Chapter Scene 3: Corporate Meetings, Secret Touches, Dangerous Smiles
Tang Han Qiu was always the most composed person in any room — until today.
But today, she was losing control of herself.
She stood behind her father's massive mahogany desk, posture straight, chin lifted, expression cool and unreadable. The office was immaculate — glass walls, muted gold accents, abstract art chosen for power rather than taste. Everything in this room had purpose.
Unlike her heartbeat.
She adjusted the diamond ring on her finger, a symbol of expectation rather than engagement. It glittered like a reminder: poised, untouchable, destined.
She exhaled slowly.
Freedom felt strange. She had broken from her father's control, from the invisible script that cast her as the ruthless heiress. Yet without the script, she felt… exposed.
The door opened without ceremony.
"President Tang," came a warm, lilting voice.
Tang Han Qiu didn't need to look to know who it was.
Yu Ru Bing walked in as if the office belonged to her. She wore confidence like perfume — subtle, but impossible to ignore. Her smile was bright, eyes curved with mischief, long hair falling effortlessly over one shoulder.
Behind her trailed Qiu Yun Li.
He was talking.
"…so if we adjust the campaign angle slightly, the shareholders won't panic. I've already drafted three alternatives —"
He stopped when he noticed Yu Ru Bing wasn't beside him anymore.
She had drifted toward Tang Han Qiu's desk.
Like gravity had shifted.
Tang Han Qiu's fingers tightened slightly against the polished surface. "What are you doing here?" she asked, voice level.
Yu Ru Bing leaned forward slightly, resting her hands on the desk. "Visiting."
"This is a corporate meeting."
"Yes," Yu Ru Bing agreed sweetly. "And I'm very invested in corporate matters."
Qiu Yun Li cleared his throat awkwardly. "She insisted on coming. Said she wanted to observe."
"Observe what?" Tang Han Qiu asked coolly.
Yu Ru Bing's gaze met hers directly. "You."
Qiu Yun Li blinked. "I'm sorry?"
Tang Han Qiu coughed lightly. "She means the business operations."
"Of course," Yu Ru Bing said smoothly, though her eyes never left Tang Han Qiu's face. "Very educational."
Tang Han Qiu felt heat creep up her neck. She turned away first.
"Sit down," she said.
Yu Ru Bing didn't sit.
Instead, she walked around the desk.
Slowly.
Qiu Yun Li, completely oblivious, opened his laptop and began explaining projected revenue growth.
Tang Han Qiu tried to focus.
She really did.
But Yu Ru Bing had positioned herself just behind her chair.
Close.
Too close.
"You're standing very near me," Tang Han Qiu said quietly without turning.
"I know," Yu Ru Bing replied just as softly.
Qiu Yun Li continued talking numbers.
Yu Ru Bing leaned down slightly, close enough that her voice brushed Tang Han Qiu's ear. "You look tense."
"I am not."
"You're pressing your thumb against your ring finger again."
Tang Han Qiu immediately stopped.
Qiu Yun Li looked up. "Is something wrong?"
"No," both women answered at the same time.
They glanced at each other.
Yu Ru Bing's lips twitched.
Tang Han Qiu's composure cracked for half a second.
"President Tang," Qiu Yun Li continued earnestly, "I also think it would be good to attend the charity gala tonight together. Public unity."
Tang Han Qiu nodded mechanically. "Fine."
Yu Ru Bing straightened. "Oh, a gala? How romantic."
"It's a networking event," Qiu Yun Li corrected.
"Even better," Yu Ru Bing said cheerfully.
Tang Han Qiu finally turned in her chair. "Why are you really here?"
Yu Ru Bing's playful expression softened slightly. "To ask if you'll keep me."
Qiu Yun Li froze mid - sentence. "Keep… you?"
Tang Han Qiu's pulse spiked. "That's not appropriate phrasing."
Yu Ru Bing reached into her pocket and pulled out a wrapped piece of candy, placing it carefully on the desk between them.
"My price is low," she said. "One piece of candy."
Qiu Yun Li stared at it. "Is this some kind of marketing metaphor?"
Tang Han Qiu exhaled sharply. "She's joking."
"I'm not," Yu Ru Bing replied calmly.
She picked up Tang Han Qiu's hand — naturally, casually — as if examining her ring.
Qiu Yun Li didn't react.
He was too busy scrolling through financial graphs.
Yu Ru Bing's thumb brushed lightly over Tang Han Qiu's knuckles.
The contact was subtle.
But it was intentional.
Tang Han Qiu's breath caught.
"You're very bold," she murmured.
"You're very beautiful when you're flustered," Yu Ru Bing whispered back.
Qiu Yun Li looked up again. "Did someone say something?"
"No," Tang Han Qiu answered quickly.
Yu Ru Bing's fingers slid down, lacing briefly with Tang Han Qiu's beneath the desk.
Hidden.
Private.
Qiu Yun Li continued presenting quarterly projections completely unaware that the two women were holding hands inches away from him.
Tang Han Qiu tried to pull back.
Yu Ru Bing tightened her grip just slightly.
A silent challenge.
"You're crossing a line," Tang Han Qiu warned under her breath.
"Am I?" Yu Ru Bing's smile was innocent. "You haven't pulled away."
Tang Han Qiu's heart pounded.
She realized she truly hadn't.
Qiu Yun Li closed his laptop. "So, shall we confirm the gala appearance?"
"Yes," Tang Han Qiu said automatically.
Yu Ru Bing squeezed her hand once before letting go.
The loss of warmth felt immediate.
"Wonderful," Qiu Yun Li said brightly. "I'll arrange transportation."
He stood. "I'll wait outside while you two… discuss the remaining documents."
He left.
The door clicked shut.
Silence fell.
Tang Han Qiu stood abruptly. "What exactly are you doing?"
Yu Ru Bing tilted her head. "Flirting."
Tang Han Qiu stared at her.
"At work?"
"Yes."
"In front of him?"
"He didn't notice."
"That's not the point."
Yu Ru Bing stepped closer. "Then what is the point?"
Tang Han Qiu's voice dropped. "I don't like women."
Yu Ru Bing's expression didn't change. "You like me."
"That's not the same."
"Exactly," Yu Ru Bing said softly.
Tang Han Qiu's breath hitched.
Yu Ru Bing reached out again, but this time slower. She brushed her fingers along Tang Han Qiu's wrist, tracing the faint pulse beneath her skin.
"You're shaking," Yu Ru Bing observed gently.
"I am not."
"You are."
Tang Han Qiu swallowed. "You're very confident."
"I have to be," Yu Ru Bing said, voice losing its teasing edge. "You hide behind walls."
Tang Han Qiu's jaw tightened. "Those walls exist for a reason."
"Then let me climb them."
The directness made Tang Han Qiu's composure slip again.
"You're reckless."
"I'm deliberate."
Yu Ru Bing's hand slid upward slightly, resting lightly against Tang Han Qiu's waist — not possessive, just present.
"If you don't want this," Yu Ru Bing said quietly, "push me away."
Tang Han Qiu didn't move.
Instead, she said, "You're very sure of yourself."
"No," Yu Ru Bing admitted softly. "I'm very sure of you."
That answer disarmed her.
For once, Yu Ru Bing wasn't teasing.
Tang Han Qiu's hand rose slowly, hesitantly, and touched Yu Ru Bing's shoulder.
Testing.
Yu Ru Bing smiled — softer now. Less playful. More real.
"See?" she murmured. "You don't hate this."
Tang Han Qiu's voice came out lower than she intended. "You make it very difficult to think."
"Then don't think."
Yu Ru Bing leaned closer, not kissing her, not rushing — just closing the space until their foreheads nearly touched.
Tang Han Qiu felt her breath mix with Yu Ru Bing's.
"You're dangerous," she whispered.
"You like dangerous."
A reluctant laugh escaped Tang Han Qiu. "You're insufferable."
"And you're adorable when you try to insult me."
Tang Han Qiu surprised herself.
She smiled.
Genuinely.
Yu Ru Bing looked almost stunned for a second.
"There," Yu Ru Bing said softly. "That's the expression I came for."
Before Tang Han Qiu could respond, there was a knock.
Both women stepped apart instantly.
Qiu Yun Li poked his head in. "Sorry, I forgot my phone —"
He stopped.
They stood a perfectly appropriate distance apart.
Tang Han Qiu looked composed.
Yu Ru Bing looked radiant.
Qiu Yun Li narrowed his eyes slightly. "Did I interrupt something?"
"Corporate bonding," Yu Ru Bing said brightly.
Tang Han Qiu cleared her throat. "We were reviewing strategic alignment."
Qiu Yun Li nodded slowly, clearly confused but too polite to question it.
As he retrieved his phone, Yu Ru Bing's hand brushed Tang Han Qiu's again.
Just once.
Gentle.
Deliberate.
Qiu Yun Li left.
Again.
Tang Han Qiu exhaled sharply. "You enjoy this far too much."
"Yes," Yu Ru Bing agreed easily.
"And if I tell you to stop?"
Yu Ru Bing studied her carefully. "Do you want me to?"
Silence.
Tang Han Qiu looked at her.
Really looked at her.
At the confidence.
At the vulnerability beneath it.
At the warmth she hadn't felt in years.
"No," Tang Han Qiu admitted quietly.
Yu Ru Bing's answering smile was bright and triumphant — but tender.
"Good," she said. "Because I don't plan on going anywhere."
Tang Han Qiu felt something shift inside her.
Not surrender.
Not defeat.
Choice.
"You're bold," she said.
Yu Ru Bing stepped close one final time, voice playful again. "And you're mine to tease."
Tang Han Qiu raised an eyebrow. "Careful."
"Or what?"
A slow, deliberate pause.
Tang Han Qiu leaned in slightly, just enough to make Yu Ru Bing's breath falter.
"Or I might start teasing back."
For the first time, Yu Ru Bing looked caught off guard.
Tang Han Qiu smiled — sharp, elegant, dangerous.
Maybe freedom wasn't about breaking walls.
Maybe it was about choosing who you let inside them.
And as Yu Ru Bing reached for her hand again — openly this time — Tang Han Qiu didn't hesitate.
She intertwined their fingers.
Not hidden.
Not by accident.
When Qiu Yun Li knocked again moments later, asking about gala attire coordination, neither woman let go.
He didn't notice.
He simply continued discussing tuxedo colors.
And Tang Han Qiu, for the first time in her life, felt something dangerously close to delight.