Chapter 6

By the time Xu Zhou finished eating and the IV was done, it was already three in the afternoon.

Shen Yan sat on the sofa, typing constantly, while Xu Zhou deliberately looked away. The fact that he came to Xu Zhou’s home, called a doctor, boiled water, and prepared porridge—well, it was a bit too unusual.

Suddenly, Xu Zhou recalled what Shen Yan had said yesterday. Could this… be his way of pursuing someone?

Feeling uneasy, Xu Zhou glanced at him. “If you’ve got things to do, go ahead. Don’t worry about me. I’ll head back to the office later…”

Shen Yan paused mid-typing and looked up. “You’re sick and still going to work? Can’t you take a few days off?”

Xu Zhou lifted the covers and prepared to get up. Meeting his gaze, he replied casually, “How can I not go? Who’s going to run the company for me? There are so many people waiting for me…”

“Alright.”

“?”

Shen Yan’s lips curled slightly. “I’ll run it for you.”

Xu Zhou tried to explain, “That’s not what I meant…”

Shen Yan took a few steps closer. “That’s exactly what I meant.”

Xu Zhou froze, watching Shen Yan approach. His chest tightened for no reason. Hastily, he tried to change the subject. “The company can’t do without me, and I have a meeting this afternoon I have to attend…”

Shen Yan stood in front of him. “I’ll run it for you…”

Xu Zhou twitched. He didn’t believe in free lunches.

Shen Yan stepped closer and pulled him into his arms, his long fingers unconsciously tracing Xu Zhou’s waist and back.

Xu Zhou stiffened, unsure how to react, keeping his head down to avoid eye contact.

He tried to push him away but was held tightly. Shen Yan leaned down to kiss him; Xu Zhou turned his head, unable to escape the embrace, gripping his own sleeve, knuckles slightly trembling.

Shen Yan didn’t relent, maintaining a posture that demanded a kiss.

Xu Zhou gritted his teeth. “Aren’t you afraid you’ll catch something from me…”

“Not afraid.”

Shen Yan bit his flushed earlobe, trailing kisses down to the corner of his mouth.

Forced to tilt his head back, Xu Zhou met his gaze. Passion and restraint mingled in Shen Yan’s eyes, like midsummer heat and autumn leaves falling together.

The man lightly bit his lips, warm breath mixing with rapid heartbeats. Both of them were visibly stirred…

After a while, Shen Yan rested his forehead against Xu Zhou’s, his cool, tantalizing voice teasing him.

“Give me a chance, okay?”

Xu Zhou shivered, as if his heart was being lightly struck, feeling helpless.

Looking up at him, Shen Yan’s long, deep eyes shone brightly. It seemed that if Xu Zhou refused, that light would fade.

A subtle tension wrapped tightly around them, every nerve in their bodies tingling with the extreme intimacy of the moment.

It was maddening.

Xu Zhou had never been in a relationship and was slow to recognize romantic signals. Though he had a striking face, particularly those eyes—beautiful with a hint of arrogance, the kind that would captivate a blossoming girl—he had never received a single love letter from elementary through high school.

Feeling Shen Yan’s hand gradually warming against his waist, Xu Zhou’s body burned.

He lowered his gaze, pressed his lips together, and finally spoke after a long pause, “I… don’t know…”

Sunlight spilled through the window, soft and gentle. The way Xu Zhou lowered his head had a subtle charm, every expression captured by Shen Yan, who didn’t want to miss a single moment.

He hadn’t refused.

Shen Yan gently lifted his chin, making him look at him.

All previous worries were gone, all former concerns dissolved. Shen Yan eagerly wanted to tell Xu Zhou his feelings, desperate for an answer—and now he had it.

Not refusing was the best answer.

This time, he would move a step closer, to be by his side, to make him belong only to him.

Their faces were so close that they could feel each other’s breath.

Shen Yan’s clear, melodic voice whispered by his ear, intoxicating.

“I want to be by your side as your boyfriend…”

Xu Zhou rubbed his fingers together, heart racing, thoughts led by the man before him, eyes trembling, unsure where to look.

“I… don’t know…”

“‘Don’t know’ means you’ve agreed. So… am I your boyfriend now?”

“…I don’t know.” Xu Zhou paused.

Yes, he had agreed.

Shen Yan’s smile deepened. He could now openly be by Xu Zhou’s side, hold him, embrace him, kiss him…

He reached out and touched Xu Zhou’s face, as if confirming this was real and not a dream.

Touching his flushed earlobe from the kiss, Xu Zhou felt flustered. They had only been reunited for a few days—how had he not noticed Shen Yan could be so seductive?

The previous atmosphere still made his heart race.

Being single too long, even the slightest teasing was overwhelming.

The phone on the nightstand vibrated—Lu Feng.

“Hello…”

“Do you know something absolutely ridiculous happened at the company!” Lu Feng took a deep breath, his voice clearly excited.

Xu Zhou, startled, asked, “Did it really collapse?”

“Collapse my ass.” Lu Feng restrained himself and asked seriously, “Xu Zhou, be honest—did you make some kind of shady deal with Shen Yan?”

Xu Zhou cleared his throat nervously. “Impossible. No way. He and I are just classmates…”

“Just classmates?” Lu Feng’s expression screamed disbelief. “Ordinary classmates don’t just transfer five hundred million yuan to a company account, do they?”

“?!”

Xu Zhou’s eyes widened. “Five hundred million?”

Lu Feng’s eye twitched. Strange events really were piling up. He asked again: “You’re sure you didn’t make some secret deal with Shen Yan? He didn’t contact you today?”

“Probably not…” Xu Zhou murmured.

Lu Feng stared at the transaction records, recounting over and over, still in disbelief.

“So why did Lingqi Group transfer 500 million yuan into our company account…?”

Xu Zhou fell silent for a moment. “Maybe they saw Qingchuang’s huge potential in the future…?”

Reluctantly, Lu Feng accepted this explanation.

After hanging up, Xu Zhou collapsed back onto the bed, sighing in complexity.

No wonder Shen Yan was one of the youngest top billionaires on the global wealth list. A casual joke from him—and Shen Yan was seriously ready to “take care of the company” for Xu Zhou.

It suddenly felt like being… spoiled.

He got up and opened the empty nightstand.

Xu Zhou froze.

Picking up the nearby phone, he quickly typed:

Xu Zhou: Did you take my cigarettes?

Shen Yan, in the middle of a meeting, felt his phone vibrate. Under the watchful eyes of his staff, he paused the meeting and replied.

Shen Yan: “You’re sick, no smoking. I’ll bring you food after the meeting.”

Xu Zhou: “I don’t need it.”

Shen Yan: “I’ll make it for you when I get back.”

Xu Zhou: “No need.”

Shen Yan: “Be obedient.”

???

Spoiling a child?