Chapter 2: Aren't We Friends Too?

"Talk. What is this?"

The man sat casually in the wide fabric sofa.

Long legs crossed, one hand draped lazily over the armrest, the other holding his phone, screen turned toward Yu Qiao.

His voice had no inflection, but every single word carried the innate control of someone born at the top. Just a light, offhand sentence, and the air froze, tightened.

On the phone screen was their chat history:

[Secretary Yu: Audio file.]

[Secretary Yu: Babe, I'm so sorry, stayed up till two to finish recording and editing everything. Sending you the raw audio pack! It's too late to bother your sleep, just check it tomorrow when you're free~]

[Secretary Yu: Going to bed, gn!]

And at the very end, an adorable *mwah* sticker!!!

Yu Qiao stood a few steps away from him, not daring to make a sound, but not daring to stay silent either...

"Speak! Or else I'll..."

He made a move to tap the audio file. Yu Qiao was so scared her voice cracked into a sob: "Don't... I'll talk, I'll talk, okay? But President Sheng... could you delete it first, then listen to me?"

The worst part was, Sheng Yuan wasn't just her direct boss. He was also her brother's best friend, and her sister's crush.

If—and she meant *if*...

He heard her making those kinds of sounds, then told her brother and sister about it, and they told her dad and mom...

Okay, stop thinking.

Think any more and she'd off herself right now~!

"If I delete it, how do I know you're telling the truth?"

"It's character voice lines I recorded... a Tomato novel, I voiced the female lead..."

"That's all?"

He looked like he didn't believe a word. His finger rested on the screen as he asked back, "Then why are you so afraid to let me hear it?"

"Don't press it... please, don't press it!"

Yu Qiao was genuinely about to cry. She didn't dare hide anything anymore, spilling it all out like beans from a bamboo tube: "It's an NP novel, one woman and eight men, with BDSM tags. The female lead I voiced is D... D-oM..."

"..."

His expression went bad!

The kind of bad Yu Qiao couldn't describe, but her sixth sense was screaming that things were very, very ominous!!

She could only press her palms together: "Please, delete it! For my brother's sake, my sister's sake, and because you love my mom's cooking, spare me this once! Wuu wuu wuu! I'll never take jobs like this again... Brother Sheng Yuan~"

That last "Brother Sheng Yuan" was intentional. And unintentional.

Yu Qiao was eight years younger than her brother. Sheng Yuan was the same age as her brother, so he was eight years older than her too.

When she was still in kindergarten, her brother was in middle school. Back then, Sheng Yuan was already his best friend.

Never mind that her brother was now a serious, unsmiling big-shot lawyer.

As a kid, he was wild and mischievous. For a while, he even kept fantasizing about becoming a delinquent punk.

Sheng Yuan, on the other hand, was mature for his age even as a kid. Pretty much the same vibe he gave off now. Nobody knew how the two of them ended up playing together.

Anyway, they did play together, and got so close they could share a pair of pants.

Back then, their parents were busy with work. When she wasn't in kindergarten, her brother and sister took turns watching her. Every time it was her brother's turn, Sheng Yuan was always there too.

At that time, she was still a little loli, calling him cutely: Brother Sheng Yuan.

In high school, because her voice was special, highly malleable, and naturally carried a 'sultry' edge, her bestie dragged her secretly into the voice acting industry.

After recording tons of melodramatic novels, she realized that the little white lotuses, little green teas, vicious supporting actresses, and little sluts in novels all loved calling the male lead: XX gege~

That was when she changed how she addressed him, calling him Brother Sheng Yuan instead.

When Yu Qiao started college, Sheng Yuan went abroad.

Unclear what for, but it had something to do with him taking over the family business. That was also when Yu Qiao found out Sheng Yuan's true identity—a legendary tenth-generation rich heir!

Yu Qiao suddenly understood exactly what the psychology behind "out of my league" felt like!

From then on, she actively cut contact with Sheng Yuan.

Until after graduation. Since she didn't dare tell anyone she wanted to be a full-time professional "panting" voice actress, she obediently joined a company. And because her parents, brother, and sister were all overly protective, she got shoved into the Sheng Group through the "back door."

Becoming one of Sheng Yuan's four secretaries.

Now that they were superior and subordinate, she naturally switched to calling him—President Sheng.

But today was different.

She had no choice but to pull out their old connection and play the friendship card.

She didn't know if that "Brother Sheng Yuan" actually worked or not.

Anyway, after she said it, the man froze for a second. Then his expression turned strange, and the tips of his ears looked... suspiciously red?

"Got it."

An extremely faint reply.

With that, Sheng Yuan quickly tapped the screen twice: "Done. Deleted."

Yu Qiao craned her neck, kind of wanting to confirm if it was really deleted.

The man lifted his eyes. Deep scrutiny swirled in the depths of his gaze, sweeping over her. No sharpness revealed, yet carrying an unquestionable dominance, as if interrogating her: What? Doubting me?

Just one look, and Yu Qiao's heart trembled as she twisted her head away.

[He... probably wouldn't lie to me! There's nothing to gain from lying anyway! Plus, even though he has a stinky face, a venomous mouth, a bad temper, and loves telling people to get lost!

His character is solid. Otherwise, Big Bro wouldn't have hung out with him for so many years...]

Thinking this, Yu Qiao finally settled down.

It was just that, because she'd turned her head away, she completely failed to notice that the way Sheng Yuan was looking at her right now was entirely different from before.

Those beautiful amber pupils were dark and heavy now.

That sticky gaze locked onto her cherry-pink lips like a male ghost refusing to let go.

His Adam's apple rolled up and down.

And deep in his eyes surged a scorching heat and throbbing impulse that he couldn't suppress no matter what!!!

He couldn't imagine for the life of him how such a soft, pouty little mouth...

Could produce sounds so completely unlike her actual temperament?

So good, so damn skilled!!!

His soul nearly flew out of his body!!!