Chapter 95

Chapter 95

As he slept, he felt his hand tightly wrapped in something warm, making him open his eyes. He saw his hand resting on the pillow being firmly held by Xie Yunshen.

Having been held for so long, coupled with the person behind him pressing close, the heat transferred in this autumn season was so comforting it was entrancing, making the back of his hand sweat slightly.

Not just the hand—the man's breath warmed the top of his head, his chest pressed against his back, a bent knee nudged the hollow behind his knee, and the instep of his foot touched his sole.

It was an almost complete envelopment; his throat was also hoarse and parched.

Yan Shiqi gently let go of the hand holding his own, preparing to rise from the embrace.

"Mr. Yan, what's wrong?" Xie Yunshen immediately snuggled closer from behind, his voice slightly husky.

"I want some water."

A glass of water had already been poured and was on the table, apparently prepared for him. Mr. Yan sat up, picked up the glass, first wet his throat, then drank half of it.

Xie Yunshen watched him, eyes open: "Mr. Yan, even when you're drinking water, it looks like you're pondering something."

"Is that so?"

Xie Yunshen nodded affirmatively: "You're so elegant even when you drink, like an emperor in a TV drama contemplating state affairs."

Yan Shiqi was tickled by this comparison. Putting down the glass, he settled back into his arms: "Let's doze a little longer. I'll get up later to handle work."

Xie Yunshen was a little flattered and surprised. Would someone like Mr. Yan really put off work just to lie in with him a bit longer?

He kissed his forehead, held him tight, heart to heart, face to face, then closed his eyes.

He could feel on his skin the cool air carrying the hazy, dawn scent. The sun was on the verge of rising. In the morning dew, his sleeping lover's expression gradually softened.

Xie Yunshen had gotten up in the middle of the night to cook porridge before sleeping, keeping it in an insulated pot so Mr. Yan could eat as soon as he woke up.

"How is it?" Xie Yunshen looked at Mr. Yan with such an eager look, like a student waiting for his professor's verdict on a thesis.

Yan Shiqi's mother passed away early, and he had never in his life eaten a breakfast personally made by a loved one. So, this bowl of porridge was seen through rose-colored glasses. Moreover, this porridge was made by Xie Yunshen, who, like the man himself, was good at bringing surprises.

"Delicious, better than I imagined."

Xie Yunshen had a "called it" look on his face: "What Mr. Yan imagined, was it that I only know how to whip up kitchen nightmares?"

Mr. Yan said frankly: "Yes, with a bit of prejudice."

Xie Yunshen rested his chin in his hand, admiring the delightful sight of him eating: "Alright, I did look up the recipe on my phone and learned it, but it really wasn't as hard as imagined. I can make it for you every day from now on."

After finishing the bowl of porridge and wiping the corner of his mouth, Mr. Yan, as if it was premeditated, lowered his head, took his face in his hands, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

With a look of delighted surprise in his eyes, Xie Yunshen kissed him back. Unfortunately, it wasn't satisfying enough, so he found his lips for a ten-second kiss. Getting a little carried away, he gripped Mr. Yan's shoulders to deepen the kiss.

Mr. Yan, with his tie gripped and shoulders held, leaned in to respond to the kiss.

The eight o'clock sun was at its brightest and most lively, shining warmly on the two as they kissed.

The phone ringtone chose that moment to ring out abruptly.

Xie Yunshen frowned; the ringing came from the room—it was actually his own phone.

Mr. Yan took the initiative to end the kiss, forcing Xie Yunshen to get up and go find that darn phone in the room.

Finally finding the culprit singing alone in a corner of the desk, Xie Yunshen answered, annoyed: "What's the call for so early in the morning?"

"Xie Yunshen, stop pretending. What 'so early'? Don't you do your devil training at five every morning?"

"You called just to say that?"

"I wanted to remind you, don't forget today's motorcycle race!"

Xie Yunshen remembered. A month ago, an old friend from his motorcycle crew suggested he should get back into the game—participating in underground motorcycle races.

When he was younger, besides being a bodyguard, Xie Yunshen loved riding motorcycles, especially the speed and thrill of underground races. However, after a near "total wreck" incident left a shadow, he decided to retire.

But a month ago, Xie Yunshen was deeply mired in chaotic "delusions," his mind not quite right. So, he followed the doctor's advice—go out more, see more, make more friends.

Mainly, he was acting crazy back then, feeling life had little worth clinging to, which was why he agreed to join the underground motorcycle race.

Today happened to be race day.

"Hey... judging by your tone, you didn't really forget, did you?"

Xie Yunshen could almost picture the eye-roll on the other end.

"Forget it, I'm not going." After saying this, Xie Yunshen wisely moved the phone away from his ear.

An earth-shattering roar erupted from the other end: "Xie Yunshen! You heartless bastard!"

"Sorry, how much is the penalty? I'll pay double."

"It's not about the penalty! The boss already announced you're making a comeback today. Tickets are sold out. How do we explain this to the audience?"

Xie Yunshen frowned: "Just tell them I breached the contract, let them curse me. I'll transfer the penalty directly to you."

A long silence followed: "Hey, something's off with you, really off. Have you been possessed by some demon?"

Xie Yunshen said: "No. Anyway, I don't want to go, and I won't go in the future either."

He hung up, walked downstairs, and seeing Mr. Yan indeed waiting for him below, immediately broke into a smile: "Mr. Yan, let's go."

Yesterday, Yan Shiqi had his assistant deliver clothes, so he could directly put on a suit and return to the company this morning.

"Mr. Yan, what's your number?" In the car, Xie Yunshen took out his phone.

Yan Shiqi reached out his hand, and Xie Yunshen gave him the phone.

Watching Mr. Yan input his own number and naturally set it as the primary contact and emergency contact, Xie Yunshen smiled and dialed it.

A string of unfamiliar digits appeared on the phone. Yan Shiqi pressed answer, then saved this number as his own first contact. The sense of satisfaction and security brought by this seemingly insignificant action was surprisingly strong.

"If Mr. Yan calls me, I'll definitely answer instantly." Xie Yunshen looked at him solemnly.

After a while, Mr. Yan suddenly asked him: "What was the morning call about?"

Xie Yunshen replied calmly: "Nothing much. Just an old friend asking me to go ride motorcycles, but I refused."

Mr. Yan seemed quite satisfied with this answer, gently patting his cheek: "So obedient."

Provoked by this gesture, Xie Yunshen immediately hugged him tight and took a deep breath.

Mr. Yan smiled, indulging him.

"Mr. Yan, want me to pick you up after work?" The car arrived at the company entrance, and Xie Yunshen got out to open the door for him.

"Aren't you coming with me?" In Mr. Yan's calm gaze, he couldn't hide a flicker of surprise.

Xie Yunshen had been acting off these past few days, as if he couldn't stand to be away from him for a second, or else he'd get all in his head.

From their reunion until now, they had been practically inseparable at all times.

Today, Xie Yunshen was actually the one asking for some time apart.

For Mr. Yan, he didn't know how to feel about that.

"Yeah, I happen to have something to do today. I'll come find you after work, okay?"

Xie Yunshen saw the kiss mark on the side of his neck, starkly visible under the sun against his cool, pale skin. He thoughtfully straightened his collar for him—he looked so good; he didn't want others to see such a beautiful view.

Yan Shiqi looked at him: "Where are you going? Have the driver take you."

Xie Yunshen said, "No need, I'll just grab a cab."

With that, he casually hailed a taxi. Watching Mr. Yan standing there, he smiled: "Mr. Yan, go on in."

Yan Shiqi turned and walked toward the entrance.

The taxi pulled away, and Xie Yunshen sat in the back seat. Through the rearview mirror, he saw Mr. Yan still standing at the company entrance, his expression serious.

What was wrong?

Yan Shiqi stood at the company entrance. The sun in the sky was blocked by clouds, leaving him in shadow as the air turned chilly.

He glanced at the assistant nearby, who immediately approached: "Mr. Yan."

Yan Shiqi's eyes were icy as he murmured a few instructions.

The assistant nodded and left.

At lunchtime.

"The chairman isn't in a great mood today." Two management employees stood in the smoking room.

"Yeah, though he usually has a cold look, today he looks even more intimidating."

"Secretary Zhao, do you know what's going on?" The two looked at a tall, thin middle-aged man beside them.

Secretary Zhao seemed a little surprised: "I'm not sure either. It's probably related to the younger brother he recently acknowledged."

This secretary had worked for Yan Shiqi for over a decade. Ever since Yan Shiqi woke up three years ago after barely surviving a rescue in the hospital, his personality had drastically changed. He became shrewd and thorough in his actions, thriving in business. Not only did he completely transform the original family company, but he also simultaneously founded the Yunqi Group, breaking into the ranks of the country's top hundred enterprises within just a few years.

Given Mr. Yan's current status, he should have found a more capable secretary, yet he still kept this useless old-timer by his side, so Secretary Zhao was very grateful.

"That's right. As soon as that younger brother left this morning, the chairman's expression changed instantly. I heard the security captain at the entrance was startled."

"Jeez, if I had a brother like that, I'd cling to him every day. Wouldn't let anything come between us."

"The chairman doesn't like others discussing his private affairs. Better not talk about it," Secretary Zhao said calmly.

The two employees immediately said, "We know you're the tightest-lipped. We definitely won't say a word!"

Secretary Zhao smiled and headed up in the elevator to the chairman's office.

He saw Mr. Yan standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, looking outside.

Just then, the assistant also entered, nodded to him, and walked toward the man by the window.

"Mr. Yan."

Yan Shiqi fixed him with an intense look: "Speak."

"Mr. Xie took a car to the Bodyguard Association and hasn't come out since," the assistant said.

"Did he notice he was being followed?"

"No. Just like you said, we only observed from a distance. Our people have already left now."

"You can go."

The skyscrapers outside looked on at Yan Shiqi's figure, the sunlight gradually fading from his deep gaze.

He smiled self-deprecatingly—it turned out he was the one suffering from separation anxiety.

He thought Xie Yunshen couldn't bear to be apart from him, but it was actually himself who couldn't bear to be apart from Xie Yunshen.

He picked up his phone and glanced at the contact saved as: Shen.

Then he pressed the call button.

Xie Yunshen picked up right away, his voice excited: "Mr. Yan, you called me first! Actually, I was just about to call you!"

"What are you doing?" Yan Shiqi suddenly realized his voice wasn't its usual calm, composed self, betraying a hint of emotional warmth.

"Having lunch. Mr. Yan, are you missing me?"

Yan Shiqi smiled without speaking.

"Mr. Yan, you've probably eaten already, right?"

"More or less." Yan Shiqi glanced at the lunch on his desk, which he had only hastily taken a couple bites of.

"More or less? How much less? Mr. Yan, you have to eat properly," Xie Yunshen said earnestly, with a hint of helpless amusement.

It wasn't until a subordinate knocked on the door that Yan Shiqi realized the lunch break was already over.

This call had somewhat taken the edge off his anxiety.

"Mr. Yan, are you leaving?" Secretary Zhao was about to enter with a document.

"We'll handle it next business day." Yan Shiqi nodded.

Secretary Zhao was somewhat surprised. Usually, even if he didn't work late, he would at least finish the tasks on his desk before leaving.

Yan Shiqi received a message.

"Mr. Yan, I'll wait for you at the D exit in the back (heart)"

The D exit was a relatively quiet side entrance of the group, usually only used by security personnel or carts from the kitchen or logistics department.

When he finally reached the entrance, all he saw was some lonely greenery.

Yan Shiqi felt a pang of unease: "A Shen..."

"Mr. Yan!" A lush bouquet of fragrant flowers suddenly brushed past his field of vision, their scent filling the air, followed by a pair of bright eyes that caught his anxious gaze.

Looking into those eyes, Yan Shiqi felt his heart, which had been unsettled all day, finally grow calm and settle back into place.

Xie Yunshen held the bouquet in his hands, "I specially picked these out at the flower shop. Do you like them?"

"You're giving me flowers?"

"Don't you like them? I think they suit you." Xie Yunshen watched him, testing his reaction.

It was the first time Mr. Yan had accepted flowers from a man: "Did you learn this from a movie?"

"Of course not. I've wanted to give flowers to Mr. Yan for a long time. I've always thought Mr. Yan's eyes look like flower petals."

He lifted a tulip to Mr. Yan's nose: "But to me, no floral scent can compare to Mr. Yan's personal scent."

Yan Shiqi said, "I don't have a personal scent at all."

"Then what am I smelling?" Xie Yunshen inhaled near his neck, right through the flowers: "Maybe Mr. Yan is a fox spirit, releasing his scent only for me."

If he had said this with a hint of flippancy, it would have been flirtation.

Unfortunately, Xie Yunshen spoke as if with the gravity of deep consideration, with a serious, deliberate tone, making him seem like a five-year-old fool.

Yet Mr. Yan laughed, always finding these ridiculous leaps of logic quite endearing and very much to his liking.