Chapter Thirty-Six: He, She, He

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Late at night.

Wen Yan lay beside Li Jingyan, wide awake.

The story had already veered completely beyond anything she had foreseen, and the sense of losing control filled her with dread.

She rose quietly and stepped onto the adjoining balcony. Gazing at the neon lights of the distant city, she felt the night breeze stir her thin nightdress.

Suddenly, a pair of arms slipped around her waist from behind, and a warm chest pressed against her back.

Wen Yan stiffened in fright, nearly crying out, but then she caught the familiar, crisp scent that belonged to Qiao Chenye.

“Did I scare you?” Qiao Chenye’s low voice murmured beside her ear, carrying a hint of teasing.

His lips nearly brushed her ear. His warm breath swept across the side of her neck, raising a shiver.

Wen Yan’s heart pounded wildly—partly because of the sudden intimacy, but even more because she was terrified Li Jingyan might discover them from inside the room.

“Keep yourself in check. I’m your sister-in-law now!” she snapped, her voice edged with irritation.

She tried to break free, but Qiao Chenye only tightened his embrace.

“How did you…” She lowered her voice and cast a nervous glance toward the bedroom.

“The balconies are connected. Forgot?” Qiao Chenye gave a low chuckle, but his hand was already moving restlessly over the delicate skin of her waist. His fingertips burned against her, seeming to carry an electric current as they traced the sensitive curve of her waist, even showing signs of venturing higher.

Wen Yan’s entire body tensed, and her breathing quickened. The thrill of dancing on the edge of a blade frightened her, yet also stirred a secret excitement within her.

She could clearly feel the heat and strength of the man behind her.

Qiao Chenye seemed to sense her tension and let out a low laugh, its sound carrying both a devil-may-care wickedness and a deadly allure.

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He released the hand covering her mouth, but maintained his embrace from behind, drawing her even more tightly against him. Resting his chin lightly atop her head, he greedily breathed in the delicate fragrance of her hair.

“Tonight, my Golden Phoenix has been wronged.” His voice was so low it resembled a lover’s murmur, yet beneath it lay an almost imperceptible chill and tenderness.

“Watching that ridiculous clown strut around in front of you, I wanted to crush her on the spot.”

Wen Yan struggled to calm her frantic heartbeat and tried to free herself from his arms, only to discover that it was futile. His strength was formidable and allowed no refusal.

She could only make her voice sound as calm and even as possible. “President Qiao is joking. It was merely a minor incident. Hardly worth calling it a grievance.”

“A minor incident?” Qiao Chenye chuckled. He turned her around, forcing her to face him.

“Do you know how captivating you looked when you overturned that teacup? So cold and proud.” His fingertips brushed lightly over her cool cheek, their touch scorching.

Just then, Li Jingyan’s muffled voice drifted from the bedroom. “Yanyan?… Where are you?”

Wen Yan instantly held her breath.

Qiao Chenye, however, seemed to relish the extreme danger even more. Instead of releasing her, he became bolder. He lowered his head, his warm lips nearly kissing the bare curve of her shoulder and neck, while the hand at her waist grew even more daring.

Footsteps approached the balcony.

Wen Yan’s heart nearly leapt from her chest. Thinking quickly, she forced her voice to sound calm, even adding a trace of annoyance at being disturbed.

“I’m out here getting some air. It was a little stuffy. Go back to sleep. You don’t need to worry about me.”

Li Jingyan’s footsteps stopped before the glass balcony door.

Hearing the unusual tone in his wife’s voice, he felt somewhat puzzled, but more than that, he was displeased at being rebuffed.

He was the legitimate heir of the Qiao family now. What was she still sulking about? Was she upset about what had happened at the banquet? She was becoming more and more impossible.

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A mixture of chauvinistic arrogance and indulgence born of the debts he owed her in the past ultimately kept him from opening the door.

“Fine, fine. Get some air, then. It’s cold at night, so don’t stay out too long,” he said in a sullen tone. After yawning, he turned around and climbed back into bed, deciding that tomorrow he would have to give Wen Yan a proper “lesson” and make her understand who she could truly rely on now.

Only when she heard the sound of him lying down again did the tension in Wen Yan’s nerves suddenly release, leaving her almost limp with relief.

Qiao Chenye, however, did not stop his brazen advances. Instead, he became even more audacious. His moist, heated kisses traveled down her neck and landed on her exquisite collarbone, leaving ambiguous marks behind.

With a low laugh, Qiao Chenye finally loosened his hold on her. Then he turned her face toward him and kissed her deeply beneath the moonlight. The kiss was possessive, forceful, and utterly unwilling to accept refusal. They did not part until both were breathing unevenly.

“What are your plans from here?” he asked softly, resting his forehead against hers as his thumb suggestively brushed across her slightly swollen lips.

Wen Yan steadied her breathing, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. “First, I’ll deal with Liu Yanyan. I’ll make her see just how utterly useless the support she chose really is.”

Qiao Chenye smiled indulgently. “I was planning to deal with her myself. Since you want to do it personally, I’ll cooperate.”

His cooperation clearly meant a far more powerful helping hand—and discreetly pushing matters in her favor.

Wen Yan merely curled her lips into a faint smile without looking at him. Her gaze returned to the distant city, as though she were lost in thought.

Qiao Chenye stole one more lingering kiss from her lips before retreating swiftly and soundlessly to his own balcony, like a leopard slipping through the night.

Wen Yan watched him disappear, touched her lips, which still seemed to retain the scorching imprint of his kiss, and turned back toward the bedroom.

Under Li Jingyan’s puzzled and faintly displeased gaze, she climbed back into bed beside him. She even moved closer of her own accord, nestling against him as though seeking warmth, and soon began breathing evenly, as if she had fallen asleep.

Only she knew that her heart was still pounding violently from the danger on the balcony—and from that perilous kiss.

On the other side of the balcony, Qiao Chenye leaned against the railing and watched until the lights in Wen Yan’s room finally went out. A confident, intrigued smile played at the corners of his lips.

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