By 8 a.m., the internet was on fire.
Weibo. Xiaohongshu. Corporate gossip pages. Even international tabloids.
#LuZeyanMysteryWoman
#CEOAndTheGirlInRed
#PowerCoupleOrPRStunt
That photo—Zeyan in his sharp suit, arm linked with Yinyin in her fire-red gown, her smile smug and his expression unreadable—was everywhere.
In the headquarters of LUX Group, silence settled like smoke.
Until a junior manager screamed, "SHE'S TRENDING NUMBER ONE!"
In the executive office upstairs, Lu Zeyan sat at his desk, holding his forehead.
"Who took that picture?" he muttered.
His assistant cleared his throat. "It appears… she posed for it."
"…Of course she did."
A knock came. Before anyone could answer, the door burst open.
Xu Yinyin. In Hello Kitty pajamas. Carrying a croissant.
"Good morning, CEO," she said cheerfully, "Would you like your gossip black, or with sugar?"
Zeyan stood up. "Why are you wearing pajamas in my office?"
"I stayed late to file reports and accidentally fell asleep in the breakroom. HR found me and gave me a LUX Group hoodie, but I swapped it out for something more... me."
She took a seat, pulled out her phone, and read: "'CEO's mystery woman possibly pregnant with love child—sources say she wore red to honor family tradition.' Aww, how romantic."
Zeyan sighed like he aged five years. "We're going to have to release a statement."
"No fun," Yinyin said. "Let them wonder."
"I don't do 'wonder.'"
She grinned. "Exactly. You do spreadsheets. I do chaos. Together, we're… balance."
His assistant quietly backed out of the office and closed the door.
Yinyin swung her legs onto the glass table. "Want to fake date me to boost your stock prices?"
Zeyan stared.
She wiggled her brows. "We'd make headlines. I'd wear something crazy to every event. You'd pretend not to be in love with me. Classic drama."
"I am not—"
She held up a hand. "Shh. Denial is stage one."
A knock interrupted them. This time, it was the Head of PR, looking like she'd fought off three scandals before breakfast.
She glanced between them. "Mr. Lu. Miss Xu. We need to prepare a public response."
Yinyin stood. "Don't worry. I'll write it."
Zeyan barked, "Absolutely not."
Too late. She'd already snatched a marker and walked up to the whiteboard.
She scribbled in big letters:
"Let them talk. We're busy building empires."
She turned around and gave a thumbs-up.
The PR lady blinked. "…Honestly? That kind of works."
Zeyan pinched the bridge of his nose. "I need aspirin."
Yinyin sipped her coffee. "I need a crown."