Fortunately, Zhou Yanxing didn’t blow up this time. He treated Jiang Yi like thin air, and Jiang Yi was more than happy to return the favor, paying him no mind as he peppered Chi Zhan with questions about which dishes were the best.
And Chi Zhan? He actually indulged him, leaning in to quietly explain each dish.
His voice was soft, patient to a fault.
Fantastic.
Secretary Chi had never been this gentle or attentive with him. With others, he smiled brightly, his whole face lit up with warmth. But with Zhou Yanxing, it was always a frosty mask, not even the ghost of a smile.
Another mark went into Zhou Yanxing’s little black book.
“President Zhou, do you have time later?” Su Ran asked, sounding casually offhand. That 666 yuan red envelope had clearly motivated him—he was ready to make another push. And if he really pulled this off? He’d practically become a living legend. He seized the moment and extended another invitation. “Chu Xingxiao has a concert this afternoon. I managed to snag two tickets.”
Chi Zhan vaguely remembered that Chu Xingxiao was one of the company’s artists.
He wasn’t one to chase celebrities, and the company’s entertainment branch was based in Province C, not here. But because of an upcoming variety show collaboration with the Bai family, they had recently planned to bring all the popular young idols to headquarters for centralized training—better to avoid public embarrassment when they hit the stage.
Zhou Yanxing gave a noncommittal hum.
Su Ran lit up and glanced at Chi Zhan.
He made sure to emphasize “two tickets,” the unspoken implication being: that’s all there is, don’t even think about tagging along.
Chi Zhan got the message loud and clear.Â
“I’ll head back to the hotel with Xiao Wang and the others first. We’re scheduled to visit some artists tonight.”
“No, no, no—” Just as Zhou Yanxing opened his mouth, Su Ran cut in sharply, determined to eliminate every obstacle to his romantic pursuit.Â
“How about this, Secretary Chi? I’ll send you WT’s base address. Could you try persuading him to come to our event?”
Su Ran had finally figured it out—his biggest obstacle wasn’t anyone else. It was this damn Secretary Chi. He even started suspecting that Secretary Chi was holding some kind of leverage over Zhou Yanxing, explaining why the man refused to let him out of his sight for even a second.
But who goes on a date with a third wheel? As the saying goes, three monks draw no water—and romance isn’t meant to be shared.
Chi Zhan froze, biting back his instinctive “Sure” and the upward tug at the corners of his mouth. He cleared his throat and regained composure.Â
“I don’t think I’m allowed to just show up at the base.”
“Of course you are. I’ll get you a pass.” Su Ran waved it off like it was no big deal. “They’re not in any matches right now, just doing livestreamed practice. That’s why I scheduled it for today.”
He sighed just as the waiter entered, beginning to serve the meal—aperitifs, appetizers, onion soup, foie gras, and then the main course: braised beef. Xiao Wang looked thoroughly awestruck.
“Qi Song is nearly impossible to get a hold of,” Su Ran continued. “I’ve dropped by several times and never managed to catch him. They always said he was out. But today’s the signing—it’d be best if he showed up in person. Let me contact WT. If they say it’s okay, Secretary Chi, you’re good to go, right?”
He didn’t even give Chi Zhan a chance to respond before turning and walking out to make the call.
“……”
“President Zhou, so… you’re going to the concert, and I’ll visit Qi Song. Is that the plan?”
Zhou Yanxing paused in thought.Â
“Since this Qi Song is so high and mighty, ignoring all our invitations… perhaps I should meet him personally.”
Chi Zhan hadn’t expected things to veer this direction.Â
“Chi Zhan, I haven’t even started settling our last score. Are you looking to add to it?”
“……”
“Besides threatening Chi-ge, is there anything else you know how to do?” Jiang Yi snapped. “I swear, all you have going for you is your money and your ego.”
Xiao Wang shrank in on himself like a quail, trembling.
Zhou Yanxing arched a brow.
“Well, at least I’ve got money. What do you have?” Zhou Yanxing wasn’t provoked this time. His tone was slow and deliberate. “An intern badge?”
“You—!”
“All right, that’s enough. Don’t argue in a restaurant. It’s rude.”
Xiao Wang looked from Zhou Yanxing to Chi Zhan, then to Jiang Yi—and then blurted something out of nowhere.Â
“I don’t know why, but… I keep getting the feeling you’re a family.”
“President Zhou and Secretary Chi are the couple. Jiang Yi is your child.”
“Is… that right?”Â
he asked cautiously, voice fading out. Like he’d just said something outrageous. The table fell silent.
Xiao Wang’s face twisted in horror.Â
“I didn’t actually guess right, did I? President Zhou, I swear I won’t tell anyone!”
“Well said,” Zhou Yanxing replied, the stormy look on his face lifting. He turned to Xiao Wang with a rare smile. “You’ve got potential. I’ll see about a raise.”
“…?”
Wait, did I really guess right?!
Just then, Su Ran came back in—and instantly noticed the shift in atmosphere.
Jiang Yi looked puffed-up and furious like an angry pufferfish, Zhou Yanxing had a faint smile tugging at his lips, Chi Zhan wore an expression of resignation, and Xiao Wang looked like he’d just won the lottery.
“I already spoke with WT. They agreed,” Su Ran reported. “But their base is heavily regulated. They can only issue one pass.”
He hesitated, then once again emphasized Qi Song’s importance.Â
“This entire event is basically built around Qi Song. If he doesn’t show, the audience won’t care. If we get him there, the event is already halfway to success.”
He was betting everything on this—no backup plan, no exit route. Could Zhou Yanxing really say no now?
“If he’s so crucial, and the invitation falls on your side,” Zhou Yanxing said, pausing thoughtfully, “then why not follow the guest’s lead… and have President Su pay Qi Song a visit? Meanwhile, I’ll go to the concert with Secretary Chi. That way, we use both the ticket and the pass—everyone wins.”
For a moment, Su Ran’s smile froze on his face. Chi Zhan’s internal laughter froze too.
Guest’s lead, my ass!
Su Ran looked like he’d just been slapped by the wind.
“President Zhou. I don’t enjoy concerts. You should go with President Su.”
And just then, a flash of realization hit Su Ran.
Secretary Chi’s in-game ID was “CHI.” A while back, he’d watched a Seven livestream. During a raffle giveaway, the winner’s ID had also been “CHI.”
And the avatars matched.
“Secretary Chi, didn’t you watch Seven’s livestream before? You spent money on him, topped the leaderboard, even won the raffle?” Su Ran stared at him, a wild theory taking shape in his head—utterly implausible, yet suspiciously airtight. “You’ve played with him before, haven’t you? That’s why you’re on his friends list. You’re the one who invited him just now, right?!”
