The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

The CEO's office was in complete chaos.

"Manager Wang, I need the Australian regional plan by 3 PM. It's already 5 hours and 36 minutes overdue. I need to see a workable version in ten minutes, or you're reporting to the African branch."

"Assistant Qin, call Director Li from the GG department over and have him bring those three planners who are in charge of the marketing and promotion plan. Don't bring your brains, they're useless anyway."

"Assistant Huang, notify all managers and above in the mall department to come to my office for a meeting in thirty minutes. If you are even one minute late, your entire month's performance bonus will be deducted."

Before even reaching the office, I could hear the sounds of keyboards clicking, the phone ringing, and Xu Xi's angry roar.

The assistants filed out of the office, each with hurried steps and tense expressions; none dared to linger for even a second.

Xu Xi sat behind her desk, with three computers in front of her. The screens were filled with dense reports and plans, and the desk was piled high with documents.

She's like a supercomputer, rapidly analyzing every input and outputting one well-determined instruction after another, without stopping for a moment.

"She's been like this for a week now." Wen Yao whispered to Xu Nian at the office door. "All the assistants are working three shifts around the clock. Yesterday, one of the young ladies couldn't take it anymore and had to be sent to the hospital. I'm worried that if this continues, she'll collapse first."

"Okay, I understand." Xu Nian looked at the beautiful figure in front of the desk with a solemn expression.

He first went to the tea room to get a cup of warm water, then took out a small pill from his pocket, put it in the cup, and stirred it well.

Watching the white powder dissolve in the cup, he took a deep breath and strode into his office.

"Assistant Liu, that market report..." Xu Xi looked up, her brows still furrowed, but when she saw who it was, her eyebrows paused slightly, and the fierceness in her eyes dissipated a little. "Why are you here?"

"I saw you were so busy you forgot to eat, so I brought you some."

As Xu Nian spoke, she gently placed the insulated box on the desk.

He looked at the girl's haggard face and dark circles under her eyes, and felt extremely sorry for her.

Xu Xi glanced at the insulated food container, then lowered her head, her fingertips returning to the keyboard. "Leave it there, I'm not hungry."

Looking at her stubborn profile, Xu Nian steeled himself and gently pushed the water glass he had been hiding behind his back in front of Xu Xi: "Have some water, it won't take up too much of your time."

Xu Xi glanced at the water glass beside her, and without thinking much, tilted her head back and drank it all in one gulp.

She was never wary of anything her brother handed her.

Not long after drinking the water, Xu Xi felt a sudden dizziness, her eyelids felt as heavy as lead, and she didn't even have the strength to lift her hand.

She suddenly raised her head and looked at Xu Nian, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

The next second, his head tilted to the side, his body slumped down, his hands rested on the keyboard, and he fell silent.

Xu Nian breathed a sigh of relief, only then realizing that her palms were sweating profusely from nervousness.

"I'll handle the company's affairs." Wen Yao walked into the office and came to Xu Nian's side.

She pointed to a corner of the office, "That door leads to a lounge. Take Xibao there to rest."

"Okay." Xu Nian nodded, bent down to pick up the girl on the desk, and walked in the direction Wen Yao was pointing.

Pushing open the door, a cozy lounge comes into view.

There is a bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and a shower room.

Although it's not large, it has everything you need; though small, it has all the essentials.

But looking at the dust on the table, you can tell that this place hasn't been used for a long time.

Xu Nian carefully placed the girl in her arms on the bed, gently covered her with the blanket, and then reached out to tidy up the stray hairs on her forehead.

After doing all this, he sat down next to the girl, leaned against the headboard, looked out the window at the night view, and sighed silently.

Sometimes, he wished Xu Xi wasn't this powerful female CEO, but an ordinary person living a normal life.

More than any achievements or honors she may attain, he hopes that Xu Xi can live a happy, joyful, and carefree life, free from constraints.

But she carried the hopes of so many people on her shoulders, and with so many people's expectations on her back, she could not stop, she could only speed up and move forward.

Listening to Xu Xi's soft snoring beside her, Xu Nian's eyelids began to droop.

He yawned, took off his coat, gently slipped into bed, carefully embraced her petite body, and, with her faint fragrance lingering in his nostrils, gradually drifted off to sleep.

Whether it was because she hadn't slept for a week or because the sleeping pills were too strong, Xu Xi lay in bed and slept for two days and two nights straight.

If her breathing hadn't remained steady, Xu Nian would have almost had to take her to the hospital.

On the morning of the third day, Xu Nian was awakened by the weight on her body.

He opened his eyes and saw Xu Xi sitting on him, leaning forward slightly, her cheeks very close, her eyes staring straight at him.

The two were so close that Xu Nian could clearly sense the girl's fresh, youthful breath.

Xu Nian was about to greet her when she noticed that her pupils had lost their luster and become lifeless.

"Impressive, you've really gotten to it." Xu Xi's lips curled into a captivating smile, her slender fingers lightly touching the man's lips. "Drug in the water, who gave you the guts?"

Just as Xu Nian was about to explain something, his lips were firmly sealed by the girl's soft, thin lips.

Her kiss was so fierce and rough that he almost couldn't breathe.

After a heated exchange, Xu Xi sat up, placed her small hands on his shirt buttons, and slowly unbuttoned them one by one.

"Do you know why I haven't gone home during this time?"

"Why...why?" Xu Nian felt a chill run down her spine, and a bad premonition arose spontaneously.

"Because," Xu Xi lowered her head, leaned close to his ear, her breath brushing against his earlobe, and gave a devilish smile, "Do you think your skills are good enough to deserve this kind of blessing?"

Xu Nian's eyelids twitched, and he suddenly remembered something Dr. Leng Huaqiu had once said to him.

"During a manic episode, all bodily desires, including sexual desire, increase exponentially in patients with bipolar disorder."

Xu Xi hasn't been home these past few days, putting all his energy into his work, trying to protect his already worn-out back.

"I, I..." Xu Nian's lower back ached, cold sweat poured down her forehead, and she stammered, "Is it too late for me to leave now?"

"Now that you're here, you're not leaving." A hint of madness flashed in Xu Xi's eyes as she stomped her small, black-stockinged feet on the man's face.

"You let me sleep for two days and two nights, and now I'm so hungry... so hungry..."

"Let's start...with breakfast..."

......