Chapter 3

Near the end of work, Marcus's office door finally opened.

He walked out holding the now-empty bento box.

He walked straight to my desk and placed the freshly washed container on my table.

"Thank you." He looked at me, his tone still flat. "It tasted good, just a bit salty."

I was completely stunned.

He not only ate it but washed the box and even gave me feedback on the taste?

This wasn't the script! Didn't he hate stupid people the most?

Before, when I made even the tiniest mistake at work, he'd publicly criticize me, looking at me like I was an idiot---I could still picture that expression.

Shouldn't he be avoiding me like the plague?

The surrounding colleagues started whispering again, their eyes burning with gossip fire.

"Oh my God, Mr. Marcus actually ate the lunch she made!"

"And washed the box! What kind of plot twist is this!"

"Locked in! I'm shipping this couple to death!"

I felt my face burning. Not from embarrassment---from anger.

Marcus! What are you trying to do!

Step one of the plan: total failure.

I refused to give up. That night at home, I kept scrolling through the forum.

The second top comment: "Create coincidental meetings! Make him think you're destined!"

Okay, coincidental meetings.

I found out from a colleague that Marcus had a habit of night running, usually at 8 PM, at Riverside Park near the company.

The next evening at 7:50, I changed into full workout gear and showed up at the park entrance right on time.

I pretended to stretch while looking around.

At 8:10, a tall figure came running from the distance.

It was him!

I immediately adjusted my breathing, struck my most graceful running pose, and ran toward him.

When I was about three meters away, I deliberately "twisted" my ankle and weakly fell toward him.

According to my plan, he'd instinctively dodge, and I'd spectacularly fall in front of him, staging a bit of self-inflicted suffering to make him think I was a clumsy troublemaker.

But I didn't expect that not only would he not dodge, he'd steadily extend his arm and catch me in his embrace.

My face slammed solidly into his hard chest. My nose bridge nearly broke on the spot.

A strong masculine scent mixed with the smell of sweat surrounded me.

"Are you okay?" His voice came from above my head, carrying a hint of post-exercise breathlessness that sounded... kind of sexy.

I shoved him away hard and backed up two steps, covering my nose.

"I-I'm fine, thank you, Mr.---"

"Call me Marcus." He interrupted me.

I froze.

He looked at me. In the darkness, his eyes shone brighter than starlight.

"Outside the company, you don't need to be so formal."

My heartbeat skipped.

The plan failed again.

Not only did I fail to make him dislike me, I actually made him tell me to use his first name.

I trudged home dejectedly and buried my face in the couch.

Lily called:

"How'd it go, my hero? What scene did you perform today?"

I told her about the park "coincidence." She laughed so hard she couldn't sit straight.

"Susanna, oh Susanna, are you sure you're taking revenge on him and not pursuing him with rom-com tactics?"

"First the lunch delivery, then fake falling---what's next, standing in the rain to get sick so he'll take you to the hospital?"

I was speechless at her roast.

"I'm telling you, guys like Marcus are secretly passionate. The more proactive you are, the more interesting he finds you. You're basically playing with fire."

"Then what should I do?" I asked desperately.

"Deal with it." Lily gloated. "Unless you rush to him right now and tell him you've been acting this whole time and you actually can't stand him."

I fell silent.

I didn't dare.

I was afraid that the moment I said it, he'd make me re-experience the joy of five straight months of overtime.

After hanging up, I opened that help thread again.

The post had over a thousand replies now. The netizens' enthusiasm exceeded my imagination.

The latest top comment offered me a new tactic, with stratospheric popularity.

I perked up, but after reading it, I fell completely silent.