Cen Zhisen didn’t immediately respond to the person and turned his head to look at Ning Zhiyuan.

Ning Zhiyuan had a subtle smile on his lips as he calmly looked back at him, seemingly enjoying the scene.

In a silent gaze, a subtle emotional shift occurred between their connected eyes.

“Mr. Cen…”

The young man outside hesitated and called out again, looking even more pitiful than before.

Ning Zhiyuan tilted his head towards the car window, reminding Cen Zhisen with his eyes. Cen Zhisen moved his gaze away and said, “Wait for me,” before opening the car door and stepping out.

Ning Zhiyuan turned off the engine again, leaning back in his seat, his gaze following Cen Zhisen.

Cen Zhisen walked to the streetlight ahead, and the young man followed, coming to a stop.

Ning Zhiyuan watched them, his gaze sweeping over the young man before settling back on Cen Zhisen.

Cen Zhisen stood sideways, patiently listening to the young man, his slightly furrowed brows revealing a hint of impatience, but his demeanor prevented him from interrupting.

The night’s lights outlined the contours of Cen Zhisen’s profile, from the forehead to the nose and down to the jawline, a smooth and perfect arc, as if crafted by a divine hand.

Despite having only one-eighth of mixed blood, Cen Zhisen was the one in the Cen family who expressed this gene most excellently.

Whether it was the deep eyes, high nose, or slightly thin lips, they made him appear passionate yet aloof.

Like Adonis, captivating and leading people into the abyss.

Ning Zhiyuan raised one hand, fingers tracing in the air, as if caressing the texture of that person. His fingertips still held the sensation of the touch when he collided with Cen Zhisen earlier.

He smiled, lowered his eyes, and lightly touched his fingertip.

Outside the car, the young man looked at Cen Zhisen with pleading eyes, his voice trembling, “Mr. Cen, I don’t want money. I don’t want to be separated from you. Can you let me come back? As long as I can be with you, I’m willing to do anything. I don’t want anything else, just to be with you.”

Cen Zhisen coldly asked, “How did you find me here?”

The young man hesitated, somewhat guilty, and whispered, “I overheard you talking to the driver once. I remembered it, waited around Lijing Tiandu for a week, didn’t see you, and thought of trying my luck here. I came in the afternoon and have been waiting here for you.”

Cen Zhisen questioned, “Didn’t you go abroad to study? Why did you come back?”

The young man’s eyes were slightly red, “I don’t want to study anymore. I miss you so much, so I came back. Really, I didn’t want to go. I was just throwing a tantrum. Mr. Cen, forgive me, let me come back.”

Despite the heartfelt plea, Cen Zhisen remained indifferent.

He had been with this young man for less than a year. They met at a party when the young man was working part-time at a hotel during his junior year. At that time, his suit jacket was accidentally splashed with alcohol, and while changing in the lounge, the young man volunteered to help.

From the beginning, it was the other party who took the initiative.

Cen Zhisen had no particular thoughts at first. A twenty-year-old man seemed too young in his eyes. It wasn’t until the end of the party, when the young man came to bid farewell again, that he, under the influence of alcohol, had an inexplicable idea and took the person away.

Seeing the person again tonight, especially when his eyes touched the slightly red eyes of the young man, he unexpectedly thought of the night when Ning Zhiyuan pushed him against the wall, questioning him with a red face if he felt triumphant.

Perhaps there were similarities, but they were miles apart. The two pairs of eyes overlapped in his mind, and in the end, only Ning Zhiyuan’s eyes were left—the defiant, stubborn eyes that sometimes hid too many unpredictable emotions.

Ning Zhiyuan claimed he couldn’t figure out Cen Zhisen’s thoughts, but in reality, he was the one unable to understand Ning Zhiyuan.

Always.

“Mr. Cen?” The young man called him again.

Cen Zhisen collected his thoughts, saying lightly, “When you said you wanted to study abroad, I gave you some money. You should be content with that.”

In fact, he had grown tired of it himself. He might not visit that place for weeks or even months. On New Year’s Eve, the young man had called him, inviting him to come over. He had initially agreed, but in the end, after finishing the business affairs at the company, he saw Ning Zhiyuan’s office still lit, and he stayed until Ning Zhiyuan left. Only then did he return to his own home.

After that, when the young man suggested going abroad to study, he had conveniently given him money and sent him away.

“I don’t want your money. I haven’t touched that money. From the beginning, I wasn’t with you for this,” the young man said with grievances.

Cen Zhisen’s patience was running out. “I’ve told you from the beginning; it was just a financial relationship.”

Inside the car, Ning Zhiyuan turned his head and observed the young man more closely.

He looked quite good, but his personality didn’t seem as obedient and gentle as Cen Zhisen thought. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have come here in the middle of the night.

When the photos of Cen Zhisen and this young man were taken before, Ning Zhiyuan was not entirely surprised. He had known about Cen Zhisen’s sexual orientation since the time he was studying abroad. It was more than ten years ago when he hired someone to secretly take photos of Cen Zhisen. He just didn’t expect that after so many years, Cen Zhisen’s taste had not changed.

Ning Zhiyuan lit a cigarette, biting it between his lips, occasionally puffing on it absentmindedly, and was reminded of some past events.

If he hadn’t known about Cen Zhisen’s sexual orientation and hadn’t been angered by the rumors spread by his classmates, he might not have directed his anger towards Cen Zhisen. The two-year-long cold war was his refusal to bow his head. Cen Zhisen had contacted him several times, but after getting bored with it, he stopped bothering him. It was only when even Cen Shengli could see that something was wrong, and forcefully took him to the UK to attend Cen Zhisen’s graduation ceremony, that they met again.

During that graduation ceremony, he also saw the person who was initially photographed with Cen Zhisen—the fellow student of Cen Zhisen, also a Chinese, who looked somewhat similar to the young man currently talking to Cen Zhisen outside.

Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the young man outside resembled the person who was Cen Zhisen’s first love during that time.

Cen Zhisen had broken up with his first love after graduating with a bachelor’s degree and returned to China to work for Cen An.

He said he couldn’t define his relationship with these men as love affairs, but looking at those photos from back then, he might indeed have been in love with them.

He didn’t know if Cen Zhisen himself was aware of this. Smoking his cigarette, Ning Zhiyuan thought with a hint of mockery. His older brother turned out to be someone who couldn’t forget his first love.

Quite unusual.

At that time, the person who had said those words to him at the graduation ceremony, he couldn’t remember where that person was anymore. The scene was still vivid in his mind.

When Cen Zhisen went on stage to receive his degree, Cen Shengli happened to receive a call and went to the side to answer it. Ning Zhiyuan stayed in his seat alone, and that person came over, asking if he was Cen Zhisen’s younger brother. He didn’t answer, just scrutinized the other person. The other person was also looking at him, and finally, with a meaningful look, said, “Unfortunately, you’re his younger brother.”

Unfortunately?

Ning Zhiyuan didn’t think so. In the over twenty years of being in the Cen family, the least regrettable thing was meeting Cen Zhisen, even though their relationship could be described as a fated tragedy.

The young man was still unwilling, persisting, “If it’s just a financial relationship, can’t it continue? You haven’t gone to Lijing Tiandu all this time. Do you have someone else by your side now? Why can’t you let me come back? I’m willing to do anything as long as I can be with you.”

Cen Zhisen replied indifferently, “No need. I’m not interested.”

“What are you interested in then?” The young man pursued, “Clearly, there’s no one else you find appealing.”

Cen Zhisen couldn’t be bothered to explain to someone insignificant.

Ning Zhiyuan exhaled a puff of smoke, casually flicked the cigarette butt into the ashtray, and pushed open the car door.

He walked to the front of the car, leaning against the hood, lazily calling out, “Cen Zhisen.”

Cen Zhisen and the young man turned their heads simultaneously.

Ning Zhiyuan raised his chin slightly, reminding Cen Zhisen, “Hurry up; it’s getting late.”

The young man looked at him, as if suddenly realizing something, with a gaze that revealed scrutiny and wariness.

Cen Zhisen was also looking at him, amusement gradually appearing in his eyes. Even the previously displeased and impatient expression instantly relaxed.

“It’s already half-past ten,” Ning Zhiyuan pointed to his wristwatch, his elongated tone sounding like a complaint, “You said you’d invite me up for a drink, but you’ve been leaving me hanging here. Is that appropriate?”

Without waiting for Cen Zhisen to speak, the young man asked first, “Who are you?”

Ning Zhiyuan seemed to just notice that there was someone beside Cen Zhisen. He looked him up and down with a critical eye, then curled his lips, “Kid, you’ve interrupted my date with Cen Zhisen.”

The young man bit his lip forcefully, and his gaze towards Ning Zhiyuan became even more hostile.

Cen Zhisen’s interest in this situation increased, almost seeming to suppress a laugh. He coughed lightly, covering the corner of his mouth.

Ning Zhiyuan stood upright, walked to Cen Zhisen’s side, crossed his arms, and looked at the young man as if facing a formidable enemy. “Have you finished saying what you needed to say? Can we call it a night?”

The young man was still unwilling, frowning, and said, “I don’t believe it. Mr. Cen doesn’t like your type, and he wouldn’t bring someone to his home if you weren’t in that kind of relationship.”

Unexpectedly, this person was not easy to deceive. Ning Zhiyuan chuckled, “Why can’t Cen Zhisen like someone of my type? How do you know what type he really likes? Just because he didn’t bring you back doesn’t mean he can’t bring me back. Perhaps his taste has changed.”

The young man insisted with three words, “I don’t believe.”

Ning Zhiyuan sighed inwardly, then turned to signal Cen Zhisen, “You speak for yourself.”

His tone was too casual. Cen Zhisen’s initial plan was to have security remove the person if he continued to bother, but since Ning Zhiyuan was willing to cooperate, he was happy to play along with this act.

Or perhaps, it wasn’t an act at all.

Staring at Ning Zhiyuan’s smiling eyes, Cen Zhisen opened his mouth, “I really like him.”

The young man’s face changed.

Ning Zhiyuan lowered his gaze, lightly chuckled, and said to the person, “See.”

Then he raised his head, locking eyes with Cen Zhisen. In that moment of eye contact, Ning Zhiyuan seemed to blink, and in his eyes, there was a smile with a hint of mockery.

Leaning forward, he reached for the tie he had personally tied for Cen Zhisen in the afternoon, pulling him closer.

Turning his head, he kissed Cen Zhisen’s lips.