Chapter 23: Xie Ya

Chapter 23 Xie Ya

This dated back to when she first joined the company.

One weekend, she was working overtime, and the company hadn’t provided any afternoon snacks. Craving something sweet, she went to the break room to buy some snacks and happened to run into Xiao Wang, who had come down to buy something.

She couldn’t remember what they had talked about, but in the end, Xiao Wang offered to buy her a drink, and she chose apple juice. She was surprised he remembered it so clearly—she didn’t even recall what he had drunk at the time.

Xiao Wang shrugged it off, “It’s nothing impressive, just a habit.”

It was simply his habit, and coincidentally, it was also a useful skill for work.

“Isn’t that even more remarkable? You’ve basically turned work into instinct,” Zhou Zuofei praised before sighing. “I wonder when I’ll ever reach that level.”

Even after three years on the job, she still couldn’t integrate work into her life seamlessly. Every Monday brought that same sinking feeling of another grueling week ahead, she thought.

“I think your current state is just fine—putting in honest work while enjoying life. The two shouldn’t be mixed up in the first place.”

At first, Xiao Wang also believed he should strive harder while he was young. Coincidentally, he met Ling Yu, who recognized his potential, and so he dove headfirst into his career.

After years of effort, he became Ling Yu’s right-hand man and what his friends called a success story.

But his life had become so consumed by work that there was no space left for anything else—even exercise was just to stay healthy and work better.

His friends joked that he had fallen into the same old success trap: after making it big, he began to regret the emptiness in his personal life and sought to fill the gaps.

Only Xiao Wang knew the truth—he had already reached the highest point he could, and the road ahead wasn’t something mere effort could overcome.

“But work has rules and procedures. As long as you follow them, you won’t make mistakes, and even if problems arise, the responsibility isn’t yours. Life isn’t like that—there are always weirdos and weird situations coming out of the woodwork.”

Zhou Zuofei’s voice grew quieter toward the end because she realized she was just complaining, and Xiao Wang didn’t need to hear it.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Wang still asked, “Are you talking about your friend’s situation?”

“Well... sort of,” Zhou Zuofei replied vaguely.

Sometimes she didn’t even know what was bothering her—maybe it was knowing too much or just one of those mood swings.

But she knew that if she couldn’t solve the problem, complaining wouldn’t help.

No matter how bad life got, there were always some bright sides. For example, work might be terrible, but the bosses were alright. There might be annoying colleagues, but there were also great teammates.

Life was like a half-full glass of water. If you only focused on the empty half and ignored the half you had, wasn’t that just throwing the baby out with the bathwater?

Seeing her like this, Xiao Wang couldn’t help but add, “Xiao Zhou, you’re too kind. You don’t need to take responsibility for your friend’s life.”

He had once felt the same way and knew exactly how much burden it placed on oneself, carrying worries that weren’t even theirs to bear.

“I know, but I just can’t completely separate emotions from logic. Ugh, I’m a lost cause!” Zhou Zuofei waved her hand at Xiao Wang, wearing a resigned expression.

“Then your friends must be very lucky,” Xiao Wang remarked.

Sometimes he felt his own life was too fragmented. Though an ordinary person, he constantly moved through the glitz and glamour crowd. After seeing so much materialism and insincerity, he had almost forgotten that people like Zhou Zuofei—the real deal—still existed in the world.

“Don’t say that. Being Xiao Wang’s junior is also a blessing,” Zhou Zuofei said cheerfully, giving her apple juice a little shake. “Not many seniors remember what their junior likes to drink.”

Somehow, Xiao Wang suddenly felt much better.

Maybe it was because of Zhou Zuofei’s praise, or perhaps simply because interacting with someone straightforward was inherently relaxing. Either way, his mood reached an unexpected peace.

"Let's talk about today's dinner," he shifted topics. Since his own mood had been helped along, he felt obligated to help Zhou Zuofei with her troubles.

"It feels like you had a lot on your mind during the meal."

Now Zhou Zuofei was genuinely bummed out. She asked, "Am I... really that obvious?"

Then she saw the other person look at her seriously and say, "You're really not good at masking your feelings."

If Secretary Xiao said so, then it must be true.

"No wonder Xiao Zhan always notices whenever I scold him," Zhou Zuofei stroked her chin, deep in thought. "Seems like I’ll have to find a way to practice emotional management from now on."

Secretary Xiao instinctively wanted to say, "You’re fine just the way you are," but thankfully he caught himself in time—how could he let his personal feelings hinder Zhou Zuofei’s growth?

He quickly gathered his thoughts and, from the perspective of someone with experience, offered Zhou Zuofei some advice for reference.

"I think you can start with these aspects..."

Zhou Zuofei hadn’t expected today to be so fruitful—not only did she get a ride, but she also received personal coaching from the CEO’s secretary. Compared to all this, the frustration Han Chubin had brought her was not even worth mentioning. So, all in all, she had come out way ahead!

The two hung out in the park for over half an hour until the sun set, and Secretary Xiao drove Zhou Zuofei back to her apartment complex gate.

Zhou Zuofei got out of the car and, as usual, thanked Secretary Xiao again.

"Secretary Xiao, thank you so much today!" It might be overstepping, but Zhou Zuofei still wanted to say, "If you ever need anything, just let me know. I’d love the chance to help you too."

Secretary Xiao smiled. "I should be thanking you for keeping me company and chatting. I kept you so long."

His demeanor was refined and gentle, his appearance matching his temperament—elegant, mild, and unassuming. His tone was always soft-spoken.

Such an image easily earned others’ trust, and words spoken by him always seemed more sincere.

But Zhou Zuofei didn’t read too much into it—she genuinely believed every word Secretary Xiao said.

"Sure, you can always reach out next time too." Whether he meant it or not, she had already made her position clear.

"Alright, we’ll talk when there’s a chance. I’ll head back now—see you next week."

Zhou Zuofei watched Secretary Xiao’s car drive away. Today was probably the longest time the two had spent together in the three years they’d known each other.

If it had been any other colleague—even if Luo Jing had suggested going to the park—she would've probably said no.

She had to admit one thing: just as she had different standards for Du Yu, she also had a soft spot for Secretary Xiao. And this soft spot was strong enough to make her break some of her own principles for him.

Before she even got home, Du Yu had already sent her a flood of voice notes. Without listening, Zhou Zuofei knew they were probably just complaints.

She didn’t even bother playing the voice notes and instead automatically typed a reply in the chat box.

[Holy shit!]

Du Yu, already on a rant, grew even more enthusiastic upon seeing Zhou Zuofei’s agreement and sent several more voice notes in quick succession.

Only after Zhou Zuofei changed into loungewear, fed the director and refreshed its water, and collapsed onto the couch did she transcribe the voice notes and skim through them.

Unsurprisingly, Du Yu was ranting about Han Chubin’s behavior while driving her home. When you dislike someone, even their breathing pisses you off.

In short, Du Yu dragged Han Chubin through the mud, but Zhou Zuofei still managed to pick out a few key points.

First, Han Chubin had volunteered that he had asked Zhou Zuofei for help delivering a thank-you gift a few days ago. He hinted that there might have been a misunderstanding between him and Zhou Zuofei and asked Du Yu to help smooth things over.

Second, he was annoyed that Du Yu and Zhou Zuofei were discussing other men right in front of him.

Zhou Zuofei was used to the first type—just another slimy player. But when she saw the latter, she was so exasperated that she sent three question marks in a row to Du Yu.

[Does he seriously think this makes him seem possessive and boyfriend-material?]

[I was so done—I nearly bailed from the car right then.]

[LMAO! You picked him, now you gotta live with it!]

[I’m so over it. I don’t want to date anyone for at least a year.]

[Good! I just hope you’ll be a bit more careful next time—at least check them out for a few months first.]

[I thought I could vet them while dating, but who knew…]

[Lesson learned. Just handle this mess first.]

Zhou Zuofei spent the entire weekend at home, playing with her cat and watching anime. Doing nothing was pure bliss!

During that time, Du Yu told her that Han Chubin had noticed he couldn’t see Zhou Zuofei’s updates anymore, so he’d tried to subtly ask Du Yu about it. Du Yu brushed him off.

She knew her friend was beyond done with Han Chubin, so she tried not to add to her troubles.

Zhou Zuofei truly couldn’t understand—she’d made herself crystal clear, basically telling him to screw off. Why was Han Chubin still so persistent?

She certainly didn’t think it was because she was too charming. No, he was just messed up—like, seriously messed up!

[Honestly, he’s just being a loser. He’s had smooth relationships before, but now that he’s met someone who ignores him, he’s obsessed with ‘conquering’ her for the ego boost.]

[Ugh, so lame. Can you wrap this up soon? Just seeing him in my contacts feels like an insult to my actual friends.]

[Almost done. Jiang Shen mentioned he’s got some leads. I’ll visit his agency next week.]

[He has an agency?]

Seriously? He’s actually really professional. Worth every penny.

[Of course it is—it cost you months of salary.]

[Ugh, can I just get cash instead of a gift? I suddenly feel broke.]

[Alright, alright, I’ll slip you some cash for your birthday.]

Big expenses were out of the question, but small change was no big deal.

Before she knew it, it was Monday. As she stepped through Universal’s doors, Zhou Zuofei inexplicably recalled her conversation with Xiao Wang from the weekend.

She’d always pegged Xiao Wang as a workaholic, yet he’d actually envied hers?

Wait, was she getting a bit too full of herself?

Why would a salaried exec assistant envy a monthly-paid admin?

At that thought, Zhou Zuofei mentally slapped herself.

Snap out of it, Zhou Zuofei—back to work!

As she had mentioned before, the advantage of work was that there were no surprises, good or bad—the daily routine of administrative tasks was like Sisyphus from Greek mythology, constantly rolling a boulder uphill.

The weather this week wasn’t great, with nonstop rain and overcast skies, yet Zhou Zuofei couldn’t shake the feeling that it was an omen, foretelling something big was coming.

As soon as she got off work today, she received a message from Du Yu—she was meeting Jiang Shen later that day.

Seeing this, Zhou Zuofei let out a long sigh of relief. Finally, this headache could be dealt with.

She asked Du Yu to call her after meeting Jiang Shen. With the rain making everything inconvenient, she decided to head home, throw together a quick meal, and wait for the news in peace.

But the moment she got home, she was greeted by lights that wouldn’t turn on—the power was out.

Zhou Zuofei froze for a moment. They paid their electricity bill monthly by meter, so it wasn’t unpaid bills. Was this a blackout?

She stepped back outside and glanced at Cen Huan’s place. No light seeped through the door, but she could hear faint movement inside. She knocked, intending to ask.

Two sharp knocks.

Footsteps approached, growing louder until they stopped at the door, then swung open.

"Cen—" Zhou Zuofei was about to speak when she froze in surprise. The person before her had vibrant red hair, standing out in the dimness, making her almost mistake it for a feather duster.

But the longer she looked, the more something felt off—this was a short-haired guy with a distinctly masculine frame.

"Huan-jie? Just a sec."

The moment the man spoke, Zhou Zuofei recognized the familiar voice and immediately confirmed his identity.

"You again?"

Wasn’t this the bar employee she’d run into at New World, the one getting pestered by that rich woman?

Hearing her words, the red-haired guy looked up—sure enough, it was him!

Today, his hair was unstyled, tousled and messy, which made him look much younger than before.

"You?" Xie Ya was momentarily stunned when he saw Zhou Zuofei. It took him a moment to recall where he’d seen this young woman dressed like an office worker before.

He steadied himself, replaying that day’s events in his mind—nothing had happened, so there was no need to worry. He greeted her casually.

"Oh, hey—you? Small world."

"Xiao Xie, who’s there?" Cen Huan emerged from inside and, seeing Zhou Zuofei, greeted her with a smile. "Looking for me?"

"I wanted to ask if you have electricity."

"No power. The super stopped by earlier—said they’re fixing the wiring and it won’t be done until tonight."

"Oh, I see. Do you have a lighter, then?"

Zhou Zuofei’s stove was electric ignition, so without power, she’d need a lighter to light it.

"A lighter? I think we have one. Let me check where it is. Want to come in and wait?"

Zhou Zuofei declined casually, "No need, I’ll just wait here. If you can’t find it, don’t worry—I’ll just grab takeout."

As Cen Huan went back inside, only Zhou Zuofei and the unnamed red-haired guy remained at the door.

They exchanged a glance, and he offered a friendly introduction, "Hi, I’m Xie Ya, Huan-jie’s colleague."

Zhou Zuofei stayed in character: "Hello, I'm Zhou Zuofei. I live next door. Is Cen Huan working at New World now?"

"We’ve met at New World, right?"

Zhou Zuofei wasn’t sure if he genuinely forgot or was pretending—after all, she had almost got used as a pawn back then.

If he truly didn’t remember, it could only mean he’s probably used to this.

"Maybe," she said vaguely. "But I remember you. You perform there, right?"

"Yes, I work part-time as a singer there."

"Oh, cool."

"Really? What’s so nice about it?"

Zhou Zuofei had only been polite and didn’t expect him to take it seriously. It had been a while since she encountered someone so straightforward, and she inexplicably felt his tone was kind of sharp, unlike the impression he gave when they last met.

After a moment’s thought, she answered, "I’ve heard New World is probably the best bar in town, right? Being able to perform there means you’ve got to be good."

Du Yu often said Zhou Zuofei had a face that can’t lie, and with her straightforward tone, everything she said sounded genuine.

And in truth, that was the case—whether it was praise or criticism, she almost always spoke honestly.

Even though Xie Ya was young, his experience was no less than anyone else’s. He could tell whether Zhou Zuofei was teasing or sincere.

Once he judged her words to be truthful, his expression softened considerably.

It seemed his initial impression was correct—she really was just an honest, ordinary office worker with little connection to his world.

No need to worry.