Chapter 1 | Reunion After Ten Years

The rain fell softly.Unlike a torrential downpour, it was a fine, dense blanket over the city, like a silent veil.Shen Zhiyi stood in the office building lobby, glancing up at the company name scrolling on the electronic screen."Chenzhou Capital."Her fingers tightened slightly.She had seen this name countless times in financial news.—Founder, Lu Chenzhou.The elevator doors opened with a "ding."She stepped inside, her calm and composed face reflected in the mirror. Black suit, long hair tied back, clean makeup. She had long since learned to hide all her emotions in the workplace.But today, her heart was beating faster than usual.Eighteenth floor.She stopped at the conference room door.The secretary pushed the door open: "Mr. Lu, Designer Shen has arrived."At that moment, she clearly heard her heart pound heavily.The door was pushed open completely.The conference room was spacious and bright, with rain and mist swirling outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.At the head of the table sat a man.He wore a black suit, his tie impeccably tailored, his features sharp and stern, his profile even more striking than she remembered. Time had stripped away his youthful air, leaving only composure and restraint.He looked up.Their eyes met.Time seemed to freeze.For only a second.His eyes flickered slightly, then returned to calm.“Designer Shen.”His tone was formulaic, as if they were meeting for the first time.She nodded. “President Lu.”The two titles separated by ten years.She walked to the conference table and began to explain the plan. Her voice was steady, her logic clear, as composed as in countless formal presentations.She thought she would be nervous.But actually facing him, she was unusually calm.Perhaps, as people grow older, they learn to control their emotions.Lu Chenzhou didn't interrupt her throughout, only asking a couple of questions at crucial moments."What are the opening hours for this public space?""Can the budget be reduced by five percent?"His tone was rational and professional, devoid of any personal emotion.She answered each question.The meeting lasted an hour.Finally, he closed the file."The proposal is approved. Proceed to the next phase."A simple sentence decided the direction of the project.The other senior executives left one after another.The conference room gradually quieted down.Shen Zhiyi packed up her documents, preparing to leave."Shen Zhiyi."He suddenly spoke.This was the first time in ten years that he had called her by her full name.She paused.Without turning around."Is there anything else, Mr. Lu?"He stood up.His footsteps were particularly clear in the empty conference room."How have you been these past years?"His voice was deep, no longer the businesslike tone from before.Her throat tightened slightly."Fine."The standard answer.He smiled slightly.“When you lie, your tone softens.”Her heart skipped a beat.Ten years.He still remembered.She finally turned around.“Lu Chenzhou, people change.”“Is that so?”He took a few steps closer.As the distance closed, she could clearly see the weariness and restraint in his eyes.“Then why don’t you dare look at me?”She subconsciously looked away.The rain outside the window pattered against the glass, fine but persistent.“We’re just business partners,” she said.“Just?”His tone was calm, yet carried a certain repression.She remained silent.Memories suddenly surged—During evening self-study in their senior year of high school, she fell asleep on her desk, and he shielded her from the glaring sunlight outside the window.On the playground, she tripped and fell while running, and he was the first to rush to her side.She casually mentioned wanting to study architectural design, and he spent an entire night researching schools when filling out college applications. He didn't come on graduation day.She waited on the playground for three hours.The sun set, the lights came on.He never appeared.Later, she heard he had gone abroad.No farewell, no explanation.She didn't even have a chance to question him."Why didn't you come back then?"She finally asked.The air suddenly became heavy.Lu Chenzhou was silent for a moment."I went."She froze."You left.""I didn't.""I waited at the school gate until dark."They both stopped at the same time.Like two lines that should have intersected, diverging at the last moment.She remembered that day.She had indeed left.Because someone told her—"Lu Chenzhou is gone."She didn't want to believe it, but she left heartbroken.So, they had waited for each other in the same rain.They just hadn't met."I contacted you later," he said softly."Your phone was disconnected, and you didn't reply to my texts."Her eyes welled up slightly.That year, she changed her phone.All her old numbers were lost.She had never received any messages from him.Ten years of silence—it wasn't giving up.It was a misunderstanding."Why are you only saying it now?"Her voice was soft.He looked at her."Because I thought you didn't need me.""And now?""Now I know—"He paused for a second."I never truly let go."The air was so quiet you could almost hear your breathing.Her reason told her to back away.But her heart ached uncontrollably."Lu Chenzhou, we're both thirty years old.""I know.""Some things are meaningless to say."He looked at her.His gaze was deep and unwavering.“Yes, I do.”Her heart skipped a beat.“Shen Zhiyi.”“Hmm?”“If we hadn’t missed each other that day.”His voice was deep.“I would have told you, I like you.”The rain outside the window suddenly intensified.She almost forgot to breathe.“From when I was seventeen.”Those words fell.Ten years flashed back in that moment.She had always thought it was just her unrequited love.But it never was.She lowered her head.“Don’t you think it’s too late?”He answered softly.“For me, it’s never too late.”Silence descended again.She knew that if she took just one more step, everything would change.But she also knew that ten years of emptiness couldn’t be filled with just a simple “I like you.”“I’ll do a good job on the project.”She finally spoke.Her tone became rational again.“As for the rest… we’ll talk about it later.”He didn’t press her.She simply nodded."Okay."She turned and left.The moment the door closed, she leaned against the wall in the hallway and took a deep breath.Her heart was pounding wildly.Meanwhile, in the conference room—Lu Chenzhou stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, watching her figure gradually disappear.His fingers slowly tightened.This time.He wouldn't let time make the decision for him again.