After Flirting with an Intern on My Team

Everyone, please refresh each chapter before reading, because the author is always revising. Without refreshing, some phones won't show the updated version.

[Clear-headed, resilient newcomer to the workplace × Arrogant, sharp-tongued tsundere who says one thing and means another]

Meng Shuangyan has an excellent resume and quickly finds a job she likes after graduation. She's very satisfied with both the work and the salary.

Except for her team leader, Lu Cifeng.

"This report of yours has more holes than a sieve."

"I get it now. Whether you do the job right or wrong is all up to fate."

"Don't bother revising the proposal. Start over. There's nothing here worth saving."

The other coworkers don't dare breathe as they wait to see Meng Shuangyan make a fool of herself. Some even expect Lu Cifeng to make her cry.

Instead, she lifts her chin slightly, her face expressionless, and gives a quiet "Mm."

He questions her abilities, and she hates his arrogance.

They keep challenging each other, neither willing to back down.

*

A few months later, at a department get-together, plenty of people tease them, calling them "frenemies" and saying they "make a good couple." Unable to escape the teasing, Meng Shuangyan jokes that she wouldn't date a guy with a sharp tongue.

After that, no one dares ship them anymore.

Meng Shuangyan only has two drinks before getting drunk. Later, she can't remember which coworker took her home, or whether she said anything foolish while drunk.

At work the next day, she and Lu Cifeng argue over a project proposal again.

Her eyes are dry and sore, so she lowers her head and rubs the corners of them.

Lu Cifeng, who had been refusing to give an inch just a moment ago, suddenly falls silent.

Then he watches her cautiously, several times seeming about to say something, only to stop himself.

He looks as if he wants to come over and comfort her, but can't quite bring himself to do it.

His "strangely gentle" behavior makes Meng Shuangyan more and more uneasy.

She can't help asking, "Team Leader Lu, what are you plotting?"

Lu Cifeng looks at her wary expression and sighs. "Can't you tell?"

Meng Shuangyan: "?"

Lu Cifeng meets her gaze, pauses, then says expressionlessly, "Never mind."

I'm trying to meet your standards for a boyfriend.

So, would you consider me?

All his restraint and concessions are a love he keeps secret.

Reading Guide:

1. Modern workplace, romantic tension, personal growth while living away from home, and family ties. This isn't purely a romance; it also has workplace storylines and follows a woman growing as she makes her way in the world.

2. The male lead is sharp-tongued early on and devoted later. This isn't a friends-with-benefits-to-lovers story, but a slow-burn, push-and-pull romance. The male lead has a special position, so there are no workplace rules against coworkers dating in the same department.

3. The story has a light, humorous style and includes workplace tips for protecting yourself. The events are artistically fictionalized, making it an easy, entertaining read whether or not you're working.

Theme: Make resilience your blade and carve a path through the workplace's thorns