Chapter 4: Embrace

After the last passenger boarded the plane, the flight attendants closed the cabin door and began to check the overhead bins. Seizing the moment when they were moving around, Shang Zhu handed a note to Wen Shuyan.

Wen Shuyan raised an eyebrow, glanced at Shang Zhu, and reached out to take the note.

Their fingertips briefly touched in the air. Shang Zhu didn’t immediately let go, instead, he held Wen Shuyan’s hand and tugged at it for a moment before releasing it.

They were seated in the last row of the business class, with a curtain separating them from the economy class. No one saw what they were doing, and no one knew what was written on that note.

The note torn from a memo pad was very short, with only two words written on it: Laozi.

Wen Shuyan looked at the almost overflowing handwriting on the note and chuckled, supporting his forehead with his hand.

He folded the note and put it in his coat pocket, then turned to Shang Zhu and mouthed, “Childish.”

Shang Zhu didn’t retort, accepting Wen Shuyan’s praise without saying a word.

After the flight attendants finished checking the overhead bins, the plane taxied and took off, entering the cruising phase twenty minutes later.

Accustomed to the noise of the engines, Shang Zhu felt like chatting with Wen Shuyan, but Wen Shuyan had asked for a blanket from the flight attendant before takeoff and was now resting with his eyes closed in his seat.

With the engines roaring and the flight attendants and passengers in the front row chatting quietly, the environment was not comfortable. Wen Shuyan furrowed his brows, and the blanket draped over him slipped off his shoulders, lying in a messy pile.

He didn’t sleep very soundly, and Shang Zhu regretted not choosing a seat next to Wen Shuyan when they boarded. Now, he could only help Wen Shuyan tidy up the blanket when nobody was paying attention.

With a flight of less than three hours, Wen Shuyan slept all the way, and Shang Zhu watched quietly until the plane landed, the flight attendant’s announcement sounded, and Wen Shuyan opened his eyes. Shang Zhu casually averted his gaze.

The executives from the Leeds Group in the front row began to stand up and retrieve their luggage. Wen Shuyan rubbed his forehead, nodded slightly to Shang Zhu amid the subdued reminders from the subordinates, and was the first to disembark the plane.

In the business class, only Shang Zhu and his secretary remained. The assistant tactfully didn’t mention anything about Leeds or Wen Shuyan, only asking Shang Zhu, “Will you go straight home, Director Shang?”

Shang Zhu withdrew his gaze from the cabin door and replied, “Yes, home.”

The landing time was approaching the end of the evening rush hour. Despite the assistant calling a car for Shang Zhu in advance, he still encountered heavy traffic on the way home. By the time he arrived home, it was completely dark outside, and the house was pitch black.

Wen Shuyan and he returned from the business trip almost simultaneously. He had arranged for the housekeeper to come and clean in advance, so the furniture wasn’t dusty, but after nearly a week away from home, the room felt a bit desolate.

Shang Zhu turned on all the lights in the house, took out his phone, and sent a message to Wen Shuyan before starting to pack up his luggage.

He tossed his dirty clothes into the washing machine, changed the bedsheets and duvet cover, and busied himself for a while. Wen Shuyan still hadn’t returned, and the message he had sent earlier remained unread.

It seemed that the meeting in Leeds was still ongoing, so Shang Zhu had no choice but to go to the study and deal with the backlog of emails in his inbox.

At eleven o’clock at night, the landscape lights in the neighborhood went out. Shang Zhu typed the last line of text on his computer, and the long silent foyer finally showed signs of activity.

Wen Shuyan returned pushing a suitcase. He stood in the foyer and let out a sigh of relief, showing a faint smile to Shang Zhu, who emerged from the study.

Shang Zhu took Wen Shuyan’s suitcase and asked, “Have you eaten dinner?”

“Not yet, I came back right after the meeting.” Wen Shuyan loosened his tie, cupped Shang Zhu’s face, and gave him a short kiss. “I was afraid you’d wait too long.”

After a brief affectionate moment between Shang Zhu and Wen Shuyan, Shang Zhu whispered in his ear, “You go take a shower first, I’ll cook noodles.”

The sound of water in the bathroom and the bubbling of water in the enamel pot filled the air. While Shang Zhu was boiling water, he also took the opportunity to tidy up the luggage Wen Shuyan had brought back.

When Wen Shuyan finished showering, a bowl of steaming hot noodle soup was placed on the table, and his travel clothes were tumbling in the washing machine.

Shang Zhu tidied up the scattered items and put away the suitcase.

Wen Shuyan dried his hair, pulled out a chair, and sat down. “Have you eaten?”

“I have.” Shang Zhu paused. “After I finish, I’ll do the dishes.”

“Okay.”

Having not eaten anything all night, Wen Shuyan didn’t actually feel hungry anymore, but the aroma of the noodles Shang Zhu cooked was tempting, and he finished them in no time.

Leaning his chin on his hand, he watched Shang Zhu’s back as he washed the dishes in the kitchen.

After prolonged work and insufficient rest, both Wen Shuyan’s body and mind were exhausted. In the short few minutes that Shang Zhu was washing dishes, Wen Shuyan yawned several times.

Shang Zhu placed the washed dishes back in the cabinet, wiped his hands, and then lifted Wen Shuyan, who was sitting at the dining table.

“Wife.”

Rather than booking a hotel room, Shang Zhu preferred to stay at home with Wen Shuyan. There were no outsiders, no need to calculate check-out time, and no need to worry about making too much noise.

He carried Wen Shuyan to the sofa, where their combined weight caused the soft fabric to sink downwards, enveloping Wen Shuyan’s back.

Nestled into the sofa, Wen Shuyan lazily touched Shang Zhu’s earlobe and said, “Do you still need to do anything?”

His face showed signs of fatigue, and his tone of voice was soft and slow, with his eyes drooping as if he were falling asleep.

Shang Zhu wrapped his arms around him and leaned down to kiss Wen Shuyan’s eyes and nose. “I just want to hold you.”

“Just hold me.”

He buried his face in Wen Shuyan’s neck, rubbing against his warm and delicate skin, savoring the scent of the shower gel that belonged to their home.

Shang Zhu enjoyed kissing Wen Shuyan in crowded places, whispering in his ear while leaning against his shoulder, and all the intimate postures that allowed him to hold Wen Shuyan tightly.

Wen Shuyan also enjoyed being embraced by Shang Zhu because he could lean against Shang Zhu’s chest and listen to his steady heartbeat.

The two of them cuddled on the sofa for a long time, exchanging a few light kisses. Shang Zhu gently stroked Wen Shuyan’s back.

As the drowsiness washed over him again after the warm shower, Wen Shuyan fell into a half-awake, half-asleep state in Shang Zhu’s arms. Finally, Shang Zhu carried him to the bedroom as he closed his eyes for the last time.