Chapter 50: Surprise

Chapter 50: Surprise

Yu Zechuan was a man with a volatile temper. Some things could be done without his consent, while others required it. Clearly, paying the bill and stealing a kiss were not on the same level.

Pulling himself out of his shock, he grabbed Lu Yan's collar. His usually pale and composed cheeks flushed with a delicate crimson as anger sparked in his eyes. "Lu Yan, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

His teeth grated together audibly, indicating that he was barely holding back from lashing out physically.

However, Lu Yan seemed oblivious to Yu Zechuan's astonishment and rage. With one arm around the other's waist, he drew him closer, soothing him softly. "President Yu, please don't be angry."

He spoke innocently, "I've seen people give goodnight kisses when they're dating, so I kissed you."

Smiling, his eyes curved into crescents, and his long, thick eyelashes were captivating. It felt like a sin to raise one's voice at him. There was a hint of concern in his tone. "It was my first time kissing someone, did it make you uncomfortable?"

Turned out, it was both their first kisses.

"..."

Yu Zechuan choked on his words at this revelation. The lingering warmth on his lips still penetrated his heart, leaving his cheeks burning as if engulfed in flames.

Lu Yan had never seen Yu Zechuan like this: vibrant, audacious, and blazing like a fire unchecked, even his anger exuded vitality. Of course, the other party must be feeling more frustrated at the moment.

"Young Master Yu, it's late. I'll head upstairs first. You should also get some rest," Lu Yan said mischievously after lighting the fire, then leaving it unattended. But he didn't leave immediately; instead, with hands in his pockets, he smiled and backed away slowly. The dark blue night sky and warm yellow streetlamps became a gentle backdrop until he disappeared into the shadows before finally turning to enter the apartment.

Yu Zechuan stood rooted to the spot, taking a few seconds to regain his composure. He couldn't help but rub his face fiercely, feeling more humiliated than he had in years.

The driver couldn't resist sneaking a peek, but Yu Zechuan caught him and gave him a cold glare. "What are you looking at?"

Startled, the driver quickly averted his gaze. "Young Master Yu, I just wanted to know when we're leaving."

Yu Zechuan glanced at his wristwatch, his brow furrowing slightly. "Back to the old mansion."

The black car drove off, its engine rumbling softly in the darkness before disappearing at the end of the road.

When Lu Yan returned to the apartment, Jiang Kangkang was lying on the sofa playing on his phone. Seeing Lu Yan, he gave a surprised "Oh" and said, "Young Master Lu, you actually came back. I thought you'd be out all night."

Lu Yan had thought Jiang Kangkang was asleep. Hearing this, he tossed his keys onto the foyer and, while changing his shoes, replied, "Can't do that. It wouldn't be right to leave you alone in an empty apartment."

Jiang Kangkang rubbed his goosebumps with a twitching face. "I'm straight, no interest in that. Don't even try it."

Unable to resist, he asked, "Did you go out with Manager Jiang tonight?"

Lu Yan shot back, "Do you want to hear about it?"

Jiang Kangkang perked up instantly. "Yes, yes, tell me!"

Lu Yan offered him a smile and held out his hand. "Five hundred yuan for one story, three thousand for a monthly package, thirty thousand for an annual one. Which plan do you prefer?"

"Slap!"

Jiang Kangkang swatted his hand away. "So stingy! Forget it then, I don't even care to listen."

Lu Yan poured himself a glass of water. "This is called being thrifty and ambitious in seeking wealth... It's already past midnight, aren't you afraid you won't wake up for work tomorrow?"

Jiang Kangkang burst into laughter. "Lu Yan, have you lost your mind? Tomorrow's the weekend, who's going to work?"

Lu Yan subconsciously checked his phone upon hearing this, realizing it was indeed Friday, and he had the next two days off. No working person disliked weekends, and Lu Yan was no exception. After a warm shower, he comfortably crawled into bed and fell asleep.

Unbeknownst to him, another person was tossing and turning in their sleep.

Yu Zechuan had long suffered from migraines, but with consistent medication, his condition had been relatively stable. Lately, however, he found himself plagued by nightmares each night. The images were disjointed, forming no coherent narrative, and no supernatural elements appeared – yet they still sent shivers down his spine.

At times, it was a midnight deluge, with thunderbolts slicing through the pouring rain.

Other times, it was a hand clutching a bloodied dagger.

Tick, tock...

The sound of water overflowing from a bathtub.

In the tub, the body of a man lay submerged, his face obscured, a sharp wound visible at his throat, from which an endless stream of blood flowed, trickling down the sides of the bathtub into the drain.

Yu Zechuan's breaths came in quick gasps, desperately trying to discern the identity of the knife-wielder. But as his gaze lifted, a sudden bolt of lightning illuminated the "culprit's" face.

"Crash!"

Those were eyes filled with malevolence and a murderous intent. A deep scar snaked across the right side of the man's face, a grotesque sight that evoked the image of a convict freshly escaped from prison.

That face was etched into Yu Zechuan's memory, yet it was also utterly foreign to him. His eyes widened in shock, his breaths rapid and uneven, unable to accept that the murderer was himself!

"Rumble—!"

Another dull and deep thunderclap seemed to tear through the heavens.

Yu Zechuan jolted up from his bed as if electrocuted, finally roused from his slumber. He turned his head to look out the floor-to-ceiling window and realized that rain had started falling outside without his notice. The sky was dark, and the pitter-patter of raindrops created a relentless symphony, as if they were determined to drench the entire city.

Yu Zechuan's chest rose and fell irregularly. He pulled back the covers and stepped barefoot towards the window, the coldness of the floor seeping into his skin. Yet, he stood there transfixed, staring outside as if in a trance.

The glass was covered with a web of trickling water droplets. Up close, Yu Zechuan could discern his own reflection, albeit blurred. However, the intensity in those eyes was identical to the man in his dream.

How could this be?

Why did he have such a dream?

Yu Zechuan couldn't grasp the logic. He closed his bloodshot eyes, striving to dispel the murderous intent that lingered from the nightmare. Suddenly, a question emerged in his mind—

Who was the lifeless body lying in the bathtub?

Yu Zechuan returned to bed, attempting to re-enter his dream, but found himself unable to fall asleep. He had always been an atheist, but after experiencing such recurrent dreams, he felt as if he was being haunted by malevolent spirits. He even contemplated visiting a Buddhist temple for solace.

His phone, placed beside his pillow, suddenly vibrated with an incoming call, perfectly timed to disturb his slumber. With weary eyes, he assumed it was Lu Yan, the cunning one, but to his surprise, the caller ID displayed Jiang Boyun's name.

Of course, recently, there had been several high-level meetings at the company where Jiang Boyun had been caught in several blunders, resulting in a demotion. It would be abnormal if he didn't call.

Yu Zechuan sat up, leaning against the bedside. He waited for the phone to ring several times before casually picking up, his voice cool and impatient, yet not much different from before: "Hello?"

"Zechuan, it's me," Jiang Boyun's gentle voice came through the speaker. "I called at your usual waking time, I hope I didn't wake you?"

Yu Zechuan's gaze softened slightly. "What is it? Did I disturb you?"

His blunt response left Jiang Boyun feeling awkward. He had intended to feign concern but found himself unable to continue. "Nothing much. You haven't shown up for work in a week and didn't answer your calls. I was a bit worried, so I called to check on you."

Yu Zechuan knew that Jiang Boyun's true intentions were hidden beneath his words. The corners of his lips curled into a mocking curve. "Is that all?"

Jiang Boyun was oblivious to the fact that he had unknowingly fallen into Yu Zechuan's trap, his every move now under the latter's control. He stammered, "Ze Chuan, a few days ago, the chairman held a meeting and said our publicity for the Rongbo project wasn't adequate. They demoted me..."

Yu Zechuan chuckled, not at Jiang Boyun's predicament but at his own past foolishness. This man wore his ambitions so openly on his face, yet Yu Zechuan had once believed Jiang Boyun to be trustworthy.

"I'm aware of the situation. Since the Chairman has spoken, you can stay in that position for a while. When the time is right, we'll rearrange things."

Lying wasn't a difficult task, Yu Zechuan was well-versed in it too.

Jiang Boyun visibly relaxed upon hearing this and tried to establish rapport. "Are you free today? How about we have lunch together?"

Yu Zechuan declined promptly. "I don't feel like going out on a rainy day."

Jiang Boyun smiled amiably. "That's true. The roads are slippery on rainy days. Let's plan another time when the rain stops. It's still early, so you can catch some more sleep."

Yu Zechuan replied, "We'll talk about it then."

Ending the call, he tossed his phone aside, intending to resume his sleep. But something must have crossed his mind, as he reached for it again, noticing that it was half past six.

Yu Zechuan frowned. If Jiang Boyun had the courtesy to call and check up on him, why hadn't Lu Yan made any contact?

As he absentmindedly tapped the screen, memories of Lu Yan sneaking a kiss last night surfaced. His initially cold expression flushed with a hint of pink, and he inwardly seethed,

"Just who gave Lu Yan the audacity to kiss me? And he claims it was his first time kissing—clearly, he's a repeat offender!"

Despite Yu Zechuan's frustration, he had to admit that it was Saturday, and few working people would rise so early. He buried his phone under his pillow and forced himself to sleep, periodically checking for messages in between.

Unaware of Yu Zechuan's torment, Lu Yan slept until noon. Since Jiang Kangkang had gone back to visit his parents, the apartment was empty save for him. The remnants of yesterday's takeout cluttered the table, reflecting the disarray of two bachelors' living quarters.

Lu Yan brewed a cup of instant coffee to rejuvenate himself, then dozed off on the sofa. Glancing out the window, he noticed it was raining.

Rain had always marked his demise in his previous life; its relentless downpour carried an unspeakable sense of destiny, as if drenching his soul and every fiber of his being. Even sunny days seemed to weep water.

There was an indescribable chill and melancholy to it all.

But thankfully, fate had taken a different turn.

Recalling something, Lu Yan pulled out his phone and tapped away for a few minutes before putting it back down.

At last, at two in the afternoon, Yu Zechuan stirred awake. He unlocked his phone, only to find the message thread still barren. An involuntary frown creased his brow.

Yu Zechuan wasn't one to hold his tongue. He raised an eyebrow coolly and dialed a number directly. After a long wait, it finally connected.

"Hello?"

On the other end of the line, Lu Yan's voice sounded slightly surprised, perhaps puzzled as to why Yu Zechuan would suddenly call him. "President Yu, why is it you?"

Yu Zechuan's mood darkened, and his lips pressed into a straight line. "Are you resting at home today?"

Lu Yan answered honestly, "It's the weekend, so I'm off work."

Yu Zechuan's tone was like that of an interrogator. "What time did you wake up?"

Glancing at the clock, Lu Yan replied uncertainly, "Around noon, I've only been awake for less than two hours."

Yu Zechuan: "...."

This made Yu Zechuan even more agitated. He had a multitude of questions pent up inside him: Why did he wake up so late? Why didn't he send him a message as soon as he woke up? Why was he so dense?

In a cold and unwavering tone, Yu Zechuan commanded, "Meet me for dinner at six o'clock this afternoon."

Surprisingly, Lu Yan hesitated. "Six o'clock... It might not be possible."

Feeling his fingers gripping the phone tighten, Yu Zechuan asked, "Why?"

Lu Yan replied, "I have to have lunch with a friend today, so I won't have much time."

Yu Zechuan laughed in anger. He thought that Lu Yan was incredibly daring, to be flirting with someone outside after just a few days with him. He asked, seemingly emotionless, "What kind of friend is so important?"

His tone was low and menacing, like the calm before a storm.

Lu Yan answered matter-of-factly, "My boyfriend."

Yu Zechuan's expression changed. He wondered if he had heard wrong. "What did you say?"

He clearly heard Lu Yan chuckle on the other end of the line. His voice was deep and magnetic, but it was soon drowned out by the noise of the rain. "Come downstairs, President Yu."

Then, to his surprise, Lu Yan said, "I'm standing outside your door. Would I be honored to take you out for lunch and a movie?"

Yu Zechuan was genuinely stunned. He had never told Lu Yan where he lived. Hearing this, he instinctively ran to the balcony, wondering if Lu Yan was lying to him. However, due to the size of the garden, he couldn't see the entrance from there. He hastily put on a coat and rushed downstairs.

In his haste, Yu Zechuan forgot his umbrella. He hurried towards the security booth, but despite searching through the rain, he couldn't find Lu Yan. Instead, he got drenched and couldn't help but sneeze.

Frowning fiercely, Yu Zechuan realized he had been deceived. Standing under a decorative tree, trying to shelter from the rain, his frustration was palpable even through the phone. "Lu Yan, did you dare to trick me?!"

Deceiving him was the one thing he despised most in his life! The absolute most!

Lu Yan appeared surprised. "President Yu, you can't possibly believe that, can you?"

In this world, where could there possibly be a fool like Yu Zechuan?

Upon hearing this, Yu Zechuan clenched his teeth instantly. The pain induced by these words surpassed his anger, as if a sense of betrayal had pierced his trust. He pressed his lips together and solemnly said, "Lu Yan, do you believe that..."

The menacing words were still on the tip of my tongue when, without a sound, an umbrella suddenly appeared above my head, shielding me from the raindrops that had been seeping through the foliage, creating a small dry sanctuary in this world of wetness.

Yu Zechuan sensed a sudden surge of warmth behind him, accompanied by a man's intrigued voice, his breath hot against Yu Zechuan's earlobe, tickling like a feather's touch.

"What do you believe or not?"

Yu Zechuan froze, turning in surprise. He saw Lu Yan standing with one hand in his pocket, smiling at him. The chill from the rain gradually dissipated as it was replaced by the other man's fiery warmth. Only his teasing tone remained:

"Oh～I see now. Is President Yu trying to say that Xiao Lu is exceptionally trustworthy?"

Yu Zechuan didn't respond, his mind occupied with another matter.

He had actually shown up.