It all started back when she first joined the company.
One weekend, she was working overtime, and since the company hadn’t arranged afternoon tea, she craved something sweet and went to the break area to buy some snacks. That’s when she happened to run into Xiao Wang, who had come down to grab something.
She couldn’t remember what they talked about, but in the end, Xiao Wang offered to buy her a drink. She chose apple juice, never expecting he’d remember such a small detail—she certainly couldn’t recall what he had ordered back then.
Xiao Wang brushed it off lightly. "It’s nothing impressive, just a habit."
It was indeed his habit, though it coincidentally aligned with what his job required.
"That makes it even more impressive! You’ve practically turned work into instinct," Zhou Zhuofei praised before sighing. "I wonder when I’ll reach that level."
Even after three years in the workforce, she still couldn’t integrate work into her life seamlessly. Every Monday, she felt the familiar dread of another week of suffering.
"I think your current state is just fine—work hard, live fully. The two shouldn’t be mixed up in the first place."
At first, Xiao Wang also believed he should push himself harder while he was young. And when he met Ling Yu, who recognized his potential, he threw himself wholeheartedly into his career.
After years of effort, he became Ling Yu’s right-hand man, the epitome of professional success in his friends’ eyes.
But his life had become so consumed by work that there was no room for anything else—even exercise was just a means to stay healthy enough to keep working.
His friends teased him for following the well-trodden path of every successful person: after achieving career milestones, he began regretting the emptiness in his personal life and sought to fill the gaps.
Only Xiao Wang knew the truth—he had already reached the highest point he could climb. Beyond this, no amount of effort alone could break through.
"But work has rules. As long as you follow procedures, you won’t make mistakes, and even if problems arise, the blame isn’t on you. Life isn’t like that—there are always strange people and strange situations popping up out of nowhere."
Zhou Zhuofei’s voice trailed off toward the end, realizing she had veered into full-blown complaining. She half-expected Xiao Wang to tune her out.
To her surprise, he asked, "Are you referring to what happened with your friend?"
"Well… yes and no," she answered vaguely.
Sometimes, she wasn’t even sure what was bothering her—maybe she knew too much, or maybe it was just a natural emotional low.
But she knew complaining wouldn’t solve anything.
No matter how messy life got, there were always silver linings. Sure, work could be awful, but her boss was decent. Sure, there were annoying colleagues, but there were also great teammates.
Life was like a half-filled glass. If you only focused on the empty half and ignored what you had, wasn’t that just cutting off your nose to spite your face?
Seeing her like this, Xiao Wang couldn’t help adding, "Zhou Zhuofei, you’re too kind. You don’t need to take responsibility for your friend’s life."
He’d once felt the same way and knew exactly how much unnecessary burden it brought—carrying worries that weren’t his to bear.
"I know, but I just can’t separate emotions from logic. Ugh, I’m hopeless!" Zhou Zhuofei waved her hand dismissively, wearing a resigned expression.
"Then your friends must be very lucky to have you," Xiao Wang remarked.
Sometimes, he felt his own life was too fragmented. Though an ordinary person at heart, he constantly moved through high-society circles, surrounded by materialism and insincerity. It was easy to forget people like Zhou Zhuofei—genuine and kind—still existed.
"Don’t say that. Being your junior is pretty great too." Zhou Zhuofei grinned, shaking her apple juice. "A senior who remembers what their junior likes to drink is rare."
For some reason, Xiao Wang’s mood suddenly lifted.
Maybe it was her compliment, or maybe it was just the relief of interacting with someone so uncomplicated. Either way, he felt an unprecedented sense of calm.
"Let’s talk about dinner today," he changed the subject. Since she’d helped his mood, it was only fair he returned the favor. "It seemed like you had a lot on your mind."
Now Zhou Zhuofei was genuinely embarrassed. "Was I really that obvious?"
Xiao Wang looked at her seriously. "You’re not very good at hiding your emotions."
If he said so, it must be true.
"No wonder Little Zhan always catches on when I scold him." She rubbed her chin, deep in thought. "Guess I’ll have to work on my emotional control."
Xiao Wang almost blurted out, "You’re fine as you are," but caught himself just in time. How could he let personal bias stand in the way of her growth?
Quickly collecting his thoughts, he offered some advice from experience.
"I think you could start with these approaches..."
Zhou Zhuofei hadn’t expected today to be so fruitful—not only did she get a ride, but she also received exclusive coaching from the CEO’s secretary. Compared to all this, the frustration Han Chubin had caused her was trivial. All in all, she’d hit the jackpot!
They lingered in the park for over half an hour until sunset, when Xiao Wang dropped her off at her apartment gate.
As usual, Zhou Zhuofei thanked him profusely before getting out of the car.
"Xiao Wang, thank you so much today! I know it might sound presumptuous, but I really mean it—if you ever need anything, just say the word. I’d love to return the favor."
Xiao Wang smiled. "I should be thanking you for keeping me company. I took up so much of your time."
His demeanor was refined and gentle, his appearance matching his temperament—warm, scholarly, and completely unthreatening. Even his voice was soft-spoken.
This image naturally inspired trust, and his words always carried an air of sincerity.
But Zhou Zhuofei didn’t overanalyze it. She genuinely believed every word he said.
"Great! Then next time, you know who to call." Whether he meant it or not, she’d made her stance clear.
"Sure, we’ll talk again when there’s a chance. I’ll head back now. See you next week."
Zhou Zhuofei watched his car drive away. Today was probably the longest time they’d spent together in the three years since they’d met.
If it had been any other colleague—even Luo Jing—asking to stroll in the park, she would’ve likely declined.
She had to admit it: just as she had double standards for Du Yu, she also viewed Xiao Wang through a rose-tinted lens. And this lens was strong enough to make her bend her own rules for him.
Before she even got home, Du Yu had already bombarded her with voice messages. She didn’t need to listen to know they were just more complaints.
Without even opening them, Zhou Zhuofei typed out her usual reply with practiced ease.
[Oh my god!]
Du Yu was on a roll with her ranting, and seeing Zhou Zhuofei’s agreement only fueled her further, prompting her to send several more voice messages in quick succession.
By the time Zhou Zhuofei changed into her loungewear, refilled her cat Director’s food and water, and settled onto the couch, she finally took the time to transcribe each voice message and skim through them.
Unsurprisingly, Du Yu was venting about Han Chubin’s behavior when he drove her home—when you dislike someone, even their breathing feels like a crime.
In short, Du Yu tore Han Chubin apart, but Zhou Zhuofei still managed to pick out a few key points from the tirade.
First, Han Chubin had proactively confessed to asking Zhou Zhuofei for help delivering a thank-you gift a few days ago, hinting that there might have been a misunderstanding between them and asking Du Yu to help clarify.
Second, he was unhappy that Du Yu and Zhou Zhuofei had discussed other men in front of him.
The first point didn’t surprise Zhou Zhuofei—just another sly play from a manipulative jerk. But when she read the second point, she couldn’t help but send Du Yu three question marks in rapid succession.
[Does he seriously think acting possessive makes him seem more boyfriend-material?]
[I was genuinely speechless—I almost wanted to jump out of the car and run.]
[Hahahaha! You picked him, so you deal with him!]
[I’m so done. I don’t want to date anyone for at least a year.]
[Good! Maybe next time, take a couple of months to actually vet the guy before jumping in.]
[I thought I could figure him out while dating… Who knew…]
[Well, lesson learned. Just handle this mess first.]
Zhou Zhuofei spent the entire weekend at home, playing with her cat and binge-watching anime. Doing nothing was the best kind of rest!
During that time, Du Yu told her that Han Chubin had noticed he could no longer see Zhou Zhuofei’s social media updates and had tried to subtly fish for information. Du Yu had skillfully dodged his questions.
She knew her friend’s patience with Han Chubin was at an all-time low, so she tried not to add to her troubles.
Zhou Zhuofei genuinely couldn’t understand—she had made her stance painfully clear, even bordering on outright telling him to get lost. Why was Han Chubin still so persistent?
She certainly didn’t think it was because she was that irresistible. No, the guy had to have some serious issues.
[Honestly, it’s just his ego. He’s used to smooth sailing, so now that someone’s ignoring him, he’s obsessed with the challenge.]
[Ugh, this is so tedious. Can you wrap this up soon? Having him on my friends list feels like an insult to my other contacts.]
[Shouldn’t be long. Jiang Shen mentioned he’s made some progress—I’m meeting him at his agency next week.]
[He has an agency?]
Zhou Zhuofei hadn’t expected Jiang Shen’s private detective work to be so professional—he even had an office.
[No joke, he’s legit. Best money I’ve ever spent.]
[Well, it should be worth it—you’re throwing months of salary at this.]
[Hey… Can I cash in that birthday gift? Suddenly feeling broke.]
[Fine, fine. I’ll give you a red packet for your birthday.]
She couldn’t afford to foot the big bills, but pocket money was no problem.
Before she knew it, Monday rolled around. As she stepped through Huanyu’s doors, Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t help but recall her conversation with Xiao Wang from a couple of days ago.
She had always assumed Xiao Wang was the type to bury himself in work, with no interest in personal life—so why would he envy hers?
Wait… Was she getting a little too full of herself?
Since when would a high-earning executive secretary envy a salaried administrative assistant?
At that thought, she mentally slapped herself.
Snap out of it, Zhou Zhuofei. Time to work!
As she’d said before, the beauty of work was its predictability—no surprises, good or bad. The daily grind of admin duties was like Sisyphus pushing his boulder up the hill in Greek mythology.
The weather that week was dreary, a constant drizzle hanging in the air. Yet Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t shake the feeling that the gloom was an omen—something big was coming.
As soon as she clocked out that day, Du Yu texted her: she was meeting Jiang Shen that evening.
Zhou Zhuofei exhaled in relief. Finally, this mess is getting resolved.
She told Du Yu to call her after the meeting. The rain made everything inconvenient, so she planned to head home, throw together a quick meal, and wait for updates.
But when she got home, she was greeted by darkness—the lights wouldn’t turn on. A power outage?
She frowned. Their building had monthly meter readings and prepaid electricity—it couldn’t be unpaid bills. Maybe a blackout?
Stepping back into the hallway, she glanced at Cen Huan’s door. No visible signs of electricity, but she could faintly hear movement inside. She knocked to ask.
Knock, knock.
Footsteps grew louder until the door swung open.
"Cen—" Zhou Zhuofei started, then froze.
Standing before her was a man with bright red hair, strikingly vivid even in the dim light. For a second, she thought Cen Huan had dyed her hair like a feather duster.
But the more she looked, the more wrong it seemed—short hair, and the build was unmistakably male.
"Looking for Huan-jie? Hold on."
The moment he spoke, Zhou Zhuofei recognized the voice.
"It’s you?"
The bartender from New World—the one tangled up with that wealthy woman!
Xie Ya looked up, and sure enough, it was him.
Without his usual styling, his red hair was tousled, making him look younger—almost boyish.
"You?" Xie Ya blinked, taking a moment to place the office-worker in front of him.
He steadied himself, replaying the encounter in his mind. Nothing happened. Play it cool.
"Oh, hey. Small world, huh?"
"Xie Ya, who is it?" Cen Huan emerged, smiling when she saw Zhou Zhuofei. "Need something?"
"Just checking if you have power."
"Nope. The building supervisor said they’re doing circuit repairs—won’t be back till tonight."
"Ah. Do you have a lighter, by any chance?"
Zhou Zhuofei’s stove was electric ignition—no power meant no fire unless she had a lighter.
"A lighter? Think so. Let me check. Want to come in while I look?"
Zhou Zhuofei waved it off. "No need, I’ll wait here. If you can’t find it, I’ll just grab takeout."
As Cen Huan disappeared inside, only Zhou Zhuofei and the red-haired stranger remained in the doorway.
After a beat of silence, he extended a hand. "Xie Ya. Huan-jie’s coworker."
Zhou Zhuofei made sure to maintain her persona: "Hello, I'm Zhou Zhuofei. I live next door. Is Cen Huan also working at New World now?"
"Yes, we’ve probably met at New World before?"
Zhou Zhuofei wasn’t sure if he genuinely forgot or was pretending—after all, she had nearly been used as a pawn back then. If he truly didn’t remember, it only proved he was a repeat offender.
"Maybe," she replied vaguely. "Either way, I remember you. You perform there, right?"
"Yeah, I work part-time as a singer there."
"I see. That’s nice."
"Oh? What’s nice about it?"
Zhou Zhuofei had only been making polite small talk, never expecting him to take it seriously. It had been a while since she’d encountered someone so… earnest. And for some reason, his tone felt a bit sharp, unlike the impression he’d given the last time they’d met.
After a moment’s thought, she answered, "From what I know, New World is probably the best bar in town. Being able to perform there means you must be really talented."
Du Yu often said Zhou Zhuofei had a face that couldn’t lie, and her straightforward tone made everything she said sound genuine. And truthfully, that was the case—whether her words were kind or blunt, she rarely spoke anything but the truth.
Though Xie Ya was young, his experience was no less than anyone else’s. He could easily tell whether Zhou Zhuofei was teasing or sincere. Once he determined she was being honest, his expression softened considerably.
Seemed his initial assumption was correct—she really was just an ordinary, earnest office worker, unlikely to have any real ties to his world.
Probably nothing to worry about.
