The CEO Keeps Crying - Chapter 1

The atmosphere in the office was so tense, it felt like you could slice it with a knife.

Shen Ningxin peeked up from behind her computer monitor for a glance, then quickly ducked back down and pretended to type along with everyone else, looking appropriately busy.

But inside, she was absolutely floored.

Corey Industries was a long-established company that specialized in manufacturing and selling reflective glass beads used for road markings. It had a prime location, promising future, and generous benefits.

It was the kind of dream job fresh graduates would kill for. If not for her cousin Dong Shu, who worked in HR and had put in a good word for her, there was no way Shen Ningxin—who graduated from an average university—would’ve gotten in.

Even so, she didn’t have the qualifications to join the domestic trade department. After some thought, Dong Shu placed her in the newly formed foreign trade division, which had only been around for less than two years.

“Corey only started expanding into overseas markets recently. Everything’s still in the early stages. Fewer clients means a lighter workload—good for someone like you who’s just graduated,” Dong Shu explained one afternoon in a nicely decorated café. She patted Shen Ningxin on the shoulder and smiled. “Do your best.”

Shen Ningxin nodded sweetly, immediately promising to work hard, treat the company like her second home, and dedicate herself to the frontlines.

“No need to go that far,” Dong Shu laughed. “It’s not as hectic as you think. Even if you want to work hard, there might not be enough to do.”

She hit the nail right on the head.

There were quite a few people in the foreign trade division, but since the department was still in its exploratory phase, there weren’t many clients. Even the senior staff didn’t have much work.

As an intern who’d just joined, Shen Ningxin spent most of her time doing basic clerical tasks like printing and organizing documents—and a whole lot of nothing.

That’s why today’s unusually tense vibe caught her completely off guard.

Apparently, the CEO—Qiu Yibai—was returning from a nearly week-long business trip.

Shen Ningxin took a deep breath and quietly organized some documents while listening to her coworkers whisper anxiously.

“Wasn’t he supposed to be gone for two weeks? Why is he back so soon? I haven’t even finished the customs paperwork yet!”

“No clue! I haven’t even started! We’re so dead. I’m definitely getting yelled at!”

Yikes.

Shen Ningxin silently listened in, then turned around and offered a gentle smile.

“Is there anything I can help with?”

She had soft apricot eyes and two faint dimples resting on her fair cheeks. Her smile was sweet and harmless—utterly lovable.

The colleague behind her blinked, eyes lighting up. She clasped her hands together in mock desperation.

“Can you help me make some copies? I’ll treat you to lunch after this—seriously, you’re a lifesaver!”

“No problem.” Shen Ningxin smiled and took the documents, heading toward the copier.

On the way, her gaze naturally drifted toward the glass-paneled office in the corner.

That was where the CEO sat.

Although she’d only been here two days, she’d already heard plenty of rumors about Qiu Yibai.

A young returnee. Ruthlessly efficient. Intimidatingly sharp.

And—

An absolute knockout.

As a certified face-con (someone who worships beauty), Shen Ningxin had been dying to see what their CEO actually looked like.

Could she possibly be as beautiful as the woman Shen Ningxin had seen this morning on the bus?

Just thinking about it made her pause mid-copy, cheeks flushing pink.

The entire morning passed in a haze of tension.

At exactly noon, everyone reached for their phones to clock out, then slumped back into their chairs like deflated balloons.

Shen Ningxin finished copying the files and handed them to her coworker. She had just sat down when Wang Xi walked over.

“Want to grab lunch together?”

Wang Xi was the team lead. She’d been here for years and was reportedly up for a promotion soon. Ever since their manager had left with the CEO on the business trip, she’d been temporarily in charge. She was warm and capable—the kind of big sister figure everyone respected. She’d even helped Shen Ningxin with onboarding her first day.

“Thanks, Sister Wang, but I brought lunch today. I’ll just heat it up in the microwave,” Shen Ningxin said with a smile.

“Alright then.” Wang Xi nodded and left.

After waving goodbye to her, Shen Ningxin also said farewell to the rest of her coworkers heading to the cafeteria. She then took out her carefully packed bento box and set it on the desk.

Opening her phone, she tapped into a group chat:

Group name: Pretty Girl Water Curtain Cave 💅

Grinning, she typed:

“Sisters, I’m off work!”

In no time, replies came pouring in.

Goddess Meng Yaoyao: You’re off work already?? I just woke up.

Sweetheart Jiang Yueyue: Same. Just woke up.

Ishihara Rimi, Riverbank Beauty Li Shanshan: You guys are so tame. I just got back from an all-nighter at Night Talk. Haven’t even slept yet!

Night Talk was a well-known lesbian bar in the area—open 24/7, high-energy at night, and occasionally featuring live performances.

That was where Shen Ningxin had met Li Shanshan and the others. After bumping into each other multiple times and discovering they shared similar orientations and interests, they’d quickly become close friends.

After a brief round of gossip, the topic naturally shifted.

Sweetheart Jiang Yueyue: Wait, I forgot to ask—any cute girls at your new office, Xinxin?

Well, there were some.

Shen Ningxin:
But none of them are really my type.

She tilted her head in thought, then started typing again.

But I did meet someone on the bus this morning. And she was… drop-dead gorgeous.

Shen Ningxin could still picture her perfectly.

Long black hair, crisp white suit, long fluttery lashes and warm brown eyes. Her pale skin and softly tinted lips were flawless.

Even the hand holding the overhead strap was beautiful—slender fingers, elegant joints. Easily the most attractive hands Shen Ningxin had ever seen.

Earlier, when the bus had jolted during rush hour and an older man had bumped into her, she’d lost her balance and stumbled a few steps.

Right into that woman’s arms.

Into that faint, elegant scent lingering on her body.

Shen Ningxin’s face had turned bright red.

“I’m so sorry!” she’d quickly apologized. “I lost my balance. I didn’t mean to bump into you. Are you okay?”

The woman smiled.

“It’s alright.” Her voice was soft and pleasant. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Shen Ningxin had smiled back, trying to appear calm, though her heart was racing.

She’d seen many beautiful women before, but never one who made her heart skip like this. It was like someone had reached into her head and plucked out her exact ideal type.

Absolutely stunning.

As she recalled the moment, she typed it all out in detail, gushing nonstop.

Li Shanshan: Damn, with a description like that—did you get her contact info?

Shen Ningxin:
Not yet.

It was the first time we met. I didn’t have the nerve to ask…

Li Shanshan sent a dramatic “regretful sigh” meme.

Shen Ningxin laughed, head down, fingers dancing on the keyboard:

But I believe we’ll definitely meet again~

Lunch break flew by. Once everyone clocked back in, the tension in the office returned full force.

Though the rumored CEO still hadn’t shown up, her team was in full panic mode, frantically hammering away at their keyboards.

Except Shen Ningxin, of course—still very much a free agent.

While foreign trade was quieter than domestic, it still involved a wide range of logistics—customs, shipping, factories, drivers—and the paperwork was extensive, mostly in English. It wasn’t easy to master.

She spent the next hour quietly practicing.

Time passed quickly.

Then suddenly, a deliberate, throat-clearing ahem cut through the silence.

Out of the corner of her eye, Shen Ningxin watched all her previously slouched coworkers sit up ramrod straight, backs stiff and posture perfect.

That could only mean one thing: leadership had returned.

She cautiously looked up.

First came a short woman in black. Everyone greeted her with a respectful:
“Manager Liu.”

Shen Ningxin echoed the greeting:
“Manager Liu.”

Then a taller woman in blue walked in.
“Assistant Han.”

Shen Ningxin followed suit:
“Assistant Han.”

Assistant Han gave a brief nod and strode quickly toward the back, clearly in a hurry. A minute later, a third woman stepped inside—this one in white.

This time, the greetings rang louder and more formal:
“Good afternoon, President Qiu!”

Shen Ningxin joined in—but just as she opened her mouth to say the final word, she froze.

Standing in the doorway was the same gentle, stunning woman from the bus that morning.

That was Qiu Yibai?!

Shen Ningxin stared in shock, unable to tear her eyes away.

She watched as Qiu Yibai nodded slightly and walked across the room, stopping by Xiao Yang’s desk.

Xiao Yang was visibly trembling, hands shaking as he gripped his mouse.

“President Qiu,” he stammered, opening his file. “This is the document you asked for in last night’s email. I’ve finished it. Please take a look…”

“What do you think?” Qiu Yibai asked after scrolling through the file, brows furrowed, her face devoid of even the slightest smile.

“I… I think it’s… not great,” Xiao Yang murmured.

“Fix it,” she said curtly. “You have all the data you need. Cross-check everything properly. Last year’s report should still be on your computer—use it as a reference.”

“If it’s still not done right, don’t plan on leaving tonight.”

Not a trace of the soft, gentle woman from the bus remained.

Shen Ningxin’s jaw nearly hit the floor.

________________________________________

Author’s Note:

For anyone wondering why Qiu Yibai was riding the bus—it’s because her car was in the shop. It’s not shown in the text, so I’m clarifying it here!