The lobby of Wei Group looked like something pulled straight out of a glossy magazine.
Glass walls stretched upward like they were trying to touch the clouds, sunlight spilling across marble floors that reflected Xinyue's nervous reflection back at her. People in crisp suits moved with purpose, heels clicking, voices low and professional, confidence wrapped around them like a second skin.
Xinyue clutched her folder tighter.
Breathe. You belong here. You literally got the job, she told herself.
The revolving doors whooshed shut behind her, sealing her into a world that felt bigger than anything she'd ever stepped into before.
At the reception desk, a woman with sleek hair and a kind smile looked up.
"Good morning. Welcome to Wei Group."
"G-good morning!" Xinyue replied, bowing slightly before remembering where she was and straightening up quickly. "I'm Xinyue. Management trainee."
The woman tapped at her tablet. "Ah, yes. We've been expecting you. Orientation is on the thirty-second floor. Elevator C."
Thirty-second.
Xinyue's stomach fluttered like it had wings.
She thanked the receptionist and hurried toward the elevators, nearly colliding with a group of interns who looked just as nervous as she felt. The doors slid open with a soft chime, and they all piled in, sharing awkward smiles and tiny nods of solidarity.
As the elevator climbed, Xinyue watched the numbers light up one by one.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Her ears popped slightly, her heart thudded faster.
When the doors opened, the air felt different~cooler, sharper, like ambition itself had a scent.
A banner near the wall read:
WELCOME, MANAGEMENT TRAINEES — WEI GROUP
Xinyue exhaled, a smile tugging at her lips.
Inside the conference room, rows of seats were already filling. She slipped into an empty chair near the middle, smoothing her skirt and setting her folder neatly on her lap.
She was just beginning to relax when the room subtly shifted.
The low murmur of conversation softened. A few people straightened in their seats.
The door at the front opened.
He walked in.
Tall. Composed. His presence bent the air around him in a way Xinyue couldn't explain. His dark suit fit him perfectly, his expression calm, distant, almost too controlled.
Her breath hitched.
Her eyes narrowed~not in suspicion, but in confusion.
Why does he look… familiar?
A strange pull tugged at the back of her mind.
Then, like a memory snapping into place
Rain.
Cold pavement.
Her heel slipping.
Strong hands gripping her arms before she could fall.
A blurred streetlight above them. His face half-shadowed, half-lit, close enough that she'd forgotten how to breathe.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh.
Her heart skipped hard.
The stranger.
Mr. Handsome-who-caught-me-and-vanished-into-the-night.
Her fingers tightened around her folder.
He took another step forward, and the light caught his face fully.
It was him.
The woman beside him cleared her throat.
"Good morning, everyone. My name is Ms. Han, Head of Human Resources at Wei Group."
The man stepped up.
"I'm Wei Zhenwei," he said, voice low and steady. "CEO of Wei Group."
A ripple of whispers spread through the room.
Xinyue barely heard them.
CEO?
Her brain stalled.
I almost face-planted into the arms of the CEO? In the rain?
Her cheeks warmed.
Zhenwei's gaze swept the room~and paused.
On her.
Something flickered behind his eyes.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
*flashback*
That Night ~ Zhenwei's POV
Rain had followed him all the way home.
It clung to his coat, to his hair, to the air itself as he stepped into the quiet of his penthouse. The city lights below blurred into soft gold and silver, but his mind was somewhere else entirely.
On a girl standing in the rain.
On the way her breath had hitched when he caught her.
On the strange, ancient pull in his chest that hadn't stirred in centuries.
He loosened his tie, irritation brushing against confusion.
You shouldn't feel this, he told himself.
His phone rang.
Ms. Han.
"Sir," she said briskly, "we have a situation in HR. One of our staff went into labor early. We're short-handed for the trainee intake."
Zhenwei paused, staring out at the city.
"Hire a temporary replacement," he said.
"We already started," Ms. Han replied. "We're pulling candidates from yesterday's applications."
"Anyone," he said, distracted. "Just make sure the process runs smoothly."
He ended the call and leaned back against the glass.
He didn't know why the rain outside suddenly felt heavier.
He didn't know why the image of a girl with wide eyes and shaking hands wouldn't leave him.
He definitely didn't know~
That the one person Ms. Han would hire…
Was the same girl fate had dropped into his arms that night.
*end of flashback*
Zhenwei's gaze lingered on Xinyue longer than it should have.
The room faded.
The rain returned.
Her face overlapped with memory.
So it's you, he thought.
Ms. Han continued speaking about rotations and expectations, but Zhenwei barely heard a word.
When the orientation finally ended, chairs scraped softly as everyone stood, voices rising into nervous chatter.
Xinyue gathered her things, heart still racing.
She turned~
And nearly walked straight into him.
"Careful," Zhenwei said, reaching out automatically.
His hand brushed her arm.
Warm.
Real.
Her breath caught exactly like it had that night.
Their eyes met.
Up close, the pull was worse.
Stronger.
"You…" he said slowly, studying her face. "Have we met before?"
Xinyue's heart leaped into her throat.