Lu Xintou led the IV team to the building's entrance, where the admin manager greeted them with a beaming smile, bowing and shaking hands. The admin clerk, Xue Fen, followed closely behind—but was so distracted by the handsome man that she nearly forgot her duties.

Lin Yanyan knew there was no escaping this encounter. Rather than react impulsively, she forced herself to stay calm, pretending not to know him.

Lu Xintou noticed her—but as if he’d expected it, he showed no surprise, no heightened interest. His glance toward her was fleeting, yet carried an unreadable weight.

Thankfully, Lin Yanyan didn’t have to shake hands with him. Her role was limited to welcoming and guiding, playing the part of a silent ornament. Once she’d escorted them to the elevators, she finally exhaled in relief. Upstairs, Jinghui’s executives would take over, giving the visitors a tour before the leaders retreated to the meeting room.

Now that her duties were done, she retreated to her post. The women in the office, ever gossipy, swarmed her with questions—whether the IV executives were handsome, how many had come, whether the cars downstairs were all luxury brands. It turned out they’d caught glimpses from their windows, and now, with the visitors upstairs, their curiosity had only deepened.

Lin Yanyan had no interest in indulging their curiosity. She gave vague answers, knowing she’d only been a backup greeter and hadn’t interacted much with the IV team.

By the time she left work, the meeting room was still occupied. Habitually, she glanced toward the CEO’s office—its door was shut. Soon, the nameplate on it would likely bear someone else’s name. The thought left her feeling even more desolate.

She settled for coffee and dessert at a nearby café, treating it as dinner. Her mind, weighed down by uncertainty about the future, made her eat slowly. By the time the city lights flickered on, couples strolled the streets hand in hand. Lost in thought, she watched them until a familiar car pulled into the parking lot outside the café.

Lu Xintou stepped out—no longer in his suit, but in a long trench coat paired with a plaid scarf, his attire more relaxed and youthful, making him look even more striking. He ordered hot coffee and dessert to go, but as he exited, two rowdy kids playing on the sidewalk bumped into him. Coffee spilled across the ground, staining his sleeve.

One hand clutching the empty cup, the other holding the dessert bag, he hesitated—just as a beautiful woman emerged from his car. She hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief to dab at the stain, scolding him with a furrowed brow.

The woman had long, curly hair and wore a hat, but even in profile, her beauty was evident. Lu Xintou seemed familiar with her, responding to her scolding with nothing more than a resigned smile before allowing her to loop her arm through his and leave together.

Lin Yanyan stood by the window, clutching her napkin, suddenly feeling like an intruder. Lu Xintou probably didn’t even know she existed. Two years ago, when she’d first returned to A City, he’d helped her when her suitcase tumbled down the airport escalator, even escorting her to a taxi. She’d gotten lost on a street corner, and he’d pointed her in the right direction. They’d exchanged nods in a café, fleeting encounters between strangers. Even during her job search, he’d interviewed her—but he hadn’t remembered any of it.

Yet she remembered every moment. From that first act of kindness at the airport, she’d etched him into her memory. Every subsequent encounter felt like fate, like destiny—brief glimpses that deepened her impression of him, eventually blossoming into a quiet, unspoken affection.

The strangeness of human connections, the unpredictability of emotions—sometimes, people could spend a lifetime together without ever developing feelings, while other times, a single glance or gesture was enough to ignite love.

She was lucky to have landed a job at Jinghui Venture Capital, a role that had brought her into his orbit. He hadn’t disappointed her; the more she learned about him, the more she admired his character. But the deeper her understanding grew, the more she realized this was nothing but a dream. The gap between them was too vast, the impossibilities too many. Even if she loved him, it could only remain an unspoken crush, buried forever in the most beautiful chapter of her life.

The next morning, Lin Yanyan arrived at work to find that Lu Xintou had already returned to Jinghui Group’s headquarters. After all, the CEO’s seat was his true domain, and the general manager position at Jinghui Venture Capital had merely been a part-time role. Now that IV had acquired a 70% stake, there was no need for him to stay.

The secretary had already packed up his belongings. Once everything was cleared out, not a trace of Lu Xintou would remain—not even memories, it seemed.

The office was tense with the weight of change. Tomorrow, IV’s team would arrive, and no one yet knew who the new general manager would be—a grizzled foreigner, a portly Chinese man with a square face, or perhaps a Hillary Clinton-esque powerhouse?

Lin Yanyan felt a knot in her stomach but forced herself to focus on her work. She told herself that even if this was now Lu Xintou’s company, as long as she worked diligently and avoided mistakes, he wouldn’t be able to touch her.

Still, the reassurance did little to ease her anxiety.

Her fears proved well-founded the next day when IV’s new leader arrived—none other than Lu Xintou himself.

IV Group primarily dealt in real estate development and venture capital, with branches across China and the world. As the largest shareholder in the Chinese market and the eldest son of the Lu family, Lu Xintou held significant influence within IV. Why would he come to Jinghui Venture Capital as general manager?

Even if he were to adopt the same model as Jing Chen—holding a stable executive position at the group while moonlighting as Jinghui’s GM—it was still baffling. After all, Jing Chen had only taken the role out of necessity, to clean up a mess. What about Lu Xintou? Was he here to do the same? To many, it seemed like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Regardless, Lu Xintou had arrived—and it was clear he intended to stay. Boxes of his belongings had already been moved in, and his office was swiftly transformed. He wasted no time, immediately restructuring the company’s organizational framework, which naturally led to a wave of personnel changes. The admin and HR departments were overwhelmed, and thanks to Lu Xintou’s "leadership," the month’s turnover rate soared.

After two weeks of overtime, Lin Yanyan finally snapped in the office, muttering, "Damn it!"

At least, in the past two weeks, she’d had minimal contact with Lu Xintou. The only times she’d heard from him were muffled shouts from behind his closed door. This bastard was nowhere near as gentle, cultured, or patient as Jing Chen. Many executives openly lamented the loss of their former boss.

The company’s transformation seeped into every department, but the most significant changes in HR were salary reforms—replacing the old structure with IV’s system. It was a massive undertaking, and Lu Xintou, ever the efficiency-obsessed leader, pushed relentlessly to meet deadlines, leaving HR Manager Miss Li gasping for air. With no way to report upward, she resorted to a mix of carrots and sticks to drive her team.

Originally, the salary reform shouldn’t have involved Lin Yanyan—she was a benefits specialist, while the compensation adjustments were handled by a dedicated salary officer. Unfortunately, that officer was a pregnant woman who, after two weeks of relentless pressure, had suffered complications and was now on extended leave. The entire burden of the reform now fell on Lin Yanyan’s shoulders.

When Miss Li approached her, Lin Yanyan wasn’t thrilled. She was a hard worker, but that didn’t mean she’d accept additional responsibilities without question. Yet after much persuasion—and the promise that the salary officer’s performance bonuses would be redirected to her—Lin Yanyan finally agreed.

She ended up pulling several all-nighters. One Friday evening, as colleagues left early for the weekend, she remained at her desk, buried in budget projections. Time slipped away, and by the time she snapped out of her haze, it was already 11 PM. Her back ached, her legs throbbed, and she stood to stretch.

Putting on her phone’s music, she danced a few bars of cha-cha in the empty office. She’d always loved dancing, spending hours in the university dance studio whenever she had free time. Music was another passion—though forced into piano and violin lessons as a child, she’d never enjoyed them. As an adult, she’d channeled her musicality into rock music. She’d rather scream into a guitar on a dingy stage than play Chopin like a princess in a ballroom.

To those who didn’t know her, she seemed quiet and reserved. But those close to her knew she harbored a wild soul. Her younger brother, Lin Weiwei, often joked, "Sis, you’re a total maniac!"

After dancing off some steam, her head still spun slightly from the exertion. Habitually, she walked to the window and did a handstand.

Back when she’d first joined Jinghui Venture Capital, she’d often stayed late to familiarize herself with sales operations. Back then, she hadn’t been the last to leave—Jing Chen had always worked later. From her desk on the 35th floor, she could see the glow of his office lights on the 36th, a warm beacon in the late-night darkness.

Now, after moving to the 36th floor with HR, she was closer to him than ever—yet his office door remained shut, his windows dark.

No one kept her company anymore. Even across the miles, there was no longer anyone standing on the other shore. Just her, alone.

Closing her eyes, she heard a sudden crash—glass shattering against the floor. Her heart leapt, and she quickly righted herself.

Before leaving, Miss Li had told her she’d be the last one in the office and handed her the keys, urging her to head home early. So who was still here? A burglar?

After a tense wait, the noise continued from the pantry. Gathering her courage, Lin Yanyan grabbed the scissors from the pen holder and crept toward the door.

The pantry lights were on. Though hesitant, she pressed herself against the wall, inching forward until she peeked inside—and froze.

There, standing under the fluorescent glow, was a man. man with damp hair, clad in nothing but a bathrobe.