Chi Zhan suddenly had a flash of inspiration—an idea so unconventional it practically veered off the edge.
What if he found a cologne that smelled just like bitter coffee? Would President Zhou start keeping a ten-meter distance from him every day?
…Well, that was just wishful thinking.
If he actually tried something like that, President Zhou might very well drag him straight into the shower.
This time, however, Chi Zhan finally exhibited the professional polish expected of a personal assistant. Not only did he tie the necktie properly, it wasn’t wrinkled in the slightest. Zhou Yanxing checked himself in the mirror and nodded.Â
“Not bad. Where’d you learn that?”
“Practicing on stuffed animals. Do it a few times and you get the hang of it.”
“……”
Noticing one side of the collar had flipped up, Chi Zhan—ever the perfectionist—reached out to straighten it. In that moment, he inadvertently met Zhou Yanxing’s gaze. There was something dark and dangerous lurking in those eyes, like a storm held back by sheer will.
Chi Zhan froze for half a second, then quickly looked away, pretending not to notice that intense stare. He stepped back casually and retrieved a small box from the pocket of a nearby puffer jacket, handing it to Zhou Yanxing.
“A gift. For you.”
Zhou Yanxing’s eyes widened slightly, caught off guard.
He looked up at Chi Zhan, as if needing confirmation.Â
“For me?”
Chi Zhan gave a short nod. Zhou Yanxing still looked skeptical, as though receiving a gift from Chi Zhan was some bizarre anomaly.Â
“It’s nothing expensive… If you don’t want it, I’ll just take it back.”
He hadn’t even finished speaking when Zhou Yanxing snatched the box out of his hands with the speed of a gale.
Did Zhou Yanxing actually… really look forward to getting gifts?
Poor guy. Maybe the world wasn’t so kind to some bosses after all…
But that couldn’t be right. Zhou Yanxing clearly didn’t lack for gifts—just yesterday in the office, Chi Zhan had seen heaps of apples and presents stacked on his desk, though he hadn’t even bothered unwrapping them before instructing Chi Zhan to toss them out.
“Not bad,” Zhou Yanxing said, clearing his throat and reverting to a calm demeanor. “Keep it up.”
“……”
Zhou Yanxing then gave him the number of the hot spring suite he’d reserved, reminding him, “You don’t have to come, but you’ll regret it if you don’t,” before putting on his coat and leaving, leaving Chi Zhan alone with his dilemma.
Should he go meet Seven as planned… or head to Zhou Yanxing’s place?
He couldn’t decide.
His phone buzzed. A new message—from Cen Chi.
Cen Chi: There’s a fireworks show tonight. It’ll last half an hour. Want to watch together?
Talk about terrible timing.
Why did Doctor Cen have to join the invitation pile too? Chi Zhan was already plenty conflicted—now he was caught in a full-blown decision crisis.
To go, or not to go?
Chi Zhan didn’t reply immediately. A “typing…” indicator blinked from Cen Chi’s end. Moments later, another message came through:
Cen Chi: I really want to see the world through your eyes.
Chi Zhan blinked, thrown off by the sudden shift in tone. He stared at the message, reading it again and again, trying to decipher the deeper meaning.
Chi Zhan: The world through my eyes… is it that different from what you see?
Cen Chi: Very different.
Cen Chi: You’re welcome to enter my world too, though it’s probably a dull and boring place. Not very interesting.
Cen Chi’s words always seemed cloaked in layers of ambiguity, as if each one was a little hook, tugging at Chi Zhan’s curiosity. He couldn’t help but want to understand.
Cen Chi: I’ll be waiting for you in the backyard at nine tonight.
Chi Zhan hesitated for a moment.
Chi Zhan: Can I think about it?
Cen Chi: Got another invitation? I don’t mind. We can watch the fireworks together.
That made it even harder to say no. But then Cen Chi added, If you’re not there by 9:10, I’ll know what you’ve chosen.
Now Chi Secretary was truly cornered by indecision. Both invitations were enticing, and both came with their own set of reasons he couldn’t ignore. But he couldn’t split himself in two. What now?
Chi Zhan buried his face into the bed in frustration.
After a moment, he figured he might as well let fate decide. He pulled out his phone to look for a dice emoji—but got distracted when he saw a message from Tao Ran.
Tao Ran: Merry Christmas, Chi-Chi! Did you get any apples for Christmas Eve?Â
Chi Zhan: Got a whole pile. Don’t need to buy fruit for a month.Â
He’d thought about giving return gifts to some friends but held back because of that rumor—“If you give back an apple on Christmas Eve, it means you like the person.” In the end, he opted to buy oranges and handed one to each coworker.
Of course, President Zhou received the deluxe treatment. Even though he hadn’t given Chi Zhan an apple, Chi Zhan still brought him a basket with oranges, bananas, and kiwis.
Zhou Yanxing’s expression had been somewhere between speechless and exasperated. He waved Chi Zhan away without a word.
But just before the end of the workday, Chi Zhan saw him quietly eating the fruit.
Turns out even domineering CEOs need their daily dose of vitamins.
Tao Ran: Any updates on the boyfriend search?
Chi Zhan: Fake boyfriend, remember?
And the whole thing had been a mess—complicated from start to finish.
Now, not only did Zhou Yanxing think he was having an office romance, but the man was also his supposed romance target. There was no way Chi Zhan could drag Chu Xingxiao out every time Zhou Yanxing showed up—not with his acting skills. A few more performances, and Zhou Yanxing was bound to see through the ruse.
Maybe he should just fake a breakup with Chu Xingxiao and find a new “boyfriend”?
But there wasn’t anyone suitable right now. Besides, wouldn’t it seem odd to break up mere days after they supposedly got together?
Having never been in a real relationship, Secretary Chi racked his brain, analyzing every angle of the situation. He eventually spiraled into the depressing realization: You can’t imagine something you’ve never experienced—like trying to picture a pig if you’ve never even seen one.
Tao Ran: What, the fake boyfriend didn’t work out?
Chi Zhan: Yeah. Thinking about finding a new one…
Tao Ran: So, remind me again—why are you trying to get a fake boyfriend in the first place? Let me guess… Did the boss confess his feelings for you?
Tao Ran really was his best friend. Given all the times they’d complained to each other about company life, it wasn’t surprising that she’d started picking up on the subtle signs—that maybe, just maybe, Chi Zhan’s boss was nursing a crush on him.
