The whole world could know what happened to Chi Shuo, except He Lindi.
Because Chi Shuo didn’t like He Lindi from upstairs.
This wasn’t a secret at Xinyue Company, but since everyone got along relatively well, it was okay to ask Chi Shuo about it directly.
Not that they ever got a clear answer. Chi Shuo’s responses were always along the lines of—
“It’s just a weird vibe between women.”
“Can’t I just find He Lindi annoying?”
“Making a big deal out of nothing.”
“You don’t need a reason to like someone, so why do you need one to dislike someone?”
Of course, she could, and it was perfectly fine.
Over time, people lost interest in the real reason behind Chi Shuo’s dislike for He Lindi, but they still couldn’t resist mentioning He Lindi in front of her, mainly because Chi Shuo was fun to tease.
Like right now. Chi Shuo had even said something like “remember to burn paper money for me next year”—something she normally wouldn’t say. Only when it involved He Lindi did she become so… agitated.
And Chi Shuo’s brows, which had started to relax slightly, were now tightly knitted again.
Chi Shuo thought for a moment, then asked Zeng Guai, who was still playing on her phone nearby, in a low voice, “Do you have any plans after work today?”
Xinyue Company was quite desirable in the industry. Work started at 9 AM, with a two-hour lunch break, and ended at 5:30 PM. The workload was mostly light, and importantly, they had weekends off. Salaries were considered upper-mid-range in Yun Cheng city, so many people applied to Xinyue.
Chi Shuo, Zeng Guai, and Xia Zhou had all joined Xinyue in the same batch. They had chatted as strangers while waiting for their interviews, laying the foundation for their friendship early on. Having worked together for over a year now, their bond was naturally stronger than with other colleagues. Hanging out after work for dinner or fun was common.
Zeng Guai assumed Chi Shuo wanted to grab dinner as usual, so she nodded naturally. “Yeah, where are you thinking of eating?”
Chi Shuo waved her hand, looking at her reflection on the dark computer screen.
Seeing her own lips curl into a smile, she answered Zeng Guai, “No, I need you to come somewhere with me.”
Zeng Guai looked confused. “Where?”
“Upstairs.”
“Huh?”
Chi Shuo raised an eyebrow, speaking casually, “To intercept He Lindi.”
Zeng Guai was stunned, her voice tinged with disbelief. “Did the blind date drive you crazy?”
Chi Shuo didn’t answer that question. “Don’t tell anyone except Xia Zhou, or we’re strangers at work from now on.”
If Zeng Guai told anyone else, the element of surprise would be gone, and it wouldn’t be impossible for people from both companies to secretly gather and watch.
As for whether she was crazy, Chi Shuo knew better than anyone. She wished she could go crazy. First, she was practically kidnapped for a blind date, and then she embarrassed herself in front of He Lindi. Either incident had the impact of a hand grenade exploding in front of her.
It didn’t kill her, but it blew a hole, and Chi Shuo had buried herself in it.
Xinyue Company wasn’t particularly old or new. Five years had taken it from obscurity to being moderately well-known nationwide. This smooth progress allowed the company to expand its business scope, but the core focus remained app operation.
The app was called “Flashing Star,” initially designed for celebrity fans. Five years ago, the internet wasn’t as developed as it is now, but forums were already filled with obsessed and passionate fans. So, Xinyue created an app dedicated to celebrities and their fans.
Chi Shuo’s job was in this area. Her main daily task was uploading the latest celebrity schedules obtained by the sales team onto the app. She had never made any mistakes in her work.
Because every time she worked, she gave it her full attention, forcing herself to stay awake even when tired. Otherwise, any error meant deductions from her salary and potentially dealing with trouble from talent agencies.
Today was no exception. Even though the events at lunch had deeply upset her, Chi Shuo switched into work mode on time.
Time seemed to fly, and suddenly it was quitting time. Chi Shuo only snapped back to reality when she heard the cheerful sounds of her colleagues leaving.
Because it was Friday and summer vacation was approaching, celebrity schedules were piling up. Chi Shuo had almost not finished her work.
Xia Zhou and Zeng Guai had already packed up and walked over. Chi Shuo rubbed her eyes, manipulating the mouse. “Hold on, let me just close the backend.”
Xia Zhou pulled over a chair and sat down. “Shuo Shuo, He Lindi’s team doesn’t finish until six. It’s still early. Why don’t we grab something to eat first and then come back to wait for her? I’m worried we won’t have the energy and fail.”
Zeng Guai leaned against a nearby desk. As someone passed by, she smiled and greeted them, “Bye, have a great weekend.” Only then did she turn her attention back to Chi Shuo. “What’s there to eat? Let’s deal with Shuo Shuo’s issue first, then eat. Keep your stomach empty so you can eat more later.”
“I can’t eat much anyway. My wisdom tooth still hurts.”
Chi Shuo bent down slightly to turn off her computer tower. “Dinner’s on me tonight. Spending money to ward off bad luck.”
Xia Zhou’s eyes lit up. “Why did my wisdom tooth suddenly stop hurting?”
Zeng Guai slapped her playfully. “Shameless.”
Chi Shuo chuckled, grabbed her bag, and followed them to the milk tea shop downstairs.
She was genuinely hungry. Having eaten nothing at lunch, her stomach had been growling for a while. Normally, they’d be on their way to a restaurant by now, but considering the plan to intercept He Lindi, Chi Shuo had to endure the hunger.
None of this would be happening if it weren’t for the lunchtime incident. Thinking of the root cause made Chi Shuo fume.
And just then, the source of her frustration called. Chi Shuo felt her head pound as she stared at the caller ID.
The milk tea shop was crowded. Chi Shuo told Xia Zhou and Zeng Guai she’d take it outside and pulled the door open.
“Mom, you have the nerve to call me?”
“Chi Shuo, go apologize to Mr. Li. Look at yourself at lunch today. Is this how you repay your mother for all these years…”
Chi Shuo didn’t wait for her to finish. Without thinking, she said, “Hanging up.”
A wave of frustration washed over Chi Shuo, perhaps more than just a wave.
The sky hadn’t completely darkened yet. The evening breeze was cool. People rushed past, some hurried, some relaxed, all passing by Chi Shuo.
She stood outside, clutching her phone, her lips pressed down. She let out a soft breath, waiting for Xia Zhou and Zeng Guai to come out. When she saw her friends, her frown instantly transformed into a smile.
He Lindi’s company was on the 26th floor. The three of them timed their elevator ride carefully.
Not too early, to avoid running into too many acquaintances from the upstairs company.
Not too late, in case He Lindi had already left.
Fortunately, everyone generally knew when He Lindi left the office, which made their plan easier.
He Lindi’s company was called Xiyu. They also primarily operated an app, but its content was very different from “Flashing Star.” Xiyu focused on video and live streaming. However, because their related business was inevitably tied to the entertainment industry, the bosses of both companies often collaborated based on proximity. Over the past two years, some employees had even started “inter-floor romances.”
Chi Shuo wasn’t interested in these things, but being around Xia Zhou and Zeng Guai meant hearing all the gossip.
“Did you know? That older photographer from Xiyu has a crush on Xiao Cheng. He’s been coming down to our office almost every day lately.”
“I knew it! No wonder that usually busy guy suddenly has so much free time to visit us.”
Zeng Guai was the one speaking now. It was 6:07 PM, and they had reached the 26th floor, but she hadn’t stopped talking, merely lowering her voice slightly.
Chi Shuo had heard several pieces of gossip on the way up. Now, she held up an index finger to silence her. “Stop talking for a sec. We’re almost at Xiyu. Business first.”
Zeng Guai immediately shut her mouth, but the next second, Chi Shuo heard Xia Zhou ask, “Shuo Shuo, what do you need to see He Lindi about? Why so secretive?”
“I…” Chi Shuo felt her friends’ gazes on her. Perhaps because she was about to see He Lindi, she started to feel nervous. “I came to warn her not to laugh at me.”
This answer was met with silence from both friends.
After two seconds.
Zeng Guai: “I’m leaving.”
Xia Zhou: “Shuo Shuo, see you next week.”
Despite their words, they were just teasing and kept pace with Chi Shuo.
They walked down a short corridor, past a small company, and arrived outside Xiyu’s office.
Not everyone from Xiyu had left yet. The three of them pressed themselves against the wall, making “shush” gestures when acquaintances came out, followed by wishes of “Have a great weekend.”
Based on He Lindi’s usual routine, she should be appearing at the door around 6:10 PM.
But it was now 6:12 PM, and He Lindi hadn’t emerged.
Chi Shuo was puzzled. “Is she working overtime?”
Xia Zhou was equally confused. “How would I know?”
Just then, another acquaintance walked by. Zeng Guai pulled him over and asked directly, “Hey man, has He Lindi left yet?”
“Not yet.” The person glanced at Chi Shuo before adding helpfully, “Chi Shuo, any updates on the blind date situation?”
Chi Shuo gave him a playful punch. “Get lost.”
Another two minutes passed, and still no He Lindi. Chi Shuo pressed her lips together and told Zeng Guai and Xia Zhou, “I’m going in to look for her. Wait for me out here.”
They replied in unison, “Okay.”
Chi Shuo swallowed, straightened her back, and walked through the main door of Xiyu Company.
The receptionist was gone. From this angle, the Xiyu office looked mostly empty.
Even though the two companies were friendly, Chi Shuo couldn’t just barge in without notice. When she said “go in,” she meant waiting for He Lindi near the reception area.
Finally.
After two more people came out, Chi Shuo saw He Lindi.
He Lindi was still wearing the same beige dress, but she had added a thin cardigan, likely because the office air conditioning had gotten cold. The crisp sound of her high heels clicking on the floor echoed, seeming to tap in sync with Chi Shuo’s own heartbeat.
Chi Shuo kept her lips tightly sealed as she watched He Lindi walk up to her and give her a look that meant “wait a moment.”
He Lindi was on the phone. Chi Shuo didn’t know who was on the other end, but she found He Lindi’s current serious tone and furrowed brow somewhat… unusual.
“First: His profile picture is a matching couple one, but he’s not using the matching one with you, his supposed girlfriend. You actually believed him when he said he just picked it randomly?”
“Second: He always replies to you with things completely off-topic, then retracts the message. Do you really think he just pressed the wrong button?”
“Third: He sends you cute emojis he rarely used before. Do you just find him amusing?”
He Lindi didn’t bother lowering her voice for Chi Shuo. The rapid-fire triple questioning made Chi Shuo blink.
He Lindi continued her call, but her gaze shifted to Chi Shuo. There was amusement in her eyes as she asked, “Did you hear the rain?”
Chi Shuo instinctively glanced out the window.
The next second, she heard He Lindi say into the phone, “Falling on the green grass growing over your head.”
Chi Shuo: …
He Lindi and Chi Shuo were the same age, but their voices were different.
Even after all these years, He Lindi still had a youthful voice. When she was angry, she had to consciously lower it to make it less obvious.
Chi Shuo paused for two seconds at this thought. By the time she snapped back, He Lindi had already hung up the phone.
Though traces of anger remained, He Lindi’s expression had calmed.
She looked at Chi Shuo and asked, “What’s up?”
Suddenly, faced with He Lindi’s direct gaze, the words Chi Shuo had planned to say vanished.
She shook her head, her mind racing, and came up with a new reason. “Your new hair color…” She didn’t compliment it directly. “Can you recommend the salon to me?”
Hearing this, a smile touched the corners of He Lindi’s eyes. She curved her lips, and her reply made Chi Shuo’s brow twitch: “And why? So you can meet your next blind date?”
