Chapter 20 “Yun Shu, Can Your Body Still Hold Up?”…

Chapter 20: "Yun Shu, are you still doing okay?"

Not only had Lin Yunshu prepared the necessary documents, but he had also gotten wedding photos ready in advance.

Though both of them usually leaned toward formal business attire, Zhou Yu had lots of different suits and dress shirts, yet he rarely wore the most basic white ones.

For instance, at that very moment, he was wearing a dark gray, finely woven cotton shirt, brazenly unbuttoning it and taking it off right in front of Lin Yunshu.

Lin Yunshu glimpsed it out of the corner of his eye, sighed inwardly, and turned his back to continue checking the documents.

Zhou Yu took two steps forward, went to the clothes rack, and picked up the white shirt Lin Yunshu had prepared.

In one fluid motion, he was back right in front of Lin Yunshu.

He dressed with exaggerated movements, seemingly casual but actually putting effort into showcasing his impressive biceps, V-line abs, and eight-pack.

"Ah," Lin Yunshu sighed, turning away again.

But Zhou Yu grabbed his wrist. "Am I really that hard to look at?"

He hadn’t had time to button up yet, proudly showing off to Lin Yunshu.

Lin Yunshu: "..."

He silently buttoned his boss’s shirt.

"It’s just that your physique is too impressive," he said. "I don’t dare look, afraid I’ll feel insecure."

His slender, pale fingers gently and patiently fastened the buttons one by one, occasionally brushing against Zhou Yu’s abs, the touch cool and smooth like jade.

Zhou Yu’s stomach tightened, and he abruptly grabbed Lin Yunshu’s fingers.

Lin Yunshu looked up, confusion in his eyes.

Zhou Yu saw a pair of light-colored pupils, as clear and innocent as a fledgling bird’s, with no trace of the dazed, overwhelmed look from their nights together.

Vivid images flooded his mind—Lin Yunshu, eyes red, sobbing vividly.

Zhou Yu finally realized he had overplayed his hand.

He had originally intended to tempt Lin Yunshu with his good physique, to make Secretary Lin so accustomed to the best that he would never settle for anything less even if he left.

But instead of succeeding, he had ended up getting himself worked up.

Just a few brief touches from Lin Yunshu’s fingertips and a few glances, and he had nearly lost control.

Zhou Yu felt even more pathetic.

He moved Lin Yunshu’s hand away and turned around, mustering all his willpower.

Clumsily, he buttoned the last few buttons himself.

"Alphas and omegas are naturally different in physical condition," he said stubbornly. "If you can’t match my training, there’s no need for you to feel inferior."

Lin Yunshu: "?"

Once fully dressed, Zhou Yu turned back, feeling puffed up and somewhat disoriented from Lin Yunshu’s praise.

Ever since he gained the ability to think independently, Zhou Yu had firmly believed that a high-quality alpha must possess an equally high-quality physique.

A real man should treat the gym as his second home.

Men who indulged in eating, drinking, and making merry, and let themselves become overweight were low-grade, inferior, and lacked self-discipline! They ought to be looked down on by society.

He looked at Lin Yunshu with pride. "If you knew how much effort nutritionists and personal trainers poured into sculpting these muscles, which balance strength and aesthetics, you’d agree I’m worth it."

Lin Yunshu: "..."

He closed his eyes, despairingly realizing that his boss had leveled up on the path of narcissism.

"But if you really want to train," Zhou Yu looked Lin Yunshu up and down, placing a hand on his abdomen, "it's not that I can't—"

He paused mid-sentence, his palm resting on Lin Yunshu’s warm body.

He suddenly remembered how frail this body was—Lin Yunshu was so thin that his stomach was slightly sunken.

After being sick these past couple of days, he had even bruised his abdomen from pressing on it.

Zhou Yu’s heart ached uncontrollably. Thinking of the equipment in the gym, he felt that any of it would be torture for Lin Yunshu.

"Forget it."

Zhou Yu abandoned his belief at lightning speed.

Though a man shouldn’t skip the gym, if it was Lin Yunshu, avoiding that hardship seemed justified.

"You’d better not train," Zhou Yu said. "You’re too fragile. I’d hate for you to try lifting weights and end up breaking something."

Lin Yunshu: "..."

"It’s not that bad," he defended himself dryly. "I’m not that weak."

But Zhou Yu wasn’t listening, lost in his own artistry. "If it really comes to it, I can train with you in bed."

Lin Yunshu: "???"

"Boss!" Li Xun pushed the door open. "The car is ready, and the driver is waiting downstairs…"

His voice trailed off, winding like a mountain road with eighteen bends.

Due to his haste in opening the door, Assistant Li, on his boss’s wedding day, unavoidably overheard his boss’s bedroom secrets.

The three of them stared at each other from a distance, at a loss.

The boss still had his arms wrapped around Secretary Lin’s chest, an intimate posture that made Li Xun see flashing lights.

The next second, Secretary Lin pushed the boss away abruptly, his ears turning visibly red.

Assistant Li bitterly wished he were a dainty Thumbelina instead of a tall, sturdy man.

Standing in the doorway, he was as conspicuous as a stone lion.

Backing out was no longer an option.

It would only seem like he was trying to cover something up, as if the boss and Secretary Lin were indeed up to no good in the office.

So Li Xun steadied himself, drawing on the strong composure he’d developed from years working under Zhou Yu, and pretended their embrace was simply a celebration of their contract about to be finalized.

"Boss, Secretary Lin," he said with professional composure, "let's go."

Secretary Lin bolted out.

Li Xun only felt a sudden gust pass before his eyes and turned his head in surprise.

He had never seen Secretary Lin move with such agility before.

"Look at you two, is this your first day knowing each other?" Zhou Yu’s face was full of displeasure at having his moment interrupted. "Move aside."

Li Xun: "..."

He miserably shuffled away.

·

In the car, Li Xun sat sheepishly in the passenger seat, hunching his shoulders and shrinking back, trying his best to minimize his presence.

Lin Yunshu was reviewing the paperwork for the fifth time.

Zhou Yu remained silent, observing him with relaxed amusement.

Lin Yunshu’s neck was slender, and every time he lowered his head, the curve of his nape looked graceful.

The weather was beautiful today, and the sunlight streaming through the window cast a soft, serene glow on the contours of Lin Yunshu’s profile. Zhou Yu could even see the fine peach fuzz on his cheeks.

So adorable.

Lin Yunshu took out their household registration books and ID cards, aligned them neatly with a tap of his pale fingertips, stacked them together, and solemnly placed them into a kraft paper bag.

How could he be this adorable?

Zhou Yu’s heart softened to the point of melting.

Lin Yunshu looked exactly the same as he did three years ago during their first business trip together—serious and meticulous, determined to ensure every detail was perfect.

Later, Lin Yunshu became an excellent Secretary Lin, handling everything with effortless grace, and never showing this side of himself again.

Zhou Yu’s heart stirred slightly, and he tugged at Lin Yunshu’s hand. "Nervous?"

Lin Yunshu looked up and smiled briskly. "No."

"Really?" Zhou Yu stroked his fingers. "Well, what should I do? I’m so nervous I can’t stand it."

Lin Yunshu was surprised; Zhou Yu didn’t seem nervous at all.

"Stop comforting me," Lin Yunshu said helplessly.

"No," Zhou Yu took the document bag from him and held it. "It’s my first time getting married in this lifetime. You have to be nervous with me."

Lin Yunshu gave a soft laugh and didn’t pull his hand away.

He turned his head slightly, the corners of his lips curling upward.

Zhou Yu leaned in closer and saw the faint dimple at the corner of Lin Yunshu’s mouth, his heart overflowing with emotion.

"You look so beautiful when you smile. Why won’t you let me see it more often?"

"You... enough already."

Lin Yunshu’s fingertips trembled slightly.

He was genuinely starting to feel embarrassed.

But Zhou Yu laughed heartily, his chest shaking with amusement, and finally released Lin Yunshu’s hand with satisfaction.

The car was filled with a rosy, romantic atmosphere, and even the temperature seemed to rise.

The driver quietly turned down the air conditioning.

In an unnoticed corner, Li Xun was sweating profusely, his face etched with an expression of utter horror.

Zhou Yu teasing Lin Yunshu was like the King of Hell teasing Guanyin—unnerving and bizarre.

·

After what felt like an eternity, they finally arrived at the civil affairs bureau. Before the car even came to a complete stop, Li Xun scrambled out in a hurry.

The media was already waiting on the street. Taking a deep breath, Li Xun put on his professional assistant smile and opened the rear door for the newlyweds.

Zhou Yu stepped out first, holding a kraft paper bag, looking radiant with joy.

He leaned down and gently guided Lin Yunshu out of the car. Instantly, he could feel the surrounding cameras focusing and flashing.

Lin Yunshu stepped out of the car, squinting against the brightness. Zhou Yu raised a hand to shield his eyes.

"There are a lot of people around," Zhou Yu said. "Does it bother you?"

"It’s fine," Lin Yunshu replied with a soft smile.

Aside from the reporters Zhou Yu had whimsically invited to share in the excitement, the rest had been carefully selected by Lin Yunshu himself.

Each media outlet had a long-standing, stable partnership with the group and was skilled at writing high-quality, genuine flattering coverage about Zhou Yu.

In a way, they were like their own loyal troops.

How could Lin Yunshu possibly be nervous facing them?

He was more concerned about Zhou Yu.

The media had high-def cameras with perfect angles, and there might even be live broadcasts. The boss’s image was crucial.

He quickly straightened Zhou Yu’s collar and smoothed a stray strand of hair from his forehead.

Satisfied that Zhou Yu would look handsome even if a camera were shoved up his nose, he finally withdrew his hand.

"Alright," he said with a smile. "Let’s go."

Zhou Yu was elated.

His heart swelled with joy at Secretary Lin’s solicitous care. "Okay."

He took Lin Yunshu’s hand and walked along the cement path dotted with gravel as if it were a flower-covered red carpet, treating every step with reverence.

Together, they walked through the entrance of the civil affairs bureau.

At the scene.

The media: “O.M.G….”

“Damn…”

In the dead silence, someone blurted out a curse.

It immediately set off a chain reaction.

Lin'an Group's businesses span the globe, and the marriage of its leader has always been a hot topic of gossip.

As the only decent one among a bunch of spoiled rich kids, Zhou Yu—with his looks, physique, capabilities, and lack of bad habits—is a most eligible bachelor who has long been pursued by paparazzi for glimpses into his private life.

Unlike the scandalous secrets of other wealthy families, rumors have long circulated that the Zhou family is one of romantics.

It started with Zhou Yu’s grandfather.

The old couple were childhood sweethearts; the grandfather had a crush on the girl next door since they were young.

His first crush was her, the first person he confessed to was her, and on the very day they reached the legal marriage age, he married the girl he adored most.

In his later years, the grandfather remained full of vitality, but after his wife passed away, he seemed to deflate, rapidly declining and passing away within a month.

Their love story became a widely celebrated tale.

Even Zhou Yu’s underachieving father, though lacking in professional accomplishments, was never caught in any private life scandals.

Twenty years after Zhou Yu’s mother passed away, his father only publicly dated two women and never remarried.

Whether sincere or not, at least his actions appeared respectable.

When the grandfather passed away suddenly, Zhou Yu rushed back to take over the company. Zhou Xingde fought tooth and nail for power but couldn’t even dig up a single illegitimate child to challenge Zhou Yu’s inheritance.

Because of this, the public holds the Zhou family to a stricter standard than other wealthy clans.

The leader of Lin'an Group must have an impeccable private life and a happy, harmonious, dignified marriage to maintain the group’s positive public image.

Recently, Zhou Xingde stirred up a frenzy about an arranged marriage, dragging in almost every eligible omega young master from influential families.

No one expected that Zhou Yu would ultimately choose his first secretary—the one who stood by him from the beginning and weathered every storm with him.

“How can this not be a story of deep marital love!”

The handpicked reporter from Lin Yunshu’s inner circle led the charge, waving the banner high.

Other loyal media shook their heads in admiration, covering their faces as they sobbed, swiftly drafting glowing articles.

*Through Wind and Rain, the One I Love Will Always Be You!*

*You Stood by Me for Three Years, I’ll Give You a Lifetime!*

*From Campus to Career, from School Uniforms to Wedding Gowns—I Won This Long-Distance Race of Love!*

“They’ve known each other since university,” Loyalist No. 1 said, clutching a tissue. “President Zhou once said that when he was studying abroad, what he missed most was Secretary Lin’s tomato and egg noodles!”

“Now he can make them for Secretary Lin himself!” Loyalist No. 2 wept openly.

“Back when the old Mr. Zhou was fighting for power, how fierce it was! Secretary Lin had just graduated and entered the workforce, yet he bravely stood by his senior’s side. Such courage—how could it not be driven by deep affection?”

Loyalist No. 3 burst into loud sobs.

“Wuwu… They’ve finally made it, weathered the storm and seen the moon shine bright!”

Loyalists 1, 2, and 3 hugged each other and cried.

Nearby.

The Zhou Xingde loyalists, whom Zhou Yu had dragged over on a whim: “…………”

Rolling their eyes sky-high.

“What ‘made it’ and ‘long-distance race of love’? I don’t see any deep affection—just a whole lot of affectation.”

“Tch, probably just a prelude to Cassi’s next season launch.”

“Zhou Yu’s acting isn’t great either—so fake. Just fixing a collar, and he acts like he’s eaten magic mushrooms, completely bewitched!”

What a perfect case of “the moon favors the one nearest the tower, and fertile water doesn't flow to outsiders.”

After months of busy scheming by the old Mr. Zhou, Zhou Yu ended up pulling his longest-serving, most trusted secretary into the fold, all while marketing a deep-love persona.

With the two of them forming an impenetrable wall, Zhou Xingde’s attempts to interfere would only become even harder.

They quickly sent the fresh, hot-off-the-press photos to Zhou Xingde.

“Old Mr. Zhou,” the supervising editor whispered into his voice message, “Your son is far more cunning than you!”

·

The civil affairs bureau was highly efficient.

Filling out forms, submitting household registrations, taking photos—smiling for the camera.

With a stamp of the steel seal, the marriage was official.

Zhou Yu and Lin Yunshu were now legally recognized partners, bound to love and cherish each other for life.

The two returned to Lin Yunshu’s home together.

Zhou Yu had already packed his bags and couldn’t wait to move in.

With the burning marriage certificate tucked against his chest, Zhou Yu’s blood surged with relentless excitement.

Lin Yunshu turned on the fresh air system to ventilate the place—after a week away, the house felt stuffy.

Unaware that Zhou Yu was already overexcited to the point of wagging an imaginary tail, Lin Yunshu habitually began unpacking Zhou Yu’s luggage as usual.

Kneeling on the floor, he took Zhou Yu’s clothes from the suitcase, ironing each piece smooth before hanging them in his own walk-in closet.

Bent over, he carefully smoothed out every wrinkle. His white shirt was tucked into suit pants, highlighting his long, straight legs, with a stunning curve at the waist and hips. Below his slender, flexible back, the contours rose and fell with surprising fullness…

He had only hung up two pieces when Lin Yunshu was suddenly interrupted.

His vision blurred as he was pulled into an embrace.

Zhou Yu’s arms locked tightly around his waist, one hand gripping his chin as he leaned in.

He captured Lin Yunshu’s lips, delving deep, unerringly catching the tongue that tried to shy away.

The alpha's intense pheromones erupted abruptly, making the room feel scorching hot.

Lin Yunshu's ears buzzed, followed by a sudden spike in his heart rate. His pheromones gushed out uncontrollably, like water from a smashed bottle.

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·

Media outlets scrambled to publish articles, competing to be the first to break exclusive news.

The entire internet exploded instantly.

Lin'an Group headquarters was in even more chaos.

From the moment the PR department confirmed the news and began responding to congratulations from all quarters, the secretarial office was in an uproar for a full ten minutes.

They were all protégés of Lin Yunshu.

They were immersed in extreme chaos: the agony of their cherished colleague being "stolen," fury at Zhou the Exploiter for preying on someone so close, and euphoria that their favorite ship had become real.

Guo Shengyao saw the news while on a paid bathroom break and nearly dropped her phone into the toilet.

It finally dawned on her—the prenuptial agreement her mentor had asked her to draft a week ago was for himself!

The agreement had passed through her hands four or five times, and she never once suspected a thing!

Heavens, they kept her in the dark so thoroughly!

It must have been Zhou the Exploiter's idea!

Her mentor was gentle and refined—he would never be so ruthless!

Guo Shengyao felt dizzy, yet also thrilled that she had indirectly played a part in her mentor's marriage.

She cut her bathroom break short, rushed out in a fluster, and ran into the elevator doors whooshing open in the hallway.

Zhou Xingde stormed out, his face twisted with rage, looking utterly deranged. He clutched a bottle of Evian water like a cleaver.

He slammed the bottle onto the floor, sending shards of glass flying everywhere.

"Where is Zhou Yu?!" he roared. "Get him out here now!"

"And that seducer! Bring them both out!"

"Getting married is such a huge matter, and he didn’t even tell me? Didn’t breathe a word to me! Does he even see me as his father?!"

His face flushed crimson with rage, his blood pressure visibly spiking toward 200.

"It must have been that seducer’s doing!!"

The entire secretary team went quiet for a moment, then crowded around him.

"Mr. Zhou, please calm down."

"Mr. Zhou, don’t be so angry."

"The boss isn’t in the office right now."

"Not here?" Zhou Xingde sneered. "You think I’m stupid? He’s clearly hiding from me!"

He plowed forward without listening, ignoring everyone’s attempts to stop him, storming through three doors until he burst into Zhou Yu’s office.

Then he froze in the empty room.

Guo Shengyao had jogged all the way after him, panting as she tried to pull him back.

"See, Mr. Zhou? We really aren’t lying to you," she gasped, out of breath. "The boss really isn’t here."

"Where did he go?" Zhou Xingde’s face showed the fury of someone who had been deceived.

"Where did he go?!"

No one answered.

They glanced at each other, wearing expressions of genuine confusion.

Truly, not a single person knew.

·

The phone was thrown onto the sofa, tumbled twice, and fell between the cushions, vibrating wildly.

Every ring was accompanied by Zhou Xingde’s furious cursing.

Zhou Yu couldn’t hear it.

All the clothes he had brought were ruined, and the carpet in the walk-in closet was soaked over and over.

Lin Yunshu was cradled in his arms, flushed crimson all over, every crimson part swollen as if about to bleed.

Tears welled in his eyes, his gaze already unfocused.

Yet Zhou Yu was still unsatisfied, nibbling his earlobe with lingering desire, his thumb brushing past the corner of Lin Yunshu’s eye, burning with passion.

"Yun Shu," he whispered hoarsely, lifting his lower back. "Can your body still take it?"

-----------------------

Author's Note: Outside: Everything's going crazy, about to precisely enrage one person.

Inside: Lost in passion, unaware of heaven and earth.

—

Next chapter still updates at midnight tomorrow~