In the elegant and upscale environment, while everyone else was gracefully enjoying their desserts, Chen Siyan's face was a mess of tears and snot.
Qin Yuhe walked forward with his back to Chen Siyan, his pace unhurried, a smug smile playing on his thin, dark red lips.
He raised his eyes and saw Song Xinya standing directly opposite him, staring right at him.
Song Xinya's gaze swept over the hand he had used to hold the mustard.
Qin Yuhe: "You saw?"
Song Xinya gave a soft "Mm."
She had seen the whole thing—how he squeezed mustard into the matcha cake and gave it to Chen Siyan to eat.
Qin Yuhe's face was calm and unreadable; his expression remained unchanged, showing no reaction.
So what if she saw? He was her lawful husband.
Qin Yuhe lowered his gaze, glancing at what Song Xinya held in her hand: a strawberry cake.
He walked over to her and stood facing her, his tall, imposing figure positioned very close.
So close that the cake in Song Xinya's hand was about to poke into his black suit.
Worried that the cream would stain his clothes, she pulled her hand back a little.
Qin Yuhe thought she was being protective of her food, afraid he would snatch her cake.
He reached out, took the fork from her hand, scooped up a large piece of cake, and put it into his own mouth.
Song Xinya glanced at the table ahead. "There's still a lot of that cake over there."
Qin Yuhe: "I only want the one in your hand."
Song Xinya: "I'll give this whole piece to you, then."
The corners of Qin Yuhe's lips curled up.
He scooped up a piece of cake and brought it to her lips. "Let's eat it together."
Song Xinya glanced around.
In broad daylight, surrounded by colleagues, and right in the middle of the company, sharing a single cake fork and feeding each other was still a bit embarrassing.
Song Xinya originally wanted to say she would do it herself, but when she looked up and saw Zhao Yinian glaring at her viciously, she opened her mouth, took the cake, and said to Qin Yuhe, "Feed me another bite."
Qin Yuhe: "Whatever you say."
He forked another piece of cake and fed it to her.
Song Xinya's pale, slender fingers brushed ambiguously over his distinct knuckles. She took the cake fork from his hand, scooped up a piece, and fed it to his lips.
Qin Yuhe cooperatively opened his mouth and took the cake in.
When she looked up again, Song Xinya saw that Zhao Yinian had stormed off in a fit of anger.
She felt a wave of satisfaction.
Retracting her gaze, Song Xinya looked up and saw Qin Yuhe's thin, striking lips moving slightly, as if carefully savoring the cake.
She asked him, "Do you like this kind of cake too?"
Qin Yuhe didn't actually like sweets, but because she was with him, sharing it with him, he felt it tasted pretty good.
He answered her, "Eating it with you makes me like it."
As Song Xinya looked up at him, a shy, watery gleam rippled in her eyes.
Looking into her clear, liquid eyes, Qin Yuhe was reminded of the sparkling ripples on the surface of a lake under the spring sun—soft, bright, and moving.
His gaze shifted downward, landing on her lips.
Plump, moist, and bright red, they looked even more delicate and inviting than rose petals.
He had only tasted her lips twice.
He knew the current setting was inappropriate. With people constantly coming and going, the environment was complicated. Countless pairs of eyes, driven by curiosity or gossip, were watching the two of them openly and covertly.
Yet, a dark, possessive desire still bred within Qin Yuhe—
He wanted to pry open her lips and teeth, capture her sweet tongue, and take it into his mouth to lick, bite, and suck.
The man's Adam's apple bobbed. He leaned in, lowered his head, and his warm, thin lips pecked her white, jade-like earlobe.
Song Xinya couldn't help but tremble, half out of shock that he would suddenly kiss her in public, and half electrified by the hot, soft sensation on her earlobe.
Her wide eyes screamed: Are you crazy?
Qin Yuhe spoke into her ear, his voice hoarse, carrying a warm, damp breath infused with the faint sweetness of strawberry cake.
"Come with me to the conference room."
Song Xinya: "Why?"
Qin Yuhe: "I want to French kiss you."
Song Xinya's face and earlobes burned so hot they were practically smoking.
He really was crazy.
The conference room was empty at the moment, but someone could walk in at any time.
Qin Yuhe reached out to grab Song Xinya's wrist.
Like a nimble fish, Song Xinya slipped past him. "I'm going to go check on Mr. Chen. He's crying his eyes out from the mustard."
Qin Yuhe's outstretched hand grasped nothing but empty air.
He watched her run toward another man.
The third time.
His wife had rejected French kissing him.
………
Chen Siyan was wiping his tears with a tissue when a bottle of yogurt was handed to him.
Song Xinya: "The spiciness of mustard mainly comes from isothiocyanates. Fat and sugar can dissolve these substances. Drink this bottle of yogurt, and it won't burn anymore."
Chen Siyan took the yogurt and downed it in one gulp.
Sure enough, he felt better.
Chen Siyan: "Ms. Song, you know so much!"
Song Xinya: "Of course. If I knew too little, I couldn't be a proper teacher. Knowing a lot means I can answer questions and clear up confusion."
Chen Siyan: "Then clear up some confusion for me. For a high-end tea break like this, all the desserts are inspected before being served. How could there be mustard in the matcha cake?"
Song Xinya said, "I don't know either."
Chen Siyan thought of a possibility. "I know!"
Song Xinya instantly grew tense, sweating on Qin Yuhe's behalf. "What do you know?"
Chen Siyan: "Mr. Qin came over to me just now, and right after that, I ate the mustard. How could it be such a coincidence!"
Song Xinya: "Well, it really isn't a coincidence. Since you already know, I think it's better if you don't say anything, or it might ruin Mr. Qin's image."
Chen Siyan: "I definitely won't say anything. Someone was trying to harm Mr. Qin with mustard."
Song Xinya: "Huh?"
Chen Siyan leaned in close to her ear. "Exactly. Someone just tried to harm Mr. Qin with mustard, and by a twist of fate, I ended up eating that mustard cake."
He looked at Song Xinya with an excited expression and asked, "Do you know what my action would be called in ancient times?"
Song Xinya, a bit confused by his excitement, asked, "What?"
Chen Siyan: "Meritorious service for protecting the Emperor! Mr. Qin is definitely going to give me a promotion and a raise soon. I'm about to strike it rich!"
Song Xinya: "……… Manager Chen, your thought process is truly unique."
Chen Siyan took that as a compliment.
After the tea break ended, the meeting resumed.
Executives from the finance, energy, communications, port, and real estate industries stood on the podium, continuing their work reports.
Although their mouths were full of obscure and difficult professional jargon, Song Xinya understood all of it.
Back in university, she frequently sat in on courses in finance, business administration, economics, public finance, and economics and trade, among others.
Since her college days, she had constantly been building her corporate management skills.
When her mother was still alive, she had been a well-known entrepreneur.
She had been awarded the title of Outstanding Entrepreneur of Jingbei City for five consecutive years and was a frequent guest on the CCTV-2 financial channel.
The Yating Education Technology Company founded by her mother was once the most famous tutoring and training company in the country.
When her mother died, Song Xinya and Song Tingye were still young. The company was usurped by her scumbag father, Song Xuanli, and his mistress-turned-stepmother, Li Cuirou.
Song Xuanli changed the company's name from Yating Education Technology Co., Ltd. to Rouying Education Technology Co., Ltd.
The company founded by the mother of Song Xinya and Song Tingye had now become the property of Li Cuirou and Zhang Yingying.
Why should her mother's legacy be given to someone else!
She owed nothing to that mother and daughter!
Therefore, while Song Xinya worked hard to improve her professional skills, she also continuously honed her company management abilities.
Her goal was to one day take back what rightfully belonged to her and her brother.
As the largest enterprise in the country, Qin Group's executives were highly capable, presenting reports that were concise, professional, and cutting-edge.
Listening to them speak, Song Xinya felt energized and learned a great deal.
Beside her, Chen Siyan was nodding off, drool nearly spilling from his mouth.
To prevent himself from falling asleep and ruining his image in President Qin's eyes, Chen Siyan leaned his head toward Song Xinya to chat.
Teacher Song, I've been chatting with the Sandman for a while now. Aren't you going to sleep?
Teacher Song, your eyes are so wide open. Do you have springs installed in them?
Teacher Song, when do you think President Qin will give me a promotion and a raise?
Song Xinya once again felt the icy glare shooting over from the front.
Qin Yuhe had absolutely zero tolerance for other men flirting with his wife.
Yes, in Qin Yuhe's eyes, any man who spoke to his wife was trying to seduce her and steal her away from him.
Of course, his wife was never at fault; it was always the fault of those shameless men outside!
Qin Yuhe's deep, cold voice echoed through the massive conference room: Male employees of the tutoring companies under the Qin Group are to leave immediately!
Female employees may choose to leave, or they can remain in the conference room if they wish.
He watched Chen Siyan leave the room while Song Xinya sat unmoving.
A victorious smile appeared on Qin Yuhe's face. Without a doubt, his wife had stayed behind for him.
In reality, Song Xinya just wanted to learn more about corporate management.
During the rest of the meeting, without Chen Siyan's harassment and Qin Yuhe's occasional ice-pick glares, Song Xinya listened with intense focus and absorbed many key points.
When the meeting ended, Qin Yuhe had to assign tasks to the executives, so Song Xinya left the conference room along with the other regular employees.
Returning to the eighth-floor office, she saw Chen Siyan teaching a live-streamed class.
Chen Siyan specialized in college entrance exam tutoring and had 2.95 million followers on TikTok.
While his follower count couldn't compare to celebrities, he was already a standout figure in the education and tutoring sector.
To date, no other instructor had more followers than him.
Chen Siyan spoke with humor and naturally bonded with young people, making him deeply popular among students.
As Song Xinya walked past him, she glanced at the top right corner of the screen; over ten thousand people were watching.
With ten thousand viewers on his live stream, he could easily pull in a massive number of clients. No wonder he was the top sales performer.
Online live-stream teaching was indeed very lucrative.
Throughout the afternoon, Song Xinya also actively prospected for clients.
She used the most traditional method: cold calling.
When she encountered a good-tempered client, they would reply, No thank you, I don't need it right now.
When she encountered a bad-tempered client, they would snap, Get lost! Stop calling to harass me!
When she encountered an impatient client, they would say nothing and just slam the phone down.
When she encountered a perverted client, they would flirtatiously say, Hey beauty, add me as a friend and let me see your legs.
After diligently making calls all afternoon, she successfully secured zero clients.
Chen Siyan walked over to Song Xinya and chuckled smugly, This afternoon alone, a thousand clients came to me to sign up.
Song Xinya handed him a piece of 100 percent dark chocolate: I think your life is too sweet. Hurry up and eat some bitterness.
Chen Siyan pushed the 100 percent dark chocolate aside: Whoever likes bitterness can eat it. I only like sweet things.
Not wanting to listen to him show off, Song Xinya grabbed her bag and headed out: Bye-bye.
Chen Siyan put on his backpack and chased after her: Let's have dinner together. My treat.
As a married woman, Song Xinya naturally chose to decline: No thanks, I'm eating at home.
Chen Siyan pulled out a strawberry-mango-peach cheese tea and handed it to her: Please, Teacher Song, help me ask Tiantianquan out.
Song Xinya: Quanquan said she doesn't want to date right now.
Chen Siyan: When a woman meets a man she doesn't like, she says she doesn't want to date right now. But if she meets a man she likes, she'll start dating immediately. Women are inherently kind-hearted and soft on the inside; they don't want to be too blunt and break a man's heart, so they use this excuse to reject him gently.
Song Xinya: Since you know that, why are you still asking Tiantianquan out?
Chen Siyan: I'm twenty-eight years old this year, not an eighteen-year-old kid anymore. I don't have time to play the secret crush game. Now, if I like someone, I bravely pursue them. When I want to love, I love boldly. As for whether it works out or not, I'll do my best and leave the rest to fate. I will openly and generously pay for my affections, ensuring I leave no regrets for the people I like.
His words were sincere, open, and brave.
Touched by the honesty in his words, Song Xinya took out her phone and called Tiantianquan: Quanquan, let's have dinner together, just the two of us. It's really just the two of us this time, I'm not lying to you. How could I lie to you? You have to believe me.
When Tiantianquan arrived and took a look, she pointed at Chen Siyan: This is what you meant by not lying to me?
Song Xinya: Who knew he'd come to this restaurant too? I just bumped into him by chance, I really didn't lie to you.
Tiantianquan: Song Xinya's mouth is full of deceitful ghosts.
The three of them sat at a dining table. Halfway through, Song Xinya said she was going to the restroom and never returned.
As a matchmaker, she was fully dedicated and didn't even charge a fee.
Walking out of the restaurant, Song Xinya received a call from Qin Yuhe: Where are you? I'll come pick you up.
Song Xinya sent him her location, and soon enough, Qin Yuhe arrived.
He was driving himself, and she got into the passenger seat.
Qin Yuhe's pale, distinct fingers gripped the black leather-wrapped steering wheel, his driving posture exuding a lazy aristocratic elegance.
Keeping his eyes on the road ahead, he asked seemingly casually, Who did you eat with at the restaurant?
Song Xinya: I didn't eat. Chen Siyan and Tiantianquan ate.
Qin Yuhe gave an mm of acknowledgment, then asked another question: When you had a gathering with your colleagues at noon, was it also at this restaurant?
Song Xinya: No, we had hotpot at Haidilao for lunch.
Qin Yuhe: Hotpot tastes better when there are a lot of people.
Song Xinya: Yeah, everyone from our company went at noon. We all had hotpot together.
Qin Yuhe's lips curled into a smile, and he asked no more.
...
The Rolls-Royce drove into Zijin Huating.
Song Xinya got out of the car and saw Qin Yuyan walking in circles around a large tree.
Yanyan, what are you doing?
The noble little princess of the Qin family replied, I'm researching how to eat tree bark.
Song Xinya glanced to the side and saw Song Tingye digging in the dirt with a small shovel.
"Xiaoye, what are you doing?"
Song Tingye replied, "I'm researching how to eat wild greens."
Look at how starving the child was. If he went hungry for another two days, he would be lying on the ground eating dirt.
Song Xinya looked at Qin Yuhe. "How about..."
Qin Yuhe cut in, "How about we stick to our guns and not go soft on them at all."
President Qin's methods for disciplining children were absolutely uncompromising.
Song Xinya really felt too guilty to sit at the dining table and feast on a lavish meal while the two children were starving and crying out for food. She simply grabbed a piece of bread and retreated to the second-floor bedroom.
By the time Qin Yuhe returned to the bedroom, it was already ten o'clock at night.
Presumably, he had finished dealing with his work in the study before coming upstairs.
Song Xinya had already washed up and was lying under the covers. Her arms rested outside the blanket, as white and tender as fresh lotus roots.
Qin Yuhe looked toward the bed, his gaze sweeping over her pale arms.
He went into the bathroom, washed up, came out, lifted the covers, and got into bed.
The late-night warmth of the bed.
The fragrance of her body drifting through the darkness.
Their bodies brushing against each other, seemingly touching yet not quite.
A burning desire coursed through Qin Yuhe's veins.
He wanted to make love to her.
But he held back and didn't say anything to her.
Because he was afraid of being rejected by his wife, yet again.
