Chapter 152: If They Had Met in the Modern Era [IF Route]

A new trainee had joined the company. He had the face of a scumbag, yet Ning Xu inexplicably felt that he was like a pure-hearted little pup—the kind that acted fierce and wild in front of others but would put on a teary face before his older sister and ask, “Jiejie, why won’t you touch me?”

She rarely took a liking to people, but this new little pup was an exception. She noticed that he was diligent and hardworking, mostly quiet, but whenever he thought she wasn’t looking, he would steal glances at her.

Many people stole glances at her, but she never called them out on it.

Since he was a newcomer with no seniority and looked too striking, this little pup was often subtly or openly excluded by some of the more experienced trainees.

After all, resources in this industry were limited. Even if they were fellow trainees from the same company, they were competitors in a way.

Initially, Ning Xu hadn’t paid attention to these small matters—she was too busy. Too busy to spare energy worrying about others.

This entertainment company had been a university graduation gift from her father. What she made of it depended entirely on her. She had the final say in all critical decisions, and essentially, this company was her training ground. Her father had told her to go all out. While the company’s profits and losses weren’t of great importance, this was her first job after completing her studies, so she wanted to do her best.

Moreover, she always felt like she was missing a piece of her memory—a memory that should have been very important to her. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall it. She only remembered some keywords, like old dog and little pup.

Yet her life had always followed a clear and traceable path. She had gone through school step by step, then studied abroad, and finally returned home to work. What, then, had she lost?

She couldn’t figure it out. To avoid overthinking, she forced herself to pour more energy into work.

As a result, working overtime became the norm.

Tonight was yet another late night at the office. As she thought about what had happened earlier, Ning Xu frowned slightly.

Zou Xuyan had officially debuted a year ago, but his public image was average, and his personality wasn’t particularly likable. Aside from his face, he had almost nothing to his name. Over the past year, apart from landing a few minor endorsements early on, he hadn’t received any job offers for nearly three months now.

For an idol in his rising phase, this was a terrible sign.

So, Zou Xuyan had approached her, asking for resources, saying he was willing to pay any price.

In this industry, that kind of “price” didn’t need to be spelled out. Everyone knew what it meant. But Ning Xu never had any intention of exploiting her employees, much less in that way.

So she rejected Zou Xuyan’s request outright and advised him to improve his skills. She had been this close to bluntly telling him that his skills sucked. What Zou Xuyan thought of it didn’t matter to her.

Because of the delay he caused, it was almost 1 AM by the time she got off work. Wearing high heels, she took the elevator down to the first floor, about to leave the building when she noticed that one of the practice rooms still had its lights on.

She instinctively walked over and, through the floor-to-ceiling windows, saw a tall and unfamiliar yet elegant figure.

The figure’s owner was tall—roughly 1.85 meters (6’1”). His body proportions were impeccable. Just from the back, she could tell he was idol material. If he also had a handsome face, he was destined to become a global sensation.

As Ning Xu’s thoughts drifted, the person turned around, shifting from having his back to her to facing her directly.

She first saw a sharply contoured side profile—his jawline was smooth, and even his nose and lips exuded a natural sensuality. His lips were slightly parted, his breathing a bit uneven, as if he had just finished practicing a dance routine.

When he fully turned around, Ning Xu realized—it was the new little pup. The one who always stole glances at her.

She wanted to ask him why he was so diligent, but the thought was quickly replaced by the realization that something was off.

The door to the practice room had been locked from the outside.

The moment she registered this, a surge of irritation rose in her chest. It was abrupt, but not unwelcome.

She gestured to the little pup to wait inside, then immediately called the head of logistics, instructing him to come and unlock the door.

The department head arrived quickly. Normally, such trivial matters weren’t his responsibility, but how could he refuse Ning Xu’s request?

After unlocking the door, he repeatedly apologized, insisting he hadn’t known about this. Ning Xu didn’t make things difficult for him. After all, she had decided—this little pup was hers to protect from now on.

Once the door was open, the department head excused himself tactfully. Zou Xuyan, who had been so eager to be taken advantage of, had already left through the back door. That meant, aside from a few security personnel, only Ning Xu and the little pup remained in the entire company.

At that moment, someone—probably a security guard—turned off the lights on the first floor, leaving only the dim green glow from the emergency exit signs.

Ning Xu studied the little pup’s expression. In the dark of night, with the cityscape outside in shadows, moonlight and streetlamps streamed through the glass, casting light over half his face. Only then did she notice—his eyelashes were long, and when he looked at her, it felt like silent seduction.

She steadied her slightly quickening heartbeat and asked, “What’s going on? Is someone bullying you in the company?”

The little pup didn’t answer her question. Instead, he softly said, “Sorry for wasting your time, Jiejie.”

Hearing that form of address, Ning Xu was momentarily stunned. The scenes she had imagined in her head suddenly seemed to be playing out in reality. Without thinking, she blurted out:

“Do you do crybaby face?”

Crybaby face?

The little pup cooperated, saying, “If Jiejie wants to see it, I can show you my crying face.”

“I can do anything Jiejie wants to see.”

An hour ago, someone had said something similar to her. Their intentions were clear as day, but coming from a different person, the effect was entirely different.

When Zou Xuyan said it, she only felt disgusted and wanted to kick him out of her office.

But when the little pup said it, she thought—maybe it wasn’t impossible.

Perhaps it was the night that bewitched Ning Xu’s heart, or maybe the darkness simply amplified certain emotions. She countered, “Just looking?”

The next second, she heard the little pup chuckle softly.

“Jiejie can do whatever she wants to me. I’d love it.”

The little pup was always well-behaved around her, and this submissive attitude was quite alluring. But for some reason, a hint of displeasure surfaced in Ning Xu’s heart. She crossed her arms, her tone shifting from calm to cold.

“Do you say this to a lot of people?”

The little pup raised his eyes slightly, looking a bit surprised. Maybe it was the mesmerizing moonlight, or perhaps his gaze was just too deep—Ning Xu thought she saw a touch of devotion in his eyes.

But then again, maybe he’d look at a stray dog with the same kind of devotion.

Yet, that gaze, filled with possessiveness, made Ning Xu realize—perhaps he wasn’t such an innocent pup after all. Maybe he was a wild, untamed dog.

But a mad dog that goes wild for only one person… didn’t sound so bad either.

His voice dropped slightly, low and enticing in the quiet night.

“Jiejie, I only say this to you.”
—

From that day on, everyone in the company knew—the new trainee belonged to President Ning.

The two trainees who had locked the little pup in the practice room were, a few days later, locked inside a practice room themselves. Unlike the little pup, they weren’t lucky—no one found them until the next morning.

Many people could guess who was behind it, but no one meddled. Even the two locked-up trainees stayed silent, and the matter faded away.

Ning Xu also knew who was responsible.

Right now, the culprit was in her office, holding her and kissing her cheek. His kisses were serious—what was once clumsy had gradually become skilled over the past few days.

It was obvious that he hadn’t been good at this before.

Ning Xu pushed his face away, tapping his Adam’s apple lightly with her fingertip. So, he was a little pup that always paid back his grudges.

By now, she already knew his name—Si Yan. But in her heart, she still preferred to call him her innocent little pup, as if she had already called him that countless times before.

Pushed away, the little pup quickly leaned in again, breathing lightly.

“Jiejie, when are we making our relationship public?”

Ning Xu smiled and countered, “What relationship?”

The little pup cupped her face, looking at her seriously.

“Jiejie, I thought I was your boyfriend.”

Ning Xu replied, “Let’s talk after you debut.”
—

Si Yan’s debut night was a massive success.

He soared to stardom instantly, with countless fans cheering for him. They were captivated by his striking looks, his deep and sensual voice, and his irresistible charisma.

It didn’t take long for him to become the top idol. That year, he even won the title of “Most Attractive Male Celebrity.”

His commercial value was undeniable.

But just as his career was at its peak, he made a public confession.

“Many people think I became an idol out of passion, but in reality, I did it just to get a little closer to her.”

“Her career is in the entertainment industry. If I didn’t enter this field, it would have been hard to meet her in a short time.”

“Luckily, she noticed me.”

“I like her more than anything else.”

“I don’t want to pretend to be single. I just want to love her. From the moment I first saw her, I wanted to be with her.”

“I know many fans support me because they like me, and I truly appreciate that. I like my fans too—but the kind of love I have for her is different. She’s the only one I can love this way.”

“The kind of love that I can’t share with anyone else.”

“If she accepts my confession tonight, from tomorrow on, I’ll wear a matching silver ring on my ring finger. No matter the outcome, thank you all.”

That night, countless people lost sleep, countless people felt disheartened, and countless fans experienced heartbreak.

A newly rising top star, at the peak of his career, boldly declaring his love—anyone could see that his dedication to her surpassed his dedication to his career.

Many waited for an answer.

The next day, the woman he confessed to appeared in public, a silver diamond ring shining on her right ring finger.

Engraved on it were two letters—S & N.

Si Yan and Ning Xu.

—

#Notes:

In Chinese romance novels, “Jiejie” (姐姐) is often used in a teasing, flirtatious, or affectionate way by a younger male lead. It can signal age gap romance, playfulness, or emotional dependence, sometimes making the female lead flustered. In some cases, it’s a tactic—acting cute before turning dominant.