Zhao Lei strutted back into the executive office like he was returning from war — coat in hand, mischief in eyes, and a smirk that screamed, "You're not ready for what I'm about to tell you."
He opened the door to Yuxuan Chen's office, where the man himself was seated behind a mountain of financial reports, typing with his signature laser focus and absolutely zero time for nonsense.
Zhao cleared his throat dramatically.
Yuxuan didn't look up. "You're late."
"Late? Or fashionably burdened?" Zhao held up the luxurious coat with both hands like it was a newborn baby. "Returned. Slightly wrinkled. Possibly traumatized."
Now Yuxuan looked up — his sharp eyes narrowing just a fraction. "She gave it back?"
Zhao dropped it on the chair. "More like threw it at me. With the force of unresolved feelings and maybe a gym membership. It almost broke my nose."
Yuxuan said nothing. His gaze lingered on the coat.
Zhao leaned closer, lowering his voice like a gossip auntie at a family wedding. "Boss... just so you know... you're trending."
Yuxuan raised an eyebrow.
Zhao pulled out his phone, already beaming. "#CoatedAffection. You're all over the company group chat. There's a sticker pack of her asleep on the hallway floor with your coat photoshopped into a heart shape around her. Oh, and someone made a Titanic meme."
Yuxuan stared.
Zhao grinned and turned the screen around.
On it: Yuwei photoshopped onto the Titanic deck in a flowing gown, clutching the coat instead of Jack. Caption: "I'll never let go… unless HR finds out."
Yuxuan closed his eyes briefly and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Someone's even designing T-shirts," Zhao added. "I already pre-ordered two."
Yuxuan exhaled slowly. "What did she say?"
"She said…" Zhao paused dramatically. "And I quote: 'Take it back. And tell him next time, he can use it to cover his own cold heart.'
Then she stormed off. Honestly, very main-character energy."
Yuxuan's jaw tightened slightly. He reached over and carefully folded the coat himself, brushing a crease from the sleeve like it personally offended him.
Zhao sipped his coffee. "For the record, I still think it was romantic. Like, drama-level swoon content. You, walking down that hallway at night, draping the coat on her sleeping figure like a cold-hearted tsundere CEO who secretly still cares—"
Yuxuan cut him off. "Get out."
Zhao backed toward the door. "Copy that, sir. Just saying — you and that coat? Power couple. #Iconic."
The door shut.
Yuxuan sat alone for a moment, eyes on the coat.
He didn't smile. But he didn't stop thinking either.
---
Meanwhile…
Yuwei scrubbed the 33rd floor conference room with more aggression than necessary.
"Mission. Mission. Focus on the mission," she muttered to herself, scrubbing the same spot for the third time. "Not on his stupid coat. Not on his stupid smell. Not on his stupid—ugh, face."
But no matter how hard she scrubbed… she could still feel that warmth.
And worse — the weight of why he did it.
To be continued....