Chapter 15 - Chapter 15: Distance and Rejection

On Friday evening, the late autumn wind carried a sharp chill, rustling the plane tree leaves outside the office building as they fell. Having finished overtime, Su Wan packed her things and walked out of the workspace. Just as she reached the elevator, she spotted Lu Chengyu standing in the corridor not far away. He wore a dark gray windbreaker, his hair slightly disheveled from the wind, and his eyes showed obvious fatigue—he had clearly been waiting for a long time.Su Wan's steps froze. She wanted to turn back into the office, but Lu Chengyu had already seen her. He hurried over, blocking her path. "Su Wan, why have you been avoiding me these past few days?" His voice was low, laced with a hint of barely perceptible loss."Mr. Lu, I haven't been avoiding you," Su Wan stared at the tips of her shoes, her voice as light as a whisper in the wind. "I've just been busy with the project and have had a lot of coordination work to do.""You're lying," Lu Chengyu took a step closer, his gaze locking onto hers. "Since last Sunday, you haven't replied to my messages, and you've deliberately avoided me in meetings. Did you see me with Chen Yuxin at the mall last Saturday?"Su Wan's body trembled slightly. She hadn't expected him to know about that. She lifted her head, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, her voice trembling: "Yes, I saw you.""It was just a work meeting," Lu Chengyu hurried to explain, his tone urgent. "The Chen Group is an important building materials supplier for the Stellar Center. We met to finalize the delivery time and price of the stone. Chen Yuxin adjusted my tie because I'd rushed that morning and it was askew—she was just being helpful, nothing more.""Just being helpful?" Su Wan's voice rose a little, tears nearly spilling from her eyes. "Mr. Lu, do you think I'll believe that? Why didn't you push her away when she adjusted your tie? And when you sat there smiling at each other, you looked so intimate—how could it have been just a work relationship?"All the grievances and doubts she'd suppressed these days erupted at that moment. She thought of her colleagues' previous gossip, of how she'd finally disproven the rumors with her strength, only to be thrown into new confusion by this scene. Her heart ached as if cut by a knife.Looking at her tear-glazed eyes, Lu Chengyu felt a tightness in his chest, heavy and painful. He reached out to touch her shoulder, wanting to soothe her, but Su Wan stepped back, avoiding his hand. "Mr. Lu, whether it was just a kind gesture or something more, it has nothing to do with me," she sniffled, trying to steady her voice. "When you publicly clarified the rumors last time, it already sparked a lot of talk. Right now, I just want to focus on the project and not be gossiped about because of these things again. From now on, let's keep a normal superior-subordinate relationship. For work matters, we can communicate via email—there's no need for private contact.""Su Wan, listen to me. It's not what you think," Lu Chengyu tried to say more, but Su Wan cut him off."No need, Mr. Lu," her voice sounded tired, yet resolute. "I know you might think I'm making a big deal out of nothing, but I really don't want to get caught up in these disputes anymore. The Stellar Center project means a lot to me, and I don't want personal relationships to affect my work."With that, she turned and hurried toward the elevator, the hem of her windbreaker fluttering in the wind. She didn't look back, but she could feel the burning gaze behind her, pricking her back like a needle, urging her to walk faster.The elevator doors slid open. Su Wan stepped inside and pressed the close button. In the last second before the doors shut, she saw Lu Chengyu still standing there, his eyes filled with loss and helplessness. A sharp twinge of bitterness twisted in her heart.As the elevator descended slowly, Su Wan leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. Tears finally fell, landing on the back of her hand—their cold touch making her even more clear-headed. She knew she might have misunderstood Lu Chengyu, but she really didn't have the courage to face more gossip and doubts. She was afraid she'd grow dependent on his care, afraid this relationship would drag her back into the vortex of rumors, and even more afraid of losing everything she had worked so hard to gain.Stepping out of the office building, the late autumn wind stung her face. Su Wan pulled out her phone—the screen still displayed the unread message from Lu Chengyu: "Su Wan, I know what you're worried about, but I hope you'll give me a chance to explain."She stared at the message, her finger hovering over the screen for a long time. In the end, she pressed the lock button. Looking up at the subway station in the distance, its lights twinkling in the night like blurred spots. She knew some misunderstandings couldn't be resolved with a single explanation, and some distance, once created, could never be closed again.Su Wan wrapped her windbreaker tightly around herself and hurried toward the subway station. As the night deepened, her figure gradually disappeared into the crowd, leaving only the autumn wind blowing gently in place, carrying endless grievances and regrets.