The stairwell was much like the rest of the residential complex—old, but not dilapidated. The floor was gray concrete. Su Hao walked up step by step to the third floor. There were two apartments on each level. The key was still stuck in the lock of Room 301, and the door wasn’t fully closed. She pulled the key out, pushed the door open, and went inside.

The lighting was decent, though it was a little dimmer near the kitchen and dining area.

It was an old-fashioned apartment layout, with two rooms facing the door.

She shut the iron security door, then closed the wooden door as well. Su Hao rolled her suitcase into the master bedroom, came back out, and began cleaning.

The place was actually quite clean—there wasn’t much to do. By the time she finished, it was nearly noon. She didn’t have much appetite, so she sat on the sofa and scrolled through her phone. First, she messaged Su Qian to let her know she was safe. Then she took photos of the apartment and sent them to her mother and to Liao Yun.

After that, she opened her contacts and typed in the name “Zhou Yang.”

His WeChat popped up immediately.

She couldn’t remember when they had added each other. Even if they had, they’d never spoken—those years, she had been too busy to use WeChat much.

She opened the chat and went straight to the point.

Su Hao: How much did you pay in advance? I’ll transfer it back to you.

After sending the message, she waited.

About five minutes later—

Zhou Yang: XXXX

Su Hao transferred the money.

Seven or eight minutes passed before it was accepted.

Zhou Yang: This is the lease contract.

Su Hao: Okay.

She opened the contract to review it. A six-month lease, one month’s deposit and one month’s rent upfront. No property management fee. Utilities plus rent were fairly cheap, and most importantly, she could afford it.

Su Hao let out a breath of relief and saved the images.

The chat window went quiet again. After hesitating for a moment, she tapped on his profile picture and entered his Moments.

Only the last three days were visible.

There were two posts.

The earlier one was an academic paper related to aviation.

The second was at a racetrack—luxury cars everywhere, handsome men and beautiful women. Zhou Yang himself was far in the background, barely visible, smoking.

Black T-shirt, long pants—he stood out even among the crowd.

Su Hao looked for a while, then silently exited.

His life had always been very different from hers.

Liao Yun didn’t have much work experience either and couldn’t offer Su Hao much advice. All Su Hao could do was read more books and hope she could put what she’d learned to use.

Early the next morning, Su Hao went out carrying a small bag. Unfamiliar with the transportation routes, she took a taxi directly to Feijie. The building’s logo was easy to recognize. By the time she arrived, the morning rush hour had passed, and only a few people were scattered around the lobby.

Holding her résumé, she went to the front desk.

The receptionist was very pretty, with refined makeup. She glanced at the résumé, then checked her memo and said, “Go directly to the sixteenth floor and look for Director Zeng.”

Su Hao accepted the résumé and smiled. “Thank you.”

The receptionist nodded and didn’t pay her any further attention.

Su Hao walked to the elevator and pressed the button.

The building was excessively bright—reflections of people were visible everywhere, which made her slightly uncomfortable. She unconsciously glanced at her own reflection.

Ding.

The elevator doors opened.

She stepped out, asked for directions, then turned toward the finance director’s office to find Director Zeng. Director Zeng was on the phone. Hearing her assistant’s voice, she looked up and saw the woman standing beside the assistant.

Director Zeng froze for a second before realizing—this must be the financial assistant arranged by Assistant Lu yesterday.

Assistant Lu hadn’t explained who she was, but since he’d dared to make the arrangement, she probably had some connection to President Zhou—though that hadn’t been confirmed.

After saying a few more words, Director Zeng hung up and nodded at Su Hao. “Come in.”

Su Hao walked in and placed her résumé on the desk.

“I’ve already read this. Your name is Su Hao?” Director Zeng asked, glancing at it and tapping the desk lightly.

“Yes, Director Zeng,” Su Hao replied politely.

“Sit.”

Su Hao sat down.

“Let’s have a brief chat to get to know each other better.”

“Alright.” She was a little nervous inside, but her expression remained calm and gentle.

As Director Zeng asked questions, she observed Su Hao.

No makeup?

Just lipstick?

Nice skin.

But she looked a little too domestic and mild.

This type… probably didn’t have much to do with President Zhou.

Besides, President Zhou didn’t date people from work.

Director Zeng relaxed significantly. As long as she wasn’t someone’s girlfriend or the boss’s woman, the pressure was manageable.

After a brief conversation, Director Zeng was quite satisfied. The knot in Su Hao’s heart finally loosened. Director Zeng’s assistant came in and led Su Hao to the finance department.

There were already three people there: one cashier and two accountants.

The cashier was named Chen Yu, slightly younger, with delicate features.

One accountant was Lu Mimi—slightly older than Chen Yu but still young, strikingly beautiful, wearing very high heels, with a rather arrogant air.

The other accountant was named Zhang Xian. She was the most senior, three years older than Su Hao, with a stern, steady demeanor.

After entering, Zhang Xian pointed to a desk and told Su Hao to tidy it up first.

Lu Mimi clicked her tongue when she saw Su Hao, turned around, and went back to her work.

Only Chen Yu blinked at Su Hao in greeting.

Su Hao smiled back and began organizing the invoices and reimbursement forms on the desk.

Around ten in the morning, the elevator doors on the sixteenth floor opened. Assistant Lu followed behind Zhou Yang, holding documents. Zhou Yang was looking down at his phone, scoffing softly as his long fingers typed.

As he passed the finance department, he happened to glance over.

He saw a woman in a black A-line skirt and white blouse standing by a desk. The fitted outfit accentuated her curves—full in the right places, a slim waist like a willow branch, black hair like ink.

Just her back was enough to stir the imagination.

Zhou Yang slowed slightly and looked a few more times.

Who was this?

He turned his head, about to ask Assistant Lu.

The woman turned around, revealing her profile. She lifted her head and saw Zhou Yang.

Their eyes met.

Zhou Yang saw her bare face.

He paused.

Half a second later, he raised an eyebrow.

Then he strode away.

Su Hao also withdrew her gaze and continued with her work.

Assistant Lu hurried after Zhou Yang, but before leaving, he glanced at Su Hao several more times.

So this was the new financial assistant, Su Hao.

The desk was clean now. Su Hao finished sorting the invoices when she heard Lu Mimi stand up and take Chen Yu’s ledger.

“I’ll help you deliver this to Zhou Yang,” Lu Mimi said.

Chen Yu pouted but seemed unable to protest. She glared at the click-clack of Lu Mimi’s heels as she left, then turned to complain to Zhang Xian.

“She relies on President Zhou favoring her and even calls him by his first name. Hmph.”

Zhang Xian seemed uninterested in their rivalry. “Hurry up and finish recording the accounts. Count the cash in the safe. If you can’t manage alone, have Su Hao help you.”

Hearing her name, Su Hao immediately turned around.

Chen Yu smiled at her. “Come help me.”

“Sure.” Su Hao was eager—she couldn’t just keep tidying desks forever. She pulled over a chair and sat beside Chen Yu.

Chen Yu opened the ledger. “Enter these one by one into the system. Let me know when you’re done.”

“Okay.”

They worked nonstop until nearly 11:40 a.m. Since Su Hao was new, she didn’t know where to eat. Chen Yu took her downstairs to the self-service cafeteria on the second floor.

The cafeteria was stylishly decorated. The entire building belonged to Feijie, so employees from all departments crowded in—mostly young people.

Developers, engineers—many greeted Chen Yu and asked who the woman beside her was.

Chen Yu smiled and introduced Su Hao.

At first, Su Hao felt a little shy, but soon relaxed. When people greeted her, she nodded and smiled back.

They picked up their food and soup and sat at a high table by the window. The air conditioning was cool. As soon as she sat down, Chen Yu sighed in relief.

“So refreshing.”

Su Hao took a sip of soup.

Through the floor-to-ceiling glass, she could see the lobby below. At that moment, a bright red Maserati screeched to a stop in front of the building.

The sunroof opened. A woman in a cropped top sat in the driver’s seat, phone in hand, looking up. Her face was stunning—like a flamboyant rose, dazzling and bold.

Everyone at the high tables turned to look.

She even stretched out a long leg and stepped onto the ground, as if preparing to get out.

“She’s here for President Zhou again. Too bad he’s in a meeting,” Chen Yu chuckled, tapping on the glass.

Earlier, the meeting room lights had been on, and Zhang Xian had been called in as well.

Su Hao took a bite of food, her gaze landing on the woman below, who was still on the phone, visibly impatient.

Not far away, Lu Mimi clicked her tongue. “They say when a woman chases a man, it’s only a thin veil away. That Miss Li still hasn’t given up?”

“She’s been chasing him for quite a while.”

Chen Yu leaned over and shot back at Lu Mimi. “At least President Zhou responds to her. They’ll end up together sooner or later—just wait and see.”

Lu Mimi rolled her eyes hard. “As if you know everything.”

“You think acting gentle and virtuous will make President Zhou like you? Dream on. You’re not his type.”

Her red-polished finger pointed at Chen Yu disdainfully.

Su Hao quietly shifted back a little, avoiding the crossfire.

She lowered her head and continued eating.

“I’m not gentle and virtuous,” Chen Yu snapped.

Lu Mimi snorted, then glanced at Su Hao. “Actually, after seeing Assistant Su, I realize you don’t even qualify as gentle and virtuous.”

Chen Yu was furious—almost lunging at her.

Just then, bang—the car door below slammed shut.

Miss Li stepped out in high heels and walked up the stairs, phone in hand. The red Maserati remained arrogantly parked at the entrance.

They watched her disappear.

Chen Yu stopped arguing and lowered her head to eat. “What’s wrong with being gentle and virtuous? President Zhou just has bad taste.”

“He only likes thorny roses.”

Her voice was low, muttered.

There was resentment in it.

Su Hao glanced at her.

Chen Yu was delicate-looking but wore heavy makeup—clearly someone who had come with intentions.

Back when she herself had chased him, she hadn’t known what type he liked either.

Bare-faced.

Always doing gentle things.

Su Hao smiled faintly and took another sip of soup.

After lunch, fruit was handed out—each person received a fresh-keeping box. Su Hao and Chen Yu each took one upstairs.

They ate slowly, and the elevator was relatively empty.

When they reached the sixteenth floor, the elevator dinged. As they stepped out, they saw Miss Li standing outside the meeting room, long legs swinging impatiently.

The meeting room door opened. Zhou Yang loosened his collar and walked out, facing her.

“I have another meeting this afternoon. Did you come all this way just to eat at our cafeteria?”

“That wouldn’t be impossible,” Miss Li said coyly, straightening up.

“Sure.” Zhou Yang took the cigarette Assistant Lu handed him, about to light it, when he noticed Su Hao and Chen Yu out of the corner of his eye.

Chen Yu hurriedly greeted him. “Good afternoon, President Zhou.”

Zhou Yang smiled. “Afternoon.”

Su Hao nodded as well. “Good afternoon, President Zhou.”

Zhou Yang nodded back.

Su Hao pushed open the office door and went inside with Chen Yu.

The door closed.

Blocking Miss Li’s assessing gaze.

Su Hao sat down at her desk, opened the fruit box, and noticed a WeChat notification.

She picked up her phone.

It was from Zhou Yang.

She paused, then opened it.

He had sent two photos.

Both were of men.

Both handsome.

One of them had a slightly dangerous, bad-boy look.

Su Hao hesitated, then chose that one and forwarded it back.

Su Hao: This one.

A few minutes later, WeChat chimed.

Zhou Yang: You’ve got good taste.

Su Hao: You picked well.

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