Chapter 39 Candlelit Dinner

Chapter 39: Candlelight Dinner

Lu Lin walked into the office, tossed his coat aside casually, and then started... talking to himself.

"What should I wear today to see my brother?"

He walked over to the wardrobe in the lounge and pulled open the door, revealing rows of suits hanging inside.

Lu Lin glanced through them one by one, dissatisfied with each.

"This one's too formal... this one's too dark... this one..."

He suddenly remembered that Shen Qingci was wearing a light gray turtleneck today, paired with a dark coat.

"Ah," Lu Lin's eyes lit up, "Then I'll wear that cream-colored sweater with the gray jacket."

He took out the clothes, held them up in front of the mirror, and nodded with satisfaction.

Then he thought of something else:

"I also need to bring my brother some irises~"

When he said this, his tone was as light as if he were humming a tune.

Zhou Jin stood at the office door, still holding the tablet, watching his boss like this, and fell silent.

Although Lu Lin now seemed more lively, more like a person with emotions and moods,

To be honest...

It was a bit embarrassing.

Zhou Jin pushed up his glasses, decided to pretend he hadn't seen anything, and turned to leave.

But he had only taken two steps when he heard Lu Lin's voice:

"Zhou Jin."

Zhou Jin stopped and turned back: "Mr. Lu?"

"Find a place for Lin Wei as soon as possible," Lu Lin said, his tone returning to its usual calm. "Good security, close to her daughter's school. Price isn't an issue."

He paused, then added:

"I don't want her showing up in front of my brother after work."

Zhou Jin: "..."

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back and just nodded:

"Got it, Mr. Lu."

Then he quickly left.

He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from complaining.

At three in the afternoon, Lu Lin showed up at Qingye Company.

---

He was wearing a cream-colored sweater, gray trousers, and a dark gray wool coat over it.

In his arms, he carried a big bunch of fresh irises, with dewdrops still clinging to the petals.

He looked fresh, gentle, and even had a hint of youthful charm.

Nothing like the decisive Mr. Lu who ruled the business world.

When he walked into Qingye Company, the receptionist froze for a second, then immediately stood up:

"Mr. Lu, you..."

"I'm here to see President Shen," Lu Lin said, his tone very mild.

"President Shen is in a meeting, you need to..."

"I'll wait for him."

With that, Lu Lin carried the flowers upstairs, walked to the lounge area, and sat down on the sofa.

He sat quietly, his eyes fixed on the conference room door.

Nearby, employees secretly glanced over and whispered among themselves.

"Isn't that Mr. Lu from the Lu Group? So handsome..."

"Is he waiting for President Shen? He looks so well-behaved..."

"I heard Mr. Lu and our President Shen have a really close relationship, and it's true."

Lu Lin heard them and felt a little happy inside.

He held the flowers, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the conference room door.

Finally, the door opened.

Shen Qingci walked out leaning on his cane, with Lin Wei following behind him, holding documents and reporting on work.

Lu Lin immediately stood up and walked over quickly.

"Brother," he called out, his tone no longer the fawning and cautious one from before, but rather an intimate and natural one.

Shen Qingci stopped and looked up at him.

Then his gaze fell on the flowers in his arms.

Lu Lin handed the flowers over, his eyes sparkling:

"The flowers today bloomed especially well."

Shen Qingci glanced at him, then at the flowers, and finally nodded:

"Mm."

He didn't take them, just said: "Put them in my office."

Lu Lin immediately nodded: "Okay."

Then he leaned in a little closer and asked softly:

"Bro, wanna grab dinner tonight?"

Shen Qingci watched him, remembering what Lin Wei had said that morning.

When he needs you, meet his needs.

Give him plenty of attention and care.

Shen Qingci paused for two seconds, then said:

"Okay."

Lu Lin brightened up even more.

Like he'd just gotten the best gift in the world.

Watching him like this, Shen Qingci suddenly thought...

Maybe it wasn't so hard after all.

At least when Lu Lin was happy...

He was pretty easy on the eyes.

---

At seven that evening, Shen Qingci walked into the restaurant.

This restaurant was on the top floor of the tallest building in the city center, famous for its night view of the city.

At this time, it was usually packed, with reservations booked a month out.

But tonight, something was off.

When Shen Qingci stepped out of the elevator with his cane, he found the whole top floor empty.

Only a self-playing piano in the corner was playing soft music.

The lights were dimmed so low it took a few seconds to adjust and see where he was going.

The only light came from the flickering candles on the long table in the center of the restaurant, the flames swaying slightly, casting a warm yellow glow.

The tablecloth had a deep red rose print, the plates were arranged meticulously, and the wine glasses were already half-filled with red wine, shimmering amber under the candlelight.

A candlelit dinner.

A private one at that.

Shen Qingci's brow immediately furrowed.

He turned to look at Lu Lin beside him.

Lu Lin was stunned too.

His eyes widened slightly, his lips parted, and his gaze darted between the empty restaurant and the candlelit table, as if he had totally not expected this.

"How did it end up like this?" Lu Lin asked, his voice full of obvious confusion.

Shen Qingci looked at him, his eyes cold:

"You booked it, and you don't know?"

"I just said two people," Lu Lin immediately explained, looking pitiful, "I told them to go with the restaurant's best decoration style... I didn't think they'd do this."

He paused, looking at Shen Qingci like he was about to cry:

"Bro, if you don't like it... should we leave? Go somewhere else?"

Shen Qingci said nothing.

He just stared at Lu Lin, trying to find any hint of a lie on that face.

But he couldn't find any.

Lu Lin's eyes were clear, the confusion and hurt in them very real.

He could even see Lu Lin's eyelashes trembling slightly from nervousness, and his lips, pale from being pressed together tightly.

Either Lu Lin was telling the truth.

Or... his acting was so good that even Shen Qingci couldn't see through it.

Shen Qingci was quiet for a moment, then said: "No need."

He walked toward the long table lit by flickering candles, his cane tapping on the polished marble floor, making crisp "tap, tap" sounds that echoed through the empty restaurant.

He reached the table, pulled out a chair, and sat.

Lu Lin was stunned for a second, then quickly followed and sat down across from him.

A waiter appeared out of nowhere, holding a menu, and respectfully handed it to Shen Qingci.

"Good evening, sir. Here's tonight's menu."

Shen Qingci took the menu and opened it.

French.

He frowned, finding it annoying.

The waiter noticed his expression, said "one moment," and quickly came back with a Chinese translation of the menu.

Shen Qingci glanced at the menu, casually ordered a few dishes, and added a black coffee.

"And the wine?" the waiter asked.

"No need," Shen Qingci said.

The waiter looked at Lu Lin: "And for this gentleman?"

Lu Lin immediately said: "Same as him."

The waiter nodded and left.

The restaurant fell silent again.

Only the piano in the corner continued to play, the melody soft, yet somehow making the atmosphere even more intimate.

The candlelight flickered across their faces, casting deep and light shadows.

Shen Qingci put down the menu and looked up at Lu Lin.

His fingers tapped lightly on the smooth tabletop.

The sound was faint, yet crystal clear in the silence.

"Lu Lin," Shen Qingci said.

Lu Lin immediately straightened up, like a student called on by his teacher. "Yeah?"

"You, today..." Shen Qingci paused, as if choosing his words carefully. "Why the sudden urge to have dinner with me?"