Chapter 32

Chapter 32

People really do laugh when they’re at a loss for words.

Shen Yue stared at Wei Jinchuan, who had just spoken those outlandish things with a serious, almost condescending tone. Despite his perfectly functional 26-year-old brain and all the knowledge he had acquired over the years, he couldn't figure out what was going through the other man's head when he said those things.

Suppressing the urge to immediately agree, Shen Yue faked a cough, swallowing back the words that threatened to spill out, hiding the storm in his eyes. "You like me?"

"Maybe," Wei Jinchuan, feeling uneasy under his gaze, quickly looked away, his cheeks flushing with a tell-tale blush. "I think I could see how things go with you. We'll know once we try."

Nice way to put it—"see how things go."

Shen Yue laughed at his offhand tone. "But I remember you don't like men."

"That's in the past now," Wei Jinchuan clearly didn't want to hear this, frowning as he said, "I think you're a good person now, and we've already slept together. What's the harm in trying? What if we click?"

After speaking, Wei Jinchuan seemed to notice something weird about Shen Yue's reaction. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously and demanded, "Why do you have so many questions... You do like me, don't you?"

It couldn't be that just because he hadn't agreed before, Shen Yue didn't like him anymore, could it?

"That's a separate matter," Shen Yue didn't want him to notice. Having just showered and mostly dried off, he began digging through drawers for his pajamas. "I've said it before—me liking you is my problem. I don't want to use it to tie you down. You should be free."

Hearing him say such things so lightly, compared to his own inner turmoil, Shen Yue seemed completely unbothered, as if their roles were reversed. Now it was Shen Yue who seemed indifferent, while he was the one pushing for commitment.

A dull ache settled in his chest. Wei Jinchuan didn't understand why he felt this way again. Clenching his fists, he took a moment to calm down before saying, "I don't feel tied down. It's just trying things out... Or were you lying to me before? You never really liked me—you were just playing with me, never taking it seriously. Is that it?"

Of course not.

Seeing Wei Jinchuan look as if he had been deeply wronged, Shen Yue felt both annoyed and amused. He gave Wei Jinchuan a sincere smile, curling his lips as he said, "Jin Chuan, is that really how you see me?"

Wei Jinchuan wanted to say "yes," but Shen Yue's smile was too captivating. He tried to open his mouth but found himself unable to voice any doubt.

Shen Yue spoke like an elder dropping wisdom: "Feelings aren't a one-sided affair. Precisely because I like you, I don't want you to feel bound by my affection. Jin Chuan, you should be with someone you actually like, not someone who likes you."

Wei Jinchuan hadn't expected him to say that. He stammered, "I don't feel bound."

"Really?" Shen Yue raised an eyebrow. "Then tell me, when you said you wanted to try things out with me just now, was it because you like me, or because you felt like you had to take responsibility after we slept together?"

The question was pretty much pointless. After all, he had asked before, and Wei Jinchuan's answers had always been straightforward, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

Sure enough, Wei Jinchuan instinctively wanted to refute the possibility that he liked Shen Yue. But as his lips parted slightly, his furrowed brows met Shen Yue's amused eyes, and suddenly, he understood what the other man meant.

He fell silent. Shen Yue gave a knowing smile. "See? You can't even lie to yourself and say you like me."

Wei Jinchuan opened his mouth as if not ready to give up but ultimately said nothing.

Just then, Shen Yue's phone rang. Grateful for the distraction, he signaled for Wei Jinchuan to be quiet and went to sit on the small sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window to answer the call.

It was Linda calling. It was morning back home, and she had just realized Wei Jinchuan was missing and unreachable. Since he hadn't been gone for 24 hours, she couldn't file a report, so she called Shen Yue for help.

Shen Yue glanced at the man standing there brooding and rubbed his temples in annoyance. "I know. Don't worry about it. He's fine."

On the other end, Linda hesitated. "From the way you're talking... Did he go to see you?"

"..."

Bingo.

Shen Yue hadn't wanted to say it outright. The rumors about him and Wei Jinchuan were already annoying enough. If he told Linda that Wei Jinchuan had come to see him, wouldn't that just give them more ammunition? But on one hand, Linda wasn't easily fooled, and on the other, if an employee disappearance isn't handled right, it could cause serious trouble. Compared to feeding the rumor mill, Shen Yue felt that leaving actual evidence was even riskier.

He briefly explained the situation. After hearing him out, Linda's tone went from worried to downright nosy. "He's really with you? He went there specifically to see you? You two..."

"Let's talk when I get back. It's nighttime here, and I need to rest."

Once she started, she wouldn't stop. Shen Yue was already irritated and had no interest in discussing it further. He made up an excuse and hung up.

The night was hazy. Shen Yue sat alone on the sofa, lighting a cigarette as he gazed at the scattered city lights outside.

Halfway through his smoke, he noticed Wei Jinchuan watching him from the corner of his eye. Annoyed, Shen Yue turned to meet his gaze directly. The latter quickly looked away, as if caught doing something wrong, trying to pretend nothing had happened.

Shen Yue cursed inwardly, "Useless," and gestured for him to come closer. "Come here."

Wei Jinchuan hesitated for a moment but eventually approached.

He stopped about three steps away—close enough to talk but not too close. Still thinking about Shen Yue's earlier words, he was getting more uncomfortable, unsure how to face him. Hesitantly, he asked, "What..."

Before he could finish, Shen Yue grabbed his collar. The flickering light played in Shen Yue's eyes, like sunlight dancing on waves. Wei Jinchuan's heart skipped a beat, and he was about to say something when he was suddenly met with a face full of smoke.

With his mouth open, the harsh smoke hit his throat. Not used to the taste, he coughed several times, turning away with a frown. "What are you doing?"

"What am I doing?" Shen Yue's voice was cold. "Shouldn't I be asking you that? Did you even tell Linda when you left the resort?"

The "resort" he referred to was the place Linda had arranged for the company retreat.

Wei Jinchuan remembered and froze. "I forgot."

"You forgot?" Shen Yue let out a bitter laugh. "Do you have any idea how much trouble your 'I forgot' caused? Linda called me looking for you—she almost called the police. And now you're telling me you forgot?"

"I really did forget," Wei Jinchuan said, like a scolded student. In his twenty-two years of life, no one had ever chewed him out like this, especially not Shen Yue. He couldn't bring himself to look up. "I was in too much of a hurry then. I wanted to come find you, I..."

He desperately wanted to explain himself, but when he looked up and saw the icy coldness in Shen Yue's eyes, the words stuck in his throat.

...Why was Shen Yue looking at him like that? Why wouldn't he listen?

He had just been too worried after learning Shen Yue hadn't attended the retreat. He was afraid someone else had taken his place. He had left too quickly, only thinking about Shen Yue, and nothing else.

His heart pounded wildly. "It was for..."

As if knowing what he was about to say, Shen Yue let out a derisive laugh. "You're not going to pin all the blame on me now, are you?"

Wei Jinchuan had never been scolded so harshly by him before. He paused, lowering his gaze. "It's my fault... I wasn't considerate enough."

Shen Yue remained silent, his expression cold.

Wei Jinchuan drew a shaky breath. "I was wrong. I shouldn't have taken off without telling anyone and worried Linda. I'll apologize to her when I get back."

Still, Shen Yue said nothing.

Wei Jinchuan grew even more anxious. He grabbed Shen Yue's sleeve. "I was lying earlier. What I said wasn't just about doing the right thing. I want to try things out with you... because I think I like you."

"You think?" Shen Yue finally spoke, but he was mocking himself. "When you say 'think,' do you mean you want to mess around with me?"

Wei Jinchuan's face paled. "No, that's not what I meant! I..."

"Enough."

Shen Yue was done with this pointless argument. After finishing his cigarette, he pushed Wei Jinchuan away—just hard enough to make him stumble back a step or two. "Jin Chuan, if you don't want to book a room, you can stay here tonight. I'll take the sofa. You get some rest."

With that, he called the front desk to ask for a blanket. Not even bothering to be discreet, Shen Yue changed into his pajamas in front of Wei Jinchuan and headed for the door. Just as he was about to close it behind him, Wei Jinchuan stopped him.

Wei Jinchuan grabbed his hand, then let go as if burned when he noticed Shen Yue's gaze falling upon him. Unconsciously rubbing the residual warmth on his fingertips, he said, "You sleep here. I'll take the sofa."

Of course, Shen Yue wouldn’t insist on making himself uncomfortable.

But even though he slept in a comfortable, soft bed, he had a restless night. It wasn’t because of nightmares, but because too much had happened that evening, and Wei Jinchuan’s sudden appearance had thrown all his plans into disarray, leaving him irritated and angry.

When he woke the next morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten. Once awake, Shen Yue was wide awake. He lay in bed for a while with his eyes open, then listlessly got out of bed, dressed, and decided to go out for breakfast.

In contrast, Wei Jinchuan slept soundly on the sofa. Shen Yue, not wanting to cause any more trouble, tiptoed to avoid waking him and only breathed a sigh of relief once he was out the door.

As he stepped out of the hotel entrance, a dark figure sat on the steps below—that’s how it is abroad; even in renowned tourist destinations, it was hard to avoid encountering homeless people or other potentially dangerous individuals. Shen Yue tried to avoid him by moving to the other side, but as he drew closer, the figure looked familiar. He looked closely and exclaimed in disbelief, "Edward?"

Sure enough, the person turned his head at the sound. In the dim light where the fading starlight met the early dawn glow at the horizon, that face was unmistakably Edward’s.

Shen Yue hurried over to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I’m here... waiting for you."

Edward had been drowsy but jolted awake at the sound of Shen Yue’s voice. He rubbed his knees, which were aching from staying in one position for too long, and his eyes unconsciously scanned the space beside Shen Yue before he broke into a smile. "I thought I’d see you much later."

Shen Yue asked, "Why are you waiting for me?"

"I wanted to wait for you," Edward said. "I was so sad seeing you leave with someone else yesterday. I tried to forget you, but I couldn’t. I don’t know if you can understand this feeling like I do. Maybe you find it childish, ridiculous, or far-fetched, but I think I’ve really fallen in love with you—love at first sight."

His gaze unintentionally drifted past Shen Yue’s collar, looking deeper. "Did you sleep with him last night?"

Shen Yue frowned. He didn’t like others meddling in his private life, whether it was Wei Jinchuan or Edward.

Edward sensed his mood. "Please don’t misunderstand, Yue. I didn’t mean to interfere with your thoughts. It’s just that at night, it's easy to overthink. Especially since I’ve been sitting here all night without sleep, I’ve thought about a lot of things. If my question just now was offensive, please pretend you didn’t hear it, okay?"

Shen Yue wasn’t one to dwell on things. If Edward meant no harm, then letting it slide was fine.

He smiled slightly. "Of course."

"That’s great," Edward said. "You have no idea how agonizing a night I spent. Only after seeing you have I come back to life."

Shen Yue watched his animated expression. "You’re exaggerating."

"It’s true," Edward said earnestly, gazing at him. "You left with him, and I couldn’t bear the thought of you sleeping with him. What’s worse, I can’t imagine him not wanting to sleep with you—because if it were me, I wouldn’t be able to resist either."

He reached out as if to touch Shen Yue’s face, but the latter didn’t flinch. Edward, however, didn’t actually make contact. His fingers hovered, tracing the outline of Shen Yue’s features as if admiring a precious, delicate rose—one he longed to appreciate but couldn’t bear to pluck and watch wither. Yet, if he had to find this rose another owner, he was unwilling to do that either.

"I thought you’d come out with him. If that had really happened, I wouldn’t have come forward to disturb you."

The sky grew brighter. Seeing the increasingly evident sadness on Edward’s face, Shen Yue suddenly felt a pang of pity. "I didn’t sleep with him. We... had an argument yesterday."

"Really?"

Edward’s eyes instantly lit up. "Forgive my schadenfreude, Yue. I mean... would you mind coming to my place to rest?"

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Author’s note: Werewolf is killing me again!