"Celebration—we must celebrate!"
As Sang Lu arrived at the TV station and stepped into the D-team office area, she was immediately greeted by Little Duan's enthusiastic voice ringing out from inside.
Sang Lu peeked in. "Celebrate what?"
Hearing her voice, Little Duan turned around joyfully from the crowd and waved a stack of A4 papers in the air.
"Sister Sang Lu, come look! The premiere ratings are out, and our show is miles ahead of the competition."
Sang Lu walked over and took the papers from Little Duan.
The data showed that the first two episodes of their new variety show had achieved impressive viewership numbers on the platform.
A smile gradually spread across Sang Lu’s face.
Yu Xiaoke cleared her throat and added, "Not only are the audience numbers great, but when I went to the sponsorship department earlier, they quietly told me that several brands are interested in bidding for mid-roll ad slots in our show."
Sang Lu parted her lips, about to speak, when a younger colleague cut in.
Mimicking Sang Lu’s tone, the colleague grinned and said, "'We must stay true to our vision and strictly control the length of mid-roll ads.' Director Sang, no need to say it—I already know that’s what you were going to say, right?"
Sang Lu laughed and nodded, correcting, "Assistant director."
Another colleague steered the conversation elsewhere. "Speaking of which, we really have to thank President Feng for recognizing our potential. Without Feng Corporation’s initial sponsorship, we wouldn’t have been able to bring this project to life so perfectly."
"Absolutely, thank you to our generous sponsor—" Little Duan chimed in, then caught sight of Sang Lu and quickly corrected herself, "Wait, no, President Feng is Sister Sang Lu’s husband, not our 'sponsor daddy.' We should call him 'sponsor brother-in-law.'"
The room erupted in laughter.
Sang Lu’s eyes crinkled in amusement as well.
Listening to the chatter, she suddenly remembered—she hadn’t even shared the good news with Feng Yan yet.
She made her way to her workstation and pulled out her phone.
Amid the lively debate about where to go for their celebratory dinner that evening, she sent Feng Yan a few voice messages.
Feng Yan had just arrived at Feng Corporation’s underground parking garage when the messages came through.
As his car came to a stop, his phone lit up.
He tapped the voice notes.
Sang Lu’s cheerful voice filled the enclosed space:
"Big news—BIG NEWS!"
Her bright, energetic tone echoed through the car as she excitedly relayed the success. Her voice was naturally lively, and when she was happy, her words tumbled out faster, carrying an infectious enthusiasm.
At that moment, Fang Assistant happened to pass by his boss’s black sedan and glanced inside. What he saw made him pause—
The usually cold and imposing CEO, with his sharp aura, was leaning casually against the car window, elbow propped up, staring at his phone. The screen’s glow illuminated the faint curve of his lips.
Fang Assistant’s mind instantly filled with questions: "?"
Huh. That’s rare.
In all his years working for President Feng, he could count the number of times he’d seen the man smile on one hand.
And today, he’d witnessed it firsthand.
Had the company’s stock price hit a new high?
Or had they secured another prime piece of real estate?
Fang Assistant watched his boss for a moment, quietly cheering inside.
President Feng was known for his generosity toward employees. Whenever a major project succeeded, the executives’ salaries inevitably got another bump.
Looks like a raise is coming!
Nice!
As he speculated about the company’s soaring stock value, Fang Assistant suddenly recalled a recent entertainment magazine feature on President Feng.
The article had compared the most notable CEOs and tech moguls in the city, complete with hexagonal radar charts rating their strengths.
Only two or three names had maxed out every category.
President Feng was one of them.
The magazine had described him as: "A lone wolf of business, the king of decision-making and execution! A master at seizing opportunities and fortifying his gains, always eyeing the next conquest—step by step, until every target is devoured."
Inside the black car, the man’s sharp features were cast in the glow of his phone, his calm yet piercing gaze reflecting a quiet intensity.
Fang Assistant looked away, marveling to himself: Those gossip reporters really know how to paint a picture.
Right now, President Feng looked exactly like a wolf locking onto its prey.
......
"Ughhh—just pick somewhere already!"
As the workday ended, the D-team still hadn’t settled on a dinner location. Sang Lu clutched her head and let out a dramatic groan.
Slumped over her desk, her naturally curly hair was tousled from her frustrated gesture, making her look like a disheveled, starving lamb.
"How about a buffet? There’s something for everyone, so no one has to argue," someone suggested with a snap of their fingers.
Yu Xiaoke: "Brilliant idea!"
Little Duan: "Seconded."
Sang Lu grabbed her canvas bag, impatient. "Let’s go, let’s go. I’m ready to feast."
The group left the TV station in high spirits, laughing and chatting.
Once they’d settled on the buffet, they quickly decided on a location—a newly opened upscale restaurant in a high-end shopping district.
The per-person price was steep, so the place wasn’t too crowded.
They claimed a large table, dropped their bags, and immediately scattered toward their preferred food stations.
Sang Lu, her stomach growling, made a beeline for the Western cuisine section.
Meat. Meat.
She needed meat.
Behind the grill, a tall chef in a towering hat meticulously prepared the dishes.
He flipped a steak, pressed it lightly, then arranged it artfully on a plate before drizzling it with a special sauce and sliding it toward the serving area.
Sang Lu had been eyeing that steak for a while.
The moment the plate was within reach, she moved in—
Only to freeze when a man’s hand appeared beside hers, reaching for the same plate.
She looked up, meeting the man’s gaze, and blinked in surprise.
His expression mirrored hers—recognition flickering in his eyes as he studied her face.
With other customers waiting behind them, the moment passed quickly.
The man gestured politely. "You first."
Sang Lu took the steak with a small nod of thanks.
As she walked away, she tilted her head.
He looked so familiar.
Where had she seen him before?
It wasn’t until she rejoined her colleagues that it hit her.
A name from the distant past surfaced in her mind—Lu Sheng.
The academic star from the neighboring class whom she’d mistakenly thought she had a crush on during high school, swept up in the hype.
His features had matured since then, but the cadence of his voice had triggered the memory.
Back then, half the school’s girls had been infatuated with Lu Sheng.
Sang Lu’s close friends would drag her to the basketball court to watch him play or rope her into joining the same clubs he was in.
Everyone sang his praises—his looks, his grades.
As a teenager surrounded by constant chatter about him, Sang Lu had found herself paying extra attention too.
It was the height of idol drama mania.
She’d mistaken peer pressure for a crush.
But the illusion shattered when she outperformed him and became the club leader.
Suddenly, he didn’t seem so untouchable.
Looking back, it was never really a crush—just her getting caught up in the crowd.
That brief, misguided infatuation had ended the moment she outshone him.
