They say that men look the most handsome when they wear suits.

Back in the day, when Shi Yin saw the Hugo Boss campaign featuring the German “male model” soccer team during the European Cup, she wholeheartedly agreed.

The gentlemanly elegance in every gesture, the restrained allure of a well-tailored suit—it was so sexy that it made her want to undress him piece by piece herself.

Shi Yin pulled her gaze away but couldn’t help sneaking another glance.

From the hem of his pants up to the waistline, the suit jacket, the plain pocket square, the shirt collar, the Adam’s apple, the chin, the lips...

And then, their eyes met.

Outwardly calm, Shi Yin inwardly sighed.

Perfect.

Not just his face—this man’s body proportions were flawless.

She stood there quietly holding her shoes, barefoot, her face radiating innocence as if the explicit thoughts running through her mind weren’t hers. “Shall we go now?” she asked innocently.

Gu Congli gave her a calm look, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

The next second, he reverted to his usual cold demeanor, as if that flicker of emotion had been an illusion.

Shi Yin grabbed her handbag, bent down to place her high heels on the floor, and prepared to put them on.

“Do you want to change your pants?” Gu Congli suddenly asked.

“...”

Shi Yin looked up blankly. “Huh?”

He said indifferently, “The air conditioning at the awards ceremony venue is quite strong, and the temperature seems pretty low.”

Shi Yin understood. “Oh, is it very cold?”

“Mm,” Gu Congli paused, adding, “Very cold.”

She glanced at the time; they were already cutting it close. With a dismissive wave of her hand, she said, “Never mind. I don’t have any formal pants, and I can’t show up in jeans, so this will have to do.”

Gu Congli didn’t say anything further. He turned around, opened the door, and walked out.

Shi Yin finished putting on her shoes, stamped her feet to adjust to the height, and checked her appearance in the small mirror by the door. Satisfied that everything was in order, she followed him, ready to leave.

Just as she stepped out, Gu Congli suddenly turned back.

Caught off guard, Shi Yin nearly bumped into him and quickly retreated a step to create some distance.

Gu Congli lowered his eyes and said seriously, “This dress doesn’t look very good on you.”

Shi Yin: “….”

“Isn’t this what you picked out?”

Gu Congli remained expressionless. “I thought it looked good when I chose it, but now it seems… kind of ugly.”

Shi Yin almost choked on her breath, utterly exasperated.

Why don’t you just come out and say I look ugly?

Rolling her eyes, Shi Yin pushed him aside and walked straight ahead, muttering irritably, “If it’s ugly, then it’s ugly. It’s not like anyone’s looking at me anyway.”

She walked to the elevator, still fuming, and suddenly turned around, stamping her foot lightly and raising her voice as she called out to him, “I’m fine with being ugly!”

Gu Congli: “….”

Shi Yin’s apartment was conveniently located, making anywhere they needed to go relatively close. They arrived at the hotel exactly ten minutes early.

As the hosts of the event, Yaoguang Publishing had to arrive early. Gu Congli and Shi Yin took the elevator, and upon exiting, they saw Zhao Editor posing as a greeter at the entrance.

Beside Zhao Editor stood a young man who looked extremely green and naive—likely an intern or a recent graduate newly employed.

Other than them, there weren’t many people at the entrance. The intern seemed oddly anxious and eager, asking Zhao Editor hopefully, “Zhao, do you think Teacher Shi Yi will wash her hair today?”

Having been asked this question countless times, the usually patient Zhao Editor finally lost it and shouted, “How the hell should I know?! Stop asking me! I never said she doesn’t wash her hair!”

Shi Yin: “….”

Gu Congli: “….”

Shi Yin raised her head, expressionless. “What do you mean by ‘not washing her hair’?”

Gu Congli evaded the question. “I didn’t say anything.”

“What are you guys talking about?”

“I don’t know.” He walked forward without stopping.

Shi Yin narrowed her eyes suspiciously and followed him. Zhao Editor looked up and saw them approaching.

The man wore a black suit, his features refined and handsome. Beside him, the woman wore a smoke-gray cocktail dress, her skin as white as porcelain, her makeup enhancing her delicate features.

Zhao Editor was used to seeing her in casual clothes, complete with dark circles under her eyes from late nights and messy hair hastily thrown up. Though he knew she was attractive, this sudden transformation was quite striking.

He glanced sideways and noticed the intern blushing.

Zhao Editor: “….”

Young people, indeed.

The blushing intern leaned over and whispered, “Is this the editor-in-chief’s girlfriend? I always thought the editor-in-chief didn’t seem like someone who’d be interested in mortals. Turns out, he likes fairies—actual fairies.”

Zhao Editor calmly replied, “This is Teacher Shi Yi.”

“…”

The intern’s face went blank.

Zhao Editor was quite satisfied with his reaction.

Just then, Shi Yin walked over. Seeing Zhao Editor, she felt as if she had found a long-lost relative. She recalled the years when he helped her rush deadlines, contrasting that with the current situation where Gu Congli rang her doorbell incessantly at 9:30 PM every other day. Shi Yin nearly burst into tears. She quickened her steps and gazed at him affectionately. “Zhao!”

Zhao Editor was about to respond when he caught sight of Gu Congli’s expression.

The editor-in-chief was staring at him with an icy glare akin to the Siberian tundra, clearly in a bad mood.

Being the seasoned veteran that he was, Zhao Editor quickly greeted them and slipped away.

The banquet hall was vast. The New Talent Awards ceremony wasn’t just for shonen manga but also included shoujo manga. Since they were published in different magazines, the rankings were separate. The award ceremony began with the shoujo manga category, followed by the shonen manga category.

Gu Congli, the editor-in-chief of Crimson Moon , disappeared shortly after arriving, leaving Shi Yin standing alone by the window in a corner. She scanned the room.

She didn’t recognize anyone.

She had been drawing comics for years and naturally had acquaintances among other mangakas, but they only ever chatted online. She had never met them in person and wouldn’t be able to recognize them even if she tried.

Besides, this was the New Talent Awards ceremony. Naturally, none of the mangakas she knew would be here—

Or so she thought.

Her train of thought stalled.

At that moment, a towering figure entered the hall, moving slowly, like a small mountain coming into view.

The man frowned, his deep-set features accentuated by an aura of impatience. His entire presence exuded a dark, brooding energy, as if he had come to crash the party and collect protection money.

Who could have guessed that beneath this wild exterior lay the soul of a sweet, cloud-like teenage girl?

Shi Yin mused poetically.

The “protection collector” walked in, seemingly searching for something. He scanned the room and finally stopped at the corner.

Meanwhile, Teacher Shi Yi was still lost in thought, composing poetry for sugary apple candies.

When she looked up again, the small mountain had already reached her.

“…”

Shi Yin blinked and said calmly, “Mr. Lin, long time no see.”

Lin Youhe: “….”

Lin Youhe stared at her in disbelief, his shock mingling with fear, joy, and disappointment.

Shi Yin wanted to applaud.

No wonder he drew shoujo manga—his emotions were just as complex and hard to decipher.

After a while, he managed to utter gruffly, “Long time no see.”

Shi Yin didn’t know what to say. She sneakily glanced at his tightly fitted suit sleeve, imagining she could see the bulging muscles beneath the fabric.

This big shot isn’t planning to punch me, is he?

She half-expected him to lash out with lightning speed and deliver a punch.

But nothing happened. Lin Youhe casually picked up a cupcake from a nearby table and asked her coolly, “Are you really Shi Yi?”

Shi Yin responded just as calmly, “It’s me.”

With a soft plop , the cupcake in his hand was crushed.

Shi Yin: “….”

Lin Youhe glared menacingly. “You didn’t tell me because you wanted to toy with me?”

Shi Yin took a step back, maintaining a safe arm’s length, fearing that the schoolyard bully might throw a punch. The cupcake’s demise would be her fate. “No, I thought you hated Shi Yi. I was afraid you’d hit me.”

The schoolyard bully fell silent.

After half a minute, he tossed the cupcake into a nearby trash bin and muttered, “I don’t hit women.”

Shi Yin pondered how to respond.

“Especially women who like me,” the bully added awkwardly.

“…”

Shi Yin looked bewildered. “Huh?”

Lin Youhe raised his thick eyebrows, his earlier hint of bashfulness replaced by confidence. “Don’t you like me? I’ve thought about it. I don’t have a girlfriend, and it’s about time I found someone. We share common interests and work in the same field, so we might as well give it a try.”

Shi Yin stared at him in horror.

Lin Youhe’s chatterbox mode activated, and he kept talking nonstop. “I never imagined you were Shi Yi. But now that I know, I can help you improve your awful art style. And this latest work of yours is different from the last one—the paneling isn’t on the same level.”

“…”

Shi Yin was momentarily stunned, unsure how to correct the schoolyard bully’s terrifying misunderstanding.

She composed herself and said calmly, “Mr. Lin, I think there’s been some misunderstanding. I don’t—”

Before she could finish, a loud voice rang out across the room. “Teacher Apple Candy!!”

“…”

Lin Youhe turned his head.

A chubby man in a suit approached them with a broad smile. His eyes were squeezed small by his round face, and when he grinned, he revealed a set of gleaming white teeth. “Ah, Teacher Apple Candy, I’ve been looking all over for you!”

Teacher Apple Candy frowned and turned her head. “Huh?”

Though it was an ordinary expression, on her, it appeared somewhat menacing.

Shi Yin blinked and took a step back, trying to blend into the background while sizing him up.

His gaze darted nervously, his expression obsequious. His hunched back made him look like a ball, and his demeanor was downright sleazy.

Conclusion: A petty man incapable of great deeds.

The chubby man smiled brightly and bravely stepped forward, handing over a business card. “Teacher, here’s the deal. I’m the deputy general manager of Congyang Culture. I wanted to ask if your current work, Peach War , hasn’t yet secured a serialization spot? What about the collected volumes?”

As he spoke, his squinted eyes lingered on Shi Yin standing beside them, his gaze resting on her chest for a moment before he laughed and asked, “Sorry to interrupt, but which company does this young lady represent?”

Shi Yin frowned, feeling repulsed by his gaze. “Yaoguang Publishing.”

The chubby man continued to smile. “Then I suppose we’re competitors. Miss, you don’t mind if I butt in, do you?”

Shi Yin understood.

Under normal circumstances, works that won the New Talent Award and secured serialization rights would be directly serialized by the magazine they were associated with. Collected volumes would be decided based on popularity rankings. However, other publishers often offered enticing deals to poach works, such as directly promising collected editions.

This kind of event was indeed a prime opportunity for poaching.

This man likely mistook her for an editor from Yaoguang Publishing, thinking she was here to snatch the serialization rights for Peach War .

Lin Youhe clearly understood as well. Though he appeared to be all brawn, he wasn’t stupid. After some back-and-forth, Lin Youhe still hadn’t committed, only saying he was still considering and hadn’t made a decision.

The chubby man was visibly disappointed. Compared to Shi Yin’s relaxed demeanor as she watched the scene unfold, he seemed extremely anxious, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

Shi Yin shrugged slightly and looked at the ceiling. Gu Congli was right—the venue’s air conditioning was indeed set to full blast.

Just as the deputy general manager of Congyang Culture was about to say something else, the award ceremony began.

The number of nominated works in the shoujo manga category matched the number on this side. The awards were presented in order, and all the recipients were female teachers.

One of them was someone Shi Yin followed on Weibo. She loved the teacher’s ongoing series about childhood friends and planned to ask for an autograph later.

They stood at the back corner, away from the crowd. As the awards for the preliminary prizes were nearing their end, applause erupted below.

Shi Yin was about to clap when she suddenly felt something warm approach from behind her.

Before she could react, she clearly heard two inhalations very close to her ear.

It was as if someone had leaned in from behind to sniff something.

Shi Yin’s scalp tingled, and goosebumps rose on her skin. Instinctively, she turned her head.

She came face-to-face with the deputy manager’s oily, chubby face.

Under the bright lights, Lin Youhe stood nearby. Seemingly afraid of being discovered, he moved cautiously, leaning forward slightly, his entire head inching closer.

The distance was so close that he was almost pressing against her. His small, shiny black eyes were fixed on her, his greasy nose buried in her hair, sniffing lightly.

He clearly hadn’t expected her to turn around suddenly. The chubby man froze for a moment before straightening up.

Shi Yin hastily retreated two steps, nearly letting out a scream.

Lin Youhe, standing off to the side, noticed her movement and turned his head. Before he could say anything, a figure rushed past him.

Gu Congli appeared out of nowhere, pulling Shi Yin behind him with one hand while grabbing the deputy manager’s wrist with the other.

His appearance was sudden, and the chubby man didn’t react in time. After a moment of confusion, he started shouting loudly, struggling to break free. “What are you doing! Who do you think you are! Why are you grabbing me!”

Gu Congli let him flail, unmoving. His lips were tightly pressed together, his light brown eyes dark and cold, exuding icy menace.

Suddenly, he curled his lips into a smirk.

The hand gripping the man’s wrist turned white-knuckled from the force, veins bulging on the pale back of his hand. His fingers locked onto the wrist joint, twisting it upward.

Shi Yin thought she heard a faint sound, drowned out by the man’s scream.

The scream was piercing, partially masked by the applause but still obvious enough to draw the attention of several people nearby.

The man’s face turned ashen, cold sweat trickling down his fat cheeks.

His hand hung limply, and as he was yanked forward by the arm, he stumbled two steps and collapsed to his knees with a thud.

Gu Congli lifted the man’s arm higher, bending slightly to lean closer. His voice was low and steady. “Who did you just try to touch?”

The man curled into a ball from the pain, his trembling lips unable to form words.

Gu Congli tightened his grip on the man’s wrist, lifting it slightly. His eyelashes lowered as he stared at him coldly, his tone deceptively gentle. “Hmm? Speak.”