Are you there?

Page 1/3

Zhan Zilang asked, "What's wrong, Sister Zhou?"

Zhou Zhuofei snapped back to herself, shook her head, and said it was nothing.

The messages she received were from Han Chubin. There were two in total: the first was an emoji, and the second simply asked, "Are you there?"

Usually, when Zhou Zhuofei encountered such messages, she assumed there was no urgent matter, since people with pressing issues tend to get straight to the point.

She replied, "I'm here."

Immediately, the chat box showed the other party was typing.

"Am I interrupting your work?"

"I'm not too busy right now. What do you need?"

"Yes, I’d like to ask for your help. At the end of the month is Du Yu’s birthday, and I don’t know what gift to get her, so I wanted your advice."

"You could just ask her," Zhou replied.

"But if I ask her, it won’t be a surprise. That’s why I thought to get your input. You’ve known her a lot longer than I have, so you must understand her better."

Zhou Zhuofei used to enjoy helping others with ideas, but as she grew older, her enthusiasm waned—partly because she had learned some hard lessons along the way. Still, anything involving Du Yu was worth helping with.

"Then why don’t you tell me your budget first?"

"Money’s not an issue."

Zhou’s hand suddenly stopped. She suddenly didn’t want to help anymore. What was going on?

She put down her phone, fingers tapping restlessly on the desk. Zhan Zilang couldn’t help but notice.

"Sister Zhou, what’s wrong?"

"Nothing. Just another day being provoked by the wealthy."

She saw Zhan's puzzled expression and quickly added, "Nothing to do with you."

His face immediately brightened, curiosity peeking through. "Then who was it?"

So Zhou Zhuofei recounted the situation in brief. When Zhan Zilang heard the last part—"money’s not an issue"—he raised an eyebrow playfully. "This guy’s interesting."

"What do you mean?"

Zhan pursed his lips. "If money truly isn’t a problem, why come to you asking?"

"What? I’m her close friend; I know her best."

"Sister Zhou, you didn’t get my point," Zhan explained patiently. "Choosing a gift within a set budget is gift selection. But if there’s no limit, does the choice even matter? Here’s a simple example: if I gave you a seaside villa, would you care what flowers are planted in the garden?"

Zhou suddenly understood: when the gift’s value reaches a certain level, the meaning becomes secondary.

It made sense.

"Forget villas. A one-bedroom apartment locally would be my second parents."

"Looking for a place, Sister Zhou? I have a few apartments for rent."

Zhou shot him a glare and waved her hand. "Stay on topic! But my friend said her boyfriend really is quite wealthy."

She noticed the corner of Zhan’s mouth twitching. Although he said nothing, Zhou knew he was mocking.

Still, she defended Han Chubin. "Maybe that’s just how he operates. As long as he treats my friend well, that’s enough."

"Then tell him to buy your friend’s company and make her the boss," Zhan said lightly, spreading his hands. "Better to have people work for you than to work for others. After all, money’s not the problem."

Zhou couldn’t hold back a chuckle, even though she realized her reaction might be inappropriate. She was just too easily amused.

"That’s too savage of you, hahaha..."

"Wasn’t that his own words? You asked about the budget; he said money’s no issue. Why save him money?"

"True."

If Han Chubin gave a specific figure, Zhou could find something suitable within that range. Without limits, the options were endless.

She even thought Zhan’s suggestion was pretty good—after working as an employee for so long, who wouldn’t want to be the boss?

While they were chatting, Han Chubin sent a few more messages.

"Did I give you a tough question?"

"Mainly, I think Du Yu’s happiness matters most; money really doesn’t."

Zhou saw the sincerity in his words and replied with her honest advice.

"Without a budget, the choices are too broad. How about just giving her a big red envelope and letting her pick? That’s the simplest way."

After sending the message, Zhou noticed Zhan staring at her with an expression that could only be described as eager curiosity.

She waved her phone at him. "Want to know what he said?"

Zhan nodded repeatedly. "Of course. No good story ends halfway."

"I told him to give my friend a big red envelope. My friend’s practical, so I think that’s best."

"That’s it?" Zhan looked disappointed. "Sister Zhou, I notice you’re especially polite with him. With others, you’d be mocking right away."

"Well, we’re not that familiar. It’s normal to be polite. Otherwise, starting off with mockery would be rude."

But after all this, Zhou’s impression of Han Chubin had soured.

To avoid future trouble, it was better to keep interactions minimal—for Du Yu’s sake.

"Fair enough."

Thinking over recent events, Zhou looked at Zhan and found herself increasingly impressed.

"Come to think of it, little Zhan, you’re quite all right."

Zhan grinned. "I love to hear that. Sister Zhou, say more."

"Hmm…" Zhou thought seriously, then shrugged. "That’s all the praise I have."

"Just that?"

"What else do you want me to say? How about you pay me? Fifty cents for a compliment, one yuan for a complaint."

"Why is a complaint more expensive?"

"Because it requires compensation for emotional distress."

As afternoon tea wound down, Zhou gestured for Zhan to return to the office. He was still tangled up in the good-or-bad review debate, pestering her for an explanation.

Zhou finally lost patience. Since entering the workforce, she’d never met someone so noisy.

She snapped loudly, "Quiet!"

Zhan immediately shut up.

The sudden silence brought relief. Zhou nodded in satisfaction and, noticing no colleagues nearby, felt even better.

Yet, almost simultaneously, the elevator doors slid open. The people inside had apparently heard Zhou’s outburst, their expressions showing surprise.

Zhan brightened at the sight of Xiao Wang. "Secretary Xiao, good afternoon."

"Good afternoon," Xiao Wang said, seeing Zhan had stepped in while Zhou still hesitated. She pressed the door-open button and looked at Zhou questioningly. "Aren’t you coming in?"

Only then did Zhou realize and awkwardly step into the elevator.

She thought to herself that she really needed to work on her patience—losing control so easily after Zhan’s teasing was not good.

Page 2/3

Fortunately, Xiao Wang didn’t mention what had just happened. Like Zhou, everyone preferred to keep things civil.

Zhan, however, didn’t take it personally. His mindset hadn’t fully shifted into a workplace mode yet; he found the back-and-forth with Zhou normal.

If you joke around, you have to be ready for others to joke back. Otherwise, that’s double standards.

So, acting as if nothing had happened, he resumed chatting with Zhou about the previous matter.

"Sister Zhou, what if he says giving a red envelope is too perfunctory? How will you respond?"

Zhan felt he understood this type of person better than Zhou did. Many around him were masters of empty promises, always talking big but delivering little.

"I’d just send the money to my friend and let her pick. If she buys, fine. If not, she’s just pretending with me..."

Zhou trailed off, mouthing the last word silently—since Secretary Xiao was still there, civility was necessary.

Zhan laughed out loud without restraint. Sure enough, Sister Zhou wasn’t a double standard person!

Zhou glanced at Secretary Xiao’s expression, who seemed unfazed, so she said nothing.

After laughing, Zhan felt a bit excessive and toned down, apologizing to Secretary Xiao.

"No problem. Looks like you’ve adapted well to your job."

"Very much so. Mainly because Sister Zhou leads well." Zhan knew a little about social graces—praising Zhou in front of Xiao was a smart move.

Zhou humbly deflected, "It’s not just me. Little Zhan’s quick-witted and learns fast."

"Sister Zhou, you flatter me. I’ve benefited a lot following you."

Secretary Xiao smiled, as if listening to a comedic duo. No need to ask—Zhan was doing well in administration.

It made sense. The admin department was a support role, with little internal or external competition. The leadership was easygoing, making for a pleasant atmosphere. Plus, Zhan worked closely with Zhou.

When he heard Zhan wanted to join admin, he immediately thought of Zhou. They were close in age, shared interests, and having her in charge was beneficial for both.

For Zhan, it eased his workplace integration; for Zhou, it was an opportunity.

But staff assignments were internal admin matters, which he could influence but not control. He merely suggested Zhan join Ye Ru’s team to boost Zhou’s chances of being selected—and it worked.

"Keep up the good work."

The elevator arrived first at Xiao Wang’s floor. He greeted both and just as he stepped out, he turned back to Zhan with a polite smile.

"Next time, please watch your volume in public."

Caught off guard, Zhan replied, "Oh, okay."

Xiao Wang nodded, then gave Zhou a friendly glance before leaving.

As the doors closed, Zhou burst out laughing. Now it was her turn.

Zhan sensed something was off. "Sister Zhou, why are you laughing?"

After laughing, Zhou held out her hand. "Give me a yuan."

"What? Why?"

She counted on her fingers. "What kind of memory do you have? I told you, fifty cents for a compliment. I praised your wit and quick learning. You owe me a yuan."

Zhan was speechless but obediently searched his pockets for change.

"What if I don’t have a yuan?"

Waving her hand, Zhou said, "Then save up. When you reach a hundred, I’ll cash out."

After work, Zhou received another message from Han Chubin. He wasn’t keen on her red envelope suggestion. Though polite, she had lost patience and forwarded the entire chat to Du Yu, adding just three words:

"Handle it!"

Du Yu was online and replied immediately.

"So conflicted. Don’t know what to ask for."

Zhou thought of Zhan’s idea and typed back enthusiastically.

"Then tell him to buy your company and make you the boss!"

"Lol, he’s not that rich."

"Then how do you want me to respond? Hurry!"

"Wait, wait!"

Soon after, Du Yu sent a photo of a handbag.

"This one. I’ve wanted it for a while."

Zhou zoomed in, recognizing the logo as a contemporary luxury brand popular among their young professional colleagues.

"Okay, I’ll send it to him. You act like you don’t know."

"Don’t worry. That’s my specialty."

Zhou switched back to Han Chubin’s chat, forwarding the handbag photo along with the local boutique’s address.

Near their office was a high-end mall with that brand’s counter.

She’d done her homework thoroughly. If he didn’t accept this, she’d suggest he stop asking for advice.

But this time, he agreed readily and thanked her.

Zhou didn’t overthink it, just glad to have helped a friend along her emotional journey.

Unexpectedly, the next day at noon, Han Chubin messaged again.

He sent a photo of the actual handbag—Du Yu’s choice—taken at the boutique. Judging by the background, he was already there.

His quick action improved Zhou’s impression of him.

People tend to hastily label newcomers, only to revise their opinions based on small clues.

"Mu Mu, can you help me check if this is the right bag?"

"Yes, that’s it."

"Great. They have a promotion, and I want to buy a few more items to reach the threshold. Can you help me pick?"

"Sure, what do you like?"

"There are so many things here. Could you come to the store to help?"

"Where is it?"

He sent a location. Zhou saw it was conveniently nearby.

Better to let Han Chubin pick at random than have Mu Mu choose.

Zhou replied she was on her way and planned to stop by a nearby artisanal chocolate shop on the way.

The mall was quiet during lunch. From afar, Zhou saw Han Chubin standing at the counter with a professional sales assistant.

He wore an asymmetrical gray trench and Martin boots, a style similar to their last meeting. Combined with his handsome looks, he was quite eye-catching.

Du Yu sure had a good eye for men, Zhou thought, then stepped into the boutique.

"I’m here."

Page 3/3

Hearing Zhou’s voice, Han Chubin turned around and brightened.

Last time, he’d noticed her elegant aura. Now, dressed professionally, she embodied the ideal image he admired—elegant, intellectual, and captivating.

He had always thought he liked Du Yu’s type...

Zhou didn’t notice his expression change. Her attention was on the dazzling array of handbags.

"So, what’s the situation now?"

Zhan snapped back to reality, but the sales assistant was quicker, concisely explaining the promotion.

In short, after removing Du Yu’s chosen bag, they still needed to add items to meet the threshold.

Zhou caught the key numbers and began scanning prices—discarding anything too expensive and narrowing down those within range.

She spoke little; Han followed dutifully.

The experienced sales assistant quickly identified who held the real decision power and enthusiastically introduced options to Zhou.

Han kept sneaking glances at her, noticing she only smiled politely when conversing. When focused, her face was expressionless but not cold—rather, it had a unique charm.

She reminded him of the elegant, intellectual career women he had admired during his student days.

"What about this one?" Zhou held up a small handbag, just big enough for a phone. "It’d be convenient for a convention."

Han looked it over seriously. "Looks good, but I’m not an expert. I trust your judgment."

"Miss, you might like this one," the assistant offered a burgundy limited-edition bag, the last one at the boutique.

Zhou liked it too, but it was far beyond the budget.

"You can try it on."

Unable to resist the enthusiastic recommendation, Zhou tried it briefly before handing it back.

In the end, she selected several items, slightly over the threshold, which pleased her.

"This should do."

Han didn’t look but told the assistant to wrap it up, showing complete trust in Zhou.

This improved Zhou’s impression of him. Despite some boasting, he was generous.

Checking the time, she realized she still had time for chocolates and said goodbye.

"Now?" Han turned to stop her. "I was going to invite you for coffee."

"No coffee for me. I don’t like it. Maybe next time."

"Alright." He looked disappointed. "Won’t hold you up then."

"No problem. Bye."

Waving, Zhou left the boutique and bought some favorite chocolates nearby.

On the way, she updated Du Yu, telling her the bag was bought. She hinted at extra surprises without details.

"So mysterious."

"Surprises should be mysterious. Also, I need to revise my opinion of him—he’s pretty quick to act and shop."

"True. He’s casual but generous."

Back at the office with chocolates, Zhou saw Zhan staring and waved him over.

"What’s up, Sister Zhou?"

"I brought treats." She offered chocolates for him to pick. "Not too sweet."

Zhan tried one and complimented her.

The next day, he brought a large box of chocolates.

"For you, Sister Zhou."

Surprised, she said, "That’s a big box."

"Yeah, I found many chocolates at home and picked a big box for you." He winked proudly. "Thoughtful, right?"

"Very much so." She couldn’t hold it with one hand. Though she didn’t know the brand, items from his home must be good.

"Of course. Eat this, and I’ll bring another box later."

"Let’s see. This one might take ages to finish; I might lose interest."

A big box like that was hard to miss. Luo Jing teased, "Only little Zhou has such a big box?"

"You’re jealous," Zhou pretended to tear open the seal. "I’ll share with you."

"Don’t! Just joking."

Zhan chimed in, pulling out an identical box. "Luo, you eat this one. I brought several boxes to share."

"Good prep, little Zhan."

Zhou praised his thoughtfulness sincerely.

"Not bad, very considerate."

Zhan joked, "Sister Zhou, does that count as fifty cents?"

"Nope, freebie. You gave me such a big box—I can’t ask for fifty cents."

"Last time I waived that one too. Tomorrow’s on me for afternoon tea; order the priciest stuff!"

"Sister Zhou’s so generous!"

Looking at the chocolates, she was speechless.

Who was truly generous?

Perhaps that was the difference between the wealthy and ordinary.

She always believed in repaying kindness promptly, but Zhan seemed relaxed, not caring much about money spent.

In other words, he didn’t value money or mind the cost.

"What’s wrong, little Zhou? Seeing little Zhan so good to you, are you about to shed tears of gratitude?"

"Not a chance. I don’t cry. Huanyu doesn’t trust tears."

Joking aside, she handed the box to Zhan to distribute. Like a class monitor, he walked the floor offering chocolates.

Zhou laughed, thinking she’d overthought things. Having a colleague like Zhan made work more enjoyable.

Though she wouldn’t fall in love with her job, she could at least find some joy amid the grind.

During lunch, Zhou walked out with Ye Ru and Qiao Qi. Zhan had already mingled with nearby colleagues, so he didn’t join them.

Ye Ru was complaining about her mother-in-law’s troubles. Zhou listened attentively when her phone pinged again.

It was Han Chubin’s message—starting with an emoji, followed by the classic line:

"Are you there?"