After a moment of reflection, Jiang Shen said to Zhou Zhuofei, "You're just too timid. What’s the big deal about confronting him directly? He’s not in the right anyway!"
Zhou Zhuofei retorted, "It’s not about being timid—it’s about not having enough backing. If I did, I’d be even more audacious than you!"
Bullying others with power wasn’t hard!
The truth was, she had to go through all this trouble precisely because she didn’t dare offend Xie Huai. And if she had Jiang Shen’s connections, would Xie Huai even dare treat her this way?
Jiang Shen considered her point and chuckled. "Well, no worries. If Miss Xie doesn’t acknowledge you, I’ll handle it."
"Are you bringing up that idea again?"
Since he was trying to help, Zhou Zhuofei resisted the urge to call his suggestion a "terrible" idea.
"Of course, I have other methods too," Jiang Shen said lazily, leaning back in his seat. The fact that he spoke up at all meant he was willing to back her up.
Zhou Zhuofei clearly wasn’t familiar with these dynamics, so she didn’t grasp his implication. But Xiao Wang understood immediately, shooting Jiang Shen a surprised look.
Seeing Xiao Wang’s reaction only solidified Jiang Shen’s decision. Lately, nothing had been as interesting as this. Since the opportunity had presented itself, why not have some fun?
"In that case, you two try your luck first. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll regroup. I don’t think I’m needed for now, right?"
There was no way he could squeeze into Huanyu’s press conference unless Xiao Wang ditched Zhou Zhuofei and took him along—but how ridiculous would that be?
Jiang Shen stretched and made a show of standing up. "If there’s nothing else, I’ll head out first. Got a meeting soon."
Xiao Wang replied promptly, "No problem. We’ll stay in touch."
Zhou Zhuofei remembered the matter of payment—she couldn’t let Xiao Wang cover that too—so she called out, "Mr. Jiang..."
He waved her off immediately. "We’re familiar enough now. Just call me Jiang Shen."
"Alright, Jiang Shen. For the payment, come to me directly. I’ll handle it."
Xiao Wang tried to interject, "Xiao Zhou..."
But Zhou Zhuofei cut him off firmly. "You’re already contributing your time and effort. I can’t let you pay as well!"
"Enough, enough," Jiang Shen said, nodding toward the coffee on the table. "Just cover my coffee, and we’re even."
Zhou Zhuofei was taken aback. "That’s not right! You can’t work for free. You need to earn something."
"What, am I going to become a millionaire off what you’d pay me? Relax, Secretary Xiao here will hook me up with better gigs. Right?" He winked exaggeratedly at Xiao Wang.
Zhou Zhuofei glanced at Xiao Wang skeptically, only easing up after seeing him nod in confirmation.
"Alright, I’m off." Jiang Shen gave them a casual wave and strode away.
"Let’s go too," Xiao Wang said, signaling the waiter for the bill.
Before the server arrived, Zhou Zhuofei pulled out her wallet, determined to pay no matter what.
Seeing her resolve, Xiao Wang didn’t argue. He watched as she settled the bill, and the two stepped out of the café into the mall’s interior walkway.
Zhou Zhuofei was scanning for the nearest exit when Xiao Wang suddenly pointed at a nearby store sign. "Have you tried chocolates from this brand?"
She looked closely—it was her favorite handmade chocolate shop! "Of course! They’re delicious. Do you want some, Secretary Xiao?"
"Mind accompanying me to take a look? I’d like to buy some as gifts."
"Say no more!" Zhou Zhuofei agreed readily, even walking ahead of him.
"I’ve tried eighty percent of their products. Nobody knows their flavors better than me!"
The moment the conversation turned to her interests, Zhou Zhuofei lit up, energy surging through her.
Xiao Wang watched her shadow under the lights, now lively and animated, and found his own mood lifting. He quickened his pace to walk beside her.
Following her lead, he asked, "Why haven’t you tried the remaining twenty percent?"
"Oh, those all have raisins. I don’t like raisins, and their chocolates are expensive. It feels like a waste to buy them just to pick out the raisins..."
As they reached the storefront, Zhou Zhuofei inhaled deeply. No matter when she visited, the place always smelled heavenly—rich, indulgent chocolate.
Her spirits soared instantly. Working here must be pure bliss!
She perked up and asked Xiao Wang for specifics. "Who are you buying for, and what’s your budget? I can help you pick."
"No budget constraints. Just some treats for family."
"Do you know what flavors your parents prefer?"
"My mom doesn’t like things too sweet. My uncle probably prefers nutty varieties. As for my little brother, he’ll eat anything—he’s not picky."
Mom, uncle, little brother—Zhou Zhuofei immediately grasped the family structure. So Secretary Xiao came from a blended family.
Not that it was surprising. He’d mentioned it so casually, so she responded just as naturally, recommending products in a normal tone.
"In that case, I’d suggest a mixed assortment. Let them sample a bit of everything, so you’ll know what to buy next time."
"Sounds good. Would you mind selecting for me?"
"No problem!"
Zhou Zhuofei expertly flagged down a staff member, guiding the selection and packaging process seamlessly.
When the clerk handed over the neatly wrapped chocolates, Zhou Zhuofei passed them to Xiao Wang. "All set—time to pay."
Xiao Wang accepted them with thanks, then asked, "Do you want to check if there’s anything you’d like?"
"Me? Oh, no need. I still have a ton of chocolates at home. Little Zhan gave me a huge box recently."
She gestured widely, emphasizing just how big the box was.
Xiao Wang’s lips curved slightly. "So you’ll accept Little Zhan’s chocolates but not mine?"
"Huh?" For a second, Zhou Zhuofei was thrown off. There was something odd about his tone—almost like he was accusing her of playing favorites.
"That’s not what I meant! It’s just that I have so much at home, and it’d be a shame if they went to waste..." Her voice trailed off as she grew increasingly puzzled.
"Then... maybe I’ll take a look?"
"Go ahead. I was thinking of buying some for the office too. We can share."
Just like that, Zhou Zhuofei’s focus shifted from choosing for herself to picking options for Xiao Wang.
"Good point. You’re so busy sometimes you skip meals. Keeping chocolates on hand for energy is smart. Do you prefer milk chocolate or liquor-filled ones?"
Xiao Wang pondered. "Milk, I suppose."
"Oh, I thought you’d go for the liquor-filled kind."
"Why’s that?"
"Hmm... hard to say." Zhou Zhuofei rubbed her nose. "Generally, liquor-filled chocolates sound more mature? Milk chocolate seems like something kids would prefer."
"Which one do you like then?"
"My favorite is milk caramel-filled—the sweeter, the better." However, this flavor was a bit too sweet for Du Yu, so she hadn’t recommended it to Xiao Wang.
Without hesitation, Xiao Wang made his choice: "Then let’s go with that one."
Instead of calling the server, Zhou Zhuofei eyed him skeptically. "Xiao Wang, are you deliberately fishing for my preference and then choosing this on purpose?"
"Of course not," Xiao Wang replied earnestly. "I’m just curious about how it tastes."
"It’s really sweet, though. I’m afraid you might not like it."
Xiao Wang smiled. "How would I know without trying?"
"Fair enough." Seeing his resolve, Zhou Zhuofei stopped protesting and asked the server to pack some milk caramel chocolates. Still worried he might find them too sweet, she requested a small portion—but Xiao Wang promptly asked for an additional serving.
Zhou Zhuofei chuckled and thanked him. "Well, thanks then!"
After paying, Xiao Wang handed her the separately packed chocolates. She took one and happily popped it into her mouth.
Zhou Zhuofei closed her eyes in satisfaction—it was just as delicious as she remembered!
"Is it good?" Xiao Wang could already tell from her expression, but he wanted to hear her say it, to catch that happy tremor in her voice.
"Absolutely amazing! Want to try one?" She eagerly held out the bag.
"No need, I have my own."
As they walked back to the company, Xiao Wang briefed her on the reception details. The event was more casual, which was why it hadn’t been arranged by the admin department but privately coordinated by Ling Yu.
The schedule was simple, so Zhou Zhuofei wouldn’t need to do much—she could even leave after greeting Xie Lan.
To her, this sounded like a breeze.
Xiao Wang then asked, "Do you have a suitable evening gown? If not, I can take you shopping tomorrow."
"I do, but they’re all very plain."
The admin department handled everything from birthday parties to annual galas, but Zhou Zhuofei had always worked behind the scenes. Her dresses were practical and understated—just three in rotation for convenience.
If she were attending alone, it wouldn’t matter. But as Xiao Wang’s guest, looking too casual might reflect poorly on him.
So she admitted, "They might not be fancy enough."
"That’s fine. Let’s go tomorrow after work, unless you’d rather go alone?" She worried about imposing.
"Not at all. I have errands there anyway." Noticing her guilt, Xiao Wang changed the subject. "How long have we known each other?"
"Over three years—almost four."
"By now, we’re pretty close, right?"
"Definitely."
"Then maybe we should adjust how we address each other?"
Hearing her call Jiang Shen by name had made Xiao Wang realize she still referred to him as "Xiao Wang."
Most colleagues did, and he’d grown used to it—fewer people used his full name these days. But suddenly, he wanted to hear Zhou Zhuofei say it.
He wondered how his name would sound coming from her lips.
"Change how we address each other?" The thought had never crossed her mind.
In the workplace, titles were for formality; closer relationships used nicknames or "Big Bro/Sis." For instance, she’d switched from "Manager Ye" to "Sister Ye" within months of working under Ye Ru.
But with Xiao Wang, she’d stuck to "Xiao Wang" out of respect.
"So what should I call you? ‘Brother Xiao’? Sounds weird. ‘Old Xiao’? Nah…"
Watching her mumble through options without landing on his full name, Xiao Wang cut in: "Just use my name."
"Your full name?" She mimed the syllables hesitantly.
After years of "Xiao Wang," saying his name felt almost rebellious—like crossing a line, yet thrilling.
"Xiao… Xiao Wang?" It took a few tries to say it smoothly, her voice quiet at first, then firmer.
The effect was even better than he’d imagined. Fighting the urge to ask her to repeat it, he gently asked, "Can I call you by your name too?"
"Of course! ‘Zhou Zhou’ or ‘Zhuofei’—whichever." Her colleagues used all sorts of nicknames, and she never corrected them unless they were outrageous.
Xiao Wang pondered. "Which do you prefer?"
"Zhuofei, I guess. Too many people share my surname—from afar, I’d wonder if they meant me."
"Zhuofei it is. Honestly, I’ve always thought your name was beautiful. Calling you ‘Little Zhou’ would be a shame."
The sudden sincerity caught her off guard.
She explained, "My parents originally wanted ‘Fei’ as in ‘jadeite’—from the saying ‘Jade must be carved to shine.’ But they thought ‘Fei’ for ‘brilliance’ had a better meaning, so they changed it."
"The current name does carry a nicer meaning." He repeated it softly, as if savoring each syllable.
To Zhou Zhuofei, each utterance felt like a gentle poke to her heart—impossible to ignore. She struggled to act unaffected, hoping he wouldn’t notice.
Soon, they entered the Huanyu lobby. Colleagues greeted them in the elevator, pausing their conversation.
Back at her desk, most coworkers napped or scrolled silently on their phones. The office was hushed, barely a sound to be heard.
She carefully made her way to her seat, trying not to make a sound as she tucked the chocolate away.
After all the conversations at noon, she couldn’t sleep, so she simply sat in her seat, lost in thought.
Earlier, Xiao Wang had analyzed Jiang Shen’s words for her on the way, saying that the other party was willing to help her handle this issue. But it went without saying—this was an enormous favor.
Still, she wanted to rely on herself as much as possible. Anyone who had dealt with such matters knew that problems were rarely resolved in one go. Instead, it was like pulling up a radish only to bring out mud—solving one issue often led to another.
For example, if she used Jiang Shen’s plan of pretending to be in a relationship, the two of them would have to put on an act. But what if people misunderstood? What if their colleagues found out? How long would they have to keep up the act? To what extent would they need to perform? These were all complications.
It was bad enough that she was the one being dragged into this mess—how could she possibly trouble Xiao Wang with it?
Even if Xiao Wang didn’t mind, she wouldn’t dare to try it. Over time, the line between real and fake would blur, and that was the last thing she wanted.
What scared her most was her own inability to distinguish between the two. She was the type to throw herself wholeheartedly into anything she did—even getting a bad ending in a game could upset her for half a day.
If she really had to pretend to be Xiao Wang’s girlfriend, and considering how kind he was—especially toward his partner—how could she possibly emerge unscathed from that kind of tenderness?
Some things were simply not meant to be tested lightly.
