Our Company

My phone exploded.

Messages from Mia.

Messages from Quinn.

The important one was from Quinn.

Attachment:

Marketing Director - Noah Song Profile

Then:

Qingqing, our new marketing director. Since you know him, please help him find a place. You’ll work closely together.

I stared at Noah.

“You’re joining my company?”

“This is the job I mentioned.”

“You mean the job you left for this morning?”

He fed me a shrimp dumpling.

“Eat first. You haven’t eaten all day.”

I chewed.

He said seriously,

“I thought carefully. Your company is an industry unicorn in women’s intimacy wellness. It has great prospects.”

Then he emphasized,

“Our company.”

He pointed at me.

Then at himself.

“Our.”

I laughed.

“I thought you came purely for love.”

“That’s part of it too.”

I looked at him for a moment.

“This relationship needs to stay hidden. Office romance affects work.”

Noah immediately looked wronged.

“Fine.”

I patted his head.

“I’ll find you an apartment.”

Before I finished, Noah stood, dragged his suitcase into my bedroom, and began unpacking.

Apparently, the apartment search was over.

After three days off, I returned to work.

My desk was empty.

My heart stopped.

Good news: I had been promoted.

Good news plus one: I had my own office.

Good news plus two: Quinn assigned me an assistant, a fresh graduate boy.

Good news plus three: our first women’s adult wellness retail store would officially open next month.

The combination of love and career success made me hum.

My assistant entered.

“Ms. Fang, you like Debussy too?”

He handed me his resume.

Young.

Polite.

A little green.

Same age as Noah, but lacking Noah’s sharpness.

I realized then:

I did not like younger men.

I liked that one man.

“Occasionally,” I said, signing his onboarding notice. “Follow admin today. Any questions, email me.”

After he left, I opened Noah’s marketing plan.

Pre-opening calendar.

Influencer collaboration.

Feminist creators.

One small trending topic a day.

One major hot search every three days.

The plan was clean, aggressive, and perfect.

Opening day arrived.

I stood on one side of Quinn.

Noah stood on the other.

The media asked,

“Why open an adult wellness store inside a shopping mall?”

I thought for a moment.

“Like clothing stores and restaurants, intimacy is part of life.”

“To speak correctly about it, we must first speak normally about it.”

“I hope our brand becomes a space that carries women’s needs without shame.”

After the interview, Ethan appeared with Celine.

Wonderful.

Bad luck had arrived in a suit.

Celine smiled warmly.

“Congratulations, Ms. Fang. This project was delayed for so long. I’m glad it finally landed.”

I returned the smile.

“Let me show you around.”

Ethan followed nervously.

Afraid I would expose him.

I turned and made a zipper motion across my mouth.

I showed Celine the new lingerie pieces.

Then the wellness products.

She was clearly interested.

Ethan cut in immediately.

“My Celine doesn’t need these.”

I looked at him.

Such confidence.

Such a small foundation for it.

“Ms. Zhang,” I said calmly, “whether a woman needs intimacy products depends on her own needs. It has nothing to do with whether she has a partner.”

Ethan’s face darkened.

Noah and Quinn came over.

Quinn looked from Ethan to Noah.

“Careful, you two look a little alike.”

I froze.

“No. Not really.”

Quinn laughed.

“Maybe handsome men have similar features.”

At the celebration party later, my assistant stopped me.

“Ms. Fang, I heard tomorrow is your birthday. I prepared a small gift.”

He handed me a box.

I was about to open it.

“Please look when you get home,” he said shyly.

In the parking lot, I texted Noah:

Puppy, come home. A13.

While waiting, I opened the box.

Debussy film.

Noah arrived behind me.

“What is that?”

His tone was full of vinegar.

“My new assistant’s gift. Probably just maintaining workplace relations.”

Noah took the box.

“He knows your preferences well.”

Then his eyes flicked aside.

Before I could react, he kissed me hard.

I pushed him.

“Someone might see.”

I looked around.

My assistant stood not far away.

Noah glared at him, then asked me,

“Sister, do you like Debussy that much?”

I quickly soothed him.

“Actually, my favorite is Phoenix Legend. I’ve only told you.”

Noah looked unconvinced.

But less murderous.

Progress.