"Really? No way. Whenever I hang out with him he's the one who grabs me first—he's crazy strong, I can't escape at all."
After saying that, Qiao Yinyin even put on a coy, shy look.
Qiu Yihe had only meant to fire off a couple of teasing remarks in retaliation for Jiang Cheng's earlier banter,
and incidentally make the little woman Qiao Yinyin a bit jealous, causing Jiang Cheng a spot of trouble.
She believed that talking dirty usually cost her no effort at all; she could toss it off with ease.
Sometimes even the male colleagues in their department would blush at her words.
She'd never imagined Qiao Yinyin would parry so cleverly, and so smoothly.
That surprised Qiu Yihe and stoked her competitive spirit.
"Hmm~ you must be too weak. Looking at your delicate self, there's not much room to play. I'm different—Jiang Cheng and I were just wrestling in the living room. I'll let you in on a secret: one 'monkey steals the peach' and I had him down."
Jiang Cheng, listening nearby, heard Qiu Yihe bring this up.
He shook his head helplessly.
Qiu Yihe simply couldn't gain the upper hand physically,
so she tried to embarrass him with words.
Unfortunately, Jiang Cheng wasn't some eighteen-year-old kid.
He'd withstood the conversation between Zhou Ying and Zhu Yan a few days earlier.
Besides, the one facing Qiu Yihe now was Qiao Yinyin.
Back then she'd taken the initiative to add Zhou Ying on wechat; someone like Qiu Yihe—without any real relationship—was nothing.
If he snatched Qiu Yihe's phone now, it would only look like he cared too much—exactly what he didn't want.
After all, he'd always been a rational man.
In Jiang Cheng's view you could spend money, transfer funds, even sweet-talk when appropriate,
but when it came to exclusivity,
a good man could only play deaf and dumb.
Watching Qiu Yihe's chest rise and fall with mischief,
Jiang Cheng silently recited the Diamond Sutra,
then decided to slip out to the living room for some peace and quiet,
leaving the battlefield to the two women.
"I'm going to get some water; you two chat. When you're done, give me my phone back." He kept his tone light and natural.
With that he turned and strode out, leaving Qiao Yinyin and Qiu Yihe inside.
Seeing Jiang Cheng abandon his little girlfriend so decisively,
Qiu Yihe showed a hint of schadenfreude.
She looked at Qiao Yinyin on the video call and said half-smiling, "Hey, are you two really a couple? Doesn't look like it. You're pretty generous—don't seem angry at all."
On the other end, Qiao Yinyin did feel a twinge of discomfort.
Which girl could watch her boyfriend teased by another woman and feel nothing?
But angry? That didn't exist.
Most women kept by a Second-generation rich guy don't live the glamorous lives people imagine.
Getting a hundred thousand a month in allowance is already considered good.
Setting aside Jiang Cheng's usual transfers,
just the New-Year red packet had been a huge sum,
not to mention the fifty million just now.
Some tycoons' wives only get that kind of bonus after giving birth.
Under such a fierce money offensive, how could Qiao Yinyin be angry?
As the saying goes: "Once the money's right, I'll hold the chamber-pot for the mistress without a grimace."
Qiao Yinyin understood this perfectly.
So she never expected Jiang Cheng to coax her, nor would she ever be angry with him.
With a big smile she said, "What would I be angry about? You didn't take him down with your 'monkey steals peach'—I'm totally at ease."
Qiao Yinyin's combat strength was clearly higher than Zhou Ying versus Zhu Yan a couple of days ago.
The remark left Qiu Yihe half-stunned, feeling internal injuries.
She never expected Qiao Yinyin to be this formidable.
Hadn't she just charged head-first into the muzzle, offering her face for a point-blank blast?
Damn!!!
This woman was spicy.
She'd already put her hand on the man's body,
and still ended up mocked till she wanted to vomit blood.
"Didn't take him down? Little girl, believe it or not, tonight I'll finish the job. A lone man and woman, and you're not here, right..."
Hearing that, Qiao Yinyin's body visibly stiffened.
She forced herself to stay calm, though her heart churned.
Outwardly she pretended not to care about the women around Jiang Cheng,
but inside a hint of jealousy still surfaced.
Yet she didn't lash out like most women would.
She drew a deep breath and crushed the anger.
"Oh, go ahead and seduce him. As someone with experience, I can tell you—taste him and you won't regret it. Jiang Cheng is terrific. I don't mind if he samples something new; the one who won't lose out is him."
Although Qiao Yinyin wasn't Jiang Cheng's official girlfriend,
in her view an unregistered woman like Qiu Yihe didn't qualify to be compared with her, so she spoke without much burden.
Qiu Yihe's face darkened. "That's hurting the enemy a thousand while hurting yourself eight hundred. You wouldn't mind gaining another sister?"
Honestly, she did mind.
But she'd never aimed for Jiang Cheng's exclusivity in the first place.
After being with him, Qiao Yinyin began to understand him better.
She believed that as long as she didn't make trouble, Jiang Cheng wouldn't abandon her.
Unless, as Qiu Yihe said,
she overstepped and reached too far.
"I already said: if you want to, hurry up and get ready. Jiang Cheng's side is never short of women. Grab your chance tonight or you might regret it. Me? I won't be affected by whoever comes or goes. As long as I don't leave him, he won't leave me—understood?"
Qiu Yihe knew far less about Jiang Cheng's romantic life than Qiao Yinyin.
That day in Kyoto, on the ride back, Jiang Cheng had kept taking calls from different women.
But Qiao Yinyin spoke with such confidence—could her place in his heart be special?
If so, what did that make the other women?
Undeniably, with her deeper understanding of Jiang Cheng, Qiao Yinyin won this bout completely.
Though Qiu Yihe felt awful,
with Qiao Yinyin having laid things out so plainly,
she couldn't possibly devalue herself by offering to be Jiang Cheng's next fling.
Qiu Yihe gave a cold snort, clearly unhappy,
but too lazy to keep arguing.
She spun around in a huff and stalked out without looking back.
In the living room she spotted Jiang Cheng lounging on the sofa, sipping beer and watching TV.
Without a word she hurled the phone at him like trash.
After tossing it, still restless,
she plopped straight onto his lap.
Straddling him like an angry leopardess, she yanked her T-shirt collar open: "Today I'm going to—"
The faint scent of her mixed with beer tickled his nose,
and Jiang Cheng's breathing turned ragged.
He raised an eyebrow. "Going to what?"
"Going to..." Qiu Yihe faltered, her ears reddening at speed.
Forcing a fierce face she said, "Show you who's boss! I'll screw you dead tonight—I don't believe only she can have you."
At that Jiang Cheng buried his face in her chest.