◎Cupid, the God of Love.◎
The next morning, Chen Yi arrived at the company twenty minutes early for the first time ever. She was the first one there. When Yu You’an showed up, she spotted Chen Yi at her workstation and nearly didn’t dare call out to her.
She was afraid that this wasn’t a real person but some resentful soul of an overworked office drone hovering in place.
Yu You’an asked cautiously, “Chen Yi?”
Chen Yi turned her head and flashed a brilliant smile at Yu You’an. “Good morning, Little An.”
Yu You’an: “…”
Something was off. Definitely off.
Didn’t Chen Yi look downright bizarre right now?
Concern was written all over Yu You’an’s face. “Chen Yi, are you okay? Did something set you off?”
Who shows up to work this chipper? She’s got to be unwell.
Chen Yi replied earnestly, “I’m fine. I did get a little shaken up, though.”
Yu You’an: “Huh?”
Chen Yi said meaningfully, “Shaken by love.”
Yu You’an: “…”
She never should have asked.
Yu You’an smiled helplessly and shook her head before sitting down at the workstation directly across from Chen Yi. Seeing that none of the other colleagues had arrived yet, she beckoned Chen Yi to lean over.
Their workstations faced each other, with their computers back-to-back. Both Yu You’an and Chen Yi propped themselves up and craned their necks forward. From a distance, they looked just like kids back in school, sneaking peeks from the front gate or over the perimeter wall to haggle with street vendors over illicit snacks.
Yu You’an whispered, “Chen Yi, I gave it some serious thought last night. Don’t worry—in this assistant selection, I’m solidly on your side.”
Chen Yi: “Good people live long lives.”
“But whatever you do, don’t hold back on my account.” Chen Yi was genuinely worried about that.
She knew exactly how much Yu You’an liked Xu Yan—worshipped her, even.
Yu You’an waved it off. “Don’t overthink it. The truth is, I’m not all that interested in the assistant spot myself. My goal is chief editor, not chief editor’s assistant. Our career tracks are totally different.”
Chen Yi: “You’ve got some real ambition, girl.”
Yu You’an grinned. “Hehe.”
What young person fresh out of school didn’t dream of pulling in seven figures a year? What was the harm in fantasizing?
“Anyway, here’s my plan. When push comes to shove, I’ll knock out the other two candidates. It’ll be us against the world. You know racing? Chen Yi, think of me as your wingman car.”
To let the lead car blast ahead without interference, the wingman hung back right behind it, blocking any challengers from passing.
In short, a rolling roadblock.
Chen Yi’s eyes welled up at Yu You’an’s words. “Sister, from today onward, you’re my blood sister.”
Yu You’an beamed. “Say no more.”
“Just promise that once you and Chief Editor Xu get together, you’ll send me some sweet crumbs.”
Chen Yi: “Crumbs?”
Yu You’an backpedaled at once. “I mean, treat me to a meal.”
She thought to herself that Chen Yi was so shy—she couldn’t even handle a little teasing.
What else would it be but dog food?
As a gossip hound perpetually on the front lines, a pint-sized genius who’d shipped every power couple in the entertainment industry, Yu You’an had clocked the vibe between Chief Editor Xu and Little Yi ages ago. Helping her friend was helping herself.
With heartfelt sincerity, Yu You’an reached out and patted Chen Yi on the head. “Little Yi, you’ve got this. My future’s riding on you.”
Finding even a speck of sugary bliss amid the dull, agonizing grind of office drone life? It all hinged on Chen Yi.
Chen Yi misunderstood Yu You’an’s true intent, assuming she meant their future job prospects. With generous confidence, she thumped her chest. “Leave it to me.”
That did it—Yu You’an’s heart settled right down.
Her ship was looking solid.
Yu You’an smiled happily.
Colleagues began trickling into the office one by one, and the two stopped chatting. Before diving into work, Yu You’an glanced at the coffee cup sitting by Chen Yi’s desk.
“Oh my god.” Yu You’an’s eyes widened. “Little Yi, you switched up your order?”
She always went for the sweet stuff, but today she’d grabbed an Americano.
“Hand-ground beans—I reserved it last night and cabbed over this morning to pick it up,” Chen Yi said cheerfully.
Yu You’an eyed the cup’s packaging. The shop name rang a bell, but she couldn’t quite place it.
“Is it bitter?” Yu You’an asked. She could barely stomach the aroma.
Chen Yi: “Bitter as hell!”
“Bitterer than my whole damn life.”
Yu You’an was floored. “Then why are you drinking it?”
“Who said it’s for me?” Chen Yi lifted her head with a smug little tilt. “It’s for our esteemed Chief Editor Xu.”
She put extra punch on “esteemed.”
Yu You’an shot her an “I get it” look.
“You really went all out,” Yu You’an said. “I hear Chief Editor Xu’s a huge Americano fan.”
Chen Yi grinned. “Yeah, and now she’ll be totally hooked on me.”
In that moment, as Chen Yi spoke, Yu You’an could’ve sworn she caught a gritted-teeth edge to her tone. But glancing at Chen Yi’s beaming smile, she wondered if she’d misheard.
The click of high heels echoed from behind Chen Yi. Yu You’an shot to her feet at once, and a chorus of greetings followed in her ear.
“Chief Editor Xu.”
Chen Yi knew Xu Yan had arrived.
She hurried over with the coffee in hand, channeling the old wisdom that no one slaps a smiling face. Beaming with enthusiasm, she approached Xu Yan.
“Chief Editor Xu,” Chen Yi said, offering the cup with both hands. “Good morning—your coffee.”
Xu Yan’s gaze skimmed lightly over Chen Yi’s face.
It was like a chill breeze, laced with a hint of bleakness.
The chill nearly cracked Chen Yi’s smile.
She thought to herself: Xu Yan, take it or leave it. Holding it like this is mortifying!
Chen Yi: “Chief Editor Xu?”
Xu Yan let out a soft sigh.
“Thanks.” She accepted the coffee from Chen Yi’s hands.
As their hands brushed, Xu Yan’s fingertip accidentally grazed Chen Yi’s.
It felt… strange.
Xu Yan came across as icy cold. If you sorted people by seasonal color palettes, she’d be pure winter. She rarely smiled, kept her company talk curt and to the point—no wasted words. Her makeup was always minimal, never overdone. She avoided warm tones like the plague; head to toe, her outfits broadcasted “keep your distance.”
Yet her fingertip was warm—hot, even.
Not the icy chill Chen Yi had pictured. It was more like winter sunlight dappling the skin: cozy and soothing.
Caught off guard by the discovery, Chen Yi stood there stunned.
Xu Yan gripped the cup sleeve while Chen Yi was still lost in a daze.
“Let go,” Xu Yan said helplessly.
Chen Yi yanked her hand back.
“No need for this next time.” Xu Yan gave the coffee a little shake. “Get back to work.”
“Okay,” Chen Yi said.
She returned to her seat.
While Chen Yi and Xu Yan had been talking, Yu You’an had stealthily pulled up the coffee shop’s location on her phone using the packaging label. Ignorance was bliss—now she was stunned.
The place was a world away from both the office and the direction where she and Chen Yi lived.
No telling how early Chen Yi had dragged herself out of bed or how much that cab ride had cost.
Considering that Chen Yi’s rental was even more out in the sticks than hers, and her life probably tighter on cash, the fact that she’d gone to such lengths just for Chief Editor Xu’s coffee…
A banner flashed through Yu You’an’s mind: Chen Yi’s love runs deeeep.
“Go for it!” she urged Chen Yi emotionally when she got back. “I’m rooting for you.”
Chen Yi thought it was a bit random but played along anyway, lifting her hand in a mock fist pump. “Go for it?”
~~~
Thanks to Chen Yi’s major in visual communication and art design, her team lead had her handling mostly small design tasks, layout checks, and initial manuscript reviews.
She spent the whole morning buried in her work.
Chen Yi wasn’t typically the diligent type, but once she got into it, she was laser-focused—tuning out the world entirely and powering through at top speed.
Sitting across from her, Yu You’an—who’d been wheeling and dealing in the Student Council since high school and all through university—grew anxious watching her. She kept firing off messages: “Slow down! Slow down!! Touch some grass once in a while!!”
Every time one popped up, Chen Yi forced herself to dial it back.
At eleven thirty, HR came to fetch them. Chen Yi and Yu You’an headed out together.
They reached a meeting room and pushed open the door to find the other two candidates already seated inside.
Those two were their fellow competitors for the assistant position.
Exchanging awkward greetings upon sight, the tension thickened.
Chen Yi took the seat farthest on the edge and stayed quiet.
With the interviewer still nowhere in sight, Yu You’an seized the chance to steer the conversation, probing for intel.
Moments later, Lily walked in.
Lily was Xu Yan’s personal assistant and looked every bit as serious. In a fashion company, she was probably the only one who showed up in a full suit every single day. The daily variation came down to the suit’s color and tiny design tweaks. She wore sleek silver-framed glasses, and her hair was impeccably combed.
Yu You’an spoke first. “Hey, Sister Lily.”
Lily nodded.
“I’m Lily—you probably all know me. Feel free to call me Lily or Sis Lily. The reason I called you four here today is for our one-week assistant selection process. First off, congratulations on standing out from all the applicants.”
“I’ll start by explaining what an assistant does. In simple terms, I handle Chief Editor Xu’s main work issues. Everything else is your responsibility. Always be prepared and ready to adapt at a moment’s notice—that’s your top priority.”
“Chief Editor Xu doesn’t like mixing work and personal matters, so unless it’s absolutely necessary, please don’t meddle in her private life. You’re assistants hired by the company, not her nannies.”
Lily spoke just like a teacher.
Chen Yi sat in her chair, suddenly feeling like she was back in high school in China.
“First, I’ll hand out today’s tasks.” Lily pulled a delicate velvet pouch from her pocket. “Come on up. To keep it fair, we’ll draw lots.”
Yu You’an went first. She drew a small bottle with a slip of paper inside. When she opened it, the task was to sort through the magazine’s old files in the warehouse.
Once Yu You’an had drawn hers, the other two stepped up. Naturally, the last one went to Chen Yi.
She picked it up and opened it.
Yu You’an leaned over curiously. “What is it?”
The tiny slip of paper bore neat handwriting in ink.
【Await Chief Editor Xu’s arrangements】
Yu You’an’s mouth twisted into a grimace. She slapped Chen Yi on the shoulder. “Chen Yi, the gods are looking out for you.”
Chen Yi laughed too, thinking that yeah, the gods really were taking care of her.
It was just that the gods they had in mind were probably different kinds.
Chen Yi pictured Nemesis, the goddess of vengeance—daughter of the night, violent and perilous. Meanwhile, Yu You’an secretly offered a prayer in her heart to Cupid, the god of love.
Yu You’an was genuinely thrilled. After leaving the conference room, she even chatted with Chen Yi about it. “I can’t believe I get to go to the warehouse! Ahh! I’m so excited!”
Chen Yi didn’t get it. “What’s so great about the warehouse? It’s full of dust—be careful when you’re there.”
Yu You’an shook her head. “You don’t understand. Those are treasures! There might be classic old issues, and tons of internal files.”
Chen Yi really didn’t understand.
She wanted to tell Yu You’an that if she loved digging through old stuff that much, she should check out the storeroom at Chen Yi’s house.
Her mom was one step away from turning it into a museum.
But she couldn’t say that. All she could do was, at lunch, use the excuse of buying water to dash to the supermarket. She bought Yu You’an a couple of masks and some disposable gloves.
“Here you go.” Chen Yi handed them over. “Be safe while you’re sorting. There’s a ton of dust—don’t go in without the mask.”
Yu You’an was touched. “Chen Xiaoyi—Little Yi—”
With that, Yu You’an lunged forward to hug her.
Chen Yi dodged backward.
After two steps, she bumped right into someone.
“Sorry,” Chen Yi said as she turned around.
Xu Yan was staring at her.
Yu You’an fell silent too.
A moment later, Xu Yan spoke. “Chen Yi, come to my office.”
