Floating life reflects two lotuses

Li Chenyao never imagined that one day he would be squeezing onto the subway to get off work.

An unexpected turn of events, often referred to as a "business trip routine," led to his car being reassigned to pick up an important client, forcing him to set aside his directorial authority and experience the "commuting culture" alongside his colleagues.

Even more surprisingly, he spotted Chu Wanlian at a glance on the crowded platform.

She was squeezed in the crowd, her expression calm, holding a cup of milk tea in her hand, her gaze fixed on the train arrival display screen in the distance. The straw of the milk tea was slightly deformed from her grip, revealing that she was not as calm as she appeared.

Li Chenyao stood not far away, his gaze unconsciously following her movements. Chu Wanlian's eyebrows and eyes exuded a cool beauty, and the subtle sense of distance she possessed reminded him of her performance in the meeting—precise and organized, completely unlike the timid and introverted employee described in the company's file.

He smiled and walked over in a few steps.

"Xiao Jinlian?" Li Chenyao's deep voice carried a hint of amusement. "So you take the subway too."

Chu Wanlian was slightly taken aback. She looked up and saw Li Chenyao. A moment of panic flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure: "Director Li?" She suppressed her unease and said softly, "Do you also take the subway? I'm just a lowly employee. Do you expect me to take a Mercedes if I don't take the subway?" Chu Wanlian had been living in modern life for too long, and her speech was tinged with modern humor.

“Occasionally experiencing the lives of ordinary people.” Li Chenyao raised an eyebrow, his tone casual, but he couldn’t hide a meaningful smile.

Chu Wanlian didn't reply, and was just thinking about how to end this unexpected "chance encounter" when the roar of the subway train broke the brief silence. She followed the flow of people into the carriage, found an empty seat, and had just sat down when Li Chenyao stood next to her, holding onto the handrail.

"Which station are you staying at?" Li Chenyao asked, his voice as natural as if the two had known each other for years.

Chu Wanlian hesitated for a moment, but still answered truthfully with the station name. After hearing the answer, Li Chenyao nodded: "Then it's on the way."

She glanced at him, thinking to herself, "On the way? Are you sure?" But she didn't say it aloud. She just took a sip of her milk tea, pretending not to notice his gaze.

The subway ride was smooth, and the carriage was filled with various voices, which unexpectedly made the conversation between the two people seem exceptionally clear.

"You did very well at today's meeting," Li Chenyao said first, his tone sincere. "Your analysis of those decision points was very accurate."

Chu Wanlian looked up and was surprised to see the seriousness and appreciation in his eyes. She forced a smile: "Thank you for the praise, Director Li. I was just doing my job."

Li Chenyao shook his head, a faint smile playing on his lips: "You're always so modest."

Chu Wanlian lowered her head, pretending to tidy up the lid of her milk tea cup, but a strange emotion rose in her heart. His attitude was gentle yet somewhat distant, but it was warmer than Li Heng's concern.

“I’m curious,” Li Chenyao suddenly asked, “Were you always this good at analysis? Or did you only start practicing recently?”

Chu Wanlian paused for a moment, then calmly replied, "Perhaps it's because I've been reading some books recently and have some new ideas."

"Yes, I can see that you've become more confident." Li Chenyao nodded, his gaze falling on her profile. "This change is a good thing."

Chu Wanlian pursed her lips and didn't say anything more. But her ears felt slightly hot, and she even felt that the milk tea in her hand had become scalding.

The subway arrived at the station, and Chu Wanlian quickly stepped out of the carriage, thinking that this would end this inexplicable journey together. But she had only taken a few steps when she heard Li Chenyao's voice again: "The night breeze here is quite comfortable."

She stopped and turned to look at him: "Director Li, you live very close to here?"

"Hmm, it's not too far." Li Chenyao waved the file bag in his hand. "I still have some work to do today, and I just happened to be passing by, so I took a walk."

"Taking a walk?" Chu Wanlian looked at him suspiciously, feeling that his explanation was somewhat deliberate.

"What, it seems you don't believe me?" Li Chenyao's voice was low and soft, but there was a hint of a smile in his eyes.

Chu Wanlian didn't want to delve any further, and simply waved her hand: "It's nothing, anyway, thank you for your 'convenient company'. I'm going home now."

She turned and walked away quickly. Li Chenyao stood there, watching her figure disappear into the shadows of the streetlights, but a feeling he couldn't explain well welled up inside him.

Back home, Chu Wanlian collapsed onto the sofa, her mind replaying Li Chenyao's every move.

"Was he praising me just now? Or was he just testing me?" She covered her burning cheeks, her heart filled with conflict. "No! How can I have such thoughts about another man? Brother Liheng is mine... Wait, Brother Liheng..."

Thinking of this, she suddenly sat up, grabbed a cushion, and smashed it against her face: "Chu Wanlian, you can't waver!"

She gritted her teeth, opened her phone, and tried to distract herself by scrolling through the news. But when Li Chenyao's name suddenly popped up on the screen, her finger paused.

It was an internal email sent to the company's entire staff, praising Li Chenyao for his performance in reorganizing the team in a short period of time, and attaching his brief resume.

She stared at that line of names for a long time until the phone screen went dark from inactivity.

"Li Chenyao, what kind of person are you?" she murmured to herself, her gaze complex.

Night had fallen, and Chu Wanlian leaned back on the sofa, closing her eyes. Yet, the image of Li Chenyao's casual yet warm smile remained vivid in her mind. Unbeknownst to her, she had been unknowingly drawn into a certain emotion, and within Li Chenyao's gaze lay a story she was yet to discover.

All this has just begun.