The next morning, Lin Xiaoyu stood in front of her mirror, holding her coffee cup like it was a live grenade.
Her reflection stared back with the same anxiety.
"You can do this," she told herself.
"It's just coffee. With your boss. Who has terrifyingly pretty eyes and the ability to fire you."
She groaned. "Why am I like this?"
---
The Elevator of Fate (Again)
8:00 a.m. sharp.
She stepped into the same elevator where her professional dignity had died yesterday.
The doors began to close — and right on cue, Li Junhao appeared, sliding in with perfect timing and that effortlessly calm aura that made everyone else look like they were running late in life.
"Good morning, Miss Lin."
"Morning, Director Li," she replied, trying to sound normal.
He eyed the cup in her hand.
"Still dangerous, I see."
She blinked. "Dangerous?"
"Your coffee. I wasn't sure if I needed protective gear."
Her jaw dropped. "I am so careful today! Look—lid's tight, sleeves dry, zero spillage risk!"
He leaned slightly closer, amusement flickering in his eyes.
I'll believe it when this ride ends without casualties."
She muttered, "You're never going to let that go, are you?"
"No," he said simply. "It's the most interesting thing that's happened on a Monday in months."
The elevator chimed softly, and she felt her heart echo it.
---
Coffee, Round Two
At the café across the street, the barista recognized them instantly and nearly dropped her tray.
"You two again?" she asked, eyes gleaming. "Still doing… coffee accidents?"
Xiaoyu turned crimson. "No! Definitely not!"
Junhao smiled politely. "We're keeping it safe today. One cappuccino, one black coffee — no splashing."
When they sat down, Xiaoyu tried to find a safe topic.
"So… do you usually invite employees for coffee?"
"Only the ones who assault me with beverages," he said, deadpan.
She gasped. "It wasn't an assault!"
"Hmm. The stain disagrees."
She glared, but he only chuckled softly, the sound disarming her completely.
---
The Glimpse Behind the Mask
For a moment, silence hung between them — not awkward, but… delicate.
He stirred his coffee lazily. "You've been in the marketing team for almost a year now, haven't you?"
She nodded. "Ten months. Eleven if you count the internship."
"You work hard," he said. "Even when you're invisible."
That surprised her. "Invisible?"
"You don't speak much during meetings, but your reports are always sharp. You notice details others miss."
She blinked, caught off-guard by the genuine tone in his voice.
It wasn't the cold, distant CEO speaking — it was Li Junhao, the man behind the titles.
"You actually read my reports?" she teased softly.
"Of course," he said, meeting her eyes. "I like knowing what my best employees think."
Her heart stuttered.
Best employees.
Did her name just appear in the same sentence as "best" and "Li Junhao"?
---
A Slip of Words
He leaned back slightly. "Although," he added, a smile tugging at his lips, "you might be a distraction now."
She blinked. "A distraction?"
"You keep showing up in my elevator."
She nearly choked on her drink. "That's— I'm not doing it on purpose!"
You're sure?
"Yes!"
"Pity," he murmured?
Her brain blanked. "...what?"
"I was starting to enjoy it."
The words hit her like soft lightning.
He said it so casually, like it wasn't the most heart-stopping sentence of her entire week.
---
Escape Plan (Failed)
By the time they returned to the office, Xiaoyu was barely holding it together.
Mei Ling was waiting at her desk like a gossip journalist.
"Details. Now."
"There are no details!" Xiaoyu whispered. "He was polite, teasing, terrifyingly charming, and I might be in trouble."
"Trouble how?"
"The emotional kind."
Mei Ling smirked. "You're doomed. Office crushes are like dumplings — soft on the outside, burn you alive inside."
Xiaoyu sighed. "Please stop being wise when I need denial."
Before Mei Ling could respond, Junhao passed by their floor — hands in pockets, eyes calm — and paused briefly near Xiaoyu's desk.
"Miss Lin," he said casually, "next Monday, same elevator?"
Her heart jumped. "Uh—why?"
"To test your coffee-handling improvement."
She groaned, half-laughing, half-dying. "You're never going to forget that, are you?"
"Not a chance," he said, walking away with that maddening half-smile.
And just like that — with one teasing glance — he managed to ruin her week… in the best possible way.