** Beneath the Heart of Ice**

chapter: secret

As the afternoon sun slanted through the windows of the office, Li Yin made her way to Lu Zhen's cabin. She had been mentally preparing for another wave of meetings but decided to check in on him first. As she approached his door, she paused, noticing a young intern—a beautiful, doe-eyed woman—standing far too close to him. The intern was leaning forward, her voice soft, words too low for Li Yin to hear but clearly laced with intent.

For a brief moment, Li Yin’s jaw tightened, though she kept her expression neutral. She quietly entered the room, her movements deliberate. Stepping up behind Lu Zhen, she placed her hand on his shoulder, her fingers brushing against him in a possessive, yet seductive, gesture. "Hun, let's head out for lunch," she purred, her voice calm but carrying an unmistakable claim.

The intern froze, eyes widening as she realized she was no longer alone. Without a word, she mumbled a quick apology and practically bolted out of the room, the door clicking shut behind her.

"Did I do a good job?" Li Yin asked, her voice playful but with an underlying edge. She leaned against his desk, arms crossed, one brow arched.

Lu Zhen looked up at her with a smile, his gaze warm but amused. "You handled it perfectly," he said, rising to his feet. "But now, let's get out of here before someone else tries to steal my attention."

She chuckled, feeling a sense of satisfaction as they headed down toward the company cafeteria together.

The moment they sat down, however, the quiet lunch they had envisioned evaporated. A group of employees, mostly younger ones, immediately gravitated toward them. It was like a magnet—wherever they went, people followed, fascinated by the dynamic between them. Before they even had a chance to take a bite, the barrage of questions began.

"So how did you two meet?" one asked eagerly, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"Who fell for who first?" another chimed in, leaning closer as if expecting some juicy revelation.

Li Yin glanced at Lu Zhen, a playful smirk dancing on her lips. He was clearly unfazed by the sudden attention, his calm demeanor a sharp contrast to the flurry of excitement around them.

"Well, it’s not as dramatic as you might think," Li Yin started, her tone light, teasing. "It was all pretty professional at first. We worked together for years."

"But there must have been a moment," one of the younger interns insisted, leaning in. "Like... when did it change?"

Li Yin’s eyes flicked to Lu Zhen, and for a brief moment, their gazes locked. There was a silent understanding between them—a private memory that neither of them shared, something only they would ever know.

"There was a company dinner," Lu Zhen offered, keeping the details vague but enough to satisfy their audience. "Let's just say... things became clearer that night."

"Wow," someone sighed, clearly imagining a romantic whirlwind.

Li Yin laughed softly under her breath. "It wasn’t quite a fairy tale," she added. "We both had to get used to it—working together and everything that came with it."

The questions kept coming, but as they responded with a mixture of humor and subtle evasion, Li Yin felt a growing sense of pride. Yes, they were in the spotlight—whether they liked it or not—but they navigated it together, with grace and strength. It wasn’t always easy, but with Lu Zhen by her side, she knew she could handle whatever came their way.

Eventually, the crowd dispersed, leaving them in the quiet hum of the cafeteria. Lu Zhen leaned back in his chair, finally taking a bite of his food. "I don't know about you, but I think we deserve a quieter lunch spot next time," he said, his tone dry but his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Agreed," Li Yin replied, shaking her head with a smile. "But I have to admit, sometimes it’s fun being the power couple."

Lu Zhen chuckled softly. "Just as long as we stay the power couple and not the office gossip."

"Deal," she said, raising her glass in a mock toast.

They shared a quiet laugh, knowing full well that their journey was just beginning, and the world was watching. But as long as they had each other, they were ready for whatever came next.

As they got out of the cafeteria and headed home, the car's quiet hum filled the space between them. Li Yin glanced at Lu Zhen, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "So, Xu Wei really held back, didn’t he?"

Lu Zhen chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, he did. I half-expected him to spill the whole story about us."

Li Yin laughed softly, recalling how their colleague Xu Wei had been one of the first to notice the subtle shifts in their relationship. "He knows everything, and yet, he didn’t say a word."

"Maybe he's saving it for the right moment," he teased, his eyes glinting. "Or maybe he’s enjoying the fact that we have to keep dodging questions."

"Either way, I’m grateful," Li Yin said with a grin. "Our real love story isn’t exactly office material."

Lu Zhen smiled, reaching for her hand. "No, it’s not. But it's ours."