After Being Forced to Kiss My Boss. - Chapter 1

At one in the morning, the main bar street in the city center was still brightly lit, illuminated as if it were broad daylight.

Inside a private VIP room, the atmosphere was lively and buzzing. Two rounds of drinks had already gone down, and everyone had sung themselves hoarse. Yan Weiwei let out a long breath, set down the microphone, and swayed unsteadily as she nudged the girl sitting beside her with a liquor bottle.

“A-Qiu, A-Qiu, Li Wanqiu!” Yan Weiwei patted her on the shoulder. “Sing a song, too.”

“Pass.” Li Wanqiu shook her head, drained the rest of the liquor in her glass with her eyes downcast, and leaned back into the throw pillows behind her. “I didn’t come out tonight to party, anyway,” she murmured.

“I know, you’re seeking asylum,” Yan Weiwei chuckled, poking her playfully. “But since you’re already here.”

“Besides, you dressed up so pretty today,” Yan Weiwei added, leaning in mysteriously to whisper in her ear. “There are so many people around here eyeing you with interest.”

Giving a self-satisfied thumbs-up, Yan Weiwei beamed. “As expected of our Eldest Miss Li—a total heart-stopper.”

Yan Weiwei wasn’t exaggerating; Li Wanqiu was indeed breathtakingly beautiful.

She had shoulder-length chestnut hair, exquisite features, porcelain-white skin, and a slender waist. Her pure black slip dress complemented her skin tone perfectly. Paired with the subtle upward flick at the corners of her eyes and her vibrant red lips, she looked as playful and alluring as a cat.

Tonight’s gathering had been organized by one of Yan Weiwei’s friends. Many people had turned up, acquaintance and stranger alike. A few who were seeing her for the first time were downright spellbound.

Even while drunk, Yan Weiwei couldn’t stop playing matchmaker, constantly worrying about Li Wanqiu’s love life. One moment she was asking her what she thought of this guy, and the next she was telling her to check out that girl over there.

Finding the noise overwhelming, Li Wanqiu covered her right ear, turned around to pour herself another drink, and was just about to sip it when Yan Weiwei’s voice cut in again—this time accompanied by frantic pats on her shoulder: “A-Qiu, A-Qiu!”

“What now?” Li Wanqiu said, somewhat speechlessly. “Did you see a ghost?”

“N-no.” Yan Weiwei replied, her finger trembling as she pointed toward the door. “I-it’s your mom!”

Looking up, Li Wanqiu saw a figure standing right outside the entrance. The small glass window on the door reflected her mother’s image—noble and dignified, looking entirely out of place in a venue like this. With her brows tightly furrowed, she looked ready to fly into a rage at any second.

Li Wanqiu froze, nearly spilling her drink all over herself.

Tonight was originally supposed to be a Li family gathering. Li Wanqiu hadn’t wanted to go, which was why she had fled to the bar to hide, never expecting her mother to track her down here.

The private room’s door had good soundproofing, quickly muffling the noise behind her as she stepped out. Closing the door behind her, Li Wanqiu greeted, “Mom.”

“Do you still remember I’m your mother?” Mrs. Li’s tone was stern. “You claimed you were too busy and skipped the family dinner, only to turn around and run off to drink? You’re busy, alright.”

“It just coincided,” Li Wanqiu defended herself softly. “Family gatherings are important, but gatherings with friends are, too.”

“Don’t give me that nonsense!” Mrs. Li snapped angrily. “Do you think I don’t know what little schemes you have in that head of yours?”

“You just think it’s embarrassing and you’re afraid everyone will talk about you.”

To be fair, that was accurate.

The Li family had been in business for generations, producing talented individuals one after another. Their enterprise was considered a standout among competitors. They spared no effort in business, and naturally, they held exceptionally high expectations and demands for their children.

For instance, Li Wanqiu’s older brother, Li Qing, had been arranged to take over one of the Li family’s branch companies at an early age, stepping smoothly onto the path his parents had laid out for him.

With such a precedent, her parents naturally wanted to apply the same formula to their daughter. Unfortunately, Li Wanqiu was nothing like her brother. Not only did she lack the slightest bit of interest in running a business, but she was also like a wild horse unbridled—extraordinarily difficult to manage.

No matter how much talent Li Wanqiu demonstrated in other fields, in her parents’ eyes, it was all useless fluff that couldn’t be presented in polite society. On normal days, nagging and lecturing were unavoidable; at family gatherings, they practically dragged her down to being worthless.

Not wanting to argue, Li Wanqiu turned her gaze aside.

She knew her mother’s long-winded lecture was starting again. First, she would attack her for being irresponsible and unfocused, then bring up her older brothers and sisters to compare against her. Only after a round of scathing commentary would she finally reveal the main point.

Her father had arranged a new job for her again.

In her father’s eyes, Li Wanqiu was idle all day long, as if the words “good-for-nothing” were practically written across her forehead. Having a daughter like this made him feel ashamed, so he was always desperate to find things for her to do.

At first, it was their own family business. Later, they assigned her to dummy positions at partner companies just to mess around. Unfortunately, no matter what it was, Li Wanqiu couldn’t care less, remaining stubbornly uncooperative.

Yet, despite all this, her father hadn’t given up. Now that things had finally calmed down a bit, he had found another place for her.

This time, it was actually a winery.

Having drunk quite a bit, the alcohol was starting to rush to Li Wanqiu’s head, making it somewhat difficult to process information. Even so, she managed to catch the name of the winery clearly in an instant.

Bisha.

Li Wanqiu raised an eyebrow slightly. “Oh?”

Her father had really pulled out all the stops this time.

The name Bisha was far from unfamiliar to her. More specifically, Bisha was famous across the entire wine industry. Not only was its quality widely acclaimed by industry experts, but it had also won countless awards both domestically and internationally.

Compared to Bisha’s massive scale and proud achievements, the commercial success of the Li family was hardly worth mentioning.

She had no idea how her father had managed to pull strings with Bisha.

Before she could ponder it further, her mother continued, “I’m extremely busy and don’t have time to waste on nonsense with you. I’ve said all there is to say. Tomorrow morning at ten, wait at the gate of your residential complex. Your father and I will pick you up together.”

Li Wanqiu was somewhat surprised. “So grand?”

“Nonsense!” Mrs. Li retorted testily. “President Ji’s schedule is packed! It’s only thanks to your father’s friend having recent business dealings with her—and being on decent terms—that we managed to secure a brief moment of her time. You better make the most of it!”

Judging by her mother’s words, it seemed this matter wasn’t set in stone yet.

Li Wanqiu let out a quiet sigh of relief and was about to speak when her mother cut her off again: “Honestly, look around the entire Li family—is there anyone else like you? Setting aside your older siblings, even your younger cousin is a hundred times better than you! Right after graduation, she entered a state-owned enterprise in an important role with a bright future ahead of her!”

“And you? A piece of mud that can’t stick to the wall,” Mrs. Li grumbled. “If you weren’t my biological daughter, I would have thrown you out long ago.”

Li Wanqiu stiffened at those words, her brows furrowing slightly after a moment of silence.

She hated hearing those words more than anything else.

It rooted back to when she was five years old, when she accidentally got separated from her parents at a formal gala.

During her childhood, her parents spent little time with her, barely seeing her a few times a year. Li Wanqiu had been terrified that her parents didn’t like her, so she tried her best to be well-behaved and cute. For that banquet, she had even put on her favorite little dress and asked the maid to carefully style her hair and outfit.

Yet despite that, her parents hadn’t paid much attention to her. Throughout the entire event, they were busy talking and laughing with others. Later, they even left her alone in a rest area. When Li Wanqiu woke up to find no one around, she thought her parents didn’t want her anymore, and her tears fell uncontrollably.

Though it was a trauma left over from childhood, even now, as an adult, she remained deeply affected by it.

Li Wanqiu paused, the words she had wanted to say suddenly getting stuck in her throat. After a moment of silence, they coalesced into a single word:

“Oh.”

The night passed, and soon it was time for the appointment with her parents. Li Wanqiu got into the car, and after an hour’s ride, they finally arrived.

Li Wanqiu had done some homework online earlier, looking up Bisha’s land area, facilities, and annual output on its official website. She thought she was mentally prepared, but seeing it in person still left her thoroughly stunned.

Bisha was truly massive.

Li Wanqiu pulled out her phone, snapped a few casual photos, and sent them to Yan Weiwei.

“Hurry up and keep up,” Mrs. Li snapped sternly.

The three of them crossed a landscaped garden area and walked straight into the reception hall. Someone came forward to greet them, asked for their purpose, and led them to a guest room to wait.

“Please wait a moment,” the receptionist girl said with a sweet smile. “President Ji is currently in a meeting.”

“Alright, alright,” Father Li agreed with a nod. The moment the girl stepped out, he began discussing things with Mrs. Li, praising Bisha’s immense scale and top-notch facilities, remarking on how President Ji was truly young and capable.

Bored, Li Wanqiu listened for a bit before looking down to play with her phone.

Just then, Yan Weiwei’s call came through.

“I’m going outside to take a call,” Li Wanqiu stood up and walked out of the guest room, leaving her mother’s sharp warning to “come back quickly” behind the door. She looked around, found a quiet corner, and answered.

“You actually went!” As soon as the line connected, Yan Weiwei’s excited voice vibrated through the receiver. “How is it?”

“Haven’t met her yet,” Li Wanqiu twirled a strand of her hair casually. “But what they say online is true—Bisha really is huge.”

“The internet also says President Ji is extremely gorgeous!” Yan Weiwei chimed in cheerfully. “I’ve seen her photos; she’s prettier than a celebrity! Delicate features, tiny waist, long legs—any random picture of her is total eye candy! You’ll definitely like her.”

“Is she really that good-looking?” Li Wanqiu paused. She had been pressed for time this morning and hadn’t searched as thoroughly as Yan Weiwei, only glancing through the basics. At this moment, the only thing she could recall was President Ji’s age.

She was thirty—a whole seven years older than her.

Li Wanqiu had no interest in people who were much older than herself, so she added, “Meh, it’s alright. Ji Jinyan is way too old.”

“Old?” Yan Weiwei corrected her immediately. “That’s called mature!”

“Mature.” Li Wanqiu chuckled, about to argue further, when she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. A moment later, someone brushed past her shoulder.

Li Wanqiu involuntarily turned her head. The first thing she sensed was a subtle scent drifting toward her—refreshing and crisp like a mountain spring, yet not cold at all; instead, a soft, faint hint of sweetness was gently hidden within it.

Li Wanqiu paused, her words catching in her throat. Looking up, she was instantly captivated by the person before her.

It was a beautiful woman—an extraordinarily beautiful woman. She was dressed in a tailored, impeccably fitted women’s suit. Her long black hair was gathered into an elegant low ponytail, mostly resting behind her back, though a few stray locks curved gracefully along her fair neck down to her chest. Above that was a buttoned collar, an exquisite lip shape, and captivating eyes.

Perhaps because they were close, Li Wanqiu even noticed a tiny, delicate mole hidden half-concealed beneath her hair on her neck.

Abstemious yet undeniably alluring.

In the next second, their eyes met. After a brief silence, the woman raised her hand to tuck the hair beside her neck behind her ear. Her gaze lingered on Li Wanqiu’s face with a casual, assessing look for half a second before she smiled faintly: “Miss Li, let’s talk in the meeting room shortly.”

“Ah, okay.” Li Wanqiu paused before nodding lightly. Her eyes instinctively dropped to the woman’s name badge, only to realize that, by sheer coincidence, this was the very person she had just been talking about with Yan Weiwei on the phone.

It was the rumored young, capable, and stunning President Ji.

Ji Jinyan.