The office felt different the next day.
Qin Yue noticed it the moment she walked in. The usual murmur of staff, the sound of keyboards tapping, the shuffle of papers—all seemed muted, like the entire building was holding its breath.
She didn't understand why until she saw Li Feng.
He was already in his office, seated behind his desk, but there was something off. His posture was too rigid, his jaw clenched tight. Even from the hallway, his expression radiated tension, sharper than usual.
"President Li isn't in a good mood today," someone whispered near her. "I heard there's trouble with the board."
Another voice murmured, "He's terrifying enough when calm. Imagine him angry."
Qin Yue tightened her grip on the documents she was holding. She hesitated at the door, unsure if she should step inside. But avoiding him wasn't an option—not if she wanted to keep her job.
Taking a breath, she knocked softly and entered.
"Your schedule for today," she said carefully, placing the folder on his desk.
Li Feng didn't look up. He simply flipped the folder open, eyes scanning quickly, but his hand gripped the pen so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Qin Yue stood quietly, waiting for him to dismiss her. But the silence stretched.
Finally, she ventured, "Would you… like me to bring coffee?"
His eyes snapped up, and for a brief second, she regretted speaking. His gaze was dark, unreadable, and far too sharp.
"No," he said curtly.
The rejection was nothing new, yet the heaviness in the air made it sting. Qin Yue bowed slightly and turned to leave.
But just as her hand touched the door, his voice came again.
"Wait."
She froze.
Li Feng leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. His voice, when he spoke again, was lower, rougher. "Cancel the evening meeting with Director Zhou."
"But that's—" She caught herself before finishing. "Yes, President Li."
Her instincts told her to stay quiet, yet something in his expression stopped her. His eyes weren't just cold. They were tired.
Exhausted, even.
The realization startled her. For the first time, he didn't look like the untouchable man who towered over everyone else. He looked… human.
Against her better judgment, Qin Yue spoke softly. "You haven't eaten, have you?"
His head lifted sharply. Surprise flickered across his face, quickly masked by irritation. "That's not your concern."
Her lips pressed together, but she didn't back down. "Skipping meals won't fix problems. It'll only make them worse."
For a moment, silence filled the room again. She half-expected him to explode, to remind her of her place.
Instead, his eyes narrowed, but the anger wasn't directed at her—it was something else. Something she couldn't read.
Finally, he muttered, "You're bold."
Her heart skipped. "I just… didn't want to see you faint during a meeting."
A huff of laughter escaped him. It wasn't warm—it was dry, tinged with disbelief. But it was the closest thing to a laugh she'd ever heard from him.
"You worry too much about things that aren't your job," he said, shaking his head.
"Maybe," Qin Yue replied, her voice firmer now, "but you forget too easily that you're human, too."
The words hung in the air like a challenge.
Li Feng stared at her, expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, his sharp gaze locking onto hers.
"Be careful, Qin Yue," he said softly. Too softly. "If you keep talking to me like that, people will think you're special."
Her breath caught. Heat rushed to her cheeks, though she forced herself not to look away.
"I'm not," she said quietly.
He smirked, a fleeting curve of his lips. "Aren't you?"
The air between them grew heavy again, charged with an electricity she didn't dare name.
Before she could respond, the phone on his desk rang, breaking the moment. Li Feng leaned back, answering with his usual sharp professionalism.
Qin Yue took the chance to slip out, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
---
At lunch, she sat alone in the small cafeteria, trying to calm her racing thoughts. She barely touched her food, her mind replaying the exchange again and again.
If you keep talking to me like that, people will think you're special.
Why did those words unsettle her so much?
"Yue!"
Qing Feng's cheerful voice pulled her back to reality. Her best friend plopped down beside her, holding a tray piled high with food.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Qing Feng teased. "Don't tell me that cold-faced boss of yours scolded you again?"
Qin Yue forced a smile. "Something like that."
But Qing Feng wasn't fooled. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Or… maybe it wasn't scolding this time. Maybe it was something else."
"Don't start," Qin Yue warned, shaking her head. "He's just my boss. That's all."
Qing Feng grinned knowingly. "That's what they all say."
---
By the time Qin Yue returned to her desk, she had convinced herself to push the morning's encounter aside. It was dangerous to think too much.
But later that afternoon, when she delivered another report to Li Feng, she found something that startled her.
On his desk, beside the towering stack of contracts and proposals, sat an untouched lunch box.
Qin Yue blinked. It wasn't from the cafeteria—this was carefully prepared, neatly packed, with simple but nutritious food.
Her eyes flicked to him. He was focused on his laptop, typing rapidly.
"President Li," she asked softly, "is this yours?"
He didn't glance up. "My assistant left it earlier."
"You haven't eaten," she pointed out.
His fingers paused briefly over the keyboard. "I don't have time."
Her chest tightened. Without thinking, she stepped closer, slid the box across the desk, and opened it. "Then make time. Ten minutes won't ruin your empire."
He finally looked up, surprise flickering in his sharp eyes. "You're ordering me now?"
Her lips curved in a faint, nervous smile. "Think of it as… returning a favor. You kept me from drowning in this job. Let me keep you from collapsing."
For the longest time, Li Feng just stared at her. The silence was unbearable, heavy with something unspoken.
Then, unexpectedly, he picked up the chopsticks.
"Five minutes," he said simply.
But as he ate, Qin Yue noticed the tension in his shoulders ease, just slightly. The lines on his forehead softened.
And for the first time, she saw him not as the cold, ruthless CEO—but as a man who carried too much weight alone.
---
That night, as Qin Yue lay in bed, she hugged her pillow tight, heart unsettled.
Li Feng was dangerous, yes. But now she had seen the cracks in his armor.
And that made him even more dangerous.
Because cracks made her want to reach in.
Cracks made her want to care.
---