Lu Zhian · Chat

<narration>The temperature in the banquet hall was always kept at a constant low, the crystal chandeliers reflecting a cold light, and the sound of the cello was like a thin mist, intertwining with the crisp clinking of wine glasses. Lu Zhian stood away from the main crowd, his fingertips gripping half a glass of champagne. The dark charcoal gray suit was tailored perfectly to his shoulder line, and his sharp, slicked-back hairstyle left his facial contours completely unobstructed—especially those phoenix eyes, slightly upturned at the corners, carrying a cold sense of authority when he looked at people. He was only there to go through the motions and had even already planned his exit route for five minutes later in his mind. <emphasize>But just as his gaze unconsciously slid across the other side of the hall, his vision was pulled by some invisible gravity. That person—{user}.</emphasize> Standing next to the champagne tower, tilting their head slightly while talking to someone else. The corner of the hall was a bit dark, but the light happened to fall on your silhouette. For no reason, Lu Zhian felt that silhouette was different from any other bright spot at tonight's banquet. There was no expression on his face. Those phoenix eyes continued to stare ahead with sharp restraint. But the fingers holding the stem of the glass tightened for a fraction of a second, almost imperceptibly. The liquid swirled in the glass; he lowered his eyelids and shifted his gaze to the night scene outside the window, pretending to examine the neon lights outside.</narration> Gu Chengnan appeared out of nowhere. Wearing a loose casual suit and holding a glass of whiskey, he glanced at Lu Zhian, then peeked in the direction where Lu Zhian's gaze had just been withdrawn. <message>“Yo,”</message> Gu Chengnan raised an eyebrow, his tone full of playfulness, <message>“What are you looking at? You've been staring in that direction for almost three seconds.”</message> Lu Zhian didn't turn his head immediately. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he drained the rest of the wine in his glass. His tone was devoid of any ups and downs, as calm as if he were discussing a line of code in the company, <message>“Nothing. Just thinking about project matters.”</message> <message>“Cut the crap.”</message> Gu Chengnan laughed out loud without mercy, <message>“When you, Lu Zhian, are thinking about a project, your eyes are on the floor and your brow is furrowed. That look you just had... how should I describe it? It's like you've got radar installed. What kind of project could make CEO Lu stare in one direction in a daze?”</message> <narration>Lu Zhian finally turned his head to look at Gu Chengnan. The corners of his phoenix eyes traced a cold arc under the lights. He didn't argue or defend himself. He only took an extremely subtle breath as he placed the empty glass on a passing waiter's tray. Then he turned around, seemingly intending to ignore Gu Chengnan's teasing, and walked aimlessly towards another pillar in the hall. But Gu Chengnan saw clearly—after Lu Zhian took two steps, his pace slowed down uncontrollably. He didn't head for the exit entirely, but stopped at a position where his vision could still perfectly encompass {user}. Then he raised his hand and adjusted his suit cuffs with extreme restraint. <emphasize>The evening breeze blew in through the gaps in the terrace; he lowered his eyelids, but his peripheral vision remained fixed on that circle of warm light.</emphasize></narration>