Chapter 76: “It’s because I’m afraid you’ll be in pain.”

After the kiss ended, Cheng Yao soothed her startled little heart while sneakily glancing around to see if anyone had noticed them. After all, kissing in a public place like Starbucks was a bit embarrassing.

This time it was Qian Heng’s turn to stare straight at her.

Cheng Yao pushed him. “Don’t look at me like that.”

Qian Heng smiled. He leaned in a little closer, his warm breath lingering by Cheng Yao’s ear. “How am I looking at you?”

Qian Heng stared at Cheng Yao. “Have you studied law properly? Thoughts and eye contact don’t constitute a violation of the law—only actions do.” He glanced at Cheng Yao’s lips. “You just treated me like that. Did I say anything? And yet you’re the one who struck first and then cried foul?”

“…”

Cheng Yao bit her lip, about to score one back, when she heard Qian Heng say calmly—

“Starbucks coffee is still barely drinkable, I suppose.”

He looked at Cheng Yao. Almost a moment later, he corrected himself—

“Not just barely.” He changed his answer without the slightest change in expression or heartbeat. “Objectively and fairly speaking, I suddenly find it quite good. Not inferior to freshly ground coffee.”

Cheng Yao was a bit surprised. “Really?”

“Hard to say properly.” Qian Heng looked thoughtfully at her lips. “One sip is too little to evaluate carefully. Have another sip.”

Before Cheng Yao could react, Qian Heng lightly lifted her chin and gave her a lingering, gentle second kiss.

This kiss was deeper than the previous one and made her heart race even more. Cheng Yao almost forgot to breathe. Only when Qian Heng released her did she start panting heavily, subconsciously staring wide-eyed at him.

Yet her boss showed not the slightest sense of shame. His beautiful eyes lifted slightly as he commented seriously, “The reason Starbucks can open so many chain stores around the world is indeed because it has a certain strength. The taste is… acceptable.”

“…”

“By the way, there’s one matter you still haven’t explained to me.”

Looking at the serious and solemn expression on Qian Heng’s face, Cheng Yao immediately grew nervous. “Eh? What matter?”

Her heart suddenly became uneasy as she kept replaying what bad things she might have done behind his back that Qian Heng had caught her for.

Was it that time she complained to Bao Rui that Qian Heng looked sexually frigid and needed Huiren Shenbao, and Bao Rui reported her? Or when she gossiped with Tan Ying that Qian Heng couldn’t find a partner and would probably end up “coincidentally single,” and Qian Heng found out? Or…

The more Cheng Yao thought, the more she felt her past behind-the-scenes commentary on Qian Heng was simply too numerous to record on bamboo slips…

Just as she was uneasily waiting for Qian Heng’s final judgment, he finally spoke—

“Last time you tricked me into using your account to livestream. You received quite a lot of tips, didn’t you?”

“…”

“I heard from Bao Rui it might have been forty or fifty thousand?”

“…”

Qian Heng smiled slightly. “This counts as pre-relationship income, analogous to pre-marital income. It should belong to me personally.”

“…”

“So, hand it over to me.”

Cheng Yao was almost furious! What kind of man was this who didn’t understand romance at all?! She had originally thought Qian Heng would seize one of her handles and then threaten her, attempting to sign some unequal treaty and give her a sweet “punishment”!

At this moment, Cheng Yao once again confirmed: Qian Heng did not deserve a partner! He was suited to being single!

She retorted angrily, “Fine, I’ll give it to you! I haven’t used a single cent of this unjust enrichment! And what do you mean I tricked you into livestreaming? Clearly I taught you how to set a room password back then—you just failed to set it successfully yourself!” At this point Cheng Yao’s tone unconsciously became a bit sour. “I didn’t even want other people looking at you! All that ‘Little brother, marry me’ and ‘Little brother, date me’! Hmph!”

At this moment Qian Heng actually laughed. Then he stretched out one long, slender finger and poked Cheng Yao’s cheek a few times.

“Your self-positioning is quite accurate—strong possessiveness, loves to get jealous.” He pinched Cheng Yao’s face once more. “Fine, I was kidding. I wouldn’t ask you for forty or fifty thousand. It’s all yours.”

Cheng Yao refused with great integrity. “No, I don’t want it! This is your pre-relationship property!”

“Consider it pocket money for you.” Qian Heng said generously. “Forty or fifty thousand is truly a drop in the ocean to me. Even if my bank card got fraudulently charged forty or fifty thousand on an ordinary day, I wouldn’t even notice.”

He looked completely matter-of-fact. “I generally only look at the digits above one million in the bank card balance. What comes after the million, I simply don’t remember. It’s not much money, no need to remember.”

“…”

“Additionally, I’ll transfer another one hundred and fifty thousand to you.”

“Eh???” Cheng Yao was somewhat astonished. “We’re only boyfriend and girlfriend, not in a kept relationship. Why are you transferring so much money to me?”

Qian Heng was a bit unnatural. “That gift box last time—the one that was shipped wrong. You still have to make up the money for the other party, right?”

This time it was Cheng Yao’s turn to be surprised. “But didn’t you say you haven’t drunk that Lafite yet? Then can’t we just send the things back untouched? Why spend over a hundred thousand…”

“I don’t want to return it.” Qian Heng turned his head away. “Although it wasn’t a gift box you sent, it can barely count as our token of affection. I feel it holds great meaning for us.”

After speaking, Qian Heng glanced at Cheng Yao. “Anyway, it’s only a little over a hundred thousand.”

How could someone be so naturally, so lightly punchable?

Cheng Yao thought, If this weren’t my boyfriend, I might jump up and hit him!

Just as Cheng Yao was complaining internally, she heard Qian Heng add another sentence—

“Because for a little over a hundred thousand, to end up together with you by pure coincidence is truly too worthwhile.”

Just this simple sentence made Cheng Yao not only no longer want to hit Qian Heng—she wanted to kiss him again…

Before Cheng Yao could put it into action, Qian Heng’s phone rang.

Starbucks was a bit noisy. Qian Heng slightly furrowed his brows and went outside to take the call.

Cheng Yao looked through the glass window at Qian Heng outside Starbucks.

He had once again returned to his calm and self-restrained appearance, listening to the phone with words as precious as gold. His features were picturesque, carrying a handsome coldness—sufficiently serious and sufficiently professional.

Yet when he pushed the door and came back in, although it was still that cold and good-looking face, between his expressions Cheng Yao always felt it had become a bit gentler.

“There’s a case.” Qian Heng glanced at Cheng Yao. “To be precise, there are two cases, but because the ‘schedules’ happen to clash, I respect your wishes. You can choose one of the two to follow.”

The moment she heard about cases, Cheng Yao also immediately became serious. “So what kind of cases are they?”

“One is a new client recommended by a former client of mine—a family insurance dispute involving a subject amount of ten million. An area you haven’t handled before, worth challenging, and the income is also guaranteed. The other is a legal aid case just arranged by the Lawyers Association. The party’s situation is…”

Before Qian Heng could finish, Cheng Yao interrupted him. “I want to take the legal aid case.”

“Mm.” Qian Heng nodded. “I’ll send you the case materials later.”

He was so calm and composed that Cheng Yao was instead a bit surprised. “I thought you would try to persuade me to take the ten-million subject amount case. After all, for legal aid cases we don’t charge fees—only case-handling subsidies. But most of the time those subsidies can’t even cover the basic expenses spent on the case. Me taking this kind of case contributes absolutely no revenue to the firm…”

Qian Heng didn’t speak. He only looked at Cheng Yao reservedly. Yet the expression on his face was only missing the subtitle “Your previous revenue contributions weren’t worth mentioning either”…

“…”

At this moment Cheng Yao suddenly somewhat understood why people online advised against dating the boss. Because when you wanted to beat him up, you still had to remember that he was the one paying your salary!

However, taking this case was, on one hand, based on Cheng Yao’s enthusiasm for public welfare and some insights she had vaguely gained from Li Mengting’s case. On the other hand, she also had her own considerations.

“For this case, I hope to handle it completely independently. I hope it can become my first independently practiced case.”

Qian Heng didn’t take it seriously. “Didn’t you already handle Li Mengting’s case independently?”

“That’s different.” Cheng Yao was very insistent. “In that case you secretly helped me behind the scenes. The whole way you were controlling it, like learning to ride a bicycle for the first time but with someone always supporting from behind. Although it looks like you’re riding on your own, psychologically you know there’s fundamentally no danger.”

Cheng Yao looked into Qian Heng’s eyes. “I want to experience for myself how it should be done when there’s no one protecting behind me.”

Qian Heng subconsciously turned his head away. “You’ll fall.”

“Ah?”

“Learning to ride a bicycle without anyone supporting you—you’ll fall.” Qian Heng still maintained the posture of looking into the distance, his tone a bit awkward. “It’ll hurt a lot when you fall.”

“I’m not afraid of pain!”

Qian Heng finally glanced at Cheng Yao. It was a dragonfly-touching-water glance. He only swept that one look at Cheng Yao before quickly looking away. “I’m the one who’s afraid you’ll be in pain.”

Cheng Yao only felt a stagnation in her chest. Damn it, didn’t we agree to separate public and private?!

Although her heart was filled with roaring, this roaring was actually pink. Just because of this one sentence from Qian Heng, Cheng Yao’s face started burning again.

She was actually a bit shy.

But principles still had to be insisted upon. Cheng Yao, face red, worked hard to maintain composure. “Some lessons and experience can only be understood after failing, falling, and suffering setbacks. Besides, I have to handle cases independently eventually. If I don’t go try and fall now, and always have you escorting and protecting with smooth sailing, then in the long run I’ll lose the ability to handle cases independently. It’ll be like a tiger raised in a zoo—once released into the wild, only destined to starve to death.”

“Then can’t the tiger just stay in the zoo forever?” Qian Heng said matter-of-factly. “Can’t you just stay at Junheng forever?”

Cheng Yao was almost defeated by his twisted logic. “Even if I stay at Junheng forever, you can’t possibly keep escorting and protecting me the whole time, right? What if one day…”

“What’s impossible about that?” Qian Heng coldly snorted. “Not to mention continuously escorting and protecting you—with my ability, protecting Bao Rui as well would be no problem.”

Cheng Yao was just about to feel moved on Bao Rui’s behalf when she heard Qian Heng continue, “But I’m too lazy to protect him.”

“…”

“He’s not you. Let him crawl and roll and fall on his own.”

“…”

Truly so self-righteous, so moving. Who knew whether Bao Rui, after hearing this, could still continue being Qian Heng’s little sun…

“Although subjectively I don’t want to, you hope to handle the case independently yourself. I respect your decision.” Qian Heng said a bit unnaturally. “When you fall, just come find me. I can reluctantly comfort you a little.”

Cheng Yao couldn’t help wanting to laugh. Someone like Qian Heng was truly a tsundere spirit reborn.

But she still took the opportunity to set ground rules. “This time we’ve agreed that you’ll absolutely let go and let me handle it alone. You can’t secretly help behind the scenes, and you can’t interfere with my case-handling approach.”

“Me, whose one minute converts to 166.66… yuan—would I rush to secretly pay attention to this kind of unpaid legal aid case?!” Qian Heng snorted. “You’re dreaming.”

“Anyway, if I find out that you or someone you instruct like Bao Rui secretly comes to help me, then… then during private time after work I won’t see you at all!”

“Cheng Yao, you’re pushing your luck too far! Is this the attitude toward a boyfriend?” Qian Heng said unhappily. “Threatening not to meet at the slightest disagreement—your mindset is wrong.”

“Didn’t you say you’d absolutely never pay attention to this kind of legal aid case? Then my threat is just empty talk anyway.”

“…”

One way or another, this matter was finally settled. Cheng Yao followed Qian Heng out of Starbucks. To avoid suspicion, Cheng Yao insisted that Qian Heng leave first while she went upstairs a bit later.

But before leaving, Qian Heng paused and said as if naturally, “For the legal aid case, if the case-handling subsidy isn’t enough, I can subsidize the remaining expenses for you.”

Cheng Yao was a bit surprised and delighted. “Our firm actually has subsidies for this kind of case?”

“The firm doesn’t. It’s a private subsidy from me.” Qian Heng swept a glance at Cheng Yao and added, “In the capacity of boyfriend.”

After speaking, he seemed a bit shy. He didn’t even look at Cheng Yao’s reaction before holding his head high and walking away in a completely serious manner. Only his slightly disordered steps already betrayed his emotions.

Cheng Yao waited another five minutes downstairs before going upstairs as if nothing had happened.

When she returned to her desk, Bao Rui handed her a document. “The case materials Qian Par just assigned to you. Take them.” He sighed, his eyes full of pity for Cheng Yao. “I just went into Qian Par’s office and he also assigned me a case. A family insurance dispute with a ten-million subject amount.”

Cheng Yao looked at Bao Rui, indicating she was willing to hear the details.

“Ai! To be honest, compared to me, you’re too miserable!” Bao Rui said sympathetically. “How have you been managing, Cheng Yao? Although you haven’t accompanied Qian Par for many years like me, you’ve still been at Junheng for a while. How are you so bad at gauging the holy will? Even what leaks from Qian Par’s fingers is money. If you casually pick up a leak, it’s still a case with a ten-million-level subject amount. And what about you? Look at you—you’re too unfavored by Qian Par. With so many case sources, Qian Par actually gave you a legal aid case!”

Bao Rui looked at Cheng Yao, simply hating that iron wouldn’t become steel. “Look at you—you’re pretty good-looking too. How are you so bad at catering to his preferences!”

“…”

And Cheng Yao’s silence further inflated Bao Rui. He pointed at the rivers and mountains and instructed, “Let me teach you. Qian Par appreciates people like me who have emotional intelligence and high EQ. You should learn more on ordinary days and see how I communicate with Qian Par. Additionally, although Qian Par doesn’t say much, you need to even more interpret the endless subtext in his limited expressions, and then reservedly put forward your requests to him.”

“…” Cheng Yao asked modestly, “For example?”

The moment Cheng Yao’s words fell, Qian Heng pushed open the door and walked out of the office. Bao Rui shot Cheng Yao a look. “Watch carefully!”

After speaking, Bao Rui walked as if casually behind Qian Heng. “Qian Par…”

Qian Heng turned his head. “Hm?”

Bao Rui said coyly, “I specially came to thank you for making an exception this year for a second team-building for my sake.”

Qian Heng: ???

Bao Rui, however, interpreted the doubt on Qian Heng’s face as pretend embarrassment. He continued hinting, “But Japan is too expensive, and I’ve been there many times. Plus, as a Chinese person’s national sentiment, I actually don’t really want to go to Japan anymore…”

Bao Rui’s idea was simple. Since he had already said this much, Qian Heng’s next sentence should be asking him where he wanted to go. At that time, as long as Bao Rui threw out cost-effective Thailand, it would surely go with the flow and confirm the second team-building to Thailand.

Simply perfect!

Qian Heng indeed stared at Bao Rui for a moment. After a moment, he finally opened his mouth under Bao Rui’s expectant gaze—

“Oh, okay. Then for the second team-building, you don’t need to go. Stay at the firm and work overtime.”

“…”

Not only Cheng Yao—even Tan Ying couldn’t help laughing out loud.

Bao Rui’s entire person was stunned by this unconventional development. He froze for a moment before realizing Qian Heng had already walked far away. He hurriedly flew after him, leaving only his trembling voice echoing in the large office area—

“Qian Par, that’s not what I meant. Listen to my explanation. Japan is fine too…”