Before I knew it, Wednesday had arrived.
With just half an hour left before clocking out, Zhou Zhuofei was wrapping up her work for the day when a message popped up from Zhan Zilang on the company’s internal messaging system.
[Zhou-jie, would you prefer riding with me or Luo-ge later?]
[Either is fine, whatever you arrange.]
Since Zhan Zilang was the one organizing the gathering, the principle of "the guest defers to the host" applied, and Zhou Zhuofei was happy to go along with his plans.
A short while later, he sent another message with the final arrangement.
[We’ve decided—you and Qiao Qi will ride with Luo-ge.]
So, after work, Zhou Zhuofei and Qiao Qi followed Luo Jing down to the underground parking garage.
Curious, Zhou Zhuofei asked Luo Jing, "Do you know where we’re going for dinner?"
After agreeing to Zhan Zilang’s invitation, she hadn’t bothered with the details and still had no idea about the destination.
"Of course I know. Otherwise, where would I be driving you two?"
"Then how come I don’t know? Xiao Zhan didn’t tell me."
Luo Jing teased, "Why would he tell you? You’re not the one driving. Besides, what difference does it make where we eat? It’s not like you’re paying. You really think Xiao Zhan would pick a bad place?"
"Wow, that sounds like you’re taking advantage of the rich."
"Well, you can’t deny he’s loaded, can you? Have I ever told you about his place? It’s massive—a straight-up mansion. The kind I wouldn’t even dare dream of."
"Don’t worry. Just tell Xiao Wang to work harder, and someday you’ll live in a mansion too."
"Zhou Zhou, you’ve been to his house?" Qiao Qi, who had been quiet until now, suddenly showed interest and joined the conversation.
Though Zhou Zhuofei and Zhan Zilang were close, she had never mentioned visiting his home before, mostly to avoid misunderstandings. But now that he was leaving the company, she saw no reason to hide it.
"Yeah, I went once. His place is seriously huge—they even have multiple housekeepers just for cleaning."
"Well, he is a rich young master, after all," Luo Jing remarked, recalling his recent interactions with Zhan Zilang. "Honestly, though, he’s pretty down-to-earth for someone with that kind of money."
Zhou Zhuofei said firmly, "Trust me, he’s genuinely one of the good ones."
"You say that like you’ve met a lot of wealthy people."
"Not that many, but that doesn’t change the fact that Xiao Zhan has a great personality."
Luo Jing laughed. "You should say that to his face—he’d be over the moon."
"No way. He’s already done with the grind—no need to make him even happier."
"Not sure he’s that happy, though. He’s been looking pretty down lately. Yesterday, he even asked me out for drinks, but I had plans with my girlfriend."
Qiao Qi asked curiously, "Where’s Xiao Zhan going after he leaves?"
Zhou Zhuofei hesitated, wondering if she should keep it confidential, but Luo Jing answered before she could decide.
"Where else? Back to inherit the family business. His company might not be as big as Huanyu, but it’s still top ten in City K."
Well, she should’ve known Zhan Zilang couldn’t keep quiet about it—he’d probably been venting to anyone who’d listen.
"That’s impressive," Qiao Qi gasped, her face full of disbelief.
"You didn’t know?"
She shook her head. "I knew his family was well-off, but not to that extent."
It was true that Zhan Zilang was wealthy, but he never flaunted it and was always discreet about his private life. So most people only had a vague idea of his background—like Qiao Qi, who could only guess from his lifestyle and spending habits that he was different from the average person.
"Will he be working for his family from now on?"
"Definitely. Probably end up like General Manager Ling—that’s how family businesses go."
Qiao Qi sighed softly. Noticing, Zhou Zhuofei joked, "Feeling envious? Don’t worry, I am too."
Qiao Qi forced a smile but didn’t respond.
Since Qiao Qi was naturally quiet, Zhou Zhuofei didn’t think much of it and continued chatting with Luo Jing.
Zhan Zilang had chosen a high-end Japanese restaurant for the gathering. The private room was decorated in classic Japanese style, and just the interior alone made it clear this wasn’t a cheap place.
Everyone else had already arrived by the time Zhou Zhuofei entered. She found an empty seat, and Qiao Qi naturally sat beside her.
The group was the same as the last time they’d gone out for drinks—back then, it had been to welcome Zhan Zilang; now, it was to bid him farewell. In a way, it felt like things had come full circle.
But unlike before, when Zhan Zilang had just joined the department and barely knew anyone, now, after months of working together, they were all comfortable with each other.
Once everyone was seated, Zhan Zilang immediately urged them to order. "Get whatever you want—my treat."
Since his last day was still a while away, the mood at the table was light, with none of the usual sadness that came with farewells.
"I can’t stand sentimental goodbyes, so we’re doing this early. These past few months, I really appreciate everyone’s help—especially Zhou-jie. Sorry for all the trouble I caused you."
He raised his teacup in a toast, and the others responded warmly.
After drinking, someone teased him, "Look at Xiao Zhan now. I still remember how picky you were when you first joined. Now you’ve even learned to give speeches."
Zhan Zilang laughed modestly. "Had to pick up a few things after being here so long. Though credit goes to Zhou-jie for setting a good example."
"Don’t give me credit for that," Zhou Zhuofei said. "I never taught you how to talk like that."
"True. Since even Zhou-jie can’t do it, I guess that makes me the student surpassing the master."
"Excuse me? I let my work speak for itself, thank you very much." She turned to Zhan Zilang with a grin. "But your skills are undeniable. I have high hopes for you—go get ’em, President Zhan."
Zhan Zilang feigned shock. "President Zhan already?"
"Absolutely. Can’t you feel the sheer desperation in my flattery?"
The others joined in, laughing. "Yeah, better get on President Zhan’s good side now—who knows, we might need a job from him someday!"
Zhan Zilang couldn’t tell if they were joking or serious, so he just laughed along without making any promises.
Watching this, Zhou Zhuofei realized he really had learned the ways of the world—though she wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.
Like Zhan Zilang had said, he didn’t have a choice. No matter how much he disliked socializing, once he stepped onto this path, there was no avoiding it.
Just as Zhou Zhuofei finished this thought, the waiter arrived with their food. She pushed all reflections aside and focused on eating, occasionally exchanging a few words with Qiao Qi.
After the meal, a few male colleagues, craving a smoke, convinced the others to step outside. Soon, only Zhou Zhuofei, Qiao Qi, and Zhan Zilang remained in the room.
At times like these, Zhou Zhuofei missed Xiao Wang the most. These were just coworkers—she couldn’t expect too much from them. And not everyone had the courtesy to consider others.
All she could do was remind her male colleagues to air out the smoke before returning, while on the other side, she lavished praise on Zhan Zilang for not smoking.
"Not smoking is such a good habit—don’t ever learn from them!"
"Don’t worry, I’d never pick it up."
"Excellent habit, keep it up!" Zhou Zhuofei suddenly excused herself to use the restroom and turned to ask Qiao Qi if she wanted to join.
The response was odd—Qiao Qi hesitated before refusing. "No, I’m fine."
But why hesitate over something like that?
Lost in thought, Zhou Zhuofei headed to the restroom, pulling out her phone to exchange a few messages with Xiao Wang. Even though he’d be picking her up soon, she couldn’t resist sharing the little details of her day with him.
[The food here’s pretty good, though I’m still not used to raw dishes.]
[Did you eat enough, then?]
[Haha, if Zhan Zilang heard that, he’d be furious—spending a fortune on dinner only for you to leave hungry. But it’s fine, I’m full for now. Though seafood doesn’t stick, so I might get hungry later.]
[I’ll cook noodles for you when you’re back.]
[No overtime tonight?]
[All handled. But I might have a business trip next week.]
[Again? Even with General Manager Ling getting married soon?]
[This time it’s just me and the deputy manager. General Manager Ling isn’t going.]
[Ugh… still unfair.]
Engrossed in the conversation, Zhou Zhuofei didn’t realize she’d already reached the private dining room. She tucked her phone away and adjusted her expression—if Zhan Zilang saw her now, he’d surely tease her for wearing "that anime heroine’s blissful smile" again.
Honestly, that clueless gamer just didn’t get romance!
It puzzled her too. She and Xiao Wang rarely exchanged flowery words, mostly chatting about trivial things, yet every conversation left her inexplicably happy.
She patted her cheeks, stretching her stiff facial muscles, and was about to push the door open when Qiao Qi’s voice drifted out from inside.
"Thanks for recommending that game last time. My nephew loved it."
"Glad to hear it. No need to thank me—it’s a great game for kids."
The whole thing had been a coincidence. Since Qiao Qi’s desk was near Zhan Zilang’s, he’d once spotted her browsing game discs and, driven by instinct, wandered over to investigate.
Startled by his sudden approach, Qiao Qi stammered out an explanation: her gaming-obsessed nephew’s birthday was coming up, and she was agonizing over a gift.
Naturally, when a colleague faced a dilemma in his area of expertise, Zhan Zilang couldn’t resist helping. After clarifying the kid’s preferences, he suggested a few titles and even referred her to a contact who offered discounts, since the official store prices were steep.
"Yeah… my nephew’s obsessed with that game. I’ve been meaning to thank you properly, but I wasn’t sure how."
"Really, it was nothing. No need to make a fuss."
To Zhan Zilang, it was just a small favor—helping a young gamer discover a fantastic title. Zhou Zhuofei would’ve done the same.
"But in the future…" Qiao Qi’s voice grew hesitant, her nervousness palpable even to Zhou Zhuofei outside the door.
Zhou Zhuofei had a hunch Qiao Qi harbored feelings for Zhan Zilang. Earlier, she’d probably declined the restroom trip to seize this rare moment alone with him.
"Even if you’re not at the office… could I still ask you for advice?"
Zhan Zilang answered without a second’s pause. "Sure, but Zhou Zhuofei might be more convenient. She knows her games too."
"……"
The silence wasn’t just Qiao Qi’s—Zhou Zhuofei nearly burst in to yell at him.
How could he be this dense?!
