The Creative Department of Z.Y Empire was unusually calm that morning.
The soft tapping of keyboards blended with the low hum of the air conditioner. Sunlight filtered through the tall glass windows, falling across white desks, scattered sketchpads, and digital screens glowing with half-finished designs.
At her workstation, Anya Lu sat still, staring at her monitor.
Her fingers rested on the keyboard, unmoving.
Her thoughts drifted back to the previous night—the sharpness in Zain Yan's voice, the cold disappointment in his eyes, and the heavy exhaustion that still clung to her body. She blinked slowly and adjusted her glasses, forcing herself to focus.
Just work, she told herself. Don't think.
A sudden loud thump broke the silence.
Anya startled as something landed on the empty desk beside her. A stylish pink handbag lay sprawled across the surface, and within seconds, a strong, sweet perfume filled the air—floral, bold, impossible to ignore.
She turned her head.
"Hi! Is this seat free?" a cheerful voice burst out.
"I mean—no ghost sitting here, right?"
A girl stood there with bright, expressive eyes, deep red lipstick, and colorful hairpins scattered through her hair. She looked energetic, confident, and completely unbothered by office decorum.
"Uh… n-no," Anya replied softly, pushing her glasses up. "It's empty."
"Perfect!" the girl said, dropping into the chair.
"I'm Xia. From today onward, your new neighbor—and probably your antidote to this painfully boring office."
Before Anya could respond, Xia casually reached over, grabbed a chip from Anya's desk, and popped it into her mouth.
"Hm. Less salt," she nodded. "But acceptable."
Anya stared at her, momentarily speechless.
Just then, Huan Jing arrived with a stack of files in her arms.
"Oh! You two already met?" she smiled.
"Anya, this is Xia—our new graphic designer. And Xia, this is Anya—the CEO's favorite target."
"Favorite target?!" Xia's eyes widened dramatically. She rolled her chair closer to Anya.
"You mean that Ice Man, Zain Yan? I heard he's so cold that if you leave a Coke bottle near him, it turns into ice!"
Anya couldn't help herself.
She laughed—softly at first, then a little louder.
"You heard right," she admitted. "Yesterday, he almost fired me."
Huan Jing leaned on the desk, lowering her voice.
"Fire her? Please. Last night, our Devil Boss personally typed Anya's remaining 100 pages himself."
"What?!"
Xia and Anya exclaimed at the same time.
Anya's face turned bright red.
"J-Jing! That's not—" she waved her hands nervously.
"He probably did it because of the meeting. Not because of me."
Xia smirked. "Nice excuse. But don't start acting like a C-Drama heroine yet."
She leaned back in her chair.
"By the way, I saw Mr. Qian in the elevator this morning. Wow. Total gentleman."
She sighed dramatically.
"I heard he and Zain are childhood friends. How does an angel survive next to a devil?"
Huan Jing dropped onto the nearby sofa, forming a heart in the air with her fingers.
"Qian really is sweet. Once he put a bandage on my finger himself."
Anya watched them quietly.
Despite deadlines, pressure, and a terrifying CEO, they still found joy in small moments. Slowly, she pushed her fatigue aside and extended her hand toward Xia.
"Alright," she said softly. "Welcome to this madhouse."
Xia grinned and shook her hand firmly.
Lunch found the three of them together in the cafeteria. Xia pulled out spicy noodles from her bag, Huan Jing brewed her special tea, and Anya listened, smiling as her worries slowly faded.
"Hey," Xia said between bites, "I heard Zain Yan's birthday is on the 26th."
Anya's hand froze.
The 26th.
The same date he had mentioned on the phone.
"The whole office is scared," Xia continued. "They say he becomes even colder that day."
"And he visits his mother," Huan Jing added quietly. "Doesn't talk to anyone."
Anya turned toward the window.
For the first time, behind the image of a ruthless CEO, she sensed something else—something wounded and deeply buried. Her anger softened into a strange, unfamiliar sympathy.
Xia suddenly reached over and tilted Anya's glasses crooked.
"Hey! Where'd you disappear?" she teased.
"Thinking about Zain Yan? If you manage to tame him, I expect a bonus."
"Xia!" Anya laughed, grabbing a cushion from the sofa and throwing it at her.
The three of them burst into laughter, their voices echoing through the cafeteria.
From a distance, Qian watched the scene, smiling quietly.
But from behind the glass walls of the executive floor, Zain Yan stood in his cabin, arms crossed, expression unreadable. His eyes lingered on Anya's laughter longer than he intended.
Something unfamiliar stirred within him.
He turned away sharply.
Yet the sound of her laughter stayed with him, quietly shaking the walls he had built around his heart.