Chapter 7

By the time Shen Yan finished his meeting, it was already seven in the evening. When he called, it took a long time for the other side to answer.

“Sorry, I finished a bit late today.”

Xu Zhou felt a little puzzled, and casually replied, “Mm.”

“Are you at home?”

“No.”

Shen Yan furrowed his brow. “Where are you? I’ll come pick you up.”

“At the office,” Xu Zhou typed while answering.

“Are you feeling any better?”

“Better. After the IV this afternoon, I wasn’t as dizzy.”

“Mm. I’ll come get you later.”

“No…”

“Wait for me.” Before Xu Zhou could protest, Shen Yan hung up first.

Xu Zhou rubbed his hair, speechless. He hadn’t actually planned to go home tonight—staying late at the office had become a habit.

When Shen Yan arrived, Xu Zhou was busy preparing the company’s latest summary report.

“Knock knock knock…”

The sound of someone knocking broke the silence of the office.

Without lifting his head, Xu Zhou said, “Come in,” and continued typing, quickly absorbed in work.

A few minutes later, he remembered someone had knocked.

It must be Lu Feng.

He lifted his head and met the steady gaze of the person sitting not far away on the sofa.

“Shen Yan? You…”

He almost forgot Shen Yan had said he was coming to pick him up.

“Come have dinner,” Shen Yan said, expressionless as usual. Though normally hard to read, tonight he seemed even colder.

Under Shen Yan’s gaze, Xu Zhou walked over calmly and slowly.

The dishes on the table were all ones he usually liked—what a coincidence.

Shen Yan handed him the chopsticks without a word.

Xu Zhou glanced at him and casually asked, “You look a bit upset. Did something happen?”

Shen Yan’s eyelids flicked slightly as he chewed, voice flat, “No.”

Alright then.

Five minutes later…

“I need to get back to work…” Xu Zhou hadn’t finished speaking before Shen Yan pulled him closer.

He reached out and touched Xu Zhou’s forehead.

Still a bit hot.

“Xu Zhou, when I’m upset, will you comfort me?”

?

Xu Zhou blinked, confused. When did this person become so… dramatic? Carefully studying his expression, he found it as unreadable as ever.

“Why are you upset?”

Shen Yan wrapped an arm around his waist, pressing his head into Xu Zhou’s neck and rubbing gently. “You’ve been ignoring me.”

Xu Zhou stiffened, unused to the gesture. “Because I… didn’t notice…”

“You didn’t take me coming to pick you up seriously.”

Xu Zhou tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I was too busy…”

“Finished?”

“Still need to finish this summary.”

“Can it wait until tomorrow?”

“Need to finish it today; it’s needed tomorrow afternoon…”

“Then get up early tomorrow. Your fever hasn’t gone yet—you need to rest now.” Shen Yan touched his forehead. Even the strongest body couldn’t handle staying up sick like this.

Xu Zhou opened his mouth to protest, but a knock at the door interrupted him.

He quickly stepped back from Shen Yan, straightened his slightly disheveled clothes, and, under Shen Yan’s sharp gaze, let the person in.

The office door opened—it was the intern they had hired two months ago.

“Mr. Xu, this is last month’s department summary report.” The girl smiled brightly, her large, sparkling eyes fixed on Xu Zhou. From the moment she stepped in, she couldn’t stop looking at him. She had joined the company because she admired him so much.

Focused entirely on Xu Zhou, she didn’t notice Shen Yan sitting not far away.

Xu Zhou took the report, glanced over it, and nodded. “Good work. Go rest early.”

She didn’t move.

Seeing her hesitation, Xu Zhou asked, puzzled, “Is there something else?”

She stepped forward, shy and hesitant. “…Mr. Xu, I… I could…”

A cough interrupted them.

Apparently, she hadn’t realized someone else was in the office. Her expression froze, then turned embarrassed.

All the courage she had mustered collapsed instantly.

“Sorry, Mr. Xu. You go ahead and work…” She hurriedly left without even looking at the other person.

“Mr. Xu is quite popular,” Shen Yan said, crossing his legs, eyes deep and dark, a hint of emotion running through them.

Xu Zhou sensed a subtle teasing in his tone, glanced at him, then went back to his report.

While Xu Zhou was absorbed, Shen Yan came over, took the report from his hands, tossed it onto the desk, bent down, and effortlessly lifted him, walking toward the resting room. He laid Xu Zhou on the bed, stunned, and removed his coat—and then his own…

Xu Zhou swallowed hard. He couldn’t be…

Backing away in shock, he stammered, “Why are you taking off your clothes…”

Shen Yan stepped forward, restraining him, brushing back the hair on his forehead, touching it gently, then pulling the blanket over them both. “Sleep.”

Xu Zhou was speechless. So Shen Yan came to the office just to eat with him and sleep with him? And forcibly, no less.

Thinking that someone like Shen Yan would stay with him in this small resting room brought a strange, overwhelming emotion to his chest.

“I want to wash up…” Xu Zhou gestured for him to release his waist—he could barely breathe.

Shen Yan glanced at the small bathroom. “Mm.” He loosened his grip slightly but didn’t let go. “I’ll go with you.”

“….”

Back on the bed, Shen Yan still held him tightly.

The room was dim; Xu Zhou could barely make out Shen Yan’s outline and closed eyes.

Soon, he heard Shen Yan’s even breathing and assumed he had fallen asleep.

Carefully shifting the arm around his waist, Xu Zhou tried to get up. Before his feet touched the ground, Shen Yan pulled him back.

Feeling Xu Zhou’s burning skin, Shen Yan frowned. The fever hadn’t gone down; staying up would only make it worse.

“You don’t want your body anymore?”

Xu Zhou tried to speak, but Shen Yan didn’t give him the chance. He pressed him back into the bed, holding him close. Xu Zhou, already dizzy, felt the hot breath on him, growing more lightheaded, and tried to push his shoulders—too weak, Shen Yan’s strength was too much.

Memories of the past few days flashed through his mind. Shen Yan had always held him down like this; no matter how he struggled, he couldn’t escape.

Time had passed; they were no longer childish. Adults who didn’t understand the rules would always hit walls.

Shen Yan was the only one extending a hand to him. If there had to be a cost, he’d rather it be Shen Yan.

“Have you been taking care of yourself like this all these years? Still the same as before… not treating your body seriously, staying up with a fever. Is work more important than your health? Do you want to end up in the hospital tomorrow?” Shen Yan’s teeth nibbled lightly at his collarbone. His voice was husky, a little fierce, yet full of concern.

His tone carried reproach, but every word was care. Xu Zhou couldn’t help recalling that other place, that family—but Shen Yan was different.

In that home, no one liked him. He had always been surplus, crushed under the weight of others’ pride, cultivating overbearing self-respect.

Fragile and insecure, he had learned to mask his emotions, to not speak up, to not ask for help.

Even so, reality forced him to bow. When the company faced a crisis, he reached out to former partners, but none responded…

He knew no one owed him anything. Everyone always prioritized themselves. If there was blame, it was for his own mismanagement.

Suddenly, he looked up, voice tinged with unacknowledged sadness, “Shen Yan…”

Shen Yan lifted his head from Xu Zhou’s neck, seeing the redness in his eyes, frozen for a moment.

The once headstrong, slightly mischievous youth now looked pitiful, eyes glistening. Shen Yan felt a pang, regretting his harsh words.

He bent down, kissed the corner of his eye, rubbed his hair. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s my fault. It won’t happen again.”

Shen Yan held him tightly, as if transferring all his strength into him.

Xu Zhou buried his head in his shoulder, dark lashes trembling. After a long pause, he whispered, “Thank you.”

Thanking him for the warmth in that moment—an unprecedented feeling he didn’t want to let go of.

Shen Yan gently patted his back, silently comforting him in the darkness.

[All secret crushes realized were long-planned; all unexpected encounters were reunions after a long absence.]

This time, when you turn around, I no longer have to hide.