Only twin suites left
After the first day of the summit concluded, the two, somewhat tired, arrived at their hotel to check in. The receptionist looked at them apologetically.
"I'm very sorry, Mr. Cui and Mr. Meng. The two executive king rooms that were originally reserved for you are now only available as a twin suite due to overbooking and a previous guest extending their stay. All room types are currently fully booked. We are doing our best to coordinate, but the earliest we can free up a room is tomorrow noon."
Meng Yihe was stunned.
A twin suite? That means they'll have to share a room tonight.
Meng Yihe frowned immediately: "Isn't there any other way? What about hotels of the same standard nearby?"
The front desk staff apologized even more: "I'm so sorry, Mr. Meng, during the summit, hotel rooms in the surrounding area are also in very short supply."
Compared to Meng Yihe's resistance, Cui Yu appeared more composed. He glanced at Meng Yihe's tense profile and found it somewhat amusing. He interrupted the receptionist and made his decision: "This suite will do. Please arrange another room as soon as possible."
"Okay, okay, thank you so much for your understanding!" The receptionist breathed a sigh of relief and quickly processed the check-in.
Holding the only room key, the two silently took the elevator upstairs, the atmosphere subtle.
Opening the suite door, the room was spacious and luxurious, fully equipped, but the most eye-catching feature was undoubtedly the two double beds placed side by side in the center of the bedroom, separated only by a small bedside table. Meng Yihe stood in the doorway, looking at the two beds with an unnatural expression, as if they were some kind of monstrous beast.
Cui Yu broke the silence, his tone carrying his usual teasing: "Looks like we'll be 'living together' tonight. But don't worry, Director Meng, I don't think I snore."
Meng Yihe went inside and placed his suitcase on the other bed. His movements were slightly stiff, and he tried to ease the awkwardness with work: "I still need to double-check the details of the meeting materials with the representative of the Singapore fund tomorrow morning."
“Okay.” Cui Yu readily agreed, seemingly oblivious to his discomfort.
“The living room sofa is quite spacious, how about we set it up here? Or… if Director Meng doesn’t mind, the bed would be fine too?” His last sentence was clearly teasing.
“Living room!” Meng Yihe answered immediately, her voice a beat faster than usual.
The work discussion in the living room continued for a while, until finally, Cui Yu closed his laptop and rubbed his temples.
"That's about it. We can go over the remaining details again at breakfast tomorrow. After a long day, how about taking a shower to relax?"
Meng Yihe also put away her computer, nodded, but didn't look at Cui Yu.
"You go first."
Cui Yu didn't refuse. She got up, took out her pajamas and toiletries from her suitcase, and went into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom, which was particularly clear in the otherwise quiet suite.
Meng Yihe sat alone in the living room, feeling somewhat lost. He got up and walked to the window, gazing at the dazzling night view of Haicheng, but couldn't analyze this business landscape with his usual calm. His attention was uncontrollably distracted by the sound of water running in the bathroom, and images of lines and steam even flashed uncontrollably through his mind…
He abruptly snapped out of his reverie, feeling a strange sense of shame for having made such a connection.
They're both Alphas, what's he thinking?
He forced himself to sit down, picked up his phone and haphazardly scrolled through his emails, but couldn't concentrate on a single word.
After a while, the sound of water stopped. A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened, and Cui Yu emerged wearing comfortable dark silk pajamas, his hair half-dry and damp. He also carried a scent of shower gel that was slightly different from his usual cedar pheromones.
The top of his pajamas was left unbuttoned, casually open, revealing a muscular chest, still slightly damp, and the faint outline of his abdominal muscles. The smooth, understated muscles stood out clearly in the soft light of the living room, exuding a languid yet powerful masculine aura.
"I'm all ready, you can go now." Cui Yu dried her hair with a towel and looked at Meng Yihe.
Meng Yihe hummed in response, immediately looked away, and hastily picked up the clothes she had prepared beforehand. Without looking to the side, she quickly walked into the bathroom and subconsciously locked the door.
Cui Yu heard a clear click of the door locking and chuckled softly.
They're being too defensive. Are they afraid I'll just barge in?
However, he looked much more lively and interesting than his usual cold and aloof demeanor.
Meng Yihe stood in the bathroom, looking at his slightly reddened ears in the mirror. He took several deep breaths to calm himself down. He quickly took a shower, trying to wash away the inexplicable unease. When he came out in his full pajamas, he found that Cui Yu was no longer in the living room.
The bedroom light was on.
Cui Yu was leaning against his bed, looking at his phone, seemingly processing some information. Hearing the noise, he looked up, his gaze sweeping over Meng Yihe's pajamas, which were buttoned up to the top. A slight smile appeared on his lips, but he quickly suppressed it.
Cui Yu pointed to the empty bed on the other side.
"I've saved this side for you."
"Thank you." Meng Yihe said stiffly, walked to her bedside, lifted the covers and lay down, turning her back to Cui Yu, as if to say, "I'm going to sleep, don't bother me."
Cui Yu looked at his stiff back, smiled, and didn't say anything more. She continued to look at her phone for a while, then turned off her bedside lamp and lay down.
The room fell into darkness and silence.
The body is tired and longs for sleep, but the mind is unusually clear because there is someone else around.
This was an extremely unfamiliar feeling for Meng Yihe. They had worked side by side in the office until late at night, but they had never been so close in such a space, in a state of complete slumber without any defenses.
Cui Yu was also awake.
He could smell Meng Yihe's cherry brandy scent in the air, more easily detected than usual because of her nervousness. The aroma made him restless, and he couldn't help but imagine the state of the other person on the other side at that moment.
The next morning, sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains of the hotel suite.
The two woke up almost at the same time.
"morning."
"morning."
After a simple greeting, there was a tacit silence.
The two quickly got up, efficiently washed up and changed clothes, and headed to the summit again.
When conversing with other industry leaders or potential partners, their collaboration is even more seamless. One person finishes speaking, and the other can naturally pick up where they left off, adding to the discussion or offering a different perspective. It's as if they can read each other's minds. This tacit understanding transcends mere professional competence.
During a break in the morning's agenda, they encountered Ji Nan from "Dingsheng Capital" again.
"President Cui, President Meng, it seems you slept well last night?" President Ji greeted them with a smile, his gaze sweeping between the two men with a hint of business-like inquiry.
With a polite smile, Cui Yu answered first, "Thank you for your concern, President Ji. The summit agenda was tight and very fruitful, so naturally I'm full of energy. President Ji, on the other hand, seems particularly interested in our 'North Star Light' project; it's truly our honor."
Meng Yihe stood half a step to the side of Cui Yu.
“True confidence stems from the project’s core strengths. As I’ve said before, if Mr. Li has any specific concerns, we are happy to address them with more detailed data and solutions.” His tone remained calm, but it conveyed a sense of camaraderie rather than a solitary edge.
As President Ji watched the two of them working together, her smile faded slightly. "Hehe, of course. I look forward to your even more精彩 performances later." After exchanging a few pleasantries, she excused herself and left.
Watching her departing figure, Cui Yu turned her head and said to Meng Yihe in a voice only the two of them could hear, "It seems we're being completely targeted."
At noon, the organizers arranged a buffet lunch, which was crowded and inevitably crowded when getting food. Just as Meng Yihe reached for a dish, a tall Alpha representative accidentally stepped back, his elbow about to collide with him. Cui Yu, who was next to him, almost instinctively reached out and gently pulled Meng Yihe's arm, bringing him a step closer to himself and skillfully avoiding the collision.
"Be careful." Cui Yu's voice was very low, and he immediately let go of Meng Yihe's hand after she regained her footing.
Meng Yihe's body stiffened slightly. The spot on his arm where he had been touched seemed to still retain a brief trace of force and warmth through the fabric of his suit. He pursed his lips and simply replied in a low voice, "Thank you."
The afternoon agenda includes breakout sessions, where the two individuals will each need to attend different themed meetings.
During the few hours they were apart, Meng Yihe found himself occasionally drifting off into thought. When pondering a particular issue, he would subconsciously wonder, "What does Cui Yu think about this?" He even took out his phone once and opened his chat with Cui Yu, but immediately closed it again. He was annoyed by this inexplicable distraction.
When the afternoon agenda was finished, the two met again at the exit of the venue.
"How is it?" the two asked each other almost simultaneously, both of them pausing for a moment.
"Let's go back," Cui Yu said.
"Mm." Meng Yihe nodded.
As the summit concluded, the hustle and bustle of Haicheng was left behind. Inside the first-class cabin, there was a greater sense of tranquility and weariness compared to when they arrived. After the plane stabilized, Cui Yu stretched his long legs and turned his head to look at Meng Yihe.
Meng Yihe was resting with his eyes closed, but his slightly trembling eyelashes showed that he was not asleep.
"The results this time are quite good," Cui Yu said. "At least, the 'North Star Light' brand has been initially established." His tone was affirmative, not only in evaluating the project but also in acknowledging the joint efforts of the two of them.
Meng Yihe slowly opened her eyes, not looking at Cui Yu, but her gaze fell on the back of the seat in front of her, and she softly hummed in response.
After a while, he added, "'Dingsheng' won't let this go."
"Of course not." Cui Yu chuckled, seemingly not too worried. "We'll just deal with whatever comes our way."
He changed the subject, his tone carrying a familiar teasing tone.
"Director Meng, did you not sleep well last night? I think I heard someone tossing and turning several times."
He deliberately brought up that sensitive topic.
His gaze fell on Meng Yihe's face, capturing the subtle changes in his expression. Meng Yihe's body stiffened for a moment, and his ears turned slightly red.
"I have trouble sleeping in unfamiliar beds."
But his tone remained calm, even with a hint of retort: "I can't compare to President Cui's carefree attitude; he can fall asleep anywhere."
"Oh?" Cui Yu raised an eyebrow, deliberately leaning closer and lowering his voice, "How did Director Meng know I fell asleep as soon as I lay down? Someone has been keeping a close eye on me, hasn't he?" His breath was warm as it brushed against Meng Yihe's ear.
Meng Yihe suddenly turned her head to glare at him, only to run right into Cui Yu's smiling eyes.
The distance is too close.
So close that you can clearly see yourself reflected in the other person's pupils.
"…Boring!" Meng Yihe reacted as if burned, quickly turning his head back and closing his eyes again. This time, he turned his entire body towards the window, adopting a posture of refusing to communicate. However, the slightly reddened tips of his ears indicated that he was not entirely unmoved. Cui Yu, seeing his expression, leaned back in his seat.
"Speaking of which, next time we go on a business trip, we need to make sure Zhao Lei or Lin Xueyue confirms the room availability in advance, so that we don't make this kind of blunder again." After he finished speaking, he observed Meng Yihe's reaction.
After a brief silence, Meng Yihe maintained her original posture, her tone deliberately cold: "Such a small matter should have been arranged in advance."
Instead of directly addressing whether to avoid "next time," she deftly deflected the ambiguous topic with a businesslike attitude.
Both of them fell silent.
Starworld Group, conference room.
"You're back? You've worked hard! The feedback has been excellent! 'Beichen Zhiguang' has gained a lot of attention and industry reputation all at once. Several top funds and brands that were previously hesitant have taken the initiative to contact us."
This is a great affirmation of their work.
Vice President Wang personally conveyed the board's commendation and announced a generous project bonus, while also promising to grant the "Beichen Light" project team greater authority and resources. However, after the commendation, the topic immediately shifted to a more practical direction—new challenges.
“High attention also means greater pressure and more eyes watching. The board of directors hopes that ‘Beichen Light’ can produce results more quickly and set a good example.”
Vice President Wang pushed a document over: "Based on the information and feedback you received at the summit, the board of directors wants you to immediately take action on two matters."
"First, we need to engage in in-depth negotiations with 'Blue Ocean Technology' to include their latest intelligent building management system in the core supplier list, which is crucial for the project's premium. Second, we need to refine the overall design of the western lakeside area, which will be the project's aesthetic and value proposition; it must be stunning and feasible."
The task is clear, the goal is well-defined, but the difficulty has increased.
"Mr. Wang of Blue Ocean Technology is notoriously difficult to deal with. He's a tech geek with extremely high standards. And the design of the lakeside area involves a complex interplay of factors, including environmental protection, landscaping, and architecture."
Vice President Wang looked at them and asked, "Time is tight and the task is heavy. Any questions?"
"No." Cui Yu and Meng Yihe answered almost simultaneously.
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