Even if letting her mind wander while driving wasn’t ideal, Su Man had at least come to a clear understanding of her own heart through it.

She did, in fact, like Lu Yuwen.

Just having that one point settled made her feel at ease, because now she knew what she should do. At the very least, the next time Li Li came up in conversation with Lu Yuwen, she couldn’t let him keep misunderstanding things.

She couldn’t let him think she was still hung up on Li Li!

She’d have to spend the next two days with Li Li, so there might not be a chance then — but after that, in two or three days, once Li Li’s injury had healed and she and Lu Yuwen made plans again, she’d bring it up and ask what he thought.

Su Man sorted through her thoughts and quietly made her plan. Today felt good. Very good.

She had accomplished something significant.

Even if, on the surface, she appeared to have done nothing at all.

……

After getting off work, she headed to Wu Xinghai’s apartment. The whole way, she felt remarkably light — as though she’d worked something out in her mind and shed a psychological weight she’d been carrying, leaving her bright and cheerful.

She parked the car, walked into the apartment building, swiped her card, and took the elevator up.

Standing in the elevator, watching the floor numbers tick past, she thought to herself: she should find the right moment to formally introduce Lu Yuwen to Li Li — that way Li Li could stop calling him things like “pretty boy” and “fox spirit.”

Before, that might have been difficult. But since getting injured, Li Li’s temper seemed to have mellowed somewhat, so talking to him should be easier.

Reaching the twentieth floor, Su Man stepped out of the elevator and walked to the door of Wu Xinghai’s apartment. She typed in the entry code —

The lock clicked open, and the two men inside both froze.

Su Man stepped in and noticed an extra pair of men’s shoes by the entryway — she paused for a moment too, instinctively assuming Wu Xinghai had come by.

But when she walked further inside, she found an unfamiliar man hurriedly packing up his things.

He packed quickly, and Su Man couldn’t get a clear look — she only saw him stuff all the small items into a large black square bag, sling it over one shoulder, and make every indication of being about to leave.

Li Li sat on the sofa, staring wide-eyed at Su Man: “Why are you here so early? Didn’t I tell you to wait downstairs for the takeout delivery?”

“You ordered takeout?” Su Man pulled out her phone in surprise, and sure enough, found an unread message from Li Li.

【True-Li Li: I ordered takeout — wait by the entrance and bring it up when it arrives.】

“I didn’t see your message just now.” Su Man put her phone away. “I’ll go back down and get it then.”

Li Li’s expression was complicated. “It’s… it’s fine — you’re already up here. Just wait until the delivery person shows up, then go down and collect it.”

Mainly, the man had already been spotted now that she’d walked in — what was the point in sending her back down?

“That works.” Su Man nodded.

The man with the large black bag smiled at the two of them and said his goodbyes: “You two talk, I’ll get going.”

Su Man, thinking the bag looked heavy, politely opened the door for him and asked conversationally: “You’re a friend of Li Li’s? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

She knew virtually all of Li Li’s friends — but this person was a complete stranger.

The man reacted a little oddly at her words, giving an awkward smile but not replying, as though he were a shy person.

Li Li jumped in with an answer: “He heard I was injured, so he rushed straight over from work to check on me!”

Su Man gave Li Li a teasing look. “Well now, I thought you cared so much about your reputation — but here you are, telling people after all?”

Li Li had made it sound as though he’d wanted to keep the whole thing tucked away inside, not breathe a word to anyone, and only go out and face the world once all traces of the injury had healed. And yet here he was, proactively telling someone — it must be a particularly close friend.

Thinking along those lines, Su Man turned to the unfamiliar man and extended her right hand with a smile. “Nice to meet you. I’m Su Man — I work in traffic en—”

“Alright, alright!” Li Li suddenly became irritable and cut her off. “What’s there to introduce about that job of yours? The man has something urgent to get back to — stop chatting!”

Su Man’s good mood evaporated on the spot.

—