Lunch break wasn't just a favorite time for employees—it was also something Jia Wen looked forward to, even as a boss. In fact, after clocking out at the end of the day, lunchtime was his second-favorite part of the day. Unfortunately, his appetite instantly disappeared the moment he saw the one person he was trying to avoid.
Deciding to head back to his office, Jia Wen noticed the curious stares aimed in his direction. Perhaps they were wondering why he didn't join the others for lunch as usual. He didn't care if his behavior raised questions among his subordinates.
Sprawling onto the sofa, Jia Wen covered his eyes with his right arm, lost in thought once again.
To be honest, Jia Wen still couldn't believe what had just happened—or more precisely, what he had allowed to happen. The man he hated most, his ex-fiancée, was now working in his company… as his subordinate.
If he listened to his pride, there was no way he would have let Shen Han work for him. No matter how qualified he was or how valuable he might be to the company.
But when professionalism took over, it was unethical to reject a job applicant based on personal history—no matter how bitter.
If he had to blame someone, Jia Wen wanted to point fingers at Yuan Qi for giving him unsolicited advice the other day. Or maybe HR for hiring someone without thoroughly checking their background. Or even security for letting someone like him walk in and apply for a job.
Still, deep down, he knew exactly who deserved the blame the most.
It was Shen Han.
He was the root of all this chaos. No one else deserved the blame more than him.
Jia Wen lifted his arm when he heard a sound. Yuan Qi had just entered his office.
"You're avoiding him," Yuan Qi said bluntly as he shut the door behind him.
"I'm not avoiding anyone," Jia Wen snapped, his voice sharp and defensive as he sat up.
His emotions flared at Yuan Qi's accusation. He wasn't avoiding anyone—he just didn't want to be anywhere near Shen Han. That was all.
Taking a seat next to him, Yuan Qi gently patted Jia Wen's shoulder. "Why don't you just talk to him?"
Jia Wen glared at him. "Me? Why should it be me? If anyone has to speak first, it should be him."
He wanted to be upfront about it, but just seeing Shen Han within his line of sight made his blood boil. Still, he had to hand it to him—he had the guts to look him in the eye after what he'd done.
If Shen Han had even half a brain, he would've come to him already and begged for forgiveness. Instead, he walked around like nothing had ever happened.
"Look, I'm just giving advice. Do what you want," Yuan Qi replied with both hands in the air, clearly done trying to reason with him.
Jia Wen let him go without saying anything else. Left alone again, he forced himself to shift focus back to work. Maybe going through proposals and other important documents would help him forget him, even if only for a while.
But nothing went according to plan. His stomach growled loudly, distracting him from everything.
"I'm starving. I can't focus at all," he muttered, rubbing his stomach.
Unbelievable. That man had somehow made him torture himself by skipping lunch on his first day at work.
Still hopeful, Jia Wen decided to go back to the cafeteria. Maybe Shen Han would be gone by now. If not, he'd just have to endure the hunger until it was time to leave.
When he arrived, the place was much quieter than before. A quick glance at his watch told him lunch break was nearly over—no wonder the cafeteria had mostly emptied.
Wasting no time, Jia Wen grabbed a plate and sat at the nearest empty seat. He ate quickly, and once his stomach was no longer growling, he returned to his office, ready to work like normal.
He was doodling distractedly on a notepad when he heard the sound of his office door opening. He didn't bother to look up—only one person dared to enter without knocking.
"Look, I'm not in the mood for another one of your lectures," Jia Wen said without lifting his eyes from the document he was reading.
"Relax. That's not why I'm here." Yuan Qi's mischievous grin would've set off alarm bells if Jia Wen had looked at him.
Jogging over, Yuan Qi leaned in close and whispered, "Boss, there's someone asking for you."
Jia Wen's head snapped up. He pushed away from his chair and gave Yuan Qi a hard look. After a moment of hesitation, he answered, "No. I don't want to see him."
He turned his chair so his back was to Yuan Qi, his chest tight with nerves. The cafeteria run-in with Shen Han had already rattled him enough for one day.
"You don't even know who it is. Or… do you?"
"It's him, right?"
"Shen Han? You mean Shen Han? No! I'm not talking about him." Yuan Qi looked genuinely confused.
Jia Wen's expression stiffened. So he was wrong. It wasn't Shen Han after all. But the fact that he had been his first assumption? That annoyed him even more.
"Then who is it?" he asked eventually.
"She said her name is Wu Xue Ying."
Jia Wen had a terrible memory, but some names—especially those connected to recent events—managed to stick.
"So, are you going to see her or not?" Yuan Qi asked when Jia Wen didn't respond.
He didn't want to. Not even a little. But if he refused, his father would surely pressure him even more. And truthfully… he was a little curious about why Wu Xue Ying had come to his office in the first place.
There was only one way to find out.
"Let her in," he finally said.
"You owe me a story," Yuan Qi added, tapping his shoulder as he backed away. "I'll be collecting later."
Once the door shut behind him, Jia Wen sighed and took off his reading glasses. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, already feeling the headache creeping in.
Engagement, matchmaking—whatever it was, Jia Wen wasn't having it.
No way in hell.