Chapter 20.1

The moment Cheng Yao fell into the water, her wish came true. She finally got to see the calm expression on Qian Heng’s face become distorted. He frowned as he was unable to adapt to the sudden change. His eyes widened and he fell into the water with her.

Cheng Yao knew how to swim. She let go of Qian Heng after falling into the water with the intention to climb on the boat first and then drag Qian Heng up.

Unfortunately, the water in the lake was unexpectedly cold in November. Her legs cramped before she could swim far.

It’s over. Heaven is jealous of talented people…

Those were Cheng Yao’s inner thoughts as she sank.

The lake water was very cold. She couldn’t move or swim up because of her leg cramps. She could only watch the light above her get dimmer. Fortunately, she had taken a breath beforehand but as she sank, Cheng Yao only felt her chest tightening. The little air she had was running out. If it continued then——

If it continued then she would choke and drown in the lake.

At that time, no matter how optimistic Cheng Yao was, she was very scared. The water was at a biting temperature. The fear of drowning and death was like a pair of cold hands, wrapping around her in its shadows. As the shadows surrounded her, the lack of oxygen and water pressure made Cheng Yao start to put up a struggle.

She had no way to breathe, no way to call for help and no escape.

Like walking on the cliff of death, Cheng Yao felt fear and terror from the very bottom of her heart.

She cried in her mind, who can come to save me?

Save me…

Just when Cheng Yao was about to run out of breath and lose consciousness, a pair of hands moving through the water came and held onto her. A pair of cold lips also attached themselves to hers.

When Cheng Yao was about to be suffocated, someone passed a breath of air to her.

The water was very dark and Cheng Yao wasn’t able to open her eyes because it stung. She couldn’t see the person but she subconsciously hugged them.

The other party’s arms were strong and powerful. Even when surrounded by cold water, Cheng Yao felt at ease. The other party took her all the way up to the surface.

Breathing in fresh air again and being able to feel the sunlight, Cheng Yao almost cried with joy. However, when she turned her head to thank the person who saved her, she saw Qian Heng’s handsome profile at a very close proximity.

As usual, his expression was bad. His hair was dripping wet with water. The lines on the bridge of his nose were still very high, making people suspect that it was cushioned at first glance. His long eyelashes were stained with water drops and his sexy but thin lips were gently pursed…

Wait… lips…

Underwater just now??

Although it was only to exchange oxygen…

However, she and her boss went mouth to mouth…

Qian Heng and her?? Kissed??

Cheng Yao seemed to have been hammered on the head. She was so shocked by the fact that her head short-circuited. Just then, because she fell into the water, her cold body suddenly burst into flames. Her whole face turned red.

How would she face Qian Heng from now on?

Cheng Yao had no idea how to speak to her highly toxic boss at that moment.

What should she do?

Forget it! She’d just play dead!

Cheng Yao was obviously awake but she still chose to close her eyes. The picture was so beautiful that she didn’t dare to look at it.

Fortunately, Qian Heng didn’t look back at her either. He just held Cheng Yao with one hand and leaned on the boat with the other hand. Their movements had attracted the security team on location. With assistance from the other teams of lawyers, Cheng Yao and Qian Heng were quickly rescued from the boat.

Their surrounding was very noisy and people from all walks of life moved around them but Cheng Yao still laid upright, pretending to be dead.

She only dared to narrow her eyes and observe the situation around her through a crack.

A male lawyer was very anxious: “Is Lawyer Cheng all right? Should we call 120?”

“Is she breathing? Do you want me to give it a try? I’ve learned first aid before.”

In the chaotic setting, only Qian Heng was calm: “Do you have dry bath towels?”

“Oh, yes, yes, here you go.”

He took two bath towels from a staff member. With one towel, he wiped his hair and with the other, he threw it at Cheng Yao.

The bath towel covered Cheng Yao’s face.

“Lawyer Qian, how can you just throw this on Lawyer Cheng’s face like that? She’s still unconscious…”

However, Qian Heng’s voice was still as calm as ever after being accused.

“Stop pretending and get up.”

Cheng Yao’s eyes were covered by the bath towel. She could only hear Qian Heng coming closer and then his cold voice sounding overhead.

“…”

Cheng Yao continued playing dead.

“Cheng Yao, if you continue doing this, do you want to take another inch and have me give you CPR?”

To everyone’s surprise, as soon as Qian Heng’s words came out, they suddenly saw Lawyer Cheng, who was without any vital signs, lift up the bath towel covering her face and bounce up.

…

“Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing here?” Cheng Yao opened her eyes wide, showing a dazed expression. “Ah, yes, I fell into the water and I just woke up now. I was unconscious all this time.” Cheng Yao thought for a moment and then added. “I fainted after falling into the water.”

Qian Heng squatted down and stared into Cheng Yao’s eyes.

Cheng Yao subconsciously turned her eyes away and unexpectedly, Qian Heng stretched out a finger. He raised Cheng Yao’s chin and turned her head around so that Cheng Yao had to look straight into his eyes.

When they first met, Cheng Yao already knew that Qian Heng had a pair of charming eyes.

She just didn’t expect that even after falling into the water and with his body dripping wet, there would still be no trace of embarrassment on that man’s face. He still acted like a superior being. He was handsome and cold with a brilliant temperament.

Cheng Yao’s face began to grow uncontrollably hot. She averted her eyes and her heartbeat accelerated. Her fingers also trembled lightly.

Qian Heng sneered: “Fainted?”

“You don’t remember?”

He maintained his hold on Cheng Yao’s chin and leaned closer to Cheng Yao’s face: “Do you want me to remind you of what just happened?”

Because of Qian Heng’s movements, the bathrobe with a slightly opened neckline parted even further. From Cheng Yao’s perspective, she could get a faint glimpse of the muscle lines on Qian Heng’s chest.

Although she didn’t want to admit it, Cheng Yao knew that Qian Heng’s figure was really good. It was so good that she agreed with Qin Qin. For that kind of quality, it really was worth 10,000 yuan…

At that moment, Cheng Yao felt more out of breath than she did when she fell in the water. As Qian Heng approached, Cheng Yao subconsciously closed her eyes.

The result, nothing happened.

Cheng Yao opened her eyes again to find out that Qian Heng had stood up already. He was looking at her with a smile: “Cheng Yao, what is going through your mind right now?”

“…”

“Awake?”

Cheng Yao’s face blushed. She lowered her head and looked a little panicked. When she fell in the water, some of it must have entered her brain as well!

Because the two of them were soaked through, they were both sent to the hotel room in the area.

It was a family room. There were two rooms with individual bathrooms and a large living room.

The two took a bath, changed out of their wet clothes and put on the bathrobes provided in the guest room.

After Cheng Yao blow-dried her hair and came out to the living room, Qian Heng was already sitting on the sofa in a cold manner.

He glanced at Cheng Yao lightly: “20% of your year-end bonus is cut off.”

Cheng Yao said in shock: “Why!?”

“The following offences.”

Cheng Yao: ???

“You fell into the water and pulled the boss along, deducting 10%.” Qian Heng squeezed his lips and said. “You took the opportunity to sexually harass your boss, another 10%.”

“Me??? Sexual harassment???”

“Huh, don’t you remember everything that happened in the water already?”

Cheng Yao didn’t care about her image anymore: “In the water, you were the one who took the initiative to kiss me!”

“If you didn’t fall into the water, would I have needed to kiss you to save you?”

“You and I are not husband and wife or blood relatives. There is no legal obligation towards each other. Even if you saw me drowning and decided not to save me, it wouldn’t have been illegal. Don’t get angry with me!” Cheng Yao was anxious. “No matter what, you took the initiative, I didn’t force you! There is no reason to deduct my year-end bonus!”

Qian Heng sneered: “There is no legal obligation to save you but with your participation in this event, it’s considered overtime. If you drowned today, it would’ve been a work-related injury and I would’ve had to pay you a work-related injury compensation. So how could I not save you? In the end, doesn’t this count as you taking advantage of me and in disguise, sexually harassing me?”

“I…”

“Speak one more word and it’ll be 30%.”

Cheng Yao glared at Qian Heng, who was a capitalist and shut up.

Qian Heng was victorious. He wanted to turn around and leave with a cold face but the fact that his bathrobe was the same as Cheng Yao’s stopped his movements.

He took out his phone unwillingly and dialled Wu Jun’s number: “Hello? Wu Jun, go to my villa and bring me a set of clothes. I’ll send you the address later. No, not only a coat but everything. Including underwear.”

On the other end of the phone, Wu Jun got very excited: “Oh my God! Did your iron tree1 finally bloom? I didn’t expect you to actually be brainwashed by this event! You went to bed with one of them on the first meeting? Clothes? A set of clothes? Was the battle so fierce that your clothes got torn apart? Isn’t this too much?”

Qian Heng was too lazy to be bothered with him and added: “In addition, I need you to go to the nearest women’s clothing store to buy a set of women’s clothes. A full set.”

Wu Jun exploded: “Don’t take an inch when I give you a foot! I’m a man! And you’re asking me to buy a full set of women’s clothes and women’s underwear?! What will the clerk think of me?! How am I going to keep my image?”

“You can find a female clerk to help you choose or you could have one of your female friends to buy it. Anyway, I need you to buy it now.”

“Then the female lawyer, what size? What type of clothes should I buy?”

“Size?” Qian Heng glanced at Cheng Yao who was holding onto her bathrobe and shivering in the corner. She was still glaring at him. “About 90, 60, 85.”

Wu Jun whistled: “That’s a good figure.” He said enthusiastically. “You can see me in fifteen minutes.”

“No, I just need to see the clothes, leave them at the front desk and let the staff deliver them. You can leave afterwards.”

Wu Jun couldn’t help complaining: “It’s really evil across the river, so ruthless and heartless! I only ever hear the new people laugh and the old people cry2. In the past, you used to look at the stars and moon with me. You even called me little sweetie… Hello?! Ah?! Qian Heng!! I haven’t finished saying my lines yet! How can you hang up on me!!!”

Cheng Yao was looking at Qian Heng as he hung up the phone. She stared at him with a guarded expression.

What 90, 60, 85? What was Qian Heng looking at!!! How could Qian Heng report those three figures so accurately when she was wearing a bathrobe that didn’t even show the figure??

Cheng Yao suddenly became a little nervous. At that moment, two single people, a man and woman, were sharing the same room. And both of them were only wearing bathrobes…

However, Qian Heng soon dispelled her fantasies: “Don’t worry, you’re not my type.”

“…”

“I’ve already let you take advantage of me once; I won’t let you do it a second time.”

“…”

Cheng Yao could almost cry and laugh. Did Qian Heng still feel that he was the one that had been taken advantage of?! Wasn’t it obviously herself?! Strictly speaking, that was her first kiss!!!

But Qian Heng? Who knew if Qian Heng was the same?! Who knew if Qian Heng had kissed others before?!

* * *

After the weekend, on the first day of work, everyone found out that Partner Qian, who had always been cold and strong, had suddenly become very weak——

“I want those who closed the case last month to scan all the closing reports and analysis files and make an electronic copy… achoo…”

“Tan Ying, tomorrow you… achoo…”

“Cheng Yao, help me make an appointment with a customer… achoo…”

Thanks to the swim in the lake on Saturday, Qian Heng had caught a cold.

Although his expression was still inhumane and his voice was icy, the cold and sneezing had made his eyes slightly wet and red. His voice sounded hoarse and was in poor condition. He hurriedly ended the regular meeting on Monday.

Tan Ying looked at Qian Heng’s disappearing back and pushed Cheng Yao: “Do you think that after our Partner Qian got ill, he suddenly became a little tender and adorable? It’s like that kind of sick and weak beauty. He’s obviously not in good health but will force himself to appear strong. Ah, I’m telling you, it’s so cute! I just want to take care of him! My motherly instincts are running rampant!”

“Achoo!”

Cheng Yao couldn’t help it and sneezed.

As a result, Tan Ying jumped three feet away from her: “Cheng Yao, do you have a cold? Then stay away from me and don’t infect me!”

Didn’t you just say that sick and weak people were cute?? Why don’t you give me some of your overflowing maternal love? Don’t you have any colleague love?!