Chapter 73: That’s not a kiss, this is.

Seeing that Cheng Yao didn’t speak, Qian Heng had no choice but to open his mouth and say it again.

Probably because it was the third time, his voice was much smoother this time. “Cheng Yao, I like you. I hope you’ll be my girlfriend.”

Clearly he had already said it three times, yet after finishing, Qian Heng’s expression was still completely flustered and bashful. Even at this point, however, he still worked hard to maintain composure.

“Those words about docking your year-end bonus—I was only saying them.”

“I won’t actually dock it.”

“I never thought of docking it.”

“As a newcomer, you’ve done very well in role adjustment and progress.” Right now not only Qian Heng’s ears had turned red—even behind his ears had begun to turn red. “So even if you reject me, I won’t dock your year-end bonus or retaliate against you.”

Qian Heng pressed his lips together and seriously stared at Cheng Yao. “But if you take the new post, as your boyfriend I’ll privately give you a New Year red envelope of double the year-end bonus. You can freely swipe my card.”

At this point Qian Heng finally recovered a bit of calm. He smiled lightly and looked at Cheng Yao. “One minute.”

“Ah?”

Qian Heng glanced at his phone. “Fifty seconds left. After the time limit, no waiting.”

Is there a confession like this? Feelings and money both applied at once? Confession and year-end bonus delivered together?

This…

This was a bit heart-moving…

Qian Heng seemed to see the wavering in Cheng Yao’s heart. He pressed his lips together and added another sentence. “As long as you agree, not only is the year-end bonus yours, my bank card is yours, my professional consultation and guidance are yours, my time is yours—even I am yours.”

“To obtain all of this, you only need to nod.” Qian Heng seemed to have steeled himself and worked hard to sell himself. “New Year fortune bag—besides these, you can also get some unexpected surprises.”

“What surprises?”

“Then you’ll have to buy the fortune bag and open it yourself.”

Truly… Cheng Yao thought, Why didn’t Qian Heng go into sales? With his looks, plus this level of coercion, inducement, and hunger marketing, he could at least sit on the throne of East China Region Sales King No. 1, right?

“This is the first time in my life I’ve been willing to abandon even my principles just to confess.” Qian Heng glanced at Cheng Yao. “If you reject me, of course I’ll respect your opinion, and our work relationship won’t be affected either. But from my perspective, this will cause me great harm and blow. Both my self-esteem and self-confidence will suffer extreme devastation…”

Does… does it have to be this pitiful? Being looked at by Qian Heng with this kind of gaze right now, Cheng Yao always felt that if she rejected him, she would truly be extremely heinous!

And it was also at this moment that Qian Heng raised his hand to look and delivered the final blow to Cheng Yao. “There’s only ten seconds left. I’m counting down. Ten—nine—eight—”

Cheng Yao’s heart raced even faster along with Qian Heng’s countdown. Before she herself could even react, she heard her own trembling voice. “I… I agree! I’ll do it!”

Fine, yielding to money isn’t such a big deal either! Besides, what is there not to yield to? Triple year-end bonus, although it also comes with a toxic Qian Heng attached, but… reluctantly accept it!

And only now did Cheng Yao finally sort out some of the past traces—

“So earlier when you hinted that office romance wasn’t completely unacceptable…” Cheng Yao suddenly understood. “You made me think we had eliminated everyone in a circle and finally mistakenly believed it was Wang Lu and Li Minglei who got together. I said it didn’t add up. Li Minglei had clearly said before that he would absolutely never do an older-sister-younger-brother relationship. Yesterday I even sneaked around to side-step and ask Wang Lu. She also righteously told me she absolutely doesn’t like the little-puppy type like Li Minglei.” Cheng Yao glanced at Qian Heng and deliberately dragged out her tone. “Yesterday Tan Ying and I still felt that Wang Lu and Li Minglei were being too dishonest. Turns out those two really had nothing going on. The one who had something going on was Boss you…”

Qian Heng was just about to say something when, at that moment, the firm’s main door suddenly made a “beep” of a card swipe.

Someone had come in.

Qian Heng almost agilely immediately turned off the office lights. Before Cheng Yao could react, the room became a stretch of darkness. Only with the faint moonlight from the window could she barely make out Qian Heng opposite her in the dark.

She hadn’t even had time to turn the lights back on when she heard two voices coming from the doorway.

“Sorry, I forgot to take that document home.” This female voice was Wang Lu’s, soft and gentle. “After I grab the document I’ll look at it for a while at home and then play with you. On the way back help me buy a chocolate cake. I really want to eat one.”

This tone, no matter how you listened, was coquettish with a boyfriend. It seemed Wang Lu had already started a new relationship. While Cheng Yao felt happy for her, she also rejoiced that she hadn’t turned the lights back on just now—otherwise it would have been so awkward.

“Fine, fine. Really can’t do anything about you. Why do you love sweets so much? But whatever you want to eat, I’ll just buy it for you.”

Eh?????

When the other male voice rang out, Cheng Yao was shocked.

This… this fucking was Li Minglei?!!!

These two people had really gotten together???

The two outside the office didn’t know of Cheng Yao and Qian Heng’s existence and were still continuing their conversation.

Li Minglei grinned. “Actually I suspect you’ve been coveting me for quite a while. Because all of a sudden for no reason, the gossip about me dating you spread around the firm. And it was so orderly. Who would go around spreading this kind of nonsense for no reason? It must be that you took a fancy to me long ago, so you deliberately found people to spread it yourself, making me start noticing you, and then I just fell into your trap like this…”

Wang Lu argued on the basis of reason. “You’re talking nonsense! If anyone spread it, it was definitely you who spread it! When this gossip first started I was completely baffled! Clearly it was your trap…”

She didn’t finish her later words. Although Cheng Yao wasn’t at the scene, she almost instantly understood.

They were kissing.

Li Minglei had kissed Wang Lu and swallowed the unfinished sentence.

This… the wrong speculation by herself and Tan Ying had actually successfully forced Li Minglei and Wang Lu into a relationship by pressing their heads together???

What happened to not liking older-sister-younger-brother relationships? What happened to looking down on each other?

Hmph, now it was all “true fragrance”…

Outside the office Li Minglei and Wang Lu’s affection was passionate and surging. Inside the office Cheng Yao and Qian Heng, however, listened to those faint movements in awkward silence…

This little couple nuzzled and kissed for a while longer before finally taking the document and leaving.

For a moment the office finally returned to quiet.

Cheng Yao didn’t know why—clearly it was Li Minglei and Wang Lu’s business and had nothing to do with her—yet her face completely couldn’t help becoming flushed and scorching hot. While touching her face with her hand, she wanted to turn on the light to relieve the awkwardness. “Why did you turn off the light? It’s not like we’re having an affair. Aren’t we very properly working overtime in the office? We didn’t do anything else.”

Just as Cheng Yao’s hand touched the switch, it was forcefully pulled back by Qian Heng.

“Then let’s do something else.”

Qian Heng’s voice was still calm. Only when he leaned close to Cheng Yao did she finally sense in that calm a slightly unstable breathing.

Then very quickly, this breathing was submerged in each other’s lips and tongues.

This kiss was no longer like the earlier dragonfly-touching-water one. Qian Heng pried open Cheng Yao’s lips and gave her a wet and deep kiss.

Cheng Yao subconsciously retreated and had already backed against the wall. Qian Heng, however, intensified it in this posture, pressing her against the wall and kissing her.

Cheng Yao was kissed into complete confusion. Her vision briefly spun. Just as she felt her face burning, her ears red, and breathing difficult, Qian Heng finally released her.

Cheng Yao recovered for a moment before finally regaining her calm. She couldn’t help accusing, “You… you’re shameless!”

In the darkness Qian Heng stared at Cheng Yao, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

Cheng Yao felt quite wronged. “I wasn’t prepared at all.” She suddenly thought of something and looked up to glare at Qian Heng. “Do you often kiss other people? Why are your techniques so skilled? It definitely isn’t your first kiss, right! This isn’t fair. I’ve never even dated! I want to go date someone first to balance my psychology before dating you!”

“It is the first kiss.”

“Hm?”

Qian Heng pressed his lips together and turned his head sideways. “You’re the first person I’ve liked.”

Just this one sentence made Cheng Yao feel her face burn even hotter.

What, so she was actually the first person to taste the crab?

She subconsciously wanted to change the topic. “What first kiss?! When I fell into the water before, didn’t you still kiss me? Did you automatically amnesia all past events and lie to me saying it’s the first kiss?”

Qian Heng, however, laughed softly. He leaned down and stared into Cheng Yao’s eyes. “That counts as a kiss?” He lightly lifted Cheng Yao’s chin. “This is what counts.”

Cheng Yao was once again pressed against the wall by Qian Heng, completely without resistance as she let him kiss her. Her hands were pressed against the cold wall, while her lips and face were a stretch of heat. This feeling of ice and fire made her have nowhere to hide.

Cheng Yao’s peripheral vision swept across those solemn legal clauses and literature on Qian Heng’s desk. She thought a bit dizzily, Does this count as office play?

So embarrassing.

Really want to cover my face.

Really want to run away.

Is dating this stimulating?

Cheng Yao felt she suddenly understood a bit of Wang Lu and Li Minglei’s earlier behavior of kissing in the office.

Cheng Yao felt dazed about everything after this kiss. Her heart remained in a state of racing as if she had heart disease. Perhaps it was the body’s self-protection—when too agitated, the details of certain things seemed like memory gaps.

When she reacted again, she was already sitting in Qian Heng’s Bentley. The car had already stopped downstairs at her place.

Qian Heng leaned over and helped her unbuckle the seatbelt.

Cheng Yao’s identity still hadn’t switched over for a moment. She subconsciously said gratefully, “Thank you, Boss!”

Qian Heng cleared his throat, his voice somewhat unnatural. “In private, you don’t have to call me Boss anymore.”

“Okay, thank you, Boss!”

“…”

Qian Heng had no choice but to issue a ban. “From now on if you call me Boss in private again, bonus will be docked.”

“…”

Although it was a threat of docking the bonus, Cheng Yao felt that combined with Qian Heng’s current expression and tone, it truly had zero deterrent force.

“Additionally, I want to solicit your opinion.” Qian Heng glanced at Cheng Yao. “Do you hope to make our relationship public at the firm?”

Cheng Yao almost decisively shouted, “No! I don’t hope to!”

Absolutely not! Once she became Qian Heng’s girlfriend, she would definitely be expelled from the party membership of the Ronghua Fugui combination! Bao Rui and Tan Ying would never again tell her the freshest gossip! Everyone would no longer treat her as Cheng Yao, but would stick the terrible label of “the cult leader’s woman” on her!

Qian Heng was clearly very surprised by this answer. He raised an eyebrow. “I thought you would demand that I must make it public.” He glanced out the car window. “After all, don’t many women, when facing a man who doesn’t make their mutual relationship and status public, all lack a sense of security?” Qian Heng paused, then added in a punchable way, “Especially when this man is also very outstanding.”

“…”

Before Cheng Yao could answer, Qian Heng meaningfully swept a glance at her. “However, when the man is very outstanding yet the woman still doesn’t want to make it public, one has to consider whether she has other thoughts—for example, wanting to continue pretending to be single in her own social circle, eating from the bowl while thinking of the pot…”

“No!” Cheng Yao explained righteously. “Some women are relatively independent and also don’t lack a sense of security. They don’t need a man’s public relationship to add value. They’re only considering convenience in the workplace and don’t want to affect their outstanding boyfriend’s work!”

Cheng Yao added another sentence. “Moreover, I was born by natural delivery.”

“…” Qian Heng furrowed his brows. “What does natural delivery have to do with this?”

“That… don’t those child psychology things say that? Children born by cesarean section easily lack a sense of security. I… I was born by natural delivery! My sense of security has no problem!”

“You believe that too?” Qian Heng looked incredulous. “Aren’t those all things early-education institutions make up to get parents to spend money?”

“…”

“But forget it. I also indeed feel that temporarily not making our relationship public is more suitable.” Qian Heng cleared his throat and made a summary. “Otherwise I can only avoid suspicion and can’t take you on cases, and also can’t go on business trips together.”

“Why?”

“Other colleagues will feel I’m favoring you.” Qian Heng rubbed his brow. “Even if in fact it’s not the case, there will always be people who have opinions in their hearts. That would be bad for your colleague relationships.”

“But hasn’t the atmosphere at the firm always been very good?”

“Interpersonal relationships are very complicated. Don’t go testing people’s hearts either.”

Cheng Yao nodded. “Got it, Bo…” Halfway through speaking, Cheng Yao remembered Qian Heng’s threat of docking the bonus and forcibly made a turn. The turn was a bit too big, however. As she turned she flipped over. By the time Cheng Yao realized it, the two words “hubby” had already jumped out, water spilled that couldn’t be gathered back.

“…”

Compared to Cheng Yao’s awkwardness, Qian Heng was much calmer. But very quickly Cheng Yao understood his toxic calm.

She only heard Qian Heng say earnestly, “I know you really want to call me hubby, but restrain yourself a bit, Cheng Yao. I’m still adjusting into the role of boyfriend. ‘Hubby’ makes me feel a bit out of character.”

“…”

Cheng Yao thought, Is it still in time to break up now?

One way or another, the two of them thus awkwardly dragged things out in the car for a full hour. In the end it was Cheng Yao who forcefully called a stop before finally managing to send this great Buddha Qian Heng away.

She scampered upstairs. Even after another hour, her heart still hadn’t completely calmed down.

And at this time, the phone of the instigator Qian Heng came again.

Cheng Yao gritted her teeth and firmly pressed “Decline.”

It rang again. She “Declined” again.

She sent Qian Heng a WeChat message—

“I need to calm down alone.”

Qian Heng quickly replied on WeChat: “Even calling isn’t allowed?”

Although WeChat couldn’t let one hear the other party’s emotions the way voice could, Cheng Yao still keenly sensed Qian Heng’s grievance and displeasure.

“Not allowed.” Cheng Yao paused, then typed another sentence. “The moment I think of you I can’t calm down.”

After this sentence was sent, Qian Heng’s side miraculously quieted down.

After a long while, his WeChat jumped out again.

“Approved.”

“…”

Unfortunately, although Qian Heng no longer jumped out to furiously brush his presence, his appearance kept lingering in Cheng Yao’s mind and wouldn’t leave.

She had truly been poisoned by the boss!

Cheng Yao tossed and turned unable to sleep. After thinking, she still decided to get up and call Qin Qin. After all, for things to develop into this kind of divine plot twist—wasn’t it this guy Qin Qin’s fault?!

As expected of someone in public relations, Qin Qin hadn’t slept at this hour. Cheng Yao didn’t dare go straight to the point. First she chatted about this and that before probing, “Um, what do you think—if I date a colleague, is that not very good?”

Qin Qin’s reaction was indeed big. “What? Cheng Yao? You’ve already started dating??? What happened to the agreement to stay single together until thirty, go to the Netherlands to register marriage, and take care of each other until old age??? Who made you betray me!”

Cheng Yao was a bit hesitant. When she first started the job, she had said a lot of bad things about Qian Heng to Qin Qin, and had never updated them since…

This attitude of Cheng Yao’s made Qin Qin nervous. “It can’t be that guy surnamed Bao, right? Isn’t he already married? Don’t get involved in that kind of thing. That really won’t work.”

“No no.” Cheng Yao denied repeatedly. “Just… uh, just me and my boss got together.”

“Oh oh.” Qin Qin subconsciously responded, then discovered something wrong. “Which boss of yours?”

“Qian Heng.”

She cried out, “Didn’t you say he was toxic? Didn’t you say you were mortal enemies with him? How did you get together? How could you like such a toxic person? You have to give me a reasonable explanation!”

“I got poisoned from eating too much toxin. I accidentally got addicted?”

“…”