Throughout the morning, Yan Xi was constantly on the move, tidying shelves and adjusting the window displays. He was so busy he did not even have time to sit down. Only after finally attending to a customer did he have a moment to edit the video he had recorded while crafting the figure the day before, which he promptly uploaded to his old account. Whether anyone followed or watched it did not matter; he considered it a personal archive of his life.
By 2:00 PM, Yan Xi had completed nearly half a week’s worth of shop chores. Unable to keep going, he slumped into the chair behind the counter to rest. Before he sat down, he warned himself to stay awake, absolutely forbidding himself to sleep. However, twenty minutes later, when Shi Ye arrived for his scheduled shift, he found the store manager fast asleep, slumped over the counter.
As he pushed the door open, Shi Ye swiftly covered the voice prompt speaker with his palm. The muffled, faint sound of “Welcome” failed to wake Yan Xi. Shi Ye slowed his pace and crept toward the counter. The area was neat and tidy; aside from the cash register, there was only a tablet and a finished figure. Shi Ye picked up the figure to observe it closely, recognizing it as Lingyun from the Ling-style Twins set.
Until today, Shi Ye’s impression of figures was limited to mass-produced commercial products. But the doll before him was exquisite and lifelike, with fluid lines that made it feel like a piece of art. The faint traces of manual craftsmanship did not diminish its beauty but rather added a unique texture, making it appear more vivid and authentic, reflecting the heart and soul the creator had poured into it. The creator himself was now slumped in the corner of the counter, his cheek resting on his folded arms, eyes closed, breathing evenly and softly. Because the shop was quite warm, his cheeks were tinged with a faint red.
The room was silent, save for the breeze whispering outside. Shi Ye watched Yan Xi in his light slumber, holding his breath for fear of disturbing him. Yet, as he watched, his thoughts began to wander. A pale grey shirt clung to Yan Xi’s skin, rising and falling gently with his shallow breathing. A few strands of hair fell across his forehead, adding an air of casual laziness to the sleeper. Shi Ye felt like a pervert; his eyes were entirely out of his control, fixed on Yan Xi’s snow-white neck and the slightly prominent Adam’s apple.
What kept his eyes glued the most were those pale red lips, which seemed to guard a silent secret, enticing greedy people to explore. Such a beautiful face. Cheng Zhen, that idiot, how could he deserve this? How dare he!
His dark eyes suddenly clouded over, turning frighteningly pitch black, the manifestation of Shi Ye’s surging jealousy and rage. He hated Cheng Zhen for having once possessed Yan Xi, and he hated him even more for hurting Yan Xi so recklessly. In the torrent of his emotions, a flash of doubt crossed Shi Ye’s mind. There was something odd about the whole situation that he could not quite fathom. Yan Xi’s personality was cold; he did not seem like someone who would be blinded by love. Cheng Zhen had nothing going for him beyond a respectable-looking face; how had Yan Xi fallen for him? Intuition told Shi Ye that Yan Xi would never truly like someone like Cheng Zhen. So why had they been together for half a year?
The more Shi Ye speculated, the more he felt compelled to get closer, to explore the secrets hidden behind those eyes. His heart raced, his breathing quickened, and something seemed to be sprouting in his chest, a sensation both painful and itchy. Shi Ye felt he was ill, suffering from a malady where he lost control whenever he saw Yan Xi. He just could not tell if it was Yan Xi’s mysterious soul or this enchanting body that was making him sick.
Shi Ye was so lost in his trance that he did not notice Yan Xi’s eyelids fluttering. He only snapped back to reality when Yan Xi opened his eyes and their gazes locked. Shi Ye had leaned in too close, nearly brushing Yan Xi’s face. They were separated by only a fist’s distance; had Yan Xi raised his head just a second earlier, they would have collided. This was the second time Shi Ye had experienced the panic and embarrassment of being caught.
Before he could concoct a cover story, Yan Xi spoke: “You…”
Shi Ye fought to stay calm: “I…”
“Be careful!” Yan Xi’s brow furrowed suddenly. His voice was hoarse with fatigue, but mostly filled with tension. “Do not break my doll.”
Shi Ye froze, realizing he was still gripping the figure. “…Oh.”
He placed the figure on the counter and stood up, retreating to a safe distance. When he spoke again, his voice was laced with jealousy. “Brother Yan, I have not seen you for a day and a night, yet you only care about your doll and not me at all.”
Yan Xi smoothed out his wrinkled shirt and looked down. “You are an adult; you do not need me to worry. My doll was only born a few hours ago, so I have to be careful with it.”
“Fine, I will not compete with a newborn, but…” Shi Ye raised his voice. “Why are you sleeping here?”
Yan Xi was taken aback by the question. He narrowed his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. He knew sleeping on the job was against the rules, but hearing a reprimand from an intern left him, the store manager, feeling awkward. “My mistake. I saw the shop was empty and thought I would just sit here for a moment. I do not know how I drifted off.”
Shi Ye frowned. “Sleeping here is dangerous, you know?”
“Dangerous?” Yan Xi was baffled. “How is it dangerous?”
Shi Ye said with a somber expression: “What if a bad person breaks in?”
Yan Xi glanced at him. “To steal something?”
Shi Ye’s cheeks tightened. “To steal you!”
Yan Xi could not help but laugh. “No, what would they steal me for?”
Shi Ye: “…”
Yan Xi did not understand why he was suddenly angry, so he humored him gently. “Alright, alright, I hear you. I will not sleep here in the future. I promise.”
Shi Ye’s expression softened slightly. “Then go to the back room and sleep now. I will watch the shop.”
Yan Xi had no choice but to head toward the partition. Shi Ye shouted after him: “Make sure you close the door!”
The afternoon sun filled the shop as soft music played. The glass door was pushed open once more. The milk tea girl and her friend returned, spotting Lingyun on the counter immediately. The girl in glasses let out a squeal of excitement and rushed to the counter, her eyes shining with desire. “How much? What is the price? I want to buy it right now!”
Shi Ye pressed a finger to his lips, signaling them to stay calm, and explained with a smile: “I am very sorry, but this doll is not for sale.”
The light in the girl’s eyes faded instantly. “Huh? Why not? I really cannot wait another moment.”
Shi Ye said, “It is not yet an official company product. Private sales are against the rules.”
The milk tea girl gripped the counter with both hands. “We really like it! Can you make an exception and sell it to us quietly? We have very loose lips, we will keep it secret for you, we will not tell a soul.”
“Wait a few more days.” Shi Ye expressed deep understanding. “We will report and apply to the company as soon as possible. Once it goes into mass production, we will reserve the first batch for you.”
Given Shi Ye’s promise, the girl reluctantly put down Lingfeng and chose two beautiful glass mugs as a token of thanks.
Recently, Shi Ye’s part-time hours had become erratic; most of the time he came in after lunch to help, but occasionally he did not arrive until after 4:00 PM. Yan Xi was busy working on a project proposal, so even when they were in the shop together, they rarely had a chance to talk.
Shi Ye, feeling neglected, began to let his imagination run wild. Just as he was beginning to suspect that Yan Xi had discovered his feelings, a thick stack of papers was dropped in front of him.
“Help me look this over.”
Yan Xi stretched his arms above his head, trying to work out the muscles that had been tense for three days. Shi Ye forced himself to tear his gaze away from Yan Xi’s slender waist and focused on the documents.
The proposal was comprehensive, detailing everything from the project pitch to expected results, production schedules, budgets, and potential risks. It was not only logically sound but also thorough, covering almost every possible question and solution. Shi Ye flipped through page after page. He was shocked that Yan Xi could complete such a complex and detailed proposal in such a short time; he was amazed by Yan Xi’s efficiency and reflected that this was indeed the work of someone who had been a CEO’s assistant.
“Brother Yan, to be a mere store manager with your skills is a waste of talent.”
“The biggest difficulty is getting the company’s support,” Yan Xi said, pessimistic about the prospects. “It is not as simple as just launching a project; we would also need to build a team of designers, manufacturers, and marketing personnel later on.”
“The company will support it,” Shi Ye said. “Brother Yan, I have faith in you.”
Yan Xi rubbed his temples, his eyes showing a trace of helplessness. “The shop has already received significant investment, yet the returns are minimal. To be honest, I do not believe the company’s senior management will agree to invest further.” He stroked the proposal on the table. “Even if we succeed in building a team, we need sufficient resources to support the implementation, including sales strategies and promotional activities. I fear the success rate is less than thirty percent.”
Shi Ye pondered for a moment. “Brother Yan, has the company not already sent notice that you are fully responsible for the store project? That means they trust your ability.”
“Xiao Ye, you have only just joined; there are some things you do not understand,” Yan Xi analyzed calmly. “Being fully responsible is merely a convenient way for them to find a scapegoat when things go wrong.”
“How about this,” Shi Ye said, picking up the documents. “I will take some time tomorrow to go to the headquarters. I will deliver the proposal to the CEO’s office first and see what the response is.”
That night, Yan Xi lay in bed, tossing and turning. He felt something was amiss. Recalling his own experiences at the company, where even a former CEO’s assistant was sidelined, he worried that Xiao Ye, as a mere intern, would face harassment if he went alone. For the sake of this project into which he had poured his heart and soul, and to protect the intern’s precious enthusiasm, Yan Xi made a decision:
Tomorrow morning, he would go to the headquarters and meet President Shi in person.