"Director, do you have any further instructions?"
Yun Xi's expression was calm as she asked.
The man adjusted the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose. "Wei Yunxi, can't you give me a little face? Did you really have to embarrass me in front of everyone during the team meeting?"
Yun Xi crossed her arms. "Face is something you earn yourself. Besides, it was just a discussion. Everyone was sharing their opinions. I simply disagreed with yours."
"But you're my girlfriend!"
That sharp retort nearly made Yun Xi choke on her words. Her brows furrowed as she scrutinized the man before her. He stood about one meter eighty-five, dressed in a well-tailored ash-blue business-casual shirt and white trousers, with white leather shoes on his feet. His frame was lean yet firm, the kind that looked slim in clothes but strong underneath. His face was striking, too, carrying a strange sense of familiarity that unsettled her.
Under Yun Xi's direct, unrestrained gaze, the man grew a little uneasy. He coughed lightly."I know you like to keep business and personal matters separate, but I just parachuted into this company as the new director. I was hoping for your support. You understand what I mean, don't you?"
For a moment Yun Xi's mind went blank. Then, like a floodgate opening, memories surged back. This new director was her boyfriend of two years. They had met at a business cocktail party. Their careers overlapped enough that conversation came easily.
A year later, he confessed his feelings. Yun Xi found him suitable in every way and agreed to a relationship.
She hadn't hidden it from friends or colleagues, though he rarely joined her gatherings. His excuse was always that he wanted her to have personal freedom, not feel tied down by overlapping social circles. Over time, Yun Xi stopped inviting him, and likewise never asked to enter his circle of friends. They both worked busy weekdays and only came together on weekends to enjoy their private world.
But now, without warning, he had dropped into her company as her direct superior. Yun Xi had not taken that well. At work, she treated him as though they were strangers, separating business from private life. Still, their disagreements had flared up again today in a meeting, ending in open conflict. Which was why he had cornered her now.
When her recollection ended, Yun Xi tilted her head and asked softly, "How did I ever find you attractive in the first place?"
His face stiffened. "What… what do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I said. If you want to keep that director's chair, prove your ability to everyone. Don't expect me to prop you up. I don't fawn over people."
She turned to leave, irritated at his hand blocking the elevator.
His pride seemed to snap. He grabbed Yun Xi's wrist, yanked her toward him, and shoved her hard against the marble wall beside the elevator.
Yun Xi reacted without thinking. She twisted his wrist with a practiced motion and flung him back against the same wall. Her other hand shot forward, fist driving into his stomach. His breath whooshed out in a pained grunt.
The raw sensation of fist meeting flesh sent a thrill through her. It awakened something deep, a muscle memory buried in her bones. Her body moved on its own. She followed with three rapid punches, each landing on the same spot.
The man collapsed, curling on the floor like a shrimp. At that moment the elevator chimed open. Yun Xi straightened, withdrawing her hand just as a colleague rushed out.
"Team Leader, you're still here?"
"You? Why are you back?"
"Forgot my phone."
She had barely finished speaking when something grabbed her ankle. She screamed, a piercing sound that made Yun Xi wince and clap her hands over her ears. When the scream threatened to go on endlessly, Yun Xi turned her head forcibly toward the floor.
"Ah! A ghost! Ahhh!! Wait—why does this ghost look so familiar? Ahh! Isn't this the gloomy-faced Director Sheng?!"
The scream cut off abruptly. She swallowed hard. "It really is Director Sheng Yuhong! Wh-why is he on the floor?"
Yun Xi's gaze grew sly. She smiled faintly. "Oh, perhaps Director Sheng finds the floor nice and cool. Let's go."
From the ground, the man's eyes flickered red for an instant before returning to normal. He clutched his stomach, rasping, "Wei Yunxi, I'm your boyfriend. You can't treat me like this!"
Those words froze both women. The colleague's face lit with shock and curiosity. Yun Xi's, however, darkened with sheer impatience. Her voice cut coldly, "The moment you laid hands on me, you lost the right to call yourself my boyfriend. From now on, I'll dedicate myself to pushing you out of that director's chair. Frankly, I'd do a better job than you ever could."
"Team Leader Wei, mighty and fierce!"
Her colleague immediately chimed in with cheer.
Yun Xi flipped her hair back and smirked. "Come on. Sister will buy you a drink. Time to celebrate my return to singlehood."
"Yes, yes, let's go!"
Inside the elevator, Yun Xi pressed not the exit, but the floor leading to the security room. There, she copied the surveillance footage of Sheng Yuhong grabbing her and shoving her against the wall.
"Sister Yun Xi, you're worried he'll twist the story?"
"Of course. You must keep the initiative in your own hands. Workplace harassment is still harassment. Remember that."
"Got it! We'll celebrate tonight. And I'll back you all the way—let's get him out!"
Meanwhile, Sheng Yuhong staggered to his feet, face livid. He had thought she would be his stepping stone to rise higher. Instead, she had torn him down.
His phone buzzed. He answered. "Hello, Qing Qing? Why are you calling now?"
Whatever was said on the other end softened his features. He smiled faintly. "I've booked a candlelight dinner. Change into something nice, I'll come pick you up."
He hung up.
Half an hour later, Sheng Yuhong picked up a stunning woman. When their gazes met, both pairs of eyes gleamed with a faint red light. Inside the car, the woman spoke first. "You did well. Just keep her trapped here."
"But she seems suspicious already. Today she even hit me, and… ended our relationship outright."
"Then win her back. Grovel if you have to. Use every ounce of sincerity. Don't give her time to think."
"…Alright. I understand."
The next morning, Yun Xi arrived at her office to find a huge bouquet of roses waiting, with a handwritten apology card.
She smirked and waved her colleague over, handing her the flowers. "Distribute them. One bloom for everyone. Let's all start the day with a flower."
"Okay, Team Leader!"
At noon, Sheng Yuhong himself appeared, politely inviting her to lunch. She refused without hesitation.
That night, he used a spare key to unlock her apartment, intending to rekindle their romance.
What greeted him was Yun Xi's fist.