Chapter 20: Spectacle

Lu Feng felt as if he held an imperial decree in his hands.

After everyone revealed their cards, he confidently called out, “I command the holder of the seven of hearts and the queen of spades.”

The room buzzed with excitement as people noticed that the seven of hearts was in Li Qingji’s hand, and the queen of spades was with Jiang Nai.

The atmosphere shifted. While they had played this game before, the dares involving Li Qingji had never gone beyond making him drink. But now, with his significant other present, the stakes hinted at more intimate possibilities.

Jiang Nai’s heart thudded heavily in her chest. The previous rounds had seen couples engaging in affectionate acts like kissing, which she had thought she’d be spared from. Yet, here she was, chosen. Nervously, she glanced at Li Qingji, who was already looking at her with an unreadable expression, far calmer than she felt.

Her anxiety grew.

Lu Feng grinned mischievously. “What should I make you do…? Maybe something simple! How about you two tongue—”

Before he could finish, Li Qingji’s sharp glance silenced him, making him swallow the last word.

In the end, Lu Feng conceded, albeit with a playful huff. “Alright, alright, I get it. No tongue, just a regular kiss, okay? The queen of spades will kiss the seven of hearts! I’m not changing it.”

Lu Feng knew well enough that commanding Li Qingji was a challenge, so he positioned Jiang Nai as the initiator to have her kiss him.

The crowd erupted in laughter and cheers, shouting, “Yes! That’s perfect! Kiss! Kiss!”

Jiang Nai secretly clenched her skirt, her ears burning with heat. Luckily, her hair was down today, covering her embarrassment to some extent. Her gaze shifted to Li Qingji’s face. In everyone’s eyes, they were husband and wife, so kissing was supposed to be a normal thing.

If she refused, it would be very odd…

“Jiang Nai, come on, come on, this isn’t hard at all for you. It’s simple..”

Simple, my foot.

Jiang Nai felt like her heart was going to explode, but she noticed that Li Qingji didn’t say anything. That meant he was ready to accept the consequences, willing to play by the rules. After all, this was a game. If she chose to play, she couldn’t back out halfway.

And it was just a kiss on the cheek.

No big deal…

Jiang Nai took a deep breath, mentally prepared herself, and moved closer amidst everyone’s anticipation.

She didn’t dare look at Li Qingji. She simply leaned in, getting closer and closer… until she was stopped just as she was about to touch his face.

“Wait, hold on, I said kiss on the lips, not on the cheek, Jiang Nai, no cheating,” Lu Feng said.

Jiang Nai froze, eyes widening in surprise as she looked up and met Li Qingji’s gaze. At such a close distance, his light tea-colored eyes met hers, like a rare and precious gem—captivating and intimidating.

Kiss… on the lips?

She couldn’t do it.

She’d rather run three laps around the deck without her coat than do this!

“I…”

“The lips it is.” Just as Jiang Nai showed signs of hesitation, Li Qingji suddenly grabbed her arm.

Jiang Nai’s eyes widened, still processing his words, when he leaned in. His familiar scent mixed with the strong aroma of fruit wine—sweet, intoxicating, and tempting.

He kissed her.

Jiang Nai froze, feeling as if an electric current had surged through her, tingling from behind her ears down to her neck… She instinctively leaned back a little.

But a firm hand at her waist refused to let her pull away.

She was easily pulled into his embrace, pressed tightly against his chest, her head tilted slightly upward, lips locked against his warm, soft ones. Even though she hadn’t drunk any alcohol, at that moment, she felt intoxicated…

“Oh my god!! Keep going! Make it last!” After a few seconds of stunned silence, the onlookers erupted. Who would have thought they’d witness such a scene with Li Qingji? It was like hitting the jackpot.

“That’s enough,” Li Qingji said, pulling away slightly and giving Lu Feng, who loved stirring trouble, a pointed look.

Lu Feng was bouncing with excitement like an overactive monkey. “Fine, fine! Next round?”

Although Li Qingji moved his lips away, his arm remained firmly around her waist. At this angle, this close, even the slightest tilt of her head made it seem like she was nestled in his embrace.

Jiang Nai felt hot, though the temperature was perfectly comfortable. Her heart was pounding…

“I—I want some juice.”

With the surrounding noise, Li Qingji glanced at her. “Hmm? What do you want to drink?”

His breath mingled with hers, softened by the alcohol that took the edge off his usual aloofness. In that moment, when she looked into his eyes, she seemed to catch a glimpse of deep affection.

Jiang Nai swallowed nervously and repeated, “I’m thirsty, I want some juice.”

There was nothing but alcohol around; no juice in sight.

Li Qingji hummed in acknowledgment and took her by the wrist. “Get up.”

He stood, bringing her up with him.

Then he turned to Lu Feng and the others. “You guys keep playing. I’m taking her to get something to eat.”

“Hey! Don’t go! You’ve only played one round! That’s cheating!”

“I didn’t have dinner.”

Li Qingji ignored them and led Jiang Nai out.  There was a Western restaurant on the second floor. As they walked down the stairs, he finally released her. Jiang Nai followed beside him, her face still warm.

“The steak here is decent. Want some?”

“Mm…”

The two of them sat down, and when the waiter came over, Li Qingji ordered two set meals and, instead of alcohol, two glasses of juice. Jiang Nai was genuinely thirsty. Once she got her drink, she gulped down nearly half of it in one go.

Li Qingji, holding a fork in his right hand, leaned back slightly at the sound and looked at her lips, now moistened by the juice.

Lush and vivid.

His eyes darkened slightly, and he didn’t touch his food right away. Jiang Nai set down her glass and picked up her knife and fork, only to look up and find Li Qingji watching her. Her palms tightened.

“By the way, are we going back up later?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

Li Qingji let out a small smile, eyes lowered as he cut his steak. “Scared?”

Jiang Nai: “No…”

Actually, she was—afraid that Lu Feng would draw the wild card again and make them do something embarrassing.

Li Qingji had guessed her thoughts and didn’t want to frighten her further. He said, “No, we’re not going back up. After dinner, we’ll disembark at the next dock and head home.”

“Home?”

“Our place,” Li Qingji said. “You wouldn’t want to go back to your grandparents’ house, would you?”

Thinking of Jiang Yao, Jiang Nai nodded. “Mm.”

The rest of the meal was quiet. Jiang Nai chewed on the delicious steak but found her mind wandering far from the food. She couldn’t stop thinking about that moment during the game.

The sudden kiss she shared with Li Qingji…

The tingling sensation still lingered on her lips, as if refusing to fade away.

“I’m going up to tell them we’re leaving. Wait for me a moment,” Li Qingji said after they finished eating.

“Alright.”

Jiang Nai didn’t stay in the restaurant. She walked outside and leaned on the railing, looking out over the river. Dressed warmly, she didn’t feel cold standing there. Instead, the breeze from the river seemed to cool the heat simmering in her chest.

About ten minutes later, the boat docked.

The ship would stay at this dock for a while, allowing those who wanted to disembark to do so before continuing to the next stop.

“Jiang Nai.”

Li Qingji had returned.

Jiang Nai came back to her senses. “Leaving already?”

“Mm.”

The two headed down the ship, and once on the ground, Jiang Nai saw Zhao Siyuan. The official holiday wasn’t over, yet he was already here…

Zhao Siyuan approached them, first greeting Jiang Nai, then whispering something in Li Qingji’s ear.

Li Qingji turned to Jiang Nai and said, “I have some work to deal with. You…”

“I’ll head home first! You go ahead.”

What Li Qingji had originally wanted to say was, “Do you want to come with me?” because he was only going to an office and it wouldn’t have mattered if she tagged along. However, the person in front of him refused so decisively.

Li Qingji raised an eyebrow slightly. “You’re really that unwilling to spend time with me?”

Jiang Nai froze. “N-no, it’s just… I don’t want to disturb your work.”

Li Qingji knew she was still affected by what had happened in the game not long ago, and a subtle smile tugged at his lips. “I’ll have Xiao Zhao take you home.”

Jiang Nai, eager to leave, nodded repeatedly.

…

Over the next couple of days, Jiang Nai would occasionally think about that incident, but fortunately, the New Year period was the busiest time for someone like Li Qingji.

He was rarely at home.

This way, she didn’t have to face him constantly. After all, talking to him made her feel like she couldn’t even speak properly.

——

The seventh day, the first day back at work after the New Year.

Jiang Nai woke up early and drove her small red car. On the first day of work, everyone seemed full of energy. At noon, her team specifically avoided the downstairs cafeteria and instead went to the rooftop restaurant to enjoy a meal in the sunlight.

“What’s the deal? Did someone bring breakfast to our handsome Xu this morning?” Yao Qi asked teasingly during the meal.

Xu Xiao’s face turned slightly red. “It wasn’t just for me; Wenbo got some too.”

Wang Wenbo: “Stop it. I was just a side note. Meng Xiaoyue clearly brought it for you.”

Yao Qi: “Ah, I knew she was interested in you. See? The New Year’s campaign is starting. Nice going, Xu Xiao.”

Xu Xiao glanced at Jiang Nai subconsciously. “Eat your meal and stop talking nonsense.”

Yao Qi: “Oh..”

Jiang Nai: “I’m going next door to grab a coffee. Do you guys want anything?”

The coffee on the rooftop was not free, but it was well-liked, so people often made special trips up to buy it.

Wang Wenbo: “I’m good, thanks.”

Yao Qi: “Get me an Americano!”

Another colleague chimed in, “Me too, a mocha, please.”

Jiang Nai noted everyone’s orders, put down her utensils, and walked to the coffee area. Just as she reached the ordering counter, she saw someone walking out of the rooftop exit.

Since the partitions here were mostly glass, the person also saw her, paused, and walked over. Li Qingji was actually at Siningte today. She had thought he wouldn’t show up on the first workday. She didn’t know what time he got home last night after his engagements; probably quite late. It was only when she saw the second bedroom door closed this morning that she realized he had indeed come home to sleep.

Li Qingji stopped beside her and casually asked, “Having lunch upstairs?”

Jiang Nai hadn’t expected him to talk to her now and was momentarily stunned. “Yes.”

“Are you done eating?”

“Yes, I’m just here to grab a coffee…”

The restaurant area offered a view of the coffee section, and colleagues were also moving around the rooftop. Jiang Nai quietly shifted two steps to the side.

Li Qingji noticed her subtle movement and asked, “What are you having?”

“Huh?”

“I’ll order for you.”

Jiang Nai didn’t need his help and quickly said, “No need, no need, boss, I can do it myself. I’m ordering for a few colleagues too.”

The term “boss” slipped out, intentionally meant to create distance between them.

Li Qingji chuckled slightly, unwilling to let it go. “Order away. I’ll treat you all to coffee.”

Not far away, some colleagues who were eating noticed that she was talking to Li Qingji and began glancing over curiously.

Jiang Nai had no choice and just wanted to get it over with, so she went ahead and ordered several cups of coffee. “That’s all, it’s fine.”

Li Qingji responded with a nod and stepped forward to pay.

“Three Americanos are ready, and one mocha is still coming. Please wait a moment,” the barista said after a while.

Jiang Nai pushed one of the Americanos toward Li Qingji and picked up the other two cups. “Boss, I’ll take these over first.”

Li Qingji turned his head slightly, noticing her carefully holding the coffee and pressing her lips together lightly.

Instinctively, his gaze shifted to her lips, lingering for a moment before he replied, “Alright.”

Jiang Nai quickly turned and walked away. Back at the table, she handed one of the Americanos to the colleague who ordered it.

“What were you talking about with the boss just now?!” Yao Qi leaned in curiously.

Jiang Nai had anticipated the question and said, “Nothing much, he just politely asked if we were having lunch here.”

“He actually started a conversation!”

“It was just… just a courtesy,” Jiang Nai said absentmindedly. “This coffee was on him. He mentioned that we work hard.”

A complete fabrication.

Yao Qi exclaimed, “Ah! The boss bought me coffee!”

“Mm.”

“I need to take a picture and post this on my Moments! Today’s special treat!”

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