After Being Forced to Kiss My Superior (GL) - Chapter 7

The weekend arrived quickly.

Autumn Li had already agreed to go home for dinner with her mother. That evening, she drove back to the old family house, bringing along a carefully chosen gift.

Back when she was younger, her parents had been busy running their business. They were always traveling from city to city, rarely home, and hardly spent time with her. Autumn grew up mostly under her grandmother’s care and only saw her parents occasionally.

Most of what she knew of them came from the few photos in the family albums.

Later, when her grandmother passed away and she started middle school, her parents’ work finally settled down. They began taking part in her life again—helping with her studies and trying to guide her career.

That’s when the disagreements started.

Autumn loved painting, something her parents didn’t approve of. They believed it was because they hadn’t been strict enough with her, so they began stepping in more often. The more they tried to control things, the worse the arguments became.

Autumn had mixed feelings about their sudden involvement. On one hand, she knew their care came from love—but on the other, she couldn’t help wanting to escape it. After many fights, she finally moved out of the Li household and rarely came home.

It had been nearly two months since her last visit.

As she drove into the courtyard and parked the car, Aunt Zhang came out to greet her. She had known Autumn since she was a child, and they were very close.

“Our Ah Qiu is home!” Aunt Zhang called out with a bright smile. “You’ve been so busy lately—come back more often, we all miss you.”

“I will,” Autumn smiled, feeling a warm sense of comfort. “I’ll listen to you, Aunt Zhang.”

“I brought you a gift,” she added, opening the trunk and taking out the box. As she turned, she noticed another car parked in the yard—one she didn’t recognize.

“Aunt Zhang, do we have guests today?”

“Yes,” Aunt Zhang nodded. “But it’s someone you know.”

Autumn looked surprised. “Who is it?”

Just as Aunt Zhang opened her mouth to answer, the front door creaked open. Under the soft glow of the lights, a woman appeared in the doorway.

Autumn froze for a second, then recognized her. “…Guan Chun?”

Guan Chun smiled gently and nodded. “Ah Qiu, it’s been a long time.”

“…”

Guan Chun had once been her closest childhood friend.

Their mothers had been best friends, so the two of them naturally grew up together. They even ended up going to the same high school and college. Coincidentally, they were born on the same day.

Because of all that, everyone around them always linked them together.

But for Autumn, that relationship had always come with pressure. People often compared her to Guan Chun—praising Chun in ways that made Autumn feel less than.

It was painful.

Even though Autumn knew none of it was Guan Chun’s fault, the feeling of being compared and overshadowed made her quietly pull away. Over time, the two drifted apart. When Guan Chun moved abroad, they completely lost contact.

Seeing her here now was completely unexpected.

“Ah Qiu, you’re here?” her mother’s voice called out from inside before they could say more. “What are you two doing out there? Come in already!”

“Your dad found out Chun Chun was coming,” she added, smiling at Autumn, “so he personally cooked several dishes himself.”

“You’ve always said his cooking’s your favorite, haven’t you? So, what are you waiting for?”

As she finished speaking, Autumn’s mother reached out and pulled Guan Chun into the house with a genuine smile.

Autumn stood there, watching their backs as they walked away. For some reason, an uncomfortable feeling rose in her chest. After a short pause, she followed after them.

“Mom, I brought a gift for you and Dad—”

“Just set it down,” her mother cut her off. “Come sit with us first.”

“You and Chun Chun haven’t seen each other in a long time, right?” she added with a cheerful smile. “I’m guessing you didn’t even know she was back in the country.”

“No,” Autumn nodded slightly. “I really didn’t.”

“She only just got back,” Guan Chun said quickly, picking up the conversation. “I didn’t get the chance to tell you yet—don’t take it personally.”

“It’s fine. I know now,” Autumn’s mother said with a smile as she patted her daughter on the arm. Then, almost casually, she added, “Actually, there’s something else I haven’t told you yet.”

Autumn looked over. “What is it?”

“Chun Chun is planning to stay in C City for a while,” her mother said. “She’s going to start working at your father’s company.”

Autumn paused. It didn’t quite register. “What do you mean?”

“What do I mean?” her mother echoed. “Exactly what I said.”

“Her major in college fits perfectly with the job. She’s hardworking and capable. It’s only natural she’d join the company,” she explained, lowering her voice slightly. “Besides, her parents passed away early—we should look after her.”

Then her tone shifted. “You, on the other hand, should really learn from Chun Chun. Always chasing useless things all day long… If I hadn’t given birth to you myself, I’d almost—”

Before she could finish, Autumn suddenly stood up.

Her mother froze, surprised, and looked up at her. “What are you doing?”

“I just remembered something,” Autumn said flatly. “I have to go.”

She didn’t wait for a response. Her steps quickened as she walked straight out the door, got into her car, and shut the door behind her.

“Ah Qiu!” Guan Chun ran after her just as Autumn was starting the engine. “Auntie didn’t mean it like that—please don’t be upset.”

Autumn said nothing. Her face was calm, but her hands were firm as she pressed down on the gas. The car sped off, kicking up dust behind her.

It had rained earlier in the day, and the temperature still hadn’t warmed up. The air was strangely cold.

When Autumn had gone into the house, she’d taken off her coat and forgotten to grab it when she left. Now the chilly wind hit her, making her shiver.

The warmth of her bed would’ve been the better choice—but with the way she was feeling, she couldn’t bring herself to go home just yet. So instead, she stepped out of the car and pushed open the doors to Bluefire.

—Being surrounded by noise and people was still better than sitting alone with her thoughts.

She hesitated for a moment, her emotions a tangled mess. Then she crossed through the crowd on the dance floor and made her way to the bar.

She ordered a drink, then knocked it back in a few big gulps.

Then came the second glass.
And the third.

By the time she finished the third, she was definitely a little drunk.

Autumn Li didn’t rush this time. She held her fourth glass of wine casually and sat back in her chair, lazily watching people dance. Her gaze drifted over the crowd without focus—until it landed on a passing figure that caught her attention.

It was a woman.

Fair-skinned, slim, with black shoulder-length hair and striking red lips. Elegant and confident.

The spinning lights above cast a dreamy glow across the room. Soft glimmers scattered over her hair and skin like magic, making everything around her fade. All eyes were drawn to her without even trying.

She looked like a bold, vividly painted portrait—like an oil painting come to life.
In that moment, Autumn could see only her.

…Was that Ji Jinyan?

She wasn’t sure. The alcohol was beginning to catch up to her, making her head dizzy and her balance unsteady. Autumn instinctively reached for the table beside her to steady herself, then started walking toward the back of the club, chasing after the silhouette.

She didn’t know what she wanted to do—only that her feet wouldn’t stop moving. She pushed gently through the crowd, eyes locked in the direction that figure had gone, until she reached the staircase at the far end.

But no one was there. Just a quiet, dimly lit corner.

Autumn hesitated. Maybe she’d imagined it. Maybe it wasn’t her after all.

Just as she turned to leave, a voice came from above.

“Not curious enough to look up?”

Startled, Autumn slowly lifted her head.

“Ji Jinyan…” she whispered. “It really is you.”

Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, “It’s not working hours. I don’t have to call you Director Ji now, right?”

Her cheeks were slightly red, and her voice was softer than usual—clearly, she’d been drinking.

Ji Jinyan looked down at her, the corners of her lips curling into a faint smile. “You’re drunk, aren’t you?”

“I’m not,” Autumn said quickly, shaking her head. “I’m really not drunk.”

“Then what about you?” she asked, tilting her head slightly. “What are you doing here?”

“You said it yourself,” Ji Jinyan replied, gently tossing her words back to her, “It’s not working hours. Why shouldn’t I be here?”

“I thought…” Autumn’s voice faded, and she lowered her head, falling silent.

Ji Jinyan stepped down the stairs, stopping in front of her. “You thought what?”

Her voice was calm, almost curious. “What kind of person do you think I am?”

Autumn blinked. Her mind felt foggy. She didn’t want to answer that question.

Instead, she muttered, “I feel kind of cold.”

Without hesitation, Ji Jinyan took off her jacket and placed it gently on Autumn’s shoulders. “Still cold?”

Autumn shook her head. “No… not anymore.”
But even as she said it, she stepped back slightly. “I can’t accept this.”

Ji Jinyan raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”

“I don’t like owing people,” Autumn said softly.

As she spoke, she looked down and fumbled with something on her wrist. After a few seconds, she pulled at the hair tie there. “I haven’t returned this.”

She was referring to the hair tie Ji Jinyan had used to tie her hair up that day. It wasn’t just an object—it was a moment she hadn’t forgotten.

Ji Jinyan couldn’t help but smile. “You don’t have to. It’s a gift.”

“Oh.” Autumn nodded quietly, brushing her fingers over the band, deep in thought. After a pause, she softly said, “Thank you.”

She didn’t move. She didn’t speak again for a while.

So, Ji Jinyan asked, “Do you want to go home? I can drive you.”

Autumn shook her head. “I don’t want to go back.”

“Then what do you want to do?”

“I don’t know.”

After a long silence, Ji Jinyan reached out and gently patted her head. “Then come with me.”

“Where?” Autumn looked up, her eyes shining, reflecting the lights in the room as she met Ji Jinyan’s gaze.

Ji Jinyan paused for a moment, then gave her a smile.

“I’ll buy you a drink.”