The relationship between Chu Qing and Zhou Zhuofei had always remained at the level of exchanging greetings when they bumped into each other.
The colleagues from the administrative department always gave Chu Qing the illusion of being omnipresent. Even if they were complete strangers at first, after meeting a few times, they could naturally exchange pleasantries. So, she didn’t know much about Zhou Zhuofei’s situation, and naturally, they hadn’t even exchanged contact information.
If she had any issues, she could always report them directly to the administrative department through the company software. As for which colleague handled her requests, she never paid much attention.
"Sure," Zhou Zhuofei also took out her phone and exchanged contact details with Chu Qing, while casually reminding her, "I post updates quite frequently. You can mute me if it gets too much."
"It’s fine. If I see them, I’ll just give you a like," Chu Qing replied.
After adding her, Chu Qing immediately checked Zhou Zhuofei’s feed and found, just as she had warned, a dense stream of updates—almost daily.
"That’s a lot of content," Chu Qing joked. "I might not be able to like them all at once."
"Haha, better not. It’s not exactly high-quality stuff anyway. I’ll get going now. Bye~"
As Zhou Zhuofei walked away, Chu Qing absentmindedly clicked on one of the posts. The photo showed some game screenshot, accompanied by a caption filled with jargon Chu Qing couldn’t understand.
No wonder she and Zhou Zhuofei had never grown close despite knowing each other for years—their interests were just too different.
But just as she was about to exit, she spotted Xiao Wang’s name in the likes section.
Chu Qing froze. She immediately clicked on another post at random. This time, Xiao Wang hadn’t liked it. She checked several more and noticed that while Xiao Wang frequently liked Zhou Zhuofei’s posts, he didn’t do so for every single one.
This realization eased her mind somewhat, but then it struck her—Xiao Wang had never liked any of her posts. The thought left a sour taste in her mouth.
She wasn’t the type to lose hope over something as trivial as a social media like, but no one would feel great after realizing they were being treated differently.
---
The moment Zhou Zhuofei stepped out of the elevator, she took a deep breath.
Chu Qing’s intention in adding her was painfully obvious—she probably assumed Zhou Zhuofei was close to Xiao Wang and was trying to take a roundabout approach through her.
Unfortunately, Zhou Zhuofei wasn’t that close to Xiao Wang either.
The situation wasn’t hard to figure out. If Chu Qing had just asked Xiao Wang beforehand, she wouldn’t have come all this way for nothing. Clearly, Chu Qing had followed the same logic as Zhou Zhuofei—assuming everyone would return to the office before clocking out.
But not only was Xiao Wang absent, he had even asked a colleague to deliver the documents for him. Given how meticulous Xiao Wang was, this was practically an indirect way of making his stance clear.
Still, judging by Chu Qing’s demeanor, she didn’t seem ready to give up.
Just then, Xiao Wang’s reply finally came through.
[Got it. Thanks, Xiao Zhou.]
Zhou Zhuofei first sent back a "no problem," but then it occurred to her—she was being used as a mere tool in this whole affair.
She knew this was her fate, but wasn’t she supposed to be just an extra in Ling Yu’s story? Why was she suddenly getting roped into another subplot?
Unable to hold back, she sent another message.
[Xiao Wang…]
[What’s up?]
If this were Du Yu on the other end, she would’ve already fired off ten ranting texts. But remembering it was Xiao Wang, the tiny spark of complaint in her heart fizzled out before it could even ignite.
Whatever. Being helpful was what mattered. Why obsess over whether she was just a tool? Hadn’t she been wishing for a way to repay Xiao Wang’s favor? Now she had this effortless opportunity—wasn’t that a good thing?
She was about to reply with "never mind, typo," when Xiao Wang proactively sent a puzzled puppy sticker.
Maybe he noticed her delayed response and wanted to check in.
Zhou Zhuofei had never seen Xiao Wang use cute stickers before. Her first reaction was that he must’ve tapped it by mistake, followed by a wave of dissonance—it just didn’t suit his usual professional demeanor.
Someone as businesslike as Xiao Wang should’ve completely abandoned childish stickers. And yet, the contrast was oddly endearing.
So, she deleted the "typo" and replaced it with another line.
[Next time, treat me to apple juice?]
He replied with another sticker from the same set—this time, a thumbs-up.
Well, at least this way, it didn’t feel like she was being taken advantage of. Zhou Zhuofei consoled herself—she’d get a bottle of apple juice out of it.
---
Honestly, she could kind of understand Xiao Wang’s position.
Huanyu didn’t forbid office romances—it only prohibited married couples from working in the same department. So, workplace couples weren’t uncommon.
In just a few years at the company, Zhou Zhuofei had already encountered several admirers. Xiao Wang’s situation was undoubtedly even more intense.
Ling Yu was also single, but he never faced such troubles.
Maybe it was because Ling Yu and Xiao Wang were fundamentally different. Ling Yu was like a star in the sky—everyone knew he was out of reach.
Anyone daring enough to pursue the boss would have to have a death wish.
But Xiao Wang’s excellence felt more grounded, more attainable—like the star atop a Christmas tree. With a little effort, a little stretching, you might just reach it.
Zhou Zhuofei tried imagining whether her usual avoidance tactics would work on someone like Xiao Wang.
The conclusion? Not a chance.
As a junior employee, she didn’t need to worry about networking or politics—she could just stick to black-and-white rules.
But Xiao Wang had to consider countless factors. He couldn’t afford to operate with her kind of rigidity.
Wasn’t this just like those CEO male leads in novels, forced into engagements with uninteresting second female leads due to family pressure?
---
Zhou Zhuofei returned to her office, shaking off the chaotic thoughts in her head. It was almost time to clock out—better focus on something practical, like what to eat for dinner.
The next day, she arrived at her desk and wolfed down her breakfast. The bus had been late, leaving her with little time to spare.
"Ring—" The office phone suddenly buzzed.
Still chewing her baozi, Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t speak, so she knocked on the partition to signal Luo Jing next to her.
Luo Jing immediately picked up. "Hello, Administrative Department."
Zhou Zhuofei kept eating, thinking, Who’s calling before work hours even start? So inconsiderate.
But after a few responses, Luo Jing knocked back and said, "It’s for you. Xiao Wang’s on the line."
"Huh? Wait—" Zhou Zhuofei hurriedly swallowed her food and grabbed the receiver. "Hello?"
"Hi," Xiao Wang’s voice came through.
"Xiao Zhou, that urgent document you submitted has been signed. Coming to pick it up now?"
"Sure, I’ll be right there."
She quickly finished the last of her baozi and headed to the top floor.
First, she checked the usual document drop-off spot. When she didn’t find it, she knocked on Xiao Wang’s office door.
"Xiao Wang, is the file with you?"
"Yes, I brought it in."
Zhou Zhuofei stepped inside, ready to grab it and leave, but then Xiao Wang handed her a bottle of apple juice.
"Promised you apple juice yesterday."
"That was fast?" Zhou Zhuofei marveled at Xiao Wang's efficiency and happily accepted the drink. "Then I won’t stand on ceremony."
"Of course not. I’m the one asking for your help, so treating you is the least I can do."
Zhou Zhuofei thanked him cheerfully, and seeing her bright, smiling face, Xiao Wang couldn’t help but feel his mood lift slightly.
So a simple bottle of juice could make someone this happy.
He then asked casually, "Did you run into Chu Qing right after leaving yesterday?"
"Yep, so this juice is a pretty sweet deal—I didn’t even have to go downstairs!"
This was within Xiao Wang’s expectations, though he knew it was only a temporary fix. If Chu Qing wanted to see him, she’d always find another excuse.
Before this, he and Chu Qing had barely interacted. But recently, she had taken charge of an important project that Ling Yu prioritized, so Xiao Wang inevitably had to work with her.
Over time, he sensed something off. Though she kept it subtle—just increasing their meetings under the guise of work and chatting a bit more—there were no outright inappropriate actions.
Most people might brush it off or pretend not to notice, but Xiao Wang couldn’t. He refused to tolerate any ambiguous relationships. Once he detected one, he had to resolve it cleanly.
So handling things with Chu Qing quickly became a priority.
The problem was, he hadn’t yet figured out the best approach. The project wouldn’t wrap up anytime soon, and the easiest solution—replacing her—wasn’t an option. He didn’t have the authority to remove her, nor could he step away from the work himself.
Backing out now would only signal to Ling Yu that he couldn’t separate personal and professional matters.
Thinking this, he felt a pang of guilt toward Zhou Zhuofei. He’d already used her twice, especially after realizing how she felt about him, which only deepened his remorse.
But regret wouldn’t change what had happened. All he could do now was try to make it up to her.
"I remember you really like desserts?"
Xiao Wang often saw Zhou Zhuofei’s posts. Though he had many friends, few shared updates as frequently as she did, so her daily life left a strong impression. He recalled her love for sweets, with photos of treats popping up regularly.
Zhou Zhuofei promptly replied with mock seriousness, "Not just like—I’m obsessed."
"Then this is for you too." Xiao Wang pulled out a prepaid gift card he’d prepared earlier.
From Zhou Zhuofei’s hesitation yesterday, he’d suspected she understood the situation. Yet she’d played along, pretending ignorance to help him out.
For someone so talkative, her silence on the matter spoke volumes.
So he’d wondered how else he could repay her. But after racking his brain, he couldn’t think of anything meaningful—so he settled on the simplest solution: a gift.
Other presents might send the wrong message, but a gift card was practical and harmless. Zhou Zhuofei wouldn’t refuse.
When she picked it up and saw it was for a popular local bakery chain, her eyes lit up.
So tempting!
"Wait… this is really for me?"
The mix of surprise and delight in her expression told Xiao Wang he’d chosen well.
"Of course. It’s yours."
"Then I won’t hold back!"
Zhou Zhuofei was already mentally planning her bakery trip after work. Free bread meant no more boring buns for breakfast tomorrow.
"Xiao Wang, you’re too kind. It’s just a quick errand—I come here every day anyway, so grabbing a file for you is no trouble at all."
She knew exactly what he was thinking. He probably felt bad about always asking for favors and wanted to show his appreciation.
As part of the admin team, errands were her job. Helping Xiao Wang was effortless, and she’d have done it even without incentives. Now that she’d accepted his gift, she was all the more eager to assist.
"Next time, just message me, and I’ll come right up. You’re so busy—Ling Yu should really assign you an assistant."
Xiao Wang hadn’t expected her to misinterpret his intentions. Without him saying a word, she’d already mapped out future favors.
He had no plans to keep involving her. For one, it wouldn’t solve his problem and might even drag her into trouble. Secondly, he didn’t want to keep "using" her trust in him.
Even if she didn’t see it that way, he needed to clear his own conscience.
So he clarified, "It’s not that complicated. I just wanted to treat you to some desserts."
"No way!" Zhou Zhuofei’s exaggerated tone was almost theatrical. "Really? No strings attached? I might actually believe you, you know."
Her dramatics made Xiao Wang chuckle. With a faint smile, he replied earnestly, "Really. Your only job is to enjoy them."
"Mission accepted—happiness guaranteed!"
After work, Xiao Wang accompanied Ling Yu to a business dinner. While waiting for guests, he checked his phone and saw Zhou Zhuofei’s latest post: a photo of assorted pastries at the bakery, captioned "[Feasting like there’s no tomorrow]."
Though he wasn’t particularly into bread, the spread in the picture looked appealing.
What struck him as oddly charming was how, despite the absence of any people in the shot, he could practically feel Zhou Zhuofei’s excitement radiating from the image—even picturing the grin on her face as she typed the caption.
He lingered on the photo longer than intended, only snapping back to reality when Ling Yu called for his attention.
"Yes, sir?"
Zhou Zhuofei was, in fact, over the moon. While bread wasn’t exactly luxury, free bread was a whole different story.
She’d headed straight to the nearest branch after clocking out, eager to reward herself with freshly baked treats.
The bakery was a well-established chain in City K, and Zhou Zhuofei was a regular. Every item was delicious, so she picked a few based on her mood. At checkout, she handed over the gift card and casually asked about the remaining balance.
She’d assumed it held maybe 200 or 300 yuan.
But the cashier—adorable in her little apron—cheerfully informed her, "Miss, your current balance is 1,945 yuan. The receipt has the details if you’d like to check."
"Oh, thanks."
Zhou Zhuofei maintained perfect composure—until she stepped away from the counter and immediately scrutinized the receipt.
She thought she must have misheard. If there were nineteen hundred in this card, did that mean Xiao Wang had given her a card worth two thousand?
Two thousand!
She had never dared to top up a card with so much money, afraid of wasting it—though, in essence, it was because she couldn’t afford to be that lavish.
But the balance on the receipt matched what the staff had said—this was indeed a card loaded with two thousand.
Zhou Zhuofei suddenly felt a pang of panic. Could Xiao Wang have given her the wrong card by mistake?
The moment she stepped out of the shop, she snapped a photo of the receipt and sent it to Xiao Wang, bluntly asking if there had been a mix-up.
[Xiao Wang, this card has two thousand in it—was this a mistake?]
After sending it, she didn’t get a reply right away, so she decided to head home first. On the way, she imagined a few possibilities: either Xiao Wang had too many cards and accidentally handed her the wrong one, in which case she’d have to return it.
Or, Xiao Wang hadn’t made a mistake at all—he’d deliberately given her a two-thousand-yuan card. Such a generous gesture made her feel guilty if she didn’t do something in return.
By the time she got home, Zhou Zhuofei still hadn’t received a reply from Xiao Wang, but the freshly baked bread was too tempting to resist.
So, she nervously waited for a response while nervously eating a piece of bread—which, admittedly, tasted pretty good.
It wasn’t until around ten o’clock that she finally got Xiao Wang’s reply.
[No mistake, that’s the right card. I saw the photo—it looks delicious. Enjoy.]
