Wu Xiankang ran around the factory and finally managed to borrow a hat, but it was an old-fashioned one meant for middle-aged men.

Shu Beiqiu expressionlessly held the dull gray hat in his hands.

“Ahem, I borrowed this from the head of the propaganda department,” Wu Xiankang explained.

Since their department only had one bald guy, and now the entire factory knew about it thanks to the loudspeaker announcement, the head of the propaganda department had immediately figured out who needed the hat. He had enthusiastically handed it over to Wu Xiankang.

“Try it on.” Another colleague urged.

Shu Beiqiu had no choice but to put it on. There weren’t any mirrors in the workshop, so he couldn’t see himself. But judging from the looks on his colleagues’ faces, he decisively took it off.

“It’s not that it looks bad… it’s just… it makes you look a few years older.”

“The head of propaganda department has a big head, but yours is smaller. It doesn’t quite fit right.”

In short, he looked better bald.

So Shu Beiqiu simply gave up on the hat. He washed his hands and face before running toward the factory’s front gate.

Lu Qingyuan knew the factory was large, so she wasn’t in a hurry. She sat inside the gatekeeper’s booth, chatting with the old man.

The old man was very talkative and proudly told her that his daughter was a teacher at the county high school.

Lu Qingyuan quickly asked which teacher. She had just graduated last year.

When the old man mentioned the name, she broke into a bright smile. “She was my Chinese teacher!”

“Oh! What a coincidence!”

The old man was just as surprised.

Lu Qingyuan then shared some funny moments from when her teacher was instructing their class. The old man listened with great joy and even poured her a cup of water.

By the time she finished the drink, Shu Beiqiu had arrived.

Seeing his completely bald head, Lu Qingyuan, who had already been warned by the barrage of comments, still nearly had her eyes blinded by the shine.

“Qingyuan, sorry to keep you waiting.”

Shu Beiqiu was slightly out of breath. He had run the entire way, and since the front gate was quite far from his department, he had sprinted for a full twenty minutes.

“Take a break first.” Lu Qingyuan tried her best not to let her gaze linger on his head. She pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to him.

Shu Beiqiu smiled, taking it to gently wipe the sweat from his forehead. “I got a haircut, but I didn’t expect it to be this short.”

He had only wanted to trim his hair a bit, but the distracted barber had shaved him completely bald.

“It still looks good,” Lu Qingyuan studied his new look carefully and praised, “You have nice features, so you look good no matter what hairstyle you have.”

Hearing this, Shu Beiqiu’s ears turned red. “Really? Then I guess I have to thank my parents for giving me good looks.”

“I’m thankful too,” Lu Qingyuan replied with a soft smile.

The moment their eyes met, the air between them became warm. They quickly looked away, each glancing in a different direction.

“I haven’t finished my shift yet,” Shu Beiqiu took a deep breath and turned back to her. “Come inside the factory with me first. We can eat at the cafeteria later, and after lunch, I’ll show you around. How does that sound?”

“Will it bother you? I came to bring you some canned vegetables,” Lu Qingyuan hesitated.

“It’s fine,” Shu Beiqiu easily lifted the bamboo basket beside her and slung it over his back. After registering her visit with the gatekeeper, he said, “Let’s go.”

Lu Qingyuan didn’t fuss. She bid farewell to the old man and walked in alongside Shu Beiqiu.

“You go ahead and work. I’ll just wander around nearby,” Lu Qingyuan said when they reached the technical department.

“Alright.”

Since it was still working hours, Shu Beiqiu knew he couldn’t stay too long. After making sure she was settled, he quickly returned to work.

Lu Qingyuan sat in a pavilion, taking in her surroundings.

The factory was livelier than the streets outside. The roads were filled with people coming and going, and the buildings were bustling with activity.

She even noticed that some of the buildings had multiple floors. Counting them, she saw one as tall as six stories.

There were more single-story buildings, but they were arranged neatly. The layout was much more organized than the haphazard rows and scattered structures in the county.

Before long, the factory’s loudspeaker began playing a lively song, signaling the lunch break.

Shu Beiqiu was the first to rush out of the techncal department. When Lu Qingyuan spotted him, she stood up.

The two of them headed to the first cafeteria. Shu Beiqiu found her a seat before going to line up for food.

Since they arrived early, it didn’t take long before he returned with a tray of food.

The factory’s meals were quite decent. Shu Beiqiu had gotten sauerkraut pork stew with glass noodles, stir-fried green beans, mapo tofu, and garlic stir-fried pork. He also brought back two large bowls of egg drop soup.

“This is quite the feast,” Lu Qingyuan said in surprise as she looked at the dishes.

Shu Beiqiu handed her a pair of chopsticks and chuckled. “This is the county’s largest factory. We contribute a lot to the local economy. Go on, give it a try.”

“Wait a second.” Lu Qingyuan opened a small jar of chili sauce and placed it in front of him. “Try my homemade chili sauce.”

“Alright.”

Shu Beiqiu’s eyes curved into a smile as he took the wooden spoon Lu Qingyuan handed him, scooping a spoonful into her bowl before serving himself as well.

“You’re really thoughtful, even bringing a wooden spoon.”

Shu Beiqiu praised her.

“I was afraid you wouldn’t have one.” Lu Qingyuan tasted a few dishes in front of her and felt a bit disappointed. “The dishes look good, but they taste like mass-produced cafeteria food, and there’s a little…”

“Watered down,” Shu Beiqiu leaned in and added softly, “The procurement department and the kitchen staff always find ways to skim a little off the top.”

“I figured.” Lu Qingyuan also lowered her voice. “But adding some chili sauce will make it much better.”

Shu Beiqiu agreed. The two sat in the corner, smiling as they finished their meal. Whatever Lu Qingyuan couldn’t eat, Shu Beiqiu finished for her.

The technical department members saw Shu Beiqiu eating with his partner. Though curious, they weren’t nosy and just waved at them from afar before heading to another area to eat.

After the meal, Shu Beiqiu took Lu Qingyuan to greet his dormitory roommates, as well as a few colleagues who lived nearby.

Once the two left the cafeteria, his coworkers couldn’t help but feel envious.

“This guy never dates, but when he does, his girlfriend turns out to be this stunning!”

“So unfair! Why don’t I have such a beautiful girlfriend?”

“Hey, if you say that, I might have to tattle on you the next time I see your girlfriend.”

“Brother, my bad! Let me make it up to you with dinner tonight!”

Shu Beiqiu first dropped off the bamboo basket at his dormitory before taking Lu Qingyuan for a walk around the factory grounds.

“There’s no need. I’ll be heading back soon.” Lu Qingyuan said.

“It’s fine. I swapped shifts with my roommate, so there’s no rush. Let’s go this way. It leads to the factory park, and the flowers there are in full bloom.” Shu Beiqiu said gently.

“Alright then.” Since he had already changed shifts, Lu Qingyuan didn’t want to spoil the mood, so she walked alongside him, asking about things she was curious about.

“This building,” Shu Beiqiu stopped in front of a dormitory and pointed at it, “is the residential building for employees who haven’t met the required years of service but are already married.”

Though it was just one building, it was quite large. Each floor had twenty doors lined up, meaning twenty households per floor, and the building itself had six floors.

Despite its size, there were no obstructions in front or behind it, allowing plenty of sunlight to filter through. It was also close to the factory park, though a bit farther from the work area, making bicycles the more convenient choice for commuting.

After all, the machinery factory was quite large.

Lu Qingyuan stood on tiptoe to look up at the upper floors. She could see many people moving around—some cooking at their doorways, others enjoying the breeze. It was lively.

“Would you prefer a room on the quieter side or in the middle where it’s busier?”

Shu Beiqiu turned to ask her.

Lu Qingyuan looked back at him, her cheeks slightly flushed. “A quieter one, preferably at the very end.”

“Got it. I’ll remember that.”

Shu Beiqiu nodded seriously.

The flowers in the factory park were indeed in full bloom. Every kind that could bloom in spring had blossomed, filling the air with a mix of fragrances. Lu Qingyuan couldn’t even tell which scent belonged to which flower, but she was delighted by the sight.

After taking in the scenery, the two walked to a small lake at the back. Behind the lake was a small hill.

“What’s beyond the hill?”

“More hills,” Shu Beiqiu pointed behind it. “The terrain keeps rolling on for quite a distance, all forested, but since it’s part of the factory’s property, there’s a protective fence. The farthest we can go is the top of this hill by the lake.”

“I see chestnut trees. Can we pick some when they ripen?”

“Of course. I’ll go with you when the time comes. I can climb trees.”

Shu Beiqiu emphasized his skill.

“Sounds good.” Lu Qingyuan looked at him and smiled.

As they were leaving the lake, a leaf fell onto Shu Beiqiu’s shaved head. He reached up to remove it while Lu Qingyuan covered her mouth, laughing.

Shu Beiqiu chuckled as well. “In a few days, my hair will grow back.”

Next time, he definitely wouldn’t shave his head completely.

“Guys’ hair grows so fast.” Lu Qingyuan couldn’t help but be envious. Her brothers at home were the same—getting frequent haircuts, yet their hair always grew back quickly and thickly.

“Your hair is beautiful too, so black and shiny.” Shu Beiqiu complimented her as he took out two hair ties from his pocket. “I saw these when I was in town and bought them for you.”

They were simple designs—one had a white pearl, and the other had a blue square charm.

Lu Qingyuan took them and gestured for Shu Beiqiu to extend his hand.

Shu Beiqiu obediently did as told.

His palms were large, and his fingers looked nice. Lu Qingyuan liked them.

She put the blue square hair tie around his right wrist.

Then, she swapped out her old hair tie and used the pearl one for her ponytail.

“I heard that when a guy wears a girl’s hair tie on his wrist, it means he’s taken.”

Lu Qingyuan clasped her hands behind her back, looking up at him as she spoke softly.

“I’ll wear it every day.”

Shu Beiqiu bent down, resting his forehead against hers.

Both their foreheads were nice-looking—and warm.

Lu Qingyuan’s face turned even redder. “I should go back now.”

Shu Beiqiu smiled, straightened up, and naturally extended his hand. “Let’s go back to the dorm first to get your things. Then I’ll walk you to the station.”

There weren’t many people around. Lu Qingyuan blinked, then followed her heart and placed her hand in his. “Alright.”

Before leaving the factory, Shu Beiqiu had to register his departure.

The old gatekeeper grinned at the two of them. “Going out for a stroll in the afternoon? You should go to the big lake for a boat ride! The factory’s lake is too small—you can only look at it, not row a boat.”

“We’ll definitely go when we have time.”

Lu Qingyuan responded. When they reached the factory gate, she gently pulled her hand back and explained to Shu Beiqiu that there were too many people outside, and she was too shy.

Shu Beiqiu followed her lead and let go. Their palms were damp with sweat, both of them nervous.