Chapter 147: Never Letting Go

"Just for that woman, are you going to abandon our entire company and leave us to clean up your mess? You... you absolutely cannot do this." Chen Haoming was on the verge of tears. The last time Yuwen Si had taken a phone call, it had been him, Chen Haoming, left bowing and scraping behind a bunch of old foreign men, sweet-talking them. He had had enough of this lifestyle.

"That's right! Clean up the mess, and do it one more time." Yuwen Si checked his reflection in the mirror, adjusting his tie. The outfit was perfection, as dashing as he was. He whistled, in an exceptionally good mood.

"You wouldn't dare." Chen Haoming's eyes were red. At a glance, the scene could easily be terribly misunderstood, but Chen Haoming no longer cared about appearances, nor did he care who the real boss and superior was.

"How could I not dare?" Yuwen Si glanced sideways at Chen Haoming, seemingly completely indifferent to the outburst. What was a business deal compared to anything? His Miss Mai was what mattered most.

A deal lost could be pursued again, but if the girl walked away and he couldn't find her, that would be a lifelong regret.

"If you dare go, I'll... I'll... I'll smash my head against your office wall!" Chen Haoming took frantic, stumbling steps toward the wall. Although this bordered on self-abuse, he had run out of options.

He couldn't go on like this anymore, constantly trailing behind someone to clean up their messes. And let's not even mention that; the most important thing was, did Yuwen Si have any idea how his, Chen Haoming's, English proficiency had skyrocketed? Good god... it was only because he became his assistant and had to better clean up his messes that it improved like this. He had majored in Chinese language, for crying out loud! He was originally supposed to be a company clerk, but simply because Yuwen Si's former assistant had gotten married and had a child one day, he was forced to transfer up. And the result? Not a single day of peace...

Yuwen Si would frequently vanish into thin air, or he could be fine one second and vanish without a single warning the next, bolting right before your eyes. Did Chen Haoming know how he had survived under Yuwen Si until now? It was because he possessed a legendary bomb-proof heart. If not for a strong core and a resilient little heart, coupled with the fact that Yuwen Si was somewhat generous, the pay was decent, and he was driven by the necessity of survival, Chen Haoming feared he would have already defected.

Living this little life—not only having to wipe Yuwen Si's backside every day, but also having to offer a warm face to his cold buttocks time and time again, only for the man to complain that the moisture absorption and elasticity weren't enough at the end of it—Chen Haoming always felt that surviving a lingering, wretched existence by Yuwen Si's side required immense courage, and serving under him for too long would inevitably result in masochism.

"Whether you live or die is entirely up to you. If you choose the former, remember to give me a call in advance so I can order a coffin for you." Yuwen Si stroked his handsome profile again, inspected it for a moment, offered a satisfied smile, smoothed his hair, and prepared to walk out the door.

Look at that—this exact attitude, no different from a love-struck, slightly idiotic, and dimwitted man. But he gets to go off and have all the fun, leaving these miserable wretches to clean up his mess. It was utterly unfair.

Seeing that Yuwen Si was about to stride right past him without a shred of sympathy or pity, Chen Haoming felt like dying. If not for such a high salary, he really, truly wanted to resign! Life felt worse than death.

"You'll have to step over my dead body!" Adopting an attitude of repaying kindness with his life, Chen Haoming lunged at the table leg and clamped his arms around Yuwen Si's leg.

Just like that, the argument dragged on for a long time. Yuwen Si called in other people from the company, but Chen Haoming declared that whoever dared to pull him away would face his eternal wrath.

Tangled up and negotiating, they ended up missing the flight. Yuwen Si even snapped: "Chen Haoming, you absolute freak of nature! I'm not through with you."

Yuwen Si stormed out, and Wu Muli quickly chased after him. The rest of the company employees promptly pulled Chen Haoming up from the floor and showered him with praise. After all, when it came to Yuwen Si, everyone else had only dared to harbor silent resentment. Finally, today, someone had set an example.

Years ago, during a major promotional event that had nearly swept across the globe, there should have been a glorious conclusion. But in the end, because Yuwen Si had bolted halfway through, everyone in the company was forced to work overtime. What could have been finished much earlier ended up requiring nearly an extra month of grueling hours—all thanks to their esteemed leader.

No one knew why Yuwen Si acted this way; they only knew he remained exceptionally preoccupied with the matter of Mai Xijun from years ago. Everyone simply assumed it was because of Shen Yanlie, because they were good friends...

Of course, no one knew yet that the woman named Yan Mai, for whom Yuwen Si was cutting a meeting short to fly to Hong Kong, was the very same woman who had caused him to go into hiding three years ago...

***

Shen Yanlie walked calmly and gracefully with steady strides down the steps, slowly approaching Yan Mai. On this dazzling night, far too many mind-boggling things were happening. Yan Mai had assumed he wouldn't show up here. Although she had attended similar events before—albeit on a smaller scale—she had simply believed he wouldn't appear this time either...

Of course, she had seen the roster, the list of high-society figures attending the exhibition. Printed clearly right there was: Eurasian Trading International, Executive President, Shen Yanlie.

When she took the stage, she had briefly scanned her surroundings without spotting him. Little did she know he had been lingering in the shadows, watching her every move. He had once said that she lived inside his heart like a lighthouse, inhabiting his world; even if he walked through darkness, he would never feel lost, never feel afraid.

Even if the world possessed ten thousand lights, he would never feel lonely, because he knew that one of those lights was shining exclusively for him. He knew the woman in the center of the stage would guide him, and he would lock onto her instantly, never letting her slip away again.

Yan Mai's lips were pressed tightly together. Her fists opened and clenched as she spun around and bolted. This man was far too dangerous; she had to hide, she had to run far away and never cross paths with him again.

Shen Yanlie hadn't expected her to suddenly turn and flee, so he was naturally startled for a moment before taking long strides forward. Yet, at this very moment, he had to remain composed and calm—he couldn't actually scare her into running away for good.

Yan Mai stepped off the runway and dashed backstage. She needed to find a place to calm herself down first and strategize. Facing him turned her mind into absolute chaos. Years had passed, yet seeing him still felt just like the very first time, as if his innate kingly aura was impossible to ignore, pressing down upon her breathing.

Yan Mai shoved open a nearby door; it was the wardrobe room. Disregarding everything else, seeing that it was empty, she slipped inside. She slumped down onto a stool, struggling to steady her emotions, and patted her chest. Yet, even after a long while, she could still hear her own pounding heartbeat, though it was no longer as frantic as it had just been.

She told herself she needed to be composed, to face him calmly. She had told herself she hated him, and she must never harbor any illusions toward him again. All affection in his presence was unforgivable; he was a cold, ruthless, and merciless man. She would never pause for him again, never...

Yan Mai clutched the hem of her dress tightly, intending to head back out. After all, bolting from the stage halfway through wasn't a good look. But what she feared even more was that Shen Yanlie wouldn't let it go so easily. If she didn't run, he would surely pull her into his embrace and plant a passionate kiss on her. Of course, her current situation didn't permit such thoughts, nor should she be entertaining them. Between him and her, everything was completely impossible; there would never be any "what ifs."

Yet... if no one else could outbid him, she would still end up tangled in this endless web with him. She was in turmoil, but she understood that she had to face it with a clear head.

Yan Mai took a deep breath, raised her hand, but before she could push the door open, it swung open ahead of her. Before she could even exhale the stale carbon dioxide in her lungs, a figure flashed inside. Letting out a startled gasp of "Oh," she was shoved backward against the wall, her back pressing flatly against the surface as both her hands were forced upward and pinned above her head.

The moment she opened her eyes, a sharp, familiar profile imprinted itself upon her vision. Immediately afterward, a scorching kiss intercepted every word she had intended to utter.

"Mmm... you jerk." Yan Mai tried to pull her hands down from above her head, but a woman's strength was ultimately limited; the struggle was entirely useless. Moreover, the words she managed to spit out during a stolen breath only gave him an opening to press his advantage. His warm, clever tongue forced its way past her lips, invading her mouth and completely monopolizing every breath she took.

She lifted her leg, intending to strike a certain sensitive spot on his body, but he anticipated the move and effortlessly parted her thighs.

"You used that exact trick three years ago. Can't you come up with a new one?" Shen Yanlie's lips curved into a satisfied smile. The fact that she instantly recognized him made him exceedingly happy.

"Let go of me." Yan Mai's temper flared. Her tone was sharp, her face etched with annoyance. He was always like this, always doing as he pleased with her.

Shen Yanlie remained unfazed, swiftly landing a loud smack of a kiss on her cheek before Yan Mai could dodge away, though she stubbornly turned her head aside even as his kiss brushed her skin.

When Shen Yanlie made no further move for a long while, Yan Mai turned her head back. "Let go of me first," she attempted to negotiate. Once he let go, everything else could be resolved.

"Not letting go." Shen Yanlie still pinned her wrists, rendering her completely immobile. He observed her closely at arm's length, gazing at her fair, translucent skin. Time had left not a single trace upon her youthful features; if anything, she had only grown more breathtaking.

Finally, he smiled and added: "Other than letting go of you, you can name any other condition you like."