Gunny and Kawin drove away from the plant nursery. Along the way, Gunny stopped at her friend Ploy-Suay’s house to return an item. Kawin, though uninvited, followed her out of the truck.

He looked around the white wooden house, covered by large trees, which gave a feeling of peace and relaxation, as if walking in a small country garden. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the large, branching trees that provided cool, refreshing shade. A faint scent of flowers drifted on the breeze, creating a dreamy atmosphere, like a long holiday retreat.

Kawin slowly walked behind Gunny on the stone path, holding the potted cactus tightly with both hands. His gaze was fixed forward, showing a hint of deep contemplation.

Gunny glanced at Kawin, who was following her, with surprise. She didn't want him to come, but she couldn't refuse, because she didn't know why he was following her.

“And why did you bring the cactus out of the car?”

“It’s yours, of course,” he said, pointing at her.

Gunny’s hand froze mid-air before she pointed a finger back at herself, utterly bewildered. “How can it be mine? You said you wanted to buy flowers for some girls!” Gunny retorted immediately.

Kawin rolled his eyes thoughtfully, then gave a cunning smile. “And you aren't a girl?”

“But... I’m not...” Gunny stammered. He raised an eyebrow and shrugged, his manner utterly provocative.

“Or are you a man?”

Kawin continued to stand there with a cunning smile, clearly amused by her reaction, which only served to irritate Gunny even more.

“Hey, Sir! Are you trying to mess with me? I don’t have a lot of free time! My work is piled up on my desk! Do you know how much extra work I have to clear just because of the two hours I spent looking for a jasmine plant with you?” Gunny spoke, gesticulating wildly in the air with annoyance.

But the cunning young CEO leaned back slightly, bracing himself for her temper. “I know. That's why I instructed Chulee to delegate your tasks to other employees in your department to lighten your load.” he informed her.

Gunny's mouth dropped open, and she rolled her eyes in utter exasperation. “That’s not a reason for someone else to do my work! Everyone has their own duties. Having others do my work is taking advantage of them, and I’m furious that I have to do something so pointless!” Gunny rattled off, barely pausing for breath, her emotions simmering inside.

“You haven’t done anything wrong, have you? Because you are genuinely working with me today,” he insisted. But Gunny failed to grasp what he was trying to communicate at this moment.

“I’ve evaluated our time outside together, our brief conversation, and getting to know each other a little. I think the two of us can be partners,” Kawin said, smiling broadly and answering in a good mood, completely opposite to Gunny, who was on the verge of an emotional explosion.

“Partners?” she repeated, crossing her arms and widening her eyes furiously. “I don’t understand what you want.”

“When the time comes, you will know,” Kawin replied with a nod.

Gunny bared her teeth and ran a hand through her hair in frustration.

“I am not joking around! From now on, if you don’t have genuinely important business related to work, I refuse,” Gunny spoke through clenched teeth.

Kawin gave a wide, mischievous smile and was about to open his mouth to reply.

“That’s not funny! Are you messing with me, Ohm!” A loud shouting voice came from a distance, abruptly cutting short the conversation between the accountant and the cunning young executive.

woman suddenly appeared, striding quickly toward them. She was followed closely by a tall, scruffy-looking young man with thick-rimmed glasses and messy hair, who was walking with his hands on his hips.

“Damn it! Humph! If I had known, I wouldn’t have helped her! I should’ve just let her get hit by the car and die!” Ohm, the scruffy young man in a faded T-shirt, ripped jeans, and an old backpack slung over his shoulder, was speaking animatedly. Although he looked unconventional and didn't seem to care much about his clothes, his style was uniquely his own. He gestured with his hands while speaking, his face visibly annoyed.

“Ohm!” Ploy-Sai’s voice called out, making everyone turn to look at her standing at the doorway. The woman was dressed neatly in a pink dress, a sweet smile gracing her face, a sharp contrast to the chaotic atmosphere of her friends.

“Oh! Ploy! Gunny!” Ohm spotted Ploy-Sai and Gunny standing nearby and gave a wide, genuine smile.

“How did you end up here? Haven’t seen you in ages,” Gunny asked.

Kawin glanced over at Gunny’s circle of friends, seamlessly trying to become part of their group. He stood beside them in a casual posture, quickly scanning everyone to silently gather information.

“I lost my job, so I came back here. But now I have a new one—I'm working with Chef Lom!” the tall young man recounted proudly, pleased to be working at the restaurant of the world-class chef. Chef Lom was a name widely recognized in the global culinary world, yet his face remained a mystery that no one had ever seen. He never appeared in the media, never gave interviews, and never revealed his true identity. Despite this, the taste of his food was world-famous, turning him into a legend. Every dish he created was a work of art, perfectly blending flavors and cultures, making his restaurant a destination for food connoisseurs from every corner of the globe who wanted to taste the skill of this enigmatic chef just once in their lives.

“Wow! That’s impressive,” Gunny complimented.

Ohm then turned to look at the Kawin standing behind Gunny. “Is this Gunny’s boyfriend?” he asked, giving Kawin a friendly, cheerful smile.

Gunny was so shocked her jaw dropped. She spun around to look at Kawin in surprise, her eyebrows furrowing tightly.

“No!” She immediately denied, without a second thought.

Kawin twitched the corner of his mouth and glanced at her in amusement.

“He is my boss, CEO Kawin. Boss these are Ohm, Ae, and Ploy-Sai. They are my friends,” Gunny quickly introduced them to smooth over Ohm’s question, which had slightly irritated her.

“Hello, nice to meet you all,” Kawin greeted them in a friendly manner, nodding. One hand was in his trouser pocket, and the other gave a small wave. This made Ohm, Ae, and Ploy-Sai feel less nervous about meeting their close friend’s high-level executive boss.

“Hello, nice to meet you too, sir,” Ohm said, bowing his head slightly.

“Hello, nice to meet you,” Ae and Ploy-Suay said, performing a polite simultaneously. Even though he seemed approachable, he was still the boss of their close friend and deserved respect.

“It looks like you are all busy. I won’t interrupt any further,” Kawin said, smiling at everyone. Although he seemed humble, his demeanor remained as elegant as a typical executive’s.

He then raised his hand to tap his own forehead slightly when he realized he hadn't driven himself, before turning back to Gunny with his usual mischievous smile.

“Um... Gunny, you’ll drive me, please.” Kawin tilted his head toward Gunny and glanced at her with a provocative look. He then bowed his head to her friends as a farewell gesture. He didn't say anything else but quickly walked away with a brisk step.

Gunny gave him a quick, weary glance before turning back to her friends.

“I have to go now. See you later,” Gunny said, handing the important bag to Ploy-Sai. She then hurried to the truck to serve as the chauffeur for her overbearing boss, who constantly caused her trouble.

She didn't know what he was planning this time, but overall, he was one man she couldn't trust—a man she had marked with a huge X in her mind, someone she absolutely should not get close to again.