Mo Zixuan sat behind his desk , the jacket of his suit discarded , a fresh shirt already replacing the coffee- soaked one . His office was as cold and precise as the man himself - steel tones , sharp lines and not a single thing out of place .
Except the intern currently standing before him .
Lin Qiaoyi stood with her hands folded awkwardly in front of him , oversized glasses sliding down her nose , blazer sleeves swallowing her fingers .
He stared at her .
She stared at the floor.
"You" he said finally , " are you an intern "
"That's correct " she nodded quickly . "But I'm also very good at disappearing . If you want me to resign immediately , I can do it in fifteen seconds . Ten , if you allow me to run ."
Mo Zixuan expression didn't change , but something flickered in his gaze .
" Do you think this is funny? "
Qiaoyi blinked innocently , " I think it's survivable . Maybe "
He leaned back in his chair, studying her like an unfamiliar puzzle piece someone had forced into his perfect set .
" You poured coffee on your boss on day one . That takes skill ."
" I was trained by my clumsiness personally ," she said solemnly .
His eyes narrowed . Her eyes was self - deprecating , but her gesture wasn't desperate . And her eyes hidden behind those ridiculous glasses were steady . Too steady for someone supposedly panicking .
Interesting.
" Do you know why I haven't fired you yet ? " he asked .
" Pity ? " she offered.
"No!"
"Because I'm the only one who knows where the spare Wi-fi is ?"
"Still no. "
"... Because you want to give me a second chance ."
He didn't answer . Instead he reached for the file on his desk - her internship file .
"Lin Qiaoyi ." he read . "Twenty -two . Graduated from third - rate university . Barely passed HR screening."
Qiaoyi smiled faintly . " That's me a glorious underachiever ."
His eyes met hers . "So why did your resume get flagged by th vice- president himself?"
Qiaoyi paused. A beat too long .
Then she shrugged . " Maybe he saw my potential."
Or maybe owed her grandfather a favor . But that was her little secret .
Mo Zixuan said nothing .
In the quiet , the air crackled . He was trying to figure her out . She could see it in the slight furrow of his brow , the way his thumb tapped
once against the desk .
Finally , he spoke.
"Your internship continues . But from now on ,
you report directly to me ."
Qiaoyi blinked ," Sorry ?"
" I want to see what you are capable of . Or if you're a walking hazard ."
That sounded like a challenge.
She gave a small bow . " Understood CEO Mo ."
As she turned to leave , he said one last thing.
" And Li Qiaoyi ?"
She stopped .
" Try not to burn anything else next time . Especially not me . "
A smiled tugged at her lips.
" No promises " she said.
And with that , she walked out of his office - head high , heart racing , and
eyes sparkling behind glass .