You can pretend it never happened.

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Was the other person really talking to him? He felt as if his mind had gone completely blank, like an overloaded machine stalling for a while. After a long moment, his reason returned. He finally understood something and mustered the courage to turn back.

The man stood behind him, dressed in a sharply tailored suit like last time, but this time it was light gray, less formal, leaning toward casual. He wore no tie; the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a section of his neck, and over it, a dark coat that didn’t seem very warm.

The man’s expression was cold and indifferent, almost expressionless, but He Si felt an awkward vulnerability, as if being scrutinized with no place to hide. The memory of that night flashed through his mind but was quickly suppressed.

He Si thought to himself: He didn’t have any naive illusions, nor did he particularly care about sleeping with someone. But after all, that was a first time—he had no experience handling the aftermath.

Many thoughts flickered through his mind. Suddenly recalling the man’s words, He Si had a guess. After a brief silence, he asked, “Are you President Shen?”

The man glanced at him but didn’t deny it.

He Si’s expression froze.

So not only was the man an employee of Jiayi, but he was also the company’s boss—and, on top of that, the owner of their Marriott.

In other words, that night he had accidentally slept with their boss. He didn’t know how likely such a thing was in this world, but it had truly happened to him.

He Si felt as if he’d been hit with a heavy blow, dizzy and stunned.

While he was in a daze, Shen Zhi spoke up, urging, “Aren’t you going yet?”

He Si hurriedly replied and turned to lead the way.

Outside the banquet hall, the manager had been eagerly waiting. Seeing He Si and Shen Zhi approaching, she quickly put down what she was doing to greet them.

“The boss, you’re here.” The manager adjusted her earmuffs with excitement. “The red carpet event has finished, the live broadcast is over, so you can go inside now. Once you enter, the annual meeting officially starts.”

He Si stepped aside, letting the manager and Shen Zhi talk.

Shen Zhi didn’t hurry inside. His gaze swept over the scattered equipment and tools outside. Seeing the photographer carrying his gear behind them, he said, “Don’t film me. I’m not going to be on camera.”

Hearing this, the manager immediately raised her hand to block the lens. Once the photographer walked away, she asked, “Should I have the photographers inside pack up too?”

“Yes.” Shen Zhi replied. “Just film the usual annual meeting proceedings. Don’t waste shots on me.”

The manager nodded and waved at He Si.

He Si was still distracted, watching Shen Zhi out of the corner of his eye and didn’t notice the manager’s gesture. Only when the manager called his name did he snap back to attention.

In front of Shen Zhi, the manager spared him the embarrassment by not scolding him but instead snapped her fingers and said, “Go inside and greet the photographers. Don’t wait around. Just film the annual meeting as usual.”

Realizing his earlier awkwardness, He Si felt his scalp tingle and his throat dry up. These physiological changes were beyond his control.

He was genuinely embarrassed.

Wiping his face, he nodded.

The manager, seemingly unaware of his discomfort, added, “Also, greet the guy filming the behind-the-scenes footage. Don’t focus specifically on President Shen. If you have to film someone, film other leaders.”

He Si acknowledged and started to leave but nearly tripped over a box of equipment at his feet.

Shen Zhi reached out and steadied him. “Be careful.”

He Si was wearing his only remaining down jacket, thick as it was, yet the pressure of Shen Zhi’s hand through the fabric still reached his skin.

Fortunately, Shen Zhi didn’t linger. After confirming He Si was steady, he quickly withdrew his hand.

He Si lowered his eyes, avoiding looking at Shen Zhi. “Thank you, President Shen.”

“It’s nothing.” Shen Zhi’s voice matched his indifferent expression.

He Si strode into the banquet hall. Inside, the noise was deafening. Most guests had taken their seats. Two hosts, invited at great expense from C City Television, were warming up the stage under focused lights. The sound system was excellent, and their voices echoed throughout the hall.

He Si approached the camera operators waiting by the aisle one by one to explain the situation, speaking with some difficulty over the noise.

Returning outside, the manager was still there, instructing hotel staff to pack up. Their boss, however, was gone.

He Si, still catching his breath, blurted out, “Manager, where’s the boss?”

“The boss went in earlier.” The manager crossed her arms, frowning at He Si. “This was your first time meeting him, right?”

He Si nodded.

Previously, whenever he went to Jiayi on business, he always reported his work to the manager. She seemed very concerned about whether he had encountered the boss and asked about it every time.

“I see you’re usually so sharp, but you got confused at the crucial moment. The boss was standing right in front of you! You weren’t even proactive. You’re not a frog—do I have to poke you with a stick to make you jump?”

The manager was straightforward and unyielding in her reprimand. She had no assistant and practically treated He Si as one. She valued him, so seeing him so dull just now made her angry.

He Si didn’t respond, hanging his head.

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In truth, his mind was still numb.

The shock of the man’s true identity was too great, like a dream. The man had transformed into their boss in an instant.

Seeing He Si’s contrite attitude, the manager sighed and stopped lecturing. Instead, she said, “The boss usually stays at Jiayi and rarely comes to Marriott—barely a handful of times per month. Not just you, even we long-time employees have to wait for a chance to get face time with him. Now that such a golden opportunity has fallen in your lap, can you bear to mess it up? Don’t forget you’re still an intern. Even though your formal employment is confirmed, your salary and benefits haven’t been settled. You should fight for yourself.”

He Si understood the manager’s good intentions and nodded. “Thank you for your concern.”

“Then don’t make me worry about you again,” she said, then comforted him, “But don’t worry, the boss is strict, yes, but as long as you do your job well, he won’t say much. Don’t imagine him like some fierce beast.”

She added with a joke, “He’s such a handsome guy, no less attractive than a celebrity. Just you got scared like that.”

He Si: “…”

Was his reaction really that obvious?

Ah, forget it.

No more talking.

The annual meeting began, and the hall quieted down. Only the two hosts spoke on stage. The manager had to oversee everything, so she roughly divided the tasks. Perhaps intentionally, the work assigned to He Si all involved the leaders sitting at the main table.

He Si was mainly responsible for the subsequent prize draw and the leaders’ speeches. Both segments were lengthy, especially the prize draws, which were diverse and involved a leader coming on stage each round to warm up the crowd.

To avoid mistakes, He Si had to keep a close watch on the main table to coordinate the leaders’ entrances and exits.

Standing behind the main table would block cameras and the view of others. Standing in front was also unsuitable—the stage wasn’t high, but He Si was tall and would be too conspicuous.

Looking around, he reluctantly found an empty seat near the main table.

Coincidentally, Shen Zhi sat on the left side of the central table, diagonally ahead of He Si. Whenever He Si looked up, he could catch a glimpse of their boss out of the corner of his eye.

He Si didn’t know Shen Zhi’s full name. After a quick online search, he learned the boss’s single name was Zhi, like the gardenia flower.

Shen Zhi was indeed low-key. There were almost no photos of him online, only a few side shots from press conferences. Sitting in the front row, far from the camera, even zooming in on the photos couldn’t reveal his facial expressions clearly.

He Si quietly put away his phone, ostensibly watching the stage but actually keeping his gaze fixed on Shen Zhi.

On both sides of Shen Zhi sat an older man and woman, neither from Jiayi nor Marriott. They seemed to be leaders from other companies, likely potential partners Jiayi hoped to collaborate with. This annual meeting was not just for online viewers but also for these prospective associates.

The couple occasionally turned to speak to Shen Zhi.

But Shen Zhi rarely spoke. When he did, it was just a few words after they finished talking.

He Si watched intently and noticed how thin Shen Zhi really was. The coat had concealed it before, but now, dressed only in a suit, his slenderness was unmistakable.

That night, He Si had noticed the other’s slim waist—no excess flesh to be felt.

But that wasn’t important.

What mattered was whether he had been recognized.

Thinking this over gave He Si a headache. Judging from Shen Zhi’s reactions, it seemed unlikely he had been recognized. But they had slept together that night—they hadn’t just exchanged a casual glance. No matter how face-blind one was, surely they wouldn’t fail to recognize someone after putting their clothes back on.

Had He Si changed so much in two months?

He felt doubtful and pulled out his phone, about to check his face with the front camera when a hand suddenly tapped his shoulder.

“You’re here?”

He Si quickly sat up straight and turned around.

Assistant Bi appeared behind him, looking pleasantly surprised. To avoid blocking others’ view, Bi almost crouched down.

He Si immediately pocketed his phone and stood, about to offer Bi a seat, but Bi waved him off.

Only then did He Si notice the thermos Bi was holding.

“Xiao He, Manager Yang assigned you to handle the main table area, right?” Bi asked.

“Yes.”

“I want to trouble you with something.” Bi hesitated. “Could you bring some hot water to President Shen? Sister Cen asked me to go, but I have to watch the back and really can’t leave.”

This annual meeting was massive, requiring many hands. The general office staff had all mobilized.

He Si understood and took the thermos. “Should I give it directly to him?”

“Just put it on his table,” Bi said.

He Si didn’t waste time and was about to find a waiter when Bi stopped him.

“There’s one more thing…” Bi looked embarrassed.

He Si was patient. “Go ahead.”

“President Shen isn’t feeling well. A few days ago when he came here, he was dizzy and vomiting and didn’t have time to see a doctor. Could you keep an eye on him? If anything seems off, let me know immediately.”

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“All right.” He Si agreed.

He had been glancing that way anyway, so now he could do so openly.

Bi clasped his hands in gratitude.

He Si found a waiter, took the hot water, and quietly approached Shen Zhi from behind, placing the thermos in front of him.

Shen Zhi had just finished speaking with the woman beside him. Seeing the thermos, he lifted his head, and their eyes met for a second or two.

A polite smile remained on Shen Zhi’s face, faint as ever. He nodded slightly to He Si.

He Si watched closely.

Returning to his seat, he concluded—

Shen Zhi probably hadn’t recognized him.

He didn’t know how to describe his feelings—complicated but somewhat relieved. This was better, avoiding awkwardness in future encounters.

Halfway through the annual meeting, Shen Zhi exchanged greetings with those beside him and then stood to leave.

He Si, remembering Bi’s words, grew nervous when Shen Zhi got up. Only when he saw Shen Zhi head toward the restroom did he relax and lower himself back into his chair.

But after a long wait, Shen Zhi didn’t return.

He Si kept looking toward the restroom but never saw him come back. Thinking of Bi’s warning and knowing the prize draw was still some time away, he got up and headed in that direction.

The restroom was behind the banquet hall, requiring a detour along a semi-open corridor. He Si jogged there but saw no one.

Though it hadn’t snowed in days, the nights were cold. Few people were willing to come out despite the packed banquet hall.

Breathing in the chilly air, He Si rounded a corner and suddenly heard dry retching.

In the distance, he saw Shen Zhi bent over, vomiting into the grass outside the corridor. One hand pressed to his chest, the other braced against a nearby pillar. He retched for a while but only coughed up a few mouthfuls of sour liquid.

He Si was startled and stood a few steps away. When Shen Zhi finished, He Si stepped forward. “Boss, are you all right?”

Whether it was the lighting or Shen Zhi’s natural complexion, his face looked pale and ghastly when he looked up.

“I’ll get Assistant Bi,” He Si said.

“I’m fine.” Shen Zhi’s voice was weak as he stopped him. After a pause, he added, “Run and bring me my cup.”

He Si hesitated but obeyed. Tall and long-legged, he quickly fetched the thermos and returned.

He saw Shen Zhi disregard appearances and sit on the railing at the corridor’s edge. His usually straight back was slightly hunched, one hand pressed to his abdomen, head bowed, clearly uncomfortable.

Under the dim yellow light, Shen Zhi looked fragile.

“Boss, here’s your cup.” He Si unscrewed the thermos lid, poured hot water into it, and handed it over.

Shen Zhi took the lid with one hand, still clutching his abdomen.

He Si glanced at him and asked, “Boss, is your stomach hurting?”

Shen Zhi reacted a bit slowly. He shook his head, then nodded, unable to put the feeling into words.

After drinking half the cup, he poured the rest of the water into the grass and handed the lid back.

He Si screwed the lid on.

“Put the cup back for me,” Shen Zhi said. “You should go back now. I’ll rest here for a while.”

He Si wanted to ask if Shen Zhi would go to the hospital but thought better of it. The annual meeting wasn’t over yet, and as the boss, Shen Zhi surely wouldn’t leave early. So he swallowed the question.

Back inside the banquet hall, He Si put the cup back on the table. Those sitting with Shen Zhi asked him about the boss, but he simply said Shen Zhi had stepped out to take a call and would return shortly.

After speaking, He Si picked up Shen Zhi’s coat draped over the chair and ran outside again.

Shen Zhi was still sitting in the same spot, eyes closed, breathing a little heavily.

He Si shook out the coat and draped it over Shen Zhi.

Shen Zhi seemed to know it was him and, without opening his eyes, said a quiet “Thank you.”

He Si stood silently, watching Shen Zhi for a long while before slowly turning to leave.

At that moment, Shen Zhi suddenly spoke, “What happened that night—you can pretend it never happened. Just carry on as usual.”

He Si was stunned, then spun back around.

His pupils trembled.

Damn it!

Shen Zhi had recognized him all along?!