Chi Zhan froze. At that moment, a knock came from the door beside him.
Turning his head, he saw the “male streamer” who’d just been downstairs giving an interview now standing at the doorway. The black overcoat made his fair complexion appear even paler, and his sharp, refined features stood out all the more. He stood tall, his expression distant and unreadable—it was unclear whether he had witnessed the scene just now.
“Your scarf.”
Qi Song’s voice was emotionless.
“Right.” Chi Zhan quickly slipped out from Zhou Yanxing’s arms and handed over the scarf he had been holding. “Sorry, I meant to take it to the dry cleaners.”
Zhou Yanxing examined the newcomer. Seeing him take the scarf, his brows knit slightly.
“You’re the one from earlier…”
“He’s Seven,” Chi Zhan cut in hastily, afraid Zhou Yanxing might blurt out “the male streamer.” “This is President Zhou from Zhou Rui Group.”
The two men locked eyes. Neither spoke, but the sheer weight of the silence bore down on Chi Zhan with unexpected intensity.
“Seven, there you are—I’ve been looking all over for you.” Su Ran came striding over from the stairwell. “We’ve got a little gathering later. If you’re free, want to come along?”
Qi Song’s face was handsome enough to cause critical damage, but the closer you got, the more bone-deep his icy detachment hit you. Especially those pale-colored eyes, looking at you devoid of emotion—as if he stood atop a glacier, wrapped in the harshest winter frost. It made one instinctively want to retreat.
In nature, the prettier the creature, the more venomous it often is. That one indifferent glance was enough to make Su Ran abandon all thoughts of pursuing Qi Song.
Qi Song gave a soft “mm” and turned to leave.
“He agreed?” Su Ran was stunned.
Given how overpowering Qi Song’s aura had been just now, he’d assumed the guy was pissed. Was that just… his normal face?
Zhou Yanxing suddenly asked, “Why do you have cat fur on you?”
“Seven has a bunch of cats. I probably picked some up without noticing.”
Zhou Yanxing’s gaze swept over him, scanning him up and down.
“Is that all of it?”
Chi Zhan couldn’t help but find his overreaction a little ridiculous.
“President Zhou… don’t tell me you’re afraid of cats?”
“How could I be afraid of such tiny animals?” Zhou Yanxing peeled off his coat and tossed it at Chi Zhan. “Take it off. I don’t want to see it again.”
“……”
Their car was already parked at the entrance, so they didn’t have to endure the bitter winter wind again. Su Ran and Qi Song were both assigned to Zhou Yanxing’s car.
Judging from Zhou Yanxing’s expression, he was already regretting agreeing to this gathering.
Qi Song didn’t seem to have expected to find them inside either—his hand paused slightly on the door when he opened it. Chi Zhan was briefly caught off guard as well. Su Ran was still outside.
Chi Zhan made to head for the front passenger seat, only to be stopped by Zhou Yanxing pressing him back down.
“Quit scrambling around. Stay put.”
Unexpectedly, Qi Song—whom they all thought disliked close contact—slid into the backseat as if it were nothing. Su Ran had assumed Qi Song would want the front, but now had no choice but to get in as well. With Chi Zhan squeezed between Zhou Yanxing and Qi Song, he felt more like a player than Su Ran ever did.
A romance target on his left, a romance target on his right—wasn’t this every player’s dream come true? But the reality of three grown men crammed in the backseat wasn’t so glamorous. Especially for Chi Zhan in the middle, who didn’t even know where to put his hands.
Even so, it was impossible to avoid some thigh contact. And with the car heater turned up high, Chi Zhan started to feel hot pretty quickly.
The most bundled up among them was Qi Song. Not only was he wearing a long coat, but his scarf was wrapped tightly around him, leaving only his half-lidded eyes visible—eyes heavy with obvious drowsiness.
No surprise there. He’d clearly been woken up in the middle of sleep.
The one dressed the lightest was Zhou Yanxing. Having given his coat to Chi Zhan, he wore only a shirt—two buttons undone at the collar—and was leaning one arm against the car window, eyes on his phone as he handled emails.
The car began to move. Su Ran kept tossing out anecdotes here and there, and as the designated mood-maker, Chi Zhan had no choice but to half-heartedly chat along.
When they hit a stretch of gravel road, the smooth ride turned bumpy. Chi Zhan was just about to find something to brace himself when he felt a sudden weight on his right shoulder.
Apparently, the car was too warm—Qi Song had fallen asleep at some point. His long lashes rested against his cheeks, half his face hidden beneath the thick scarf. Unconsciously lulled by the car’s rhythm, he’d leaned his head against Chi Zhan’s shoulder.
The way he slept was strangely well-behaved. Chi Zhan’s entire right shoulder went numb.
His idol… was sleeping on his shoulder! This had to be the peak of his life.
“Secretary Chi, tomorrow morning you’ll…”
Zhou Yanxing was mid-sentence when he glanced over at Chi Zhan. He suddenly paused, then leaned further to get a better look at the far side.
The sly little streamer was snuggled against Chi Zhan’s shoulder, fast asleep.
Unbelievable. Shamelessly seducing his secretary, and in broad daylight no less.
“President Zhou, he’s asleep,” Chi Zhan whispered. “He was up all night competing yesterday. Shhh… don’t wake him.”
“……”
The air pressure in the car plummeted. What had felt like spring warmth a second ago now chilled to an arctic freeze.
Su Ran rubbed his arms.
“Why is it suddenly so cold? We’re here—time to get out.”
Su Ran’s voice roused Qi Song. He blinked awake and only then realized he’d been leaning on Chi Zhan. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
“…Sorry.”
“I get it. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even be out this late. Are we there, President Zhou?”
Zhou Yanxing didn’t say a word. He flung the door open and stalked off, his face colder than the winter wind. Chi Zhan had to jog to keep up.
He’d just smoothed his fur earlier today, and now it was bristling again.
Too hard to please.
Qi Song stepped out of the car and reverted to his usual icy demeanor. Without a word, he strode off toward the venue.
The scarf covered the subtle flicker of thought in his expression.
Throughout the entire dinner, Zhou Yanxing kept a stony face, scaring everyone off from toasting him. Yet he poured himself drink after drink anyway, downing glass after glass. By the end, he’d emptied one bottle and was opening a second.
Chi Zhan tried to intervene.
“President Zhou, that’s enough. You’ve had plenty already. We’ve got work tomorrow…”
