The dull meeting dragged on. As the newly appointed CEO, Yu Qingge had plenty to discuss with the staff. Taking over the position meant she also had a lot of personal ideas she wanted to implement, and those ideas needed to be coordinated with the team for execution.
It was destined to be a long meeting.
Everyone was actively participating—except He Li, who was slacking off. After all, he wasn’t part of the company’s senior management. He had no say in the matters Yu Qingge and the others were discussing. More importantly, he had no desire to speak up. Why risk drawing attention when quietly slacking off was so much more enjoyable?
Not to mention, he could enjoy the pleasant fragrance nearby!
Sitting in his chair, He Li stared intently at the screen of his phone hidden behind the file folder. The raised document had become a wall shielding him from prying eyes. He was fully absorbed, occasionally chuckling to himself.
At first, Yu Qingge didn’t notice.
It wasn’t until He Li saw something so funny that he struggled to hold back his laughter, causing his leg to shake uncontrollably, that Yu Qingge glanced over and noticed him clearly slacking off beside her.
Curious, Yu Qingge leaned over and tilted her head, trying to peek at what he was looking at.
Just then, He Li lifted his head to take a sip of water…
Their eyes met. Hers wide and sharp. His caught in the act.
He Li froze, a little guilty. Yu Qingge narrowed her beautiful eyes, amused.
“So, CEO Yu, if I told you I was looking up reference material for my script, would you believe me?” He Li grinned sheepishly. Even he didn’t believe that excuse, let alone expect her to. He thought for sure she’d get mad or at least look displeased.
But to his surprise, Yu Qingge didn’t get angry at all. She just smiled slightly and nodded.
“Well, since you said so, I’ll believe it.”
“To be honest, I probably shouldn’t have called you here today. Asking you to come was a selfish decision.”
“After yesterday, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
“I missed you, so I wanted to see you again.”
“I’ve made things a bit awkward for you, haven’t I? So it’s fine if you slack off—as long as you’re happy.”
Her voice was gentle, her tone warm.
He Li’s heart skipped a beat.
That line—”I missed you, so I wanted to see you”—was seriously flirty. Her final words, like a summer breeze in June, left him feeling unexpectedly at ease.
“I didn’t expect you to be… kinda nice.”
“You’re making me feel a little bad now.”
He wasn’t lying. Being caught slacking off and getting treated kindly instead of scolded made him feel a bit guilty.
Yu Qingge’s eyes sparkled as she turned to him.
“Well, if you’re feeling bad, how about helping me brainstorm ideas for a hit game?”
“What’s there to brainstorm?” He Li shook his head. “Aren’t the popular game directions already obvious?”
“Didn’t others already do the research and still not come to a conclusion?”
He fired back with a question. Yu Qingge’s gaze grew even brighter.
She hadn’t asked him on a whim. While going through his profile, she had been surprised to see that nearly every game script He Li had written was well-received by players. Even if the game itself flopped, his writing always earned some praise and boosted ratings.
That was the reason why, despite him slacking off constantly…
He was still rated as an outstanding employee.
Yu Qingge figured that someone who could consistently write stories players loved probably had a good sense of what players wanted in a game. Asking his opinion before setting the project direction might just lead to a breakthrough hit.
And now, hearing his confident response made her even more convinced—He Li truly had insight.
So she softened her tone like a spoiled girl, “But I really want to hear what you think~”
Oh come on, a cold and aloof goddess-like boss suddenly acting all coy right in front of you—who could handle that? He Li’s chest felt hot just listening to her sweet, soft voice.
“CEO Yu, can you speak to me in a different tone, please?”
“Hmm? Why? You don’t like it?”
“But I don’t want to be cold to you~”
“But I like it when you’re all cold and high-and-mighty!”
“Ah? Then… should I try another tone?”
“Ahem. Man, tell me what you’re thinking! I want to know your thoughts—don’t make me beg!”
She raised her chin, looked down at him with that frosty expression of hers, radiating an imperial aura like a domineering CEO straight out of a novel. But why… why did her words still sound so off?
She nailed the cold, arrogant look.
But why was his heart beating even faster?
Feeling his own pulse racing, He Li stared at her elegant profile and swallowed nervously.
“Maybe… maybe you should switch back?”
He hesitated and asked tentatively.
Yu Qingge looked puzzled. “What’s wrong?”
“Is the tone still not right? Then maybe I—”
“Nope! Just stop talking already!”
Seeing she was about to launch into another round of teasing, He Li’s eyelid twitched furiously. He quickly stopped her before it was too late. If she kept this up, he might not be able to hold himself back.
But Yu Qingge had no idea how powerful her mix of dominance and gentleness really was.
She thought she had upset him.
She pouted and asked softly, “Why are you being like this? I treat you so well, and you still don’t like me?”
“I asked you to be my boyfriend, and you wouldn’t agree.”
“Now you’re even telling me to shut up…”
The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she sounded. He Li sighed and explained, “How could I possibly dislike you?”
“I didn’t agree because…”
He paused briefly before continuing, “I’m full of flaws. I just want to live an easy life, no ambition, no drive. I don’t want any trouble. And you, CEO Yu—you’re beautiful, wild, and out of my league.”
“Not to mention, we’re not from the same world.”
“If I really agreed to date you, I’d probably be torn apart by all your suitors before long.”
“So… do you understand now?”
He looked at her, thinking she’d finally get it. That she’d realize the gap between them, that life wasn’t a drama where rich heiresses marry poor nobodies, and that she should give up.
But Yu Qingge’s logic was… unique.
“I understand!” she nodded.
He Li’s face lit up. Finally, some reason—
But her next words left him speechless.
“You mean, as long as those problems are taken care of, it’s fine, right?”
“Then don’t worry—my family isn’t a problem. My parents can’t wait for me to get married.”
“And as for those other suitors, you don’t need to worry either. I’ll warn them personally—if anyone dares touch you, I’ll fight them to the death. And if you just want to laze around, that’s fine too.”
“I’m pretty rich. I can take care of you!”
“From now on, you stay home, raise the kids, cook the meals. I’ll make the money and give it all to you!”
She said it so seriously that He Li was dumbfounded.
Wait, what the hell was going on? Shouldn’t she have woken up to reality and let go?
Why did she sound even more determined now?
This had backfired. He Li started to panic.
Especially when he saw Yu Qingge’s gentle gaze.
He quickly turned his head to change the subject, “Anyway, didn’t you ask what I thought about the hit game strategy? Right, let’s get back to that. I think the best direction right now is to focus on anime-style games.”
“Anime-style?” Yu Qingge echoed, thinking it over.
He Li nodded. “Anime games going viral is a trend.”
“It’s also a natural result of industry evolution.”
“Thanks to the internet, the current market has a massive anime fanbase.”
“And with recent shifts in gaming trends—those soulless, copy-paste games that flooded the market the past few years—players now care more about content and quality…”
“And that’s exactly where anime games excel.”
“To be honest, we’re already seeing signs.”
“Like that new release, Collapse Break—it’s flying under the radar now, but it’s already pulling in a ton of traffic…”
He Li continued confidently, sharing his analysis and insight into anime games and their market potential.
As Yu Qingge listened, her eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if she had just discovered a hidden treasure…