As soon as Zhan Zilang left, Zhou Zhuofei continued enjoying her breakfast.
"Wait a second," Luo Jing tried to make sense of the situation. "Did I just hear Xiao Mi's name? Or was I mistaken?"
Unless it was someone with the same name? Did Zhan Zilang and Zhou Zhuofei really know someone named Xiao Mi?
While he was pondering the possibilities, Zhou Zhuofei gave the least expected answer.
"Yeah, it's him."
"No way!" Luo Jing accidentally raised his voice before quickly lowering it again. "Seriously? No wonder that figure looked so familiar."
Zhou Zhuofei shot him a glance and bluntly called him out. "Oh please, you didn’t recognize him at all. Just a moment ago, you were going on about how tall he was."
Luo Jing chuckled awkwardly. "Well, if it’s Xiao Mi, I can understand why you’d break your principles for him."
Zhou Zhuofei lifted her chin and replied in an exaggerated tone, "Hmm... he’s alright, I guess."
"Just alright? He’s ridiculously handsome, has a great personality, and makes you breakfast every morning. Let me see what you’re having today..." Luo Jing glanced at the sandwich in her hand. "Another new flavor? If I remember correctly, you’ve never had the same sandwich twice!"
"Why are you being so sneaky, spying on my breakfast?"
Luo Jing sighed. "I’m just marveling at where you’d find such a thoughtful boyfriend."
"Don’t marvel. You could become one too."
"How could I possibly compare?" Luo Jing waved his hand dismissively. "No way, no way."
"It’s not about comparison. It’s just that we happen to suit each other’s lifestyles. He enjoys cooking, and I enjoy eating—what’s not to like?"
Luo Jing fell silent, simply staring at Zhou Zhuofei with an awestruck expression.
"Why are you so quiet now?"
Bantering with Luo Jing was part of Zhou Zhuofei’s daily routine. Compared to other colleagues, the two of them were closer, so their conversations were naturally more casual. Besides, what she’d said wasn’t that outrageous, was it?
It sounded perfectly reasonable to her.
"I suddenly feel like you’ve become gentler," Luo Jing replied, looking genuinely surprised. "If this were before, you’d already be mocking me by now."
"Am I really that harsh?" Zhou Zhuofei paused to think and had to admit Luo Jing had a point—she had already come up with several sarcastic remarks in her head.
"Well, ‘harsh’ might not be the right word. Maybe just... sharp?" Luo Jing struggled to find the right phrasing.
In his eyes, it was normal for young people to have a bit of edge. Zhou Zhuofei was straightforward and never one to hold back her words. A little sharpness now and then wasn’t a big deal.
He had been the same way when he first started working. It was only after going through a lot that he learned to tone it down. That’s why he always gave Zhou Zhuofei room to grow—everyone needed time to mature.
Zhou Zhuofei didn’t overthink it. She figured spending more time with Xiao Wang had softened her tone, making her less combative.
With sincerity, she told Luo Jing, "If you really want me to mock you, just beg a little harder, and I’ll oblige."
"Ah... now that’s the familiar tone I know." Luo Jing laughed. "But I’ll pass. I actually liked what you said earlier. Guess dating Xiao Mi really changed you."
"What do you mean ‘dating him changed me’?" Zhou Zhuofei immediately retorted. "I don’t like that phrasing. He’s great, but I’m not bad either."
Luo Jing was about to explain that wasn’t what he meant, but upon reflection, he realized his words could be misinterpreted. He quickly apologized. "Ah, my bad. Didn’t mean it that way."
Zhou Zhuofei wasn’t one to dwell on it and let it go with a smile.
After breakfast and the morning meeting, Ye Ru called Zhou Zhuofei into her office. First, she asked about her recent work and discussed upcoming tasks.
Even though there were still over three months until the end of the year, preparations for the annual company party had already begun. Ye Ru wanted Zhou Zhuofei to take on more responsibilities this year.
Though slacking off was Zhou Zhuofei’s life motto, she still had to do the work assigned by her boss. After all, she prided herself on being Ye Ru’s star pupil, didn’t she?
"Got it."
"Oh, and Zhan Zilang will probably leave after his internship ends. Make sure to take over his tasks."
"Zhan Zilang’s leaving?" Zhou Zhuofei was stunned. "He never mentioned it!"
She remembered him mentioning his family wanted him to work at his uncle’s company, but if he didn’t even tell her about leaving, how dare he criticize her before?
"Maybe he didn’t know himself yet." After wrapping up work matters, Ye Ru relaxed a little and asked casually, "So, you’re dating someone?"
"Yeah... I am. Did you see my post, Ye Ru?"
"I scroll through occasionally. Just happened to see it today." Ye Ru’s tone turned curious. "Is it Xiao Mi?"
"You recognized him?"
"Not really, just guessed." Seeing she was right, Ye Ru grew more at ease. "A couple of days ago, I saw you getting into Xiao Mi’s car outside the office. I had a hunch something was up. Then I saw your post today, and it all made sense. Good for you! Young people should be dating. How long have you two been together?"
"Just over two weeks."
"Ah, the honeymoon phase." Ye Ru sighed nostalgically before abruptly shifting gears. "Which is why you’re perfect for handling the annual party."
Zhou Zhuofei was caught off guard. That was quite the leap in conversation.
"Exactly. With Xiao Mi as your boyfriend, your name carries weight now. You’re the ideal person for the job."
The annual party wasn’t just about booking a venue, decorations, and logistics—it also involved coordinating with every department.
The biggest headache was getting each department to prepare performances. At the end of the year, everyone was already swamped with reviews, reports, and catching up on paperwork. Adding rehearsals to the mix only made things worse.
Even at a company like Huanyu, known for its great benefits, complaints were inevitable during this time.
But the party was non-negotiable, so the administrative team often found themselves caught in the middle, bearing the brunt of everyone’s frustrations.
Zhou Zhuofei had been through it before, but last year she was just an assistant, so she hadn’t felt the full pressure. Still, she could tell from her colleagues’ moods—no one enjoyed the annual party except the boss.
"Ye Ru... is this really appropriate?"
"Of course it is. I’m assigning the right person to the right job."
That might be true, but Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t shake the guilt.
"Isn’t this a bit unfair?"
"Not at all. Just follow the rules. What others think is their problem."
Seeing Zhou Zhuofei’s hesitation, Ye Ru spoke earnestly. "Don’t overthink it. You’ll face similar situations in the future. Just focus on doing your best."
Zhou Zhuofei nodded reluctantly. "I understand. I'll do my best."
For now, she would agree and figure things out later.
"Keep it up. You've been here for over three years—next year should be your promotion."
"Got it."
In the past, the mention of a promotion would have stirred some excitement in Zhou Zhuofei. After all, a higher rank meant better benefits. But now, the news left her completely unfazed.
No matter how much her salary increased, it would never surpass the sum sitting in her bank account.
Was this the composure of the wealthy?
Returning to the office, Zhou Zhuofei immediately spotted Zhan Zilang slacking off. She was about to confront him, but then she remembered Ye Ru’s words—he might not even be aware of the situation, and this job had likely been arranged for him by his family.
Then there was his earlier "dog-walking" analogy. Suddenly, his argument didn’t seem entirely unreasonable.
So, calmly, she relayed Ye Ru’s message to him. The moment Zhan Zilang heard that decisions about his future were being made without his knowledge, he exploded.
"They’re just going to shuffle me around without even telling me? That’s outrageous!"
"Calm down. Go home and talk to your parents properly."
"What’s there to ask? They probably want me to join my uncle’s company!"
"Well, why don’t you try running away from home?"
Zhan Zilang immediately fell silent, staring at Zhou Zhuofei in disbelief. "That’s your advice?"
"My point is, if you don’t become fully independent, you’ll never have a say in front of your parents. Half-hearted resistance is pointless—you need to step out of your comfort zone." She patted his shoulder and reminded him to organize his work for a smooth handover.
After lunch, Zhou Zhuofei took a short nap before heading out with Luo Jing for an off-site assignment.
As they chatted while walking, they stepped out of the elevator and were startled to see Cen Huan standing at the company’s front desk.
It had been over half a month since they last met, and Cen Huan’s appearance had transformed again. If not for Zhou Zhuofei’s familiarity with her, she might not have recognized her at all.
But why was Cen Huan here?
Just this morning, she had heard about their engagement, and now Cen Huan was at Huanyu in the afternoon.
Zhou Zhuofei slowed her steps. Could today be that day?
"Zhou, where’d you go?" Luo Jing, realizing she was no longer beside him, turned back to look for her.
His voice carried loudly across the lobby, and the moment Cen Huan heard "Zhou," she instinctively turned toward the sound.
"Zhuofei?" Cen Huan’s face lit up as she waved enthusiastically. "I was just wondering if I’d run into you!"
Seeing that Zhou Zhuofei knew her, Luo Jing didn’t rush off, deciding to wait and let them catch up first.
Zhou Zhuofei passed through the security gate and approached Cen Huan. "You—" Her mind raced.
Logically, she shouldn’t know anything, so seeing Cen Huan here should come as a surprise.
After this quick deduction, she settled on her line: "Here to see me?"
Cen Huan hesitated, unsure how to explain. "No, I—"
Just then, the receptionist, recognizing their acquaintance, quickly turned to Zhou Zhuofei for help. "Zhou, perfect timing! Is this your friend? She was asking for General Manager Ling, but he has no appointments scheduled today."
"General Manager Ling?"
Zhou Zhuofei vaguely recalled the plot—something about Cen Huan urgently needing to find Ling Yu but failing to reach him, leading her to come to the company.
The receptionist, unaware of Cen Huan’s identity and seeing no proof of an appointment or valid reason, naturally wouldn’t call Ling Yu for confirmation.
In the original story, Cen Huan would wait in the lobby until Ling Yu saw her message and came down personally. Many employees would witness the scene, sparking speculation about her identity—until Zhou Zhuofei delivered her sole line in the novel:
"Isn’t she my old neighbor or something?"
But the current situation seemed different. Was it because she and Cen Huan had spoken first? Or was she supposed to ignore her, let her wait, and only witness the scene after returning from her assignment?
After a brief deliberation, Zhou Zhuofei decided to let the plot unfold however it wanted.
She wasn’t an actor with a script, after all.
"Do you need to see General Manager Ling for something urgent?"
"Yes! I’ve called him several times, but he isn’t answering." Cen Huan, eager to prove herself, pulled out her phone to show Zhou Zhuofei the call logs.
Not that it helped—Zhou Zhuofei didn’t recognize Ling Yu’s number either.
Still, she had to go through the motions, especially with everyone watching.
"Is it urgent? Did you have an arrangement beforehand?"
"It’s really important!" Cen Huan looked at Zhou Zhuofei as if she were a lifeline. She knew showing up unannounced was unusual, but surely Zhuofei would believe her?
"Hold on, let me check for you."
Zhou Zhuofei took out her phone and messaged Xiao Wang. Within two minutes, she had a reply.
After glancing at it, she turned to the receptionist with certainty. "Little Tang, issue her a visitor pass. Xiao Mi confirmed it."
