Chapter 35 I’m Chasing You

Chapter 35: I’ll Pursue You

Finally, it was time for the last part.

Chi Suiyong was like a bonfire in the wilderness at night, while Chu Yan stood aloof on the side, listening to the crackling fire while mentally calculating what demeanor he should adopt at each step, given the whole situation.

There was a mirror in the dressing room. He wanted to check if his current expression looked right.

But then he thought it was unnecessary. If he'd shown even a hint of coldness or rejection, Dr. Chi wouldn’t have gotten himself this worked up.

The real question was, how should he respond?

Chu Yan felt as if he were sealed inside a glass dome, its hard surface shielding him from an overwhelming weight he couldn't handle. Though he hadn't touched it, just seeing Dr. Chi's expression told him he had to give a serious answer.

If he nodded immediately, it would seem frivolous, and worse, it would cheapen Dr. Chi's sincerity.

This was his consideration for Dr. Chi.

But people rarely appreciate what comes too easily. Dr. Chi had been in a few relationships before. He said he rarely made the first move, but that didn't mean he was careless when he did respond.

Dr. Chi’s feelings for him came inexplicably, and in terms of time, they were shallow and brief. Yes, that day at Lishan Hotel, Dr. Chi had frankly admitted that Chu Yan’s appearance was tempting to him—like a hungry person facing a pile of food. Once he's full, he wouldn't even spare a second glance.

This was Chu Yan’s consideration for himself.

Besides, he thought that apart from his face and this decent physique, he had nothing inside that could keep the other person tied to him long-term. His soul was dead and boring—not enough to match the other's deepening expectations.

If this had to be seen as a transaction, he'd more likely end up at a loss.

So there was no hurry.

Chu Yan pulled his hand back from Dr. Chi’s grip and asked, naive but stubborn, “Dr. Chi, how long will your infatuation last?”

His words left Dr. Chi momentarily stunned.

Chu Yan pressed on, “If it’s just attraction to looks, then that period won’t last long, Dr. Chi. Do you just want to fool around, or do you want to build a long-term relationship? I have no experience and can’t really tell, so… what do you need to do to make me feel safe enough to give myself to you?”

This series of questions caught Chi Suiyong off guard. If he were truly experienced, he would have sworn up and down that he was serious and loved him to no end.

But Chu Yan clearly had the mindset of an engineering student—he wanted solid proof—evidence to back up whether his confession was credible.

What could testify to true feelings? Time? Action?

No, it was a combination of both—maintaining unwavering passion and showing his sincerity bit by bit.

Even now, Chi Suiyong couldn’t figure out where this intense feeling for Chu Yan came from or when it started. Chu Yan had led him into a dead end, demanding tangible evidence to prove he really liked him.

His affection had no logic, but the other wanted a clear, rational demonstration, leaving this spur-of-the-moment confession at a stalemate.

Chi Suiyong sat down on the changing stool, pressing his palm against his forehead. The throbbing at his temple told him he wouldn't get his composure back anytime soon.

“Let me think…”

Good.

From an angle Dr. Chi couldn’t see, Chu Yan turned his head slightly and caught his own reflection in the mirror. His face in the mirror had fallen back into a detached stillness. “The soup is almost ready. I'll start cooking first, Dr. Chi. Tell me when you’ve thought it through.”

Back in the kitchen, Chu Yan put the already-cut yam into the soup pot. The thick, creamy white broth bubbled with steam.

Chu Yan paused for a moment, then reached his hand above the pot.

The heat hit his skin, and his body instinctively jerked back.

When Dr. Chi leaned in earlier, his body temperature was even hotter, but Chu Yan hadn’t pushed him away. Instead, he let his body take over and pulled the other closer.

He glanced back toward the dressing room, then took out his phone and opened the latest memo: I need a long-term, stable arrangement to help me sleep. It doesn’t really matter who’s by my side. Marriage isn't stable anyway, least of all between two men—let alone a romantic relationship.

It would be best if Dr. Chi could always stay by my side. But what exactly should I do?

Chu Yan tucked the question away into his pocket along with his phone and started cooking.

Like everything else he did, his movements were mechanical and precise. He knew Dr. Chi preferred light flavors and didn’t eat spicy food, so he adjusted the seasoning based only on these known details. As for himself, whether the food suited his own taste or who he ate with—those weren't things he needed to consider.

He didn't need anything in return from the other person either. It would be best if, like Qi Qinghe, the other simply took from him, so he could in good conscience get what he needed in return.

He knew very well that what he wanted from Dr. Chi was companionship. But what about Qi Qinghe? That was more like a habit formed from childhood. Other than his eldest brother, Chu Chenzhi, Qi Qinghe was the person he was closest to in this world. According to his father, Chu Sheng, it wouldn't be too much to cut ties with such an unfit parent.

But Chu Yan needed something to anchor himself to life.

He was trapped in a glass dome, unable to innovate, merely retracing the same paths through unchanged interpersonal relationships.

Qi Qinghe was a constant on this path—someone he couldn't discard. But Dr. Chi was something new—something absolute that he couldn’t find a past example to model his behavior on. So he had to use the closest reference, Qi Qinghe. Whatever he did with Qi Qinghe, he would do with Dr. Chi.

With Qi Qinghe, he was submissive and accommodating, giving whatever was asked. So with Dr. Chi, he should be the same.

Of course, this was only after establishing a definitive relationship.

Three dishes and a soup were soon on the table. Chu Yan knew that taking care of others was something he could do decently if he put his mind to it. Back at He’an Hospital, when he was blind, Dr. Chi even fed him. Later, when he could eat on his own, Dr. Chi would still adjust the temperature to just the right level before handing it to him.

Chu Yan ladled out a bowl and stirred it with a spoon to let it cool. “Dr. Chi, come and eat.”

Dr. Chi was still tangled up in the dilemma of proving his sincerity.

A simple, brute-force method had been hovering in his mind, but it came with such embarrassing shame that Chi Suiyong struggled and agonized.

In just that short time, Chi Suiyong felt like his heart was giving out. He obeyed the call and sat at the table, then looked at the three dishes and one soup, falling into another round of internal conflict.

Compared to his own turmoil, Chu Yan was much calmer. “Dr. Chi, try it and see if it suits your taste.”

What suited his taste wasn’t necessarily only on the table.

Chi Suiyong looked at Chu Yan with some grievance, then closed his eyes. “I’ll pursue you…”

Chu Yan was just about to sit down. “What?”

Chi Suiyong opened his eyes, his face a little red. “I said I’ll pursue you.”

“How do you plan to do that, Dr. Chi?” Chu Yan asked, hands on the table, revealing a smile that could fit any situation.

“Didn’t you say a lot of people pursued you back in school? What kind of style do you want? I’ll… learn.”

“Even if you want to learn, Dr. Chi, you should learn from a successful case.”

“Don’t make things hard for me.”

“I’m not.”

With that, Chu Yan took out his phone and directly dialed Yunshang, who was currently his “girlfriend,” putting it on speaker.

When Chi Suiyong saw the caller ID, he quickly asked, “What are you doing?”

Chu Yan made a shushing gesture.

The phone rang for over ten seconds before being answered. Yunshang's voice came through from the other end: "What's up, boss, calling me on a weekend?"

Chi Suiyong held his breath, his heart pounding wildly. Across from him, Chu Yan, on the other hand, sat down calmly and said unhurriedly: "Let's break up, Yunshang."

"Huh?" Yunshang sounded incredulous. "Really? You're not joking with me, are you?"

"I'm serious."

"Let me take a sec."

In that brief pause, Chi Suiyong's mind raced.

Yunshang's tone didn't sound like a decisive breakup; it was more like playful banter between a close couple. What if Chu Yan had lied to him? What if Yunshang's feelings differed from Chu Yan's?

He hadn't forced Chu Yan to end the relationship, but this chain reaction had been set off by his own inability to hold back his confession. If someone got hurt, or if some truth came to light, how would he face himself, and how would he clean up the mess?

"Chu Yan, this is so sudden—can you give me a reason?"

At those words, Chi Suiyong was so nervous he could barely breathe.

Chu Yan's gaze locked onto him. "Because someone just said they wanted to pursue me."

"So I think I should step aside as soon as possible. I'm worried he'll mess up because he feels guilty."

"Who wants to pursue you? Are they there?"

"They are."

"Then put me on speaker. I want to say a few words to my savior over there."

"It's on!"

Chi Suiyong moved his hand from his forehead to cover his eyes, blocking out all sight, like a sinner about to be judged.

"Hello there, I don't know if Chu Yan ever told you, but he and I are just employer and employee—no romantic entanglement at all. And I've wanted to end this arrangement for a long time, but he's my boss, and I didn't have the guts."

"He's kept me tied to him for eight years. Eight years, you know? Do you have any idea how I've lived these eight years?"

Yunshang continued at double speed: "I thought he'd break up with me when we came back to China, but then I waited another four years. You know how many four-year stretches a girl can waste? He's heartless—he can't find someone himself and won't let me find anyone either."

As if afraid Chi Suiyong might hesitate to take over, Yunshang switched gears: "Sister, don't misunderstand. I'm not saying Chu Yan is bad. Guys with his money and looks don't come around often, and right now he's still a virgin—the kind who's never even touched a girl's hand. I can absolutely guarantee that."

Chi Suiyong's head sank lower and lower, even his breathing suppressed, terrified that the person on the other end would realize the "sister" she was talking to was him.

"Hurry up if you have anything else to say. Don't delay our meal."

Yunshang wasted no time: "Sister, I'm bowing out now. Go for it, chase after him, and make sure you land him. May the heavens bless you two. I pray my beauty can be traded for your everlasting happiness…"

The call ended, putting a stop to the endless stream of words from the other side.

Yunshang had poured out an enormous amount of information without holding back, and Chi Suiyong took quite a while to digest it piece by piece.

Chu Yan hadn't lied to him.

He and Yunshang were completely innocent—no romantic entanglement, no history whatsoever.

And he was still a virgin.

Moreover, Chu Yan had made that "breakup" call because he was thinking about Chi Suiyong's feelings. Just as Chu Yan had said, Chi Suiyong might well have wavered because of moral qualms and doubts during the pursuit.

"Dr. Chi, now you can go ahead and pursue me without holding back."