Chapter 87 For heaven’s sake, we’re just in a superior-subordinate relationship

Although because of Li Meng’s words Cheng Yao had some misgivings in her heart, the ancient city of Kyoto truly had too much charm.

The next day the Gion and Yasaka Shrine filled with classical Japanese romantic atmosphere made Cheng Yao suddenly forget everything else and only concentrate on appreciating the beautiful scenery before her eyes, wholeheartedly experiencing this foreign travel.

“I heard the matcha in Uji, Kyoto is especially famous. Looking at the strategy you made, it says that when coming to Kyoto one must try the matcha ice cream and matcha pastries here more…” Cheng Yao gazed at the matcha shop by the roadside not far away, quite eager to try. “How about we go buy some?”

Regarding Cheng Yao’s proposal Tan Ying was also very tempted. “I think it’s fine! Eating ice cream in winter is the most stimulating! Let’s go…”

As a result just as she began looking for Japanese yen, Sister Zhu suddenly waved toward everyone. “Qian Par said to treat everyone to matcha ice cream and desserts.”

Tan Ying cheered. “Qian Par is too wonderful! Saves me spending money, hahaha!”

Cheng Yao didn’t speak. She only slightly turned her head and glanced at Qian Heng who was walking not far and not near by her side. Qian Heng had both hands in his pockets, his expression indifferent as he listened to Wu Jun saying something. Yet Cheng Yao could feel her own reflection in his peripheral vision.

He must have heard it.

The matcha ice cream was indeed fine and delicious as everyone praised. Only after eating such a cold thing in the deep winter Cheng Yao again felt a bit like eating something hot to warm her stomach. But this time she swept a glance at Qian Heng who was still following closely by her side and didn’t dare open her mouth. She only glanced toward that Kyoto yudofu shop not far away.

Legend had it that the water of Higashiyama in Kyoto was the slightly alkaline water most suitable for making tofu, and the water quality was sufficiently good. Therefore Kyoto’s tofu was also extremely delicious. And in the deep winter, coming for a bowl of steaming yudofu simply couldn’t be more wonderful.

This time Cheng Yao didn’t speak. She pulled Tan Ying’s hand and said softly, “Want to eat yu…”

As a result before she could finish speaking, Sister Zhu spoke again. “Qian Par said that in the deep winter treat everyone to something warm. Everyone gets a bowl of yudofu.”

“…”

After finishing the yudofu Cheng Yao again took an interest in Kyoto sweets. As a result she only looked a couple more times and Sister Zhu again announced that Qian Par was paying and treating the whole firm to freely eat Kyoto wagashi.

After this, as long as Cheng Yao looked at something, almost without much time passing Sister Zhu would announce that Qian Heng was treating.

This entire way was almost going back and forth among the sentence patterns of “Qian Par is treating,” “Qian Par is treating again,” “Qian Par is paying,” and “Qian Par is letting you eat freely.”

At the beginning Cheng Yao still thought it was coincidence. Only later even she could no longer deceive herself.

Cheng Yao secretly glanced at Qian Heng. The other party was indeed also looking at her. Although he made no indication—Qian Heng was even half-heartedly agreeing with Wu Jun—the gaze with which he looked at Cheng Yao already made Cheng Yao understand everything.

Qian Heng had always been silently paying attention to her.

After finishing the Kyoto sweets and hot tea in the shop, Cheng Yao finally found an opportunity, shook off the crowd, and blocked Qian Heng in front of the checkout counter while he was paying.

She was a bit shy. “How did you know I wanted to eat these things?”

Qian Heng calmly paid. Only when signing the credit card his ears slightly turned a bit red. “Because whether it was the yudofu or the Kyoto sweets, you looked many times.”

“But I also looked at quite a few other shops. How did you know I didn’t want to eat those and only wanted to eat the yudofu and Kyoto sweets?”

Qian Heng lowered his gaze. “The gaze with which you look at those things—I can distinguish it. I know you like it and want to eat it.”

“Hm?”

This time Qian Heng finally raised his head and looked at Cheng Yao. He lowered his voice, carrying a bit of unnaturalness and fleeting shyness. “Because when you look at me it’s with that kind of gaze. So I can distinguish it.”

Qian Heng pressed his lips together. “If it were only the two of us I could buy them one by one for you to eat. But this is team-building. I can only treat everyone together and in my heart treat it as buying them for you to eat.” He looked at Cheng Yao with some helplessness and indulgence. “I didn’t expect that I only like one person yet have to support the entire firm along with it.”

Cheng Yao didn’t speak. Clearly the weather in Kyoto was so cold, yet her face and hands both heated up. Although the other colleagues were already waiting outside, Cheng Yao had used the excuse of forgetting something to enter the shop again so she could briefly have a two-person world with Qian Heng who was paying. Originally she should have restrained herself, but Cheng Yao couldn’t hold back. She lightly rested her head against Qian Heng’s back and embraced him from behind.

She buried herself in Qian Heng’s coat and said in a muffled voice, “It seems I’m liking you more and more—a bit too much. Liking you to the point that it feels so dangerous. Clearly at this time it’s very easy to be discovered by colleagues, yet I still want to be a bit closer to you…”

“It can be more dangerous.”

Qian Heng’s voice was low and sexy. Before Cheng Yao could react he pulled her into his arms in one motion, then his lips carrying a slight coolness touched Cheng Yao’s, forcefully pushing in and seizing the moist, sweet breath between Cheng Yao’s lips and teeth.

This kiss was different from any previous one, carrying a bit of impatient fierceness and the explosion after suppression.

Yet just as Cheng Yao opened her mouth to passionately respond to this kiss, from behind unexpectedly came Bao Rui’s voice—

“Qian Par, Cheng Yao, where are you people? The chartered bus to Arashiyama in the afternoon is about to depart…”

Bao Rui’s voice was getting closer and closer. Cheng Yao was so nervous she couldn’t stand it, afraid Bao Rui would come over and collide with the scene of herself and Qian Heng passionately kissing. Yet she wanted to separate, but Qian Heng wouldn’t let her. He not only didn’t push Cheng Yao away to quickly avoid suspicion but instead held Cheng Yao even tighter and deepened this domineering, moist kiss.

Bao Rui’s voice was already close at hand. “Eh? Where did these two people run off to?”

And as Bao Rui got closer and closer, Cheng Yao’s nervous heart was about to stop beating.

About to be discovered…

She was so nervous she was almost short of oxygen, yet this guy Qian Heng was still adding fuel to the fire. He was almost a bit greedily kissing Cheng Yao.

“Qian Par? Cheng Yao?”

And just when Bao Rui was finally about to discover them, Qian Heng held Cheng Yao and, with a slightly rough movement of his foot, kicked open a nearby door, then holding Cheng Yao flashed inside.

This series of actions flowed like clouds and water and was completed almost instantly within one minute.

Only at this time did Cheng Yao discover that this was an empty private room.

Cheng Yao’s back pressed against the wall. Listening to Bao Rui’s voice outside the door gradually grow distant, the rise and fall of Cheng Yao’s chest gradually eased. She glared at Qian Heng with some lingering fear. “Were you trying to scare me to death?”

Qian Heng only laughed. He leaned close to Cheng Yao’s ear, his voice low. “I had long noticed there was an empty private room here. When you came in to find me I already thought of carrying you here.”

Cheng Yao’s heart that had just tended toward calm suddenly wildly beat again.

Qian Heng clearly also had no intention of letting her off. He again leaned forward and gazed into Cheng Yao’s eyes. “Originally I thought that coming to Japan for team-building I could escape the work environment and be more relaxed and happier with you. As a result not only was there none of that—it was instead even harder to endure than during work.”

“Hm?”

“Because the whole firm moves together, the time I can be alone with you is instead even less than during work.” Although he worked hard to restrain it, that accusation in Qian Heng’s voice still leaked out. He said dryly, “It would have been better not to have the team-building.”

Qian Heng lowered his gaze and continued. “These two days the number of times I’ve spoken alone with you can be counted on one’s fingers.”

Cheng Yao’s face was red yet she couldn’t help laughing. She burrowed a bit more into Qian Heng’s arms. “Then when we go back, let’s go on a one-day trip around the surrounding area on the weekend—just the two of us—and make up for all the time in Japan that we didn’t get to spend together.”

“No.”

“Hm?”

“It has to be made up now.” Qian Heng’s entire ears were red, yet his tone was still completely serious. He stared at Cheng Yao. “I need another kiss.”

The moment the words fell he leaned down and once again kissed Cheng Yao.

By the time Qian Heng and Cheng Yao finally came out of the Kyoto sweets shop it was already ten minutes later.

Seeing Qian Heng, Bao Rui hurried up with an anxious face. “Qian Par, where did you and Cheng Yao go just now?”

Cheng Yao’s face was still a bit red. Qian Heng, however, had long recovered his calm. He glanced at Cheng Yao and said convincingly, “Oh, just now there was a bit of a problem with the credit card swipe. I happened to see Cheng Yao and borrowed her credit card to pay. As a result the POS machine at the checkout counter couldn’t recognize it, so I could only follow the shop owner to another POS machine in the back to swipe the card.”

Bao Rui had completely no suspicion. The group then grandly went to Arashiyama. And upon arriving at Arashiyama Cheng Yao only then realized Qian Heng’s private intention in arranging this scenic spot.

Sister Zhu routinely informed them. “Arashiyama is arranged as free activity. Just remember to gather on time later.”

Arashiyama was very large. With free activity, she and Qian Heng could probably completely avoid the eyes and ears of the firm’s crowd and properly have a two-person world for a while.

And once they dispersed for free movement, everything of Qian Heng’s verified Cheng Yao’s guess.

“Cheng Yao, wait a moment. Previously Ding Sheng’s case—his side has a bit of a change in situation. You walk with me and tell me the current situation.”

Almost the moment they dispersed Qian Heng coldly called out to Cheng Yao.

Tan Ying and Bao Rui cast sympathetic gazes toward Cheng Yao. The two helplessly spread their hands and then immediately without any sympathy abandoned Cheng Yao and charged toward the embrace of Arashiyama’s nature.

At the beginning Cheng Yao and Qian Heng still had no choice but to maintain distance and talk about the completely nonsense “case” with serious faces. Yet when the other colleagues of the firm gradually walked farther away, although Qian Heng’s face still maintained the boss’s majesty and coldness, one hand had already quietly stretched over and held Cheng Yao’s.

“Let’s go. While they haven’t gone yet, let’s first go to Togetsukyo Bridge.”

“What Togetsukyo Bridge?”

Qian Heng’s face was calm. “It’s a famous scenic spot in Arashiyama.”

That Qian Heng didn’t want to say it didn’t mean Cheng Yao couldn’t look it up. She almost quickly found the information on Togetsukyo Bridge on her phone. This was Arashiyama’s well-known lovers’ bridge. It was said that as long as couples who had gone across this bridge would never separate.

Only—

“But when walking this bridge one cannot look back.” Cheng Yao smiled as she supplemented. She raised her brows toward Qian Heng. “I saw it.”

Her smile was crafty. “Once you look back you’ll break up.” Cheng Yao’s bright black eyes blinked.

Qian Heng was stared at by her until he became a bit restless. “It’s not that I believe this kind of thing either, but since we’ve come…”

Cheng Yao linked arms with Qian Heng. “Let’s go.”

Togetsukyo Bridge was a bridge with very classical Japanese charm. The bridge surface was wooden. Below the bridge flowed water that wound from the Ōi River. Simply standing on the bridge and gazing at the scenery not far away already felt peaceful and tranquil.

Cheng Yao held Qian Heng’s hand and quietly walked like this. Neither of them spoke. Yet the gazes that inadvertently touched each other and the fingers entangled together already explained everything.

And when they walked to the middle of the bridge, as if a gift from the unseen, it snowed.

“It’s snowing!”

Cheng Yao couldn’t help stopping. She looked in surprise at the snow beads drifting down one by one, falling in her hair and on her forehead. And the snow that at the beginning was still like star points gradually with time became large patches. On the distant mountain before long there was already a slow tendency of accumulated snow.

Cheng Yao stamped her feet and shrank her neck. “If I weren’t wearing a bit little, I’d really like to watch the snow scenery here.”

The moment her words fell the man behind her pulled her into his warm arms.

Qian Heng lightly bent down. At some unknown time he had undone his own coat. At this moment standing behind Cheng Yao he used the coat to entirely wrap Cheng Yao, protecting her whole person in his arms.

“This way it won’t be cold.”

At this moment, even though the surroundings were wind and snow, Cheng Yao only felt warm and sweet. She leaned against Qian Heng’s arms. The two nestled against each other and exclusively enjoyed Arashiyama’s snow scenery.

After returning from Arashiyama everyone rested at the hotel. For Junheng’s team-building the hotel had always been one person per room. Cheng Yao curled up in the room and originally prepared to research the case a bit. As a result not long after the door was knocked by Tan Ying and Bao Rui.

“Cheng Yao, stop looking at the case. Let’s go drink together!”

Almost the moment Cheng Yao opened the door Tan Ying enthusiastically rushed up and dragged Cheng Yao out. “Let’s go, let’s go. This time Bao Rui and I are treating. Consider it comforting you.”

Cheng Yao looked blank. “Comfort me for what?”

Bao Rui said sympathetically. “Comfort you for being abused to the point of vomiting blood by Qian Par during this team-building.”

Tan Ying’s face was tragic. “You’ve suffered. Today Bao Rui and I aren’t the type to watch someone die without helping. It’s just that Qian Par’s combat power isn’t something the two of us can withstand. To express our colleague love, tonight we’re treating you to drinks—we won’t return until we’re drunk!”

Cheng Yao waved her hands repeatedly. “No need, no need. I’m fine…”

As a result Tan Ying and Bao Rui refused to listen to Cheng Yao’s explanations no matter what. “Don’t worry. We’re people on the same boat. Even if you curse Qian Par we’ll keep it secret for you. Moreover this bar is one that Bao Rui researched for a long time before confirming. The environment is quiet, pure Japanese style, and the sake is especially great!”

The enthusiasm was hard to decline. Ultimately Cheng Yao still arrived at this legendary bar under Tan Ying and Bao Rui’s enthusiastic leadership.

Bao Rui’s eye was indeed not bad. The bar’s decoration was very classical, giving Cheng Yao the illusion of having crossed time and space and arrived in the Edo period.

“The sake here is great.” The moment Bao Rui entered he ordered some snacks and alcohol. “Come, tonight consider it the separate team-building of our Rich and Glorious Combination!”

The three of them were all very familiar on ordinary days. Rarely leaving the work environment, at this moment eating and chatting in the small bar the atmosphere was actually quite good. Besides the trivial matters of life Bao Rui also rarely shared embarrassing stories from his newbie period, making Cheng Yao and Tan Ying laugh heartily. The three of them chatted like this and somehow again played Truth or Dare, but it was relatively loose. For questions one didn’t want to answer one could directly take the dare and drink.

Cheng Yao’s luck today was relatively bad. Several times in succession it was her turn.

Tan Ying lived up to being the “relationship expert.” The questions she asked were also aimed at relationships. “That person who sent you roses last time—are you together?”

“Together.”

Bao Rui closely followed. “Do we know him?”

Cheng Yao pressed her lips together, refused to answer, and directly took the dare and drank.

“Whether we know him or not, say the name!” Tan Ying was very alert. “I always feel we know him!”

Cheng Yao naturally refused to say it, so once again she chose the dare and downed a small cup of sake.

“How did you and the other party meet?”

“Is the other party also a lawyer?”

“How did you get together?”

…

These two fellows Bao Rui and Tan Ying had latched onto Cheng Yao and kept asking. Cheng Yao could not reveal Qian Heng’s information, so she could only honestly choose to drink cup after cup.

Not long after Cheng Yao was a bit drunk. Taking advantage of the timing when Tan Ying and Bao Rui were Truth-or-Dare slaughtering each other, her phone rang.

Cheng Yao looked—it was Qian Heng’s incoming call. She dazedly tapped answer. Qian Heng’s magnetic voice came over.

“Cheng…”

As a result before the “Yao” was finished the Qian Heng on the other end of the phone heard the blues background music of the Japanese bar. His voice immediately became a bit alert and concerned. “Cheng Yao, where are you?”

This thing sake—when drinking one feels it doesn’t make one drunk, but once it goes to the head one is thoroughly drunk.

Cheng Yao held the phone and only knew to giggle foolishly. “Where am I?” She covered her cheeks that were burning from the alcohol. “I’m in your heart.”

“…”

Qian Heng paused before steadying his voice. “Have you been drinking? Are you drunk? Who’s by your side?”

“No, I’m not drunk. I’m very clear-headed.” Cheng Yao continued laughing, denying it like every drunk person. “If you don’t believe me ask Bao Rui. Bao Rui can prove it for me…”

“Have Bao Rui take the phone.”

Cheng Yao suspected nothing. She obediently handed the phone to Bao Rui. “Qian Par is looking for you.”

Although Bao Rui was clearer than Cheng Yao he was also a bit tipsy. He took the phone. “Qian Par, what do you need me for?”

“The address.”

“Ah?”

“Send me the location of where you are now.”

The Qian Heng on the other end of the phone had a serious voice. That braced-for-battle tone was as solemn as facing a case that was suddenly about to lose.

Bao Rui didn’t think much. He took out his own phone and sent a location over.

He hadn’t expected that ten minutes later he would see Qian Heng. His boss came in dusty and travel-worn through the Japanese sliding door, brows tightly furrowed, lips slightly pressed, face looking as if a storm was about to arrive. There was no train station near this small bar. On a snowy Kyoto night it was also difficult to call a taxi. This small path of the bar could only be walked over. Clearly it should normally take twenty minutes to walk, yet Bao Rui hadn’t expected Qian Heng actually walked over in ten minutes. Even if his legs were long he couldn’t be this fast, right?

Only when Qian Heng approached did Bao Rui clearly see the flush on his cheeks and hear his still-unsettled panting.

This stretch of snowy road—he had run over.

Bao Rui was greatly moved. “Qian Par, if I’d known you also wanted to participate in our gathering I would have called you in advance.” He said guiltily. “I thought you had no interest…”

Unfortunately Qian Heng only glanced at Bao Rui, nodded at him, and then stepped past him toward the Cheng Yao behind him.

Cheng Yao was already so drunk her cheeks were scorching. To cool down she was entirely lying on the bar, pressing her face against the icy marble tabletop. At this moment her face was fully flushed, her pupils clear as water, her gaze wet and completely unguarded as she looked toward Qian Heng.

Qian Heng subconsciously avoided the gaze. He looked at Bao Rui and worked hard to maintain calm. “There’s a bit of a problem with Cheng Yao’s case. I have an urgent matter looking for her. How much did she drink?”

“Half a bottle of sake.”

“Next time before taking her drinking you must tell me.” Qian Heng completely seriously warned Bao Rui. “She’s still not a mature lawyer like you. Cases may very likely have loopholes that need wrapping up. She must remain clear-headed at all times.”

Bao Rui nodded repeatedly in gratitude. “Thank you for Qian Par’s recognition of me!”

“Now I need to take Cheng Yao back to sober up and then handle that case a bit.” Only then did Qian Heng glance at Tan Ying, the only clear-headed one in the whole place. “Tan Ying, Bao Rui is left to you. You’re responsible for taking him back to the hotel. If he refuses to leave and still wants to drink, make a video call to his wife.”

After Qian Heng finished instructing he went to the bar and pulled up the already soft and limp Cheng Yao who was lying in a heap. He maintained the boss’s airs and said composedly, “Cheng Yao, come back with me to revise the contract.” While speaking he supported Cheng Yao up.

Tan Ying was a bit reluctant. “Qian Par, Cheng Yao is already this drunk and still has to go revise a contract? How about tomorrow?”

“No. She’s pretending to be drunk. She’s actually clear-headed. It’s just that she wants…”

As a result before Qian Heng could finish speaking the originally quiet Cheng Yao in his arms suddenly raised her head and smiled at him.

In that instant Qian Heng had an extremely dangerous premonition. Yet before he could make any response Cheng Yao’s entire person burrowed into his arms. She butted her fluffy head, both hands embracing Qian Heng, her tone carrying coquettish innocence. “Why did you only come now.”

“…”

Cheng Yao’s entire person was drunk beyond help. She thoroughly forgot that she was not alone with Qian Heng.

In an instant Qian Heng’s entire person tensed. Even someone as silver-tongued as him for a moment actually got stuck.

Cheng Yao, however, didn’t feel the weirdness of this atmosphere in the least. She simply hung onto Qian Heng’s neck, stood on tiptoe seeking a kiss. “Why haven’t you kissed me yet?” She acted spoiled. “I want my boyfriend to kiss me once.”

It seemed as if a century passed before Qian Heng finally arduously found his composure again. He glanced at the wide-eyed Bao Rui and Tan Ying. “She’s drunk too much. She mistook her boyfriend. It’s not me. Cheng Yao and I only have a superior-subordinate relationship.”

The moment Qian Heng’s words fell the Cheng Yao in his arms used those misty eyes to glance at Qian Heng and then laughed foolishly. She seriously stared at her boss and clearly said word by word, “Qian Heng, I like you so much.”

“…”

At this moment Tan Ying only wanted to say: what the hell “not drunk,” what the hell “suddenly drunk again,” what the hell “mistook the boyfriend,” what the hell “only superior-subordinate relationship”…

Bao Rui was originally still a bit tipsy. At this moment this development startled him until the alcohol was thoroughly sobered. “Qian Par…”

“It’s just as you saw. Cheng Yao and I are dating.” Qian Heng, however, recovered his composure. Matters having reached this point, he simply grandly pulled Cheng Yao into his arms and then swept a glance at Bao Rui and Tan Ying. “It’s enough that you know. Outside the team I don’t hope others know.”

Although he said nothing else, that sentence “whoever of you dares speak of it is dead” in his gaze was already hanging brightly over their heads…

Even after Qian Heng and Cheng Yao walked far away Bao Rui still hadn’t thoroughly walked out of the shock. He hesitantly looked at Tan Ying, his gaze quite a painful epiphany. “So… so Qian Par fundamentally didn’t run to the bar because he wanted to see me?” He said indignantly. “This second team-building—thinking about it now—also wasn’t an exception made for me?!”

Tan Ying only felt speechless. “Wake up, Bao Rui. Did you take the wrong female lead script? Right now isn’t the time to grieve over the fact that Qian Par originally doesn’t love you. It’s time to think about how to properly flatter Cheng Yao in the future so that Cheng Yao can whisper pillow talk to Qian Par and let us have more money, fewer matters, and live more comfortably!”

Bao Rui drank another mouthful of sake and sorrowfully recited Pushkin: “If life deceives you…”

“…”