Best Friends Chat Group.

[Zhang Ziqi: "@Zhuangzhuang, I remember you biked over there. How will you get back tomorrow?"]

[Wen Ruan: "I’ll hitch a ride with a colleague. I’ll see if anyone has room for my bike in the back seat or trunk. If not, I’ll just call a ride."]

[Hu Mingli: "@Zhuangzhuang, does the building where you're staying have any extra rooms?"]

[Wen Ruan: "You’re not thinking of coming to take care of me, are you?"]

[Hu Mingli: "Hehe, you never know. If I’m really bored, I might just show up."]

[Wen Ruan: "There are spare rooms available; you just have to pay a bit. I’ll share the location with you."]

They kept chatting in the group for a while longer.

Knock knock knock! There was a hurried knock at the door. "Sister Wen Ruan, I'm here! Got everything you needed."

"One moment." Wen Ruan quickly threw off the blanket and unlocked the door.

"I got both the 290mm and 420mm pads, but they didn’t have heating pads at the store, so I asked the staff for a hot water bag. It just needs to be charged for a while." Zhang Xintong handed over a black plastic bag, smiling as she sized up Wen Ruan.

Sister Wen Ruan was the type you could tell had a regular cycle, a good and reliable one at that, based on her figure. She even picked out 290mm night-use pads for Wen Ruan’s daytime use.

For herself, she only needed 150mm liners on the first day.

"Great, thanks, Xintong. How much do I owe you? I'll transfer it." Wen Ruan breathed a sigh of relief as she took the bag. This was a real lifesaver.

Zhang Xintong shook her head with a smile, "It wasn’t much. Just treat me to some snacks later. No need to get so exact."

Wen Ruan hesitated, then nodded. "Sure, sounds good."

"I’ll plug in the charger for you."

After changing in the bathroom, Wen Ruan applied the hot water bag, feeling the cramps ease a bit as she relaxed on the bed.

Sitting across from her, Zhang Xintong leaned back against the headboard and said, "Sister Wen Ruan, Director Wang was just downstairs looking for you. He asked me where you were, and I told him you weren't feeling well and were resting in your room. He might come to check on you later."

Wen Ruan frowned slightly, feeling a bit troubled. "I’m fine; a little rest will do. I’ll head down in ten minutes."

Since it was a team-building event with both supervisors and colleagues present, it wouldn’t be good to hide away for too long. Unfortunately, she'd have to skip the evening activities, which was disappointing.

She was naturally cheerful and loved activities like murder mystery games, karaoke, card games, and board games.

After a moment’s pause, Zhang Xintong asked quietly, "Sister Wen Ruan, Director Wang is easygoing, capable, tall, looks decent, and he’s wealthy. I've always wondered, why haven’t you accepted him?"

Her curiosity was shared by their other colleagues, as Director Wang was seemingly the ideal partner from every angle.

"But he has bad breath."

Zhang Xintong paused, momentarily speechless. "That’s hardly a big deal. It’s probably just digestive issues; he could definitely fix that with treatment."

Wen Ruan laughed, then said, "Besides that, I just prefer younger, handsome ‘little wolves.'"

"Ah... okay." Zhang Xintong wasn’t sure how to respond, so she simply wished her good luck.

Wen Ruan curled up a bit, her gaze turning distant.

A nice personality, wealth, and ability—these were undeniably attractive qualities.

But as a lover of appearances, she still wanted to see if she could find someone who was her ideal.

She’d had no shortage of admirers over the years, but every one of them, on closer inspection, came with their flaws.

For instance, Gu Cheng had a gloomy personality, and Wang Liyu wasn’t quite young or handsome enough…

Her friends and family always said she was dreaming. She herself admitted it.

But still, she wanted to try. If she couldn’t find the one by 30, she’d settle down with reality and consider dating and marriage.

For now, Tang Song was probably the closest match. At least, she hadn’t found any flaws in him yet, and his looks were exactly her type.

If only she knew how his “capabilities” stacked up.

---

Yanjing Tiancheng.

After changing into fresh clothes, Tang Song stood in his usual spot, straightened up, and casually placed his left hand with the ring on his shirt collar, his fingers subtly flexing.

Ten seconds later, he ended the recording.

After previewing and confirming it was good, he carried the camera to the study.

He opened his computer and started editing.

He imported five video segments, adjusted, spliced, applied filters, transitions, and background music…

This was one of the most intricate videos he’d ever made, requiring constant fine-tuning to achieve a smooth, visually pleasing flow.

After almost an hour, he finished everything.

Satisfied, Tang Song transferred the video to his phone.

Opening Douyin, he began uploading it.

Caption: When a male lead steps out of a novel.

Hashtags: #handsomehands, #handlover, #suit, #reservedstyle, #heartthrob

After verifying, he hit “Post.”

Preview mode began.

Long, sleek fingers, with prominent knuckles, a deep and radiant Bulgari ring, a well-fitted suit, and a dark-toned filter.

Absolutely perfect!

It was bound to be another viral hit!

Buzz buzz buzz! His phone vibrated.

[Hu Mingli: "President Tang, when are you leaving? If you wait any longer, you might lose the game."]

[Hu Mingli: Group photo from the outing.jpg]

[Hu Mingli: "Wen Ruan is with her department at the northeast corner of Huiying Riverside Creative Park, Building 3. She’s staying overnight. Also, cramps are caused by high prostaglandin levels, so red sugar water doesn’t help, but ibuprofen will. Of course, if you warm her stomach yourself, that might work better."]

[Hu Mingli: "Also, she loves tulips and that movie I mentioned. Wishing you a lovely evening!"]

[Hu Mingli: "President Tang, please remember your dear friend in Tech Support, Xiao Hu."] Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on NovєlFіre.net

“Pfft—” Tang Song couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

After a few words of encouragement, he put his phone away and walked into his wardrobe.

His current outfit was too formal for a casual outing like this.

After some thought, he took out the [Outfit - Fiery Sunshine].

He paired a lightweight coffee-colored shirt, black trousers, coffee leather shoes, and a black belt.

It was still a bit cool at night, so he added a dark casual jacket.

He examined himself in the mirror.

The in-house wardrobe had some exquisitely tailored outfits that fit him perfectly.

The shoulders of the suit aligned with his shoulder edges, the sleeve length reached his wrist joints, and the pants length hit his heel, with the waist and chest fitting just right.

Finally, he swapped out the Bulgari ring for a Longines watch.

Considering Wen Ruan’s colleagues were present, he figured this would come off more mature and steady.

With everything in order, he left the walk-in closet.

Looking through the floor-to-ceiling windows, he noticed the darkening sky outside.

"The weather’s taking a turn, could it rain?"

Just as he muttered, he noticed raindrops appearing on the glass.

Shaking his head, he grabbed a black, long-handled business umbrella from the entrance.

The umbrella had a high-end feel with 24 ribs, automatic open, and a 140cm canopy.

---

Huiying Riverside Creative Park.

In the lobby on the first floor of Building 3, all 38 employees gathered for a group photo.

Light and Shadow Media provided a quarterly 600-yuan team-building allowance per person, requiring on-site photos and corresponding receipts.

The goal was to strengthen team cohesion and relieve work stress, and to prevent any department from cashing out the allowance.

Holding a cat, Director Wang stood beside Wen Ruan, taking a deep breath as his heart raced.

He couldn’t help but marvel at Wen Ruan’s figure.

He could only imagine how wonderful it would be to cuddle up with her.

After the photo, everyone dispersed to play in the lounge.

Wen Ruan played with the cat for a bit but soon felt another wave of cramps and went back to the room for her hot water bag, leaning against a corner as she scrolled on her phone.

"Wen Ruan." Wang Liyu approached with a dark gray bag, saying softly, "I heard from Zhang Xintong you’re not feeling well and can’t participate."

She shrugged helplessly, "Just bad timing, really unlucky."

Wang Liyu pursed his lips, then unzipped his bag to pull out a dark gray drone.

Watching her beautiful face, he smiled, "I heard you love traveling and aerial views, so I brought my drone. You’re not

feeling up to walking, so maybe we can watch some aerial footage? The scenery here is stunning."

Curious, Wen Ruan asked, "Is that a DJI Mavic 3?"

"Yes." Thrilled by her reaction, he pulled out the controller, "It’s the latest model with a 5.5-inch screen, showing real-time footage, and it’s equipped with a Hasselblad camera for amazing clarity. It even has a 4G module for smooth video transmission."

"The director is into drones too; such a range of hobbies!"

"You can get a spectacular view of the river in May, it’s breathtaking."

Several women from the New Media Operations Department gathered around, cheerfully acting as his “wingwomen.”

Encouraged by their enthusiasm and her own interest, Wen Ruan nodded.

Wang Liyu beamed, punching the air excitedly.

"Hang on, I’ll get it up in the air."

With that, he dashed outside with his bag and began the setup.

Seeing this, Zhong Ying scowled, then sat beside Wen Ruan with a sour tone, "I love drones too, Sister Wen Ruan. Let’s play together later."

After hoping all day for Director Wang’s attention, she finally got it, only to find him focused solely on Wen Ruan.

Wen Ruan smiled at her and ignored her remark.

Since it was a team event with all the supervisors and colleagues present, she decided not to make a fuss.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the gray stone path outside showed the drone slowly ascending higher and higher.

Wang Liyu looked up, his eyes shining with excitement.

He imagined sharing the real-time drone footage with Wen Ruan, a beautiful moment bringing them closer.

Drip drip.

Raindrops began to fall on his eyelids, forehead, mouth, and heart…

Wiping the smile off his face.

D*mn! Wasn’t it supposed to be just cloudy today?

Whoosh whoosh whoosh. The rain grew heavier.

The joy faded from Wang Liyu’s face.

The controller screen dimmed, and the aerial footage vanished.

Then a bold red alert appeared: “Drone Disconnected.”

Lowering his head, he felt a wave of helplessness.

He’d never felt this unlucky in his life.

Honestly.

---

"Why did it suddenly start raining? It was sunny at noon!"

"Rain? That ruins our evening outdoor dinner!"

"Can Director Wang’s drone still fly?"

Wen Ruan shook her head, explaining, "Most consumer drones aren’t waterproof; the motors are exposed, and there are many small openings on the body. Flying in the rain risks water damage, causing the mainboard to short-circuit. Plus, the lens would get splattered, making the view unclear."

She knew a bit about drones, having bought some entry-level models for fun.

Looking at Wang Liyu standing in the rain, Zhong Ying had an idea.

Grabbing an umbrella, she rushed outside.

Click. She opened the umbrella and stood beside him, "Director Wang, consumer drones aren’t waterproof. The motors—"

She sweetly repeated Wen Ruan’s explanation, then expressed her concern.

Without much enthusiasm, Wang Liyu said, "It’s already crashed. I was about to look for it."

"Oh! I’ll go with you; do you know where it might have fallen?"

"No, just give me the umbrella. Could you let Wen Ruan know the aerial view’s a no-go?"

"Sure… okay."

---

With the rain intensifying, colleagues on the terrace returned to the lobby in groups, chatting as they enjoyed the rain through the large windows.

Back inside, Zhong Ying looked upset, drying her damp clothes with tissues.

She gave Wen Ruan a bitter look, "Sister Wen Ruan, you won’t get that aerial view now; thanks to you, Director Wang’s drone broke."

Zhang Xintong frowned, "How is that Wen Ruan’s fault?"

"Heh, she knows why."

The others quickly tried to ease the tension.

"So lively here." Li Meiling joined them, her makeup heavily applied, her shoulder-baring dress swaying flirtatiously as she walked.

Smiling at Wen Ruan in her corner, she said, "Wen Ruan, in your condition, I doubt you can bike home tomorrow. Why not ask your boyfriend to pick you up?"

She’d always had it out for Wen Ruan, who was of a similar age yet managed to steal the spotlight.

"Yeah, Sister Wen Ruan, where’s that boyfriend who gave you an LV bag?" Zhong Ying teased.

Li Meiling shook her phone, "My boyfriend heard I didn’t bring a jacket, so he’s driving over right now. That’s what a boyfriend should do."

Wen Ruan chuckled, "My boyfriend, I like him, and that’s all that matters. Not really your business."

Ding-a-ling-a-ling! Her ringtone suddenly cut the tension.

Li Meiling quickly answered her own call, smiling as she pointed out the window, "My boyfriend’s here! He even postponed a business meeting just for me."

Everyone looked outside to see a Volkswagen Magotan pulling up.

Out stepped a young man dressed in a trendy style.

Li Meiling glanced at Wen Ruan, "Feeling so poorly and yet no sign from your boyfriend?"

Zhong Ying chuckled, "Come on, Sister Wen Ruan. You can’t magic up a 25-year-old successful boyfriend out of thin air. What if he’s just a figment from one of those romance novels?"

Her loud comment caught everyone’s attention.

"Could you two stop buzzing around me like flies?" Wen Ruan’s face darkened.

Already irritated from her cramps, these two idiots kept pestering her, stirring up trouble.

Zhang Xintong quickly took her hand, handing her a deck of cards, "Sister Wen Ruan, don’t let them get to you. How about a game?"

"Want to play Fight the Landlord?"

Sensing the awkwardness, other colleagues chimed in to ease the mood.

A short-haired girl called out, "Hey, everyone! I just found a great video full of heartthrobs. Let’s check it out!"

"Where? Let me see!"

She placed her phone on the table, turned up the volume, and hit play.

Everyone was curious; after all, who doesn’t love eye candy?

The video’s title was “A Compilation of Stunning Strangers Caught on Camera.”

It had been posted not long ago and already had over 200,000 likes.

Each scene was a candid shot of stunning individuals.

"Oh wow, this guy’s so handsome! Those brows!"

"The guy in the jacket is so cool, my type!"

"Love the suit; the guy is so classy."

The girl smiled mysteriously, "Wait for the last one; there’s a surprise."

Instantly, everyone perked up.

Then, the gasps began.

"Ladies, this one’s the real deal!"

"Forget the jacket guy, this is perfection!"

"The suit guy is nice, but this shirt is on a whole other level."

"His hands are beautiful! And he’s from Yan City!"

One male colleague interrupted, "Oh please, you’re just eyeing his Benz."

"Fair enough, but he’s undeniably handsome."

"Yeah, admit it, Li Ming, you’re just jealous."

"Go to the end! I only want to see Benz guy."

…

The buzz attracted even more people over.

Li Meiling, back with her boyfriend, joined to sneak a peek, her eyes lighting up with intrigue.

Amidst the excited chatter, Wen Ruan couldn’t help but glance at the screen.

Her expression froze for a moment as she picked up the phone to scroll to the end.

The video showed a young man sitting in a silver Benz, his hand resting casually on the steering wheel.

He wore a coffee-colored shirt that looked impeccably high-quality. His fingers flexed lightly on the wheel.

A chiseled jawline, tousled hair, a faintly smiling mouth, a straight nose, piercing eyes, and a refined silver Benz.

The video creator had clearly added a filter, giving the entire shot an elegant touch.

The Benz accelerated, quickly leaving the frame.

A glimpse that was irresistibly captivating.

And most importantly—that person was Tang Song!

With his luxurious Benz S-Class worth over a million yuan.

It seemed Hu Mingli didn’t know him as well as she thought.

Wen Ruan pursed her lips, momentarily dazed.

This version of Tang Song was unlike anything she’d ever seen, as though he were a different person.

He brought to mind a line from The Knight-Errant by Li Bai: “Silver saddle on a white horse, gliding like a shooting star.”

Exuding a blend of vibrant confidence and sharpness.

Watching her expression, Zhong Ying said snidely, "Sister Wen Ruan, can we tone down the excitement? No matter how much you like him, he’s not yours."

Li Meiling covered her mouth with a laugh, "Oh, no worries. Just imagine him; you’ll have material for tonight’s dreams."

Wen Ruan set the phone down, licking her dry lips. "That might not be true. What if he really is my boyfriend?"

Pfft. Zhong Ying doubled over, "Sister Wen Ruan, still dreaming at your age?"

The others, who had always held a grudge against Wen Ruan, covered their mouths and laughed along.

As if it were pure coincidence that the guy from the video was her boyfriend.

And a young guy in a luxury car like that hardly seemed like her match.

Feeling awkward, Zhang Xintong gave a weak smile, uncertain of how to defuse the tension.

Just then, the same male colleague who invited Wen Ruan

to sing earlier came over, raising his voice, "Wen Ruan, feeling better? Want to sing a duet?"

There was a mini-stage in the hall, perfect for karaoke.

He must have sensed the tension and wanted to help Wen Ruan out, gaining a few points in her favor.

"Sorry, Wen Zhe, I’m not feeling well. Really can’t sing." Wen Ruan shook her head, not in the mood.

Wen Zhe blinked. "Alright then."

Zhang Xintong quickly stood, "Wen Zhe, I’ll sing with you! Rainy days are made for music."

She playfully took his arm, leading him to the hall’s mini-stage.

The two discussed briefly before Wen Zhe picked Guest, the duet he had hoped to sing with Wen Ruan.

After the lovely intro, Zhang Xintong’s soft voice filled the room.

「BGM: After so many winters since we parted, what day is it today? I sometimes think of you…」

Both of them were karaoke pros, effortlessly captivating the room.

The atmosphere lightened as their voices echoed.

Wen Ruan’s colleagues resumed watching videos and chatting.

Noticing Director Wang’s return, Zhong Ying abruptly stood up, "Director Wang is back, but he looks off. I’ll go check on him."

Everyone turned to look outside.

They saw Wang Liyu looking slightly bedraggled, his clothes half-soaked and smudged with dirt.

Several male colleagues got up, opening the doors to let him in.

"Yunyun, I think I’m seeing things—I swear I just spotted that same silver Benz from the video!" one female colleague exclaimed.

Since everyone was already looking outside, they perked up even more.

Through the rainy haze, they saw a silver Benz S-Class smoothly rolling down the wet cobblestone path.

A thin water film coated the car’s surface, giving it a gentle sheen.

"It’s the same model, but it can’t be the same car, right?"

"The car plates were blurred, but it looked like a Yan A plate. It could be!"

"Could it really be this much of a coincidence?"

"I feel like I’m about to fall in love—what do I do?"

Li Meiling tapped Wen Ruan’s shoulder, grinning, "Wen Ruan, didn’t you say that guy’s your boyfriend? Go on and greet him."

Wen Ruan ignored her completely, standing up as she watched the Benz pull up outside the door.

Her heart thumped.

「BGM: He carefully sets the stage, though it’s your scenery…」

Under their gaze, the Benz headlights went off, and the driver’s door opened slightly.

A sleek, black business umbrella emerged.

Thud—it snapped open, blocking the falling rain.

The door fully opened.

A pair of polished black leather shoes stepped onto the wet stone path.

Then, a tall, handsome figure emerged.

He looked down slightly, holding the umbrella in his right hand, a bouquet of blooming tulips in his left, with a dark jacket draped over his arm.

He closed the door and raised his head, looking through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

With a straight nose, a faint smile, red lips, and a smooth, sculpted jawline, he looked exactly like the guy in the video.

[Special Effect Triggered]

His aura radiated a calm composure, confident sharpness—like a male lead stepping out of a novel.

He seemed almost out of place in this world yet perfectly suited to this rainy scene.

「BGM: Thank you for the special invitation, to watch your romance unfold…」

Adjusting the umbrella slightly, he took long strides, crossing the rainy distance toward the building.

As he passed Wang Liyu and Zhong Ying, he barely glanced at them and walked through the open doors.

Around him, there were soft gasps and sounds of people swallowing nervously.

Wen Ruan bit her lip, dazed as she watched him approach.

That feeling—it was a racing heart, the urge to look away, the sense of I think I like you.