Inside the office, ti seed to pause.
Sunlight stread in through the window, casting elongated, intertwined shadows of the two people, distinct and vivid.
Qiuqiu could clearly feel Tang Song’s warm breath brushing her cheek, carrying a faint fresh scent.
She froze in place, her fingers unconsciously clutching at the hem of his suit jacket,
a subtle but undeniable shiver rising from deep within her soul, spreading like an electric current throughout her body, raising goosebumps across her skin.
Tang Song’s breath surrounded her—familiar and comforting—bringing an unprecedented sense of safety and warmth,
just like when she used to stay close to Grandma.
This mont was both blurry and clear, chaotic yet beautiful.
Like walking the line between dream and reality.
Then suddenly, Qiuqiu’s eyes flew open.
The suction and enveloping feeling on her lips shattered the brief blankness in her mind.
Every nerve ending was awakened, hypersensitive,
Tang Song’s lips were soft and warm, with just the right touch of moistness, gently sucking on her lower lip,
every ti sending tremors through her entire body.
"Bang-bang—"
Her heartbeat exploded like thunder in her ears, the rhythm so fast it felt like it would burst out of her chest.
Because of both psychological and physical reasons, this was the first ti she had ever been this close to a man, and her very first kiss.
There was none of the rejection or nausea she had imagined, nor fear or discomfort.
What she felt instead was happiness and intoxication.
Sensing her silent permission, Tang Song’s movents grew bolder.
His lips pressed harder, and his right hand slid up her back, finally resting on her slender waist.
Thanks to years of yoga and cycling, Qiuqiu’s waistline was smooth and toned, an ideal texture to the touch.
When Tang Song’s palm fit against it, he could feel the strength and resilience beneath that thin layer of muscle, without losing the unique softness and elasticity of a woman.
What fascinated him most was that every ti he changed the angle of the kiss, Qiuqiu would instinctively tremble slightly, like a startled fawn.
This inexperienced response made the kiss even more enchanting, like tasting a freshly blood callia—sweet with a slight hint of bitterness.
A first kiss that was pure and heart-fluttering.
After about thirty seconds.
Qiuqiu’s breathing beca increasingly erratic, her face flushing red.
Her cheeks were unnaturally rosy, her chest rising and falling rapidly—clearly, her first kiss had left her breathless.
"Huff—huff—"
She suddenly pushed Tang Song away, gasping for air, her eyes dazed and confused.
As her reason gradually returned, a wave of intense sha washed over her.
A crimson flush spread from the base of her ears down to her collarbone, and she stumbled backward in panic, nearly tripping over her own feet.
Her pupils quivered slightly as she clutched her burning face with both hands, unable to believe what had just happened.
“Wh-what just happened... How did it...”
“President Tang, I r-really didn’t an it...”
“I know I was totally wrong... Please don’t be mad.”
“I just... just had a mont of confusion, I really didn’t have any other thoughts...”
She stamred in Sichuan dialect, mumbling to herself in a daze, not even sure what she was saying.
The more she tried to explain, the more she felt like a total freak.
She had confidently claid she was asexual, had no interest in n, and didn’t want any kind of intimate contact with him.
Yet now, she had taken the initiative to kiss her senior’s boyfriend.
The guilt made her want to crawl into a hole.
What am I doing? Why can’t I control myself?
What will Tang Song think of ?
What if Senior finds out?
Above her, the [Dreamscape Flower Seed] gently swayed, casting a luminous glow down upon her.
“Calm down, Qiuqiu.” Tang Song’s voice was gentle and steady, filled with comforting strength.
Qiuqiu slowly lowered her hands, but the mont she t his gaze, she hurriedly looked away again.
But strangely, just by looking into his eyes, all her chaotic emotions began to settle.
There was no disgust or surprise in his gaze—only a kind of indulgent calmness, as if he had expected all of this.
“I’m sorry... I got a little too worked up earlier...” Qiuqiu bit her moist lip and looked down at the signed photo in her hand. “Thank you for the surprise, President Tang. I-I’ll go back to work now.”
Just as she turned around, her wrist was gently caught.
Tang Song stepped in front of her again. “Qiuqiu, I rember you said you’re asexual, right? Not used to close contact with the opposite sex—physically and psychologically it makes you uncomfortable.”
That made Qiuqiu want to crawl under the floor.
She opened her mouth and explained with difficulty, “I don’t know why it happened, but I didn’t lie to you.”
“I believe you.” Tang Song looked at the sexy and cool designer with soft, focused eyes. “Is it possible your condition is improving? Or maybe... being close to helps?”
Hearing that, Qiuqiu blinked and looked at him again. “Maybe it does.”
Though she had said those things before to put distance between them and avoid hurting her senior, she hadn’t been lying.
She rarely had physical reactions—her strongest one had been during a cycling trip with Tang Song.
To her, he really was special.
Especially lately—she couldn’t help but want to talk to him, to get close to him.
It was an entirely new kind of impulse.
Tang Song continued, “Qiuqiu, we’re good friends, right?”
“Yes.” Her voice was soft.
“As your friend, I want to see you get better. So... if being close helps, I don’t mind at all. In fact, I’m happy to help.”
As he spoke, Tang Song shalessly moved closer and gently wrapped his arm around her waist,
casual yet asured—close enough to be intimate, but not suffocating.
By now, he was no longer the shy young man who used to blush at eye contact with beauticians or freeze during hugs with business partners.
He had beco an experienced, emotionally intelligent warm guy.
This—this—
Qiuqiu’s eyes widened, her breathing quickened, and her full D-cup chest trembled from nerves.
The air still carried the lingering scent of their embrace—so intimate it made her whole body burn and her limbs feel weak.
“Does this make you uncomfortable?” Tang Song asked with concern, watching her facial expressions carefully.
Qiuqiu shook her head, her voice barely audible, “N-no... it doesn’t...”
Tang Song lowered his head and suddenly kissed her fair cheek. “What about that?”
“St-still okay.” Qiuqiu’s brain was slowly losing function, only able to respond chanically.
Tang Song took a deep breath, his nostrils filled with her cool, clean fragrance.
It was a scent unique to her—like morning dew in early winter, pure and refreshing.
His hand traced along the curve of her waist, savoring the elegant contour,
feeling completely at ease.
When they first t at Huayun Center, the cool aloofness and sexiness of this female cyclist had left a deep impression on him.
Later, so minor conflicts and her indifferent attitude caused tension between them.
Then ca Su Yu’s support event, the cycling trip, her joining Songi Fashion, team-building events, dream therapy...
In reality, they were never particularly close—Qiuqiu had always remained distant and reserved.
This “boundary-crossing” mont wasn’t just for the [Dreamscape Flower Seed] to bloom and earn a [Charm 1].
What enchanted him most was the slow unraveling of her icy shell, a process he couldn’t get enough of.
Just as his hand was about to venture into a more dangerous area, Qiuqiu suddenly jolted away like waking from a dream.
“No... I can’t...” her voice trembled.
“It’s okay.” Tang Song calmly withdrew his hand, a faint smile playing on his lips. “We’ll take it slow. Let’s start with basic intimate contact.”
Qiuqiu’s ears were red as blood. After a long pause, she squeezed out a sentence, “Th-then... can you not tell Senior...”
“Of course.” Tang Song winked. “It’s our little secret.”
Qiuqiu turned her head in panic. “I should go. I still have work to finish.”
“At noon I’m grabbing sushi with ngting and Yiyi. You should co too. I saw the visual identity system you made—it far exceeded my expectations. We can have a quick eting and discuss next steps.”
“Okay.” Joy lit up Qiuqiu’s eyes.
Earning Tang Song’s approval made her incredibly happy.
“Oh, right.” Tang Song suddenly rembered sothing. “The weather’s cooling down. Let’s go cycling again with Lingling. You missed it last ti, it was a sha.”
At his words, Qiuqiu’s expression instantly stiffened. She pressed her lips together and explained in a low voice, “That ti, the guy with —Brother Junfeng—is a friend of a neighbor. He just ca to deliver sothing from my hotown.”
She regretted it the mont she said it. That explanation sounded so guilty.
“I see.” Tang Song nodded lightly, a trace of amusent in his eyes.
“Bye-bye.”
Qiuqiu glanced up at Tang Song, then turned and left in a hurry.
Bang—
The office door closed.
Qiuqiu walked down the corridor with her head lowered, her cheeks burning red, the corners of her mouth curling uncontrollably into a tiny smile.
Back at her desk, she chanically lit up the computer screen.
Her eyes landed on the signed photo from Su Yu, her fingers brushing the inscription.
She replayed that first kiss in her mind over and over again.
Joy gradually consud her.
This hidden delight made her both ashad and infatuated—like Eve tasting forbidden fruit.
3 p.m.
Tangyi Precision, Yan City Branch, Consur Electronics Division.
Inside the HRBD office.
Tian Jing sat quietly at her desk, dressed in a beige suit with a slightly professional cut, the hem of her skirt revealing a sliver of pale, slender leg.
She was the perfect balance of professional elegance and girlish grace.
Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto her desk, making her appear even sweeter and more well-behaved.
She sat with perfect posture, hands on the keyboard, eyes fixed on the screen as if handling an important docunt.
However, only upon closer inspection would one notice that a corner of the screen was minimized into a tiny video player window.
A beautifully animated, subtly suggestive ani was playing in the corner of the screen.
Her feet were clad in pointed high heels, the slim heels lightly tapping the floor in rhythm with her delighted mood, making a crisp “tap-tap” sound like a soft, elegant nocturne.
Every ti the scene got exciting, her fingers would fly to the screenshot key, then she’d expertly send it off to her “bestie” Xu Qing,
along with a ssage: “Qingqing, this scene is amazing! Want to act it out together? Let’s bring Tang Song too?” Check latest chapters at novèlfire
Xu Qing’s usual reply was a string of angry emoji, followed by a “Xiao Jing! That’s enough!”—then she’d imdiately go offline and ghost her.
The main problem was, the ani Jing found always had so… special traits.
Tian Jing had long gotten used to this and thoroughly enjoyed it.
She was actually a bit glad she had “jumped ship” to Tangyi Precision.
Though she had left behind a few close colleagues, this place was practically heaven for slacking off.
As the HRBP (Human Resources Business Partner) of the Consur Electronics Division, she oversaw the entire departnt’s HR affairs, managing a team of more than a dozen HRs—her authority was trendous.
Plus, Tangyi Precision’s Yan City branch was the largest in North China, with over 12,000 employees and ranked among the top taxpayers.
Her position was way more powerful than it looked—far beyond an ordinary manager, with significant authority and influence.
Above her was the HRD, the company’s VP of Human Resources, a core executive.
You could say her role was already at the mid-to-senior managent level.
She even had her own private office.
But she hadn’t told her father You Chengye any of this.
She only casually ntioned that she was a regular HRBD, helping Smile Holdings monitor personnel data.
She knew Old Tian’s personality all too well—if he found out how important her position was now, he’d definitely pressure her to “take the next step,”
maybe even directly ddle in her career path.
And she didn’t want to be rushed anymore—definitely didn’t want her dad to know.
Her current position was largely thanks to the behind-the-scenes support of Shangguan Qiuya.
Thinking of that made Jing’s self-confidence shimr a little.
Lately, things on her dad’s side had been rough. He was under a lot of pressure, and there was growing risk of asset shrinkage.
Though she pretended not to notice, she knew better than anyone.
If the Tian family really fell, her standing with Tang Song would also take a hit.
And the best person to help her dad?
That would be Shangguan Qiuya.
Her relationship with Tang Song was ambiguous at best, and she treated Jing with special kindness.
Tian Jing planned to invite Shangguan Qiuya to her upcoming birthday party.
By then, both Tang Song and her dad would be there—and she could use the birthday as a pretext to ask Qiuya for help.
It would also serve as the official introduction of Tang Song to her family.
With Shangguan Qiuya—the great protector—present, Old Tian would behave, and Tang Song would get the best treatnt.
And the credit for helping her dad could even be shifted from Qiuya to her boyfriend.
That would directly solve any potential family conflict down the line.
Honestly, if it weren’t for the serious trouble her dad was in,
she wouldn’t even want to ask Qiuya for help—after all, she was a heavyweight “romantic rival.”
Just then, a ssage popped up in the top right corner of her screen, interrupting her thoughts.
【Song: “Xiao Jing, are you free this Saturday? How about we go shopping and grab a bite?”】
The mont she read it, Xiao Jing’s eyes curved into happy crescents, her heart fluttering a little faster.
She quickly typed back: “Really? I can’t wait to go on a date with you!”
【Song: “Of course it’s real. Also, I picked out an outfit for you. I’ll send it over in the next couple days—wear it for the date, okay?”】
Xiao Jing nearly jumped out of her chair in excitent, her fingers flying over the keyboard: “Yes! I’ll wear whatever you say!”
Her mind was already running wild.
Tang Song was giving her clothes for the first ti—and bringing it up specifically for a date.
So... what kind of outfit would it be?
A regular date look, or sothing a bit more... special?
Like... sothing easy to punish in? E**? *ut?
(000"1)!
Just thinking about it made her cheeks flush. Her legs started rubbing together involuntarily.
She typed: “Song, I want to see your hands. Can you send a photo?”
A few seconds later, a picture popped up.
Xiao Jing quickly opened it, zood in—the cool, pale skin tinged with a faint blush.
Now that she thought about it, it had been a few days since she’d confessed her “sins” to Lord Tang Song.
This ti... what excuse should she use?
Xiao Jing’s eyes flicked with mischief. Her lips curved into a cunning smile, just like a magical girl in an ani plotting mischief.
Of course, the biggest “sin” would be the whole NTR thing.
But she’d never use sothing like that to upset her beloved boyfriend.
Still... a different angle might work just fine.
Like, that Lin Muxue she t at the bar a few days ago had been warming up to her on WeChat lately.
Even hinting around to find out what she liked and her daily schedule.
Tian Jing narrowed her eyes, imagining scenes straight out of classic ani plots.
Lin Muxue was hot, classy, and aggressive—yet so enthusiastic and attentive toward her.
She was clearly awakening to her yuri side! Just like Aihara i from Citrus~
Lin Muxue was obviously trying to romance her, and Jing could totally use that.
Over the next two days, she planned to chat more with Lin Muxue, flirt a little.
Then during her date, she’d confess it all to Brother Tang Song and show him the chat logs.
By then, she’d definitely be punished like never before.
Ah! Just imagining it was already...
Xiao Jing wiggled in her seat in excitent, her hands unconsciously sliding onto her thighs.
She muttered under her breath, “Shimimase, Lord Tang Song—”
Just as she was lost in her fantasy—
Buzz buzz buzz——
Another ssage popped up.
【Shen Yuyan: “Xiao Jing, are you busy? I want to chat about sothing.”】
Xiao Jing pursed her lips and replied: “Not too busy. What’s up?”
【Shen Yuyan: “I heard from Qingqing that you used to work in the sa company as Tang Song, right? I went to college with him. He was super low-key back then, and I’m dying to know what he’s like at Songi Fashion. Can you tell ?”】
Xiao Jing raised an eyebrow, her eyes flickering.
Why did Shen Yuyan sound just like Lin Muxue—every ti she ssaged, it was to dig up info?
Still, considering she was Xu Qing’s close friend, had so value in being roped in, and was also very pretty, Jing didn’t mind her too much.
She decided to stop her little ga and started typing back to chat.
Since starting at the new company, she didn’t have many familiar faces around, and work hadn’t really picked up yet—she was feeling a bit lonely.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t be watching ani clips and bothering Xu Qing.
A chat like this wasn’t a bad way to kill ti.
...
Youjie Housekeeping, General Manager's Office.
The atmosphere was tense and subdued.
Shen Yuyan sat behind the desk, hands folded on the surface, composed and poised.
Her tailored office attire paired with stockings highlighted her graceful, alluring figure.
Li ixia’s brows were furrowed with worry, while Zhu Ning looked a bit unsettled.
“I’ve already explained the situation to you clearly.” Shen Yuyan’s voice was calm and resolute. “We lost the betting agreent. It's officially over between and Win-Win Tech. From now on, they’ll definitely find ways to target Youjie Housekeeping. The company must shrink its operations and cancel the branch openings planned in other cities.”
Upon hearing this, Li ixia frowned tightly and couldn’t help but say, “Yuyan, is there really no other way? Maybe we could talk to Senior Ren again...”
Shen Yuyan raised a hand to cut her off—clean and decisive, with no hesitation in her tone: “There’s no room left for negotiation. I will officially resign from Youjie Housekeeping. ixia, you will take over as General Manager.”
“I’m... not sure I can do it,” Li ixia shook her head, looking completely deflated.
She was self-aware.
Though she had always managed the housekeeping business and was two years senior to Shen Yuyan, when it ca to capability, vision, and boldness, she knew she couldn’t match up.
Beside her, Wang Ning opened his mouth slightly, as if wanting to say sothing.
Shen Yuyan spoke directly: “No need to feel too pressured. Based on our current business, we can still operate normally. If we hold out, a turnaround is possible. Wang Ning, continue pushing forward with the integration of our app and AI.”
She was rely “changing camps” to beco Tang Song’s assistant—and would surely reappear in public with a much more prominent identity.
Youjie Housekeeping was her pride and her past. If possible, she still hoped it could survive and flourish.
But Wang Ning didn’t respond right away.
Noticing this, Shen Yuyan raised an eyebrow. “What? Is there a problem?”
After a mont of silence, Wang Ning finally spoke. “Yuyan, ixia, well... I’m planning to move to the Imperial Capital.”
Hearing that, Li ixia’s expression changed dramatically. “What! You’re leaving too?”
Shen Yuyan’s gaze toward him shifted slightly, faintly guessing the reason.
With her keen perception, Wang Ning couldn’t hide anything from her.
Wang Ning’s throat bobbed as he averted his gaze. “I’m already 27. I want to go experience the cutting edge while I’m still young. If I stay in Yancheng too long, I feel like my vision is too limited.”
Li ixia grabbed his arm and started trying to persuade him.
Their early team had five people—excluding Hou Shaoyuan, who rarely appeared, that left four.
Now the other three were leaving, and only she remained. Of course it made her feel uneasy.
Shen Yuyan stared at him for a long mont, then suddenly said, “You’re going to Win-Win Tech, aren’t you? Wang Ning.”
Her voice was emotionless, but it carried imnse pressure.
Sweat gradually beaded on Wang Ning’s forehead, and he looked increasingly flustered.
After a brief internal struggle, he finally nodded. “Senior Ren has invited many tis. Win-Win Tech has a shot at going public and is fully embracing AI and big data—two booming fields. I majored in computer science, so I want to give it a try.”
“You’re sure?” Shen Yuyan’s tone remained flat.
Wang Ning gritted his teeth and forced out an answer. “I’m sure!”
Back in university, he had been class president—always smooth and savvy, with high IQ and EQ.
He joined Youjie Housekeeping originally because he believed in Shen Yuyan and Zhang Tianqi’s abilities and network, thinking the company would soar.
If it succeeded, his equity might even lead to financial freedom.
But now, Hou Shaoyuan was gone, Zhang Tianqi was gone, the funding failed, and even Shen Yuyan was leaving.
Faced with this ss, of course he didn’t want to waste more ti.
Besides, Ren Mingyuan’s offer was highly tempting: a team lead position in a core departnt, over 20K monthly salary, plus stock options.
More importantly, Win-Win Tech was about to go public—aning he could soon beco an executive in a listed company.
There was a real chance he could climb to the top.
Hearing his reply, Li ixia still wanted to argue, but Shen Yuyan cut her off imdiately.
She stood up, grabbed a file from nearby, and slap—dropped it on the table. “Here’s your resignation form and the supplental non-compete clause. Fill it out and hand it in to .”
Wang Ning looked at this clear-eyed campus beauty, took the papers, and nodded silently.
He’d once dread of winning the beauty’s heart through a startup, but reality had taught him that his own future mattered far more than any romantic fantasy.
As the two left the office, Shen Yuyan’s gaze followed them, a flicker of cold sharpness flashing in her eyes.
Wang Ning’s move was, without a doubt, a betrayal—a knife in the back.
As head of the tech departnt, he was a core mber of the team.
His departure just happened to trigger a clause in the buyback terms.
Also, based on what she’d heard from alumni like Lu Ziming, Wang Ning and Tang Song didn’t get along in college.
Since that’s the case, she wouldn’t show rcy.
“Xiangxiang.”
Shen Yuyan gave a cold laugh, picked up her phone, and once again opened her chat with Tian Jing.
She muttered, “Chen Yunteng... Du Shaokai...”
Then she straightened up and began typing on her computer.
First, she combed through alumni and industry group chats to collect detailed info on Du Shaokai;
then contacted a headhunter friend to retrieve Chen Yunteng’s resu records.
Yancheng wasn’t a big place.
As a forr Fortune 500 HR, Shen Yuyan had deep local networks and powerful information-gathering capabilities.
That’s also why she had once wanted to connect with Zheng Qiudong.
In a way, this HR industry leader was also one of her aspirational role models.
She was investigating these two under the guise of “headhunting with high pay”—her cover flawless.
As for her real intent, it was simple.
According to Tian Jing, both had “bullied” Tang Song during their ti at Jinxiu Trading.
And Tang Song hadn’t really retaliated against them.
Maybe he was too magnanimous, or maybe he just didn’t think those ants were worth his ti.
But Shen Yuyan wasn’t like that.
So things, as his assistant, she was more than happy to handle on his behalf.
When the ti was right, she would let Tang Song “accidentally” witness their miserable downfall.
Let him suddenly realize soone had been silently clearing the pebbles from his path.
Let him understand—
who was the one truly capable of getting things done for him.
At that thought, Shen Yuyan let out a soft chuckle.
Lin Muxue, oh Lin Muxue! You’re all looks and no substance!
You’ve got the seat closest to him, yet all you do is posture and seek attention.
Pathetic.
“Your spot... will be mine sooner or later.”
Shen Yuyan leaned back slightly, her long legs elegantly crossed, the black stockings gleaming with a cool shimr in the light.
Her narrowed eyes glinted like a blade about to be unsheathed.
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