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Seeing Liang Qian’s teasing expression, Chen Yang immediately knew what he was thinking.

Outwardly, Chen Yang remained calm and collected, but he assigned the two of them some extra work—after all, they looked like they had plenty of free time.

When Liang Qian left the office, he was still a bit confused.

He turned to Zhao Mingri and asked, “Isn’t this next week’s task? Why does it have to be completed today?”

Zhao Mingri replied irritably, “How should I know?”

The two were completely unaware that Chen Yang had subtly given them extra work as punishment, and they even joined in on the company gossip.

The bite mark on Chen Yang’s chin didn’t completely fade until the afternoon. Throughout the morning, he carried the mark without showing any emotion, acting just as he normally would.

But this only fueled the gossip among the employees.

In fact, rumors about Chen Yang having a fiancée had been floating around for a while. Every year, Chen Yang traveled abroad multiple times, and there were occasional conversations between Liang Qian and Zhao Mingri that hinted at something more.

Over time, the employees had picked up on bits and pieces of information.

However, since no one involved had ever confirmed anything, no one dared to make definitive statements—until this new game launch.

Could it be that he enjoys keeping a secret lover hidden away?

Chen Yang let out a long sigh in his office.

Everyone assumed he had done something, but in reality, he hadn’t done anything at all. For the first time, he experienced the feeling of being wrongfully accused.

The secretary knocked and entered. “Boss, this is an invitation to a charity gala next Friday. Will you attend?”

Chen Yang glanced at it and said, “Yes.”

The secretary nodded and then cautiously asked, “Do you still not need a date this time?”

Chen Yang was about to decline when he suddenly thought of Le Ya.

Since she had already returned to the country, he might as well use the charity gala to make their relationship public.

He rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger, recalling Le Ya from last night, and a faint smile appeared in his eyes.

This scene did not escape the secretary’s notice.

After leaving the office, the secretary quickly typed in the group chat: “Boss just touched his chin and definitely thought of his fiancée—I saw him smile.”

“What kind of horror story is this?”

“Can’t someone post a picture?”

“If you’ve got the guts, go take one. We’re too scared to do it.”

“When will we finally see Mr. Chen’s fiancée? I’m so curious—who could possibly tame such a cold and aloof man?”

The secretary mentioned that he thought he had seen a photo before.

He had been with MOON since its founding, so he knew a little about many things.

Once, he wasn’t sure what had happened, but while they were still working, Chen Yang had urgently told him to book a flight for the next hour. His eyes had been red.

It was as if something urgent had occurred.

Later, when President Liang came in, the secretary overheard a snippet of their conversation as he closed the door: “She’s just sick—it’s not like something terrible happened. You’re acting as if someone died…”

At the time, the secretary hadn’t understood, but now he did.

Mr. Chen was truly sly and reserved.

News of the charity gala spread widely through the media.

Le Ya didn’t pay much attention to this kind of news. She occasionally glanced at it on Weibo but didn’t think much of it.

On Monday morning, Zhang Qiu happened to bump into her outside the office.

Zhang Qiu gently asked, “There’s a charity gala on Friday evening. In the past, I’ve always accompanied President Le. Would you like to go this time?”

Charity gala?

Le Ya had never attended one, but she had seen plenty of related news and had a basic understanding of the process.

She politely declined, “I probably won’t go.”

Zhang Qiu smiled slightly and reminded her, “This is a great opportunity to meet influential young elites. Many promising newcomers will be there.”

Thinking that the boss’s daughter had just returned to the country and might not know about the rising young talents, Zhang Qiu added, “Take the three men from MOON, for example.”

This should be representative enough.

Le Ya blinked. “Aren’t those three men already taken?”

“I’m just giving an example,” Zhang Qiu chuckled at her tone. “Don’t you want to find a son-in-law for your father?”

Le Ya thought to herself that her future husband was actually MOON’s boss.

She said, “Let me think about it and discuss it with my dad. I’m not sure if I’ll be free that day.”

Zhang Qiu replied, “Alright.”

The charity gala was held annually to raise funds, and it was mostly a formality. Any company with status would attend.

When Wang Kefei returned to her seat, she was still a little excited.

She had overheard Zhang Qiu and Le Ya’s conversation earlier, and the tone of their interaction clearly wasn’t how one would treat an ordinary employee. This deepened her suspicions.

And then there was the content of their conversation.

Wang Kefei had only caught the second half of their discussion, but it didn’t stop her from speculating that Le Ya was President Le’s daughter.

Thinking about it, she suddenly realized that Le Ya’s surname wasn’t “Yue” (岳), which sounded similar, but “Le” (乐).

When Le Ya had introduced herself last Friday, everyone naturally assumed it was “Yue” because the surname “Le” wasn’t very common.

Wang Kefei’s heart started pounding.

She had heard it, and so had Jiang Mei, who, like her, had only caught the latter part of the conversation.

Jiang Mei instinctively thought of Le Ya’s supposed backdoor connections.

Now she was attending the charity gala.

Everyone wanted to attend the charity gala, but in the past, the boss had only brought Zhang Qiu. There was nothing they could do about it—they lacked seniority.

Moreover, most of the women in the company were in the design department.

Jiang Mei also wanted to go, but in the past, she hadn’t had the ability to. Now, seeing that Le Ya could attend, she felt deeply bitter.

Compared to the executives at the charity gala, her boyfriend’s meager salary seemed insignificant.

Once this thought surfaced, it wouldn’t go away.

At noon, Le Ya was eating lunch in the company cafeteria.

Le Group’s benefits were excellent, and the cafeteria was on par with chain restaurants outside. The menu changed daily.

Le Ya had eaten there as a child, but she had forgotten about it over the years.

A few people entered the elevator together, and Wang Kefei took the initiative to speak: “Le Ya, are you going to the cafeteria to eat too?”

Le Ya tilted her head. “Yes.”

As she turned her head, Jiang Mei and a few others in the corner noticed the red mark on her neck. Combined with the scene they had witnessed last Friday evening, their minds began to wander.

Huang Ya said, “Le Ya, you and your boyfriend must have a great relationship.”

Le Ya smiled faintly and replied, “Mm.”

Though it sounded like a compliment, she had no idea where they had gotten that impression.

Huang Ya cautiously pointed to her neck. “I have a bandage in my bag. Do you want to cover it up?”

Le Ya didn’t quite understand.

When Huang Ya handed her a small round mirror, she realized what they were talking about.

Le Ya’s face flushed slightly as she explained, “This was from a mosquito bite—it’s not what you’re thinking…”

Everyone responded with knowing looks.

Seeing their disbelief, Le Ya sighed. It really was a mosquito bite—she had forgotten to close the window before sleeping last night.

She borrowed a bandage to cover it up.

Jiang Mei quietly watched, sneering inwardly. She was now even more convinced that Le Ya was Chen Yang’s secret mistress.

Otherwise, why wouldn’t they go public?

There were already some people in the cafeteria. Wang Kefei and the others chose a spot in the middle, linking two tables together, which fit them perfectly.

Le Ya carried her tray over.

The last to arrive was Jiang Mei. She sat in the middle, her tray piled high with food—enough for two people.

She also had her phone and a selfie stick.

Wang Kefei glanced at her own tray and then at Jiang Mei’s, remarking, “You’re eating so much meat today.”

“I’m live-streaming,” Jiang Mei smiled faintly. Looking at the comments scrolling across her screen, she addressed her audience: “This is my colleague.”

“It’s fine. Eating meat is nutritious. My stomach is big, so I eat more. Don’t worry, do you see me gaining weight?”

“I’ve been learning from other competitive eaters lately, but my skills aren’t good enough, so I can only eat this much for now, haha.”

Huang Ya didn’t continue speaking. She was on a diet recently and could only eat a little.

Le Ya sat two seats away from Jiang Mei. Hearing this, she had just taken a bite of rice and nearly choked.

The last time Jiang Mei and Su Hui had caught her inducing vomiting, and now she was saying this. Was she really going to such lengths to create the illusion of being a big eater?

Did life have to be this fake?

To make matters worse, though the cafeteria food was indeed cheap, it was subsidized by the company. Was it really acceptable to waste resources provided by the company’s subsidy?

Even if she wanted to be a food streamer, did she really have to go to such extremes as pretending to be a competitive eater?

Thinking about this made Le Ya feel even more disheartened.

Jiang Mei’s wastefulness was essentially causing losses to their own company.

After eating for a while and finishing most of the meat dishes, Jiang Mei casually shifted her phone toward Le Ya’s side, capturing a bit of her profile.

The live chat exploded with comments.

“This girl is so pretty—my heart skips a beat.”

“Her nose looks a bit off—is it plastic surgery?”

“She’s so cute, like a first love. No wonder there are so many beautiful women among the crowd—I’m in love!”

“Is there a full-frontal shot?”

Le Ya quickly noticed. She looked up, frowned, and stood up. “I don’t appreciate being secretly filmed.”

Jiang Mei paused her actions and forced a smile. “Who filmed you?”

Le Ya replied, “You know best.”

She had no hope for Jiang Mei anymore.

Le Ya had already finished eating. As she got up to leave with her tray, she unexpectedly spotted Le Yi Jian sitting not far away. He was with his secretary, and Zhang Qiu was also there.

Seeing her, Le Yi Jian waved her over.

Le Ya set her tray down and joined them, sitting next to Le Yi Jian. “You’re eating in the cafeteria too?”

Le Yi Jian responded, “Shouldn’t we support our own cafeteria?”

“That’s true,” Le Ya said, resting her elbows on the table as she listened to them discuss work for a moment. “Speaking of which, I designed a new product recently.”

Zhang Qiu was the most interested. “I’ll take a look at it this afternoon.”

There were products in the company that Le Ya had designed—all from her time studying abroad, including award-winning works.

Le Ya smiled faintly and then mentioned Jiang Mei’s behavior to Le Yi Jian.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qiu said, “Actually, I’ve been considering firing her. Over the past three months, her designs have become almost unbearable to look at—it’s like she’s a completely different person. At least before, they were somewhat decent.”

The contrast with her peers was glaring.

Le Yi Jian said, “Since it’s come to this, let’s let her go. Our company can’t accommodate such a big fish.”

He loathed employees who didn’t contribute.

Zhang Qiu nodded. “I’ll handle it.”

Although Le Ya’s move to Le Yi Jian’s table wasn’t particularly conspicuous, it still drew the attention of many employees, including those from the design department.

Wang Kefei was the first to notice, further confirming her suspicions: this new employee was definitely the boss’s daughter or a close relative.

The thought of working alongside the boss’s daughter was thrilling.

After being called out by Le Ya, everyone at the table turned to look at Jiang Mei, forcing her to awkwardly shut off her live stream.

Unexpectedly, the chat was filled with praise for Le Ya, irritating Jiang Mei. Just as she tried to adjust her phone, it slipped and fell into her soup.

The entire table was stunned.

Jiang Mei hurriedly fished it out and wiped it dry, but it was useless.

Now, seeing Wang Kefei nearby, Jiang Mei put her phone down and said, “Do you all know about the charity gala this Friday?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t concern us. Why?”

“What’s the big deal about the charity gala?”

Jiang Mei raised an eyebrow and lowered her voice. “Nothing major, but I heard that the person accompanying the boss this time isn’t Manager Zhang—it’s someone else.”

Huang Ya asked, puzzled, “Does Manager Zhang have something going on?”

For years, Zhang Qiu had always accompanied the boss. There had been others who volunteered, but the boss had rejected them. How could there suddenly be a change now?

“Not at all,” Jiang Mei wiggled her fingers. “It’s because she’s giving her spot to Le Ya. It’s her—a newcomer.”

Someone questioned, “Won’t this ruin things?”

Jiang Mei shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Wang Kefei softly added, “It’s not certain yet.”

She furrowed her brows, wanting to say something but ultimately held back. She wasn’t sure if she should mention it—perhaps it was better to let Le Ya speak for herself.

Wang Kefei was curious about Jiang Mei’s reaction once she learned Le Ya’s true identity. Judging by her current attitude, it would surely be entertaining later.

In the afternoon, Le Ya submitted her completed design.

Zhang Qiu and she spent the entire afternoon in the office discussing and refining some details. After all, the final product had to be flawless.

When Le Ya emerged, it was already time to leave.

Her phone had been sitting on the desk the whole time, and only now did she notice Chen Yang had called her earlier. Since she hadn’t answered, he had sent her a message.

He was here to pick her up after work.

Across the room, Wang Kefei saw her smiling eyes and teased, “You seem so happy—did something good happen?”

Le Ya casually replied, “My boyfriend’s picking me up after work.”

The word “boyfriend” felt oddly satisfying to say.

Le Ya wondered if she was being too boastful, especially since most people in the office were single.

Wang Kefei sighed melodramatically.

As she left, Le Ya spotted Chen Yang’s car across the way. In a cheerful mood, she walked briskly toward it.

Once inside the car, she asked, “Are we eating out tonight?”

Chen Yang hummed in response.

A few minutes into the drive, he remembered the charity gala and asked, “Do you have plans this Friday evening?”

Le Ya replied, “Not sure yet. What’s happening?”

Chen Yang gently squeezed her hand resting by her side. It was soft, slightly plump from being well cared for, and pleasant to touch.

He said, “There’s a charity gala.”

Le Ya immediately understood. Thinking about what Zhang Qiu had told her earlier, it was likely the same event.

She asked, “A date?”

Chen Yang hummed again, his pale fingers brushing lightly over the steering wheel.

Le Ya tilted her head and reminded him, “I almost forgot you’re attending the charity gala too. I don’t think I can be your date.”

Chen Yang pulled over and leaned closer, playing with a strand of her hair that had fallen near her cheek. “Why not?”

His deep eyes gazed at her.

Le Ya pressed her lips together, hesitating for a long moment before finally speaking as he moved closer. “Because I’m going with my dad.”

Chen Yang froze mid-action, his heart sinking instantly.

His eyelid twitched, and he took a deep breath, gritting his teeth as he stared at her. “Of course spending time with your dad is more important.”

At a time like this, Chen Yang wouldn’t dare compete with Le Yi Jian.

He knew Le Yi Jian would also attend. If he took her instead, running into him at the gala would mean trouble—he might lose more than just face.

Le Ya couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Chen Yang reached out to ruffle her hair, but she pushed him away.

Le Ya stopped laughing and blinked, saying, “I was going to tell you, but since you brought it up first, I decided to play around a bit.”

Without hesitation, Chen Yang pinched her chin and kissed her deeply.

Le Ya didn’t have time to react as she was pressed against the passenger seat, struggling to catch her breath.

By the time he released her, her eyes were brimming with tears.

Chen Yang’s voice was hoarse. “Want to play some more?”

Le Ya’s watery eyes locked onto him, her breath caught, as she pleaded softly, “No more, no more.”

How could she dare play any further?

Chen Yang didn’t respond, instead rubbing her chin provocatively, his dark eyes filled with intent.

Noticing the bandage on her neck, he asked, “What happened here?”

At this, Le Ya felt a twinge of embarrassment and explained, “I was bitten by a mosquito. My colleagues thought…”

She trailed off.

At first, Chen Yang didn’t understand, but then it clicked—it was the same misunderstanding as when Zhao Mingri had thought he’d been bitten by a bug last week.

But in Le Ya’s case, it really was a mosquito bite.

He felt a surge of heat. His long fingers moved from her cheek to her ear, tracing her neck, and he began toying with her earlobe between his fingers.

Le Ya shivered sensitively.

She had always been uncomfortable with others touching her ears, let alone Chen Yang teasing her like this—she was completely defenseless.

Realizing he wouldn’t stop, Le Ya quickly came up with an idea and called out in a soft, pleading voice, “Big Brother…”

Chen Yang froze in place.

His movements abruptly halted, and the air in the car seemed to grow thin. Their breaths mingled as they sat close.

Chen Yang’s voice was rough. “Say it again.”

Le Ya’s ears turned red as she shook her head.

Chen Yang wasn’t about to let her off so easily. Leaning close to her lips, he threatened in a low tone, “Be a good girl and say it again.”

Le Ya opened her mouth, her voice barely a whisper.

Chen Yang leaned in eagerly to listen.

Then he heard her timidly say, “I’m hungry.”

Chen Yang: “...”