Chapter 75: Will You Come to See Me?

While he was in the middle of writing code, Lu Yu received a call from Chen Xiaofei.

It had been some time since Chen Xiaofei last contacted Lu Yu. This time, he called to invite Lu Yu to dinner the next evening, insisting that he must not miss it, as there was something important to discuss.

Lu Yu considered for a moment and agreed.

After hanging up, he spent another half hour at his keyboard before finally heading to his room to sleep.

The next day, he woke naturally, then headed to the company for another monotonous and tedious day in the life of a programmer.

At four-thirty in the afternoon, he called Chen Xiaofei to ask where they would be dining.

Chen Xiaofei gave him an address—a private restaurant in the DC district, known for its tranquil ambiance and delicious dishes.

Of course, the prices were not cheap.

Lu Yu felt a bit puzzled. If it was just him and Chen Xiaofei, they would never choose such a place for a meal. Skewers from a roadside stall were far more satisfying than dining somewhere like this.

But he didn’t ask much. He figured he’d understand once he got there.

He slung his laptop bag over his shoulder, left the office, and headed to the restaurant.

…

When he was nearly there, he called Chen Xiaofei to confirm the private room.

Walking in, Lu Yu saw there were indeed others present: Zhang Kexin and Qian Qian, whom he hadn’t seen in a while.

Seeing him enter, Zhang Kexin exclaimed, “Lu, you’re finally here! We were about to starve to death.”

Lu Yu set down his laptop bag and replied with a smile, “If you were starving, how could you still talk? Are you a ghost?”

Zhang Kexin pulled a face of mock disgust. “Ugh, Lu, you’re so gross.”

Lu Yu couldn't be bothered to banter with her, so he turned to Chen Xiaofei. “What’s the occasion? Why the dinner? Something to celebrate?”

Chen Xiaofei sipped his tea. “It’s just a meal. Does there have to be a reason? What have you been up to lately? You’re never around.”

Lu Yu poured himself some tea. “I’ve been hopelessly absorbed in using formal grammar rules to solve real-world problems, step by finite step.”

Chen Xiaofei rolled his eyes. “Can you speak human language?”

Lu Yu replied, “Writing code! What else could it be? Use your brain.”

Chen Xiaofei said, “You tell me, who here actually understands you?”

…

After a few lines of small talk, the waiter began bringing out the dishes and opened several bottles of red wine.

Seeing the scale of the meal, Lu Yu sensed something was off. He couldn’t quite place it, but decided not to ask for now.

After the waiter left, closing the door behind him, Chen Xiaofei poured a modest amount of wine into everyone’s glass. “Come, let’s have a toast, to bid farewell to our two young ladies.”

Lu Yu paused with his wine glass. “Farewell? For what?”

Chen Xiaofei sighed. “They’re both going to be exchange students, studying at the Vienna Conservatory for two years.”

“Where’s Vienna?” Lu Yu asked.

Chen Xiaofei’s mouth twitched. “Europe. Austria.”

Lu Yu nodded, then turned to Zhang Kexin and Qian Qian. “Why did you suddenly decide to become exchange students?”

Zhang Kexin said, “We both study classical piano. Of course we want to attend a better school.”

Qian Qian added, “My family wants me to go.”

Lu Yu knew nothing about music and couldn’t tell the difference between piano and classical piano, so he didn’t ask further and clinked glasses with them.

…

As they ate, drank, and chatted, a sense of joy crept in.

Before they realized it, they’d finished all the wine. Zhang Kexin and Qian Qian, cheeks flushed, even wanted to keep drinking.

Fearing they’d get as drunk as last time in the music room, Lu Yu and Chen Xiaofei both said it was enough—too much alcohol was bad for the health.

Only then did Zhang Kexin and Qian Qian reluctantly agree.

Chen Xiaofei went to settle the bill and called for a designated driver. They all rode together back to the area near Shu Yin University.

By now, the night was deep. Cars streamed past on the road, taillights red and yellow weaving together like flowing stars in a river of light.

The car windows shut out the clamor. Gazing out at the night and the streetlamps, everyone fell silent.

Zhang Kexin and Qian Qian seemed lost in thought, staring out the window.

Earlier, the lively meal had swept away any sense of sadness, but now, in the quiet, a melancholy of parting began to flow, especially between Chen Xiaofei and Zhang Kexin.

…

The driver dropped them off under the building and left.

Looking up, Zhang Kexin suggested, “Let’s walk around campus. It’s too early to go home and sleep.”

Chen Xiaofei and Qian Qian agreed, and Lu Yu joined them as they strolled toward Shu Yin University.

Zhang Kexin clung to Chen Xiaofei’s arm, leaning her head on his shoulder, whispering things only he could hear.

Lu Yu and Qian Qian lagged a step behind, walking side by side, each lost in their own thoughts without speaking.

Qian Qian clasped her hands in front of her, holding the strap of her shoulder bag, which dangled at her side, swaying with each step.

The night breeze was cool and refreshing. The campus was peaceful.

Soft orange lamplight glowed gently, never harsh, casting a faint radiance.

In the distance, lights shone in classroom windows, occasionally flickering with shadows of moving figures.

From time to time, bursts of laughter and playful shouts from students echoed through the night.

Lu Yu surveyed the scenery around him. He couldn’t tell if it was a psychological illusion, but the music university seemed to lack the gravitas of other schools, yet possessed a certain elegance.

…

As Lu Yu was absorbing this unique, elegant atmosphere, Qian Qian finally broke the silence between them.

She glanced sideways at Lu Yu and asked, “Do you know my real name?”

Lu Yu was taken aback. “Qian Qian, aren't you talking nonsense because you’ve had too much to drink?”

“I mean my full name,” she clarified.

“Oh, I know. Shen Qianyu—‘shallow promise, deep affection, everlasting happiness,’ right?”

Qian Qian nodded, falling silent again.

They continued at the same pace, strolling unhurriedly along the campus paths, trailing Chen Xiaofei and Zhang Kexin from afar.

Reaching the central lake, the air grew even cooler from the water vapor.

Chen Xiaofei and Zhang Kexin sat together on a wooden bench by the lakeside, deep in conversation.

Lu Yu and Qian Qian found another bench a short distance away and rested.

Along the path by the lake, short lamps were placed at intervals, their reflections shimmering across the rippling water—a beautiful sight.

The lawn hummed with the occasional chirp of insects, making the surroundings feel even more tranquil and refined.

…

Lu Yu gazed at the play of light on the rippling surface, his thoughts drifting far away.

Qian Qian lowered her head slightly, biting her lip, lost in her own world.

After a pause, she finally looked up, watching Lu Yu intently, her voice soft and uncertain: “Will you come visit me?”

Lu Yu turned to look at her.

Qian Qian’s heart raced, her cheeks growing warm, but she didn’t look away. Her eyes brimmed with expectation, meeting his gaze with rare seriousness.

Seeing the anticipation and earnestness in her eyes, Lu Yu felt his heart waver.

He wasn’t a fool—he understood the meaning behind her words.

He asked himself honestly and admitted he held deep affection for her.

Her beauty was beyond question—among all the girls he’d met, none surpassed her.

A graceful neck and elegant features, flawless complexion, slender shoulders, and a waist as delicate as a willow—these were the words that came to mind, perfectly suited to her.

Her temperament was gentle and serene, tinged with a hint of cool aloofness, and occasionally a touch of temper.

A girl like her was hard not to like.

They’d known each other for more than half a year, and through many interactions, Lu Yu had come to understand her.

She was a girl who took feelings very seriously.

But, as he’d said before, it was that seriousness he feared most.

He feared he couldn’t bear the weight of such a relationship, and was afraid to let her down.

He truly wasn’t ready to begin something new.

To him, starting a relationship was easy; giving it his whole heart was much harder.

He didn’t know if he could do it.

…

In front of him, Qian Qian’s face was tinged with shyness, expectation, and a hint of apprehension—all stirring a feeling of affection that made it hard to refuse her.

Lu Yu’s heart skipped a beat, and for a moment he nearly nodded, but in the end, he forced himself to look away and continued watching the play of light on the water.

He sighed inwardly. “When are you leaving? I’ll see you off.”

Hearing his answer, Qian Qian’s gaze dimmed. She rested her hands on the wooden bench, lowering her head.

The night breeze ruffled her hair—and her heart.

The two sat in silence for a while before Qian Qian finally replied, “The day after tomorrow.”

Lu Yu leaned back on the bench and nodded. “Alright.”

…

They wandered around campus for quite some time before saying their goodbyes.

Lying in bed, Lu Yu turned over the evening’s events in his mind, feeling a little melancholy.

Though there was some inevitable regret, he didn’t feel he had done anything wrong.

A girl like Qian Qian—if he couldn’t love her, he at least shouldn’t hurt her.

He just didn’t know who would one day take her hand.

His mind wandered aimlessly until drowsiness swept over him, and he soon drifted off to sleep.

Early the next morning, Lu Yu got up and went to the office.

That’s how emotions are—they come quickly and fade just as fast.

Immersed in his code, Lu Yu soon swept away the previous night’s gloom.

He called a small group for a meeting to discuss the upcoming programming tasks, explaining his ideas and answering questions.

He then joined Ge Yuncong and several technically adept supervisors to discuss a few architectural details.

Busy as he was, there was no time left for sentimental thoughts.

…

After work, Lu Yu didn’t return to his apartment near Shu Yin University.

He was afraid that seeing Qian Qian would send his thoughts spiraling again.

Banquets always come to an end; people always part ways.

Instead, he went back to his apartment near Niuwang Temple. Finding the place empty and cold, he changed into sportswear and went out for a run.

He had no idea how long he ran, only that he was exhausted and nearly collapsed by the end.

His clothes were soaked, dried, and soaked again with sweat.

After such intense exercise, the heaviness in his chest was swept away.

Physical exertion truly drives away negative energy and lifts the spirit.

Lu Yu took a hot bath, feeling utterly refreshed.

Having exercised so much, he didn’t bother going to the study to write more code.

Instead, he lay in bed, checked his email on his phone, scrolled through the news, and gradually drifted off to sleep.