The smile on Xu Yumo's face froze instantly, embarrassment surging over her like a tide.
She instinctively stole a glance at He Linxi, her heart racing even faster than when she had been pitching her project moments ago.
The blunder of having already added someone as a friend long ago, completely forgetting about it, and then earnestly going to re-add them on WeChat—this was practically a social catastrophe of the highest order.
Fortunately, He Linxi didn't say anything and had already calmly put his phone away. As he was once again surrounded by the crowd and about to leave, his expression remained unchanged. Only in the brief moment he brushed past her did his gaze casually sweep over her embarrassed face, a hint of unfathomable meaning seemingly hidden in his eyes.
Only after that oppressive presence carrying the scent of cold sandalwood had completely receded did Xu Yumo let out a long breath.
She quickly walked to a secluded corner and hastily opened the chat window labeled simply "H."
The chat history was as clean as a blank sheet of paper. She then checked the system-displayed time of the friend request—
Six years ago, in the summer.
Xu Yumo suddenly understood. That was the graduation season right after the college entrance exams, when school group messages were flying everywhere. Everyone had casually added a few alumni who would end up gathering dust in their contact lists forever.
He Linxi was probably the same—he had long forgotten about it.
After returning from the summit, Xu Yumo didn't pause for a moment. She immediately threw herself into the battle of finalizing the implementation plan.
In truth, when she had deliberately brought up the matter of "returning the handkerchief" in public at the venue that day, she had indeed harbored some selfish motives.
Since the entire circle held He Linxi in such high regard, if she could demonstrate that she had some extraordinary connection with him, others would no longer dare to look down on her project as they had before.
In the adult world of fame and fortune, this was called leveraging influence.
Even in the worst-case scenario—if she ultimately failed to catch He Linxi's eye or secure the partnership—having this subtle connection would still make it much easier for her to break through and find other business partners.
Midnight.
The entire startup park had sunk into complete darkness, with only the cold white light in the Aether Technology office still burning alone.
Xu Yumo rubbed her sore, stinging eyes and solemnly pressed the Enter key.
After two consecutive sleepless nights of repeated deliberation and restructuring, this core implementation plan specifically optimized for redundant processing had finally been sent to He Linxi's email.
She stared at the screen for a moment, hesitating, then picked up her phone and sent a supplementary message on WeChat: [President He, the plan has been sent to your email. If you have time in the near future, I hope to have the opportunity to explain the logic to you in person.]
After sending the message, she was just about to close her laptop and pack up when the phone in her hand suddenly vibrated.
Xu Yumo's heart leaped, thinking He Linxi had replied so quickly. She hastily unlocked the screen—only to see a message from Lin Yuhang: [Momo, this weekend Shiye and I are going skiing in the northern suburbs. You coming?]
Xu Yumo's gaze paused for a second on the words "Shiye." Her heart felt like it had been silently pricked by an extremely fine needle, sending a lingering, dull ache through her chest.
In truth, she had been running herself ragged all week in a near self-destructive manner—not entirely to pull her company out of the mire. It was also because she needed high-intensity work as an anesthetic, filling every crevice of her mind so she wouldn't have a single spare moment to think about him.
But eight years of feelings couldn't be uprooted overnight.
To say she didn't want to see him at all would definitely be a lie.
So she didn't allow herself even a moment of hesitation, her fingertips flying across the screen to type two words: [Not going.]
Lin Yuhang: [Still mad at Shiye? He was just drunk and running his mouth that day. We've been friends for so many years—don't take it to heart.]
Xu Yumo took a deep breath, suppressing the bitterness churning in her chest: [Not mad. Just really busy lately.]
Lin Yuhang wouldn't give up: [Then how about dinner tomorrow night? Surely you can spare that much time?]
Xu Yumo: [Can't make it.]
After sending those three decisive words, she locked the screen and tossed the phone into her bag without another glance.
At the same time, inside a private room at an exclusive members-only club.
Lin Yuhang awkwardly put down his phone and looked helplessly at the man lounging in the leather sofa across from him.
Zhou Shiye was leaning back lazily, a cigarette burned more than halfway between his long, slender fingers. The crimson glow flickered on and off in the dimness, making his cold, sharp-featured face appear even more gloomy and inscrutable.
"Can't get her out," Lin Yuhang spread his hands and sighed. "Says she's too busy. Didn't leave any room for negotiation."
Zhou Shiye furrowed his brows in irritation, took a heavy drag of his cigarette, his Adam's apple bobbing as he exhaled a thick plume of white smoke.
He hadn't been feeling good this week either. He had been certain Xu Yumo wouldn't last a week before finding some excuse to come back and make up—but the girl who used to show up the moment he made a single phone call had, this time, seemingly hardened her heart, vanishing without a trace.
"Hey, Brother Ye, you should just swallow your pride and go patch things up with her yourself," Lin Yuhang couldn't help but urge. "It's been over a week now, and she still hasn't cooled off. Don't actually drive her away for good."
"She really has been busy this week." Zhou Shiye didn't take the bait about "going to coax her." He just stared at the smoke gradually dissipating in midair, his voice hoarse from staying up late and drinking. "Uncle Xu cut off her company's core supplier. She's probably running around right now trying to raise capital and find a replacement. She's got her hands full."
"Damn? Uncle Xu went that hard?" Lin Yuhang was taken aback.
"It's not the first time. Remember sophomore year? Uncle Xu cut off her allowance too."
"That's true, but Mo Mo's personality—she seems all gentle and obedient on the surface, but deep down she's genuinely stubborn," Lin Yuhang remarked. "If it were me, I'd have scurried home ages ago to apologize and admit I was wrong."
"Could she ever be like you?" Zhou Shiye let out a scoff, and there was a hint of pride in his tone that even he himself didn't notice.
"Hey, I feel like you're low-key dissing me in all that," Lin Yuhang shot him a disgruntled sideways glance.
Zhou Shiye ignored him and directly pulled a business card from his pocket, tossing it over. "Give this to her."
"Don't say it's from me. Just say your family happens to know a sensor supplier that's been looking to expand its market recently."
Lin Yuhang stared at the gold-embossed business card, the corner of his mouth twitching. "I say, Young Master Zhou, why bother with all this? If you want to help her, just deliver it yourself. Use this as a chance to make up, and it's done. Why go through all these hoops? What's the point?"
Zhou Shiye didn't answer.
He lowered his gaze, staring at the precarious, gray-white ash at the tip of his finger.
In his mind flashed the image from the night of his birthday—the cake smashed to pieces, left at his doorstep.
After a long pause, he finally spat out four cold words: "You talk too much."
The next evening, just as the last rays of sunset grazed the glass curtain walls of the office building, Xu Yumo finally received He Linxi's reply.
The screen showed only a brief line: [Friday at 5 PM. You can come to Matrix Technology for a face-to-face meeting.]
The words were cold and curt, but they instantly eased some of the tension that had been gripping Xu Yumo's nerves these past days.
A hint of lighthearted joy flickered in her eyes, and she quickly replied: [Okay.]
As she walked out of the startup park's entrance, the faintly lifted mood hadn't yet faded when a showy roar of an engine interrupted her thoughts.
A flashy, attention-grabbing supercar was parked right by the curb, drawing frequent glances from passersby.
The window rolled down, and Lin Yuhang, wearing sunglasses, poked his head out and waved at her. "Mo Mo!"
Xu Yumo was momentarily startled, then put away her phone and walked over. "What are you doing here?"
"Coming to save the day." Lin Yuhang took off his sunglasses and pulled a business card from his pocket, handing it to her. "Heard you've been stressing over sensors lately. Here—this boss just came back from overseas and has a batch of stock he's eager to move while expanding into the domestic market. Go try your luck?"
Xu Yumo took the card, her fingertips tracing the raised, gold-embossed logo. It was indeed exactly the type of high-end supplier Aether Technology was most desperately in need of right now.
She didn't put on airs or make excuses, her expression sincere. "Thanks. This really is a huge help."
"Don't be so formal with me." Lin Yuhang casually pushed open the passenger door, his tone relaxed. "Heading home? It's rush hour right now—the subway's a nightmare. Hop in, I'll give you a ride."
Xu Yumo hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively, "Don't you need to have dinner with Zhou Shiye tonight?"
The smile on Lin Yuhang's face froze for a split second, turning somewhat awkward. He rubbed his nose and muttered, "If you're not coming, what's the point of us getting together… You coming?"
Xu Yumo caught the implication in his words but didn't take the bait. She just silently got into the passenger seat, buckled her seatbelt, and gave him an address.
The supercar crawled through the congested evening rush hour, weaving through the bustling, extravagant city center before finally turning onto a remote street and pulling up at the entrance of an old, run-down residential complex.
"The road's too narrow—can't get in from here. Just stop at the gate," Xu Yumo said, unbuckling her seatbelt.
Lin Yuhang looked at the peeling walls and tangled overhead wires, his brows knitting tightly. "No way, Mo Mo, you live here? This place is way too shabby. Don't you feel cramped and miserable?"
Xu Yumo pushed open the car door, and the evening breeze lifted the loose strands of hair by her ears. She turned back, her voice calm with not a single ripple of emotion. "It doesn't have that suffocating feeling I had at home. I think it's just fine."
Lin Yuhang was left speechless for a moment, unable to find a response.
"I'll get going now. About the business card—I owe you one. I'll treat you to a meal another day."
With that, Xu Yumo closed the car door behind her.
"Mo Mo!" Seeing her about to leave, Lin Yuhang couldn't hold it in any longer. He raised his voice from behind to stop her.
Xu Yumo paused mid-step and turned around.
Lin Yuhang tapped the steering wheel impatiently twice, then, as if throwing caution to the wind, decided to tell the truth. "The card is actually from Brother Ye. He's had a rough week too. He went through a ton of people to get that card. He just can't bring himself to give it to you personally…"
Xu Yumo stood under the dim streetlight, her posture stiffening slightly as her fingertips unconsciously traced the edge of the business card.
Seeing this, Lin Yuhang thought there might be a chance to turn things around and pressed on while the iron was hot: "Honestly, I think Brother Ye definitely doesn't see you as just a friend. He's just used to living wild, too stubborn to admit it and sharp-tongued, but deep down he really cares about you—"
"Stop." Xu Yumo cut him off, her voice carrying an unusual chill in the night breeze. "As for the business card, thank him for me."
She lifted her head, her gaze open yet distant. "But right now, to me, he's just a friend. Nothing more."
Lin Yuhang froze completely in the driver's seat, opening his mouth but unable to make a sound.
Xu Yumo didn't wait for him to speak again. She turned and walked into the old residential complex, disappearing into the shadows.
Friday afternoon, Xu Yumo arrived at Matrix Technology headquarters ten minutes early.
The entire office floor exuded a minimalist industrial aesthetic—cold gray and black geometric lines cut with razor precision. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city's bustling energy was compressed into silently flowing light and shadow, carrying an oppressive sense of commanding the view from above.
Guided by the CEO's assistant, Xu Yumo walked into the conference room at the end of the corridor.
The lighting inside was cool. On one side of the long table, He Linxi was reading a printed document, head bowed. He wasn't wearing his suit jacket—his white shirt sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, revealing the hard lines of his forearms.
"Sit." He looked up, his tone devoid of any pleasantries.
Xu Yumo nodded in acknowledgment and quickly pulled out a chair to take her seat.
"I've reviewed the proposal." He Linxi opened the file, cutting straight to the point. "The redundancy handling logic is sound, but under multimodal fusion, there's noticeable latency in real-time response. You're sacrificing precision for speed—once the application scenarios become more complex, the margin of error will be amplified indefinitely."
Xu Yumo's fingertips drew in slightly, but she calmly pulled up backup data on her computer and slid it over. "That's correct. So I added a layer of dynamic weight adjustment—low complexity prioritizes response, high complexity prioritizes precision, sacrificing some immediacy to ensure stability."
"And what if the node count doubles? Or the data input experiences extreme fluctuations?" He Linxi's gaze was sharp, cutting straight to the heart of the issue.
"The current architecture can handle scale expansion, but extreme fluctuations would indeed cause weight distortion. So I plan to add another layer—an anomaly detection mechanism based on historical data, to intercept problems in advance."
As she spoke, Xu Yumo hastily opened a rough draft framework on her screen—the result of her late-night work over the past few days.
The conference room fell into a brief silence.
He Linxi studied the logical framework on the screen, his long fingers tapping lightly on the table as if making a final assessment.
After a moment, he pushed the file back and said flatly, "I have a small-scale test project with complex scenarios on my hands. If you can get this logic to work end-to-end, I'll consider deeper collaboration afterward."
It was a rigorous entrance exam—and a rare opportunity.
Xu Yumo clenched her fingertips, meeting his gaze with clear, bright eyes. "I'll prove its value."
"Good." The corner of He Linxi's lips curved almost imperceptibly. "I'll have someone send you a lab access pass. You can book ahead whenever you're free and come in for testing."
"Thank you for the opportunity, President He."
Suppressing the excitement bubbling inside her, Xu Yumo closed her laptop with a clean, decisive motion. She knew very well that if she could secure a partnership with Matrix Technology, the road ahead for Aether Technology would become far smoother.
After all, the He family behind Matrix Technology was the most elite presence in the industry. She would no longer have to worry about her father sabotaging her from behind the scenes.
"I won't keep you any longer, then."
Xu Yumo stood up to take her leave, but suddenly remembered something and paused mid-motion.
She lowered her eyelashes, masking a hint of awkwardness, and took out the neatly washed and folded handkerchief from her bag, holding it out.
"Almost forgot this."
He Linxi reached out to take it, his long, slender fingertips brushing against her palm unintentionally, sending a faint, elusive chill through her.
She instinctively flinched her fingers back, about to withdraw.
He Linxi suddenly lifted his gaze. "You still owe me an answer to a question."
"What question?" She blinked in confusion.
His narrow eyes narrowed slightly at the corners, and he drawled lazily, "That night—did you just go through a breakup?"