Chapter 40: “Don’t yell like that in front of a man.”

Cheng Yao, under Qian Heng’s impatient glare and urging, stepped into the room. Her heart was racing as she thought to herself:

According to Qian Heng’s logic, if I accidentally tugged on his clothes, that meant I was harboring indecent thoughts about him. Now that he’s personally inviting me into his room… doesn’t that mean, by extension, he’s offering himself up on a silver platter?!

Once she started thinking along those lines, her imagination ran wild…

Sure, he had a bad temper and a sharp tongue, but that waist, that chest, and that face… She hadn’t seen his butt, but judging from the way his suit pants fit, it had to be firm and perky. And those ridiculously long legs… Plus, considering his hourly billing rate, if he really was that kind of guy, wouldn’t that make him an incredible deal?

Especially if that usually cold and arrogant face suddenly turned teary and pitiful, crying out, “No, no…”

The more she thought about it, the more thrilling it seemed?!

Cheng Yao, unknowingly corrupted by Qian Heng after spending too much time around him, actually felt a little moved for a moment…

That was until she suddenly recalled the legal sentencing for rape. She immediately sobered up, reined in her thoughts that were teetering on the edge of criminal activity, and turned back to Qian Heng.

The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.

Mbl rsola oyp pvkzz swv, zlyhkdt Ckyd Tldt’p assx kd vsvyz eyajdlpp. Tl bye eayod cynj vbl nwavykdp, cwv vbl ekx xssdzktbv qkzvlakdt kd sdzu nypv y qykdv, bygu tzso shla vbl prynl. Gv vbl xsxldv, Ckyd Tldt oyp qwxczkdt vbaswtb y rkzl sq esnwxldvp kd vbl eyaj, plyanbkdt qsa kdqsaxyvksd sd qyxkzu vawpvp.

Ubldt Zys iwknjzu rwzzle swv bla rbsdl yde vwadle sd vbl qzypbzktbv.

Ju vbl clyx sq zktbv, Ckyd Tldt nsdvkdwle qzkrrkdt vbaswtb vbl xyvlakyzp, obkzl Ubldt Zys qkdyzzu tsv y tsse zssj yv bkp elpj.

Rv oyp y nbysvkn xlpp sq nypl alqlaldnlp yde zltyz qkzlp, cwv seezu ldswtb, pnyvvlale yxsdt vblx olal plhlayz pwnnwzldv nyal twkelp.

Ckyd Tldt zkjlp pwnnwzldvp?

Fwnnwzldvp—rzwxr, aswde, yde hkcaydvzu talld—olal yesayczl. Gde ulv, Ckyd Tldt, obs oyp yp nsze yde plhlal yp vblu nsxl, zkjle psxlvbkdt ps yv seep okvb bkp rlapsdyzkvu? Fbl yzoyup vbswtbv psxlvbkdt zkjl Pklqqldcynbky—y bktbzu vsmkn rzydv—oswze pwkv bkx clvvla…

Jwv dso vbyv pbl vbswtbv ycswv kv, kv eke pllx vs xyjl pldpl. Tkp sqqknl oyp yzoyup elnsayvle okvb rsvvle pwnnwzldvp, vbswtb lhlau vkxl pbl hkpkvle yqvla y ollj sa vos, vblu olal yzoyup ekqqlaldv.

Fbl bye dlhla tkhld kv xwnb vbswtbv clqsal, yppwxkdt bl fwpv tsv csale yde pokvnble vblx swv. Jwv dso, pllkdt yzz vblpl pwnnwzldv nyal cssjp, pbl alyzkgle—kv oypd’v vbyv bl zspv kdvlalpv. Tl rascyczu fwpv jlrv jkzzkdt vblx.

“Boss, you like succulents?”

Qian Heng paused for a second before immediately denying it. “I don’t. I just keep them around.”

Just keep them around? What a liar. He had bought so many books on them, treating succulent care with the same rigorous dedication he applied to legal clauses.

Under the dim indoor light, Cheng Yao’s gaze shifted to the sunlit windowsill, where several potted succulents sat. Sure enough, a few of them were already shriveled and withering—clearly on the brink of death.

Feeling a pang of sympathy, she muttered, “These guys aren’t gonna make it either, huh…”

Just moments ago, Qian Heng had claimed he was only casually keeping the succulents. Yet now, he immediately abandoned the documents he had been searching through, walked over to the windowsill with a serious expression, and after taking a look, he finally let out a breath of relief. Then, he shot Cheng Yao a warning glare and said sternly, “Curse my succulents again, and I’ll deduct your bonus.”

Despite his words, perhaps because the night blurred the usual boundaries between superior and subordinate, or perhaps because Cheng Yao had caught the flash of undisguised nervousness on his face just now, his threat carried absolutely no weight.

She reached out and brushed a few leaves. The already withered ones fell off effortlessly at her light touch. “See? They may look fine on the outside, but they’re actually about to—”

Before she could finish saying “die,” Qian Heng cut her off. “What should I do?”

His expression remained cold, his tone still indifferent, yet beneath this facade of calm and composure, his emotions inevitably seeped through.

He was nervous. Very nervous.

Over a succulent.

As Cheng Yao marveled at this unexpected discovery, a mischievous streak suddenly took hold of her. She had no idea why—maybe she had eaten something particularly bold today—but seeing Qian Heng, clearly anxious yet still stubbornly maintaining his image, made her want to tease him.

He obviously cared so much but insisted on acting like he didn’t. The problem was, his acting skills weren’t quite there yet—his concern was written all over his face.

Cheng Yao narrowed her eyes and grinned. “Want to know what to do?”

Qian Heng didn’t respond immediately. He pressed his lips together and glanced at her. “I’ll waive two days of your unpaid overtime.”

Cheng Yao kept smiling but said nothing.

Qian Heng frowned. “I won’t deduct your perfect attendance bonus this month.”

Cheng Yao continued to smile.

“I’ll give you a raise at the end of the year.”

Still, Cheng Yao just squinted at him without speaking. He was much taller than her, so she had to tilt her head up to look at him, yet in this moment, she somehow exuded an air of superiority.

Come on, beg me.

“I’ll rate your probation period as ‘excellent.’”

“I’ll give you a bigger year-end bonus.”

“I’ll approve an extra day of paid leave for you.”

Let’s see just how low you’re willing to go for these succulents.

…

“I originally only signed a one-year contract, but I’ll renew it with you in advance.”

“I’ll bring you in on a highly profitable case.”

No matter how tempting the offers Qian Heng proposed were, Cheng Yao simply maintained her enigmatic smile without saying a word.

Ah, Qian Heng, Qian Heng—what goes around comes around. Now it’s your turn to experience the ‘pleasure’ of desperately seeking an answer from someone yet never receiving a definite response, leaving you hanging in suspense and unease.

This, of course, eventually provoked Qian Heng. His expression turned into one that clearly said, You’re done for. “Cheng Yao, don’t push your luck. What exactly do you want?”

Cheng Yao almost burst out laughing. Anyone overhearing their conversation would never guess that all of this was just over a succulent.

After tormenting Qian Heng enough, she decided it was time to quit while she was ahead. Clearing her throat, she finally spoke, “Alright, how about this—you bring these succulents to my room, and I’ll take care of them for a few days. That should be enough to save them. You’ve been overwatering them, and they’re not getting enough sunlight. Unlike you, I’m not ridiculously busy every day, so I can make sure they get enough sun.”

Qian Heng eyed her suspiciously, as if evaluating how reliable her promise was.

“Relax. For the sake of waiving my unpaid overtime, keeping my full attendance bonus, getting a raise, securing an ‘excellent’ rating for my probation, receiving a bigger year-end bonus, an early contract renewal, and a big case—I’ll definitely put in my best effort!”

“…”

Qian Heng’s expression flickered unpredictably, while Cheng Yao felt like a peasant who had finally overthrown the landlord. She was utterly pleased with herself! So this was how it felt to push Qian Heng to a corner—so satisfying! Hahaha!

Maybe it was because Liang Jingru had given her courage, but Cheng Yao was feeling a little giddy. “Come on, Boss, weren’t you going to explain family trusts to me?”

“…”

Qian Heng clenched his jaw, clearly frustrated, but given the circumstances, he had no choice but to comply. Without saying another word, he pulled out his meticulously organized trust law materials, found a seat by the desk, and actually began teaching her.

“A domestic trust, like a bank, requires approval from the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) for establishment. Likewise, it falls under CBRC supervision. This requirement sets a high threshold for forming a domestic trust. Due to regulatory constraints, domestic trusts generally adopt a very conservative approach to management…”

…

The night was eerily quiet. In this room, every word, every sound, and even the tail end of every sigh from Qian Heng seemed amplified.

With no electricity, Cheng Yao used her phone’s flashlight to illuminate the documents Qian Heng had found. The two of them were sitting very close together, huddled over that precariously dim light, discussing the intricacies of trust law.

Because of their close proximity, Cheng Yao felt like she could sense every breath Qian Heng took—his faintly mint-scented exhale seemed to take physical form, lingering around her ears, seeping into her skin—warm and slightly damp.

At this distance, if she so much as tilted her head slightly, she would brush against the bridge of his nose. But Qian Heng, fully absorbed in his explanation, remained completely oblivious. He would glance at the documents now and then, occasionally lifting his eyes to look at Cheng Yao.

She had to admit—Qian Heng really was unfairly good-looking. Even though she saw his face every day, being this close to him still made her heart race. His well-defined nose was right in front of her eyes, his usually thin and pale lips were slightly parted as he spoke, and his long eyelashes fluttered subtly with each blink. His focused, utterly serious expression was particularly captivating.

Cheng Yao had often heard people say that a man is most handsome when he’s concentrating, but she never truly believed it until now.

When Qian Heng was in work mode, his professionalism created a barrier that seemed to keep people at a distance. But paradoxically, that cold aloofness only made him more enticing—perhaps the ultimate form of rejection was, in itself, a form of seduction.

Like junk food—you know it’s bad for you, yet the taste is so irresistible that you just can’t stop yourself.

This serious, fully engaged Qian Heng, passionately explaining his field of expertise, was so breathtakingly handsome that Cheng Yao found herself instinctively turning her head away, unable to look at him directly.

But just as she averted her gaze, Qian Heng caught on.

“Cheng Yao, are you even listening?”

Startled, she quickly looked up—only to find Qian Heng’s face magnified right in front of her. A sudden wave of nervousness hit her, and she instinctively tried to step back. However, in the dark, she tripped over some scattered objects on the floor.

A sharp pain shot through her ankle as she twisted it, making her let out a small yelp.

She tried to stand up, but the way she had fallen made it difficult. Bracing herself against the edge of Qian Heng’s bed, she attempted to push herself up—only to be met with another stab of excruciating pain.

Qian Heng, interrupted from his lecture, stood up and looked down at her.

In the absence of her phone’s flashlight, which had fallen somewhere in the darkness, the room was left in near-complete shadow. A faint sliver of moonlight from outside barely illuminated the space, and with Qian Heng standing against the light, Cheng Yao couldn’t make out his expression.

“Can you get up?”

She couldn’t see his face, but his voice was as cold and indifferent as ever. Clutching her throbbing ankle, Cheng Yao cursed him internally—You seriously can’t just help me up?!

“No, I can’t!” She struggled a few more times, but each attempt only aggravated the pain, making her whimper involuntarily.

Qian Heng let out a frustrated sigh. “Can you stop whining? Toughen up! Act like a man!”

I—WHAT THE HELL?! I’M NOT A MAN!!!

Cheng Yao was so furious she nearly burst into tears. “Are you—are you a fascist?! I—”

Before she could finish, Qian Heng suddenly bent down, scooped her up without a word, and effortlessly carried her to the bed.

Cheng Yao was stunned.

What just happened??? The boss… just… picked me up??? Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do???

She gawked at Qian Heng in shock, her voice trembling with disbelief. “Boss?”

“You said you couldn’t stand up, didn’t you?” Qian Heng turned his head slightly, his tone inexplicably sharp. “Cheng Yao, I’m warning you—stop testing my limits.”

Huh??? How am I testing your limits???

“And one more thing—stop calling me that.” Qian Heng’s voice was cold and unwavering. “Especially in front of other men.”

“Why?”

“It’s annoying.”

“…”

As if afraid she hadn’t gotten the message, he repeated after a brief pause, this time with extra emphasis—

“Really annoying.”

“…”