By the end of the week, Shen Yuqi realized she could recognize the office by sound alone.
The soft clack of keyboards in the morning. The low murmur of conversations drifting across cubicles. The hum of the printer that always seemed to struggle after noon. These things had blended into a rhythm she didn't notice until it changed.
She arrived just before nine, coffee in hand, greeting the security guard with a nod and a polite smile. As she stepped into the elevator, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirrored wall—calm, composed, more settled than she had been weeks ago.
"Morning, Yuqi."
She turned to see Zhang Min from accounting adjusting her glasses as she stepped in.
"Good morning," Shen Yuqi replied. "You're early."
Zhang Min sighed. "Don't remind me. Month-end reports."
The elevator doors closed, and the car began its ascent, filling slowly as other employees joined. Someone complained quietly about the weather. Someone else laughed at a message on their phone.
Normal.
Comforting.
At her desk, Shen Yuqi set down her bag and began her routine—checking emails, organizing her schedule, responding to overnight messages. A few desks away, Chen Rui leaned over the partition.
"Yuqi," he said, lowering his voice conspiratorially, "did you hear? The executive team is reviewing proposals again."
She glanced up. "Already?"
"Apparently. Don't ask me why. I'm just trying to survive the week."
She smiled. "Good luck."
"You too."
As the morning unfolded, small requests pulled her in different directions. Someone needed help formatting a document. Someone else asked her to clarify a meeting time. She moved easily through it all, her responses quick, her tone polite but firm.
She didn't notice Li Wei until nearly midmorning.
Not because he wasn't there—but because she wasn't looking.
She was standing by the shared printer, tapping her finger lightly against the stack of papers she held, when she heard his voice behind her.
"Is it stuck again?"
She turned. "It's thinking."
He glanced at the blinking light. "It does that."
She smiled faintly. "I'm beginning to take it personally."
He stepped closer, pressed a button, then another. The machine whirred obediently.
"There," he said. "It just needs encouragement."
She took the printed pages. "I'll remember that."
He nodded once, then paused. "You're handling the revised schedule well."
"Thank you."
"You've made it clearer."
She hesitated, then said, "I had help."
"Still," he replied, already turning away. "Good work."
The interaction lasted less than a minute.
And yet, it lingered.
At lunch, Shen Yuqi joined a small group in the break room. Someone had brought takeout, the scent of spices filling the air.
"So," Lin Xia asked, glancing between bites, "how is everyone surviving?"
"Barely," Chen Rui replied. "I swear the deadlines are multiplying."
Zhang Min laughed. "At least the coffee's decent."
Shen Yuqi listened, smiling occasionally, adding a comment here and there. She wasn't the loudest in the room, but she wasn't invisible either. Her presence had found its place.
"Yuqi," Lin Xia said suddenly, "do you like working upstairs?"
She paused. "It's… quieter."
"That's one word for it," Chen Rui said. "Intimidating is another."
Shen Yuqi didn't respond immediately. She thought of Li Wei standing by the window, calm and focused, of his steady voice in meetings.
"I think it's efficient," she said finally.
The conversation moved on.
In the afternoon, a sudden flurry of activity swept through the office. A meeting had been rescheduled. Files needed updating. People moved faster, voices sharper.
Shen Yuqi found herself coordinating between departments, her phone pressed to her ear as she scribbled notes.
"Understood," she said. "I'll send the update immediately."
When she hung up, she realized Li Wei was standing nearby, watching quietly.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied. "Just a bit rushed."
He nodded. "You're managing it well."
She exhaled softly. "Thank you."
They stood there for a moment, the office buzzing around them. Then someone called his name, and he was gone.
The day stretched into evening. One by one, people packed up, chairs scraping softly against the floor. Shen Yuqi finished her last task and stood, rolling her shoulders to ease the stiffness.
As she headed toward the elevators, she heard footsteps behind her.
Li Wei.
"You're leaving?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Good."
The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside with a few others. The ride was uneventful—quiet conversation, the gentle sway of motion.
When her floor arrived, she stepped out.
"Good night," she said.
"Good night," he replied.
At home later, Shen Yuqi sat at her desk, reviewing notes for the next day. Outside, the city hummed softly, distant and steady.
She realized something then—not with surprise, but with clarity.
Their interactions were not special.
They were not dramatic.
They were becoming normal.
And that, she thought, might be the most important beginning of all.