Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Wei Jinchuan's voice was not only loud, but his movements were equally forceful—the plastic fork was all but thrown into the packaging box. Both Shen Yue, who had been focused on eating the cake, and Fu Jingbie, who had been intently watching him eat, were caught by the commotion and turned to look.

Wei Jinchuan met Fu Jingbie's gaze directly.

Fu Jingbie remained utterly unflappable. After understanding what had happened, he quickly shifted his gaze back to Shen Yue, watching him finish the last bite of the cake.

This attitude genuinely infuriated Wei Jinchuan. He glared fiercely at Fu Jingbie, who seemed to have eyes only for Shen Yue, then suddenly slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet.

"President Fu," he barked.

Shen Yue finished eating, set down his fork, and dabbed his mouth elegantly with a tissue. He cut in before Wei Jinchuan could speak: "I need to use the restroom. Please excuse me for a moment."

Fu Jingbie nodded. Shen Yue stood up and made his way to the door before turning back to glance at Wei Jinchuan, who was still casting hostile looks at Fu Jingbie: "You come out too."

Wei Jinchuan hadn't anticipated being summoned. He glowered at Fu Jingbie and stomped out after Shen Yue.

Although he disliked Fu Jingbie, he knew he had screwed up. Before Shen Yue could say anything, he blurted out an apology: "I'm sorry."

Shen Yue stopped by the sink. The soft light, reflected multiple times in the mirror, lent a luminous quality to his already pale skin. His usually smiling peach blossom eyes were now devoid of their usual warmth, making him appear colder and more distant.

He hadn't expected Wei Jinchuan to apologize and barked a laugh: "What exactly are you apologizing for?"

"Did you even remember you were here to learn?" Shen Yue was equal parts exasperated and amused. He washed his hands and warned him in a calm, rational tone: "It's only because President Fu has good manners—anyone else would have stormed out long ago! Wei Jinchuan, I'll only say this once: if you want to act like some privileged young master, go back to your Wei family. Shenghua is my hard work, built it from nothing without relying on the Shen family. If something like this happens again, pack your things and go home. Understood?"

He praised another man right in front of him and used him as a negative example. Wei Jinchuan felt a pang of discomfort, but he knew he had indeed let his emotions get the best of him. Closing his eyes, he said: "I understand. I'll find a way to make up for it. I just didn’t like how he kept looking at you... Shen Yue, I just thought since we’ve slept together, I should do right by you. I don’t want others looking at you like that."

As he spoke, he reached out to take Shen Yue’s hand: "I really know I was wrong. Please don’t be angry, okay?"

"..."

They say you don’t punish someone who’s already apologizing. Aside from the fact that Shen Yue hadn’t quite gotten over this person or his face, even without that, he was usually lenient. This was Wei Jinchuan’s first time accompanying him on a client meeting—some missteps were to be expected. Especially since Wei Jinchuan had grown up in the Wei family surrounded by people who flattered him; he was new to the real world and was still learning how to handle client relations. It wasn’t entirely unforgivable.

Of course, all of this was also because Wei Jinchuan’s apology seemed genuine.

Most of Shen Yue’s anger dissipated, and he taunted: "When did I agree to let you take responsibility?"

"..." Wei Jinchuan met his gaze with dismay, opening his mouth: "But we’ve..."

"It was just one night. It’s not like I haven’t slept with others before. If everyone were like you, wanting to take responsibility, I couldn’t possibly keep up even if I had ten of myself."

Perhaps because he was trying to get a rise out of him, Shen Yue didn’t feel as restricted when saying this. Wei Jinchuan fell silent, apparently weighing his words. Shen Yue couldn't help but find it amusing: "Besides..."

He didn’t get to finish the "besides." Wei Jinchuan, irritated by his words, turned slightly. Under the light, his fingers, pale enough to seem almost delicate, reached for Shen Yue’s collar and, catching him off guard, yanked him upward—

Shen Yue’s body tensed as he was pulled up, and he collided with a pair of soft lips.

A wet tongue slipped through his undefended teeth, awkward but determined, claiming his mouth with surprising determination.

That handsome face was magnified several times over—overwhelmingly dominant, forceful, and leaving no room for refusal.

Shen Yue hadn’t expected him to suddenly attack and was caught off guard in something as familiar as kissing.

He stared wide-eyed at Wei Jinchuan in shock. Those eyes like clear glass, hidden behind strands of disheveled bangs, were partially obscured but no less intense, yet all the more captivating.

Lost in that gaze, Wei Jinchuan’s heart beat faster and faster, as if it were about to burst out of his chest. He deepened the kiss, even instinctively learning how to make Shen Yue more comfortable, gently licking, nibbling, and exploring inside his mouth.

The dense, soft sensations in their mouths challenged both their defenses. Shen Yue passively sank into the moment with Wei Jinchuan. But just as he regained his composure from the initial surprise and tried to take control, Wei Jinchuan stepped back and released him.

The soft, wet sensation faded away. Shen Yue descended from the hazy clouds, suddenly feeling unanchored and inexplicably empty inside.

After a moment, realizing what he was thinking, Shen Yue laughed self-deprecatingly: "Had enough of being jealous?"

"I’m not jealous," Wei Jinchuan said seriously. "I don’t care about your past. My mom said a man has to take responsibility. We slept together, so I have to do right by you."

He paused, a suspicious blush spreading across his face, and added: "Besides, it was my first time. You should take responsibility for me too."

"..." Whether Wei Jinchuan had had enough of being jealous, Shen Yue didn’t know, but he had certainly had enough of listening to him.

Since teaching him seemed futile, Shen Yue simply gave up struggling.

They had been gone too long, and it wasn’t good to keep Fu Jingbie waiting. Shen Yue said: "You go back first. I’ll handle the rest."

Wei Jinchuan didn’t want to leave. Especially since he wasn’t sure of Fu Jingbie’s intentions, he couldn’t feel at ease leaving the two alone: "I..."

Shen Yue’s voice was gentle but firm: "Go back and write a thousand-word self-criticism. Leave it on my desk—I want to see it by tomorrow morning. Otherwise, I won’t bring you along next time."

"..." The threat worked on Wei Jinchuan. He negotiated: "I can write it when I get back later."

"Be good," Shen Yue coaxed, half-deceiving him. "I’ll reward you when we get back, okay?"

Wei Jinchuan asked: "What reward?"

"You’ll know if you behave," Shen Yue said, as if coaxing a child. He reached out and straightened Wei Jinchuan’s collar, which had been messed up during their intense kiss. His hand wandered restlessly down Wei Jinchuan’s chest. Though separated by clothing, the thin fabric of summer wear did little to block the sensation—instead, it felt like scratching an itch through a boot, stirring Wei Jinchuan’s desires.

Shen Yue flirtatiously patted his firm pectoral muscles and whispered in his ear: "Jin Chuan, I promise you’ll like it."

Wei Jinchuan walked out with a flushed face, so affected by Shen Yue’s teasing that his first few steps were even clumsy and uncoordinated.

Shen Yue watched his retreating figure and let out a soft sigh.

Having dealt with one, he quickly adjusted his state and returned to the private room with the same smile as before: "Sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s continue discussing the contract."

Fu Jingbie was smart. Seeing Shen Yue return alone and close the door behind him, avoiding any mention of Wei Jinchuan, he immediately understood what had happened during their absence.

Fu Jingbie wasn’t interested in their affairs and only asked: "How was the cake?"

Shen Yue was taken aback, swallowing back the prepared words he had planned. He had never encountered such an unusual business partner, but when it came to clients, he was never one to say no. So, even though he didn’t particularly like sweets, he curved his lips into a smile and said: "It was delicious—sweet but not cloying. I was just thinking of asking for the contact information later."

"The shop is in Jiangcheng. I had their owner come here to make it fresh. If you’d like to have more, just let me know. I’ll bring some for you next time."

Fu Jingbie’s expression finally shifted. His eyes held a hint of laughter as he said meaningfully: "But that... subordinate of yours earlier seems a bit difficult to manage, doesn’t he?"

Shen Yue smiled bitterly inwardly. Wei Jinchuan’s emotions had been too obvious earlier—Fu Jingbie had definitely noticed.

"He’s the younger brother of a friend. He just graduated from university and was sent to me for training. Sorry to make you laugh."

He took out the materials related to the cooperation: "But don’t worry, he won’t be involved in this project. It won’t affect you, President Fu."

Fu Jingbie nodded slightly. He accepted the documents Shen Yue handed him but didn’t look at them: "I’ve already learned about your company’s situation through emails and did some research before coming. I’m very satisfied with Shenghua. This trip was mainly to gauge your sincerity. Now that I’ve seen it, you’re indeed a suitable partner to do business with."

He stood up and extended his hand to Shen Yue, finally offering a smile: "Go prepare the contract. I’ll be in Haicheng for three days. We can sign anytime during that period."

Though surprised by Fu Jingbie’s attitude, which contrasted sharply with his earlier aloofness, Shen Yue wisely didn’t ask further. He shook the offered hand: "Then let’s wish us a pleasant cooperation."

***

Author's Note:

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So baby Shen Yue spent money to treat him to so many dishes (though he didn't order them) and ended up eating alone. He really loves working; he deserves to be this rich!