With the project halted, I had nowhere to go. For this entire week, I kept running to the Architecture Institute demanding the blueprints.

Of course, you couldn’t say you were demanding blueprints. You could only say you were there to express concern for the teachers.

Their Architecture Institute was in a very old red building with a tall sycamore tree planted outside. When the wind blew, leaves came rustling down.

The security guard looked me up and down and said: “Who are you?”

I said: “I’m from S Construction, here to find Teacher Yu.”

He waved his hand, shooing me away like a fly: “Teacher Yu isn’t here today.”

I said: “Then I’ll find Engineer Cheng, one of Teacher Yu’s people.”

The security guard didn’t even lift his eyes and said: “Have him come down to get you.”

I hesitated.

Since my meltdown, Cheng Xia and I hadn’t contacted each other. Even when we spoke in the group chat, it was courteous and distant.

Now, asking him to come down to get me during work hours seemed a bit…

Seeing I hadn’t pulled out my phone, the security guard sneered: “What kind of place do you think this is? You contractors think you can just come in whenever you want?”

I was a bit stunned. I had specifically changed into professional attire this morning and dressed up a bit. How could I still look like a contractor at first glance?

Just as we were at an impasse, Yan Lei came running over in basketball gear. Seeing me, he smiled: “Whoa, you bought so many things?”

I said: “The teachers are working hard. Just bought some random stuff.”

He didn’t even look at the security guard and swiped his card to let me in.

“Played ball with the leadership during lunch break. Just saw what you posted in the group chat, so I came over.” He said while wiping sweat.

I kept feeling he resembled someone but couldn’t quite place it.

Seeing him in basketball gear now, it suddenly dawned on me—he was like Cheng Xia from university days. Very fair-skinned, loved to smile, full of vigor and confidence.

He chatted casually with me: “Your work really isn’t easy. Who knew back then!”

I said: “Tell me about it. My guts are green with regret. If it weren’t for all you teachers, I would have jumped into the sea the night before last.”

Yan Lei laughed at my comment: “That’s really not necessary. Hey, how did a girl like you end up becoming a contractor?”

I said: “To make money. Whatever makes money, that’s what I do.”

As we talked, we walked into the office. There were many people inside, but I still spotted Cheng Xia at first glance.

He sat by the window, staring at the screen working intently, with a cup of steaming water by his hand.

Like a painting that made one’s heart involuntarily calm down.

“Boss Ren is here to inspect the work.” Yan Lei said, helping me distribute what I’d bought around the office.

“Big sister, how did you know I love drinking chestnut treasure tea? And with thirty percent sugar?” Yu Shixuan said excitedly.

“You ordered it last time. I just have a good memory.”

Only then did Cheng Xia turn to look at me. His complexion was a bit pale. He just smiled faintly at me, then looked back at the computer screen.

My heart gave a sharp pang. I walked to his side holding a hot Americano and said: “Your cold still isn’t better?”

“Mm.”

He took off his glasses and tiredly rubbed between his brows.

I wanted to say don’t take my breakdown that day seriously, but it was really too embarrassing to say out loud. As I was silent, Yan Lei walked over and said: “Meeting room six is empty. You can sit there for a bit. We’ll tell you about the work progress in a moment.”

“Great!”

I was grateful beyond words.

I sat in the meeting room. Yan Lei poured me water: “Why do I feel like things are weird between you and Engineer Cheng?”

I randomly made up an excuse: “Isn’t this avoiding suspicion? Don’t want to cause him trouble.”

“That’s true. Engineer Cheng is just someone who fears trouble. He seems to keep a layer of distance from all of us. Only with Xuanxuan…” He realized his slip of the tongue and quickly stopped.

I maintained a polite smile: “Is that so? When he was in school, he was quite a lively person, getting along with everyone.”

“Lively?” Yan Lei laughed: “Really can’t see it.”

At that moment the door opened. Yu Shixuan walked in, wrinkling her nose: “Yan Lei, are you badmouthing me again?”

“How would this humble one dare! Just chatting idly with Boss Ren.”

Cheng Xia followed behind with his laptop, expressionless.

They explained the current work progress to me. Overall, it was going fairly smoothly and should be completed within the agreed time.

Now my gratitude was genuine. I quickly said: “Teachers, are you free after work? I’d like to treat you all to dinner.”

Cheng Xia closed his laptop and said: “Work is quite pressing. Dinner isn’t necessary.”

Yu Shixuan said: “What bad timing, big sister. I have plans after work. Next time.”

What I didn’t expect was for Yan Lei to smile and say: “Those two probably have a date. It’s fine, the two of us can go eat.”

Yu Shixuan hit him with a document: “Have you never eaten before!”

Yan Lei said: “The point isn’t the meal, it’s who you eat with. Dongxue, six o’clock at the grilled fish place across the street?”

I quickly said: “Thank you, Engineer Yan, for giving me face.”

Yan Lei was quite a lively and humorous person. Thanks to him, I learned a lot of gossip.

For example, Yu Shixuan was Yu Gong’s youngest daughter. She had an older sister above her. Genuine privileged background, so she didn’t really work much, and no one dared say anything about it.

For example, Cheng Xia actually didn’t fit in here.

“How is that possible?”

“How is it not possible! He doesn’t like to talk. He declines all team-building activities without exception. Even when leadership comes to invite him, he makes excuses.”

But during Cheng Xia’s university days, he had always been student council president, navigating interpersonal relationships like a fish in water, often organizing large groups to go out and have fun.

After we reunited, I could feel he had become a bit quieter, but talking and laughing seemed fine.

How could there be such a big change in the workplace?

As I was thinking, I suddenly noticed Yan Lei staring at me with a serious expression.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

He said earnestly: “I think if you dressed up, you’d be a great beauty.”

“Huh? Oh, really…”

“Really. Your eyes are beautiful, your face shape is good, plus your personality is so straightforward.” He said: “There must be a lot of people pursuing you at S Construction, right?”

“Actually, there really aren’t.”

Who would dare? After all, in their eyes, I was Old Feng’s woman.

“That’s great then.” Yan Lei smiled, his eyes crinkling.

After we finished eating and walked out, the sky had already darkened. Yan Lei asked from the side: “Dongxue, which line do you take?”

“Line five.”

“Oh no, I’m line three. Well, send me a WeChat when you get home?”

As we were talking, I saw Cheng Xia.

He stood at the entrance gate of the Architecture Institute, wearing that gray-blue coat, watching us from across the street.

The sky was too dim. I couldn’t make out his expression. I only knew that after standing there for a while, he left directly.

A wave of inexplicable sadness surged in my heart.

I had wanted to keep my distance from Cheng Xia. I was sick of those days of tossing and turning until dawn over one of his expressions.

But I hadn’t intended to make the relationship this strained.

That night, I kept hesitating about whether to send Cheng Xia a WeChat message.

But what would I say? After all, the person who said so nobly and resolutely “just act like we never knew each other” was me.

After thinking it over, I still didn’t send it. I picked up professional books and started studying. As I studied, I fell asleep. Half dreaming, half awake, my phone rang. It was Yan Lei.

I didn’t look at it. He’d been very enthusiastic lately about sharing jokes with me.

When I actually woke up the next morning, I saw that WeChat message.

He said: “The blueprints are done early.”

The blueprints came out three days ahead of schedule. We quickly brought in Party A for blueprint review. Everything advanced rapidly.

We could resume construction!

When I got this news, I felt numb all over.

The gloom that had been hanging over everyone’s heads finally showed a ray of sunshine. This sunshine was so precious I felt it was fake.

What we needed to do now was catch up on the delayed construction period. Ideally, before New Year’s, we’d receive the next batch of funds so the workers could have a good holiday.

“This time, thanks to all the teachers. Please give me a chance to express my gratitude.”

After the final meeting, everyone surrounded Yu Gong. I was no exception.

Yan Lei and Yu Shixuan stood smiling beside Yu Gong. Only Cheng Xia was nowhere to be seen.

I looked back and discovered he had walked to the very back, and was walking slower and slower.

I deliberately slowed my pace, walked to his side, and said: “You’ve worked hard these past few days…”

When he turned his head, I discovered his face was deathly pale, even his lips tinged with purple.

“Cheng Xia…”

The next moment, he collapsed entirely onto me.

Cheng Xia had induced a heart condition from continuous all-nighters and was sent directly to the hospital for emergency treatment.

At this point, what was there to avoid? I paid all the fees and told the doctor to use the best medicine.

While waiting outside the operating room, Yu Shixuan said to me: “Big sister, do you know? Engineer Cheng has been desperately revising your blueprints. He hasn’t slept for three days.”

I didn’t know what to say. I could only clench my fists tightly.

At that moment, I truly didn’t want anything anymore.

What project, what blueprints, what dignity…

As long as he could live, as long as I could lie in there instead of him, I didn’t want any of it.