I started as a spirited young man, and the system made me a male god.

When the two arrived at Jitao Building, the afternoon sun was shining brightly.

After parking the car, Chen Fei took Jiang Che's hand and walked into the lobby on the first floor.

The smooth, mirror-like marble floor reflected clear human figures, while the central air conditioning maintained a constant, cool temperature.

As soon as he entered, the staff behind the front desk and the security guard at the door all focused their attention on Chen Fei.

Despite their attempts to keep their voices down, some whispered discussions still reached Chen Fei and Jiang Che's ears:

"Look, isn't that the new owner on the 26th floor from yesterday? Is he really that young?"

"Didn't you bring a pretty female assistant with short hair yesterday? Why did you change to someone else today? This one is also very elegant!"

"Do you understand the world of the rich? They have an entire office building, so it's normal for them to have several beautiful women with them."

Chen Fei felt a little uncomfortable with these comments, but Jiang Che could only pretend not to hear them.

Jiang Che, standing to the side, did not pause in his steps at all, seemingly already used to such whispers in his ear.

The receptionist quickly emerged from behind the counter, almost running to the turnstile, swiped her access card to open the gate, and waited respectfully sideways: "Mr. Chen, this way please. Should we notify Manager Zhou?"

"No need, I'll just go up and take a look." Chen Fei nodded calmly and led Jiang Che through.

After passing through the turnstile, Jiang Che seemed to remember something and remarked, "This scene... for a moment I felt like I was back downstairs at my dad's company."

She was no stranger to the respect and attention that came automatically from wealth and status, but she never expected to see it in Chen Fei so soon.

"Really?" Chen Fei asked casually, pressing the elevator's up button. "What exactly does your family do? I heard from your dad that it's related to electrical appliances?"

The elevator doors opened, and the two stepped inside.

In the enclosed space, Jiang Che's voice was clearer:

"In Hangzhou, we mainly do manufacturing, hardware, molds, and some spare parts. The scale is alright, my dad manages it."

During summer breaks in college, he often dragged me to visit factories, and my legs would ache from all the walking. I didn't like that environment; I preferred the garment industry, so after graduation, I started my own business.

Her tone was calm, but Chen Fei could hear the hint of rebellion in Jiang Che's voice.

He, who was once an ordinary person, suddenly realized that if it weren't for the system, he would never have been able to get involved with a rich young lady like Jiang Che in his entire life.

Most people are exhausted from job hunting right after graduation, but Jiang Che's only pain is that his feet ache from patrolling the factory near his home.

The difference is self-evident.

The elevator ascended smoothly.

Jiang Che suddenly remembered his parents' nagging during the video chat about "hurry up and get married" and "get it done as soon as possible," and his heart stirred.

She looked at Chen Fei and asked casually, "And you, Chen Fei, what do your parents do?"

"My parents divorced when I was young and haven't cared about me since," Chen Fei said in a flat voice. "I was raised by my grandmother, who works in the recycling industry."

"Scrap metal recycling?" Jiang Che answered subconsciously, his mind conjuring up images of formal recycling stations with walls and large scales. "Is it the kind of scrap metal recycling station? The garbage recycling industry seems pretty good these days, and those who do it well can make quite a bit of money."

Chen Fei smiled and said, "It's not that large-scale. To put it bluntly, it's like the old days, riding a bicycle through the streets and alleys, collecting old newspapers, plastic bottles, and scrap metal to make a living. When I was a child, I often helped my grandma sort through the things she collected after school."

Jiang Che was stunned.

She had never expected to hear such an answer.

Judging from Chen Fei's current demeanor and his ability to quietly acquire an entire floor of the Jitao Building, she subconsciously assumed that even if he wasn't from a prominent family, his family background must be quite good, or at least well-off.

I never imagined... that things had been so difficult before.

Moreover, when he said these words, his expression showed no disgust or aversion, as if he were telling someone else's story.

A feeling that was hard to describe—whether it was embarrassment or heartache—settled her, leaving her momentarily at a loss for how to react.

She even regretted her earlier comment that "it makes a lot of money."

Chen Fei noticed Jiang Che's unease, turned to look at her, and said with a hint of teasing in his eyes, "I just realized that you're actually quite cute when you make this awkward little expression. You're usually too serious."

Hearing him say that, Jiang Che's face flushed slightly, and he glared at Chen Fei: "Who's embarrassed? Besides, I have my reasons for being serious, okay? All the employees in the company are older than me, and I'm afraid I won't be able to keep them in check if I don't put on a stern face."

"After the merger, I'll help you manage it," Chen Fei said casually. "You play the good cop, I'll play the bad cop."

As soon as the words were spoken, the elevator doors opened, revealing the same empty space as yesterday, but the angle of the sunlight was slightly different, giving the space a warmer golden hue.

Dust particles floated in the air, dancing in the beams of light.

The two walked in, their footsteps echoing in the empty space.

"This place is really big." Jiang Che looked around, his professional instincts kicking in, and pointed to different areas. "It feels like I could even move my old studio over here without any problem."

"It's fine, use it as you like. I looked at the other floors yesterday," Chen Fei said, walking to the huge floor-to-ceiling window and looking down at the city. "There are at least four companies on each floor. With our two companies combined, the space will definitely be enough."

As they walked, the two chatted casually about their future plans, from the division of functional areas to interior design styles, from recruitment to brand promotion.

Further down the floor, near the fire escape, there was an inconspicuous little room with its door ajar.

It looks like a storage room or small server room left over from the previous company.

"Is there anything left inside that hasn't been cleared out?" Chen Fei asked curiously as he pushed open the door and went inside.

The room wasn't big, only about ten square meters.

Inside, there was a jumble of discarded items from the previous owner: several large mirrors with worn edges; two old, dusty fabric sofas with worn-out fabric.

There were also some scattered file racks and discarded printing paper in the corner.

It looks like some cheap and bulky things that would be too troublesome to dismantle, so they were left here.

"Looks like they think it's too heavy and are too lazy to move it." Chen Fei glanced at it and was about to leave.

"Click."

A clear sound came from behind, the sound of a metal latch engaging.

Chen Fei turned around.

Jiang Che had followed them in at some point and was now standing behind the door, one hand still on the doorknob that she had just locked.

With a triumphant expression on her face, she leaned against the door, blocking the only exit.

"What... do you want to do?" Chen Fei's heart skipped a beat, and a bad feeling rose up.

This scene, this look in her eyes, reminded him of the sudden kiss she gave him in the Hangzhou hotel.

Jiang Che didn't answer, but instead walked closer step by step until he stopped very close to Chen Fei.

She looked up at him, and in those usually calm and rational eyes, a defiant fire flickered:

"The private photos that Lu Ziyue mentioned earlier. Let me see them."

Chen Fei: "Why didn't you watch it on the way here, but suddenly you want to watch it now?"

"Why do you care so much?" Jiang Che tilted his head, his tone even carrying a threat. "If you don't show me now, I won't let you leave. Anyway, no one will come here."