In a temporary meeting room at the resort, the sound of typing filled the air. Everyone had been dragged into a remote meeting—a problem had cropped up in a joint project with an outside company. They'd been busy since morning, even having lunch delivered. No choice—tight deadline, and the other side was pressing.
At four in the afternoon, the waiter brought afternoon tea, and everyone finally took a break.
"Lulin, take a break. Come have some tea," Jiang Ming called out.
Without even looking up, Chu Lulin replied, "No thanks, I'm fine."
Jiang Ming, used to this kind of response, muttered something and went to grab some snacks.
Though it was a break, it didn't last long. After twenty minutes, they were back at their computers. Jiang Ming, sitting opposite Chu Lulin, stretched and was about to dive into work when he saw Chu Lulin suddenly close his laptop and start packing up.
"What are you doing?" he asked in surprise.
Chu Lulin kept packing. "I've sent my part to the group chat. The data's been confirmed with the engineer on their side—no issues."
Jiang Ming blinked, then his eyes widened. "You... you're done?" His part was the most complex of all.
Chu Lulin gave a soft "Mm."
Jiang Ming's face lit up with hope. "Then help me out—I'm stuck right here." Everyone else in the room looked over expectantly too.
Without even glancing his way, Chu Lulin replied coldly, "No."
Jiang Ming, caught off guard, froze for a second. By the time he came to, Chu Lulin was already heading for the door.
"Hey, where are you going?"
Without turning back, Chu Lulin left the room with a cold "Something came up."
Everyone: "..."
Zheng Hui watched him leave, a guess forming in her mind. Yesterday, Jian Ran had been eager to try the outdoor hot springs. Chu Lulin leaving now probably had something to do with that.
Jiang Ming, seeing he was really gone, sighed in complaint. "He actually left. What's so urgent?" Honestly, he really needed help, or he'd probably be up all night.
Zheng Hui shot him a look and said, "Serves you right!" Why did he have to jinx it yesterday? When he sent her away, he could've used any excuse—why did he have to pick 'project problems'? Now it really was a problem, and their nice vacation turned into overtime.
Jiang Ming dared not talk back, his regret filling him. He'd have to keep his mouth shut from now on, or his words might come true.
When Chu Lulin came to find Jian Ran, she had just changed into her swimsuit and was about to leave. Figuring she might as well since she was here, she decided to go to the outdoor hot springs—nothing else to do. But when she opened the door, she nearly bumped into Chu Lulin, who was about to knock. "What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised.
"Just finished work, thought I'd join you," he replied with a smile.
Jian Ran glanced behind him. "Where's everyone else?" If they were all done, they could go together.
"Still working," Chu Lulin explained. "Same project, but each of us has different responsibilities."
Jian Ran said "Oh," not really understanding their project and not asking further.
They went to the outdoor hot spring area, which was nearly empty. Jian Ran picked a pool she liked and sank into the warm water, letting out a satisfied sigh. Sitting in the steaming water, she admired the surrounding mountains, the red leaves, and the rare purple sunset.
After a long moment of enjoyment, she closed her eyes, feeling the warmth on her skin. The beauty of an outdoor hot spring was that above the water, the air was crisp and cold, with visible mist from each breath, while below, the water was a constant, gentle warmth. The interplay of hot and cold, the boundary of ice and fire on the skin—that was the most wonderful experience.
Chu Lulin's gaze involuntarily fell on her. Though Jian Ran often joked about having the face of a 'female villain,' there was no denying she was beautiful. Her features were delicate, her skin fair and smooth, and her peach-blossom eyes shimmered—a beauty that was both striking and distant. Today, without makeup, her damp bangs clung to her cheeks, and the steam of the hot spring had added a faint blush, giving her an unexpected touch of pure charm.
He watched her from beneath half-lowered lashes, his eyes slightly reddened, a deep, unreadable look in them. After a long pause, he took a deep breath and silently looked away.
Jian Ran, having indulged herself, opened her eyes in satisfaction. She turned to Chu Lulin, about to say something, but suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed on his face. The misty steam made his lips and skin stand out even more. She licked her lips and moved closer to him, her intention unmistakable.
But Chu Lulin moved away. "...No."
Jian Ran's eyes widened. What, not even a kiss? Was he really going to get spoiled and act up, like Lu Chuchu had said?
A hint of helplessness crossed Chu Lulin's eyes. "Really, I can't. We're outside—it wouldn't look good."
Jian Ran didn't understand. Did he mean kissing outside wasn't appropriate?
"Big sister, please understand," he sighed, his gaze dropping meaningfully downward, his tone resigned. "This is the limit of my restraint."
Jian Ran was stunned for a few seconds, then it hit her. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but only managed an "Oh." Then... she silently moved back.
She couldn't help recalling that day in the bathroom, when she'd inadvertently felt his physical reaction. A small smile tugged at her lips. Tsk, he really was at that vibrant, energetic age. Alright, she admitted, Chu Lulin's honesty pleased her.
*
Happy times always fly by, and the five-day, four-night hot spring vacation came to an end. Because Jiang Ming and the others had stayed up late the night before, they rushed to check out before noon, had a final lunch at the resort restaurant, and boarded the bus back.
After two hours, the bus stopped at A University's gate. Everyone got off drowsily, yawning, clearly planning to sleep when they got back.
Jian Ran called Chu Lulin over to her car and pulled a brand-new pair of sneakers from the trunk, handing them to him. "Here, a belated birthday gift."
Chu Lulin paused, then smiled. "Is my sister so generous with everyone?"
She'd just fulfilled his birthday wish, and now she'd prepared another gift.
Jian Ran shot him a look that said 'What are you thinking?' "Of course, it depends on the person." She wasn't some atm. "But honestly, you're the second man I've been willing to spend this much on."
Chu Lulin raised an eyebrow. "Second?" Who was the first?
"Qin Siyan." Every time that kid came back and used her card, it made her wince.
Seeing he was reluctant to accept, Jian Ran patted his arm and teased him. "Isn't there a saying online: 'Where the money goes, the love goes'? Just take it, don't worry."
Chu Lulin paused. He knew she probably didn't mean it that way, but he couldn't help repeating, "Where the money goes... love goes?"
Jian Ran smiled and nodded. "Right." Affection counted as love too, after all.
He watched her car drive away, then turned and headed back to school. Passing the bus, he ran into Jiang Ming, who had just got his suitcase.
"Well, well, rare to see you alone. It's still early—why not go with Sister Ran for dinner or something?" Jiang Ming teased.
Chu Lulin glanced at him and replied briefly, "She's busy." On the way back, Jian Ran had gotten a call from Su Jin, asking her to stop by the studio that afternoon.
Jiang Ming thought, no wonder. His gaze shifted to the shoebox in Chu Lulin's hands and his eyes lit up. "From Sister Ran?"
Chu Lulin gave a soft "Mm."
"Wow, Sister Ran's really generous," Jiang Ming said enviously. Almost no guy could turn down sneakers like those—leaving aside the price, they were extremely hard to get.
"Confess—do you like Sister Ran because you want to live off her?" After the expensive suit last time, and now these shoes, Jiang Ming felt jealousy twisting his face.
Luckily, he hadn't seen the even more expensive watch.
A flicker of barely perceptible pride crossed Chu Lulin's eyes. "I'm already living off her." If where the money goes, love goes, he wouldn't mind having this sort of arrangement forever. After all, he was the first man Jian Ran had spent that much on—Qin Siyan didn't count.
Jiang Ming laughed, not getting the point. "Since when did you get so funny?"
Chu Lulin gave him a faint look, said nothing, and walked away.
*
Su Jin hadn't called Jian Ran for anything major—the Embroidery Workshop was about to host a television interview on intangible cultural heritage, and she wanted Jian Ran to handle it. It wasn't a big deal; Jian Ran had slowly been taking on more responsibility at the workshop, and she'd eventually have to do this sort of thing, so she didn't refuse. With that settled and nothing else to do, she stayed for dinner with Su Jin before heading home.
She got back to the neighborhood at nine in the evening, parked in the underground garage, and took the elevator to the first floor. She wanted to grab a few popsicles from the convenience store at the entrance. Perhaps it was the effect of the hot springs, but on the way back, she'd felt a restless heat inside and craved something cold.
The walk from her building to the entrance wasn't far, and Jian Ran soon returned. Swinging a plastic bag, she strolled along. As she turned the corner to enter her building, her gaze suddenly caught a black car not far away, and she stopped short.
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Author's note: Here we go~