Chapter 3 — My In-Game Husband is a CEO

What did the crown prince of the company have to do with me anyway? That was a matter for the higher-ups to worry about. I opened my computer and forced myself into a state of lazy indifference. Yet, despite my best efforts, my mind wandered unbidden to the gentle goodnight wish he had offered the previous evening, accompanied by that low, resonant chuckle. His voice had truly been magnificent. I shook my head to clear the thought. What on earth was I imagining? He was merely an online gaming companion. For all I knew, he could be some middle-aged man with stinky feet; what good was a nice voice in that case?

At ten o'clock sharp in the morning, our department manager burst through the doors like a whirlwind.

"Everyone, snap to attention! The big boss has arrived!"

The entire office instantly transformed into a battlefield of focused productivity. I frantically tucked my phone away and pulled up a document on my screen that looked appropriately corporate and arduous. Moments later, a sequence of measured footsteps echoed from the doorway. The manager's voice was dripping with such sycophantic sweetness that he sounded like an entirely different species:

"Director Tran, please right this way. This is our operations department."

I kept my head lowered, pretending to study the spreadsheet with intense concentration. The footsteps drew steadily closer. Then, a voice broke the silence.

"Mm. Everyone has been working hard."

It was very deep. Slightly husky. Like someone who had just woken up from a deep sleep. My entire body stiffened. That voice... I abruptly lifted my head. And there he stood. Dressed in a sharp black suit, easily over six feet tall, with cold, chiseled facial features, he was listening deferentially to the manager's introductions. He tilted his head slightly. I caught a direct view of his profile. His brow ridge was prominent, his dark eyes profound, and his thin lips pressed into a firm line. An aura of unapproachable aloofness radiated from him. Then, he spoke again.

"How many people are in this department?"

It was unmistakably that voice. Low, heavy, possessing the magnetic quality of a late-night radio broadcast that made one want to listen forever. It was a 100 percent match for the voice from the game last night. My mind went completely blank. The manager beside him kept chattering away, but not a single word registered in my brain. I simply stared at him, transfixed. Suddenly, he turned his head. His gaze swept across the room and locked directly onto mine. One second. Two seconds. His eyes lingered. I looked into those dark depths, and my heart skipped a beat. Then, he looked away and continued walking forward, as if nothing had happened at all.

Once they had vanished down the hall, I slumped limply back into my chair. My head was spinning with that voice from just moments ago. Could it really be? How was that even possible? He was the crown prince dispatched from the corporate headquarters. How could he possibly be the legendary player who went zero and eight in our match? How could he possibly be the master jungler who had carried me all the way to Supreme King? I drew in a deep breath. I was definitely overthinking things. Plenty of people in this world shared similar voices. Yes, that had to be it. I reached for my phone, intending to send him a message. 【I Eat Two Bowls】: Big brother, are you there? No reply. I stared at the screen for a few seconds. Then, the department manager barged back in.

"Lam Man! Director Tran wants you to come to the conference room right now!"

I froze.

"Huh?"

"Huh? What do you mean huh, hurry up!"

I was hauled away toward the conference room by the manager, my head still swirling in a fog. Director Tran wanted to see me? Why? I did not even know the man. Reaching the door of the conference room, the manager shoved me inside and swiftly closed the door behind me. There was only one person in the room. He was seated at the table, head bowed over his phone. Hearing the door latch, he looked up. Those deep, dark eyes met mine once more.

"Sit down."

I moved mechanically to the chair opposite him and sat. He gazed at me in silence. The intensity of his stare made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, forcing me to speak first:

"Director Tran, is there something you needed me for?"

He did not answer. Instead, he picked up his phone, tapped the screen a few times, and then raised his eyes back to mine.

"Are you playing again tonight?"

I blinked in bewilderment.

"Pardon?"

He turned the screen of his phone toward me. Illuminated upon it was the gaming interface. Under the intimate relations tab, a familiar name was proudly displayed: 【I Eat Two Bowls】. My brain completely ceased its functions. He watched my expression shift, the corners of his lips curling upward ever so slightly. Then, I heard him say:

"Wife, what a coincidence."

I suspected my ears were failing me.

"What did you just call me?"

He offered no reply, simply holding my gaze. The conference room was so quiet that the gentle whir of the air conditioner sounded like a gale. I cleared my throat, striving to keep my voice as steady and normal as possible:

"Director Tran, could you possibly have mistaken me for someone else?"

He looked down at his phone again, then read aloud in a leisurely tone:

"I Eat Two Bowls. At three o'clock yesterday morning, you said you were sleepy and had to go to bed. In our very last match, when I played Luna and left you behind in the blue buff zone, you asked: Big brother, do you still remember me?"

I fell utterly silent.

"And furthermore," he paused, "after we finished our very first match together, you called me husband."

My face flushed a burning, violent red.

"That was just roleplay! It was mere politeness! It was a sign of respect toward my carry!"

He watched me, that subtle, elusive curve returning to the corners of his mouth.

"Mm."

What was that "mm" supposed to mean? What was he agreeing to? I took another deep breath, desperately trying to summon my scattered reason.

"So... you really are Chen?"

"Mm."

"That couple icon..."

"Belongs to you."

"No, what I mean is, what sort of relationship do you have with the previous owner of the account?"

He remained silent, just looking at me. His unwavering stare made me feel somewhat guilty.

"I was just asking casually, since that icon has been linked for seven years anyway. If you and the previous owner had some sort of history, it wouldn't be very appropriate for me to keep wearing it..."

"What sort of history?"

I was rendered completely speechless.