Let Me Meet You chapter 36
Is It Okay?
The moment the last word left his mouth, Sheng Min felt a tinge of regret, though he tried to keep his tone casual and nonchalant.
He had always believed that most moments in life called for silence. Many things didn’t need to be said—speak too much, and you’re bound to error. But facing Li Xuan, he found himself constantly breaking this rule, sometimes even without realizing it. It was as if he felt compelled to say just a bit more, to assure Li Xuan that someone was steadfastly on his side, and only then could he feel at ease.
Even though Sheng Min understood that this might not make up for all the times Li Xuan had been unchosen—or forced into choices—in his past.
“After all, we’re friends,” he added. “Is that okay?”
Li Xuan looked at Sheng Min and gave a slight shrug. “I don’t know,” he said.
Sheng Min froze, his expression briefly flustered. Then, he heard Li Xuan casually ask, “So what about your situation?”
It was the second time Li Xuan had brought this up since they met, and though his tone was gentler than in the car, the conflict itself hadn’t shifted.
“I…” Sheng Min’s lips moved slightly.
“Shh.” Li Xuan didn’t let him finish, raising a finger and leaning in slightly.
“I don’t want to argue with you about this anymore,” he said, sounding helpless or perhaps slightly annoyed without realizing it himself. “So don’t rush to respond. You don’t owe me an explanation on this… But if you think we’re friends, you can’t keep doing this.”
Sheng Min parted his lips slightly, seeming unsure of what to say. Li Xuan didn’t press him, straightening up and sipping his water. After a long silence, Sheng Min finally spoke: “…Let me think about it.”
“Think about what?”
Sheng Min pursed his lips, glanced at him, and deliberately dodged the topic: “For now, just don’t be mad.”
Li Xuan looked at him until Sheng Min couldn’t bear his gaze and turned his head slightly. Finally, Li Xuan smiled. “I’m not very patient, so you’d better think fast.”
“Hey, what are you two doing at the front desk? The crowd already dispersed. Let’s go to the meeting room,” Qi Boyuan finally returned, holding a stack of business cards and two boxes of tea, which he placed on the coffee table.
“Did you take those from the law firm?” Sheng Min kept his head turned toward the window, and Li Xuan was the first to leave the front desk. The space was too narrow, and his hand brushed past Sheng Min’s finger joints, barely touching before separating.
“I didn’t take them; one of their partners gave them to me. Looked pretty young. Said we could contact them if our company ever faces a lawsuit. Hopefully not, though… Anyway, let’s go to the meeting room.”
Qi Boyuan, with his effortlessly sociable nature, could chat amiably even with someone he’d just met for a few minutes. He opened a bottle of water, took a sip, and led the way to the meeting room. “Too enthusiastic—my mouth’s gone dry from all the talking…”
“What were you talking about?” Li Xuan glanced back, noting that Sheng Min had regained his composure and was following along before continuing forward.
“The usual stuff. Business isn’t easy these days, some people just don’t have any shame… Then he handed me a bunch of business cards and some tea from his hometown. Oh, by the way, I think I bought some drip coffee—I’ll grab a couple of boxes later… Hello?”
Qi Boyuan’s phone rang mid-sentence. “Senior, you’ve arrived? … Yes, it’s the door on the left…”
“They’re downstairs. I’ll go meet them,” he said, hanging up and pointing to the stack of folders on the meeting room table for Sheng Min. “His resume is in there, along with the others. Li Xuan, take a look first.”
With that, he dashed off energetically again.
Based on Qi Boyuan’s earlier description, Sheng Min had expected Chu Tianheng to be a difficult character. But in person, the man was surprisingly shy, giving short answers unless the topic turned to work, at which point he became much more talkative.
Sheng Min couldn’t understand much of their professional terms and industry slang. But acting was his forte, so he managed to fake a knowledgeable response or two before subtly passing the conversation back to Qi Boyuan, executing his moves seamlessly. The others didn’t notice a thing—except for Li Xuan, who sat nearby with a teasing smile. His brows arched above his mask, and he didn’t bother to hide his amusement despite Sheng Min’s glares.
“Stop laughing,” Sheng Min said once Qi Boyuan went downstairs to see the guest off. “What do you think of him?”
“Didn’t you guys just have a smooth chat?” Li Xuan pulled his mask down to take a deep breath.
“Stop teasing me.”
“I wasn’t,” Li Xuan said, standing to stretch. “He’s fine. Now that you mention it, I remember working on a project with him. He’s competent. As for his character… That’s for Qi Boyuan to decide.”
Sheng Min nodded lightly and said casually, “This candidate kind of reminds me of you.”
Li Xuan, who was cracking his back, froze momentarily. A subtle “crack” came from his neck as he tilted his head. “In what way?”
“Huh?” Sheng Min looked back at him. “Oh… Just a feeling.”
“What feeling?” Li Xuan pressed.
“Smart, disciplined…?” Sheng Min smiled. “It’s a compliment.”
Li Xuan chuckled softly, noncommittally.
“Go grab your things,” Sheng Min suggested. “When Qi Boyuan gets back, let’s find an excuse to leave. Unless you’ve got more to do here? If not, we should head back.”
“Back where?” Li Xuan leaned against the window frame. “Who said I’m going back?”
“I did,” Sheng Min replied, tidying up the scattered materials and resumes on the table without looking up. When Li Xuan didn’t respond, he raised his face to ask, “Is that okay?”
“No.”
“Alright.” Sheng Min nodded in agreement, “Then I’ll ask you again tomorrow, should I call or just come find you? This should be fine, right?”
Li Xuan looked at him and gave him a half-smile, but didn’t respond. Pushing himself off the windowsill, he turned and walked toward the exit of the meeting room.