“Phew… finally done, that was no easy feat…”
Xun Yi flopped back onto the office chair, letting out a long sigh.
“Yeah, we’ve been at it for four hours straight. It’s getting late.”
“Huh, already four hours?” Xun Yi pulled out her phone to check. Sure enough, it was past seven.
“Ahhh, how is it this late already?” She let out a mournful cry. “I wanted to go eat barbecue tonight, but by the time we pack up, place the order, and get to the restaurant, it’ll probably be nine…”
“Oh, it’s no big deal. I’ll go with you, okay?” Iris patted her own flat chest with total confidence.
“Boo-hoo, you’re the best, Iris… And thanks for helping me tweak that file this afternoon… Hey, how about I treat you to barbecue tonight?”
“How could I refuse… Stop blabbering and hurry up and deliver that file to President Lin’s office so we can clock out.”
Iris said as she quickly cleared her desk.
“I’ll go with you, otherwise you’ll stand outside her office too scared to go in and make me wait forever again…”
“Iris, if only you liked girls… Boo-hoo, then I’d definitely fall for you…”
“Alright, enough nonsense… Let’s go.”
“Mm-hmm…”
After seven, the office felt a bit cold and empty. The two walked down the deserted hallway, an inexplicable unease creeping over them.
“Why do I feel so creeped out?” Iris broke the silence first. “Feels like any second now a Guide is gonna pop up and pull me into a God Space Dungeon, one of those mania-genre ones where you die if you don’t kill.”
“Shush, you jinx, don’t say things like that…”
Xun Yi tugged at her collar, wrapping herself tighter.
“If you actually summon something bad… Forget entering a God Space, we might end up as dungeon bosses ourselves. Like the vengeful spirits of two murdered girls or something…”
“Hey, that’s way scarier, you know!”
Xun Yi ignored her. Iris moved closer, as if genuinely frightened.
Xun Yi didn’t crack her usual joke—something like “You’re getting so close, do you like me?”—because she was actually scared herself, so she let Iris stay near.
In that eerie atmosphere, they finally reached Lin Shuangxue’s office.
“Whoa… felt like we walked forever… I thought we hit a ghost wall.”
“Iris, you’re such a coward. I saw you sticking so close, I thought you were gonna hold my hand. Haha… Want some milk? Haha…”
“Shut up! Scram!”
Iris shoved Xun Yi away in annoyance.
“Go turn in your damn file! You made me so hungry, I’m starving!”
“Alright, alright, seriously… Huh?”
Xun Yi walked up to the desk. Just as she was about to set the file down, she stopped, letting out a puzzled noise.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, it’s just…”
She scratched her head in confusion.
“Who’s been doodling on President Lin’s file? Did some kid come in here?”
“Really? Let me see…”
Iris perked up, striding over to Xun Yi and looking down. “Whoa, seriously!”
Right in the center of the desk lay a draft paper. Someone had drawn a few little turtles with a pen, and next to them were some tiny, barely legible words.
“What does it say? Let me look…”
Iris leaned in, squinting, carefully trying to read the writing on the paper.
“‘Shoulders are so narrow… want to hold them in my arms… so small… want want want…’” Iris read aloud, then snorted.
“What kid is having a fit on your boss’s desk? What’s this even about? Did someone change clothes in President Lin’s office, and some horny kid watched and wrote it down? That’s impossible.”
“No, it’s not impossible.” Xun Yi cut her off.
“What do you mean?” Iris looked up, puzzled.
“Look over there.” Xun Yi raised her hand and pointed at the sofa.
Iris followed her gaze and saw… a piece of clothing?
“Wait? Who left clothes here?” She was stunned, quickly walking to the sofa and picking up the garment.
“Whoa! It’s a girl’s clothes. That’s wild… Xun Yi, do you think some pervert snuck into President Lin’s office? Took off someone’s clothes and left them here? Or did the girl take them off herself?”
“Iris…” Xun Yi took a serious look at the clothes, then said slowly, “I don’t think this is some pervert…”
“What do you mean?”
“Because…” She pointed at the single-layer garment.
“This is what the white-haired girl was wearing when she first came in.”
Afraid Iris wouldn’t understand, she added, “You saw that girl wearing the same clothes as President Lin later, right? Get what I’m saying?”
“Huh?”
Iris’s mouth dropped wide open.
“You mean… President Lin is a pervert who likes watching people change?”
“No, no, don’t say that!” Xun Yi quickly denied.
“I never said that! Don’t be ridiculous!”
“But what you just said basically means…”
“Iris, shut up!” Panicking, Xun Yi slapped Iris on the shoulder.
“Trouble comes from the mouth! Don’t say another word!”
“You’re overthinking it. It’s not like President Lin would put surveillance cameras in her own office, or that she’s standing right outside the door right now…”
A cold, emotionless voice suddenly came from outside the door.
“What are you doing?”
The two froze instantly, snapping to attention like soldiers.
Jiang Cheng’s clothes fell to the floor.
Iris bent down at lightning speed, snatched up the clothes, tossed them onto the sofa, and stood at attention again.
“What are you doing in my office?”
Lin Shuangxue’s face was like ice. She had put her suit shirt back on and walked slowly over to them, stopping in front and looking down.
Lin Shuangxue was a good half-head taller than both of them, and with that expression, the pressure nearly suffocated them.
“Reporting to President Lin, we came to deliver the file…”
It was Xun Yi, forcing herself to speak.
Lin Shuangxue studied her, her gaze sweeping over Xun Yi like a scanner. Soon, Xun Yi’s entire body was drenched in sweat, her calves trembling, but she didn’t dare move an inch.
“You,” Lin Shuangxue said suddenly.
“I’m not going to target you. But you need to understand: Jiang Cheng is already mine.”
Jiang Cheng? She means the white-haired girl?
‘Jiang Cheng? She means that white-haired girl?’
Xun Yi froze, then quickly recovered.
“President Lin… I… I didn’t know you two were lovers…”
Lin Shuangxue didn’t confirm or deny. She continued, “Jiang Cheng and I have already done everything there is to do. Give up on that idea.”
“Done… everything?” Xun Yi was stunned.
‘Does that mean they’ve already…’
“We’ve already kissed.”
“…”
Wait, since when does that count as “everything”?
“I won’t punish you this time. Don’t let it happen again.”
Lin Shuangxue turned around, glancing at them from the corner of her eye.
“Go back now, before I change my mind.”
“R-right… yes, yes.” Iris bowed and scraped, then grabbed the stunned Xun Yi.
“Stop spacing out… let’s go.”
Watching them leave and close the door, Lin Shuangxue sat down lightly on the sofa.
If those two were still here, they would have been shocked.
Lin Shuangxue picked up the single-layer garment—still carrying a strange, faint scent—and lifted it to her nose, sniffing. She gently closed her eyes, as if thinking, or as if savoring the smell.
“Jiang Cheng…”
She murmured.
‘Friends… No, we won’t just be friends…’
‘You are going to be mine…’
‘Only mine.’