The luxury jewelry company occupied an entire building, yet almost no one noticed that a new intern had suddenly arrived.
A few days earlier, a college student working a summer job couldn’t take it anymore and quit, and Wang Ziqin happened to fill the vacancy. He was thrown straight into heavy workloads with barely any time to get used to things or learn the ropes.
Every time Shen Yuan passed by, he always caught Wang Ziqin getting chewed out, and it delighted him to no end.
Wang Ziqin looked perfectly healthy, even a brand-name university student, yet he couldn’t even use the copier properly. He had no idea how to use office software, messed things up repeatedly, and ended up having to stay late almost every night to fix his mistakes.
And now—just as Shen Yuan was going downstairs to deliver some documents—before he even reached the office, he heard someone yelling:
“You did it wrong again! I’ve already taught you twice! Do you have a pig’s brain? Don’t you remember anything? What on earth did you learn in college?”
Peeking in from the doorway, Shen Yuan saw Wang Ziqin hanging his head without daring to talk back. His eyes shifted downward and caught the sight of the man’s fists clenched tight at his sides.
He can’t possibly endure this anymore, right? Shen Yuan thought. A person’s nature doesn’t change—Wang Ziqin has such a rotten temper. The fact he’s put up with this for two whole days already surprised me.
He had personally asked Qiao Hailou to make sure Wang Ziqin’s supervisor nitpicked him endlessly and scolded him whenever possible.
Shen Yuan watched with malicious anticipation:
Come on—snap already. Show that awful temper. Quit and storm out.
Only then could he move to the next step of his plan.
But just as he was thinking that, he saw Wang Ziqin stiffen, bow his head deeply, and apologize with sincerity:
“I messed up. I’ll be more careful next time. I definitely won’t repeat the mistake. Please give me another chance.”
Even Shen Yuan froze for a second. He had never heard Wang Ziqin speak in such a serious tone.
But he didn’t believe him for one second. Determination and actual ability were two different things. A useless idiot like him—how could he promise not to make mistakes anymore? Impossible.
Every time he thought Wang Ziqin had finally reached his limit, the guy still endured it.
Shen Yuan thought it over, then walked in.
Seeing him, Wang Ziqin looked embarrassed and miserable.
That only made Shen Yuan happier. He casually helped tidy the scattered documents, then deliberately fanned the flames:
“Are you getting used to the job? Your supervisor’s pretty ruthless. You’re really just… taking it?”
Wang Ziqin forced a wry smile. “He’s not wrong. I can’t even handle simple tasks. Don’t worry about me, Shen Yuan. Go do your work—I can handle this.”
Shen Yuan was stunned.
This… wasn’t following the script at all. Wasn’t Wang Ziqin supposed to snap, quit, and storm off?
And then Wang Ziqin even told him earnestly, “Thanks, Shen Yuan. I read the books you gave me. I practiced everything.”
Unbelievable, Shen Yuan thought. Wang Ziqin saying thank you? Seriously?
Back then, he had treated Wang Ziqin with extreme respect, obeyed him in everything, and the guy never took him seriously. Now he mocked Wang Ziqin daily, venting all the old grievances he’d bottled up, and somehow Wang Ziqin claimed he was a good friend.
What did that say?
That people… really were shameless?
The whole plot seemed wrong, so he went to consult the “head screenwriter” — Qiao Hailou.
Because his younger brother was staying at his place, Shen Yuan had to behave like a proper, restrained older brother. He hadn’t found a chance to meet up with Qiao Hailou for a week, and he was definitely feeling deprived.
Still, they stayed in contact.
Shen Yuan used to look down on Qiao Hailou, but after this elaborate maneuver, he couldn’t help admiring the man’s tactics.
No wonder people said middle-aged men played dirty. Qiao Hailou didn’t even do anything publicly, yet Wang Ziqin still ended up miserable—and now even owed them gratitude.
Worried and spiteful, Shen Yuan said:
“I think something’s off. Wang Ziqin’s actually putting up with it. What if he really toughs it out and refuses to quit? Should we just find a reason to fire him?”
Qiao Hailou immediately vetoed that. “Too obvious. If he doesn’t quit, then he doesn’t quit.”
Shen Yuan grumbled, “Didn’t you say you’d make him bow to me?”
Calm as ever, Qiao Hailou replied, “Why are you so petty? Fine—if he actually endures and does well… in a week or two, we give him a ‘reward’ and transfer him to a retail store. Let him bow and scrape to customers all day. Satisfied?”
Shen Yuan’s eyes lit up. He looked at Qiao Hailou with admiration.
“Uncle Qiao, you’re so vicious! You sell people off and they still thank you for it!”
Qiao Hailou gave him a meaningful look and smiled without answering.
Shen Yuan suddenly felt something off. “Why are you smiling?”
“Nothing,” Qiao said, like it was obvious. “Just thinking—you’re petty, I’m conniving… we’re really made for each other.”
Shen Yuan blushed. “Get lost! Who’s ‘made for you’?”
Qiao Hailou laughed heartily. “Sweetheart, I helped you get your revenge. Have you decided how you’re going to thank me?”
That reminded Shen Yuan of his headache.
“Don’t bring it up. My brother finished all his homework and still won’t go home. I think he’s planning to stay the whole summer. I need a way to kick him out.”
Qiao teased, “Doesn’t he cook for you every day? Aren’t you enjoying that?”
Shen Yuan shot him a look. Sure, the kid’s cooking was great, but Shen Yuan could cook too—or order takeout. It wasn’t irreplaceable. And he hadn’t slept with Qiao Hailou in a while. He was itching. But he absolutely couldn’t let Qiao know that, or the man would have him wrapped around his finger. Qiao was cunning—that much was obvious from how he handled Wang Ziqin.
When Shen Yuan got home, he found his little brother diligently working on homework at the desk.
Dinner was already cooked—hot, fragrant, and covered with a mesh cover.
The sight made Shen Yuan instantly guilty. His brother was so well-behaved—how could he kick him out just because he wanted to have sex?
Hearing him come in, Li Lin set his pen down and beamed, clearly expecting praise.
“Ge, I made sweet-and-sour ribs, stuffed tofu, stir-fried greens, and tomato-egg soup today.”
Shen Yuan praised him. “So fancy? Xiaolin, you’re amazing! Good thing you’re here—otherwise I’d be coming home starving after work.”
One compliment and Li Lin lit up like a flower blooming—if he had a tail, he’d be wagging it wildly.
Their dad had said he’d drop by today, and since Shen Yuan got off late, Li Lin had gone to the market earlier in the afternoon to cook everything in advance.
Li Lin laughed and said, “Dad called me half an hour ago. He should be here soon.”
Sure enough, before Shen Yuan even warmed his seat, the doorbell rang.
He went to open it with a bright smile.
Walking in, Li Chen said, “I could smell the food from down the hall. It’s been ages since I’ve had Ah-Ben’s cooking.”
Embarrassed, Shen Yuan said, “I didn’t cook it. Xiaolin did.”
Li Chen immediately changed tune. “Ah, so Xiaolin has learned to cook after staying here a few days? Must be because you’re such a good older brother—teaching him to be independent.”
Li Lin pretended to be annoyed. “Dad, that’s such blatant favoritism! No matter what happens, it’s always my brother’s credit?”
Li Chen nodded. “Exactly.”
That scared Shen Yuan a bit, and he rushed to compliment his brother to smooth things over.
Then they washed their hands and sat down to eat.
Li Chen was here for something serious:
“Xiaolin, the Qiao family is hosting an engagement banquet for Qiao Jun. Are you going?”
Li Lin wasn’t close to Qiao Jun, so he said casually, “If you’re all going, I’ll go too.”
Then Li Chen turned to Shen Yuan. “I prepared the gift and cash for you. Just give it to them at the banquet.”
Warmth spread in Shen Yuan’s chest. “Thank you, Uncle.”
The three of them chatted a bit about daily life—Shen Yuan’s job, Li Lin’s classes—before Li Chen hesitated, testing the waters as he said, “Xiaolin, A-Ben… since there’s this event coming up, I was thinking… I want to bring Aunt Lin along. I just wanted to let you both know.”
The warmth at the table froze instantly, turning to ice.
Li Lin reacted first. The smile on his face vanished as he said, with sharp sarcasm, “Bring her. You’re here to notify us anyway, not to ask what we think.”
That tight, suffocating feeling rose up again, but Shen Yuan still reached under the table to tug at Li Lin’s sleeve, smoothing things over. “Alright, Uncle. It makes sense to bring a date.”
Shen Yuan pictured how things would look when the time came—his uncle arriving with his girlfriend and his own son. And him? How was he supposed to fit in? Attending as Li Chen’s stepson would put him in the same category as some guest’s plus-one—third tier. He might as well just show up as Qiao Jun’s friend.
The fact that Uncle was taking Lin Zhihui to a public event like this meant he was openly acknowledging her as his girlfriend… Shen Yuan remembered Uncle once saying that he wasn’t sure the relationship would last. Shen Yuan had imagined the two of them just drifting apart eventually. But now he saw clearly—whether or not they ended up married, his uncle was dead serious about giving this woman a title, a place in his life.
And that was exactly why it made Shen Yuan so bitter.
Sulking, he went and vented to Qiao Hailou.
Instead of comforting him, Qiao Hailou actually mocked him:
[Your uncle’s a very proper man—honest to the point of being old-fashioned. And he’s a textbook straight guy. He doesn’t like men, and he definitely doesn’t date people ten or twenty years younger. That’s just not something he’d ever do.]
Shen Yuan practically exploded:
[What do you think I am?? I’m just saying that woman doesn’t deserve my uncle. I’m afraid she’s after his money. Qiao-shushu, can’t you help me look into her background? What if she’s only with him for what he has?]
Qiao Hailou replied:
[If you can think of that, you think your uncle can’t? Li Chen’s upright, but he isn’t stupid.]
Shen Yuan instantly deflated. Qiao had a point. If even he—a clueless twenty-something—could be suspicious, of course Uncle would be. A man who managed a company that size couldn’t possibly be naïve.
Another message popped up:
[But since you want to know, I’ll look into her for you.]
[Still… the idea that she’s with him without caring about money at all? Impossible. And that’s not a crime. You’re too innocent, kid.]
Shen Yuan froze, unsure how to respond. In his mind, love should be pure. Like his birth parents—though that had ended badly, he’d always felt that wasn’t “real love,” just his mother getting blinded by a handsome face. But with his uncle and his mother—that had been love: mutual appreciation, drawn to each other’s character, gentle, steady warmth. That, to him, was what love was supposed to be.
Real love should rise above money and desire. Two souls leaning on each other.
If that woman was after Uncle’s money, he couldn’t accept it. That wasn’t him being naïve—Qiao Hailou was just too… vulgar.
For the first time, Shen Yuan felt that their worldviews didn’t align at all. He couldn’t help feeling disdain. Maybe the only place they were compatible was in bed. They’d split sooner or later.
Qiao Hailou could tell Shen Yuan was upset, and it actually pleased him.
If Li Chen and that actress really got together, it would force this kid to completely give up his unrealistic ideas—and face reality.
Just as he was thinking that, Shen Yuan fired back, angry and sulky:
[I’m already upset, and you’re making it worse. What do I even need you for?]
Qiao Hailou typed, all mature condescension:
[I’m explaining things to you.]
Shen Yuan shot back:
[Why should I listen? I don’t want your explanations. You’re annoying.]
Qiao Hailou:
[You’re mad?]
A red exclamation mark appeared.
System: The other party is not your friend. Add the contact before messaging.
Qiao Hailou: “…”
He stared at it, stunned.
Seriously? Over this? A tiny disagreement and the kid blocked him?
He’d never dated someone with a temper like Shen Yuan’s. What really got under his skin was that they’d been sniping at each other for days; this wasn’t even the first time he’d teased the kid. But this was the first time Shen Yuan genuinely blew up. Shen Yuan could take insults directed at him—but the moment Qiao lightly criticized Li Chen, the kid lost it.
Li Chen’s importance to Shen Yuan… was clearly greater than he’d thought.
Qiao Hailou was—very—unhappy.
After the brutal first week, Wang Ziqin somehow managed to get a handle on the workload. He’d learned the office software and could handle everything smoothly.
Shen Yuan had given him a couple of computer-basics books, never expecting him to actually read them. But two or three days later, Wang Ziqin had finished them all. When Shen Yuan flipped through randomly, he found page after page of sticky notes and meticulous annotations. The kid had genuinely studied.
He’d been staying late every night to practice on the company’s computer.
His supervisor was running out of ways to nitpick him. The man even went to Bai-secretary—who was the one Qiao had instructed to make Wang Ziqin’s life miserable—to plead on his behalf:
“This kid was clueless at first, sure, but he’s humble and hardworking. I’ve yelled at him like crazy and he’s never gotten impatient or talked back. Honestly, I feel bad about how I treated him… This isn’t even my personality—having to pick fights with him on purpose makes me uncomfortable. What kind of grudge do you two have with him?”
Bai Lu looked awkward. Qiao had specifically ordered it—and specifically ordered she tell no one.
She went to Qiao for instructions. Qiao didn’t push it:
“Enough. If we keep this up, the rest of the staff will think our company abuses interns. Since he’s improving, stop picking on him. Give him a reward.”
That evening, Wang Ziqin was planning to stay late again. His terrifying supervisor walked over. Wang had been trained to flinch on instinct—he straightened immediately and started working at full speed.
His supervisor slapped a hand on his shoulder.
“It’s after hours. Everyone’s gone. Leave it. Come to my office.”
Wang’s stomach dropped.
I didn’t mess up today, did I? Did I miss something? Am I getting fired?
He followed the supervisor in, terrified.
But today, the man was so gentle it scared him even more.
“Sit,” he said.
Wang’s heart pounded. Something was wrong—something had to be wrong.
The man sighed.
“Listen, Wang. I know I’ve been too harsh. When you first got here, you didn’t know a thing. First look, I thought, ‘Another pampered post-90s kid who’s going to quit after two days.’”
Wang’s ears went red. He had wanted to quit those first two days. But he was broke—he couldn’t afford to leave before his first paycheck. And Shen Yuan had gone through all that trouble to find this job for him, even teaching him after hours. Someone finally treating him with sincerity—how could he let Shen Yuan down?
His manager went on, “I underestimated you. Your foundation was weak, but you learn fast. You just needed to get over the nerves. And thinking back, I was too harsh. So—don’t stay late today. Come on. Dinner’s on me.”
Wang blinked.
He was… moved. His nose even stung a little. A few days ago this balding uncle had been tearing into him daily; now that he’d praised him a little, Wang suddenly felt the man wasn’t so bad after all. If he hadn’t been pushed that hard, he wouldn’t have improved this quickly.
His whole life, he’d been praised endlessly—since childhood. But this time, the praise came because he had genuinely worked hard, and someone actually acknowledged it.
A fire lit in his chest.
See? He wasn’t useless. He could do it. Even without his father, he could make it on his own.
His manager clapped him on the shoulder and slung an arm around him as they headed out for dinner.
Right then—
Shen Yuan, in a terrible mood and looking to feel better at Wang Ziqin’s expense, came down specifically to witness his miserable overtime. Instead, he found Wang Ziqin and that manager walking out, shoulder to shoulder, laughing.
Shen Yuan froze.
What the hell?
Wang looked up, spotted him—and his eyes lit up like a switch being flipped.
“Shen Yuan!” he called, bounding over and throwing his arms around him. “I’m so happy! Thank you!”
Shen Yuan stiffened, face darkening instantly.