: Three Rules
3
On the way back, I mustered up the courage to lay down some ground rules with Zane Quinn, namely that we would sleep separately tonight. But Zane Quinn spoke up first.
"When are you going to make our relationship official?"
The question floored me. I froze for a moment before asking him, "Do you want to take a bath together?"
That's right. I hadn't figured out how to answer Zane Quinn's question.
We'd been dating for half a year, and it had always been a secret. Even my best friend, who was also his niece, didn't know.
It wasn't that we couldn't tell anyone, but I just wasn't ready.
Zane Quinn glanced sideways at me but said nothing.
'He wasn't even interested in a bath together. He must be angry.'
I sighed silently and looked out the window, my mind drifting back to how Zane Quinn and I first began.
I first met Zane Quinn when I was eighteen, just after starting college. One day, while accompanying Chloe Quinn home, I ran into him. He was twenty-eight at the time.
My biggest impression of Zane Quinn back then was that he was cold, as if we were from two different worlds. Later, Chloe Quinn would often complain to me about how frigid and strict he was. She said she was terrified every time she saw her Second Uncle Quinn.
Influenced by Chloe Quinn's constant stories, I also came to view Zane Quinn with a mixture of awe and apprehension.
But we didn't have much contact in our daily lives. At most, we would run into each other occasionally.
We didn't really start interacting until my senior year internship.
The company I interned at was his.
The story really begins on the day of my interview.
As a fourth-year university student interviewing at such a massive company, it was impossible not to be nervous.
I woke up a little after four that morning and stood in front of the mirror, carefully applying my makeup to look both natural and refined.
I was a finance major applying for an intern assistant position.
There were over a dozen other candidates with me, and you could tell they had all come well-prepared.
We stood in a line against the wall, each of us reviewing our résumés and mulling over the questions we might face.
That was when Zane Quinn arrived.
I didn't notice at first, not until a commotion broke out around me.
"Wow, he's so handsome!"
"So domineering CEOs really do exist in real life!"
I turned my head and saw Zane Quinn approaching, flanked by an entourage.
Zane Quinn was the big boss, but I was just interviewing to be an intern assistant to a manager. There was no way he would be conducting the interviews himself.
But I was nervous nonetheless, and it was all Chloe Quinn's fault. Thanks to her stories, just a single glance at Zane Quinn now made me tremble.
I quickly lowered my head, chanting inwardly, 'Don't see me, don't see me...'
Then, a pair of leather shoes entered my field of vision.
My body went stiff. I slowly raised my head and met Zane Quinn's deep gaze.
I didn't dare to breathe, and my scalp went numb. My mouth hung open, and after a long moment, I finally managed to stammer, "Sec... Second Uncle."
When we first met, Chloe Quinn had introduced us, and I had just followed her lead in calling him that.
I had called him that ever since as a sign of respect.
'But in this situation, wasn't I just trying to use our connection to my advantage?'
I was terrified Zane Quinn would shoot back, "Who are you calling Second Uncle?"
But he just acknowledged me with a faint, expressionless sound before asking, "Here for an interview?"
I nodded.
Zane Quinn said nothing more and walked away.
And just like that, I became the center of attention.
Everyone thought I was Zane Quinn's relative.
