As soon as Luo Yunyan stepped into the Gu Group’s building, the receptionist walked over with a bright smile.

“Miss Luo, the CEO is still in a meeting. He told us that if you arrive, you can go straight to his office.”

Luo Yunyan blinked. “You know who I am?”

“Mhm! I follow Second Young Master Xi on social media. I saw the post the moment he uploaded it. You’re even prettier in person!”

Luo Yunyan gave her a warm smile. “Thank you, you’re really pretty too. It’s a shame my second brother’s out on a shoot today. When he gets back, I’ll have him sign some photos for you.”

“Ahhh—thank you, Miss Luo! This is the CEO’s private elevator, it goes straight to the top floor.” The receptionist escorted her to the elevator and swiped her access card.

“Much appreciated.”

The girl practically glowed with joy. Even as the elevator doors were closing, she was still waving enthusiastically. “It’s no trouble at all, Miss Luo. Bye-bye!”

—Ahhh she’s so gorgeous!! How can someone look like that in real life?! And so polite, too!!

She immediately fired off a message to the company group chat:
【Everyone be on alert, Miss Luo is on her way up! @ExecutiveSecretaryOffice】

Luo Yunyan chuckled to herself. Cute girl. Is Gu Group always this efficient with their employee culture?
Maybe she should offer her a spot at Pluto someday.

The elevator stopped at the 33rd floor. Luo Yunyan frowned slightly—she had pressed 60.

When the doors opened… Gu Shilin walked in.

Both of them blinked in surprise.

“You’re here,” he said with a soft smile.

Behind him, his assistant Lin Si hesitated, then stepped back. “Hello, Miss Luo. Boss, I left a document in the conference room—I’ll grab it and come back later.”

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and fled.

Luo Yunyan raised an eyebrow. Knows when to disappear. Smart.

She turned back to Gu Shilin. “President Gu, you weren’t… watching the security feed to wait for me, were you? Staging a little ‘chance’ encounter?”

“I really just came out of a meeting,” Gu Shilin said, bending slightly to take her bag. “Otherwise, I would’ve gone down to greet you.”

“Alright, I’ll believe you—this time. But aren’t you afraid I’m here to steal your company secrets?”

Gu Shilin let out a low chuckle. “Gu Group and Luo Group don’t have any overlapping business interests. Besides, would Chairwoman Luo really look twice at my measly holdings?”

Luo Yunyan actually tilted her head and pretended to think. After a moment, she leaned in on tiptoes and smirked.

“Of course I would. Gu Group’s got wealth to spare. Even just a few crumbs from your fingers and I could be raking it in. Don’t you agree?”

Gu Shilin lowered his gaze, their faces drawing closer. “No need to steal. I’d give it to you willingly.”

Luo Yunyan froze for a second, not immediately catching his meaning.

She had just opened her mouth to respond when—

Ding. The elevator doors slid open.

The secretary waiting outside got a full view of the tension between the two and reflexively covered his eyes. Then realizing that would be rude, he dropped his hands and bowed.

“President, Miss Luo.”

“Hello,” Luo Yunyan greeted him with a smile.

The secretary’s face turned bright red. Oh god. She’s too pretty. It’s a critical hit…

Gu Shilin shot him a cold look. “Work all finished? Planning to go home early?”

“Uh, no, President—I mean…”
You’re the one who told us to treat Miss Luo like royalty, didn’t you??

“If not, then get back to it.”

Then, instantly switching tones as he turned to Luo Yunyan, he said gently, “Come on, let’s go to my office.”

“Tsk, so fierce,” Luo Yunyan teased. “You scared the poor guy half to death.”

Secretary: EXACTLY.

“Ahem… if they mess up, they need to be corrected,” Gu Shilin coughed lightly to cover the moment.

Luo Yunyan nodded with mock seriousness. “Ohhh~ I thought President Gu was jealous. How disappointing.”

She strutted off ahead of him.

Gu Shilin shook his head, helpless and amused, then quickly followed.

As they passed the executive secretary’s office, Luo Yunyan glanced inside. Tsk, a sea of men. Is he really this afraid of women?

Then what am I in his eyes—some kind of alternate species?

Inside the CEO’s office, Gu Shilin said, “Make yourself at home. Just give me thirty minutes to finish up these documents.”

“President Gu, can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“In your eyes, what species am I?”

Gu Shilin paused, caught off guard.

A little fox? A marshmallow? A wild card?
None of those were safe answers.

“You… you’re human.”

“I mean gender-wise. Do you see me as a girl? Or like… a half-boy-half-girl alien?” she tilted her head, watching him.

He gently poked her forehead. “What nonsense? Of course you’re a girl.”

“Then why aren’t you afraid of me? Everyone says you have gynophobia—that no woman can get within a meter of you.”

Gu Shilin had asked himself the same thing.

Back at Comet (Huìxīng), the moment he saw her, he had an overwhelming urge to be near her. Despite his usual aversion and mild OCD, he had approached her, even helped clean her hands.
It was irrational.
Could it really be… because she kissed him when they were kids?

He shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe you’re just… special.”

“Special how? Extra pretty? Extra stunning? Or maybe… you especially like me?” Luo Yunyan raised a brow and tugged on his tie, pulling him closer.

Gu Shilin’s fingers curled slightly, but he didn’t resist. “Depends which answer you’d rather hear.”

“Lame. Go do your work already,” she said, pushing him away.

Gu Shilin chuckled. The little fox turned into a little porcupine.

He reached out to ruffle her hair. “I’ll be done soon.”

Hmph. So he’s a one-man army, huh? Then I, Luo Yunyan, must be a one-woman zoo.

She strolled over to the sofa, plopped down, and raised an eyebrow at the familiar lighter and cigarette box on the table.

Huh. Same brand I smoke. This guy’s got taste.

Seeing he was focused on work, she picked up a cigarette and lit it with practiced ease.

The flame flickered. Gu Shilin looked up to see her sitting there with smoke curling around her pale face, her expression distant and unfathomable.

For a moment, something in his chest tightened.

He casually sat beside her. “Since when did you start smoking?”

“Oh? Did you take lessons when you started?” she exhaled a lazy puff, unmoved.

Gu Shilin smiled helplessly. His smile around her these days already equaled his entire output from the past year.

Getting scolded and still smiling like a fool—he was down bad, and he knew it.

The well-behaved girl from home, the cold-blooded fighter at Huìxīng, the sly minx teasing him in the elevator, and now this version sitting in smoke and silence…

Which one was the real Luo Yunyan?

He had a feeling her identity as Pluto’s hidden boss was just the tip of the iceberg.

What on earth had she gone through all these years?

(End of Chapter)