Xiaoyu had survived deadlines, office politics, and one truly traumatic team-building karaoke night.
She had not prepared for this.
The elevator doors slid open with their usual soft chime, and Xiaoyu stepped onto her floor—
—and walked straight into what looked like a welcome ceremony.
Not balloons. Not banners.
Something worse.
People were standing.
Actual standing.
Ms. Huang was standing. Mark from IT was standing. Linda from accounting—who normally moved as little as possible to preserve energy—was standing.
They all turned toward Xiaoyu at once.
"Good morning, Xiaoyu!"
The chorus hit her like a wave.
She froze.
"…Good morning?" she replied cautiously, like someone testing whether a room might be booby-trapped.
Ms. Huang clapped her hands together. "We're so happy you're back!"
Xiaoyu blinked. "I was gone for two days."
"Yes," Ms. Huang agreed fervently. "A very long two days."
Someone nodded solemnly.
Xiaoyu took one step forward.
Linda rushed over immediately.
"Careful!" Linda said.
Xiaoyu stopped mid-step. "Careful of…?"
"The carpet," Linda whispered. "It's been vacuumed."
Xiaoyu stared at her. "That's… good?"
"Yes," Linda said brightly. "But still. Careful."
Xiaoyu nodded, unsure what protocol applied here, and took another step—slower.
"Xiaoyu!" Mark appeared out of nowhere, holding a tablet. "I updated your software."
"I didn't ask for—"
"And your password security," he continued. "And your screen brightness. It was slightly aggressive before."
"…Thank you?"
"No problem!" Mark said. "If you need anything—anything—I'm right here."
He proceeded to sit at the desk beside hers. He didn't work there.
Xiaoyu slowly lowered herself into her chair.
Her chair.
Which now had a cushion.
A new cushion.
She touched it cautiously.
"Who put this here?" she asked.
"Oh, I did!" chirped a voice.
She looked up to see Mei grinning at her from across the divider, eyes sparkling with pure, unfiltered delight.
"I told them your lower back sometimes hurts," Mei said. "You're welcome."
"I told you that in confidence," Xiaoyu hissed.
Mei shrugged. "I assumed confidentiality died the moment you became CEO-adjacent."
Xiaoyu dropped her forehead onto the desk.
It made a soft, expensive sound.
Someone immediately gasped.
"Is she okay?"
"Do we need first aid?"
"I have pain relievers!"
Xiaoyu lifted her head. "I'm fine. I just—needed a moment."
Ms. Huang appeared again, like she'd been summoned by distress.
"Xiaoyu, please don't overexert yourself," she said gently. "You've been through… a lot."
Xiaoyu opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again.
What exactly had she been through, according to office lore?
Kidnapping? A hostile takeover? A dramatic rooftop confession?
She didn't even want to know.
"I can work," Xiaoyu said firmly. "Really. I want to."
Ms. Huang smiled at her the way people smiled at toddlers insisting they could cook.
"That's adorable," she said. "But today, you observe."
"Observe what?"
"Us," Ms. Huang replied proudly.
Xiaoyu glanced around.
Everyone nodded.
Mark nodded too enthusiastically and knocked over his water bottle.
"I don't want to observe," Xiaoyu said. "I want to do my job."
Ms. Huang tilted her head. "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Absolutely sure?"
"Yes."
Ms. Huang hesitated. "Even though—"
She lowered her voice dramatically.
"—your boyfriend is the CEO?"
The entire floor went silent.
Xiaoyu felt heat crawl up her neck.
"He's not—" She stopped. Breathed. Corrected herself. "That's not relevant."
A beat.
Someone coughed.
Ms. Huang smiled wider. "Of course it is."
Xiaoyu glanced at Mei.
Mei mouthed: Good luck.
Her phone buzzed.
She didn't need to look to know who it was.
Liang Wei:
Did you make it inside without incident?
Xiaoyu looked up.
Three people were pretending not to watch her type.
Xiaoyu:
Define "incident."
She slid the phone face-down onto her desk.
Instantly, someone slid a privacy screen toward her.
"For discretion," Linda whispered.
Xiaoyu stared at it. "I didn't ask for this."
"But you might need it," Linda said earnestly. "Power attracts attention."
Xiaoyu's eye twitched.
Across the floor, someone had brought snacks.
They were arranging them on a small table.
"Is this for a meeting?" Xiaoyu asked weakly.
"No," Mark said. "It's for you."
"There's fruit," Mei added helpfully. "And gluten-free cookies. We weren't sure."
"I eat gluten," Xiaoyu said.
Mark gasped. "You do?"
"Yes."
"Oh," he said, visibly shaken. "We'll adjust."
An hour passed.
Xiaoyu had not opened a single file.
Every time she tried, someone interrupted her.
"Do you want tea?"
"Coffee?"
"Another cushion?"
"Different lighting?"
"Emotional support?"
At one point, Ms. Huang gently removed her mouse.
"You look tense," she said. "Rest your hands."
"I'm tense because I can't work," Xiaoyu replied.
Ms. Huang smiled sympathetically. "That's normal."
"No," Xiaoyu said. "That's not normal."
Her phone buzzed again.
She flipped it over.
Liang Wei:
Status report?
Xiaoyu stared at the message.
Then she typed.
Xiaoyu:
I've been promoted.
A pause.
Liang Wei:
To?
Xiaoyu:
Furniture.
The reply came faster than she expected.
Liang Wei:
…I'm coming up.
Her heart skipped.
No.
No no no.
She typed frantically.
Xiaoyu:
DO NOT.
Three people leaned closer.
Liang Wei:
Why?
Xiaoyu glanced around. The snacks. The cushion. The reverent silence.
Xiaoyu:
If you come, someone will build a shrine.
A long pause.
Then:
Liang Wei:
I will wait.
She exhaled in relief.
Ten minutes later, the elevator chimed.
Xiaoyu didn't look up.
She knew.
The air changed.
Conversations died mid-sentence. Chairs shifted. Someone actually stood up straighter.
Liang Wei walked onto the floor like he owned it—
—which, unfortunately, he did.
He wore a tailored suit, expression calm, gaze sweeping the room once before landing on Xiaoyu.
Their eyes met.
Something flickered—brief, private.
Then he walked over.
"Good morning," he said to the room.
The response was immediate.
"Good morning, sir!"
"Welcome, sir!"
"Can we get you anything, sir?"
Liang Wei raised a hand.
Silence.
He turned to Xiaoyu.
"…Why do you have a cushion?" he asked quietly.
Xiaoyu looked at him flatly. "Don't ask."
Mei bit her fist to keep from laughing.
Liang Wei's gaze shifted to the snack table.
"…Is that a fruit arrangement?"
"It's for Xiaoyu," Mark said proudly.
Liang Wei nodded once. "I see."
He turned back to Xiaoyu. "Are you all right?"
She sighed. "I think I've been adopted by the entire department."
His lips twitched.
Barely.
"May I speak to you?" he asked.
Xiaoyu stood immediately.
Four people stood too.
"Just her," Liang Wei added calmly.
They sat.
Liang Wei leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Is this uncomfortable?"
"Yes," Xiaoyu said without hesitation. "But also… kind of funny."
His mouth curved slightly.
"I can fix it," he said.
She shook her head. "Please don't. If you send one email, they'll all faint."
"That is… possible."
She looked at him. "I just want to work. I don't want special treatment."
Liang Wei studied her for a moment.
Then he straightened and turned to the room.
"I have an announcement," he said.
Every spine snapped straight.
"Xiaoyu is here as an employee," Liang Wei continued evenly. "Not as an extension of me. Any referential treatment reflects poorly on her work."
A pause.
"And on my leadership."
You could hear a pin drop.
Ms. Huang swallowed.
Liang Wei's gaze softened slightly. "She doesn't need protection. She needs space."
Another pause.
Then he added, dryly, "Also, please stop feeding her."
The room erupted in nervous laughter.
Liang Wei turned back to Xiaoyu.
"I'll see you later," he said quietly.
She nodded.
As he walked away, the tension slowly eased.
Mark returned to IT. Linda sat down. The snacks disappeared.
Mei leaned over.
"Well," she whispered. "That was hot."
Xiaoyu groaned.
Finally—finally—Xiaoyu opened her laptop.
Her inbox flooded.
Work.
Real work.
She smiled.
Royalty or not—
She was back where she belonged.
And for the first time that day, no one clapped.