Yun Mingyue was deeply satisfied with Zhou You’s reply—it was as if he’d glimpsed her morning dilemma over how to face him. He’d given her the closest thing to a perfect answer.

Feeling content, Yun Mingyue didn’t keep Zhou You in her office long. Citing her busy schedule, she soon asked Sun Qing to escort him to the secretarial department.

Whether she stayed alone, secretly smiling over the memory, or truly buried herself in work remained unknown.

The secretarial department wasn’t far from the chairman’s office. Staffed largely by transfers from headquarters, it buzzed with activity.

Standing outside, Zhou You heard the commotion within and opened the door a step ahead of Sun Qing.

Click…

Inside sat several mature women, each radiating sharp elegance. Some propped legs on desks in high-end semi-transparent black stockings; others changed clothes with backs turned to the door.

At the sound, all eyes snapped to the entrance. Captivating gazes locked onto Zhou You for a moment—smiles fading slowly.

Slam!

Zhou You yanked the door shut.

Maybe he’d opened it wrong?

“What’s wrong?” Sun Qing, who hadn’t seen inside, asked.

“Well… Sister Qing, maybe you should take a look yourself?” Zhou You hesitated.

Sun Qing’s brow furrowed. She vaguely guessed what he’d witnessed.

“Wait outside. I’ll handle this quickly.”

She offered Zhou You a slight smile, stepped in—and the moment she turned, her expression turned icy.

Soon, her frigid voice drifted out, making Zhou You waiting outside feel a faint unease.

Like when a classmate gets caught on their phone by the homeroom teacher in the hall—you're safe in class, yet still tense.

After ten minutes, the noise inside quieted.

Sun Qing scanned the secretaries standing obediently in line, rubbed her temples, and blamed her own leniency.

Glancing at the clock and mindful of Yun Mingyue, she cut the lecture short. Amid their horrified stares, her stern face softened into a polished smile. She opened the door.

“This is your new colleague.”

“Huh?!! A guy?!!”

They were stunned by Sun Qing’s tone—and by a man joining the department.

*Is he Secretary Sun’s kept boy?* they wondered inwardly.

None dared link him to Yun Mingyue. President Yun was the goddess of Yun Group—how could *she* keep a boy?

…

Thanks to Sun Qing, Zhou You’s onboarding went smoothly. Everything was fine—except the secretaries kept “accidentally” massaging his shoulders and legs, subtly probing his ties to Sun Qing.

At 6:00 p.m., the office emptied. Zhou You filed the last documents, gaining a rough grasp of his internship duties.

Ring… ring…

“Hello?”

“Big brother, are you off work?” Chen Youzi’s voice chirped through the line.

“Mm, heading home now. Order takeout if you’re hungry.” He switched off the lights and locked the door.

“I want to treat you out! My classmate wants to meet you,” she added—her excuse painfully clumsy.

(She’d consulted Ning Mengmeng earlier. Details aside, Mengmeng’s urging pushed her to strike first. Of course, Mengmeng would tag along as backup.)

“Sure.”

“I’ll send the location soon, big brother!”

After hanging up, Zhou You walked toward the exit. It’d take a minute to reach the elevator.

At that same moment, near the elevator, a mother and daughter met.

“Were you waiting here… for me?”

From the dim hallway emerged Yun Daidai—red pleated skirt, black stockings, tiny leather shoes.

She eyed Yun Mingyue, her mother, dressed once again in youthful flair. Doubt laced her voice.

Yun Mingyue didn’t answer. After a slow once-over, she countered, “Your mood seems lighter?”

“Heh. Maybe.” Yun Daidai pressed the elevator button with a lukewarm chuckle.

Yun Mingyue frowned. Since age three—when mocked for her single-parent home—their bond had never healed. She knew her share of blame. Yet she couldn’t accept this tone after eighteen years of raising her. Memories of past clashes rose; she fell silent, face cold.

Ding!

The empty elevator doors opened. They stepped in, standing far apart. The moment it reached the floor, Yun Daidai strode out without pause.

“Did you break up with your boyfriend?” Yun Mingyue called after her.

“No need to worry. He’s just moody.”

“So he finally dumped a tomboy like you.”

“?” Back turned, Yun Daidai felt crushed by that suffocating “maternal love.”

She tossed over her shoulder, icy: “Worry about yourself, unwanted old woman.”

Yun Mingyue watched her vanish, unmoved.

She knew her allure. No man? Only because none had ever caught her eye.

Once Yun Daidai disappeared, Yun Mingyue re-entered the elevator. Meeting her daughter was coincidence. She was waiting for someone else.

That boy held a quiet magic—around him, she felt light, at ease, perfectly in sync. Just a little… enchanted.

The elevator rose a few floors. Doors opened. Yun Mingyue stepped out, spotted Zhou You waiting—and her face bloomed like spring.

“What a coincidence.”

“Uh… yeah. Sister Hua, did you leave something at the office?” Zhou You couldn’t shake the feeling she’d staged this “chance” meeting.

Yun Mingyue smiled faintly, stepped closer. A gentle breeze carried her subtle, elegant scent.

Gazing deeply at him, she murmured with meaning:

“I *did* leave something important here. So I’ve been waiting… for him.”