After Being Forced to Kiss My Superior (GL) - Chapter 12

It was pouring again on Monday morning.

Li Wanqiu walked into the building under her umbrella. Even though she was careful, a few parts of her clothes still got wet. The breeze made her feel a bit cold.

Last night, she had confirmed today’s schedule with Ji Jinyan on WeChat. There was a conference in H City, and she had been invited to give a speech. Ji Jinyan had agreed to it on her behalf and left early that morning by car.

Assistant An went with him.

With both of them gone, the office felt unusually quiet to Li Wanqiu. She sat at her desk, replied to a few emails, and organized the notes from Friday’s meeting, placing them neatly on the desktop for Ji Jinyan to review later.

After that, she didn’t quite know what to do.

Because of the rain, work at the vineyard had been paused. Li Wanqiu stood by the floor-to-ceiling window and stared outside for a while. She soon got bored, stepped back, rested her head on her desk, and closed her eyes to relax.

At some point, she unknowingly fell asleep—and dreamed.

In her dream, she saw herself and Guan Chun, back when she was about six or seven, before their friendship fell apart.

She had been a little shorter than Guan Chun back then, always following behind her. They had been close and shared everything with each other.

“I haven’t seen my mom and dad in a long time,” Li Wanqiu had said. “The last time was during Chinese New Year.”

“Maybe they’re just really busy,” Guan Chun replied, sighing softly. She reached out and patted Wanqiu’s shoulder. “It’s okay. If you ever feel lonely, come over to my house and play.”

Li Wanqiu lit up immediately. “Really?”

Guan Chun nodded and hooked pinkies with her. “Of course!”

They made a promise. That very afternoon, they met at Guan Chun’s house and played their little adventure games. Li Wanqiu hadn’t felt that happy in a long time—her smile never left her face.

But then, something unexpected happened. While they were playing, Guan Chun accidentally knocked over and broke a brand-new vase. In a panic, her father came rushing out, his face full of anger.

Li Wanqiu froze. Without thinking, she stepped in front of Guan Chun to protect her. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Guan Chun’s voice behind her.

“Wanqiu…” Guan Chun turned her eyes away. Her voice was quiet, her expression unreadable.

She said, “How could you be so careless?”

…

When Li Wanqiu woke up, she felt awful. She hadn’t expected to dream about something like that.

It had really happened. Guan Chun had blamed her for breaking the vase. Li Wanqiu couldn’t defend herself and ended up being scolded. Even though Guan Chun apologized later, some things—once they happen—leave behind wounds that don’t just go away.

The memory left her upset.

Li Wanqiu sighed. Still feeling cold, she got up and poured herself a hot cup of coffee. Just as she sat back down, her phone rang.

It was Ji Jinyan.

“Hello?” she answered, lifting the phone. “Yes, President Ji? What is it?”

“Log into my email,” Ji Jinyan’s voice came through the phone. “There’s a contract I need you to print out and stamp with the company seal. Once it’s done, scan it and send it back to me as soon as possible.”

“Got it.”
Li Wanqiu nodded and swiftly logged in to download the document. While it was printing, she took the opportunity to ask, “Is there anything else?”

Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of weariness that even she didn’t notice.

“President Ji—” someone nearby interrupted before Ji Jinyan could respond, speaking in a low voice, “The speech is about to start.”

“I know,” Ji Jinyan replied with a smile, but didn’t hang up the call.

“Li Wanqiu,” she said again, calling her name one more time.

“Yes?” Wanqiu responded, standing up to collect the printed document. “What is it?”

“There’s one last piece of chocolate in my drawer, right next to the company seal,” Ji Jinyan said. “Have it for me when you have a moment.”

With that, the call ended.

Li Wanqiu walked into Ji Jinyan’s office holding the printed contract. As she looked for the seal, she did indeed find a piece of chocolate—wrapped in soft pink packaging, with two little strawberries drawn on it.

She didn’t quite understand the meaning behind it, but since Ji Jinyan had offered it to her, she didn’t hesitate to accept it. Once her tasks were complete, she sat back down and studied the chocolate in her hand.

She was still amused by Ji Jinyan’s surprisingly sweet taste in snacks when she peeled off the wrapper—then paused when she saw the words printed on the inside of the foil:

“May your days be filled with joy.”

She translated it quietly to herself: Wishing you joyful days.

…

The day passed quickly.

By evening, the rain was still falling. Li Wanqiu grabbed her umbrella and stepped into the elevator, where she happened to run into Ms. Yang from the Administration Department. They exchanged a few casual words with polite smiles.

Outside the building, she waved goodbye and opened her umbrella. As she stepped out, her gaze drifted ahead—and she suddenly noticed a car parked nearby that looked oddly familiar.

She stopped for a moment, her brows furrowing as an uneasy feeling crept in. She quickened her pace, pretending she hadn’t noticed anything.

But it didn’t work. Just a second later, the car door opened—and Guan Chun stepped out.

…It seemed today really wasn’t her day.

Li Wanqiu sighed. Since there was no way to avoid it, she chose to face it head-on—but still took a few steps back to keep some distance.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Wanqiu, I just wanted to see you,” Guan Chun said. Noticing Wanqiu’s guarded posture, she softened her tone. “I heard from Uncle and Auntie that you work here.”

“Have you been doing okay lately?” she asked. “Last time… I think I caused some tension between you and them. I’m really sorry.”

The sudden apology caught Li Wanqiu off guard. She paused for a moment, then awkwardly shook her head.
“It’s fine. It wasn’t entirely your fault.”

“Do you have time to grab a meal sometime?”
Seeing Li Wanqiu respond that way, Chun Chun smiled gently. “It’s been so many years since we last saw each other.”

“No,” Li Wanqiu refused, this time without hesitation. “I’ve got something to do.”

The message was clear—she wasn’t interested. But Chun Chun acted as if she didn’t understand and continued,
“What is it? Do you want me to come with you?”

Li Wanqiu was speechless for a moment. After thinking quickly, she found an excuse.
“I’m working overtime.”

This time, Chun Chun finally went quiet.

“You should head back. The rain’s getting heavier,” Li Wanqiu said, not wanting to drag things out. She turned around and walked back into the building. Just as she stepped inside, a message popped up on her phone—from her mother.

“Chun Chun came all this way to see you. How could you turn her down?”

She knew it—this had been her mother’s idea all along.

Li Wanqiu took a deep breath. A wave of frustration and helplessness rose inside her. She walked to a quiet, hidden corner, sat down slowly, and lowered her head. Pressing her fingers into her palm, she felt a sudden sting behind her eyes.

Her eyes were getting wet.

Fortunately, no one noticed her. Li Wanqiu sat quietly with her head lowered. She rummaged through her small bag, but her tissues were all gone. With no other choice, she used her hand to wipe her face.

She had barely wiped a couple of times when someone quietly sat down next to her.

Li Wanqiu froze. Her first instinct was to move away, but before she could, a tissue appeared in front of her.

“It’s really pouring tonight,” Ji Jinyan said. He wasn’t looking at her—his eyes were on the rain-soaked darkness outside the window.

His voice was calm and gentle.
“Here. Wipe your face.”