She had been there for her during the toughest, most painful times, and they had shared little secrets and simple joys. In the lonely hours of midnight, when she lay awake until dawn, she had missed her straightforward friend terribly, almost reaching out to contact her.
"You little brat, missing me means cutting off all contact without a word? Knowing I'm in this city and not even getting in touch?" Her eyes instantly welled up, and Cheng Yi retorted, though her voice was choked with emotion as she hugged her back tightly.
Watching the two women embrace silently, Cheng Shaobai's bitter heart still felt like it was breaking. How much he longed to hold her in his arms too, just like Kong Chengyi, holding her close and kissing her until she was radiant and captivating.
"I won't leave you again," Hua Lianxi whispered, squeezing Cheng Yi's hand. She looked at Cheng Shaobai apologetically. "Big Brother Cheng, it's been a long time."
"Yeah, long enough for you to disappear from my world, long enough for you to get married," his magnetic voice slowly uttered a few sentimental words. His large hand, still in his pocket, clenched into a fist and then relaxed, repeating the motion unnoticed by anyone.
After a second's hesitation, Hua Lianxi leaned forward and gently hugged Cheng Shaobai. "Thank you for taking care of me in the past. I didn't disappear, I'm here now!"
Perhaps it was the rare sadness that surfaced in his eyes, or perhaps it had been too long since she had seen someone who could offer her support. At this moment, Hua Lianxi's heart warmed, her eyes grew hot, and a layer of mist formed. She unconsciously hoped to convey that she was doing well, wanting to reassure those who cared about her.
Unexpectedly finding herself embraced, Cheng Shaobai was stunned for a brief moment before excitedly hugging her back, even holding her tightly, reluctant to let her go.
What was meant to be a simple hug of gratitude suddenly turned into a more intimate confinement. Hua Lianxi struggled to break free, her eyes anxiously searching for Kong Chengyi's figure, only to unexpectedly meet his gloomy gaze.
Placing her hands on Cheng Shaobai's chest, Hua Lianxi called out softly, "Big Brother Cheng, Big Brother Cheng!"
"I'm sorry, it's been too long, I lost myself for a moment!" Closing his eyes tightly, banishing all the beautiful fantasies in his mind, Cheng Shaobai abruptly released Hua Lianxi, unwilling to even see her struggling.
Slightly embarrassed, Hua Lianxi fiddled with the hair near her ear, secretly glancing in Kong Chengyi's direction. She saw him still maintaining a cool expression as he listened to the guests' conversations, seemingly not having noticed the warm reunion. Shaking off a strange feeling in her heart, Hua Lianxi rejoined Cheng Yi, embracing the joy of their reunion.
Suddenly, all the lights in the hall dimmed, and spotlights focused on the stage. Xiao Lin, the glamorous PR manager of Ascend Group, wearing a tight nude-colored cocktail dress, gracefully walked onto the stage.
"Distinguished guests, we will now proceed with the final segment of the evening. Three lucky individuals will receive generous gifts and bonuses. And of course, the moment all the beautiful ladies here have been eagerly anticipating – who will be the lucky recipient of the annual 'President's Kiss'?! Let's look forward to it with excitement! Please welcome the President to the stage to draw the prizes for us!" Her charming voice instantly captured everyone's attention, and the joyful anticipation in her words infected all the women present, eliciting rounds of enthusiastic applause and cheers. The spotlights glided around, searching for Kong Chengyi, finally settling brightly on him.
Giving a slight nod, Kong Chengyi elegantly walked to Hua Lianxi's side, put his arm around her waist, and headed straight for the stage, his gaze seemingly ignoring Cheng Shaobai and Cheng Yi.
Clearly just an observer, Hua Lianxi hadn't expected Kong Chengyi to pull her onto the stage. Instantly, a cooperative and considerate smile bloomed on her face, as if she were the virtuous wife accompanying her husband in his career endeavors, hoping to complete tonight's task with an even more professional "custom-made" spirit.
Xiao Lin, as the host, also hadn't anticipated Kong Chengyi bringing Hua Lianxi onto the stage again. Her mouth hung open in surprise, subconsciously feeling that Hua Lianxi shouldn't be part of the romantic "kiss" segment.
His bright gaze swept past Cheng Shaobai and finally settled in the middle of the banquet hall. Kong Chengyi subtly curved his lips into a smile, like a king dominating his territory.
"Fortunately, this year I am no longer standing on this stage alone. Therefore, this year's prize draw will be done by my wife, Hua Lianxi!" Without any warning, Kong Chengyi suddenly announced that Hua Lianxi would be taking over the most popular segment of the annual gala among employees and guests.
Xiao Lin, still surprised with her mouth slightly agape, widened it even further, disregarding her image. "President..." Was the final "President's Kiss" segment now a "wife pushes husband to be kissed" segment?
"Me? You, you're kidding, right?" Looking up at Kong Chengyi, Hua Lianxi, startled, lowered her voice and asked incredulously, a hint of anger rising within her. She hated that Kong Chengyi always made decisions so dominantly, without even giving her the right to know beforehand, let alone discuss.
"You are the President's wife. What's wrong with drawing prizes?" His starlike eyes twinkled with a smile as he leaned down and quickly kissed her cheek. Kong Chengyi took her hand and directly placed it into the raffle box, not giving her any time to hesitate, nor any possibility of refusal.
Secretly squeezing his hand, Hua Lianxi pinched his palm, but maintained a proper smile on her face. She randomly stirred the raffle box and then pulled out a number, handing it to Xiao Lin.
Taking the numbered ball, Xiao Lin glanced at Kong Chengyi and saw a look of unprecedented doting on his face. Her heart pounded, but she had to subtly adjust her breathing and announce the winning number in a cheerful voice:
"The winning number for the third prize is..."
"The second prize..."
"The lucky winner of the final prize... the winner is..."
With Hua Lianxi drawing prizes in a methodical manner, the usually suspenseful and boisterous raffle proceeded quickly. Ten minutes later, only the final special prize, the "President's Kiss," remained.
Just as the special prize of the "President's Kiss" was about to be drawn, Xiao Lin suddenly blocked the opening of the raffle box with her hand. "Madam, the lucky winner you are about to draw will receive a kiss from the President. Are you willing to let another woman kiss your husband? Won't you be jealous seeing it with your own eyes? The President is the idol of thousands of young women!" Not daring to look at Kong Chengyi's expression, Xiao Lin tried hard to convey her jealousy through a lighthearted joke.
"Young Master Kong, are you going to be kneeling on a durian tonight when you get home?"
"Young Master Kong, kiss with passion!"
"Young Master Kong... I can take the kiss for you..."
The anticipated "final kiss" was something no one originally dared to clamor for. However, after the host's seemingly warm-up teasing, the previously calm guests suddenly found an excuse to make mischief. Teasing and laughter rose and fell, spreading rapidly, and the entire banquet hall became noisy again.
Just as Hua Lianxi's lips parted to speak, her waist was suddenly pulled, and she was drawn into a warm embrace, Kong Chengyi's handsome features expanding infinitely before her eyes.
"Wow!"
"One minute, one minute!"
...
Thunderous applause erupted, and even more enthusiastic cheers exploded. All the guests instantly transformed into gossiping spectators, gleefully adding fuel to the fire, excitedly watching the eye-catching "live broadcast."
Her eyes wide, her whole body burning, Hua Lianxi tightly gripped Kong Chengyi's tie, afraid that if she let go, she would collapse from weakness.
Quietly watching the couple who had gathered everyone's attention on the stage, Cheng Shaobai's hand, which had been in his pocket, unconsciously clenched into a fist. The clamor in his ears was like sharp knives, piercing his heart with every sound, making it hard for him to breathe.
The greatest pain, it turned out, was nothing more than repeatedly watching them kiss passionately, repeatedly and cruelly reminding him of reality.
Tilting his head back, Cheng Shaobai drained the champagne in his hand in one gulp and turned to leave directly.
"Hey, Brother..." Cheng Shaobai's silent departure puzzled Cheng Yi for a moment, but she immediately followed after him.
"50 seconds!"
"Young Master Kong, hang in there!"
"Wow, Young Master Kong..."
"Exceptionally, my kiss is dedicated to my wife! I really don't want to be kneeling on a durian tonight when I get home!" Not forgetting to make a self-deprecating remark, Kong Chengyi then put his arm around Hua Lianxi and led her off the stage.
Her legs feeling weak, Hua Lianxi was held tightly all the way until they left the banquet hall. She didn't fully come back to her senses until she was sitting in the car on the way home.
For some inexplicable reason, she had lost her soul in his unexpected and forceful kiss, feeling like a dream, letting him control everything.
The quiet car, just like the atmosphere on the way there, as if the liveliness and the kiss in the banquet hall belonged to other people and had nothing to do with them.
Biting her lip, the anger that had surged during the raffle now rose again, even more pronounced than before. She glared fiercely with wide eyes, while the domineering President sat with his eyes closed, his face expressionless.
Turning on all the lights in Xiaoyue Residence, the silent house instantly became as bright as day. Hua Lianxi had just taken off her high heels when Kong Chengyi coldly tossed out the words "seafood porridge" and went straight to the living room.
Standing barefoot in place, she slowly wiggled her aching toes, unconsciously touching her flat stomach. Only then did Hua Lianxi realize that despite the bustling evening, she hadn't eaten a single grain of rice.
Casually throwing his coat on the sofa, Kong Chengyi walked over to the liquor cabinet while unbuttoning his cuffs. He picked out a bottle of XO, poured half a glass, lowered his head, and gulped it down.
His tongue gradually felt the sting of the spicy liquor. Kong Chengyi looked up at the brightly lit kitchen, carefully discerning the sounds coming from it, and then fiercely downed another full glass of strong liquor.
Squinting slightly, he occasionally caught a glimpse of the graceful figure busy in the kitchen. He took out a cigarette and lit it naturally, holding it between his fingers but letting it burn without taking a puff.
Dragging her tired body around the kitchen for over half an hour, Hua Lianxi added all the ingredients one by one to the simmering porridge, then turned the heat down to the lowest setting to let it cook slowly before returning to her room to change into comfortable home clothes and remove her heavy makeup.