Chapter Seventeen: The Emergence of Ambiguity

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Shang Qi lowered her head and began wrapping up the work at hand, ignoring him. After a long while, she noticed that Luo Yichen had fallen silent and looked up toward the sofa. Her eyes met his burning gaze. His stare made her blush again, and she immediately lowered her head.

Luo Yichen smiled. “Were you worried I’d already left? Or were you hoping I’d disappear as soon as possible?”

He had thrown her thoughts into turmoil, and she could no longer manage even this small amount of work properly. After hurriedly sending out a company briefing, Shang Qi shut down her computer. She gathered her things and rose to leave.

Unhappily, Luo Yichen said, “I called you over. Didn’t you hear me?”

Without turning around, Shang Qi replied, “I’m off work now. If you want to sit on the sofa and refuse to leave, be my guest!”

“Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you—the consequences of opening that door are yours to bear.”

His faintly threatening tone made Shang Qi stop in her tracks. When she turned around, she saw that Luo Yichen’s tie was hanging askew over the back of the sofa. Three or four buttons of his shirt had been undone, revealing his firm chest. Worst of all, his hand rested on his belt buckle, as though he had already begun undoing it. If she opened the door now, any colleagues passing by after work would see everything.

Embarrassed and furious, Shang Qi cried, “Luo Yichen, can’t you behave yourself?”

“Since the day I met you, have I ever behaved improperly with another woman? As for how I treat you, that’s another matter entirely. It’s already after work. If I were to keep discussing board reports with my own woman, do you think that would be normal behavior for a man?”

Luo Yichen delivered his argument with complete conviction, a teasing smile spread across his face.

Shang Qi was rendered speechless by his twisted logic. That was simply how formidable this man was—he could turn the world upside down and black into white in an instant. She noticed the bloodshot veins in his eyes and heard the slight hoarseness in his voice. It seemed he really had been exhausted these past few days.

Shang Qi sat down beside him and asked, “What’s been happening lately? I’ve seen you in meetings nonstop every day, and they’ve all been related to finance.”

Luo Yichen understood why she had suddenly become so obedient: she was worried that he would wear himself out. He drew her into his arms.

“Let’s not talk about that. There’s not much you can do to help with my affairs anyway. It would be nice if you were always this obedient.”

Shang Qi quietly nestled against him. Many of the Luo Group’s affairs involved commercial secrets. Over the years, she had never asked about anything Luo Yichen did not bring up himself. If she wanted to be the wife of a president, she first had to follow one fundamental rule: never ask about what she should not ask about.

Because of the company’s affairs, Luo Yichen had spent the past few days working without sleep or rest, returning home only once to spend the night. The moment he managed to free up some time, he had rushed to find Shang Qi. Their relationship had finally begun to make some progress, and he was afraid that if he continued neglecting her, everything would return to the way it had been. If he wanted to win a woman’s heart, he had to strike while the iron was hot and carry it through in one determined effort. Otherwise, the day might never come.

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Luo Yichen held the petite woman in his arms with evident pleasure, the tension between his brows easing considerably. When Shang Qi noticed that he continued to hold her without moving, she said, “Let me go. I really have to go home.”

Luo Yichen did not respond. Shang Qi looked up and discovered that he had already fallen asleep. Because she was so close to him, she could see the faint stubble along his chin. Luo Yichen had always cared deeply about his appearance. He often said that his image represented the company. It seemed he must truly have run into trouble this time to have allowed himself to become so unkempt.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

Shang Qi sat up in alarm. She rubbed her hands together anxiously, unsure whether she should open it. Luo Yichen had not been fully asleep and was startled awake as well. He calmly shook his head at Shang Qi, then pulled her back into his arms.

As the knocking continued, Shang Qi’s heart tightened with every sound. At last, the noise stopped, and only then did she release a long breath.

“What are you worried about?” Luo Yichen said. “You have me.”

Shang Qi struggled free of his embrace and said helplessly, “You’ve never understood my difficulties.”

It was not that Luo Yichen failed to understand. He wanted Shang Qi to become accustomed to being the woman behind him. As the wife of the president of the Luo Group, she would have to face people from all kinds of circles and navigate an extremely complicated environment. Even Yin Guizhen, who had been born into a wealthy family, had found it difficult to cope. Shang Qi was far too innocent; she might not be able to withstand it at all.

Shang Qi was also too stubborn by nature and insisted on carrying many burdens herself. If they truly married, she might eventually be pushed beyond her limits. Luo Yichen hoped that whenever she encountered any difficulty, she would come to rely on him at once. All she needed to do was stand quietly beside him. That alone would be enough. It was also why he had not married her immediately after his divorce.

“Qi Qi, stop acting like a spoiled child,” Luo Yichen said. “I will always be your shelter from the storm. All you have to do is lean into my arms.”

Shang Qi’s mother had been ill for many years, and the family had struggled financially. She had always hoped that someone would appear to shield her from the wind and rain. Luo Yichen’s words moved her deeply. Once again, she felt that this man had already taken root in her heart.

After working all day, Shang Qi was tired as well. Leaning against Luo Yichen’s shoulder, she stared at the ceiling and said, “If only time could remain still like this.”

Hearing those words, Luo Yichen was moved too, and warmth surged through his body. He pressed Shang Qi firmly down onto the sofa, lowering his head to nibble gently at her earlobe.

How could Shang Qi withstand such temptation? She instinctively squeezed her eyes shut, emitting a series of soft, breathy murmurs.

At that moment, another knock sounded at the door.

Shang Qi instantly came to her senses. She opened her eyes and tried to sit up, but Luo Yichen was over six feet tall and naturally weighed a great deal. Even without exerting any force, she could not rise with him lying over her. She immediately said, “Someone’s here. What do we do?”

“Continue,” Luo Yichen said.

Only that one word.

Shang Qi, however, became trembling with fear. Sensing that the woman in his arms had gone completely still, Luo Yichen lost interest as well. When the knocking finally stopped, he released her and said, “What a mood-killer.”

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Shang Qi immediately stood up and straightened the clothes he had disheveled. She did not want to be alone with Luo Yichen for another moment. If this continued, something was bound to happen.

Luo Yichen simply stretched out lazily across the sofa, resting both hands behind his head with his legs crossed.

Shang Qi could only plead, “Let’s go. Someone will come knocking again in a little while.”

“If I open the door, you’ll leave. I want to spend more time with you.” Luo Yichen sounded like a child pleading for affection.

Shang Qi had no choice but to compromise. “I won’t leave. I’ll stay and have dinner with you, all right?”

“Your word?”

“My word.”

Luo Yichen sprang to his feet at once, suddenly full of energy. “What do you want to eat?”

“Put your clothes on properly first!” Shang Qi began laying down her conditions.

Luo Yichen obediently buttoned his shirt and tied his tie. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shang Qi slowly edged toward the door. The instant he finished dressing, she opened the office door.

With a dark-minded, sharp-tongued man like him, sometimes one had to resort to extraordinary measures.

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