Zhan Zilang chuckled awkwardly, "You noticed that too."
Zhou Zhuofei shook her head helplessly. By now, she could clearly tell that the other person had little real-world experience.
"If you didn’t recognize him, you should’ve asked me who he was. Look at your reaction—it’s practically an admission of guilt."
Zhan Zilang was so impressed he had nothing to say, only managing to reply, "Sis Zhou, your logic is impeccable."
Zhou Zhuofei waved it off as nothing. Since he knew Xiao Wang, it meant Xiao Wang’s earlier inquiries had been deliberate.
Come to think of it, Ye Ru had been the most perceptive about the situation.
After a moment’s thought, she advised Zhan Zilang, "Then you should go greet Secretary Xiao later. It’s only proper for a new employee to introduce themselves."
Xiao Wang often came down for coffee and a short break, and Zhou Zhuofei saw him frequently. However, he usually chose a time closer to the end of the workday—his appearance today was unusually early.
"Got it."
By now, Zhan Zilang was completely convinced by Zhou Zhuofei and was ready to follow her instructions without question.
He stood up immediately, but Zhou Zhuofei stopped him.
"Too many people right now. Wait a bit longer."
So Zhan Zilang waited, but the stream of people around Xiao Wang never seemed to thin. He couldn’t help but remark, "Secretary Xiao is really popular."
Zhou Zhuofei smiled without responding. Of course, the position of the CEO’s secretary naturally drew friendly attention, but there was another important reason—Xiao Wang was still single.
Young, accomplished, handsome, mild-mannered, and abstaining from smoking and drinking—even though he had publicly declared himself a marriage-free advocate at the company, his female colleagues still privately ranked him as one of the top candidates for marriage.
Though Ling Yu was also single, everyone was sensible enough to keep him out of such discussions.
Zhou Zhuofei even suspected that Xiao Wang’s open stance on being marriage-free might actually make him more appealing to women.
Then again, maybe she was the only one who thought that way. Human nature thrived on defiance—some would always try the forbidden, and others would always attempt the impossible.
Still, given how long it had been without a single rumor about Xiao Wang’s personal life, it was clear he maintained strict self-discipline.
As afternoon tea time neared its end and the lounge area emptied out, Xiao Wang finally had a moment to himself, sitting by the window with his coffee, enjoying the view.
Zhan Zilang glanced at Zhou Zhuofei, and after receiving a nod, he got up and walked over.
Zhou Zhuofei watched him go, tidying up the notes she’d taken earlier while occasionally glancing at the two in the distance. From their relaxed expressions, it was obvious they were old acquaintances.
When she looked up again later, the two had vanished.
Her eyes darted around until she spotted them by a vending machine in the distance. She watched as they bought something and walked back, chatting and laughing.
Xiao Wang happened to glance up and meet Zhou Zhuofei’s gaze, offering her a natural, warm smile.
In the next moment, Zhan Zilang was standing before her, while Xiao Wang had already departed midway.
"Sis Zhou, Secretary Xiao treated us to drinks." Zhan Zilang placed a can of apple juice in front of her.
"That’s nice of him. What did you talk about for him to treat you?"
"Nothing much. He just said it’s workplace etiquette for seniors to treat newcomers and told me to learn more from you. Oh—" He held up another can. "I also got black tea. Want to swap?"
"No need, the apple juice is fine."
"Sis Zhou, you like apple juice?"
"Yeah, why? You want it?" Since Xiao Wang was footing the bill, she didn’t mind letting him have it.
"No, no, just asking." Earlier, when Xiao Wang offered to treat him, Zhan Zilang had picked black tea for himself but hesitated over what to choose for Zhou Zhuofei.
Before he could decide, Xiao Wang had already made the choice for him.
So Sis Zhou likes apple juice. He made a mental note—who knew if it’d come in handy later, but it didn’t hurt to remember.
"Let’s head back after finishing these. It’s about time."
After that, Zhou Zhuofei didn’t ask Zhan Zilang any more questions. In her mind, he had now solidified as a wealthy intern with formidable connections—in short, someone not to be trifled with.
Wasn’t knowing that enough? No need to dig deeper.
Back in the office, Zhou Zhuofei wrapped up her remaining tasks and clocked out right on time.
It was Wednesday—an awkward middle-of-the-week day—but once today was over, the weekend was just two days away. Life suddenly felt full of promise!
Refreshed, she headed home, planning to buy groceries and cook herself something nice. While shopping at the supermarket, she suddenly received a message.
[Teacher Yao: Hello, Xiao Zhou. I’ve tried reaching out for a long time, but I just can’t get in touch with Zhang Qiaoqiao. If you’d like to continue with the support program, I can assign you another student.]
Zhou Zhuofei stared at the message for a long time, nearly blocking the aisle for other shoppers.
During her junior year of college, she had participated in a volunteer teaching program organized by her university, traveling to a rural middle school near City K.
Teacher Yao had been her liaison then, and they’d exchanged contact information.
In her senior year, she saw Teacher Yao post about a support initiative on social media—a one-on-one sponsorship program where each sponsor provided monthly financial aid to a financially struggling student. Sponsors and students didn’t meet; all communication was relayed through the assigned teacher.
At the time, Zhou Zhuofei had already secured an offer from Huanyu. Compared to her classmates scrambling for jobs or grad school, she felt incredibly fortunate.
Whether out of a desire to pass on that luck or simple gratitude, she joined the program. A few hundred yuan a month was manageable even on her starting salary.
Zhang Qiaoqiao had been her assigned student. They never interacted directly—most of the time, Zhou Zhuofei transferred funds to the program’s account, and Teacher Yao updated her on Zhang Qiaoqiao’s grades.
The girl’s performance had been consistently strong, and Zhou Zhuofei had hoped she’d make it to university. Though the program only covered high school, Zhou Zhuofei was willing to keep supporting her if she got into college.
But two months ago, just before the college entrance exams, Teacher Yao suddenly informed her that Zhang Qiaoqiao had transferred schools—abruptly and without explanation. No one knew where she’d gone.
Zhou Zhuofei had been stunned. Who would transfer schools right before such a critical exam?
She’d asked Teacher Yao to look into it, and the teacher had been diligent, but now it seemed there was still no answer.
After some thought, she replied:
[Got it, Teacher Yao. If we can’t find her, then so be it. Please assign me another student if there’s a suitable candidate.]
After finishing these tasks, she suddenly lost all desire to continue shopping and pushed her cart toward the checkout counter to leave.
Back home, she received another reply from Teacher Yao.
["Alright, Zhou Zhuofei, thank you for your support. I understand your concern for Zhang Qiaoqiao. From what I’ve heard, she was taken in by distant relatives, so schooling shouldn’t be an issue. Please don’t worry too much. I’ll compile and send you the new student records next week."]
Reading this, Zhou Zhuofei felt an instant weight lift off her shoulders. If that was the case, then it was truly wonderful.
Since she had willingly participated in this kind of charitable effort, Zhou Zhuofei never expected anything in return, nor did she seek recognition. All she wanted was for Zhang Qiaoqiao to have a chance to change her life.
Her appetite suddenly returned, and Zhou Zhuofei hummed a cheerful tune as she headed to the kitchen to prepare hotpot for dinner.
That evening, she cuddled with Director on the couch, watching a movie in the dimly lit room, illuminated only by the glow of the TV. If not for the lingering aroma of hotpot, the atmosphere would have been perfect.
Director stayed nestled in Zhou Zhuofei’s arms for a full minute before seizing an opportunity to escape. She didn’t mind, simply grabbing a pillow to hug instead, spending a peaceful, ordinary Wednesday night in comfort.
The next day, as usual, she stopped by the breakfast shop downstairs from her office to grab a meal. She liked arriving early, giving herself plenty of time to eat at her desk.
While waiting in line at her regular spot, she suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder, followed by a man’s voice behind her.
"Excuse me."
