As the sun set, the evening glow filled half of Jiangcheng’s sky.

Xia Liyang was driving her convertible Porsche 911, enjoying the splendid sunset clouds along the riverbank.

Suddenly, her phone rang, interrupting the car’s music.

Xia Liyang glanced at the caller ID; it was her good friend Song Jinhe from Wenyu Novel Network.

She eased off the accelerator and pressed the hands-free button. “Have you arrived at the author conference?”

“Yes! This year’s venue is at the Junlan Grand Hotel, and it’s decorated luxuriously and beautifully!” Song Jinhe’s excited voice came through the phone, followed by a hint of regret, “It’s such a pity you’re not coming!”

“It’s fine; you can livestream it for me. You know I don’t like being in the spotlight,” Xia Liyang chuckled.

“Ugh, if I looked like you, I’d post selfies on Weibo every day and attend every event where I could show my face. I’d definitely gather a bunch of fans,” Song Jinhe said, pausing as if she heard the sound of Xia Liyang’s car engine. “Are you driving?”

“Yeah, just cruising by the river.”

“Stuck on a plot?” Song Jinhe asked.

“Yeah,” Xia Liyang nodded.

Whenever she got stuck on a plot, she would go out for a drive.

Back when she first signed on, she rode her bike; now, she was driving a sports car.

“Are you really planning to step out of your comfort zone and write a romance novel?” Song Jinhe asked, a bit uncertain.

“Of course.”

Seeing her answer so confidently, Song Jinhe perked up. “I’ll help you when I get back!”

She was best at writing romance novels, earning the nickname “Queen of Romance.”

“Then I’ll have to pay my respects to Teacher Bai Tao Qingjiu,” Xia Liyang teased, using her pen name.

“You’re too humble, Teacher Wujin Xia! Your book ‘Temptation and Punishment’ could probably win the copyright award at Wenyu this year! I can’t be your teacher; I can only give you some ideas,” Song Jinhe laughed.

“Enough with the mutual flattery.” Xia Liyang lightly tapped the steering wheel, leaving the dimming sunset behind her. “I’m heading home now; I’ll call you on video when I get there.”

“Alright, this reporter is ready to connect with you at any time!” Song Jinhe playfully said then hung up.

The red Porsche sped along the calm Qijiang River and eventually turned into Jiangcheng’s most upscale Jiangwan villa area.

After passing several luxurious riverside garden villas, Xia Liyang parked in the garage of a nearby mid-rise building.

She was wearing a neatly tailored stone-colored trench coat, with her black hair tied back in a high ponytail, her forehead smooth and her eyes bright and elegant.

As she stepped into the private elevator leading to her apartment, Song Jinhe’s video call came through again before she could reach her floor.

“Why are you, the reporter, more eager than I am?” Xia Liyang teased, glancing at Song Jinhe’s image on the screen.

“OMG, I just saw the most handsome guy ever!” Song Jinhe exclaimed excitedly.

“That sounds exaggerated. How could there be handsome guys among male authors?” Xia Liyang chuckled.

“It’s not exaggerated at all! That face, that body, that aura—he could debut right now!” After a flurry of raving, Song Jinhe turned serious. “But I agree with you; he probably isn’t an author. He doesn’t have the vibe, and he just sat down in the last empty row without a name tag.”

“But outsiders can’t attend the author conference, right…?” Xia Liyang said uncertainly.

“Maybe he’s someone from the website’s higher-ups! Didn’t Wenyu get acquired by Junlan Group recently?” Song Jinhe analyzed eagerly.

But in the next moment, Xia Liyang’s emotionless voice popped her bubble of fantasy: “In reality, CEOs and executives are usually pretty disappointing; there probably won’t be any handsome guys.”

“Xia Xia! Can you have a little bit of girlishness? If you don’t change your mindset, you won’t be able to write a romance novel!” Song Jinhe couldn’t help but complain, her lips twitching.

“Oh.” Xia Liyang reluctantly nodded as she unlocked the door, half-heartedly replying, “So, can I see that handsome guy?”

“He’s right behind me,” Song Jinhe quickly adjusted the phone’s camera, but before she could frame the handsome guy, the lights above suddenly dimmed.

The video only showed a blurry silhouette of him.

“Ah, the award ceremony is about to start. I’ll show you after it’s over,” Song Jinhe had no choice but to turn the camera to the stage in front.

Actually, it didn’t matter much to Xia Liyang.

She silently thought to herself as she watched the stage lights come on in the video, and the host began to clearly announce that year’s Wenyu Novel Network award winners.

When the annual copyright award was announced for Wujin Xia’s Temptation and Punishment, Song Jinhe was even more excited than Xia Liyang, jumping up from her seat. “Ahhhh Xia Xia! It’s really you! That’s amazing!”

“Please accept the award on my behalf,” Xia Liyang laughed as she walked into her study, setting her phone on a stand on the desk.

“I guarantee I’ll complete the mission!” Song Jinhe switched the camera back to selfie mode, flashing her a brilliant smile.

In the background, Xia Liyang vaguely noticed the silhouette of the so-called handsome guy move, as he raised his head from scrolling on his phone.

But in the next second, the camera shook, and Song Jinhe was already holding her phone, briskly walking toward the stage.

In the back row, Lu Huaicheng looked up, his brow ridge deep and his features handsome.

He wore a luxurious custom-made gray suit and exuded an elegant demeanor.

The dim light cast upon his dark, calm eyes, which seemed warm and gentle like spring water, yet there was a hint of aloofness, like a glacier yet to melt.

He glanced at Song Jinhe’s lively figure with long hair swaying, and a flicker of surprise crossed his otherwise calm eyes.

His assistant, Lin Shen, sitting next to him, exclaimed in disbelief, “Wujin Xia is actually a girl?”

Lu Huaicheng didn’t respond, leaning leisurely against his chair, but his inscrutable gaze quietly followed Song Jinhe’s slender silhouette.

Until the host on stage said, “Unfortunately, Wujin Xia couldn’t be here today. The trophy will be accepted by her friend…”

“Oh, so it’s her friend,” Lin Shen suddenly understood.

Lu Huaicheng frowned slightly, and his dark gaze, devoid of warmth, shifted away. “Wasn’t it said that the top authors would be present?”

“Theoretically, yes, but Wujin Xia seems to have never made a public appearance; she’s quite mysterious,” Assistant Lin replied awkwardly, trying to remedy the situation. “But since Wenyu has been acquired by you, Mr. Lu, it should be easy to check her identity…”

Lu Huaicheng slightly lifted his eyelids, glancing at Song Jinhe on stage, who was smiling brightly, radiating a youthful naivety.

His cool brows furrowed, and losing interest, he stood up. “No need, let’s go.”

As soon as she got off the stage, Song Jinhe eagerly lifted her phone, giving Xia Liyang a comprehensive view of her annual copyright silver trophy. “It’s pretty heavy; it feels like solid material.”

“Looks like Wenyu has really become financially abundant since being acquired by Junlan Group,” Xia Liyang said, opening her laptop on the desk and glancing at her Best Newcomer trophy.

The plastic quality, if not for the engraving on the base, looked like something unsellable at a night market.

Placed on her custom cherry wood bookshelf, which was air-freighted from Italy, it felt completely out of place.

“Right?” Song Jinhe happily returned to her seat, only to suddenly notice that the back row was empty, and her expression dropped a bit. “Ah! That handsome guy left! You didn’t get to appreciate him!”

“It’s fine; the next one will be even more handsome,” Xia Liyang replied nonchalantly with a smile, opening a blank outline document and continuing to brainstorm for her aimless romance novel.

…..

The next evening, it was still a beautiful day with colorful sunset clouds.

Xia Liyang drove to the airport to pick up Song Jinhe, who was returning from Beicheng, planning to celebrate the award with hot pot later as they discuss her writer’s block.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she exited the elevator, she saw her childhood friend Xu Songnian leaning against her front door, holding several large supermarket bags.

He rarely wore a business-casual blazer, but his bottom half was still clad in loose jeans, showcasing his casually crossed long legs.

“Songnian, what are you doing here?” Xia Liyang was taken aback.

“I had a meeting with a client near your house today, so I thought I’d stop by to celebrate your copyright award,” Xu Songnian said lazily as he stood up straight, glancing at the trophy in her arms with a mock reproach. “Although you didn’t tell me the good news.”

“…I didn’t think it was a big deal,” Xia Liyang said, lightly biting her lip. “But how did you know I won an award?”

“Come on, what do you think I do? There’s nothing I can’t find out; it’s just that I sometimes don’t want to know,” Xu Songnian smiled, glancing at Song Jinhe beside her, and said softly, “Looks like I interrupted your girls’ night.”

“Not at all!” As soon as Song Jinhe saw Xu Songnian’s sharp, handsome face, she shook her head like a rattle drum and warmly invited, “Since you’re here, let’s celebrate Xia Xia together!”

“Then I’ll gladly oblige?” Xu Songnian’s gaze lazily returned to Xia Liyang, raising an eyebrow.

It seemed that that night’s writing discussion was going to be put off.

Xia Liyang helplessly nodded and opened the door.

Her apartment was a spacious 200-square-meter flat; although it couldn’t compare to the luxury of riverside villas, the huge floor-to-ceiling windows offered a view of Jiangcheng’s iconic Qijiang Bay.

As Xia Liyang prepared to wash the hot pot ingredients in the kitchen, Song Jinhe and Xu Songnian, who had been sent to the living room for being a bother, engaged in casual conversation on the sofa.

“Are you Xia Xia’s childhood friend who runs that all-purpose company?” Song Jinhe recalled.

“Yeah,” Xu Songnian paused for a moment, raising his eyebrows with a hint of expectation. “Does she often mention me to you?”

“To be precise, she often mentions the various wonderful materials you provide her.” Song Jinhe said with a smile.

“… Materials like catching cheating couples?” Xu Songnian couldn’t help but smile wryly.

“Isn’t that great! A messenger of justice!” Song Jinhe blinked sincerely.

“That’s not even close; I also have to do headhunting work,” Xu Songnian shrugged, mentioning the commission he came to discuss that day with a client, which was to help a CEO with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder and cleanliness issues hire a part-time worker.

Upon hearing this, Song Jinhe’s eyes brightened, and she quickly pointed to the most prominent riverside villa outside the floor-to-ceiling window: “Is that CEO living there?”

“Yeah.” Xu Songnian was momentarily taken aback, and before he could ask her why, Song Jinhe had already jumped up and hurried to the kitchen, excitedly patting Xia Liyang on the back.

“Xia Xia, I’ve thought of an excellent idea for finding inspiration for your romance novel!”

“What idea?” Xia Liyang wiped her hands dry and turned her face, confused.

“Xu Songnian said the president of Junlan Group is looking for a part-time housekeeper; you can apply!”

“Ah?” Xia Liyang was taken aback and didn’t quite understand the significance of her idea.

“It’s the classic romance novel trope! The story of a domineering CEO and Cinderella. If you work at the CEO’s house, you can flirt with him and find some romantic vibes! Plus, his house is right in front of yours; it’s super convenient!” Song Jinhe explained quickly.

“… That’s too absurd. I don’t even know who he is, how old he is, or if he’s married,” Xia Liyang said, her lips twitching.

“You can have Xu Songnian help you look into it!” Song Jinhe winked.

“Can you give me some serious advice?” Xia Liyang forced a smile, turning back to grab the vegetable platter she had just washed and handed it to her. “Take this to the dining room; dinner is ready.”

“Oh.” Seeing that Xia Liyang was uninterested in her great idea, Song Jinhe’s enthusiasm waned.

….

In the following week, Song Jinhe genuinely helped Xia Liyang brainstorm other ways to find inspiration for her romance novel, including but not limited to reading classic romance novels, watching idol dramas, and listening to love songs…

Xia Liyang obediently followed through with everything, but still couldn’t come up with a satisfactory outline. Even the interaction exercises between the male and female leads that Song Jinhe assigned her ended up being dry and dull.

She couldn’t help but entertain thoughts of giving up on writing a romance novel.

However, as “Temptation and Punishment” became a huge hit, the criticisms of her clumsy romantic scenes online increased.

So much so that she could easily come across a complaint just by scrolling through Xiaohongshu.

Feeling frustrated, Xia Liyang turned off her phone and decided to go to the library to work on her thesis.

Although her second-year master’s courses had reduced significantly, with only two days of classes at Qingjiang University each week, the assignments given by her professor were still plentiful.

To avoid attracting too much attention on campus, Xia Liyang didn’t drive her red Porsche but instead switched to a black Tesla.

While looking for a parking spot, she happened to catch sight of a matching-number Rolls Royce Phantom parked in front of the library.

Not confident in her driving skills, Xia Liyang didn’t dare to park in the last empty spot next to it and instead drove further ahead to find a more spacious spot.

After locking her car and preparing to head toward the library, she unexpectedly saw a few girls rushing into the teaching building behind her, urging their trailing companions, “Hurry up! My roommate said the classroom is about to fill up; if we stall, we’ll have to sit in the aisle!”

“Isn’t the lecture still an hour away? That’s a bit exaggerated!”

“Don’t you know? Today’s guest professor is the president of Junlan Group, rumored to be extremely handsome!”

“How many truly handsome CEOs can there be? Maybe it’s just a filter effect.”

“It’s not a filter effect! My cousin was in the same class as him; she said he was definitely the most handsome guy on campus back then!”

…

Catching their conversation, Xia Liyang paused slightly, her gaze glancing at the book one of them was holding—”Western Economics.”

It seemed they were undergraduates majoring in finance or accounting, so the lecture was probably related to economics, which had nothing to do with her major in Chinese language and literature.

However, the words “Junlan Group” piqued her interest.

She remembered that the CEO who was hiring a part-time housekeeper was indeed from Junlan Group.

Although she still found Song Jinhe’s suggestion to flirt with the CEO rather unreliable, it was the only option she hadn’t tried yet.

Moreover, this potential target was practically being handed to her; it wouldn’t hurt to explore a bit.

After contemplating for a moment, Xia Liyang lowered her gaze, reopened her car door, took out a mask, and securely put it on her face.

She then followed the footsteps of the girls who had just passed by and walked into the lecture hall where the lecture was being held.

There were indeed very few empty seats left in the classroom, and Xia Liyang could only pick a corner in the last row to sit down.

Perhaps because she was unfamiliar and wearing a mask, several people around glanced at her a few more times.

Xia Liyang immediately lowered her head and coughed a few times, pretending she was wearing the mask due to a cold, not to hide her identity.

As expected, upon hearing her cough, all the curious glances returned to their original focus.

To avoid exposing herself as a student from another major, Xia Liyang didn’t dare to take out her laptop to write her thesis and could only scroll through her phone out of boredom.

Then, she stumbled upon several harsh comments like “the emotional twists are extremely awkward,” “the author is probably male, so I’m not surprised,” and “it’s better not to write romance at all,” which struck her heart deeply.

Helpless, she put down her phone and took out her nearly worn-out copy of Agatha Christie’s “The ABC Murders” from her backpack and began reading.

After waiting for almost an hour, as the aisles filled up, Xia Liyang finally heard the once-loud classroom suddenly fall silent.

When she looked up again, she saw a tall young man in white shirt and black pants striding confidently onto the podium.

He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, with deep-set features; his chiseled side profile looked like a masterpiece meticulously crafted by God.

His demeanor was gentle and refined, with an aura of serenity and an air of aloofness.

Despite lacking any aggressive presence, he somehow silenced the noisy room of students, who instinctively closed their mouths.

There was no need for him to say anything to maintain order.

As his long, well-defined fingers casually placed his laptop down, he slightly raised his strikingly handsome brow and casually scanned the classroom.

At that moment, Xia Liyang felt for the first time that the incredibly handsome CEOs from novels truly existed.