After having lunch, Shang Xinglu was supposed to return to the company, but she somehow wandered into the building across the street.

That building was the office of Xiao Corporation, where Xiao Zai worked.

Recently, the Xiao family was in chaos due to Xiao Zai’s father being hospitalized.

Xiao Zai and his stepmother were suing each other, with conflicts that seemed irreconcilable.

The case was about to go to trial.

To be honest, the complexity of this situation was probably several times worse than what had happened in her own family with her sister-in-law.

The family drama in the Xiao household was bound to affect the company as well.

Opportunists in the office were either causing trouble or picking sides, making the turmoil grow even larger rather than settling down.

Although Shang Xinglu was feeling mentally drained and her mind was blank, she didn’t want to go back and rest.

Since she was already here, she figured she might as well check on how Xiao Zai was doing these past few days.

She walked up to the front desk and asked the receptionist, “Hello, I’m looking for Xiao Zai. Which floor should I go to?”

The receptionist glanced at her, scrutinizing her with her gaze.

She asked, “Do you have an appointment?”

Shang Xinglu replied, “No.”

That strange look in the receptionist’s eyes disappeared, replaced by a standard professional smile showing exactly seven teeth. “I’ll give him a call to check.”

After a few seconds, she responded, “Sorry, Mr. Xiao is not available.”

Shang Xinglu didn’t mind. She simply said, “Alright, thank you,” and stepped aside to call Xiao Zai directly, asking him to come down.

It was lunchtime, and the receptionists were switching shifts. As they chatted, one said, “A lot of people have been looking for Mr. Xiao lately, probably because of those rumors.”

They exchanged a knowing look. The receptionist who had spoken to Shang Xinglu added, “Another one just came. Honestly, aren’t these women exhausted from all this? Mr. Xiao has such good conditions, and they actually believe those rumors? Look, she’s still sitting over there, hasn’t left yet.”

“Wait, no, this one’s actually quite good-looking.”

“Tch, but she still doesn’t seem like anything decent.”

The so-called “not anything decent” person, Shang Xinglu, was sitting by a flowerbed while on the phone with Xiao Zai.

While speaking, she noticed the receptionist from earlier looking over. Shang Xinglu smiled and greeted her, but the receptionist turned away and rolled her eyes.

“This woman still won’t leave. I’m speechless.”

She packed up her things to go eat, but just then, a suited Xiao Zai walked out of the elevator. Passing by the front desk, he quickly made his way to Shang Xinglu.

With a smile that made his eyes curve like crescent moons, he greeted, “Jiejie (older sister).”

Shang Xinglu raised an eyebrow. “Huh? You’re not calling me Louise anymore?”

Xiao Zai chuckled. “I can keep calling you Louise if you prefer, but wouldn’t that make us seem distant?”

Shang Xinglu: “…”

No, they weren’t that close to begin with.

She changed the subject. “I ate too much at lunch, so I took a walk and ended up here. Hope I’m not disturbing your work?”

Xiao Zai replied, “It’s my lunch break. Work can wait—I believe in a good work-life balance. Want to come up and take a look?”

She nodded.

As Xiao Zai led her upstairs, the receptionist from earlier looked utterly shocked. Shang Xinglu had no idea what had surprised her so much, so she simply smiled again in greeting.

Meanwhile, the receptionist’s colleague was also stunned.

“That’s Mr. Xiao?!”

Although Xiao Zai wasn’t as arrogant as his stepmother, he wasn’t the type to mingle with others either. His politeness was just good upbringing—he usually kept his distance.

But here he was, personally attending to someone.

The receptionist who had spoken earlier smirked and nudged her colleague. “You see? Stop reading those ridiculous CEO romance novels where the rich boss falls for the ordinary girl.”

The other receptionist scoffed, “Mind your own business,” before storming off to lunch.

Shang Xinglu followed Xiao Zai upstairs to his office.

It wasn’t very big, about the same size as her honorary “director” office. Hardly fitting for someone with a “president” title.

Xiao Zai said, “I’ve been busy lately and haven’t had time to move offices. But it’s just a workspace, nothing special.”

He seemed unconcerned, but Shang Xinglu immediately imagined an office power struggle drama unfolding.

She patted his shoulder. “You should definitely move! I’ve never sat in a ‘president’s office’ before—don’t back down, just do it!”

Then she asked, “How’s the lawsuit going? Are you prepared?”

Xiao Zai replied, “I have lawyers. It’s not my problem to worry about.”

“Good. Then I’ll be leaving now.” Shang Xinglu took another look around the office—her visit was brief.

Even Xiao Zai was surprised.

“That fast?”

Shang Xinglu was unbothered. “Of course. What’s there to see in an office building?”

Xiao Zai’s expression turned complicated. “So you really just wandered in after lunch?”

“Yeah, I told you that from the start!”

Xiao Zai: “…”

As he looked at her face, he realized he couldn’t quite understand her actions.

Then, he noticed something on her neck, just below her collar. It looked like a stain.

He reached out, slightly tugging at her collar. “Wait a sec, you have something on your—”

The words stuck in his throat.

He quickly withdrew his hand and apologized, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

It wasn’t a stain. It was a kiss mark.

Half-hidden by her collar, he hadn’t noticed at first. But with that small movement, he saw it clearly.

Shang Xinglu knew exactly what was on her neck.

She also knew that being seen was another matter altogether.

Her face instantly turned red.

Still, she feigned composure. “It’s fine. I’m heading down now.”

Xiao Zai’s voice remained calm. “I’ll walk you out.”

As he opened the door, his eyelashes trembled slightly, casting a faint shadow of disappointment over his pale skin.

Outside the office, on a company bulletin board, was a photo of Xiao Zai surrounded by female customers from his time working as a male host.

The atmosphere instantly changed.

People stared at them with ill intent, their gazes sharp as cameras, ready to capture any inappropriate behavior.

Shang Xinglu wasn’t surprised the photo was there.

Just like how, at the mere mention of the Xiao family, her friends would immediately gossip about his stepmother, this kind of scandalous picture appearing in the company was expected.

She looked at Xiao Zai, who met her gaze with an apologetic expression.

“Jiejie, I’m sorry. Because of the lawsuit, both sides have been attacking each other’s personal lives. Did their scrutiny make you uncomfortable?”

Shang Xinglu had a soft spot for people who showed vulnerability.

She shrugged and smiled indifferently.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, she reached out and took the photo down.

She studied it, then suddenly burst into laughter.

Everyone stared at her.

Ignoring them, she turned to Xiao Zai and said, “Wait, you still have this photo? It reminds me of when you lost that bet and we forced you to work there for a week!”

She winked at him.

Catching on, Xiao Zai played along. “You guys were ruthless! You even took secret photos of me?”

Shang Xinglu laughed. “What’s the point of a blackmail-worthy moment if you don’t keep evidence?”

Their natural performance almost convinced the crowd—until a woman scoffed, “Oh please, lying so blatantly?”

It was Xiao Zai’s stepmother, Liu Mei.

Shang Xinglu recognized her immediately from a previous event in New York.

Liu Mei, however, hadn’t recognized her yet.

With a confident smirk, Shang Xinglu calmly said, “Mrs. Xiao, before accusing someone, make sure you have evidence.”

Liu Mei sneered, “Evidence? Are you blind?”

Shang Xinglu smirked. “A photo isn’t proof—this isn’t a kindergarten picture book, you know.”

Liu Mei’s face turned pale.

She stepped forward, raising a hand to slap Shang Xinglu—only for Xiao Zai to catch it firmly.

“Careful, Aunt Liu,” he said coolly. “You might want to check who you’re dealing with first.”

Before leaving, Shang Xinglu didn’t forget to take down the photo of Xiao Zai.

As she walked, she tore it apart. By the time she reached the company’s entrance, the photo was already in tiny, unrecognizable pieces—shredded as thoroughly as if it had gone through a paper shredder.

Xiao Zai extended his hand toward her but said nothing.

Shang Xinglu was confused.

She thought for a moment, then again, scratched her face, glanced around, and finally placed her own hand in his.

Xiao Zai: “…”

No, this wasn’t a dog-training session.

He couldn’t help but laugh.

“I meant, give me the paper scraps. I’ll toss them in the trash when I see a bin,” he explained.

“Oh, oh, I see. I thought you meant…”

“What did you think?”

Shang Xinglu replied seriously, “I read that when people are anxious, physical contact with someone else can effectively relieve depressive emotions.”

Xiao Zai blinked. “Then, Jie Jie, can you hold my hand a little longer?”

“Get lost! What depression?!” Shang Xinglu exploded immediately. “I’m going back to work!”

Xiao Zai sat on the edge of a flower bed, his long legs crossed.

He smiled mischievously but didn’t move forward. He wasn’t going to walk her back.

Shang Xinglu simply waved at him.

She left decisively.

Just as she turned around and hadn’t gone far, Xiao Zai called out, “Jie Jie.”

Shang Xinglu turned back. “What now?”

The young man, who always wore a mask of indifference, now sat at the edge of the flower bed, tilting his head up to look at her. His face was handsome, his features delicate, balanced between the softness of youth and the sharpness of manhood. But what was rare was the emotion in his eyes, usually cold and distant under the illusion of sunlight, now softened into something warm.

Like… tears.

Warm, moving, transparent—but without the weakness or stickiness of actual tears.

“You barely call me once in a dozen days, yet you always show up at the most crucial moments,” Xiao Zai said.

Shang Xinglu scratched her head, then raised a thumbs-up, striking a pose like the Fujiya mascot.

“Heh, I’m just that clever!”

Xiao Zai laughed again and gently took her hand.

His head, which had been raised, slowly lowered. His cool forehead lightly touched the back of her hand—so soft, so reverent.

He said, “I really hope… I can appear whenever Louise needs me too.”

Xiao Zai’s voice was so low, so quiet, as if he wasn’t speaking to Shang Xinglu, but rather to some ever-present yet unfathomable deity.

Shang Xinglu froze for a second before sighing silently.

She withdrew her hand and knocked him on the head with her knuckles.

Hands on her hips, she declared, “Hmph! Nonsense. Someone as smart and resourceful as me would never have a problem she couldn’t solve! No need for you to worry! Now, Gray Boy, go back to work and fight your battles!”

With that, she waved one last time and left.

A little distance away, Shang Xinglu looked down at the back of her hand.

Emmmmm…

It was just a hand. Nothing special. It wouldn’t magically turn into a palm.

---

That afternoon, Shang Xinglu skipped work and went to Shi Rui’s house.

Shi Rui was in the middle of a heated argument with her husband. The house wasn’t quiet at all—it was lively.

Shi Rui was fiery-tempered and strong-willed, and she hated showing weakness, especially during fights. She held her breath—I’ll be just fine without you.

As her best friend, Shang Xinglu naturally stayed by her side.

But after only a few minutes, everyone in the room noticed how distracted she was.

Even though they had all been drinking the night before, no one underestimated the resilience of wealthy socialites. They were already full of energy today.

So, nobody believed that Shang Xinglu was just hungover.

But seeing her constantly yawning and looking exhausted…

Their minds started working fast.

Shi Rui said, “Hey, your formal outfit stands out. Go change.”

Shang Xinglu suddenly recalled Xiao Zai noticing the hickey on her earlier.

It was summer, and unless one wore a collared shirt, high-neck clothing was rare…

Trying to stay calm, she said, “No, I’ll just keep this on.”

The moment she refused, the others became even more suspicious.

Shi Rui was already in a bad mood and didn’t care about being polite. She simply said, “Hurry up! Strip her! Change your clothes—how are you going to party in formalwear?”

The women immediately pounced on Shang Xinglu, who shrieked and ran for her life around Shi Rui’s house, only to lose due to unfamiliar terrain. She was eventually captured by a narrow margin.

Flushed and struggling, Shang Xinglu watched as Xue Shaoying didn’t actually remove her clothes but casually pulled at her collar, lifted the hem of her shirt, and even checked her legs…

The group of women: “Ohhhhh~~~~~~”

Their voices were filled with exaggerated meaning.

Shang Xinglu shivered.

Mama! There’s a gang of perverts stripping me here!!!

After internally wailing, she suddenly stopped resisting.

Forget it. Falling into his hands would be even worse than getting stripped by them…

Xue Shaoying commented, “Lin always seemed a bit rough…”

Jiang Lexuan smirked. “Or should we say… things got intense?”

She even chuckled wickedly.

Hearing them repeatedly bring it up, memories of the previous night flooded back into Shang Xinglu’s mind uncontrollably.

The first time, she had been a little tipsy, caught up in the excitement.

She could barely blame it on being drunk.

But the second time… by then, she had already showered once. After another “session,” maybe Lin Heng still thought she was drunk because she acted like it—but only she knew she was completely sober.

Then came the third time.

And the fourth…

By the end, she was too tired to even lift a finger. Her eyelids were heavy, her body weak and trembling. She hadn’t even wanted to go to the bathroom again, but Lin Heng still had the energy to carry her into the bathtub.

He got in too, holding her up.

Well.

If he hadn’t, she might have become the first person in that hotel’s history to drown in their own bathwater.

Her mind was at peace.

Her body, however, was exhausted.

Soaking in the hot water, the minor scrapes on her skin stung slightly, but it also helped her recover a little.

Leaning against Lin Heng, Shang Xinglu furrowed her brows. Something felt off.

She had only planned to come to the hotel, ride the buzz, let them both have a little fun, and leave it at that.

How had it turned into him having a lot of fun… and her also having a lot of fun?

No, wait—why did she originally think it would only be fun once?

After thinking it over, she found the culprit—wasn’t Lin Heng a mint-cigarette smoker?

Rumor had it that men who smoked mint cigarettes were supposed to be… weak.

Her brain must have been fried.

Between leftover alcohol and excessive pleasure, she murmured, “Aren’t you supposed to have ED…?”

Lin Heng frowned.

“Hm?”

Shang Xinglu’s voice was hoarse. “Mint cigarettes…”

Lin Heng: “…”

He didn’t know whether to be angry or amused.

In the end, he chuckled and whispered in her ear, “Shall we test that theory again?”

Shang Xinglu instantly shook her head. “I was wrong! No need, no need… No need to test! Test what… TEST?!”

Before she could react, Lin Heng had already picked her up.

And then, she paid a very steep price for her stupidity.