A Frustrating Morning and the President's "Concern"

Morning sunlight filtered through the blinds and fell across Lin Chen's pale face, revealing two alarmingly dark circles under his eyes.

He drifted into the office like a wandering ghost, each step feeling weightless, as though he were walking on cotton.

[Sleepy... so sleepy... my eyes are sore and gritty... I feel hollowed out...]

He slumped at his workstation and mistyped his login password several times.

The photo from last night kept replaying in his mind against his will, the one that had set his blood racing and kept him awake all night, along with Little Moon's final, playfully provocative "good night."

[Little minx... she definitely did that on purpose!]

[Sending a photo like that! And saying things like that!

Who could possibly stand it?!]

[I can look but I can't touch. It's killing me!

This is downright inhuman torture!]

[I'm furious!

When we finally meet in person, I... I'll... I'll make her drop to her knees and beg for mercy!

I'll show her what I'm made of!

Let's see if she still dares to tease me so brazenly and run off!]

Yawning, he viciously hurled threats at her in his head, trying to use this "method of spiritual victory" to chase away his exhaustion and a certain indescribable frustration.

But the moment he thought of the image in that photo, his body reacted honestly again, making him even more irritable.

[Damn it! Is this ever going to end?!]

Just as he was locked in a dramatic inner struggle with himself, the familiar, crisp clatter of high heels against the floor drew closer.

Lin Chen jolted and sat bolt upright, forcing himself to look busy as he stared fixedly at his screen, as though it held some peerless secret.

Yan Qingyue walked in with graceful strides.

She wore a sharp white suit today, her makeup immaculate and her spirits high, a striking contrast to a certain distracted assistant with dark circles under his eyes.

As she passed Lin Chen's workstation, her steps paused almost imperceptibly, and her gaze swept over his wretched-looking face.

[Looks like last night's "perk" was remarkably effective.]

A fleeting smile flashed through her eyes, and her mood brightened even more.

Instead of going straight into her office, she turned and stopped in front of Lin Chen's workstation, tapping lightly on his desk.

Lin Chen was so startled he nearly sprang out of his chair. He hurried to his feet:

"Good morning, President Yan!"

"Morning."

Yan Qingyue's tone was flat, but her gaze roamed over his face with a hint of "concern." "Assistant Lin, you look... a little unwell. Didn't sleep well last night?"

Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat:

[She can tell? Of course she can!

My dark circles are practically dragging on the floor. How could she not?!]

He hurriedly forced a smile uglier than a grimace:

"Thank you for your concern, President Yan. I'm... I'm all right. Maybe I'm just not used to the bed, so I didn't sleep very soundly."

[Not used to the bed? Like hell I'm not!

It was you... no, it was Little Moon's photo!]

Yan Qingyue raised an eyebrow slightly, apparently accepting his excuse, riddled with holes as it was. Her tone remained "gentle":

"Young people need to take care of their health too. Work is important, but rest is the capital of revolution."

As she spoke, she took a small, elegant bottle of drink from her handbag and placed it on Lin Chen's desk.

"This is for you. It'll help you stay alert.*

*Looking at you, and with several meetings this morning, don't fall asleep in one."

Lin Chen looked, overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, at the functional drink that looked expensive, then at Yan Qingyue's seemingly concerned face that actually made his scalp tingle. Alarm bells rang wildly in his mind.

[A weasel paying a New Year's visit to a chicken? Why is Yan Iceberg suddenly being so kind?

Is she trying to set me up again?]

Out loud, however, he hurried to thank her:

"Thank you, President Yan! You're so considerate of your subordinates! I promise I'll be full of energy and won't hold up the work!"

Yan Qingyue nodded, seemingly pleased with his attitude.

She turned to leave, but then, as though she had suddenly remembered something, she looked back and asked in an utterly natural tone, as if she were merely a boss casually checking on a subordinate:

"By the way, you look so tired. Last night... you weren't up late chatting with your girlfriend, were you?"

Lin Chen: "!!!"

[Holy crap! How does she know?!

Did she plant a surveillance device on me?!]

A layer of cold sweat broke out on his back, and he hurriedly denied it:

"No, no! You're joking, President Yan. I... where would I get a girlfriend..."

His voice grew weaker and weaker.

[I don't have a girlfriend, but I do have an online girlfriend, and last night you almost... no, her photo almost killed me!]

Watching his eyes fill with panic and his face struggle to remain composed, Yan Qingyue laughed even more gleefully inside.

She pretended to realize something. "Oh, you don't? That's a shame."

Her tone held a hint of "regret." "I was going to say, if you really had a girlfriend, I'd have to remind her to take care of her health and stop keeping our Assistant Lin up so late."

Lin Chen: "..."

[Well, thank you so much!]

"All right, get to work."

Yan Qingyue finally ended her "kind" greeting and turned to walk gracefully into her office.

Lin Chen was left standing there alone, the cold bottle in his hand, while his heart felt as though it were being roasted over a fire, tossed up and down with frustration and an inexplicable guilty conscience.

[What does she mean? Is she simply concerned about a subordinate? Or is there something behind her words?]

[Her eyes seem strange today... like she knows something...]

[Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

She and sweet, adorable Little Moon are people from two completely different worlds!

I must be overthinking it, feeling guilty like a thief!]

He twisted open the drink and took a fierce swig, the cold liquid sliding down his throat as he tried to douse the restlessness and unease inside him.

But he couldn't concentrate all morning.

Yan Qingyue's seemingly concerned yet meaningful gaze was like a feather, tickling his heart again and again.

During the meeting, his mind wandered from time to time. His gaze occasionally drifted to the imposing, calm, and wise female president at the head of the table, while, absurdly, the sexy, alluring figure from last night's photo surfaced in his mind...

[Stop! Cut it out! Lin Chen, are you crazy?!

That's President Yan! An iceberg!

She could twist your head off! How can you lump her and Little Moon together?!]

He pinched his thigh hard, forcing himself to clear his head.

But deliberately suppressing it only made a certain thought stir all the more.

During the lunch break, he couldn't resist opening his chat history with Little Moon again. Looking at the photo that was the "source of all evil," he felt as though a hundred claws were scratching at his heart.

He typed out his grievance in misery and indignation:

"Little Moon [/crying]! I'm dead! My soul's gone missing at work today!"

"It's all your fault! [/aggrieved] You sent that kind of photo and made me lose sleep!"

"My boss even asked me out of nowhere today if I'd stayed up chatting with my girlfriend... scared me to death [/trembling]"

"Do you think she's found out something?"

Yan Qingyue was eating in her office when she saw the message, and she nearly laughed out loud.

[Found out? Of course I found out.

I found out someone was being tortured terribly.]

In a cheerful mood, she replied:

"Oh my~ I'm sorry~ [/pitiful] Who knew your self-control was so poor~"

"Why does your boss even care about that? [/questioning] Does she have some kind of feelings for you? [/snickering]"

When Lin Chen saw her reply, he nearly jumped up:

"How could she possibly! [/horrified] She's Yan Iceberg! She does nothing but squeeze and exploit us! If she has any ideas, they're about how to dock my bonus!"

"You're the only one in my heart! [/heart] You're the only one who can make me lose sleep and fall apart!"

Yan Qingyue's eyes flickered as she read the message.

[Only Little Moon can make you fall apart?]

What about Yan Qingyue?

She suddenly wanted very much to know what expression he would make if, one day, he learned that "Yan Iceberg" and "Little Moon" were actually the same person.

That would surely be... very interesting.

She smiled and replied:

"I know, I know~ [/shy] I only want you to... fall apart for me alone, too~ [/playful]"

"All right, hurry and get some rest while you can~ Tonight... there might be another 'surprise,' you know? [/wink]"

After sending it, she put down her phone and elegantly wiped the corner of her mouth.

The game was getting more and more fun.

Outside, when Lin Chen saw the word "surprise," everything suddenly went black before his eyes.

[Again?!]