Elevators.
Lin Xiaoyu used to think of them as simple machines — boring boxes that carried people from one floor to another.
Now?
They were emotional minefields.
Every time the doors slid open, her heart prepared for either professional death… or romantic disaster.
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The Setup
It had been two weeks since the Coffee Catastrophe.
Two Mondays.
Two awkward-yet-not-really coffee "punishments."
And somehow, she was starting to look forward to them.
"Morning, Miss Lin."
The voice came just as the elevator doors opened.
Li Junhao stepped in, holding his phone in one hand and a faint smile that instantly derailed her composure.
"Director Li," she greeted, clutching her laptop like a shield.
"I was starting to think you'd changed your coffee route."
"Why? Missed your weekly caffeine accident?"
"Something like that."
He stood beside her — close enough that she could smell that clean, expensive cologne that made her thoughts scatter like dominoes.
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The Glitch
The elevator suddenly shuddered — once, twice — and then stopped completely.
Lights flickered.
She gasped. "Wait… did we just—?"
"It's fine," he said calmly, pressing the emergency button. "Probably a power trip. It'll restart soon."
She tried to breathe. "I'm fine. I'm totally fine. Just trapped with my boss in a metal box. Totally normal day."
He turned his head slightly, a smile ghosting his lips.
"You talk a lot when you're nervous."
"No, I don't! I—okay, maybe a little."
"Noted."
"Please don't put that in my performance review."
He chuckled. "Don't tempt me."
---
Small Talk Turns Dangerous
Minutes passed. The lights stayed dim.
To distract herself, Xiaoyu blurted out, "You know, for someone who runs half the city's business sector, you're surprisingly calm about being stuck."
He leaned back against the wall. "Control doesn't come from panic."
"So… you're saying you're never scared?"
"Of elevators? No."
"Of anything?"
He paused, eyes softening for the first time. "Losing time."
She blinked. "Time?"
"When you spend years chasing success, you start realizing how easily life slips through your fingers."
There was a quiet honesty in his tone that caught her off-guard — a glimpse behind the perfect suit and CEO mask.
"That's… surprisingly human of you," she said before she could stop herself.
He laughed, low and genuine. "Should I be offended?"
"No! I just mean—never mind."
"Relax," he said gently. "I like when you speak freely."
---
The Almost Confession
The elevator hummed softly as the emergency lights flickered warmer.
He looked at her for a long moment, as if studying her like one of his unsolvable business puzzles.
"Miss Lin."
"Hm?"
"If you weren't working here… what would you be doing?"
She blinked. "I—uh, I'd probably be designing ads, somewhere less… intimidating."
"Intimidating?"
"You. The company. Everything."
"Am I really that intimidating?"
She hesitated, then smiled softly. "Only when you're not smiling."
He seemed caught by that for a moment. Then:
"What about when I am?"
Her heart skipped. "That's worse."
"Worse?"
"Because then it's hard to look away."
The air grew still — soft, electric, unspoken.
For a heartbeat, neither of them moved.
Then the elevator jolted back to life, breaking the spell.
She stumbled slightly, and his hand instinctively caught her arm — firm, steady, warm.
"You okay?"
"Y-yeah."
He didn't let go right away.
Just smiled faintly.
"Maybe I should get stuck with you more often."
---
Rumors and Realizations
By the time they reached their floor, Xiaoyu's face was on fire.
Of course, Mei Ling was waiting.
"You look like you just ran a marathon. In an elevator."
"I—don't start," Xiaoyu muttered. "We got stuck."
"Stuck? Alone? With him?"
"Don't say it like that!"
Mei Ling smirked. "So… did he confess his undying love?"
"No! We just… talked."
"You talked?"
"Yes."
"And blushed?"
"No comment."
Mei Ling grinned. "Girl, that's how it starts. Today the elevator, tomorrow the honeymoon."
Xiaoyu buried her face in her hands.
Meanwhile, across the office, Li Junhao stood by the window — phone in hand, unread email open, unreadable expression softening.
"Maybe," he murmured to himself, "she's not as invisible as she thinks."
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