Water and Fire~Chapter 116: And How Can You Be Jealous?

 

Chapter 116: And How Can You Be Jealous?

That night, Chu Qianmiao slept soundly, so soundly that she had only one dream. In that dream, she was the heroine, and the hero was undoubtedly Ren Yan. They kissed passionately in the dream, a kiss that seemed to last forever. The kiss felt so real, so real that for a moment she couldn't tell whether she was asleep or awake.

When she woke up, Chu Qianmiao noticed a slight smile on her face, like a cat that had stolen something, laughing to itself.

She stood up and looked around, only to find herself alone on the large bed. She felt an inexplicable sense of emptiness inside her. She got up, put on her shoes, and walked out.

As she left the room, she saw Ren Yan setting breakfast at the table in the open kitchen.

The emptiness in Chu Qianmiao's heart turned to warmth.

He went downstairs early to buy breakfast.

The morning air was crisp, and Ren Yan had opened all the windows in the house for fresh air. The summer breeze blew in with force, blowing in gusts, caressing her skin with warmth, like a warm hand caressing her.

Perhaps hearing footsteps, Ren Yan glanced in her direction. She saw his eyes darken. She quickly lowered her head to examine herself.

She was still wearing his white shirt, the hem only reaching her thighs. Her bare legs stood in the summer morning breeze. The wind blew and rippled her legs. She felt his gaze, like that breeze, caressing her warmly.

Even after so many intimate moments together, Chu Qianmiao couldn't help but blush at the sight of his dark gaze.

She quickly found a skirt and went to the bathroom to wash up.

After brushing her teeth and washing her face, Chu Qianmiao was unbuttoning her shirt and preparing to change into her skirt when the bathroom door suddenly opened.

She cried out as she saw Ren Yan enter the mirror.

He closed the bathroom door again and walked towards her.

Outside the door, the morning breeze continued to blow through the living room, dispersing the sounds emanating from the bathroom. The sounds were strange: a woman's trembling voice called out "Senior," a man's hoarse, low voice gasping, "You look so good in my shirt."

Breakfast was on the dining table. Before she could eat it, it had become someone else's breakfast.

An hour later, Chu Qianmiao emerged from the bathroom, dressed in her skirt and ready.

She sat at the dining table, her cheeks flushed. Ren Yan sat across from her, looking cool and indifferent, handsome and abstinent. It seemed as if even the thought of what had just happened to him would be a sulliment to his divine aura.

But this man, with his seemingly aloof demeanor, had just burned her to a crisp like a fire, leaving nothing behind.

He set her porridge and soup dumplings, which he had just reheated in the microwave. Chu Qianmiao watched the two hands busying. Their fingers were long, slender, and well-proportioned, as if they could bring out the essence of anything they touched.

Just now, those two hands had touched her skin, stimulating every nerve in her body and causing her to tremble uncontrollably in his embrace.

She couldn't stare or think any more. Chu Qianmiao exhaled, lowering her head to concentrate on her breakfast.

She was full and put down her chopsticks. Looking up, she saw Ren Yan's hand waving at her, "Qianmiao, come over here."

She stood up, her face slightly hot, and walked over to his side. Before she could sit down in the chair next to him, he hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her to sit on his lap.

Chu Qianmiao quickly grasped Ren Yan's shoulders, nestling in his embrace.

Ren Yan looked at her with half-closed eyes.

Chu Qianmiao saw from his eyes that he seemed to have something to say.

"Senior, do you have something to say to me?" she asked.

Ren Yan nodded, raised his hand to touch her cheek, and said, "I hope you won't become disappointed in human nature because of what happened with Du Xiaofeng and Liu Zheng."

Chu Qianmiao was startled by his words.

Then her eyes widened and she asked, "Hey, Senior, this isn't your style. Shouldn't you have told me, I told you a long time ago not to trust human nature too much?"

Ren Yan raised the corner of his mouth and said, "Maybe I've been influenced by you." Then he leaned down and kissed her.

Chu Qianmiao's heartbeat quickened again. Because of his words, because of his kiss.

She missed him so much. He always had a way with a casual gesture or a word that could make her heart flutter.

Although the Zhufeng Auto Parts project wasn't completed, Chu Qianmiao's months of hard work and dedication were truly rewarding. She reflected on the project during a moment of quiet reflection.

This was the first project she secured without relying on Ren Yan's connections and resources, and she was responsible for coordinating the entire project. Regarding the completed project, Ren Yan praised her work as excellent and thorough.

Lu Zhonger and Wang Sian's feedback was, "Qianmiao, no, President Chu, you've already shown the demeanor of our President Ren. You've single-handedly managed a project with such flair and effortlessness."

Through this project, she made a friend, Du Xiaofeng, and witnessed a brotherly relationship torn apart by money. She felt regretful and frustrated, and almost lost her attitude towards human nature. This incident served as a wake-up call for her. She believed she needed to use this project as a constant reminder to herself: when she finally made a fortune, she must not lose sight of the human touch.

After summarizing the situation, she underlined the words "made a fortune."

Yes, that's the key point.

For the remainder of the time, Ren Yan and Chu Qianmiao remained in Beijing. Lei Zhenzi's relative's project had an overseas branch, and the project team members needed to conduct due diligence there.

Ren Yan dispatched Qin Qianyu and the others, while he remained in Beijing to take command.

Chu Qianmiao heard from the company that the dispatched executive was a beautiful executive named An Sheng. Qin Qianyu described her as a very attractive queen. Although she was in her thirties, even two or three years older than Ren Yan, she looked youthful and had a distinctly charming appearance.

Before leaving, Qin Qianyu called Chu Qianmiao and asked, "Qianmiao, what brand and shade is that lipstick you told me about last time? I want to buy it for my wife."

Chu Qianmiao swallowed the sudden dog food forced upon her and handed over the lipstick brand and shade.

Finally, Qin Qianyu still had some brotherly affection and asked her, "Qianmiao, are you looking for anything?"

Chu Qianmiao thought for a long time but couldn't think of anything, so she said, "I'll let you know on WeChat when I think of something."

Qin Qianyu agreed. Meanwhile, a soft, childish voice echoed through his phone: a little kid called him uncle, saying, "Auntie wants you to get in line."

Qin Qianyu told the childish voice, "Okay, okay. Uncle will be there as soon as I get the call."

His voice was that soft, raspy, pinched voice of someone speaking to a child.

Chu Qianmiao's arms were covered in goosebumps. "Brother Qin, please speak properly."

Qin Qianyu laughed and said, "You don't know, this is the little niece of a beautiful executive. She's four years old and playful. She's incredibly adorable, with doll-like features. If you talk to her, your voice will change."

At that time, Chu Qianmiao and Ren Yan were enjoying a Western meal together outside during their lunch break.

After hanging up, Chu Qianmiao recounted the conversation to Ren Yan. When she mentioned the beautiful executive, An Sheng, having a four-year-old niece, Ren Yan paused for a moment while cutting meat.

Chu Qianmiao asked him what was wrong.

Ren Yan replied, "Nothing. I've known An Sheng for years. Her brother is much older than she is. I remember her brother's son was already in college. I've never heard her mention she had a little niece, four years old at that."

Chu Qianmiao said, "Oh!" "Maybe she's worried her brother would be lonely in college, so she wants a sister for him."

Ren Yan remained silent, and when he spoke again, it was on a different topic. He asked Chu Qianmiao, "Do you want me to introduce you?"

Chu Qianmiao anxiously interrupted, "No, Senior."

She knew what he was going to say: "Do you want me to introduce you to projects or connections with potential project resources?"

"Senior, give it a try," Chu Qianmiao said. "Our relationship will become known sooner or later. I don't want everyone to look back and say, 'Wow, Chu Qianmiao's projects were all given to her by her boyfriend. Dating a boss is so good! You can sleep with a boss and get benefits."

She imitated the imaginary person who was passing on the message so well, and with the subtle flattery about sleeping with a boss, Ren Yan was amused. He raised his lip and said, "Okay, then you can start by yourself."

Chu Qianmiao didn't want Ren Yan to share his resources with her. She decided to try to take on projects on her own.

You never know until you try. Once she started trying, Chu Qianmiao realized how many people she had met without realizing it. The connections she had made formed a network through one person, and through this network, another network.

In the month since returning to Beijing, she had been taking Hou Lin to inspect projects. From time to time, they would go on short business trips, and these brief periods of separation with Ren Yan were like a reunion.

When she was in Beijing, she would usually stay at home one day and be whisked away to Ren Yan's apartment the next.

Sometimes she thought, "Old houses are so resilient. They've been on fire for so long, and the flames still raged." Later, she wondered if it was because Ren Yan's name contained the character "fire."

Since black bed sheets have taken on a new purpose beyond simply accommodating sleeping, countless contributions have been made to the rubber industry.

Chu Qianmiao sometimes thought that if they'd just charged a per-use fee, they'd have already posted...

She mentioned this to Gu Miaoyu jokingly, and she laughed, "Who knows, maybe Ren Yan wants to charge you, too?"

Chu Qianmiao chuckled, "Then I'll tighten my belt and give him more. Two hundred per session, no more."

They both laughed uncontrollably.

After laughing, they discussed that by autumn, they'd have paid into social security for five years, and by then it would be time to buy a house.

It was clearly a good thing, but as they talked, they both felt a little sad. When they first rented the house, they'd thought they'd live together forever. They'd go to get off work and come home together, ride the subway and bus together, cook and chat together. In the Beijing night, they'd light a lamp, complain about working overtime together. Those days seemed like just yesterday. And in those days, day by day, they changed. It turns out that every day of hard work is worthwhile; it rewards growth. But as people grow and become more capable, independence and separation become natural.

Chu Qianmiao wondered if every interaction between people, whether between parents and children, husbands and wives, or relatives and friends, always ended with a separation of life and death, with one person always having to go first.

Thinking that way, life truly does have a sad ending.

Two weeks later, Qin Qianyu and his team completed their due diligence abroad and returned to Beijing.

Qin Qianyu brought back two pieces of gossip for Chu Qianmiao.

The first one:

"Qianmiao, we met Mr. Lei Zhenzi abroad. And you know what? When Mr. Lei saw An Sheng, he was like a completely different person. He was so well-behaved, like an innocent boy. He even blushed. Do you believe I wasn't scared to death seeing Mr. Lei blushing?"

Chu Qianmiao was also a little frightened.

The feeling of Lei Zhenzi blushing was like hearing that Ruhua could actually give birth. It was chilling.

She heard Qin Qianyu continue, "When President Lei saw An Sheng's little niece, An An, he went completely crazy. He kept asking where the child came from, as if An Sheng's brother had picked her up from the street. And now, after the due diligence, we've all returned, and for some reason, President Lei has detained An Sheng and An An, saying he wants to find out where An An came from."

Chu Qianmiao was stunned. She had always felt that the romance novels she read in middle school would give her some inspiration, but she couldn't grasp any of it for the time being.

Unable to figure out the secret to this gossip, she listened to Qin Qianyu tell her another story.

"Qianmiao, we went to the overseas branch for due diligence this time and met Tan Shen."

Chu Qianmiao felt a chill run down her spine at the mention of Tan Shen's name.

"Tan Shen is working really hard right now. He's incredibly driven. Anyone can sense his ambition to rise. It's normal for people to have ambitions, but I remember this guy was pursuing you."

Qin Qianyu paused, then continued, "Well, when we were abroad, we saw Tan Shen had a female secretary with him. She was a recent Chinese university graduate. She wasn't very good-looking, but the way she spoke—not just me, but Liu Lifeng and Sun Yi also said—remarkably resembled you. Tan Shen was also peculiar. The more his secretary teased him, the happier he got. He took her with him wherever he went."

Qin Qianyu paused, waiting for Chu Qianmiao's response.

Chu Qianmiao uttered, "Oh, I see."

Qin Qianyu wasn't quite satisfied with her bewildered reaction. He tapped on the desk and said, "Qianmiao, do you understand what I mean? I mean, I think Tan Shen and that little girl are a little too close. Of course, it's also possible they just admire each other on a spiritual level, but I just can't accept it." After a pause, he added, "Just treat me like a bitch. You're my brother, after all, and I don't want to see you get hurt. Let me be frank. Otherwise, don't consider Tan Shen as a boyfriend candidate. Of course, I'm just saying this to you. It's up to you to decide."

Chu Qianmiao felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She felt that Qin Qianyu truly cared about her, treating her like a brother.

On the same day that Qin Qianyu informed Chu Qianmiao of Tan Shen's situation abroad, she received another postcard from him.

Chu Qianmiao felt very upset.

During her lunch break, she went to Ren Yan's office and asked him, "When can I tell Tan Shen I have a boyfriend? I want him to give up on me sooner rather than later."

Ren Yan looked up at her, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Wait a little longer." His voice was quiet, but every word carried an invisible force that left no room for rejection. "There's still a good opportunity."

His gaze was as steady as a mountain, calming the restless Chu Qianmiao.

Okay, wait a little longer, Chu Qianmiao thought. She believed Ren Yan had his reasons for doing this.

Perhaps he was waiting for a chance she couldn't fathom.

After get off work that evening, Ren Yan took Chu Qianmiao straight to his apartment.

He pinned her to the black sheets of the bed and asked her why she had brought up Tan Shen again that day.

Chu Qianmiao breathlessly told him, she was constantly receiving postcards, which was incredibly annoying. She'd also been annoyed when she heard Qin Qianyu say that Tan Shen had hired a secretary who spoke just like her, making her seem like a body double.

So, she wanted to tell him straight out that she had a boyfriend, and that they could both live happily ever after. How wonderful!

Ren Yan said nothing more, simply demanding her fiercely, over and over again, nearly crushing her against the black sheets. It was as if he was using this intense intimacy to repeatedly verify that she was completely his.

Chu Qianmiao, almost to the point of breaking down, realized she couldn't mention the name Tan Shen lightly. Ren Yan's face was cold, but he was jealous.

Two days later, a project Chu Qianmiao had contracted was starting to take shape. Before they could discuss further, Ren Yan suddenly assigned her a task.

The author has something to say to Ren Yan, a hot-blooded man. Isn't it normal to be a little jealous? Isn't it normal?