The towering Zhaoyi Holdings building buzzed with confusion and whispered rumors. Employees exchanged bewildered glances, murmuring among themselves: "What the hell is going on?"
Today, their usually cold and distant boss, the man who typically nodded curtly or gave barely a glance, was walking through the halls with a genuine smile. Heads turned as Zhao Yifan's rare warmth rippled through the office.
Unaware of the stir he'd caused, Yifan made his way to his office and immediately dialed his best friend. After a few rings, Yufan picked up.
"Hey, good news? It's rare you call first," Yufan teased.
Yifan cut to the chase, though his voice betrayed a hint of excitement. "Can you give Lian a day off?"
Yufan laughed knowingly. "Why? Something's up, isn't it?"
"Nothing much… She's been unwell the last couple of days. I want her to rest."
"Hmm, how do I get repaid for this favor?" Yufan asked, grinning.
Yifan paused. "...I'll come to the monthly relaxation meeting later. That counts, right?"
"Sure, sure. Okay, she's got a day off."
Yifan pushed, "Make it two days."
"Nope. One day only."
Meanwhile...
Lian burst through the front door of her house, heart pounding, her heels already in her hand. She'd fled Yifan's villa like a criminal escaping a scene, unwilling to face the weight of what happened or what almost happened. Her mind was a mess and her cheeks still burned with the memory of his lips.
She rushed to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and scrubbed every trace of last night off her skin. "I'm already late," she muttered, the guilt of escaping mixing with embarrassment. In record time, she cleaned up, threw on a crisp outfit, and clicked on her heels as she stepped into the hallway.
"Lian, I've got work to do," her brother Wenbo called from the living room, coat in hand. "Might not be home for a week or so."
She paused only briefly, a little out of breath. "Okay, I'll text you."
With that, she dashed out again avoiding both the mess in her head and the man she couldn't stop thinking about.
---
By the time she finally made it to the office, she was sweating under her blazer but determined to look composed. She slipped into her seat, trying to blend in, when the door opened.
In walked Lin Xue, smartly dressed, hair sleek, her usual calm aura intact.
"Oh, Lian. You're late today," she noted.
"S...sorry, ma'am," Lian replied, standing a little straighter.
"No worries," Lin Xue waved her off. "I just came back from the boss's office."
She paused, rummaging through her designer bag before pulling out a crisp envelope.
"He asked me to give you this, day off tomorrow. Boss's orders."
Lian blinked in confusion. "But... I don't need—"
"Hey," Lin Xue interrupted, her voice gentle but firm. "It's good to take breaks. Don't push yourself too hard, Lian. Have fun too, okay?"
Before Lian could respond, Lin Xue reached out and lightly patted her head and somehow that was comforting. She walked away toward her seat, leaving Lian staring at the envelope with a million thoughts circling her mind.
Yifan...
Hours flew by, and the bustling energy of the office gradually dimmed as people began filing out for the day. The clacking of keyboards and rustle of papers faded, replaced by soft footsteps and whispered goodbyes.
Lin Xue, bag in hand and blazer draped over her arm, paused by Lian's desk. "Aren't you going home yet, Lian?"
Lian looked up from the pile of documents spread before her, eyes a little tired but focused. "I'll leave soon. I need to organize the files on Huang Core. The CEO has a meeting with them tomorrow, and have a day off tomorrow."
Lin Xue raised an eyebrow, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "Diligent, you are" She stepped closer and tapped the desk lightly. "Send me the files when you're done. I want to review them before they reach the boss, let's see how well my junior's grown."
Lian gave a small smile, bowing her head slightly. "Yes, ma'am."
"Good. Then I'll leave you to it. Don't stay too late, alright?" Lin Xue turned with a graceful nod. "Good night."
"Good night."
The door clicked shut behind her, and the office fell into silence.
Lian sat alone in the wide, dimly lit office, only the soft hum of the overhead lights and the glow of her screen keeping her company. The glass windows reflected her faintly.
Outside, the city glowed.
Inside, she flipped another page and kept working, unaware that someone would soon interrupt her quiet night.
When she was finally done, Lian shut her laptop with a relieved sigh. She stood, stretched, and cleared her table, carefully organizing the thick stack of files she'd just finished. A small yawn escaped her lips as she slung her bag over her shoulder.
Stepping out of the office building, she came to a stop on the pavement, her eyes catching on a sleek black Jaguar parked just ahead. Her brows furrowed in confusion.
The driver's side door opened, and to her surprise, Zhao Yifan stepped out. He was no longer the suited CEO at his desk, but a man cloaked in twilight elegance, sharp in his tailored suit, watch glinting, his expression unreadable yet strangely gentle under the dim streetlights.
Lian's breath hitched as she watched him unlock his seatbelt and begin walking toward her. His presence somehow disarmed her completely for a split second before reality snapped back into focus.
She gasped, eyes widening. "What are you doing here?" Her tone grew sharp, defensive, even as her feet remained glued to the spot.
Yifan didn't slow. In fact, his stride was deliberate. "You took long enough," he muttered, then without giving her time to resist, he gently but firmly took her by the wrist and guided her toward the passenger side.
"Wait, hey! I can go home myself!" she protested, trying to twist away, but it was too late. He had already opened the door and nudged her inside, buckling the seatbelt across her in one fluid motion before shutting the door and circling to the driver's seat.
By the time she could speak again, the car was already in motion.
"I said I can go myse..."
"Who said I'm doing this for you?" Yifan interrupted calmly, his voice as cool as ever. "This is for me. Just an excuse to get close to you."
Lian froze.
"I thought I made it clear yesterday," he added, eyes on the road but voice steady, almost annoyingly nonchalant. "I'm pursuing you."
Her face flamed crimson, equal parts flustered and furious. "P... pursuing?!"
"As long as I want you to stay in my house today," Yifan said casually, hands steady on the wheel, eyes fixed ahead. "But I'm busy, so I'll just drop you off at home."
Another maddeningly nonchalant sentence, delivered without a flicker of emotion, like it was the most natural thing in the world to say to a woman whose heart was doing gymnastics in her chest.
Lian turned sharply to glare at him, her eyes narrowing like knives. "Excuse me?"
Yifan didn't even blink. "I said I'm busy."
"I heard what you said," she snapped. "That's not the problem!"
He merely hummed, as if amused by her growing irritation. "Then what is?"
"You can't just...! You can't talk like that and expect me to be okay with it!"
"I'm not expecting you to be okay with it," he replied smoothly. "I'm just stating facts."
Lian stared at him in disbelief, her fists clenched in her lap as she tried to decide whether she was more angry or embarrassed. Probably both. Definitely both.
He glanced at her again. "Unless you want to come over," he added, far too calm, a teasing glint just barely visible beneath the surface.
"Zhao Yifan!" she nearly shouted, cheeks ablaze.
He chuckled under his breath. "Relax, I said I'd drop you off. I keep my word."
She huffed and turned back toward the window, muttering under her breath, "Unbelievable…"
And yet, despite everything, her racing heart refused to settle.