Original subtitles

[Love Between Lines]

[Episode 17]

Mr. Xiao,

I'm leaving for the day.

Hold on.

Hasn't Hu Xiu

finished inspecting the construction site yet?

I just called to check.

She said the inspection's done,

but she needs to make a run to Forma with Mr. Pei

to pick up some supplier materials,

so she won't be coming back to the studio.

Alright.

Alright.

The steel and sand-and-gravel suppliers

are both reputable, long-established manufacturers,

so there shouldn't be any issues.

As for the other suppliers and studios,

we'll discuss things internally first

and then get back to you, Mr. Pei.

It's already this hour.

Why don't we have dinner together?

I don't want to impose.

It's just staff meal.

You don't need to be so formal, Ms. Hu.

Besides,

our partner has come all this way.

If we can't even offer a meal,

word might get out

and make Forma look stingy.

Let's go.

I'll show you around

Forma's staff cafeteria while we're at it.

You'll be coming here often.

Alright.

So, what do you think?

Regret not choosing Forma back then?

Not at all.

Being Forma's partner is quite nice too.

Take more of whatever dishes you like.

Are you home yet?

Not yet.

Still haven't finished the inspection?

It's finished.

Just getting ready for dinner.

With whom?

With Mr. Pei.

Staff meal.

But

as far as I know,

employees aren't obligated

to report their after-work activities to their boss, right?

Your sketchbook

has been packed into my box.

Come get it.

Done chatting?

Is there something urgent?

No, nothing.

Try this.

These are all signature dishes.

Since you took it by mistake,

shouldn't you be the one returning it?

Why am I the one going to get it?

Where exactly is it?

Xiaorou,

you're back.

Listen,

there's that dripping sound again.

Got it.

Let's call it a day.

Okay.

I'm leaving then, Xiaorou.

Mr. Pei, please stop here.

This is far enough.

It's getting late.

Let me drive you home.

That won't be necessary.

I'll see my own employee back, of course.

Mr. Xiao?

Mr. Xiao, are you also here to visit Forma's cafeteria?

I've brought this here to you.

I didn't ask you to bring it here.

I'll give it to you in the car.

Why not let Ms. Hu choose for herself

whose car she wants to take?

Why force it, Mr. Xiao?

Ms. Hu?

Thank you for your hospitality today.

I won't trouble you further, Mr. Pei.

See you next time.

Goodbye.

Got the suppliers' information?

It's all here.

I've discussed and confirmed the steel, cement,

and sand-and-gravel manufacturers with Mr. Pei.

For glass and coatings, Forma has two supplier options

with some price differences.

I've specified our technical requirements.

As for the details,

you can take a look at the materials before making a decision.

As for 3D-printed ceramic building material supplier,

there are even more options

since the technology is controlled by Forma itself.

What's wrong?

Mr. Xiao.

I've finished reporting my work.

Do you have any other questions?

No.

I'll make a decision after reviewing the materials.

If it wasn't so urgent, Mr. Xiao,

why did you rush all the way to Forma?

Are you upset

because I had dinner with Mr. Pei?

But we're partners with him now.

I shouldn't really need to avoid meeting him, right?

Since you care so much,

why don't you just kick me out of the project, Mr. Xiao?

You're doing well on this project.

I have no reason to kick you out of it.

Mr. Gong?

Why is he calling me?

What is it, Mr. Gong?

Hu Xiu.

You need to come right away.

Mr. Gong, what's wrong?

Follow me.

Why is the café already closed?

This isn't Zhao's usual closing time.

Exactly.

I was about to go home,

but when I passed by

and glanced over,

I saw her...

I'd never seen her like that before, either.

It really startled me.

Look.

She's still like this.

She was already like this when I passed by.

Think about it, that was quite a while ago.

Even as someone who doesn't sell coffee, I know

that once the beans are ground, you're supposed to drink it right away,

otherwise the flavor disappears quickly.

The café's already closed,

so why is she grinding so much coffee?

Could it be

she's possessed or something?

Zhao.

Zhao, what happened?

What happened?

Zhao.

No matter what happened,

you can tell me.

It's okay.

I'm always here for you.

Stop grinding it.

Talk to me.

Stop grinding it, alright?

Zhao,

stop it.

Wang Guangming...

Is having an affair.

Does it hurt?

Honey,

are you still at the café?

It's already this hour.

I'll come pick you up.

Reply for me, please.

I don't know what to say to him.

Just tell him

I'm staying with you today

and not going home.

Zhao,

whatever decision you make,

I'll be with you.

Then right now, I just want to

sleep for a bit.

I'm tired.

Alright, go to bed.

♪ Midnight ♪

♪ I see stars fly ♪

♪ As they fall to Earth ♪

It's so late.

♪ Lighting up this moment ♪

Why haven't you gone home yet?

I was worried you might need something,

so I waited for a bit.

♪ You outshine the stars ♪

♪ And hold them in your palm ♪

♪ Now we've made a way ♪

What's wrong?

♪ Now we're at the edge ♪

♪ Tomorrow and today ♪

It's because she didn't cry

that I feel even more heartbroken for her.

♪ Now in every way ♪

♪ The world draws still ♪

♪ I wish for you ♪

♪ I wish for you ♪

♪ Look up at the moon and reach for my hand ♪

♪ Oh I wish for you ♪

♪ I wish for you ♪

♪ I wish for you ♪

♪ Look up at the moon and reach for my hand ♪

Iced Americano, please.

♪ Oh I wish for you ♪

Please wait here for a bit.

Hu Xiu isn't here.

She went home early in the morning to change clothes.

Said she had a meeting.

I see.

Thanks.

Mr. Xiao.

Even though I don't know

what exactly happened

between you and Xiu,

I know her well.

She may seem fine on the surface lately,

but actually, when you moved out,

she couldn't even enjoy the New Year.

Xiu

has always been very sincere and serious with people

and with everything she does.

Maybe you should try

being a bit more honest with her.

Hello, Zhao.

I bought you breakfast.

It's on the table.

Try to eat at least a little

and get some proper rest.

Don't worry.

I'm okay.

You didn't get to work late, did you?

No, I timed it perfectly.

I'm already at Forma now.

I'll come find you at the café

after I get off work.

Bye-bye...

Take it slow.

We still have time.

Thanks a lot, Mr. Pei.

Didn't sleep well last night?

Let's go.

Mr. Xiao.

Sun.

Morning, Engineer Sun.

Mr. Pei.

Hu.

I'm sorry

for being late.

If my watch is correct,

we're not late.

Right on time.

Mr. Pei,

although we're working together,

you're from the engineering side

and our studio is the design side.

The way you used the word "we" just now

wasn't really appropriate, was it?

Sure.

Everything you say is correct, Mr. Xiao.

The elevator is here.

Mr. Pei, which floor is the meeting room on?

Mr. Pei.

Do you usually press the elevator button for your employees too?

Not really.

Ms. Hu is the only exception.

It's not the first time anyway.

Ms. Hu, you might not remember.

It was when you came to Forma for an interview

and were taking the elevator down afterward.

So you were that person in the elevator that day.

Sorry, I didn't really notice.

It's alright.

It's just a pity

that you didn't choose Forma in the end, Ms. Hu.

But aren't you working together now anyway?

That shows Mr. Pei and Hu were meant to cross paths...

It only shows Forma failed to recognize talent

and couldn't keep her.

All I can say is that Ms. Hu is very outstanding—

she ended up becoming a partner of Forma after all.

Thank you.

This helps replenish your energy and blood.

It's the healthier option.

Thank you.

I'll begin now.

The suppliers provided by Mr. Pei cover a very comprehensive range of categories.

This is the shortlist our studio put together after an initial evaluation.

For steel, cement, and sand and gravel,

as I discussed with Mr. Pei yesterday,

we'll go with state-owned enterprises with absolute quality guarantees.

Taking all factors into account,

I've compiled a shortlist of manufacturers

as reference recommendations.

For waterproofing and insulation materials,

we recommend Shunke Chemical;

and for timber,

Qisheng Timber.

Excuse me, let me interrupt.

I see that Qisheng's quotation is relatively high.

Why do you recommend Qisheng?

Because timber has relatively high requirements

for temperature and moisture,

the shorter the transportation distance,

the lower the transport costs.

Qisheng's factory

is very close to Shanghai,

so the transportation losses are minimal.

When you factor everything in,

their overall cost actually ends up lower than other factories'.

Do you have any other questions, Mr. Pei?

Your analysis is very professional, Ms. Hu.

As for decorative stonework,

we recommend Mingzhu Building Materials,

because their product range is very comprehensive,

and their colors and textures

can better reproduce the intended design effect.

Ms. Hu's analysis is indeed very comprehensive.

Do you have any different opinions, Mr. Xiao?

I think we have better options.

So which supplier do you prefer, Mr. Xiao?

You might as well say it outright.

At the end of last year,

Forma took on a hot spring hotel project

and used materials

supplied by Jiahao Stone.

For the library project the year before that,

the timber supplier was China Resources Industrial.

And the amusement park project from some time ago—

although it wasn't publicly announced—

I recall the supplier was Fenghe,

right?

What do you mean by that, Mr. Xiao?

What I mean is

that this set of supplier information is incomplete.

I need the full list of Forma's partner manufacturers

before I can give the most appropriate recommendation.

Forma works with a number of suppliers

and we update them frequently.

It's difficult to list them all.

But we can guarantee that

for the Lyman project,

only the best ones will be used.

Since we're working together,

I'd still like to take all suppliers into consideration

and select the optimal option.

Alright.

Since you've requested it, Mr. Xiao,

Forma will recheck everything

and prepare a complete set of supplier materials.

Alright then.

We'll wait until Mr. Pei has all the materials ready,

and we can discuss it further afterward.

Xiaorou.

Why did you grind so much coffee?

Do we have a big order coming in?

Xiaorou?

What's wrong?

Nothing.

[Honey, let's have dinner together tonight. I've got good news to share.]

Xiaorou,

the pipe has burst.

What happened now?

Oh my.

This...

Ms. Zhao,

where are your water meter and main switch?

Upstairs.

Are you here yet?

Boss, what are your orders?

Quick, come in.

You and Fei,

go over there

and move all the furniture upstairs.

Hurry up, you two!

Mop up all the water over here.

Remember to turn on the air conditioner's heating

and let it run for a couple of days to dry things out.

Otherwise, all these

wooden floors and wooden furniture

will be ruined.

Got it.

Ms. Zhao,

I've contacted the industrial park's property management.

The repair technician will contact you directly.

You should close the café for today.

Thank you.

No problem.

Just think about how you'll thank me properly later.

Fei, you can't do it that way.

Ms. Zhao.

Everything's mostly cleaned up.

Well...

Ms. Zhao.

Are...

Are you okay?

I was too careless.

A long time ago,

my assistant mentioned to me

that there was a dripping sound in the café,

but I didn‘t pay much attention.

Later,

the dripping became more frequent,

and I could hear it too,

but I didn't think it was anything serious.

And today,

the pipe finally burst.

In fact,

the cracks had been there all along,

and the warnings had been given.

I just failed to notice them.

It's understandable

that you didn't pay much attention

to such a small matter.

Besides,

it's not too late now that you've realized it.

If it really can't be fixed,

just replace it—

no big deal.

Right.

It wasn't a big deal.

I just didn't pay attention.

Stop squatting here.

Hurry and go change your clothes.

Don't catch a cold.

Okay.

These...

These shoes of yours can't get wet, can they?

They're all soaked now.

Let me compensate you for them.

No need.

These are just old shoes anyway.

Besides, we are neighbors.

Don't worry about it.

It's really nice to be rich.

He just bought those shoes the day before yesterday,

and now, they're "old."

Okay.

Let's meet at the usual place.

Mr. Xiao.

Xiaohe and the others went to get the car.

We can just meet them at the entrance.

Mr. Pei.

Please stop here.

Once the materials arrive,

I'll coordinate the timing with you.

Also, thank you for the jujube tea.

You look much more energetic now.

Get some good rest when you get back.

Mr. Xiao.

There will be plenty of work interactions going forward.

I don't have to report every single contact

between Ms. Hu and me to you, do I?

Being so controlling as a boss,

be careful—you might end up losing your employees too.

Although Mr. Xiao proposed a new plan today,

it doesn't take away from the fact

that Ms. Hu was well-prepared.

Your presentation today was very substantial.

I believe

our cooperation will be very pleasant.

Thank you for your recognition.

Goodbye, Mr. Pei.

Take care.

By the way, Mr. Pei.

Let me answer your question from earlier.

From now on, any contact you have with Hu Xiu

must be reported to me.

Also,

could you please vary your poaching tactics?

Apart from expressing slight regret,

don't you have any new tricks?

How about

I sign you up for a training course?

I'll cover the tuition.

Xiu.

No need to come to the café today.

I want some time alone.

Okay.

Let me know if you need anything.

In the meeting just now, I...

Mr. Xiao.

What was that?

What about the meeting?

Nothing.

Xiaohe,

let's not go back to the office yet.

To Lanjing Park.

Get off.

No need to bring your laptop.

What are we doing here?

This is a new project we're working on.

There's a trendy pop-up store

that contacted our studio.

They want to build

a themed structure in this park.

The project isn't finalized yet,

so we're just checking it out first,

mainly to relax a bit.

Right.

Let's shoot more footage here. When we get back,

help me with the composition, will you?

After our last site visit,

I realized your aesthetic sense is amazing.

It's excellent, you know?

Let's take lots of photos

to put in the project proposal.

-No problem. -Do you have the proposal?

Actually, it's not that urgent...

Sure I do.

I'll send it to you.

Why didn't you send it to me earlier?

There's also a famous attraction here

called the Dark Corridor.

If we have time later,

we should check it out too.

Maybe we can find inspiration from

that designer. What's his name again?

Let me think.

His name is... That foreign designer...

He even won an award

for this design, you know?

Come here!

Coming.

Sun, shoot from this angle.

Shoot that.

Check out this pic I just took.

How is it?

Not bad.

Of course.

Wait, wait.

Y-Your focus was off.

Was it?

The focus should be on the foreground,

but you focused on the background.

Your focal length wasn't right.

You need to select this.

Oh, I see.

The exposure is also clearer this way.

Sun Yifei!

Next time...

Sun Yifei, come here.

Go up a bit.

You can capture the east side of the project site there.

Is that so?

Is it here, Mr. Xiao?

A little higher.

Is it here, Mr. Xiao?

A little higher.

Come with me.

I still can't see the project site from here.

Mr. Xiao...

Just now in the meeting,

I didn't mean to say your supplier choice was bad.

It's my fault.

I didn't check

Forma's previous collaboration projects.

Is this what you wanted to say in the car just now?

So

we didn't come to the park for work?

I was worried about your mood.

Mr. Xiao.

I won't get carried away just because

a competitor flatters me,

nor will I hold a grudge simply because my boss

points out my mistakes.

You're overthinking it.

I'm just

a bit worried about Zhao.

If you're really concerned,

I can drive you to the café later

and give you half a day off.

No need.

She said she wants some time alone today.

She's an adult.

I think

she knows what she's doing.

She's the type of person

who's strong-willed

and brave.

She always says with love, even water is filling;

and with love comes ability.

I thought she had finally met someone

who wouldn't let down her courage.

But now I see

she deserves better.

Of course, I'm no better

in this regard myself—

just about the same as her.

I wonder how long it takes

to truly see someone for who they are.

I'll go buy some water.

There's also

a famous attraction here called Dark Corridor.

We should check it out later if we have time.

Here in this park?

Yes.

When we go there,

we can look for project inspiration,

right?

Hu Xiu?

[Please touch the wall with your left hand and bravely move forward]

[through the darkness, until you reach the realm of love and light.]

Hu Xiu?

Xiaoyi.

Put your blindfold on,

count to ten,

and then come find Daddy,

okay?

Okay.

Ten.

Nine.

Eight.

Seven.

One!

Dad?

Dad?

Dad?

Dad?

Dad?

Dad?

Dad?

Dad?

Xiao Zhiyu.

Xiao Zhiyu.

Xiao Zhiyu.

Are you alright?

Xiao Zhiyu.

Are you alright?

I'm fine.

This must be the Dark Corridor Sun just mentioned.

It's pretty intimidating.

I've taken some photos.

Let's go.

You're not afraid of the dark, are you?

Of course not.

Right.

You were the one who saved me back in Rongcheng.

Don't walk so fast.

Just admit it. You're afraid of the dark.