Chapter 759: You Can't Handle This
Inside the private lounge attached to the President's office of the Ling Group.
The moment Shen Anyu helped Ling Qingcheng across the threshold, she immediately turned on him. With a sharp shove from her small hand, she pushed him away. She twisted her slender waist and sank onto the long sofa, the motion pulling the fabric of her suit skirt taut over the curve of her hips.
"Shen Anyu, you... you need to leave! Now!"
Ling Qingcheng kept her head bowed, her gaze flitting about nervously. A deep blush had already consumed her cheeks, creeping down her neck. She felt a deep discomfort, a sweltering heat that seemed to radiate from her very bones.
That wild ginseng and black chicken tonic soup Zhang Yaqian had sent over... who knew what she had mixed into it? The potency was simply overwhelming. President Ling felt a great surge of internal fire, coiling low in her belly.
And Shen Anyu's presence only made it worse. The incidental brush of his skin as he had supported her, the warmth of his breath against her ear—it all stirred the embers of thoughts she'd been having since that night in the large apartment by the river.
She didn't dare look at his face.
The moment she saw that handsome, roguishly smiling face, her mind would be flooded with the blush-inducing scenes that populated her dreams—especially the one that played out in front of the bathroom mirror...
Ling Qingcheng's fingertips trembled. Inside her heels, her slender toes curled tightly. Seeing that Shen Anyu still hadn't left, she let out a silent, desperate sigh.
'Zhang Yaqian, you've really done it this time! You've completely ruined me!'
Even now, it never crossed Ling Qingcheng's mind that Zhang Yaqian might have done this on purpose. Yaqian was so good, so kind and pure. How could she possibly orchestrate something like this? Besides, what would be the point? Just to make her uncomfortable?
In reality, Zhang Yaqian's original plan had been simple: let Ling Qingcheng drink the soup, let the heat build until she was miserable, and then call Shen Anyu over to help her "cool down." But then, Yaqian had noticed Shen Anyu was already hiding under the mahogany office desk, which saved her the trouble of making the call.
Once Shen Anyu and Ling Qingcheng were nearly finished, Zhang Yaqian would make her grand re-entrance. She would stage a scene of heartbreaking betrayal, forcing the guilt-ridden Ling Qingcheng to sign a series of unequal treaties. She would have President Ling wrapped firmly around her little finger, a powerful ally in the campaign for the position of the main wife.
President Ling, however, remained blissfully unaware that her troubles were only just beginning.
Zhang Yaqian might have looked like a sweet, innocent princess, harmless to all, but beneath the surface, she was utterly ruthless. She knew exactly what she wanted and possessed the resolve and courage to seize it. If she had been born a man, she would likely be several times more formidable than even Zhang Zhiyun, the Young Sect Leader of the Tianshi Sect.
"Qingcheng, my dear, you don't look well. Should I take you to a doctor?" Shen Anyu asked, his voice a mask of feigned ignorance.
Ling Qingcheng pressed her legs tightly together. Her beautiful feet, clad in Valentino heels, arched slightly, her toes unconsciously rubbing against the leather. She bit her lower lip with pearly teeth. "No. I said it's nothing. Shen Anyu, just leave, or I'll—"
Her words caught in her throat. A soft, involuntary moan escaped her lips, the sound drawn-out and impossibly alluring. It was a rare display of vulnerability from the cold, powerful CEO, and it made the corners of Shen Anyu's mouth curve upward in a slow, appreciative smile.
Ling Qingcheng bit down hard on her crimson lip, tears almost welling in her eyes. She quickly ducked her head, terrified he would notice the change in her. But it was too late. A peachy blush was spreading across her fair, crystalline skin, and her eyes had grown misty, shimmering as if about to overflow.
'I can't take it anymore,' she thought with a desperate, internal sigh.
Did she really have to go through this with Shen Anyu again? It wasn't that she disliked him; she even had a good impression of him. If it weren't for Zhang Yaqian, she might have even taken the initiative herself. President Ling was no delicate flower; she was a woman with a very strong drive.
But she simply couldn't bring herself to hurt Yaqian. There was no way around it.
Ling Qingcheng was torn. Her slender fingers clenched into tight fists, her knuckles turning white.
"Qingcheng, do you really hate me that much?"
A soft, wounded question cut through her turmoil.
Ling Qingcheng looked up, startled. She saw Shen Anyu's handsome face etched with loss and dejection, his eyes fixed on her with a pained expression.
"Qingcheng, I know what happened last time was... a bit much," he said, his voice low. "But you are just too beautiful. I couldn't control myself. I can't be blamed for that. I fully intended to take responsibility."
He let out a heavy sigh. "But I never expected you to hate me this much. You resist me at every turn. Even now, when you're clearly unwell, you refuse my help."
"Since that's how it is, I understand. I'll go. Take care of yourself. Please, see a doctor."
With that, Shen Anyu slowly rose to his feet. His back, as he turned away, seemed particularly desolate. Where was the impressive, invincible powerhouse who had defeated Old Qin, Hangzhou's strongest expert, and single-handedly subdued Yanxia's Yu Clan at their own banquet?
One step.
Two steps.
As he turned his head just slightly, the loss and dejection on his face vanished, replaced by a triumphant smile as he counted silently in his head.
Just as Shen Anyu was about to take the third step, a searingly hot hand grabbed his arm.
"Don't go! Shen Anyu, don't go!"
He turned his head. Ling Qingcheng's face, flushed and anxious, was tilted up at him. She didn't know why, but watching him turn to leave had sent a spike of panic through her heart. A strange thought bloomed in her mind: if he really walked out that door, he might never come back. Their entanglement would be over.
Although that was precisely what she had decided she wanted just moments ago, seeing him walk away, step by agonizing step, made the blood rush to her head. She couldn't bear it. She acted on pure instinct, pulling him back.
"Qingcheng, I knew it. You like me, too."
Seeing the undisguised smile in his eyes, Ling Qingcheng's long eyelashes fluttered. Her gaze darted away, unable to meet his. Her heart hammered against her ribs, but she still forced herself to deny it.
"Who... who likes you? I... I..."
"Then what is it?"
"I... I'm just afraid something might happen to you! Yes, that's it! I'm afraid something might happen to you!" Ling Qingcheng frantically racked her brain and finally seized upon the flimsy excuse.
'This is the last time,'she promised herself.'The absolute, final time. Yaqian, please forgive me. This isn't my fault. The soup you brought had a problem. It's not my fault.' Ling Qingcheng's face burned with the thought.
"Hmm?" Shen Anyu tilted his head, thoroughly amused. "How could something happen to me? You know my strength. Who in this world could possibly make something happen to me?"
"Zhang Yaqian... you drank the tonic soup she brought. That soup... it has a problem," Ling Qingcheng said, her voice trembling. It wasn't just her voice; her very soul was quivering.
Shen Anyu blinked, feigning total surprise. "The soup Yaqian brought? A problem? I thought it was quite good. It was delicious and very nourishing. Besides, she gave it to you, Qingcheng. She would never harm you, would she?"
'Ah,'he thought to himself,'so this is the infamous domineering side of President Ling. The reputation is well-deserved.'
"Too much of a good thing can be harmful! It needs to be... cleared out in time. I wouldn't lie to you," Ling Qingcheng said, her anxiety mounting. Why wasn't he getting it? She had already hinted as much as she could!
"Really? I don't believe it!" Shen Anyu shook his head, his expression one of absolute trust in Zhang Yaqian.
President Ling was about to lose her mind.
She felt like Shen Anyu was deliberately toying with her, and the inferno raging inside her could no longer be contained.
In the next moment, President Ling made an astonishing move.
She suddenly yanked Shen Anyu down onto the long sofa. In a fluid motion, she flipped over and pinned him beneath her. She looked down at him, her beautiful eyes now blazing with a cold fire.
"I told you," she growled, her voice low and husky, "it will harm you. You can't handle this!"
"My body is fine," Shen Anyu replied, fighting to suppress a laugh as he looked up at the woman playing the part of the dominant CEO. "I can handle it."
"I told you," she repeated, leaning closer, "you can't handle it!"
"Ugh—" Shen Anyu's eyes widened in mock surprise. His innocence was, once again, compromised.
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/AkarinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/AkarinTL
🔗 All My Links: linktr[.]ee/AkarinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]