Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Color of the Blue Sea This was Yu Jianghai's first frontal, proactive attack. Unfortunately, Lin Meiyan simply refused to take the bait. She avoided his gaze and picked up the two blueprints to examine them. Lin Meiyan did not like green wainscoting. This was common knowledge. But blue—the color of the sea—the implication was far too obvious. Even if Lin Meiyan wanted to ignore it, that would be difficult. She held the two design drawings, weighing her choice. Yu Jianghai was extremely patient. It was only at times like this that he could let his gaze rest on her freely, without restraint. She wore a white dacron blouse with a small cloth button at the collar, sleeves rolled up to her forearms, revealing a stretch of fair, delicate wrist. Her dark hair was loosely gathered at the nape of her neck, with a few stray strands clinging to the side of her neck, gently stirred by the breeze. She was gentle and serene, radiant and captivating. Yu Jianghai waited quietly, like a hunter. After a moment, Lin Meiyan handed the blueprints over and said softly, "I choose the blue wainscoting." She would never choose a color she disliked. So in truth, she had no other choice. She knew it. Yu Jianghai knew it too. Yu Jianghai gazed at her brows and eyes. After a moment, he reached out to take the blueprints she offered. But they were standing too close together. As he took the drawings, his fingers accidentally brushed against her cool, delicate fingertips. Lin Meiyan started, instinctively pulling her hand back. Yu Jianghai's eyes deepened. He took the blueprints as if nothing had happened, then said calmly, "The wainscoting will be finished within three days." Just as Yu Jianghai had said, it took only two days for both floors of Linji to be fully fitted with blue wainscoting. On the day of the inspection, Yu Jianghai deliberately set aside half a day and had Secretary Shen drive him to Linji. It was Saturday, and the kindergarten was on break, so Qiaoqiao insisted on coming along. Lin Meiyan was also inclined to bring her daughter along to learn something new, so the two were in perfect agreement. By the time they arrived, Yu Jianghai was already there. The black Mercedes parked outside Linji was conspicuous. Secretary Shen sat in the driver's seat while Yu Jianghai sat in the back, quietly looking out. Only when Secretary Shen spotted two figures in the rearview mirror from a distance did he turn back and report respectfully, "Boss, Youth Lin is here." Yu Jianghai gave a soft "mm" in acknowledgment. He waited a moment inside the car before pushing open the door. Because of today's inspection, he had changed into a formal suit—a dark gray one, crisp and immaculate, accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist, making his figure appear even more tall and lean. His matching tie was fastened with precision, gleaming cufflinks peeked from his sleeves, and his leather shoes shone like mirrors. The moment the car door opened, Lin Meiyan and Qiaoqiao happened to walk up to that very spot. Yu Jianghai stepped out of the car, standing tall and straight as a pine, his features handsome and cold, radiating an air of noble composure and commanding presence. For a single instant, Lin Meiyan felt a flicker of disorientation—Yu Jianghai had never been from the same world as them from the very start. Qiaoqiao let out an "ah!" and dashed over. "Uncle Yu, you're so handsome!" This came from the bottom of Qiaoqiao's heart. She could swear that even in her past life, having grown accustomed to movie stars on television, none of them could compare to Uncle Yu! Those with the looks lacked the presence. Those with the presence lost on looks. Only her Uncle Yu was a complete victory! Seeing Qiaoqiao dart toward him, Yu Jianghai crouched down and opened his arms. Qiaoqiao hesitated for a moment, then turned back to look at Lin Meiyan. Seeing that her mother had no objection, She then sprang onto Yu Jianghai like a little monkey bouncing around, "Uncle Yu!" Her voice was crisp and sweet. Yu Jianghai stood up holding her, his gaze turning to Lin Meiyan. Watching her daughter act so affectionately toward him, Lin Meiyan felt a flicker of surprise. When had Qiaoqiao and Yu Jianghai become so familiar without her knowing? Lin Meiyan suppressed the faint ache in her heart and said softly, "Let's go. We're inspecting the wainscoting today." The moment she finished speaking, Qiaoqiao began chattering away. "Mommy, Uncle Yu, what color is our wainscoting?" She only knew her mother didn't want it green, but she had no idea what color it actually was. She had asked her mother several times, but her mother had kept it a secret. Lin Meiyan answered first. "Go inside and you'll see." She was afraid Yu Jianghai would answer "the color of the sea." Qiaoqiao was extremely clever, and Lin Meiyan also feared the child might piece together clues and deduce the history between her and Yu Jianghai. Yu Jianghai turned his head and cast a subtle glance at her. Lin Meiyan's eyes met his, and she instinctively looked away. From the roadside to Linji, the place had already transformed completely. Red walls and gray tiles paired with white facades—it caught the eye from a distance. By the time they reached the entrance, the whole interior was bright and airy, making the space feel considerably more spacious. From the baseboard up to about a meter high, a layer of light blue paint served as the wainscoting—stain-resistant and easy to wipe clean. It was also the most fashionable practice of the nineties. Lin Meiyan deliberately didn't choose the all-green paint for the walls—she liked her home to feel bright and warm. Blue and white alternated, with bright lighting and sunlight streaming in. Qiaoqiao stood at the doorway for a moment, then let out a "Wow!"—"This is the color of the sea." In an era of white, green, and gray walls, sea-colored walls were truly too eye-catching, too striking. As Qiaoqiao's words fell, Lin Meiyan awkwardly tucked a stray strand of hair from her forehead, a hint of embarrassment coloring her fair, delicate face. Only Yu Jianghai cast an almost imperceptible glance at her, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly before disappearing just as quickly. He crouched down and set Qiaoqiao down, then asked, "Do you like this color?" Was he asking Qiaoqiao? No. He wasn't. He was actually asking Lin Meiyan. Unfortunately, Qiaoqiao didn't catch his hidden meaning. She nodded instinctively. "I like it." "The color of the sea is really pretty." In an era where everything was gray, black, and green, that touch of sea-blue had become the most striking presence of all. Yu Jianghai nodded, his handsome face full of warmth. "I'm glad you like it." —I'm glad you like it. —Yanyan, I hope you like it too. The rest of the words he didn't say, but Lin Meiyan understood them all the same. She bit her lip and lowered her gaze without speaking. Yu Jianghai wasn't upset. He took the lead and walked ahead. "Let's go check the second floor." The first floor had blue wainscoting and white ceramic tiles. The second floor was the real home. Qiaoqiao let out an eager sound, unable to contain her excitement. The old, blackened wooden staircase had been sanded down and repainted, now solid and silent underfoot. The second-floor rooms had been freshly plastered white, and the windows had been replaced with clear glass—when the wind blew, the whole interior echoed with a soft whooshing sound. Qiaoqiao hopped and skipped, touching the snow-white walls as she went. She stopped beneath the window. "Mommy, Mommy, I want to put blue curtains here!" After pointing at the spot below the window, she leaned against the wall. "I want to put a small bed here." "And here—" She ran back to the window. "I want to put a desk here." This was Qiaoqiao's dream from two lifetimes—to have a bedroom of her own in her youth, with curtains she loved and a desk by the window. She could sit by the window doing homework, or sit there staring blankly at the big trees outside. When she'd had it in her last life, it had been far too late. But in this life, she thought, if she could start over, she would have it early. Qiaoqiao felt a little nervous. She opened her big eyes wide and looked at Lin Meiyan cautiously. "Can I, Mommy?" Because she wasn't sure if the second floor was meant to be used as private dining rooms for Linji to host guests. If it was, then she wouldn't take this room. Lin Meiyan said, "Of course." "This will be your room from now on." Qiaoqiao clapped her hands joyfully. "Mommy, I love you so, so much!" Yu Jianghai stood to the side watching. The outer side of Linji's second floor was a connecting corridor, with the main hall in the middle, and two bedrooms positioned diagonally across from each other. The bedrooms were large—each one a good forty-plus square meters, quite spacious. Of course, the living room was even more spacious, but for a real estate developer like Yu Jianghai, he could spot the flaws in Linji's layout at a glance. The house was big, but the layout wasn't good. In a house of nearly two hundred square meters, the living room took up seventy or eighty, the corridor took up thirty-plus, and after accounting for the stairwell and the bathroom... Strictly speaking, a house this big only had two bedrooms. Perhaps sensing Yu Jianghai's confusion, Lin Meiyan said quietly, "Back then, my parents were deeply in love and only planned to have one child—my older sister." "Their original intention was one room for the parents, one room for the daughter." As for Lin Meiyan, she was purely an accident. But by then, Linji had already been renovated, and the layout was set—it was hard to add more rooms. So Lin Meiyan's memories of her childhood and teenage years were all of sharing a room with her sister. Yu Jianghai didn't say anything. He just measured the area of the main hall and the corridor with his polished leather shoes, his tone indifferent, as if asking casually. "Do you want to renovate and add more rooms?" The first floor was for business, the second floor for living. Lin Meiyan looked up at the interior, and only after a long moment did she say softly, "No." —If she changed it again, when her mother and sister came back, they might not recognize the house. She hadn't actually made major changes to the second floor's layout or decor. She was afraid they wouldn't be able to find their way home. Hearing this, Yu Jianghai gave her another look, his gaze heavy and unreadable. At thirty, Yu Jianghai was no longer the young man who lost his temper at the slightest provocation. So even Lin Meiyan couldn't tell that Yu Jianghai was angry at that moment. She didn't even know why he was angry before he had already left. Yu Jianghai came quickly and left just as quickly, striding down the stairs in long, swift steps. Lin Meiyan was still a little bewildered. Only Qiaoqiao whispered, "Mommy, what's wrong with Uncle Yu?" Lin Meiyan shook her head. "I don't know." However, Yu Jianghai had always been like this—his temper flared up quickly and faded just as fast. In the end, he would always soothe himself. Lin Meiyan decided not to bother with him. She led Qiaoqiao through every room, inspecting each one carefully, and spoke to her in a gentle, tender voice, "The small room can be your bedroom." "The big room I'll keep for myself." "If you're scared staying alone, you can come next door and stay with me, okay?" She knew that Qiaoqiao, like herself, longed for a room that belonged entirely to her. In all her twenty-nine years, Lin Meiyan had never truly owned one, but she hoped her Qiaoqiao could. The wish she hadn't fulfilled at twenty-nine, she hoped her Qiaoqiao could achieve at four. It wasn't so much that she was raising Qiaoqiao, but rather that in the process of raising Qiaoqiao, she occasionally got to raise herself all over again. Qiaoqiao nodded eagerly like a chick pecking at rice. "Mm-hmm, when I don't want to stay alone anymore, I'll move in with Mommy." Lin Meiyan reached out and tapped her nose. Qiaoqiao went to the main hall, but the excessively spacious room made her feel a bit out of place. Mainly because since her rebirth, she had been living at the Gu family's place, and even the smallest room at Linji was bigger than the entire Gu household. "Mommy." "Hmm?" "Should we invite Great-Uncle and Great-Aunt to come live with us?" Before, they didn't have the conditions, but now their house was so big. Lin Meiyan was delighted that Qiaoqiao had been raised to be this way—she knew how to repay kindness. "I'll invite them over, but we still need to respect their personal wishes, understand?" Qiaoqiao furrowed her little brows. "Alright then." After the two finished looking at the second floor, they both began to look forward to their future life. "Mommy, can we really move into such a big house?" Qiaoqiao still wasn't entirely sure even now. Lin Meiyan said, "Yes." "Once the interior and exterior renovations are done, we'll pick out furniture in the next few days. Once the furniture is moved in, we can move in too." Qiaoqiao felt a little flutter of excitement. "Then I'll invite Xiaomin to come visit my house." Before, when they lived at Great-Uncle's place, she was always too embarrassed to invite Xiaomin over, because Xiaomin's house was so big. She and Mommy lived at Great-Uncle's house, tripping over each other's heels—there was barely any room to turn around. Lin Meiyan hummed in acknowledgment. "The earliest would be early August." The two chatted as they went downstairs. Lin Meiyan's gaze swept around. Yu Jianghai was no longer at Linji, and she felt the atmosphere around her lighten considerably. Only Zhou Ran and the others were still finishing up. Because the Linji kitchen was quite special, different from a home kitchen. So when it was originally designed, a great deal of thought had gone into it—even the drainage outlets ran through the entire kitchen. For this reason, a separate design plan had been made just for the kitchen. At the moment, Zhou Ran was hard at work in the kitchen, because the floor tiles had been laid, and the drainage outlets needed a separate isolation frame installed. Just as Lin Meiyan came down and walked around, Zhou Ran heard the noise, quickly got up, and hurried over to her. "Sister Lin, come take a look at the kitchen." Lin Meiyan sent Qiaoqiao out to play, then went into the kitchen herself. The Linji kitchen was located at the left turn on the first floor, spanning over fifty square meters. After the renovation, with floor tiles laid, counters and stoves installed, and custom cabinet faces made, the entire kitchen looked much more spacious and bright. One glance was all it took for Lin Meiyan to fall in love with the kitchen. Zhou Ran was drenched in sweat. "Sister Lin, look at this drainage outlet—I'm not great at designing this part." "My senior apprentice brother rejected my first draft. This is his second version. It connects to the sink here, with pipes leading down to the drainage outlet, and all the water from the outlet is uniformly discharged into the septic tank outside Linji." Lin Meiyan actually hadn't known about this. Zhou Ran, however, couldn't stop singing Yu Jianghai's praises. "Sister Lin, you have no idea how amazing my senior apprentice brother is. Everything I didn't think of, he thought of it all." "Look—once this drainage outlet is connected, the whole kitchen won't get damp anymore." Dampness breeds bacteria and also makes things look dirty and messy. People who run restaurants fear that the most. Lin Meiyan was momentarily stunned. She looked at the kitchen design and suddenly asked, "Did President Yu do this?" "Yeah." Zhou Ran walked over to the counter. "For this counter, my original suggestion was to make it a standard height of 1.4 meters." "But my senior apprentice brother said you're only 1.65 meters tall, so a 1.4-meter stove would be too high." "So in the end, he adjusted the height and made it 1 meter instead." "Sister Lin, come try out the counter height and see how it feels?" By the end, Lin Meiyan had stopped listening. She simply walked clumsily over to the counter. The counter was made of white ceramic tiles—broad, flat, and spotless. She stood before the counter. The height matched her own perfectly. She only needed to lift the cleaver lightly to chop vegetables and cook with ease, never again feeling that the counter was too high, forcing her to occasionally stand on her tiptoes. Or perhaps needing to shake out her sore arms. And all of this was because of Yu Jianghai. Lin Meiyan felt a slight stir in her heart. She quietly looked at every corner of the kitchen—spacious, bright, clean, and tidy. Even the height of the countertop was designed according to her height. At this moment, Lin Meiyan didn't know how to describe her feelings. She silently savored the name in her heart—Yu Jianghai, those three words. "Sister Lin?" Zhou Ran, who hadn't received a reply for a long time, waved his hand in front of Lin Meiyan's eyes. Only then did she snap back to attention. She looked up, her eyes bright and soft. "I'm very satisfied with this kitchen." Zhou Ran let out a sigh of relief. He took an acceptance form from his bag and handed it over. "Sister Lin, take a look at this acceptance form. If there's no problem, just sign your name on it." Lin Meiyan took the acceptance form and looked it over. Seeing the meticulously detailed record grids on it, she was somewhat surprised. "Did you make this?" Such a detailed record book—even she could use this kind of recording process when opening Linji. Zhou Ran shook his head. "How would I know how to do this?" He smiled wryly. "This was proposed by my senior fellow apprentice and refined by Secretary Shen." "I'm just the one who carried it out." And his senior fellow apprentice, Yu Jianghai, was the one giving orders from above. Lin Meiyan touched the record book for a while before signing her name on it. She looked up and said softly, "I'm very satisfied with the kitchen renovation." "I'm also very satisfied with the Linji renovation." Zhou Ran wanted exactly those words. He grinned, showing a row of white teeth. "Sister Lin, as long as you're satisfied, that's what matters. Your satisfaction means that the first renovation design project I've done since returning from Xiangjiang is a success." The success of Linji also meant that he could gradually establish a firm foothold at Jianghai Dicai. Zhou Ran was truly too sunny a person—handsome features, and a smile that was extremely infectious. Lin Meiyan couldn't help but be infected by him a little. She smiled and said sincerely, "Congratulations." Just as she finished speaking, she noticed Yu Jianghai, who had supposedly already left, now standing at the entrance of Linji, dressed in a suit, tall and handsome. However, his expression at the moment was somewhat unreadable. Lin Meiyan didn't even know how long he had been standing there. She let out a soft sigh. Zhou Ran had already run over to report on his work. He handed over the acceptance form. "Senior fellow, this is the acceptance form for Linji." Yu Jianghai stared at him for a long moment before instructing Secretary Shen, "Take photos of the Linji renovation, contact the Jiangcheng newspaper to arrange a suitable time slot, and release the news that Linji was renovated by Jianghai Dicai." Secretary Shen immediately began taking notes on the notebook he carried with him. After a moment, he nodded. "Boss, what's the latest time?" Yu Jianghai didn't speak. He looked at Lin Meiyan. It took Lin Meiyan a moment to realize that the timing for the Jianghai Dicai renovation announcement in the newspaper was centered around her. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "The reopening date for Lao Linji is planned for August 8th." It was already July 23rd now, so strictly speaking, there weren't many days left. Yu Jianghai had a clear picture in mind, so he said to Secretary Shen, "Set the advertising period from August 5th to August 8th." As for why he chose that time. Of course, it was to give Linji a warm-up process. However, he didn't need to say those words out loud. Secretary Shen nodded in agreement. "Then I'll contact Director Chen of the Jiangcheng Daily within a week to have him promote the first renovation clients of our Jianghai Dicai renovation department." In truth, he was quite doubtful whether this promotion was really for the Jianghai Dicai renovation department or for Linji. But of course, Secretary Shen wouldn't ask that question out loud. Lin Meiyan paused, pressing her lips together. "President Yu, Jianghai Dicai doesn't need to accommodate Linji's opening date." They had already taken advantage of Jianghai Dicai for this renovation. If they also had to accommodate them for the advertising, she would really feel too guilty about it. Yu Jianghai looked up, his gaze heavy as he glanced at her. "Even if it weren't Linji but another renovation client, Jianghai Dicai would still use renovation cases to advertise." "As for when Jianghai Dicai advertises, it has nothing to do with Linji—it has to do with the renovation clients." Lin Meiyan gently rubbed her fingers together but said nothing. Secretary Shen quickly began making arrangements. Seeing Zhou Ran standing in front of him like a wooden post, he put Zhou Ran to work as well. "Engineer Zhou, come on, come on. There are still two details I haven't figured out. Help me understand them." As he spoke, Secretary Shen extended his long arm, pulled Zhou Ran into his embrace, and led him out with an arm around his shoulder. Once he left. Only Yu Jianghai and Lin Meiyan remained inside Linji. Yu Jianghai didn't speak, so Lin Meiyan took the initiative to lead the way outside. She pointed at the courtyard wall. "Here, I plan to plant some silk cotton flowers along the wall." "When the time comes, those flowers will climb all over the wall along it, and every guest who comes here to eat will be able to see them." "Plant a loquat tree in each corner of the fence-enclosed garden, so we can pick loquats to eat in the summer." "Plant an osmanthus tree outside the kitchen window, so when I get tired from cooking, I can look at the osmanthus tree and enjoy its fragrance." Following Lin Meiyan's methodical words, the tension on Yu Jianghai's face gradually eased. Because during their time on the island, huddled together in the cave for warmth, they had countless times fantasized about their life after marriage. A small courtyard planted with fruit trees and flowers—you could enjoy the blossoms and eat the fruit. Lin Meiyan always had a gift. She could easily stir Yu Jianghai's emotions, and just as easily settle them all. "Yu Jianghai." Lin Meiyan walked to the kitchen entrance. At this moment, the entrance to Linji's kitchen was still completely bare—no osmanthus tree, no loquat tree. She stood in the open space of the kitchen and turned back to look at Yu Jianghai. "Thank you for the Linji renovation, and thank you for all the kitchen designs." Her gaze rested on him, her face gentle, her expression serene. "No matter when, you will always be a forever friend of Linji." She extended her hand. Yu Jianghai lowered his eyes to look at it. Her hand was slender and fair, nails with a light pink tint, trimmed just right. In truth, those who knew her well understood that her hands were merely pretty on the surface—on the palm lay a thin layer of calluses, the wear and imprint of life. His Adam's apple bobbed, his gaze restrained as it settled on her face. Lin Meiyan lifted her chin slightly, signaling that her hand was already extended. The next second, Yu Jianghai's hand clasped hers. Five years apart. Finally, the big hand held the small hand once more. Lin Meiyan paused briefly, then smiled softly. "President Yu—Yu Jianghai—you've done so much for Linji this time. If you don't mind, whenever you come to Linji to eat in the future, it's on the house." That was Lin Meiyan's promise to Yu Jianghai. Yu Jianghai leaned forward slightly, his large hand gripping her small one—but only for a moment before he pulled away. Just as Lin Meiyan thought he wouldn't answer, he said a single word. "Alright." "You said it." You said it. Lin Meiyan understood the implication behind his words. She gave a slight nod. "I said it." "Whenever Yu Jianghai comes to Linji, it's free of charge, no matter when." "As long as you're here?" "Yes, as long as I'm here, you eat free." Yu Jianghai stared at her for a moment before nodding. When he was in a good mood, he relaxed a little. "I won't freeload." His voice was still indifferent, but one could tell it was far better than the gloominess from before. "Qiaoqiao has already drawn the tables and chairs for Linji for me." "Three days from now, I'll send over a full batch of chairs." Lin Meiyan was still a bit taken aback, clearly unaware of when her daughter had made such an arrangement with Yu Jianghai. Seeing her surprise, Yu Jianghai's mood improved even more. He rose and walked to the entrance of Linji, standing beside Lin Meiyan to look at the restaurant together. "This is a secret between Qiaoqiao and me." "She told me not to tell anyone." —Yet he told Lin Meiyan. Lin Meiyan felt a bit exasperated, clearly not expecting her daughter to be so bold. She wanted to say it wasn't necessary. But Yu Jianghai had already refused. "Consider it a thank-you for the free meals." After all, it was a good start, wasn't it? With that, he didn't give Lin Meiyan a chance to decline and turned to leave. The moment he was gone, Lin Meiyan called Qiaoqiao over and couldn't help asking, "Did you draw tables and chairs for Uncle Yu?" Qiaoqiao froze. "No, I didn't." "I only drew the Linji design plans." The moment those words left her mouth, she realized she'd let it slip and instinctively moved to cover her mouth—but it was too late. "What design plans?" Under Lin Meiyan's coaxing and pressure, she quickly learned what Qiaoqiao had done. "You're saying the design plans you drew for Linji were the original version, and Uncle Yu made modifications based on your original design?" Qiaoqiao nodded slightly. She thought her mother would scold her, but to her surprise, Lin Meiyan seemed dazed. She murmured, "Genetics really are amazing." In his youth, Yu Jianghai was best at drawing. Who would have thought that five years later, her Qiaoqiao would also excel at drawing? Her voice was too soft, almost a whisper, so Qiaoqiao didn't catch it clearly and couldn't help asking, "Mom, what did you say?" Lin Meiyan shook her head. "Nothing." "Are you sure you didn't draw tables and chairs for Uncle Yu?" Qiaoqiao tilted her head, now uncertain herself. "I don't know if there were tables and chairs on the drawings I made." Whether there were or not. Yu Jianghai was determined to send those tables and chairs. Sure enough, just as he'd said, three days later he delivered a full set of solid wood tables and chairs, their style closely matching the renovation aesthetic. Not only that—he also had Secretary Shen use a pickup truck to deliver two loquat trees, one osmanthus tree, and a whole batch of flower seedlings. When all those things were neatly arranged at the entrance of Linji, Lin Meiyan felt a moment of dizziness. Secretary Shen brushed the dirt off his clothes and said with a grin, "Youth Lin, these are the opening gifts my boss instructed me to deliver for Linji." Linji was set to open on August 8th, and it was only July 28th now—the gifts had arrived a full ten days early. Lin Meiyan hadn't even spoken yet. Gu Kaihua couldn't help but look around and touch things. "Oh my, this table is made of great material—it must be solid wood." "And these loquat and osmanthus trees—the saplings are really sturdy." Before the items were even set down. Gu Kaihua was already falling in love with them. How was Lin Meiyan supposed to respond to this? She frowned slightly. "Secretary Shen, this isn't appropriate." There was no reason for someone with no prior connection to send this many things at once. For the Linji renovation, she had at least paid the renovation fees, design fees, and allowed Jianghai Dicai to use the Linji renovation for free advertising afterward. But now, with all these things piled up in front of Linji's entrance. For Lin Meiyan, this truly was accepting a reward without having done anything to deserve it. Secretary Shen tugged at his hair in distress. "Boss Lin, I know you don't want this, and I know you're in a tough spot. But I'm in one too." "I'm just an employee. When I left today, my boss gave me a direct order—if I can't deliver these goods today, I shouldn't bother coming back to Jianghai Dicai tomorrow." Lin Meiyan's expression shifted slightly. Secretary Shen saw an opening and pressed on. "Boss Lin, you're a mother raising a child. You should know better than I do how hard it is to raise kids." He glanced at Qiaoqiao playing nearby, then pointed at his own nose. "You're lucky—you only have one sweet little daughter. I'm different." "My wife and I really did it to ourselves—we had triplet boys all at once." At this point, it didn't seem like an act anymore. There was genuine emotion in his voice—he truly felt sorry for himself. "Those three kids are about the same age as your Qiaoqiao. Boss Lin, if I lose my job, what am I supposed to do with my triplet sons?" Lin Meiyan couldn't quite wrap her head around how they'd managed to produce such a load. "Triplet sons—your wife gave birth to them?" Secretary Shen nodded. "They're yours?" Secretary Shen hesitated, thinking to himself that if they weren't his, he wouldn't be this anxious. "Mom, this set of tables matches our renovation perfectly." Qiaoqiao had examined everything and liked it more with each look. "These solid wood tables look really high-end." It really was a rebirth—or perhaps because the combined age of her two lives was now quite advanced—she'd actually started to develop a fondness for this new-style Chinese solid wood furniture. "These tables paired with our renovation will definitely attract people." Hearing this, Lin Meiyan's stubbornness suddenly softened a few degrees. "Secretary Shen, I'll take this set of tables and furniture, but add the cost to the renovation bill. I'll pay for it then." The other party had gone to such lengths; there was no need for her to keep resisting. Besides, the outcome was hardly unfavorable to her. Secretary Shen breathed a sigh of relief. "Deal." He had his people not only unload the goods but also carry everything inside and arrange it properly. As for the two loquat trees, they were planted at the entrance of Lao Linji, and the remaining climbing peonies were planted along the courtyard wall. By the time everything was finished, it was already past eleven. Secretary Shen also called Zhou Ran over to take photos. Once these photos were taken, they would be published in the Jiangcheng Daily. Zhou Ran had returned from Xiangjiang and was familiar with the trendiest things, so he'd transformed from Engineer Zhou into Photographer Zhou. With his latest neck-hanging camera, he started snapping photos at Linji's entrance, beginning with the two elegant loquat trees. He made his way inside, and just as the midday sun was at its finest, he kept shooting as he walked in. When he reached Linji's main hall, even he couldn't help but pause in admiration. "Wow, this place is really beautiful." Linji's interior featured blue wainscoting with white walls. As the afternoon sunlight streamed in, it instantly felt like dreaming of the sea. "It's like the ocean in here." Qiaoqiao couldn't help saying it too. Only Lin Meiyan pressed her lips together. What came to mind instead was her conversation with Yu Jianghai—choose between blue wainscoting and green wainscoting. She didn't like green, so blue it was. That was—the color of the sea. And the shared past between her and Yu Jianghai. Had Yu Jianghai already foreseen this moment when he gave her that choice? Every time she saw the blue-and-white walls, she would think of the sea. And she had to be at Linji every day. Every day, every hour, every minute, every second, she would think of the sea. She would think of him. Lin Meiyan didn't even dare to contemplate the deeper meaning behind his actions. "The blue ocean and these tables go so well together." It was Qiaoqiao's voice. The natural wood tables and white tables complemented each other beautifully—clean and refreshing. "Uncle Yu has such great taste." Even Qiaoqiao couldn't help but praise him. She'd only given him a crude design sketch back then, but he'd delivered a fully renovated space in return. And every detail was on point. Hearing this, Lin Meiyan's expression faltered slightly. She let her gaze sweep across every corner of Linji's interior and had to admit—the renovation was excellent. Even better than she had originally expected. Zhou Ran was still taking photos, and Qiaoqiao, curious about his Sony camera, trailed after him like a little shadow, peppering him with questions. Lin Meiyan bypassed the tables and chairs in the living room, deliberately going upstairs to retrieve her bag before making her way to Secretary Shen, who stood by the door with an appreciative look on his face. Clutching a brown bag in her right hand, she walked leisurely toward Secretary Shen. "Secretary Shen, since the Linji renovation has been delivered, how should I go about paying the remaining balance?" When she had originally signed the contract with Jianghai Dicai, it was agreed that the remaining payment would be made only after the renovation was delivered and confirmed to be problem-free. Secretary Shen took one glance at the bag she was carrying and understood her intention immediately. His brow twitched, and his mouth moved faster than his brain. "Youth Lin, I'm afraid you'll have to make a trip to Jianghai Dicai yourself." Hearing this, Lin Meiyan tightened her grip on the bag straps. The bluish-purple veins on her fair hands were clearly visible—delicate and fragile. She furrowed her brows slightly and said in a gentle voice, "Aren't you from Jianghai Dicai?" And in a fairly high position, at that. Secretary Shen gave a wry smile. "Youth Lin, I'm just a lowly secretary. If I dared to accept your payment today, I'd be fired by Jianghai Dicai tomorrow." "You may not know this, Youth Lin, but Jianghai Dicai is a very large company. Our workflow is now clearly defined. For a payment like yours, you'll have to personally visit Jianghai Dicai." Seeing that his expression didn't seem feigned, Lin Meiyan agreed. She rubbed the back of her bag and asked softly, "Who should I ask for when I go to Jianghai Dicai?"