Though those hands were a part of her life, she hadn’t touched them as much as he had that summer. 

A strange warmth flooded her ears as memories surged, and she forced herself to focus. 

“Hey, why is your face so red?” 

Cheng Rui, yawning, walked by and noticed He Ye’s appearance. 

Song Chengzhou also looked over, curious. 

He Ye wished she could disappear. 

Cheng Rui laughed, “You’re nervous, huh? It happens. Girls blush when they walk by Team Leader; his presence is just too strong.” 

He Ye couldn’t take it. Back when Lu Jin was seventeen, she would go out of her way to avoid him at school. 

Now, he was more commanding, and there were many more unspoken secrets between them than back in high school. 

“Complete this first, and ask me anything if you have questions,” Lu Jin said, before leaving. 

He Ye felt her expression return to normal as he walked away. 

Cheng Rui then looked over at her, “You seem too soft, like a high schooler.” 

He Ye shot him a glare. 

Cheng Rui teased, “Why don’t you glare at Team Leader instead?” 

Just then, Feng Qiuyu walked in, sensing something was off, and asked, “What’s up with Team Leader? Why are you glaring at him?” 

He Ye quickly replied, “It’s nothing to do with him; Cheng Rui just jokes too much.” 

“Ignore this elementary school kid,” Feng Qiuyu said. 

Brother Qiang chuckled, “Looks like Jiaotong University has a youth policy; their graduates look younger than they are.” 

He Ye and Cheng Rui were left speechless. 

Everyone continued working in the quiet office. 

Suddenly, Cheng Rui shouted in frustration, “Ah, Da Zhuang, you’re so weak!” 

He Ye looked up, confused.

Feng Qiuyu, Song Chengzhou, and the three brave coworkers sitting across from Lu Jin all gathered around Cheng Rui’s desk, staring at his computer. “What happened to Da Zhuang?” they asked.

Feng Qiuyu explained to He Ye, “Da Zhuang is the name Cheng Rui gave to the test model.”

He Ye raised an eyebrow: “…”

Curious, she stepped closer. Cheng Rui was demonstrating while complaining, “It can handle a load of 45 kg, but it can’t climb with just 5 kg. I gave it a great name!”

Brother Qiang said, “That’s normal. You’ll succeed after trying a few hundred times.”

Cheng Rui replied, “I don’t love it anymore.”

After the excitement, Feng Qiuyu was ready to leave. He Ye stepped back to make room for her but accidentally bumped into someone behind her.

Quickly, she apologized. Turning around, she saw a broad chest covered by a black shirt, buttoned all the way to the top. Lu Jin was the only one dressed so formally in the group.

He Ye avoided looking at his face and walked away quickly.

Sitting back at her desk, He Ye thought about the day. She chatted privately with Cheng Rui and made a small suggestion.

Soon, she heard Cheng Rui typing on the keyboard.

He Ye smiled and focused on her own tasks.

After lunch, Cheng Rui continued working while Feng Qiuyu pulled He Ye over to the sofa to rest.

Feng Qiuyu glanced at Gong Hang, who was busy, and quietly asked, “Did something happen after we separated last night? Gong Hang hasn’t been courteous to you today.”

Being adults, and knowing He Ye was attractive, Feng Qiuyu wondered why Gong Hang’s enthusiasm only lasted a day.

He Ye thought for a moment, shook her head, and whispered, “Maybe it was just a joke.”

Feng Qiuyu said, “Impossible! He’s too proud to be polite to female colleagues he isn’t interested in.”

He Ye didn’t know the answer either.

Just then, Lu Jin entered the room.

Feng Qiuyu openly admired her team leader. Once he sat at his desk, she smiled at He Ye and said, “Having such an attractive team leader motivates me to come to work.”

He Ye shot her a warning look to keep her voice down.

Feng Qiuyu replied, “It’s fine; he knows I’m just a simple fangirl over him.”

He Ye thought, “…”

Suddenly, her phone vibrated.

He Ye checked her phone and saw a message from the “Team Leader.”

Feng Qiuyu glanced at the screen and, noticing He Ye quickly blackening the screen out of guilt, said teasingly, “Who is it? Why are you so nervous?”

Even though Feng Qiuyu was speaking quietly, her voice carried through the office.

Cheng Rui perked up, curious, “What’s going on?”

He Ye had no way to explain, so she went to the meeting room alone. She sat with her back to the others and, worried someone might sneak up on her, moved to a diagonal seat, farthest away from everyone else.

Feng Qiuyu laughed, “He Ye, you’re so funny, hiding everywhere! If it were me, I would just go outside to send the message.”

He Ye thought that if she didn’t have to walk past Lu Jin’s desk, she would have left by now.

She glanced at Lu Jin and noticed he was looking at her with his cold eyes.

He Ye quickly looked down and unlocked her phone.

Team Leader: [Have you been in contact with Zhou Xiangming?]

He Ye froze for a moment: [I guess so. He and Zhu Qing went to the same university. Zhu Qing mentions him when we chat, and she mentions me when she talks to him. We’ve kept in touch ever since.]

Team Leader: [He came to see me last night.]

He Ye replied: […He told me. Did he cause you trouble? I didn’t know you hadn’t told him you were back in China.]

Team Leader: [Not really. I was so busy that I forgot. I wanted to meet up during the Chinese New Year this year.]

He Ye thought: [I see.]

In her heart, she didn’t really believe him. She felt he was too cold and had let Zhou Xiangming down.

Team Leader: [You don’t seem to believe it.]

He Ye felt pressured under his gaze.

She continued typing: [It doesn’t matter what I think. If you still consider Zhou Xiangming a friend, you should go explain to him.]

Before Lu Jin could reply, Zhou Xiangming’s message popped up: [He Ye, what time do you finish work tonight? I’ll pick you and Zhu Qing up for a good get-together as true friends.]

He Ye asked: [You want to come to our company?]

Zhou Xiangming replied: [Yes, I want to show someone what a good brother he missed.]

He Ye thought: …

At 5 PM, no one left the office. By 6 PM, Lu Jin stood up.

Cheng Rui asked, “Team Leader, are you done?”

Lu Jin replied, “Yeah, you guys should leave early too.”

He left first.

Cheng Rui was the second to pack up. He happily thanked He Ye: “My junior sister helped me a lot today. If I work for another day tomorrow, I can handle Da Zhuang.”

Brother Qiang laughed, “So he is a high school student, and you are an elementary school student.”

Everyone laughed.

Since Zhou Xiangming had already arrived, He Ye quickly wrapped up her work and was the fourth person to leave the office.

As soon as she stepped outside, she saw a car parked in front of the company. Lu Jin stood next to the driver’s seat, talking to Zhou Xiangming, who looked defiant.

Zhu Qing waved at her from the back seat, smiling.

The two men looked at her.

He Ye walked over quickly.

Zhou Xiangming smirked, “He Ye got on the bus; I don’t know anyone else.”

Lu Jin lowered his gaze, turned around, and was about to leave.

He Ye softened her heart. Besides, the argument between the two was partly her fault. She quickly called Lu Jin to stop him and tried to persuade Zhou Xiangming: “We’re all friends. Let’s eat together?”

Zhou Xiangming and Zhu Qing looked at her in disbelief from the car window.

He Ye winked at Zhu Qing.

Zhu Qing coughed and suggested to Zhou Xiangming: “Forget it, don’t be so stingy.”

Zhou Xiangming replied, “I’m stingy? Fine, I’m stingy. You get out of the car, and let him take you to eat. I’ll go home alone.”

Lu Jin, who had been parked quietly on the side of the road, was about to leave again.

He Ye anxiously pulled his sleeve and looked at Zhou Xiangming for help.

Zhou Xiangming snorted, shot a few angry looks at Lu Jin, and reluctantly told him the restaurant’s name, allowing Lu Jin to drive over by himself.

Of course, He Ye got into Zhou Xiangming’s car.

Zhu Qing stretched her neck to look at Lu Jin’s shiny black Panamera. She said, “Don’t mention it. I really want to enjoy a luxury car.”

Zhou Xiangming: “…”