Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Amidst the crowd, Fan Zhongchuan discreetly supported Ning Yuyi and silently exited through a side door.

Perhaps because the banquet was so lively, outside the hall only a few hurried staff passed by, and no one else was in sight.

Initially, Fan Zhongchuan was simply supporting Ning Yuyi by the shoulder, but the one he was trying to aid wasn't cooperating, refusing to move even a step.

With a silent sigh, Fan Zhongchuan unbuttoned his suit jacket, bent down slightly, and with a swift move, lifted Ning Yuyi by supporting his neck and the bend of his legs.

For a brief moment, when lifted, Ning Yuyi instinctively struggled. But within three seconds, he realized this seemed like an ideal place to sleep, settled into a comfortable position, and plunged into a deeper slumber.

Feeling the person in his arms wriggle to find a comfortable sleeping position, Fan Zhongchuan stiffened and dared not move.

It wasn't until Ning Yuyi fell into a deeper sleep that Fan Zhongchuan exhaled a sigh of relief, paused for three seconds, and then continued towards the parking lot.

However, the warmth he felt told him unequivocally that he was developing feelings for the man in his embrace.

A sharp pain in his neck jolted Ning Yuyi awake.

"Hmm."

A faint murmur redirected the attention of Fan Zhongchuan, who was driving, to the person beside him.

"Awake?"

Opening his eyes, the retreating neon lights outside the window momentarily disoriented Ning Yuyi.

"Where am I?"

"In the car." Fan Zhongchuan readjusted the reclined seat to its original position, noting Ning Yuyi straightening up and rubbing his neck. "Is your neck sore?"

"A bit," Ning Yuyi pinched his neck and then massaged his waist, "How did I get here?"

With a slight purse of his lips, Fan Zhongchuan glanced at him, "I carried you."

Carried... carried me?!

Startled, Ning Yuyi choked on his saliva, coughing continuously, his mind a blank.

A hint of amusement in his voice, the typically stoic Fan Zhongchuan always displayed a subtle fondness when facing Ning Yuyi, "Don't remember? You insisted on sleeping and refused to walk, demanding to be held."

Demanding... to be held?

"Cough, cough!"

Ning Yuyi's coughing grew louder. Fan Zhongchuan slowed the car down and finally pulled over, leaning over to unbuckle Ning Yuyi's seatbelt and patting his back, "Feeling better?"

"Cough." Slowly recovering, Ning Yuyi looked up to see Fan Zhongchuan offering him a bottle of water.

He carefully unscrewed the cap and put it to his lips.

"Thank you." Ning Yuyi held the water with both hands, expressing his gratitude in a soft voice.

A smile played on Fan Zhongchuan's lips as he watched Ning Yuyi take small sips.

Only after Ning Yuyi finished drinking and capped the bottle did he ask, "To your place or a hotel?"

Fan Zhongchuan had originally planned to take Ning Yuyi to a hotel to rest, not expecting him to wake up en route.

"Let's go home," Ning Yuyi peered outside, attempting to recognize their location, "Mr. Fan can drop me off, and I can take a taxi from there."

"Address," Fan Zhongchuan interrupted him.

"Huh?"

"Where do you live?"

Ning Yuyi relayed his residence address.

After checking the driving route, Fan Zhongchuan buckled Ning Yuyi's seatbelt again. Ensuring he was seated properly, he then pressed the accelerator, following the directions from the navigation system.

Ning Yuyi could clearly see the nape of Fan Zhongchuan's neck as he leaned forward, making him so nervous he took only shallow breaths.

The atmosphere grew momentarily silent.

The outside scenery gradually became familiar, and Ning Yuyi sighed in relief, only to be interrupted by Fan Zhongchuan's sudden remark.

"You can address me differently, so it doesn't sound so distant every time."

It took Ning Yuyi a moment to realize Fan Zhongchuan was referring to how he had just addressed him as "Mr. Fan."

"Then..." Ning Yuyi pondered, "How about 'Brother Fan'?"

"Hmm."

This deep, resonant response left Ning Yuyi thoroughly smitten, his fondness for voices once again evident.

……

"We're here," Fan Zhongchuan stopped at the base of Ning Yuyi's building, instinctively scanning the surroundings for safety.

"Thank you, Brother Fan."

Rolling the words "Brother Fan" around his tongue, Ning Yuyi felt a touch of awkwardness, "This title sounds weird; maybe I should choose another."

An idea struck Ning Yuyi, "Calling you 'Brother Fan' feels just as strange as simply calling you 'Brother'."

The moment he uttered those words, he regretted it.

Why would he call him "Brother"?! That's Mr. Fan, for goodness sake!

Just as Ning Yuyi was about to revert to "Brother Fan", he heard Fan Zhongchuan softly affirming his new title.

"Have something more to eat when you get home," Fan Zhongchuan advised, "You ate too little at the banquet."

"Alright," Ning Yuyi paused, "Thank you, Brother."

Ning Yuyi hesitated, "So, Brother... shall I head upstairs?"

Fan Zhongchuan stood beside the car, watching Ning Yuyi until he saw a light turn on in an upper-floor apartment. Only then did he return to his vehicle, feeling reassured.

No sooner had Ning Yuyi returned home than he received a call from Zhou Erhe.

"Damn, damn, you finally answered! Where are you right now? Is Mr. Fan still with you? His assistant said you fell asleep and he took you with him. Did he do anything to you? Are you okay now?..."

Ning Yuyi felt bombarded by the onslaught of questions, causing his ears and head to ache, "Which question should I answer first?"

"Hold on, let me think. I'll just ask you one thing right now," Zhou Erhe took a deep breath, "Does your... butt hurt?"

Ning Yuyi: "???"

"Why would my butt hurt?" Ning Yuyi answered, bewildered, "It's my neck and waist that are sore from sleeping in the car. So uncomfortable."

This remark seemed to trigger Zhou Erhe, who let out a piercing shriek.

"You slept... in the car?" Zhou Erhe's voice nearly cracked, pacing anxiously, "Where was the car parked? Not on the side of the road, was it?"

Ning Yuyi retorted, "Isn't the car supposed to be on the road? What, do you expect it to fly?"

"Damn, so you mean, while on the road, Mr. Fan had the driver drive and you slept... in the backseat?"

Halfway through Zhou Erhe's comment, Ning Yuyi seemed to catch on, his face reddening, "Zhou, what on earth are you thinking?"

"I just fell asleep, and Mr. Fan assisted me into the car to sleep," Ning Yuyi insisted through gritted teeth, "We just slept, in the ordinary sense of closing our eyes and resting. What's going on in your head?"

"And later on, I woke up halfway, and Mr. Fan just drove me home!"

"...Oh." Turns out he had jumped to conclusions.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Zhou Erhe asked Ning Yuyi a few more questions before hanging up.

Ning Yuyi patted his hot, flushed face and rushed to the bathroom to splash water on himself, trying to regain his composure.

After washing up, he looked up into the bathroom mirror.

Reflected was a man in a white suit, the jacket slightly crinkled from sleeping, with water droplets dripping from his freshly-washed hair, giving him an oddly attractive look.

"Forget it, I'll just shower and go to bed," Ning Yuyi yawned after a brief moment.

After showering, he went to sleep.

Thus ending his day.

Back at his place, Fan Zhongchuan took cold showers throughout the night, haunted by the way Ning Yuyi called him "Brother."

Author's note: The feelings are budding!