TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 1

The morning sun poured down. In the summer, southern weather turns into a furnace, and the main bedroom facing south becomes unbearably stuffy by seven in the morning.

Unlike usual, Zhuang Yanyu did not sit up immediately upon waking. Instead, he lay there, lost in thought.

It took him a while to shake off his drowsiness and remember that he was now an ordinary human.

Two months had passed since he came to this world, and he was still working to adjust to a normal human body.

The sluggishness and slow response of his brain felt like an outdated processor, prompting Zhuang Yanyu to tap his head as if it were an old TV, hoping a light tap would bring the picture into focus.

Zhuang Yanyu got up and went to wash up.

He took three minutes to brush his teeth, one minute to wash his face, and twenty minutes to finish breakfast. It was exactly 7:30 when he stepped out of his house.

Just as he closed his door, the neighbor’s door opened, and an elderly lady came out with her grandson, ready to take him to school.

The elderly lady smiled brightly: “Good morning, Xiao Zhuang! Heading to work?”

The little boy also called out, “Good morning, big brother! Nana is going to kindergarten!”

Zhuang Yanyu forced a standard human smile, revealing eight teeth: “Good morning.”

The three of them took the elevator and left the building together.

The little boy, Nana, kept glancing at Zhuang Yanyu, covering his mouth like he’d discovered a big secret.

Finally, he couldn’t hold it in any longer and whispered, “Grandma! Big brother looks like a robot!”

Zhuang Yanyu’s step faltered, his smile froze, showing only six teeth.

The elderly lady chuckled, “What robot? You’ve been watching too many cartoons.”

She glanced over at Zhuang Yanyu as she spoke.

Zhuang Yanyu was indeed good-looking. He looked youthful, tall, and slim, with long legs and arms, and fair skin that made his amber eyes under curled lashes even brighter. His face was delicate without being effeminate, giving him a sunny, youthful look, almost like a college student.

Upon closer inspection, the elderly lady understood why her grandson thought that way.

She’d watched plenty of cartoons with him, so she knew which one he was referring to.

Zhuang Yanyu stood straight as a board, with each step seemingly calculated. His arm movements resembled a soldier’s, yet his arms swung somewhat stiffly, as if he wasn’t used to them. It did give a robotic impression.

No wonder the child was confused; even she couldn’t help but see it that way.

The elderly lady laughed at her thoughts: “Don’t mind it, Xiao Zhuang. Nana has been obsessed with robot cartoons lately. He just thinks you look nice.”

Zhuang Yanyu forced a smile without showing teeth: “It’s fine; he’s quite observant.”

The boy, proud of the compliment, began jumping around, declaring he was Sun Wukong with “fire eyes” for spotting a “robot.”

After leaving the neighborhood, they parted ways, and Zhuang Yanyu let out a long sigh.

Kids—who knew they could be so terrifying!

When he arrived at the company and had just clocked in at the front desk, he heard someone calling him.

“Xiao Zhuang! Hurry up, the elevator’s coming!”

Zhou Quan was standing by the elevator door, waving at him.

Zhuang Yanyu walked over quickly. The elevator was still on the basement level and hadn’t come up yet. He remarked, “You’re here a bit early today.”

A fellow colleague in the Technical Services Department, Zhou Quan usually clocked in at the very last minute, embodying the persistence of the working class.

Yawning, Zhou Quan said, “The group chat posted a notice this morning, saying the boss’s private elevator needs maintenance, so today the big boss and all the higher-ups have to use the employee elevators. The manager asked us to try to get here early, so we don’t risk being seen by the boss as we’re nearly late. We need to show him our bright, early-rising spirit.”

He yawned again. “Plus, sharing an elevator with the boss is so awkward. Staring at each other in silence—say too little, it seems rude; say too much, it feels like flattery. It only takes a few seconds, but it feels like centuries! For someone as blunt as me, it’s all too easy to say something and end up packing my stuff.”

Zhuang Yanyu didn’t usually check his phone on his way, so he hadn’t seen the notice.

He took out his phone to check the group chat and indeed saw that the department notice had been posted just over 20 minutes ago.

The chat was filled with colleagues complaining about the last-minute notice, saying it might as well not have been sent at all for those who lived far away.

The department supervisor helplessly explained: he had only found out about the elevator maintenance this morning, as the technician scheduled for the job had an accident and couldn’t make it, so they had to find a replacement last minute.

“Ding.”

The elevator doors opened, revealing a crowd of employees from the parking garage. The other elevators hadn’t arrived yet.

Zhou Quan squeezed in and noticed Zhuang Yanyu still standing outside. He called, “Xiao Zhuang, come on, there’s still room—it’s not over capacity!”

Zhuang Yanyu replied, “I just remembered I forgot something. You go ahead.”

“Oh, okay! See you upstairs!”

The elevator doors closed again.

Zhuang Yanyu looked down at his phone and reread the notice. His eyes flashed subtly as he saw the line about the president and all the top executives having to use the employee elevators.

The Blue Sky Technology Building had twelve elevators. To separate the flow of people, four of them—two private for the president and two for the executives—were at the A-door, while the other eight were employee elevators at the B-door.

This wasn’t some kind of intentional class distinction. Through anonymous votes, most employees expressed a preference not to run into their bosses or supervisors on the way in and out of work since it would mean putting on a polite, alert front.

So, the company humanely separated the elevators, allowing employees to come and go happily.

This separation was especially appreciated in today’s society, where many people deal with social anxiety or prefer not to keep up with work-related socializing outside of work hours.

With colleagues, you can skip greetings; with the boss, not so much.

For socially anxious employees, this setup was a godsend.

But today, all the supervisors would be using the employee elevators at the B-door, and the group chat was full of complaints. Some colleagues were even giving live updates, sharing when they arrived, which supervisors they’d seen, and who was still absent.

[Alert! The general manager isn’t here yet. Watch out! I hear he’s really strict, so don’t cross him.]

[The director of the Engineering Department isn’t here either! Friends in the Tech Services Department, be careful—one glance and you might get pulled over to help with testing!]

[I’m terrified! Aren’t these leaders supposed to get to the office early? How are they also barely on time? Scared.jpg]

[Just parked! Passed by Mr. Wen’s reserved spot, and his car isn’t there yet!]

This message caused an instant stir in the chat.

[What? Mr. Wen isn’t here yet? I’d trade ten pounds of fat for a chance to ride the elevator with him! Buddha, bless me.jpg]

[I’d trade ten pounds of fat for a chance to ride the elevator with Mr. Wen! Buddha, bless me.jpg]

[As a man, I’d trade ten pounds of fat for a chance to ride the elevator with Mr. Wen! Buddha, bless me.jpg]

[… ]

[The women are understandable, but why are the men joining in too?]

[Why shouldn’t men want to marry into a wealthy family? Mr. Wen is so handsome—I’d switch teams for him!]

Zhuang Yanyu turned off his phone. He didn’t join in because, unlike his colleagues, he was different—Mr. Wen was his future buddy.

“Ding.” The elevator arrived, and when the doors opened, Zhuang Yanyu looked inside but didn’t see who he was hoping to see. He took a step back.

The people in the elevator assumed he thought it was too crowded, so they simply pressed the close button when he didn’t step in.

“Ding.” Another elevator arrived. Zhuang Yanyu peeked in but didn’t enter. This time, a colleague from his department was inside.

“Xiao Zhuang, why aren’t you coming in?”

Zhuang Yanyu replied, “I just remembered I forgot something.”

“Oh, okay.”

Standing by the elevator, Zhuang Yanyu watched as employees came and went. Each time an elevator arrived, he’d take a look but wouldn’t get on.

After repeating this over ten times, the patrolling security guard started glancing at him suspiciously, as if preparing to check his ID badge.

Seeing the security guard eyeing him, Zhuang Yanyu checked the time—it was 8:58. It seemed he wouldn’t be seeing his buddy today.

Out of time, he stepped into the next elevator without even looking inside when the doors opened.

After stepping into the elevator, he realized that it was quiet and empty.

At this time, during the morning rush, every elevator was usually packed and hot, so it was surprising to see so few people here.

Instinctively, Zhuang Yanyu looked up and froze.

Aside from him, there was only one other person in the elevator.

The man was tall, with long legs, broad shoulders, and an upright posture. His black suit complemented his tall, lean frame perfectly. His handsome, well-defined features were framed by rimless glasses, lending him an air of refined restraint.

This was the president of Blue Sky Technology, “Mr. Wen.”

He was also the person Zhuang Yanyu’s previous life’s mainframe had selected for him—a match supposedly based on system analysis and big data, making him the most compatible personality for Zhuang Yanyu—

His future best friend, Wen Chenxi.

–

Author’s Note:

This is a very sweet, fluffy story. The main character isn’t straight but doesn’t realize it, naturally flirty yet oblivious, while the lead character becomes hopelessly charmed. There are no over-the-top drama or cannon-fodder characters; I hope everyone can steal a moment of joy in their busy lives. Wishing you all happiness!

Feel free to donate for earlier/bonus chapter releases! Thanks for supporting me and enjoy reading 😀