AUTUMN AS THE PROMISE
AATP Chapter 21

Ke Mingxuan received Bian Yiqiu’s reply, and with a cigarette in his mouth, he smiled smugly, completely lost in his own delight. Just imagining it, he could picture Boss Bian’s sharp, ruggedly handsome face twisted in a fit of rage.

Lin Jiayan, sitting next to him, watched as the usually spaced-out Ke Mingxuan suddenly broke into a grin. It felt like a gust of cold wind had blown straight through him, leaving him feeling chilled to the bone.

“I’m talking to you. Did you even hear me?”

Ke Mingxuan typed a few more words, sent the message, and then turned to Lin Jiayan. “What did you say?”

Lin Jiayan didn’t answer, but instead asked, “Who are you texting?”

“Not something you should be asking about, so don’t.” Ke Mingxuan put his phone away, stood up, grabbed his jacket, and told the others he had to leave early.

Lin Jiayan grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?”

“I’m tired, heading back to sleep.”

“Alright then, I’m tired too. Let’s go together.”

Ke Mingxuan gave him a glance but said nothing.

The two walked out of the private room, and Ke Mingxuan stopped by the elevator, pressing out his half-finished cigarette in the sand tray on the trash can.

Lin Jiayan pulled a mint from his pocket and offered it to him.

Ke Mingxuan took it and popped it into his mouth. With a “ding,” the elevator doors slowly opened to the sides, and the bright metal walls reflected their side-by-side figures, slightly distorting their features.

They rode down in silence to the parking lot. Lin Jiayan said, “I drank too much, can’t drive. You’ll have to take me home.”

Ke Mingxuan stared at him for a while. Lin Jiayan held his gaze without blinking, looking right back at him. His handsome face was flushed an unusual shade of red, his eyes a bit unfocused—it was clear he really had drunk too much.

With a hint of helplessness, Ke Mingxuan wrapped an arm around Lin Jiayan, pulling him close, and gave his head a gentle rub. Half-supporting him, he guided him toward his parked car.

“What’s the point of drinking so much? Don’t you know one hangover leaves you miserable for days?”

Lin Jiayan sniffed a bit, sounding slightly aggrieved. “Before, when we’d go out, you’d always stop me from drinking.”

Ke Mingxuan fell silent. He had to admit that tonight his mind had been completely occupied with thoughts of Bian Yiqiu, picturing that figure wrapped in a trench coat, and hadn’t paid attention to how much Lin Jiayan was drinking. Fine, this one’s on him. No matter how much he wanted to see that person, he’d first have to get this troublemaker home safely.

Both the Ke and Lin families lived in the military compound. Ke Mingxuan’s father was the district’s commanding officer, and Lin Jiayan’s father served as the political commissar, both holding the rank of general. In terms of background, the Lin family was no less influential than the Ke family. Their parents had been old friends and comrades for decades, living as neighbors in the same compound, sharing a unique bond formed over the years.

From a young age, Lin Jiayan was exceptionally good-looking, with rosy lips, white teeth, and a delicate, peach-colored complexion. His large eyes and long lashes, paired with a hint of natural curls, made him look like a doll. Adding to his charm was that sweet voice of his, as he’d call out, “Mingxuan ge” with such warmth that it melted Young Master Ke’s heart. Smitten, Ke would often blurt out, “Little Yan is so pretty; you should be my wife when you grow up.” Lin Jiayan’s eyes would curve into two little crescents as he smiled, nodding earnestly and replying in a clear, bright voice, “Okay.”

The parents from both families just brushed it off as childish talk and didn’t take it seriously. Ke Mingxuan himself was quite the fickle kid, and since he was a few years older than Lin Jiayan, their lives didn’t align much. When Ke started kindergarten, Lin was just learning to crawl; by the time Ke was in elementary school, Lin was only entering kindergarten. Finally, when Lin made it to elementary school, Ke was already moving on to middle school. As Ke’s circle of friends grew and he experienced more of the world, he hardly remembered his “proposal” to Lin back when he was still in toddler clothes.

But no one expected that young Lin Jiayan would remember it—and keep it in his heart for more than twenty years.

Over the years, Lin Jiayan had practically followed Ke Mingxuan’s every step, pursuing him without hesitation. Lin had attended the same kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, and even the same university as Ke. Despite having the grades to get into a better school, Lin was determined to apply to the same one.

When he arrived at the university, carrying his suitcase and escorted by his father’s bodyguard, and saw Ke Mingxuan walking toward him, he was so thrilled he could have flown.

But what he didn’t expect was that the first thing Ke Mingxuan would say to him was, “Little Jiayan, you’re here? I’m about to graduate.”

He froze for a moment and asked, “Aren’t you planning to stay here for grad school?”

“I was, but I don’t want to anymore.”

In that instant, Lin Jiayan felt like the sky above him was about to collapse. He couldn’t hold it in and shouted, “How could you do this to me!”

It was only then that Ke Mingxuan realized that Lin Jiayan’s feelings for him had changed over the years of quiet longing. But unfortunately, at that time, Young Master Ke was caught up in a passionate affair with the campus goddess and hadn’t thought at all about being with a man. Even after founding He Sheng Media, where all sorts of young, handsome men from the industry climbed into his bed, he never once considered pursuing Lin Jiayan.

He was very aware of his own identity and background. No matter how he played around on the outside, in the end, he was always going to marry and have children. After all, he was someone without many principles, bisexual, indulging in both men and women without restraint. With this mindset, anyone could be a fling to him—he never took anything seriously.

But there was one person he could never play with, and that was Lin Jiayan.

First, the relationship between the Ke and Lin families was too close, and causing any kind of scandal would not look good. Second, he had always seen Lin Jiayan as a little brother. He could care for him, spoil him, and protect him, but he had never thought about being with him romantically. Third, Lin Jiayan’s feelings for him were real. It was precisely because he knew this that he couldn’t act on his own feelings. Not only could he not, but he also had to find ways to make Lin Jiayan give up.

He had never been shy about letting Lin Jiayan see his lovers or flings. Lin Jiayan had gone from being hysterical at first, to avoiding him, and eventually, to being able to tease him about it. Slowly, he had come to accept that the two of them could never be together.

Ke Mingxuan carried the weight of his family’s background and reputation, and so did Lin Jiayan. Ke Mingxuan could have his fun, but he would never cross the line that involved his family, and Lin Jiayan naturally wouldn’t dare to either. So eventually, he came to terms with it. Even if Ke Mingxuan wasn’t his, he would never truly belong to any man. So, what did it matter how many people he played around with?

But what he never expected was the sudden appearance of Bian Yiqiu.

“Were you just messaging Bian Yiqiu?”

Ke Mingxuan drove the car for a while, with Lin Jiayan leaning against the seat, facing outside and silent. He thought Lin Jiayan had fallen asleep, so when he heard the question, he almost didn’t react in time.

“Yes.” Ke Mingxuan didn’t want to lie to him and didn’t feel like dodging the issue, so he simply admitted it.

“You’re not going home, you’re going to see him.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement.

Ke Mingxuan didn’t respond, but Lin Jiayan knew that his silence meant acceptance. A bitter smile spread across his face. “Why him?”

Ke Mingxuan kept his gaze forward, firmly holding the steering wheel without a single unnecessary expression.

“There are so many lovers and hook-ups around me, why are you fixated on just one Bian Yiqiu?”

“Is he the same as those people?” Lin Jiayan turned to stare at him, gritting his teeth, and asked again, “Is he the same?”

Ke Mingxuan wanted to say, “What’s different about him?” but the words almost left his mouth and he swallowed them back. Because Bian Yiqiu really was different from those young men.

First of all, there’s a big age gap. Among the young men he’s been with, none were older than twenty-three, but Bian Yiqiu was already thirty-two. And then there’s the appearance. Those boys, each one of them had bright eyes, fair skin, and soft bodies that he could shape and mold however he wanted in bed. But Bian Yiqiu, he looked even more masculine than him, with a body full of hard, sculpted muscle. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, firm ass, long legs, and perfectly defined chest and abdominal muscles. When his fists landed, they could probably put a dent in the floor. His features were sharp and striking, deep set eyes, thick brows, a chiseled nose and jawline, a strong, handsome face like a Greek statue displayed in a museum. He was the kind of man that could make women scream and men jealous wherever he went.

But despite being the epitome of masculinity, a true man through and through, Bian Yiqiu, when it came to the bedroom, was straightforward and unreserved, exuding a kind of fiery, irresistible sensuality. He was never shy or pretentious—flexible, powerful, and a true man who could fight and kill. Whether in bed or out, he always made Ke Mingxuan feel like a worthy opponent, someone who could match him blow for blow. Every time they fought, Ke Mingxuan had to be on high alert, using all his energy to maintain the upper hand, just to pretend to casually pin Bian Yiqiu down and say with a triumphant grin, “You lost.”

It wasn’t that he wasn’t willing to let him fuck, but rather he enjoyed the thrill of bringing such a stubborn, tenacious adversary, someone on equal footing, to a climax; to make him scream with pleasure, to the point where his whole body becomes weak and his gaze turns dreamy with exhilaration.

Bian Yiqiu was indeed different from others. Just thinking of his face, his body, the expression he had during climax, and his unrestrained, genuine moans of pleasure could instantly make him as hard as an iron rod.

During this period, although Ke Mingxuan didn’t visit their usual place, he did get involved with a few boys who had good figures and looks. They were wild and carefree in bed, willing to do anything. Yet, Young Master Ke always felt unsatisfied, like getting used to fine dining and then suddenly having plain boiled cabbage—his spoiled appetite just can’t find any flavor, no matter what he eats.

Lin Jiayan also knew that Bian Yiqiu was different. From the first time he saw him at Fengling Off-Road, he had a strange, instinctive feeling.

Ke Mingxuan never brought his nameless lovers to their private events, yet he brought Bian Yiqiu. Those other lovers would never dare to act out in front of Ke Mingxuan’s friends just because of his favor, but Bian Yiqiu, on the other hand, openly challenged him in front of everyone.

Ke Mingxuan explained to Lin Jiayan that Bian Yiqiu was no different from the others—he just enjoyed the excitement with him, the novelty of it. After a few rounds, it would get old. But that night, Lin Jiayan found out that he had brought a two-person sleeping bag, and later, he nearly ended their friendship for Bian Yiqiu, disregarding their years of history. How could he believe that Bian Yiqiu was just another one of his casual lovers after all that?

Lin Jiayan almost asked in despair, “If you don’t answer, it means you’re admitting that he’s different in your heart, right?”

Ke Mingxuan avoided the question, “You’re not like the others either.”

Lin Jiayan replied, “But it’s definitely not the position I want.”

“Lin Xiaoyan,” Ke Mingxuan sighed, “How did you end up liking me?”

Lin Jiayan forced a bitter smile, “How is it that you ended up not liking me?”

Verstra[Translator]

Discord: Lit_verstra ~Exclusively BL~

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