At dawn, the whole world turned piercingly white because of a snowfall.

At dawn, a blanket of snow had turned the world dazzlingly white.

Ming Shuzhen woke up in bed, her entire body relaxed and at ease.

The quilt was warm, and she burrowed deeper into it.

Ming Shuyan was sleeping beside her. She had gotten up early for a meeting but had now slipped back into bed.

“Morning, Pillow,” Ming Shuyan greeted, noticing she was awake.

Ming Shuzhen blinked. “Morning, Boss.”

“Hm… maybe you could call me… Shuyan?” she suggested tentatively.

“Sounds weird,” Ming Shuzhen rejected without a second thought.

Ming Shuyan tilted her head. Indeed, no one had ever called her that.

“Then…” She pondered what else might work.

She didn’t have close friends, and her family certainly didn’t use affectionate nicknames. Outside, people addressed her as “President Ming” or “Boss.”

Seeing her struggle, Ming Shuzhen rolled over and wrapped her arms around her. “Wife, no need to overthink it.”

The word “wife” sent Ming Shuyan’s brain into a tailspin.

A rush of warmth flooded her heart, wrapping her in a joy and happiness she’d never felt before.

“Then I… can I call you…” she ventured cautiously, “wife?”

Ming Shuzhen laughed. “Get up, wife.”

The two headed to the company separately.

Due to the snow on the roads, Ming Jianchang had called, urging Ming Shuzhen to take a taxi to work.

Ming Shuzhen brushed it off, claiming her driving skills had improved, and hung up.

She followed Ming Shuyan’s car, her tires leaving tracks in the snow.

Turning on the car’s stereo, she played Lady Gaga’s Hey Girl.

When love shows up, this is the song to play.

This time, it was Ming Shuzhen who called Ming Shuyan.

The person in the car ahead answered. “What’s up?”

“Inviting you to listen to a song together.” Ming Shuzhen put her phone on speaker, placing it near the stereo.

Neither spoke, driving in silence as the electronic beats filled their ears.

At the company, people arrived later than usual.

The snow had slowed traffic and dampened everyone’s motivation to get out of bed.

Taking advantage of the sparse office, Ming Shuzhen went straight to the elevator and headed to the sixth floor.

The sixth floor housed several large meeting rooms and Ming Shuyan’s office.

She glanced around, saw no one, and knocked lightly on the office door.

“Come in,” Ming Shuyan’s voice came, as calm and professional as ever.

She probably thought it was her assistant, her tone all business.

When the door opened and she saw who it was, her expression softened instantly.

“Pillow.” Her face lit up with surprise—she hadn’t expected a visit to her office.

“Wife,” Ming Shuzhen leaned in, whispering, “I missed you.”

Ming Shuyan chuckled softly, planting a kiss on the forehead of the approaching figure. “Missed you too.”

“Your office is huge,” Ming Shuzhen remarked, unfazed by the kiss, looking around as if inspecting the place.

“You could come up and work with me often,” Ming Shuyan offered.

Ming Shuzhen gave her a look that said I’m not that naive. “No way.”

“Am I some kind of overworked employee? With the big boss sitting across from me, I wouldn’t even get to slack off.”

Ming Shuyan feigned helplessness. “Does your team ever not slack off? Who could outdo you guys at it?”

Indeed, Team Two was notorious for showing up late, leaving early, having designated chat times, and even when seated at their computers, their eyes blatantly wandered.

But Ming Shuzhen wasn’t the least bit guilty. She pouted. “We still get our work done, don’t we?”

“Mm.” Ming Shuyan didn’t comment further, tacitly agreeing.

She wrapped her arms around Ming Shuzhen’s waist, leaning down to rest her chin on her shoulder.

Last night, Ming Shuzhen had bitten her neck, leaving faint pink marks that hadn’t faded.

Today, she’d wrapped a thin silk scarf around her neck.

Ming Shuzhen tugged the scarf down and bit the same spot again.

Ming Shuyan let her, feeling a slight sting followed by a tingling sensation.

Her body tensed, trembling slightly.

After the bite, Ming Shuzhen pulled the scarf back up.

Ming Shuyan narrowed her eyes, ignoring the sting and dampness on her neck. “Baby, want to have dinner together tonight?”

“Uh.” Ming Shuzhen steadied herself. “My friend has her last exam today. I need to pick her up.”

“Oh.” Ming Shuyan’s hands slid behind Ming Shuzhen, ruffling her hair before smoothing it back down.

“Alright, then can I request dinner tomorrow?” She lifted her head, looking at her expectantly.

Tomorrow… wasn’t quite convenient either.

Ming Jianchang and Wu Yuanchu hadn’t been to the small house in days, but they were coming over tomorrow to clean and cook for her.

“How about… the day after?” Ming Shuzhen offered sheepishly.

Ming Shuyan glanced at her, loosening her hold.

She smiled. “Alright.”

It dawned on them both.

So… they were dating now?

“Are we dating?” Ming Shuzhen wanted confirmation.

“Huh?” Ming Shuyan blinked, then softened, speaking as if to a child. “Do you want to?”

“With you?” Ming Shuzhen double-checked.

Ming Shuyan was patient. “Yes, with me. Would you like to date me?”

“Mm…” Ming Shuzhen knew her answer.

But it was her first time dating, and with someone who outshone her in so many ways.

If they broke up… she’d be jobless and heartbroken.

“Can we… try it out first?” Ming Shuzhen blinked, her lips turning down.

She knew it wasn’t the most satisfying answer. “Try” implied uncertainty.

But she couldn’t make a firm commitment just yet.

Their differences in experience, status, and even gender, along with how much they still had to learn about each other, held them back to some extent.

Ming Shuyan, more mature, didn’t push when she heard the answer.

Her tone cooled slightly. “Alright, I’ll do my best to make sure you’re satisfied with the trial.”

Ming Shuzhen couldn’t help but laugh. “What, am I some bidding committee, and you’re pitching a project to date me?”

“That’s not a bad approach,” Ming Shuyan said, taking her hand.

“It’s rational. I’m just afraid if I lose my senses and like you too much, get too possessive, I might hurt you.”

Ming Shuzhen snorted, but her face betrayed a grin. “So what?”

She leaned closer, whispering, “Go ahead and hurt me.”

Ming Shuyan raised an eyebrow, recalling Ming Shuzhen’s “pat” setting.

Come on, spank me.

She gave her a playful tap on the behind.

All day, Ming Shuzhen was immersed in a sea of work.

Even Meilin, sitting nearby, couldn’t help but notice. “What’s got you so happy today? Joking around with work?”

Qian Duoduo teased her too. “Got something good going on? Why’re you so cheerful and working hard?”

Ming Shuzhen scratched her head. “What? I’m always serious about work.”

“Oh~” Qian Duoduo dragged out her tone skeptically.

Being serious about work sounded completely out of character for Team Two.

Ming Shuzhen’s lips kept curving upward all day, and everyone was genuinely curious about what had sparked her sudden enthusiasm.

Qian Duoduo probed first. “You’re close with the boss. Did she hint at a big year-end bonus or something?”

“No way,” Ming Shuzhen denied flatly.

People still saw her as the boss’s connection, but there was no malice in their assumptions.

Still, Ming Shuzhen felt guilty, terrified they’d discover her improper relationship with Ming Shuyan.

“Not a bonus? Then why’re you so happy? Don’t tell me work’s making you this joyful?”

Ming Shuzhen nodded solemnly. “Yup… work makes me happy.”

“You don’t even believe that yourself,” Qian Duoduo teased.

Meilin’s pet, Cappuccino, had come to the office today and had just returned from a walk with Dou Youmi.

The white Pomeranian bounded toward Meilin, darting between her and Ming Shuzhen’s desks.

Its silky fur gleamed, its fluffy tail wagging like a feather duster sweeping the floor.

Ming Shuzhen crouched down, running her hand through its fur.

“Cappuccino,” she called.

The dog’s black eyes spun toward her, tail wagging as it looked at Ming Shuzhen.

“Cute, right?” Meilin beamed with pride.

Ming Shuzhen nodded. Having already blasted through her workload, she grabbed the leash and headed to the sixth floor with the dog.

Team Two had no idea she was taking their team leader’s dog to see the company boss—they thought she was just wandering around with it.

In her office, Ming Shuyan looked up as Ming Shuzhen brought the dog in, instantly recognizing it from Meilin’s ID photo.

“Meilin’s dog?” She glanced up from her computer.

“Wow, you really keep tabs on your subordinates,” Ming Shuzhen teased.

She crouched to unclip Cappuccino’s leash, letting it roam the office.

“Meilin brings her dog to the office often,” Ming Shuyan said, glancing at her with amusement. “She thinks I don’t notice. But since no one else minds, and a pet can lift everyone’s mood, I pretend not to know.”

“Tch.” Ming Shuzhen played with Cappuccino on the floor. “You’re such a good wife, aren’t you?”

Hearing the word “wife,” Ming Shuyan didn’t mind the slightly cheeky tone, which carried a hint of an employee sassing their boss.

She spared some attention for the little white dog, its pink tongue lolling out, big round eyes glistening like clear pools.

Very cute—but Pillow was cuter.

Ming Shuyan finally got up from her desk.

She crouched beside Ming Shuzhen, watching her play with the dog, palm open.

“Stop playing with the dog. Play with me,” she wanted to say, but reason held her back.

“Pillow?” Her voice carried a subtle hint of emotion.

“Hm?” Ming Shuzhen glanced at her, oblivious to the shift, her attention still on Cappuccino.

“Should we… buy some play clothes?” Ming Shuyan’s tone was as casual as if she were discussing dinner plans.

Ming Shuzhen’s big eyes flashed with confusion.

She turned to face Ming Shuyan, and somehow, Ming Shuyan saw her own guilt reflected in that innocent face.

“What are play clothes?” Ming Shuzhen asked, perhaps not even registering the English term.

Ming Shuyan found it hard to explain.

Last night, she’d said she’d do some research, and this morning, she had indeed browsed plenty of educational material.

Some of it, though, was… less than proper.

Certain knowledge was downright unspeakable.

She stood up, her eyes darting away, feeling like she was corrupting a child.

Blame it on those wicked bits of knowledge and the bewitching presence of the cute dog on the floor—she’d lost control for a moment.

Yes, that was it. Ming Shuyan shot a glare at Cappuccino, who was sprawled on the floor, tongue out.

Ming Shuzhen didn’t get an answer to her question but didn’t press.

Gentle and considerate, she said, “Sure, let’s buy some. Want to go to the mall? We can go this weekend.”

“Uh.” Ming Shuyan felt a pang of guilt. “Let’s talk about it later.”