On the other end of the phone, upon seeing that expression, only one thought crossed the person’s mind:
Gege is so cute.
I want to kiss him.
Chi Zhan put away his phone and focused on work. A knock came at the office door—it was someone from the Planning Department.
“Secretary Chi, this is our team-building proposal. Please take a look.”
“Team-building?” Chi Zhan paused in surprise.
“Yes. Our company has a tradition of doing a team-building outing every Christmas. It’s part of our culture,” the planner explained. “This year, a newly opened resort has been getting rave reviews—the hot springs in particular. They also offer massages. Since our coworkers are hunched over desks all year long, everyone’s very interested in the massage services.”
“Understood.” Chi Zhan flipped through the documents. “I’ll report this to President Zhou. As for the list of attendees… President Zhou isn’t on it?”
The event involved every department in the company, including the new entertainment division trainees. All told, there were several hundred people going—but Zhou Yanxing’s name was nowhere to be found.
“President Zhou doesn’t join team-building events. He doesn’t like crowds. And with the boss around, no one really dares to have fun…”
“Then he’s taking the day off?”
“He usually still works at the office. I’ve rarely seen President Zhou take a vacation.”
“……”
It was the first time Chi Zhan had seen a boss personally pay for the employees to have fun while staying behind to work. Zhou Yanxing really did have ‘career-driven’ carved into his DNA.
Later, Chi Zhan knocked on the door again. When he entered, Zhou Yanxing was in the middle of a remote meeting with a branch office. Chi Zhan didn’t disturb him—he set the proposal on the desk, gave a silent nod, and slipped out of the office.
Some time later, Chi Zhan received an email from Zhou Yanxing with the proposal attached—it had been approved. Soon after, the Planning Department announced the news in the company group chat, and the chat instantly exploded.
Xiao Wang: Hot springs! We’re going to a hot spring! This is amazing!
Xiao Su: Aaaaah this is exactly what I wanted! There’s even a luxury spa! I heard the resort’s buffet is famous for being delicious—just one ticket costs 688 yuan! President Zhou is so generous!
Xiao Jia: This has to be thanks to Secretary Chi! I love you, Secretary Chi! [heart] [flowers] [applause]
Xiao Jia: I love President Zhou too! [heart] [flowers] [applause]
A flood of sycophantic replies followed. Chi Zhan couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head.
Chi Zhan: It’s all because President Zhou loves you. [heart] [flowers] [applause]
As soon as news of the trip broke, a festive atmosphere filled the company. While delivering documents, Chi Zhan noticed apples everywhere. Colleagues were giving them out to one another, and people would teasingly exclaim “Ooooh!” whenever someone received one.
Halfway through the hallway, a male colleague stopped him, clearly a little shy.
“Se-Secretary Chi, here’s an apple for you. Wishing you peace and safety in the new year.”
“Sorry, I didn’t prepare any apples…”
Chi Zhan felt awkward accepting it since he had nothing to offer in return. He was just about to decline when a group of people suddenly crowded around, clearly here for the show.
“You’ve got guts, giving Secretary Chi an apple! Aren’t you afraid President Zhou will kill you?” someone joked. “Even if Secretary Chi accepts it, he won’t give you one back.”
“Yeah, exactly. You think you can compete with President Zhou?” another chimed in with a laugh.
What were they talking about?
Chi Zhan was a little confused.
“Secretary Chi, you didn’t know?” someone explained, “Giving someone an apple on Christmas Eve is a way of saying you like them. If they accept but don’t return one, it means they only see you as a friend. But if they accept and give one back, it’s like confessing—you’re basically saying you want to be together!”
So it had that kind of implication?
The apple suddenly felt like a hot potato. There was no way he could accept it now. But the male colleague shoved the apple into his hands and ran.
“Secretary Chi, I’m giving you one too!”
“Me too, me too!”
“I’ve got at least ten more—are you all casting a wide net or what? Secretary Chi, don’t fall for it! They’re all fake!”
By the time Chi Zhan returned from delivering documents, he’d been forced to accept more than ten apples and was beginning to worry.
He couldn’t even remember who gave him which one…
As he pushed open the office door, he immediately noticed a small, delicately wrapped square box on his desk.
It was just the right size to hold…
Sure enough, when Chi Zhan opened the gift box, the rich scent of a fresh apple wafted out.
Who secretly gave this to him?
He examined the gift box carefully but couldn’t find any name or identifying mark. In the end, he gave up trying to guess.
Just before lunch, Chi Zhan put on his coat and accompanied Zhou Yanxing to meet his blind date.
The location?
That all-too-familiar couple’s restaurant.
As they got out of the car, Zhou Yanxing gave him a sidelong glance.
“You seem on edge. Don’t tell me you’ve been up to something behind my back?”
Chi Zhan was just a little anxious, worried Zhou Yanxing might have seen the photos of him drinking with Cen Chi.
But the moment they arrived at the restaurant entrance, he realized his worries were completely unnecessary.
Because at some point, the restaurant had installed a decorative wall lined with photographs—and right there in the most prominent spot, those pictures of him and Cen Chi had been turned into framed art prints.
“……”
***
The restaurant was particularly busy today. The servers were rushing about, guiding guests to their tables. A sweet-voiced love song played over the speakers, filling the space with a cheerful, romantic atmosphere.
“Why are there so many people?” Zhou Yanxing muttered impatiently. He glanced at his phone and took a call on his earpiece. Tall and broad-shouldered, he was constantly being jostled by the crowd. It was noisy, and he hadn’t noticed the photo wall at all as he began discussing work.
Thank god.
Chi Zhan had absolutely no desire for Zhou Yanxing to see those photos. Professionally, he didn’t want to be the subject of workplace gossip. Personally, he had zero interest in explaining why he and Cen Chi had taken couple-style pictures together.
“The letter of intent for the partnership…” Zhou was mid-sentence when Chi Zhan quickly pulled him toward the interior of the restaurant. Zhou gave him a puzzled glance, but Chi Zhan pretended not to notice.
Zhou never saw the photo wall. He simply assumed that Chi Zhan disliked crowds and wanted to get inside quickly.
