Chapter 100

Chapter 100

"Young Master, let's get in the car first." Secretary Zhao smiled faintly. "You wouldn't believe how much the Yan family has changed these days."

Yan Shiling, having spent his time in prison mostly watching the news, was well aware of the changes within the family over the past few years, especially the sheer force his eldest brother had shown.

He walked from the shadow of the prison's high walls into the sunlight, squinting slightly as he looked at his brother.

For some reason, he felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

Although the appearance was exactly the same, those deep eyes sent a chill of fear through him.

Yan Shiling kept a straight face and didn't greet him, and Yan Shiqi didn't speak first either, making the atmosphere grow subtly awkward.

Carrying his meager bag, he opened the rear car door, lowered his head, and got in.

"Hi! Hello there, bro." A good-looking guy turned around and greeted him.

Yan Shiling jumped.

"Who are you?"

"I... should be considered a new brother your brother sort of adopted?" Xie Yunshen studied him and extended his hand.

Yan Shiling frowned, looking confused, but still reached out to shake his hand.

Although he had heard Yan Shiling was in for assault, the boy still seemed quite well-behaved.

Xie Yunshen, satisfied, raised his hand and patted his shoulder. Yan Shiling instinctively flinched, his neck and face going tense.

Xie Yunshen thoughtfully withdrew his hand, glancing at the boy's rough, reddened fingers.

"Mr. Yan, your brother wasn't bullied in prison, was he?" Xie Yunshen, sitting at the dining table, suddenly brought it up.

That evening, back at the villa for dinner, Yan Shiling finished his meal in less than ten minutes and left the table.

This brother seemed introverted and quiet, his troubled eyes a far cry from the arrogant image described in rumors.

"Was he always like this?" Xie Yunshen asked.

"I don't know."

"I thought Mr. Yan could read minds?" Xie Yunshen paused, speaking seriously.

Yan Shiqi gave a short laugh, humoring the lame joke.

"By the time I came into the picture, he was already in prison. We never spent time together."

"So, is Big Brother just naturally bad luck for little brothers?"

Yan Shiqi pinched the back of his neck.

Xie Yunshen seriously finished that bite of golden shrimp and seaweed roll, raving about how good it was while not forgetting to place a piece in Mr. Yan's bowl.

Yan Shiqi had already put down his chopsticks and picked up his napkin, but he still finished the shrimp roll.

"Maybe he was bullied by other inmates. I noticed his fingers looked abnormal," Xie Yunshen continued.

"I'll have Secretary Zhao look into it." Yan Shiqi frowned.

After saying that, he sat at the dining table, watching him and waiting for him to finish eating.

Seeing him waiting, Xie Yunshen immediately picked up the pace.

"No need to rush, take your time." Yan Shiqi even served him a bowl of fish soup.

"Having a big shot like you waiting for me makes me feel guilty." Xie Yunshen took the bowl and drank the fish soup in one go.

Just then, his phone on the table rang.

After answering the call, Mr. Yan's expression grew grave.

"I'll be right there."

Xie Yunshen sensed something was wrong. "What happened?"

"Some company matters. Wait for me here." Mr. Yan picked up his coat.

Xie Yunshen wanted to follow, but Yan Shiqi stopped him with a look: "Wait here. I'll be back soon. If you're tired, go to sleep first. The bedroom password is the same as before."

Although his tone was as usual, that look that brooked no argument forced Xie Yunshen to stop, only able to watch helplessly as he walked out the door.

Even so, the domineering aura radiating from the big shot was seriously attractive, making his heart race.

Due to the identical decor, Xie Yunshen sometimes easily mistook this place for the Yan family manor.

Until he pushed open a familiar door and his gaze halted.

It was a training room, exactly the same as the one in the Yan family manor.

Except for those few little black rooms; when opened, they were empty inside.

Probably because Mr. Yan didn't know what was inside those rooms either, so he simply had people replicate the exteriors.

A soft smile touched Xie Yunshen's eyes.

He went up to the third floor and entered the old password at Mr. Yan's bedroom.

Seeing the identical setup.

Xie Yunshen lay on the bed, his hands sliding over the smooth sheets. Could this be the helplessness of being a kept man?

His phone rang. Xie Yunshen immediately took it out, full of anticipation, but it was an unfamiliar number.

He sat up carefully.

"Hello."

"Thank you! Is that you?" A voice with an awkward accent came through.

Xie Yunshen smiled helplessly. Even after ten years, this prince still used this corny nickname to greet him.

"Little brat," he teased.

"Haha, I'm a father now," the other side immediately protested.

"I'm sorry I couldn't attend the wedding. Congratulations. I saw all the photos you sent, but I really couldn't make it to Country E."

"It's okay, I understand. Thank you. I'm calling just to tell you, if in a few days the news says I died in an accident, it definitely wasn't a real accident. Please believe that."

"What?" Xie Yunshen frowned.

The other party said with a frank laugh, "Among the royal family members in the E Kingdom palace, the average lifespan is only thirty years. Is that so hard to understand? If I really die, I hope you can... protect my child. I'll pay you the highest commission. Also, this is a one-time number; don't call it again."

After saying that, without giving Xie Yunshen any chance to respond, he hung up directly.

Xie Yunshen looked at his phone in silence for a long time before sighing.

He lay back down on the bed, waiting for Mr. Yan to return, and gradually fell asleep inhaling his scent.

He didn't know how much time had passed—it was probably late at night—when Xie Yunshen heard the sound of the door opening while asleep, but he didn't open his eyes, continuing to pretend to be asleep.

He heard the sound of Yan Shiqi taking off his coat, followed by quiet footsteps gradually approaching the bedside. After pausing for a moment, the footsteps headed toward the bathroom.

The sound of running water followed.

Mr. Yan was taking a shower.

He actually went straight to take a shower without giving his sleeping lover a goodnight kiss when he got back?

Xie Yunshen patiently kept pretending to be asleep.

Today, he was determined to wait for Mr. Yan to give him a goodnight kiss.

Twenty minutes later, the bathroom door opened, and Mr. Yan, carrying the fresh scent of soap along with his captivating presence, approached him again.

As expected, but still a delightful surprise, a warm palm gently stroked his forehead, full of tender care.

Xie Yunshen's sense of smell was acute; he could even detect Mr. Yan holding his breath as his presence drew closer and closer.

It was enticing.

He almost couldn't help turning around to hug him tightly.

The phone on the table buzzed with vibrations, breaking the beautiful atmosphere.

Mr. Yan got up and left.

In his heart, Xie Yunshen was already beating up the guy who called.

Shortly after, Mr. Yan's footsteps moved outside to take the call.

He sat up from the bed and walked to the door. Thanks to the rigorous training from years ago, Xie Yunshen's hearing was incredibly sharp.

Mr. Yan's cold voice faintly came from outside the door.

"Tomorrow, I want the information on... No need, just confirm it's him... All those things..."

Xie Yunshen listened, puzzled; it seemed to be about work, but judging by Mr. Yan's tone, there was a distinct chill to it.

Seeing that the call was nearly done, Xie Yunshen hurriedly rolled back into bed and pretended to be asleep.

Ten seconds later, the door gently opened, and light, steady footsteps approached his side.

Mr. Yan's hand once again settled on his forehead.

Suddenly, he heard the click of the light switching off.

"?" Xie Yunshen opened his eyes in the darkness.

"Mr. Yan, that's not fair."

Yan Shiqi's barely suppressed laughter reached his ear.

"I knew you must have been awake already."

"Then, given how hard I tried, you should give me a goodnight kiss even more."

"You're too adorable when you're asleep," Yan Shiqi said.

"Hey, I'm an eighty-kilo grown man."

"Mhm, an adorable grown man." In the darkness, Mr. Yan's eyes shone with a bright smile.

"Alright, alright, I'll do it myself." Turning his face toward him, he rubbed his cheek playfully against the corner of his lips.

Mr. Yan cupped his face and placed a firm kiss on his forehead.

In a perfectly snug embrace, Mr. Yan said, "Yes, I'm very tired."

Xie Yunshen wasn't expecting Mr. Yan to be so forthright and was somewhat taken aback.

"Then, how about retiring early?"

Yan Shiqi reached out and ruffled his hair. "You make it sound like I'm about to enter my coffin."

"I understand." Xie Yunshen felt his idea was indeed too naive. The company was in a growth phase, with so much pressure—how could he just up and retire?

This was Mr. Yan's life's work.

Yan Shiqi rested his forehead against Xie Yunshen's chin. "Growing an organization, creating value in certain fields, enjoying the admiration of others—I really like that feeling, especially after meeting you."

His breath, matching the rhythm of his speech, warmed Xie Yunshen's chest.

"What? This has something to do with me too?"

"I enjoy the look of admiration in your eyes when you look at me. It's addictive." His calm voice carried a husky quality, as if he was about to fall asleep.

This was the first time Xie Yunshen had heard Mr. Yan open up about his feelings, and he couldn't help but feel flattered. The drive and motivation behind the big shot's career actually included reasons related to him...

A subtle sense of pride and fulfillment filled his heart.

Because of this, his desire to share his burdens grew even stronger.

"Mr. Yan, can you tell me what happened tonight?"

"..."

"Hmm?"

Xie Yunshen looked down and saw that Mr. Yan was already asleep.

Someone who used to suffer from severe insomnia could now fall asleep in seconds. Xie Yunshen closed his eyes and gently rubbed his cheek against his forehead.

At noon the next day during lunch, Xie Yunshen received another call from an unfamiliar number. Thinking it might be Prince Blanken calling again, he quickly answered, only to immediately drop his expression.

It was Pang Hairu calling.

"Really? Hearing my voice makes you that unhappy?"

"What is it?"

"Look, as your friend, I just want to remind you—shouldn't you tone it down a bit? I know you; you're fearless and don't hold back, but there's been some gossip online lately. It's not good for that Chairman Yan of yours, is it..."

Before he could finish, Xie Yunshen had already hung up the phone.

He immediately went online and searched for keywords related to Yan Shiqi or Yunqi, looking for any negative news.

"What is this..." Xie Yunshen sneered.

It was just some harmless anti-fan gossip, nothing to get so worked up about.

However, recalling Mr. Yan's demeanor after receiving that phone call last night, he couldn't help but grow serious.

Even if he asked, Mr. Yan probably wouldn't tell him.

Halfway through lunch, he lost his appetite—a rare occurrence for him.

Yan Shiqi, sitting across from him, asked, "What's wrong? Is it not good?"

"No, just no appetite."

Seeing Mr. Yan's furrowed brow, Xie Yunshen was struck by a sudden inspiration.

If he worried so much that he couldn't even eat, would Mr. Yan finally come clean?

During dinner, under Mr. Yan's watchful gaze, Xie Yunshen deliberately acted listless, picking at his food half-heartedly.

Yet, Mr. Yan didn't ask him a single question from start to finish.

Darn it, and tonight the kitchen happened to make all his favorite dishes.

This "suffering act" was torture for both his stomach and his heart—Mr. Yan didn't seem to care at all whether he ate or not.

Xie Yunshen thought melodramatically.

"Give me your phone," Mr. Yan suddenly said.

Though confused, Xie Yunshen handed it over.

"Checking up on me?" he realized belatedly.

Yan Shiqi lifted his gaze, looking up at him. "Yes."

Good grief.

Even like this, Mr. Yan was still incredibly handsome.

"Give me a kiss," Xie Yunshen helplessly stood up, bent over, wrapped his arms around him, and nuzzled into his neck.

Yan Shiqi cooperatively tilted his head to expose his neck, but his eyes remained fixed on Xie Yunshen's phone screen, scrutinizing that unfamiliar phone number with a sharp gaze.