『Office Romance is Forbidden!?』
(Workplace ➕ GL ➕ Single Mom) Tough-talking but soft-hearted female boss X Kind-hearted female subordinate "I've told you how many times, you can't be impatient or push yourself too hard when making a proposal. Don't just bury your head in it if you can't handle it. Why don't you ever ask me for help?!" "I'm sorry, Director Zhao... I thought, I thought I could figure it out if I looked up some materials..." "You... forget it, forget it. Send the proposal to me, I'll fix it." This is Director Zhao, my boss and the head of our design department. In everyone's eyes, she has always been a very serious, responsible, and strict supervisor. There isn't a single person in the department who hasn't been scolded by her. The male colleagues call her a "tiger mom" behind her back, saying she is cold and heartless. I don't know how those male colleagues are treated, but I feel she is more tolerant toward women. Although she still has a sharp tongue, she is soft-hearted—a knife-like mouth with a tofu heart. Just like this time, I was finishing up a team project. Because I lacked experience and was too embarrassed to trouble others, I struggled with it alone. The result was twice the effort for half the result, and I got scolded by Director Zhao. Her revisions weren't just one-sided edits; she made me watch as she made the changes, sharing her methods and thought process with me as she went. Director Zhao is very charming when she works seriously. Although her tone is strictly professional, you can feel how much care she puts into it. Originally, my interactions with Director Zhao were limited to the office, but one day, because of an incident, I saw a side of Director Zhao outside of work for the first time... It was a weekend, and I was jogging in a nearby park when I accidentally bumped into a little girl crying loudly. The little girl looked to be about four or five years old, and she kept calling for her mom. "Hey, little one, what's wrong? Can't find your mom?" "Yes, Mom, I don't know where she went..." "It's okay, it's okay. I'll stay with you and we'll look for her together, okay?" I quickly picked her up and coaxed her a bit. She was very sensible, stopped crying, and nodded. Then we walked around the entire park looking for her mom. Finally, at the main entrance, before I could even see clearly, a figure rushed over and snatched the little girl from my arms. "Nannan! Are you okay!" "Mom, I'm okay... The big sister just helped me find you." "Director Zhao?" I was stunned. She looked at me, also stunned for a few seconds, and then thanked me: "Thank you... I don't know if I would have been able to see her again otherwise..." It was the first time I saw Director Zhao like this, her eyes brimming with tears as she bowed to thank me. I also know that kidnappers exist around here; if things had gone wrong, the child could have been taken. Fortunately, it was a close call. "It's okay, Director Zhao, it was nothing. I'll be going now." "Wait..." Director Zhao called out to me, then hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Let me buy you dinner? I really feel bad otherwise. Is that convenient for you?" "Ah... yes, yes, that's fine." I didn't expect that when she invited me to dinner, she would take me to her home. She was busy in the kitchen, cooking three dishes and a soup to treat me. At the dinner table, I asked curiously: "Director Zhao, you already have a child? I couldn't tell at all." "Mm, her name is Zhao Nannan, she's five this year." "Oh... and the child's father?" I realized how inappropriate the question was after asking, and I regretted it, wanting to make up for it, but she answered me directly. "We're divorced. It's been two or three years." I nodded and went back to eating. Zhao Nannan seemed to really like me and loved to stick by my side. After that dinner, she even wanted me to stay the night, but because of my sense of boundaries, I refused. Actually, I quite like Zhao Nannan too; she looks like a miniature version of Director Zhao, so cute with those chubby baby cheeks... However, because of Zhao Nannan, my relationship with Director Zhao underwent a subtle change. As it happened, the mother and daughter lived in the residential complex next to mine. One day, Director Zhao had to attend a meeting on short notice, so she found me and asked me to look after Nannan, even giving me a red envelope. If Director Zhao hadn't been in a bind, she wouldn't have come to me. I know she doesn't like to owe others, so I accepted the money and the dinner invitations she offered. Over time, at the office, she started showing me more care, which surprised the other colleagues. The fact that Director Zhao reserved her kindness for me alone did indeed stir a secret joy in my heart...
"Keeping personal and professional matters separate is very important."