Under the veil of night, stars twinkled faintly.

Because it was already deep autumn, the weather on Qin Island gradually shifted from scorching to cool.

A slight breeze blew, snapping Yang Rou back to a clearer state of mind.

As a mature woman, she fully understood the implications of Chen Yan's question.

To say she had no thoughts about it would undoubtedly be a lie.

Previously, she had not experienced certain pleasantries, but since that day, she would often find herself involuntarily recalling the scenes of that night during the quiet hours.

Thinking about those moments that made her face flush and her heart race.

Thinking about them over and over...

No.

She couldn't continue down this train of thought.

Yang Rou, already somewhat wavering, felt her body react strangely once again at the thought of those scenes.

Thus, she quickly interrupted her thoughts and brought herself back to reason.

Capable of managing the company in perfect order, Yang Rou's rational thinking was evidently outstanding.

Thus, she understood that she and Chen Yan could not possibly come together.

Be it age, status, or the bevy of beauties around Chen Yan, everything predestined their relationship to remain clandestine.

If Chen Yan were just an ordinary man, it might have been fine, but... he was her boss.

The idea of having a secret affair with her own boss seemed far too chaotic for Yang Rou.

Office romances were already prone to affect work, but dating one's boss was not just about influencing work; it was practically impossible to work at all.

With this in mind, Yang Rou once again extinguished the small spark that had begun to flame within her.

She looked at Chen Yan beside her, gave a cold smile like an ice queen, "I do have, Director Chen. There are still plenty of tasks at the company awaiting my attention, I need to go back and work overtime."

Yang Rou's response didn't surprise Chen Yan.

However, it was precisely this that made him find it interesting.

So, he chuckled and said, "The company actually discourages working overtime."

Yang Rou replied, "I've paid the fine."

Chen Yan artfully steered the conversation, "It's not about the fine. As the general manager, you should set an example."

Yang Rou retorted, "I am setting an example with my actions, showing them the consequences of not completing work. They shouldn't follow my lead."

It had to be said, Yang Rou's thinking was indeed very quick.

Besides, Chen Yan found discussing work-related topics with a beautiful woman too bleak and dull.

So...

He simply played the fool.

"Then do it at home. Not at the company."

Upon hearing Chen Yan's words, Yang Rou blurted out, "Work at home...."

Originally, Yang Rou wanted to say "working at home is not convenient," but before she could finish her sentence, Chen Yan interjected, "Work at home on what?"

The moment Chen Yan spoke, Yang Rou almost didn't grasp what he meant.

She thought: It was clearly you who mentioned working from home, so why are you asking me what to work on?

The realization of the dialogue between her and Chen Yan made her heartbeat skip a beat.

Hearing Chen Yan's words laden with implications, Yang Rou's face remained cold as if unaffected. However, upon closer inspection, a faint blush could be secretly seen climbing up her neck.

She tried her best to control her emotions, then neither too soft nor harsh she said, "Director Chen, please show some self-respect."

Chen Yan scrutinized her, wanting to respond: I'm not self-respecting, I just act on impulse.

But fearing that Yang Rou would get truly annoyed due to her reserved nature, he simply smiled and said, "Alright then. I won't bother Sister Rou anymore."

Saying this, Chen Yan feigned a look of regret, "Then... I'll head back first."

"You shouldn't overwork yourself either. Remember to rest."

For some reason, although it was Yang Rou who had initially rebuffed Chen Yan, when he truly accepted it, she suddenly felt somewhat empty inside.

However, as a mature woman, she naturally couldn't show her emotions.

As such, she forced a smile, nodded at Chen Yan, said "goodbye," and then headed towards the office.

Chen Yan watched her receding figure, sensing that her steps were not as light as usual, but seemed particularly heavy.

Chen Yan stroked his chin and thought, feeling like there might still be a chance...

...

Back in the company, Yang Rou took the elevator to the 17th floor.

By then, nearly everyone in the office had left.

With Chen Yan being quite the extravagant boss, people at the company, although working vigorously, also liked to leave promptly after work.

Now, four to five hours after the end of business hours, naturally, no one was around.

Thus, the company's lobby was pitch dark, with just a faint night light gently flickering.

Yang Rou turned on the lights while heading to her office.

In fact, over these past years, she had grown accustomed to this lifestyle, but perhaps due to Chen Yan, she felt particularly lonely tonight.

Upon reaching the general manager's office, she opened the door, poured herself a glass of water, took it to her desk, sat down, and began reading through a document.

After over twenty years of work, all the reports appeared to Yang Rou as friendly as ever, familiar beyond measure.

However, for some unknown reason, tonight, these "friends" seemed a bit unfamiliar.

No matter how hard she looked, she couldn't concentrate.

Chen Yan's image kept appearing in front of her.

An image of him not just without clothes, but also flaunting...

Yang Rou sighed softly, "What an annoying guy."

She lifted her head, gazed at the empty office, and felt even more irritated.

"Sigh..."

After a moment and a deep sigh, Yang Rou forcefully shut the document, packed up a few papers, and then stood up to leave the office.

She just couldn't stay at the company tonight.

She decided to go home to work.

Once she took the elevator down, drove her car, and soon, Yang Rou arrived at her home.

Before she could finish entering the password at her front door, another door opened—across from hers.

Chen Yan, in his pajamas, stood at the door, brushing his teeth while greeting Yang Rou, "Good evening, Sister Rou."

Seeing Chen Yan, Yang Rou's mood suddenly brightened.

She curved her lips into a faint smile, "Good evening."

After speaking, she continued to focus on unlocking her door.

Once the door opened, she walked inside, reaching out to close it.

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but she felt like she was closing the door a bit slowly.

And just because of that slight delay\uff0ca hand suddenly braced against her door.

Then, Chen Yan peeked inside, asking, "Do you have time to talk more?"

Yang Rou turned around, unable to hide the smile on her face.

Still, her voice retained its usual coldness, "Sure."

If it weren't for the slight rise in her tone at the end, almost like a light "yeah," it would sound just like usual.

Yang Rou wasn't sure if Chen Yan noticed, but she certainly did.

Stepping inside, Yang Rou suddenly seemed to understand what she wanted...

Some things, some people, without experiencing a "loss," maybe it's really hard to realize how important they are...

...

Once inside, Yang Rou, clutching the documents and laptop, continued working at the dining table.

Meanwhile, Chen Yan, as if he were in his own home, wandered into the bathroom to continue brushing his teeth.

Listening to the gurgling sounds of him rinsing his mouth, Yang Rou couldn't help but chuckle.

She didn't know how many times she had smiled since seeing Chen Yan.

She opened the document in her hand, and those familiar "friends" came back, stabilizing her mood as she continued to work.

The room was dimly lit, with only the sound of the keyboard's "clack clack clack" and the pen's "rustle rustle rustle" echoing.

Chen Yan didn't know when he came over to Yang Rou.

He didn't disturb her.

He just sat beside her, quietly fiddling with his phone.

With Chen Yan by her side, Yang Rou felt even more at peace. It was as if the air was filled with a warm scent.

It was like... it was like...

The aroma of home.

In this manner, the two of them, one working, the other playing, continued until 12:30.

Perhaps due to high efficiency, after handling all the documents she brought back, Yang Rou even managed to process some compressible files from her email that were due that day.

Lu Man's sudden departure had caused a significant increase in the company's affairs.

It wasn't that Lu Man wasn't important; on the contrary, precisely because of her importance, many activities and plans had been scheduled for her.

Now that she had left, these activities and plans all needed to be adjusted or coordinated, and if coordination was unfeasible, they had to be canceled.

Cancellations meant apologizing, breaking contracts, or compensating.

In short, there were numerous trivial matters.

When she finished processing the last document, Yang Rou stretched languidly.

Years of maintenance and the full-bodied figure of a mature woman highlighted her curves exquisitely.

After stretching, Yang Rou shut her laptop, then glanced at Chen Yan.

Chen Yan was absorbed in his phone game.

Yang Rou glimpsed it and recognized it was the battle royale game "Battle of the Wastelands" recently developed by the gaming company.

Apparently, Chen Yan held very high expectations for this project, not only conducting alpha, beta, and gamma tests but also developing versions for PC and mobile.

He was currently engaged in the mobile version's bot warfare.

Seeing how engrossed Chen Yan was, Yang Rou didn't feel it right to disturb him, so she simply tidied up the table and then went to the bedroom to fetch some clean clothes for a shower.

The "whooshing" sound of the water in the bathroom began, with steaming mist diffusing, allowing Yang Rou to enjoy the relaxation that came after fatigue.

After her shower, Yang Rou, wrapped in a bath towel, came out.

Chen Yan had already put down his phone and was watching TV while sitting on the couch.

Yang Rou, while tilting her head and drying her hair, said nonchalantly to Chen Yan, "Director Chen. It's getting late. I'm going to sleep."

Chen Yan, as if he didn't understand what Yang Rou meant, responded with an "Oh" and continued staring intently at the TV, saying, "That's fine; you go to sleep first."

A look that was both annoyed and amused appeared on Yang Rou's face, and then she said, "What I mean is, shouldn't you be leaving?"

Upon hearing Yang Rou's words, Chen Yan looked at her in surprise and said, "It's so late, and you're asking me to leave. It's not safe for me to go back alone."

Hearing Chen Yan's words, Yang Rou almost laughed out loud.

Going back alone is unsafe...

You just live across the door, a step away.

Is there a female hoodlum waiting at your door, ready to abduct you?

However, perhaps due to a change in mood, the Yang Rou who would have normally been flustered, worried, or hesitant, now suddenly found Chen Yan's child-like stubbornness extremely endearing.

Of course, she thought this inwardly and showed none of it on her face.

She glanced at Chen Yan and said, "Director Chen, if you're worried about safety, I can call the residential security to escort you back."

Hearing Yang Rou's words, Chen Yan no longer continued his pretense.

He stood up and stepped towards Yang Rou.

Chen Yan was naturally tall and handsome, and now, with his enhanced constitution, he appeared even more robust.

Suddenly walking towards Yang Rou, his masculine presence was overwhelmingly apparent, causing her heartbeat to accelerate almost instantly.

And so, Chen Yan walked right up to Yang Rou.

Then, looming over her, his eyes emitted an alluring yet dangerous gleam.

Yang Rou felt her heartbeat thumping even faster.

Then, she saw Chen Yan lean close to her ear, his voice husky and magnetic, saying, "Sister Rou. I remember after that night, you told me that either of us could seek the other out whenever in need."

"Don't know..."

"Does that still..."

"Hold up?"

Hearing Chen Yan's words, Yang Rou felt her body temperature rise by three degrees.

Her hands gripping the towel, she looked up at Chen Yan, finding it difficult to speak, "I...."

Before she could utter another word, Chen Yan's lips firmly sealed hers.

A muffled "boom!" sound echoed in her mind, leaving her brain completely blank, unaware of anything...

...

The next morning, sunlight streamed onto the spacious bed.

Yang Rou crawled out of bed, feeling as if her entire body had fallen apart.

She glanced beside her.

Chen Yan was sleeping soundly next to her.

Unsure of her emotions, her expression grew complex as she gazed at him resentfully, then attempted to get up to tidy up a bit.

Hearing Chen Yan's words, Yang Rou almost laughed out loud.

Going back alone is unsafe...

You just live across the door, a step away.

Is there a female hoodlum waiting at your door, ready to abduct you?

However, perhaps because of a shift in her mood, the usually panicky and hesitant Yang Rou now suddenly found Chen Yan's child-like stubbornness endearingly cute.

Of course, she kept these thoughts to herself and showed nothing on her face.

She glanced at Chen Yan and said, "Director Chen, if you're afraid it's not safe, I can call the community security to escort you back."

Hearing Yang Rou's words, Chen Yan didn't play the fool anymore.

He stood up and walked step by step towards Yang Rou.

Chen Yan was naturally tall and handsome, and now, with his enhanced constitution, he looked somewhat more robust.

Suddenly approaching Yang Rou, his manly aura was palpable, making her heartbeat race a bit faster.

Just like that, Chen Yan walked up to Yang Rou.

Then, towering over her, his eyes radiated a captivating yet dangerous glow.

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