Cen Chi was indeed sharp—he had pieced things together from just a few scattered clues.
“It’s Seven. A very skilled e-sports player. He’s won the national championship.”
“No wonder. His moves looked so smooth yesterday,” Cen Chi chuckled. “Anyone in pro gaming has it tough.”
That sparked a shared interest. Chi Zhan and Cen Chi launched into an animated discussion, chatting enthusiastically back and forth.
It wasn’t until Cen Chi had to leave that the previously silent President Zhou finally opened his mouth.
“So that’s the kind you’re into.”
“What kind?”
Chi Zhan blinked, caught off guard.
“The fake, sweet-talking kind,” Zhou Yanxing sneered. “I’ll be waiting for the day he cons you out of everything, and you come running to me in tears, finally admitting you misjudged him.”
Chi Zhan couldn’t make sense of Zhou Yanxing’s sudden hostility toward Cen Chi. As far as he remembered, the two had always been good friends. How did things fall apart so quickly?
“And last night…”
Zhou Yanxing’s gaze grew complicated.
“What exactly did I do to you?”
Chi Zhan hadn’t intended to bring it up, but seeing how Zhou Yanxing had clearly been overthinking everything, he decided to come clean and explained what had actually happened in detail.
Of course, he tactfully avoided mentioning certain terms—like “selling myself,” “going down to the docks,” or “one million yuan.” If Zhou the Almighty CEO caught wind of any of that, he might just blow a fuse from sheer embarrassment.
“That’s it?” Zhou Yanxing still looked skeptical. But the story did sound like something he might’ve actually said. “And then… I bit you?”
“That’s it,” Chi Zhan sighed. “What, you want to check the bite mark for authenticity?”
Zhou Yanxing fell into thought for a moment before unexpectedly saying, “Yeah, let me take a look. Don’t move.” Zhou Yanxing pressed down on Chi Zhan’s hand. “I’ll do it.”
He peeled back the bandage. Sure enough, there was a faint bite mark. It had already begun to fade since the bite hadn’t been particularly forceful, but Zhou Yanxing could still recognize his own handiwork.
In his memory, he had bitten into an orange—sweet and juicy. So how had that turned into biting Chi Zhan?
Confused, Zhou Yanxing leaned in. Just as his nose was about to touch Chi Zhan’s skin, he caught the faintest trace of citrus—almost gone now.
…So it was the body wash.
Chi Zhan, however, felt a jolt run through his entire body.
Zhou Yanxing had leaned in like a wolf, just a breath away from grazing his skin. When they finally pulled apart, both of them awkwardly coughed to break the tension.
“I thought…”
Zhou Yanxing didn’t finish the sentence, but Chi Zhan already understood what he meant.
No wonder the man had looked so shaken this morning, not to mention that bizarre apology. It wasn’t every day you got to hear an apology from Zhou Yanxing.
“Well then,” Zhou Yanxing quickly slipped back into his usual demeanor, “go prep the files. We’re heading out again tomorrow.”
“Yes, President Zhou,” Chi Zhan replied smoothly.
He had originally planned to slip in a casual “I already have a boyfriend,” but given the circumstances, the timing just wasn’t right. Besides, if he forced it, it’d just come off as contrived. It was better to showcase the relationship naturally.
Song Guang always seemed to be either in class or at work—barely online—so their schedules rarely aligned. Even if he wanted to show off a little, there was never a good chance.
…Maybe it really was better to find someone in real life?
After Chi Zhan left, Zhou Yanxing’s phone rang.
“…Mother,” he answered, exasperated. “I’m not in Province A right now. Stop setting up blind dates for me. Even if they’re scheduled, I’m not going. And not in other provinces either.”
On the other end came the usual barrage of heartfelt persuasion.
As a man, how could he not get married? Without marriage, how could his career thrive? Hadn’t it always been said that behind every successful man stood a thrifty, capable partner?
Zhou Yanxing took a deep breath.
“Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right. But love requires fate. If fate doesn’t come, what do you want me to do? The dates you’ve arranged—hell, even a dog wouldn’t want to attend them. Three a week, twelve a month—even if I wanted to get married, that’s just too much. And if I did get married now, I’d need at least three months of prep. Who’s going to sign the paperwork in the meantime? Who’ll make the decisions?”
The other end began to question whether Zhou Yanxing was having “issues,” and even tried to recommend a “miracle doctor”—a so-called living Buddha of male medicine.
Zhou Yanxing was thoroughly fed up.
“Fine! I swear—if I don’t get married within the year, may I never get it up again in this lifetime.”
That venomous vow was enough to shut down any further argument. The call ended with a string of half-hearted “oh, okay, sure” responses.
If he really had to find someone to marry…
Zhou Yanxing had thought he’d secured his lifelong partner today. But Cen Chi’s casual comment shattered that illusion. Now he was back to square one. But there was no way Zhou Yanxing would ever be the first to say that line.
And knowing how reserved Secretary Chi was, hearing that line from him might take until the end of time.
President Zhou opened his memo and wrote: How to seduce Secretary Chi into confessing.
Then he crossed out the word seduce.
Zhou Yanxing had never once doubted that Chi Zhan liked him.
He had full confidence in his own masculine charm.
A flawless physique—Chi Zhan had practically gone slack-jawed the first time he saw him shirtless.
Youth and wealth—not exactly everyday commodities. And good looks passed down from generations—he topped every “Hottest Young CEOs” ranking year after year.
With all that, why would he need to seduce anyone?
But Secretary Chi was just too damn dense. Worse yet, Cen Chi was circling like a hungry wolf. Zhou Yanxing had no choice but to speed things up. The question was—how exactly should he hint at it?
Zhou Yanxing fell deep into thought.
On the final day of their business trip, everyone was dead tired. Fortunately, Zhou Yanxing wasn’t a total slave driver and gave them the day off. Chi Zhan and Xiao Wang went out to buy souvenirs, officially marking the end of the trip.
Chi Zhan had planned to meet up with Tao Ran for a quick get-together, but Tao had just started at a new company and was buried in work—spinning like a top every day—so he couldn’t make time. They’d have to catch up another day.
