Qi Ce reluctantly stayed on Li Qin's body, rubbing her for a while before letting go. He held her face and kissed her again.

He gasped, "I wish I could be with you every minute of every day."

Li Qin's mind was entirely focused on the outside. Huo Mingzheng should have finished presenting the awards by now, and he probably returned to his seat. She had to hurry and get away from Qi Ce.

She hummed softly and said, "We'll surely be together for a long, long time from now on."

Qi Ce appeared cold and aloof in front of others, but he was completely open with her. His joy was evident on his face. "Alright, I'll try to see you again in a few days. Take care of yourself."

Li Qin smiled and nodded, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"I'm leaving now."

Qi Ce pulled her hand, dragged her into his arms, and held her tightly for a while before letting go.

Li Qin returned to the venue and sure enough, saw Huo Mingzheng sitting in his place. She took a deep breath and walked over, sitting beside him.

"How come you're breathing so hard?" Huo Mingzheng turned his head to glance at her.

Before coming out of the restroom, Li Qin tidied her hair and makeup, her face flawless. She patted her chest, "I've been feeling a bit short of breath lately."

Huo Mingzheng tightened his grip on the bottle, a faint scent wafting through his nostrils.

He closed his eyes, unscrewed the bottle cap, and took a sip of water.

"You've been working hard taking care of me lately."

Li Qin said gently, "It's not hard work, I just hope you recover soon."

After the award ceremony, Huo Mingzheng arranged for bodyguards to send Li Qin back, and Cao Fang drove back to the company.

As soon as Huo Mingzheng returned to the company, he called for a high-level meeting and began reviewing the endless piles of documents, approving various projects.

He was busy until it was almost evening. He glanced at the time, put down his pen, got up, and put on his coat.

As evening approached and it was almost time to get off work, Fu Yan received a call from her bodyguard, "Miss Fu, I'm waiting for you at the car park."

Fu Yan clutched her phone, her heart heavy as she thought back to Huo Mingzheng's domineering words this morning. She simply hummed in response.

In the underground parking lot, sure enough, there was a car with its hazard lights flashing.

The bodyguard came down to open the car door for her. She got in, and inside the car, the faint scent of medicine and aquatic fragrance mingled together.

Her nerves tightened, and she instinctively looked up. The man reached out to her, grabbed her wrist, and gently pulled her toward the car.

She threw herself into his arms. His warm, strong hand pressed against her waist, supporting her, more like imprisoning her.

"Are you cold?"

Fu Yan dodged his gaze and didn't answer.

Huo Mingzheng wasn't annoyed. He embraced her waist and placed her on his thigh, slightly tilting his head to kiss her lips. "Lan Sao makes Guangcheng cuisine well, I told her to make your favorite."

As soon as Fu Yan's lips parted to speak, Huo Mingzheng's tongue slid in, blocking her voice. He kissed her for a long time before finally letting go.

"What do you want to say?" the man's voice was low and husky.

Fu Yan's heart pounded so hard it felt like it was going to explode. She couldn't stand Huo Mingzheng treating her this way, pushing her deeper and deeper into this abyss. She knew it was a lie, a trap he was setting for her, binding her tightly.

One's heart is unwilling but compelled, constantly probing and repeatedly getting hurt.

She had thought that Fu Hanlin would have rejected her resignation application, and she would be able to leave before the New Year. Ji Lin was also working hard to find her a place to stay. Everything was progressing according to her plan, and she couldn't reveal her emotions.

She whispered, "You don't have to accommodate me; I can eat anything."

Back at Mingyu Mansion, Lan greeted them at the entrance hall and placed slippers out. "Mr. Huo, Miss Fu," she said.

(Editor in charge:jane austen novels)