C70 It's so Easy to Blush
C70 It's so Easy to Blush
"Lower your voice!" Jian Yun hissed, looking at their surroundings. Luckily, there weren't many of their colleagues left, and they didn't look like they had heard her friend's exclamations. If they had, she could only imagine the gossip that they'd come up with. Wincing, she ducked her head and sighed. That was practically the last thing she needed. Besides, she had already been humiliated enough. The fates might as well have some mercy on her soul.
Wu Wenjing snorted and waved her hand. "Don't worry, everyone's gone!" After being friends with her for a few years, she knew for a fact that Jian Yun had never liked the attention. If there was a choice, she would've gratefully wallowed at the corner of the room as a wallflower than be under the limelight even if it meant she'd passed through life unnoticed and uncared for.
"You should head back first. My stomach hurts so much." Not wanting to speak anymore, Jian Yun waved her hand dismissively. "I'll just rest for a while. I'll leave later."
"If your stomachache is really that bad, you should get some rest. Don't go out with the lawyer anymore, okay?" Wu Wenjing gave a few more words of encouragement before grabbing the strap of her bag and leaving the building.
Jian Yun leaned on her desk for a short while as her computer screen flickered under the night as if reminding her of her missing phone. "I hate my life," she murmured to herself as she slowly raised her head to glance at her surrounding cubicles to make sure they were empty. It was almost 6:30. She should get going now. After all, she still had an appointment with Zhou Shaolong.
Walking through the corridors, she found herself alone under the dim lights. At this time, everyone must've already left except for a few of her co-workers at the back. Besides, even if they were there, they were probably too preoccupied with their paperwork to even notice where she was heading. Leaving her cubicle, she headed towards the elevator with half-lidded eyes. "Time to face the music."
Standing inside the elevator, Jian Yun waited for the digits to climb up. An unfamiliar feeling stirred in her chest. After everything that had happened, she told herself–in fact, she had promised herself–that she'd do everything in her power to avoid him, and what the hell was she doing now? Going right up to face the culprit herself! With a sigh, she shook her head and focused on the numerous buttons in front of her, ignoring her reddened reflection.
This wasn't the first time she had lost face! Jian Yun recalled the night she had first met him. She had been on a date with a middle-aged man who was shorter than her, and later that night, she had also been in a fight with Xia Bingbing when the crazy woman had poured blazing hot coffee on her hands. Huo Liancheng was standing right outside the door at that time. Her lips curled, wondering if he had laughed at the sight.
She groaned. Why was it that every time she was humiliated, it would always happen right under his nose? At this point, she shouldn't even be embarrassed anymore!
The elevator dinged, knocking her right out of her thoughts. She nervously picked the edges of her straps as the high ceilings and simple furnishings greeted her once again. A part of her clawed at the chances of just running away and leaving her phone behind, but she knew that she couldn't.
If her mother had called and she didn't answer, the old woman would be worried to death.
Having no other choice, Jian Yun took a deep breath and stepped out of the elevator.
"You got this," she encouraged herself softly as she stood outside of the CEO's office. Somehow, the looming doorway looked even more intimidating up close. Her heartbeat raced in her chest, and she panted, looking like she had just participated in a marathon.
Without another word, she forced herself to knock on the door.
"Come in." Huo Liancheng's melodious voice sounded from the other side of the doorway.
Jian Yun hesitated for a moment as her hand hovered around the handle. Tingles shot down her spine. Should she? But before she could grasp the handle herself, the door immediately opened from the inside, and a large hand reached for her hand, pulling her into the room. Immediately, she felt a warm chest hitting her back as his long fingers grazed up her arm. Her breath hitched, and she blinked.
"You've been standing out my door for so long," he commented, leading her into his office. "Are you planning to apply as my guard?"
"Let go!" She twisted her wrist, prying his hands off her, but his grip was too strong. She could only frown in irritation. "You better not try anything!"
"I'm wounded." Finally, he turned to look at her. His usual sharp eyes were filled with softness, and his generally cold features had warmed at the sight of her. He looked handsome under the lights, looking like a perfectly planned sculpture. Just the mere sight of him was proof enough that God had His favorites. Blinking, she turned away and shook her head. "Besides, even if I'm holding your wrists, you can still move your mouth, can't you?"
"You bastard!" Jian Yun was about to scream at him and give him a piece of her mind, but the moment those words left her throat, she couldn't help but notice the breathiness of her own voice. Her chest heaved up and down.
Raising her head, she could see the smirk on his face, and she immediately flushed.
"If you blush so easily, others might misunderstand our conversation." With a grin, he reached out and pinch the sides of her cheek. The smooth texture of her face made it even harder for him to let go.
"Stop it!" Jian Yun was about to raise her hand and slap him, but he quickly dodged.
Taking this opportunity, he grabbed a hold of her hand and pushed her onto the sofa. "I still have a few documents that I need to deal with," he stated. "Sit here and wait for me."
"There's no need. I'll just take my phone and leave." Jian Yun quickly got up and followed him to her desk.
"And where do you plan to go once you take your phone?" Huo Liancheng had already sat behind his desk. He picked up his phone and glanced at the other documents right in front of him. "Do you plan to go on a date with your lawyer?"
"I..." Knowing that she had no other choice, she returned to the sofa and sat down.
"There's hot water in the cup," he said without raising his head.
Jian Yun had been so distracted that she didn't notice the staggering pain from her stomach. Pressing her bag against her lower abdomen, she grimaced. She didn't think too much as she downed the cup from the coffee table, relishing the hot water as it ran down her throat. 'God, it hurts!' She gritted her teeth. She should've taken a day off today. Maybe then, she wouldn't have embarrassed herself like this.
As the pain had finally receded, a thought suddenly occurred to her. Wasn't the cup Huo Liancheng's? Wasn't he obsessed with cleanliness? He couldn't even stand it if other people were to touch him. What more if she had drunk from his own cup? Recoiling in horror, she looked up.
"I forgot this was your cup," she apologized, slowly standing up. "I could go wash it for you."
"There's no need." Waving his hand, Huo Liancheng smiled up at her. "I don't mind it if it's you."
His smile continued to unnerve her, and she couldn't help but take a step back. It was a weird sight to see him so relaxed and casual, a far cry from his indifferent self. "Should I feel honored?" The corners of her mouth twitched violently.
He raised his eyebrows. "Shouldn't you be?"
Yet it seemed that his arrogance never failed to irritated her. Seeing as he didn't mind, she sat back down and glared at him, making sure to gulp another few mouthfuls to express just how truly 'honored' she really was. 'The right bastard,' she thought and rolled her eyes. The nerve of him to think so highly of himself! As if he that great! Her eyes narrowed into slits as she placed a hand on her stomach.
"When you forcefully kissed me, my entire face was filled with your saliva," he continued. "I didn't mind that, so why would I mind a little bit of saliva from my cup?"
Jian Yun choked on her water.
Sputtering indignantly, the young woman raced into the bathroom. She pounded her chest as she spat the water out into the sink, feeling her throat burn from the sudden force. "A–asshole!" She glared at her flustered reflection, wanting nothing more than to curse Huo Liancheng to the ends of the earth.
Hearing a low laugh reverberating from the other end of the office, her jaw clenched.
"Come out. Someone's calling you." Before she could scream in frustration, Huo Liancheng knocked on the door, pulling her out of her driven self.
Jian Yun pushed the door open to see him leaning against the wall. One of his legs was poised on the wall to support himself as his long finger pinched the sides of her phone, making it seem as if he was holding trash. Wrinkling his nose, he turned the screen upside down and motioned to the name. "Reject him," he ordered calmly, not even bothering to look at her.
"No!"
Seeing her refusal, Huo Liancheng raised his hand even higher so that she couldn't get her phone.
"Give my phone back!" She tried to stretch her arm out as high as she could, but it was to no avail. The higher she reached, the higher he raised her phone. It was a never-ending cycle of jumping and waving, and it only ended with bitterness and failure. Even if she had jumped a few more times, the gap between their heights was just too high. His eyes flashed in amusement, watching her struggle in front of him.
"What are the two of you playing it?" Jian Yun had been so distracted that she didn't even notice Cheng Muze come in. A whistle blew behind them, and when she turned around, she saw the bespectacled man leaning against the doorway with a large bag in his hand. A mischievous grin slid into his lips, and a mischievous expression marred his face.
Taking advantage of Huo Liancheng's inattentiveness, she grabbed ahold of her phone and wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. Her stomach pains had already vanished from the sheer exhaustion. Panting, she glanced at her screen.
Her phone had already stopped ringing, and when she looked at her list of contacts, she noticed that Zhou Shaolong was the only one who had left a missed call. She breathed a sigh of relief. If her mother was the one who had left a missed call, she was sure to receive an earful.
Jian Yun dialed the number, but just as she was about to put the phone to her ear, she saw Huo Liancheng waving his own phone at her. A sinister look flashed in his face as he motioned to his screen.