Chapter 37 – Visiting
The next day, the two of them arrived in Liaocheng. As soon as the car entered the city, Lin Yan felt a sense of familiarity.
Although he had not set foot on this land for a long time, that feeling of closeness had never truly left him.
Leaning against the window, Lin Yan looked left and right. Everything here felt so familiar. He rolled the window down.
The fast-moving wind messed up his hair, yet he still enjoyed that familiar scent in the air.
Lin Yan had never imagined that one day he would be sitting side by side with Lu Heng in the same car, leaving behind the bustling city. The black sedan moved steadily along the highway, the scenery outside gradually changing from dense high-rise buildings to wide, open fields.
The atmosphere inside the car was somewhat delicate. Lin Yan sat upright, not daring to casually glance at Lu Heng beside him.
“Did you bring all the project documents?” Lu Heng suddenly asked, his voice as calm and steady as ever.
Lin Yan quickly replied, “Yes, President Lu. The site measurement report, surrounding infrastructure assessment, and human resources analysis are all in the briefcase.”
Lu Heng nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on the tablet in his hands.
Lin Yan secretly studied his profile. Ever since he had caught a fleeting glimpse of President Lu under the streetlight last night, he couldn’t help wanting to look at him more — the sharply defined jawline, the high nose bridge, the slight frown that appeared when he was focused.
The trip went smoothly, and the on-site inspection took only most of the day.
Lu Heng’s professionalism and sharpness at work made Lin Yan secretly admire him. He could spot subtle flaws in the report at a glance and raise precise, penetrating questions.
After the work was done, during the half-day of free time before returning, Lin Yan finally gathered his courage and asked for leave.
“President Lu, could I take half a day off to go back and have a look? I haven’t been back for more than a year.”
Lu Heng looked up at him. This trip had been arranged largely for Lin Yan in the first place. After a moment of silence, he said, “I’ll drive you.”
Lin Yan froze and hurriedly said, “There’s no need to trouble you, President Lu. I can take the bus—”
“It’s fine. I happen to have nothing else to do,” Lu Heng replied, his tone leaving no room for refusal.
The car stopped in front of a quiet cemetery on the outskirts of the city.
After getting out, Lin Yan gazed at the familiar grove of pines and cypresses, his expression complicated. He turned to Lu Heng and said, “President Lu, thank you for bringing me. I may need an hour or two…”
Lu Heng only nodded gently. “No rush. I’ll walk around nearby.”
Lin Yan entered the cemetery and stopped at the start of a narrow path. After the spring rain, the air was filled with the fresh scent of wet earth, and the stone-paved path had been washed clean.
He walked up the damp stone steps, his footing unsteady, and suddenly stumbled.
He remembered the dinner he had once shared with President Lu and Mrs. Lu. When Mrs. Lu teased her husband, the way they interacted couldn’t help but remind him of his own mother.
If his mother were still alive, would she also eat dinner with him at home, sit on the sofa watching television, and then pet his Meiqiu?
The death of a loved one is always filled with regret.
He finally stopped in front of a gray-white tombstone.
Carved on it were the words: “Grave of the Beloved Mother, Lin Yuexin.”
Below, several smaller lines recorded the brief life his mother had lived.
Lin Yan slowly crouched down and gently wiped the photo on the tombstone with his sleeve. The woman in the photo wore a gentle smile. Her features resembled his in some ways, yet were not quite the same.
“Mom, I came to see you,” Lin Yan whispered. He took out the white chrysanthemums he had prepared in advance and carefully placed them before the grave.
Raindrops pattered against the surrounding pines and cypresses, producing a soft, scattered sound. Lin Yan sat on the stone platform before the tomb, slowly tracing the engraved portrait with his fingers, feeling the cold grooves beneath his touch.
“I’m working at a big company now. It’s going pretty well,” he murmured, his voice so soft it was almost carried away by the wind. “It’s tiring, but I’m doing okay… Oh, and I adopted a cat. He’s very cute. His name is Meiqiu.”
At that, Lin Yan couldn’t help but smile.
“I’m sorry it took me so long to come see you.” His voice choked. “Work has been so busy this past year. I could never find the time.”
He remembered when his father had just passed away — how his mother had suppressed her grief to arrange everything, then comforted him, saying, “Xiao Yan, don’t be afraid. Mom is still here.”
And now, even his mother had left him.
A tear finally slipped from the corner of Lin Yan’s eye, followed by more. He lowered his head and cried silently, his shoulders trembling slightly.
The pressures of adulthood, the grief of losing both parents, and the hardships of work — all of it dissolved into these wordless tears.
Outside, at some point, the rain began to fall. Raindrops struck the pine leaves around them, forming streaks of water.
Lu Heng stood beneath a large tree outside the cemetery, his gaze never leaving the figure kneeling before the grave.
Although he couldn’t hear the words or see the details clearly, he could imagine Lin Yan’s state of mind.
When he had still been a cat, Lu Heng had witnessed Lin Yan’s vulnerable side many times — the owner who stayed up late working overtime, holding “Meiqiu” while venting his frustrations, the anxious pet parent who took time off in a panic when his cat fell ill.
He knew Lin Yan had always been sensitive. Right now, he was surely wiping away tears in secret.
The rain fell harder and harder, yet Lu Heng remained where he was.
He suddenly remembered the rainy night when Lin Yan had saved him — when he, as a cat, had been obeying human traffic rules and crossing at the light, only to encounter danger. It was Lin Yan who had rushed forward without regard for his own safety to save him, scraping his own hand in the process.
Now, it was his turn to stand in the rain for Lin Yan.
Deciding he could wait no longer, Lu Heng walked toward the cemetery. His steps were steady on the slick stone path, until he finally stopped not far from the grave of Lin Yan’s mother.
Lin Yan’s head was lowered, his shoulders trembling slightly. On the tombstone, the woman in the photo smiled gently. Rain had already soaked Lin Yan’s hair and shirt, but he seemed completely unaware of it.
Lu Heng approached quietly and tilted his umbrella over Lin Yan’s head, shielding him from the increasingly heavy rain.
Lin Yan felt the rain suddenly stop. He looked up in confusion and froze when he saw who it was.
“President Lu? Why are you…?”
“It’s raining. Here — take the umbrella,” Lu Heng said simply, holding it steadily above him. “Don’t catch a cold after coming all this way, or you’ll end up needing to take sick leave.”
Why does my mouth always run ahead of my brain?
6How did something like that come out sounding this way…
Fortunately, Lin Yan didn’t think too much about it.
Lin Yan lowered his head awkwardly. “I’m sorry you had to see me like this…”
Lu Heng didn’t respond. He silently took a clean handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Lin Yan.
“Thank you,” Lin Yan said softly as he accepted it. “Actually, the rain is kind of nice. This way, I don’t have to worry about Mom seeing me cry.”
Lu Heng nodded, his gaze falling on the tombstone. “Your mother looks very gentle.”
“Mm.” Lin Yan’s voice was still slightly choked.
“I grew up with my father,” Lu Heng said as he took Lin Yan’s hand and tilted the umbrella toward him. “My father was a… very strict man.”
When he spoke of his father, the heaviness he once carried seemed to have faded. He didn’t want to dwell on the details, nor did he want to elaborate.
“For more than twenty years of my life, I could hardly breathe under his pressure,” Lu Heng said lightly. “Only after he passed away did I finally get a chance to breathe.”
Lin Yan knew who President Lu was referring to — the former chairman of the company, who had passed away half a year ago. That was why President Lu had taken over the position.
He stared at Lu Heng blankly, suddenly realizing that behind this seemingly cold and unyielding CEO, there was also hidden pain no one else could see.
“President Lu, I’m sorry. I didn’t know…”
“There’s no need to apologize,” Lu Heng interrupted him. “Everyone carries their own burdens.”
The rain grew heavier, beating against the surrounding leaves, as if echoing their conversation. Yet the cemetery itself was eerily quiet, filled only with their soft breathing and the occasional sound of Lin Yan sniffing.
Watching the rain intensify, Lu Heng said, “It doesn’t look like it’ll stop anytime soon. Let’s head back.”
Lin Yan nodded. He stood up and whispered to the tombstone, “Mom, I’ll come see you again next time.”
As they left the cemetery, Lin Yan couldn’t help but glance back once more. The tombstone stood silently in the rain, the white chrysanthemums trembling gently beneath the falling drops.
When they reached the cemetery gate, the rain was still pouring. Lu Heng opened the umbrella and naturally angled it toward Lin Yan’s side.
The two walked side by side through the rain. The space beneath the umbrella was small, forcing them to stand close. Lin Yan could catch the faint scent of cologne on Lu Heng, mixed with the fresh smell of rain.
When they got back into the car, the warm air from the heater flowed around them. Lu Heng handed him a bottle of mineral water. “Have some water.”
“Thank you, President Lu.” Lin Yan took the water, his voice slightly hoarse. “You really didn’t have to come with me…”
“I happened to want to get out for a walk as well,” Lu Heng replied calmly. “After the site inspection, there was nothing urgent.”
Silence fell inside the car, broken only by the sound of raindrops tapping against the windows. Lin Yan gazed at the blurred scenery outside and suddenly said, “My mother passed away three years ago. I was about to graduate then. All of a sudden, I became someone with no one to rely on.”
Lu Heng listened quietly without interrupting.
“Sometimes I think… if only she could have stayed with me for a few more years.” Lin Yan continued, almost as if speaking to himself. “I wanted her to see me find a job. Then after I started working, I wanted her to see me become a full-time employee. But it took me two whole years to get officially promoted… I still wanted her to see me—”
He paused and didn’t finish the sentence.
Two years just to get confirmed?
That was unusually long. According to company policy, interns were only required to complete one year. Once they passed the assessment and could independently handle projects, they could become full employees.
With Lin Yan’s abilities, there was no way it should have taken him two years.
Lu Heng nodded gently. “Parents always hope to see their children living well.”
Lin Yan turned his head and asked curiously, “President Lu, are you very close with your mother?”
Lu Heng’s gaze grew distant, as though recalling something long ago. “She was strict, but also very gentle. She always told me to be responsible and not to show weakness easily.”
From President Lu’s description, Mrs. Lu seemed quite different from the impression Lin Yan had formed when he met her. That day, he had only spent a short time with her and felt she wasn’t that strict at all — certainly not rigid or severe.
“So that’s why you care so much about rules and efficiency?” Lin Yan asked cautiously.
The corner of Lu Heng’s mouth curved slightly. “Perhaps. People often end up becoming what their parents expect — or deliberately doing the opposite. Either way, they leave their mark on us.”
Raindrops continued to drum softly against the window. Lin Yan drank the coffee President Lu had in the car. It didn’t quench his thirst, and there was nothing else left to drink.
He looked out at the roadside. After searching for more than ten minutes, he finally spotted a small convenience shop. It looked rather shabby, but at least they would have bottled water.
“President Lu, could you pull over for a moment? I’ll go buy some water.”
The car came to a stop by the road. Lin Yan got out and went into the shop. He glanced around, looking for water. Normally, in a shop like this, it would be placed right at the front in a prominent spot.
But when he stopped at the entrance and looked, he didn’t see any.
The shop owner cast Lin Yan a sidelong glance, ignored him, and turned back to his phone, continuing to scroll through videos.
The video volume was turned all the way up, blasting its content into the store, complete with occasional canned laughter sound effects.
He just wanted to find some water as quickly as possible and leave this place.
He walked a few steps deeper into the shop but still didn’t see any water — only drinks. Most of them were artificially flavored beverages, the kind President Lu definitely wouldn’t be used to drinking.
He moved farther inside. The shop carried a lot of items, but everything was arranged without any order at all. He glanced upward — why were packs of cigarettes, alcohol, and bottled water placed all the way over here?
After a quick look, he could tell that some of the items had been sitting there for a long time. Many of them were single leftover pieces, and some were even covered with a thin layer of dust.
Without thinking too much, Lin Yan picked up the water and headed to the counter. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed someone squatting nearby — a middle-aged man who also seemed to be choosing something.
“Boss, I’d like to check out.”
Lin Yan placed two bottles of mineral water on the counter and took out his phone, ready to scan the code to pay.
The owner was still scrolling through his phone. The volume was so loud that it drowned out Lin Yan’s voice. Lin Yan raised his voice and called again, “Boss! I’d like to pay!”
Only then did the owner finally react. He shot Lin Yan an annoyed look. “Four yuan.”
Lin Yan scanned the code and paid. Suddenly, he felt something brush against his calf — a light, itchy sensation. He shifted forward slightly. “Boss, could you wipe this for me? It’s a bit dusty.”
The owner reluctantly put down his phone and hit pause. The noisy sound stopped at once. After wiping the bottles, he handed them to Lin Yan, then glanced toward the back of the shop.
Holding the water, Lin Yan was about to leave, when the owner suddenly grabbed him.
At the sharp shout, Lin Yan froze.
“How dare you steal from me?”