54. Lips and Teeth

That short line of words, like a ray of light, suddenly split the fog. My heart, which had been floating in the air, suddenly found its landing point, and then beat against my chest with an even more frantic rhythm.

He didn't leave. He was waiting for her.

Chi Jin almost immediately broke away from the crowd, not even having time to say a word to her colleagues. Clutching her phone and handbag, she hurried towards the elevator to the employee passage in her high heels. Her pace became faster and faster, and finally she was almost jogging, the hem of her pearl-gray skirt rippled behind her.

The air in the underground garage was cool, tinged with the faint smell of gasoline and dust. The lights were pale, outlining the rows of silent vehicles in sharp outlines, a world away from the dazzling lights of the banquet hall.

No. 17, Area B.

She saw the familiar black SUV parked quietly there, the driver's window half-rolled down, revealing his blurry silhouette.

Chi Jin's pace slowed down. The closer he got, the louder his heartbeat became, almost echoing in the empty garage.

She walked to the car and the door lock clicked open.

After hesitating for a moment, she opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat.

Chen Yisheng didn't speak immediately, nor did he look at her. He simply stared ahead, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the steering wheel. The lines of his face looked a little tense in the dim light.

Silence enveloped the two of them like a sticky gel. The surging emotions on the stage, the questions and confessions that almost came out of their mouths, were now suppressed by the silence.

In the end, it was Chi Jin who spoke first, his voice a little dry: "...Editor-in-Chief Chen."

This name made Chen Yisheng's fingers, which were tapping on the steering wheel, pause. He turned his head slowly, his gaze behind his glasses as deep as the night, locking onto her.

His answer was equally unremarkable: "How did you know?"

"There are also work notes from my early years in the USB flash drive." Chi Jin leaned sideways to meet his gaze.

"If that's all you need to thank me for, there's no need. It's just a trivial matter."

Chen Yisheng merely glanced at her, then looked away as if burned. He tried to rebuild the wall, using distant terms to try to get everything that had just gotten out of control on stage back on track.

His tone was understated and deliberately distant.

"It's a small matter?" Chi Jin's heart felt like it was pierced by a needle. "You have done so much, why don't you ever tell me?"

Facing her questioning, Chen Yisheng was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was filled with deep fatigue and repression: "What? That the editor back then was me? That your mentor was actually an intern who didn't even have the right to be credited? Or am I telling you this after you rejected me, hoping to make you change your mind out of guilt or gratitude?"

He shook his head, a bitter arc appeared on the corner of his lips: "Chi Jin, I don't need this. I made the choice, whether in the past or now, and I bear the consequences myself. You don't have to feel burdened by it."

"It's not a burden!" Chi Jin blurted out, clenching his fingers. "Do you think... that hug of mine was just out of sympathy and gratitude?"

Chen Yisheng was stunned, and his fingers that were tapping the steering wheel stopped completely.

The car fell silent again, but the air seemed to be ignited and crackling. The distance between the two was very close, so close that they could feel each other's breath and see their own reflection in each other's eyes.

Chi Jin looked at him, the man who had silently protected her for so long but now tried to push her away. All her hesitation, shyness, and uneasiness turned into a desperate courage at this moment.

If they miss it again, they may really have to regret it for the rest of their lives.

She suddenly leaned forward.

With the coolness of the trophy and the warmth of her lips, she pressed them against his with precision and without warning.

It was a kiss that was awkward yet resolute, a touch as light as the flutter of a butterfly's wings, yet it held the power to destroy all barriers.

Chen Yisheng's body stiffened instantly, his glasses even tilted slightly by her sudden movement. His eyes suddenly widened, staring at her trembling eyelashes in disbelief.

Time seems to stand still at this moment.

All sounds disappeared, leaving only the frantic heartbeats of each other, colliding and resonating violently in the closed compartment.

That kiss that ended immediately was like a spark that lit a fuse.

The next second, the world was spinning.

Chi Jin felt a powerful force grip her waist and back, pulling her towards him. The man who had been frozen in place was like a volcano suddenly awakening, the lava that had been pent up for too long erupting at this moment. With the momentum of destroying everything, he took the initiative and kissed her deeply.

It was no longer a light kiss, but a hot, deep kiss with an almost ferocious and predatory feel.

He held her neck tightly with one hand, not allowing her to retreat an inch, while his other hand subconsciously protected her side to prevent her from being hit by the steering wheel. This kiss was filled with too many complex emotions - years of forbearance, the helplessness after being seen through, the sudden ecstasy, and the cherishment of regaining what had been lost.

Their lips and teeth intertwined, their breaths mingling hotly. The trophy had slipped onto the mat with a dull thud, but no one paid any attention. He kissed her so deeply, so hard, as if he wanted to rub her into his bones and blood, as if he wanted to make up for all the long time he had lost.

Chi Jin's initial awkwardness and surprise quickly melted away in his surging emotions. She responded clumsily, her fingers unconsciously clutching the fabric of his suit across his chest, wrinkling it. The air thinned, her mind blanked, leaving only the ultimate sensory experience—the warmth of his lips and tongue, the pleasant scent of his body, the unwavering strength of his arms, and the intense emotion that threatened to consume them both.

I don't know how long it took before the kiss slowly ended.

Chen Yisheng slightly withdrew his lips from hers, but his forehead was still against hers, his breathing was heavy and hot, brushing against her wet and swollen lips.

Their auras intertwined, creating an ambiguous atmosphere. A thin layer of mist covered the lenses of his glasses, and the eyes behind them had shed all their pretense of calm and composure, leaving only a bottomless darkness and a scorching emotion that threatened to overflow.

He looked at her with a burning gaze, as if he was truly and unreservedly seeing her for the first time.

Chi Jin's cheeks flushed, her eyes sparkling, she panted slightly, and looked back at him. No words were needed, that kiss said it all.

Silence spread in the car, but it was no longer the awkwardness and oppression as before, but was filled with a kind of sweetness that was ready to explode.

Chen Yisheng raised his hand, his fingertips trembling slightly as he gently brushed the corner of her moist lips, his movements filled with an almost devout cherishment.

"Why are you wearing glasses today?"

"Are you going to reject me again today?"

They both said at the same time.

Chen Yisheng chuckled softly upon hearing this, his Adam's apple rolling as he tilted his head slightly. There was a rare, almost lazy playfulness in his eyes. "Would you like me to take off my glasses?"

Chi Jin's heart skipped a beat. She raised her hand, her fingertips lightly touching his temples and slightly warm skin, and carefully removed the glasses that were in the way. The moment the glasses left her, his searing kiss was once again, even more powerful and deep than before, leaving her almost no time to breathe.

Car lights swept past the window, and Chi Jin realized that this was in the garage downstairs of the company. He pushed his chest and said, "Don't do it here..."

Her voice was soft and light, and Chen Yisheng wanted to be naughty, so he deliberately honked the horn twice.

The sudden "beep" sound was particularly loud in the quiet garage, startling Chi Jin so much that he gasped. Feeling embarrassed and anxious, he glared at him angrily: "You..."

He stared at her flushed cheeks and angry eyes for a long moment, his lips curling up into an extremely gentle, yet also immensely relieved, smile. That smile, unlike any of his previous polite and distant smiles, emanated from deep within his eyes, warm, genuine, and even a touch of childish pride.

He didn't say anything else, but tightened his arms again and gently embraced her. This hug was different from the shocked loss of control on the stage, and it was also different from any previous polite contact in the workplace.

This was a true hug between lovers, tight, warm, reassuring, and filled with silent promises and confirmations.

Chi Jin buried her face in the crook of his neck, feeling the strong heartbeat coming from his chest, and her nose was filled with the intimate scent that she had long been familiar with but only now detected.

The quiet hug lasted for a moment before Chi Jin muttered softly, "I'm a little thirsty."

"There's water in the trunk, I'll get it." Chen Yisheng let go of her, his voice gentle.

Chi Jin followed him out of the car, pushing the door open. The cool air in the garage slightly cooled the heat on her face. She watched him open the trunk, where a suitcase was neatly placed.

She suddenly realized that he was clearly exhausted from the long journey, having just landed on a plane and probably not even going home before heading straight to the ceremony. What he needed most right now was probably rest.

"Oh my god." Chi Jin suddenly felt guilty and distressed. "I know why you wear glasses. Is it because you didn't get enough rest and you feel dizzy and can't see clearly?"

Chen Yisheng took out a bottle of water, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to her. He also opened a bottle and took a few sips. Then, he reached deep into the trunk and took out a small, beautifully packaged box and handed it to Chi Jin: "This is for you, a souvenir."

Chi Jin took the box in surprise. The size and weight made it look like jewelry. But she was more concerned about his condition. "How do you feel first? Are you comfortable? Answer me first, and I'll open it."

Chen Yisheng didn't answer directly. Instead, he opened his arms and hugged her tightly again. He rested his chin on her slender neck like a large dog and rubbed it. His voice was a little hoarse with fatigue, but also a little coquettish. "I don't need to rest, but I need to replenish my energy."

"Then I'll treat you to lunch!" Chi Jin said immediately, with a hint of pride in his tone, "You have no idea how high my performance bonus has been in the past two months!"

Chen Yisheng let out a low "hmm" sound from his throat, and tightened his arms around her, almost greedily absorbing her warmth and breath: "Just let me lean on you for a while longer."

"No..." Chi Jin protested softly, glancing nervously towards the garage exit. "The award ceremony is over, and people from the company will be coming down one after another..."

Chen Yisheng, however, acted like a scoundrel and refused to let go, making Chi Jin so anxious that he couldn't help but reach out and poke his waist. He was tickled, and finally, with a low smile, he raised his hands in surrender.

Sitting back in the passenger seat, Chi Jin almost shrunk under the seat. It was not until the car drove smoothly out of the basement of Zhongxin Building, merged into the traffic flow, and drove at least one kilometer away that she finally breathed a sigh of relief and sat up straight carefully.

"It's like being a thief."

Chen Yisheng held the steering wheel with one hand, looking straight ahead, but the corners of his lips couldn't help but rise. His other hand reached out naturally, accurately grasped her hand, and their ten fingers were tightly intertwined.