Assistant Zhou felt he might be the first assistant driven mad by the chairman.
Carefully retrieving the tablet, he tentatively asked, “President Zhai, should we skip the rest? You probably won’t like them. Maybe… I can find some others to show you in a few days?”
Whether this was the perfect response, Assistant Zhou didn’t know. All he knew was that continuing to flip through photos might cost him his life.
Hearing this, Zhai Mo secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
But he still had to maintain appearances. Frowning, he shooed Assistant Zhou out. “Can’t even find a decent woman. What’s the point of paying you?”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Assistant Zhou nodded obsequiously, desperate to escape the chairman’s office—this living hell.
And so, Zhai Mo resumed his daily cycle of endless frustration with Zhai Zuozuo, brief moments of relief, and then back to frustration—a life of torment.
But compared to the headache of selecting a girlfriend for Zhai Zuozuo, he found his anger somewhat bearable.
Until one day, when he passed by two female employees chatting at their desks.
Employee A, sounding worldly, said, “Let me tell you, people only put extra effort into things they like. So whether someone loves you or not is obvious.”
Employee B blushed. “Does he really like me?”
Then, they both sensed something amiss—why was the air so unnervingly still?
Looking up, they found President Zhai standing behind them, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
Discussing non-work topics was their mistake, but President Zhai, must you glare at us so terrifyingly? They trembled in fear.
“What did you just say?” Zhai Mo narrowed his eyes, his expression murderous.
“I… I said… does he really like me?” Employee B was on the verge of tears.
For some reason, Zhai Mo suddenly thought of Zhai Zuozuo’s face.
At one point, he’d often asked himself the same question. Looking back now, he realized how idiotic his doubts had been.
Zhai Mo’s expression darkened further. “I wasn’t asking you. I was asking her.”
“I… I said people only put extra effort into things they like, so whether he loves you…” Employee A stammered, but Zhai Mo cut her off.
“Enough. Both of you, focus on your work from now on. No more off-topic chatter during office hours.” His stern reprimand felt like a pardon to them.
Back in his office, Zhai Mo couldn’t shake the phrase from his mind.
*Putting extra effort into things they like.*
Lately, he’d been putting a lot of effort into one thing.
No, not a thing—a good-for-nothing.
Like now, when the good-for-nothing was sneakily glancing at him. Zhai Mo sensed it the moment it happened.
His icy glare made Yao Zuizui immediately avert her eyes, not daring to utter a word.
*What’s gotten into Zhai Mo now?* Yao Zuizui mourned silently. *The road back to the immortal realm is long and arduous…*
Zhai Mo was indeed overly attentive to this good-for-nothing. Because the moment Yao Zuizui stopped looking at him, he regretted glaring. Then he wondered why she’d been looking at him, what she was thinking now…
And just like that, Zhai Mo spent the entire day unable to focus on work.
When Zhai Zuozuo played on his phone, Zhai Mo couldn’t help but watch, wondering what she was doing—was she secretly chatting with girls?
When Zhai Zuozuo ate, Zhai Mo stole glances, waiting for her to serve him food or steal from his plate.
When Zhai Zuozuo dozed off on the way home, Zhai Mo inched closer, letting her lean on him. Then he wondered why she was so sleepy—was the car ride with him that boring, or had she been up to something at night?
At home, Zhai Mo’s symptoms only worsened.
Watching TV, he couldn’t concentrate, wondering what the good-for-nothing was doing alone in her room.
When the weather forecast predicted rain, he immediately thought of reminding her to dress warmly, lest she catch a cold.
When a cheesy romance drama aired, he changed the channel—it always made him think of strange things.
He despairingly realized that even the news reminded him of the good-for-nothing…
Finally, Zhai Mo angrily turned off the TV and went to bed.
Lying down early, sleep eluded him.
His mind raced—was the good-for-nothing asleep? Was she tucked in properly?
Tossing and turning until 2 a.m., Zhai Mo gave up.
Sneaking out of bed, he tiptoed to the good-for-nothing’s room and quietly opened the door.
There she was, peacefully asleep, a carefree smile on her lips, her skin glowing under the moonlight, long lashes dusted with starlight.
Zhai Mo couldn’t help but smile too.
Then, like lightning striking his muddled mind, he realized something.
He liked her.
All this torment, pain, unease, and turmoil stemmed from one fact—he liked her.
A man.
A good-for-nothing.
His brother.
The realization sent chills down Zhai Mo’s spine.
He’d always been traditional—his 28 years without a girlfriend or any involvement with women proved that.
Even now, with immense power and wealth, he’d restrained himself, vowing never to act recklessly.
Yet here he was, realizing he liked a man—his brother.
This was… utterly reckless!
Like a man possessed, Zhai Mo left the room, muttering to himself.
“No… no…”
Zhai Mo didn’t sleep a wink that night.
Exhausted, yet every time he closed his eyes, Zhai Zuozuo’s smiles, glances, and gestures flashed vividly in his mind.
Every move, every expression, plucked at the deepest strings of his heart.
Subconsciously, he’d memorized Zhai Zuozuo so thoroughly, so irrevocably, so unforgettably.
At dawn, Zhai Mo arrived at the breakfast table with dark circles under his eyes, while the culprit remained blissfully unaware, happily eating her meal.
“Brother, didn’t sleep well?” Yao Zuizui sipped her milk, leaving a white ring on her crimson lips.
Zhai Mo stared at her radiant lips, lost in thought.
*If only Zhai Zuozuo were a woman.*
She was so beautiful, her skin finer than any woman he’d seen. Why couldn’t she have been born a girl?
Deep in self-torment, Zhai Mo barely noticed Yao Zuizui’s concerned gaze.
She took another sip of milk, then offered him the glass. “Brother, want some?”
The transparent glass bore traces of her lips—a faint mist of white.
Zhai Mo’s pupils contracted. Pushing her hand away, he fled. “Emergency at the office. Don’t come in today.”
Watching his retreating figure, Yao Zuizui’s lips curled slightly.
*Looks like I’ll be back in the immortal realm soon.*
*Brother, just surrender already~*
Zhai Mo wallowed in self-loathing.
Never had he imagined liking a man—let alone the good-for-nothing he’d once envied, despised, and looked down upon.
He couldn’t pinpoint when it started.
Every moment with her was etched into his memory. Sometimes, a good memory wasn’t a blessing.
The workaholic Zhai Mo was now utterly distracted.
Reading documents, he recalled Zhai Zuozuo peeking over his shoulder.
Gazing out the window, he remembered her pressed against the glass, marveling at the traffic.
In the break room, he pictured her kicking off her shoes, lounging on the sofa, sulking after his scolding.
Unknowingly, Zhai Zuozuo had seeped into every corner of his life and work—inescapable, undeniable.
*If only I’d killed Zhai Zuozuo sooner.*
No—the mere thought of her death made his heart ache unbearably.
He was beyond saving.
Zhai Mo avoided Zhai Zuozuo, his dark circles deepening, his heart growing heavier.
He longed to see her, but reason forbade it.
He missed the softness of her skin, the lingering fantasies, but reason forbade touch.
He fought the urge to pull her into his arms, but reason forbade embrace.
Day after day, his rigid morals drove him to the brink of madness.
*”The fool is he who shackles himself.”*
Finally, in fitful sleep, he dreamed of his mother—her last words before abandoning him.
He’d been her shackles, so she’d cast him aside.
Zhai Zuozuo was his shackles, yet he couldn’t bear to let go.
Waking, Zhai Mo smiled.
Why must all shackles be removed? Zhai Zuozuo was so beautiful—if she was a shackle, she was the loveliest adornment.
He could adapt, adjust, and eventually merge with it. Wouldn’t that be fine?
He’d prided himself on being more composed than anyone.
Yet now, he had to admit—he’d fallen for Zhai Zuozuo.
The realization lifted a weight off his chest. Even the wind felt gentler, kinder.
Exhaling the turmoil of days past, Zhai Mo pushed open the door.
At last, he could go to her.
===
Check out my upcoming novels in my author column! Pick whichever you like!
*The Prime Minister’s Little Crybaby / My Daughter is the Black Moonlight [Transmigration]*
Synopsis in the author’s notes~
Author’s Note:
Please check out my upcoming novels! Pretty please!!
Just click my author column~~
*My Daughter is the Black Moonlight [Transmigration]*:
After waking up, Tong Xiao finds herself transmigrated into a dog-blooded CEO romance novel as the biological mother of the “black moonlight” character.
Problems arise:
1. She didn’t finish the novel—who’s the father?
2. How to raise her daughter so she doesn’t self-destruct?
3. Three devastatingly handsome exes want her dead—what now?
4. Can the author just spell it out? Clearly.
Reading Guide:
1. Fluff, sweetness, and no explanations needed!
2. 1v1 is my unwavering principle!
3. Involves the entertainment industry. The female lead is an 18th-tier model, a PhD graduate from the Drama Queen Academy. No real-life references.
*The Prime Minister’s Little Crybaby*:
Growing up, Qin Yin’s sole impression of Ye Nianning was—crybaby!
Age 3: Ye’s hibiscus cake was eaten by Qin—she cried for an hour.
Age 10: Ye’s silk dress was stepped on by Qin—she cried for three hours.
Age 15: Upon hearing she’d marry Qin—she cried all day.
Age 16: On her wedding night, bullied sore by Qin—she cried all night.
Eventually, Ye the crybaby became the Prime Minister’s crybaby, still weeping at the drop of a hat, utterly spoiled.
The omnipotent Prime Minister sighed. What else could he do but pamper her?
Reading Guide:
1. Tooth-rotting sweetness, fluff overload.
2. Male lead is a doting husband, IQ max; female lead is a delicate crybaby, EQ max.
3. Daily updates, guaranteed completion~
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage