While others filtered out to grab water in twos and threes, only Su Ran and Zhou Yanxing remained in the meeting room.
Su Ran glanced toward him, cautiously testing the waters. Ever since they’d parted ways on Christmas, he hadn’t seen Zhou Yanxing again. His plan had been to pursue him with intensity, then take a step back and give him space—spark a little sense of urgency.
But that “space” had stretched into over a week, and Zhou Yanxing showed zero signs of reaching out.
He was proving to be a damn tough nut to crack.
Neither of them spoke. Zhou Yanxing remained focused on his computer, eyes sharp with concentration as if reviewing some critical document.
Su Ran watched him for a moment. He already knew Zhou Yanxing had a “workaholic demon” persona—working when others were relaxing was perfectly in character.
“President Zhou,” Su Ran ventured, “do you have time tonight?”
Zhou Yanxing was fully engrossed on-screen, casually scrolling through search results for “Top Ten Date Spots in A Province.” Without looking up, he replied, “Does President Su still have something to discuss? You can go ahead now.”
“Oh… it’s nothing urgent. I just wanted to treat you to dinner.”
He’d assumed the Christmas invitation had signaled some sort of progress. But that day, he barely caught a glimpse of Zhou Yanxing. The whole thing devolved into a glorified day trip to the resort. It had left him thoroughly annoyed.
He figured Zhou Yanxing had probably holed up in the hotel room to work.
Still scrolling, Zhou Yanxing replied offhandedly, “Evenings are reserved for my boyfriend. If it’s nothing pressing, I doubt I’d get past him.”
Su Ran hadn’t expected much, but that reply left him utterly frozen.
“…You have a boyfriend?” he asked, stunned.
Since when?!
Why didn’t anyone tell me something this huge?!
“Mhm,” Zhou Yanxing answered without so much as a glance in his direction. Instead, he checked the time.
Fifteen minutes had passed since Chi Zhan left. Why wasn’t he back yet?
“Excuse me for a moment.”
***
Chi Zhan assumed Qi Song had come looking for him because something needed clarification. He quickly wrapped up the remaining tasks. Throughout, he could feel Seven’s gaze flitting toward him, there and gone. But every time he looked up, Qi Song was just idly playing with that little cat charm again.
“A merch item from the sticker set?” Chi Zhan asked with a faint smile. Seven really did love cat motifs. Not only did he own a real cat, but his keyboard, laptop—everything—was decorated with cutesy designs. And now even his phone had a kitty keychain.
Qi Song gave a soft “Mm,” then, seeing how curious Chi Zhan looked, handed over the small charm. Chi Zhan toyed with it for a moment—the little cat head was soft and squishy, irresistibly bouncy. He’d only intended to glance at it politely, but the longer he played with it, the harder it was to stop. Then he looked up—and met Qi Song’s eyes.
There was something gentle and unwavering in that gaze.
Chi Zhan cleared his throat and quickly said, “Sorry, I got a little carried away. Right—did you need something? Is there an issue with the contract?”
“No,” Qi Song replied, eyes on him. “I just wanted to spend time with my boyfriend. Is that not allowed?”
For some reason, that simple sentence hit Chi Zhan like a jolt.
He could’ve sworn… when Qi Song said boyfriend, his tone slowed slightly—just enough to give it weight.
His heart skipped a beat.
Was he… feeling guilty again?
Could Qi Song have overheard what happened in the break room with Zhou Yanxing? Or had he noticed something off in the way Zhou looked at him?
Chi Zhan thought it over. He’d had his back to the door at the time, and the hallway outside had seemed empty. Zhou Yanxing would’ve noticed if anyone were there.
And if it had been Seven… he wouldn’t be this calm.
Sometimes Chi Zhan thought he understood Seven at a glance. Other times, the man felt like a mystery—his expressions always light, like mist clinging to a distant mountain, faintly cool… but unexpectedly warm when touched.
But something about him felt different today.
Was it his expression? No, that hadn’t changed. His tone? That seemed normal too.
Still, Chi Zhan couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Qi Song didn’t seem to be in a good mood.
While he was still mulling this over, Qi Song spoke again.
“Do you have any plans tonight?”
“Huh?” Chi Zhan blinked, snapping out of it. “I… don’t think so. Why?”
“My stream time this month is still short. I want to game with you. Are you in?”
Gaming with Seven.
Who on earth could say no to that?
Chi Zhan almost blurted out Of course! but caught himself.
“I’m not that good. I’ll probably drag you down. And besides…”
Besides, last time they’d gamed together as “fan and idol,” it had been fine. But now? What exactly would their dynamic be? He couldn’t very well spin a prize wheel again.
“We won’t play that mode,” Qi Song said casually. “Let’s do the couples mode.”
It hit him like a bolt of lightning.
Chi Zhan stared, wide-eyed, utterly stunned. Did he mean what it sounded like?
Streaming in couples mode.
The implication was crystal clear.
Seven wanted… to go public.
“…Is that a problem?” Qi Song asked, his voice still soft, with no hint of reproach.
“……”
How was he supposed to explain to Seven that this whole thing with Zhou Yanxing was a calculated experiment to test the system?
“Secretary Chi!”
Xiao Wang finally found him out on the terrace, drenched in sweat.
“President Zhou’s looking for you! The meeting’s about to resume!”
Then Xiao Wang suddenly felt a chill, like cold air grazing the back of his neck. He glanced around—but no one seemed to be looking his way.
Standing beside Secretary Chi was none other than Seven—a name anyone even remotely familiar with the e-sports scene would recognize instantly. The two seemed to be deep in conversation.
Xiao Wang’s heart sank. Had he just interrupted something major?
“Did I… come at a bad time?” he asked nervously.
