"Duoyi, let's have a drink together with our department."

Hearing Team Leader Qi calling him, Shen Duoyi quickly went over to join everyone. Qi Shi'an idly took out his phone, wanting to check the stock market's closing information. Suddenly someone bumped into him from behind, then hugged one of his long legs.

"Uncle! It really is you!"

A clear, bright child's voice rang out in the banquet hall, and everyone immediately fell silent, unanimously looking toward the entrance where Qi Shi'an was being hugged by a small boy.

Qi Shi'an looked down: "Shutiao? Why are you here?"

"My uncle invited me for dinner." Shutiao looked outside and called out, "Uncle! Auntie!"

The wine in the glass gently swirled as Zhang Yiming quickly walked over. At the same time, You Si appeared at the doorway arm-in-arm with You Zhe, attracting everyone's attention.

Qi Shi'an greeted them: "Finished traveling?"

"Yes, this is the last stop." You Si pulled Shutiao away and lectured him, "If you run off again, I'll send you back to Sydney. Remember, you can't leave adults by yourself, understand?"

Shutiao nodded: "But I saw uncle."

Zhang Yiming picked at the words: "So you're not planning to return to Sydney?"

You Zhe said: "She's finally back to help at the company, otherwise I'd be worked to death."

Qi Shi'an offered congratulations, inwardly guessing that Zhesi's big client must have been connected through You Si. Under everyone's watchful eyes, with partners from both companies present, all the employees became reserved.

Shen Duoyi's seat faced the entrance directly. He looked at Shutiao, thinking the child was very cute.

"Hey, looks like Zhesi's two bosses are good friends with Mr. Qi and Mr. Zhang," Team Leader Qi mumbled quietly. "They were classmates or something, I can't remember clearly."

Manager Qin said: "Mr. You and Mr. Zhang are a few years older, Mr. Qi and Miss You were classmates, but they all grew up together."

Team Leader Qi regretfully smacked his forehead: "I'm such an idiot!"

Shen Duoyi jumped slightly beside him: "Why are you getting so worked up..."

"Oh no, oh no, that time before my wedding when we were eating in the cafeteria, I even asked Mr. Qi what type he liked, thinking of setting him up." Team Leader Qi looked full of regret. "No wonder Mr. Qi didn't say anything. I bet it has something to do with Miss You. They're a perfect match and childhood sweethearts too. Plus, they're both powerhouses together."

Shen Duoyi shot him a subtle glare: "Stop gossiping. Can't they just be good friends?"

Team Leader Qi said: "What's interesting about just being good friends? Mr. Qi and Miss You together are like the financial world's heroic couple. My god, it's terrifying."

Shen Duoyi listened to his colleague's gossip with mixed feelings of wanting to laugh and wanting to snap at them, so he simply opened his phone to research next week's blood pressure diet for his grandfather. The conversation between the adults at the entrance wasn't clear, but the child's voice was loud and easily heard. He would unconsciously look up occasionally.

"Uncle, can I have another cupcake?"

You Zhe wasn't very good at raising children, hesitating as he said: "Didn't you just say you were full? Why do you want to eat again?"

"Of course children want to eat when they see food." Zhang Yiming pointed at the dessert cart, not forgetting to promote himself: "Go get whatever you want, Uncle Yiming says so."

Qi Shi'an knew Zhang Yiming was about to perform his "haven't seen you in so long but still love you like before" act. Not wanting to see it, he reached out to Shutiao: "Come on, I'll get you a tasty cupcake, but you can only have one."

Shen Duoyi watched as Qi Shi'an took the child to get food - it was the same kind of cupcake they had eaten earlier. Qi Shi'an crouched down on his long legs next to Shutiao, being both patient and gentle, then becoming stern when Shutiao wanted another one.

"Then I'll give one to Auntie." Shutiao's hands were covered in powdered sugar. "Auntie, would you like one?"

You Si had only drunk vegetable soup for dinner, maintaining this for three years already, but with Zhang Yiming performing his deep emotions in front of her, she grabbed at this lifeline and answered: "Yes!"

High heels clicked "tap tap tap" as Zhang Yiming's Adam's apple bobbed, looking like his heart had been trampled.

"This is for me to eat?" You Si unconsciously frowned. "Why is there so much powdered sugar? Shutiao, you're trying to murder your aunt."

Qi Shi'an stood up wearily: "Two bites won't make you fat, why are you scaring the child?"

You Si took a tiny bite - this was her limit. The remaining large portion became troublesome, and just like long ago, she held it directly in front of Qi Shi'an: "You eat the rest."

The surrounding gazes instantly became suggestive, as if everyone was waiting for Qi Shi'an to take a bite.

Shen Duoyi felt this scene was familiar, reminded of when they were eating earlier.

"So troublesome." Qi Shi'an stepped back half a step to take the cupcake, then stuffed it in his mouth and swallowed. Zhang Yiming seized the opportunity to come over again and said: "It reminds me of when we were starting the business together, working day and night, too busy to eat properly. You'd eat what I left, I'd eat what you left, no distinction between us."

You Zhe checked the time: "Then let's play cards at my place later, we can catch up properly. It's getting late, and Shutiao shouldn't stay up too long."

The dinner continued, with some already planning where to go next for more entertainment. After that scene, more colleagues agreed with Team Leader Qi's view. Shen Duoyi listened until his ears hurt, looking at them with complete exasperation.

One colleague said: "You're all missing the point completely. What's so special about sharing a cupcake? You're too sensitive."

Shen Duoyi immediately nodded: "I think so too! Such gossips."

But unexpectedly, that colleague continued: "The real point is 'starting the business together'! They weathered the early hardships together, sharing each other's burdens, plus their matching professional backgrounds and similar development paths. It's easy to find someone to fall in love with, but finding someone to build dreams with - that's really hard."

Shen Duoyi felt an emptiness in his heart, completely lost for words.

He turned off his phone screen and somewhat dazedly drank all the water in his glass, his ability to think broken by that person's words, not recovering even until the dinner ended.

Cars were lined up head to tail at the Park Hyatt entrance. While colleagues either headed home or paired up to continue the night elsewhere, he stayed behind watching the tall figures of Qi Shi'an and Zhang Yiming walking side by side. Finally, unable to contain himself, he lowered his head to type: "You've already built dreams with someone else. I came too late."

The phone vibrated in his pocket. Qi Shi'an read that message and digested it for a moment. After all the colleagues had gradually left, he still stood straight outside the revolving door. Shen Duoyi, who had stayed behind, finally came out, and they walked silently toward the parking lot.

The parking lot was somewhat dark, but Qi Shi'an's voice was extraordinarily clear as he grabbed Shen Duoyi's hand and said: "I don't know what others said, or what you thought up yourself, but I'll explain this only once."

Shen Duoyi explained first: "I'm not making a fuss. I just feel regretful. I can share a cupcake with you, I can help you shoulder all hardships, our professional backgrounds and development paths are the same - it's just that we missed the timing."

Qi Shi'an turned to face him: "There's nothing to regret. Whether you're contradicting me when analyzing data, talking back to me when we have differences, refusing to let me interfere in negotiations for the sake of your professional integrity, or acting like a lunatic offering to work overtime with me."

He paused briefly: "I wasn't building dreams with someone else during the time we missed. I was waiting for you while working hard."

"Duoyi, you won't just remain a team leader, and I won't be satisfied with this level. Whether in career or life, you and I each traversed mountains and seas before finally meeting again. There's no need to explore whether it was too late or not, just firmly imagine how far we'll go together."

Shen Duoyi was stunned. He was moved beyond measure by this one-time explanation, and could only tightly grip the other's hand in response.

Imagine how far they'll go together?

He softly promised: "If there's no end, I want to keep walking with you."

Qi Shi'an looked at him with laughter in his eyes: "With those words from you, I'll break through any ending that comes our way."