Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Lin Meiyan's Preference Lin Meiyan hadn't expected Yu Jianghai to suddenly turn the question back on her like that. She had forgotten. His tongue had always been sharp—back on the island, that very mouth of his had offended plenty of people. So much so that even now, after leaving the island, Youth Qiao and the others still called him a madman. But his sharp tongue had always been aimed at outsiders. This was the first time he'd turned his fire on her. It made Lin Meiyan feel embarrassed, her face growing warm, the smile on her face faltering. She said coolly, "It's not my place to ask." With that, she turned and walked away directly, going to discuss some renovation details with Zhou Ran. Leaving Yu Jianghai standing alone at the door. Watching her chat and laugh with Zhou Ran up ahead, the cup in Yu Jianghai's hand was nearly crushed to pieces. Secretary Shen covered his face. "Boss, my good, devoted boss." "Why on earth did you have to go and snap at Youth Lin?" Now she was ignoring both him and the boss. Yu Jianghai said nothing, just staring at the two of them with a heavy gaze. Lin Meiyan wasn't unaware of it—she noticed but chose not to acknowledge it, continuing to discuss renovation matters with Zhou Ran. Yu Jianghai was silent for a long while, then suddenly asked Secretary Shen, "Is that pretty boy better than me?" Secretary Shen, "Huh?!" How was he supposed to answer that? Did he even need to choose, to think? "Of course not, boss. There's no one in this world who cares about Youth Lin more than you do." Yu Jianghai frowned. "Then why doesn't she ask me?" The way he asked it—why doesn't she ask you? Don't you know the answer yourself? Secretary Shen really wanted to quit! He was going to resign! He didn't understand—hadn't his boss been able to hold it in before? It had been about a month since he'd seen Youth Lin, and he'd never once broken his composure. Why today? Why couldn't he hold it in anymore? Secretary Shen followed his boss's gaze and spotted the tall, sunny, clean-cut Designer Zhou. Oh. It wasn't that he couldn't hold it in anymore. A heavyweight rival had appeared—he couldn't hold it in. Zhou Ran's credentials were simply too good: a graduate student from Xiangjiang University, a designer, young and unmarried, handsome and sunny, and good at charming people. All of these— His boss had none of them! At that thought, Secretary Shen rubbed his face and spoke earnestly as a peacemaker. "Boss, you just snapped at Youth Lin, and in front of so many people. Youth Lin has her pride too. You snapped at her and still expect her to come ask you questions—aren't you just making things difficult for her?" Yu Jianghai frowned and said nothing. After a long moment, he finally said coldly, "Go get the flowers from the car." "Huh?" Secretary Shen couldn't keep up with his boss's train of thought. Yu Jianghai didn't like verbosity, nor did he like repeating himself. His expression turned unpleasant, and Secretary Shen jolted, instantly understanding. He responded agreeably, respectfully, "I'll go right away." But inside he was cursing, ahhhh. I knew it—you two fight, you come to make up, and I'm the one running around like a dog! Secretary Shen pulled a pair of flower baskets from the pickup truck, rubbed his weathered face, and walked over to Lin Meiyan with a beaming smile. "Youth Lin, congratulations on Linji's renovation starting today." Two vibrant flower baskets were filled with blooming red roses, with golden wheat stalks tied in the center. Honestly, the baskets were truly beautiful. Even Lin Meiyan couldn't help but be momentarily dazzled—her attention was indeed diverted. She thanked Secretary Shen. "Thank you, Secretary Shen." She didn't stand on ceremony about this, and after taking the baskets, she proactively said to Secretary Shen, "I really like them." Seeing that she was still talking to him and hadn't lumped him in with his boss, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. "As long as you like them. When I was buying them, I kept thinking—if I bought ones you didn't like, my boss would probably dock my pay again." Lin Meiyan glanced back at Yu Jianghai. Ignored him. She withdrew her gaze. "I like them very much. Tell him not to dock your pay." Secretary Shen gave a cheerful "alright," then smoothly slipped into Zhou Ran's position. "Engineer Zhou, why don't you go check out the site? There are a lot of newcomers there who don't understand renovation—we'll need you to keep an eye on things." Zhou Ran had only graduated two years ago and had joined a Xiangjiang design firm afterward. But his hometown was Jiangcheng, and he had always admired his senior from back then—Yu Jianghai. That was why he'd chosen to return, accepting the olive branch Yu Jianghai had extended. Young as he was, Zhou Ran naturally didn't know how many tricks Secretary Shen had up his sleeve. He nodded naturally. "Alright. I can tell Boss Lin is new to this—she doesn't understand a lot of the technical details. Secretary Shen, help explain things to her." He put on his safety helmet and headed straight into Linji. Having successfully gotten rid of Zhou Ran, Secretary Shen stood with Lin Meiyan looking over the renovation blueprints, explaining why this section needed to be dug out and that section needed to be filled in. Moments later, he had already noticed the piercing gaze behind him. Secretary Shen, "..." He really didn't want to be a dog anymore. Being a dog for the two of you, and still getting disliked for competing for affection. So annoying. Secretary Shen took a deep breath. "Youth Lin, I'm not quite sure about this point. After all, when it comes to renovation design issues, my boss is more professional than I am." "How about I let my boss explain it to you?" Lin Meiyan didn't say anything, but Secretary Shen had already taken the liberty of making the decision for her, handing the renovation design drawings to Yu Jianghai behind him. He said respectfully, "Boss, this question is too professional. I'm not very good at it and can't explain it clearly. Why don't you explain it?" Yu Jianghai hummed in acknowledgment, then took the renovation drawings. He glanced around the room and spotted a large table inside. Without even moving, he simply gave Secretary Shen a look. Secretary Shen let out an "ai" and trotted over to move the table. He was destined to be a beast of burden. Wait, he was already a beast of burden. Did he have to be a dog too? Secretary Shen sighed, resigned to his fate as he carried the table over and placed it outside the entrance of Linji. He then brought over two chairs and set them side by side. Yu Jianghai, holding the design drawings, casually spread them out on the table. Lin Meiyan stood in place without moving. After Yu Jianghai finished spreading out the drawings, he turned back to look at her. Lin Meiyan hesitated for a moment before slowly walking over. At the table, Yu Jianghai stood tall and elegant. He pressed down the flattened drawings bit by bit before asking, "What part don't you understand?" His voice was cool and distant. Just like before. This made Lin Meiyan feel a bit dazed, as if she had dreamed back to that year on the island. It was her third year in the countryside. The Daduibu in the bay had received notice from higher-ups that they needed to open literacy classes to eliminate illiteracy among all the villagers in the bay. They had to ensure that no one in the village remained illiterate. This was no small task. In a remote and impoverished place like the island, those who could read were few and far between. Not to mention, it also involved the Li ethnic minority—an ethnic minority group—where everyone's way of speaking was different. How were they supposed to teach literacy? At the time, Captain Li of the Daduibu was extremely anxious. Seeing that the task was about to fail, he finally came to their Zhiqing office. Because the Zhiqing who had been sent to the countryside at that time all knew how to read to some extent, but those who came earlier had either finished middle school or high school. However, they all shared one big problem: their foundations weren't solid. Back when they were attending classes in the city, they basically had half-day classes. The other half of the day, they were either doing labor or out having fun. Even those few half-day classes were mostly spent in the process of criticizing and struggling against the teachers. If you asked how much knowledge they had actually learned, the truth was, not much. They had all just muddled their way through to get their middle school and high school diplomas. The only one among them with a solid foundation was Lin Meiyan. At least she had managed to finish middle school and had only been sent to the countryside in her first year of high school at sixteen. Although she knew the material, she couldn't command the room. Especially the old villagers in the bay, who had lived for decades. How could they listen to an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl like Lin Meiyan teaching them? On top of that, Lin Meiyan had abandoned her textbooks for several years and had returned some of her knowledge to the teachers. Sometimes when she made mistakes in class, the people below would burst into laughter. They laughed at the fact that Lin Meiyan, a middle school graduate, could also misread characters, making her no different from them, a bunch of illiterates. At that time, Lin Meiyan was young and thin-skinned. Every time she was laughed at in class, she would feel ashamed and embarrassed, so angry that she would hide and cry. Later, she even wanted to quit the literacy class work. But Yu Jianghai disagreed. What did he say to her back then? "Yanyan, there's no easier job than the literacy class." "You have to persevere." If she didn't teach in the literacy class, she would have to go out to sea with the boats, and no one knew if the boats that went out would come back intact. Yu Jianghai didn't agree to Lin Meiyan going out to sea with the boats. Lin Meiyan felt the days were hard to endure and was afraid of making mistakes on the podium and being ridiculed. So Yu Jianghai set up a table in the cave and would go over the next day's lesson in advance every night. From the pronunciation of the characters, to how to write them, to the words formed after saying the characters, and how the villagers might mock and challenge her. He calculated every step precisely, even predicting what the villagers' reactions would be. That was when she learned that Yu Jianghai had been admitted to Jiangda at sixteen. Later, when the Yu family fell from grace, he only studied for a year and a half before going to the island with his parents. From being an enviable favored son of heaven, he had fallen into the mud, denounced by all. Even though he had abandoned his textbooks for three or four years, no matter what knowledge point it was, Yu Jianghai only needed to look at it once to understand it all completely. Some policies were too complicated, and Lin Meiyan didn't understand them either. When encountering such complex problems, Yu Jianghai would stand in front of the table and explain them two more times. Most of the time, Yu Jianghai would be lecturing while Lin Meiyan sat there daydreaming. He would then say, just like now, "Is there anything else you don't understand?" Lin Meiyan snapped back to reality. She cupped her face in both hands and looked at him, smiling sweetly. "Yu Jianghai, I've discovered that you're really handsome." "Especially when you teach with your face turned to the side, your features are absolutely perfect." As she spoke, she would reach out and touch him—his forehead, the bridge of his nose, then trail downward to his thin lips and his lean jaw, the sharp line of his chin. Back then, the always-serious Teacher Yu could never hold his composure. His ears would turn bright red as he scolded her with all the gravity he could muster, "Lin Meiyan, stop fidgeting." "I'll move if I want to. I'll move if I want to." The young Lin Meiyan was like a little demon. The more he told her to stay still, the more she insisted on moving. Not only did she do the opposite of what he said, but she would also throw herself at him without warning, laughing as she nuzzled into him, "Yu Jianghai." "Yu Jianghai, I like you so much." Her voice would grow even brighter and clearer, tinged with wonder, "Your ears are red! Wait, no—your face is red too." Yu Jianghai would turn away, refusing to look at her. Lin Meiyan would then slip lightly from behind his waist to stand in front of him, tilting her head up to gaze at him, her eyes bright with joy, "Yu Jianghai, you like me too, right?" Yu Jianghai would avoid her eyes, looking down at the desk instead, his expression stern and serious, "Go to class." He didn't even dare to meet her gaze. Lin Meiyan would press her lips together, smiling with gentle triumph, "Yu Jianghai, I know you definitely like me." "See, you can't even look me in the eyes." If she had a tail, it would be wagging back and forth, sweeping the air with glee. Yu Jianghai said nothing. He simply stood up, ruthlessly pushing Lin Meiyan away from him, his eyes lowered, "If you're not going to listen to the lesson, I'm going home." Lin Meiyan wasn't afraid of him at all. She had seen Yu Jianghai fight someone outside with a dark, brooding intensity, but the Yu Jianghai in front of her was like a lump of dough. Soft and pliable in her hands. She ran over with a laugh, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, then poking her head out from around his side, her smile blooming like a flower, lively and beautiful, "Yu Jianghai, say it now—say you like me." "If you don't say it, I won't listen to your lesson!" See, even her threats used her own interests to coerce him. If it were anyone else, Yu Jianghai would have turned and walked away without a second thought. But the only person who could do this was Lin Meiyan. The Lin Meiyan who was different to him. Yu Jianghai let out a soft sigh. He caught Lin Meiyan's hand and said earnestly, "If you don't listen to the lesson, you'll be crying again tomorrow when the villagers laugh at you." Lin Meiyan huffed, "None of your business." She dropped his hand and walked over to the desk herself, giving him the back of her head. Yu Jianghai was truly at his wit's end from her pestering. He stood beside her, his voice hoarse as he called out, "Yanyan." Even just that one word—Yanyan—was enough to fill Lin Meiyan with joy. No one understood Yu Jianghai better than she did. That man was like a stone in a latrine—stubborn and hard as rock. Getting him to say the word "like" out loud was harder than climbing to the heavens. She immediately turned her head, her voice cheerful, "Yu Jianghai, you like me, right?" "I like you too." She was as radiant as the sun, pouring all her light onto Yu Jianghai. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted at the moon outside the cave, "Lin Meiyan likes Yu Jianghai!" After losing her parents and her sister, Yu Jianghai was the first person Lin Meiyan had ever liked who wasn't family. Yu Jianghai said nothing. He stood at the mouth of the cave, watching the pale moonlight fall across her face, and smiled gently. Just like now. Lin Meiyan felt a little dazed. She looked up at the man standing before the desk, asking her if she understood. He was no longer young. Gone was the lean, boyish, brooding quality of his youth, replaced instead by the noble bearing and cold sharpness unique to someone in power. Yu Jianghai received no response. With immense patience, he asked again, "Do you understand?" As if he had done this countless times before. The moment he asked, Lin Meiyan froze—and so did Yu Jianghai. Both of them instinctively averted their eyes from each other. At least in that moment, they were both thinking of the past. Thinking of the countless nights in that cave, when they had taught and learned just like this. Lin Meiyan felt a little constrained, a little uneasy. She took a step back and said softly, "I understand about half of it. You're more of an expert than I am when it comes to this kind of renovation design drawing." "Just follow your process." She knew better than anyone how strong Yu Jianghai's drafting and design skills were. Yu Jianghai raised his eyes to look at her, his gaze too obscure to read, "Thank you for trusting me." A very polite statement. But it made Lin Meiyan curl her lips into a smile. She thought that perhaps she was better suited to dealing with Yu Jianghai with this kind of courteous attitude. Rather than the reckless boldness of their youth. She hummed in acknowledgment, "Your aesthetic sense and professionalism have always been excellent." From an angle Lin Meiyan couldn't see, the corner of Yu Jianghai's mouth twitched upward—quick as lightning, gone almost the very next second. "I've set the eighth of next month to reopen Linji. Do you think Jianghai Dicai can have the renovation done by then?" Yu Jianghai hummed, his voice indifferent, "Half a month at the earliest, twenty days at the latest." Lin Meiyan counted on her fingers. "That should be enough time." "There's still one month and one day until the eighth of next month." "That should probably be enough." Yu Jianghai looked up and gave her an unreadable glance. Then he asked, "Are you sure these blueprints are fine?" Lin Meiyan shook her head. Yu Jianghai put away the blueprints and turned to enter the Linji building. The Linji building was originally constructed in 1935, when it was still in her grandfather's hands. Later, her father took over Linji and expanded its business. The original low-rise building at Linji was no longer sufficient. Lin's father had the building torn down and rebuilt, constructing an impressive two-story building with a vermilion Linji sign hung above. It was quite grand. So much so that many people walking beneath the Lin family building had to look up in awe. But after Linji was sealed off, the building was distributed to others. The once-impressive Linji that people looked up to had now fallen into considerable disrepair. At least from the outside, one could no longer see the glory of its former days. Lin Meiyan stood at the entrance for a long time. So long that Yu Jianghai came out and stood behind her, quietly watching her, and she had no idea. If she turned around, she would have noticed Yu Jianghai's restrained gaze—in this corner unseen by anyone, his eyes were fixed tightly on her. Following her like a shadow. It wasn't until Lin Meiyan sensed someone behind her that she turned around. Her silhouette was slender, carrying a faint trace of loneliness. Of the four-member Lin family, only she remained here now. The once-beautiful exterior walls were now peeling, like an elderly person on the brink of death. The moment Lin Meiyan turned around, Yu Jianghai had already withdrawn that sticky, restrained gaze, as if in that instant, he had become someone who barely knew her. He unbuttoned his suit jacket, revealing the white shirt underneath, tucked neatly into his waist, accentuating his lean and powerful frame. "You want to renovate the exterior walls?" He was always like this—no wasted words, going straight to the point once he spoke. Lin Meiyan hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Her delicate features were illuminated by the morning sunlight, her skin fair, clear, and clean. She gave a soft "mm" of acknowledgment. "I have that intention, but—" she worried the budget wouldn't be enough. She only had a budget of two thousand. Renovating Linji to her satisfaction in every way would probably be difficult. She didn't say the rest out loud, but how could Yu Jianghai not know? He stood beside her, facing the same direction, following her gaze toward the Linji building, as if trying to look through the old structure and into Lin Meiyan's girlhood. She was the youngest daughter of the family, always doted on, innocent and carefree. That was a stage of her life he had never been part of. Yu Jianghai was silent for a moment. "Jianghai Dicai's cooperation with Linji is mutually beneficial for both parties." "In the later stages, Jianghai Dicai will use Linji's renovation for advertising, so—" He paused, looking into Lin Meiyan's eyes. "It wouldn't hurt to raise your budget a bit." Of course, that last sentence was the real point. Lin Meiyan said nothing. She knew full well that having Jianghai Dicai renovate Linji was already taking advantage of their generosity. "We'll see." She said softly, "Let's take it one step at a time." If this were the past, Yu Jianghai would certainly have lectured her again: Lin Meiyan, can't you think three steps ahead instead of one? Taking it one step at a time would eventually land you in a pit. But Yu Jianghai no longer had the right to say such things now. He looked up at her and gave a faint, indifferent "mm" in response. By the afternoon, Lin Meiyan suddenly realized she hadn't seen much of Zhou Ran since the morning. As the day's renovation work was coming to an end, Lin Meiyan casually asked, "Why haven't I seen Engineer Zhou?" Secretary Shen was packing up his things, preparing to leave. Upon hearing this, his immediate reaction was: Oh no. Sure enough, the next second, he saw his boss's cold, grim expression. Even in the height of July summer, it made one involuntarily shiver. Secretary Shen sidestepped slightly before explaining, "Engineer Zhou went to purchase materials." "Many of the interior renovation materials for Linji haven't been prepared yet and need to be bought separately." Lin Meiyan gave an "oh" and marked a name off her list. "So that leaves eight people. Want to come to Linji for dinner tonight?" They'd been working hard all day. Secretary Shen glanced at his boss. Yu Jianghai's expression was unreadable—he couldn't tell if his mood was good or bad—so he asked, "Youth Lin, were you asking about Engineer Zhou just to count people for dinner tonight?" Lin Meiyan nodded instinctively. "What else would it be?" She asked back with a light smile, "If I don't count the names, I won't know how much food to prepare for dinner." Her voice was gentle and soft. Secretary Shen breathed a slight sigh of relief. He looked at his boss, who hadn't expressed any opinion. Not only that—the man had furrowed his brows, clearly displeased that Lin Meiyan was going to feed this whole group of people. What right did they have?! Secretary Shen was Yu Jianghai's mouthpiece, so he declined directly, "No need to prepare dinner." "Our renovation crew gets paid daily wages. If the homeowner sets a precedent of providing meals for this renovation job, it'll be harder to take on other clients in the future, and it won't be as easy to manage." That reasoning made sense. This left Lin Meiyan with no room to argue. She nodded. "Fine, tomorrow I'll buy everyone a crate of Beibingyang soda." The moment she said this, Yu Jianghai looked up at her, his gaze somewhat obscure. But Lin Meiyan was sharp enough to notice. She felt a bit embarrassed, a bit awkward. However, she quickly adjusted her mindset and became more composed. "I'm going to open a shop. I'm going to raise a child. Isn't it normal that I've learned these social graces?" These social graces were things she had only learned after leaving Yu Jianghai. No one stays the same forever. Lin Meiyan didn't. Neither did Yu Jianghai. But if Yu Jianghai knew what she was thinking, he would surely say that he hadn't changed. Yu Jianghai had never changed from start to finish. It was Lin Meiyan who had changed, not Yu Jianghai. Yu Jianghai said nothing, only lowered his head and slipped into the black Mercedes. At the moment the window rolled up, he met Lin Meiyan's gaze through the gap in the glass. He saw Lin Meiyan, and he also saw the two flower baskets placed behind her. The baskets were in full bloom, and she stood before them—more beautiful than the flowers. Originally, she didn't have to work so hard. She didn't have to struggle like this. She didn't even have to become so worldly-wise, so well-versed in social graces. She didn't have to. Whether it was Lin Meiyan's imagination or not, at the moment the car window closed, through the gap, she seemed to see a very deep, very thick look of heartache in Yu Jianghai's eyes. No. It must be her imagination. She smiled and waved at the car, watching the black Mercedes drive away, and only then did her smile fade slightly. Lin Meiyan raised a hand and rubbed her face, stiff from smiling. Honestly, she didn't know how to get along with Yu Jianghai anymore. The love and tenderness of the past weren't fake. But equally, the decisiveness and the breakup weren't fake either. They should have cut ties completely, yet because of their child, because of Linji, they were connected again. Lin Meiyan let out a soft sigh. Just as she turned around, she saw her chubby uncle carrying a bag of peach crisps and a bag of Beibingyang soda, running over breathlessly. "Did I make it? Did I make it? Did I catch them?" The midsummer in Jiangcheng was like a furnace, extremely hot. Gu Kaihua carried his luggage, sweat rolling down his fair, plump face. His skin was white with a hint of pink and covered in fine, light hairs. Though she shouldn't think this way. But the moment Gu Kaihua appeared, he really did overlap with a charging pink piggy. Lin Meiyan forcefully tossed that thought out of her head. She smiled. "Uncle, no need to rush." "The renovation crew has already gotten off work." Gu Kaihua looked a little disappointed. "Still too late, huh?" "Forget it." He handed over the peach crisps, still piping hot from the oven, and said, "You go ahead and eat these first." The oil from the peach crisps seeped through the kraft paper, leaving a faint mark, and the sweet aroma drifted to Lin Meiyan's nose. Lin Meiyan didn't stand on ceremony. She had been busy all day and was indeed a bit hungry, so she took a piece and bit into it. The peach crisp was still warm, crispy and sweet in her mouth, crumbling into crumbs. She had to use her other hand to catch the falling bits so they wouldn't scatter everywhere. While she ate the peach crisps, Gu Kaihua went inside to look at the renovation. Everywhere, there were only grooves cut into the walls or shelves put up. Honestly, there wasn't much to see. Gu Kaihua muttered as he looked around. "Why do I feel like this renovation looks the same as no renovation at all?" You couldn't tell any difference at all. Lin Meiyan took a sip of water to wash down the dry peach crisp, then smiled gently. "Uncle, this is only the first day of renovation. It can't be that fast." "It'll take at least a week or more before you can see any results." Gu Kaihua rubbed his plump hands. "That's good, that's good. I was worried you might have spent the money and ended up with nothing to show for it." "A big company like Jianghai Dicai shouldn't cheat ordinary folks like us." Lin Meiyan nodded. She checked the time, and Gu Kaihua seemed to know what she was worried about. "Your aunt is on the early shift today, so she's already picked up Qiaoqiao and taken her home." Knowing that Lin Meiyan couldn't leave the renovation site, the family naturally took care of her worries from behind. Lin Meiyan breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to speak, Ye Qiuju arrived with Qiaoqiao in tow. From a distance, Qiaoqiao was already stretching out her arms, calling "Mommy, Mommy" at the top of her lungs. Her voice arrived before she did. The little one charged over like a whirlwind, pouncing at Lin Meiyan, quickly pressing her cheek against hers, then turning around and running into the Lin family house to look around. Seeing scaffolding everywhere, she looked a bit disappointed. "Didn't you say it was being renovated? Why is it such a mess?" Lin Meiyan tapped her nose. "It can't be that fast." "Today's just the first day." Only then did Qiaoqiao let it go. Gu Kaihua, meanwhile, walked inside and looked at the messy interior, sighing with emotion. "Back when my brother-in-law was still around, the Linji house was really nice." "Back then, I was in the kitchen making pastries. Every time I came out to deliver dishes, I'd see quite a few people standing at the door, peeking in." Just peeking, not daring to come in. Because for that era, Linji's decor was far too luxurious. "But now—" the place was in shambles, walls peeling, roof crumbling, not a single decent spot anywhere. What he left unsaid, Lin Meiyan understood. She said softly, "It will get better." The Lin family would get better. Linji would get better too. And indeed, just as Lin Meiyan had said, the first day of renovation showed little progress, but by the twelfth day— The transformation of Linji was clearly visible. The entire exterior and interior walls had been repainted, and the two-story building's facade had been rebuilt and finished with clean red brick and gray tiles. The window frames and door panels had all been replaced with sturdy pine wood. When the wind blew, the scent of wood mixed with the smell of lime drifted through the street. At the very least, judging from the exterior structure, it was a world of difference from what it had looked like just a week ago. So much so that many passersby couldn't help but pause for a moment. "This house really looks beautiful after the renovation." "Is Lao Linji coming back?" The older generation all remembered how magnificent the old Lao Linji had been. Back then, people living in Simenkou considered it an honor to dine at Lao Linji. Inside Lao Linji. Lin Meiyan was helping out. The dirt floor of the ground-floor shop had been compacted and leveled, and after being coated with cement, it felt smooth and clean even under bare feet. The originally mottled, blackened walls had been scraped, puttied, and painted a brilliant white, with lime lines drawn perfectly straight along the corners. The living quarters on the second floor had also been tidied up. The old wooden windows had been replaced with sliding ones, letting in plenty of light, and even the stair railings had been sanded and repainted—no more creaking when stepped on. Originally, it was said the work would take a month at most, half a month at best. In reality, it took less than half a month—only fourteen days—and Lao Linji had already been completely transformed. Lin Meiyan looked around, and the more she looked, the more she liked it. She swept her gaze across the space—Yu Jianghai hadn't arrived today. Neither had Secretary Shen. The site was now entirely under Zhou Ran's charge. In just half a month, she had grown quite familiar with Zhou Ran, so she didn't stand on ceremony and walked over. "Engineer Zhou, will Linji be finished within a few days?" Zhou Ran had studied interior design in graduate school in Xiangjiang, and after graduating, he had worked at a large company doing nothing but small, menial tasks. This was the first time he had participated in an entire renovation from start to finish. He was in the middle of surveying when he heard her. He nodded. "Sister Lin, almost there." "Just a few finishing touches left." Because he was talking to Lin Meiyan, he stopped crouching and stood up instead—it was only polite. "You see, the main hall is basically done. Once the cement dries, we'll lay the flooring. As for the walls—since you don't like green paint, we'll apply a coat of white primer first. As for the design afterward, you'll need to ask my senior." The senior he referred to was Yu Jianghai. They had attended the same university—both from Jiangda—except he was luckier, being a few years younger than Yu Jianghai, and had completed his degree at Jiangda. Yu Jianghai, on the other hand, had been unlucky in his time. Although he was the youngest to ever be admitted to Jiangda, he never finished his studies due to the Yu family's circumstances. Lin Meiyan paused. "Alright, I'll ask him about it later." "Ask me what?" Yu Jianghai was standing at the entrance of Linji, unknown to them. He wore a crisp white shirt and immaculate black trousers—mature, refined, and carrying a hint of rigidity. At that moment, he leaned against the doorframe, his gaze dark and unreadable as he watched the two of them chatting and laughing. Lin Meiyan paused, about to speak. But Zhou Ran had already walked over first. "Senior, Sister Lin was asking how many more days until we finish, and whether the walls should just be primed white or done differently." "These details are for you to decide." Zhou Ran was very young, wearing a white crew-neck t-shirt in the sweltering summer heat, looking sunny and fresh. It was a perfectly natural, casual reply, but as Yu Jianghai looked at him, he felt an inexplicable sting in his eyes. He gave a grunt of acknowledgment, then fixed his gaze on Lin Meiyan. "I'll discuss this personally with Boss Lin." Hearing this, Lin Meiyan felt somewhat uneasy. Zhou Ran found the remark odd—his senior had always been a detached, indifferent sort. Why would he care about such details? But before Zhou Ran could dwell on it, Yu Jianghai had already walked over with measured steps and nodded at Lin Meiyan. Lin Meiyan squeezed her fingers tightly before following Yu Jianghai to the entrance. Looking from outside in, the interior was at its most striking—the entire walls had been primed white, smooth and spotless, and with the light shining in, the whole room was bright and seemed even more spacious. Lin Meiyan said nothing. Yu Jianghai asked in a low voice, "Is there something you don't understand?" He thought he had made everything clear enough when he came by every day. Why did she have to go ask Zhou Ran instead? Lin Meiyan seemed not to notice his mood, calmly and levelly addressing the matter at hand. "I'm very satisfied with the renovation of Linji so far. But there are two issues. First, if the walls are all primed white, while it looks nice—" She paused. "Linji will be a restaurant in the future, facing many customers every day. Adults are fine, but if children ever come, I'm afraid this white wall won't last three days before it's completely covered in marks." This was an indisputable fact. Yu Jianghai's sharp gaze landed on her, and Lin Meiyan looked back at him calmly. The two faced off for three seconds. Only then did Yu Jianghai withdraw his gaze and adopt a businesslike attitude. "There are two options for the interior walls. The first is the green wainscoting that's widely popular on the market." Lin Meiyan shook her head. "I don't like that color." Yu Jianghai said, "Then blue—the color of the sea." The color of the sea. Did he even know what he was saying? Lin Meiyan suddenly looked up at him, trying to discern something from Yu Jianghai. Yu Jianghai took out two printed design drawings—one with green wainscoting, one with sky-blue wainscoting. Placed side by side, the comparison was immediately clear. He set the design drawings on the table and raised his eyes to Lin Meiyan. In those deep eyes, the expression was now obscure and unreadable. "The choice is yours." —It had always been yours.