That ridiculous Bai Gongzi had barged in again this morning, completely uninvited, ranting, “Why didn’t you call me? I’ve been waiting forever!”
Had he unknowingly offended some vengeful spirit lately? Maybe it was time to burn some incense at a temple and beg the gods for mercy.
And yet, despite all that earlier chaos, the only thing Zhou Yanxing truly remembered was the slight tremble of Secretary Chi’s lashes as he quietly adjusted his tie, lips pressed in focused concentration.
That single image… somehow softened his mood.
Stepping out of the bedroom, Zhou Yanxing was preparing to leave for an offsite meeting when something on the floor caught his eye. Secretary Chi must’ve left in a rush and hadn’t noticed the chaos had cost Young Master Bai his gift.
—What’s this?
Zhou Yanxing stooped to pick up the box, eyes narrowing at the pink ribbon and the signature scrawled across the tag. He hesitated for a beat, then began to untie the bow.
***
Chi Zhan had barely exited the office when a male colleague—one who’d tried to chat him up earlier—sidled over again.
“Secretary Chi, you okay?” the man asked nervously. “You were in there a while. Did President Zhou… yell at you?”
‘I’d actually prefer if he did,’ Chi Zhan thought grimly. ‘This being strung along—neither accepted nor dismissed—is what really hurts.’
But more importantly… who was this guy?
He looked vaguely unfamiliar.
‘A new hire?’
Chi Zhan gave him a thorough once-over. The young man was clearly nervous—possibly even shy. The name tag on his chest read: Intern – Jiang Yi.
Ah. An intern.
Chi Zhan gave a small shake of his head, about to walk away, when a thought struck him. He opened up the Favorability Panel.
There it was—Jiang Yi, with a favorability score of exactly zero.
‘……’
As Zhou Yanxing’s assistant, Chi Zhan only had access to the favorability panel of Zhou Yanxing and players within a hundred-meter radius. Anyone beyond that range wouldn’t show up.
Once a player’s favorability reached a certain threshold, Chi Zhan would automatically trigger certain assist functions.
Apparently, even company interns could be drawn as players now.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yi was still scrambling to come up with something to say.
When Secretary Chi wasn’t speaking, he was even more breathtaking. To Jiang Yi, he was the most stunning NPC he’d ever seen.
Whenever he passed by Chi Zhan’s desk, he couldn’t help but admire that perfectly sculpted profile, the pale lips faintly pursed as though holding back a smile, the soft gold of his eyes glowing under the light. His white shirt was neatly tucked into a slender waist that practically begged to be held. Refined, aloof, and impossibly alluring—he was the ultimate dream in the gay community.
Most in-game NPCs had bland, generic faces. The first time Jiang Yi saw Chi Zhan, he had honestly thought he was a romance target. His heart had pounded wildly—until someone told him Chi Zhan was just a secretary, not someone you could pursue.
And just like that, his dream of a sweet, drama-free romance with a gentle CEO vanished into thin air.
Chi Zhan, unaware of the fantasies swirling in the player’s head, had already started spinning a few plotlines of his own.
Plotline One: The cold, aloof CEO initially overlooks the diligent intern. But one day, he happens to pass the intern’s desk, sees him working late into the night—and something clicks. He’s hooked.
And the ever-loyal secretary? The one quietly nudging things along? He smiles gently and says, “President Zhou, he’s still working. You might want to check on him.”
Plotline Two: A drunken mishap at a company banquet leads to a one-night stand! Back at the office, they pretend nothing ever happened. But as fate and flirtation play their part, the CEO begins to fall—hard.
And the secretary? Cheerfully delivers a fresh suit the next morning, eyes twinkling as he says, “Remember to stay safe,” as if he hadn’t noticed a thing.
Plotline Three: The intern falls hopelessly in love at first sight. But the CEO, bound by pride and pedigree, coldly rejects him. Heartbroken, the intern gives up… until the CEO realizes what he’s lost. Cue the late-night longing, the desperate chase, the grand regrets.
“Secretary Chi?” Jiang Yi’s voice was cautious. “Don’t be upset. If it’s too much, you could always… quit?”
Drawing on twelve years of drama and emotional manipulation, Chi Zhan smiled warmly and replied with flawless sincerity,
“President Zhou didn’t yell at me. He’s actually a very good person. Once you get to know him, you’ll find he’s thoughtful and considerate. Even earlier, when he accidentally got splashed with coffee, he didn’t mind at all.”
Chi Zhan had already decided: once Zhou Yanxing fell in love, trivial things like who played the secretary wouldn’t matter anymore. Anyone could assist the romance as long as the relationship blossomed.
He was in the middle of advertising the “warm, funny, tender-hearted CEO Zhou” brand when Jiang Yi’s expression suddenly shifted. The intern gave him a discreet nudge and motioned behind him with his eyes.
Chi Zhan’s stomach dropped. Just as he started to turn around, a chilly voice sliced through the air:
“Secretary Chi, what’s so funny?”
Zhou Yanxing had appeared out of nowhere. His voice was mild, but his eyes were cold as frost.
Chi Zhan stiffened. “When did you…”
Zhou Yanxing had a coat draped over his arm, clearly on his way out.
It wasn’t like they’d been gossiping behind his back. They were complimenting him. That didn’t count as office misconduct… right?
Zhou Yanxing gave Jiang Yi a slow, sweeping glance.
And then—ding—a soft chime echoed in Chi Zhan’s ear. A light blinked on in the Favorability Panel.
Opportunity unlocked.
“This is our new intern, Jiang Yi,” Chi Zhan quickly introduced, his smile bright. “He’s capable and extremely polite.”
Zhou Yanxing, true to form, gave a curt, icy response: “So that means idle chitchat during office hours is acceptable now?”
Jiang Yi flinched, then braved a reply. “It was me who approached Secretary Chi. It’s not his fault.”
Zhou Yanxing checked the time and said coolly, “Since Secretary Chi seems to like him, have him make tonight’s reservation. No need to involve anyone else. I won’t be back for lunch. Just send me the details.”
‘‘Since I like him’—what the hell does that mean?’
Chi Zhan forced a smile through gritted teeth. “Understood.”
On the plus side, he’d successfully initiated step one of the matchmaking plan.
On the downside… he might’ve just handed Zhou Yanxing another excuse to fire him.
But Zhou Yanxing wasn’t the petty type. As a romance target, he had plenty of redeeming traits. For example, he always settled scores on the spot—he didn’t bottle things up and explode later. If he planned to fire someone, he’d do it right then and there… right?
