A Willing Mistake, My Lady – Chapter 116
by Little PandaModern AU Extra 10
Kiss
Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and it was already the end of the year. Jiang Chenyu received a call from her stepfather, saying she should come home for the New Year and discuss company matters while she was at it. After all, she was a shareholder; if there was a way to keep the company afloat, no one wanted to watch it go bankrupt.
She mulled it over and decided to go back and see what he was up to1. Avoiding him forever wasn’t a solution, and she naturally didn’t want the business her late maternal grandfather had worked so hard to build to just vanish.
But Ah Tang wasn’t home right now. She had gone out of town with her coach for a martial arts demonstration and wouldn’t be back for a week, just in time for the New Year. However, the matter Wu Daoyuan mentioned on the phone couldn’t wait until the end of the year. A company was willing to invest in them, but they wanted to have a meal with the shareholders to discuss the details. Although she didn’t know much about the company’s affairs, meeting an investor wasn’t an unreasonable request.
She had been relying on Ah Tang too much lately. Perhaps she could face this alone; she couldn’t keep her on a leash forever, tying her to her side when she had her own things to do.
When Shen Hetang received the call, she was at a noisy arena. The venue was divided into several sections, filled with cheering friends and family everywhere.
She walked over to a quiet spot and answered, “Hello? Hmm, what’s wrong?”
“I have some business at my stepfather’s place for a few days, but don’t worry, I’ll find my own place to stay. Once I finish talking things over, I’ll come back to spend the New Year with you, okay?” Jiang Chenyu’s voice drifted softly through the phone—crisp and sweet with a subtle elegance. The ear pressed against the device tingled as if electrified.
“Can’t you delay it by a couple of days? Let me go back with you. Are you sure you’ll be okay alone?” She figured that even after finishing her own event, it would take a full day of travel to get there.
“It’s a meeting with an investor, and they set the time, so it’s hard to postpone. Even though I despise my stepfather, if there’s a chance to save the company, I have to support it. I don’t want to see the company crumble too fast. At the very least, we have to try to keep it afloat.” She didn’t know if the company could even survive under Wu Daoyuan’s management until she graduated. She would find a way to buy back the shares from her stepfather eventually.
But the prerequisite was that the company couldn’t die first. She didn’t have that much ambition; she just wanted to keep a memento. Even if it had to downsize slowly, as long as the old employees who had worked there for decades still had a place to stay, she would feel she had done right by the maternal grandfather who had loved her.
“When are you leaving?”
“This afternoon.”
“Mm… alright, you go ahead first. I’ll come pick you up once I’m done here. Probably the day after tomorrow.”
“Mhm, mhm, I’ll wait for you. How are things on your end?”
“Pretty relaxed. I’m not here to compete anyway; I’m basically just the mascot.” She was here for a performance this time. Her coach had brought her to meet old friends and casually plan out the future.
“Still, be careful. I’ll let you go for now. I’ll call to let you know I’m safe once I land.”
“Okay, have a safe trip.”
“Mhm.”
By the time she arrived in City A, it was already evening. She checked the time—only 17:00—and the sky was already growing dark.
Dressed in jeans and a down jacket, her hair tied in a ponytail with natural waves, Jiang Chenyu’s ordinary attire couldn’t conceal her striking beauty, which still drew constant glances from passersby.
She hadn’t told them her exact arrival time, lest Wu Daoyuan come to pick her up. She needed to book a hotel first.
It wasn’t until the next day that she contacted her stepfather.
“Chenyu, when did you arrive? Why didn’t you let me pick you up?” Wu Daoyuan’s voice held a hint of wariness when he answered.
“I got in yesterday, but I went to the Su family. I won’t be staying at your place.” Lies like that rolled right off her tongue.
Wu Daoyuan’s internal alarms blared at the mention of her biological father’s family. He probed, “Haven’t you been out of touch with your birth father’s side for years? Why would you go to the Su family?”
“The old matriarch is sick. She suddenly wants to see her own flesh and blood.”
“Oh, oh, I see. While visiting family is a good thing, don’t let it delay our own business. After all, you won’t see a single cent of the property from that side.” Wu Daoyuan was terrified she might grow closer to the Su family.
“I know.” Jiang Chenyu scoffed inwardly. They were all jackals from the same lair2; she wanted nothing to do with either side.
“When is the dinner? I only have two days.”
“Tomorrow night at eight, at Yuehua Hotel.”
“Alright.”
That afternoon, she casually bought a simple little black dress. It fell to her knees with a slightly cinched waist, looking elegant and appropriate for her age.
Arriving at the hotel right on time, she pushed open the door to the private room and found three men seated inside. Her guard went up immediately.
Thankfully, before stepping inside, she had quietly slipped a waitress 1,000 yuan, instructing her that if she came out drunk and was being escorted away by the men in the room, the waitress absolutely could not let them take her. If she couldn’t stop them, she should call the police directly.
If she truly needed the waitress’s help, she would give her another 2,000 once she was sober. Money could make the millstone push the devil3, let alone reward a good deed. Anyone with a conscience would agree.
“Chenyu, you’re finally here. Let me introduce you to these two Presidents. This is Lin Zhengming, President of Linxing Group, and this is his son. He just came back from abroad this year and is preparing to take over his father’s business. Young, promising, and handsome—I hear plenty of girls are chasing after him.” Without giving her a chance to protest, Wu Daoyuan pushed Chenyu to sit down next to Young President Lin.
Jiang Chenyu’s brow furrowed slightly. What was the meaning of this? Were they trying to set her up on a blind date, or were they trying to sell her?
“President Lin, Young President Lin, a pleasure.” She smiled without the warmth reaching her eyes.
“Mm, good, good.” The man in his forties nodded dumbly with a goofy smile. Jiang Chenyu’s skin crawled; he didn’t look like a powerful boss at all. Could he really have the money to invest?
“I heard President Lin intends to invest in Jiang’s. May I ask what your requirements and concerns are? Currently, my father and I can represent the entire company. If you truly value Jiang’s, we will certainly give it our all.” Jiang Chenyu didn’t want to waste time. The pair didn’t seem very reliable.
“Miss Jiang, we are very satisfied with Jiang’s. Although it’s not at its peak right now, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse4. I believe it still holds investment value,” Young President Lin took a sip of tea, his gaze fixed on Jiang Chenyu.
“Thank you for the vote of confidence, Young President Lin. However, I am still in school, so you two will need to discuss the specifics with my father. Have you visited the factory yet?” Jiang Chenyu observed their reactions closely.
“Hehehe, we have, we have. We’re very satisfied,” President Lin chimed in.
Were investors really this easy to deal with nowadays? Demanding nothing and just throwing money at them upfront?
“Chenyu, the preliminary arrangements have already been discussed between President Lin and me. The reason I asked you here today is to confirm your stance, since you hold thirty percent of the shares. Also… you and Young President Lin are around the same age. He just got back to the country and doesn’t have many friends. It’s easier for young people to get along. Making a friend will also make it easier to communicate about company matters in the future.” Wu Daoyuan gave her a look laden with implication.
What was he getting at? She felt a bit lost in the fog.
“Yes, yes, young people making friends,” President Lin echoed like the final half-line of a three-and-a-half routine5, chiming in with another sentence.
“Miss Jiang, I know you’re still in school, but I’m not that old either. I’m twenty-four this year, so there’s no generation gap between us. I hope you won’t hold it against me.”
“It would be my utmost honor to be Young President Lin’s friend. I’m just curious how much the two of you plan to invest in Jiang’s? Do you have any requirements or plans for the company’s new direction?” Jiang Chenyu could see that this Young President Lin looked decent enough, but given how Wu Daoyuan was trying to use her as a favor, he had misjudged her. She wasn’t that selfless.
President Lin glanced at Wu Daoyuan before holding up three fingers.
“Thirty million?” Jiang Chenyu thought thirty million would be enough for restructuring, but pouring it into the factory would probably just be throwing money down the drain6.
And with someone like Wu Daoyuan at the helm, it was unclear whether he could even turn things around with that money.
“Ahaha, yes, yes, thirty million.”
“Uncle Wu, what do you think?” Jiang Chenyu still didn’t trust these two Presidents. Giving away money was never this easy. On top of that, even if these two were complete suckers7, she still had to prevent Wu Daoyuan from taking the money and running. The worries were endless.
“President Lin’s family has a massive enterprise; this small amount is just for his son to gain some experience. We’ll plan it carefully and make sure President Lin doesn’t lose out. Even if it fails, I’ll put up my property as collateral. It won’t implicate a young girl like you.” Wu Daoyuan raised his glass as he spoke.
“Chenyu, let’s hurry and toast President Lin and Young President Lin.”
“No need for toasts, Miss Jiang is still in school,” Young President Lin said considerately.
“What does it matter? She’s eighteen now, an adult, right?” Wu Daoyuan pushed the wine glass right into Jiang Chenyu’s hand.
Jiang Chenyu took it, though she had no intention of drinking. She smiled. “I’ll just take a symbolic sip for President Lin. You two should enjoy yourselves.”
She took a tiny sip and set the glass down.
“A symbolic sip is fine for Miss Jiang,” Young President Lin said, playing the gallant.
“President Lin, I have other matters to attend to today. I’ll host you two another day. I’ll take my leave now.” Even if a contract were to be signed, she would need her own copy. There was no rush; she could mull over the details back at the hotel.
“Are you leaving, Miss Jiang? Let me give you a ride. We can exchange numbers so it’s easier to contact each other later,” Young President Lin quickly stood up.
“Yes, Chenyu, let Young President Lin drop you off,” Wu Daoyuan chimed in immediately.
“We can exchange numbers, but a ride isn’t necessary. I have a driver picking me up. Uncle Wu, did you forget? I’m going to the Su family,” Jiang Chenyu reminded him.
“Oh, right. Then tomorrow, you can show Young President Lin around and be a gracious host.”
“We’ll see about tomorrow. I’m heading out now, take your time.” Putting on her coat, she walked out of the private room.
Young President Lin chased after her, insistently walking her to her car.
Once she finally shook him off, Jiang Chenyu took a taxi back to the hotel.
Socializing with them was exhausting. She just wanted to lean against Shen Hetang. She pulled out her phone, her fingers moving faster than her brain, and the call connected.
“Hello, what’s wrong? Is something up?” Shen Hetang’s voice was clean and warm.
“What, I can’t call you if nothing’s wrong?” Jiang Chenyu was a bit displeased. It had only been a few days and she was already acting so distant.
She drew out her words, pouting her lips in dissatisfaction.
“Hehe, nothing like that. It’s just that you should open the door.”
“Why should I open the door?” Jiang Chenyu asked foolishly.
“I mailed you a gift, you have to open the door to receive it.”
“Really? Let me go check.” She hopped off the bed, her heart racing.
When she opened the door, there she stood.
Clad in a black down jacket and brown-red Martin boots, her medium-length straight hair brushing past her collarbones. Her eyes were bright as she looked at the person opening the door, her lips full with an unconscious sensuality.
Overjoyed, Jiang Chenyu leapt onto her, wrapped her arms around her neck, and planted a kiss on her fair jade cheek.
Shen Hetang quickly caught her, afraid she might slip and fall.
As the cool, sweet kiss pressed against her cheek, she felt an urge to kiss her back. But she merely let a warm light flicker in her eyes, maintaining a serene smile on her face, which only made her exquisite features look even more captivating.
“Why did you come so fast? Weren’t you supposed to arrive tomorrow?” Jiang Chenyu refused to let go, her legs clamped around Shen Hetang’s waist.
“I left early and ran off.” She carried the girl back to the bed.
“Did you come all this way just to see me?” Jiang Chenyu sat on her, clutching her collar and shaking it. Her thick, curled lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, and her eyes seemed to pool with clear water as she stared straight at her.
“No, I came to see the guy next door8.” She grinned recklessly at the pouting beauty before her.
“You’re lying! You came to see me!” Jiang Chenyu stuck out her lips, pushed forward, and pinned Shen Hetang to the bed, following her down.
Looking at the red lips right before her, the straight nose, and the distinct collarbones, her heart fluttered.
She wanted to kiss her and see how she would react. She knew she was being a bit bold, but she just wanted to do it.
Lowering her eyes, she pressed her lips against those crimson ones, closing her eyes to avoid seeing the reaction. She traced the shape of her lips with her tongue, then slowly sucked on her lower lip, which felt like jelly. Her fingers gripping Shen Hetang’s shoulder tensed nervously.
Even though she had initiated the kiss, her face quietly flushed. If Shen Hetang didn’t respond, she might be too embarrassed to continue.
Shen Hetang’s heart skipped a beat at the sudden closeness. Feeling the girl nibbling and kissing her, she was momentarily stunned, unsure how to react.
It definitely wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, her limbs felt a bit numb, electrified into stillness. She glanced at the closed door, her jacket hanging open, and subtly slipped her arms out of the sleeves.
Just as Jiang Chenyu was about to sit up, Shen Hetang pinned her down. Her thumb and forefinger formed a checkmark, tilting up her delicate chin. Her gaze landed on those cherry lips glistening with moisture, and she murmured, “Running away? I didn’t feel it just now. Let’s redo that!”
“Ah? …Mmph…!” Her chin was tilted up, her lips parted by a tongue, and a passionate kiss—unrestrained, as if a seal had been broken—crashed into her, swirling away all rational thought and leaving her dizzy with desire.
One hand slipped into her thin sleepwear, but stayed at her waist, not daring to venture further. She had no resistance to the body of the beauty beneath her; she could only abandon her reason, exploring and provoking.
In the tussle, the wide neckline of Jiang Chenyu’s dress slipped down, revealing her fair, lustrous neck and delicate collarbones. Like a pristine canvas, it begged to be marked.
But she still had to see people, so she tugged the neckline down just a little more—just enough to expose the pale, enticing flesh. Unable to resist, she wanted to paint two red plums on her.
A faint sting accompanied the trail of teeth. Jiang Chenyu parted her pink lips, panting softly. I went too far…!
She was like a succubus ensnaring her, her eyes shimmering with waves of light. Jiang Chenyu turned her head away, wanting to bury her face.
But Shen Hetang gently turned her face back, continuing to kiss her sensitive neck, endless and unrelenting. Now she couldn’t back down even if she wanted to. She could only grip Shen Hetang’s wrist tightly, her eyes misting over, fireworks exploding in her mind.
After a long while, the room fell into a peculiar silence. Whether driven by emotion or atmosphere, the thin ice had been broken—and thoroughly at that.
“We’ve kissed now, so you have to take responsibility!” Jiang Chenyu’s long hair was a bit mussed, her watery eyes locking onto her, inescapable.
“You’re the one who started it. You kissed me, and I kissed you back. Doesn’t that make us even?” Shen Hetang lay on her side, propping her head on her arm, looking at her lazily, hiding the flush of spring from her face.
“So you’re saying this is just written off as if it never happened? I can go accept other suitors tomorrow then!” Jiang Chenyu spoke lightly, but there was no warmth in her eyes.
Seeing she was about to get angry, Shen Hetang hurriedly leaned in and coaxed her, “I was wrong, I was joking. If anyone tries to steal you away, I’ll break their legs.”
Mollified by her surrender, Jiang Chenyu’s mood improved a little, though she still huffed, “Whose legs are you breaking? Do you think you’re the father-in-law?”
“I can be whatever you want me to be.” She nuzzled against her like a cat as she spoke.
“Stop taking advantage, move over there.”
“No, I’m not moving. I’m staying right here.” She didn’t dare let go, afraid her duck might fly away9.
Although… this was a choice. Once decided, she had never planned to let go.
“I’m a rather traditional person. Holding hands means a lifetime. If you agree now, you can’t back out later. Pinky promise?” She held out her little finger, looking at Jiang Chenyu.
“Ah? In that case, let me think about it!” Jiang Chenyu pretended to be serious, turning the tables.
She even tried to squirm out of her embrace, which only made Shen Hetang panic. She clamped down with both hands, refusing to let her go, nuzzling closer.
“No, a promise is a promise. You kissed me too, so you have to take responsibility as well.”
“Didn’t you say we were even?”
Shen Hetang leaned over and kissed her again. “Now we’re not even.”
“Then I’m giving it right back!” Unwilling to be outdone, Jiang Chenyu kissed her back.
The two of them acted like lovestruck fools, kissing back and forth, neither willing to yield.
Amid the kisses, they burst into laughter. Shen Hetang surrendered first, afraid she might bruise the girl’s lips.
“Alright, no more messing around. I’ll listen to whatever you say. You’re always right.” She patted her back gently; if they kept fooling around, they wouldn’t get any sleep.
“Mm…!” Surprisingly obedient, Jiang Chenyu nestled her face against her, feeling as if the clouds had finally parted to reveal clear skies.
Meanwhile, on the other end, after Jiang Chenyu left, Wu Daoyuan turned to the young man and said, “Get her to listen to you and hand over her shares as soon as possible. Once this is done, I won’t short you. But there is one rule: do not actually touch her. She is not someone you can afford to touch. If you defy me, you won’t see your final payment.”
The gentle, refined facade of Young President Lin vanished, replaced by the demeanor of a cynical playboy. “Boss Wu, relax. Leave this to me.”
He then pulled out a few hundred-yuan bills, handed them to the man playing his father, and sent him on his way. With that, the dinner charade came to an end.
Footnotes
- 葫芦里卖的什么药 | húlu lǐ mài de shénme yào | Idiom meaning 'what medicine is being sold in the gourd'; wondering what someone's hidden intention or ulterior motive is.
- 一丘之貉 | yī qiū zhī hé | Idiom meaning 'jackals from the same lair'; people who are equally bad, cut from the same cloth.
- 有钱能使磨推鬼 | yǒu qián néng shǐ mó tuī guǐ | Inverted colloquial form of 'money can make the devil turn the millstone'; with enough money, even the impossible becomes possible.
- 瘦死的骆驼比马大 | shòu sǐ de luòtuo bǐ mǎ dà | Proverb meaning 'a starved camel is still bigger than a horse'; even in decline, a wealthy entity retains substantial residual value.
- 三句半 | sān jù bàn | Traditional Chinese comedic performance in groups of four, where the last person delivers a punchline of just half a line; here meaning someone who just echoes with a short tag-along remark.
- 打水漂 | dǎ shuǐ piāo | Colloquialism literally meaning 'skimming stones on water'; figuratively, throwing money away with no return, pouring resources down the drain.
- 冤大头 | yuāndàtóu | Slang meaning 'big sucker' or 'easy mark'; someone who is easily taken advantage of financially.
- 隔壁老王 | gébì lǎowáng | Modern slang referring to the quintessential adulterous neighbor or secret romantic interest; used jokingly here to tease.
- 到手的鸭子飞了 | dào shǒu de yāzi fēi le | Colloquialism literally meaning 'the duck in hand flew away'; losing something that was already secured or within grasp.
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