The atmosphere at the dining table, previously lightened by Xiaoxi's small jokes, was now strained. The newly signed contract lay on the surface, a silent witness to a major decision that could no longer be retracted.
Jiang Fan slowly closed his laptop, a faint smile etched on his face. He leaned back casually, but his gaze held something far deeper than the simple joy of a regular manager.
"So, here's the thing, Miss Xiao," he said calmly, his fingers lightly tapping the table's surface. "This contract seems straightforward moving your position from editor to personal assistant. But what's really happening is more than that. This is all part of a strategy."
Xiaoxi swallowed, staring confusedly between the contract before her and Jiang Fan's face. "Strategy? You mean… I'm just a pawn in your game?" Her voice was trembling, half-annoyed and half-disbelieving.
Jiang Fan chuckled softly. "A pawn? Perhaps. But the most vital pawn on this chessboard.
Do you think I would simply let you be by Wei Yu Chen's side?" He leaned forward, his voice lowered, as if whispering a grand secret. "I know Yu Chen better than anyone. He is too perfect, too harsh, and too cold. The world thinks he's untouchable, but I know… he needs something to shake up his life. And you, Miss Xiao, are that key."
Xiaoxi gaped, her expression shifting between shock, admiration, and a touch of amusement. "Good Heavens… so I was trapped? I thought this was just a regular job, but you're turning me into a personal project to tame that cold devil?"
Jiang Fan suppressed a laugh, his eyes narrowing meaningfully. "You call it taming; I call it… saving. If you can truly make him change, then not only does he win, but so do you. Because when that time comes, the world will recognize the person behind the scenes who made Yu Chen human."
A momentary silence descended. Xiaoxi let out a long sigh, then slumped against the back of her chair, her face drained.
"Oh God… so I'm not just a personal assistant. I'm a life-saving mission? If I'd known this, I should have demanded five times the salary," she grumbled, though her heart was still churning.
Jiang Fan grinned widely, patting Xiaoxi's shoulder. "Now, that's it! You can still joke even when dragged into this game. Excellent choice. And don't worry…" he glanced briefly toward Yu Chen's closed bedroom door, "Yu Chen might not realize it now, but trust me… your presence will slowly but surely change everything."
The main bedroom light was still dimly lit. Wei Yu Chen sat on the edge of the bed, his mind wandering far away. He hadn't participated in the conversation at the dining table, but fragments of Jiang Fan's words about "the plan" and "change" still echoed faintly in his head.
Change, huh?
He slowly twisted his silver ring—an old habit whenever restlessness began to surface. Jiang Fan was too smart. He always knew how to position the pieces on the board. And now, it seemed, I was the piece.
His gaze fell towards the chair in the corner of the room, where Xiaoxi's white bathrobe was carelessly folded. The image of Xiaoxi's slender body with half-wet hair immediately invaded his thoughts. A strange, almost unsettling sensation surged in his chest again.
No… this shouldn't be happening. I have always lived by one conviction: I can only fall for one person, and that person is Li Yuan Bo. No one else.
But the image of Xiaoxi's face, her absurd laughter, and that honest, clumsy gaze… he could no longer push it away.
Wei Yu Chen closed his eyes, trying to ward everything off. But in the darkness, the image danced even clearer. Why can she disturb me? Why, with just one clumsy look, does my normally cold world seem to crack, bit by bit?
His heart pounded irregularly. Something was urgent, trying to penetrate the steel wall he had built for so long. And it made him furious.
"This is insane…" he murmured faintly. He placed the glass down slightly harshly, then stood up, walking toward the large window that displayed the city's shimmering lights. The cold touch of the window glass offered a small measure of calm, but his mind remained turbulent.
A thin mist of vapor still clung to Wei Yu Chen's hair as he returned to the living room. The black casual shirt he had just put on emphasized the sharp lines of his shoulders, yet his face retained its characteristic coldness. On the sofa, Xiaoxi was leaning back while Jiang Fan looked serious, preparing digital documents on his laptop.
As soon as Yu Chen sat down, Jiang Fan immediately turned the laptop screen. Several screenshots of hot entertainment news headlines were visible. Blurred photos showed Yu Chen with a girl whose face was obscured, but it was clear who the woman was.
"Ge, Miss Xiao," Jiang Fan's voice sounded formal. "We need to quickly contain this gossip. The reputation of both X Dragon and Ge's career could be jeopardized."
Wei Yu Chen merely crossed his arms over his chest, his face expressionless, waiting for the presentation to conclude.
Jiang Fan continued, "Management will issue an official clarification. We can't deny these photos it is indeed Ge. But we can control the narrative. The public statement will read: the woman seen in the photo is not Ge's secret partner, but his personal assistant tasked with managing his daily needs. That is the safest and most reasonable explanation."
Xiaoxi, who had just been spooning cut fruit, immediately choked. "Huh?! Personal assistant?!" She looked at Jiang Fan in disbelief. "Me? So I'm the gossip shield? Hey, I just found out my job has been unilaterally promoted to a public clarification tool."
Wei Yu Chen briefly glanced at Xiaoxi, his look deep but short, before returning to his silence.
Jiang Fan sighed, then smiled faintly. "Miss Xiao, this isn't just a personal matter. It's about the industry. Contractually, your position is indeed Ge's personal assistant. So there's no lie in it."
Xiaoxi covered her mouth, trying to suppress a laugh. "Goodness, so I'm officially the cold devil's personal assistant? If netizens knew, they'd surely think I've sold my soul."
Jiang Fan simply looked at her with a patient smile. Yu Chen remained impassive, slowly twisting his silver ring the old habit surfacing whenever he was deep in thought. The tense aura in the room was a striking contrast to Xiaoxi's small bursts of laughter, creating an odd atmosphere that, paradoxically, made it feel alive.
Jiang Fan closed his laptop, then leaned back casually into the sofa. A mischievous smile appeared on his face.
"I told you, didn't I, Miss Xiao," he said lightly, his tone carrying a subtle tease. "Your task this time is serious. You're here to save Ge from gossip. So, don't mind if I slightly 'exploit' your position."
Xiaoxi immediately glared. "Hey! You said that with far too much satisfaction!" she protested, but Jiang Fan merely responded with a small laugh.
However, the next sentence changed the atmosphere of the room in an instant.
"Starting tomorrow, move your belongings here. I'll ask Aunt Li to prepare the guest room. That will be your private room… unless…" Jiang Fan glanced at Yu Chen briefly before turning back to Xiaoxi with a meaningful look, "you'd prefer to continue sharing a room with Yu Chen?"
The sentence exploded like thunder in the middle of the night.
Wei Yu Chen, who was usually unflappable, suddenly flinched. The hand holding the silver ring froze, his eyes widening for a moment before narrowing again. There was a strange pause, subtle yet clear, in which the top actor lost control over his cold expression. His face appeared rigid, his jaw tightened, and a fleeting pink flush stained the tips of his ears.
Meanwhile, Xiaoxi was like a statue, barely able to remain upright. Her mouth was open, but no words came out. Her gaze jumped frantically toward Yu Chen, then back to Jiang Fan, as if searching for a way to deny it, but her tongue suddenly failed her. Her cheeks were flushed red, not from embarrassment, but from sheer shock.
"W-WHAT?! SHARE A ROOM?!" her voice finally broke, uncontrolled and high-pitched.
She hastily covered her mouth, but her eyes remained wide. Both hands clenched her knees, her body leaning forward like a rabbit suddenly cornered.
Yu Chen quickly turned his face away, hiding his unusual gaze. There was a strange throb in his chest, uncomfortable, yet also undeniable. He tried to speak, but only a short murmur escaped.
Jiang Fan, of course, was only more amused. His cunning smile widened.
"Ah, look at that… both of your expressions are even more convincing than the gossip out there. If netizens saw this firsthand, I wouldn't need to bother with clarification."
The atmosphere of the living room became awkward. One side was filled with Yu Chen's pale-red face, trying to regain his composure, while the other showed Xiaoxi, who was practically about to fall off the sofa from too much shock. And between the two of them, Jiang Fan sat smugly, like a sly puppet master who had just pulled the strings on their relationship.