Zhou Yanxing couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something about Chi Zhan’s expression seemed… off.
Secretary Chi was like a cup of rich, fragrant coffee—whenever Zhou felt irritable or tense, just a sip could bring instant calm and pleasure.
Highly addictive.
Back at his workstation, Chi Zhan was still a little shaken. But gradually, as his nerves settled, a sense of unease began to take root.
What exactly was Zhou Yanxing’s favorability rating toward him?
Was it high? It didn’t seem like it.
Besides, Zhou had always shown zero interest in romantic relationships. Marriage? Never even mentioned it. Why the sudden talk of getting married? Could it be his family was nagging him again, and he just wanted someone—anyone—to fill the role?
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
Not long after, he got a reply from Tao Ran.
Tao Ran: Why the sudden urge to date? If you’re looking for a boyfriend, I know some people! Want me to introduce you? Though I’m not sure what your type is…
Chi Zhan: Not a real one. Do you know anyone who can pretend to be a boyfriend?
Tao Ran: Huh? Why would you need someone to pretend?
Chi Zhan thought for a moment.
He couldn’t tell Tao Ran the truth, so he made up a half-truth, half-lie: There’s someone who likes me, but for various reasons, I can’t accept him. I also can’t reject him outright, or something bad might happen. If I had a boyfriend, maybe he’d give up.
Tao Ran: Wait… the person you’re talking about isn’t your boss, is it?
Chi Zhan: Heh. Of course not.
Tao Ran: I’ve never seen anyone actually hire a fake boyfriend, but I do know a social platform that offers “virtual boyfriend” services. They chat with you, keep you company. If you pay extra, some even act as your boyfriend in real life. Want to give it a shot?
Chi Zhan: I’ll take a look.
Tao Ran sent him a link.
The site was a general platform, and sure enough, it had a section called “Virtual Boyfriend.” It was Chi Zhan’s first time hearing about such a service. Curious, he clicked in. Most of the offerings were voice-based interactions billed by the hour, with a variety of vocal styles to choose from. You could game together, chat, fall asleep on call, even sing karaoke.
But after browsing around, he found no active listings for in-person boyfriend roles. A few used to offer it, but those services had been taken down after numerous complaints about false advertising.
The comments below were scathing:
[His voice was so dreamy, but in real life, he was fat! Utter disappointment!]
[Sounded like a prince, turned out to be a shut-in!]
[Voice of an angel, face of a toe!]
Customer service replied sweetly: [Dearie~ Judging people by voice alone isn’t fair~]
The replies? [Pfft!]
“……”
He clicked into the store with the highest number of positive reviews. This one offered a wide range of male voice types: sweet puppy voice, sunny teen voice, deep magnetic bass… Prices varied depending on the voice style. Chi Zhan skimmed the page and messaged customer service:
Chi Zhan: Do you offer real-life boyfriend hire?
Customer Service: Dearie, no, we don’t~
Chi Zhan: I’ll pay extra.
Customer Service: Dearie, feel free to browse around first~
Chi Zhan: Any good-looking ones?
Customer Service: Dearie, the handsome ones cost more~
Chi Zhan: Money’s not an issue.
That message clearly stunned the rep.
Customer Service: Dearie, one moment please—I’ll ask the team for you~
Chi Zhan: The more handsome, the better.
Customer Service: Got it, got it~
It wasn’t that Chi Zhan had a thing for looks. But if the guy was good-looking, maybe rejecting Zhou Yanxing would go smoother.
A few minutes later, customer service sent over a few profiles.
Customer Service: Dearie, these are a few options for you. Feel free to chat with them first—they’re all super handsome! If you click, the rates and availability are right on their profile pages.
Chi Zhan flipped through the profiles. The rates for real-life services were about triple that of voice calls.
Still within reason.
However…
Looking at the profiles—“Innocent Teen Voice,” “Fake Domme Voice,” “Comedic Idol Voice”—paired with their listed ages (18, 19), Chi Zhan couldn’t help but feel something was… off.
Too young.
“Do you have any more… normal voice types? Older, preferably someone who can hold their ground.”
If they were too young, they wouldn’t be able to handle the situation. Considering Zhou Yanxing’s face alone could reduce children to tears, he might not even need to say anything—just throw on his usual [cold CEO face], and the poor kid would spill everything.
If it came to that, Chi Zhan would either have to resign… or marry him.
Customer Service: Dearie, one moment please~ I’ll ask again for you.
That “moment” turned into hours, and by the time the workday ended, there was still no reply.
Guess that lead was a bust.
Chi Zhan glanced back at the most popular “boyfriend” on the platform—known only as “X.”
He had a long list of specialties.
Everyone who booked him sang his praises.
The most requested voice style? Scumbag voice.
The comments under his profile were wild:
[Why isn’t X taking bookings anymore? I miss his voice so bad!]
[Please, I’m begging—just come back online! I can’t sleep without his voice, sob sob sob.]
[I got a slot! I got one! I’m blessed for three lifetimes!]
Whoever “X” was, he exuded mystery—and that piqued Chi Zhan’s curiosity.
Just a little.
Still… what was so fascinating about a scumbag voice anyway?
With a sigh, Chi Zhan decided to head home and continue his search there. But just as he stepped out of the office building, someone called out to him.
“Gege!”
A boy in a baseball cap and face mask ran up to him. For a second, Chi Zhan didn’t recognize him.
“…Chu Xingxiao?”
Only the boy’s eyes were visible, crinkling with a smile.
“Gege, I’ve been waiting forever. Let’s go home together.”
Meanwhile, Zhou Yanxing finished up his work. It was already the end of the day, but Chi Zhan’s desk was empty. A quick check of the badge swipe logs showed he’d already clocked out.
…Left in a hurry.
Zhou leaned against the window and looked down. The crowd below was as small as grains of rice, yet he spotted Chi Zhan right away.
And the person next to him.
The two of them clearly left together. A moment later, Chi Zhan got into the other man’s car.
