Zhou Zhuofei initially thought it was just another impatient stranger trying to cut in line, and she was about to turn around with a polite smile to refuse. But when she did, she found herself face-to-face with a strikingly handsome young man dressed in casual yet stylish attire, his fashionable look making him stand out starkly among the queue of office workers.
Still, good looks didn’t grant him line-cutting privileges.
She offered a courteous smile. "Hello."
The man looked both surprised and awkward, rubbing his nose. "You don’t remember me?"
What kind of question was that?
Zhou Zhuofei could practically feel the eyes of everyone in line turning toward them—she knew that look all too well. They were all eager for drama.
But she genuinely didn’t recognize him. Someone this good-looking should’ve left an impression if they’d met before.
Noticing her confusion, he pointed at her handbag. "Yesterday, I accidentally bumped into you. I even gave you my business card—remember?"
It finally clicked. No wonder his outfit had seemed familiar. He just wasn’t wearing the hat today, which had thrown her off.
"You’re Jiang Shen, right?"
The man visibly relaxed, nodding eagerly. "Yes, yes, that’s me."
By then, the line had reached Zhou Zhuofei. She quickly placed her breakfast order with the cashier and reached for her wallet, but before she could hand over the cash, Jiang Shen stepped in and paid first.
She glanced sideways as he flashed her a bright smile. "Let me get this. I didn’t get to properly apologize yesterday."
She was about to say it wasn’t necessary, but the cashier had already accepted his money. Not wanting to hold up the line, she took the breakfast and moved aside.
Once they were a little farther away, she tried to reimburse him, but he refused.
"Don’t worry about it. Consider it my treat."
It was just a few bucks, so she didn’t press further. "Well, thank you for breakfast, then."
His smile widened at her easy acceptance. "Thank you for forgiving me."
"It’s nothing. I’ve got to get to work now, so I’ll see you around."
"Sure, see you."
She walked a few steps before realizing Jiang Shen was following her—apparently, they were headed the same way.
When she turned back, he explained, "I’m guessing you work at Huanyu?"
"Yeah. You too?"
Jiang Shen grinned, his features effortlessly handsome—deep-set eyes, a straight nose—so striking that even exaggerated expressions only made him seem more easygoing.
The sheer energy radiating off him was nothing like the exhausted vibe of corporate drones like her, so she immediately dismissed her own assumption.
"Huanyu’s bar is way too high for me," he said, tossing her a light, well-measured compliment that didn’t feel forced. "I’m just here for some business."
They entered the lobby together. Zhou Zhuofei swiped her employee card to pass through the security gate, while Jiang Shen headed for the reception desk.
Waiting at the elevator, she idly watched him register for a visitor pass. Most business meetings didn’t happen this early, and his outfit didn’t scream "corporate." But her years of experience told her one thing: the more casually someone dressed here, the more important they probably were.
Just then, Du Yu’s words and that tarot card flashed unbidden in her mind.
No way it’s that accurate, right?
The elevator arrived, and she stepped inside with the crowd. Jiang Shen was still at reception, oblivious to her gaze.
As the elevator ascended, she quickly sorted through her thoughts.
Romantic encounters like this didn’t happen to people like her. Or, to put it another way, no author would waste ink on an extra’s love life.
By the time she settled at her desk, she’d snapped back to reality.
Back in college, she’d bought stacks of romance novels to study the genre. Her conclusion? Being a heroine wasn’t easy. You had to be open-minded, resilient, and—most crucially—able to endure endless drama.
Meanwhile, she was a homebody, socially wary, and held grudges like a pro. Hardly heroine material. No wonder she wasn’t cut out for the role.
Having rationalized everything, she finished her breakfast and got to work.
Zhan Zilang arrived just in time, already on a first-name basis with their coworkers by his third day. Everyone responded warmly—though Zhou Zhuofei knew better now.
Had it not been for yesterday’s conversation with her, he might’ve genuinely believed their friendliness was due to his charm.
After greetings, Zhan Zilang eagerly approached Zhou Zhuofei for tasks. Whether it was Secretary Xiao’s influence or his own initiative, he was happy to learn from her.
Why? Simple. He admired her straightforwardness.
He’d met enough smooth-talkers to last a lifetime. Honesty wasn’t always welcome, but Zhou Zhuofei had a knack for walking the line between bluntness and intrigue, delivering truth without alienating people.
She raised an eyebrow at his enthusiasm. "You’re unusually eager today. Guess Secretary Xiao’s words really work."
"Not at all! It’s because you’re the one guiding me."
"Alright, thanks for playing along."
When he insisted, "I mean it!" she shot back, "So does my gratitude!"
Before he could argue further, the desk phone rang. Zhou Zhuofei instantly switched to professional mode, picking up the receiver so smoothly that Zhan Zilang blinked in awe.
"Hello, this is Zhou Zhuofei."
Ye Ru’s voice came through. "Is Luo Jing there?"
"He just stepped out."
"Then bring an access card to Secretary Xiao’s office. Quickly."
"Got it." Hanging up, she nudged Zhan Zilang with a teasing tone. "Back to work, kiddo."
She grabbed a pre-authorized card from Luo Jing’s desk—his job included issuing temporary passes—and headed to Xiao Wang’s office.
To her surprise, Jiang Shen was there.
"Well, look who it is." He wiggled his fingers in greeting.
Xiao Wang looked puzzled. "You two know each other?"
"Just met today. Zhou Zhuofei, right?"
"That’s me." She handed the card to Xiao Wang, who passed it to Jiang Shen.
"Thanks for bringing this, Zhou Zhuofei."
"No problem. I’ll head back now."
She’d barely left when Jiang Shen stood too. "I’ll take off as well."
Xiao Wang turned, a flicker of something in his gaze. "Let me walk you out, Mr. Jiang."
Jiang Shen waved him off, already halfway out the door. "No need, really. Go ahead with your work. And tell Ling Yu I said hi."
"Alright."
Xiao Wang watched Jiang Shen leave, a faint trace of worry flickering in his eyes. He hoped he was overthinking it—maybe Jiang Shen just wanted to leave early.
Zhou Zhuofei ran into Jiang Shen again while waiting for the elevator, and the two exchanged a few more words.
The fact that Jiang Shen could directly ask Xiao Wang for an access card suggested his status was anything but ordinary, so Zhou Zhuofei kept his tone polite.
"May I ask where you work? Your business card didn’t seem to list anything."
Jiang Shen replied casually, "I wouldn’t call it 'working' anywhere prestigious. I’m more of a self-employed type."
"So, a freelancer?" Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t help but voice his admiration. "That’s really something."
Originally, Jiang Shen hadn’t planned on being entirely truthful, but Zhou Zhuofei’s genuine curiosity piqued his interest. Clearing his throat, he adopted a teasing tone. "Care to guess what I actually do?"
"How am I supposed to guess?" Zhou Zhuofei laughed but humored him anyway. "A model, maybe? Or something in the arts?"
After dismissing several of Zhou Zhuofei’s guesses, Jiang Shen finally revealed the answer. "Actually, I’m a private investigator."
