away his joking expression and returned to the work discussion.
The two exchanged opinions on several details, working very efficiently and quickly clarifying the key points that needed to be communicated with the partner the next day.
When the last item on the agenda was discussed.
Meng Yihe put down her pen, let out a soft sigh, and unconsciously relaxed, leaning back into the soft sofa cushions. The continuous mental work and travel had indeed taken their toll.
Just then, Cui Yu, who was standing next to him, suddenly stretched out his arms and let out an exaggerated sigh: "Ah—we've finally finished discussing it."
Then, before Meng Yihe could react, Cui Yu seemed to have all his bones removed, his body tilted to the side, and his head landed precisely on Meng Yihe's lap.
"!"
Meng Yihe felt as if she had been paralyzed, unable to move an inch, the weight and temperature emanating from her thighs were crystal clear.
Cui Yu was completely unaware of the shocking thing he had done. He even adjusted the position of his head to find a more comfortable position to rest his head on, and then raised his eyes to look up at Meng Yihe's face, which was turning red again.
He blinked, his face showing an extremely innocent expression.
His tone carried a hint of coquettish complaint: "Director Meng, I've been working tirelessly and painstakingly for the company's success! I feel completely drained right now. Is it too much to ask to borrow your leg as a pillow? Consider it a special perk for an outstanding employee?"
Cui Yu can spout a whole bunch of fallacies.
His eyes, however, gleamed with a triumphant light; it was clearly intentional.
Meng Yihe wanted to push the person away, but his arm felt like it was made of lead and he couldn't lift it. He wanted to scold him for being "improper," but the other person's self-righteous and shameless attitude made him both amused and exasperated.
"...Get up." In the end, he could only squeeze out three words dryly, his voice a little strained.
"I'm not getting up." Cui Yu refused decisively, even going so far as to close her eyes and murmur, "Hmm...it's quite comfortable. Director Meng, I didn't expect you to look so thin. Your legs feel quite soft to rest on, though a little uncomfortable. You seem to lack exercise; you need to eat more..."
He actually started commenting on it!
Meng Yihe's face turned completely red, and even her breathing became a little rapid.
“Cui, Yu!” He practically spat out the name through gritted teeth.
"Hmm? I'm here." Cui Yu replied lazily, his eyes still closed, but the smile on his lips grew wider and wider.
"What instructions does the leader have? Is he going to massage my temples? Then I won't be polite..." As he spoke, he actually raised his hand, groped and grabbed Meng Yihe's hand, and brought it to his forehead.
Meng Yihe ultimately couldn't bring himself to push the person away. He stiffly held his hand up, letting Cui Yu press it onto his temple.
"Don't you have hands?" Meng Yihe tried to maintain the last bit of her cold and hard facade.
"Yes, but Director Meng's hands are a bit cold, so it feels more comfortable to touch them." Cui Yu closed her eyes, a smile playing on her lips.
What kind of reason is that? Meng Yihe pressed it lightly and awkwardly after all.
Cui Yu immediately pressed his advantage, letting out a sigh of extreme enjoyment: "Yes, right here... Director Meng, your technique is truly gifted..."
Meng Yihe's ears felt like they were burning, and she unconsciously increased the pressure on her hands.
"Hiss—" Cui Yu took a breath, opened his eyes a crack, and looked at him with a smile.
"Sir, retaliation and retaliatory actions are not encouraged."
Despite saying that, Cui Yu showed no intention of getting up. Instead, he adjusted his posture, as if he was preparing to sleep forever.
Meng Yihe lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on Cui Yu's closed face. Those eyes, usually filled with calculation or teasing, were now quietly closed, revealing a hint of weariness.
This person always seems to be energetic, capable, and manages everything in an orderly manner.
So it turns out you can get tired too.
This realization stirred something within Meng Yihe. Her suspended hand finally fell slowly, her fingertips touching Cui Yu's temples once more. Following the method of pressing and relieving pain that she remembered, she began to massage.
Cui Yu's breathing paused almost imperceptibly, then became even longer. He didn't utter another joke, nor did he open his eyes; his Adam's apple simply bobbed slightly.
Time passed quietly, and the person on my lap seemed to have fallen asleep.
Not long after, Cui Yu's breathing rhythm changed slightly, and he opened his eyes. He was a little dazed at first, but his mind quickly cleared, and he saw Meng Yihe looking down at him.
Cui Yu seemed to be taken aback for a moment, then sat up nimbly: "Tsk, he really fell asleep... Did it hurt your neck?"
As he spoke, he naturally reached out to rub Meng Yihe's legs.
Meng Yihe recoiled as if she'd been electrocuted, her voice a beat faster than usual: "It's nothing."
Cui Yu stood up, stretched her shoulders, walked to the bedside table, and picked up the hotel's service menu: "I'm a little hungry. Shall we order something to eat? What would you like to eat? The soup here looks pretty good. It's nice to have something hot on a cold day."
"Either is fine." Meng Yihe also stood up.
Cui Yu quickly dialed the food delivery number and ordered two bowls of mushroom soup, a few light side dishes, and a hotel specialty dessert. After hanging up, he turned to look at Meng Yihe, who was still standing there, and pointed to the bathroom.
"It'll be a while before the food arrives. Would you like to take a shower first?"
Meng Yihe nodded without saying anything, turned around, took out his amenity kit and pajamas from his suitcase, and went into the bathroom. The warm water washed over his face, calming his somewhat chaotic thoughts. When he finished washing up and came out in a set of dark gray cotton pajamas, the waiter was just pushing the food cart into the room.
The aroma of the food immediately filled the air.
Cui Yu had already quickly washed up and changed into comfortable pajamas, and was helping the waiter set the dishes on the small round table. He looked up and saw Meng Yihe's dripping hair, and casually took out a clean towel provided by the hotel from the lower level of the food cart and handed it to her.
"Wipe yourself dry, don't catch a cold."
Meng Yihe took the towel and silently dried her hair. The two sat down at the table and began to eat. The soup was rich and fragrant, and the side dishes were refreshing and delicious.
“This soup is really good.” Cui Yu took a sip. “Next time I can bring Xu Yue to try it. That kid loves this kind of incredibly fresh soup.”
Meng Yihe sipped his soup and hummed in response. He recalled the bright-smiling Omega boy who would call him "Brother Meng" in a clear voice, and his lips softened for a moment.
After finishing their meal, the waiter cleared away their plates. Afterwards, the two chatted idly for a few minutes about trivial matters.
"It's getting late. We have to go to the site tomorrow, so get some rest." Cui Yu stood up and stretched.
"Um."
The two made their own beds, which were more than a step apart from each other.
Cui Yu threw back the covers and lay down, turning to face Meng Yihe. He watched as Meng Yihe straightened the covers and adjusted the position of her pillow, and couldn't help but ask again, "Director Meng, would you like me to read you a bedtime story? To help you fall asleep."
Meng Yihe paused, without turning her head: "No need, shut up, go to sleep."
Cui Yu chuckled softly, and as expected, stopped talking, but his gaze remained fixed on that side.
Meng Yihe turned off her bedside lamp and lay down on the other bed, with her back to Cui Yu.
Only the faint light from another bedside lamp remained in the room.
Meng Yihe could feel that gaze still lingering on his back, carrying an invisible warmth. He closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep, but found that his heartbeat seemed to be faster than usual.
After a while, Meng Yihe heard the soft sound of another lamp being turned off, and the sound of Cui Yu turning over. The comforting scent of cedar trees permeated the air, and Meng Yihe gradually relaxed, her consciousness slowly drifting into sleep.
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