The Overworked Office Drone Gets Back Together After Quitting

When Zhao Jingming, exhausted in both body and mind, said to his young lover, "I'm already worn out from work. Could you please stop making a fuss?" he suddenly froze.

He'd heard those exact words before, from his ex-boyfriend Qu Liangyuan.

Just like that, Zhao Jingming unexpectedly found himself empathizing with Qu Liangyuan from a year ago.

How can you truly understand someone else's feelings without experiencing them yourself? Back when he was still a student, he didn't understand how hard work could be, and resented Qu Liangyuan for working so much overtime. Now that he'd started at the bottom of his family's company, he finally understood that just getting through the day as a corporate drone took a lot out of you.

The difference in their stages of life had once kept them apart, but at last, that gap had closed.

On a whim, Zhao Jingming tapped Qu Liangyuan's profile picture and saw a nine-photo grid announcing his new boyfriend.

Zhao Jingming: What?!!

Before quitting, Qu Liangyuan: 996 grind culture, sky-high cortisol, central obesity, and a stress response every time his phone rang.

After quitting, Qu Liangyuan: early to bed and late to rise, regular meals, glowing with health, and back in peak physical condition.

Sure enough, quitting your job is the best cosmetic treatment.

Qu Liangyuan was looking so good that after one trip to a bar, he woke up the next morning to find his friend requests blowing up.

He thought he was about to fall in love again, but it turned out he had met a total jerk, so he beat a hasty retreat.

A few days later, he heard through a mutual friend that Zhao Jingming was single again.

It had been a long time since he'd seen a photo of Zhao Jingming. Looking at his ex-boyfriend's recent picture left Qu Liangyuan feeling conflicted.

Qu Liangyuan: Work makes you look old... I mean, it makes you mature!

Honestly, Qu Liangyuan felt a little sorry for him.

After all their twists and turns, surely the person they cared about most was still each other... right?

Older corporate drone bottom (Qu Liangyuan) x younger rich heir top (Zhao Jingming)

Theme: Life beyond grueling work is what should take center stage.