Jiang Xiaoye, a straightforward, fiery young woman from Qingdao, can’t stand seeing honest people bullied. On the night of the company’s annual dinner, she storms into a private room to defend her friend, who has been harassed by her boss, and splashes red wine and the glass across a strange man’s face. She loudly denounces his despicable behavior, then strides away.
She never imagines that the Lu Chen who appears at the group’s morning meeting the next day as its new president is the very man she drenched in wine and scolded the night before. Terrified, Jiang Xiaoye assumes she’s about to be fired. Instead, Lu Chen surprises her by transferring her, in front of everyone, to his core project team.
From then on, Jiang Xiaoye faces a daily grind of deliberate workplace challenges. Lu Chen is exceptionally strict with her: he repeatedly rejects her proposals, gives her nothing but grueling assignments on business trips, and makes overtime the norm. Their cat-and-mouse tug-of-war plays out every day.
Everyone else thinks Lu Chen is deliberately targeting her. Only Jiang Xiaoye gradually notices his unexpected tenderness. Whenever she’s ostracized by colleagues, set up by schemers, or caught in a workplace bind, Lu Chen quietly shields her from rumors, thwarts underhanded attacks, and has her back.
A brash, down-to-earth woman from rural Shandong meets a cold, enigmatic CEO. Their entanglement begins with a drunken misunderstanding and deliberate tests.
When the group is plunged into a merger crisis, Jiang Xiaoye sheds her naivety and impulsiveness, stepping forward without hesitation to protect Lu Chen under immense pressure.
After enduring workplace trials and protecting each other, their clashes and tension give way to deep affection. Later, Jiang Xiaoye formally apologizes for impulsively throwing wine at him all those years ago.
Lu Chen answers gently, “You don’t need to apologize. That was the first and only time you ever stood before me so brave and unguarded.”
