Secretary Tang Isn't Clocking Out Tonight

Another novel, After the Secret Crush Contract Takes Effect, is currently updating. Feel free to check it out if you like!

The similarly styled How Did President Qi Turn Into a Dog? is also in my author’s column. Give it a click!

[Complete.]

◎ Cool, capable secretary × sharp-tongued, clingy CEO

◎ At work, they clash head-on; in private, they can't bear to be apart

[Blurb]

Tang Yi has her own system for fending off blind dates: show up politely, make pleasant conversation, then delete the person afterward.

That is, until a new president parachutes into her company, dressed in a sharp suit, with a rakish look in his eyes.

"Nice to meet you, Secretary Tang."

Zhang Minglang deliberately emphasized the word "meet," watching her reaction with interest.

When Tang Yi recognized his face, the flawless professional mask she wore wavered almost imperceptibly.

The blind date she'd deleted just last night was now her new boss?

**

At work, she's the calm, capable backbone of the secretarial department, meticulous in everything she does.

In private, she's the cool, elegant bartender at Heaven Bar, her movements practiced and her manner aloof.

She'd kept these two identities secret for years, until one night at the bar, when she met Zhang Minglang's curious gaze.

He accidentally discovered her secret.

After that, he set traps and picked fights with her at every turn on the job. She met every challenge with ease.

Everyone in the secretarial department munched on sunflower seeds, waiting to watch the two of them clash day after day.

But they had no idea what was happening just on the other side of the door.

The man who'd coldly scolded executives at a meeting moments ago now had his arms around Secretary Tang's waist, burying his face in the crook of her neck like a clingy puppy.

"Just once... Give me one kiss, and I'll let you go."

"I've told you not to mix business with pleasure."

Tang Yi's voice was icy. She pulled her hand away without hesitation and swiftly swung it toward Zhang Minglang's face as he leaned in, but he was quicker, catching her wrist.

He lowered his head, brushed the tip of his nose against her palm, and breathed in deeply. When he looked up, a lazy smile curled his lips.

"Found it." He rubbed his thumb over the delicate skin of her wrist and said hoarsely, "So this is the scent on my tie."

#This novel is also known as The Scent of Her Came Before the Slap

Secretary Tang, Love Me One More Time

[Reading Guide]

1. One-on-one romance, both leads have only each other

2. Happy ending

3. The heroine has an ex, but he's just a plot device

4. The business-warfare elements in the story are based on research

Blurb for the upcoming novel After the Secret Crush Contract Takes Effect:

Carefree heroine × devoted, loyal-dog hero | He has a secret crush | Primarily set in the city

Food blogger Zou Jinyue has gained millions of followers with her sweet, nonthreatening smile on camera and her sharp reviews that hit right at the heart of the matter.

Her latest accomplishment was sending Li Shiqian, the owner of Yuejian Dessert Shop, trending with a video warning people away from his store.

The video went viral as soon as it was posted.

To capitalize on the attention, she signed a dating contract with him.

The terms were clear:

She needed buzz and attention, while his shop needed publicity and customers.

They'd play out a "secret admirer" romance for three months, each helping the other, then go their separate ways when the contract ended.

At first, Zou Jinyue thought it was a great deal.

Li Shiqian had broad shoulders and a slim waist, was handsome and taciturn, and was more than willing to play along.

He played the secret admirer so convincingly, gazing at her with such focus that even she almost believed it was real.

The video views soared, their shippers went wild, and her account reached unprecedented heights of popularity.

But little by little, things started to feel wrong.

When she mentioned the dish she'd loved most in high school, he blurted out, "Braised pork. You didn't like the second canteen window's version."

When she asked how he knew she was allergic to mangoes, he fell silent for a long moment before saying, "I've watched your old videos."

When they discussed the story behind the shop's name, he recited, word for word, an old essay she'd published in high school, right there on camera, and said it was the source of his inspiration.

Zou Jinyue began to feel uneasy and kept reminding herself:

It was all scripted! It was all acting!

Then their "contract relationship" was exposed, and the three-month contract was about to expire.

She rushed to the shop, determined to put an end to everything.

But when she opened the door, she found herself facing a pair of bloodshot eyes.

In the darkness, the usually quiet and restrained Li Shiqian clutched the hem of her clothes.

"Don't go, Zou Jinyue..."

"I don't care if it's fake, or if you're just lying to me."

His eyes were red, his posture utterly humble, his voice almost desperate:

"You can keep me like a dog... I don't mind."

-

Later, Zou Jinyue accidentally knocked a school magazine off the bookshelf at Yuejian Dessert Shop.

Beside every article about her, there were his meticulous notes.

As she turned a page, a yellowed cake design slipped out.

Beside the drawing, in his youthful yet resolute handwriting, were the words:

"Happy birthday, seventeen-year-old Zou Jinyue."

"May you be happy, and shine forever."

Only then did she understand.

The cake she'd casually thrown away was a piece of his youth that he'd never managed to give her.

The perfect script she'd imagined was a long-planned reunion he'd been preparing for throughout his youth.

[Reading Guide]

1. One-on-one, happy ending, both leads have had no previous partners and remain devoted to each other in body and heart

2. The hero has had a long-standing secret crush; the heroine realizes it late

3. The hero didn't become a pastry chef solely for the heroine. The story will explain the reason

4. There was a misunderstanding behind the heroine throwing away the cake

Theme: Break down occupational prejudice and unfairness