"Manager Zhang, you look really pale—are you feeling sick?"
"N–No, I'm fine."
Zhang Ping gave her concerned colleague a small smile, then turned back to her own little cubicle. Sitting in front of the computer, she fell into silence.
Lifting her head, she glanced around. Everyone else was absorbed in their work—no one idle. The atmosphere at Huanyuan had always been like this. When your salary and benefits were several times higher than at other companies, you worked hard to keep your place.
She was considered one of Huanyuan's old employees, and the company had always treated her well.
At noon, during a short break, Lin Siya arrived at Huanyuan headquarters carrying a lunch box. As the elevator passed the customer service floor, she suddenly remembered bumping into Zhang Ping rushing out yesterday and quickly pressed the button to stop.
When she stepped into the department, the employees nearly jumped to their feet in surprise.
"Manager Lin! What brings you here?"
"I came to deliver lunch to President Yuan." Lin Siya smiled brightly. She didn't dare show her feelings openly in front of Axin, but in front of others, she never bothered hiding it. "I just remembered something and decided to stop by. Have any of you seen Manager Zhang?"
She looked toward Zhang Ping's usual desk—it was empty. Normally, Zhang Ping would be there eating her boxed lunch.
"Oh, Manager Lin, you're looking for her? She clocked out already, maybe something came up."
"Yeah, she didn't look too well today. Seemed a bit pale."
Lin Siya nodded, said goodbye politely, and took the elevator up to Axin's floor.
The moment she stepped into the executive offices, she saw a handful of beautiful women and several ridiculously handsome men. Lifting her chin slightly, she gave them a quick, disdainful look. These little vixens, dressing up like peacocks every day—who exactly are you trying to seduce?
"Good afternoon, Manager Lin."
She smiled sweetly, though she scoffed inwardly. "Had lunch yet?"
"We were just about to."
"And President Yuan?"
"She's in her office." One of the assistants hurried forward, reaching out to take the lunch box. "Manager Lin, did you bring this for President Yuan? I can take it in for you."
Lin Siya smoothly pulled the lunch box away, her eyes narrowing as she sized the woman up. A new face again? Pretty, sure.
But—not as tall as her.
Not as fair as her.
And up close? Large pores, and a pimple on her chin—concealed with makeup, but still obvious to Lin Siya's sharp eyes. Pretty face, caked-on foundation. This kind of cheap imitation dared to compete with her for Axin?
Her gaze slid downward. Neck wrinkles. Hmph. Big chest, but wrong shape. In her eyes, perfection wasn't about size—it was about elegance. And those legs? Straight, but not her kind of straight.
After a full assessment, Lin Siya stared the woman straight in the eye. That overeager "pick me" look was impossible to hide.
If Axin didn't need so many assistants, she'd have kicked all these mismatched girls out herself.
"Work's been busy lately, right? Lots of overtime?" she asked pleasantly.
The assistant smiled, thinking it was praise—until Lin Siya added, sweet as honey:
"That's a pretty big pimple on your chin. Quite noticeable. Your pores too. I know a skincare brand that works wonders—really smooths the skin. Want me to recommend it?"
The assistant froze. That pimple had taken her half an hour to cover that morning! Now this woman noticed it in seconds. If this weren't the office, she'd have run screaming to the restroom to redo her makeup.
Still, as she looked at Lin Siya's flawless, porcelain skin—barely a hint of foundation—her resentment turned to awe.
The legendary First Campus Beauty truly lived up to the name.
"Manager Lin, could you maybe recommend those products to me?" she asked shyly.
"Of course." Lin Siya leaned closer, lowering her voice. "But, Assistant Chen, I don't mind sharing beauty tips—as long as you don't develop any… inappropriate thoughts about President Yuan."
The assistant stiffened. "M–Manager Lin, you're joking! We're all just working diligently for President Yuan."
"You'd better be."
Lin Siya straightened up and headed toward Axin's office with her lunch box.
As she passed by, her voice dropped to an icy whisper:
"She's mine."
The words stabbed into the assistant's ears like a shock. She froze, eyes wide, staring at Lin Siya's elegant back in disbelief. Her hand flew to her mouth.
That… that was a declaration of ownership!
And instead of being offended, she nearly squealed out loud.
Oh my god—she'd only imagined something like this, and Manager Lin had actually said it!
Clutching her compact, she ran for the restroom, trembling with excitement. She needed to fix her concealer—and calm down.
Meanwhile, Lin Siya was quite pleased with herself for taking down another "assistant threat."
But the moment she opened Axin's office door and saw what was inside, her mood soured instantly.
She pursed her lips, sweeping her gaze over the woman sitting across from Axin.
Ever since Axin's appearance at the business banquet, the company had been flooded with beautiful, capable little vixens—each one with eyes that practically glued themselves to her.
"So someone's already bringing you lunch, huh?"
Her voice dripped with jealousy. "Had I known, I wouldn't have bothered bringing mine." She glanced at the nervous young woman standing to the side, clearly an assistant. "You're quite the president now—someone to help you work, someone to feed you. Don't even need me anymore."
Her sour tone filled the room, sentence after sentence.
Axin looked up and smiled softly. "Siya."
Still smiling.
Ugh, damn it—why did she have to smile like that?
Her anger melted on the spot. That face, that calm smile—it was unfair how enchanting Axin could be.
She stepped closer, set the lunch box on the desk, and shot a glance at the untouched takeout beside it.
"Then maybe I should stop coming over at noon. You already have someone delivering lunch."
Not that you need me anyway.
What she really wanted to say was: President Yuan, I want to throw this little fox out of your office.
But Axin stood up, took the lunch box from her hands, and said lightly, "That won't do. I've been waiting for your food, Siya. It's just the way I like it."
Her mood lifted instantly. She shot a sideways glance at the assistant, whose eyes were now rimmed red.
Hmph. Little white lotus. Just like that Jian Jia woman—pretending to be gentle and innocent while trying to seduce herAxin.
Axin opened the lunch box, and the rich aroma instantly filled the office. The assistant looked at the dishes—each one exquisite, clearly from a high-end restaurant. Compared to that, her own takeout looked pitiful.
Still, she stammered an apology. "I'm sorry, President Yuan. I didn't know Manager Lin would bring you lunch. I just thought you might be busy and forget to eat. I only wanted to look after your health. Um… should I make some coffee for you instead?"
Lin Siya raised a brow. This assistant's tone—something was off. Unlike the bold flirts outside, this one seemed almost fragile.
She watched the girl fumble toward the coffee machine, finally losing patience.
"You can leave that to me."
She strode over on her heels. "Axin's taste—only I know it best."
She might not cook, but coffee? That, she was proud of. Axin had praised her coffee before—fragrant, rich, unforgettable.
The little assistant stood her ground. "No need to trouble you, Manager Lin. This is my job." She even shot a pleading glance at Axin, eyes wide and watery.
Axin, busy eating Lin Siya's lunch, didn't even look up.
Smiling smugly, Lin Siya gently pushed the assistant aside and whispered with satisfaction, "You think you can make coffee she likes? Keep dreaming."
The girl went pale, her eyes glistening as if she might cry.
Normally, Lin Siya didn't care—Axin's office was full of pretty little pests. But this one was different; she kept sneaking looks at Axin. Did she really think Axin would take her side?
"I'm sorry, Manager Lin," the girl murmured. "I've been making President Yuan's coffee lately. She's never complained, so… I thought I could keep doing it."
"Xiao Ye," Axin finally said, her tone even. "You can go. Siya will handle the coffee."
Lin Siya's chest filled with triumph. Even though she still disliked having so many "little foxes" around Axin, she was pleased that this one at least had been dismissed.
She began grinding the beans, ignoring Xiao Ye's trembling lips and teary eyes.
"President Yuan, did I do something wrong?" the assistant finally broke down, her voice choked. "Didn't you like my coffee this morning?"
Lin Siya pouted from the side, her expression full of smug irritation. Axin caught it perfectly and said only one word: "Leave."
"President Yuan, I—"
Before she could finish, Axin took another bite of lunch.
Lin Siya hurried over, pulling a tissue from her bag. She was going to hand it over, but maybe it was the presence of that assistant that made her extra possessive—so instead, she leaned forward across the desk and gently wiped the corner of Axin's mouth herself.
"You probably don't keep a mirror in your office," she murmured. "If you wipe it yourself, you'll ruin your makeup."
In Xiao Ye's shocked gaze, Lin Siya not only wiped Axin's mouth but then pulled out a brand-new lipstick from her bag.
"Let me touch it up for you. No need to go to the restroom—it's the same shade you use."
And right there, in front of the dumbstruck assistant, she applied lipstick for Axin, step by careful step.
"Perfect."
Up close, she nearly lost control—this face was too beautiful, too tempting.
Her Axin was radiant. When would she finally get to kiss her?
She lowered her eyes, her heart spinning in confusion. Would she ever have that chance in this life?
"Siya?"
"Done," she murmured, snapping back to herself.
The little assistant finally couldn't take it. With red eyes and a trembling voice, she said, "President Yuan, I'll go now," and left with her boxed lunch.
Silence filled the room.
The once-brazen Lin Siya now sat far away, fidgeting, not daring to meet Axin's eyes. "Axin, I don't think Assistant Ye is suited for you," she muttered. "She looked like I bullied her or something."
Axin chuckled softly. She let Lin Siya rant on—about how this kind of tearful assistant was unreliable, how Jian Jia used to be the same. Finally, Axin cut her off.
"Then fire her."
Lin Siya blinked, caught off guard. "Isn't that a little harsh?"
"No. I don't like self-willed assistants."
"I… also do a lot of self-willed things with you," Lin Siya blurted out.
"You're not my assistant," Axin said with a small, warm smile. "You're different."
That look in her eyes—tender, gentle—nearly melted Lin Siya on the spot. She almost confessed everything right there.
Almost.
But she swallowed it back. What if Axin didn't accept her? Axin seemed soft, but in truth she wasn't easy to sway. Just like that assistant—one word from her, and gone.
"Axin, I'm free this afternoon," she said shyly. "Can I stay here? I'll be quiet. Just like back then when I worked overtime and you sat beside me."
"Whatever you want."
Axin went back to work, and Lin Siya kept her promise. She sat silently nearby, barely moving, just watching the woman at the desk. After a while, she couldn't help it—she took out her phone and snapped photo after photo of Axin concentrating on her work.
Later, she would hold the phone, staring at those pictures, smiling dreamily while tracing Axin's face on the screen.