Reborn as an Aloof Boss, Flirting Everywhere - Chapter 1

Midsummer, 10:00 AM, inside an office building.

In the gray cubicles, the relentless click-clack of keyboards and mice filled the air. Everyone sat stiff-faced before their screens. It was dull and oppressive.

Thud.

A stack of documents slammed onto a desk.

Lin Qian, a girl with a low ponytail, black-rimmed glasses, and a clean, obedient face, shuddered as her shoulders jerked in shock. Everyone looked up, peeking curiously toward the source of the noise.

“Look at this trash you wrote. Do you actually think this is usable?” Director Liu looked at her with an ill-intentioned glare.

Lin Qian stood up, bit her lip, and took the documents back. “I’m sorry. I’ll rewrite them.”

Director Liu let out a cold snort. “Save your useless apologies. Getting the job done is what matters. This company doesn’t pay people to idle around.”

With that, Director Liu scanned the room with narrowing, sharp eyes. It was clear that her last comment wasn’t just meant for Lin Qian, but for everyone else. The onlookers quickly ducked their heads, scurrying back to their work.

Director Liu gave Lin Qian a final, sour glance before turning to leave. She slammed the office door behind her with a heavy bang.

Lin Qian shuddered again at the noise. Simultaneously, she felt the pitying gazes of her colleagues drifting toward her. She sat down, clutching the files and biting her lip in silence for a long while.

“Are you okay?” Chen Qi, a colleague with short, cropped hair and rugged features, leaned over to comfort her.

Lin Qian instinctively recoiled to put distance between them. “I’m fine, thank you.”

Chen Qi took the files and flipped through them. He said indignantly, “That Liu woman is just looking for trouble. This is written perfectly well. She’s just nitpicking because Group B snatched that last project away from her. She has no talent and she’s bitter, so she’s taking it out on someone.”

Lin Qian remained silent. It wasn’t news that Director Liu loved using people as punching bags.

Chen Qi’s eyes darted around before he suggested, “Don’t be upset anymore. Tell you what: how about I treat you to dinner after work? We can go for a walk. Think of it as me keeping you company to cheer you up.”

The moment he said this, the nearby colleagues burst into a chorus of suggestive “Ooh-la-la”s. Lin Qian’s fingers curled. She bit her lower lip and still said nothing.

Just then, the office door swung open again.

Director Liu barked, “What’s all the noise? Do you not have work to do?”

The room went dead silent.

Director Liu’s face was grim. “No chatting or fooling around during work hours. Furthermore, today is President Su’s first day. Don’t let me catch you looking slack.”

The door slammed shut once more.

Chen Qi rubbed his chin. “What’s the deal with this new ‘parachuted’ President Su? Seeing how nervous Liu is, she must be a big deal.”

“Probably. To be dropped straight into the top position, her background can’t be simple.”

“Sigh, who cares who it is? I just hope she’s not another Director Liu, or I really won’t be able to stay on.”

“Don’t bring up that lunatic Liu; you’re ruining the mood.”

Lin Qian overheard the discussion but didn’t participate. She didn’t know how to join in, and frankly, she didn’t want to.

In the break area, Lin Qian poured a cup of hot water and took a sip while looking out the window. She felt so tired.

If she could, she really wanted to hide away in a deep forest, far from the crowds.

Below, the streets were a sea of traffic and bustling people. An old man sweeping the street under the poisonous sun wiped sweat from his brow. A girl handing out flyers bowed repeatedly. A delivery rider on an electric scooter took a bite of a plain bun to stave off hunger while waiting for a red light.

Watching this, Lin Qian suddenly felt a sense of release. Everyone was tired, struggling for a few pieces of silver, and bound by necessity. She sighed and finished her water in one gulp.

Hearing footsteps, she saw two female colleagues approaching. Lin Qian instinctively shrunk back into a corner, moving to an inconspicuous spot where she could hide.

Fortunately, they didn’t notice her. She breathed a sigh of relief at having avoided an awkward greeting.

As they poured water, the colleagues gossiped.

“I have some inside info,” a long-haired colleague whispered. “The new President Su is Su Qingmo.”

“What?!” the slightly chubby colleague’s voice spiked.

“Keep it down!” The long-haired one pulled her. “You’ll bring that Liu woman over here. She’s like a rabid dog. You weren’t here this morning, so you didn’t see how badly she tore into Lin Qian.”

The chubby colleague lowered her voice but stayed excited. “Is it the Su Qingmo I’m thinking of?”

The long-haired one nodded. The chubby one blurted out an amazed “Holy crap.”

Su Qingmo was the second young miss of the Su family and the future successor of the Su Group. Whether in terms of birth or ability, she was an unattainable existence. During university, she had personally developed the most popular app on the market. Under her management, she had crushed all competitors. To this day, it remained number one. In the tech world, her achievements at such an age were unprecedented.

“What is she doing here? Our company is tiny. Is it even worth her time? Is this place actually going to become something big?”

“I think it’s likely. Either way, we definitely can’t resign. We might end up as veteran employees of a giant corporation and enjoy the benefits.”

In the corner, Lin Qian tilted her head in confusion. She murmured softly, “Su Qingmo?”

At 3:00 PM, the air conditioner hummed loudly. Sitting directly under the vent, Lin Qian shivered from the cold.

“President Su, this way please,” a voice came from the entrance. “Your presence here brings light to our humble office.”

“This is the Marketing Department, and over there is Sales. Please don’t mind the modesty of this place. Watch your step, there’s a ledge here.” Even from a distance, one could feel the Vice President’s cautious, fawning tone.

The employees buried in their work all poked their heads up to look. Lin Qian stopped her work and peered out of curiosity.

The person called “President Su” stood in the center, surrounded by a crowd. She had brownish-black, slightly wavy hair cascading down her back. Wearing a black suit, a red shirt, and high heels, she was tall and striking. Her face was cold and elegant, while her aura was noble and ethereal. While the Vice President flattered her incessantly, Su Qingmo’s gaze remained distant. She gave slight nods but didn’t say much. She was cold, yet not impolite.

Lin Qian stared, somewhat entranced. She didn’t know how to describe this woman. It was ironic, as her job was copywriting, but while a hundred adjectives flooded her mind, none seemed enough. The woman was like light itself: impossible to ignore.

A colleague nearby whispered, “Holy… she’s so beautiful. Is she the new President or a movie star?”

Lin Qian silently agreed. She was, indeed, excessively beautiful.

Suddenly, Su Qingmo’s footsteps paused. Her indifferent eyes swept across the room. The onlookers panicked and ducked their heads. Some pretended to stare at their monitors, while others grabbed random files to flip through.

Lin Qian was stunned and failed to react in time. Their eyes met.

Time seemed to freeze for a second.

Su Qingmo’s brow arched slightly. Her gaze locked onto Lin Qian and didn’t move. Lin Qian thought she saw a hint of a soft smile within those cold, distant eyes, but she wasn’t sure if it was an illusion.

Before she could process it, Lin Qian hurriedly looked down. After four or five seconds, unable to suppress her curiosity, she looked up again. Once again, she collided with Su Qingmo’s gaze.

Lin Qian’s mind went blank. In a flustered attempt to hide her awkwardness, she buried her head back into her work. She didn’t dare look up again.

Because Su Qingmo had lingered for so long, the Vice President noticed and asked with a smile, “President Su, what are you looking at?”

The corners of Su Qingmo’s lips curled into a faint arc. “Looking at a rabbit.”

The VP was confused. “Sorry?”

Su Qingmo withdrew her gaze. “Nothing. Let’s go.”

As the footsteps faded, Lin Qian’s tense body relaxed. She vowed never to be a curious onlooker again. She wondered if Su Qingmo was actually looking at her, but she quickly shook her head. It was probably a coincidence. Why would a powerful President stare at a lowly employee like her for so long? It wasn’t realistic.

Because it was Su Qingmo’s first day, Director Liu didn’t come looking for trouble all afternoon. This made the office atmosphere unusually light. Lin Qian secretly prayed that Director Liu wouldn’t come tomorrow either, though she knew that was impossible.

At 5:57 PM, Lin Qian stared at the clock with a mix of joy and anxiety. There were three minutes to go. Finally, it was time.

Colleagues scrambled to leave immediately. No one wanted to stay a second longer, fearing Director Liu might burst out and call for a meeting. Although Lin Qian was eager to go, she habitually waited a few beats behind the surging crowd.

By the time she reached the elevator, it was packed. She stepped back and waited around the corner until the crowd was gone before taking the next one alone.

After leaving the building, she walked home. At the entrance of her alleyway, she stopped. The path ahead was pitch black, looking as if it would swallow anything that entered. Lin Qian frowned. The streetlight had been broken for a long time. This was her only way home. She wanted to report it for repair, but the thought of communicating with a stranger made her shrink back instantly.

After a moment of hesitation, she gritted her teeth, balled her fists, and sprinted into the alley.

Holding her breath, she ran. Experience told her that counting backward from twenty would bring her to the end. As she ran and counted, her heart raced from the intense anxiety.

Three, two, one!

Reaching the light, Lin Qian bent over with her hands on her knees. She gasped for air as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She looked back at the dark maw of the alley and sighed, hoping the light would be fixed soon.

Entering her apartment complex, she heard a rustle in the flowerbed. A small orange cat darted out. Its back leg was lame, and it was covered in dirt.

Lin Qian smiled. Not caring about the grime, she knelt to stroke its head. The orange cat was friendly, nuzzling into her palm and purring loudly. The day’s exhaustion seemed to melt away.

“Did you miss me?” Lin Qian scratched its chin. “You must be hungry. I brought you something.” She took a ham sausage from her pocket, unwrapped it, and broke it into small pieces. “Eat slowly, there’s more.”

“Today was so tiring. I got scolded at work again. Maybe I really am bad at writing.”

“The light in the alley still isn’t fixed. It’s been a month. It’s so frustrating being scared every time.”

“Do you remember that colleague Chen Qi I told you about? He always likes to crowd me and tease me, and then everyone starts cheering. He did it again today. I hate it, but I don’t know how to make him stop.”

“Big Orange, do you think I talk too much? But besides you, I don’t know who else to tell. I get so nervous whenever I have to speak in long sentences to people.”

Lin Qian picked up the cat. “Well, too bad if you’re annoyed. You just ate my food, so listening to me is the interest you owe.”

The cat rubbed against her as if responding. Lin Qian’s heart softened. She wanted so badly to take it home and keep it, but she didn’t have the means. She lived in a cramped rental on a meager salary. Her life was a drift, so she felt she couldn’t provide for it.

After thirty minutes of cuddling, she reluctantly let the cat go and walked toward her building.

Her rented place was on the fifth floor. The walls were covered in small advertisements. The hallway light was dim and sound-activated, but it was extremely insensitive. Stamping your feet or clapping loudly didn’t always wake it up.

Inside, her one-bedroom apartment was simply furnished but neat and organized. She dropped her bag, took off her glasses, turned on the fan, and unburdened herself of her bra. She flopped onto the sofa, finally relaxing. Home was the best.

Once rested, she got up, poured a glass of ice-cold Coke, sat cross-legged, and logged into her game. Fan, Coke, and games were the perfect match.

Every second at work felt like a crawl, but after a bit of gaming, it was already 11:00 PM. Lin Qian reluctantly shut down the game, knowing she had to wake up early. She stood and stretched her stiff body until her joints let out audible cracks.

She walked to the window and leaned out. The cool summer breeze blew back her bangs. She began to hum a soft tune. At that moment, a black sedan drove into the alley and stopped below her building.

Lin Qian’s gaze drifted to the car. A burly man stepped out of the driver’s seat and ran to the back to open the door for the passenger. Lin Qian narrowed her eyes. She was nearsighted, and without her glasses, anything at a distance was a blur. She only knew the person stepping out was a woman.

The woman looked up toward the window. Lin Qian tilted her head in confusion. She wondered what the woman was looking at, and if she was looking at her.

Before she could figure it out, a rhythmic “thump-thump-thump” came from her ceiling. It was irregular but persistent. Lin Qian rubbed her temples. The upstairs neighbor was acting up again. It was so noisy. She had no idea who lived up there, but they seemed to stomp on the floor every single day.

By the black sedan, the burly man in the suit asked respectfully, “Second Miss, aren’t you going up to see her?”

Su Qingmo withdrew her gaze from the window above. Her usually cold eyes were filled with a rare, tender warmth.

“No,” she said softly. “She’s timid and doesn’t like contact with people. If I show up out of the blue, I’ll scare her.”

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