He stole his best friend's photos and fell for a tycoon's heir through online dating.

Zhou Siyan pushed open the door to the top-floor office of the Zhou Group and stopped in his tracks.

Lying on the sofa was a man dressed in a wrinkled Brazilian suit, sprawled out like a salted fish—his childhood friend, Si Yan'an.

Zhou Siyan's brows furrowed instantly, and he turned to look at the secretary cowering at the door, his voice as cold as if he had just been pulled from an ice cellar:

"Who let him in? If it happens again, he'll have to hand over his duties to the HR department himself."

"Ouch, ouch, ouch—" Si Yan'an tried to spring up from the sofa with a somersault, but failed and almost rolled onto the floor. He frantically grabbed the armrest.

"Do you have to be so cruel? I forced her to open the door! Blame me if you want! Do you have to be so cold-blooded?"

"This isn't cold-bloodedness, it's the rule, it's his job."

Zhou Siyan unbuttoned his suit jacket, sat down in his office chair, and didn't even glance at him.

"My office isn't a marketplace where anyone can just walk in."

Si Yan'an immediately turned to the secretary at the door who was on the verge of tears, and put on a warm, smiling face:

"I'm so sorry, Secretary, I've dragged you into this."

I promise I won't do it again. I'll treat you to dinner later to make up for it—hey? Don't go! Talk to me for a second!

The secretary glared at him and ran away without looking back.

Zhou Siyan rubbed his temples, feeling his migraine about to flare up again:

"Are you alright? If not, get lost."

"Of course something's wrong!" Si Yan'an plopped back down on the sofa, crossing his legs.

"Where have you been lately? For two whole weeks! I've called you eight hundred times and you haven't answered a single one!"

"If I hadn't threatened to kill your secretary to open the door today, would you still be planning to stay away?"

He then changed the subject, his tone becoming sarcastic:

"What's wrong? You don't want such a big fortune anymore? Don't give it to me, I don't mind having too much."

Zhou Siyan ignored him and opened the documents on the table.

"Si Yan'an, instead of wasting your time worrying about my whereabouts, you should be keeping a close eye on your Si family's projects." He said without looking up.

"I heard you've messed up another big one. The old man has already removed you from the family tree and won't let you come home."

"You know that, yet you're still avoiding me!" Si Yan'an wailed, collapsing onto the sofa.

"Your brother has nowhere to live! Do you know I slept under a bridge last night? Me, the dignified young master of the Si family, sleeping under a bridge!"

Zhou Siyan finally looked up at him and asked, "Bridge arch? Which bridge arch? I'd like to take a look."

"You—are you even human?!" Si Yan'an clutched his chest, his face contorted with the pain of betrayal.

"I was thinking of staying at your mansion for the night, but those bodyguards at your door are truly incorruptible! Even more incorruptible than Bao Gong!"

I told them I was their boss's childhood friend, but they said they didn't know me.

I said we grew up wearing the same pants, and they said the boss doesn't wear pants—do you even listen to that?!

Zhou Siyan's lips twitched slightly, and he pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "Just say what you have to say!"

"Hehe," Si Yan'an rubbed his hands together, leaned closer to the desk, and grinned like a fox that had just stolen some cream:

"Um... I remember you have a large apartment in the city center that's just sitting empty. Can I stay there for a while?"

Yes—the old man suspended all my cards, I can't afford a single coin. You know how it is, so maybe I could help him out.

Zhou Siyan glanced at him.

"I'm willing but unable. Your father called me a long time ago and personally told me not to help you."

"What?" Si Yan'an jumped up from the sofa.

"Was it really necessary to be so ruthless? I'm his own son!"

Zhou Siyan shook his head. "Why don't you get a paternity test? Maybe there really is a misunderstanding."

"Go away!" Si Yan'an plopped back down on the sofa, crossed his legs, and

"Our Si family has a single-lineage heir; I am the only son! The undisputed crown prince! Do you understand?"

Zhou Siyan finally raised her head this time, looking at him helplessly, her eyes filled with exhaustion, wondering, "Who am I? Why do I have friends like this?"

"To be honest, I'm quite suspicious myself. Everyone in your family is so successful, how come you're the only one who keeps getting into trouble?"

"I was too young then!" Si Yan'an said matter-of-factly.

"Those old foxes are all trying to trick me! I'm sweet-talking, soft-hearted, and naive; I can't outsmart them at all!"

Zhou Siyan stared at him expressionlessly for two seconds, seemingly considering the applicability of the phrase "sweet-faced and soft-hearted," before finally deciding to forgo commenting.

"Are you going to help me or not?" Si Yan'an slumped down in front of the table, looking at him pitifully with his eyes.

Zhou Siyan leaned back in his chair, tapped his fingers lightly twice on the armrest, and slowly began to speak:

"Come work for Zhou's. I'll pay you a salary, and you'll get some experience. I'm sure the old man won't say anything."

Si Yan'an swallowed hard, his eyes widening like saucers:

"Working for you? Dude, are you serious? You're not kidding me, are you?"

"Am I joking?"

"You're even more serious than Bao Gong!" Si Yan'an wailed, slumping onto the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"I am the eldest son of the prestigious Si family, born with a silver spoon in my mouth. You want me to start from the bottom? How can you bear to do that?"

"I can't bear to do that. I'll be there promptly at eight o'clock tomorrow morning."

"Eight o'clock?! Do you know what time I usually get up?"

"I don't know, and I don't want to know." Zhou Siyan didn't even look up.

"Twelve o'clock! Noon!" Si Yan'an held up three fingers, speaking with conviction.

"Even my housekeeper knows that you can't knock on the door before midnight, or she'll get her wages docked!"

Zhou Siyan finally raised his eyes, his gaze filled with a kind of bewilderment, as if asking, "How on earth have you managed to survive until today?"

"So it's not unfair at all that your dad kicked you out."

"You—!" Si Yan'an clutched his chest. "Zhou Siyan, doesn't your conscience hurt?"

"I don't have that kind of thing." Zhou Siyan lowered her head, signed her name, closed the document, and looked up at him.

"Two things. First, tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, being late for one day will result in a deduction of one hundred. Second—"

He paused for a moment, then said, "I need that big apartment you mentioned. You can move it to the company dormitory to sleep, save some money."

"What use are you? What use are you? You can't exactly keep a mistress in a golden house, can you?" Si Yan'an joked casually.

Zhou Siyan lowered her eyes, a very slight smile curving her lips: "That's not a very nice way to describe you."

Pshaw, now you're even bringing up literary talent. Not very good to listen to? Wait—not very good to listen to? Isn't it true that it doesn't exist?

The air was silent for a full three seconds.

Si Yan'an's eyes widened slowly, and he suddenly sprang up from the sofa:

"What did you say? You have a girlfriend???"