Chapter 91

Chapter 91

Yan Shiqi suddenly pulled him aside, cupping his face with both hands, noticing the cut at the corner of his mouth, the bruise on his ear, and the abrasions on the back of his hand—all injuries on the left side of his body.

"What happened to you?"

Xie Yunshen, having been abruptly pushed back, was momentarily stunned. "I fell. It's nothing."

As soon as he finished speaking, a sharp, piercing pain shot through his knee.

Perhaps he had run too fast and recklessly, or perhaps it was because Mr. Yan was showing concern for him, but it was only now that Xie Yunshen belatedly realized something was wrong with his knee.

The reporters nearby certainly wouldn't miss such a prime opportunity and swarmed forward.

"Mr. Yan, could you introduce us? Is this the brother you were looking for?"

"Are the two of you blood-related brothers, or..."

Yan Shiqi gave a slight smile, his handsome features taking on the cautious, composed demeanor of an entrepreneur as he said: "I'm sorry, I don't have time to answer too many questions right now. Later, Cloud Banner Group will retract that search notice."

Wasn't this statement precisely confirming that the person beside him was the one Yan Shiqi had been searching for? The camera flashes went off rapidly.

The male reporter who had struck up a conversation with Xie Yunshen earlier that morning was kicking himself, having missed out on exclusive firsthand information. If only he had known, he would have taken a photo with him.

Xie Yunshen gazed at Yan Shiqi, feeling on the verge of tears. It was wonderful. This was the familiar Mr. Yan—his every move, his every word, even the air around him seemed imbued with his strength.

He knew he shouldn't think this way; it was sick. But he was simply captivated by this kind of bearing. What could he do?

Someone tried to approach Xie Yunshen, but the security guards immediately blocked the reporters.

Mr. Yan pulled Xie Yunshen into the car to go to the hospital for a check-up.

The company was very close to the hospital, only a ten-minute drive.

During those ten minutes, Xie Yunshen kept staring at Yan Shiqi, feeling it was unbelievable, as if in a daze, like a dream. Could it really be, as the doctor had said, that he was suffering from delusional disorder?

The doctor pulled up his pants, revealing a horrifically mangled lower leg. His knee was also swollen, and the inside of his pants was stained with blood.

Xie Yunshen was startled. "Wasn't it just scraped skin before?" After saying this, he glanced at Mr. Yan.

The latter frowned, his expression grave.

The doctor couldn't help but click his tongue. "Why did you wait until now to come see a doctor? If it got infected, it could be serious."

But Xie Yunshen had always felt it wasn't a big problem.

When reporting his name, Xie Yunshen instinctively used a pseudonym. After saying it, he belatedly glanced at Mr. Yan. He should have used the name Xie Yunshen. Would Mr. Yan think he was an imposter?

The doctor took X-rays and conducted examinations, confirming it was a tendon injury. The wound looked quite severe, but it wasn't a major issue.

"Fortunately, you're young and have a good constitution. It's this serious but didn't damage the bone," the doctor remarked with a sigh.

"See, I told you it was just broken skin," Xie Yunshen said with a sense of triumph, as if he had gambled correctly.

The doctor glanced at Yan Shiqi, as if to say, "Is this kid always like this?"

Yan Shiqi: "..."

"Did you fall off a motorcycle?" The doctor bandaging the wound saw through it at a glance.

"Yeah."

"How fast were you going?"

"Not that fast, really. I just wasn't paying attention to the road," Xie Yunshen said sheepishly.

"I've been dressing wounds for decades. This looks like a side fall when the bike was going too fast. See, you've even gained experience from falling—you knew to protect your knees."

"...Yeah, don't say anymore," Xie Yunshen closed his eyes, already not daring to look at Mr. Yan beside him.

After all his wounds were treated, on the way back, Xie Yunshen glanced several times, confirming that Mr. Yan only had one assistant with him.

"Mr. Yan, where's Lao Wu? Why didn't you bring bodyguards? It's very dangerous."

Yan Shiqi said, "A Shen, it's just me."

"What? What do you mean, just you?" Xie Yunshen didn't understand.

The midday sun shone on Mr. Yan's profile. His brows, which had weathered many storms over the years, were slightly furrowed. His breath passed slowly and steadily through his lungs. After a long silence, he finally spoke. "I came to find you myself."

"How did you come to find me?" Xie Yunshen's pupils shifted slightly. He vaguely sensed that Mr. Yan had gone through a terrible decision.

"Didn't we sign a contract? Anytime I want to find you, I can come to you. And you have to welcome me happily."

Xie Yunshen stood frozen in place, as if a bolt of lightning had cut through the night sky, startling awake a long-sealed and chaotic forest of memories. His soul plummeted endlessly at the world's edge before being violently thrown back into reality.

He looked at Mr. Yan, unable to help but be shaken by the other's resolute gaze. His heart tightened violently. He hugged him tightly, taking a deep breath.

His heart trembled uncontrollably. This was real. He hoped it wasn't a dream. Was Mr. Yan really here in front of him?

This embrace lasted the longest in Xie Yunshen's life. He refused to let go.

Mr. Yan allowed him to hold on tightly, ruffling his hair. "Do you know? The place you used to live is actually only a twenty-minute drive from Cloud Banner. Do you know how much I... regret it..."

Xie Yunshen was taken aback. "I'm sorry."

"I don't want to hear 'I'm sorry.' The one who should be sorry is me."

When the car stopped, Xie Yunshen realized they had arrived at his own small, standalone house.

Was he just going to be dropped off at home and then left?

He had thought he could stay with Mr. Yan like before.

"Mr. Yan, can't I go back with you? If I'm not there, won't there be no one to protect you?" Xie Yunshen felt like a puppy abandoned by its owner.

Yan Shiqi said, "I want to see the place you used to live. Is that not allowed?"

Xie Yunshen realized he had misunderstood and breathed a sigh of relief, then quickly refused. "No, it's not good. It hasn't been lived in for a long time. Let me clean it up first, okay?"

"It's fine," Yan Shiqi insisted.

Xie Yunshen stood at the door, pushing it open while taking a deep breath and praying that three years ago he had been a tidy boy who didn't throw socks around or leave dumbbells lying about everywhere.

Fortunately, the gods heard his prayer. Upon stepping inside, he found the living room bright and clean, with curtains fluttering in the breeze. Sunlight spread over the sofa in the middle of the room and the display shelf for his figurines.

"That's strange. Why is it so clean?" Logically, even if it wasn't messy, there should have been a thick layer of dust. But now, the furniture and floor were spotless and gleaming, and even the figurines seemed to shine.

Xie Yunshen walked over and picked up one of his treasured figurines, feeling a sense of having regained something lost.

"Mr. Yan, look, this is the main character from the anime I watched as a child."

He stood in the sunlight, with fine dust particles drifting above his head, dancing in the beam of his smile.

He watched Mr. Yan standing in a spot untouched by the sun, his gaze fixed on him with a gentle smile in his eyes.

Suddenly, Xie Yunshen's expression changed—clatter—the figurine slipped from his hand.

He abruptly grabbed Mr. Yan's hand, pulling him into the sunlight, anxiously gripping his shoulders and hands. "Are you real? Is Mr. Yan really here?"

Only when he clearly saw his own reflection in Mr. Yan's eyes and the fine hairs on his skin did he begin to believe.

It wasn't his fault. Anyone who had been treated as a psychiatric patient for three years would become a bit neurotic, constantly wavering between hope and fear.

Moreover, how could a house left vacant for three years be so clean? Everything felt unreal. How could Mr. Yan appear in this house? How could he be standing right in front of him? Was he having another delusional episode?

Over these three years, he had clung to a stubborn hope, sometimes teetering on the brink of despair, other times finding glimmers of vitality everywhere. But in the end, it was his absolute trust in Mr. Yan that kept him going.

"A-Shen, listen to me. When we were at the hospital earlier, I specifically hired someone to clean the house. I thought you'd need a familiar environment for your recovery." Yan Shiqi held his shoulders, making him meet his gaze, as if hoping to convey his unwavering conviction.

"...But how did Mr. Yan end up here?" Xie Yunshen's eyes scanned him up and down, his brows furrowed as if in confusion or pain.

Yan Shiqi looked into Xie Yunshen's wavering eyes. Ever since they were at the hospital, he had sensed Xie Yunshen's unusual pain and anxiety.

He wondered how Xie Yunshen had endured these three years, caught between external doubt and self-doubt. How could someone once so full of vitality become like this?

Yan Shiqi's trembling hand brushed over his head, feeling the resilient texture of his hair and the tangible touch, like a resonance of their souls. He realized his own hand couldn't stop trembling either. He tried to hold his breath but found his heart racing.

Finally unable to restrain his emotions, he cupped Xie Yunshen's head with both hands and kissed him.

Xie Yunshen hadn't yet processed what was happening. He only felt something soft touch his lips and instinctively tilted his head down, leaning closer. It was soft and pleasant, a taste entirely new to him.

When he realized Mr. Yan was kissing him, Xie Yunshen's mind exploded. For a moment, his ears rang with a buzzing sound.

Mr. Yan was kissing him? Kissing him? He was really kissing him, right...

Up close, he saw Mr. Yan's eyes and brows. Through the gaps of his lowered lashes, a hint of clear, soft light shone through.

His hands involuntarily cupped Mr. Yan's face, wanting to drink in this rich, sweet flavor all at once, yet unwilling to consume it so hastily. Then, to his delight, he felt as though this was an inexhaustible treat, like an endless supply of jelly—a tenderness bestowed generously by the gods. Emboldened, he deepened his exploration of this gift.

His tongue touched the warmth of the other's mouth, pressing against a tongue that was both resilient and soft. Happiness spread within him, a sweet power rippling through his lips, teeth, and breath.

His heart raced like a deer sprinting through a forest carpeted with fallen leaves. Waves surged in his chest, his breath grew hot and intense, no longer under his control.

Thus, the kiss grew deeper and more urgent, its possessiveness intensifying. Yet, influenced by its initiator's nature, the kiss remained more about affection than domination.

Although Mr. Yan was the one who initiated, he continuously adapted to and followed Xie Yunshen's rhythm, his body trembling.

Xie Yunshen looked at him with mild surprise. Why was Mr. Yan trembling?

Perhaps he had been too hasty. He must have been too rough.

"Don't stop..." Because he was held so tightly, Yan Shiqi's hand struggled to lift from behind him and press against his shoulder. He turned his face, nuzzling the wound near Xie Yunshen's ear, as if urgently urging him to continue.

Xie Yunshen immediately turned his head to kiss him again.

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Author's Note: They finally kissed!! I'm so excited!! I'm rewarding myself by watching two episodes of a TV drama! [Fighting][Fighting]