MTL - 3

I’m drawing my boyfriend, but he doesn’t have a face yet.

Because I don’t know if he’ll actually be my boyfriend.

— From the Diary of a Little Rich Girl

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In the Tang family, there were two military men from the older generation. Tang Yu and his cousins had been trained since childhood to maintain a disciplined routine. They woke up at 7 a.m. every day, went for a run, showered, ate breakfast, and only then headed to work. Tang Yu had never developed the habit of eating breakfast in the office.

Gao Heng was well aware of this, as was Tang Xin.

Therefore, it was unlikely that Tang Xin would come to deliver breakfast to him.

Tang Yu observed Gao Heng’s earnest gaze, his brow furrowing ever so slightly. Without expression, he turned toward the office, his tone indifferent: “No need. I’ve already eaten. Since it’s from Tang Xin, don’t waste it.”

Gao Heng pondered over Tang Yu’s words, trying to decipher whether his boss was pleased or displeased.

There was an early meeting soon. Tang Yu walked into the office, casually tossing his suit jacket onto the sofa. He glanced back and noticed his assistant still standing by the door, lost in thought. Irritated, he said, “Prepare for the meeting.”

Gao Heng snapped out of it and quickly replied, “Yes.”

He hurriedly stored the breakfast in the cabinet, planning to eat it later for lunch, and then prepared the materials needed for the meeting.

Tang Yu sat down at his desk, and the secretary brought in a cup of black coffee, placing it on the table. He took a sip, glancing around idly as Gao Heng bustled about, his gaze tinged with scrutiny.

In the past, Tang Yu only cared about his subordinates’ work efficiency. Gao Heng had been working under him since graduating, loyal and diligent, now 26 years old, one year younger than Tang Yu. He was upright, hardworking, without any bad habits, and handsome enough.

Still, compared to Tang Yu himself, Gao Heng fell short by a wide margin.

Tang Yu felt a subtle shift in his thoughts. Tang Xin had been working at the company for over two years. When he pursued Ming Zhu, he added her on WeChat, and they’d been connected for over a year. At first, she addressed him respectfully as "President Tang," behaving like an obedient little rabbit. Over time, however, her true nature surfaced, and the more cordial he became, the less formal she grew.

While she called him "President Tang" at work, in private, she often referred to him directly as "Tang Yu."

He had once assumed that Tang Xin harbored feelings for him. Was he mistaken?

As Gao Heng turned his head, he saw Tang Yu half-closing his eyes, gazing at him with a detached expression. Startled, he asked, “President Tang, is something wrong?”

“Nothing.” Tang Yu set the cup down, stood up, and walked out of the office. “Meeting.”

Gao Heng quickly gathered the documents and followed him, reporting on their work: “Vice President Huo said everything in Malaysia is proceeding smoothly. The grand opening ceremony will be held on April 10th, and you’ll need to arrive two days earlier.”

Shiguang Films didn’t just invest in movies and TV dramas; it placed significant emphasis on downstream channels in the industry chain. So far, Shiguang Films owned 45 high-end cinema brands named "Shiguang City" across the country—a publicly announced figure—but there were six more yet to open.

The film industry was globally interconnected, and Chinese films had been improving steadily in recent years, especially in genres like war and sci-fi. Naturally, there were also cinemas abroad operated by Chinese companies. Shiguang Films’ first cinema in Malaysia was about to open, overseen by Huo Chen Dong, the vice president of Shiguang Films.

Tang Yu nodded. “Mm.”

It was only late March, so there was still some time before the opening.

He asked, “Has the filming start date for Anti-Terror been confirmed?”

“It’s scheduled for mid-April, but the exact date hasn’t been finalized yet. You know Director Jiang—he’s superstitious. He always consults someone before setting the shoot date.”

“Get it confirmed as soon as possible.” With his long legs, Tang Yu strode quickly and soon reached the conference room door. “It can’t clash with the cinema’s opening date. Otherwise, I won’t be able to attend.”

For every film’s start date, Tang Yu personally attended the ceremony. Similarly, he had to be present for the cinema’s grand opening.

Gao Heng acknowledged this and followed him into the meeting room.

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Tang Xin returned downstairs, still feeling uneasy. She shifted positions several times in her chair, thinking about what to do if Gao Heng ratted her out. No matter what, she couldn’t let Tang Yu think she was being too forward.

After pondering for a while, her WeChat group chat pinged. The group consisted of her, Ming Zhu, and You Huan. You Huan @’d her in the chat.

You Xiao Huan @ Little Rich Girl: “Are you free this weekend? One of the staff members requested leave, and we’re short-handed. Can you come help out at the shop?”

You Huan had graduated in fashion design and started a small studio with classmates after graduation. It had only been a year, and business was mediocre. Thanks to frequent promotions from her and Ming Zhu, the studio managed to survive.

Tang Xin had plans to visit the renovation contractor on Saturday, but Sunday was free.

Little Rich Girl: “I’ll give you the entire day on Sunday. Satisfied?”

You Huan immediately sent an emoji thanking her. This custom-made emoji was created by Tang Xin herself. Then, You Huan checked in on her: “How’s it going with your President Tang? Is he still heartbroken?”

Little Rich Girl: …

Previously, Tang Xin had told You Huan that she planned to make her move while Tang Yu was still reeling from his breakup.

Tang Xin thought for a moment. She wasn’t sure if Tang Yu was still heartbroken, but one thing was certain—she hadn’t succeeded yet…

You Huan was busy, so once she confirmed Tang Xin’s availability for the weekend, she logged off.

Tang Xin glanced at Ming Zhu’s profile picture. Ming Zhu was heading abroad soon to scout locations for a movie. Coincidentally, Lu Zhuofeng had a few days off, so the two were inseparable, leaving no time to chat online.

She shook off the thought—it was time to focus on work.

All the project proposals she submitted yesterday had been rejected by Tang Yu. She had some ideas and tried writing a character biography, spending three hours on it only to produce 500 words that looked terrible to her. Frustrated, she deleted the entire draft.

Staring at the blank document, Tang Xin sighed. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was almost noon. She quickly shut her laptop, grabbed her phone, and headed upstairs.

Tang Yu’s office was on the 22nd floor. Aside from two meeting rooms, the floor was reserved for senior executives’ offices, and ordinary employees rarely disturbed them. However, Tang Xin was an exception. Over a year ago, when she became Tang Yu’s ally in pursuing Ming Zhu, she could go upstairs directly whenever she needed to find him. The secretaries up there were all familiar with her.

Secretary Chen greeted her politely: “Miss Tang, President Tang is still in a meeting.”

Just as the words left her mouth, the meeting room door opened.

As Tang Yu stepped out of the meeting room, he immediately spotted Tang Xin. It was still chilly in Beijing, not long after the heating season ended. She stood sideways to him, wearing a loose white sweater, her shoulder-length hair tied into a messy bun, revealing her delicate, palm-sized face. Both Tang Xin and Ming Zhu hailed from Suzhou, and perhaps it was the nurturing waters of Jiangnan that made their skin so fair and translucent. During the month-long research trip, most of the girls in the creative team, except Tang Xin and Ming Zhu, had tanned noticeably.

“Oh… I’m not here for President Tang,” Tang Xin smiled brightly. “I’m here for Assistant Gao.”

Tang Yu: “….”

He caught sight of the adorable dimple on her cheek, smirked faintly, and walked past her expressionlessly.

Seeing him, Tang Xin’s eyes lit up: “President Tang.”

Tang Yu responded indifferently with a soft “Mm,” not sparing her a glance. His tall, imposing figure brushed past her as he headed toward his office.

…So cold?

Tang Xin’s eyes followed his retreating back, her smile fading slightly. Even the shallow dimple disappeared.

But she quickly remembered her purpose. She turned to Gao Heng, who was following Tang Yu, and smiled brightly: “Assistant Gao.”

Gao Heng stopped in his tracks, looking at her with mild exasperation. He had guessed why she came up—was she really that afraid he’d tell Tang Yu? He recalled how, during Tang Yu’s pursuit of Ming Zhu, Tang Xin hadn’t been particularly helpful, but the two communicated frequently, with topics invariably revolving around Ming Zhu.

Putting himself in her shoes, Gao Heng found the situation rather awkward. Tang Yu had pursued Ming Zhu for over a year, and Tang Xin likely developed feelings for him somewhere along the way. If she had been stuck in the middle for so long, it must have been difficult for her.

Now, coming to plead with him was probably her way of preserving her dignity.

Thinking this, he suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Tang Xin.

Unaware of Gao Heng’s musings, Tang Xin grinned mischievously: “Did you eat the breakfast?”

Just as Tang Yu reached the door, he heard her cheerful voice and frowned. Was she pursuing him so blatantly that she dared to come to his office? Didn’t she realize this could affect work? He closed the door, contemplating whether he should set some boundaries for her.

Outside, Gao Heng hesitated before answering: “I ate it.”

Tang Xin’s eyes sparkled: “That’s good.”

If he ate it, it meant he wouldn’t mention the incident to Tang Yu.

Gao Heng nodded, and Tang Xin happily headed back downstairs.

Secretary Chen watched the exchange with confusion, unable to resist asking Gao Heng: “Why did Miss Tang bring you breakfast?”

The truth was something he couldn’t reveal, so Gao Heng smiled faintly: “It’s not what you’re thinking. Don’t overthink it. Back to work.”

Secretary Chen: “….”

What harm was there in gossiping a little? Huffing, she turned to whisper to a colleague: “Do you think Tang Xin is trying to pursue Gao Heng? I always thought she might like President Tang. She comes upstairs without needing an appointment—I assumed…”

“You assumed there was something between her and President Tang?”

“Probably not. Everyone knows President Tang pursued Ming Zhu and failed. Tang Xin and Ming Zhu are best friends. If Tang Xin liked President Tang, wouldn’t that be awkward? He pursued her best friend! Imagine your boyfriend pursuing your bestie. Wouldn’t that bother you?”

“Definitely bothersome…”

So, if Tang Xin truly liked President Tang, it would take immense courage.

And even then, there was no guarantee Tang Yu reciprocated her feelings.

Unaware of the office gossip upstairs, Tang Xin returned to her desk and sighed, recalling Tang Yu’s cold demeanor. How could she make him like her?

She slumped over her desk, doodling absentmindedly with a pen. Then, she snapped a photo and posted it on her social media.

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That evening, after returning home from a business dinner and finishing his shower, Tang Yu loosely tied on a bathrobe. He poured himself a glass of water in the kitchen and glanced at his phone, instinctively scrolling through his social media feed. Most of his contacts’ posts were blocked, but he easily found Tang Xin’s latest update.

Her drawing was atrocious, crooked and clumsy—his four-year-old nephew could draw better.

Still, it was clear she had drawn a man, though he lacked a face.

What did it mean?

Tang Yu was puzzled, as were her friends.

A screenwriter commented: “What did you draw?”

Little Rich Girl: “My boyfriend.”

Another asked, [pouting] “Aren’t you single? And why doesn’t your boyfriend have a face?”

Little Rich Girl: “Because I don’t know who my boyfriend is yet!”

She didn’t know if Tang Yu would become her boyfriend.

So, for now, her boyfriend remained faceless.

Leaning lazily against the dining table, Tang Yu’s bathrobe hung loosely open, revealing glimpses of his toned physique. Thoughtfully staring at the drawing and her replies, he cracked a faint smile and gave her post a thumbs-up.

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Author’s Note:

President Tang will regret liking this post.

Imagine their dynamic together:

One day, Tang Xin and Tang Yu are cozied up on the couch watching a movie. Tang Xin grins and says, “Oh, Tang Yu, if we have a daughter, let’s name her Tang Tang Tang. Isn’t that a heavenly and unique name?”

Tang Yu raises an eyebrow: “You think she won’t get teased in kindergarten? Fine by me.”

Tang Xin smirks mischievously: “Then let’s have a son and name him Tang Tang Tang Tang! What do you think?”

Tang Yu stands up, looks at her for a moment, pats her head, and says, “Sure. Just don’t tell anyone he’s mine.”

Tang Xin blinks: “Alright, I’ll say he’s from a random fling.”

Tang “Random Fling” Yu: “….”

Tang Tang Tang: “???”

Tang Tang Tang Tang: “I refuse to be reincarnated into this family! Even if my dad is handsome and rich, even if I’m fifth-generation wealthy, I absolutely do NOT want this mom!!”

Tang Yu: “Hmm? Simple. Flush you down the toilet.”