Chapter 29

Being questioned by Jun Jianqing like this, Cheng Yan was at a loss for words for a moment.

But she quickly pulled herself together. She lifted her head and looked Jun Jianqing straight in the eye. Without a smile, she asked calmly, “President Jun, what do you mean?”

What do I mean?

Jun Jianqing’s hand, resting on the wheelchair’s armrest, couldn’t help but clench. A surge of frustration gathered in her chest, but it quickly deflated when she saw Cheng Yan standing there quietly, eyes lowered.

She was so caring and loyal to another woman, yet always so heartless in everything else.

“I’m praising you,” she still couldn’t resist saying sarcastically.

Cheng Yan replied, “Oh.”

Her expression was indifferent, letting it wash over her.

All that frustration hitting a pile of cotton.

Jun Jianqing’s face was cold, her lips pressed into a tight, straight line, radiating an aura that said “keep away.”

“President Jun—”

Someone came up to exchange pleasantries with her, but upon meeting her eyes, the person immediately froze, gave an ingratiating smile, and said, “President Jun, please, carry on. I won’t disturb you.”

Then quickly fled the scene.

The interlude didn’t break the slightly rigid atmosphere between the two of them.

Cheng Yan turned her head, her profile facing Jun Jianqing.

This action made Jun Jianqing’s entire aura turn terrifying and icy once more.

Just because I said one sentence, you’re already rejecting me?

Cheng Yan, are you really so heartless?

Or rather, when it comes to me, you’ve never had a heart at all.

The dark thoughts in Jun Jianqing’s heart couldn’t help but rear their heads.

“Here.”

A small plate of beautifully arranged mini cakes appeared before her. The hand holding the plate was long and straight, the nails trimmed smooth and clean.

Cheng Yan’s expression was bland, her eyelashes casting shadows beneath her eyes. She said in an even tone, “If you’ve already eaten, then forget it—”

“—I haven’t.” Jun Jianqing interrupted her hastily, her voice urgent.

“I haven’t eaten anything. Not a single bite.” Her throat moved as she swallowed. Jun Jianqing’s eyes locked tightly onto Cheng Yan as she spoke quickly.

“Then eat this.” Cheng Yan averted her eyes slightly from that burning gaze, pushing the plate forward a little more.

Jun Jianqing stared at the exquisitely shaped mini cakes, swallowing her emotions with restraint. “Did you get these especially for me?”

Cheng Yan dodged the question, sidestepping the main point. “I just thought they were good. Sweet but not greasy, very refreshing. Delicious.”

Sweet but not greasy, very refreshing.

Hearing those descriptions, Jun Jianqing let out a low laugh. The terrifying, icy aura around her dissipated. A hint of pleasure tugged at the corner of her eye, and her entire being seemed to bathe in a strangely gentle emotion.

“Thank you, my Yanyan.” The name rolled off her tongue, the words she uttered warm and thick.

Cheng Yan frowned. “I am not yours.”

Jun Jianqing replied, “You are mine.”

Cheng Yan looked at her with dissatisfaction, very much wanting to remind this temperamental President Jun that their relationship was merely a contractual one.

But…

Her gaze swept lightly over the pleasure in President Jun’s eyes and brows. She let the words circle in her mind, then pursed her lips and swallowed them down.

Let her be happy for a bit.

“Are you going to eat or not?” After holding it for a little while, Cheng Yan couldn’t help but ask.

If not, she would put it aside. Holding it out like this was tiring.

“Eat. Of course, I’ll eat,” Jun Jianqing said. “Yanyan personally, especially took this for me. Naturally, I must try it.”

She stressed the words “personally” and “especially,” as if deliberately reminding Cheng Yan—or perhaps brainwashing herself into happiness.

Jun Jianqing stared at the mini cakes, her voice warm. “Feed me, Yanyan.”

“…”

Is she crazy?

Cheng Yan glanced around surreptitiously. Probably because Jun Jianqing was here, quite a few gazes were already sweeping over towards them surreptitiously, just waiting for an opportune moment to come over and chat.

She kept a straight face. “I’m not feeding you. Eat it yourself.”

Seeing the firm refusal on Cheng Yan’s face, Jun Jianqing felt a bit regretful. If they were at home, perhaps Cheng Yan would have given in.

She swept her gaze over the surrounding environment and frowned inwardly. If only there were just the two of them.

Cheng Yan said, “If you’re not eating, I’m putting it down.”

Jun Jianqing stopped her. “Fine, I’ll eat.”

She reached out and picked up a mini cake, tasting it carefully. It felt as though this single, tiny, delicate pastry was more delicious than any dessert she had eaten in nearly thirty years of life.

When Cheng Yan inadvertently saw Jun Jianqing’s expression as she ate the mini cake, a shiver suddenly ran down her spine.

How could President Jun manage to eat something so calmly, yet give others a dizzying sense of rapturous intoxication?

As if what she was eating wasn’t an ordinary dessert, but a hallucinatory, dream-like drug.

Cheng Yan looked away and swallowed.

The plate of cakes was quickly finished by Jun Jianqing. She took out a handkerchief to carefully wipe her fingers and said to Cheng Yan, “Very delicious.”

“Mm.”

Jun Jianqing said, “We could arrange for the chef at home to learn how to make these.”

Cheng Yan looked at her. “You’re right.”

A pleased smile bloomed on Jun Jianqing’s face.

After that, the banquet officially began. Cheng Yan played the part of the perfect companion, staying by her side the entire time. In between, she naturally received many curious glances from others, but most of them assumed she was Jun Jianqing’s new secretary. After giving Cheng Yan a friendly smile, they immediately started chatting with Jun Jianqing.

An ordinary female companion might have also been tasked with fending off drinks. But standing behind Jun Jianqing, Cheng Yan didn’t have a single such worry.

Who would dare be so tactless as to urge someone close to Jun Jianqing to drink?

She watched Jun Jianqing navigate the business world with a smile—a gentle facade hiding a predatory soul. Seemingly frail and genteel, yet every word was sharp and decisive.

To be honest, it was very charming.

Cheng Yan blinked, silently appreciating this Jun Jianqing.

What she thought was a silent, unnoticed gaze left scorching traces in Jun Jianqing’s heart.

She responded perfunctorily to the person before her, almost unable to restrain herself under Cheng Yan’s focused, admiring stare.

She had guessed it. This version of herself really could capture Cheng Yan’s attention.

A slight smile touched Jun Jianqing’s lips as she conversed, a hint of self-satisfaction showing. The person standing before her felt a surge of joy: Sure enough, President Jun quickly agreed to the matter I was begging for.

Midway, Cheng Yan went to the restroom. On her way back, she just happened to run into Chen Shuhua, who was also heading there.

Cheng Yan stared straight ahead and kept walking. The person she was passing suddenly grabbed her arm.

“Junior, what is your relationship with President Jun?” The image of the two of them leaving side-by-side kept flashing in her mind. Chen Shuhua couldn’t help but ask.

Cheng Yan moved her arm slightly, shaking off her hand. “It’s nothing. And it’s none of your concern, Senior.”

Chen Shuhua was about to speak again, but Cheng Yan truly didn’t want to hear it.

She didn’t want any more entanglements with someone who liked her but with whom she wouldn’t pursue anything. It would be far too troublesome.

Since things were already made clear, there should be no further disputes.

So, just as Chen Shuhua was about to speak, Cheng Yan cut her off, her tone carrying a firm edge: “Senior, I don’t like people who are clingy and can’t take a hint.”

To her, Chen Shuhua’s current situation was that of someone who, after escaping external danger, was still harboring impossible expectations, hoping that effort could change things between them.

But that was impossible.

To Chen Shuhua, these words were undeniably harsh.

She cared far too much about her image in Cheng Yan’s eyes.

Precisely because, having broken free from her family, she felt a real gap between herself and the academically brilliant Cheng Yan, who shone like a blazing sun. When facing her, Chen Shuhua was always hesitant, wavering, and deliberating.

Perhaps, buried within that, was a trace of inferiority.

Even though she was maturing through her current trials at the company, she still couldn’t change this.

Because she still liked her.

“I-I…” Her voice trembled. “I understand.”

Chen Shuhua fled in a sorry state.

Her last words to Cheng Yan before leaving were, “This time, I will truly try to let go.”

Cheng Yan believed she would make that effort.

Apart from these two occasions where she had acted improperly, she had always been a good person who knew right from wrong.

But right now, standing alone in the corridor, Cheng Yan had to say one thing: What terrible timing.

“President Jun?” She exclaimed in surprise, quickly stepping forward. “Did you need the restroom?”

Jun Jianqing didn’t answer. Her gaze was dark and heavy as she stared at Cheng Yan, who was rapidly approaching.

The moment she noticed the direction Chen Shuhua had taken, she had followed.

As expected, these two had met again.

She looked at Cheng Yan’s arm—the place Chen Shuhua had just grabbed.

Seeing Jun Jianqing’s displeased expression, Cheng Yan proactively explained, “Senior and I just happened to run into each other.”

Senior. Senior.

Again, it was “Senior.”

Hearing that grating term a moment after she had just been placated, Jun Jianqing suppressed her voice and said, “Don’t call her that anymore.”

“?” Cheng Yan thought she was being unreasonable. “But that’s just a fact.”

Besides, this title was used all over the school. It wasn’t even intimate.

Hearing her retort, Jun Jianqing couldn’t hold back. “Didn’t I say you’re not allowed to see her anymore?”

“That was ‘unnecessary meetings are not allowed,’” Cheng Yan couldn’t help but correct her. “And President Jun, I’ve upheld that for the past two months. But tonight’s banquet—you’re the one who told me to come.”

She wasn’t taking the blame for this.

She always had a reason, always had a way, to infuriate her with the most innocent and earnest words.

Jun Jianqing’s chest heaved. Once again, she was driven to anger by Cheng Yan’s innocently serious, seemingly heartless words.

Couldn’t she just—couldn’t she just, like just now, not argue with me?!

Couldn’t she spare even a little thought for my feelings?!

The unwillingness in her heart battered her mind, robbing the usually composed woman of reason.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement at the far end of the corridor.

Jun Jianqing abruptly stood up from her wheelchair. She slammed the calmly observing Cheng Yan against the wall, her entire body pressing in. The hands gripping Cheng Yan’s shoulders bulged with veins. Flames of anger and jealousy intertwined in her eyes as she fiercely, brutally captured her lips in a kiss.

She covered Cheng Yan’s astonished eyes. Her kiss was forceful, aggressive, and intense. Yet her expression was ice-cold and repressed. Across the corridor, her eyes locked with that pair of disbelieving ones.

Provocation. A flaunting display.

A domineering claim of possession.