Water and Fire~Chapter 98.2: How Can You Do This?

 

Chapter 98.2: How Can You Do This?

The September weather was bright and windy, especially pleasant.

He stood in the moonlight of the September night, his hands in his trouser pockets. Under the moonlight, his figure was tall and straight, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, a striking allure. Thinking of the bulging pectoral muscles and abdominal muscles beneath the fabric of his shirt, Chu Qianmiao felt the blood rush to her head. She regained her composure and approached Ren Yan under the moonlight. As she drew closer, not only his silhouette but also his features became clearer.

His dark, radiant eyes, his tall, pointed nose, and the slightly upturned corner of his mouth were so enchanting that they seemed to capture a girl's soul.

When they were three steps apart, she dared not move any further and stood still. She feared being drawn in by his gaze.

She called him "Boss" with a smile.

The corner of his mouth curved upwards silently as he said to her, "Get in the car. I'll take you home."

She quickly said, "No, no, I can take a taxi myself."

Ren Yan raised an eyebrow. "I have something to tell you." He paused. "Work."

Chu Qianmiao saw his expression grow serious, thought for a moment, and then walked around to the passenger seat and got in.

After entering her current address into the navigation app on Ren Yan's phone, she fastened her seatbelt. Then she turned to look at Ren Yan. "Boss, what's up? Tell me."

Ren Yan pulled out of the parking lot and merged into the nighttime traffic.

"I might second you to another department next. Be prepared," Ren Yan said, looking straight ahead at the car.

"Ah," Chu Qianmiao said, a little tipsy. Her normally sharp mind was a bit off, so she started to guess. "Could it be Kan Qingzhou's department?"

Ren Yan glanced over at her. "Do you want to go? Okay."

"No."

After answering excitedly, Chu Qianmiao turned to look at Ren Yan's profile. She saw the corner of his mouth curl up. Only then did she realize he was teasing her.

"How can an old man be so mean?"

She thought for a moment, then asked tentatively, "Could it be Li Tang's department?"

Ren Yan couldn't help but glance over at her again, his eyes glaring at her like he was caring for someone with an acute mental disability.

"How could I let you get involved with her?"

Chu Qianmiao felt a surge of emotion at the sound of his voice. He felt a certain ulterior motive behind his words.

It was a form of protection for her.

"We'll discuss the details later. I just wanted to say hello today," Ren Yan said, turning back to look at the road ahead.

Chu Qianmiao: "Oh."

So, even with just this little thing, you still have something to tell her.

Now that I think about it, it feels a bit like he's picking a fight to send her home.

For the rest of the journey, Chu Qianmiao began to feel sleepy. She was half asleep, half awake, and she couldn't even clearly sense when Ren Yan parked the car.

Her eyes were half-closed, and the world was a blur before her.

Suddenly, a warm, fleshy body leaned towards her.

She opened her blurry eyes wide, staring blankly for two seconds before finally focusing.

She saw that it was Ren Yan, his face incredibly close to hers.

"We're here. Your seatbelt is restricting you. It's uncomfortable. Let me help you untie it," he said to her.

They were so close. The tip of his nose was almost touching hers. When he spoke, she worried his lips might touch hers.

The air in the car suddenly felt strangely ambiguous. Her heartbeat, clearly audible only to her, seemed to fill the entire car.

She suddenly opened her eyes wider and leaned back against the seat.

Her chest heaved. She gasped uncontrollably.

She was trapped in his gaze, his eyes more gentle than ever before. Tonight, his gaze seemed to hold so much, so much, so much more.

She didn't dare explore those thoughts, nor did she dare let him reveal them to her.

She gasped, shoving him away.

Then she quickly opened the door and got out.

She was so tired that her legs felt weak. She stood outside the car, holding onto it, waiting for the strength to leave.

He also got out.

He came around and asked her what was wrong, if she wanted to vomit.

His tone was light, but it couldn't conceal his concern.

Under the moonlight, he stood incredibly close to her.

She remembered a time like this, under moonlight just like this, after he'd dropped her off, when she'd stood in front of his car and told him she loved him.

On a night just like this, under equally beautiful moonlight, he'd rejected her.

So, what did it mean for him to stand so close to her now?

She took a step back angrily, putting some distance between them and glaring up at him.

"You, you..."

She was furious, furious yet unsure how to express herself.

She gathered her breath, said nothing, and turned away.

She walked with long, powerful strides, as if she were stepping on someone she hated, wanting to crush them with every step.

There was no sound of anyone moving behind her, or of someone opening a car door.

So he must have been standing there, watching her huffing back.

She suddenly stopped. She took a deep breath, trying her best. Then she turned abruptly and walked quickly back to him.

Ren Yan watched Chu Qianmiao return.

She walked up to him, glaring at him with a huff.

Her face, once a faintly drunken rosy pink, was now flushed with anger.

Her eyes were bright and wet, as if washed by water.

She glared up at him, her words sounding both fierce and aggrieved.

"What's wrong with you?"

He looked down at her, listening to her grumbling, both fierce and aggrieved.

His heart felt like it was being squeezed by a hand. He felt a slight pain, a tinge of blood flowing back and forth.

"Have you been a little too nice to me lately?"

He denied. "No."

"You have," she growled softly. "You just have."

She accuses him one after another.

"Why do you always do things to me that are more intimate than anyone else?"

"What on earth are you trying to do?"

"Didn't you clearly reject me?" Her voice trembled with anger, and she roared at him like a snarling beast. "So why do you flirt with others after rejecting them? Why are you so disrespectful?"

Ren Yan was stunned by her last accusation.

"You, you're so mean. You're so annoying."

Chu Qianmiao, under the influence of alcohol, had a fit of rage, then turned and ran off.

Ren Yan remained stunned in the moonlight, unable to recover for a long time.