The phone on the coffee table kept lighting up with incoming calls from Liang Mu. Lu Yan lay on the couch, looking a bit dazed. The curtains in the living room were drawn tightly, blocking out any daylight. Only the glow from an all-night TV commercial added a faint light to the dim room.

Lu Yan wasn’t sure how he’d fallen asleep on the couch, nor why he’d dreamed of something from so long ago.

Since he and Wei Yuhe had parted ways, it wasn’t like he hadn’t dreamed of him before. But usually, those dreams were filled with painful memories. He almost never dreamed of the days when he was pursuing Wei Yuhe.

Although a lot of time had passed, he hadn’t expected that he would still remember every little moment of his time with Wei Yuhe so vividly.

Through the dream, it felt as if he’d traveled back to a few years ago. Even when he tried not to think about it, memories of Wei Yuhe seemed to have taken root and grown in his mind, impossible to forget.

In the end, he did manage to win over Wei Yuhe. It was the first time he’d treated a relationship with such seriousness.

Lu Yan wasn’t sure how long he would be able to keep liking him, but at that moment, he really, truly liked Wei Yuhe.

He had never liked anyone else the way he liked Wei Yuhe.

Their love had been pure and passionate. For a long time, being with Wei Yuhe had made him genuinely happy.

Lu Yan rubbed his temples, slouching on the couch in a somewhat defeated posture.

It was just a brief encounter with Wei Yuhe yesterday, yet it had stirred up long-buried emotions, making him feel out of control.

He couldn’t help but touch his neck, as if he could still feel the faint touch of Wei Yuhe’s fingers. It didn’t hurt anymore, and there wasn’t really any sensation left.

But Lu Yan still felt a warm, itchy feeling around his neck, knowing full well it was just his mind playing tricks on him.

The phone on the coffee table rang again, snapping him out of his daze, and he finally picked up the call.

“Are you up? Want me to come pick you up?” Liang Mu’s voice came through the phone.

“Pick me up? For what?” Lu Yan asked, momentarily confused.

“Weren’t you planning to go to the company to discuss the contract termination?” Liang Mu reminded him.

Lu Yan was silent for a moment before saying, “I’m not going.”

“Why not?” Liang Mu’s voice rose several notches, and even through the phone, Lu Yan could imagine him frowning deeply.

“No reason.” Lu Yan genuinely didn’t know how to explain it—he honestly didn’t have a reason.

The marks on his neck were still visible, and he could still picture Wei Yuhe’s disgusted expression.

He didn’t really catch what else Liang Mu said after that; he was in a fog, looking somewhat dazed.

Seeing Wei Yuhe again had hit him harder than he’d expected, leaving him unable to think straight.

Finally, his phone screen lit up with a notification from the department group chat, announcing that everyone was to meet at the company that afternoon for a meeting.

Lu Yan frowned, taking a while to process it. He’d been with Azure Studio for quite a while, but they’d never had a mandatory group meeting like this before.

Could it be because they were just a small studio before? Now that they’d been acquired, the rules were stricter? No wonder they’d insisted he come back to the country.

Lu Yan couldn’t help but think of Wei Yuhe, but he quickly shook his head. Judging by how much Wei Yuhe had seemed to despise him last night, he highly doubted it was all about him.

Besides, it was a Thursday—not even his regular day to report to the office. How annoying.

Lu Yan hadn’t told Liang Mu he’d be going to the company, but as he stepped outside, he ran into him downstairs. He couldn’t tell if Liang Mu had just arrived or had been waiting a while.

“Going to the company?” Liang Mu asked, though he sounded more certain than inquisitive.

Lu Yan nodded, and Liang Mu didn’t press further, simply motioning for him to get in the car.

The ride was mostly silent, with an odd tension hanging in the air.

In recent years, Lu Yan hadn’t seen much of Liang Mu. One was based in the country, the other overseas, and their paths rarely crossed.

If someone had told Lu Yan a few years ago that he and Liang Mu would end up in this weirdly awkward yet familiar state, he would’ve thought they were crazy.

But life is unpredictable, and here they were—awkwardly familiar with each other.

When they arrived at the company, it wasn’t even four o’clock yet. Liang Mu followed Lu Yan inside, clearly making himself at home.

“Maybe you should head back?” Lu Yan suggested.

Glancing at him, Liang Mu decisively refused, “I’ll stay with you.”

“Why? I’m just going to a meeting,” Lu Yan said, exasperated.

“I’ll wait for you, then we’ll grab dinner together,” Liang Mu replied, unyielding, insisting on following Lu Yan into the elevator.

Lu Yan had only been to this office building a few times since returning to the country, so he got a bit turned around before finally finding the meeting room.

“Why don’t you find a spot to sit? I’m not sure how long it’ll take,” Lu Yan suggested.

After a quick look at the bustling people in the meeting room, Liang Mu finally nodded and turned to leave.

Once he was gone, Lu Yan breathed a big sigh of relief. He was about to enter the meeting room when he suddenly froze. His gaze collided with a pair of cold, deep eyes, making him feel uneasy.

He hadn’t noticed how long Wei Yuhe had been standing there, but now he was staring at him expressionlessly.

A strange pang of guilt washed over Lu Yan, although he couldn’t quite explain why he felt that way.

Only when Wei Yuhe started to walk closer did Lu Yan snap out of his daze. Behind Wei Yuhe was a young man in a suit, presumably his assistant.

Before Lu Yan could say anything, he heard Wei Yuhe’s icy voice, “Since when does the company let just anyone wander in?”

“Me?” Lu Yan was baffled.

“You come to a meeting and can’t help but bring a man with you?” Wei Yuhe’s tone grew colder, his gaze dripping with disdain as he looked down at Lu Yan, almost as if he were something unclean.

He took a step back, as if unwilling to be too close.

Lu Yan: “…”

Without waiting for an explanation, Wei Yuhe turned and entered the meeting room, leaving Lu Yan standing there, stunned and speechless.

What’s his problem…?

Lu Yan glared at his retreating back, wishing he could burn a hole through it.

Annoyed, he followed after him, choosing the farthest seat possible from Wei Yuhe, his expression clearly saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.”

The meeting was a drag, and Lu Yan struggled to stay awake. There wasn’t even anything important discussed, yet they’d dragged everyone to the company.

He glared at the spot where Wei Yuhe was sitting once again.

Since he was still unfamiliar with the company’s internal workings after just returning from abroad, the company had assigned him an assistant. But in the meeting, they announced that all assistant positions for streamers would be canceled.

Who were they kidding with “all”? He was the only one with an assistant, and it was clear that this decision was targeting him.

There was nothing he could do about it, though. The company had implemented a strict attendance policy, and since most streamers did their live sessions at the office, an assistant was deemed unnecessary.

Although the meeting had no real substance, it still dragged on for two whole hours.

Finally, as it wrapped up, Lu Yan was ready to bolt.

Just as he was about to lift himself from the chair, the department supervisor, Wang Lu, announced, “There’s a department dinner tonight. Attendance is mandatory for everyone.”

Lu Yan: “…”

He was just about to leave but was now forced to stay put.