After much deliberation, Yu Yan decided to use the method proposed by Song Yunjing earlier. He needed to seize the initiative in this relationship. Turning to his phone, he sent a message to Shen Yuchen.

[Yu Yan]: Chen-ge, how about dinner tonight?

[Shen Yuchen]: [Image]

[Shen Yuchen]: Today is Can Can’s birthday. I have to go back to the old house.

The image was a screenshot of Shen Yuchen’s conversation with Zhang Shujun, where Zhang Cancan’s father mentioned inviting Shen Yuchen back for dinner. After the meal, the family would likely have matters to discuss, as Zhang Shujun had previously sought Shen Yuchen’s advice regarding her husband’s company issues.

[Yu Yan]: I’ll buy a birthday gift for Cancan. Can you bring it to her after work and wish her a happy birthday for me?

[Shen Yuchen]: Sure.

[Shen Yuchen]: Want me to drop you home after work?

[Yu Yan]: No need, I’m about to clock out early for fieldwork.

Openly declaring his intention to skip work in front of his boss, Yu Yan truly was a trailblazer in the company.

After sending the message, there was no reply for a while. Yu Yan assumed Shen Yuchen was busy, but the next moment, his office door was knocked on.

Just after saying “Come in,” Shen Yuchen stepped inside.

“Why are you here?” Yu Yan blinked in surprise.

“Came to recharge.” Shen Yuchen pulled him into a gentle embrace.

Yu Yan suddenly understood. So that’s the kind of “recharge” he meant! Shen Yuchen must have secretly taken some advanced emotional lessons without telling him. Since when did he learn such methods?

Through the thin fabric of Shen Yuchen’s shirt, Yu Yan could feel the tight, firm muscles underneath.

Does he have abs?

Yu Yan wanted to touch them but was afraid of being seen as a creep. His hand hesitated mid-air.

I need to take control of the situation!

Clenching his teeth, Yu Yan boldly placed his hand on Shen Yuchen’s stomach. Through the thin shirt, he felt several well-defined abs. He pressed lightly, but they didn’t budge.

A soft groan came from above his head, and Yu Yan immediately retracted his hand.

“I was just curious how many abs you have.”

Shen Yuchen chuckled softly. “Did you count them?”

“No.” Yu Yan forced a serious expression, trying to appear nonchalant despite his embarrassment. He hadn’t dared to make any bold moves, let alone count the abs.

Shen Yuchen pressed Yu Yan’s hand back onto his stomach. “Then count them again.”

The warmth under his fingertips made Yu Yan’s face heat up. Trying to stay calm, he said, “No.”

Shen Yuchen couldn’t help but laugh. “Not touching anymore?”

“Not counting,” Yu Yan said with exaggerated emphasis.

“Then it’s my turn.”

“Your turn to do what—mmph…”

Before Yu Yan could finish his sentence, his words were silenced by a kiss.

This kiss was tender, unlike the domineering one during their break earlier in the lounge. Shen Yuchen was considerate of Yu Yan’s feelings, even allowing him moments to catch his breath.

Once again, the initiative was taken from him. Yu Yan clung to Shen Yuchen’s shirt, his movements and thoughts entirely controlled by the other’s actions.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but his cheeks felt burning hot. Gently, he pushed Shen Yuchen away.

“No… no more kissing.”

Any more, and his lips would swell. How could he go out and face people?

Looking up at Shen Yuchen with serious eyes, Yu Yan asked, “Are you fully recharged now?”

“Fully charged,” Shen Yuchen nodded with satisfaction, giving Yu Yan’s cheek a light pinch. His thumb brushed over Yu Yan’s lips, pressing gently. “I’ll come find you again when I run out of power.”

“Then remember to call me first.”

Yu Yan was about to head to a film set soon and wouldn’t be at the company as often.

“Alright.” Shen Yuchen agreed.

Shen Yuchen still had a meeting to attend, so they didn’t talk for long. Yu Yan, on the other hand, skipped work and went to pick out a birthday gift for Zhang Cancan, having it delivered to the company for Shen Yuchen to take to the old house after work.

With time to spare after picking out the gift, Yu Yan remembered Song Yunjing mentioning a shop near the university that sold exceptional salted egg yolk pastries. He made a special trip to line up and buy several boxes.

He brought two boxes to the company for Shen Yuchen and took the rest home.

“Mom, Dad, you’re home early today! I got you some salted egg yolk pastries,” Yu Yan said, showing off the bag in his hand like it was a trophy.

Yu Lin explained, “We left work early. Spent the afternoon chatting with your sister Xiyuan’s parents.”

“Hehe, so you skipped work too,” Yu Yan couldn’t help but laugh.

Yu Lin glanced at him sideways. “By the sound of it, you skipped work today too?”

Jiang Mo couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Skipped work to go on a date? And brought pastries for us on the way?”

“It wasn’t ‘on the way.’ I got them especially for you,” Yu Yan clarified, avoiding the earlier part of the question.

“Alright, specially for us. So, how’s it going? Tell Mom about it, and I’ll give you some advice,” Jiang Mo said, already diving into the pastries and abandoning her no-sugar diet.

Yu Yan hesitated. “Mom, you don’t seem to have much experience in this area.”

Jiang Mo was Yu Lin’s first love. The two met in college, started dating, and built a business together after graduating. They’d been together for over twenty years without a single relationship crisis.

Yuchen and Xiyuan were the same—they were each other’s first love.

Yulin became interested. “Your dad has experience; your dad can give you advice.”

“Dad, did you have a sense of ceremony when you pursued Mom?” Yu Yan asked curiously.

Jiang Mo couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Your dad? Ceremony? He just handed over all the money he earned to me without a second thought.”

Yulin cleared his throat and didn’t join the conversation further.

“Well, that’s sweet too,” Yu Yan chuckled.

“But your brother had a strong sense of ceremony. When he pursued Xiaoyuan, he pulled out all the stops, even got Shen Yuchen to help him. I heard that when your brother proposed to Xiaoyuan, he did it in a hot air balloon. So romantic!” Jiang Mo said, smiling.

Yulin comfortably chimed in, “Do you want to ride a hot air balloon? We can go this weekend.”

“I’ll pass. These are things young people enjoy,” Jiang Mo said, waving her hand.

“What do you mean, you’re not young?” Yulin said disapprovingly, teasing her a bit.

To think Yuchen even helped Yuchen pursue Xiyuan—it’s no wonder he managed to summarize 10+ pages of A4 paper’s worth of experience.

While Yu Yan was lost in thought, Jiang Mo interrupted his train of thought.

“Aunt Zhao’s daughter, Zhao Han, said she wants to invite you to dinner. Are you interested?” Jiang Mo asked hesitantly.

Yu Yan blinked in surprise. “Invite me to dinner? Why?”

He had only met Zhao Han once or twice at gatherings and had pleasant chats with her, but they hadn’t even added each other on WeChat. Why the sudden invitation?

“I’m not entirely sure. I told her you’ve been busy with dating lately and might not have time, but she said she’s free and can adjust to your schedule.”

Since it had come to this, it was clear Zhao Han wasn’t inviting him because of the arranged marriage their families mentioned in the past.

After a moment of contemplation, Yu Yan replied, “Tomorrow evening works. I don’t have anything going on.”

“Alright. Do you…” Jiang Mo hesitated for a moment. “Maybe ask Yuchen if he has time to accompany you? You young people might get along better.”

“No need, Mom. What if she has something important to talk to me about? If I bring someone along, she might feel uncomfortable.”

Seeing Yu Yan’s reasoning, Jiang Mo didn’t push further.

Yu Yan lowered his gaze, his long lashes fluttering slightly.

Even if Jiang Mo was worried about him, she’d more likely have Yuchen accompany him than Shen Yuchen. Why would she suggest Yuchen?

Yu Yan felt like he might have been exposed but didn’t bring it up.

The dinner was set at Fang Chi’s restaurant. Without Zhao Han’s contact information, Yu Yan had to rely on Jiang Mo to pass the message.

After dinner, he returned to his room to rest. Checking his phone, he noticed Shen Yuchen had only sent him one message after arriving at the family home, with no updates since. In contrast, Zhang Cancan had sent him a few messages.

[Zhang Cancan: Brother-in-law, thanks for the gift! I love it.]

[Zhang Cancan: Weird, why is my brother so happy? He even patted my head just now.]

[Zhang Cancan: Did you reward him?]

[Yu Yan: …]
[Yu Yan: Happy birthday!!!]
[Yu Yan: Adults’ business. Kids, don’t meddle.]

[Zhang Cancan: You’re the kid.]

After exchanging a few casual messages, Zhang Cancan stopped texting, probably busy with something.

Playing games alone felt dull, and there was no one to discuss TV plotlines with. Even Lego wasn’t appealing. After idly scrolling through social media, Yu Yan ended up killing time on his phone.

Before he knew it, it was already 10 PM. Finally, a message popped up from Shen Yuchen.

[Shen Yuchen: Are you asleep?]

[Yu Yan: Not yet, just watching some videos.]

[Shen Yuchen: Have your parents gone to bed?]

[Yu Yan: Yeah, my mom and dad are very punctual with their bedtime.]

[Shen Yuchen: Can you come downstairs?]

Without changing his clothes or turning on the lights, Yu Yan quietly crept downstairs.

A car was parked at the corner of the road next to the villa. It only took a few steps outside to reach it. Under the streetlamp, Shen Yuchen stood there, seemingly glowing under the light.

Yu Yan rushed into his arms, and the two embraced briefly. “Why are you here?”

“I wanted to see you.”

Yu Yan had expected this answer. Having just finished dinner with Zhang Shujun’s family, Shen Yuchen’s bad mood was understandable. But seeing that he wasn’t too upset—at least he didn’t invite Yu Yan out for a drink—was a relief.

Just as Yu Yan was thinking about how to comfort him, Shen Yuchen’s voice came again.

“Your brother is going on a business trip,” Shen Yuchen said, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Yu Yan recalled how Yu Chen had gone to find Shen Yuchen at noon, likely needing his help. Without much thought, he blurted out, “Did you set up this business trip for my brother?”

Shen Yuchen didn’t deny it. “There are some matters that require his personal attention.”

As long as Yu Chen was away on a business trip, no one would be checking on them, leaving plenty of time for their dates!

“You’re so sneaky,” Yu Yan said with a laugh, clutching onto Shen Yuchen’s sleeve tightly. Thinking he’d come up with the perfect way to cheer him up, he exhaled deeply and casually asked, “Wanna kiss?”

The unexpected turn of events left Shen Yuchen momentarily stunned, unable to respond right away.

Yu Yan thought he was unwilling and pulled a small pout. “If you don’t want to, forget it.”

“I do. I want to.” Shen Yuchen immediately pulled him closer and lowered his head for a kiss.

The first two times they kissed, it had been initiated by Shen Yuchen. This time, Yu Yan wanted to take the lead and boldly extended the tip of his tongue first.

But for some reason, this seemed to ignite something in Shen Yuchen. His breathing quickened, and he cupped the back of Yu Yan’s head, deepening the kiss.

When it ended, Yu Yan instinctively licked his lips and helped straighten Shen Yuchen’s now-crumpled clothes. “Are you heading back now?”

“Yeah, you should go and get some rest.”

Although Shen Yuchen told him to head back, his fingers interlaced with Yu Yan’s, tightly locking their hands together.

Yu Yan leaned in and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “I’m going back now.”

If it weren’t for the fact that the last time he didn’t return home caused such a fuss—including being forced to write a self-reflection letter—he really would’ve wanted to just leave with Shen Yuchen.

Shen Yuchen didn’t say much. It seemed he came just to see him for a bit.

Perhaps the car being parked there for so long had drawn the attention of the patrolling security guard. Seeing the flashlight beam approaching, Yu Yan quickly left before the guard arrived.

As soon as he opened the front door, he sensed something was off.

The living room was lit with a warm orange glow, and there were noises coming from the kitchen. But he distinctly remembered leaving in total darkness!

His heart jumped into his throat, and just as he was about to investigate, Jiang Mo emerged from the kitchen holding a glass of water.

“Mom, you came down to get water?” Yu Yan asked, startled.

Jiang Mo nodded. “I ate the last two egg yolk pastries before bed and got a bit thirsty. The water dispenser in the bedroom is broken.”

“Then let’s call someone to replace it tomorrow.”

“I already talked to the maintenance department. You go upstairs and rest. Don’t worry about me.” Jiang Mo gripped the water glass tightly in her hands.

Relieved, Yu Yan replied, “Alright. Good night, Mom.”

“Good night, sweetheart.”

Yu Yan let out a breath of relief and jogged back upstairs.

At least he hadn’t been caught—he hadn’t even thought about how he’d explain it if he had.

But what Yu Yan didn’t know was that after he returned to his room, Jiang Mo sat alone in the living room for a long time.

Meanwhile, Shen Yuchen stayed outside until he saw the light in Yu Yan’s room turn on before heading back to his car. Just as he was about to drive off, his phone vibrated with a new message.

[Jiang Aunty: Ah Chen, do you have some time soon? Aunty would like to have a talk with you, just the two of us.]