According to their plan, Zhou Zhuofei only needed to wait for Du Yu to bring Han Chubin to her.
So she still had some time to spare.
Zhou Zhuofei kept gazing out the window, like an actor waiting for their cue. Her eyes swept over the rearview mirror, noticing her hair was slightly messy, so she reached up to smooth it down.
Xiao Wang suddenly asked, "Wasn’t this the guy who came looking for you at the company the other day?"
"Right, you remember, Xiao Wang?" Zhou Zhuofei blinked, almost caught off guard—she hadn’t realized the two had actually met before.
"Vaguely," Xiao Wang replied. Truthfully, he didn’t recall the man’s face at all. His strongest memory of the incident was Zhou Zhuofei’s unusual reaction.
Perhaps her distracted demeanor back then had something to do with this. Clearly, she cared deeply about her friend.
"They’re here," Zhou Zhuofei murmured, spotting Du Yu and Han Chubin in the rearview mirror.
She reached for the door handle, but Xiao Wang stopped her.
"Wait a second."
Zhou Zhuofei turned back, puzzled. "Something wrong?"
Xiao Wang simply smiled at her and, right in front of her, pressed the horn. A loud honk echoed through the parking lot.
The two outside immediately noticed the car ahead. Only then did Zhou Zhuofei understand Xiao Wang’s intention—this entrance was far more attention-grabbing than her simply stepping out.
Without wasting words, she gave him a thumbs-up. "Genius!"
Before long, Du Yu and Han Chubin approached the car. Seizing the moment, Zhou Zhuofei opened the door and stepped out.
"You made it!"
Du Yu launched into their prearranged script. "How long have you been here?"
"A while. I was just chatting with a colleague."
Zhou Zhuofei turned and leaned toward Xiao Wang inside the car. "Xiao Wang, my friends are here. Thanks for today."
Du Yu leaned in too. Though she’d heard Zhou Zhuofei mention Xiao Wang many times, she’d never seen what he looked like.
She prided herself on having high standards for looks, but Xiao Wang was undeniably handsome—well-proportioned features and an outstanding presence.
For a moment, Du Yu even forgot her lines and spoke directly to him. "Xiao Wang? I’ve heard so much about you."
Zhou Zhuofei was surprised but not flustered—she’d already briefed Xiao Wang, so she trusted he wouldn’t slip up.
True to her expectations, Xiao Wang responded with polite courtesy.
"Nice to meet you. How should I address you?"
"I’m Du Yu, Mufei’s college classmate. She’s mentioned you since she first joined the company."
"Mufei?"
Du Yu caught her slip. "Oh, that’s her nickname from school. I’m just used to calling her that."
Seeing their conversation winding down, Zhou Zhuofei cut in. "Alright, let’s not keep him any longer."
She tugged at Du Yu and said to Xiao Wang, "Don’t mind her. You should head home."
"I’ll take my leave then. Call me if you need anything."
Xiao Wang bid them a composed farewell, but before driving off, his gaze lingered briefly on Han Chubin.
The man hadn’t spoken a single word the entire time, and the look he gave Xiao Wang was far from friendly—guarded, as one would be with a stranger, but also with a hint of scrutiny.
Sensing the hostility, Xiao Wang offered a faint, almost dismissive smile, as if Han Chubin wasn’t worth his attention.
"See you next week."
"Sure."
Once Xiao Wang left, Du Yu was still caught up in their exchange, her performance blending with genuine admiration. She linked arms with Zhou Zhuofei and sighed. "Finally met the legendary Xiao Wang!"
No luxury car in sight, but this wasn’t bad either.
"Is that his actual name?" Han Chubin finally seized the chance to interject. "Weird name."
Du Yu and Zhou Zhuofei exchanged glances, smirking at him. "Is it? I think it’s fine."
"Really?" Han Chubin pressed. "Say it fast—doesn’t it sound like ‘honey’?"
Zhou Zhuofei shut him down immediately. "Stop talking nonsense. ‘Xiao Wang’ is his title, not his name. He’s the CEO’s secretary."
Han Chubin paused, looking awkward. "Oh. So he’s a male secretary?"
"What era are you living in, still clinging to stereotypes?" Zhou Zhuofei retorted sharply. "What does gender have to do with being a secretary? Anyone competent can do the job, and a CEO secretary isn’t an easy role."
Realizing she was serious, Han Chubin backpedaled. "That’s not what I meant. Just an offhand comment."
Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Zhou Zhuofei’s words carried an edge today.
"Some comments are better left unspoken. I’m hungry—let’s eat!" Zhou Zhuofei declared, marching ahead toward the restaurant.
Han Chubin pulled Du Yu aside, feigning casual concern. "Your friend seems in a bad mood today?"
Du Yu laughed it off. "Probably work stress. Big companies, you know."
Han Chubin nodded, finding the explanation plausible. After all, Zhou Zhuofei worked at a major corporation—her workload was incomparable to theirs.
"That must be tough," he mused, already plotting his next move.
He hadn’t expected a handbag to work miracles, but Zhou Zhuofei’s attitude left him uncertain.
After his earlier probing, he couldn’t pester her too often, so he’d only managed a few excuses to chat. Yet every time, she was either "working late" or outright ignored him. He’d been wondering what was going on.
So it was just work keeping her busy!
Du Yu watched him calculating with cold amusement before abruptly asking, "By the way, what kind of car was Xiao Wang driving? Looked really nice."
Han Chubin distractedly named the brand.
Du Yu pressed further. "How much does that model cost? Why didn’t you consider it?"
Now that was a jab straight to the ego.
If he had the money, wouldn’t he buy a better car? But his parents had set the budget.
Han Chubin cursed Du Yu’s thoughtlessness inwardly but played it cool. "That one’s too flashy. Not suitable for the office."
"Right," Du Yu agreed blandly. When Han Chubin tried to sling an arm around her, she sped up to walk beside Zhou Zhuofei instead.
Zhou Zhuofei glanced at her. "Well?"
Du Yu didn’t answer, just flashed an "OK" sign. She could practically hear someone’s ego crumbling.
Zhou Zhuofei nodded. "As long as you had fun today."
The three found a table. Normally, Du Yu would’ve sat with Han Chubin, but today she couldn’t bring herself to. Sensing her hesitation, Zhou Zhuofei theatrically waved her over. "Come here, let me show you my colleague’s awesome car."
Du Yu promptly agreed and sat down next to Zhou Zhuofei.
"Is it the same as the one in that game?"
While responding, Zhou Zhuofei opened the chat dialog with Zhan Zilang. His social media was set to "visible for only the last three days," so she couldn’t see any photos. She had no choice but to message him directly, asking if he had any pictures on hand.
After sending the message, she added an explanation: "He might still be on the road, so it might take a while."
Han Chubin thought to himself that while he couldn’t compare to the CEO’s secretary’s car, Zhou Zhuofei was just an administrative specialist—surely her colleague’s car couldn’t be that high-end either. Feeling reassured, he asked, "What kind of cars do your colleagues drive? Does the company offer any subsidies?"
"There are some transportation allowances depending on the employee’s level."
"That’s pretty nice."
Just then, Zhou Zhuofei’s phone buzzed several times in quick succession. She picked it up and saw that Zhan Zilang had sent her a series of photos—apparently freshly taken in a garage. Not only did he snap a picture of the car he drove to work, but he also photographed all the other cars in the garage.
After sending them, he even added a follow-up question:
Which one are you asking about?
Well, well, looks like this guy really knows how to show off!
Zhou Zhuofei replied with a cool sticker and then handed her phone to Du Yu.
"Take a look at these cars."
"Wow, they’re seriously stylish! The front design is so sleek."
Their back-and-forth piqued Han Chubin’s curiosity. "Let me see?"
"Hold on."
Zhou Zhuofei had no intention of letting Han Chubin touch her phone, so she forwarded the photos to him instead.
"Just sent them to you. Take a look."
The moment Han Chubin opened the chat, his eyes involuntarily widened.
If the car from earlier was something he could barely dream of affording with some serious financial strain, the ones he was seeing now were completely out of his league—forever.
Han Chubin stared at Zhou Zhuofei in disbelief. "This is your colleague?"
"Yeah, he’s an intern."
"Someone with that kind of wealth still comes in as an intern?"
"Who knows? But I was just as shocked when I first saw his car. The real thing is way more impressive than the photos."
Listening to Zhou Zhuofei’s enthusiastic description, Han Chubin’s mood grew complicated.
On one hand, if Zhou Zhuofei was materialistic, that could be an opportunity for him. But on the other hand, if her standards were too high, that opportunity would never extend to him.
A sudden realization struck Han Chubin—Zhou Zhuofei might just be out of his league.
She wasn’t like the girls he’d dated before, who were easily impressed and swayed by small gestures. A little sweetness was enough to make them cling to him happily.
But then again, wasn’t that what made Zhou Zhuofei special?
If she could be won over with just a designer bag, how would she be any different from the rest?
"Your colleague’s family background is no joke," Han Chubin said, trying to sound composed. "With resources like that, interning at the company is probably just a temporary phase."
He admitted the guy was rich, but so what? His own status was already beyond Zhou Zhuofei’s reach—surely she’d realize that too.
"Yeah, it’s just temporary. I talked to him before—he doesn’t plan to stay at Huanyu long-term."
"Why not make the most of such great family resources?" Han Chubin sighed dramatically, as if deeply disappointed.
Du Yu shrugged. "If his family’s that well-off, he can do whatever he wants, right?"
"But I think men should still have some ambition," Han Chubin said pointedly, locking eyes with Zhou Zhuofei. "What do you think, Mumu? If you have the ability, you should strive for something. You can’t just rely on family money forever."
"You’re absolutely right. Luck determines what your parents give you, but real skill comes from standing on your own feet." Before Han Chubin could relax, Zhou Zhuofei followed up with, "So your car must be self-funded, right?"
Han Chubin hesitated before answering stiffly, "My parents helped me buy it right after graduation. I didn’t have an income back then."
Zhou Zhuofei immediately adopted a lecturing tone. "Then you should work harder! You said it yourself—a man should rely on himself. Aim to buy your parents a car with your own money!"
She emphasized the word own with extra weight.
All Han Chubin could do was force a dry laugh. "I’m trying."
What’s this guy even complaining about? He’s flaunting his family’s money too!
Blessed by fate yet still nitpicking others—Du Yu really had terrible taste.
Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t help but sigh.
Du Yu nudged her. "Why the sigh all of a sudden?"
After a brief pause, Zhou Zhuofei simply said, "I’m hungry."
Du Yu patted her hand. "Then let’s order quickly."
She knew Zhou Zhuofei’s temper well—jokes were fine, but hunger was non-negotiable. Once she got hungry, her aggression multiplied.
They quickly placed their orders. Still thinking about Xiao Wang, whom they’d briefly met earlier, Du Yu said wistfully, "After hearing about ‘Xiao the Secretary’ for years, I finally got to see him in person. I thought I’d never get the chance."
"Today was pure luck. Normally, I don’t see him either."
Han Chubin chimed in, "The CEO’s secretary must be pretty busy, huh?"
"Yep. You get what you’re paid for. If I had his salary, I’d work myself to the bone for the company too."
Mid-sentence, Zhou Zhuofei suddenly tensed and glanced around. Good—no chance of running into acquaintances while complaining.
Du Yu frowned. "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing." Zhou Zhuofei shook off the thought. Why am I even worried? That kind of cliché coincidence wouldn’t happen to me. I must be overthinking because of that ‘story’ thing.
"Still, busy as he is, Xiao the Secretary seems to manage his time well. Probably not as swamped as we imagine."
After all, he still had time for bars and even the gym.
"But that’s not the main point," Du Yu said, nudging Zhou Zhuofei with her shoulder and giving her a knowing look.
"Handsome, right?" Zhou Zhuofei caught on immediately and nodded. "Definitely handsome. No wonder he’s the office heartthrob. Too bad he’s a staunch bachelor—otherwise, I’d have introduced him to you ages ago."
Du Yu sighed. "That really is a shame."
Han Chubin, feeling increasingly sidelined, cut in, "Hey, hey—I’m right here. Mumu, isn’t it a bit inappropriate to talk like that in front of your friend’s boyfriend?"
Especially when their imaginary crush was clearly out of his league.
Of course, Han Chubin would never admit that. Instead, he instinctively searched for flaws—ridiculing Xiao Wang’s title, dismissing his career as unmanly, anything to bring him down.
Most importantly, he couldn’t ignore how highly Zhou Zhuofei spoke of Xiao Wang.
He joked half-heartedly, "What if Du Yu really runs away? Will you compensate me with someone else?"
Zhou Zhuofei barely suppressed the urge to curse. Under Du Yu’s pointed stare, she took a deep breath before replying to Han Chubin, "Don’t worry, I’m a fair person. If that happens, I’ll introduce you to a boyfriend too."
"Hahaha, no thanks. I couldn’t handle that."
"Don’t be so optimistic. These days, even trash needs sorting. People have standards when looking for boyfriends—it’s not like just anyone willing will do."
"Wait, I feel like you’re insulting me?" Du Yu shot Zhou Zhuofei a look. Though there was some truth to her words, did she have to be so blunt?
"Don’t be so sensitive. Why jump to label yourself?" Zhou Zhuofei drawled, "Only someone with serious flaws would dig through the trash for a boyfriend. See which category you two fit into."
In her opinion, Han Chubin bore 99% of the blame for the mess, while Du Yu deserved the remaining 1%.
They’d known each other for two months and dated for just over one—this relationship was as flimsy as fast food. Even instant noodles had a six-month shelf life.
But Zhou Zhuofei was fiercely protective, so she instinctively overlooked Du Yu’s 1% fault, only hoping her friend would be a little more careful in the future.
"Alright, alright, let’s eat."
Zhou Zhuofei’s verbal assault today was relentless—Du Yu could barely keep up.
She quickly scooped two servings of sweet and sour ribs onto Zhou Zhuofei’s plate, hoping to placate her with food.
Truthfully, her past relationships hadn’t been smooth either, but Zhou Zhuofei had never interfered, always standing by her side when needed.
Clearly, Zhou Zhuofei was genuinely furious this time.
Du Yu understood. At her core, Zhou Zhuofei was an uncompromising person, especially when it came to relationships. You treat me well, I’ll treat you even better. Emotionally, she had a certain purity, even a kind of fastidiousness.
Han Chubin’s behavior had stomped all over her boundaries. Every second she endured sitting here was solely out of loyalty to Du Yu.
After serving the ribs, Du Yu continued fussing over her, "Is this enough? Should we order another dish?"
Han Chubin watched in stunned silence. Du Yu had never been this gentle or attentive with him, let alone spoken in such an almost ingratiating tone.
He’d assumed she just wasn’t the type to act this way—turns out, it depended on who she was with.
And Zhou Zhuofei’s earlier remarks hadn’t sat well with him either. They felt pointed, like veiled jabs.
But Du Yu had mentioned before that "Mumu" had a sharp tongue with close friends. Strangely, he realized he wasn’t entirely put off—instead, he felt a stirring of... excitement?
It had been a long time since he’d felt this rush, this addictive thrill. The more challenging, the better, wasn’t it?
Lost in his thoughts, Han Chubin missed several obvious details—like how Du Yu had grown noticeably colder toward him lately.
Finally, when Du Yu excused herself to the restroom, Han Chubin seized the chance to speak to Zhou Zhuofei alone.
He gathered his words and eagerly made his move.
"Mumu, I still haven’t figured out how to handle Du Yu’s birthday party. Could you help me again? I’ll treat you to a fancy meal afterward," Han Chubin said, oozing sincerity.
Zhou Zhuofei was just finishing her last piece of sweet and sour ribs.
She spat out the bone, set down her chopsticks, and replied leisurely, "First, don’t call me Mumu. We’re not that close."
"Second, are you her boyfriend, or am I? Planning your girlfriend’s birthday is your job. If I have to come up with ideas, what’s the point of you?"
"Sorry if that sounds harsh, but I really can’t stand useless men."
