Chapter 14 (1/2)

At midnight, the live broadcast from the production team had long ended, but Yan Xi was still struggling in “pain.”

Zhou Qingyu, after enjoying the massage services on the plane, had fallen into a deep sleep. Yan Xi, however, remained awake, politely declining the fifth steward who came to offer “companionship.”

Yan Xi: “I don’t need a man! I’m fine on my own!”

The system eagerly commented:

[Host! I think the fifth guy is the cutest! He has six-pack abs, and he even knows how to wink~]

Yan Xi: ?

“You’re an AI, what do you know?”

Uncertain whether the sixth or seventh steward would knock next, Yan Xi lay on the bed for a while before reluctantly escaping the room.

Outside the porthole, everything was pitch black. Large patches of floating clouds drifted by, and in the distance, countless stars twinkled.

Without realizing it, Yan Xi had walked over to the study area.

The door to the study was slightly ajar. Through the gap, she could see Zhou Yanci sitting at the desk, working overtime. He was nearsighted, around 100 degrees, not too severe. He usually didn’t wear glasses, but when working, he would put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

Yan Xi glanced at the time—it was midnight.

This meant that from the moment they boarded the plane until now, Zhou Yanci had been working for 14 straight hours.

Such a work intensity would make even a dramatic plot twist leading to his sudden death seem entirely reasonable.

The system suddenly appeared, joining Yan Xi in observing Zhou Yanci:
[Host, so you like this type of older brother?~]

[Oh! The temptation of a suit, paired with the metal-framed glasses of a refined rogue. The rolled-up sleeves revealing strong forearms, able to easily pin you down and make you meow under him… ]

Yan Xi: ?

Yan Xi stared at the glowing orb in shock, “What’s going on with you lately? Aren’t you just a regular bystander system?”

The glowing orb arrogantly lifted its head: [I’ve been really bored recently, so I’ve read a lot of novels from your world. I’ve learned a lot!]

Yan Xi: “…”

She had a feeling the system’s reading list was a little off.

Yan Xi: “Show me your reading list.”

The system proudly displayed its collection of books, each one looking exceptionally precious.

The first book was — “To Redeem the Villain, I Climbed Into His Bed”

Source: A certain explicit website from abroad.

Yan Xi: “…”

Children should not be looking at this stuff!!!

After violently deleting the system’s reading list, the little glowing orb looked at her with watery eyes.

Yan Xi’s gaze shifted back to Zhou Yanci.

To be honest, Yan Xi wasn’t particularly familiar with Zhou Yanci. She and Zhou Yanci weren’t close, and as for whether Zhou Yanci would suddenly die, Yan Xi didn’t care.

But Zhou Qingyu really lacked business acumen, and it was Zhou Yanci’s management that made the Zhou family the wealthiest in Haicheng.

Zhou Yanci was Zhou Qingyu’s backbone. He couldn’t die.

…

Yan Xi went to the restaurant and ordered a cup of hot milk, then called Zhou Yanci’s assistant.

“I saw Mr. Zhou working late into the night, so I made him a cup of hot milk. It’s not good to burn the midnight oil. As his assistant, sometimes you should advise him more,” she said earnestly.

Her tone was sincere, but Assistant Sun looked puzzled.

Isn’t this girl the close friend of the young lady? Why is she concerned about Mr. Zhou? Did she get her wires crossed?

But as Mr. Zhou’s assistant, Assistant Sun wouldn’t say such things in front of Yan Xi. He politely accepted the milk. “Miss Yan, I’ll thank Mr. Zhou on your behalf.”

In the study, Zhou Yanci had just finished a multinational meeting. He looked at the milk that Assistant Sun had brought in, and the two of them exchanged a glance.

“You’re telling me that this was Yan Xi’s idea? She told you to bring me this, and to tell me not to stay up late?”

“Yes.”

Zhou Yanci was silent for a while. “Has she taken the wrong medicine?”

Zhou Yanci and Zhou Qingyu had a strained relationship, and Yan Xi had never given him a favorable look either. Even when they crossed paths, they wouldn’t greet each other, and they certainly weren’t the type to care for one another.

What made matters worse was that Zhou Yanci was lactose intolerant.

Zhou Yanci’s expression darkened as he listened to Assistant Sun’s suggestion. “You’re saying… she wants to poison me with milk?” His voice was flat, though he couldn’t deny the absurdity of the theory.

While the idea sounded far-fetched, it did make more sense than Yan Xi suddenly caring about his health and telling him not to work late. After all, if Zhou Qingyu truly wanted to undermine him in business, then using a roundabout strategy to make him suffer seemed more plausible than genuine concern from someone like Yan Xi.

Zhou Yanci rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. “If she wants to kill me, she’ll need a better strategy than this.”

Assistant Sun nodded, clearly sharing his boss’s skepticism. “I’ll keep an eye on it, just in case. But maybe it’s just a misunderstanding?”

Zhou Yanci didn’t respond immediately, his mind still processing the strange gesture from Yan Xi. He doubted it was a plot, but the situation was still too odd for comfort.