The meeting lasted over three hours. Partway through, Zhao Teng was called in as well.
By the time it broke up it was already evening. Guo Shijie came out of the little windowless room first, then reverently escorted Tian Xiuzhu out. Zhu Yun set down what she was working on and went over. Tian Xiuzhu gave her a smile and said, “You’ve had a long day.”
Zhu Yun: “How is it me who’s had a long day?”
Tian Xiuzhu said, “Then it’s me who’s had a long day.”
Zhu Yun glanced unobtrusively into the little room. Li Xun and Zhao Teng were still tidying up inside. She knew Li Xun was the kind of person who never organized meeting notes — the fact that he was puttering around in there meant he wasn’t ready to come out yet.
Zhu Yun said to Tian Xiuzhu, “Let’s head out together. Get some dinner.”
Tian Xiuzhu asked, “Weren’t you busy tonight?”
Zhu Yun said hastily, “……I took leave.”
Tian Xiuzhu gave a small smile. “Alright then. I’ll go get the car and wait for you downstairs.” He headed out first. Zhao Teng came out of the little room right after and gave Zhu Yun a look, then quietly settled back at his own desk and got to work.
Zhao Teng was usually lively and boisterous. His current quietness probably meant he too sensed that something was slightly off about the atmosphere. Zhu Yun stood at the doorway of the little room, watching the last person still inside.
She watched the silent silhouette of his back as he sat in the chair, and felt as though she had sat through all three hours of the meeting herself, utterly drained.
Zhu Yun gave Zhao Teng a few instructions about the remaining work, then clocked out early.
By the time she came downstairs, Tian Xiuzhu had already pulled his car up to the entrance. Zhu Yun got in. The heating was blowing warm and comfortable. Tian Xiuzhu handed her a canned coffee. Zhu Yun said, “Didn’t you say you can’t stand canned coffee?”
Tian Xiuzhu said, “It’s to warm your hands.” He switched on the turn signal and merged onto the main road. Zhu Yun held the coffee, hesitated for a moment, then asked Tian Xiuzhu, “What did you all talk about in the meeting?”
Tian Xiuzhu kept his eyes on the road ahead and answered, “We just went over the art style your game needs. There are a few key character designs that I’ll help you create.” Then a small smile crept onto his face. “Though the game itself is quite something — on top of the different scenario characters, there are all kinds of historical periods. If it’s done well, plenty of people might want to marry it.”
“……” It was only then that Zhu Yun remembered the game’s content, and she asked cautiously, “You’re not into that sort of thing as well, are you? You’re an artist.”
Tian Xiuzhu spared her a glance and said, “I’m an artist, not a monk.”
Zhu Yun was speechless. Tian Xiuzhu smiled and posed a counter-question: “If there were a game that let you court all different kinds of men — highly realistic and intelligent — are you telling me you wouldn’t enjoy playing that?”
Zhu Yun: “I wouldn’t. No interest.”
Tian Xiuzhu said, “That’s because you already have a standard set in your heart.”
Zhu Yun held the warm coffee and said nothing.
Tian Xiuzhu said with a smile, “But most people in this world have no such benchmark, and there’s another group who have one but can’t always resist the temptation to indulge. You’re just unusually upright.”
Zhu Yun: “It’s just a trashy game. You’re reading way too much into it.”
They chose a Southeast Asian concept restaurant for dinner. In the depths of winter, the restaurant was lush with artificially cultivated greenery, and the walls were hung with ornaments in an exotic style. Between the private booths hung curtains of deep violet and midnight blue, carrying a faint fragrance, creating an atmosphere of quiet intimacy.
The server handed them menus. Zhu Yun passed hers to Tian Xiuzhu. The server brought two glasses of lemon water. Once he had finished ordering, she asked, “Do you have the time to take this on?”
Tian Xiuzhu said, “I’ve already said I would.”
Zhu Yun said, “You can still back out — you haven’t signed a contract.”
Tian Xiuzhu’s expression carried an easy smile. He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice. “Zhu Yun, choose your words carefully.”
“What do you mean?”
“What you say has a lot of influence over me. There’s a real chance that if you talk me into it, I actually do back out.”
“……”
Zhu Yun had to admit to herself that she had her own selfish reasons — she wanted every project at Feiyuan to succeed, even those like “Playboy” that she personally disliked. But she also didn’t want to go ahead and rope Tian Xiuzhu in without thinking it through. She hadn’t yet reached Li Xun’s level of calculation.
“Tian Xiuzhu, the truth is this situation——”
“Zhu Yun.” Before she could finish, Tian Xiuzhu cut in gently. He raised an eyebrow at her, and said it once more. “Choose your words carefully.”
Light moved softly through his eyes. Zhu Yun suddenly realized that he already understood everything. From the moment she had told him the whole story of the past, he had known Li Xun just as well as she did.
“I said I hope you both succeed, and besides, this work is very straightforward for me.” Tian Xiuzhu slowly let the smile fade from his face. In a quiet voice he said, “The sooner you succeed, the sooner we can leave all of this behind. I don’t want to watch you exhaust yourself here.”
The server brought two bowls of sweet rice pudding.
“Eat a little more. You’ve lost quite a bit of weight.” Tian Xiuzhu said, then added, with a note of resignation, “You’re going to lose even more. From the day you saw him again, you haven’t rested for a single second.”
Zhu Yun looked up at him. Tian Xiuzhu said, “The meeting with Li Xun today was quite intense for me.”
Zhu Yun: “Did he give you a hard time?”
Tian Xiuzhu shook his head. “He just thinks too much, and the things he holds onto run too deep.”
Zhu Yun: “He’s just trying to make something right.”
Tian Xiuzhu: “I’m not judging whether he’s right or wrong — I’m only sharing my own impression. I had thought he was someone who pursued his goals with singular focus, but I hadn’t expected it to run quite this deep. And honestly, his health isn’t great — he’s running entirely on willpower.”
Zhu Yun’s spoon fell into her bowl.
“What?”
Tian Xiuzhu noticed how alarmed she was and said, to calm her, “It’s not that serious. Just a lack of rest.”
Zhu Yun nodded and murmured, “……He never slept much, even before.”
Her every thought was entirely fixed on Li Xun. Tian Xiuzhu watched her quietly for a moment, then asked in a low voice, “Do you actually prefer this kind of life?”
Zhu Yun looked at him. Tian Xiuzhu’s expression was very calm.
“The time we’ve spent together is genuinely much longer than the time you’ve spent with him — it just isn’t as intense. I love a life that’s quiet and settled like this. Being able to live out your years in peace and good health is something truly rare.”