Water and Fire~Chapter 78.2: A Kiss

 

Chapter 78.2: A Kiss

When Chu Qianmiao woke up the next morning, she stared at the ceiling for two minutes before slapping herself in the face.

She had had another er*tic dream last night, the one she hadn't had in a long time, and the protagonist was, as always, Ren Yan. It was strange, she thought, that her er*tic dreams had been delayed. She had clearly watched the show the night before, yet she had a er*tic dream last night.

She held her face in her hands, recalling the details of last night's dream. As she thought about it, she felt that the delayed dream was more like a dream.

In yesterday's dream, she and the protagonist, Comrade Ren Yan, kissed passionately, a kiss that burned her heart. Their tongues seemed to melt, and he kissed them so hard she couldn't even catch her breath. The suffocating, soul-stirring feeling became even more vivid through the dream, and her heartbeat felt like it was about to burst through her chest.

She slapped her face hard. Last night's er*tic dream had been truly wonderful, the texture almost too real. The soft, firm feeling of her biting his lips was more realistic than ever before.

She quickly slapped herself twice more. Licking her lips, she told herself to be more prepared and calm down. It was just a er*tic dream. She'd done it with him plenty before, sometimes even s*x scenes. What a fuss!

Chu Qianmiao washed up, changed, and had breakfast, then headed to Li Ya's due diligence office, feeling refreshed.

The other three older brothers were also there, their faces still pale.

Qin Qianyu saw Chu Qianmiao enter the room in high spirits, and he was practically envious. "Qianmiao, are you a demon? You drank so much last night, and you were fine the next day, how come you're so energetic?"

Chu Qianmiao quickly said modestly, "I'm sorry, Brother Qin, I've always had a good metabolism."

She glanced around the room, didn't see Ren Yan, and wondered what was happening with him, so she asked, "Did we successfully defend President Ren yesterday?"

Liu Lifeng quickly replied, "You're such a con man! You've fooled so many people in the company. You've even drunk so many that they've taken the day off. How could we not be successful?"

Chu Qianmiao wondered why her brother couldn't express his good intentions in a straightforward way, instead of saying the opposite. He really deserved to be fooled.

Finally, Qin Qianyu spoke to her in a kind way, "Qianmiao, you did a great job protecting President Ren yesterday. He's fine, and doing just fine."

Chu Qianmiao wanted to ask, if he was fine, why didn't he come to work?

Before she could ask, Qin Qianyu automatically announced the answer. "Oh, right. Mr. Ren sent me a message last night. He had company matters and returned to Beijing early this morning. He said he'll be back in a few days. Lao Cui will be in charge of the worksite for the next few days."

Chu Qianmiao was stunned.

She thought department heads were different. They could leave at a moment's notice and appear and disappear like a shadow.

Chu Qianmiao thought she'd be out of sight for a few days. Unexpectedly, the day after Ren Yan returned to Beijing, she and Qin Qianyu received an urgent notice. At their superiors' request, the investment banking department held a video conference and training session. All project team members on business trips were to return to Litong Securities, and leave was generally not permitted.

Qin Qianyu seemed particularly cheerful, urging everyone to pack their bags, check out, buy tickets, and head to the high-speed rail station.

Liu Lifeng was perplexed. "What are you pushing me so hard for? Are you in a hurry to be reborn?"

Qin Qianyu kicked him. "You single bastard, what do you know? I miss my wife, isn't that okay?"

Chu Qianmiao: "..."

She was caught off guard by a mouthful of dog food.

She thought about it and realized she wasn't really thinking about returning to Beijing right now, because there didn't seem to be anything compelling enough to rush back. Xiao Daogu was busy with her career, living at the office eight out of ten days. She was also frequently on business trips, so Miaomiao was now being fostered with Zhou Shuqi. Occasionally, when she went back for two or three days, she'd try to bring Miaomiao home to bond with her, but Miaomiao would cling to Zhou Shuqi's trouser legs and wouldn't let go. Like people, it's been pampered and won't move after staying in one place for too long. So, she didn't pick Miaomiao up during her short trips back to Beijing anymore.

Thinking of it this way, she felt more carefree than ever before, completely alone and free from burdens.

Everyone rushed back to Beijing that afternoon. The next day, everyone gathered at the company.

When Chu Qianmiao arrived, she saw Ren Yan. She didn't know who or what had irritated him these past few days, but he had become even more aloof and distant. When he looked at her, his gaze was practically zero degrees.

She thought about it and realized she hadn't forgotten to submit her weekly report, and she had sent all the required emails on time and as required. Nothing wrong. So, he probably wasn't targeting her.

Reassured, she took her notebook and pen and entered the conference room.

The conference rooms were packed, everyone sitting side by side, seemingly listening to the leaders' speeches and experts' lectures on the video conference, but in reality, their minds were occupied with other things.

Chu Qianmiao was drowsy from the training. Afraid she'd collapse into a deep sleep, she got up and went outside the conference room to make a cup of coffee.

She went back to her workstation to get a cup. On the way, she passed Ren Yan's office and glanced through the glass door. She saw a beautiful woman sitting in the chair across from Ren Yan's desk. The beautiful woman glanced over and noticed her.

She quickly walked to her workstation, picked up the cup, and prepared to go to the tea room.

As she passed Ren Yan's office again, the door suddenly swung open from the inside.

She quickly stepped back.

Ren Yan escorted the pretty woman out. "Ren Yan," she said, "We're old classmates. Don't be so polite. Don't bother seeing me off. I need to go to the restroom. By the way, where is it?"

Ren Yan looked at Chu Qianmiao and said to the pretty woman, "This is someone from my department. Let her take you there."

He really didn't bother to be polite with the pretty woman and went straight to the meeting room.

Chu Qianmiao: "..."

She was just passing by, about to make some coffee, and she was being drafted into the role of escort to the restroom.

She smiled and said to the pretty woman, "Let me take you to the restroom."

The pretty woman simply called out her name, "You're Chu Qianmiao!"

Chu Qianmiao was stunned, frozen in place.

The beautiful woman looked at her and smiled. "I'm He Luoyu, Ren Yan's classmate, your senior." After a pause, she said, "Do you have time? How about going downstairs for a cup of coffee?"

Chu Qianmiao's mind raced.

What was going on?

He Luoyu, still smiling, said, "I want to talk to you about something."

Chu Qianmiao paused for a moment, then asked, "Is it about Mr. Ren?"

If this was another one of Ren Yan's ex-girlfriends, she would tell her straight away that the coffee was unnecessary, since she'd even tried to become one before.

But He Luoyu smiled and shook her head. "Of course not." After a pause, she said, "I'm your senior. I won't eat you. What are you afraid of?"

Chu Qianmiao yawned, but held it in her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes.

I was so sleepy. Let's go downstairs and have a cup of coffee with her.

Chu Qianmiao felt that this trip back to Beijing had been worthwhile. Every day was full.

On her first day back in Beijing for training, she hosted a senior named He Luoyu.

On her second day, she unexpectedly hosted two of her former roommates. Numbered by senior, they were Qiu Yun and Huang Ying.

Huang Ying was in Beijing on a long business trip. Upon hearing Chu Qianmiao had returned, she immediately arranged a dinner date with her.

As for Qiu Yun, who had married a wealthy second-generation man and was now a young mistress, she was in Beijing to relax and was staying in Huang Ying's rented apartment.

The three of them met at Haidilao.

Chu Qianmiao was overjoyed to see the two seniors.

But a closer look at Qiu Yun surprised her. The usually high-spirited Qiu Yun now had a hint of haggardness in her eyes.

The hot pot was simmering, the vegetables and meat simmering busily. Amidst the simmering sound, Chu Qianmiao carefully asked the two seniors how they were doing and if everything was alright.

Huang Ying spoke first, "I'm fine, but your sister Yun is not." After a pause, she said, "The man in your sister Yun's family is divorcing her."

Chu Qianmiao had a piece of tofu on the tip of her chopsticks. Her hand trembled at the sound, and the tofu fell to the table with a thud, shattering into pieces.

In that moment, she felt as if the word "marriage" had shattered before her.

How had a marriage, once praised and envied by everyone, become a piece of tender tofu, shattering with a single drop?

Qiu Yun took the initiative to tell Chu Qianmiao the whole story of her marital crisis.

It turned out that her husband, the wealthy second-generation prodigy, had been having an affair. It turned out to be a young woman, a recent college graduate, with a heartbreakingly sweet personality. Even when she got pregnant, she didn't bother anyone, simply saying she'd get an abortion.

Qiu Yun's wealthy second-generation husband was so heartbroken by this adorable woman that he confronted her and demanded a divorce.

Chu Qianmiao was utterly shocked.

Back then, this rich second-generation kid's pursuit of Qiu Yun was nothing short of spectacular, and practically everyone in the school knew about it. He said he loved Qiu Yun's domineering style and was willing to be dominated by her forever, determined to marry her no matter what. It was truly shocking.

"I was so f*cking stupid. I believed a man's words, convinced he could truly love me forever. And yet, after just a few years, he changed. He got tired of being a shrew and turned around to find a young girl to be his shrew. He actually told me that in my presence, he was always dominated and had no self-respect, but that girl treated him like a god, making him feel like a real man. Damn him!" Qiu Yun angrily drank a sip of water.

Huang Ying quickly patted her back. "Calm down! Don't be angry. You can't be angry now."

"It was him who said he was willing to be ruled by me back then, and now it's him who's turned against me and said it's a loss of self-respect. Men, all they talk about is bullshit and lies."

Chu Qianmiao sighed deeply.

A marriage that was once so envied by everyone has come to this point.

She asked Qiu Yun, "Sister Yun, what are you going to do?"

Qiu Yun smiled, her eyes and eyebrows fierce. "I begged him. I still had feelings for him then. But he didn't appreciate it, saying he couldn't let that girl's child be fatherless. So, fine, I won't beg him anymore, but I can't let them have it easy either. I won't divorce you. I won't give in to a mistress."

Qiu Yun touched her belly and told Chu Qianmiao, "I'm pregnant too. I came out to relax and rest. If I were home, they'd definitely give me a miscarriage. Once the baby is settled, I'll see how I deal with them when I get back."

Taking a breath, she told Chu Qianmiao, "I have no feelings for him anymore. All I have is calculation. He can't divorce me after we have a child. I'll make him fall in love with me again. Once I have everything, I'll dump him."

The resolute and fierce look in her eyes left Chu Qianmiao speechless.

She wondered if, when a marriage reaches this point, it was the marriage itself that became reprehensible, or the couple who were no longer living the same bed together.

She couldn't judge other people's relationships and lives, nor could she decide whether Qiu Yun's actions were right or wrong. But from an outsider's perspective, she was once again struck by the fickleness of modern emotions and the irresponsible attitude towards marriage.

She thought perhaps she had some understanding of the idea of ​​not getting married. It wasn't marriage that kept two people happy, it was love. Without love, everything else would become abhorrent.

She knew Qiu Yun was a stickler for words, so there was no need for consolation or counseling; simply caring would suffice.

She told Qiu Yun, "Sister Yun, many of my classmates are involved in marriage litigation. If you need help, just let me know."

Qiu Yun thanked Chu Qianmiao earnestly.

Then she said, "Let's not talk about such heavy stuff. Let's talk about something else."

They talked about their college days. Reminiscing about the past was a universal activity at class reunions; simply reminiscing about the past could rekindle even the most faded feelings.

A few people discussed the dorm social gathering and Tan Shen.

Huang Ying suddenly said to Chu Qianmiao, "Miaomiao, did we tell you that the social gathering between our dorm and Tan Shen's dorm wasn't organized by us? Tan Shen asked us to help."

Chu Qianmiao was stunned. "What?"

Huang Ying said, "It seems we forgot to tell you. Well, it's like, Tan Shen must have been attracted to you and approached us to arrange this social gathering. Think about it, we're not all that resourceful to pull off this social gathering. After all, Tan Shen is the adorable little prince beloved by countless girls in our department. His charm reaches everyone from PhD students and graduate students to freshmen."

Chu Qianmiao was stunned again.

"If he was the one who took the initiative, why didn't he tell us?"

Huang Ying said, "He was probably just being tsundere and trying to save face."

Chu Qianmiao felt a mixture of emotions, not knowing if he was touched or something else.