Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The words Li Yanchuan had just spoken lingered like stars in the night sky, tightly hovering over him, a constant reminder of everything that had just happened.

"Behave yourself, know your place..."

"Don't cross the line..."

What exactly was he now? Wasn't he Li Yanchuan's newlywed?

Even if it was a business marriage.

What did "don't cross the line" even mean?

Had he done something wrong?

Or was it that Li Yanchuan couldn't accept them living under the same roof, even in separate rooms, feeling it intruded on his personal space?

Could it be that he wanted him to move out? Or perhaps he wanted a divorce?

Come to think of it, it wasn't impossible. Why else would he hint so strongly at keeping their distance?

Divorce was out of the question!

If they divorced, where would he go in this unfamiliar world of the book? At least with Li Yanchuan, he had someone to lean on.

More importantly, where else could he find such a perfect ideal type to marry?

The thought made Song Nian unable to sleep. He felt like ants were crawling all over him, tossing and turning without a wink of sleep.

No, if he didn't clear this up, there would be no sleep tonight.

After hours of tossing in bed, Song Nian finally made up his mind. He threw off the covers and sat up abruptly.

He decided to go find Li Yanchuan and ask him directly what he meant by everything he'd said tonight.

Just as he was about to open the bedroom door, he paused, as if remembering something.

Then he looked down at his waist.

He tightened the belt of his bathrobe firmly to make sure it wouldn't come loose, then strode out of the room.

————

Late at night, in the master bedroom on the second floor, a solitary figure sat quietly by the floor-to-ceiling window.

The cold moonlight wove a thin veil that streamed through the glass, throwing his shadow long across the floor.

He sat in a wheelchair, slightly tilting his head back. The moonlight, like a painter's brush, painted a contrast of light and shadow across his sharp, handsome face.

The dark side was deep and pitch-black, as if a layer of mist had been drawn over his face, separating him from the mundane world.

He appeared so detached, exuding an aura of solitude and coldness.

Like a fallen celestial, untouchable, needing no one to approach.

That night, Li Yanchuan also couldn't sleep.

The city outside was still lively, with neon lights and taillights merging into an eternal Milky Way, illuminating the dark night.

Yet the vast master bedroom stood in stark contrast.

Silent and empty, the glass shut out the bustle outside. In the quiet of the night, there was no sound, only the boundless night and the silent man.

In the dead of night, it was the perfect time for feelings that couldn't see the light of day to breed.

Like damp moss in the dark, negative emotions—loneliness, resentment, and confusion—spread unchecked to every corner of the room.

Since the car accident, Li Yanchuan had rarely managed a full night's sleep.

Whenever he closed his eyes, the horrific scene of the crash, the doctor's regretful words, and the merciless diagnosis would replay in his mind on a loop.

And with them came the malice that some people could no longer hide, surging forward without restraint.

Their ugly faces, like hands from hell, followed him, stirring and clamoring, trying to drag him into the abyss of despair at his weakest moment.

Falling asleep was difficult, so every night Li Yanchuan would sit alone by the floor-to-ceiling window, lost in thought. He would sit still for hours until a hint of drowsiness appeared, then he would go back to bed and try to sleep.

It was already two in the morning. He withdrew his empty gaze, pushed his wheelchair to the bed, and with great effort, heaved himself onto the bed and lay down.

But tonight, even after closing his eyes, sleep wouldn't come.

After lying still for nearly an hour, a faint trace of fatigue finally deigned to settle in.

His permanently furrowed brow gradually eased, and Li Yanchuan finally managed to slip into a shallow sleep.

Just as he was about to drift off, a soft whisper suddenly reached his ear:

"Sweetheart, are you asleep?"

The voice came unexpectedly, barely a whisper, as faint as a distant bell echoing through a hollow valley.

Hearing this, a trace of confusion surfaced in Li Yanchuan's mind.

The voice came from behind him—the visitor must be right by the bed, leaning close and calling softly.

The voice was pleasant, but the timing was a bit unnerving.

Li Yanchuan cautiously opened his eyes a crack, not revealing that he was awake, and warily observed the visitor's intent.

He had already guessed it was Song Nian.

Because only Song Nian would call him that, and only he could be in the villa at this hour.

But why would he come looking for him at this time?

Was he trying to test if he was asleep so he could snoop around for something, or did he have another purpose?

Li Yanchuan grew alert, quietly waiting for the next move.

Receiving no response, Song Nian tried calling Li Yanchuan's name softly a few more times.

But the man pretending to sleep in bed remained still.

Seeing this, he muttered a few words to himself, reached out, and gently poked Li Yanchuan's back.

Still no reaction.

After all that cautious fussing, with the man showing no signs of waking, his strong need to talk finally overrode his respect for him. Song Nian grew bolder and decided to try a different approach.

He grabbed his husband's shoulder and began shaking him vigorously:

"Babe, wake up! How can you just fall asleep without explaining yourself first?"

"What did you mean by what you said just now? Get up and explain before you go back to sleep!"

Suddenly shaken back and forth, Li Yanchuan was forced into vibration mode, a question mark slowly materialized above his head: "...?"

"Enough. Stop."

If he didn't wake up now, it'd be way too obvious he was faking. His temples were throbbing as he barked an order, raising his hand to stop the rascal.

Turning over, he found himself staring at Song Nian, who was sprawled on the bed.

At some point, Song Nian had climbed onto the bed and was now kneeling at the edge, staring at him without blinking.

—He had literally climbed into bed.

His eyes were bright, his amber pupils gleaming like a precious gem in the pitch-black night, sparkling.

"Are you awake, honey?"

Especially once their eyes met, his eyelashes fluttered, suddenly brightening, blinking rapidly, his feathery eyelashes flapping, looking at him expectantly.

"Song. Nian."

In stark contrast to Song Nian's carefree demeanor, Li Yanchuan's face darkened, spitting out the name through clenched teeth.

Each word was forced out one by one, dripping with suppressed anger.

"Yep, it's me."

But Song Nian was completely oblivious, nodding busily like an eager puppy.

Innocent yet expectant, his eyes shining, he stared straight at him.

If it weren't for the situation, he might have softened at that look.

Li Yanchuan took a deep breath, slowly propping himself up to sit, shot a cold glance at him, and said:

"You better have something important to come find me at this hour."

"I do have something really urgent, a big deal, I have to say it now, or I won't be able to sleep."

Seeing that, Song Nian instinctively sat up straight, looking very serious.

"What is it?"

"Well... what did you mean by that sentence before bed?"

"What sentence?"

Unable to keep up with his line of thinking, Li Yanchuan's brow furrowed deeper.

"The one where you told me to behave myself."

Pausing, Song Nian added.

"I think maybe there's some misunderstanding between us. You telling me not to cross the line, to know my place... does that mean you don't want to be with me anymore?"

"After all, we're husbands. We can't let grudges fester overnight, so I think we need a heart-to-heart talk right now."

A heart-to-heart talk?

Now?

Hearing this, Li Yanchuan squinted, turning to look at the crescent moon outside the window.

He could faintly see the horizon starting to show a hint of dawn.

He withdrew his gaze, looking at Song Nian beside him with a complicated look.

—His eyes were bright and burning, his words didn't seem to be a lie.

After a moment of silence, Li Yanchuan pursed his lips, wordlessly got into his wheelchair, and turned on the bedside lamp.

Dazzled by the sudden light, Song Nian squinted, adjusting before he opened his eyes.

Seeing Li Yanchuan sitting in the wheelchair with a stern face, with his lips pressed tightly together, he thought they were about to have a frank talk, so he quickly sat up straight, ready to listen attentively.

Then he heard the man across from him say:

"Song Nian, can you see the clock on the wall?"

"Mm-hmm."

He nodded like a little chick pecking at food.

"Do you know what numbers are?"

"Of course I do."

"Then tell me, what time is it now."

"Four AM."

"So, you woke me up at four in the morning and now you want to have a nice chat?"

"Is that... not allowed?"

Hearing this, Song Nian blinked rapidly, suddenly feeling a wave of guilt, peeking up through his lashes.

The next second, he felt his collar being pulled up from behind, like a puppy being scruffed, lifted up by Li Yanchuan.

Then he was mercilessly tossed outside the door.

"If you don't have a mental problem, go the hell to bed."

With that, Li Yanchuan slammed the door shut.

And this time, he made sure to lock it from the inside, preventing that someone from climbing into bed again under the pretense of having a chat.

Oh yeah, maybe it was a bit late for a heart-to-heart at four in the morning.

After being thrown out, Song Nian realized this a little too late, scratching his head awkwardly.

Whatever, I'll just talk to him tomorrow.

With that thought, he called out to the person inside before heading to his own bedroom.

Alright, I'll come back tomorrow. You get some rest.

Hearing the footsteps in the hallway fade away until they were gone, Li Yanchuan rubbed his temples, his head aching, before going back to bed and lying down.

The drowsiness he'd barely managed to work up was completely ruined by that ridiculous commotion just now. Knowing he'd probably be up all night, he let out an irritated sigh.

But somehow his body slowly relaxed, and sleepiness crept over him.

Without realizing it, Li Yanchuan closed his eyes and fell asleep.

It wasn't until he opened his eyes and saw the sun high up that he realized he'd actually gotten a rare good night's sleep.

Was it because of what happened last night?

No, how could that be related?

The thought had barely crossed his mind before he shut it down. Li Yanchuan shook his head lightly, dismissing the ridiculous thought.

After washing up, he took the elevator downstairs but was surprised to find Song Nian nowhere in sight.

Frowning, he pulled up the bedroom surveillance footage and saw that the guy had already gotten up and left at eight.

He was still messing around at four in the morning, and yet he could get up at eight?

And he said 'I'll come back tomorrow,' hah.

In such a hurry to go out—probably to report to Li Wenguang and meet to plan the next move.

As expected, everything yesterday was an act. Even that scene at the wedding might have been a self-inflicted act.

At this thought, Li Yanchuan clenched his fists, the veins on his hands stood out.

Mirroring the fury on his face.

He let out a bitter laugh, turned, and wheeled himself back to his room.

He didn't see Song Nian all day. Just as Li Yanchuan's patience was about to run out, the missing man finally showed up.

Li Yanchuan was sitting in his bedroom when the door was suddenly thrown open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang.

Then, a figure stormed into the room.

Startled, before he could react, there was a loud thud on the table as a thick stack of documents was slammed down.

Behind the nearly half-meter-tall pile of A4 paper, Song Nian—who had been absent all day—suddenly popped out his fuzzy head, grinning widely at him.

"What's this?"

Seeing this, Li Yanchuan lowered his gaze, hiding his wariness, and asked coldly in a flat tone.

"These are all my personal files."

Song Nian stood with his hands on his hips, looking extremely proud.

"Didn't we say last night that we should have a good talk? After you read through these, you'll get to know me."