!START
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Beginning:
知性的萊絲娜是一名人人稱羨的女總裁兼創辦人，公司在私募天使基金的挹注下，從默默無名的技術研發，瞬間搖身成為科技業金雞母。
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她才30出頭，個性一絲不苟、沉穩、且耳根子硬，即使外表相當出眾，戀愛方面卻是一團空。
試著在百合交友平台上找到粉紅知己的她，卻完全沒注意到自己的文雅與此平台格格不入。
『風、海、她經常以此作心情抒發的主題』。
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Development:
這天，她刷到一個距離這裡不遠，看起來有點率性、陽光的女孩『優兒』，摟著一隻大花豹合照，野生動物系，吸引了她的目光。
然而，優兒卻覺得她各方面都無聊透頂，甚至會提醒自己書要好好念、不要隨便跟陌生人出去、他甚至調侃萊根本是無聊的學校教官。
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Turning Point:
即使如此，萊想著要把這個迷途的女大生導回正軌，女大生則因為無聊，加上捉弄『老師個性般』的萊很有趣，二人竟然就這麼一天一天地聊了下去。
直到優兒問萊願不願意做自己的女朋友，如果不是如此，半年後自己畢業，就要離開這座城市回家。
萊試著用工作慰留她，並提出了私人司機的方案，即使雙方都知道這與優兒的專業技能無關。\
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Ending:
很快的。
優兒順利畢業。
萊不僅幫她完成人事聘用，還直接給了她一副自家鑰匙。
第一天在公司報到時。
優兒在人事室。親眼看到自己的聘書上面的核准欄位寫著：萊絲娜 CEO
Lady ... L ？....
ChatGPT
Lesna was the kind of woman who made success look effortless.
In her early thirties, she was already the founder and CEO of a technology company that had gone from an obscure research startup to an industry darling almost overnight, thanks to a generous round of private investment.
She was intelligent, composed, meticulous, and remarkably difficult to persuade once she'd made up her mind.
She was also beautiful.
Unfortunately, none of those qualities had helped her find a girlfriend.
For all her professional achievements, Lesna's romantic experience amounted to a collection of disappointing conversations, awkward dates, and several perfectly pleasant evenings that had somehow ended without a second invitation.
She simply couldn't understand it.
Wasn't romance supposed to begin with mutual understanding? Shared values? Perhaps an appreciation for literature?
Apparently not.
Still, Lesna refused to give up.
Every evening after work, she opened a dating platform for women, logged into her anonymous account, and updated her little corner of the internet.
Lady L
*Occupation: Office Worker*
She had deliberately concealed her position. The last thing she wanted was someone pursuing her for her money.
Her latest diary entry read:
*If you were the wind, I would follow wherever you wandered.*
*If you were the sea, I would wait upon your shore.*
*Somewhere beneath the same sky, perhaps you are waiting for me, too.*
Lesna reviewed her writing.
"Beautiful."
She pressed Publish.
The post received three likes.
One of them was from an account advertising cryptocurrency.
Lesna sighed.
Perhaps true love required patience.
One evening, while browsing nearby profiles, Lesna came across a particularly striking photograph.
A smiling woman with a carefree expression had one arm draped around an enormous leopard.
An actual leopard.
Lesna sat up straighter.
"My goodness."
The animal looked considerably less intimidating than the woman beside it.
The profile belonged to Yuer, a graduate student specializing in wildlife research.
Her interests included music, socializing, outdoor adventures, and meeting interesting women.
Her introduction was remarkably brief.
*Fun people only. Boring conversations get one chance.*
Lesna studied the photograph.
"Well, she certainly seems lively."
She sent a message.
Lady L: Hello, Yuer. I came across your profile and thought we might enjoy getting to know each other. =)
A reply arrived almost immediately.
Yuer: Hey.
Yuer: You always talk like that?
Lady L: Like what?
Yuer: Like you're sending an email to your department manager.
Lesna frowned.
Lady L: I believe being polite is important, regardless of the circumstances.
Yuer: Oh wow.
Yuer: A teacher.
Lady L: I'm not a teacher.
Yuer: Romance teacher, then.
Lady L: That's not an actual profession.
Yuer: Congratulations. You're already correcting me.
Lesna stared at the conversation.
What an extraordinary woman.
She decided to continue.
Lady L: Your photograph with the leopard is fascinating. Was it taken during your research?
Yuer: Yep.
Lady L: Wasn't that dangerous?
Yuer: Less dangerous than talking to strangers online.
Lady L: Actually, that's an excellent point. You should be extremely careful about sharing personal information with strangers.
Yuer: ...
Yuer: I walked right into that one.
Lesna smiled.
Finally, a woman who appreciated practical advice.
Yuer, meanwhile, lay on her bed staring at the screen.
'How did I find a safety instructor on a dating app?'
She opened Lady L's profile.
Wind.
Sea.
Destiny.
More wind.
Another sea.
Yuer scrolled.
'Does this woman live inside a weather forecast?'
Yuer: Hey, Lady L.
Lady L: Yes?
Yuer: You work at a publishing company?
Lesna's eyes brightened.
Lady L: No. Why do you ask?
'Perhaps my writing really is that good.'
Yuer: Because everything you write sounds like the introduction to a romance novel.
Lady L: Oh, thank you.
Yuer: That wasn't a compliment.
Lesna's smile disappeared.
Under ordinary circumstances, the conversation should have ended there.
Yuer was accustomed to meeting attractive, confident women who knew exactly what they wanted.
She enjoyed lively conversations, spontaneous invitations, and people who could make an ordinary evening memorable.
If there was no chemistry, she moved on.
She had never considered that particularly cruel.
Life was too short to spend pretending to enjoy someone's company.
Lady L, by comparison, seemed determined to turn every conversation into a personal development seminar.
Yuer: Want to hang out tonight?
Lady L: It's rather late.
Yuer: It's eight.
Lady L: Have you finished your university assignments?
Yuer: ...
Yuer: Are you serious?
Lady L: Your studies should come first.
Yuer: TEACHER.
Lady L: Yuer, there's no need to shout.
Yuer: I'M NOT SHOUTING. I'M GRADUATING SOON.
Lady L: Then this is an especially important period for your academic future.
Yuer buried her face in a pillow.
Unbelievable.
Absolutely unbelievable.
And yet, the following evening, she opened the conversation again.
Yuer: Hey, Teach.
Lady L: Good evening, Yuer.
Yuer: Guess what happened today.
Lady L: Something interesting?
Yuer: Almost left my apartment without locking the door.
Lady L: Yuer.
Yuer: Oh, here we go.
Lady L: Please don't casually share information like that online. Someone could take advantage of it.
Yuer: Yes, ma'am.
Lady L: I'm serious.
Yuer: I know.
For some reason, Yuer was smiling.
At first, she had found Lady L unbearably dull.
But the woman's concern was strangely genuine. She wasn't pretending to be thoughtful to make a good impression.
She really was like this.
When Yuer mentioned being exhausted, Lady L reminded her to rest.
When she complained about her research, Lady L patiently listened.
When she casually mentioned skipping dinner, a lengthy explanation of proper nutrition followed.
One night, Yuer decided to test something.
Yuer: Lady L, you there?
Lady L: Yes. Is something wrong?
Yuer: Nothing. Just checking.
Lady L: Checking what?
Yuer: Whether my favorite romance teacher is still alive.
Lady L: Yuer!
Yuer laughed so hard she nearly dropped her phone.
It became a habit.
Then, somehow, a routine.
Then something Yuer found herself looking forward to.
Their first proper date took place at a quiet café.
Lesna arrived ten minutes early, wearing an elegant cream-colored outfit.
Yuer arrived precisely on time.
She took one look at Lesna and stopped.
"Wow."
Lesna glanced down at herself.
"Is something wrong?"
"No." Yuer grinned. "You actually look like your profile picture."
"Shouldn't that be expected?"
"You'd be surprised."
They ordered drinks.
Lesna began with a polite question about Yuer's research.
Twenty minutes later, they were discussing the behavior of large predators.
Another twenty minutes passed before Lesna realized that Yuer had somehow convinced her to imitate the expression of an annoyed leopard.
"That's not what I meant!" Yuer burst out laughing.
"You specifically asked what an irritated leopard might look like."
"Yeah, but I wasn't expecting you to demonstrate!"
Lesna straightened her posture.
"Well, perhaps you should phrase your questions more carefully."
"Oh, you're incredible."
It was the first time Yuer had said that without sarcasm.
Neither woman seemed to notice.
Afterward, they walked through a nearby shopping district.
Yuer pointed at an elaborate display of artificial flowers.
"Hey, L. Romantic enough for you?"
Lesna considered it seriously.
"Artificial flowers lack the fleeting beauty of natural blossoms."
"Right. Of course they do."
"However, I appreciate the effort involved in arranging them."
Yuer shook her head, smiling.
"You really can't help yourself, can you?"
"Help myself with what?"
"Being you."
Lesna didn't know how to answer.
A moment later, Yuer reached for her hand.
This time, Lesna didn't have a prepared speech.
She simply held it.
Over the following months, their meetings became more frequent.
Sometimes they visited cafés. Sometimes they wandered around the city without any particular destination.
They learned each other's habits.
Yuer discovered that Lesna organized her schedule with an almost frightening level of precision, yet could spend twenty minutes choosing the perfect wording for a dating-app post.
Lesna discovered that Yuer's carefree attitude concealed a remarkably sharp mind.
She was quick, observant, and considerably more thoughtful than her teasing suggested.
Yuer also noticed something unexpected about herself.
She had stopped looking for new dates.
Her inbox was still full of invitations, but whenever she considered accepting one, she found herself checking whether Lady L was online instead.
'Seriously?'
One evening, she scrolled through their conversation history.
It was enormous.
Hundreds of messages about work, research, music, food, literature, safety precautions, and an unreasonable number of discussions involving wind and the sea.
She laughed.
Then she typed.
Yuer: L.
Lady L: Yes?
Yuer: You know you're really weird, right?
Lady L: That's rather unkind.
Yuer: I like you anyway.
For once, Lady L didn't reply immediately.
Three minutes passed.
Then five.
Lady L: I like you too, Yuer.
Yuer stared at the screen.
Her smile slowly softened.
'Oh.'
One evening, Yuer rested her head against Lesna's shoulder as they sat together on the sofa.
"L?"
"Yes?"
"Would you be my girlfriend?"
Lesna went completely still.
Yuer tilted her head.
"Hello? Did your system crash?"
"No. I heard you."
"Great. Because I wasn't planning on submitting a written application."
"Yuer..."
"I'm serious."
That changed everything.
Yuer sat upright.
"I know I joke around a lot. And honestly, when we first met, I was mostly having fun messing with you."
Lesna gave her a knowing look.
"That much was obvious."
"Hey."
"But please continue."
Yuer took a breath.
"I like being around you, L. Even when you're lecturing me. Especially when you're lecturing me, apparently. I don't know what happened to my taste."
Lesna laughed softly.
Then Yuer's expression grew more thoughtful.
"There's something else."
She was graduating in six months.
Her field offered few suitable opportunities in the city, and she had already begun considering returning home.
"If we're not going to be together," Yuer said, "I should probably start planning to leave."
Lesna looked at her.
Six months.
Until that moment, she hadn't really considered how soon graduation would arrive.
"What about finding work here?"
"I've looked. Nothing promising."
Lesna fell silent.
There was an obvious solution.
'She could work at my company.'
Except...
Wildlife research?
Her company specialized in technology.
They didn't employ wildlife researchers.
Admittedly, their servers occasionally behaved like untamed animals, but that wasn't a recognized department.
"Yuer."
"Hm?"
"I don't want you making your decision based solely on me."
Yuer studied her.
"But I would like to help you find a reason to stay."
"Is that your way of asking me to wait?"
Lesna hesitated.
"Perhaps we could decide what comes next once you've graduated."
Yuer smiled.
"You're unbelievably careful."
"I prefer thoughtful."
"Of course you do, Teach."
She leaned closer and kissed Lesna lightly.
"Fine. You've got six months."
The following morning, Lesna sat in her office examining the company's organizational chart.
For the first time in years, her professional judgment was being challenged by something far more complicated than a business acquisition.
Where could she possibly employ Yuer?
Security?
Yuer could work with large predators. Surely she could handle an occasional troublesome visitor.
No.
The building already employed professional security personnel.
Facilities management?
Absolutely not.
She imagined approaching a graduate student in wildlife science with an offer to maintain office facilities.
"Ridiculous."
Lesna rubbed her temples.
Then her eyes landed on another part of the chart.
Transportation.
"Driver...?"
She paused.
That evening, she sent a message.
Lady L: Yuer, would you consider working as a driver?
Yuer: A driver?
Yuer: Wait. Your company does logistics?
Lady L: Not exactly.
Yuer: Delivery trucks? Warehouse transport? Do I need a special license?
Lady L: No. I mean a private chauffeur.
Yuer: Oh.
Yuer: Whose chauffeur?
Lesna hesitated.
Lady L: Mine, potentially.
A full minute passed.
Then—
Yuer: LMAO.
Lady L: What's so funny?
Yuer: You want to hire your girlfriend candidate to drive you around?
Lady L: I believe it's a perfectly reasonable employment opportunity.
Yuer: Are there performance reviews?
Lady L: Naturally.
Yuer: What if I keep flirting with my passenger?
Lady L: Yuer!
Yuer: Five-star service. Romantic commentary included.
Lesna covered her face with one hand.
This woman.
"Unbelievable."
And yet, she was smiling.
She explained the salary, working arrangements, and responsibilities. She also made it clear that Yuer could continue searching for opportunities in her own field.
Yuer listened more carefully than Lesna expected.
"You're really serious about this, aren't you?"
"Of course."
"Even though wildlife research has absolutely nothing to do with driving you around?"
"I don't intend to pretend otherwise."
Yuer laughed.
"You're terrible at being romantic, L."
"Am I?"
"No."
Her voice grew softer.
"Actually, you're pretty good at it."
Six months passed.
Yuer completed her research, submitted her final work, and graduated successfully.
Lesna attended the graduation ceremony.
Naturally, she brought flowers.
Naturally, she had chosen them with extraordinary care.
And naturally, Yuer spent several minutes teasing her about the handwritten card.
*"May the next chapter of your life bring fulfillment, discovery, and lasting happiness."*
"Honestly, L, is this a graduation card or an annual corporate report?"
"I spent a great deal of time writing that."
"I know."
Yuer slipped her arm around Lesna's.
"That's why I like it."
A few days later, Lesna handed her two things.
The first was confirmation that her employment paperwork had been completed.
The second was a small silver key.
Yuer looked down.
"What's this?"
"My apartment."
Yuer blinked.
"You're giving me your key?"
"Yes."
"Does this mean I'm your girlfriend now, or did I get promoted to building manager?"
"Yuer!"
Yuer laughed.
Lesna reached for her hand.
"I thought perhaps you'd like to have somewhere to come home to."
That silenced her.
For several seconds, Yuer simply looked at the key resting in her palm.
Then she stepped forward and hugged Lesna.
"You're really unfair, you know that?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Nothing."
Yuer smiled against her shoulder.
"Love you, Teach."
On her first day at work, Yuer arrived at the company's headquarters wearing a smart outfit that Lesna had enthusiastically approved.
The building was considerably more impressive than she'd expected.
The reception area alone looked expensive enough to fund several research projects.
'Wow. L wasn't kidding about working somewhere fancy.'
A member of the HR department welcomed her and guided her through the onboarding paperwork.
Everything appeared perfectly ordinary.
Employee information.
Salary.
Job description.
Employment terms.
Yuer skimmed through the pages.
Then she stopped.
At the bottom of the appointment document was an authorization field.
Approved By:
Lesna — Chief Executive Officer
Yuer stared.
She read it again.
Then once more.
Lesna.
CEO.
Chief.
Executive.
Officer.
Her mouth slowly fell open.
'Wait.'
Lady L.
The woman who wrote poetry about the sea.
The woman who lectured her about locking doors.
The woman who had personally reminded her to eat breakfast that very morning.
The same woman who had spent months introducing herself as an ordinary office worker.
'...'
Yuer very slowly reached for her phone.
She opened their conversation.
Yuer: L.
Lady L: Good morning, Yuer. How is your first day going?
Yuer: Quick question.
Lady L: Of course.
Yuer: WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO AT THIS COMPANY?
A brief pause.
Lady L: I believe we've discussed my work before.
Yuer: YOU SAID YOU WERE AN OFFICE WORKER.
Lady L: Technically, I work in an office.
Yuer stared at the screen.
Another message appeared.
Lady L: And please refrain from using capital letters in professional correspondence. It can appear rather aggressive.
Yuer slowly closed her eyes.
She took a deep breath.
Lady...
L...?
Yuer: ...
Yuer: TEACHER.
Lady L: Yes, dear?
Yuer: YOU'RE THE CEO?!
Lady L: Yuer, please. I'm in a meeting.
Yuer looked down at the appointment document again.
Then at her phone.
Then at the magnificent corporate headquarters surrounding her.
A laugh escaped her.
Followed by another.
Soon she was laughing so hard that the HR representative looked up in concern.
"Miss Yuer? Is everything all right?"
Yuer wiped the corner of her eye.
"Oh, absolutely."
She looked at the approval signature one last time.
"Actually, I think I just discovered a very rare species."
The HR representative blinked.
"A rare species?"
Yuer grinned.
"An office worker."
Her phone buzzed.
Lady L: Also, Yuer, please remember to collect your employee identification card before leaving HR.
Yuer burst out laughing again.
Some things, apparently, would never change.
Lady L.
The most unbelievable woman she'd ever met.
And somehow—
Her girlfriend.
user
!end