I reported to the Administrative Department in a daze. That’s where Yin Jie worked.

The Administrative Department manager, Wang Qi, was a slightly chubby middle-aged man who gave me a completely different impression from the Finance Department manager – he was quite articulate. After introducing me to the department’s affairs, he saw Deputy Manager Lin coming through the main entrance and immediately led me to greet him.

“Manager Lin, Xiao Nie has officially reported for duty. How would you like us to arrange her work?”

Deputy Manager Lin didn’t even look up as he said, “You arrange it.”

Wang Qi tentatively asked, “Should we first have Xiao Nie organize the archives room?”

Deputy Manager Lin casually nodded and walked into his office…

So I went to organize the archives.

Only then did I realize what a terrifying task this was? The company’s archives hadn’t been properly organized for who knows how long. “Mess” wouldn’t begin to describe it. By the end of the day, I was completely covered in dust and grime.

The next day, seeing how overwhelmed I was, Yin Jie and Yu Hua voluntarily stayed after work to help me.

People’s ability to adapt is truly remarkable. If I found it dirty on the first day, by today I was completely immune to the dust. While Yin Jie and Yu Hua went to buy drinks from the shop, I sat on the floor without any regard for appearance, binding documents while humming a song – that catchy tune I learned from Jiang Rui~~~

Hearing the door open, I stopped humming but didn’t look up as I said, “We’re out of file covers again. Help me bring over that stack by the door.”

Complete silence.

I looked up curiously, only to find Deputy Manager Lin standing at the doorway.

I hurriedly stood up: “Deputy Manager Lin… I’m sorry, I thought it was Yin Jie and the others returning.”

He glanced at me, reached for a file from the shelf, and just when I thought he would leave without a word, he suddenly spoke in a deep tone: “You seem happy?”

First getting caught downloading TV shows, then making that accounting mistake he had to fix – this was a rare chance to improve his impression of me. I immediately responded enthusiastically: “It’s not bad! Just a bit tiring, but once you find the trick to it, organizing goes quite quickly.”

That frozen atmosphere descended again.

Then I heard a soft “heh” of laughter as he turned and walked out…

Soon after, Yin Jie and Yu Hua cheerfully pushed open the door, chattering as they entered: “Deputy Manager Lin is nice! He smiled when we greeted him just now. Ah, I finally understand what they mean by ‘like a spring breeze.'”

Yu Hua said, “I think he’s not very approachable. Look at Jiang Ya from your department – she can joke around with Manager Zhang, but she wouldn’t dare with Manager Lin.”

“Well, that’s true, but he’s still very dignified and gentle.”

I stopped working and seriously pondered – was the Deputy Manager Lin they were discussing the same person I knew?

Three days later, I concluded: forget about being the same person, he wasn’t even human!

Just when the archives work was finished and I thought things might get easier, Deputy Manager Lin suddenly seemed to notice my existence. He went from barely acknowledging me to “maximizing resource utilization”…

I was the one working overtime every day, running errands everywhere. What spring breeze? What gentleness and courtesy? Did they think I didn’t understand these phrases?

Take today – no sooner had a female colleague requested leave than I was called into his office…

“The data in this report is incorrect. Redo it.”

I flipped through the report, confused. Wasn’t this Jiang Ya’s budget report? She’d submitted this before taking leave, barely fifteen minutes ago…

He’d found problems with it that quickly?

“The expenses section is wrong. Recheck the data submitted by each department.”

“Deputy Manager, I think this was Jiang Ya’s responsibility,” I said helplessly. “I’ve never done this kind of report before.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.” I nodded emphatically.

“Then learn,” he said incredibly casually. “I’m sure you’ll find the trick to it quickly.”

At lunch, I got an extra large portion.

Yu Hua looked at me in shock: “Xiguang, aren’t you worried about getting fat?”

“More work means more food! I’m working overtime today! Need to store up energy!”

Yin Jie suddenly leaned in, gossip-ready: “Xiguang, Jiang Ya looked unhappy when she left at noon… but she was the one who insisted on leaving, so it’s normal for the Deputy Manager to give you her work, right?”

I looked up from my rice bowl: “It’s not just today, I feel like she…”

“Has it in for you, right? Hehe, well, you were handpicked by Deputy Manager Lin, of course, she has thoughts about that.”

Yu Hua chimed in: “Yeah, Xiguang, Deputy Manager Lin suddenly transferring you from Finance to Administration – lots of people have thoughts about that.”

“…”

Actually, I’d noticed those speculative, ambiguous looks from colleagues at first. But after being confined to the archives room and then working endless overtime, those looks had turned to either sympathy or schadenfreude.

I said helplessly: “I’m working like a horse every day, surely people don’t still think that way?”

“That’s not necessarily true. At least Jiang Ya has thoughts about it. After all, Deputy Manager Lin always asks you to work overtime, and he stays late too. Such a big office, just a man and woman…”

“…Get real. The office is huge, and we’re not the only department. There are always people working overtime.”

But Yin Jie had entered her little world, deaf to outside voices, her eyes sparkling as she said: “Oh my, thinking about it this way, Xiguang, could Deputy Manager Lin be interested in you?”

She looked me up and down like she’d discovered a new world: “Actually, Xiguang, you’re very pretty. You just don’t dress up enough, always wearing work clothes.”

I poked at my food, paused for a moment, then said: “If a man asks what you want to eat and cooks for you, would you think he might like you a bit?”

Yin Jie nodded vigorously: “Cooking is the most loving thing!”

Yes, that summer vacation, I thought the same way. I thought he must have liked me at least a little. Later I understood it was just because he didn’t want to eat takeout with me, didn’t want to “take advantage”…

“So self-delusion is an illness that must be cured.”

Suddenly, a surge of bitterness welled up from somewhere. I picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork, forcefully swallowing that sourness down. Then I put down my chopsticks and solemnly announced: “I’ve decided!”

Yin Jie and Yu Hua both looked at me.

“I’m taking leave too!”