Yan Wenshu closed the door, shutting out the probing gazes from outside. Turning around, he saw Zang Ling sitting in her chair, smiling at him.

Like melting snow, she suddenly transformed from a distant, icy beauty into someone dazzling and radiant, with an inexplicable sweetness that made it hard not to smile along with her.

“Secretary Yan, be mine.”

Yan Wenshu’s heart wavered for a moment. Yet he feigned ignorance and asked, “Chairman Zang… what do you mean by that?”

“Take a guess.” Zang Ling suddenly felt like teasing him. “If you guess right, there’s a reward.”

“You must be joking. You mentioned earlier that you had something important for me to do. Now that we’re in your office, could you tell me what it is?”

As soon as Yan Wenshu finished speaking, the system in his mind couldn’t hold back anymore and started screaming frantically, [Ahhh! Host, why didn’t you accept her offer?! This way, you could naturally get closer to her!]

[Shut up.] Yan Wenshu replied coldly.

The system shrank its virtual body. His host was so scary! If it weren’t for needing energy to return to its home planet, it wouldn’t have bound itself to him in the first place.

Back then, it had been deceived by his beautiful appearance, thinking he would be easy to control. Little did it know, it was the one being played.

Tears of regret filled the system’s metaphorical face as it weakly reminded him,  [Just don’t forget our goal…]

Yan Wenshu’s gaze darkened. Of course, he hadn’t forgotten, otherwise, he wouldn’t be here.

“Alright, let me make it clearer.” Zang Ling leaned forward slightly. “Yan Wenshu, I want you to be my boyfriend.”

“As for the important task…” For a brief second, Zang Ling looked a little guilty, but she quickly straightened up and declared confidently, “That’s it! You gave me that number this morning because you wanted me to ask you out, didn’t you?”

“Now, aren’t I doing exactly what you wanted?”

Yan Wenshu was speechless, “…”

Looking at her confident expression, he suddenly felt that he had underestimated her.

He had considered many possibilities for why Zang Ling had called him over, but he hadn’t expected her to be this… straightforward?

And surprisingly, she wasn’t trying to seduce him in a shady way.

His thoughts flickered quickly. Lowering his gaze, Yan Wenshu said, “I’m sorry, Chairman Zang… Actually, that note I gave you this morning was just a joke. I heard that secretaries rarely pass the probation period at Tianhai, and I was a little worried I wouldn’t make the cut. So, I just wanted to leave a strong impression on you.”

Zang Ling was instantly shocked. She slammed the desk and stood up. “What?! So you weren’t trying to seduce me?”

Yan Wenshu first showed a look of surprise, then a hint of guilt, and finally, he gave a small nod.

Zang Ling was dumbfounded.

Oh. That long-lost feeling of secondhand embarrassment.

Yan Wenshu hesitated, “Are you alright, Chairman Zang?”

Zang Ling clenched her teeth and forced a smile. “I-I’m, I’m totally fine!”

Absolutely not a case of her overthinking things!

Yan Wenshu hesitated again. “Then… about what you just said…”

Zang Ling looked him over. The man was tall, with broad shoulders and a slim waist. His face was exceptionally good-looking. Letting him walk away just like that… She was a little reluctant.

After all, he was the only man in decades to stir up any romantic feelings in her.

Since the misunderstanding was already there, she might as well go with it.

Clenching her fists, she cleared her throat and said in a low voice, “Don’t mind any of that. Just answer me—yes or no?”

“Chairman Zang, are you serious…?” Yan Wenshu asked hesitantly.

Zang Ling looked even more confused than he did. “Am I not serious enough? Yan Wenshu, I’m not the kind of person who plays around. I want to have a real relationship with you. Just tell me—are you in or not?”

[Wow! So dominant! Host, I never expected our mission to be completed so quickly!]

The system was overjoyed. [But… Why isn’t my status showing completion yet? Is it broken? No way, I just got repaired!]

Foolish.

Yan Wenshu coldly insulted the system before shifting his gaze back to Zang Ling. In her eyes, he saw admiration and anticipation, but not what he was looking for.

[You’re celebrating too soon. The mission isn’t complete yet.] He said calmly. [Right now, her feelings for me are only based on my appearance. She wants a relationship, not marriage.]

The system was shocked. [No way, is she just playing with you? Is she really that shallow?]

[Just like you.]

Yan Wenshu replied indifferently, ignoring the idiot in his mind.

He lowered his eyes slightly. “But Chairman Zang, office relationships aren’t really suitable…?”

Zang Ling suddenly understood. “You’re worried that if people find out, they’ll think you got admitted by favoritism? That could indeed be bad for your career.”

But she couldn’t possibly ask him to resign just so they could date.

She frowned in thought for a moment, then suddenly clapped her hands together excitedly. “We can keep it a secret! At work, we’ll be boss and secretary. Outside of work, we’ll be a couple. How about that?”

Yan Wenshu replied, “You mean… you want me to be your secret lover?”

A giant question mark slowly appeared in Zang Ling’s mid.

Buddy, you’re handsome, but is your brain working properly?

“No! Don’t take those ridiculous TV drama clichés seriously. I mean I want you to be my boyfriend. The secrecy is just for work, to protect your reputation and career. But if you don’t want that, we can go public right away. I don’t mind either way.”

Saying this, Zang Ling walked up to Yan Wenshu, tilting her head up to look at him for a long while.

“…What is it, Chairman Zang?”

“Can you bend down a little? You’re too tall. I can’t reach your shoulder.” She looked at him seriously.

Yan Wenshu followed her instructions, bending his knees slightly.

Then, in a flash, Zang Ling ruffled his soft hair. His body tensed, momentarily frozen in disbelief at what had just happened.

Yet the culprit acted as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. She patted his shoulder reassuringly and said, “Relax. Just because you’re my lover doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on you.”

Yan Wenshu choked on his words, unsure how to process the emotions surging inside him.

He had never met a woman who played by her own rules like this.

It was as if—

She was born to torment him.

The system was on the verge of tears, and gushed, [She loves you so much…]

A vein twitched on Yan Wenshu’s forehead. He had no idea how the system had reached that conclusion.

[Which eye of yours saw that?]

[Both of my mechanical eyes, Host!]

The system declared solemnly, [You claim that Zang Ling only likes your appearance, but liking your looks is still liking you! And once you spend more time together, she’ll definitely fall in love with you. Naturally, she’ll want to marry you.]

Yan Wenshu’s gaze darkened. [I will never marry her.]

[Huh?] The system was stunned. After all this, was the host the true heartless scoundrel? Holding back its urge to curse, it demanded, [Why not?]

From the system’s perspective, disregarding all other factors, Yan Wenshu and Zang Ling were a perfect match. It had envisioned their story culminating into a happily-ever-after.

[It’s none of your business.]

Ignoring the system’s protests, Yan Wenshu looked down at Zang Ling, who was smiling at him. But in his mind, different images flashed.

He pressed his lips together. Love was disgusting. The last thing he needed.

Right now, all he wanted was to break free from the plot; then, get his revenge.

“Yan Wenshu, have you made up your mind?” Zang Ling asked expectantly.

“I’m sorry… Chairman Zang.”

The smile on her face gradually faded. “Are you rejecting me?” This was not the answer she had anticipated.

Yan Wenshu’s lashes quivered. “Chairman Zang, you’re exceptional. I’m simply not worthy of you.”

Without giving her a chance to respond, he turned and left in a hurry, like a fleeting breeze, impossible to grasp.

The office fell silent once more. Zang Ling stood there, dumbfounded.

How?

How could he reject me?

And when he left, he looked afraid. It’s not like I was going to eat him!

She replayed the scene in her mind. Nothing about her actions seemed out of the ordinary. Everything had been perfectly normal.

So why had Yan Wenshu refused?

Could it be that he really… didn’t like her?

A dark cloud loomed over Zang Ling’s head.

For the first time in her life, she had confessed to someone, and this was how it ended? Utter humiliation.

She figured it would take a lifetime to recover from this embarrassment.

Just as she dejectedly made her way back to her chair, something caught her eye. It was a white notebook left on the gray coffee table.

She recognized it immediately. It belonged to Yan Wenshu. During the meeting earlier, he had been using it to take notes.

He must have left it behind by accident.

Bending down, she picked it up and flipped through the pages idly—then froze.

The first two pages before the meeting notes were filled with details about her. Her favorite colors, the foods she loved, her personal habits and preferences.

Zang Ling’s brows furrowed. Today was Yan Wenshu’s first day at work. In just a single morning, he had gathered all this information about her? She wasn’t buying it.

Some of these details were things only longtime employees of the company would know.

Doubt flickered in her mind. Was Yan Wenshu a corporate spy sent by a competitor?

Wasting no time, she dialed Yan Feng’s number and instructed him to look into what Yan Wenshu had been doing that morning.

The report came back quickly. Yan Wenshu had barely done any actual work. He had been glued to his computer, typing away at something unknown.

“Chairman Zang, do you want me to call Yan Wenshu in and ask him directly?”

Zang Ling stared at the notebook, deep in thought. “No need.”

So, he had written this himself.

He wasn’t a spy. The only explanation for his knowledge of these details was that someone in the company had told him.

Yan Wenshu had already made quite a few friends, it seemed.

Relieved, she placed the notebook back on the desk, planning to return it to him later when no one was around.

As for his rejection?

Zang Ling didn’t take it seriously.

After all, he had meticulously recorded details about her in his notes. If that didn’t prove he liked her, what else could it mean?

He was probably just too shy to express his feelings openly.

She wasn’t giving up. She’d simply find a better time to confess again.

——

From the moment Yan Wenshu rejected Zang Ling, the system had not stopped yapping. It had transformed into a relentless “Why?” machine, bombarding him with questions until he finally had enough and muted it.

When he returned to his desk, his office phone rang. The message was straightforward. His probation period was over. Effective immediately, he would be transferring to the secretary department. Since he was currently the only secretary, he would be responsible for managing all the Chairman’s affairs.

Yan Wenshu accepted the news with a polite smile, hung up the phone, and casually packed his things while deflecting the curious inquiries from his colleagues.

See? The things you can’t have are always the most desirable.