It felt like a long time had passed since the last time she played Landlord with He Lindi, but in reality, it had only been just over a week.
And during that week, they had only run into each other in the elevator last night. They hadn’t seen each other at any other time, as if reverting to their previous low frequency of encounters.
She had thought… the next time they’d meet might be when it rained six days later. She hadn’t expected He Lindi to show up again, challenging her to Landlord with that as the stakes.
Chi Shuo wasn’t fully awake yet, her eyes slightly narrowed, her expression still a bit dazed.
Other people were still sleeping in the office. He Lindi kept her voice low, repeating, “Come on.”
Chi Shuo sat up straight, rubbed her eyes, and asked in a tone that clearly couldn’t comprehend her actions, “Are you really this persistent?”
After speaking, she sighed, rubbed her face, but still pulled out her chair and stood up. “Where are they?”
“In the break room.”
“…”
Other colleagues gathered around to watch again during the Landlord game. Chi Shuo’s eyes were fully alert now, while He Lindi’s expression was grave, staring intently at the cards on the table, looking determined to win.
Chi Shuo played another consecutive pair, raised an eyebrow, looked at He Lindi, and asked calmly, “Did you spend the last few days studying?”
Studying what? It could only be Landlord. He Lindi’s improvement was rapid; at least she wasn’t being completely crushed by Chi Shuo like last time, unable to fight back.
“Mm,” He Lindi replied simply with a nasal hum.
Zeng Guai coughed lightly at the scene, sipping her drink on the side.
She found the situation somewhat strange. Many people knew Chi Shuo and He Lindi didn’t get along well, but watching their interaction, everyone would find it very harmonious, lacking any hint of tension now.
The stakes were even more baffling. Who would ask someone they didn’t get along with to drive them home? If this was supposed to be a punishment, it was a remarkably ineffective one.
Spending extra time with someone you disliked should be torture, shouldn’t it?
And Chi Shuo’s intentions were also unclear. Even Zeng Guai, whose Landlord skills weren’t great, could tell that Chi Shuo was clearly letting He Lindi win.
They played seven rounds, and He Lindi won four.
Chi Shuo tossed her cards down, waved her hand, and put on a self-pitying expression. “This is boring.”
Xia Zhou glanced at her, remaining silent. She had felt like a complete non-participant in this Landlord match.
He Lindi also put down her cards, her eyes curving into crescents, looking very happy. “After work, remember to wait for me.”
Only one spectator remained from the crowd, and that person was He Xiuqi.
He had come over later after hearing Chi Shuo and the others were playing cards. Now, hearing He Lindi’s words, he was a bit confused. Out of curiosity, he casually asked, “Xiao Chi Jie, what were you betting?”
Xia Zhou pulled him over. “You don’t need to know that.”
He Xiuqi replied with an “Oh.” Chi Shuo tilted her head and saw him give a slightly shy smile.
Chi Shuo’s good mood instantly vanished. She stood up herself, preparing to get coffee again.
He Lindi remained seated, calling out to her, “Chi Shuo, get me a cup of coffee too.”
Chi Shuo stopped, turned around, her expression blank. “No.” She said, “There’s no such thing as free coffee.”
He Xiuqi smiled shyly from the side. “Teacher He, how about I get it for you?”
Chi Shuo pressed her lips together tightly. Hearing this, she wanted to blurt out, “I’ll get it,” but He Lindi beat her to it.
He Lindi shook her head, her gaze fixed on Chi Shuo, the corners of her lips lifting. “How about this? I’ll treat you to dinner, and you get me a cup?”
Chi Shuo agreed without hesitation. “Deal.”
Quitting time was still 6:30 PM. Xia Zhou and the others had witnessed the “confrontation” with He Lindi at noon, so Chi Shuo rarely found herself not leaving with them. Xia Zhou and the others had already bid her a hasty goodbye.
He Xiuqi slowly packed his things nearby, occasionally glancing at Chi Shuo as he did so.
Chi Shuo sensed his gaze but didn’t ask curiously what was wrong. It seemed unnecessary; the answer was obvious.
He Lindi was the person he liked, and Chi Shuo was about to have dinner with the person he liked. It was somewhat natural to want to inquire or offer some advice, right?
But… was it He Xiuqi’s place to advise her on anything? Thinking this, Chi Shuo raised an eyebrow, picked up her bag, acted as if she hadn’t noticed, greeted other colleagues, and left.
She used to think He Xiuqi was quite nice, but recently, perhaps because she felt he was too young, her impression of him had changed slightly. The more she looked at He Xiuqi, the more restless he seemed.
So restless!
How many times had he even met He Lindi before deciding he liked her?
After leaving the company building, Chi Shuo didn’t go straight downstairs but went up to Xiyu’s entrance.
He Lindi had already informed her through Xia Zhou that she would be working late. Chi Shuo could go up first when He Lindi finished, and then they would go to the parking lot together.
Chi Shuo thought about it and didn’t refuse. Otherwise, what? Go freeze in the extremely cold parking lot?
During the summer vacation rush, Xinyue wasn’t the only busy company. Xiyu upstairs was also swamped. Chi Shuo actually knew He Lindi wasn’t that idle; she didn’t have time to play Landlord every day. She had already learned this from Zeng Guai and the others; after all, He Lindi had been on a business trip to a neighboring city just a few days ago.
Since she was essentially invited up, Chi Shuo didn’t hold back much. She chatted briefly with the receptionist who was also working late, then cleared her throat softly and entered Xiyu’s office.
He Lindi’s desk was some distance from the entrance. As Chi Shuo walked over, she chatted briefly with several people whose WeChat contacts she had.
The longer she walked, the closer she got. She could already see He Lindi’s figure, clearly visible as He Lindi fiddled with her DSLR camera, occasionally raising her arm to point the lens elsewhere. The sound of the shutter clicking reached Chi Shuo’s ears.
This sight wasn’t unfamiliar. Chi Shuo had seen her do this many times before, only… back then, she was far away, and He Lindi was never lacking for people standing beside her.
Thinking of this, Chi Shuo frowned, unsure why she was recalling this again.
During her momentary daze, she heard the shutter click again. She looked up; He Lindi had already pointed her DSLR lens at her.
He Lindi’s face was small. Shielded by her hand and the camera, Chi Shuo could only see her slightly pointed, fair chin and the upward curve of her lips.
They were only about five meters apart. After another “click,” Chi Shuo belatedly covered her face. “Don’t take pictures of me.”
He Lindi lowered the camera, looked into her eyes, the curve of her lips still present. “Why not?”
Chi Shuo walked over, her tone flat. “Taking pictures of me costs money.”
He Lindi looked incredulous. “Chi Shuo, my photography costs money too, and it’s very expensive.” Her expression was lively, not looking like someone who had just finished work. “Most people ask me to take their picture, and I refuse. You’ve hit the jackpot.”
Chi Shuo replied indifferently, “Oh.” She put on an impatient look. “Are we going or not? I don’t want to get back too late.”
They were going to eat first, then Chi Shuo would drive He Lindi home, and finally take a car back herself.
Calculating it like that, time was a bit tight.
He Lindi immediately put the lens cap back on, placed the camera in its bag, then picked up her handbag with one hand and the camera bag with the other, standing up.
“Let’s go,” she smiled at Chi Shuo.
It was quite late now, so fewer people were heading to the first floor, let alone the parking lot.
It wasn’t as crowded as yesterday. Chi Shuo felt much better, but being alone with He Lindi always made her unconsciously tense up.
Exiting the elevator, the frigid temperature of the parking lot immediately crept up. Her exposed skin was not spared. Chilled, Chi Shuo rubbed her arms.
Another car had just started nearby. The sound of the engine revving was amplified in this space. Chi Shuo exhaled, walking side-by-side with He Lindi.
They reached He Lindi’s car.
He Lindi handed over her handbag. “Get the keys.”
“…Why didn’t you take them out earlier?” Chi Shuo paused.
He Lindi hummed thoughtfully for several seconds before looking at Chi Shuo’s eyes, which remained bright even in the dim light.
“Maybe because… you didn’t volunteer to help me carry my bag?”
