Zhou Yanxing flipped through the menu twice. “Anything you want to eat?”
Chi Zhan hesitated. “The A Set looks pretty good.”
Back when they used to have meals together, the menu was always prearranged. Even if it was a last-minute gathering, Zhou Yanxing would decide what to order. Chi Zhan never objected—boss pays, boss rules.
This was the first time Zhou had ever asked him what he wanted.
Zhou gave a brief hum and told the waiter, “Two A Sets.”
“Of course. We’ll bring the dishes out shortly,” the waiter said, inputting the order. He was just about to leave when Zhou called him back.
Zhou drummed his fingers casually on the table, a glint of interest in his eyes.
“What’s today’s promo?”
As he spoke, he gave Chi Zhan a meaningful look.
The waiter lit up like he’d struck gold.
“It’s a simple one today, sir—just draw a slip and complete the task written on it, and you get fifty percent off your meal!” He lowered his voice mysteriously. “And among all the slips, there’s one that gives a full discount. Someone actually drew it earlier!”
Zhou sounded utterly unbothered.
“Let’s draw one.”
“I’ll be right back!” the waiter chirped, bolting off faster than a rabbit. Chi Zhan hadn’t even had time to respond before the man disappeared.
Chi Zhan’s brows twitched. He couldn’t tell if Zhou had done it on purpose or not, but since the words were already spoken aloud, he couldn’t exactly reject him to his face. All he could do was silently pray that Zhou would draw something normal this time.
The restaurant was still bustling, even after Christmas—likely thanks to the discount promo. Zhou idly adjusted the lilies on the table, then asked, “Have you given any more thought to what I mentioned before?”
Chi Zhan racked his brain but came up blank—there were too many things he could be referring to. He couldn’t just ask, either. That would be too unprofessional. After a beat, he gave a vague response, “Still thinking about it.”
“You’re really thinking, or just brushing me off?” Zhou pierced straight through the smokescreen. “We’re talking about breaking up with your fake boyfriend. What’s there to agonize over for days?”
Chi Zhan drew a long breath and said seriously, “…He’s not fake. He’s real.”
Zhou let out a low laugh, half amused, half exasperated.
Secretary Chi, consummate professional, immovable even in the face of relentless questioning. No matter how much pressure you applied, he’d never budge on the fundamentals.
“So you’re not planning to break up?”
Chi Zhan didn’t flinch.
“That’s right. I’m not.”
Even with his identity thoroughly exposed, he refused to back down. This was his bottom line.
Surprisingly, Zhou didn’t get angry. He gently set down the silver fork he’d been polishing with a napkin and nodded.
“Fine. You don’t have to break up.”
That was… unexpectedly easy.
Chi Zhan blinked, a thread of suspicion darting across his mind. Before he could fully grasp what was happening, Zhou continued—
“But you can have two. You’ve seen it yourself—my mother won’t stop unless she sees me in a relationship. It’s been disrupting my work with you. You’re concerned, right? That’s why you’ve been bringing in all those random people… So why not help me yourself? If we get together, problem solved.”
He said it so reasonably, so matter-of-factly, that Chi Zhan was genuinely thrown.
Wait, what?
Not breaking up is fine—but you want to add a second boyfriend?
How is that not the same as cheating?!
For a moment, Chi Zhan had no idea how to even begin rejecting that logic.
What was wrong with these romance targets? One after another—zero sense of moral boundaries!
If the System knew, it would probably explode from rage.
“…That’s not a good idea,” Chi Zhan said, brain stuttering like it had rusted over. He dug for a reason. “It’s not fair to you.”
Zhou shrugged.
“I don’t mind. Or you can ask your boyfriend. If he cares…”
Don’t say it—don’t say what I think you’re about to say—
“…then tell him to get lost,” Zhou finished. “If he doesn’t want the role, someone else will take it.”
Chi Zhan was completely silent.
At this point, praying for Zhou Rui Group’s bankruptcy might be a more realistic option than hoping Zhou Yanxing would come to his senses.
“Gentlemen, here’s the draw box,” the waiter returned at just the right moment, not quite sure how much of their conversation he’d just overheard. Seeing their silence, he asked carefully, “Shall we begin?”
Zhou gestured to Chi Zhan.
“You do it.”
It was obvious who wore the pants here. The waiter handed the box to Chi Zhan, smiling brightly.
“We’ve added lots of new interactive tasks this time—they’re really fun!”
Chi Zhan didn’t have high hopes. He just prayed for something… normal.
He drew a slip and, this time, didn’t hand it over immediately. He glanced at it first.
One look—and his temples started to throb.
The waiter accepted the slip and read it out with a cheerful grin: “Congratulations! You’ve drawn the ‘Free Meal’ special! Please enjoy a cross cupped toast. The restaurant will capture a photo to commemorate the occasion. We wish you everlasting love and happiness.”
Word-for-word, the exact same script as last time.
Chi Zhan was at a loss. Again? The same task—yet this time, for less of a discount?
Before he could protest—“I think this discount… maybe just forget it”—the staff had already poured two glasses of red wine with lightning speed and handed them over. The photographer had his camera set up and ready, giving them a big thumbs-up from behind the lens.
Zhou picked up his glass and examined it.
“Ninety-eight Lafite. This place actually has taste.”
“……”
He made one last-ditch effort.
“President Zhou, maybe you should reconsider. I can—”
