He Ye replied, “I got my award after starting graduate school, so it’s different.”

Cheng Rui said, “Let’s skip the compliments and talk business. Honestly, if I were the one making the choice, I wouldn’t even need to interview anyone. You’re the new teammate I want. But I’m not the team leader. He’s on a business trip and asked me to conduct the interview. So I’ll put you on the second interview list. When it’s time for the third interview, Team Leader will be back, and I’ll have him go directly to the director to get you.”

He Ye smiled and said, “It’s fine; just follow the normal procedures.”

Cheng Rui replied, “That won’t work. Other groups have several girls, so we need to add one more to our group.”

He Ye: “…”

Her face turned slightly red, and Cheng Rui quickly explained: “I was joking! Don’t worry; our team has a very positive atmosphere and respects our female colleagues.”

He Ye could only keep laughing.

Cheng Rui interviewed 15 people in a row and completed the task. He rushed back to the team office and announced: “Guys, I interviewed a super beautiful girl today!”

Four heads looked up from their computers. The remaining three didn’t raise their heads; one couple was there, and one of them was married.

The four single guys were excited: “Is this true? Anyone less beautiful than Qiu Yu isn’t considered a beauty!”

Feng Qiuyu, the only woman in the group, asked: “What do you mean?”

Her boyfriend Jiang Xu laughed while typing: “It means you are everyone’s standard of beauty.”

The singles, led by Cheng Rui, groaned together.

After joking, Cheng Rui said seriously: “She is really beautiful, like a campus beauty, and she’s shy and gentle.”

“Shy? Did you do something to ruin our operation control team’s image?”

“That’s unfair! I just said our team needs girls, and she blushed. Hehe.”

“That’s gross; your smile is too suggestive.”

“Ah, even the beauties are white and pretty. With Team Leader here, no woman will notice us.”

Cheng Rui replied: “Have a bit more confidence! Didn’t you see that Qiu Yu was clearly interested in Jiang Xu?”

Feng Qiuyu and Jiang Xu: …

After expressing his feelings, Cheng Rui sat at his workstation and pulled out his phone to take pictures of the resumes.

Feng Qiuyu asked: “Are you sending it to Team Leader? He usually screens the resumes himself.”

Cheng Rui said: “…I was so excited about the beautiful girl that I forgot.”

He gave up on taking pictures and called Team Leader, who was on a business trip. He reported on the interviews and urged him: “Team leader, you have to believe me; He Ye is definitely the best fit for our operations control!”

Everyone couldn’t hear Team Leader’s response, so when Cheng Rui hung up, they asked, “What did Team Leader say?”

Cheng Rui sighed: “Just do our usual work. Call Mr. Xu Ding.”

“That’s normal. Our team leader only cares about skills, not gender.”

“Hey, if you could just get Team Leader’s face, you wouldn’t be single at nearly thirty.”

“I don’t care about my pride; just give me ten centimeters of your legs.”

The second round of interviews was conducted by Human Resources, covering career plans and salary expectations.

He Ye prepared herself for possible questions about marriage in the next few years but thankfully, they didn’t ask.

“Mr. Xu isn’t in Ancheng right now. He will probably return the day after tomorrow. We’ll arrange the final interview when he gets back. You can go home and wait for the notification.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Although He Ye felt confident, she still worried during the waiting period. Would her salary be too high?

Finally, the opportunity for the interview came.

Mr. Xu seemed to be in his forties and had the aura of a successful man like Zhou Xiangming’s father. However, he spoke kindly and discussed everything with He Ye.

At the end of their conversation, Mr. Xu asked, “When can you start working?”

He Ye smiled and said, “I can start anytime.”

Mr. Xu replied: “Let’s do it next Monday. I’ll take a break for the next two days.”

He Ye left with a reserved smile. As soon as she left the Blue Ocean Building, she called Zhu Qing.

Zhu Qing asked, “What’s surprising? It’s obvious they want you. With your resume, you could pick any company in the industry!”

He Ye replied: “It’s not as great as you say.”

Zhu Qing insisted: “Stop being modest! I’ll treat you tonight!”

He Ye said: “You choose the restaurant; I don’t even know where the good food is right now.”

After finishing their call, Zhu Qing thought about it and sent a message to Zhou Xiangming: [He Ye went to Blue Ocean. This guy is definitely calling her back.]

Zhou Xiangming replied: [Oh…] 

Zhu Qing: [Oh, what? You sound strange.]

Zhou Xiangming: [I’m yawning. I didn’t sleep well last night.]

Zhu Qing: [Go away!]

Zhou Xiangming, not sleepy at all, called his good friend: “I don’t know if you still care, but I just found out that He Ye is back from graduate school and is going to work at Blue Ocean Robotics.”

“Um.”

“That’s your reaction? Lu Jin, I’m done with you. Tell me the truth today: do you still like He Ye? If not, I won’t bother trying to pry anymore!”

Silence followed.

Zhou Xiangming gritted his teeth and said, “Okay, let’s not talk about He Ye anymore. When are you coming home?”

Silence continued, but Zhou Xiangming thought he heard a whisper, like Lu Jin smiling in a way he knew well, wondering if Lu Jin was amusing himself.

During the weekend, He Ye officially moved into her own home, Room 901 of Building 6 of Dangui Jiayuan.

The house had been renovated long ago. He Yong and his wife hired a designer who designed it for young people’s tastes, taking He Ye’s opinions into account.

It had three bedrooms and two living rooms, making it very comfortable for each person.

He Ye only needed to move essential items, like textbooks and test papers from her college entrance exams, leaving the rest with her grandparents.

The only box she moved that wasn’t commonly used was labeled “First Love Souvenir” ^[1]refers to mementos from a first romantic relationship.. 

She didn’t want her grandmother, who liked to help clean and might open it, to find out what was inside.

The dress was easy to explain, but the jade necklace was hard to explain because she had never bought jewelry for herself or even pierced her ears.

After a busy day, the house finally felt lived-in.

Zhu Qing visited and was genuinely happy for He Ye: “When your father first got married, I worried about you. I was afraid they would give you a younger brother or sister.”

He Ye replied: “I also asked them why they didn’t want more kids. My dad said his legs and feet aren’t good, and he can’t take me out like when I was a child. It’s better not to have more kids. He worries the child might have a strong sense of self-esteem and dislike having a father like him.”

Zhu Qing: “How about Aunt?”

He Ye: “She got married young and had a daughter, but she passed away from an illness when she was eight. It was hard for her to cope, so she doesn’t want to have another child.”

Zhu Qing: “That’s understandable. It’s good they discussed it.”

He Ye: “I bought them tickets to Sanya ^[2]a city in China known for its beaches. and booked a hotel. They’ve worked hard all year, so they should enjoy themselves during the New Year.”

Zhu Qing: “Just let Uncle be romantic at the beach!”

He Ye: “When are you and Zhou Xiangming going to be romantic?”

Zhu Qing: “Who wants to be romantic with him! You’re the one asking for trouble. I told you not to bring it up, but you still did! A top student can have double standards, right? You used to get annoyed when I mentioned Lu Jin. How can I cooperate with you now?”

He Ye: *(avoids her while laughing)*

Monday arrived quickly.

Algorithm engineers work with computers daily, so their dress code is relaxed. Women are usually more concerned about their attire, but some male engineers dress casually.

Since it was cold, He Ye wore a sweater and a down jacket and just applied moisturizer on her face. She isn’t interested in makeup, so she never learned how to use it.

She took the subway to work.

Work started at 9:00 AM, so He Ye arrived at the company by 8:30 AM. There were many people waiting for the elevator. When she entered the hall, she saw an elevator just arrived, so she jogged to follow the last person in.

The algorithm department is on the tenth floor.

As colleagues on the lower floors exited, He Ye gradually moved back in the elevator until she stood in the rear left corner.

When the elevator reached the ninth floor, a tall man next to her stepped out.

The space became larger, and He Ye took a breath, glancing at two female colleagues who were quietly chatting, apparently going to the twelfth floor. She moved instinctively to the right corner of the elevator, looking down out of politeness.

Unexpectedly, there was a male colleague with a good physique standing there. His loose black shirt fit his broad chest and was tucked into his trousers. A black leather belt emphasized his slim waist.

His long legs created a pleasing proportion to his upper body, which even caught the attention of He Ye, who usually doesn’t notice such things.

Suddenly, the man pulled his hand from his pocket.

Against his black outfit, his hands looked exceptionally white and slender, with distinct joints.

With a “ding,” the elevator arrived.

He was the first to step out.

He Ye quickly followed him.

This was He Ye’s first time at the Algorithm Department.

She looked around nervously.

The tall man had taken a few steps when he noticed her and turned back.

He Ye was about to smile politely when she clearly saw his face.

His cold but familiar features and long, narrow black eyes radiated confidence.

At first, his gaze was casual, then he looked away. He took a couple more steps but then hesitated and turned back again.

He Ye lowered her head, her heart racing from this unexpected encounter.

The foundation of her feelings was quietly taking shape, and she felt her face heat up.

*Why is he here? I thought he was in the United States.*

Whether it was embarrassment or the silent scrutiny after so many years, He Ye felt frozen.

Lu Jin: “Long time no see, I almost didn’t recognize you.”

He spoke lightly, like he was greeting a classmate he wasn’t close to, which made He Ye feel more at ease.

What worried her most was that Lu Jin would speak to her in a way that reminded her of the past.

He Ye: “Ah, yes, do you work here?”

Lu Jin: “I’m the Head of the Operations Control Team. I saw your resume and wasn’t surprised President Xu chose you.”

Lu Jin: “He Ye, welcome to the team. If you have questions, feel free to ask.”

He Ye looked up blankly.

Lu Jin nodded casually and walked away, as if he had simply fulfilled a social duty.