As she spoke, Su Man paused, then added quietly, “I already had plans with you for Saturday, so I turned it down. But thinking about it now, it’s strange…… if he wanted to get together with childhood friends, what’s wrong with any other time? Why specifically right after Li Li and I had a fight?”

Once Su Man started thinking along those lines, she found it harder and harder to dismiss as coincidence.

Lu Yuwen set down his utensils, crossed his arms and rested them on the table in a composed, unhurried manner, and said warmly:

“Turning it down was the right call. It lets him understand your limits — next time he wants to say something cruel, he’ll think twice. It seems this Saturday we should not only eat well, but truly enjoy every moment. If he has feelings for you, something like this will only make him all the more anxious about losing you.”

Su Man gave a somewhat strained smile. “……Actually, it doesn’t matter. I don’t really care what he thinks.”

Lu Yuwen looked at her steadily, a note of quiet inquiry in his eyes.

Su Man said, “I mean it. Lately I’ve had something of a realization…… In the past, I always felt that the bond between us after so many years was special, so I valued him and valued the relationship. But thinking about it now — how many years is ‘so many years,’ really? No matter how long, could it be longer than the time my parents have spent with me? Even a parent and child will inevitably part one day. Let alone him. Whether he’s in my life or not won’t make much difference to me.”

Lu Yuwen smiled at that. “Your reasoning is a bit off, but your conclusion is sound — so rounding up, I’d say you’re entirely correct.”

Su Man laughed and glared at him. “You’re teasing me again.”

“I’m sorry~” Lu Yuwen said. “Being with you is just so relaxing that I keep wanting to make little jokes. I’ll try to be more careful going forward, alright?”

Su Man bent her head over her meal. “Mm…… do whatever you like.”

Lu Yuwen looked at her warmly. After a moment, he tilted his head slightly, his gaze drifting through the window to the world outside.

The sky had long since gone completely dark. Street lamps lit the roads, making the outside appear reasonably bright despite the night.

“Man Man……” Lu Yuwen said quietly. “I’m a little tired. Would it be alright if I rested here for a bit before heading back?”

Su Man looked up at him, slightly puzzled. “Of course — you could stay here for the night if you wanted to. The same guest room as last time?”

“That’s alright.” Lu Yuwen replied. “I didn’t bring a change of clothes. I’ll just lie down for a little while and then head back to the hotel.”

“Oh, alright then.” Su Man studied his complexion with concern. “Is it the stress of opening the new branch? You go rest — I’ll clean up here.”

Lu Yuwen smiled and gave a small nod. “Alright. Thank you, Man Man.”

“What’s there to thank me for — you cooked this entire table of food, and I’m just washing a few plates……” Su Man sighed, looking at him. “Are you sure you’re alright? You’re not running a fever, are you? We have a thermometer at home — do you want to check?”

He shook his head gently. “I’m fine. I just need to lie down for a bit.”

“Alright then.”

Dinner was winding down. Su Man didn’t quite finish savoring the last few bites, and after showing Lu Yuwen to the guest room, hurried back to clear the dining table and tidy the kitchen.

By the time she finished and came back, she found Lu Yuwen leaning against the headboard, eyes already closed in sleep.

Su Man hesitated about whether to wake him.

She thought it over, then decided it was probably better to let him rest.

She turned and went back to her room, put on some show to watch idly, and then around eleven o’clock made her way quietly back to the guest room door. Lu Yuwen still showed no sign of waking.

Su Man gently pulled the door shut, then went to wash up and turned in for the night.

What she didn’t know was that the moment she left, the man lying on the bed opened his eyes.

And then, with calm, unhurried interest, he gazed at the light in the adjacent room that stayed on through the night.

—