Fan Xia put down her phone and looked at Rong Xiu. He was leaning lightly against one side of the elevator, his legs long and strong. The light from the top of the elevator shone on his lowered brows and eyes, casting a shallow shadow beneath his eyes, exuding an air of coldness.

Time seemed to return to seven years ago, to when she first saw him.

“Still Wen Lan Sheng?” Rong Xiu asked again.

Fan Xia was slightly surprised: “Senior, you know him?” She didn’t recall ever mentioning Wen Lan Sheng to him.

Rong Xiu’s voice was deep and indifferent: “Many people know him.”

Back in school, as many people who secretly loved Fan Xia, that many knew Wen Lan Sheng and had been humiliated by him.

Ding dong! The elevator arrived at the 15th floor employee cafeteria.

The group’s previous chairwoman, Rong Jin, in order to bring executives and ordinary employees closer, didn’t set up special counters and private rooms for executives, calling it ‘being close to the people’. But hardly any executives actually ate in the employee cafeteria, and those who did were just putting on a show.

Fan Xia casually picked up a few dishes and found that Rong Xiu’s taste was surprisingly similar to her own – green pepper with shredded pork, mapo tofu, both liked spicy food.

The two sat down amidst the surprised gazes of the surrounding employees, with Rong Xiu sitting directly across from Fan Xia.

In the bustling employee cafeteria, Rong Xiu, wearing a high-end suit, sitting with perfect posture, his back always straight, exuding the aura of a cold and noble young master, seemed out of place. It was as if a natural light shone on him, even his movements when picking up food were incredibly elegant, drawing people’s attention.

Until—

“Cough—” Rong Xiu picked up some green pepper with pork, a dish that shouldn’t have been very spicy, yet it made him choke on the spiciness, covering his mouth and coughing lightly. His cold, porcelain-like skin turned crimson.

“Be careful, have some water to wash down the spice.” Fan Xia unscrewed a bottle of mineral water and handed it to him.

Rong Xiu immediately took it, his soft fingertips touching her fingertips. He tilted his head back and drank large gulps of water, finally suppressing the spiciness. But because of being choked by the pepper, his cold eyes were filled with tiny, glistening tears, as if a perfect porcelain had developed a small crack, allowing a hint of human warmth to seep in, no longer seeming so unapproachable.

It was rare to see the once unreachable flower of the school show such a vulnerable side, and it was… quite cute.

Fan Xia moved all the spicy dishes away from him, lowering her eyes and smiling: “CEO, don’t eat these anymore, have some milder dishes.”

“Mm.” Rong Xiu gripped his chopsticks tightly, his thick long lashes hiding his eyes, covering the frustration in them. He had practiced just yesterday and could even handle the spiciness of flame shrimp, how did he revert to his old self today, unable to handle even a little spice?

But Fan Xia saw all of this, thinking he was embarrassed about his loss of composure earlier. She took the initiative to ease the situation: “Lan Sheng is like you, he likes spicy food but always gets choked by it, crying in discomfort every time.”

Lan Sheng… Hearing this name, Rong Xiu’s long-fingered hand involuntarily tightened.

They’re on such intimate terms, after all these years, why is their relationship still so good? Why hasn’t she ever changed her mind?

Rong Xiu secretly clenched his hand, feeling the constraining tie around his neck turn into a wet hemp rope, choking him.

“Look! Look! Isn’t that the CEO? Why is he eating in the employee cafeteria? I’ve been working at the group for three years and have never seen the CEO come here even once! Has the sun risen from the west today?!”

“Look at the woman opposite him, isn’t that the new executive assistant Fan Xia?”

“Oh my god, it’s really my wife-master, wow~~ My wife-master is even more beautiful in person than in the photo!”

A group from the administrative department huddled in a corner, excitedly whispering. Wen Lan Sheng sat quietly to the side, watching the people around him as if watching clowns perform.

“But to be fair, the CEO and my wife-master look quite good together, one a high and mighty flower, the other gentle and calm. Damn! I’m starting to ship them.”

Wen Lan Sheng silently frowned, his gloomy eyes looking at Rong Xiu in the distance. With his naturally superior appearance and top-tier family background, he looked extremely well-matched with Fan Xia, making Wen Lan Sheng himself seem like an outsider.

“What are you thinking? With Executive Assistant Fan’s educational background, how could she not have a boyfriend? The more excellent a woman is, the earlier she starts dating men, even in high school or college. She might even change boyfriends daily. How could she possibly still be single!”

The gloom in Wen Lan Sheng’s eyes faded, and a faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. His Fan Xia had only had one man by her side from high school until now. She would actively reject any frivolous suitors, she only loved him! Only him! After that accident, her eyes only saw him! Even Rong Xiu had once been defeated by him!

“That may be true, but how can those young boys compare to the CEO? Not to mention other aspects, just considering family background, marrying the CEO would be equivalent to marrying the entire Shanhai Group. That’s tens of billions in assets, a fast track to success! What woman could resist such a huge temptation?”

“Hey, Lan Sheng, Wen Lan Sheng, what are you doing? Come back!” By the time the administrative department crowd reacted, they saw Wen Lan Sheng, who usually didn’t stand out much in the company, leave his seat and stride towards the CEO, completely ignoring the anxious calls behind him.

Fan Xia was lowering her head to eat when she suddenly felt a shadow cover her head, followed by someone affectionately hugging her neck from behind: “Xia Xia, so you’re eating here too.”

Wen Lan Sheng gently kissed her cheek from behind, the faint, gentle scent of iris lingering by her ear.

Fan Xia smiled, though a bit surprised, she still gently patted his hand and said softly: “This is the employee cafeteria, many people are watching, and the CEO is here too, let go first.”

“CEO?” Wen Lan Sheng raised his handsome face, his eyes widening when he saw Rong Xiu sitting opposite, exuding an unapproachable aura. He let go and sat down next to Fan Xia with reddened earlobes, saying somewhat shyly: “I’m sorry, CEO, I didn’t recognize you just now.”

Rong Xiu’s eyes swept over him lightly, watching as Wen Lan Sheng deliberately sat close to Fan Xia. His whole body seemed immersed in winter sea water, his narrow eyes hidden behind rimless glasses distantly scrutinizing Wen Lan Sheng, with a half-smile: “It’s fine.”

Wen Lan Sheng smiled: “That’s good, I thought you were angry.” When Wen Lan Sheng smiled, his eyes curved like crescent moons, as friendly and comfortable as the boy next door, a stark contrast to Rong Xiu’s naturally cold and ascetic style. But the seemingly neighborly Wen Lan Sheng was actually a soft knife, quietly placing a ‘easily angered’ hat on Rong Xiu’s head.

Rong Xiu’s eyes were cold, his long elegant fingers lightly tapping on the table: “I’m not that irritable.”

“That’s good, I overthought it.” Wen Lan Sheng pursed his lips, gently tugging at Fan Xia’s sleeve. Fan Xia turned her face towards him, and Wen Lan Sheng spoke in her ear, his voice soft but loud enough for all three present to hear: “Xia Xia, have you given the invitation to the CEO yet?”

A gentle sentence that sounded like a thunderclap in Rong Xiu’s ears. His long fingers instantly stiffened, a strong sense of unease surging in his heart.

“You’re… getting married?”