Xiaoyu knew something was wrong the moment she stepped out of the elevator.
Not bad wrong.
Worse.
Suspiciously polite wrong.
The office floor looked the same—glass walls, muted carpets, the faint hum of printers and keyboards—but the people didn't. Conversations cut off too quickly. Heads snapped up. Smiles bloomed with alarming speed.
Too many smiles.
Xiaoyu adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and took one cautious step forward.
"Good morning, Xiaoyu!"
She flinched.
That was Linda from accounting. Linda, who normally communicated exclusively through tight nods and emails titled Per My Last Message.
"G–good morning," Xiaoyu replied, slowing her pace.
Linda beamed.
"Love your outfit today," Linda added warmly.
Xiaoyu looked down at herself—plain blouse, slacks she'd owned for three years, sensible shoes chosen for comfort, not fashion.
"…Thank you?"
Linda nodded approvingly, as if Xiaoyu had just passed a performance review, then returned to her desk with visible satisfaction.
Xiaoyu took another step.
"Xiaoyu!"
She turned. Mark from IT was practically jogging toward her, holding a coffee cup like an offering.
"I got you a latte," he said breathlessly. "Soy milk. No sugar. I remembered you said you didn't like sweet drinks."
Xiaoyu stared at him.
"You… remembered that?"
Mark laughed nervously. "Of course! Team bonding! Very important!"
She accepted the cup slowly, like it might explode. "Uh. Thanks?"
"No problem! Anytime!" He backed away too quickly, nearly colliding with a filing cabinet.
Xiaoyu stood frozen in the middle of the floor.
Okay.
That was… new.
She continued toward her desk, every step more surreal than the last.
"Morning, Xiaoyu!"
"Did you sleep well?"
"Oh! You dropped this—wait, no you didn't, but just in case!"
"Your hair looks so healthy today!"
By the time she reached her chair, she had been complimented on:
her posture
her work ethic
her aura (???)
Someone had even wiped her desk.
Her desk.
Xiaoyu slowly sat down, latte still in hand, eyes darting around like a startled deer.
Across from her, Mei leaned over the divider, eyes glittering with barely contained amusement.
"…So," Mei whispered, "how does it feel to be corporate royalty?"
Xiaoyu groaned softly and lowered her head onto her desk with a dull thump.
"They know," she muttered.
Mei snorted. "Oh, they know."
Xiaoyu lifted her head just enough to glare. "How bad is it?"
Mei tilted her head, considering. "Well, HR sent out a 'professional conduct reminder' email this morning. And Mr. Chen from procurement bowed to you."
"He—what?"
"Not fully," Mei clarified. "Just… spiritually."
Xiaoyu squeezed her eyes shut.
She had known coming back wouldn't be easy. She had expected whispers. Speculation. Awkward glances.
She had not expected to be treated like a rare, temperamental artifact that might summon the CEO if mishandled.
As if summoned by the thought, her phone buzzed.
Liang Wei:
Did you arrive safely?
Xiaoyu glanced around. Three people were pretending very badly not to look at her screen.
She typed back quickly.
Xiaoyu:
Yes. Everyone is being… weird.
Three seconds later:
Liang Wei:
Define "weird."
She looked at the latte. The spotless desk. The way Mark was still hovering nearby, pretending to reorganize cables that did not need reorganizing.
Xiaoyu:
Someone complimented my aura.
There was a pause.
Then:
Liang Wei:
…I apologize.
Despite herself, Xiaoyu smiled.
Before she could reply, a shadow fell across her desk.
"Xiaoyu!"
She looked up to see her team leader, Ms. Huang, smiling so widely it bordered on painful.
"We're so glad you're back," Ms. Huang said brightly. "We were worried you might need more time off. Or, you know—"
Her eyes flicked meaningfully toward the executive floor.
"—other accommodations."
"I'm fine," Xiaoyu said quickly. "Really. I can work."
"Of course! Of course!" Ms. Huang nodded enthusiastically. "But if you need anything—anything at all—please let me know. Flexible hours. Remote work. A new chair. A new desk. A new—"
"I like my desk," Xiaoyu said.
Ms. Huang paused. "Wonderful! Excellent desk choice."
She leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Also, just so you know, no one will bother you today. I've reassigned your tasks."
Xiaoyu blinked. "All of them?"
"Yes," Ms. Huang said proudly. "You just… relax."
Xiaoyu stared at her.
"But… I'm here to work."
Ms. Huang smiled like she'd just heard a child announce they wanted to do taxes for fun. "How adorable."
She walked away before Xiaoyu could protest.
Xiaoyu turned slowly to Mei.
"I've been demoted," she whispered.
"To what?" Mei asked.
"…Decor."
Mei burst out laughing, ducking back behind her monitor.
An hour passed.
Then two.
Xiaoyu answered exactly zero emails, completed zero tasks, and received:
one muffin
two more coffees
a small potted plant ("for positivity")
At one point, someone asked if she wanted the window blinds adjusted "for optimal comfort."
She had never felt so useless in her life.
Finally, she stood up.
The floor went quiet.
"I'm going to the copier," Xiaoyu announced.
Three people immediately stood.
"I can do that for you!"
"I'll come with you!"
"Do you need paper? I already have paper!"
"I—no," Xiaoyu said firmly. "I can copy. Alone."
A beat.
"…Okay," Mark said, visibly disappointed.
At the copier, Xiaoyu leaned against the machine and exhaled.
This was ridiculous.
This wasn't respect.
This was fear—wrapped in politeness and caffeine.
Her phone buzzed again.
Liang Wei:
Are they behaving?
Xiaoyu stared at the message, then typed.
Xiaoyu:
If they're any nicer, I might file a complaint.
A pause.
Then:
Liang Wei:
Do you want me to intervene?
She imagined him sending one calm email and the entire floor collectively fainting.
Xiaoyu:
No. Please don't. I just want to be normal.
Another pause.
Liang Wei:
Normal may take time.
Xiaoyu smiled faintly.
Xiaoyu:
Then I'll survive the attention. But I'm keeping the muffin.
A rare reply came back almost immediately.
Liang Wei:
Fair.
She slipped her phone back into her pocket and straightened.
If this was the cost of being seen—
She would learn to laugh first.
And reclaim herself second.
Across the office, Mei raised her coffee cup in a silent toast.
Xiaoyu picked up the muffin and returned it.
Royalty or not—
She still had work to do.