Chapter 90 A Kiss As long as you don't leave, I can play any role...
This strange and fierce battle between them lasted for an unknown period of time.
It eventually stopped.
Ye Yuying sat up straight, wiped the red mark from the corner of her lips, and breathed slowly, as if she had just surfaced from deep water, breathing with lingering fear.
Cheng Mingdu sat on the edge of the sofa, her head bowed low. Sweat trickled down her temples, and her knuckles trembled slightly. The fine shirt fabric at the collar was all wrinkled from her pulling, but the buttons, which had been specially reinforced by the tailor, were spared from the damage.
For a long while, neither of them spoke. The only things left in the air were the lingering warmth of their presence and the lonely, drawn-out music that accompanied the ending of "Waterloo Bridge".
Ye Yuying seemed to have finally exhausted her strength. She looked around for the crutch that had fallen to the ground and prepared to get up and go back to her bedroom.
Where are you sleeping tonight?
Cheng Mingdu took the initiative to ask the question, his eyes clear and devoid of any lust.
This seemed like an ordinary relationship, but Ye Yuying seemed to be reminded of something, even though Cheng Mingdu probably didn't mean to imply anything.
She said something ambiguous: "Your room or mine?"
"I'm not in a very convenient position..."
Cheng Mingdu's cheeks immediately flushed red, even though he hadn't shown such a suspicious reaction when he had pressed her down earlier.
Ye Yuying propped herself up, her cheek positioned perfectly between the light and shadow, her almond-shaped eyes looking intently at him as she softly said, "Don't worry, with my leg like this, I don't intend to do anything. We'll just sleep."
"You, do you dare?" The question was blatantly provocative.
He looked up, remained silent for a moment, and nodded.
They didn't bring crutches. Cheng Mingdu helped her get the medicine box from her room and carried her up to the master bedroom on the third floor.
Along the way, Ye Yuying blatantly wrapped her arms around his neck and said with a wicked smile, "Don't you think it's exciting?"
Cheng Mingdu did not acknowledge their guilt in the slightest, but simply said with a stern face and a hint of helplessness, "Things have come to this point, and we can only move on."
"Yes, bad things either happen zero times or countless times. We've already started, and whether we continue or not, we've already made a mistake. We're going to hell anyway, and I don't care which level we go to."
Ye Yuying wasn't exactly a model girl with high moral standards before. On the contrary, Cheng Mingdu was dragged down by her step by step back then. But in the end, Ye Yuying couldn't say for sure who went further down the road of madness.
But when this secret belonged only to the two of them, she felt an unparalleled thrill and intimacy.
Even when she went crazy, Cheng Mingdu went crazy with her, and she became fearless...
"You really suit my taste," Ye Yuying commented.
Cheng Mingdu's clean and upright face showed no sign of intimacy, yet his Adam's apple bobbed and he nodded.
The bedroom light was off, the curtains swayed gently in the breeze, and moonlight streamed in, painting everything in a soft yet desolate gray-white.
She lay down next to him, with less than ten centimeters between their pillows, their bodies not touching.
"Brother," she suddenly said, her voice very low.
Cheng Mingdu did not respond to her.
She changed her address to "Cheng Mingdu".
He closed his eyes, his eyelashes casting a dark gray arc. "Mmm."
She remained motionless for a long time, and did not continue speaking.
Just as Cheng Mingdu was about to open his eyes to look at her, a warm smile appeared on his lips.
Ye Yuying grabbed his chin, gave him a quick, shallow peck, and then lay back down with her back to him.
After a long silence, her voice rang out coolly in the darkness: "Will you hug me?"
Without hesitation, he turned over and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his embrace like a silkworm.
Cheng Mingdu has a large frame and broad shoulders. Although he usually looks well-proportioned and upright without being overly muscular, this is thanks to his good body proportions.
Actually, being held by him feels very enveloping and makes me feel very safe.
With Ye Yuying's back to him, Cheng Mingdu clearly heard the person in his arms, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
A few minutes later, she turned over to face him, buried her head in his chest, and rubbed against him, her nose touching his body, feeling the familiar warmth and fragrance.
“That’s fine.” Her voice was light and airy. “Doing nothing, just like this is fine.”
He didn't respond, but simply tightened his arms, holding her even closer.
She smiled, a satisfied smile like a child who had just received a sweet osmanthus cake.
But in the very next second—
Her laughter suddenly took on a different flavor, tinged with a choked tone, as if something suppressed deep in her throat was struggling to break free.
Her shoulders trembled slightly, followed by a second, uncontrollable tremor.
She smiled, but her shoulders were trembling uncontrollably, and tears silently soaked his shirt.
He listened to her laughter as if he were hearing the saddest drowning sound.
She tried to laugh, but couldn't utter a complete sentence, only letting out low sobs, pressed against her chest like a wound being torn open, yet unwilling to be seen through.
Those insects that belong to the night were biting at her nerves again, it hurt a lot, but a bitter taste spread in her mouth.
She knew that once the medicine took effect, everything would be alright.
*
The next day, they happened to attend an event together, and Ye Yuying still felt out of place, while Cheng Mingdu passively became the focus of everyone's attention.
The venue was brightly lit, filled with clinking glasses and a cacophony of voices.
She swirled her glass, glancing at Cheng Mingdu across the crowd, knowing that he also disliked these ostentatious occasions.
As the bubbles in her glass dissipated, she looked away and was about to get a new drink when someone gently pressed her shoulder.
She turned around and met Cheng Mingdu's clear, cold eyes.
Before she could speak, he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Come with me."
He seemed to avoid everyone's gaze, leading her away from the edge of the crowd, through the corridor, and pushing open an inconspicuous emergency exit door.
The door slammed shut, shutting out the noise outside and leaving only silence in the narrow stairwell.
He had his back to the door, one hand propped up beside her ear, his breath pouring down as he drew closer.
Ye Yuying's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously took half a step back, gripping the cold handrail. Her eyes held a hint of tension and wariness.
What are you going to do?
Cheng Mingdu looked down at her, his lips curving slightly with a hint of helplessness.
He raised his other hand to support her waist and relieve the pressure on her legs, becoming a solid shield for her. "Your legs aren't good, I'll support you for a while."
Ye Yuying paused for a moment, then smiled and tilted her head back to kiss the corner of his mouth.
She only released him when his breathing became heavy.
Cheng Mingdu lowered his eyes slightly, looking at the faint smile on her lips.
"Ye Yuying." His voice was low, as if warning, or as if he was restraining himself.
"Hmm?" She seemed not to hear, her eyes clear, as if the intimacy just now was merely a normal social courtesy.
How could you become so bad?
"Bad?" She chuckled softly, her voice rising slightly at the end. "Then what about you bringing me out just now?"
Cheng Mingdu paused for a moment, then lowered his head and tightened his arms around her, making her more stable against the narrow space between him and the wall.
"Fine... I brought this on myself."
He didn't look at her again; if he looked at her for even a second longer, he would instantly lose all sense of propriety.
Ye Yuying seemed to have found his weakness. She tiptoed slightly, brushed her lips against his ear, and whispered, "You looked much cuter than usual just now."
She chuckled softly, a knowing and ambiguous understanding that only they could comprehend. "Then later... help me back like this."
Cheng Mingdu glanced at her, but ultimately did not refuse. He simply sighed almost imperceptibly, pushed open the door, and let the noise and lights flow in again.
The moment they returned to the venue, their distance had returned to a perfectly safe range, and their earlier intimacy became an absolute secret.
*
A few days later, the internal permission adjustment process for the project was initiated.
Ye Yuying submitted a statement to the board of directors regarding model intervention, voluntarily relinquishing her status as the main developer of the Echo semantic generation model and reducing her original personal permissions to "interface review observer".
At the same time, she suggested to Lao Wu that they form an independent structure optimization team that would not be involved in the model fine-tuning and training process.
Old Wu said half-jokingly, "Even companies like ours that follow an independent technology path have to start outsourcing?"
She smiled and said, "It's not outsourcing, it's external technical consultants."
Three days later, the newly established structural reconstruction team officially moved in.
The person in charge is Cheng Mingdu, whose role is technical consultant for the company's Echo system style decoder. The contract is for three months and can be extended.
Although Cheng Mingdu had condescended to help her, she still went through all the formal procedures without exception, and paid him a meager salary as usual.
After the job posting was made public, the company's R&D staff were in an uproar.
To avoid trouble and public opinion, she did not reveal Cheng Mingdu's real name, only that he was an algorithm genius who had won a world-class award.
She provided Cheng Mingdu with the company's internal computer, allowing him to work remotely. As a result, Cheng Mingdu, who was in a work-life balance, was busy day and night.
During her lunch break, she sent him a flattering WeChat message, teasing him that he worked for Baiyue during the day and then worked for her at night.
Cheng Mingdu was well aware of her penchant for doing things secretly, especially when it involved him.
Ye Yuying liked the strong contrast between Cheng Mingdu's behavior in front of outsiders and in front of her. She had noticed this many years ago, and now Ye Yuying was not hiding these behaviors at all.
Cheng Mingdu replied:
[Does what you mean by working at night include carrying you upstairs from the sofa every day?]
Ye Yuying blushed and was about to throw an emoji at him when Ding Chu suddenly pushed open the office door and walked in, handing the clinical trial contract to Ye Yuying for review.
"Mr. Ye, when I went downstairs to buy coffee just now, I saw Cheng Mingdu from Baiyue Capital come to our building. It seems he was going to conduct an on-site inspection of a certain company."
She paused, a hint of envy in her eyes, "If the companies in this building could gain Baiyue's favor, that would be something countless investors would dream of."
"Speaking of which," Ding Chu placed her coffee on the corner of the table, as if chatting casually, "Cheng Mingdu is indeed a handsome man, perfectly embodying the abstinent CEO type from novels—clean, efficient, and with a good balance. I've heard many women want to marry into his family, but he's never brought a female companion..."
At this point, she lowered her voice, a hint of gossipy excitement in it, "Could it be that President Cheng is really sexually frigid? Or... is he waiting for some white moonlight returning from abroad?"
"not necessarily."
Ye Yuying glanced at her, her gaze calm and undisturbed.
She interrupted Ding Chu before he could ask a new question.
"Go ahead and get busy," she said casually. "Once it's approved, I'll put it on your desk."
Ding Chu paused for a moment, realizing she might have said too much, then quickly responded, left, and closed the door.
As soon as the office door closed, Ye Yuying lowered her head, her fingers slowly stroking the desk, her lips pressed into a thin line.
You've come to Fuxin Building?
Cheng Mingdu: [Yes, to conduct due diligence before the acquisition of Hengrui.]
Ye Yuying smiled. What kind of due diligence could warrant the top leader's personal involvement?
[Not saying a word?]
Cheng Mingdu retorted: "What would happen if I told you? Would you dare to meet me openly and honestly?"
Ye Yuying stared at the screen and couldn't help but smile.
—She really didn't dare.
Or rather, she liked this feeling of not daring to.
I like that they maintain a safe distance in front of outsiders, I like that restraint that seems like acting, and I also like the secret thrill of subtly provoking the other person's emotions in the dark where no one knows.
*
As it was nearing the end of the workday, Ye Yuying went downstairs to pick up a project document that had been temporarily reprinted.
The elevator dinged and opened on the 16th floor.
The man at the door was impeccably dressed in a suit, his shirt collar spotless, his cufflinks gleaming subtly, and he held a document between his fingers, his expression indifferent.
He was about to enter the elevator with his assistant.
It is Cheng Mingdu.
The corridor near the elevator was bustling with people. Several female employees who had just come out of the break room blushed and whispered among themselves as they watched Cheng Mingdu's retreating figure.
Ye Yuying seemed not to hear, and consciously stepped back to the far end of the elevator. Cheng Mingdu stepped into the elevator first, turned around, and stood right next to her, maintaining a just-right distance.
The assistants, carrying documents and looking serious, then walked in and stood in front of them.
"Mr. Cheng, what a coincidence." She turned her head, her smile as clean as if she were exchanging pleasantries with an ordinary business partner.
Cheng Mingdu nodded slightly, his voice neither hurried nor slow: "President Ye."
Their eyes met briefly in the air before quickly looking away.
But in that instant, it was as if an invisible thread was quietly pulled out from the depths of his eyes and gently stretched in the air.
Neither of them said anything else; the only sound in the elevator was the ticking of the floor numbers.
When the elevator reached the first floor, she walked ahead, and he followed half a step to her side.
Suddenly she felt someone gently pinch her left wrist.
The two maintained their professional smiles as they walked out of the revolving door together; the sunlight outside was bright.
Amid the clamor of the crowd, Cheng Mingdu turned his head and said very softly and briefly, "Don't get off work too late tonight, I'll come pick you up."
It just so happened that only the two of them could hear it.
Ye Yuying's lips curved slightly, almost imperceptibly. She didn't turn around, remaining noncommittal, but a smile played on her lips.
*
When night fell completely, the company building was empty.
One by one, the corridor lights went out, leaving only a lonely light shining behind the glass door of Ye Yuying's office.
She sat in front of her computer, sent out the final project report, and listened to the sounds in the office rise and fall back into silence.
After confirming that all the employees had left, she slowly got up, turned off the lights, put the keys in her bag, and went downstairs with her cane.
The elevator went down to the first floor, and the night breeze outside was slightly cool.
The unassuming dark-colored sedan parked quietly in the shadows by the roadside.
Cheng Mingdu got out of the car and opened the passenger door for her.
"Are you tired today?" His voice was low and steady as he took her cane.
She got into the car, put her hand on the seatbelt buckle, and casually said, "Not tired."
The car door closed, shutting out the noise of the night, and the air was quiet and warm.
The car slowly drove away from the parking space, and the lights outside the window flashed by.
Cheng Mingdu's hands gripped the steering wheel firmly, his profile appearing serene under the light of the dashboard.
Everything was peaceful and serene, as if they had been together for over a decade.
Ye Yuying was momentarily lost in thought.
It was a strange illusion, as if they had long since passed the passionate and impulsive stage, and were used to walking side by side, not disturbing each other yet caring for one another.
She turned her head, shattering the tranquil illusion, her tone light and teasing: "You're so sensible, and so easygoing. You're a very responsible male mistress."
As soon as he finished speaking, it was as if the warmth had been instantly drained from the carriage.
Cheng Mingdu didn't speak, his eyes still fixed on the front, but his knuckles tightened slightly.
She knew he was unhappy, and she also knew the weight of her words.
She doesn't regret doing it.
Whenever she feels her inner self is about to spiral out of control, she throws out some deliberately cold or even barbed sentences, like pouring a bucket of water into a fire, bringing the burning flames back to an intensity she can control.
"Ye Yuying." He finally spoke, his voice soft but filled with suppressed emotion.
She turned her head to look out the window, a faint smile playing on her lips: "Isn't this better?"
The red light came on, and the car stopped.
He turned and glanced at her, his eyes holding something indescribable—a restraint, and a deep, unfathomable loneliness buried within.
But he didn't say anything in the end. When the green light came on, he simply turned his gaze back to the road ahead and continued driving in silence.
The car was as quiet as a deep sea, with the only sound being the low hum of the engine.
In the quiet, Ye Yuying slowly exhaled, as if to make sure that the fire would not continue to burn out of control, before closing her eyes.
The two had dinner together that evening. Ye Yuying took a shower early and went to bed. When Cheng Mingdu came out of the bathroom, he found that she was already fast asleep.
But when he saw that her pillow was soaked with half-wet hair, he subconsciously frowned.
Ye Yuying felt her head being lifted by a large hand, and in her half-awake state, she heard his voice.
"I get a headache if I don't dry my hair..."
He brought a hairdryer and set it to the lowest setting to dry her hair.
Ye Yuying continued to sleep with her head on his lap, which was covered in pajamas. But from an angle where Cheng Mingdu couldn't see her, she opened her eyes and stared fixedly ahead, her eyes slightly red.
As Cheng Mingdu was about to get up and put the hairdryer back, Ye Yuying had already wrapped her arms tightly around his waist from behind.
"Brother, why aren't you angry with me today? I said those things to you."
Cheng Mingdu's hand paused for a moment on the back of her hand.
He lowered his head and looked at her head buried against his waist. He couldn't see her expression and couldn't understand what she was thinking.
“I know you’re just a little awkward.” His voice was low and slow, stating a fact he already knew.
He knew she meant no harm.
Ye Yuying didn't move, but she tightened her grip on his arm.
Cheng Mingdu sighed softly, reached out to comfort her, then helped her lie down and tucked the blanket around her. "Just like when you were little, your emotional expression and inner thoughts are always opposite. I'm used to it."
He paused, then said in an even softer tone, "As long as you don't leave, I can play any role."
"Brother..." She pulled the blanket up to cover half her face and called out in a muffled voice, her voice very soft, carrying a hint of belated grievance and guilt.
Cheng Mingdu didn't respond, but gently placed his palm on the back of her neck, as if silently responding to her dependence.
He didn't ask her if she would leave again, because in his world, this question never needed to be raised.
He can endure the highest levels of public and moral judgment, the only condition being that she is still alive.
Night had fallen, and the shadows of the trees outside the window swayed in the moonlight. The room was so quiet that only the occasional rustling of the curtains being blown by the wind could be heard.
Ye Yuying woke up from her light sleep, turned over, pressed her back against him, and said in a soft, sticky voice, "Hug me from behind."
Cheng Mingdu didn't move for a moment in the darkness. Then he stretched out his arms and wrapped her up in his arms as if he were holding something extremely fragile.
She closed her eyes and whispered, "Say you love me."
He paused, then said clearly and earnestly in his richly textured voice, "I love you."
Her breathing stopped for a moment.
"Even if I don't love you," her voice was so soft it almost disappeared into the night, "do you still love me?"
"Yes." He answered without hesitation, as if stating a fact that was already ingrained in his bones.
He then lowered his head, burying his forehead and the tip of his nose in her hair, breathing deeply, as if he were savoring that inch of her breath.
"Would you be jealous of Li Song?" she asked softly.
"Hmm." His voice was dark and complicated.
Ye Yuying suddenly smiled, her smile carrying a hint of mischief in the darkness. "I love the way you get jealous. Who would have thought you were like this in private?"
Cheng Mingdu did not respond, but tightened his embrace even more.
“Yes, only you know,” he whispered in her ear, his voice very low, as if afraid of disturbing the tranquility of the moment.
Ye Yuying squinted her eyes in his arms, like a cat that had stolen warmth, and snuggled her whole body into his chest.
The next day, before dawn, Ye Yuying woke up first and, without saying a word, gently bit his lip.
They kissed Tianming again.
*
Just before leaving home in the morning, Ye Yuying received a call from the sanatorium.
The nurse on the other end of the line spoke in a very low voice, as if afraid of being overheard by others.
"Ms. Ye, Ms. Jiang's condition... is not good. You'd better come today."
As soon as he finished speaking, a faint static came through the phone, like the sound of something falling in the distance, followed by a brief wail.
Ye Yuying gripped her phone tightly, her knuckles gradually turning white.
Cheng Mingdu was closing the door for her when he turned around and looked at her with a steady gaze: "What's wrong?"
She raised her eyes, her lips moved very slightly, but she did not answer immediately. Instead, she slowly tightened her grip on her cane.
Morning light streamed in through the crack in the door, illuminating her profile and casting a shadow that obscured her emotions.
A silent omen of impending change was about to descend upon us at this moment.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Two chapters combined into one!
50 drops
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