Confessing To An Annoying Boss

What a blatant hint! Qiao Ziman never expected that the elegant-looking, beautiful woman could be so bold. Honestly, Qiao Ziman was terrified; she had never experienced anything like this before. She swallowed nervously and shakily typed out two words: [Not interested.]

Before she could hit send, the woman sent another message. [Address: Building 9, Yunding Villas, Changfeng Road.]

It was pretty close, just across the street in the villa district. And she was loaded too. Damn, why did she feel a bit tempted?

But she was straight!

Qiao Ziman slapped her cheeks hard, trying to snap herself back to reality. The message box popped up again with the words [The other party is typing…] in large letters, making Qiao Ziman panic even more. She was afraid the woman might say something even more shocking. Or worse, send a racy photo.

Just the thought of it was terrifying.

Qiao Ziman’s fingers flew across the keyboard, typing so fast it left afterimages. She managed to send a message just before the woman could send hers. [Thanks, but no thanks. Let’s not take this seriously—it’s all just for fun. I’m straight, as straight as an arrow, straighter than a steel pipe.]

Without hesitation, she deleted the contact. Everything in one smooth motion.

Her dignity was intact.

Qiao Ziman let out a long breath, finally feeling like her heart was back in its proper place. This incident was just a trivial footnote in Qiao Ziman’s life, easily forgotten after a night’s sleep. The heavy workload of the day quickly buried it in the stagnant waters of her memory, never to stir again.

A week passed in a blur. Today was the day the new manager was taking over.

Last night, the company executives held a meeting and announced that the new manager was a stickler for discipline and had zero tolerance for any infractions. No one was allowed to be late for any reason, or they would lose their attendance bonus and face double deductions in performance pay. When it came to money, Qiao Ziman always paid close attention.

But despite all her careful planning, she forgot to charge her phone.

Qiao Ziman had long struggled with insomnia, and even after taking melatonin, she only fell asleep as dawn was breaking. As a result, all the alarms she had set failed to go off, and she overslept by a full twenty minutes.

Being late on her new boss’s first day—she must have had a death wish.

Qiao Ziman quickly washed up, got dressed, grabbed her bag, and dashed downstairs. On her way down, she opened the ride-hailing app, grabbed a discount coupon, and booked a Didi, making a last-ditch effort to save her perfect attendance for the month. Her neighborhood was a bit out of the way, so she thoughtfully sent a message to the driver through the app, just in case they had trouble finding the location.

[Hello, driver. I’ll be waiting for you at the Starbucks by the traffic light.]

[White cv1888: Okay.]

Qiao Ziman noted down the license plate number and sprinted towards Starbucks, covering the few hundred meters with the determination of an Olympic athlete. A few minutes later, she finally reached her destination. She looked around and her eyes locked onto the white Maybach parked in front of the store. At first, she couldn’t believe it, so she double-checked the vehicle information.

cy1888.

Yep, that was the one. Driving a Maybach for Didi? She couldn’t comprehend the world of the rich. With mixed feelings, Qiao Ziman opened the car door and got in.

[Driver, let’s go, please.]

[Could you please hurry? I’m in a rush.]

Qiao Ziman fastened her seatbelt and then turned her head, and what she saw next gave her quite a shock. A beauty!

A stunning beauty.

Qiao Ziman stared intently at the driver’s flawless face and, after a moment, sincerely said, “You’re really beautiful.”

The person across from her showed little expression, placing the coffee cup on the central armrest before starting to scrutinize Qiao Ziman without blinking.

[Beautiful driver, if you don’t start driving, I’m going to switch to another car.] Qiao Ziman was starting to feel uneasy under the intense gaze.

The driver, Chi Yin, finally spoke, saying just two words: “Car door.”

Her voice was incredibly pleasant! So gentle! It’s true—seeing something beautiful first thing in the morning can really lift your spirits.

Qiao Ziman was completely immersed in this pleasant atmosphere and didn’t fully grasp the meaning of the beautiful driver’s words. Not until the driver suddenly leaned in closer, the tip of her nose brushing against Qiao Ziman’s cheek.

A rich fragrance instantly filled her nostrils. Qiao Ziman jolted in surprise, pressing herself against the seat, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. “What are you doing?”

Chi Yin reached over her and secured the car door.

Click—the lock engaged.

Qiao Ziman then realized how overly dramatic her reaction had been and quickly apologized, “Sorry, sorry, it’s my first time getting such a high-end Didi. I got a little nervous. Sorry for the trouble.”

Chi Yin responded with a simple “Mm,” subtly pulling her gaze away from Qiao Ziman’s face. She then focused intently on searching the map. Seeing this, Qiao Ziman breathed a sigh of relief. The vehicle started, smoothly heading towards TOC, and Qiao Ziman began making small talk, “Beautiful driver, do you work at the TOC building too?”

Chi Yin replied lightly, “Mm.”

“No wonder you took my ride—it’s on your way. I didn’t expect rich people to be so thrifty.”

Chi Yin gave her a complicated look.

“I was going to say you looked familiar earlier, but I thought that might be a bit forward.” Qiao Ziman was forgetful and a bit face-blind, but she had a sharp nose for scents. When she leaned in earlier, she caught a familiar fragrance, a distinct lily-of-the-valley scent.

Qiao Ziman explained further, “I really wasn’t trying to hit on you—this kind of approach is so old-fashioned. You just genuinely looked familiar.”

Chi Yin glanced at her again, her expression growing even more complex. After a moment, she softly uttered a few words, “It is quite forward.”

Qiao Ziman yawned, her eyes tearing up slightly, “What did you say?”

Chi Yin averted her gaze, focusing on the countdown of the traffic light ahead, “I said, if you’re tired, just sleep.”

“Oh,” Qiao Ziman was indeed feeling sleepy, her eyelids growing heavy. “Sure, just wake me when we get there.”

Chi Yin gently hummed in acknowledgment and rolled up the window. The enclosed car was suddenly filled with a rich fragrance. Qiao Ziman, immersed in the floral scent, slowly closed her eyes. Twenty minutes later, Qiao Ziman was gently shaken awake.

Qiao Ziman groggily looked around, realizing she had fallen asleep so easily without any caution. When her eyes landed on Chi Yin, she was suddenly startled, instantly wide awake.

Chi Yin’s gaze was unwavering, fixed unmistakably on her lips.