Chapter 041

He Ye and Lu Jin had only finished half their breakfast when someone else approached their table.

He Ye thought it was a colleague from her team, but when she looked up, she saw a completely unfamiliar face. The man had very fair skin but looked a bit tired, with dark circles under his eyes and glasses that didn’t hide them.

He looked at her a few times before speaking to Lu Jin: “Is this the new beautiful colleague in your team?”

He Ye remained silent and continued eating.

She heard Lu Jin hum lightly.

The man sat next to Lu Jin, adjusted his glasses, and told He Ye like a concerned friend: “Girl, you just graduated, right? Let me tell you, I’ve known Lu Jin for a year, and I’ve never seen him sit with a female colleague before. Be careful.”

It was a lighthearted joke, with no malice.

He Ye smiled and looked at Lu Jin.

Lu Jin introduced her: “Mr. Fang, the head of the visual team, and a hard worker.”

He Ye realized who he was. The day before, Feng Qiuyu mentioned Fang Yuan, who was known for working late. Colleagues nicknamed him “Fang Yuanwai” because of this ^[1]which refers to a popular nickname for him based on his work habits..

Mr. Fang was in his early thirties, a bit plump, and looked friendly. In contrast, Lu Jin seemed more serious.

He Ye nodded at Mr. Fang.

Mr. Fang waited for Lu Jin to introduce He Ye, but Lu Jin just kept eating.

He Ye couldn’t imitate Lu Jin’s arrogance, so she smiled and said, “I’m He Ye, Ye as in leaf.”

Mr. Fang began chatting enthusiastically: “Don’t listen to their nonsense. I don’t want to work late either, but the people in my team are unmotivated. If I don’t finish my tasks, Mr. Xu will definitely criticize me. So, to avoid criticism, I have to get everyone to work late. Don’t you think so?”

He Ye nodded, understanding.

She wasn’t very outgoing, but Mr. Fang continued: “By the way, do you have a boyfriend? My mom has been urging me to find one since I graduated. No one is more anxious to find a boyfriend than me.”

Lu Jin glanced at He Ye and said calmly, “You don’t deserve one.”

Mr. Fang wasn’t angry and jokingly replied, “Why not? I may not be as handsome or fit as you, but I’m still a decent-looking middle-aged man at Blue Ocean. Besides, I’m trying to lose weight, and I’ll look even better!”

Without waiting for He Ye to respond, Lu Jin added, “Too old.”

He Ye found it amusing and tried to hold back her laughter.

It was clear Mr. Fang didn’t really want to pursue her; he was just used to teasing Lu Jin.

“By the way, why do you want to sit with He Ye?” Mr. Fang asked.

Lu Jin replied simply, “Old classmates.”

Mr. Fang joked, “No way you look like you’re the same age…”

He Ye couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore.

Lu Jin glanced at her but quickly looked away, ignoring Mr. Fang, who laughed along.

After finishing their meal, Lu Jin cleared his plate and said to He Ye, who had finished eating, “Let’s go.”

He Ye said goodbye to Mr. Fang and followed Lu Jin.

As they walked down the corridor, it was just the two of them. Lu Jin looked at He Ye and said, “If you don’t mind Mr. Fang’s age and appearance, he’s decent in other ways. If you’re interested, I can introduce you.”

He Ye laughed, “He was just joking.” 

Lu Jin replied, “It’s a test. If you showed interest, he would get serious right away.”

There are many types of beauties. Some are so stunning that ordinary men hesitate to approach them, while others are quiet and friendly, making it seem like anyone could win their affection.

Both types are beautiful, but it’s their personalities that set them apart.

He Ye belongs to the second group.

Lu Jin understands her vulnerabilities better than anyone. Only when she’s truly backed into a corner does she show her defensive side.

He Ye didn’t notice the complex look in her ex-boyfriend’s eyes and continued, “Forget it, I just started working; I’m not in a rush to find a boyfriend.”

Even if she wanted to date, Mr. Fang didn’t spark her interest.

Lu Jin stopped walking, pressed the elevator button, and looked over at her: “Guess how many single men work in the company? Soon, they’ll be lining up to bring you breakfast and milk tea again.”

His teasing compliment made He Ye blush. It might have felt better if someone else had said it, but it was Lu Jin.

Half of his charm comes from his dark, intense eyes.

No matter what emotion Lu Jin wants to express, it becomes more powerful when the person he’s talking to meets his gaze.

For instance, when they were first assigned to the same class, other students made He Ye anxious, but Lu Jin could make her so nervous that she would avoid him.

Similarly, when Lu Jin wanted to kiss her, he often conveyed it through his eyes before making any move.

To He Ye, Lu Jin’s gaze and touch had the same strong effect.

The more intimate he was with her, the more difficult it became for her to handle his stare. This is where her intense embarrassment came from; every glance from him replayed their past moments in her mind.

The elevator arrived.

As if to prove Lu Jin’s earlier words, the moment the elevator door opened, all the men inside stared at He Ye for a few seconds.

It was just like in college; every time He Ye walked into a large classroom, especially one combining several classes, she felt those eyes on her.

Some people stepped aside to let them through.

Lu Jin entered first and signaled for He Ye to stand in front of him.

In this position, He Ye faced the clear elevator door.

She could see Lu Jin’s white shirt but couldn’t make out his features.

The elevator stopped on each floor, and they had to shift around each other.

It reminded her of when they used to ride the bus together. Back then, Lu Jin would hold her hand or support her shoulders. Now, even when he took protective actions, he kept a distance.

After reaching their office, they separated and started a new workday.

After lunch, there was about an hour of rest time.

He Ye sat on the sofa, reading a research magazine. Feng Qiuyu sat next to her, while Jiang Xu leaned on the sofa, massaging his girlfriend’s shoulders.

Cheng Rui joked, “Don’t go too far; it’s illegal to abuse dogs in the company.” ^[2]refers to making fun of someone.

Feng Qiuyu replied, “Hurry up and research an advanced version of Da Zhuang.”

Cheng Rui laughed, “When I live to be 80, maybe I can make that dream come true. Hey, are you tired, junior sister? Want to take turns giving massages?”

Gong Hang, who looked like he might fall asleep on the single sofa, suddenly opened his eyes and gave Cheng Rui a knowing look.

Cheng Rui asked, “What’s with that look? My feelings for my junior schoolmate are purely brotherly love.”

At that moment, Lu Jin entered the office with a large fruit platter.

Brother Qiang exclaimed, “Hey, Team Leader is giving out benefits again!”

After he shouted, several employees gathered around the rest area.

Lu Jin placed the fruit platter on the coffee table and sat between Cheng Rui and Song Chengzhou.

Feng Qiuyu picked up a cherry and said, “Team Leader has two completely different styles in black and white. The black is serious, while the white is more like a campus heartthrob.” ^[3]refers to an attractive male student.

Brother Qiang asked, “Will you comment on me too?”

Cheng Rui said, “Don’t embarrass yourself. Jiang Xu doesn’t even get that treatment. Our looks aren’t good enough for comments.”

Feng Qiuyu laughed as she ate the cherries.

He Ye, usually quiet, was peeling a tangerine.

Suddenly, the office door swung open again. Everyone looked up to see Mr. Fang from the next group hurriedly walking towards them.

Cheng Rui joked, “Mr. Fang has a great nose. Every time Team Leader gives out benefits, Mr. Fang comes running from far away.”

He moved aside to make room for Mr. Fang.

Mr. Fang sat down without hesitation, took some fruit, and glanced at He Ye. He asked Lu Jin, “Can you help me find someone? If can’t, we have outstanding singles in our group. He Ye can pick anyone. Let’s keep this opportunity for dating within the department.” 

Lu Jin smiled and looked at Cheng Rui.

Cheng Rui responded, “Are you saying Mr. Fang wants to pursue He Ye?”

Mr. Fang replied, “If that’s the case, who among the single guys here wouldn’t want to pursue someone?” 

Brother Qiang said, “Knowing this, how dare you try to steal her?”

As they talked, Brother Qiang, Cheng Rui, and Liu Fei set down their fruits and worked together to push Mr. Fang out.

Mr. Fang protested, “What’s the point of just guarding against me? Lu Jin is the real catch. I saw him having breakfast with He Ye this morning. They are old classmates!”

In the rest area, Feng Qiuyu and others stared at Lu Jin and He Ye in shock, especially Lu Jin.

Putting everything aside, they had been working together for a year. Except for work needs, when had Lu Jin ever been this close to a female colleague?

Feng Qiuyu was the first to speak, asking He Ye, “So you and Team Leader are old classmates?”

He Ye awkwardly replied, “We went to high school together.”

Feng Qiuyu exclaimed, “Doesn’t that mean you’ve known each other for a long time?”

He Ye thought about the two strangers she had interacted with over the past two days and concluded, “We know each other, but we’re not very familiar.” 

Except for Gong Hang, who seemed to think deeply, the other male colleagues accepted this explanation. After all, everyone noticed how indifferent their team leader was. 

Feng Qiuyu looked at Lu Jin, who was calmly eating fruit, and asked, “If you’re not familiar with him, why did Team Leader have breakfast with you?” 

He Ye tried to hide her guilt and replied, “We talked about today’s work.” 

Cheng Rui realized what was happening and looked at Feng Qiuyu, saying, “Do you think Team Leader likes He Ye? Hahaha, that’s impossible. Not that He Ye isn’t good, but our team leader just isn’t the type to show interest.” He added that Lu Jin was not as attentive as Gong Hang, who had previously given strawberries and rushed to take He Ye home. 

Feng Qiuyu pointed to the large fruit plate on the coffee table. 

Cheng Rui responded, “That doesn’t count; Team Leader has treated us to meals before.” 

Feng Qiuyu was about to say more, but He Ye interrupted, “Okay, everyone, stop joking. Team Leader and I are just ordinary old classmates.” 

After a long silence, Lu Jin finally spoke, “If you have too much free time, go to work.” 

He didn’t look at anyone, but it felt like his words were aimed at everyone in the room, making the atmosphere noticeably colder. 

After saying that, Lu Jin left. 

Fortunately, everyone was used to his cold demeanor, and soon the rest area became lively again. Feng Qiuyu even offered He Ye a piece of fruit as an apology. 

Feng Qiuyu was carefree, while He Ye worried that Lu Jin might actually be upset. 

She observed him for the rest of the afternoon, and his behavior was normal. Around six o’clock, he was the first to leave work and reminded everyone to go home early. 

Feng Qiuyu peeked out from behind the screen and smiled at He Ye, saying, “Look, our team leader is really nice. He doesn’t force you to work late unless it’s necessary.” 

He Ye smiled back. 

Feng Qiuyu, unable to suppress his curiosity, asked, “Um, you really didn’t know each other before?” 

It was hard not to imagine a story involving two attractive people like them. 

He Ye replied, “Really.” 

While Lu Jin might know her well—personality, family, or even body—He Ye realized her understanding of him was superficial. She only knew he was handsome, smart, and athletic, but didn’t know much else. 

She hadn’t thought about getting to know him better, or perhaps there was never a chance, since every time they met during that summer, it was either on the bus to tutoring or in an empty stairwell. 

All she knew was that Lu Jin had a cold personality but was greedy in some ways.