Chi Yu sat on the sofa in his room, his head lowered in deep thought. Before him lay a silver pen that Luo Wei had given him during her first year of high school. Luo Wei, who had always balanced work and study, would save up her meal money every year to buy Chi Yu a birthday gift. Over the years, she had gifted him wallets, shirts, belts, and various digital products.
Chi Yu fiddled with the pen, his expression dark and brooding as his thoughts drifted far away. He recalled the day during her first year of high school when Luo Wei, beaming with excitement, had handed him the gift. She was so careful and timid, her head bowed low, not daring to look at him.
Chi Yu glanced at the gift casually and asked indifferently, "What is this?"
Luo Wei smiled cautiously and said, "Brother Yu, happy birthday. I carefully prepared this gift for you."
Chi Yu remained silent, not immediately accepting the gift. The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.
Luo Wei was taken aback, swallowing nervously before saying, "Brother Yu, I've spent a long time preparing this gift. I hope you like it and will accept it."
Her gaze was intense, almost pleading with him to accept the gift. Chi Yu coldly stared back at her, reluctantly taking the gift and stuffing it roughly into his bag. Luo Wei, however, wasn't upset by his indifference. Instead, she was happy that he had accepted her gift, a smile never leaving her face.
The gift was the pen. Luo Wei never told him that she had saved up for a whole month, surviving on just steamed buns for lunch, often feeling faint from hunger. She hid her anemia from him and never complained to anyone.
On the other hand, Luo Qianqian, with her wealthy background, generously gave Chi Yu the latest smartphone, which she bought with just half a month's pocket money. Their classmates envied Luo Qianqian's generosity and her family's wealth.
At that time, Chi Yu preferred the smartphone over Luo Wei's pen, which he stashed away in a storage locker, never to see the light of day again. But now, after all these years, Chi Yu had found that ordinary pen in some forgotten corner. To him, it had become something extraordinary.
Chi Yu's slender fingers gently uncapped the pen and wrote "Luo Wei" on a piece of paper. It was as if he was a middle school girl secretly writing down the name of her crush; it was only now that he understood the feeling of unrequited love. He let out a cold laugh, his long eyelashes hiding the sadness in his eyes.
Chi Yu stood up and walked into the living room, where his mother was leisurely doing her nails.
He hesitated before sitting down on the sofa and spoke, "Mom, can I ask you for a favor?"
His mother glanced at him, paused her actions, and blew on her nails before chuckling, "Go ahead, what can't we talk about as mother and son?"
Chi Yu pressed his lips together and said calmly, "Mom, I want you to help me arrange a meeting with Luo Wei."
"You want to meet Weiwei?" His mother asked in disbelief.
"Yes," Chi Yu nodded firmly.
"Are you crazy? Weiwei is already married. There's no future between you two."
His mother firmly refused, not wanting her son to do something foolish. She sighed, disappointed in him, "Chi Yu, why are you doing this? I always liked Weiwei, but you didn't appreciate her when you had the chance. Now that she's married, you're regretting it?"
Chi Yu remained silent, his expression darkening.
His mother spoke earnestly, "Regret won't help. Weiwei is married now and has the right to pursue her own happiness. You need to let go."
Chi Yu's face remained emotionless, mysterious as ever, "Mom, just help me arrange the meeting. Weiwei...she's blocked me, and I can't reach her to explain things."
"What is there to explain? Is it really necessary? Sigh..." His mother argued, her voice filled with agitation.
Chi Yu stayed silent, lowering his head.
His mother let out a bitter smile, "You..."
She was exasperated, ignoring Chi Yu as she walked away to her room.
Xu Kaifeng was driving to Supreme Mansion to deliver detailed acquisition documents of the Luo Corporation for Mr. Mo's review and signature. As he casually glanced outside, he suddenly noticed a man ahead who looked very familiar.
Narrowing his eyes, Xu Kaifeng saw that the man seemed to be in some sort of trouble, scratching his head in frustration. As Xu Kaifeng accelerated and got closer, he recognized the man—Gu Xiu, a friend of Mr. Mo. Although Xu Kaifeng was Mr. Mo's assistant, he had only met Gu Xiu once.
Xu Kaifeng politely stopped the car, rolled down the window, and leaned out slightly, "Hello."
Gu Xiu turned his head at the sound, pausing for a few seconds before asking, "You are?"
Xu Kaifeng smiled, showing his neat white teeth, "Xu Kaifeng, Mr. Mo's assistant."
Gu Xiu recalled their previous meeting and smiled awkwardly, "I remember. We met last time when Mo Huai was there."
"What happened?" Xu Kaifeng asked curiously, raising an eyebrow, "Car trouble?"
Gu Xiu remained composed, smiling lightly, "It suddenly broke down. I've just called the insurance company."
"Where are you heading?" Xu Kaifeng inquired, lifting his head to look at him.
"Supreme Mansion," Gu Xiu answered honestly, as he was on an errand to deliver some medication to Luo Wei.
"Get in." Xu Kaifeng's voice was clear as he nodded towards the passenger seat, inviting Gu Xiu to ride with him.
Gu Xiu thanked him, opened the door, and bent down to sit in the passenger seat, fastening his seatbelt. The car's cabin was narrow, their breathing synchronized, and Gu Xiu idly reached out to turn on the music.
Madonna's "Express Yourself" played, the melody soothing and pure.
"Do you like Madonna?" Gu Xiu asked lazily.
"She's alright," Xu Kaifeng replied briefly, focusing on driving.
"Which singer do you like?" Gu Xiu asked again, trying to pass the time.
"I like them all."
"What do you mean, 'like them all'?"
Xu Kaifeng, “…”
"Can you doctors treat cases of people talking too much?" Xu Kaifeng teased.
"Hmm?" Gu Xiu was momentarily stunned, then chuckled, miming a zipper motion across his lips.
Xu Kaifeng's lips curved slightly, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
After a while, the car stopped on the tree-lined path of Supreme Mansion. Gu Xiu opened the door and stepped out.
Xu Kaifeng also unbuckled his seatbelt, gracefully exiting the car. His tall frame, standing at 188 cm, was impressive. He had a cold, handsome face, with sharp eyebrows and eyes that gleamed with intelligence. His straight nose and tightly pressed lips formed a determined line, making him appear both resolute and calm.
Gu Xiu, though slightly shorter at 180 cm, was equally striking in appearance.
The two men, shoulder to shoulder, made their way toward Supreme Mansion.
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