Yao Zuizui announced the company’s group trip to Mount Hua at work, which received unanimous praise from the employees.
The branch she currently manages is relatively small, with only about twenty to thirty people, making it more than capable of organizing such a small-scale outing.
Naturally, Yao Zuizui was once again treated like the center of attention.
Some massaged her shoulders, others brought her tea, and there were even those who showered her with flattery, their sycophantic smiles plastered on their faces as they bombarded her with endless compliments.
Strangely enough, Yao Zuizui seemed oblivious to their insincerity, her eyes narrowing into happy slits as she basked in the adoration and attention.
Zhai Mo watched everything unfold with a cold gaze, jealousy burning in his chest.
*What a useless fool! Stupid and worthless.*
*Can’t even tell when people are sucking up to her. A little praise and she’s floating on cloud nine.*
He wished he could just walk over and stab Zhai Zuozuo twice.
To keep himself from losing his temper, Zhai Mo decided to turn a blind eye.
*Let them flatter her all they want. Let Zhai Zuozuo be fooled like an idiot.*
Zhai Mo despised these bootlicking colleagues—he felt that sharing a company with them was an insult to himself.
To them, life seemed to revolve around praising Zhai Zuozuo.
Every time Zhai Zuozuo posted something on social media, within ten minutes, it would be flooded with likes and comments from these colleagues.
Not a single one would miss it—likes and comments came in a seamless stream, each trying to outdo the others with unique compliments.
Whenever Zhai Zuozuo shared an article in the group chat—something like *”The More Filial You Are, The Richer You Become”* or *”A Letter That Shocked 80 Million People!”*—within ten minutes, every colleague would respond with a thumbs-up emoji.
And then came the flood of reactions:
*”So touching!”*
*”Tears in my eyes!”*
*”Learned so much!”*
*”Boss Zhai is the most filial person I’ve ever met. We should all learn from her!”*
Followed by a barrage of flower and clapping emojis, drowning the entire company group chat.
Zhai Mo had to grit his teeth to stop himself from leaving the group. Many times, his finger hovered over the red “Exit Group” button, itching to press it.
But he had to endure. The less attention he drew, the better.
As a result, he was the only one in the company who refused to flatter, making him the target of isolation.
*Well, what could he do? The original Zhai Zuozuo was just that kind of boss—someone who naturally inspired sycophancy.*
She paid high salaries, offered generous benefits, and frequently organized company trips whenever she felt like traveling.
In the two years since Zhai Zuozuo took over, not a single employee had quit.
No one wanted to leave such a great company, such a wonderful boss…
Zhai Mo was the complete outlier among them.
On the day of the trip, the company arranged a tour bus parked outside the office.
Yao Zuizui didn’t want to be treated differently and planned to ride the bus with everyone else—it was only a half-day journey, after all.
But Zhai Mo didn’t wait for her. He left early on his own.
Yao Zuizui was the last to arrive.
Though the company only had twenty to thirty people, the bus had over forty seats.
When she boarded, she noticed plenty of empty spots.
Her gaze immediately landed on Zhai Mo, sitting in the right rear section of the bus.
Strangely, all the seats around him were empty.
The colleagues clearly avoided him, preferring to squeeze together at the front rather than sit near him.
Without hesitation, Yao Zuizui walked over and plopped down beside Zhai Mo.
The colleagues immediately burst into chatter.
*”Boss Zhai is so kind, always caring for her employees!”*
*”Yeah, Boss Zhai is so thoughtful and considerate! I’m her biggest fan!”*
*”No, I am! Don’t steal her from me!”*
*”Too bad some people don’t appreciate her kindness. Boss Zhai’s goodwill is wasted on them!”*
They openly sneered at Zhai Mo in front of him, clearly despising him.
In their eyes, Boss Zhai was a once-in-a-millennium kind of boss.
Especially for the female employees—Boss Zhai was beautiful, came from a wealthy family, had a great temper, and never acted superior. She was practically every girl’s dream partner.
As for someone like Zhai Mo, who dared to treat their beloved boss with such disrespect? No matter how handsome he was, they couldn’t help but loathe him.
Zhai Mo remained indifferent to their mockery, though it disgusted him.
*These girls have no shame—throwing themselves at Zhai Zuozuo, practically drooling over her.*
*And Zhai Zuozuo is no better, never refusing their advances, casually hugging them like some sleazy loser!*
The thought made Zhai Mo glare at Yao Zuizui again.
*Disgusting. Get away from me.*
Yao Zuizui was baffled by his sudden glare. She hadn’t done anything!
*Was he upset about what the others said?*
*Weird. He never cared about that before…*
Clearing her throat, Yao Zuizui spoke in a crisp, clear voice: *”Alright, alright, we’re about to leave. Save your energy—hiking is exhausting!”*
*”Whatever Boss Zhai says, I’ll do!”*
*”Boss Zhai is always right!”*
*”Boss Zhai’s got a point. I’m going to sleep!”*
…
*”Boss Zhai, Boss Zhai! I brought a neck pillow—do you want it?”*
Just as things had calmed down, another employee rushed over, sitting in front of Yao Zuizui and handing her a pillow.
Not one to refuse kindness, Yao Zuizui smiled and accepted it. *”Thanks!”*
But this instantly triggered the other girls who were eager to please her.
Within moments, the seats around Zhai Mo and Yao Zuizui were surrounded.
*”Boss Zhai, I made sushi for you!”*
*”Boss Zhai, here’s an eye mask I prepared!”*
*”Boss Zhai, I downloaded some songs for you to listen to!”*
*”Boss Zhai, I bought a bunch of snacks yesterday—your favorite spicy strips!”*
*”Boss Zhai…”*
Five minutes later, Yao Zuizui was happily buried under a pile of snacks and entertainment items.
The girls in the company were adorable—they adored Zhai Zuozuo but never overstepped, giving their gifts and then leaving without being clingy.
This was one of the reasons both the original Zhai Zuozuo and the current Yao Zuizui liked them.
Zhai Mo watched as the pile of snacks in Yao Zuizui’s arms nearly spilled onto him.
He couldn’t take it anymore and let out a cold snort.
Yao Zuizui gave him a puzzled look, then glanced at her snacks.
*”You want some?”* she asked, catching on.
*”…”* Zhai Mo suppressed the urge to throw her off the bus. *”Move. I’m sitting over there.”*
*”Oh.”* Yao Zuizui casually nodded and shifted her legs.
But when Zhai Mo tried to get up, he realized there were no empty double seats left.
The previously vacant spots around him had all been taken by Zhai Zuozuo’s admirers.
If he moved now, he’d just be trading one idiot’s side for another fangirl’s.
With a dark expression, Zhai Mo sat back down heavily.
*Better to sit next to this fool than those noisy, infatuated girls.*
Listening to them chirp *”Boss Zhai”* over and over made him want to crush Zhai Zuozuo into pieces and toss her out the window.
Grim-faced, Zhai Mo endured the torture, sitting stiffly in his seat.
The next three hours of the journey were pure hell for him.
Yao Zuizui first noisily munched through her snacks.
Melon seed shells accidentally fell onto his lap.
He endured it—despite his cleanliness obsession—using a tissue to pick up the saliva-covered shells and tossing them into a paper bag.
Then came the potato chip crumbs, also landing on his lap.
He gritted his teeth and carefully brushed them away.
She slurped her drink loudly, disturbing his attempt to rest with closed eyes.
*Eating is one thing, but can’t she at least shut up while doing it?*
Between bites, she flirted and joked with the girls in the company, laughing and chatting without restraint.
*Does this idiot have no sense of decency in public?*
Just as Zhai Mo was about to explode, Yao Zuizui finally stopped.
She let out a long yawn and set the snacks aside. *”I’m sleepy. Gonna take a nap.”*
Zhai Mo exhaled in relief, thinking to himself:
*Go ahead and sleep.*
*Soon enough, it’ll be your last nap.*
But his relief lasted only five minutes.
Because the moment Yao Zuizui fell asleep, she slumped onto his shoulder.
Her head wasn’t heavy, resting lightly against him.
Her flaxen hair swayed slightly with the bus’s movement, tickling his neck.
Expressionless, Zhai Mo roughly pushed her head away.
But this idiot slept like a log—no, worse than a log.
No matter how hard he shoved her, she just wobbled back like a roly-poly toy, smacking her lips contentedly.
The cramped space inside the bus made Zhai Mo feel like he was suffocating.
No matter how many times he pushed her away, she wouldn’t wake up—just kept leaning on him.
—
**Author’s Note:**
Had some issues with the draft file, so I had to replace the chapter.
From now on, I’ll be giving out small red envelopes to one lucky commenter per chapter!
Don’t mind the small amount—once my earnings increase, the envelopes will get bigger! QAQ
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage