: The Love-Struck Boss

I was in the shower when my boss called tonight.

My brother answered. "She's in the shower."

My boss silently hung up.

Later, when I went to his office, I happened to see him browsing a forum post.

He was the original poster.

Question: The girl I like has a boyfriend. Can I still pursue her?

Follow-up: Can I wait for them to break up?

Huh? I had no idea my usually stone-faced boss...

...was so lovestruck.

1

When I got out of the shower, the call had already ended.

My brother said nonchalantly,

"The number saved as 'GrinAndThin' called you. I told them you were in the shower."

*Hiss!*

The company CEO!

I quickly plastered on a sycophantic smile and called him back.

"President Sterling, how may I help you?"

Even though I was off the clock.

But!

As a senior secretary for the Sterling Group, my main selling point is being on call 24/7, 365 days a year!

"It's fine. I've already found the file."

His cold, heavy voice came through the phone.

I was long used to his humorless demeanor, so since there was nothing else, I immediately tried to end the call.

I was afraid he'd start assigning me work during my time off.

But then he said my name.

"Secretary Linden, you..."

He trailed off, pausing for two seconds before seeming to let out a soft sigh. His voice softened. "It's nothing. Get some rest."

I was completely baffled. 'He's acting so strange. Could he be drunk?'

Too bad he'd already hung up.

But then I thought about it and relaxed. 'A man as self-disciplined as him doesn't need me worrying about him, does he?'

As a result, my dreams all night were filled with the sound of his softened voice.

I was almost late for the morning meeting the next day.

I had my brother rush me to the office on his electric scooter via a shortcut. The moment I got off, Silas Sterling's car pulled up.

His mission complete, my brother zipped off without so much as a hello.

I quickly snapped into work mode.

I diligently opened the car door for Silas Sterling. "President Sterling, good morning."

He gave a faint nod, his expression neutral, but his sharp gaze drifted toward something in the distance. I didn't ask, just waited quietly.

A senior secretary's rule for survival: observe more, ask less, and when you do speak, get straight to the point.

Don't speak unless necessary, and when you do, only say what's important.

"The morning meeting starts in ten minutes."

He'd been standing there for a while, and I had no idea what he was looking at, so I could only give him a gentle reminder.

Today's morning meeting was quite important; we couldn't be late.

Only then did he start walking.

His well-tailored, bespoke suit accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist, and his long legs were wrapped in suit pants. The young receptionist was staring with stars in her eyes, blushing shyly.

The man had a great figure, and his face was even more handsome.

It was just that his aura was too cold.

His lips were perpetually pressed into a thin line, his brow constantly furrowed—so much so that a permanent crease had formed between his eyebrows—and his gaze was as sharp as a winter storm.

Women only dared to admire him from afar, never up close.

Of course, my professional resolve was unshakable.

Seeing we were about to reach the elevators, I hurried a few steps ahead to press the button. After we reached the top floor, I rushed to prepare the meeting materials without a moment's rest, then sat in on the meeting to take minutes for Silas Sterling to review at his convenience.

By the time the morning meeting was over, I was so busy I felt like throwing up.

But Silas Sterling had spoken: he wanted hand-ground coffee.

Fine, I'll grind it.

Another secretary once tried making coffee for him in my place, but that picky man could taste the difference in a single sip.

I brought the coffee into his office. He was standing by the window, on the phone.

I was about to leave after dropping it off, but my eyes inadvertently glanced at the text on his computer screen. It was a forum post he'd made using his WeChat nickname.

"Question: The girl I like has a boyfriend. Can I still pursue her?"

"Follow-up: Can I wait for them to break up?"

Huh? I had no idea my usually stone-faced boss...

...was so lovestruck.

: Paid Consultation

2

Silas Sterling hung up the phone and turned his head. His sharp brows furrowed, and his voice was tense. "What are you looking at?"

My hand trembled.

I hastily made an excuse. "Nothing. I was just going to say that coffee tastes best when you drink it hot."

His cold, heavy gaze swept over my face. "Leave."

"Yes, sir." I exited the office, my expression calm and composed.

The moment I was out, I sprinted back to my own office like it was a hundred-meter dash, shut the door, and locked it.

I pulled up the webpage and quickly found Silas Sterling's post.

I started scrolling through the advice and strategies in the replies.

"Go for it! As long as she's not married, it's not crossing any moral lines."

"What are moral lines? For me, you just have to follow your heart."

"So what if she has a boyfriend? Even if she were married, I could get her to divorce him."

"Is your mouth just for decoration? If you love her, say it! At least you won't have any regrets."

"Set the mood, have a few drinks, get her into bed, and knock her up. Everything else will fall into place after you've slept together."

"To the guy above me, you really know how to have a 'deep' conversation."

I was having a great time reading all of this.

Suddenly, Silas Sterling posted a new comment.

"Are there any relationship experts here? I'm willing to pay for a consultation."

Every fiber of my being lit up.

Silas Sterling... the man at the helm of the Sterling Corporation, the number one family in Kingsford.

'Would a man like that really offer a paltry sum?'

Fun and games are one thing, but you don't joke around when it comes to money.

I quickly registered a new account, created an alias, and transformed myself into a veteran Love Guru.

Then I reached out to Silas Sterling.

Silas Sterling didn't hesitate, transferring a huge sum of money directly into my account.

"Deposit." A single word, concise and to the point, just like the man himself.

"If I succeed in winning her over, there will be a generous bonus."

I counted the four zeros in the transfer amount, and my lips stretched into a grin shaped like the Nike swoosh.

I thumped my chest and made a guarantee.

"Don't worry. Just follow my instructions, and I guarantee everything will sleep into place."

'Crap.' In my excitement, I had typed "sleep" instead of "fall."

My scalp tightened. I instinctively sent a correction. "`Fall` into place."

'Right, we're separated by a screen right now.'

I put my professional mask back on.

"There are four key elements to pursuing a woman. One: A good physical impression. Two: Your speech and demeanor. Three: Knowing how to start conversations based on her interests and hobbies. Four: Using humor."

A moment later, he typed back, "Mm!"

He was always the one giving me orders.

Suddenly, our roles were reversed.

I had to admit, it felt pretty good!

"Alright, let's start with the girl's interests and hobbies. What does she like to eat or drink? Starting from there will make it easier to win her over."

After I sent the message, I waited a long time before he typed back three words: "I don't know."

'Hm.'

'Great!'

'Just peachy!'

'Are you sure you actually want to pursue a woman?'

"Well, you can at least describe her, right? Her appearance, personality, how she dresses?"

This time, Silas Sterling didn't disappoint me.

"Oval face, big eyes, long straight hair. There's a mole near the corner of her eye. When she smiles, her eyes curve into crescents. She's very capable, and when she works..."

He rambled on, sending a huge block of text.

'Looks like he's really fallen for this girl. I've never seen him type so much at once before.'

But... come to think of it...

The girl Silas Sterling was describing sounded a lot like me.

'I was thrilled. My chances of success just got a whole lot better!'

: A Teachable Student

3

I told him, "That kind of girl never needs some grand surprise. What she cares about are the small, subtle moments of warmth in daily life."

"If you want to win her over, you have to get to know her better. Once you know what she likes to eat, what she likes to drink, or the books and movies she usually enjoys, you can tailor your approach. That's how you'll slowly find your way into her heart."

Silas Sterling really was a good student, receptive to advice.

That afternoon, a questionnaire about employees' personal preferences landed in my hands.

Huh?

A jolt went through me.

'The person Silas Sterling likes is in the company?'

'Who is it?'

The gossip fiend in me began to stir.

After quickly filling out my own questionnaire, I made a point of 'caringly' looking over those of my female colleagues.

After all, if I could latch onto that golden thigh sooner rather than later, it would be all pros and no cons for me.

I praised myself internally.

'I'm such a clever little devil!'

For the rest of the afternoon, I was as giddy as someone who held the company's biggest secret.

As quitting time approached, my younger brother sent me a WeChat message.

"Sis, you must be tired after working all day, right? How about I drive over and pick you up personally?"

Tch!

'This kid, trying to play his little games with me.'

'I knew what he was up to the moment he opened his mouth.'

'But I'm in a good mood today.'

"Alright, spit it out. What do you want to eat this time?"

"You get me, Sis. I heard a new private kitchen just opened in North Kingsford. How about we go give it a try?"

'What's the point of earning money?'

'To enjoy a better life, of course.'

I made an OK gesture.

Then I quickly started packing up.

Just as I stepped into the elevator, I looked up and was surprised to see Silas Sterling.

"President Sterling."

I greeted him respectfully and stepped back to stand on one side of the elevator.

"Going home?"

'Huh?'

I froze for a second.

'Since when did Silas Sterling start practicing the art of stating the obvious?'

But, upholding my professionalism as both a good employee and an outstanding love consultant, I knew I absolutely could not let the conversation die.

"Oh, I heard there's a good new private kitchen in North Kingsford. I thought I'd go try it."

"Besides going out to eat, what other recreational activities do you do?"

'Not bad!'

'The boy is teachable!'

'He even knows to practice on someone else first.'

"I'm a bit of a homebody, so I'm not a big fan of overly crowded places. After work, I might occasionally meet up with a friend to grab a bite, see a movie, or go shopping, but most of the time I prefer to be by myself, maybe drinking coffee and reading a book."

Silas Sterling seemed to be listening very intently, nodding from time to time.

To make sure that five-figure consulting fee wasn't a complete waste, I kindly reminded him, "Of course, I'm just one example."

As I walked out of the elevator, I saw my younger brother waving enthusiastically at me from a distance.

Silas Sterling lowered his gaze, his eyes fixed on me. "Is that the 'friend' you mentioned?"

I...

'We're just boss and subordinate. I didn't owe him an explanation.'