When Chu Yu woke up the next day, Ci Wenjun had already left.
The curtains that were usually kept drawn were boldly pulled open by someone, and the overwhelming, enthusiastic sunlight poured in, driving away the chill that had lingered for years.
Last night had been hazy and sluggish; she didn’t fall asleep until dawn. The taste of staying up all night was far from pleasant, especially since falling asleep had dragged her right back into the abyss of memories.
Indeed, the deep night was a breeding ground for nurtured desires.
Chu Yu sat at the dining table, where a familiar handwriting graced the sticky note left behind.
“Xiao Yu, the food has already been warmed up. I also cooked pork and century egg congee for you. Remember to eat it, okay?”
Bad dog. Running away after stirring up a mess.
Thinking this, Chu Yu felt the corners of her lips curve upward ever so slightly in the vast, unobserved space.
Ripples stirred deep within her eyes.
The rain had cleared up and the weather had turned fine. Approaching noon, it was a rare and beautiful day. The warmth swept over her entire body, banishing the lingering chill.
Today, at Star Company Headquarters.
On the top-floor office, almost the exact moment Ci Wenjun stepped out of the elevator, everyone could sense the exceptionally good mood of their perennial iceberg of a boss.
A spring-breeze kind of smile.
Good heavens! Was this really the President Ci they were all familiar with?
That was the giant ice cube President Ci!
Many people on the top floor were veteran employees; they had followed Ci Wenjun and Fu Qi since the company’s startup days.
When they first met, most of them were fresh university graduates, right in the prime of their youth and full of energy.
Back then, Ci Wenjun was already making a small name for herself in the industry.
She had graduated from a prestigious domestic university and worked for four years in one of the country’s top-tier leading enterprises. Without any background, she climbed to the position of general manager at an astonishing speed. For reasons unknown, she later resolutely resigned and decided to start her own company. Her background could only be described as legendary.
Many people speculated about her in various ways. Some affirmed her ability, some gossiped behind her back, and some spread vicious rumors about her character.
It was never easy for a woman to establish a foothold in this society, and the ways to ruin them were always so simple.
To this day, this group of self-proclaimed veterans still didn’t know why Ci Wenjun had abandoned a brilliant future to strike out on her own.
But they remembered that in the sweltering late summer, everything was so restless.
They had met this moderately famous woman in a hot pot restaurant that was neither cheap nor high-end.
Cool, otherworldly, and striking, she wore bright red lipstick that felt slightly mismatched with her demeanor.
Her gaze as she looked over was somewhat detached yet not arrogant.
It simply gave off an unworldly vibe, as if nothing could make her pause her gaze, nor would she care to linger on anyone.
That red lipstick was like a single stroke of red plum blossoms in a snowy landscape, an extremely eye-catching embellishment.
Just like that, she looked as unpretentious as a chrysanthemum, seemingly devoid of any ambition.
It was vastly different from what most people had imagined.
They had all expected that a woman plagued by external rumors would look like a seductive, wild rose.
They never expected she would be so ordinary.
Yet, following that realization was a wave of hot, scorching shame.
They too had fallen into the worldly trap, casting malicious assumptions upon a woman they had never met, a future partner.
The woman’s opening words at their meeting were direct and crystal clear.
She had said:
“Before accepting my offer, I believe you already have some understanding of me. Regarding the rumors outside, anyone who minds can contact me privately. We can terminate our cooperation, which can still be considered cutting our losses in time.”
She spoke softly, with almost no emotional fluctuation, as if discussing something completely unrelated to herself. Amidst the swirling steam of the hot pot, they sat across from her and felt as though she were drifting further and further away.
Just who this timely loss referred to was something no one could clearly define.
At twenty years old, it was a wonderful age. They would make arbitrary judgments about someone based on rumors, then feel immense shame upon seeing the truth, and subsequently champion justice for them.
Ci Wenjun had also come through that age.
She understood that saying a thousand words wasn’t as good as taking action, and taking any action couldn’t compare to the impression left by a first meeting.
Anyone could utter sweet words, but excess defeats its purpose.
For kids this age, retaining a proper sense of fantasy was always the best choice.
That was why Ci Wenjun had initially chosen a group of fresh graduates as her business partners.
She was like a gentle breeze, her fluid movements effortlessly blowing away the prejudices harbored in their hearts.
Ci Wenjun was an ice beauty, this was the consensus of everyone who met her.
Even when discussing the rumors about herself, she maintained a completely calm, detached expression.
At first, they thought Ci Wenjun’s demeanor was just an act to keep them manageable. But as time went on and they interacted more, they watched suitors pour in like crossing carp, surrounded by swarms of admirers. Yet, she wouldn’t even lift an eyebrow from her documents. Doing business was fine; talking about romance could get out. That was when they realized Ci Wenjun’s indifference wasn’t a disguise.
She genuinely possessed this deadpan personality.
A woman whose eyes held only profit.
Over the years, anyone who pursued her with even a sliver of ulterior motive would be smoothly steered from romance into business by her words, ultimately becoming nourishment for the growth of Star.
And Star was thus built up and expanded piece by piece by her.
Ci Wenjun was truly a beautiful snake.
Stunning, yet fatal.
They had once believed that a workaholic career woman like Ci Wenjun only had work in her heart; she seemed born solely for the development of Star.
Anyone who hindered her career was ruthlessly kicked out of the game.
Yet today, everything was different.
At first, people assumed that Ci Wenjun’s spring-tinted expression meant she had just secured another massive deal for Star.
After all, Ci Wenjun possessed an intensely strong work ethic, and the stereotype of her being devoid of emotional attachments was deeply rooted. Yesterday, before hours even ended, she had hurriedly grabbed her bag and left, her first early departure in six years! It screamed huge business deal.
However, when assistant Tan Xun knocked and entered with a stack of documents, she clearly saw her perennial iceberg of a big boss sitting before her familiar desk, clutching a phone, staring at it with unblinking focus, and letting out a silly, lovesick laugh while her eyes brimmed with romantic warmth.
She was certain she had entered President Ci’s office, not President Fu’s!
This silly, lovesick grin was definitely not something their asexual President Ci could ever produce!
So, had their President Ci been possessed by President Fu?
Tan Xun entered in a daze, clutching her stack of documents.
When Ci Wenjun’s usually indifferent gaze swept over that massive pile of paperwork, an unmistakable flash of disgust crossed her eyes.
Disgust?
Chief Assistant Tan nearly stumbled.
Was this President Fu instead?
Was this really President Fu?
Why would their great President Ci look at work with disgust?
No one in the entire world liked working, but President Ci was the sole exception!
Was there anyone left on Earth who didn’t know that work was the only officially certified lover of President Ci?
Noticing the assistant’s ghost-seeing expression, Ci Wenjun instinctively furrowed her brow and put on a straight face.
“What is it?”
She had only left a little early yesterday afternoon; surely nothing major could have gone wrong!
Tan Xun immediately straightened up and shook her head.
Seeing this, Ci Wenjun didn’t press further. She simply turned her gaze back to that pile of documents, drawing her brows together into a deep, aggrieved frown.
Why on earth do people have to work while they are alive?
At that exact moment, Ci Wenjun finally uttered this classic, profound question.
A little version of herself deep inside her heart instantly wilted.
As she was about to leave, Tan Xun thought about it over and over, finally summoning the courage to tentatively call out:
“President Ci?”
“Hmm? Something up?”
Hearing this, Ci Wenjun spared a fraction of her attention from the mountain of work for her dear chief assistant.
Tan Xun paused, then smoothly adapted.
“Nothing much. Just felt like President Ci looks very different today.”
Ci Wenjun arched an eyebrow, as if suddenly growing interested.
“How am I different? Tell me.”
Today, Ci Wenjun, who normally detested flattery, acted like a completely different person. She put down her pen, crossed her hands, propped her chin on her knuckles, and looked at Tan Xun with a relaxed expression and a smile at the corner of her lips, as if eagerly anticipating the assistant’s reply.
Tan Xun took a deep breath internally.
Stupid mouth, why did you have to run off like that!
Outwardly, she maintained a neutral expression.
Ci Wenjun was already naturally gorgeous; right now, with that waves-of-spring charm radiating from her, it was a critical hit.
The assistant desperately wanted to cover her heart. Help, this woman is killing people with her looks.
“President Ci looks like she’s in a wonderful mood today.”
Ci Wenjun agreed deeply in her heart, though she didn’t hit the nail on the head just yet.
She decided to properly tease her assistant.
“What, am I usually in a bad mood?”
The assistant shuddered and shook her head rapidly.
“No, no, no, it’s just that…”
Tan Xun stammered internally as she searched for words.
Meeting those visibly smiling eyes, her brain blanked out, and she instinctively looked away.
Amidst her panicked evasion, her peripheral vision caught sight of those red lips.
Red lips…
Wait! Red lips?
A flash of inspiration suddenly struck Tan Xun’s brain.
“The lipstick today really suits you, President Ci! It makes you look so different from usual!”
With the lipstick as a breakthrough, Ci Wenjun’s uniqueness today gradually became apparent under the chief assistant’s observant gaze.
It was a makeup style unlike her usual one.
If her past makeup made her look like a single red plum blossom in the dead of winter, today’s makeup made her resemble spring blossoms blooming brightly in the season.
Then there was her clothing style, which was visibly different from her past norm.
Instead of her usual cold, strict, and proper business attire, she wore casual, everyday lifestyle clothing, giving off the impression that she had stepped straight out of a home environment to come to work, rather than acting like a pre-programmed work machine.
From head to toe, the compliments flowed seamlessly. Hearing her deliberate little styling thoughts accurately pointed out by her assistant felt simply wonderful.
She finally understood why some people loved hearing flattery.
Because it felt genuinely amazing!
Ci Wenjun couldn’t stop smiling under her assistant’s praise, the curve of her lips growing wider and wider.
Even with how dense she usually was, the assistant finally realized Ci Wenjun’s abnormality. President Ci’s mood today seemed a bit too good, and she looked entirely like someone newly fallen in love.
In love?
A question mark popped up over Tan Xun’s head.
She stared at the rippling, smiling woman in front of her.
In an instant, the question mark transformed into a bold exclamation mark!
A thought so bold it bordered on the bizarre flashed through her mind.
The President has fallen in love!
Walking out of Ci Wenjun’s office in a daze of red-hot disbelief, the exact second she closed the door, she grabbed Zhao Ke, who happened to be walking past.
“Xiaozhao, do you think President Ci is in love today?”
Zhao Ke looked at her as if she were mentally deficient.
“What are you talking about? Isn’t President Ci madly in love with her work every single day?”
She replied with a straight face, looking completely earnest, not joking at all, genuinely believing it from the bottom of her heart.
Tan Xun twitched the corner of her mouth and replied, somewhat unwilling to give up.
“I mean a person! Dating an actual person!”
Zhao Ke froze on the spot, looking utterly shocked.
“Even work can become a spirit and turn human these days!”
Her voice faded into the distance.
“Sincerity really does work wonders!”
Tan Xun closed her eyes, refusing to speak to fools any longer.
She felt like she must have truly lost her mind to ask such a question right outside Ci Wenjun’s office.
Chu Yu, who was far away from the turbulent winds at Star, was naturally oblivious to all this.
At the moment, she was standing on the utility balcony, rubbing her chin in deep thought.
Looking at the empty clothes racks with barely a garment left on them, Chu Yu touched her head.
Unwilling to give up, she checked the laundry room. Nothing.
She checked the bathroom next. Still nothing.
Case solved.
Splendid. She had managed to import a thief right into her home.
Back in the Star president’s office, Ci Wenjun sneezed.
Someone missing her?
Who could it be?
Could it be Chu Yu?
Thinking of Chu Yu, Ci Wenjun’s heart first softened, then prickled with guilt.
Down in the garage, that bulging bag sat quietly.
She swore she genuinely only meant to grab that jacket at first.
But when she was packing her own clothes, Chu Yu’s jacket just kept floating and swaying right in front of her eyes.
How could she possibly control herself!
And then she took it anyway.
What should she do? Chu Yu must be awake by now. If she went to the utility balcony, she would definitely discover it!
Her calmed brain began to analyze rationally: if she told Chu Yu she had accidentally packed it by mistake, would Chu Yu believe her?
But she didn’t want to return it!
She had gone through so much trouble to get it, how could she just hand it back so easily?
Yet Chu Yu would get angry!
They hadn’t made up yet; she couldn’t make Chu Yu angry again!
Thinking of this, Ci Wenjun inevitably drooped her head in disappointment.