You, CEO’s Secret Wife

For a split-second, Jian Yun's mind went blank. All she could do was stare at the pair of dark eyes boring right through her lips, and it was as if time held her still. Before she could react, his lips brushed against hers again, and the grip he had on his waist tightened even more. His chest was warm against hers, and she found herself drifting further into his grasp.     

    

It was only when he had deepened the kiss did she snap out of it. Pursing her lips, she pushed him away and turned her head. The softness of his lips still lingered on hers, and she couldn't help but brush her fingers against her flushed face.     

    

Huo Liancheng didn't force her any longer. As soon as she struggled under his grip, he automatically released her.     

    

"You..." She placed a hand on his chest, raising her head to look at him. Her words had died at the back of her throat, and her bottom lip trembled in anticipation. It took a long time before she could finally regain her composure, but it seemed that the man in front of her wasn't in it for the small talk.     

    

Blocking the way between her and the door, he lowered his head to glare at her. His eyes were cold, and his sneer was evident. "What?" He scoffed. "Are you done pretending to be so innocent? I have to say, you've almost had me fooled from the beginning, but it's getting more blatantly obvious by the day."     

    

"I'm–what?" She furrowed her eyebrows.     

    

Huo Liancheng reached out his hand to touch her lips, caressing her cheek. Just as he was about to lean in a bit closer, the corners of his mouth raised into an overtly mocking smile. "Beautiful," he murmured, drawing back. "No wonder every man you've met has grown captivated by it–by you. But you like the attention, don't you?"     

    

Jian Yun reeled back, looking as if she had just been slapped. She stared at him. His eyes flashed with ridicule and contempt that she had to resist the urge to shudder. 'Why would he say these things?' The thought echoed in the back of her mind, still remembering how civil he had been yesterday. What had happened between them?     

    

He could see her reaction quite clearly–the dazedness in her eyes, the confusion in her brows, and the disappointment in her lips. However, he simply rolled his eyes in response, driven by the rage bubbling in his heart. In his eyes, every expression flashing across the woman's face was fake.     

    

"Well, how many men have you kissed with this little mouth of yours? How many men have you slept with?" His finger stopped at the corner of her lips, and immediately, his handsome face had turned frighteningly cold. It was as if the entire world had stopped turning, and her heart skipped a beat.     

    

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Gritting her teeth, Jian Yun pushed him away. Her chest heaved up and down, and she couldn't help but wonder what had brought this on.     

    

"Don't know?" Huo Liancheng grinned even wider. "You've really gotten good at using that innocent face of yours to confuse your men."     

    

"Shut up!" She finally snapped. Her hands balled into small fists, and she constrained herself from beating him into a pulp. "Who the hell do you think you are to call me names? You know what? Who are you to control me? I can do whatever the hell I want! What does that have to do with you? Are you my boyfriend? My father? What?"     

    

His jaw clenched. For a moment, he simply stared at her.     

    

While others may have already run to the hills at the sight of his murderous glare, Jian Yun straightened her back and stared right back. Besides, it wasn't as if she had done anything wrong! She held herself down, surprised that she could even stand so still despite the fact that her insides were practically shaking from the adrenaline. In all her life, she had never spoken to anyone like this!     

    

"It's none of my business," he agreed. A sinister glint flashed across his eyes, and he sneered. "It's just such a shame that I've taken a fancy to someone as dirty as you–makes my skin crawl."     

    

That was enough to knock off all the haughtiness she had in one go.     

    

It was as if all the oxygen had been drawn out of her lungs and all her blood vessels had exploded. It was as if her heart had stopped beating, and all she could do was clutch her chest and pretend that she was fine–pretend that he didn't just pulled her eyeballs from her sockets and fed it to the birds above. 'Is that really how you think of me?'     

    

For so many years, she had trained herself to the point where she believed that nobody would be able to hurt her. Her heart had been woven shut for anyone who had dared pranced his way into her life. Who would've thought that just one phrase was enough to knock her clean? Clenching her fists, she gritted her teeth.     

    

He actually had the nerve to call her dirty!     

    

Jian Yun laughed bitterly, lowering her gaze and nodding. "That's right. I'm so dirty that it must be humiliating for those noble eyes of yours," she said, her voice dripping in sarcasm.     

    

Her eyes twitched. There was a brief pause when she suddenly gazed up at Huo Liancheng. Anger flashed her eyes, and she spoke, with enough coldness to match his, "But don't forget, I've never accepted you–from beginning till end. You're the one who kept on pursuing me, who kept on touching me. Even if you do find me dirty, you're not necessarily clean, are you?"     

    

Huo Liancheng opened the door, and his lips curved into a sharp smile. "Scram! Don't let me see you in the future!"     

    

"Don't worry. I'll be leaving Ming's very soon!" Straightening her back, she stalked out of the room. "I won't dirty your surroundings any longer."     

    

Even if she had already been humiliated, she wasn't going to allow him to see any sign of weakness from her. After all, she was far too prideful for that. Tilting her head up high, she turned around and strode away.     

    

As soon as she turned, Jian Yun's tears started to flow even more uncontrollably. No matter how much she tried to restrain herself, it seemed that her tears had grown even worse, and now her eyes were like faucets that couldn't be closed.     

    

Her heart raced in her chest as she sniffled and hiccuped. After all the humiliation she had gone through, she wondered how she was still standing.     

    

Yesterday, she had just told Xu Haiyang how she thought that he was dirty, but now, she herself was being treated like trash. It seemed that the tables had turned for her.     

    

Just as she was about to reach the elevator, she bumped into Cheng Muze.     

    

"Sister Jian!" Cheng Muze called out to her, but she acted as if she didn't hear him. Instead, she walked right past him as if she had just interacted with a ghost.     

    

After watching her retreat into the elevator, he turned his head to gaze at the direction of the CEO's office and shook his head. Disappointment flashed in his eyes. "Fourth Brother," he started. "Your words just now were too much. You shouldn't have said that to her."     

    

The answer he got was the sound of a fist pounding against the door.     

    

Frowning, Cheng Muze strode right in. Although he knew that Huo Liancheng wasn't in the best of moods, he certainly wasn't going to back away that easily, especially when he wanted to say something more. "Fourth Brother, you knew Sister Jian from before, right? She isn't just some stranger to you, is she?"     

    

Huo Liancheng suddenly whirled around and glared at him.     

    

"Don't look at me like that! I guessed!" He innocently waved his hands up in the air. "With your personality, you wouldn't be so hooked up on a woman you've met a few times. And you even gave her your Lover's Heart. It's obvious that you knew her before. You're far more logical than this."    

    

"Mind your own business!" A dangerous glint flashed in Huo Liancheng's eyes.     

    

"I had been!" Cheng Muze gritted his teeth. "I just feel that if you really like Sister Jian, then you shouldn't have said those words to hurt her. No matter what kind of life she used to have or what kind of person she had been, if you really do like her, then you wouldn't care! Besides, you and I both know that aside from money, you can't really give her anything!"     

    

"Shut up!"     

    

"Our family had already indulged you in the past few years, and if they know who got your attention...you know what I mean." His eyes darkened. "In fact, if you really liked her, then you wouldn't be dragging her into this!"     

    

"If that's all you have to say, then get out!" Huo Liancheng reprimanded coldly.     

    

Cheng Muze didn't say anything else and stepped out of the office, slamming the door right behind him.     

    

He said in front of his desk and opened their WeChat Group. He hadn't seen any of their messages in a long time, and as he browsed through all the unread texts, he could see that most of them were asking for updates about the progress Huo Liancheng had with Sister Jian.     

    

He sighed in regret as he stared at all the messages. Back then, he had thought that Huo Liancheng had finally turned around and was beginning to show some interest in women. He had waited to see how long it would take his Fourth Brother to get bored and turn to another woman right off the bat. But how could Cheng Muze expect that Huo Liancheng was actually interested in Jian Yun? For someone as calm and as logical as him, how could he have been so ripped off by Sister Jian's presence?     

    

This wasn't good.     

    

"There's no hope! She got a boyfriend, and she's about to get married!" Typing out the message, Cheng Muze turned off his notifications, ignoring the wails and howls of their friends.