Are All You Straight Guys Like This Chapter 91

The next day.

When Ye Ran got up, he discovered a bowl had already been washed by Shen Shi.

He was stunned for a moment, then let it go.

He was busy with work today. He hadn’t resigned from the studio yet; this month the studio had taken a big commission, art for a game’s new skin. As the lead artist, he had to make up for previously delayed work.

To find inspiration, Ye Ran sat in the living room wearing black-rimmed glasses, frowning tiredly as he thought about how to add “domineering CEO” elements to the new skin.

The evening sky was aflame with sunset.

The living room lights were off. Warm orange light slanted through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the objects inside in orange.

He sketched elements bit by bit on his drawing pad.

A suit, a bow tie, leather shoes; the vest tight over a muscular chest, the subtle crease of shirt fabric pressed under suit pants when walking.

With a pencil it was easy to trace the outlines and render light and shadow.

Slowly inspiration came. Light glinted from behind Ye Ran’s black frames as he rapidly drew a human silhouette. In the silent living room the only sound was pencil scratching over paper.

Night deepened.

He left only the small lamp on the coffee table burning, its light dim and yellow. Immersed in his work, Ye Ran suddenly heard a sound.

“Click.”

The keypad lock opened.

A silhouette stepped in from the foyer; the man’s shape gradually became clear. His voice was low and hoarse as he looked toward him: “Ye Ran?”

Ye Ran was startled, too.

Father and Mother Shen had gone to a wedding today and planned to stay overnight at the host’s. Ye Ran had assumed Shen Shi had gone too, so he hadn’t expected him back this early.

He rose on reflex and called out obediently, “Older Brother Shen Shi.”

Having used the address for some time, it no longer felt awkward.

Shen Shi paused. A trace of cold in him hadn’t quite dissipated, but after a moment his lips twitched faintly and he carried his coat inside.

“Mm.”

Light gradually fell across him from the side, outlining his long, upright frame.

Shen Shi walked into the living room with measured steps; his dark eyes flicked toward the quietly standing Ye Ran.

The room was dim. Ye Ran stood by the small orange lamp wearing simple black-rimmed glasses. His eyes were narrow and shimmering, rimmed faintly red, a natural fragility and chill about him.

He was very pale; under the low light he looked even whiter, his skin like fine porcelain. His black bangs hid the curve of his neck, smooth as jade. He wore loose loungewear; his wrists and waist were equally slim.

Shen Shi withdrew his gaze without a ripple and calmly asked, “Have you eaten?”

Ye Ran: “…Not yet.”

“I’ll take you out to eat.” Shen Shi said.

Ye Ran hurriedly shook his head. “No need. I heated up some leftovers at noon, just microwave them.”

Shen Shi followed his gaze to the kitchen. Seeing the leftover food, he didn’t press the issue. Instead he casually took a brocade box from his chest pocket and tossed it to Ye Ran.

Ye Ran fumbled to catch it. His normally cautious face showed a flash of surprise; his eyes widened slightly as he nervously looked at Shen Shi. “This is…?”

“A meeting gift.” The man standing by the stair rail said in a low voice. In shadow, his tone was easy and natural as he added, “I should’ve given this to you yesterday. Keep it and play with it.”

…

Shen Shi’s figure quickly disappeared up the stairs.

The living room was left with Ye Ran alone.

He hesitated for a long moment before obediently opening the box. In the velvet-lined recess lay a gleaming sapphire.

The sapphire was deep and ravishing, like a mysterious ocean; even in the dim interior it reflected its own light.

Ye Ran’s heart beat faster. As an artist, he loved beautiful things.

The sapphire wasn’t large, teardrop-shaped, suitable for adorning clothing or with a hole made through it to wear as a pendant.

Judging by its color, it was certainly precious.

Coming back from the daze induced by seeing it, Ye Ran grew restless.

Shen Shi’s meeting gift was extravagant; he shouldn’t accept it. But instinctively, thinking of the man’s calm, aloof manner, Ye Ran felt that if he refused, Shen Shi might just throw it in the trash.

After much internal debate, he carefully closed the box and went to the kitchen.

Half an hour later, Shen Shi, fresh from a shower, received a cup of sweet honey water.

The young man who delivered it left quietly and nervously, still timid around him; even his footsteps were cautious, afraid of causing noise.

Leaning casually on the windowsill, Shen Shi let the breeze lift the hair at his brow. He drew back the gaze that had rested on the youth’s retreating back. His eyes were deep, black and calm like a deep pool.

The honey water warmed his stomach.

Shen Shi turned the glass in his hand and thought lightly to himself: …Obedient, yes. Just timid.

Over the next few days, as if some curious switch had been flipped, Shen Shi began giving Ye Ran a number of “play with” trinkets.

After the sapphire, Ye Ran, delighted and dizzy from the luxury, woke to a pink diamond the next day, an emerald-green jade the third day, and on the fourth day a glittering diamond specially sourced from South Africa. Each came in the same modest brocade box, but inside were valuable luxury items.

Ye Ran was overwhelmed by these little offerings and began to understand what people meant by “domineering CEO.”

In an inspired rush he worked like a man possessed, finishing a character sheet overnight. Afterward he sheepishly erased and reworked some details on the portrayal of a man in shirt, vest, chest exposed, majestic and composed.

When Father and Mother Shen returned from the wedding, the atmosphere between the two youngsters had noticeably thawed.

Though they didn’t fully understand why, they were delighted by the change. They took Ye Ran and Shen Shi out to dinner; afterward Ye Ran rode in Shen Shi’s car. The trunk was large; strobe-like streetlights flashed past, illuminating the man’s resting profile.

Darkness spread quietly.

Shen Shi reclined against the seat, legs crossed; his long fingers tapped his knee in a measured rhythm. A few seconds later the timid youth who had followed along spoke up in a soft voice like a small white-furred creature, cautious, dependent, poking out his head.

“…Thank you, Older Brother.”

Shen Shi’s lips curved slightly before he smoothed the expression back and asked gently, “Thank you for what?”

Ye Ran blinked, eyes rimmed with faint red, embarrassed as he said, “The gifts…they’re all beautiful.”

“If you like them, that’s good,” Shen Shi said. “Which one do you like best?”

Ye Ran was silent.

After a long pause he said, “…I like them all.”

Shen Shi smiled wordlessly. “Noted.”

The car sped along the highway; roadside scenery blurred into shadows.

Inside the Bentley, the young man’s anxious, gentle explanation could be heard: “But they’re expensive. Having these is enough. Brother Shen, please don’t give gifts anymore…”

They stayed in the capital for another two weeks.

During those weeks it became clear that Shen Shi was genuinely good to Ye Ran and not merely perfunctory. Satisfied, Father and Mother Shen left with content hearts.

Before departing, Mother Shen especially urged Shen Shi to take good care of Ye Ran.

Worried that Ye Ran would be overly anxious about his family matters, she, unusually interfering with company affairs, awkwardly asked Shen Shi, “Little Shi, I know you don’t want to set a precedent, but your Uncle Ye’s family… can we help in some way? Not necessarily with investment, just recover some reputation. Would that be possible?”

The huge airport was crowded with people.

Ye Ran had gone to the studio today and couldn’t see Father and Mother Shen off. Because he wasn’t there, Mother Shen sighed and discussed the matter with Shen Shi.

She had a soft spot for the Ye family and for Ye Huaishan. They had studied and played together in college. With Chen Wan gone, Ye Ran was her only remaining tie; Mother Shen’s affection extended to him as if he were her own son.

The Shens seemed to have a knack for seeing people’s true natures.

Ye Ran’s initial distance and guardedness had melted away under the Shens’ quiet affection, like thawing ice.

He had endured hardships in his youth, lack of a father’s love, scant guidance from friends, little familial attention, so he had learned to protect himself with a gentle, detached shell. In truth he was a little sweet cake: coddle him a bit and he would shine.

Mother Shen felt great pity for his personality. Watching him in Germany cook, wash, do housework and bargain at markets, then thinking of her own pampered eldest son who wouldn’t even steady a fallen oil jar, she felt a deep ache.

This trip back to Haicheng was partly to visit relatives urging them home, but also to gather information and see what had really happened to the Ye family.

Father Shen, always stern and impartial, gave his tacit approval. He no longer held power at Shen Corporation; everything needed Shen Shi’s consent.

Shen Shi had two meetings that afternoon. He listened calmly to Mother Shen’s long-winded words without raising an eyelid, showing no inclination to concede. As usual, he said coolly, “We must pass the check-in.”

Mother Shen was flustered. “You—”

Father Shen patted her back. Having once been in Shen Shi’s position, he understood his son’s considerations. “Let’s go.”

Reluctant, Mother Shen went through the check-in gate.

At the airport, Shen Shi looked up at a plane cutting through the sky.

Xu Wen stood behind him breathless. With a glance he caught Shen Shi’s sharply defined profile: deep black eyes, vest outlining a strong chest, dark-blue waistcoat noble and elegant yet still unable to hide his steady aura.

In the silence Xu Wen suddenly heard Shen Shi speak.

“Where’s the evaluation report?”

Xu Wen immediately handed over the folder from his briefcase. Shen Shi took it but didn’t look at it. He boarded the car with composure; only after sitting down did he open the report and read intently.

The driver began the journey to Shen Shi’s Beijing branch.

The road streamed by.

At one point Shen Shi suddenly asked, “What losses are there to us if we invest in Ye Corporation?”

Xu Wen was stunned. His mind raced as he considered in detail the Ye family’s small clothing company worth, at best, a few million. For a behemoth like Shen Shi, whose companies’ monthly turnovers could reach tens of millions, the impact would be negligible, especially once combined.

A single entertainment company under the Guang brand could buy ten Ye Corporations.

Xu Wen said tactfully: “…There’s no real loss.”

Such a tiny bit of profit, honestly, Xu Wen still didn’t understand whom the Ye family had provoked. How could this have attracted an attack?

“No loss,” Shen Shi closed the folder and said, “then invest.”

Xu Wen: “?”

Xu Wen’s face went blank for two seconds, but his professionalism as an assistant quickly brought him back to his senses. Thinking about Shen Shi’s attention on the Ye family during the past half month, he actually felt a sense of “so it was like this.”

“Yes, President Shen,” he said quickly. “I’ll prepare the documents right away.”

“Not through the company. Invest as a private individual,” Shen Shi said.

That meant buying scattered shares, a discreet way to save the Ye Corporation without showing his hand.

In fact, in the Ye family’s eyes, these scattered shares might even seem like trust from ordinary investors, heaven-sent opportunity.

A huge wave crashed in Xu Wen’s heart. In that single moment, he understood everything. His view of the Ye Corporation rose several levels, and when he spoke, his voice was a little dry: “…Yes.”

This…

He could hardly imagine this coming from Shen Shi, known for decisiveness and a strong, hard hand.

Reviving the Ye Corporation this way would leave no visible ties to the Shen family. What was Shen Shi trying to do? No longer running a corporation and turning to charity?

…

Buying Ye Corporation’s stock through individual investors was an enormous undertaking. And since Shen Shi had no intention of using it to gain favors from the Ye family, Xu Wen proceeded extremely cautiously, determined to leave no trace.

The Ye family had already been thrown into chaos by Ye Huaishan’s car accident, and then by waves of online attacks. To revive the Ye Corporation, public opinion was the first battlefield. Xu Wen understood this well and planned to reverse Ye Corporation’s reputation bit by bit, starting from the details.

During this period, he met Ye Ran twice.

Ye Ran was beyond his expectations, very gentle and courteous, tall and neat, wearing a simple, clean white shirt. When he entered the president’s office, he was like a soft breeze blowing in. He spoke slowly and softly, full of the unique gentleness of someone from the south.

He never stayed long, about half an hour, before leaving with a food box.

But afterward, when Xu Wen went to report to Shen Shi, a satisfied Shen Shi became much easier to talk to. When he was in a good mood, Xu Wen could even earn a nice bonus.

As a bystander, he could see everything clearly. Ye Ran’s attitude toward their President Shen seemed to be pure concern for his older brother, respectful, even a bit awed. But Shen Shi’s attitude toward Ye Ran was… strange.

He couldn’t understand it, but he had seen the deep, unfocused look in Shen Shi’s eyes when watching Ye Ran, dark and heavy, like a net that could capture someone entirely, dense enough that no light passed through.

The revival of Ye Corporation proceeded in an orderly fashion.

A week later, the Shen Corporation encountered an urgent issue. Shen Shi needed to return to Haicheng to resolve it, and at the same time, Father and Mother Shen also returned from Haicheng.

The day Shen Shi left, it poured heavily in the capital.

It didn’t affect the plane’s flight, but the city center was shrouded in dark clouds. Bean-sized raindrops fell in sheets, pounding against the puddles on the road.

Ye Ran sat in the studio. It was silent, bright under the white incandescent lamps.

Several green plants were placed at the corner of the workstation, their leaves lush and drooping.

He lifted his eyes from the computer, rolling his stiff, sore shoulders. Under the black-rimmed glasses, his pupils were clear and luminous. He stared blankly at the gray sky outside for a moment, then continued drawing.

At five-thirty, he finished his work for the day.

Before leaving, he couldn’t help checking the steadily rising stock value of Ye Corporation. His mood brightened, his eyes curved, unsure whether he should thank the netizens who “spontaneously” defended Ye Corporation online, or the many investors who trusted them.

Father Ye had worked diligently his entire life, valuing genuine craftsmanship. Even though it was a clothing company, every stitch and thread was solid. Many netizens praised Ye Corporation’s clothing as “honest domestic goods.”

This kind of praise made Ye Ran even more gratified.

Sure enough, the public’s eyes were bright.

He picked up his umbrella, slung his computer bag over his shoulder, and hurried downstairs, ready to go home and have dinner with Father and Mother Shen.

In the pouring rain, evergreen leaves were torn off by the wind. Water rushed loudly into the drains. A few fallen leaves lay limp on the manhole covers, edges curled.

Heaven and earth were shrouded in dim gray.

Except for one bright spot.

A bright blue Mercedes parked by the street suddenly popped open its door. A young man’s radiant smile and brilliant blond hair entered Ye Ran’s field of vision at the same time.

“Senior!” After a month, Cheng Jiaming was noticeably thinner, even bruised, but his smile hadn’t changed. Looking at Ye Ran, his eyes seemed to sparkle like stars. “Why did you get even thinner? Come on, I’ll take you to dinner!”

Ye Ran held the umbrella. In the fierce wind and rain, his thin shirt could not block the wetness. The side of his waist was soaked, sticking to his skin, very uncomfortable.

“I’m not going,” he raised his voice and shouted. “I’m going home.”

Cheng Jiaming froze. A few seconds later, he sighed, helplessly pulling up a smile again: “Senior… I thought you’d really want to know how Ye Corporation’s stock kept rising.”

Ye Ran paused. His rain-chilled body trembled.

As his heartbeat grew faster and more uneasy, Cheng Jiaming smiled and said, “Senior, let’s go eat. At least for the beating I took for you, okay?”

The blood in his veins seemed to freeze.

Ye Ran finally looked straight at Cheng Jiaming’s face. The bruises had faded but still ran from his cheek to his neck. There must be more beneath his clothes. Whoever hit him had been angry.

Cheng Jiaming didn’t seem to care, displaying the injuries openly.

Ye Ran’s face was bloodless. After a long moment, his lips trembled. “…Okay.”

At this moment, aboard the flight to Haishi—

Xu Wen was still working on Wi-Fi.

When he received the message from his subordinate, he was a little stunned.

Beside him, Shen Shi reclined with his eyes closed, resting. The first-class cabin lights were soft, casting a gentle glow on his handsome, deep features. Even with his eyes shut, he carried the aura of someone in power.

“What is it?” Shen Shi asked.

Xu Wen replied hesitantly: “…Something’s odd with Ye Corporation. Since three days ago, public opinion has been shifting too quickly, and suddenly a huge investment came in before we could act.”

Shen Shi opened his eyes. The deep black pupils reflected no light.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… just when we had barely restored a bit of their reputation and were preparing to invest,” Xu Wen said stiffly, “someone moved before we did.”

Using the same private-investment method.

Compared to Shen Shi, this person was much more flamboyant, eager for everyone to know he was the one who saved Ye Corporation.

This was how business usually worked.

Xu Wen wasn’t surprised. What frustrated him was that this person had exploited the situation, they had no grounds to object even if it was exposed.

After all, who would have guessed that those tiny amounts of stock earlier were all bought by the same person?

Shen Shi’s expression didn’t change. He said lightly, “Can we trace the buyer?”

Xu Wen nodded. “It’s the Cheng family from the capital.”

“Cheng family?” Shen Shi frowned, recalling the middle-aged man who had fawned over him at the previous banquet.

The Cheng family wasn’t small, but they weren’t in the clothing industry. Why would they join the commotion?

His fingers tapped his thigh at an unhurried rhythm as Xu Wen added: “I remember now. The Cheng family has been trying to connect with us. I heard that when you started buying diamonds and gemstones a few days ago, they even sent gifts. But since you refused to accept them, maybe this is the roundabout method they’re using—”

Xu Wen hinted.

With the Cheng family’s resources, tracking Shen Corporation’s movements wasn’t surprising. Using this approach to gain favor with Shen Shi was understandable.

Xu Wen had already relaxed, when suddenly, he sensed something wrong.

He looked up. He saw only Shen Shi’s taut, cold expression.

“Find out clearly,” Shen Shi said tersely. “Who exactly invested.”

Author’s note:

Big Shen, whose peach has been stolen: ???

Next chapter: Yezi’s engagement

Big Shen returns and goes feral