The scene in front of Anya was enough to burn her from the inside.
Nan Pan was lovingly feeding pasta to Kaiya with his own hands, while Qian stood close to Jing, gently fixing her hair. They looked like perfect couples straight out of a romance drama.
Betrayal. Pure betrayal! Anya screamed inwardly.
I came here alone on my scooter, and these people are busy building their love stories!
Huan Jing noticed Anya's expression and smirked.
"Anya, look at this," Jing said teasingly. "Kaiya is married, Qian and I are together—and now only you are left. Why don't we find you a handsome boyfriend too? How long will you keep carrying files for that 'villain' boss of yours?"
Kaiya joined in immediately.
"Yes, Anya! I have a cousin—he's a doctor and very sorted. If you want, I can introduce you."
Anya clenched her drink glass tightly. Zain's face flashed through her mind—the way he had looked at her last night and said, "Mrs. Yan, aren't you going to sleep?"
Her heart felt heavy.
Taking a deep breath, she forced a faint smile.
"No, Jing… not now. When the right person comes along, I'll see. Maybe… after a year."
Suddenly, silence fell over the table.
Qian, Zain's right-hand man, looked at her in shock.
"A year? What's with this one-year thing, Anya? Are you waiting for someone?"
Anya realized instantly that she had accidentally mentioned the twelve-month contract she shared with Zain. Panic flashed across her face, but she quickly tried to cover it up.
"Oh! I meant…" she laughed nervously,
"I want to focus on my career right now. After one year, I'll be free— I mean, I'll relax a bit. Then I'll think about a boyfriend."
Jing narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Free? You're talking weird today. Are you in jail or something?"
Under the table, Qian quietly took out his phone and typed another message to Zain.
Qian: "Boss, your wife is discussing her 'boyfriend plans' here. She says after exactly one year she'll be 'free' and meet a good guy. When are you coming?"
Almost instantly, a reply came.
Zain: "Free? After one year? Anya… do you really think I'll let you go that easily?"
Just then, the conversation at the table shifted toward Zain Yan.
On the restaurant's television, a clip from one of Zain's old interviews began playing.
Jing's curiosity flared.
"Qian, tell us quickly! You're the boss's right hand—you must have seen his wife. What is she like? Is she really very beautiful, or just someone sacrificed in a business deal?"
Qian glanced at Anya, who was nervously cleaning her glasses, her hands trembling.
"The boss's wife?" he said slowly.
"She… she's not as innocent as she looks. She's very brave—she can even shut the boss up. And the boss? He's crazy about her—"
Before Qian could finish his sentence, the heavy doors of the restaurant burst open.
Silence crashed down across the entire place.
Dressed in a black overcoat and suit, Zain Yan walked in. Every step he took carried authority and dominance. His deep eyes were fixed straight on Anya's table.
Every girl in the restaurant froze, staring at him.
"Oh my God! Who is he? An actor?" one whispered.
"No, that's the owner of Yan Group! He's insanely handsome!" another gasped.
But as Zain raised his left hand slightly, all hopes shattered. A luxurious wedding ring gleamed on his ring finger.
Jing's face lit up with excitement.
"That's him! That's our boss! And he's coming this way. We were just talking about him—his wife must be so lucky. Look at him… he looks so hot and handsome today!"
Anya lowered her head, screaming internally.
This isn't good luck. This is a disaster.
Zain stopped right beside their table. Qian immediately stood up respectfully.
"Boss? You're here?" Qian asked.
Zain's voice was calm and heavy.
"I heard there's a very important 'meeting' happening here. And my wife— I mean, Miss Anya—is also present?"
He approached the table politely, putting on a fake look of gentle sadness.
"Miss Jing, Mrs. Nan," Zain said smoothly,
"May I sit with you? My wife has gone out to dinner with her friends, and I really don't like eating alone. I thought of dining with Qian, but he's busy with his girlfriend. Would you mind making some space for me?"
Anya narrowed her eyes at him furiously.
There's a limit to lying! I'm your wife, and you came here just to torture me!
The moment Zain mentioned sitting down, Jing jumped up at lightning speed and pulled a chair out for him.
"Oh, Boss! What are you saying?" she said with a huge smile.
"It's an honor for us! Please, have a seat."
(Inside, Jing was thinking: If the boss is happy, my promotion this year is guaranteed!)
Zain sat down—right beside Anya. She immediately turned her face away.
"Thank you, Miss Jing," Zain said calmly.
"For this kindness, I'll make sure both you and Qian receive an extra bonus this month."
At the word bonus, Jing practically glowed. She grabbed the menu and held it out eagerly.
"Boss, we haven't ordered yet. I'd love to order your favorite dishes. What would you like?"
Qian pouted and glared at Jing.
(Whispering) "Just now you said I was your whole world—and the moment you see the boss, your world changes? Wow, Jing."
While everyone focused on ordering, a silent war began under the table.
Zain slowly reached out and held Anya's hand. She tried to pull away, but his grip was firm.
(In a low voice, only Zain could hear)
"What are you doing here? And what's with this bonus drama?"
Zain smiled sweetly while looking at the others.
"I'm just enjoying my dinner, Miss Anya. And I heard you were discussing your 'future boyfriend'? May I also be added to that list?"
Anya's face turned red with embarrassment and anger. She didn't know whether to push Zain away or confess everything to her friends—that this was the wild villain.
The menu lay open on the table.
Jing asked enthusiastically,
"Boss, what does your wife like? We'll order the same!"
Zain gave Anya a deep look. She was nervously adjusting her glasses again and again.
With a mischievous smile, Zain replied,
"My wife actually loves the Chinese food she cooks at home herself. The noodles and dumplings she makes with her own hands have a very special taste."
Anya's heart began pounding violently.
He's doing this on purpose! she thought.
Just last night, I made noodles for him!
Jing stared at Anya in shock, then looked back at Zain.
"What a coincidence! My friend Anya also loves Chinese food the most. In fact, her taste and your wife's taste sound exactly the same!"
Zain leaned closer and looked straight into Anya's eyes.
"Oh? Is that true, Miss Anya? Are our preferences really that similar?"
Suddenly, something clicked in Jing's mind.
She remembered an interview she had once read.
(Jing, thinking)
"Wait… the boss once said his wife is obsessed with Jungkook and K-dramas. And Anya? She watches K-dramas like crazy, and her room is full of Jungkook posters!"
Jing's eyes widened. She looked from Zain to Anya and back again.
"Boss… your wife and Anya… how can they be so similar? Could it be that—"
Anya panicked.
She finished her entire drink in one go. Sweat formed on her forehead.
"Jing! You've gone mad!" Anya laughed nervously.
"How could the boss's wife and I be the same? She must be like a queen—and I'm just an ordinary employee. Haha… it's just a coincidence!"
Under the table, Zain gently pressed his foot against Anya's leg and said with a smile,
"You're right, Anya. My wife is special—but sometimes, she behaves like an ordinary girl… just like you're doing right now."
An eerie silence settled over the table.
Qian buried his face, struggling to suppress his laughterThe scene in front of Anya was enough to burn her from the inside.
Nan Pan was lovingly feeding pasta to Kaiya with his own hands, while Qian stood close to Jing, gently fixing her hair. They looked like perfect couples straight out of a romance drama.
Betrayal. Pure betrayal! Anya screamed inwardly.
I came here alone on my scooter, and these people are busy building their love stories!
Huan Jing noticed Anya's expression and smirked.
"Anya, look at this," Jing said teasingly. "Kaiya is married, Qian and I are together—and now only you are left. Why don't we find you a handsome boyfriend too? How long will you keep carrying files for that 'villain' boss of yours?"
Kaiya joined in immediately.
"Yes, Anya! I have a cousin—he's a doctor and very sorted. If you want, I can introduce you."
Anya clenched her drink glass tightly. Zain's face flashed through her mind—the way he had looked at her last night and said, "Mrs. Yan, aren't you going to sleep?"
Her heart felt heavy.
Taking a deep breath, she forced a faint smile.
"No, Jing… not now. When the right person comes along, I'll see. Maybe… after a year."
Suddenly, silence fell over the table.
Qian, Zain's right-hand man, looked at her in shock.
"A year? What's with this one-year thing, Anya? Are you waiting for someone?"
Anya realized instantly that she had accidentally mentioned the twelve-month contract she shared with Zain. Panic flashed across her face, but she quickly tried to cover it up.
"Oh! I meant…" she laughed nervously,
"I want to focus on my career right now. After one year, I'll be free— I mean, I'll relax a bit. Then I'll think about a boyfriend."
Jing narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Free? You're talking weird today. Are you in jail or something?"
Under the table, Qian quietly took out his phone and typed another message to Zain.
Qian: "Boss, your wife is discussing her 'boyfriend plans' here. She says after exactly one year she'll be 'free' and meet a good guy. When are you coming?"
Almost instantly, a reply came.
Zain: "Free? After one year? Anya… do you really think I'll let you go that easily?"
Just then, the conversation at the table shifted toward Zain Yan.
On the restaurant's television, a clip from one of Zain's old interviews began playing.
Jing's curiosity flared.
"Qian, tell us quickly! You're the boss's right hand—you must have seen his wife. What is she like? Is she really very beautiful, or just someone sacrificed in a business deal?"
Qian glanced at Anya, who was nervously cleaning her glasses, her hands trembling.
"The boss's wife?" he said slowly.
"She… she's not as innocent as she looks. She's very brave—she can even shut the boss up. And the boss? He's crazy about her—"
Before Qian could finish his sentence, the heavy doors of the restaurant burst open.
Silence crashed down across the entire place.
Dressed in a black overcoat and suit, Zain Yan walked in. Every step he took carried authority and dominance. His deep eyes were fixed straight on Anya's table.
Every girl in the restaurant froze, staring at him.
"Oh my God! Who is he? An actor?" one whispered.
"No, that's the owner of Yan Group! He's insanely handsome!" another gasped.
But as Zain raised his left hand slightly, all hopes shattered. A luxurious wedding ring gleamed on his ring finger.
Jing's face lit up with excitement.
"That's him! That's our boss! And he's coming this way. We were just talking about him—his wife must be so lucky. Look at him… he looks so hot and handsome today!"
Anya lowered her head, screaming internally.
This isn't good luck. This is a disaster.
Zain stopped right beside their table. Qian immediately stood up respectfully.
"Boss? You're here?" Qian asked.
Zain's voice was calm and heavy.
"I heard there's a very important 'meeting' happening here. And my wife— I mean, Miss Anya—is also present?"
He approached the table politely, putting on a fake look of gentle sadness.
"Miss Jing, Mrs. Nan," Zain said smoothly,
"May I sit with you? My wife has gone out to dinner with her friends, and I really don't like eating alone. I thought of dining with Qian, but he's busy with his girlfriend. Would you mind making some space for me?"
Anya narrowed her eyes at him furiously.
There's a limit to lying! I'm your wife, and you came here just to torture me!
The moment Zain mentioned sitting down, Jing jumped up at lightning speed and pulled a chair out for him.
"Oh, Boss! What are you saying?" she said with a huge smile.
"It's an honor for us! Please, have a seat."
(Inside, Jing was thinking: If the boss is happy, my promotion this year is guaranteed!)
Zain sat down—right beside Anya. She immediately turned her face away.
"Thank you, Miss Jing," Zain said calmly.
"For this kindness, I'll make sure both you and Qian receive an extra bonus this month."
At the word bonus, Jing practically glowed. She grabbed the menu and held it out eagerly.
"Boss, we haven't ordered yet. I'd love to order your favorite dishes. What would you like?"
Qian pouted and glared at Jing.
(Whispering) "Just now you said I was your whole world—and the moment you see the boss, your world changes? Wow, Jing."
While everyone focused on ordering, a silent war began under the table.
Zain slowly reached out and held Anya's hand. She tried to pull away, but his grip was firm.
(In a low voice, only Zain could hear)
"What are you doing here? And what's with this bonus drama?"
Zain smiled sweetly while looking at the others.
"I'm just enjoying my dinner, Miss Anya. And I heard you were discussing your 'future boyfriend'? May I also be added to that list?"
Anya's face turned red with embarrassment and anger. She didn't know whether to push Zain away or confess everything to her friends—that this was the wild villain.
The menu lay open on the table.
Jing asked enthusiastically,
"Boss, what does your wife like? We'll order the same!"
Zain gave Anya a deep look. She was nervously adjusting her glasses again and again.
With a mischievous smile, Zain replied,
"My wife actually loves the Chinese food she cooks at home herself. The noodles and dumplings she makes with her own hands have a very special taste."
Anya's heart began pounding violently.
He's doing this on purpose! she thought.
Just last night, I made noodles for him!
Jing stared at Anya in shock, then looked back at Zain.
"What a coincidence! My friend Anya also loves Chinese food the most. In fact, her taste and your wife's taste sound exactly the same!"
Zain leaned closer and looked straight into Anya's eyes.
"Oh? Is that true, Miss Anya? Are our preferences really that similar?"
Suddenly, something clicked in Jing's mind.
She remembered an interview she had once read.
(Jing, thinking)
"Wait… the boss once said his wife is obsessed with Jungkook and K-dramas. And Anya? She watches K-dramas like crazy, and her room is full of Jungkook posters!"
Jing's eyes widened. She looked from Zain to Anya and back again.
"Boss… your wife and Anya… how can they be so similar? Could it be that—"
Anya panicked.
She finished her entire drink in one go. Sweat formed on her forehead.
"Jing! You've gone mad!" Anya laughed nervously.
"How could the boss's wife and I be the same? She must be like a queen—and I'm just an ordinary employee. Haha… it's just a coincidence!"
Under the table, Zain gently pressed his foot against Anya's leg and said with a smile,
"You're right, Anya. My wife is special—but sometimes, she behaves like an ordinary girl… just like you're doing right now."
An eerie silence settled over the table.
Qian buried his face, struggling to suppress his laughter. He knew very well that tonight, Zain was playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Anya.. He knew very well that tonight, Zain was playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Anya.