Lin Xiaoyu had a theory about Mondays —
They were cursed.
Every time she woke up on a Monday, something went wrong.
The alarm didn't ring. The bus arrived early. Her eyeliner betrayed her.
And today, apparently, the coffee machine at her favorite café decided to explode like a drama villain seeking attention.
"Miss, I'm so sorry! We'll fix it right away!" the barista called.
"It's fine," Xiaoyu sighed, checking her watch. She had exactly twelve minutes to get to the Li Corporation headquarters — twelve minutes before the weekly 'Monday Morning Execution' a.k.a. the company meeting led by CEO Li Junhao.
The man whose name alone made interns tremble and managers sweat.
The man who, according to office legend, once fired a director with a single look.
The man she might have a teensy-tiny, very inconvenient crush on.
The Race Against Time
By the time she reached the office lobby, her heels were already protesting and her hair had declared independence from any form of styling.
She swiped her ID, muttering, "Five minutes left, I can do this—"
The elevator doors began to close.
"Wait—wait!" she cried, slipping inside just in time… and bumping straight into someone's chest.
A firm, expensive-smelling, immaculately pressed chest.
Her brain froze.
Her hand — holding the precariously full cup of coffee — did not.
Splat.
A perfect arc of cappuccino decorated a crisp white shirt.
The shirt of none other than —
"Director Li."
Time stopped.
He looked down at the brown stain, then up at her wide-eyed panic.
The elevator doors closed silently behind them, trapping her in a small metal box with the man she admired, feared, and had just drenched in caffeine.
The Disaster Dialogue
"Miss Lin." His voice was calm. Too calm. "Is there a reason you're trying to caffeinate me externally?"
"I—I am so sorry! It was an accident! I swear the coffee attacked on its own—"
His lips twitched, just barely. "The coffee attacked you?"
"Yes! I mean no! I mean—it's Monday!"
He blinked slowly. "Ah. A logical explanation."
She wanted to melt into the elevator floor. "I'll pay for the dry cleaning. Or the shirt. Or the entire wardrobe if necessary."
"That won't be needed," he said, finally pressing the elevator button to his floor. "But perhaps… you can make it up to me later."
Her heart did a double-flip. "Make it up to you?"
"With another coffee," he replied simply.
She stared at him, speechless. "You want me to buy you another coffee after I just ruined one?"
"Exactly. I like symmetry."
---
The Meeting
When they stepped into the conference room, every head turned.
Junhao, calm as ever, rolled up his sleeves — revealing the faint stain still marking his shirt.
Whispers spread instantly.
"Is that coffee?"
"Who'd dare do that to him?"
"She's doomed."
Xiaoyu pretended to be invisible, hiding behind her laptop.
Junhao began the meeting as though nothing had happened. But halfway through, as she handed him a report, his fingers brushed hers lightly — deliberate, teasing.
"Try not to spill the paperwork too," he murmured.
Her ears turned crimson. "I'll try, Director Li."
He smiled — that rare, infuriating, breathtaking smile.
"Good. I'd hate to see what happens on a Tuesday."
---
The Aftermath
When the meeting finally ended, Xiaoyu slumped at her desk, face buried in her hands.
Mei Ling, her best friend and fellow marketing executive, leaned over with a grin.
"Okay, what did you do? Everyone's talking about it."
"I committed professional suicide via coffee."
"You spilled it on him, didn't you?"
"Head-to-chest impact."
"You're lucky you're cute."
"I'm lucky I still have a job."
Just then, an email notification pinged.
From: Li Junhao
Subject: Coffee.
Message: Tomorrow. 8 a.m. Same elevator.
Mei Ling peeked over her shoulder. "Wait. Is that—?"
Xiaoyu swallowed. "He wants to… have coffee with me?"
Mei Ling squealed. "Girl, that's not punishment. That's a date!"
Xiaoyu groaned. "Or an execution with beverages."
Either way, Monday's curse had just turned into something far more dangerous —
a chance.