Seeing Jiang Cheng move closer and closer, Qiu Yihe's face instantly flushed crimson.
She bit her lower lip tightly, her fingertips turning white from clenching, and tilted her head back, trying to increase the distance between herself and Jiang Cheng.
But unfortunately, she was sitting in a rocking chair.
Tossing her head back like that made it look like she was willingly lying down.
Seeing this, Jiang Cheng braced his hands on the armrests of the rocking chair, following the curve of her body as she lay back: "Oh, looks like you're ready?"
Suppressed by Jiang Cheng like this, Qiu Yihe felt shy and anxious but did not resist.
Based on her previous two encounters with Jiang Cheng, he wasn't the type of person who liked to force others.
If he had wanted to force her, they would have already slept together back in Chengdu.
Not to mention the time before in the sushi restaurant restroom.
So, if she didn't agree today, Jiang Cheng definitely wouldn't do anything to her.
Thinking this, Qiu Yihe reluctantly steadied her mind.
After holding it in for a long time, she finally squeezed out a slightly reproachful sentence: "You did that on purpose."
Seeing her calm down, Jiang Cheng lost the mood to tease her.
After straightening up, he sat down in the spot next to her.
He poured himself a cup of tea: "What did I do on purpose?"
"You purposely lured me here just so you could hide and fuck me!"
Her words were too blunt.
In his excitement, Jiang Cheng couldn't hold it in, and with a 'pfft', the tea in his mouth sprayed directly onto Qiu Yihe's face.
"You sprayed me?"
Seeing Qiu Yihe agitatedly wiping her face with her hand.
In his haste, Jiang Cheng felt embarrassed and grabbed the tablecloth from the table, randomly wiping her face with it.
After taking the towel from Jiang Cheng's hand and wiping her face twice, Qiu Yihe instantly became furious again: "You used a rag to wipe my face?"
Uh...
Jiang Cheng swore he didn't mean it, although spraying a Girl in the face was something he had done quite a bit.
But compared to Telunsu, spraying tea water was, after all, less hygienic.
That's why in his urgency, he just...
"Uh, that's not the point, but I need to correct your thinking. What I want right now is the 'Bao Chou' I deserve. How did it come out of your mouth sounding like I tricked you? This is for your own good. People, the most important thing is to keep their word."
These words instantly made Qiu Yihe recall what Jiang Cheng had said earlier about animals.
"Can disobedient ones stay here?"
That's right, she had indeed been thinking of reneging on the deal just now.
Given Jiang Cheng's temperament, he definitely wouldn't hold it against her.
But if she wanted to ask Jiang Cheng for help again next time, based on her understanding of him, he definitely wouldn't help her anymore.
Qiu Yihe bit her lower lip hard again, a flicker of struggle visible in her eyes.
But Qiu Li's shadow kept circling in her mind.
With her current capabilities, she definitely couldn't stop Qiu Li.
If she really let her solidify this project, then what would all the sacrifices made by her, her teammates, and countless colleagues who suffered because of this matter, amount to?
She absolutely wouldn't allow this to happen.
After steadying herself, she looked up at Jiang Cheng, her tone carrying a hint of negotiation.
"What if... I add one more condition..."
"Adding another condition? Are you..."
Seeing Jiang Cheng raise an eyebrow, Qiu Yihe immediately interrupted him and continued: "Actually, it's not a difficult thing for you. Can you help me investigate Qiu Li's matter?"
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng put down his teacup and looked at her with a half-smile.
A deeper meaning was hidden in his eyes: "Well, this is another condition entirely."
Seeing that arguing was useless, Qiu Yihe instantly pouted.
She retorted stubbornly: "Stingy! We agreed it was just 'getting whatever I ask for,' not some kind of repayment. You need to clearly distinguish between the upper part and the lower part."
After saying that, she was surprisingly straightforward this time.
Without waiting for Jiang Cheng to act, she took the initiative to unbutton her clothes one by one.
Qiu Yihe seemed to gather all her courage, her neck held straight, and she gritted her teeth to emphasize: "We agreed, it's just 'getting whatever I ask for,' not any kind of repayment. Do you understand?"
Seeing Qiu Yihe look like she was resigned to letting him do whatever he wanted, Jiang Cheng didn't pretend to be polite either.
This wasn't the first time this had happened.
Moreover, Jiang Cheng was very patient, and he wasn't some green kid who hadn't seen the world.
Sometimes playing ball doesn't necessarily require precise entry into the basket.
Enjoying the process and having fun is also very important, isn't it?
Qiu Yihe's fingertips were still trembling, and her movements to unbutton her clothes became faster and faster.
However, the faster she went, the more stuck the buttons became.
What should have been an ambiguous and seductive scene was ruined by her, instead giving off a sense of clumsy cuteness.
Jiang Cheng wasn't in a hurry to act; he just lowered his gaze and watched her, his eyes fixed on her pale fingertips, his Adam's apple moving slightly.
"Your professional skill level isn't up to par," he said, reaching out a hand, his fingertip lightly hooking the last unbuttoned button.
Qiu Yihe's body stiffened from his playful touch.
She looked up and glared at him, her face instantly growing redder: "Stop the nonsense. We agreed... just once."
Jiang Cheng chuckled softly, leaning in close to her, his warm breath brushing past her ear: "You said the same thing last time at the sushi restaurant..."
With him so close, Qiu Yihe shivered.
The rocking chair swayed gently with its mechanism.
Bamboo shadows fell upon them through the one-way glass, flickering on and off, and a sense of ambiguity began to rise.
Qiu Yihe was speechless at his question and turned her head away, biting her lip.
She stubbornly began: "You..."
Before she could successfully refute him, Jiang Cheng grabbed her wrist.
The warmth of the charcoal stove mixed with the scent of tea wafted over. Jiang Cheng's palm pressed against her lower back, the pressure neither light nor heavy, carrying a sense of control she couldn't break free from.
"Don't move," he finished, then lowered his head, his nose brushing the top of her hair, his voice deep as if steeped in wine, "Be obedient. You unbuttoned quite a few just now, now it's time to help me..."
Qiu Yihe's heart was pounding as if it were about to explode, yet her body was terribly weak, leaving her only able to let him hold her.
She could see the scene outside where the wind swayed the bamboo forest.
She could see Chen Ping and the others standing in the shade not far away, whispering something, but they weren't looking toward the Sunroom at all.
This secret intimacy, completely unnoticed by others, felt like a feather gently tickling her heart.
Shame and excitement intertwined, making even her breathing erratic... More than an hour later, a "ding" sounded in Jiang Cheng's mind.
"Descendant Devouring Card used successfully!"
"Ding! The system is performing a series of complex calculations based on the output volume and intake volume!"
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have received 1.9 billion in cash!"
"This cash reward will be provided by the us stock market, fully legal and compliant. Please rest assured, Host."
Hearing this notification instantly made Jiang Cheng feel a wave of Bashi again.
Jiang Cheng felt Bashi, but Qiu Yihe's expression was the complete opposite.
She glanced at the spots on her chest, glared fiercely at Jiang Cheng, and immediately quickly straightened her clothes.
Fumbling, she pulled out a few tissues, tightly covered her mouth, her fingertips trembling, and quickly smoothed out her wrinkled top.
After tidying her messy neckline, she didn't even dare to look at Jiang Cheng again.
She frantically pushed open the Sunroom door and rushed out, her steps so fast it looked like she was fleeing.
Seeing Qiu Yihe run forward as soon as she came out, Chen Ping, who was standing nearby, looked completely confused.
He stretched out his hand and said, "This... Miss Qiu, are you leaving? I'll have someone see you off."
"No... no need..."
After Qiu Yihe spoke, she rushed forward with unsteady steps.
This was absolutely mortifying. At this moment, she didn't want to see Chen Ping or the others at all.
Although the few of them outside couldn't see the scene inside the Sunroom, she, being inside, could clearly see them outside.
Especially when she was powerless and saw herself being held down firmly by Jiang Cheng, having her face spanked.
Perhaps feeling that her initial service hadn't satisfied him, later on, Jiang Cheng, in order to humiliate her...
...even had her face pressed against the glass.
At that time, she could not only see the scenery outside the Sunroom but also Chen Ping and the others.
So how could she face them now?
After running past the neatly trimmed lawn, the heat on the tips of Qiu Yihe's ears still lingered.
The scene from inside just now kept surging uncontrollably into her mind.
A spinning dizziness wrapped around an indescribable emotion surged up.
She should have been utterly humiliated and enraged.
Yet, the lingering warmth on her fingertips, the breath that brushed past her ear when Jiang Cheng chuckled.
And that sense of secrecy—"he knows, I know, but others are completely unaware."
It actually made a ridiculous thrill flash through her heart.
Shame and that inexplicable excitement tore at her chest, disrupting even her breathing pattern.
She could only cover her mouth more tightly and speed up toward the main gate... "Insane." Qiu Yihe vigorously shook her head, strands of hair sticking messily to her temples. She raised a hand to press against her burning cheek, but her steps didn't stop. "Qiu Yihe, you're crazy, you're depraved... ah..."
As if something was chasing her from behind.
Unlike Qiu Yihe's panic, Jiang Cheng slowly walked out of the Sunroom two minutes later.
He was neatly dressed, his expression calm, as if nothing had happened just now.
Seeing Jiang Cheng emerge, Chen Ping quickly went up to him and asked, looking puzzled: "Young Master Jiang, what happened to Miss Qiu? Why did she run so fast while covering her mouth?"
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng raised a hand to brush off the bamboo leaf fragments clinging to his lapel, a faint smile in his eyes.
"Maybe the tea inside was just too horrible..."
"Ah..." Chen Ping was stunned for a few seconds before saying, "But this tea is First Flush Pre-Qingming Longjing, harvested this year—a rarity worth a thousand gold. Logically, it should taste superb."
After speaking, Chen Ping scratched his head, muttering honestly, and then added in a simple, earnest voice, "Well, maybe it wasn't to Miss Qiu's taste. Next time she comes, I'll have the kitchen prepare some different teas."
Jiang Cheng chuckled softly, raised his hand and patted his shoulder, his gaze carrying a hint of teasing: "Chen Ping, do you have a girlfriend?"
Chen Ping suddenly froze, his cheeks instantly flushing scarlet.
He didn't know where to put his hands, stammering in reply: "N-no, Young Master Jiang."
"Have you ever had a girlfriend?"
"Uh... also no..."
"Tsk tsk tsk." Jiang Cheng drew out his tone, the smile in his eyes deepening. He patted Chen Ping's back and said meaningfully, "You should really start dating at your age... Otherwise, later on, when you see a Girl blushing and flustered, you won't even understand why she's running away."
Chen Ping's face instantly went "flush," turning red from his cheeks to his earlobes. He didn't know where to put his hands and stammered: "I... I didn't... Young Master Jiang, I..."
The more anxious he got, the less clearly he could speak, and his neck turned red from holding his breath.
Jiang Cheng looked at his appearance, chuckled softly, and patted his back. Finally dropping the teasing tone, his expression became a little serious: "Alright, I'm done messing with you. I have something I need you to take care of."