A Suggestive Elevator Encounter and a Misunderstanding

On Monday, Lin Chen walked into the company feeling refreshed and invigorated.

Over the weekend, he had not only taken time to savor the joy of the system upgrade and the rewards he had received.

He had also successfully sold his Kexiang Technology shares at 1.29, netting over forty thousand Hong Kong dollars.

With his first pot of gold safely in his pocket, he practically had the wind at his heels.

New week, new beginning! With the system in hand, the world is mine! Yan Iceberg, bring it on!

Full of fighting spirit, he settled into his workstation and began dealing with the accumulated documents and emails.

Perhaps because he was in such a good mood, he worked exceptionally efficiently. Even the reports he usually found tedious looked much more pleasing to the eye.

Yan Qingyue arrived at the office on time. As she passed his workstation, her gaze lingered on him for a tenth of a second.

She seemed a little surprised that he was in such good spirits, but she said nothing and walked straight into her office.

Good morning, President Yan! Another day of working hard for your empire! (Inner drama queen possessed me.)

The morning passed without incident.

Lin Chen focused on his work, occasionally sneaking a glance at the glass wall of the president's office.

Yan Qingyue seemed busy too. She was constantly taking calls and attending video meetings, her brows knitting and relaxing from time to time.

After lunch break, a colleague from the administration department came over carrying a large stack of newly purchased office supplies to distribute.

"Assistant Lin, these are the stationery and consumables for your office. Please sign for them."

"Sure!" Lin Chen got up to help check everything and sign.

There were quite a few things: several boxes of premium printer paper, a carton of spare ink cartridges, and a few high-end leather-bound notebooks that looked exceptionally well made.

After signing, Lin Chen picked up the most conspicuous notebooks, intending to take them in to Yan Qingyue first.

He knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Yan Qingyue was looking down at a contract and didn't even raise her head.

"President Yan, the administration department delivered some new notebooks. I'll put them on your desk."

As Lin Chen spoke, he placed the notebook on top, a black one with a gold-embossed pattern, beside her hand.

"Mmm." Yan Qingyue gave an absentminded response and continued reading the contract.

Lin Chen put down the notebooks and turned to leave, but out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Yan Qingyue casually picking up the new notebook, apparently intending to flip through it.

But her attention was obviously still on the contract, and her hand slipped—

"Crash!"

She lost her grip on the notebook, and it fell to the floor.

As luck would have it, it fell open, and a small stack of things tucked inside slipped out and fluttered all over the floor.

Lin Chen instinctively bent down to pick them up.

Yan Qingyue froze for a moment too, then put down the contract and bent over.

The two reached for the area where most of the things had scattered at almost the same time.

And then—

"Thud!"

A muffled impact rang out.

"Ugh..."

Their foreheads collided with a solid smack!

Lin Chen grimaced in pain. Yan Qingyue also clutched her forehead and drew a sharp breath, a rare expression of pain appearing on her cool, beautiful face.

Holy crap! That hurts! Is President Yan's head made of iron?!

No, I was the one who hit her! I'm screwed, I'm screwed! A workplace injury! Does this count as a workplace injury?!

Lin Chen wailed inwardly. Forgetting his own pain, he hurriedly apologized:

"I'm sorry, President Yan! I wasn't paying attention! Are you all right?"

Yan Qingyue rubbed her reddened forehead and waved a hand, her voice a little muffled:

"I'm fine."

Both of them quickly picked up the things on the floor, feeling a little awkward.

Only then did Lin Chen realize that what had scattered wasn't documents at all, but a few exquisitely designed cards with a faint fragrance... perfume cards?

There were also a few flyers for a haute couture clothing brand's new seasonal collection.

Clearly, they were advertisements or freebies that had come with the notebook.

Uh... I thought they were important documents... that scared me.

But this perfume smells pretty nice. It's a little like President Yan's scent...

Lin Chen hurriedly straightened the cards and flyers he had picked up, tucked them back into the notebook, and respectfully returned it to the desk. Then, holding his forehead, he slunk out of the office.

Yan Qingyue watched him practically flee, then touched her own forehead, which still throbbed faintly. She was both amused and a little exasperated.

She picked up the notebook and looked at the perfume and clothing advertisements tucked inside, a flicker passing through her eyes.

Did he just smell that perfume card? And think it smelled like me?

All afternoon, Lin Chen felt a dull ache in the bump on his forehead, and he was firmly convinced that President Yan's gaze held a trace of "resentment."

I'm done for. I bumped the boss's head. Is my career about to be over?

Trembling with apprehension, he became even more careful in everything he did.

At long last, quitting time arrived. Lin Chen finished the last bit of work on his hands, let out a long breath, and prepared to make his escape.

He walked briskly toward the executive elevator, weighing whether to have braised beef noodles or old-pickled-mustard noodles that evening.

The elevator doors opened, and he walked in with his head lowered.

"Hmm?"

A familiar nasal sound, edged with coolness.

Lin Chen looked up and froze instantly.

Yan Qingyue was standing in the elevator, looking at him expressionlessly.

She seemed to be getting off work too, holding a phone and an elegant clutch.

Holy crap! Why is it her again?!

I can even run into her in the private elevator?! What kind of unlucky day is this?!

Lin Chen steeled himself and walked in, forcing out an awkward but polite smile:

"President Yan, what a coincidence. You're off work too."

"Mmm."

Yan Qingyue responded coolly, pressed the button for the B2 parking garage, then glanced at him. "Are you going to the first floor?"

"Yes, yes, the first floor is fine. Thank you, President Yan."

Lin Chen nodded hurriedly.

The elevator doors slowly closed, leaving just the two of them in the confined space.

The air instantly grew quiet and somewhat stifling.

The high-end elevator ran extremely smoothly, almost soundlessly. Only the faint sensation of weightlessness indicated that it was descending.

Lin Chen felt uncomfortable all over, unsure where to look.

It would be rude to stare directly at his boss, but staring at the elevator numbers would look too deliberate.

His gaze inadvertently swept over the elevator's mirror-polished wall, which dimly reflected Yan Qingyue's slender profile.

She was wearing a perfectly tailored pearl-white skirt suit today. The hem stopped just above her knees, outlining her slender waist and the graceful curve of her hips.

Her long, straight legs were clad in sheer stockings, and her signature sky-high heels made her posture look even more upright and her aura more imposing.

Gulp...

Lin Chen swallowed involuntarily.

She really is... the Creator's masterpiece... those proportions, those legs... absolutely incredible!

I was always too busy being scared to get a good look... if Yan Iceberg entered a beauty pageant, wouldn't her figure alone blow everyone else away?

I wonder what she'd feel like... ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!

Lin Chen, what are you thinking?! Do you have a death wish?!

Is that something you can even think about?!

His inner screen filled with a frenzy of messages, all sorts of suggestive thoughts colliding with his intense survival instinct. He tried to maintain a serious expression, looking straight ahead, but the tips of his ears quietly turned red beyond his control.

Yan Qingyue had been looking at her phone, but when she suddenly heard this guy's outrageous, richly detailed "praise" beside her, her fingers tightened sharply around the phone, their tips turning slightly white.

She fought back the urge to turn and throw him over her shoulder, took a deep breath, and told herself to stay calm. This was a rare asset and couldn't be damaged carelessly.

But the elevator seemed to be descending particularly slowly.

To break the suffocating silence and ease the awkwardness of being "harassed" in his thoughts, Yan Qingyue had no choice but to speak first, choosing the safest topic she could find:

"What happened with Kexiang Technology afterward?"

"Huh?"

Lin Chen had been absorbed in "appreciating" the reflection on the elevator wall and his own inner drama. The sudden question startled him so badly he nearly bit his tongue!

"Ke-Kexiang? Oh, oh, that... I... I didn't pay attention to it afterward. It was just a little dabbling. I made a bit of pocket money and got out."

I can't tell her the truth! I have to play dumb!

"Pocket money?"

Yan Qingyue raised an eyebrow, watching his obviously guilty expression in the elevator wall's reflection. "It seems Assistant Lin's pocket money is no small sum."

Lin Chen: "..."

I'm done for. I said the wrong thing again!

Just as he was racking his brains for a way to smooth things over, a ding sounded, and they reached the first floor.

The elevator doors slowly opened.

"President Yan, I'll be going first! See you tomorrow!"

As if granted a pardon, Lin Chen practically bolted out of the elevator and rushed toward the entrance without looking back, moving as fast as if a dog were chasing him.

Watching him flee in a panic, Yan Qingyue finally couldn't help it. A faint but genuine smile curved her lips.

This guy... sometimes, he really was a little interesting.

The elevator doors slowly closed, and it continued downward.

Yan Qingyue took out her phone and opened the chat window with "Little Moon."

After a moment's thought, she typed and sent:

"I ran into something a little funny just as I got off work [/snicker]. Some reckless fool nearly knocked me out...

Tell me, aren't there people who look perfectly honest on the surface, but actually spend all day thinking about all sorts of messy things?"

She wanted to see how he would judge "himself" as "Little Moon."