Chapter 7

Chapter 7

What did he say? A contract of indenture?

Wei Jinchuan was startled by the bluntness of those words, furrowing his brows as he looked at Shen Yue with confusion, as if trying to make sense of what had just been said.

Did Shen Yue want to keep him as a sugar baby?

This was completely different from what Wei Jinchuan had imagined. Just moments ago, they were discussing his career, and now he was being asked to sign a contract of servitude. The jump between these two things was so vast that his mind short-circuited.

Right. After a long moment, Wei Jinchuan thought hazily: No wonder Shen Yue showed no interest when he talked about taking responsibility and even interrupted him several times. It turned out Shen Yue didn’t want a relationship—he wanted to keep him.

What did Shen Yue take him for?

A blank look flashed in Wei Jinchuan’s eyes, quickly replaced by uncontrollable anger.

He was reminded once again that this was Shen Yue’s office, his place of work, which should be dignified and serious. So why was there a sugar baby contract here?

Wei Jinchuan’s face instantly cooled. He could easily imagine how, over the years since Shen Yue founded Shenghua, he had brought one man after another into this office, sweet-talking and tricking them into signing such contracts.

Did Shen Yue think he was like those men?!

Wei Jinchuan’s face darkened ominously. "What do you take me for?"

What else? An employee, obviously.

"..." Wei Jinchuan finally realized he might have misunderstood something and quickly grabbed the contract to examine it closely.

Kept man, sugar baby... Wei Jinchuan flipped through the contract repeatedly but found no trace of any wording resembling a "kept man arrangement."

As his heart settled back into place, Wei Jinchuan felt a weird hollowness. Pursing his lips, he carefully reviewed the contract again.

Shen Yue poured himself a glass of water, tapping the side of the glass lightly with his index finger. "Shenghua may not be as big as your family’s company, but it’s a respected name in its field here in Haicheng. If you join, I can offer you this much," he put down the glass and gestured a number, "and your salary will increase after probation. I’ll cover the seven insurances and two funds for you—paid by the company, not deducted from your salary."

Seeing Wei Jinchuan flip to the last page, Shen Yue took a leisurely sip of water and smiled. "So, what do you think? Can my little workshop accommodate a big shot like you?"

This was pure self-mockery. Though Shenghua couldn’t compare to some of Haicheng’s established enterprises, it ranked among the top of the recently emerging companies, with substantial annual revenue—far from being a "little workshop."

Wei Jinchuan naturally detected the self-deprecation and sarcasm in his words. Staring at the contract, he remained silent for a long time before finally picking up a pen and filling in his details.

Shen Yue took back the contract, his gaze fixed on the name signed under Party B. He gave the paper a flick and blew a soft breath over it. "Now, tell me, what kind of person did you think I took you for?"

His voice was pleasant, almost teasing. Wei Jinchuan knew Shen Yue was getting back at him for the earlier misunderstanding and accepted it without resistance, letting him have his say.

Shen Yue smiled and didn’t press further, seemingly willing to let it go.

The earlier tension dissipated just like that. Generously, Shen Yue poured Wei Jinchuan a glass of water as a gesture of forgiveness. The latter accepted it unsuspectingly, but just as he took a sip, Shen Yue suddenly asked, "Judging by your reaction earlier... what did you initially think that contract was?"

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Revisiting the topic caught Wei Jinchuan off guard. He choked, spilling water down his front. The cold liquid soaked through his shirt, sending a shiver down his spine.

Shen Yue handed him two tissues to wipe himself, his slender fingers pressing harder against Wei Jinchuan’s chest with each stroke—less like drying and more like something else entirely.

Leaning close to Wei Jinchuan’s ear, Shen Yue breathed warm air against his earlobe, murmuring teasingly, "That ‘kind of person’ you mentioned earlier... what exactly did you mean?"

"..." Wei Jinchuan felt incredibly uncomfortable under his touch. Grabbing Shen Yue’s mischievous hand to stop him, he let out a heavy breath. "Nothing."

"Really?" Shen Yue didn’t believe him—and under the circumstances, how could he? Glancing around, he tossed the half-damp tissues into the trash bin. His voice sounded almost regretful. "I thought you wanted to be my lover."

Wei Jinchuan hadn’t expected him to bring it up so directly. He retorted swiftly, "I thought you didn’t want me to take responsibility."

"You don’t like men, do you? I’m just saving you from regret." Shen Yue wore an expression of fake concern. Originally standing beside Wei Jinchuan, he suddenly turned to face him directly. Having been close from the start, his lower lip brushed against Wei Jinchuan’s earlobe as he moved.

Wei Jinchuan went rigid, but Shen Yue ignored it. He smiled faintly, then abruptly lifted his chin, pressing a quick, light kiss to the corner of Wei Jinchuan’s mouth.

—It was fleeting, like a dragonfly skimming the water.

Before Wei Jinchuan could process the sensation, Shen Yue stepped back half a pace, as if nothing had happened.

Wei Jinchuan had never been teased like this before. His brain short-circuited.

Did Shen Yue just... kiss him?

Weren’t they just talking? Why kiss him?

Wei Jinchuan recoiled like a startled bird, stepping back twice. He raised a hand to his lips in disbelief, unable to shake the memory of that soft, warm, moist touch.

He found himself momentarily speechless. "You..."

Shen Yue looked at him calmly. "Didn’t you want this?"

Seeing how experienced Shen Yue seemed, Wei Jinchuan’s flicker of interest died down. "Who said I wanted it? Did you even ask for my consent? That was my first kiss!"

"Is that so?" Shen Yue said dismissively. "I thought your first kiss was that night."

That night, Wei Jinchuan had been so rough he’d bitten Shen Yue’s lip until it bled. Even now, the corner of Shen Yue’s mouth still ached at the memory.

"..." Wei Jinchuan clearly remembered that night too, his face turning even redder as he snapped, "Shut up!"

But why would Shen Yue listen to him?

"What if I don’t?" Shen Yue gazed at him lazily, his peach blossom eyes as if stripping him bare.

He called out to the AI, and the curtains on either side of the large window slowly closed, blocking out the busy nightscape. The vast world outside vanished, leaving only the bright white office and their two solitary figures.

"You said you wanted to take responsibility for me, right? Now that the curtains are drawn," Shen Yue turned around, his narrow eyes both playful and innocent, enunciating each word clearly, "Wei Jinchuan, how do you plan to take responsibility?"

"..." Wei Jinchuan’s ears were so red-hot they no longer looked their normal color, yet he still tried to reason with him. "Be normal."

"I am normal," Shen Yue replied, glancing around his office before asking kindly, "Where do you prefer? The sofa? The coffee table? ...Or my desk?"

"Shen Yue!"

"I’m here."

Shen Yue smiled charmingly, leaning back against the wide desk. His gaze drifted toward the adjoining lounge as he said suggestively, "Or if you’d prefer something more comfortable, there’s a bed over there. Want to try it?"

"..."

Wei Jinchuan got annoyed. "Is that all you ever think about?"

Shen Yue thought to himself, pretty much. It was after work—why dwell on exhausting labor when he could think about love and fun?

Perhaps it was the frustration of the past three months, or perhaps it was the mischief ingrained in his genes, but the more flustered Wei Jinchuan became, the more Shen Yue’s built-up frustration seemed to dissolve, making him feel much better.

Compared to the stubborn Wei Jinchuan who was fixated on responsibility, this version—inexperienced and as innocent as a rabbit—was far more to his taste. In sexual relationships, Shen Yue preferred to take the receptive role not because it was easy or convenient, but simply because he was lazy and enjoyed being served.

In fact, in any relationship, he was always the dominant one emotionally.

That's why Shen Yue didn't quite like the Wei Jinchuan who had tried to control him earlier, and why he preferred this version who would soon be under his control.

He wrapped his fingers around Wei Jinchuan's, one by one, meeting his gaze without a hint of hesitation. He savored the fluster and helplessness hidden in Wei Jinchuan's eyes, guiding the man's hand to his own face. His eyes glimmered, seeming to overflow with the most genuine and sincere affection: "Yes, Wei Jinchuan, you're all I can think about."

Wei Jinchuan's lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but no words came out.

A blush visibly spread across his face. He stared at Shen Yue for a long moment before shaking off the other's hand as if waking from a dream. His expression was extremely unnatural: "You... sweet talker. You don't say this to everyone, do you?"

"How could I?" Whether it was Shen Yue's true feelings or his body's control being taken away again was no longer worth discerning. He let out a soft laugh, his brows and eyes relaxed and utterly captivating: "Jinchuan, I like you the most."

Author's note:

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Shen Yue baby is so damn hot, huff huff~