Just as I was about to stand up, Luke spoke: "There is a node on the third page of the schedule where the delivery time overlaps with the testing cycle."

He closed his notebook and looked at me: "Have your team set up the testing environment a week in advance; don't let it pile up at the end. This project relates to your year-end performance review; don't leave hidden risks just to rush the progress."

I paused: "Okay, I'll go back and adjust it."

As I was packing my laptop, Luke suddenly spoke.

"When you used to write love letters for me, you were just as serious. Forty-seven letters, every single one written beautifully. I never praised you once back then."

He put his hands in his pockets, his tone very light.

"When you stood beside me, I never felt that it was really you. Now that you are standing on the opposite side, I finally realize how wonderful you are."

I closed my laptop and picked up my bag: "Mr. Lu, the meeting is over. I'm leaving."

"Ginger."

I stopped at the door without looking back.

"I know you don't want to hear this right now. I’m not sitting here today to play the emotional card either."

Luke paused.

"I'm just here to tell you that once this project is done, I will no longer be your client. From now on, you won't have to face this face of mine in meetings."

I pushed open the conference room door and left.

Walking out of the meeting room, Luke followed behind me, keeping a distance of two steps.

While waiting for the elevator, Luke suddenly spoke: "The questions I raised at the meeting earlier weren't meant to make things difficult for you."

The elevator doors opened; I stepped inside, and he stood still without following.

"I know," I said.

Luke immediately continued: "What I said at the meeting earlier wasn't meant to flatter you; it was sincere."

"You don't need to reply. I've just been holding it in for a long time and wanted to tell the truth once."

The elevator doors closed slowly.

Back at my desk, there was a cup of hot coffee on the table.

There was a sticky note on the sleeve.

[From the client to the contractor.]

Chapter 13

I ripped off the sticky note and threw it into the trash can.

I didn't touch the coffee, just like every other cup before it; I left it at the corner of the table until it went completely cold.

In the afternoon, the team leader posted a new project schedule in the group chat.

The name printed in the client review column was Luke.

I stared at that line of text for a few seconds and then closed the window.

For the second progress report meeting, Luke was ten minutes late.

When he pushed the door open, his tie was crooked, and there was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.

Vice President Chen asked him in a low voice what happened.

He shook his head and said it was nothing.

I opened my notebook and started the report, not giving him an extra glance the entire time.

After the report ended, he didn't follow me out to see me off; instead, there was a mousse cake on my desk.

I recognized the brand; they only sell out by 10:00 AM every day.

Thinking of Luke’s drenched appearance earlier, everything had an answer.

The third report meeting was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

I arrived at the conference room early to calibrate the equipment, but when I pushed the door open, I saw he was already inside.

He was standing by the window with his back to the door, turning around when he heard the movement.

We both froze for a second.

Luke spoke first: "I came early."

I walked to the long table to connect the projector, the screen lit up, and the countdown page was reflected on the white wall.

Luke pulled out the chair at the head of the table, sat down, opened his laptop, and didn't say another word.

Halfway through the meeting, the team leader pushed the door open to talk to him about some data.

I stood by the projector, flipping through the materials.

When I flipped to the last page, my peripheral vision caught him turning his head to glance at me; he quickly looked away again.

After the report ended, Vice President Chen suggested having a meal together.

I said I had other things to do and declined.

Walking out of the office building, it started to rain.

I hadn't brought an umbrella and stood under the porch waiting for a taxi.

Someone pushed the revolving door behind me, and footsteps stopped next to me.

Luke was holding a black long-handled umbrella, but hadn't opened it, and the rain fell on his shoulders.

"Ginger," he started, his voice somewhat muffled by the sound of the rain.

"I've been in Shanghai for two months. Everything I didn't learn in the previous twenty years, I've learned in these two months. Learned how to queue up and buy things for the person I like, learned how to take care of you, learned how to stay where you can't see me, and learned what it means to wait."

The taxi arrived, and I opened the car door.

He stood in place without following.

"You don't need to look back, I'm right here. Whenever you want to look back, I'll be here."

I closed the car door and saw Luke still standing at the entrance of the office building in the rearview mirror.

The umbrella wasn't opened; he just held it in his hand.

The rain kept getting heavier.

Over the weekend, my mother called: "Ginger, the engagement between Luke and that girl from the Xu family is off. Your Aunt Lu was so angry she had to be hospitalized."

"I went to see Luke later, and he actually said... said you two were together before, and that he did all this for you. Is this true?"

My mother finally knew about my relationship with Luke.

It's just that the reveal of our relationship only happened after we had already broken up.

I pulled the corner of my mouth bitterly and gave a soft "Mm."

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, and she didn't say anything more.

After hanging up, I stood by the window.

The leaves of the parasol tree were scattered all over the ground.

At the final progress report meeting, Luke signed the papers and put down his pen.

"Project completed. Thank you for your hard work." The conference room emptied out, leaving only him and me.

He closed the folder, stood up, and walked over to me.

"Ginger."

No matter how many times I emphasized otherwise, Luke finally used the nickname I didn't want to hear.

"The only reason I signed this project was because of you. I just... I just wanted to stay with you a little longer."

"After all, you don't want to see me at all, do you?"

I picked up my bag: "Are you done?"

Luke replied: "Done."

I walked past him. He called out to me when I reached the door.

"Ginger."

I didn't look back.

"When you used to wait for me downstairs, I never knew how it felt to have someone waiting for you."

"But now I know."

"You are right there across from me; you don't look at me, you don't talk to me. So this is how painful it feels to be ignored. Why did I only realize this now?"

A spot in my heart clenched, as if aching for my past self, who had been so full of fervor.

But I didn't respond, just lifted my feet and walked out of the conference room.

As I reached the corner, I vaguely heard Luke muttering to himself.

"Is it too late to say these things now..."

Chapter 14

After walking out of the conference room, I stood at the corner for a few seconds.

Luke’s muttering felt like a thorn—not deep, but caught right in the softest part of my heart.

I took a deep breath, lifted my feet, and walked back to my desk.

The project was over, and I thought I wouldn't see him again.

But the next evening, Shen Yan invited me to dinner.

When I arrived, he was already seated, helped me pull out my chair, and pushed the menu over.

I looked down and flipped through a few pages; I ordered everything I usually loved to eat.

Shen Yan suddenly asked: "Did you often come to this kind of shop before?"

Just as I was about to speak, my peripheral vision caught someone walking in from the entrance.

Luke was wearing a white shirt, alone.

Shen Yan followed my gaze; the smile on his face instantly faded, and his eyebrows furrowed imperceptibly.

Luke walked over, his eyes landing on me before shifting to Shen Yan's face.