Chapter 1: The First Encounter
Xiao Mei had just moved from the countryside to the big city to start her new career as a freelance writer. Lately, her life had been quite stressful. She had recently faced a major failure in the writing world and was now looking for a new opportunity to rise again.
She chose to live in a small apartment located in a busy commercial district. Starting a new life after years of hard work without satisfying results wasn't easy. The bustling city atmosphere made Xiao Mei feel out of place. Being an introvert, she preferred a simple life and enjoyed writing in her free time. Her past failures had made her wary of trusting others — especially men.
Meanwhile, in the same city lived Lu Zeyan — a young CEO well-known in the publishing industry. He owned a publishing company that produced popular digital books. Although he was handsome and successful, Lu Zeyan was known for his cold demeanor. People around him were both afraid of and in awe of him. He was always serious and rarely showed any softness.
Lu Zeyan had a flawless appearance. Three months ago, he attended a major event to launch his company's latest product. He became the center of attention because of his charisma. But behind all the grandeur, Lu Zeyan felt empty. No one truly knew the real him.
One day, Xiao Mei received an opportunity to write a special article about Lu Zeyan's publishing company. She was asked to attend a briefing to understand the company's vision and mission. She arrived with low expectations — not because the company was uninteresting, but because she felt like a small fish in a vast, modern sea.
During the briefing, Lu Zeyan paid her no attention. Xiao Mei, already frustrated by his attitude, boldly questioned the company's selection process for publishing works. Indirectly, she challenged the management's decisions and refused to admire Lu Zeyan like everyone else.
Her boldness surprised Lu Zeyan.
At the end of the meeting, Lu Zeyan and Xiao Mei had a small argument. Xiao Mei bravely criticized the way the company treated writers.
"Not every writer can write according to what the company wants," she said fearlessly. "Sometimes, creativity and art can't be boxed into strict frameworks."
Lu Zeyan, unaccustomed to being questioned like that, replied coldly, "Creativity also needs to be properly channeled. Don't be too emotional when it comes to business."
That conflict added tension between them, even though they had only just met. Yet from that short meeting, Lu Zeyan found himself intrigued by Xiao Mei's courage and honesty — something rare in a world full of pretense.
Meanwhile, Xiao Mei felt irritated by Lu Zeyan's arrogance. To her, he seemed like the type of man who only cared about profit and status. Still, deep down, she couldn't deny there was something about him that caught her attention. Not just his wealth or power, but the way he seemed to carry secrets — like a puzzle waiting to be solved.
Back at her apartment, Xiao Mei vented her disappointment and anger. Yet Lu Zeyan's image kept lingering in her mind. At the same time, Lu Zeyan returned to his office full of questions. He couldn't forget the girl who had dared to stand up to him.
There was something different about Xiao Mei. She didn't care about his status or reputation — and that made her all the more fascinating.