The elevator doors opened with a soft chime, and the hum of Luminar's new building washed over Qing Yun. The lobby bustled with the sound of shoes clicking against polished floors, interns rushing with documents, and the occasional chatter near the café corner. Yet, the moment Gu Ze Yan walked in with her, the entire air shifted.
He didn't walk like the cold CEO everyone once knew. He walked with a warmth that startled his employees—expression soft, eyes bright, posture relaxed.
Because beside him was Lin Qing Yun.
They were used to seeing their CEO storm through the office, silent, unapproachable, like an emperor descending into court. Now he looked… almost like a lovesick man, hovering at her side, watching her every step with the eagerness of a dog waiting for its master's attention.
Whispers rose in the air:
"Is that really our CEO? He's smiling." "Smiling? He looks like he's glowing." "It's her, right? That woman in Management's office?" "They're… holding hands?"
Yes, they were. Not tightly, but Ze Yan's fingers brushed against hers every so often, sneaking contact whenever he thought she wouldn't notice. Sometimes, he didn't bother hiding it. And when Qing Yun glanced at him with her calm, unreadable eyes, he simply grinned as if caught red-handed.
By now, gossip about the CEO's sudden transformation had spread across every department. But no one dared say it out loud when he was within earshot—except, perhaps, one person.
---
Lunchtime Banter
It was in the break room, during lunch, that Yi Lan's curiosity finally burst.
The young intern bounded over to Qing Yun, carrying a plastic lunchbox that smelled of home-cooked stir-fried vegetables. She plopped herself onto the seat across from Qing Yun, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Senior Lin," Yi Lan whispered dramatically, leaning forward as though they were in the middle of a spy exchange. "What exactly are you to our CEO? His girlfriend? His wife?"
Qing Yun didn't even blink. She set down her chopsticks and said flatly, "His hostage."
Yi Lan froze, then burst into a fit of giggles. "Hostage? Oh, that's perfect! I knew you had a sense of humor hidden somewhere."
Qing Yun returned to her food without correcting her.
Yi Lan propped her chin in her hands, sighing like a lovestruck girl. "Honestly, though, if being a hostage looks this romantic, I wouldn't mind. The cold, untouchable CEO secretly abducts Cinderella, locks her away in his golden palace, and—bam!—they fall in love."
She clasped her hands together, eyes shining. "Can you imagine? It's like something straight out of a novel."
Qing Yun's lips twitched—though whether from amusement or weariness, it was hard to say.
---
A Fairytale Question
Yi Lan wasn't done. Her youthful enthusiasm poured out in waves.
"You could totally be Cinderella, Senior Lin. You're beautiful, elegant, mysterious. And CEO Gu? He's basically the prince already. Handsome, rich, powerful, completely devoted to you. It's like fate!"
Qing Yun finally set her chopsticks down, her gaze calm and level. "Is it nice," she asked softly, "to be Cinderella?"
Yi Lan blinked, caught off guard. "Of course. She marries the prince, lives happily ever after."
But Qing Yun shook her head slowly, her eyes distant. Her voice dropped, carrying a weight that hushed even Yi Lan's bubbling energy.
"It seems tiring," she said. "To be Cinderella means you must keep up with the prince. You must prove you deserve to stand beside him. Not because of wealth—but because the higher he climbs, the more expectations fall on you."
Yi Lan frowned, tilting her head.
Qing Yun's fingers brushed the rim of her cup, her tone flat but edged with quiet sorrow.
"Cinderella may start pretending," she continued. "Polishing herself, smiling when she doesn't want to, becoming perfect so she won't lose her place. But the more she tries, the more she forgets who she is. One day, she'll realize she's exhausted… and empty."
Silence stretched across the table.
Yi Lan's eyes widened, her expression softening. She pulled out her phone and quickly tapped notes into it. "That's… beautiful, Senior Lin. Painful, but beautiful. I think I want to write a story like that. About a Cinderella who doesn't want the crown, who just wants to rest."
Qing Yun gave a faint smile, almost imperceptible, then picked up her chopsticks again.
---
Ze Yan Listening in
What neither of them noticed was the figure standing just outside the break room.
Gu Ze Yan had come looking for Qing Yun, only to hear her words spill like quiet confessions.
He froze, every sentence piercing deeper than the last. Cinderella… exhausting herself… pretending until she disappeared.
She wasn't talking about fairytales. She was talking about herself.
Ze Yan's grip on the doorframe tightened until his knuckles paled. His chest constricted painfully, because for the first time, he understood how she saw their worlds—as something that could crush her, swallow her whole, force her to fake herself until she couldn't breathe.
He closed his eyes, forcing himself to step back, his footsteps retreating soundlessly down the hall.
For once, he didn't interrupt, didn't demand, didn't press. He left quietly, his mind swirling with determination.
If she feared being Cinderella, then he would show her—she didn't need to be.
He didn't want her to polish herself into exhaustion. He wanted her, exactly as she was.
---
Afternoon Gossip
When Qing Yun returned to her desk later that afternoon, she found Gu Ze Yan waiting for her. He leaned casually against her chair, as though he had every right to be there.
Employees passing by slowed their steps, whispering furiously.
"CEO Gu again…" "He's here every day now." "Did you see how he looks at her? I've never seen him like this."
And then, without hesitation, Ze Yan bent down and stole a kiss from her lips. Right there, in the middle of the office.
Gasps filled the hallway. Papers rustled. Someone even dropped a pen with a clatter.
But Qing Yun? She didn't push him away. She didn't defend herself. She didn't even blush. She simply accepted it, her expression calm, as if she had long stopped caring what the world thought of her.
Only when they were at home, behind closed doors, did she sometimes return his kisses. And every time she did, Ze Yan felt like a man who had been given the greatest treasure in the world.
---
Evening Reflection
That night, when the house grew quiet and the koi pond outside shimmered under lantern light, Ze Yan stood by his study window, replaying Qing Yun's words in his mind.
Cinderella… pretending… exhausted.
His heart ached, but beneath the ache grew a fierce resolve.
He didn't need a Cinderella.
He didn't want a polished fairy tale.
He wanted Lin Qing Yun—tired, quiet, flawed, real.
And no matter how long it took, he would prove to her that she didn't need to exhaust herself to stand by his side.
She didn't need to fake joy.
She didn't need to sparkle like Sunny.
She only needed to be herself.
And he, Gu Ze Yan, would be the one to love her nevertheless.