Meilin entered the company building, her beige trenchcoat shielding her from the biting cold that stung her cheeks. 'I can't wait for summer!'

Bright lights shone overhead as she took off her headphones and crossed the entrance hall to the information desk but found it empty.

She turned to the two guys lounging in the lobby and greeted them with a smile. "Hello, can I ask you a question?"

They turned their heads, eyes widening and mouths open while she approached. Both men could not help but stare at her, their eyes following her outlines from head to toe.

The shorter guy stuttered, "Y-Yeah?"

"Hello yourself, gorgeous." The taller one winked. "You a fan?"

Blinking, she took a step back. "What?"

"Don't be shy. What's your name?"

"I, uh... I'm just looking for the team Solaris. What floor are they on? Could you please tell me?"

The mere mention of Solaris yanked them out of their fantasies like a wrecking ball smashing through fragile glass.

"Wait, so you're not... You're here for them!? Are you their fan or something? You do realize you can't just barge in like this!"

"Oh no, it's a misunderstanding. I'm here to join the team! It's my first time here, so I'm a bit lost..."

"Solaris, huh? THE Solaris?" The taller one chuckled in a condescending way. "I guess this will be the last time we hear of them."

Her smile remained unflinching as she caught the sideways smirks. 'Calm down, Meilin. You knew this would happen at some point. Stay calm.'

"Esports isn't for girls. You should be at home doing something more suitable for your kind."

She clenched her jaw and fists, taking a deep breath to steady herself. Standing firm, she shot back, "I don't remember you competing in last championship to be talking like this."

"Watch what you're saying, rookie." The tall guy stepped forward, peering down at her with a haughty expression. "If you weren't flirting with me a minute ago, I would've—"

"Excuse me? Do you think every girl who talks to you is hitting on you? YOU were the one flirting with me!"

"Don't get any ideas. You're way too loud and aggressive. I prefer girls who are modest and know how to behave."

Her lips trembled, her heart sinking as if weighed down by heavy stones, a memory surfacing:

"Why haven't I confessed to Meilin yet? Knowing her, she'd probably be all over me before I even got the words out!" A young man chuckled, his laughter growing louder. "Yeah, she's fun, but she's also... aggressive... vulgar... I like proper girls, and she's not... the kind of girl I'd want to introduce to my parents or even consider marrying."

She grounded herself in the present, swallowing the lump in her throat. 'If only I were perfect. If only I weren't the way I am, Yichen wouldn't think of me like that and embarrass me...' She vowed never to show her true self again to anyone. 'What's the point... Fictional men are better anyway...'

"I can't believe this company is trying to hire women now," the shorter guy muttered.

'These jerks! No more. If I turn the other cheek, I'll never earn respect.' Meilin lifted her chin, her foxy eyes sparking with mischief as she gave them an intimidating smirk, her voice dropping to a low, threatening growl. "You know what? How would the company feel about its players discriminating against girls? It'd be a shame if someone were to speak to them about this... And not just that. You'd be canceled, and no other company would want to work with you two."

The two guys exchanged glances and took a step back, their cocky attitudes deflating as the notion of their careers ending sank in.

"Alright, princesses, less talking, more practicing," a deep voice boomed through the lobby.

"Ningshun!" their voices trembled.

Meilin spun around, breath catching in her throat as she met the man's gaze. 'Wow, he looks gorgeous.' Her cheeks heated up as the tall, twenty-year-old man stood before her.

The air carried the lingering scent of his musky cologne. His luscious lips curved into a smile that made eyes linger. He ran a hand through his jet-black hair, now slicked back to where his neck met his broad shoulders, revealing pale green eyes hinting at warmth.

"I see you've met Meilin."

Their eyes widened, and they nodded, forcing nervous laughter. "Is she really joining Solaris? But she's... a girl—"

"Yes, and?" Ningshun retorted without any hesitation. "Besides, I was the one who chose her for the team. She's my concern, not yours. You have a problem with that?"

They exchanged doubtful glances, understanding they needed to leave before the situation escalated.

'He was the one who chose me? I'm on the same team as this breathtaking man, and HE was the one who picked me?' Unwilling to avert her gaze, she openly displayed her admiration. Each word he spoke resonated like a melody in her ears. 'Thank you, God, thank you!'

Ningshun, Solaris' Mid Laner, was a well-known Esports figure and his team's best player. With sharp accuracy and a confident yet calm demeanor in matches, he earned the respect of many opponents.

As Ningshun waved goodbye to the two young men, he paused and cocked his head toward Meilin, his eyes following the tremble in her jaw and the twitching of her brows and fingers. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them with a softened gaze and a long sigh.

With a playful grin, he quipped, "By the way... the 'I didn't see you compete in last championship' was... a bit harsh, Meilin."

"You heard that? I'm really sorry." She lowered her head.

"You did well. I'm glad you stood up for yourself... But 'telling the company'? That was terrifying. That was really something!" He burst out laughing.

She crossed her arms and frowned, his laughter crawling under her skin like a snake. "Stop teasing me!"

'Wow, feisty.' His chuckles faded into a grin. "Now that we've sorted that out, are you ready to meet the rest of the team?"

She sighed, allowing calm to envelop her. "I'm ready. Lead the way."

As he beckoned her toward their office, the silence in the hallway tensed her like a live wire. Each echoing step of his that her ears picked up on beat a drum in her chest as heat flowed up her neck. "Ningshun?"

"Yeah?"

Unease twisted in Meilin's gut like a knot. "Were the words I said really that bad?"

"Yes, they were." He stopped in his tracks, took a step back, and met her gaze at a slow pace. "But don't worry."

Relief washed over her, the tightness in her chest easing like a breath of fresh air, and a smile tugged at her lips. "Why?"

Ningshun leaned against the wall, a sleazy smile curling his lips as he murmured, "I like bad girls."

Heat rushed to her cheeks, spreading like wildfire. 'Is he serious? It can't be...' She swallowed hard and released a breath she had not realized she had been holding.

His gaze lingered on her, making it impossible to ignore the tension between them.

She took a deep breath, trying to quell the wildfire in her veins. 'So, he wants to play like that?' As she broke his spell, a mischievous grin curved her full lips. "Oh, you like bad girls?" Her tone held a dangerous sweetness, her fire tearing through like a blazing inferno.

He opened his mouth to respond, but her assertive gaze caught him off guard as she stepped forward, closing the distance until she stood close to his shoulder.

He found himself caught between curiosity and something else. "Meilin?"

She leaned in, her breath warm against his ear as she whispered, "I'm very bad."

Ningshun's eyebrows shot up as he pivoted toward her, staring in close proximity. 'Did she just...?'

"At everything." She pulled back, her eyes daring him to react.

'Oh...' His soft chuckle escaped, growing louder each second.

With one last smirk, she turned on her heel, her steps echoing as she strutted down the hallway, leaving him standing there.

At the end of the hallway, she stopped. 'Wait... why did I leave when I don't even know my way around here?' She turned around to find Ningshun standing near the beginning of another corridor on her right. His grin spotlighted her blunder, and her heart sank like a stone into an ocean of embarrassment as she neared him.

"Lost your way?"

Meilin's laugh stumbled. "I, uh... I meant to go that way!" She waved in a vague direction, her cheeks flushing.

His grin stretched, and he tilted his head as his eyes sparkled like stars caught in mischief. "Suuure." He turned on his heel, leaving her to follow.

"H-Hey! Wait up!"

He glanced back, catching her sprinting toward him. A warm, amused smile touched his lips before he focused on the path ahead. He slowed his pace as she caught up, her breath coming in quick bursts. "You good?"

"Yeah, let's go!" she puffed, catching her breath with a cheerful grin.

Ningshun's gaze lingered on her, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. "You're pretty quick." He adjusted his stride to move in sync.

But as they strode down the corridor, her gaze followed the way his jet-black hair swayed with each step, drawn to his navy shirt clinging to his muscular physique. The fabric stretched tight, accentuating the contours rippling beneath it under the hallway lights. Her pulse quickened, a flush of heat rising to her cheeks as her eyes lowered, tracing the well-defined lines of his arms and the perfect shoulder-to-hip ratio.

Stopping at a door, he turned toward her, curiosity glinting in his eyes as he tracked where her gaze had wandered. With a daring smirk, he teased, "Are you checking out my butt?"

Meilin flinched, her eyes snapping up to meet his.