Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The next day, Yi Wuyi passed by Yan Shizhou's office and saw through the glass that no one was inside.

"Manager Shizhou has been coming to work on time lately. I don't know why he didn't come today. I sent him texts, but he didn't reply. Maybe something came up," the secretary beside him hurriedly explained, eager for others to know how diligent their manager had been lately.

"I know. Let him sleep," Yi Wuyi said.

The secretary was slow on the uptake, a look of horror on his face. What did "let him sleep" mean?

Ten hours earlier, at the bar.

Yi Wuyi walked out of the private booth, crossed the upper corridor, and by the deafening dance floor downstairs, he spotted a familiar figure.

Yan Shizhou was leaning against a sofa in the corner of the dance floor, head bowed low. The hair at his temples fell down, casting shadows over his brows and eyes. It was unclear whether he was asleep or drunk.

He held a cigarette between his fingers, not smoking it. The glowing ember was about to burn his finger, yet he remained motionless.

Yi Wuyi glanced at the manager beside him, who immediately explained, "The Third Young Master has been coming here every night for the past few days. He just sits there, doesn't drink, doesn't look for friends. If someone tries to talk to him, he has them dragged away. Then he continues sitting there, spacing out."

"What did Mr. Yan say?"

"Mr. Yan's exact words were: 'Keep an eye on him. Let him sober up on his own.'"

"It's too dangerous in a place like this," Yi Wuyi remarked.

The manager's mouth twitched. "With the Third Young Master's temper, who would dare provoke this spoiled heir of the Yan family?"

People would hide when they saw him. It was only that man named Han Yuqiu who had gotten somewhat close to him before.

"How about you go talk to him? Didn't the Third Young Master use to listen to you the most?"

Yi Wuyi's eyes looked particularly deep under the changing lights. "You said it yourself—that was before."

The manager was taken aback, frowning in disbelief. This wouldn't do. The two million the Third Young Master promised him couldn't just slip through his fingers.

He wanted to persuade Yi Wuyi further, but Yi Wuyi deliberately avoided Yan Shizhou and went down the stairs on the other side.

Just as he was about to leave, he saw a man in a floral shirt walk up to Yan Shizhou.

The man asked something, then brazenly placed a hand on Yan Shizhou's shoulder. Yan Shizhou didn't move a muscle, not even lifting his head.

Two bodyguards secretly protecting him nearby were about to step forward but were stopped by Yi Wuyi.

The manager beside him said, "Fifth Master, what's wrong? Just an ignorant bug. Have someone beat him up, that's all."

Yi Wuyi didn't respond. The manager thought to himself, maybe there's a chance.

After a while, the man slid his palm downward, from Yan Shizhou's shoulder to his back.

Yan Shizhou remained unmoved, like a statue.

The man in the floral shirt was overjoyed. He had been too bored on this business trip the past couple of days. Hearing that the bars on Bolin Street had quite a few gay men, he came to try his luck.

He didn't expect to see such a handsome, beautiful man sitting on a sofa in the corner as soon as he entered. Such a top-tier man, and no one was gathered around him.

His heart itched with desire. A local beside him kindly warned, "Whatever you do, don't stare at that one. He's not someone you can afford to mess with. Be careful of your life."

The floral-shirted man boasted, "For a catch like that, even if I had to hang myself tomorrow after having him once, it'd be worth it."

At worst, he might have some disease. He'd just take proper safety measures.

So, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the floral-shirted man walked toward that lonely corner.

Up close, that face, that unique aura, was even more stunningly beautiful. The floral-shirted man, who had seen countless people in his lifetime, felt his heart pounding wildly now.

This beautiful man was also unexpectedly more agreeable than imagined. No matter what he said, the man just remained silent. No matter what he did, the man showed no reaction.

It seemed this was going to work.

"I booked the most luxurious suite at the Yan's Hotel nearby. It has a view of the entire city's nightscape and the port. How about I take you to see it?"

Yan Shizhou finally let out a cold laugh. "As long as you're not afraid of dying."

This sinister, ruthless coldness made the floral-shirted man even more infatuated with him.

The two walked out of the bar.

At that moment, a man blocked their path.

"You..." The floral-shirted man was about to curse, but when he looked up and saw the other's murderous gaze, he felt a chill. "Buddy, what are you..."

Yi Wuyi looked at Yan Shizhou. "Third Young Master, where are you going?"

"What else do you do at a hotel?" Yan Shizhou retorted with a cynical, cold laugh.

Yan Shizhou suddenly realized. "You're probably still a virgin, right? Don't understand what going to a hotel is for. Wait, that's not right. Didn't you get a room with Xie Yunshen?"

He glanced mockingly at Yi Wuyi's lower body. "Could it be you really can't perform?"

The floral-shirted man chuckled, seemingly unwilling to show weakness in front of Yan Shizhou. He asked Yan Shizhou, "Who is this?"

Yan Shizhou countered with a question. "Do you dare hit him?"

The man had already caught the implied meaning, and this sentence undoubtedly emboldened him. He stepped forward, staring at Yi Wuyi. "You heard him. Be sensible and get lost."

Yi Wuyi pushed him away. The man tried to resist but felt as if he had slammed into an iron arm, being flung straight against the wall.

It felt like being hit by a car, the pain making half his body tremble.

Unwilling to lose face in front of Yan Shizhou, he stubbornly didn't make a sound.

"Don't mind him. Let's go." Yan Shizhou finally granted him a slight smile.

The man initially wanted to refuse, but upon seeing Yan Shizhou's face and his smile, he completely lost the will to resist. He thought to himself, even dying would be worth it.

The two passed by Yi Wuyi.

"What will it take for you to vent your anger, to stop being willful?" Yi Wuyi's voice was low and steady.

Yan Shizhou stopped and revealed a triumphant look in his eyes. "You're straight, right?"

Yi Wuyi was momentarily stunned, not catching on.

"I heard straight men have a big aversion to homosexuality, even find it disgusting." Yan Shizhou placed his hand on Yi Wuyi's shoulder.

"Coming to satisfy my physical needs—won't that make you uncomfortable?"

He was like a traveler carrying a smoldering stove in his arms, walking barefoot through the desert in the height of summer, unable to find his destination, just wandering aimlessly.

Yi Wuyi was his only remedy.

Yi Wuyi frowned and asked, "If I do this, you won’t go to those kinds of places anymore, right?"

Yan Shizhou raised an eyebrow. "Of course."

He hadn’t gone to those places for any real reason—just to see Yi Wuyi fret and worry himself sick over him, and maybe even take the bait if he was lucky.

The man in the floral shirt tonight was completely unexpected, a sheer coincidence that played right into his hands.

The man in the floral shirt was utterly confused by the turn of events and snapped, "What does this mean? What about me?"

Yan Shizhou couldn't be bothered to look at him, just jerked his chin at the two bodyguards, and the man was dragged away.

Yi Wuyi followed Yan Shizhou back to the annex of the Yan family estate—this was Yan Shizhou’s territory.

Yan Shizhou knew that the moment he checked into a hotel with Yi Wuyi, word would reach his eldest brother, who would surely put a stop to it.

So he took Yi Wuyi to the annex instead.

Once they'd both showered, Yan Shizhou sat on the edge of the bed, propped up on his hands behind him, his hair still damp. He looked up at Yi Wuyi: "If you regret this now, you can leave."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he wanted to slap himself. Stubborn as he was—why give up the prize when it was right there?

"I won’t. Let’s begin, Third Young Master."

Inexplicably, Yan Shizhou felt irritable again. He tapped a cigarette out of the pack but didn’t light it, just rolled it between his fingers. "You get started."

Yi Wuyi froze for a moment but quickly regained his usual steadfast composure.

Yan Shizhou watched him coldly, even though this icy scrutiny brought Yi Wuyi a sense of pain edged with shame.

The more Yi Wuyi’s hands trembled, the more Yan Shizhou felt a perverse pleasure, mixed with a strange, contrary pain—like his first cigarette, uncomfortable and burning.

He knew Yi Wuyi was a straight man through and through, but the thought of watching him marry another woman was more than he could bear.

Yan Shizhou lit the cigarette, took a drag, and let the smoke drift through the room, swirling into shapes like tortured skulls.

Actually, Yi Wuyi was hard soon enough, but Yan Shizhou gave no sign for him to stop.

So he had no choice but to continue.

Yan Shizhou stared at the wound on Yi Wuyi’s chest—the one from the shooter in the hoodie last time—the angry stitches not yet fully healed.

The curve of the stitching looked like a clown’s smile.

He took another drag and blew the smoke onto Yi Wuyi’s chest, the scar fading in and out of view.

Then he crushed the cigarette forcefully in the ashtray and slathered on plenty of lube.

Though he was too turned on to help it, he made sure he was well-prepared to spare himself pain.

Pressing down on Yi Wuyi’s broad shoulders, he gritted his teeth and sank down onto him, immediately shaking from head to toe.

It was both painful and numb, but it felt unbelievable.

Burying his face in Yi Wuyi’s shoulder, Yan Shizhou almost laughed out loud—he’d finally had him.

Yi Wuyi looked at him, confused.

No, laughing would give it away.

"Close your eyes!" Yan Shizhou barked.

Yi Wuyi had no choice but to obey.

The sensation was too intense; Yan Shizhou went weak and nearly fell off, but Yi Wuyi steadied him.

He couldn’t possibly tell Yi Wuyi that this was actually his first time.

He hadn’t even slept with Han Yuqiu.

It wasn’t that Yan Shizhou held onto any notion of staying pure—Han Yuqiu was just a decoy from the start.

He knew the guy was a gold digger trying to scam him, so he played along to anger his eldest brother and give Yi Wuyi a reason to feel indebted.

He just hadn’t expected things to spiral out of control later.

Truthfully, he could barely remember what Han Yuqiu even looked like.

Another thing—he hated Yi Wuyi, hated that he was never the first choice in his eyes.

So from every angle, Yan Shizhou was a complete novice.

Even when he was on top, he wouldn’t move—every motion was excruciating.

In the end, Yi Wuyi couldn't stand his fumbling and dawdling anymore and pressed him down onto the bed.

Yan Shizhou’s eyes were blurred with tears from the intensity as he hazily watched the cigarette butt in the ashtray swaying in his vision.

The purple filter was wedged in the ashtray’s groove, twisted and tangled, struggling to regain its original shape.

Occasionally, he’d realize he was gripping Yi Wuyi’s hand and would abruptly let go, his fingers turning pale as they clutched the pillow.

Yi Wuyi didn’t make a single sound, while Yan Shizhou couldn’t hold back his stifled groans and gasps.

In the end, Yi Wuyi went to work on time with scratch marks on his shoulders, while Yan Shizhou spent the entire day in bed.

Lying there, he still remembered to transfer the two million to the bar manager.

"Thank you, Third Young Master! I swear I’ll keep my mouth shut about Fifth Master!"

Satisfied, Yan Shizhou put down his phone.

————

"Mr. Yan!"

A pair of hands slammed onto the desk. Though the sound wasn’t loud, the gust of air rustled the papers nearby.

The assistant organizing files nearby jumped in fright, staring wide-eyed at Xie Yunshen.

Even though he knew Xie Yunshen held a special position, since when did the chairman of Yan Corp get a desk slammed at him?

"What is it?"

As if already accustomed to Xie Yunshen’s energetic and solemn way of greeting, Yan Shiqi didn’t even look up.

"Old Five is going to the construction site the day after tomorrow. You know that, right?"

To save Old Five's life and avert losses for the Yan family, Xie Yunshen decided to address the core of the problem.

"I was the one who told him to go."

"Did it have to be him?"

"Old Five always handles these things. He's familiar with the project's contractors."

"Well, don't send him then."

Yan Shiqi put down his pen and looked at him. "Why?"

"It's dangerous, and it's not just Old Five who's at risk."

"What kind of danger?"

"...Construction sites are just full of unpredictable hazards."

At times like these, Xie Yunshen felt his lack of eloquence—to put it plainly, he was clumsy with words and didn't know how to properly warn Yan Shiqi without arousing suspicion.

Yan Shiqi asked, "Did you have another dream?"

It was like someone offering a pillow when you're tired—Yan Shiqi was incredibly understanding.

"It felt so real it didn't seem like a dream. There was an explosion at the site, Old Five got killed, and dozens of people from the Yan family died!"

Yan Shiqi actually smiled at this.

Xie Yunshen frowned. "...You don't believe me?"

His voice grew soft and weak from disbelief.

He thought that after all this time together, Yan Shiqi had come to trust him completely.

Although lately, there had been many inexplicable suspicions about him...

"I believe you." Yan Shiqi went back to work, head still down.

"Do you remember the gardener from Third Uncle's house? The one I dreamed about."

"Hmm."

"My dream came true last time, and now I've dreamed about an accident at the construction site. You... you still...?"

Xie Yunshen fell silent.

The assistant placed several new documents on the desk, explaining the cooperation proposals while secretly glancing at the dejected Xie Yunshen across the table.

He thought, amazed—when Mr. Yan was working, his office was like a gate to hell. When had he ever shown such patience and good temper?

Especially since there had been a backlog of work these past few days.

Xie Yunshen sat opposite, resting his head sideways on the desk, his eyes following the pen in Yan Shiqi's hand as he signed several names. The pen moved like a flashing sword, tracing sharp, cold arcs on the snow-white paper.

Fine, keep busy then.

Xie Yunshen gave up struggling. Like a piece of decor, he rested his head on the desk, neither making a fuss nor causing trouble, just waiting Yan Shiqi out until he finished.

He refused to believe that when insomnia struck at night, Yan Shiqi could still ignore him.

The rustling of paper mixed with the sound of Yan Shiqi's pen scratching, transmitted through the solid wood to his auditory nerves. Xie Yunshen felt as if he were back in a high school classroom, and he slowly closed his eyes.

He had been busy all night yesterday and barely slept.

Just a short nap, then.

No! Not allowed! I'm the Golden Bodyguard!

Xie Yunshen suddenly sat up and opened his eyes, only to find the space behind the desk empty.

The room's air conditioning felt chilly.

"Mr. Yan!" He stood up abruptly, and the jacket on his shoulders slid onto the chair.

It was Yan Shiqi's suit jacket.

Annoyed, Xie Yunshen opened the office door, inwardly shouting: Unforgivable! He had actually fallen asleep!

As soon as he opened the door, he met a pair of familiar black eyes.

Yan Shiqi was wearing only a shirt, the assistant held a stack of documents, and Yi Wuyi stood behind them.

"I fell asleep. Why didn't you wake me up?"

The assistant was internally reeling: Falling asleep on the boss's desk during work hours, the boss giving you his jacket and going to a meeting in just a shirt, and you're blaming the boss for not waking you up?

Yi Wuyi was already used to such scenes.

Yan Shiqi didn't find anything amiss either. He walked behind the desk and said, "Go sleep in the back room. You're so big that no one could move you once you're asleep."

"Eh, you're underestimating Old Five," Xie Yunshen said quite proudly, patting Yi Wuyi's shoulder.

"Old Five can't do it."

"Why?" Xie Yunshen pressed.

Yan Shiqi glanced at the two of them. "That's a mental image I can't handle."

Yi Wuyi: "..."

Xie Yunshen: "..."

The assistant was utterly numb, as if frozen in place.

Was he dreaming?

When had his boss ever been like this?

He had been by Yan Shiqi's side as an assistant since he was the group manager, for at least seven or eight years. Yan Shiqi had always been emotionally stable... and sternly cold, a natural family leader and heir.

Those who worked around him had to adapt to his stern and cold demeanor and endure his imposing presence and pressure.

But Xie Yunshen was different—he was completely immune.

So this kind of innate quality was truly something to envy.

At the Yan family residence that night.

"Mr. Yan!" Xie Yunshen pushed open the study door.

The study was as dark as ever. Xie Yunshen waited for his eyes to adjust before he could see Yan Shiqi sitting by the window, the curtains hanging past his chair.

This time, Xie Yunshen didn’t turn on the light. Using the faint outside light, he walked over to Yan Shiqi’s side.

“What’s your take on what I said earlier today?”

“What thing?” Yan Shiqi moved his hand from his forehead to the armrest.

“The construction site issue!”

Xie Yunshen really wanted to grab Yan Shiqi and shake him hard. Like the saying goes, the emperor wasn’t anxious, so what was the point of him worrying himself sick?

Yan Shiqi just looked at him, calm and measured: “You mentioned the explosion. I’ve already had someone investigate, but they didn’t find the kind of suspicious signs you mentioned.”

Xie Yunshen was stunned: “When did you have someone look into it?”

“While you were napping during the day.”

Talk about efficiency.

Xie Yunshen sat down beside him, dazed. It couldn’t be. He remembered clearly—this was exactly when Lao Wu was supposed to have his accident in the story.

Wait, could it be that the one behind this was Shang Guanhong?

Because Shang Guanhong was still in his hands, maybe the explosion subplot just didn’t exist anymore.

“No, that’s not right. I still have a bad feeling. Promise me you won’t let Lao Wu go to the site. If he dies, I couldn't handle it.” Xie Yunshen gripped Yan Shiqi’s shoulder.

Yan Shiqi hadn't even gotten a word out before Xie Yunshen added, “And the explosion might happen in a couple of days.”

As long as he gave enough warning, he believed Yan Shiqi would be prepared.

“I’m going out for a bit.” Having said that, Xie Yunshen turned to leave.

“I have insomnia tonight.”

“Goodnight?”

They spoke at the same time, and Xie Yunshen had already darted to the doorway.

Yan Shiqi sat in silence in the dark.

“...”

In the end, Xie Yunshen’s heart softened. “I’ll go get the wrist exercise ball.”