Chen Xueer turned her face away, the warmth of his palm still lingering on the back of her neck.
The desire roiling in Jiang Cheng's eyes almost made her feel like she was drowning.
The silence of the stairwell was filled with the sound of their ragged breathing.
There are some things one knows shouldn't be done, yet one still greedily desires to possess them just once.
As if possessed, she raised her hand and touched his slightly stubbled jaw. "Jiang Cheng..."
Before she could finish, Jiang Cheng kissed her again.
This time, the kiss was no longer gentle; it carried a desperate, all-or-nothing aggression.
His tongue pried open her teeth, entangling with her soft tongue.
One hand held the back of her head to deepen the kiss, while the other slid down her waist and under her skirt.
Chen Xueer's rationality completely crumbled under the wandering of his palm.
She hooked her arms around Jiang Cheng's neck, actively responding to the kiss that felt like it was about to consume her.
In the darkness, there was only the sound of heavy panting and the rustle of fabric rubbing together.
It wasn't until Jiang Cheng's hand reached further under her clothes and his warm palm roamed over her body that Chen Xueer's rationality began to return.
Memories flooded back once more.
The last time they kissed in the office bathroom, she had been left a mess.
But a moment later, Jiang Cheng had continued assigning work as if nothing had happened.
Perhaps to Jiang Cheng, that was just an accidental kiss.
But to her, it had been the cause of countless sleepless nights of distress.
The warm yellow emergency light in the stairwell cast ambiguous shadows between them.
Staring at his head buried against her chest,
Chen Xueer's eyes slowly widened.
She hurriedly pushed Jiang Cheng away.
Staring at the second button of Jiang Cheng's shirt, Chen Xueer's voice was as light as a feather.
"Don't come any closer to me... Mr. Jiang, we are superior and subordinate..."
Before she could finish, her lips were gently sealed by Jiang Cheng's fingertips.
His slender fingers, carrying the scent of cedar, caressed her lips.
Chen Xueer trembled all over, her lower back pressed against the wall with nowhere to hide.
The hem of Jiang Cheng's overcoat draped down, wrapping the two of them into a secluded, airtight little world.
"I know," Jiang Cheng said, suddenly pulling her back into his arms. His chin rested on the top of her head, his breath fanning against the back of her ear.
"Your heart is beating even faster than mine," Jiang Cheng chuckled, his voice low and seductive.
After saying that, Jiang Cheng suddenly pulled back a little, his dark eyes staring at her flushed face.
Chen Xueer considered herself an independent modern woman.
Even after an accident led to an unusual encounter with Jiang Cheng, she had been able to adjust her mindset.
She managed his business affairs with a clear distinction between public and private.
But her current self was truly strange.
So strange that it made her a little afraid.
Chen Xueer took a deep breath, her chest heaving violently.
She looked up, meeting Jiang Cheng's bottomless dark eyes.
"Do you know? It took me three whole months to clear my head from that last kiss."
Her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the red marks on her wrist; the cool touch helped her calm down slightly.
"I told myself it was just an accident. You are the boss, I am the employee; we should be two parallel lines."
Jiang Cheng frowned slightly and was about to speak, but she raised her hand to stop him.
"Mr. Jiang, do you know? Ever since I was a child, I've had a competitive nature. Most girls didn't like PE class, but I loved racing against the boys in class. As long as I won, I felt a great sense of satisfaction."
"After entering society, I was the same way. Although I hadn't been in a relationship before, I always thought I would find a mature man who was my equal and truly understood me."
The night wind blew through the gaps in the stairwell, scattering the stray hairs at her temples.
Jiang Cheng lowered his hand and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
In truth, Jiang Cheng understood Chen Xueer's inner thoughts.
But he simply wouldn't make it clear or take the bait.
After all, as a 'good man,' how could he take the initiative to explain or implicate himself?
Jiang Cheng's counter-question directly forced Chen Xueer into a position where she had to justify herself.
"It means..." Chen Xueer was a bit conflicted about how to express it properly.
When Jiang Cheng's hand was touching her earlier, she had felt overwhelmed.
But now that Jiang Cheng had let go, Chen Xueer felt a sense of reluctance.
She lowered her head and looked at her wrist, which had been gripped red by Jiang Cheng.
She took a deep breath and explained with a bitter smile.
"I'm not saying you're not good. On the contrary, I know your background is not simple; you are powerful and possess both wealth and influence. I'm not a match for you."
"Perhaps in some people's eyes, wealth and power can make them give up everything, but for me, that's not necessarily the case. With my abilities, I am very confident that I can support myself and live a very good life."
"Maybe I will never come close to you in terms of wealth in my entire life, but what I have is enough for me. I don't need to rely on anyone to acquire more money."
Jiang Cheng didn't deny Chen Xueer's words and nodded in response. "I believe that."
Even if Chen Xueer left Xingchen now, she could go to another company.
She could even return to Wall Street.
With her abilities, earning a million a year would be an easy task.
A million might not be much to Jiang Cheng.
But the value of money is perceived differently by different people.
Chen Xueer gave a bitter laugh. "Knowing there are many women around you, I've felt many kinds of emotions. After adjusting, I thought I wouldn't care anymore, but seeing how gentle you were with Zhou Ying today, here..."
She pressed her hand to her chest, where an irregular heartbeat was thumping.
"It hurts like being cut by a dull knife."
"But what I fear even more is..." Her voice grew softer and softer, "fear that this is just a game, fear that in the end, I won't even have the right to stand by your side."
Seeing Chen Xueer's dejected expression,
Jiang Cheng gave a timely, self-deprecating smile. "I think you've overestimated me."
After saying this, Jiang Cheng slowly walked to Chen Xueer's side and stood shoulder to shoulder with her.
He felt his pocket but suddenly realized he didn't have the habit of carrying cigarettes.
If he had a cigarette now, lighting one and letting the smoke swirl around him
would have made the atmosphere even more intense.
It would have helped mask his inner unease and vulnerability.
Seeing there were no cigarettes, Jiang Cheng leaned his body against the wall and gave a feigned sigh.
This timely display of vulnerability made Chen Xueer freeze for a moment.
Jiang Cheng took the opportunity to say, "Sigh, actually, don't I also have the same fears as you?"
Hearing Jiang Cheng say this, Chen Xueer didn't quite understand for a moment.
"What are you afraid of?"
Jiang Cheng's gaze slowly fell on Chen Xueer, his voice slightly deep and carrying a hint of helplessness. "Of course, I'm also afraid that this is just a game..."
Hearing these words, Chen Xueer was stunned as if struck by lightning.
She widened her eyes, looking at Jiang Cheng in disbelief.
Her originally calm heart was now in complete turmoil.
Chen Xueer knew all too well how good Jiang Cheng was to the women around him.
His gentleness, thoughtfulness, and sincerity toward feelings were all important reasons why she had slowly come to accept him.
If he were the type of promiscuous scumbag who abandoned every woman he met,
Chen Xueer would have despised him from the bottom of her heart long ago.
"You... also get scared? With your net worth and status, you'd worry about this?"
Jiang Cheng's eyes darkened, and he reached out as if to touch her face.
But then he made it look as if he didn't dare to touch her.
"How can I not be scared? Strip away the money and status, and I'm just an ordinary college student. I have feelings too. Besides, have you ever seen a hunter who would let their prey see the trap clearly? I never hide anything from you..."
Jiang Cheng was telling the truth.
From the very beginning, he never intended to hide anything from Chen Xueer.
Hypocrisy can only hide things for a while.
But the sincere truth stands up best to scrutiny.
Sure enough, Jiang Cheng's last sentence struck a heavy chord in Chen Xueer's heart.
Jiang Cheng continued, "Sometimes I also reflect on whether I've actually made the women around me happy. If they hadn't met me, would things have turned out better?"