Friday, May 12, 2023. Cloudy, then clearing, 15–30°C.

He Liting was up early.

After buying breakfast, she opened the door to the guest room and walked inside.

Zhao Yaqian was sprawled on the bed, sleeping soundly, with a little snore escaping now and then. Her mouth was slightly open, and a bit of drool had gathered at the corner of her lips.

Shaking her head, He Liting placed a tissue by Yaqian’s mouth.

After chatting briefly about Tang Song with her last night, Qianqian had become a little concerned.

She even asked He Liting to help her film a rather provocative video—the "disappearing pants trick," showing off her bare legs.

The entire video was quite suggestive, enough to make even Liting blush a little.

Clearly, Qianqian really liked him.

*Buzz, buzz*—the phone by the bed vibrated.

The screen lit up.

[Tang Song: image.jpg]

[Tang Song: “Today’s selfie is delivered. Check out if my skin’s improved.”]

Liting’s heart skipped a beat. After a moment’s hesitation, her curiosity won out.

She picked up the phone and entered the passcode to unlock it.

They had been close since childhood, so they knew each other’s phone passwords.

She opened WeChat and saw that Tang Song was pinned at the top of the chat list.

Opening the conversation, she checked the picture.

Liting’s face turned red, and she tossed the phone back as if it were hot to the touch.

She had expected just a regular selfie, but he was shirtless.

After standing there by the bed for a while, He Liting bit her lip and picked up the phone again.

She opened the photo once more.

Compared to a month ago, when she had seen a photo of Tang Song on Qianqian's phone, his physique had vastly improved.

Broad shoulders, a lean waist, and even the hint of abs starting to form.

He looked very balanced and radiated strong masculine charm.

Blushing, He Liting stared at the photo a bit longer before finally setting the phone down.

After breakfast, she washed up, did her makeup, and went to work.

As she walked into the spacious and tidy office, sunlight streamed in through the east-facing glass wall, creating a cozy atmosphere.

“Good morning, Liting.” Spotting her, Sun Youguang greeted her immediately.

He was typically the first to arrive every day, especially now that the company was finally getting on track; he was filled with motivation and excitement.

“Good morning, Brother Sun!” He Liting replied with a smile, pulling out her water bottle, tissues, small mirror, phone stand, and other essentials from her tote bag.

She arranged them on her desk just the way she liked.

After a moment’s thought, she added a small potted plant to the corner for decoration.

What had been an empty, sterile workstation was now vibrant and lively.

A pleasant workspace really made her feel content.

Since she only had a diploma, and in a less-marketable major, it had been a struggle for her to get a position at a proper company like Changyun Media.

Even the work environment and atmosphere there were worlds apart from Songmei Fashion.

Plus, the new boss was actually Qianqian’s boyfriend.

She had a feeling that her life was about to take a significant turn.

“Good morning!”

“Morning!”

“Good morning, Director Gao!”

...

Time ticked by, and the office gradually filled up.

It was clear that everyone was brimming with enthusiasm and ready to dive into work.

After chatting a bit about the day’s tasks and some celebrity gossip, HR specialist Zhang Ying walked over, holding her water cup, and leaned against one of the desks in the open area.

Looking a bit helpless, she said, “Everyone, I need a little help. Could any of you lend a hand?”

“Of course! What’s up?”

“Tell us! You know your Brother Liu here loves helping people, especially pretty girls like you, Xiaoying, haha.”

Zhang Ying brightened up immediately. “Next Saturday, May 20, my idol Su Yu’s concert tickets go on presale here in Yan City. Can you all help me try to grab one? If you manage, I’ll pay double!”

“Huh?” Wang Qingya exclaimed, “I’d love to help, but I’m also a hardcore Su Yu fan. I’ve already rallied all my friends to help me get tickets.”

“Sorry, Xiaoying, can’t help you here. My wife already made me promise to get tickets for her.”

“I’ve been waiting for Su Yu’s concert forever. I even plan to pay someone to help me secure tickets.”

...

Zhang Ying’s face fell a bit. “Alright, then I guess it’s every fan for themselves.”

Only Sun Youguang raised his hand, saying shyly, “I can help. My wife’s free that day, so we’ll both try for you.”

“Great! Thanks, Brother Sun! I’ll send you the link for the ticketing app.”

Listening to her colleagues animatedly discussing the concert, He Liting couldn’t help but shake her head.

Su Yu only held two concerts a year, and this sudden additional show in Yan City was a rare opportunity.

Tickets were real-name only, non-transferable, and required both ID and facial recognition at the venue.

With so many fans across the country trying to get tickets, it was like trying to win a lottery.

She had already had friends reach out to her about it.

“Good morning, President Tang!” “Morning, President Tang!”

A round of greetings rang out as He Liting looked up to see Tang Song entering with a few bags in hand.

“Good morning, everyone! I bought a variety of coffee flavors, so feel free to grab one,” Tang Song said, placing the bags on the central desk in the open office area. Fresh chapters posted on N0v3l.Fiɾe.net

In an instant, the chorus of “Thanks, boss!” and “The boss is so handsome!” filled the air.

He Liting noticed that Wang Qingya took the opportunity to lightly touch Tang Song’s hand while handing him coffee, commenting, “President Tang has such beautiful hands.”

Classic office flirting!

For Qianqian’s sake, He Liting felt a bit indignant.

Of course, she also had to admit, Tang Song’s hands were his most attractive feature—very photogenic, like a model’s hands, soft and smooth to the touch.

Last night in their six-person group chat, Wang Qingya and a few other girls had been discussing this exact topic.

Taking a sip of the fragrant mocha, He Liting contentedly licked her lips.

Then came the rustle of movement.

Looking up, she saw Tang Song sitting down at the workstation across from her.

He was tall, and the half-transparent glass divider couldn’t hide him at all.

Today, he was wearing a casual light-blue shirt, looking fresh and tidy.

Watching him, calm and composed with an air of elite professionalism, He Liting recalled the shirtless photo from this morning.

Her heart fluttered, and she quickly lowered her head.

“Liting!” Gao Mengting called from the workstation diagonally across, “Tomorrow’s live broadcast is a team-up between us, so I’ll show you around our first batch of clothes for the stream later.”

“Yes, absolutely, Director Gao!” He Liting snapped out of her thoughts, nodding with a flushed face.

---

Huayun Center, Light and Shadow Media.

Marketing Director Ning Song clapped his hands and smiled. “Good news, everyone. Our department’s weekend team-building has changed slightly. This time we’re teaming up with the New Media Operations Department.

The budget’s been increased, so the venue’s been upgraded to the Riverside Creative Park by Taiping River.

We’ve got everything—Werewolf, karaoke, an open lawn for barbecuing, and a huge 200-inch screen for movies.”

Cheers and murmurs of excitement filled the room.

Ning Song raised a hand, adding, “A heads-up—we’ll be staying overnight on Saturday, so if anyone wants to bring a plus-one, let us know in advance. It’ll cost 300 yuan to cover lodging, food, and other costs.”

One of her coworkers nudged Wen Ruan. “Sister Wen, why don’t you bring your boyfriend?”

“Yeah, it’d be perfect! The weather’s so nice—it’d be a great riverside getaway.”

They were very curious about Wen Ruan’s boyfriend.

A company CTO who gifted her pricey luxury handbags.

Wen Ruan smiled and shook her head. “Nah, he’s pretty busy. Maybe another time.”

She and Tang Song weren’t quite at the boyfriend-girlfriend stage yet and hadn’t gotten to know each other very deeply.

Sharing a room seemed too soon.

And guys tend to value things less when they get them too easily. For now, she wanted to keep things light and fun, with a little teasing.

Behind her, Zhong Ying commented dryly, “Wow, your boyfriend’s pretty low-key, huh? Never picks you up, never sends you flowers, and I haven’t seen any pictures of you two on your socials either.”

Wen Ruan glanced at her, then simply ignored her, turning back to her computer screen.

For people like her, getting worked up just gives them more satisfaction.

At that moment, Director Wang walked over and smiled. “Wen Ruan, we’ve got a small issue with the advertising placement for Morning Light Tech. Let’s chat about it in the small meeting room.”

Wen Ruan furrowed her brow. “Actually, why don’t we head to the break area? I could use

some coffee to perk up.”

Being alone in a small room with Director Wang, who had bad breath, was truly dreadful.

“Sounds good.”

As the two walked off, the coworker across from Wen Ruan, Li Meiling, muttered, “A 25-year-old CTO with his own business, generous and considerate—I’d say Wen Ruan’s dreaming.”

Wang Liyu, the New Media Operations Director, was only 32 but already highly valued by the company’s senior leaders.

He was also an overseas returnee from a well-off family, tall and fit, with good looks.

Since joining the company after the New Year, he’d attracted plenty of admirers, yet he only had eyes for Wen Ruan.

He’d even arranged for his department to team up with Marketing for this weekend’s outing, likely as an excuse to be closer to her.

Zhong Ying, grinding her teeth, muttered, “Or maybe he’s just ugly, and Wen doesn’t want us to see him.”

---

In the break area, by the window counter.

Wen Ruan opened a window, sipping her coffee while listening to Director Wang’s rundown.

After going over the work details, Wang Liyu smoothly moved to his real intention. “Wen Ruan, I could pick you up for tomorrow’s outing. I remember you live in Oasis Garden; it’s near my place, so it’d be no trouble.”

“Thank you, Director Wang, but there’s no need—I have a car.”

“Oh…alright.” After a moment’s pause, Wang added, “Are there any snacks or drinks you’d like for tomorrow? I could bring some for the movie.”

“No, thank you. I’m on a diet—cutting out all snacks,” Wen Ruan replied. Sensing he was trying to prolong the conversation, she quickly added, “Oh! I just thought of a new idea for the Shimmer Coffee campaign. I’d better get back to work—bye!”

With that, she quickly walked away.

Watching her retreating figure, Wang Liyu clenched his fist, unable to suppress his frustration.

He was genuinely smitten with her curves and mature, alluring charm.

With his background and family, he believed he was a good match for her, but she seemed entirely uninterested.

For this outing, he’d even planned some surprises, hoping to win her over.