Lin Yu raised an eyebrow. “What a coincidence.”
“Mm.” Lu Ziqing sounded nonchalant. “Just got back from dinner with Zhou Youyu?”
Lin Yu: “Yeah.”
Lu Ziqing: “You ate for that long?”
Lin Yu: “He’s quite talkative. We discussed some work matters.”
Lin Yu looked tired. He casually hung his bag on the coat rack by the entrance. Seeing that Lu Ziqing was still standing there, he looked up in confusion. “Weren’t you going to the bathroom?”
Lu Ziqing: “…Oh. Right.”
He seemed like he wanted to ask something else, but in the end, he swallowed his words. “Get some rest.”
…
For the next few days, Zhou Youyu remained enthusiastically persistent, following Lin Yu around the office like a loyal attendant.
Lin Yu, however, remained impassive, his expressions giving away nothing. But every evening, without fail, he left work with Zhou Youyu for dinner.
No one in the company found it unusual anymore. At most, they’d chuckle in private about how Zhou Youyu’s flattery skills had reached new heights.
In the office, Mi Lan complained bitterly, “How tragic! We thought Lin Yu was here to save us from this mess, but even someone as serious-looking as him has betrayed us!”
Liang Zhi said, “Keep your voice down, or the whole building will hear you.”
Mi Lan grumbled, “I told you to spend more time in front of the higher-ups, but you wouldn’t listen. Now look what happened—someone else beat you to it.”
Liang Zhi said, “If he’s a good person, he won’t be corrupted so easily.”
The two of them bickered noisily.
Lu Ziqing put down his pencil and said flatly, “Nothing has happened yet. Why are you panicking?”
Mi Lan: “He has dinner with Zhou Youyu every single night! And that’s ‘nothing’?”
“It’s just dinner.” Lu Ziqing’s tone was indifferent. “Hasn’t Zhou Youyu treated us to meals before? Did anything change because of that?”
Originally, Zhou Youyu wasn’t the department head.
When the previous boss left, the team had to elect a new leader.
During that period, Zhou Youyu acted like the nicest guy ever—constantly treating people to meals, showing concern for the junior staff, and taking care of everyone. Mi Lan used to come back from work every day covered in goosebumps.
Everyone assumed Liang Zhi would be chosen—he had the best credentials, the strongest portfolio, and had led multiple projects successfully. He was the obvious choice.
But when the official announcement came, the new department head was Zhou Youyu.
And from that moment, the department’s management became more chaotic than ever.
Mi Lan huffed, “Then tell me, why does Lin Yu have to eat dinner with Zhou Youyu every night? Is the food that good?”
Lu Ziqing stretched his neck slightly, loosening his tense muscles. “Who knows? Maybe it is.”
……
That night, Lin Yu came home late once again.
Lu Ziqing sat on the living room couch, playing a game on his tablet, Mi Lan’s words still lingering in his mind.
Honestly, he wasn’t sure what Lin Yu was thinking.
On paper, Lin Yu was his legal partner, his father’s trusted subordinate. Technically, they were on the same team.
But they didn’t really understand each other at all.
A strange relationship. More distant than friends, yet more familiar than strangers.
Lu Ziqing casually picked up the glass on the coffee table. Seeing that there was only a little iced tea left inside, he was about to get up and grab some ice cubes from the fridge when he heard the sound of a key being inserted into the lock outside.
Lin Yu braced himself against the doorframe, somewhat unsteady as he changed into his slippers.
He looked different from usual. There was also a faint scent of alcohol on him, his face was slightly flushed, and the tips of his hair were a little disheveled.
Lu Ziqing immediately picked up on it. “Did you drink?”
Lin Yu rubbed his temples. “The restaurant gave us some house-made fruit wine… I just had a little.”
Even drunk, he still managed to make his way unsteadily to the sofa, propping his elbow on the armrest to sit up straight.
His half-lidded eyes, fair skin tinged with a light pink flush, and the dark strands of his hair brushing against his neck made him look like a piece of jade moistened by water.
Lu Ziqing’s gaze lingered on his pale collarbone for a second before shifting away. “If you want to lie down, just lie down. No need to sit up like that—I’m not going to take any embarrassing pictures of you.”
Lin Yu: “…Sorry, does the alcohol smell too strong?”
“As long as you are aware,” Lu Ziqing said. “Just don’t throw up on my couch.”
Lin Yu nodded slowly but firmly.
Lu Ziqing ruffled his hair and squatted down in front of him. “Hey.”
Lin Yu drowsily lifted his gaze. “Hm?”
Lu Ziqing: “You’ve been having dinner with Zhou Youyu pretty often these days.”
Lin Yu acknowledged it with a simple, “Mm.”
Lu Ziqing: “What do you think of him?”
Lin Yu: “He’s pretty nice.”
Lu Ziqing: “Be more specific.”
Lin Yu: “The sweet and sour ribs were good. The fried fish was good. The borscht was delicious…”
“Stop, stop! All you did was eat?” Lu Ziqing sighed. “I’m asking about the person, not the food.”
Lin Yu stared at him in confusion.
Lu Ziqing sighed. “Forget it… What did you two talk about over dinner?”
Lin Yu: “Work… and colleagues.”
Lu Ziqing patiently followed up. “Be specific? Did you talk about any projects or financial reports? Which colleagues? Mi Lan, Liang Zhi, or…”
But the moment he asked for specifics, Lin Yu started dodging the question again.
Lu Ziqing was beginning to suspect he was doing it on purpose. Why did he suddenly start talking nonsense every time he was asked for details?
Lu Ziqing exhaled. “Fine, forget it. Just keep an eye out for Zhou Youyu. He’s not as harmless as he seems.”
Call it meddling if you want, but Lu Ziqing had been in this company longer. If something happened and he hadn’t warned Lin Yu in advance, he’d have to take responsibility.
Lin Yu lifted his head. “Be specific.”
Lu Ziqing: “…”
Oh, using my own words against me now?
Maybe it was the good food he’d been having lately, but Lin Yu looked like he’d put on a little weight. His eyes were bright, and his lifted face was as round and soft as a ripe peach.
Lu Ziqing: “You’re like a broken record.”
He really didn’t want to argue with a drunk person anymore, so he got up to head to his room.
But just as he was about to leave, he couldn’t hold back and added, “One last thing—at least be mindful of appearances. Zhou Youyu is an alpha, and you’re going out for late-night dinners with him almost every day, drinking together too. If people see, they’ll start talking.”
“Before you got home just now, my dad called to ask about the situation. I covered for you, so you’re welcome,” Lu Ziqing huffed. “Whether it’s some doctor or Zhou Youyu, you should keep your distance. My dad’s old-fashioned—he wouldn’t take it well.”
Lin Yu murmured, “I’m not cheating.”
Lu Ziqing: “It’s easy to say that.”
Lin Yu pressed his lips together and muttered something else.
Lu Ziqing didn’t catch it. “What?”
Without warning, Lin Yu grabbed the hem of Lu Ziqing’s shirt and pulled him down.
His warm breath brushed against Lu Ziqing’s ear, but his tone was completely steady. “I said, if you don’t believe me, you can sniff my gland.”
