Chapter 32: Different

Chapter 32: Different

Lu Yan couldn't understand why he always stumbled upon office politics. He glanced down at the hand on his waist and discreetly pulled away, forcing a smile. "Chairman Jiang, please don't do this..."

Trying his best to maintain his charming persona, Lu Yan said, "Give me the USB drive. It's too risky for you to keep it. It would be better if I took care of it."

Just as Lu Yan was about to lose his cool, Jiang Boyun finally turned around, entered the compartment, retrieved the USB drive from the safe, and handed it to him with a grave tone. "You must keep this USB drive safely. Don't let anyone find it. If anything happens... both of us will be in deep trouble."

The latter part of his statement served as both a reminder and a warning.

Lu Yan made an effort not to appear too eager, nodding calmly instead. He reached out to take it and assured, "I understand. Don't worry. If anything goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility. I won't involve you at all."

Just like... Yu Zechuan back then?

A strange feeling stirred in his heart, but he forcefully suppressed it.

Jiang Boyun felt somewhat reassured. Then, another thought crossed his mind. "Are you really planning to resign from the company?"

Obviously, why else would he leave unless he wanted to fall prey to your underhanded tactics?

Lu Yan slipped the USB drive into his pocket, aware that it was not yet time to confront Jiang Boyun openly. He lowered his head and acknowledged with a soft "Mm." "I'm planning to open my own business. Staying in the company where we constantly run into each other might invite gossip."

Jiang Boyun also felt that it wasn't ideal for Lu Yan to remain at the company. After all, he no longer needed anything from him and their association could potentially expose their relationship. "I'll transfer you some money later. If you need anything, just let me know."

Lu Yan had always held the belief that if someone like Jiang Boyun was offering money, he shouldn't refuse it for free. Hearing this, he didn't decline. "Understood. You go ahead with your work then. I'll leave."

Just as he was about to exit, his wrist was unexpectedly caught, causing his heart to skip a beat. Oh no, this familiar scene... Could it be...

"Why have you been rejecting me lately?"

Jiang Boyun's low voice sounded from behind, laced with suspicion. He had sensed Lu Yan's unusual behavior lately, but couldn't quite pinpoint the specifics.

Predictably,

Lu Yan guessed that Jiang Boyun's thoughts were once again drifting towards intimacy. Gently brushing off the other's hand without drawing attention, he tactfully declined, "I just feel that since you're about to get married, it wouldn't be appropriate for us to continue like this."

Goodness, the midnight terror was truly frightening!

But Jiang Boyun suddenly stepped forward, pinning Lu Yan against the table. His gaze darkened as he fixated on the collarbone peeking from the man's shirt, assuming jealousy. With unusual patience, he reassured, "Ayan, I promise, she won't affect your position in my life."

Lu Yan couldn't resist the twitch of his eyelid. He shot back, puzzled, "Do I hold any significance to you?"

Jiang Boyun had always treated the original host as a casual lover, not even a proper boyfriend, without giving him any legitimate status. Lu Yan found his words amusing and somewhat ridiculous.

Jiang Boyun frowned, running his hand over Lu Yan's cheek, wondering why he hadn't noticed how prickly the other party could be. "Are you still blaming me?"

Lu Yan turned his head to avoid his touch, feeling uncomfortable as if there were insects crawling on his face. "I'm not blaming you. I just want to live my life in peace."

Jiang Boyun's hand hung in mid-air for a moment before he reluctantly retracted it. Believing that he had found Lu Yan's weakness, he planned to solve the problem with money, just like before. "I have a property in Houwan. You can move in there for now. Later, I'll find an opportunity to transfer the ownership to your name."

House = cohabitation = sex.

Lu Yan promptly declined, "No need. Just don't come looking for me anymore."

As he was about to leave, Jiang Boyun held him down tightly. Through gritted teeth, he whispered fiercely, "Lu Yan, don't think you can just cut things off with me like that. I won't agree to it!"

Seeing that the soft approach wasn't working, he resorted to force, cupping Lu Yan's cheeks to kiss him. However, he didn't expect to be suddenly punched hard in the face, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Bang!"

Jiang Boyun lost his balance, accidentally bumping into the table and wincing in pain. Dazed for a few seconds, he then covered his mouth, staring at Lu Yan in shock. "You dare hit me?!"

So what if I hit you? It's not like I haven't done it before.

Lu Yan casually swung his aching fist, mulling over how Jiang Boyun seemed to be destined for a beating. He hadn't planned on getting physical, but his patience had worn thin.

"Jiang Boyun, you're about to be engaged. Don't make me look down on you."

With that, Lu Yan turned and headed for the door. To his surprise, Jiang Boyun followed, seething with anger. "Lu Yan! Stop right there!"

Lu Yan spun around, raising his hand as if to strike. Jiang Boyun promptly shrunk back, making a sound like a frightened rabbit.

Tch.

Lu Yan scoffed and walked away for real this time, leaving Jiang Boyun too afraid to stop him.

Instead of leaving immediately, Lu Yan walked to the end of the corridor and entered a men's restroom at the corner. Of the five stalls, only one was occupied. He washed his hands in front of the mirror, purposefully turning the water flow loud. Soon enough, a figure in blue appeared silently behind him.

Lu Yan didn't raise his head, merely cleaning the wound on his hand. He had struck Jiang Boyun with such force that his knuckles had been grazed by the other's teeth. "The security has dispersed. If you want to leave, now's your chance. It wouldn't be good if Jiang Boyun found out."

Xue Jin stood at the corner of the restroom entrance, allowing him to observe the corridor while remaining concealed. He gazed at Lu Yan with a complicated expression, puzzled as to why the other had taken the blame for him earlier. "Why did you help me?"

He was well aware of the strained relationship between Jiang Boyun and Lu Yan. In Xue Jin's mind, they were two dogs in a mire, neither better than the other.

Lu Yan countered, "Can't I help without any benefits?"

Feeling somewhat stuck, Xue Jin didn't know Lu Yan's intentions, nor did he expect to be caught in such a compromising situation. His voice held a hint of danger. "What exactly do you want?"

Xue Jin was an overly sensitive and speculative person. If not given a reasonable explanation, his imagination could run wild.

Lu Yan reluctantly dried his hands on a tissue, pondering for a while before forcing a sorrowful expression. "President Xue, I know you're a good person, and I also know that you've always looked down on me."

Xue Jin was confused. "???"

Lu Yan wasn't a skilled actor, so he mostly kept his head down. The wound on the back of his hand had swollen from the cold water, making it noticeable. His voice was low. "To be honest, I don't actually like Jiang Boyun. I've been forced to stay by his side all these years. He's done many terrible things, and I've long wanted to leave him..."

Xue Jin hadn't anticipated this revelation, his expression shifting as he felt at a loss.

"You don't have to worry about what just happened. I'm planning to resign anyway. It's better for me to take the fall than to implicate you."

Perhaps due to Lu Yan's convincing performance, Xue Jin genuinely felt that he had wronged an innocent person. He opened his mouth, yet found himself unable to utter a single word for quite some time.

Seeing that his act was sufficient, Lu Yan tossed the crumpled paper into the trash can. "Mr. Xue, if there's nothing else, I'll be on my way. Don't worry, I won't speak out of turn."

Adjacent to the restroom was an elevator door. Lu Yan took the lift downstairs to begin the resignation process. It would likely take about a week for the paperwork to be finalized and approved. Since he had requested extended leave, he could just stay at home during this period.

Unbeknownst to him, shortly after his departure, Jiang Boyun accessed the entire floor's surveillance footage. Time rewound, precisely capturing the moment Lu Yan left the office.

At that time, apart from Secretary Eva, only Lu Yan remained on the floor. Curiously, as the footage progressed, the screen suddenly went black.

Jiang Boyun frowned. "Why did the surveillance footage go dark?"

The head of security stood opposite, pretending not to notice the bruise on the Chairman's jaw. He looked down at the tips of his shoes and said, "Chairman Jiang, I checked just now, and the surveillance system seems to be functioning normally. Perhaps it was due to insufficient storage space that it... "

Jiang Boyun couldn't help but feel annoyed. "Did you check the downstairs surveillance? Were there any suspicious individuals entering or leaving?"

The head of security hesitated before responding, "There seemed to be one."

Jiang Boyun asked, "Who was it?"

Security Captain: "From the finance department, his name is Lu Yan."

Jiang Boyun: "..."

By the time he returned to the apartment complex, it was already evening. Lu Yan felt that the day had been full of ups and downs, leaving him mentally drained. Carrying a bag of snacks, he stood at his doorstep, ready to input the access code when he heard a faint sound of a door unlocking from next door:

"Click—"

It was like a pebble had been dropped into a tranquil pond, creating ripples.

Lu Yan paused, seemingly guessing who it could be. He lifted his gaze a beat later, only to find Yu Zechuan leaning against the door frame, watching him.

Yu Zechuan was still wearing the clothes Lu Yan had given him that morning - a loose, black T-shirt that suited him well, accentuating his broad shoulders. His lean forearms were tucked into the pant pockets, and half of his pale, sharp jawline was shrouded in shadows. His expression was calm and indifferent.

Yu Zechuan appeared as still as a stagnant pool. When he looked at others, his gaze was akin to that of someone observing the dead. However, when his eyes landed on Lu Yan, there was a subtle difference, like a tiny flower blooming in an inanimate stone.

"Had your shift ended?" He leaned against the door frame, seemingly just stepping out to greet him.

"Mm-hmm, I'm off work now."

Lu Yan had originally thought Yu Zechuan might feel awkward seeing him today, but it didn't seem to be the case. His gaze lingered on the other for a few seconds as if pondering something. "Did you feel unwell anywhere today?"

Though Lu Yan was self-taught, he was still a novice yesterday. He pondered for a long time if he had accidentally hurt Yu Zechuan in his inebriated state, but with the aftereffects of alcohol, he couldn't recall clearly.

Yu Zechuan immediately understood what he was asking. Embarrassed, he looked away, a faint blush spreading across his face. "No."

The two muffled words were brief and hurried, barely audible if one wasn't paying close attention.

"That's good to hear."

Lu Yan suddenly found himself at a loss for words. After a moment of hesitation, he reached into the shopping bag, rummaged through it, and finally pulled out a bar of black chocolate, extending it to Yu Zechuan. "For you."

Yu Zechuan took it and noticed that the packaging was warm. He raised an eyebrow. "Are you planning to have these snacks for dinner?"

Lu Yan casually replied, "No, instant noodles."

He had just bought a pile of instant noodles with eight different flavors from the convenience store downstairs, intending to try them all at home.

Upon hearing this, Yu Zechuan stared at him silently.

"..."

Lu Yan unexpectedly grasped the unspoken message and chuckled. "Should I bring you a bowl when it's done?"

Yu Zechuan raised an eyebrow in response. "Isn't it tiring for you to keep going back and forth?"

Lu Yan: "..."

Yu Zechuan had a strong sense of possession, one that transcended his belongings and extended to anything or anyone that caught his eye.

He infiltrated their lives like air, slowly consuming them from the smallest details until they became his...

However, Yu Zechuan was not yet aware of this aspect of himself. He was merely curious about Lu Yan's personal life and wanted to keep a watchful eye on him at all times.

In the kitchen, Lu Yan moved with practiced ease, never appearing flustered as he skillfully managed the heat. As the water boiled, a light mist of vapor enveloped him, slightly obscuring his figure.

Sitting alone on the sofa, Yu Zechuan observed this scene in silence. His amber eyes narrowed, growing increasingly deep and mysterious.

Lu Yan planned to make a beer-braised duck. He opened the fridge, took out an ice-cold can of beer, and the metallic pop of the pull-tab echoed crisply.

Yu Zechuan's ears twitched, like a vicious dog sensing blood, immediately making him rise and approach. "Drinking again?"

His tone was menacing, and Lu Yan felt that it could just as well be translated as, "You're trying to get drunk and take advantage of me again, aren't you?"

With his hands propped on the countertop, Lu Yan couldn't help but find the situation amusing. "Never had beer-braised duck before?"

Moreover,

he picked up the beer, deliberately took a large swig in front of Yu Zechuan, then shook the now mostly empty can with a grin that begged for trouble. "What if I did drink it?"

A blatant provocation!

Suddenly, Yu Zechuan grabbed Lu Yan's collar, forcefully pinning him against the corner of the countertop. The confined space forced them close, their heated bodies pressing together, evoking memories of their intimate encounter from the previous day.

Yu Zechuan gritted his teeth silently. "Did you forget what you did when you were drunk yesterday?"

Silence hung in the air for a moment, only the bubbling of boiling water in the pot audible.

Lu Yan's gaze was profound as he suddenly asked with an ambiguous tone, "Do you really think I was drunk yesterday?"

The words were like a scorching coal that burned Yu Zechuan's hand, causing him to quickly withdraw. Startled, he stepped back, but Lu Yan leisurely approached, reversing their positions.

"And,"

Lu Yan cornered Yu Zechuan, looking at him composedly with his fingers clearly defined against the countertop edge, blocking all escape routes. He spoke deliberately, "Are you aware... that some things can be done even without being drunk?"

"Hmm?"

The last word carried a nasal tone, deep yet slightly rising, grazing Yu Zechuan's eardrums unexpectedly, leaving him feeling as if someone had secretly kissed him.

Yu Zechuan subtly clenched his fingertips, suddenly unwilling to be dominated by the other. He lifted his eyes to meet the man's gaze, the corners of his lips curling slightly, conveying a subtle sarcasm, "Then you must be quite skilled."

Capable of doing it drunk or sober.

Lu Yan: "...."

Under the light, Yu Zechuan's face appeared exceptionally attractive, with a lustrous jade-like glow, but the scar was also clearly visible. As he stared at Lu Yan, he seemed split in two, his fragmented state almost tangible, as if he could never be fully pieced together.

For some inexplicable reason, Lu Yan recalled the previous life where Yu Zechuan, covered in blood, had looked at him with a sorrowful and mocking smile through reddened eyes.

"I'm not an animal that can be aroused at any moment."

Lu Yan's fingers twitched slightly, suddenly longing to touch the scar on Yu Zechuan's face. In fact, he did just that.

Feeling the warmth on his cheek, Yu Zechuan instinctively turned his head and closed his eyes, furrowing his brows deeply. Yet, Lu Yan's deep and earnest voice sounded in his ear, "I was indeed drunk last night."

Drunk enough to act wildly under the influence of alcohol.

"But not drunk enough to sleep with anyone randomly."

In the past, Lu Yan thought love and hate were the most terrifying emotions because they were too pure and extreme, often leading to destruction. But after encountering Yu Zechuan, he realized that the intertwined feelings of pity and hatred were the most terrifying.

On one hand, he pitied this person before him so much that it stirred a protective instinct.

On the other hand, he also despised this person with icy hatred for killing him twice.

These two emotions entangled, waxing and waning like their inseparable past and present lives. Lu Yan himself didn't know when love would overpower hate or when hate would devour love.

All he knew was that Yu Zechuan was troubled by last night's events, but not because of their intimacy; rather, it seemed to bother him that once drunk, he might have ended up in bed with anyone regardless of whether it was him or not.

Lu Yan disagreed:

"You're different from others."

Upon hearing this, Yu Zechuan instinctively opened his eyes, his gaze filled with uncertainty and surprise: "Why?"

Was it because he had been imprisoned? Or perhaps disfigured?

His mind raced with wild speculations, yet beneath the man's amused stare, his heartbeat betrayed him, skipping a beat.