The phone was picked up. Zhou Yanxing walked past him.
A sigh of disappointment echoed silently in Chi Zhan’s heart, but he quickly comforted himself: it’s normal if he doesn’t agree.
But in the next second, Zhou Yanxing let out a sigh.
“What are you always thinking about? When did I ever say I was going to fire you? But fine, I’ll give you what you want. Happy now? Get some rest. I’ll have HR approve your leave. Come back once you’ve recovered. This Q&A session ends here. Call me if anything comes up.”
“…Alright.” Chi Zhan answered in a daze.
The door closed. He was alone again.
The room fell into a hush, the only sound the gentle hum of the air conditioner.
More messages popped up in the work group chat. An announcement had just gone out—President Zhou had docked the HR department’s performance bonuses for the entire month. Someone had accidentally sent a message saying, “President Zhou is way too heartless,” then quickly deleted it.
Chi Zhan used to agree with that sentiment. After all, in his mind, that was Zhou Yanxing’s image.
Maybe it was because CEOs in novels were always cold and ruthless, petty and domineering, ready to dock a month’s pay at the drop of a hat, or make people work overtime until 3 a.m.—just like the textbook tyrant boss.
But now, he couldn’t lump Zhou Yanxing in with those cookie-cutter characters anymore.
Because Zhou Yanxing wasn’t like any of them. He didn’t fit into any template.
He would secretly follow a subordinate to make sure they didn’t drink too much while working late. He would set up harmless little traps just for fun. He’d even say, “You’ve got special privileges today—don’t miss your chance,” and personally sign off on a leave slip.
Maybe his coldness came from the weight of his role—because a CEO had to be feared. But it wasn’t his true nature, and he wasn’t the type to make life difficult for others just for the sake of it.
Suddenly, a new message popped up on his phone.
[Jiang Yi: President Zhou scolded me T_T, he’s so scary!]
“……”
One second he was defending Zhou Yanxing’s honor, and the next—smack, a slap from reality.
Yeah… maybe he should stop trying to empathize with Zhou Yanxing.
Who knows? Maybe President Zhou was just naturally cold-hearted, and the only reason he cared was because this was a workplace injury.
Chi Zhan sent a “pat on the head” emoji, then slowly typed: [Sorry, I’m going to have to bail on you again at lunch.]
[Jiang Yi: It’s okay! Chi-ge, did you get hurt? Where are you? I want to come see you.]
[No need. I’m about to head home. Thanks for your concern.]
Then, Chi Zhan suddenly remembered something and asked,
[What happened to the people who came in for interviews today?]
[Jiang Yi: They’re fine. They were sent to the police station.]
……
Zhou Yanxing, you heartless bastard.
You actually dared to send players to the cops.
Chi Zhan had a lot he still wanted to ask—like whether Zhou had heard what he said at the supermarket. But on second thought, it wasn’t the kind of thing he could just come out and ask. Besides, Zhou Yanxing hadn’t given him a hard time over it either.
So… forget it.
In the end, the whole fiasco came to an abrupt end—just as quickly as it had started. After browsing through a few more messages, Chi Zhan saw that the sick leave paperwork had already gone through. Which meant he was free to leave now.
He rested a little longer and felt much better. Maybe it was that ointment from Doctor Cen—it didn’t have that harsh medicinal smell, just a faint sweet scent. It burned when first applied, but after a few minutes, it left behind a cooling sensation.
He couldn’t stay here any longer. What kind of secretary lounges around in the CEO’s private resting room?
He slowly sat up. His original clothes were torn, so he had no choice but to wear the current set. He’d just pay to replace it later.
His dress shoes had gotten knocked off in the chaos. He slipped them back on and, once seated again, realized the shirt he was wearing was way too big. The hem hung well past his hips, and he had to tuck it in as best he could just to keep it in place.
As he pushed himself up using the bed frame, his eyes drifted toward the cabinet beside it.
Inside were a few books on finance and economics—likely for Zhou Yanxing to skim before his midday naps—and various odds and ends. But just as Chi Zhan was about to look away, something caught his eye.
He stared at it for a long while, uncertain, then reached out and picked it up, turning it slowly under the dim lighting.
Inside the bottle was a swirling blizzard, a pink-hued starry sky, and a tiny house nestled in the snow. A reindeer rolled in the drifts outside, while a warm orange glow lit up the windows within.
It was the birthday gift he had helped Zhou Yanxing prepare for Bai Gongzi.
Why was it here?
***
A rarely-used stairwell landing.
Xiao Jia slumped onto the stairs after a meeting, shoulders drooping. He’d been chewed out by President Zhou in front of everyone and lost a month’s performance bonus. Now he just sat there, sulking in silence.
He didn’t even blame the president for the punishment. It was his own fault—his brain had completely short-circuited at the time. He’d failed to think critically about how sketchy the whole thing had been.
Ever since Secretary Chi came onboard, President Zhou’s mood had clearly improved. He yelled less, overtime hours dropped, and he even complimented them a few times.
How had he not seen it was a trap?
He’d stupidly blurted out everything to Secretary Chi without a second thought, not realizing anything was off.
Everyone could see that President Zhou was satisfied with Secretary Chi. They all liked him too. So when a surprise job posting popped up out of nowhere to replace him, how could that not be suspicious?
Xiao Jia smacked himself on the head. “Think before you act next time, dammit. No more being a clueless idiot.”
Just then, he spotted Chi Zhan coming down the stairs.
The secretary had changed clothes. Normally dressed in white, he was now wearing solid black—a loose-fitting shirt with the hem tucked awkwardly into his waistband, a bit of fabric still trailing out. It made his waist look even slimmer and his legs even longer. Against the dark fabric, his skin looked impossibly pale.
Xiao Jia rushed over.
“Secretary Chi! Are you alright? I heard you got hurt!”
Chi Zhan was a little surprised.
He’d chosen the stairs instead of the elevator because he was wearing Zhou Yanxing’s clothes and didn’t want too many people seeing him. It might give the wrong impression. He was planning to head downstairs and change.
But who would’ve thought Xiao Jia would appear out of nowhere?
