“Make sure to confirm the itinerary with them, book the flights in advance, and take two extra people along on the trip. Tell them to do their homework—this isn’t a vacation,” Zhou Yanxing said. His gaze shifted to Chi Zhan, and then, out of nowhere, he added, “You’ve changed your style of clothing?”
Chi Zhan hadn’t expected Zhou Yanxing to notice something so subtle. The shirt he was wearing did, in fact, belong to Cen Chi. After all, oversized cozy sweaters weren’t exactly workplace appropriate. It just so happened that Cen Chi had bought this shirt recently, but it was too small for him, so he gave it to Chi Zhan.
Still, Chi Zhan insisted on paying for it. He’d bought it fair and square.
What puzzled him was that he had deliberately chosen a style similar to his usual shirts—how did Zhou Yanxing even notice?
“That’s a custom piece. Their designer only caters to select clients,” Zhou Yanxing raised an eyebrow. He was a regular at that boutique himself and recognized it instantly. “Judging by your expression, I’m guessing you didn’t know that. Secretary Chi, whose clothes are you borrowing this time?”
…Custom-made?
But Cen Chi only charged him a thousand yuan.
Chi Zhan replied honestly, “It’s Doctor Cen’s shirt.”
Zhou Yanxing looked skeptical.Â
“Why would you borrow his clothes?”
Chi Zhan had no choice but to recount what happened after Zhou Yanxing left the night before. As he spoke, Zhou Yanxing’s expression grew increasingly dark.
“You’re saying he got drunk, and so you took him home?” Zhou Yanxing let out a short, mirthless laugh. “You’re really too naïve. Can’t you tell he wasn’t even—”
“Wasn’t even what?” Chi Zhan asked, puzzled.
Zhou Yanxing suddenly faltered.
“You both got drunk last night, which is probably why you called me,” Chi Zhan said, a vague suspicion lingering in his mind. He probed cautiously, “Do you remember anything from last night?”
Zhou Yanxing looked uncomfortable.Â
“Not really.”
“Then what about my phone…”
Zhou Yanxing pulled it from a drawer and tossed it to him.Â
“Some guy named Tao Ran kept calling you all night.”
Chi Zhan checked the screen. Zhou Yanxing looked like he was holding something back. Crossing his arms, he asked, “So you just went home with him like that?”
“I didn’t really have a choice. You took my phone, and I couldn’t even call a cab,” Chi Zhan said with a sigh. “Doctor Cen’s a good guy.”
“……”
Chi Zhan circled back.Â
“So, is this shirt I’m wearing really that expensive?”
“Not really. A few hundred at most,” Zhou Yanxing said after a moment of thought. “Next time, if Cen Chi says he’s drunk, don’t believe him. In fact, it’s best if you stop seeing him altogether.”
“A few hundred?” Chi Zhan repeated.
Whose words should he believe—Cen Chi’s or Zhou Yanxing’s?
“He’s out dating someone new every other day. Aren’t you worried one day someone’s going to come out of nowhere and slap you across the face?” Zhou Yanxing said mockingly. “Treasure your life and stay away from scumbags. One day he’ll chew you up and spit out your bones.”
Really now—is that any way to talk about your friend?
But then again, as a romance target, going on dates all the time was probably the norm. Someone like Zhou Yanxing was the exception.
Chi Zhan gave him a strange look, recalling an old suspicion he’d had.
Could Zhou Yanxing actually be… asexual?
If the system fixed the “bugs,” would that include the sexual dysfunction bug too?
Chi Zhan left with the documents in hand. Zhou Yanxing turned back to his reports. A while later, he clicked his tongue softly.
He never would’ve guessed Cen Chi would actually set his sights on Chi Zhan.
Was he not obvious enough last night?
Zhou Yanxing tapped his fingers against the desk—a habit of his when he was deep in thought.
How could he make Cen Chi lose interest…?
“Chi-ge!” Jiang Yi found Chi Zhan in the copy room, looking anxious. “I just heard someone say you were dropped off at work by some super hot guy. Is that true?”Â
Dammit, how did someone beat him to it?
Turned out someone had gone downstairs for coffee during lunch and saw Chi Zhan stepping out of Cen Chi’s car. Even though Cen Chi had only shown his profile, he was unmistakably good-looking. The gossip spread like wildfire in the office chat.
After all, office gossip was practically the only fun thing about work. Who’d have thought it would reach the person in question so quickly?
Fortunately, Chi Zhan had never cared much about gossip.Â
“A friend of President Zhou’s dropped me off. Why?”
A friend of President Zhou’s?
Jiang Yi’s mind raced as a shocking possibility dawned on him.
“That friend… don’t tell me his surname is…Cen?”
“How’d you know?” Chi Zhan had barely asked before realizing it was a dumb question.
Of course a player would know the romance targets’ details.
What he didn’t know was why Jiang Yi suddenly looked so horrified.
Now Chi Zhan was genuinely curious—how were Zhou Yanxing and Cen Chi portrayed from a player’s perspective? Were they anything like he imagined?
“Well, he’s kind of famous in our circle,” Jiang Yi said, clearly reluctant to sound like someone who trashed others behind their backs. Still, he looked like he was dying to say something. “There’s something I’m not sure if I should say…”
“Go ahead,” Chi Zhan offered graciously, ready to hear a player’s review.
“He’s a textbook fuckboy,” Jiang Yi said, pained. “You know what I mean? The kind who deliberately hooks you in, waits for you to bite, then throws the hook away and says he never baited you to begin with. I’ve got a lot of friends who were fooled by that gentle-looking exterior. Now they’re all bawling their eyes out, convinced he’s the only one for them—but what’s the point? Even if you like that type, all you ever get is one meal, one shopping trip, one movie. Try to see him again, and he vanishes without a trace.” Jiang Yi sighed. “So, Chi-ge, do you think he’s trying to reel you in?”
Unbelievable.
Jiang Yi was saying the exact same thing as Zhou Yanxing.
Could Doctor Cen really be the “scumbag” they both claimed he was?
…But he hadn’t done anything to deliberately seduce him.
Chi Zhan thought back—aside from being a bit clingy when drunk, Cen Chi had always been respectful when sober. As a doctor, his gentle demeanor seemed perfectly normal. Aside from the fact that they now had affectionate nicknames for each other, he hadn’t crossed any real lines.
