Tan Yao chewed on Ye Qing’s words several times over. Upon realising her intentions, he felt rather moved.

  They looked quietly at each other for a while. Tan Yao extended his arms and hugged this beautiful woman in front of him who had felt so unattainable no matter what at the start, yet whom he had ended up in a strange relationship with afterwards, sleeping out some tensions after which feelings had been born from them quarrelling with each other.

  As he hugged her at this moment, he was no longer that little man.

  “Thank you, I’ve got it,” Tan Yao said, “I will work hard. I’m off to work now. Don’t you buy wine again. I’ll go give you a discount in a while, and slowly return this debt in the future……the debt’s too great, I’m afraid I won’t be able to repay it all at once.”


  Then, he released his grip, turning as he was about to walk away.

  Ye Qing reached out and pulled him back, a complex expression on her face as she looked at him, “Tan Yao, your way of speaking……it’s just too much.”


  Tan Yao did not speak.

  “When are you going to stop with your childish tantrums? You can’t bully me like this because I’m always letting you have your way. I’m Ye Qing, the daughter of Yanzhou’s richest tycoon. In the eyes of everyone, I’m a powerful career woman, one who’s fighting over familial assets with her elder brother, a cold-blooded creature who’s domineering in all aspects and with no feelings so to speak of.”


  Ye Qing had a difficult expression on her face as she said this, not knowing where she should place her hands as she was somewhat unable to control her words and express herself smoothly.

  “I’ve already done things to this extent. When has it not been you talking with thorns in your words, and I pretending that everything’s okay? Even in front of so many people. Is it that you actually really hate me? Is it that you feel uncomfortable because of how we started out at first?”


  These scenes, these words, played out in this corner. If it had been elsewhere and other people had seen and heard this, the entire Yanzhou would probably have imploded. That was Ye Qing!

  Tan Yao asked, “Are you sure that you haven’t drank too much?”


  “A little. I wouldn’t have said all this stuff otherwise. Still……it’s all honest and heartfelt,” Ye Qing said.

  “You like me?”


  “Um……I think so, a little, and maybe a bit more than that,” Ye Qing said softly, probably really being drunk at this moment as she was acting just like some young girl, with Tan Yao totally holding the upper hand.

  “What about you?” Ye Qing calmed herself down before returning this question to Tan Yao.

  “I……I primarily don’t get it, and also don’t dare to. Just as you said, you are Ye Qing! Isn’t this much too inconceivable? Whoever would believe it?!” Tan Yao forced a smile.

  “But I’m a normal woman too. I too can fall in love with someone. Then standing in front of a younger guy, disregarding my face and saying all these. Some things just don’t make sense, perhaps,” Ye Qing defended herself with a greatly aggrieved look on her face.

  Looking at the unimaginable Ye Qing before him, Tan Yao exhaled slowly before he said, “Actually, I think that I like you a little too. I’ve really liked someone else before. As for you……I never even considered this possibility, because it just felt completely unreal. Yet afterwards, you became more and more real, and I began feeling differently about you. This sort of feeling is very strange. The reason for me trying to stay distant from you as much as possible, and squabbling with you……it’s probably because I didn’t dare, didn’t dare to even think about things going that way.”


  Ye Qing thought earnestly for a moment before asking rather naively, “Right, do you think that I’m too old? I devote quite a bit of effort to maintaining my looks, so it’s really not bad at all……”


  “I know, it’s not like I haven’t seen it before,” Tan Yao smiled, “There’s nowhere I haven’t seen.”


  A rather bashful Ye Qing smiled wryly for a moment before saying, “Of course, I actually hadn’t thought that back then. I was just too lonely. I also didn’t want to date or get married. I just wanted to find somebody, not any of those people who got close to me for reasons of their own. Then, you arrived. The sort of relationship that I originally wished for was very simple, so I insisted on giving you money……”


  “Then, things changed. Just like you said, it became very strange. Because of this, I went for a few matchmaking sessions, but none of them worked out.”


  “.……What now then? Just a little bit careless and things became like this,” Tan Yao smiled wryly.

  “I don’t know too.” Ye Qing said, “How about we forget it, and pretend that we were both drunk. We’ll have forgotten about it tomorrow. And then we’ll continue squabbling again.”


  “I’m an orphan. I don’t have anything at all, not even a home,” Tan Yao suddenly said.

  “I know,” Ye Qing said, “Others aren’t able to tell, but somehow, I just knew. That’s why I purposely got into an argument with Ye Tan on New Year’s Eve and came over to look for you……”


  Besides Xu Tingsheng whom he had personally told this to, no one had ever been able to tell that Tan Yao was an orphan, because the feeling that he gave others did not seem that way in the slightest.

  Ye Qing had been able to see through it, though. Only her.

  Then, she had left her home and come over to accompany him on the night of New Year’s Eve, bringing along wine and dumplings. They had sat beside the pile of renovation materials for the bar which had still been under construction, speaking sarcastically to and squabbling with each other as they drank. Only when the clock had tolled at midnight as the sky was filled completely with fireworks had she finally departed.

  The two looked at each other just like that. Neither of them was a clean, pure person. Still……this did not stop them from liking someone.

  “Kiss me again, like you did just now……I like how you did it just now,” Tan Yao suddenly ordered.

  Ye Qing was momentarily taken aback by Tan Yao’s request before she tried leaning closer and kissed him rather panickedly on the lips .

  Tan Yao pushed her against the wall, forcefully and intensely kissing her back……

  By the glass wall of Bright Brilliance,the two were kissing intensely while shifting about frenetically……

  Sensing a door with his hand, Tan Yao pushed it open and pushed Ye Qing in……

  Then, he closed the door and pressed her against it, continuing……

  His lips inched towards her neck, her shoulder……

  Ye Qing reacted abruptly, her hands touching his face and pushing him away a little as looking at their surroundings that looked like an office, she asked, “What’s this place?”


  “Mine and Huang Yaming’s duty office,” Tan Yao said, “Relax, no one will come in now. I’ve locked and latched the door too.”


  Breathing heavily, Ye Qing asked, “What is it that……you want to do?”


  “What do you think?” Tan Yao lifted her up in a single go and placed her on the office table, “It’s been so long since we last did it. Then, you’ve been managing me and not letting me play around……it’s not that you really have someone, right?”


  “No, I don’t, I don’t,” Ye Qing shook her head in vigorous denial.

  “Isn’t everything fine then?” Tan Yao said.

  Ye Qing pushed him, shaking her head even as she struggled, “No, not now.”


  Looking at her, Tan Yao smiled, “It’s not like it’s our first time. Don’t be shy.”


  “It’s different now,” Ye Qing said, actually appearing somewhat shy now.

  “What’s different?” Tan Yao worked both his hands and mouth simultaneously.

  “We seem to be…… in love now. So, don’t you think of getting it so quickly,” A struggling Ye Qing told him.

  “So you do know! Since we’re in love, our relationship is no longer the same. You’ve got to listen to what I ask of you,” Tan Yao said as he kept her locked tight in his embrace, “Do you know the first thing I said when I first spoke of you?”


  “What?

  “I want to bed you.”


  “Huh?”


  “What happened before isn’t counted. From now on……”


  “No.”


  “You wouldn’t have gained some fatty meat recently? Afraid of me seeing it?”


  “.……Like I did.”


  “Let me have a look then.”


  Tan Yao stood before the dark brown office table, reaching over for the hands of Ye Qing who was sitting on the table as he grabbed them and put them on his shoulders……

  “Wait, I suddenly remembered. You cheated me,” Breathing heavily, Ye Qing said, “When in a relationship……shouldn’t it be the guy who listens to his girlfriend?”


  “We’re different. You’re too domineering usually, so it has to be the other way round here. You let me do as I please and listen to me. Otherwise, where would I go to find back my pride as a man?”


  Similarly panting, Tan Yao looked at the flushed, alluring face of Ye Qing as he leaned over and whispered into her ear, “Also, I can’t be a playboy anymore. So……it’ll all have to depend on you.”


  “What……will have to depend on me?”


  “I’ll have to depend on you to satisfy all my fantasies of that kind……bring them alive……you must listen to me……”


  “.……That’s impossible. I’m Ye Qing……it’s impossible that I’d let you bully me however you want. I’m serious, Tan Yao. If you go too far, my stubborn temper will flare up. You……don’t think that I’ll just listen and obey……”


  “Alright, you’re Ye Qing……come on, change a posture……”


  “.……Mmm.”
……

  “Why isn’t it over yet? I’m nearly dying,” Ye Qing asked, panting breathlessly.

  “Maybe……it’s because I drank wine,” Tan Yao said.

  “No, we’ve been away for too long. If we don’t go back now……they’ll probably come looking for me. Also, today’s the day of your opening. You can’t just stay here and not do anything at all……”


  “What should we do then?”


  “Timeout.”


  “Timeout? There can be a timeout for this too?”


  “Yeah. Anyway……I’m done.”


  Ye Qing pushed Tan Yao away, smiling craftily as she raised her chin, saying, “I told you. Ye Qing isn’t that easy to bully.”


  Thus, as the two held hands and returned to the private room Ye Qing had booked, arriving before her friends, Tan Yao’s back was slightly arched.

  The two had already talked on their way over.

  Ye Qing had asked Tan Yao if he was worried about how people might see him now that they were an item.

  “Isn’t it just gigolo, sponger-off or whatever?” Tan Yao laughed, “This is very difficult to avoid for someone as handsome as me. Actually, in actual fact, there’s no way around this no matter how I try to explain now. I can only rely on myself to slowly prove it over time. Rest assured, that I will do.”


  These words left Ye Qing filled with confidence.

  Therefore, the two openly held hands and walked into the room just like that, with Ye Qing straightforwardly and gracefully announcing to her friends, “This is my boyfriend, Tan Yao.”


  “It seems to have been five years? It’s been five years since we heard Ye Qing introduce someone like that.”


  “Old cow eating tender……what were you off doing just now? Why is Ye Qing’s face so red?”


  Amongst this group of similarly-aged girls who were close with one another, things shot easily out of their mouths. Ye Qing rushed over and got into a messy dispute with them……the current Ye Qing was really not much different from an ordinary girl in love.

  Tan Yao had originally intended to greet everyone and toast them before leaving. After all, he was the boss tonight, having many things to take care of.

  He casually scanned the area……Fang Chen was sitting there.

  “How come she’s in Ye Qing’s private room?” Tan Yao was taken aback.

  Fang Chen stood up, saying, “You didn’t know, right? Sis Qing and I are good friends,” Then, she passed Tan Yao a glass of wine and got one for herself too, saying as she clinked them, “Congratulations, and my blessings to the both of you.”


  “Thank you.”


  Tan Yao drank the wine and greeted everyone before whispering into Ye Qing’s ear amidst knowing laughter all around. Then, he hastily left.

  Fang Chen sat in a corner, “His mother, wasn’t it that he’d always had a secret crush on me? The heck……this dame really does feel a bit unhappy now……filthy man, they truly are all like this……”