Chapter 10

“Did you find out?” Shen Yan’s voice was low, his dark eyes full of danger and cold indifference.

“The person is the general manager of a trading company. The surveillance shows he probably intended to give the medicine to someone else, but it was mistakenly given to Xu Zhou…”

“Name.” Shen Yan sneered. Whether intentional or not, the harm had been done, and someone must pay.

“Chu Hanyu, only son of the Chu family.”

After hanging up, Shen Yan quietly walked to Xu Zhou’s bedside. The young man was already asleep. He reached out and touched his forehead—it was no longer hot.

Shen Yan lay down beside him, wrapping an arm around his waist, listening to his breathing as he gradually drifted to sleep.

Xu Zhou dreamt. In the dream, he was back in high school. Shen Yan was still his deskmate, still enjoying “disciplining” him, his expression calm and unreadable.

When Xu Zhou deliberately provoked him, Shen Yan never got genuinely angry. He would just watch with expressionless eyes, giving nothing away, and Xu Zhou would glare back, determined not to be bullied.

When Xu Zhou was in a bad mood, Shen Yan would calmly lecture him with philosophical sayings, making him feel even worse. Though the same age, he seemed far wiser, always acting like a little adult.

In elementary school, they had gotten along very well. But later, Xu Zhou became like a child covered in thorns—anyone who got too close would get pricked.

As he grew older, he realized it was because of the negative influence of his family. Once he became a little sensible, he built walls around his heart, keeping others out and himself in.

Even his parents had rejected him—who else would like him?

The better someone treated him, the more he wanted to distance himself. Yet he could still interact normally with everyone, play, joke, and laugh like other children. All his sadness and pain were hidden in the deepest corners of his heart.

Only at night would he be like a stray kitten, licking his wounds in solitude.

He was deeply grateful to have escaped that family, stepping out of those walls.

Piecing together the details he had missed, he realized Shen Yan had always been kind. Somehow, he had enjoyed provoking him.

——

When Xu Zhou woke, he looked up at the familiar crystal chandelier and squinted, memories of last night flashing through his mind.

Shen Yan had brought him back to the villa, calling several doctors to examine him through the night. By the time he was hooked up to IV fluids, he had fallen asleep.

Stretching, he felt refreshed.

He glanced at the new pajamas—Shen Yan had bathed him last night?

Checking his phone on the bedside table, it was already past 2 PM. There were over ten missed calls and more than twenty messages.

All the calls were from Lu Feng. Aside from a few work-related messages, the rest were all from Lu Feng.

Xu Zhou’s groggy eyes cleared instantly. He tapped his head.

“Finally answering the phone! When did you leave last night? You wouldn’t pick up, and I almost called the police thinking something happened—heard your boyfriend safely got you home though.”

Xu Zhou twitched at the corner of his mouth. If he remembered correctly, he had been carried from the restaurant by Shen Yan last night.

“Who told you my boyfriend brought me home…”

“Li Xu. Tried calling you last night, couldn’t get through. He came to see me and inexplicably started asking about your love life. I said you already had a boyfriend…”

“What else did he say?”

“He just mentioned seeing you leave with a man, so he was asking casually…”

“….”

Lu Feng realized something, stopping mid-motion. “Li Xu’s attitude yesterday was way too eager when talking about cooperation. Did you tell him about our collaboration with Lingqi?”

Xu Zhou froze. “He came to you for cooperation?!”

“Wasn’t it you who convinced him?”

“….”

It seemed Li Xu had guessed the relationship between Xu Zhou and Shen Yan, which is why he proactively brought up collaboration.

Indeed, only great strength and strong backing are the fastest shortcuts. In the face of money and profit, friendship is useless.

After hanging up, Xu Zhou went to the bathroom to freshen up. Coming out, he ran into Shen Yan entering.

“Awake?”

“Yeah, been awake for a while.”

“Any discomfort? Want another checkup?”

“Already fine. Thank you, Shen Yan.”

Xu Zhou smiled, his eyes crinkling beautifully. When he smiled sincerely, it was Shen Yan’s favorite sight—the bright eyes and slight upward curve of his lips.

“Xu Zhou, come here.”

“?” Xu Zhou looked up while grabbing his coat.

“I want to hold you.”

Seeing Xu Zhou stunned, Shen Yan stepped forward, holding him in his arms.

“From now on, be careful not to accept drinks from others.”

Xu Zhou raised an eyebrow. “Not yours either?”

Shen Yan let go, pinching his face. “Mine’s okay. But be careful with others’.”

Xu Zhou swatted his hand away. “We’re talking, not playing—stop pinching my face.”

“I was careless. I’ll be careful from now on.”

Thinking of Shen Yan’s expression last night—a look he had never seen before—Xu Zhou wrapped his arms around Shen Yan’s waist, resting his head on his shoulder.

“Sorry, made you worry.”

He almost believed Shen Yan truly liked him.

“Then can you make me worry less from now on?”

Xu Zhou looked into his eyes, thought for a moment, and said seriously, “I’ll try.”

Shen Yan found him adorable. He wanted to pinch his face again—a gesture he’d long wanted but never dared.

Xu Zhou grabbed his hand, smirking. “Where did you learn this bad habit—pinching faces?”

“Just yours,” Shen Yan said earnestly, not joking.

“You need to fix that habit.”

Shen Yan leaned down and kissed his cheek, then looked at him expectantly. “Can I change it to a kiss?”

Xu Zhou blushed noticeably.

Shen Yan chuckled. His boyfriend was too cute.

Xu Zhou, annoyed by the laugh, changed the subject. “I’m hungry.”

His awkwardness made him even cuter. Shen Yan couldn’t help smiling, stroking his hair. “Let’s eat.”

“Eat out? Then I’ll change first.”

“At home. It’s ready.”

“Did Auntie cook?”

“I did.”

Xu Zhou went downstairs, staring at the spread, swallowing. “All this is from you?”

“Yeah, try it.”

Xu Zhou nodded. He felt like he had hit the jackpot—Shen Yan wasn’t only rich, handsome, and well-built, but also a fantastic cook.

“Shen Yan,” Xu Zhou swallowed, looking up.

“Hm?”

“Do you cook often? Your skills are better than outside restaurants.”

“Yes. Sometimes Auntie’s not around, so I cook. Practiced gradually.”

“Can you teach me?”

Shen Yan raised an eyebrow. “Can’t cook?”

“Not really. Only very simple things.”

“Like?”

“Boiling noodles, fried rice, some stir-fried vegetables…” Enough to feed myself.

“I’ll cook for you often from now on.”

“I’ll watch and learn while you cook.”

“Okay.”