After the storm, the entire company felt as if it had been hit by an earthquake.
Department restructuring, personnel changes, and reopened cases unfolded quietly and swiftly.
Though the data leak had been resolved, invisible aftershocks lingered.
This time, however, no one dared to openly target her.
She was formally appointed as the President's Special Assistant.
When the appointment letter landed on her desk, the office fell silent. You could hear the scratching of pen tips.
She looked up and saw him—
The man who had once filled her with fear and stirred her heart, causing her to doubt her own judgment. He was now gazing at her through the glass wall.
His golden pupils shimmered faintly, like a fox lurking in the night.
A barely perceptible curve touched his lips.
Once again, her heart skipped a beat.
"A new position, a new challenge."
He spoke calmly at the all-hands meeting, as if he had everything under control.
"Starting today, Ms. Lin, my special assistant, will co-lead the multinational collaboration project with me. Our goal is to complete the initial implementation plan within three months."
In the conference room, some people sucked in their breath, while others exchanged glances.
A cross-border project meant long business trips, late nights, negotiations, pressure, and inevitably, "close contact."
Under everyone's gaze, she forced herself to stay composed. "Yes, I look forward to working with you."
He nodded, his gaze sweeping over her. In that instant, her tail nearly quivered in the air.
Only she knew that the hidden silver-white tail trembled whenever his emotions stirred.
It was his true self, one that should never be seen in the human world.
By the third week of the multinational project, the two of them were staying late at the office nearly every night.
Coffee cups piled up like small mountains, and her tired yet focused face was reflected in the computer screen.
"This part of your report has excellent data,"
He said as he approached her and leaned in to examine the screen.
His breath brushed past her ear; his deep voice carried a hint of hoarseness. "Just as I expected from someone I chose."
Her heart skipped a beat. "I thought you were trying to get back at me."
He smiled. "At first, I was. But then, I didn't want to anymore."
"Why?" she asked.
He paused for a few seconds, as if suppressing something, then said softly,
"Because revenge took on a different form."
Her heartbeat quickened. "What do you mean by that?"
He drew closer, the gold in his eyes nearly igniting into flames.
"True revenge isn't about making you suffer. It's making you unable to leave me."
She froze, still processing his words, when he turned to brew coffee. His tone was casual.
"That's a fox's revenge."
She told herself not to get drawn in again.
He was her boss—a fox with too many secrets.
But on that night of the business trip—when he shielded her from the wine glass, quietly draped her coat over her shoulders, leaned exhausted against the airport glass wall, and fell asleep—
She began to waver once more.
In that moment, she saw the faint crimson mark beneath his ear where his tail disappeared.
He still carried that wild scent: clean and sharp yet utterly addictive.
She knew this distance was dangerous.
But she also knew she had no way back.
"What exactly are you?" she finally asked.
He opened his amber-colored eyes, which shimmered in the night.
"You want to know?"
"I want the truth."
He chuckled softly. "The truth doesn't matter. What matters is that you've already accepted me, haven't you?"
She stared at him, speechless.
The company secured the multinational contract, marking its greatest achievement of the year.
That evening, the entire company held a celebratory banquet.
Lights shone brightly and music blared loudly.
After being pressured into having several drinks with her colleagues, she felt a bit dizzy. She stepped out onto the balcony for some fresh air.
The nighttime breeze felt just right.
Familiar footsteps approached from behind.
"Did you run all the way out here to avoid me?"
She turned and saw him.
His suit jacket was casually draped over his arm, his collar was slightly open, and his fox ears were peeking out from his hair.
Her eyes widened. "Your ears—"
"You saw them," he smiled, his gaze unnaturally tender.
"The moon's too bright tonight. I couldn't be bothered to hide."
Her breath caught for a second.
"So...you really are..."
"Yes, I'm not human."
He stepped closer, his voice low. "But my heart beats for you."
Those words ignited her long-suppressed emotions like foxfire.
She whispered, "Is this part of your revenge, too?"
He leaned closer, his voice a mere murmur. "No, this is proof that I've lost completely."
Late into the night, the banquet crowd continued to laugh indoors.
Only the two of them remained on the balcony.
His tail gently wrapped around her waist, the furry warmth of it against her skin.
She looked up at him, her eyes reflecting the moonlight and the tremor at his ear tips.
"You said a fox's revenge is making me unable to leave you," she murmured softly.
He smiled and reached up to caress her cheek. "Can you leave now?"
She paused, then rose onto her tiptoes and kissed him.
The kiss was soft yet resolute, brimming with emotions too profound for words.
He froze for a moment before returning the kiss, pulling her completely into his embrace.
Moonlight spilled over, glinting on his silver-white tail like fine snow.
His ears twitched slightly as if the entire world had fallen silent, leaving only the sounds of their heartbeats and breathing.
He murmured in her ear, "See? You already belong to my revenge."
She smiled. "Then I'll take my revenge on you, too."
"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow.
"I'll make sure you can never leave me."
Wind swept past the high-rises, lifting a soft strand of her hair.
Their shadows intertwined and merged into one.
Three months later, the multinational project was launched successfully.
She remained his special assistant and no longer feared his gaze.
To everyone else, they were the perfect team.
Only she knew that, after every late-night meeting, he leaned his head on her shoulder and brushed her fingertips with his tail.
He was still that cunning fox, and she had become his one exception.
Side Story A: Corporate Restructuring and Project Success.
Side Story B: Emotional Reconciliation and Heartfelt Embrace.
All ends well.
After a long journey of testing, hostility, attraction, and retribution, they finally embraced genuinely.