Chapter 40 Chapter 40 He Clearly Can’t Let Me Go

Chapter 40: He Really Can’t Let Go of Me

There are advantages to keeping the lights off.

Zhou Yu gripped Lin Yunshu’s chin, precisely catching the tip of his tongue, which trembled and recoiled in shock.

In the dim light, Lin Yunshu’s pupils took on a distinct and beautiful hue. He instinctively tried to step back but was blocked by the sofa, leaving him no escape.

The overwhelming pheromones pressed closer, and the little cat scrambled away in a panic.

Zhou Yu scooped Lin Yunshu into his arms.

“Ah!”

The sudden lift made Lin Yunshu gasp in surprise, and he instinctively wrapped his arms tightly around Zhou Yu’s neck.

Zhou Yu spread his knees apart, supporting his thighs, making Lin Yunshu clamp his legs tightly around Zhou Yu’s waist.

Lin Yunshu’s heart was racing.

As he lay against Zhou Yu’s shoulder, Zhou Yu could clearly feel the warm skin trembling beneath the thin shirt.

Zhou Yu didn’t head to the bedroom but carried Lin Yunshu straight into the walk-in closet.

The apartment had been completed five years ago, and Lin Yunshu had purchased this spacious flat two years prior. During the renovation, Zhou Yu had visited once.

Back then, Lin Yunshu was still the proper Secretary Lin, politely and attentively showing him around his newly forming home.

Zhou Yu remembered clearly that Lin Yunshu had been planning the walk-in closet that day.

He watched as Lin Yunshu walked around the empty room, gesturing to the designer about his ideas.

A sofa would go here, a mirror there, the display cases for accessories and watches needed customizing, and the wardrobe would preferably be built-in.

At the time, Zhou Yu had wanted to fill those wardrobes himself.

Now, he had successfully gained entry.

In the spacious walk-in closet, his clothes hung alongside Lin Yunshu’s, neatly arranged and closely touching, their pheromones intertwining and merging.

From now on, every piece of clothing Lin Yunshu wore would carry Zhou Yu’s scent.

But Zhou Yu was a greedy man; his desires were never fully satisfied.

After leaving his mark on Lin Yunshu’s clothes and skin, he wanted his scent to linger deep within Lin Yunshu’s body.

Once the door closed, the walk-in closet grew even darker, with only a sliver of warm light from the living room’s light strips seeping through the crack under the door.

Zhou Yu pinned Lin Yunshu against the door, his fingers slipping under the hem of the shirt to gently scratch the dips of his waist. Lin Yunshu shivered all over.

“Stop moving!”

Lin Yunshu’s teeth were chattering, yet he was trapped by an unyielding force, unable to break free.

Zhou Yu ruffled his hair tenderly and said intimately, “I heard something almost hit you this afternoon?”

Lin Yunshu was breathing heavily, his mind going blank in waves. It took him a moment to process what Zhou Yu was saying.

“No, it was just a cardboard box,” Lin Yunshu threw his head back, catching his breath, “Besides, someone helped block it.”

“Who?” Zhou Yu asked.

Lin Yunshu opened his mouth to answer but sensed the shift in the atmosphere keenly.

Zhou Yu’s thumb gently brushed the side of his neck but didn’t let go, pressing down lightly, almost unconsciously.

“Who was it?” he coaxed.

With his carotid artery being pressed, Lin Yunshu could clearly feel his pulse racing wildly.

Lin Yunshu raised an eyebrow. “You’re not upset about this, are you?”

“Of course not,” Zhou Yu said generously, “I’m grateful to that person. Otherwise, you might have been hurt if the box hit you.”

Even as he spoke, his other hand continued to roam mischievously around Lin Yunshu’s lower back.

Lin Yunshu frowned, grabbed his hand, and trembled as he snapped, “Stop it!”

Zhou Yu laughed softly, kissed the corner of his eye. “I just regret not being there. I wish I’d come back earlier.”

Lin Yunshu turned his head away without a word, his jaw tight as if holding back something, yet with a touch of petulance.

Zhou Yu picked him up again, carrying him toward the bathroom while continuing to kiss him passionately.

… (Lights out, dear censor)

·

The water in the bathroom stopped.

The door opened, and hot, humid steam billowed out, filling the air.

Zhou Yu carried the exhausted Lin Yunshu out, gently laying him on the bed and pulling the covers over him.

Lin Yunshu was already dressed in clean pajamas, his hair blown dry, soft and fluffy. His face buried in the pillow, looking unusually docile.

Zhou Yu felt claws scratching at his heart. He hurriedly cleaned himself up, slid into bed, and embraced his sweet-smelling wife.

Lin Yunshu was almost asleep when suddenly the bed shook violently, almost bouncing him up. Startled, he was tightly embraced from behind.

Lin Yunshu: “…”

So it wasn’t an earthquake.

He closed his eyes again, exhausted.

Zhou Yu stared at the back of Lin Yunshu’s head, having expected to be yelled at for his antics.

To his surprise, Lin Yunshu only woke briefly before closing his eyes again, as if nothing had happened, his composure eerily calm.

Zhou Yu, not ready to give up, planted another kiss on Lin Yunshu’s neck.

Still no reaction.

He pressed on: “Baby?”

Lin Yunshu finally frowned.

Zhou Yu’s heart leapt with joy.

But after waiting and waiting, Lin Yunshu still hadn’t scolded him.

“Babe?” He kissed Lin Yunshu again.

“……”

Lin Yunshu let out a long sigh and shoved his hand away:

“Stop talking!”

Zhou Yu froze for a second, then his eyes lit up. “Alright, alright, I won’t say another word. Are you tired? Did I hurt you earlier?”

Lin Yunshu pressed his lips together, the tips of his ears turning red, and tried to evade the question by pretending to sleep.

But Zhou Yu wasn’t buying it—he kissed the tip of Lin Yunshu’s ear. “Hmm? Where does it hurt?”

After a moment of silence, Lin Yunshu mumbled, “Everywhere.”

Out of Lin Yunshu’s sight, Zhou Yu broke into a wide grin. “Okay, then let me massage you.”

Warm palms glided from his shoulders and neck down to his lower back, applying extra pressure on the most tender spots.

A wave of aching numbness spread across Lin Yunshu’s lower back, and the persistent pain gradually eased. He couldn’t help but sigh, feeling even sleepier.

After what felt like an eternity, Zhou Yu leaned in gently beside his ear.

“How about we always do this from now on?” he murmured.

Half-asleep, Lin Yunshu was too dazed to process it. “Hmm?”

“Always like this,” Zhou Yu whispered. “Be a little more willful, a little more unreasonable. If you want to scold someone, just scold them freely—okay?”

Lin Yunshu was so exhausted he could barely keep his eyes open; his mind was utterly fogged.

Zhou Yu tilted his chin upward. “Okay?”

All Lin Yunshu wanted was sleep.

For peace and quiet, he’d agree to anything Zhou Yu said.

“Okay,” he murmured. “Then shut up right now.”

The moment the words left his lips, Zhou Yu’s eyes instantly sparkled with joy.

“Okay.”

He gave Lin Yunshu one last kiss—and finally fell silent.

·

The next morning, sunlight streamed in.

Lin Yunshu lay alone in bed, no one beside him.

He was already awake but hadn’t sat up, staring blankly at the ceiling with a sense of despair.

Last night’s memories flooded back with startling clarity.

He suspected he’d been possessed.

Why had he agreed to such a bizarre request from Zhou Yu? And why, in the first place, had Zhou Yu made such a strange request?

Since when was being difficult considered a virtue?

Besides, he hadn’t even been unreasonable last night.

It was Zhou Yu who’d initiated the kisses, who’d kept bothering him. After everything, he’d been utterly drained—and Zhou Yu hadn’t even let him sleep properly. He’d merely snapped once.

How was *that* unreasonable?

It seemed he really had hit his exhaustion limit.

Lin Yunshu considered backing out—or pretending he’d blacked out.

But he hadn’t been drinking—physical exhaustion doesn’t cause alcohol-related blackouts.

What if he claimed he’d blacked out from Zhou Yu’s pheromones?

No, no—Lin Yunshu immediately dismissed the idea.

That would only give Zhou Yu even more leverage.

He rolled over, irritated, and pulled the covers over his head.

Buzz buzz!

His phone rang.

Lin Yunshu reached out blindly, answering without looking: “Hello?”

“Hello, Secretary Lin.” It was Li Xun.

Lin Yunshu shook off his drowsiness, pushed the covers aside, and sat up. “Brother Li, what’s up?”

“Nothing much,” Li Xun said. “I’m at the airport now, about to pick up the boss. Just wanted to let you know everything’s fine.”

Lin Yunshu: “……”

(There was really no need to report every little thing to him.)

He rubbed his nose and replied politely, “Okay, thank you.”

“No need to thank me—it’s no trouble,” Li Xun sighed. “Must’ve been tough being separated right after getting married, huh?”

Lin Yunshu: “It’s—it’s fine…”

He really didn’t want to continue this embarrassing topic and quickly changed the subject: “So, what’s next on the agenda?”

“After picking up the boss, we’ll head straight to the site inspections—we’ll probably visit three companies to check on things,” Li Xun said. “The schedule is pretty packed today.”

Lin Yunshu frowned. “No rest?”

With this itinerary, Zhou Yu would be working nonstop for three days straight. Even an iron man wouldn’t survive that.

“He can sleep on the plane, so it should be fine—Oh, I see him now!” Li Xun suddenly raised his voice. “He’s glowing—more energetic than when he left!”

“?”

Lin Yunshu was stunned.

Was that even possible? How did he manage it?

Putting himself in that situation, if he had to endure such an intensity, he would’ve died on the plane.

Even now, getting out of bed was kind of a struggle for him.

Zhou Yu was even more energetic?

"Alright then," Lin Yunshu rubbed the back of his neck, not understanding but choosing to respect it. "Since you've picked him up, you guys get to work."

"Sure thing, I'll fill you in later then," Li Xun said cheerfully before hanging up.

Lin Yunshu: "..."

"Who were you talking to? You sounded so happy."

Zhou Yu walked over from across the way.

He wore sunglasses, hands in his pockets, walking swiftly with his trench coat flapping behind him. With long strides, he bent down and got into the car.

Li Xun followed and sat in the back seat. "Nothing much, just going over the schedule with Secretary Lin."

"Huh."

A sigh came from beside him.

Li Xun automatically looked over and saw Zhou Yu take off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of bright, lively eyes.

"He just can’t get over me, after all."

Li Xun: "?"

If he remembered correctly, he had only mentioned work-related matters and hadn’t brought up Zhou Yu at all.

Which word had this peacock zeroed in on to draw such a conclusion?

But Zhou Yu looked so confident that Li Xun found himself momentarily confused: "Did I mean that?"

"You just don’t get it," Zhou Yu glanced at him. "Secretary Lin is so shy—of course he wouldn’t outright say he misses me. So he has to show he cares by talking about work as a roundabout approach."

He gave a light chuckle. "I don’t believe you talked on the phone without mentioning me at all."

Li Xun thought about it and realized he did bring him up.

"Secretary Lin did ask if you were going to rest after returning," he said truthfully.

Zhou Yu’s eyebrow flickered, acting like he didn’t care. "What did you say?"

"I said no rest, right to work."

"Ugh." Zhou Yu immediately face-palmed.

Li Xun was startled, worried he had said something wrong. "What’s wrong, boss?"

Zhou Yu shot him an annoyed look, as if scolding him for being insensitive.

"If you put it like that, he’s definitely going to be worried sick."

Li Xun: "...?"

Author's note: Zhou the Peacock’s motto in life: Confidence is key, baby!