Chapter 42

The damp air was filled with a fine, slanted drizzle, suspended under the glow of streetlights like a frame frozen in a movie.

Beneath the umbrella, a couple was locked in an embrace so passionate it seemed as though they could hardly part.

Cheng Li could never have imagined herself kissing someone on the street.

Even though it was the middle of the night, with no one else around and only the sound of rain filling their ears, the pounding of her heartbeat and the swirling emotions within her were overwhelming.

When Rong Qi finally released her again, the sensation of his lips lingered, leaving her flushed and breathless, unable to regain her composure.

Their breathing was uneven, with a hint of panting.

Cheng Li lowered her eyes, unsure where to direct her gaze.

“Let’s go home,” Rong Qi finally spoke, his voice husky to the point of absurdity. He hadn’t been drinking, so how could his voice sound so intoxicating?

Cheng Li responded softly, “Mm.”

But her attention was quickly drawn to the beer cans scattered across the ground.

Earlier, when Rong Qi leaned in to kiss her, the bag she had been holding slipped from her hand, sending the contents rolling out.

“Wait, let me pick these up,” Cheng Li said, about to bend down.

But before she could, a firm hand pressed down on her shoulder, stopping her.

“I’ll do it,” Rong Qi said in his low voice, placing the umbrella in her hand. “Hold this for me.”

As he crouched to pick up the beer cans, Cheng Li pointed out, “That bag looks dirty now.”

“Give me a moment,” Rong Qi replied as he stood and headed back into the convenience store.

Shortly after, he returned with a fresh plastic bag and a pack of tissues. Carefully, he picked up the beer cans, wiping off the rainwater with the tissues before placing them into the new bag.

Within minutes, he had packed all the beer and snacks into the clean bag and discarded the soiled one in a nearby trash can.

When he rejoined her under the umbrella, Cheng Li was still holding it. The cold wind brushing her face hadn’t managed to clear her spinning mind.

Even standing there, she felt as though she were in a daze, overwhelmed by a sudden, unexpected joy.

It felt surreal, like winning the lottery after impulsively buying a ticket.

The results were beyond her wildest dreams—everything she wanted had fallen into place before she’d even had the chance to try her hardest.

But as she thought about it more, Cheng Li realized how natural it all seemed.

The answer had always been clear.

Though Rong Qi sometimes had a sharp tongue, he had never truly disliked her. In fact, he probably had a soft spot for her all along.

Perhaps, like her, he had acted on impulse when they got married.

But at the very least, they both approached it with sincerity.

It had to be genuine.

Cheng Li bit her lip to suppress a smile. The more she thought about it, the warmer her ears grew, as if she were a child tasting candy for the first time, the sweetness spreading throughout her chest.

Rong Qi reached for the umbrella she was holding, only to find she hadn’t let go.

Looking down, he noticed her dazed expression, her gaze unfocused, but her lips curved into a faint smile.

A soft cough brought her back to reality.

Seeing Rong Qi’s hand already on the umbrella handle, Cheng Li quickly released her grip, allowing him to take it.

She reached for the bag in his other hand. “Let me carry this.”

“No need,” Rong Qi replied, not letting her take it.

Not wanting to risk tearing the bag, Cheng Li relented and walked with him to the crosswalk, heading toward the underground parking lot of Rong Qi’s office.

When they reached the zebra crossing, the light was red.

Despite the late hour, they both stopped in unison.

Cheng Li kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, but the man beside her spoke suddenly. “Move closer to me.”

“Huh?”

She turned her head and heard his calm explanation. “The rain is heavy.”

Oh.

Cheng Li stepped closer to his side, leaving barely a sliver of space between them. But he still wasn’t satisfied. “Closer.”

This time, he raised his arm slightly, gesturing for her to hold onto him.

Understanding his intention, Cheng Li teased, “How close exactly? If you don’t make it clear, I won’t understand.”

She mimicked his earlier tone, drawing out her words playfully.

Since some people insisted on being stubborn, she thought, she’d make him say it outright.

Rong Qi caught the teasing lilt in her voice and turned to look at her, his gaze landing on her upturned lips. Finally, he said, “Hold onto me.”

That’s more like it.

Though she silently celebrated her small victory, Cheng Li didn’t hesitate. She gently hooked her arm through his, resting her hand at the crook of his elbow.

The light turned green.

In sync, they started walking forward.

As they neared the end of the crosswalk, Cheng Li noticed the umbrella tilted toward her side, leaving half of Rong Qi’s shoulder exposed to the rain.

“You should hold the umbrella more on your side,” she said instinctively. “Your shoulder’s getting wet. I have enough cover.”

“It’s fine. We’re almost there.”

Cheng Li could only follow his brisk pace as they reached the entrance of the building.

They took the elevator down to the underground parking lot.

Soon, they arrived at a designated parking spot where Rong Qi’s Porsche was waiting.

Noticing the reserved parking sign, Cheng Li remarked, “Having a reserved parking space in Shanghai… President Rong, you’ve really made it.”

“Your tone almost feels sarcastic,” Rong Qi remarked, placing the bag into the trunk before walking to the front passenger door and pulling it open.

Cheng Li responded earnestly, “It’s admiration. You have no idea how tough it is to park at my company. Colleagues who own cars complain about it all the time.”

The difficulty of parking was one of the main reasons Cheng Li had hesitated to buy a car.

After they got into the car, Rong Qi asked, “Is that why you’ve never wanted to drive?”

“Exactly,” Cheng Li replied. “When I first started working, I borrowed my dad’s car for a while but quickly realized taking the subway was faster.”

Since marrying him, she was mostly chauffeured—either by Rong Qi or the driver—and rarely needed to hail a taxi.

After considering for a moment, Rong Qi said, “You could rent a parking spot in the building. If you’d like to drive, I can have He Zhuoyuan handle it for you.”

“No need,” Cheng Li shook her head quickly and smiled. “I was just making an offhand comment.”

As he started the car, Rong Qi added, “Then let the driver handle it. It’s safer that way, especially after working late—you’d be too tired to drive safely.”

With the topic settled, the car glided smoothly out of the parking garage.

Since Rong Qi was driving, they didn’t talk much during the ride. The cabin was quiet, dimly lit by the dashboard lights.

Cheng Li, however, stole glances at the man beside her. The waves of emotion within her, though calmer than earlier, were still surging.

Finally, they arrived home.

As soon as she stepped through the door and changed her shoes, Rong Qi, who had just taken off his coat, turned to her and asked, “Where do you want to drink?”

Drink?

Cheng Li froze for a moment before realizing he was referring to the beer in the bag he’d carried.

Looking around, she pointed to the floor-to-ceiling windows. “How about by the windowsill?”

Even though the river view was obscured by night, sitting by the glass, listening to the rain outside, and sipping beer sounded cozy and soothing.

“Go change into something comfortable,” Rong Qi said, glancing at her outfit with a gentle tone.

Cheng Li nodded and went to her room, putting away her clothes and bag before changing into pajamas. Thankfully, the central heating kept the house comfortably warm.

She returned wearing a plush, warm white pajama set with bunny ears dangling from the hood.

When she came out, she noticed that Rong Qi had already rearranged the living room. He had dragged the sofa to face the floor-to-ceiling windows and spread out a large, cozy blanket over it. He, on the other hand, wore a casual black hoodie and sweatpants, the drawstrings loosely dangling at his waist.

As Cheng Li approached, Rong Qi glanced up and was about to pull the blanket aside for her when he noticed the bunny ears hanging down behind her head—soft, pink, and long, drooping like real ones.

“The rain’s really heavy outside,” Cheng Li remarked as she casually grabbed a can of beer, popped it open, and took a small sip, cradling the can with both hands as she gazed out the window.

Rain streaked the glass, creating a network of rippling patterns as it flowed downward.

Rong Qi sat down beside her and tucked the blanket over her bare feet. He then opened a can of beer for himself.

Cheng Li leaned over and suggested, “Cheers.”

“Cheers,” Rong Qi said, letting her clink her can against his.

Taking another sip, Cheng Li turned to study him. “You must’ve had a stressful day.”

“Not too bad,” Rong Qi replied before realizing he’d used that response earlier. He elaborated, “Running a business comes with its challenges. In the startup phase, there were one set of issues. Now, with rapid growth, profits are up, but so are complications. It’s always small problems piling onto big ones, and our job is to solve them.”

Cheng Li nodded in agreement. “Same here. Ever since I temporarily took over the company, I’ve realized how carefree my life was back when I only focused on tech. Now I even have to deal with the issue of toilet paper supplies—finance insists on consulting me about it.”

She sprawled onto the sofa and sighed. “I’m no longer just an expert in autonomous driving—I’m about to become a toilet paper expert too. I know which brands offer the best quality and the best deals like the back of my hand.”

“You need to learn to delegate,” Rong Qi said, a hint of amusement in his tone.

Cheng Li chuckled. “I just feel like I’m holding down the fort. Deep down, I still prefer working in research and development.”

Rong Qi suddenly asked, “What made you choose this field in the first place?”

After all, most women showed little interest in STEM fields. Some engineering departments were so skewed in gender ratio it was almost comical.

When Cheng Li enrolled, her presence caused quite a stir—not just because she was beautiful, but because she stood out as a rare gem in such a male-dominated field.

Talking about this clearly sparked her interest.

“I visited a car factory recently. Seeing my ideas come to life bit by bit was incredibly moving. When I looked at that car, I thought, ‘So I really can change people’s lives.’”

Rong Qi propped one elbow on the back of the sofa, resting his cheek on his hand as he listened intently.

“Imagine a day when people drive cars we’ve designed—true autonomous vehicles that are efficient, fast, and safe. It’ll be like the first time we held a smartphone or made a mobile payment. Back then, we didn’t even realize these technologies were ushering in a new era of change.”

“We only get one life. We can either live it mediocrely or give it our all to pursue what we want. I’d rather do what I love. Even if I’m not the best, it’s through the collective efforts of our generation that we edge closer to that goal.”

“I hope that one day, I can witness the realization of true autonomous driving technology.”

Accompanied by the sound of raindrops against the glass, her voice, clear yet tinged with fervor, disrupted the otherwise tranquil night.

Cheng Li was never one to engage in empty talk. She had never shared with anyone why she chose to study engineering or why she ventured into the field of autonomous driving.

In this era, discussions of wealth are abundant, while conversations about ideals are rare.

Even the word “ideal” has been tainted with a hint of irony.

Many hesitate to speak of their dreams, yet those words remain radiant, inspiring aspiration and worthy of everyone’s effort.

Cheng Li refrained from speaking because she felt others weren’t deserving of her words.

But with Rong Qi, the thoughts buried deep in her heart poured out effortlessly—things she should and shouldn’t say.

She wanted to tell him everything about her ideals and the beautiful future she envisioned, yearning for someone who could understand her.

“I also hope to see that day,” Rong Qi said, staring at her intently. His voice was soft yet resolute, his heart stirred by her passion.

He had thought she had already amazed and surprised him enough, yet she continued to astonish him even more.

Cheng Li chuckled lightly. “Alright, no matter if we end up as competitors or something else in the future, I won’t give in easily when I meet you.”

In the race for autonomous driving, they were bound to cross paths—whether as rivals or in another capacity.

Ultimately, they were walking the same road, side by side.

Cheng Li finished the beer in her hand, setting the empty bottle aside before reaching into the bag for another.

“We agreed to drink beer and think about nothing,” she muttered self-deprecatingly, lying back on the sofa. “But I ended up saying so much.”

Noticing her struggling with the pull tab of the can, Rong Qi reached over to help. But before he could, she hugged the can protectively, assuming he was trying to take it away. “This is mine,” she said, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol.

“I know it’s yours. I just wanted to open it for you.”

Rong Qi reached for the can again, but instead, he pulled her directly into his arms.

The distance between them disappeared in an instant.

So close that Cheng Li could see the faintest of moles on the bridge of his nose and the sharp, refined contours of his face. His deep-set eyes weren’t overly double-lidded but shaped like an elegant fan, with thin, upward-sweeping corners. Usually cool and detached, his gaze now burned with an intensity akin to a brewing storm.

Caught in this proximity, Cheng Li met Rong Qi’s eyes.

She felt like she could see the tempest within them, ready to break free.

Her heart raced as if on a rollercoaster, accelerating uncontrollably.

Rong Qi ignored the beer can in her hands, instead placing his palm on the back of her neck. His fingertips pressed lightly but purposefully, as if to ensure she wouldn’t retreat even an inch.

The heat of his touch spread across her skin, leaving a tingling sensation in its wake.

Then, he looked into her eyes and softly asked, “Want to go again?”

Go again?

Cheng Li silently mouthed the words, trying to grasp their meaning.

When realization hit, she laughed lightly, her tone laced with playful intoxication. “Do you think this is some kind of lottery?”

As a child, buying a drink often came with the hope of finding the words “Try Again” under the cap, the thrill of a potential freebie.

Rong Qi’s question instantly brought her back to those moments of anticipation.

He seemed to have thought of the same thing, but his gaze remained heated and focused. With a voice low and enticing, he murmured, “Then consider tonight your grand prize.”

Before Cheng Li could react, Rong Qi’s lips captured hers, his voice a soft whisper against her mouth, “You hit the jackpot.”

As his words fell, she felt his tongue part her lips, boldly invading.

Unlike their first kiss, which had been tentative and slightly awkward, this one was more assured, more consuming. His lips teased and drew hers in, his tongue entwining with hers, unrestrained and intoxicatingly passionate.

Their bodies leaned back against the sofa, pressed tightly together. Rong Qi’s hand, once resting on the back of her neck, slid into her hair, his fingers threading through the strands as he held her in place, leaving her no chance to retreat.

In the silent, expansive living room, the bright lights only accentuated the charged atmosphere. Their breaths were no longer steady, tangled and heavy, blurring the line between whose was more erratic.

The sound of their kiss—soft, wet, and intimate—filled the quiet space, amplified in the stillness, accompanied only by the rain against the windows like a melodic backdrop.

Cheng Li closed her eyes, but behind the thin veil of her eyelids, her senses only heightened.

She could smell his scent. Both had been drinking, and at first, the taste was tinged with the sharp acidity of leftover alcohol. But as they kissed, the sourness faded away.

What remained was the familiar scent of him—a clean, crisp aroma like cold pine, reminiscent of the air in a snow-covered forest after a fresh fall.

Despite the coolness of his scent, his actions were anything but cold—burning and assertive, pulling her so close she felt like she was melting into him.

Yet their position on the sofa was slightly uncomfortable.

She let out a soft hum, prompting Rong Qi to pause and lean back slightly. His gaze fell to the woman in his arms—her flushed cheeks, trembling lashes, and half-closed eyes exuding a rare vulnerability, a silent surrender that left her entirely at his mercy.

This fragile and submissive moment made Rong Qi’s heartbeat quicken, his throat tightening.

It wasn’t until Cheng Li noticed his lack of movement for a long while that she opened her eyes again. As their gazes met, the chaos and longing in their eyes were laid bare in the bright light, mirrored clearly in each other’s eyes.

In that instant, they were like two smoldering embers that hadn’t completely burned out.

With just one look, sparks flew, reigniting the fire between them.

Rong Qi pulled her fully into his arms, settling her onto his lap. He leaned back, hooking his arm around her neck to draw her down, continuing their kiss.

Having tasted intimacy for the first time, Rong Qi seemed addicted. Even when Cheng Li paused briefly, gasping heavily for breath, it didn’t take long for the two of them to come together again.

Their bodies burned so hot, it felt like they were on the verge of combustion.

Finally, during one of their brief separations, Cheng Li rested her chin on his shoulder, panting heavily. A sudden thought crossed her mind: who would have guessed that kissing could be so exhausting? It felt as tiring as the 1500-meter run she failed to complete back in high school.

As she kept thinking, her eyelids began to grow heavy.

Rong Qi had originally planned to wait for her breathing to calm down, but he soon realized that the person on his shoulder had gone completely still, her posture unnervingly quiet.

He listened carefully and caught the sound of Cheng Li’s steady, rhythmic breathing—the kind of breathing one has only when fast asleep.

For a moment, Rong Qi sat there, stunned.

After a long while, he finally confirmed that she was truly asleep.

Only then did he slowly shift her from his shoulder, gently lifting her into his arms and carrying her to her bedroom.

He carefully placed her on the bed and pulled the blanket over her.

Looking at her peaceful face, a feeling of helplessness suddenly surged in Rong Qi’s heart.

It was a mix of exasperation and amusement.

He had never heard of someone falling asleep midway through a kiss out of sheer exhaustion.

Before long, a low chuckle escaped from him.

After all, the more exhausting things… he hadn’t even gotten the chance to do yet.

Author’s Note:

Cheng Li: You better explain clearly—what do you mean by “more exhausting things”?

Rong Qi managed to kiss his little dove to sleep this time, so what’s next…?