Sunday morning, Lin Yu was gone.
Lu Ziqing, toothbrush still in his mouth, sent him a message: [Where did you go?]
It took Lin Yu a long time to reply: [Something came up. I’m on a business trip to the neighboring city.]
That was seriously last-minute.
Lu Ziqing glanced at the time. It was only 7:30 AM.
He’d stayed in bed scrolling on his phone for a while before getting up, and he hadn’t heard a single sound from Lin Yu leaving. Which meant Lin Yu must’ve left before 7:00.
What kind of business trip was this urgent?
And he’d never mentioned it before.
Probably just an excuse to dodge him.
Lu Ziqing, staying calm, replied: [Stay safe. I’ll be waiting at home for you.]
Lin Yu responded almost instantly: [No need to wait for me, just do your own thing.]
Lu Ziqing: [I told you, I was planning to make pan-seared steak and seafood chowder for dinner.]
Lin Yu replied in less than a second: [I’m busy today. I won’t be home for dinner.]
Lu Ziqing frowned slightly.
It was obvious.
Lin Yu was avoiding him.
A straightforward confession had led to the other party acting like he’d seen a ghost—this fact annoyed Lu Ziqing just a little.
But considering how unprepared Lin Yu had been, Lu Ziqing figured he should give him some time to process it.
He had plenty of patience.
……
Lu Ziqing waited at home from morning until night.
Finally, at 11 PM, he heard the faint sound of the front door unlocking.
He forced himself to be patient, waited for the footsteps to get closer—then immediately opened his bedroom door, catching Lin Yu just before he could slip into his room.
Leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, Lu Ziqing greeted, “Good evening.”
Lin Yu froze like a fish caught in a net, eyes darting anxiously to the floor. “G-Good evening… You’re still up?”
Lu Ziqing lowered his gaze. “I couldn’t sleep with you out so late.”
Lin Yu: “…Work was busy.”
“I see. Must’ve been tough,” Lu Ziqing nodded. “It’s just a shame about the steak and seafood chowder. Since you weren’t here, I had to eat it all by myself.”
Lin Yu fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. “Sorry about that…”
“It’s fine,” Lu Ziqing said evenly. “Get some rest. Goodnight.”
He turned unhurriedly and headed back to his room.
Lin Yu did look exhausted. His hair was a mess—he’d clearly spent the whole day outside, trying to avoid him.
Lu Ziqing found it funny. And also a little irritating.
It wasn’t like he was some monster. Was it really necessary to dodge him like this?
But, as he’d said—he had plenty of patience.
After all, the next day was Monday again.
No matter how much Lin Yu tried to avoid him, he still had to go to work, right?
…..
On Monday morning, Lu Ziqing set an alarm for 5 AM.
So when Lin Yu carefully pushed open his door at 6 AM, already dressed, the first thing he saw was Lu Ziqing sitting at the table, elegantly sipping tea.
Lin Yu’s pupils trembled. “…You—you’re up this early?”
“I read a story last night,” Lu Ziqing blew on his cup of hot tea. “A rabbit ran into a tree and died. A farmer happily ate the rabbit. After that, the farmer waited by the tree every day, hoping for another rabbit to run into it.”
Lin Yu: “Waiting by the tree for a rabbit.”
Lu Ziqing nodded. “Even if rabbits don’t crash into trees every day, staying here can still prevent a timid rabbit from sneaking away.”
Lin Yu: “……”
Pretending not to understand, he went to the bathroom to wash up. “I’m getting old. Can’t sleep in, so I just got up early.”
Lu Ziqing didn’t expose him, just smiled. “Since we’re both up early, let’s go to a teahouse for breakfast.”
…
In the end, they didn’t get to have tea.
The teahouse didn’t open until 8 AM, and if they waited, they’d be late for work.
At 7 AM, Lu Ziqing and Lin Yu arrived at the office early.
The security guard had been dozing off. When he saw them, he quickly stood up, looking shocked. “Director Lin, Xiao Lu, why are you both so early today?”
“Mm,” Lin Yu casually handed him a meat bun. “Thanks for your hard work.”
Since the teahouse was closed, they had grabbed some buns and soy milk from a roadside breakfast stall instead.
The two walked into the quiet office building and took the elevator up in silence.
As they stepped out, Lu Ziqing spoke. “You—”
“I have a meeting this morning, need to prepare,” Lin Yu quickly slipped into his office. “You should get some rest too.”
Lu Ziqing: “……”
Fine.
Let’s see who outlasts who.
Lu Ziqing found a strange sort of amusement in this—watching the usually composed Lin Yu completely flustered was pretty entertaining.
Especially how the back of Lin Yu’s neck would turn slightly red every time he fled in a panic, as if he were being slowly cooked in a pot.
It was just too amusing.
Lu Ziqing bit into his bun and waited until 8:30, when colleagues started arriving.
Mi Lan came in humming a tune, carrying a McMuffin and a cup of coffee.
Seeing Lu Ziqing, she looked utterly shocked. “Is the company going bankrupt?”
Lu Ziqing: “?”
“Otherwise, why would you be here before me?” Mi Lan said. “Unless the company is shutting down today, and you rushed in to collect severance pay.”
“Unfortunately, I have to disappoint you,” Lu Ziqing replied. “The bun was awful. I took one bite and threw it away. Do you have anything else I could eat?”
Mi Lan clutched her McMuffin protectively. “No! This is my only one!”
Lu Ziqing looked past her. “Liang Zhi, do you have anything to eat?”
Liang Zhi looked much better than he had on Saturday night. Smiling, he handed over a lunchbox. “I made pumpkin pancakes. Try them.”
“As expected of you,” Lu Ziqing took the box but kept glancing toward Lin Yu’s office. “Thanks, I’ll treat you to a meal sometime.”
The door to Lin Yu’s office had remained closed since he went in.
But Lu Ziqing wasn’t in a hurry.
Their offices were so close—he’d definitely hear if Lin Yu stepped out.
No way Lin Yu could escape right under his nose.
……
At 9 AM, Lin Yu held a department meeting.
At 11 AM, the meeting ended.
Lu Ziqing asked Liang Zhi, who had just returned, “What was the meeting about?”
Ever since Zhou Youyu was arrested, Liang Zhi had temporarily taken over the department’s responsibilities.
Liang Zhi rubbed his sore neck. “Just the usual monthly meeting, reviewing work progress and such.”
Lu Ziqing glanced outside. “Director Lin doesn’t seem to be back in his office.”
“Hmm, I’m not sure either,” Liang Zhi took a sip of hot water. “After the meeting, he spoke to Xiao Cai for a bit. Seemed like something urgent.”
Xiao Cai.
…
Lu Ziqing suddenly looked up. “You mean Cai Tian from HR?”
Liang Zhi nodded. “Yeah, there’s no other Cai in our company, right?”
Lu Ziqing immediately got up and headed for the HR department.
He found Xiao Cai chatting with her colleagues and pulled her aside. “Where did Director Lin go?”
Xiao Cai looked confused. “Why are you asking?”
The other colleagues exchanged subtle glances—after all, it was unusual for a subordinate to so boldly inquire about their superior’s whereabouts.
Lu Ziqing held back his frustration and softened his tone. “I need his signature on a contract, but he hasn’t replied to my messages. It’s urgent—the deadline is today.”
“Oh, I see…” Xiao Cai nodded in understanding. “You should call him right away. He took annual leave and went back home. He won’t be in for the next week.”
Lu Ziqing: “……”
He clenched his teeth slightly and said, word by word, “Took. Annual. Leave?”
“Yeah, Director Lin used up all his vacation days at once,” Xiao Cai said with a smile. “Said he hadn’t visited his parents in a long time since starting this job, so he decided to take a full break.”
Lu Ziqing: “…Got it.”
He returned to his office, thought for a moment, then told Mi Lan, “Call Director Lin. Tell him there’s an urgent contract that needs signing today. Ask where he is right now.”
Liang Zhi raised an eyebrow. “What contract? I don’t know anything about it.”
As the temporary department head, Liang Zhi had to review all contracts.
Lu Ziqing brushed it off. “A leftover contract from last year. I didn’t get the chance to mention it to you yet.”
Mi Lan, who was casually ordering takeout, shot him a sideways glance. “Why don’t you just call him yourself?”
Liang Zhi finally caught on. “Yeah, if it’s urgent, why don’t you just call him yourself? Why ask Mi Lan to do it?”
Lu Ziqing: “…He won’t answer my calls.”
Liang Zhi: “Huh? Did you make Director Lin mad?”
Lu Ziqing: “…”
Mi Lan, however, seemed to realize something. She glanced at Lu Ziqing with a knowing look.
She put down her phone and drawled, “What’s in it for me?”
Lu Ziqing: “…I’ll cover the office coffee next month.”
Mi Lan beamed. “Deal!”
Lol, Lin Yu is not even trying to be subtle at all