158: Chapter 158 Overly Charming

Jiang Chen reacted extremely fast, grabbing her wrist almost the instant she started to topple.

His other hand steadily supported the side of her waist, and with a gentle pull, he brought her whole body back in front of him.

Shen Xi stumbled into his embrace, her forehead resting lightly against his chest.

No one saw that in that moment, a very faint, triumphant smile flashed across her lowered face.

She used his strength to steady herself, her fingertips still clutching his sleeve. When she looked up, she happened to meet Jiang Chen's profile just inches away.

The dim corridor light fell softly on his features—his high bridge of the nose, sharp jawline, and even that slightly trembling Adam's apple all appeared exceptionally sexy in her blurred, drunken eyes.

She knew Jiang Chen was handsome and outstanding, but on a night like this, at this distance, and through an alcohol-soaked filter, everything seemed magnified to the extreme.

He was too lethal.

This was the only thought remaining in Shen Xi's mind.

Everything about this man.

His strategic mind, his effortless poise, and his composure that always kept everything under control were all irresistible, lethal temptations to her.

It was true for the Wantai matter, and true for the Zhou Wanquan matter; it seemed any difficult or complex situation would become clear and simple before him.

He just stood there, and without needing to do anything, he already made it impossible for people to look away.

How could she not be moved by such a man?

With no one else around, the alcohol had stripped away all her restraint and reservation, and the secret hidden deep in her heart for so long could no longer be suppressed.

She didn't back away. She just looked up at him like that, her eyes hazy, carrying the laziness and directness of intoxication.

Her gaze unscrupulously traced the contours of his profile—from his brow bone to the bridge of his nose, from his jaw to his Adam's apple—lingering over every inch, refusing to move away for a long time.

“President Jiang...”

She spoke, her voice carrying a post-drinking rasp, soft and sweet like it was coated in honey or soaked in wine overnight. Gone was her usual professional distance, replaced entirely by uncontrollable heartbeat and honesty.

“Do you know that you are really quite excessive?”

Jiang Chen looked down at her, meeting those moist, infatuated eyes.

He still hadn't let go of the hand supporting her waist. His grip was gentle yet steady, keeping her firmly protected in front of him. His voice was deep and warm, the end of his sentence curling up slightly with a hint of indulgent curiosity.

“Oh? How am I excessive?”

Shen Xi stared at his face for two seconds, her gaze sliding from his brow to the bridge of his nose before falling back to his eyes.

Then she curled her lips into a smile that was a bit silly yet confident, her voice as light as if she were telling a long-hidden secret.

“Excessively charming.”

Two words, simple yet exceptionally clear in the quiet corridor.

After saying it, she didn't hide. She just looked up at him blankly, her amber eyes shimmering with light, reflecting the corridor lamp and his face.

It was as if she had laid all her cards on the table before him, wearing an expression that said, 'This is exactly what I think, do what you will.'

Jiang Chen was stunned for a moment.

In those two seconds, Shen Xi saw something surge in the depths of his eyes before he suppressed it again.

Then he took a soft breath, his Adam's apple rolling slightly. When he spoke, his voice was even lower than before, carrying a trace of restless raspiness after being stirred: “Do you know what you're saying?”

“I know.”

Shen Xi nodded confidently, then immediately added another sentence, as if trying to justify herself or perhaps acting spoiled.

“You can't blame me for drinking too much. Who told you to look like this...”

Jiang Chen looked down at her, falling silent for two seconds.

Then he turned his head and let out a low chuckle. The sound was more distinct than before, carrying a sense of helpless indulgence toward her.

But Shen Xi wasn't done.

She released her grip on his sleeve and raised her hand to lightly climb onto his shoulder.

Borrowing the state of drunkenness where she hadn't quite stood steadily yet, she stood on her tiptoes, tilted her face up, and planted a soft kiss on his unguarded cheek.

That kiss was very light, like a feather landing on the surface of water, unwilling to even disturb the ripples.

Her lips were soft and warm, the lingering sweet-bitterness of red wine mixing with the crisp cedar scent on him. The touch was as fleeting as a dragonfly skimming the water.

Yet it was startlingly hot, as if all the secret feelings she had accumulated for so long were pressed into this less-than-a-second of skin-to-skin contact.

The corridor was deathly quiet, save for the low hum of the night wind brushing against the window glass and the sudden stagnation of their breath.

Shen Xi lowered her heels, backed away half an inch, and looked up at him.

Her face was so red it almost seemed to be burning. Her amber eyes reflected the golden light of the corridor lamp and Jiang Chen's slightly stunned face.

Intoxication had wrapped her in a thin layer of courage; she didn't hide, meeting his gaze head-on.

Her eyes held a complex and stubborn light—the kind that comes after doing something one has wanted to do for a long time, while feeling a bit of regret but refusing to admit it.

Jiang Chen looked down at her.

Those eyes, usually calm and indifferent, were now dark and heavy, as if they had been stirred by something, or as if he were trying his best to suppress some surging emotion.

His Adam's apple moved again, and the line of his jaw appeared even sharper under the light.

“Shen Xi.”

He called her name, his voice much lower than usual, like it had been rubbed by sandpaper, carrying a hint of hoarseness.

But Shen Xi heard a restrained tenderness in his tone—no blame, no distance, only a cautious sense of propriety.

It was precisely this sense of propriety that made her heart feel both sour and sweet, throbbing so much she almost felt like she was drowning in it.

In the end, he didn't say anything else. He only tightened his grip on her slightly, steadying her more firmly in front of him.

Then he lowered his head slightly, keeping his voice soft enough that only she could hear: “You really have had too much to drink. Let's go, I'll take you home.”

Shen Xi lowered her eyelashes, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve into a very faint, shallow arc.

She didn't speak again, obediently letting him support her as they walked toward the elevator step by step.

Her steps were still a bit light and unsteady, but her heart felt as if it had landed in the softest, most appropriate place, feeling incredibly lighthearted.

The elevator doors slowly closed, and the mirrored interior walls reflected the figures of the two standing side by side.

His figure was tall and straight, his expression having returned to its usual composure, but the hand at her waist never pulled away, his grip steady as if afraid she might bump into something again.

As for her, her dark blue gown draped like the night sky. The flush on her cheeks hadn't faded, and the corners of her eyes and brows hid a secret, bright joy that only a little girl who had just finished a piece of mischief would have.

Using the reflection of the elevator glass, she stole another glance at his profile.

The place she had just kissed showed no trace.

But she just felt that that small patch of skin must have been stained with her warmth.

The elevator descended slowly, and the city lights spread out like a gentle ocean beneath their feet.

The long night was not yet over, the wind was gentle, and those feelings that had been lurking in the dark for so long finally broke through the soil this night, blooming with the first ray of imperceptible light.