The next morning, 7:30 a.m.
The sky was gray and heavy, shrouded in clouds.
A fine drizzle fell relentlessly, whipped by the autumn wind, hammering against the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The TV in the living room was playing the morning news. “Recently, many areas in the capital will see light rain turn into heavy rain, with a cold front arriving. Citizens are advised to dress warmly for travel. Autumn is also the peak season for influenza…”
From the kitchen came the sound of sizzling.
This morning, Chen Ma had fried several fresh shrimp cakes and vegetable pancakes. After bringing them out, she didn’t see Ye Ran; at the dining table sat only Shen Shi, drinking soy milk while watching financial news on his tablet.
“…Where’s the young master?” Chen Ma asked softly, careful not to disturb him. When Shen Shi was focused on work, he exuded a stern, cold aura. She lowered her voice and asked Old Li, who had just come in from the garden, “Not in the garden?”
Old Li shook off the rain. “No, young master planted a few flowers yesterday, and I just went to cover them with an oilcloth.”
Chen Ma thought for a moment and considered going upstairs to check.
“No need,” Shen Shi said calmly. “He came home late yesterday; let him sleep a little longer.”
Chen Ma paused, then quickly nodded. “Oh…okay.”
…How strange.
When did these two kids’ relationship start improving?
Without Ye Ran at the table, breakfast was quiet and still.
At 7:50, Xu Wen arrived at the Ye residence. Shen Shi was fastening his cufflinks, his black wool coat outlining his tall, upright figure. Standing in the dim light of the foyer, his profile was sharp and cold. Before leaving, he instructed Chen Ma not to wake Ye Ran, then leaned down and got into the car under the black umbrella Xu Wen held.
Today, partners from the overseas branch were arriving in the capital. He would go to the airport to pick them up, conduct cooperation talks, and then hold a multinational meeting, with little to no break until 5 p.m.
Chen Ma knew he wouldn’t return for lunch. With only one fresh food supermarket in the villa area, and it being too early for seafood delivery, she and Old Li decided to go together to a slightly farther supermarket to buy fresh ingredients for dinner, planning to cook crabs at the mansion.
The morning passed quickly.
By the time they returned to the Ye residence, it was past ten. Chen Ma opened the door and found the living room still dim; Ye Ran hadn’t woken up.
Remembering Shen Shi’s instructions, she didn’t disturb him, instead carrying a bag of fresh vegetables to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
At 11 a.m., she received a call from Shen Shi.
His voice was calm, with faint background noise as if he were in a meeting room, with occasional English words audible.
Chen Ma had been wondering why he would call despite being so busy, until she heard him ask if Ye Ran had woken up. She couldn’t help smiling, delighted, and quickly said he hadn’t.
Shen Shi responded with a quiet acknowledgment and hung up.
Seeing how well the two children’s relationship was progressing, Chen Ma restrained herself from immediately reporting the good news to Mother Shen, humming a tune as she washed vegetables.
It was still early; there was hot porridge in the rice cooker.
She planned to wait until Ye Ran woke before cooking. After a while, she continued knitting while watching a drama. Once an episode ended, Shen Shi’s call came again.
Picking up, she heard the same faint noise. His voice was low, hoarse, and tired. Negotiating with the partners all morning, even the usually patient Xu Wen had lost his temper a few times, yet Shen Shi remained unflustered.
“Has Ye Ran still not woken up?” he asked.
“Yes,” Chen Ma smiled. “Young master, how late did he stay out last night?”
Ye Ran was a good child, usually confined to his room or the garden. Knowing he would go out at night, both Chen Ma and Old Li were supportive.
Shen Shi furrowed his brows slightly, his voice deepening. “Still asleep? Chen Ma, go check on him.”
The seriousness in his tone startled her. She quickly put down her yarn and hurried upstairs. Ye Ran’s room was at the far end of the second floor. The door was unlocked. Chen Ma knocked but received no response. Panic surged; she pushed the door hard—
Click.
The door opened.
The room was dimly lit.
The balcony window was open, the curtain fluttering in the slanting drizzle and wind.
Her vision went dark. “This… this…”
“Master, the young master isn’t home!”
At this moment—
The An residence.
An Yu had only returned home at 2 a.m. last night and slept until noon today.
As he went downstairs, yawning, his eyes caught a figure curled up in the living room. Calmly, he muttered “Ah,” messy hair atop his head, and lazily went to the kitchen for water.
While waiting for the water to heat, yawning, he skillfully took out coffee beans and milk tea packs, preparing a cup of coffee for himself and milk tea for Ye Ran.
As the water gradually boiled, a phone rang suddenly in the living room, startling him.
Just as he was about to ask what happened, Ye Ran, wrapped in a blanket on the sofa, shivered and finally poked his head out.
An Yu raised an eyebrow, silencing the sound.
On the sofa, Ye Ran pursed his lips, lowered the ringtone, and after a moment, took a deep breath, straightened his posture, and answered. “Hello.”
Beep.
The water boiled. An Yu turned to brew coffee and milk tea, attentively listening to the conversation.
Ye Ran’s voice was soft, obedient, calling out: “…Older Brother Shen Shi.”
After some words, he replied, “I didn’t go out to play, at Ah Yu’s place… Yes… okay, yes… Ah Yu is cooking… I understand, I’ll return on time.”
His fingers clenched the pants on his lap tightly, eyelashes trembling, bathed in the soft light of the lamp. The man’s deep, gentle voice came through the phone, blending with the whispers from last night. Ye Ran could hardly bear it, trying to control his breath as he responded.
Finally, Shen Shi finished speaking. Being naturally taciturn, and with Ye Ran obediently replying, he paused briefly before hanging up gently. The whole call seemed long, but was actually only three minutes.
An Yu’s coffee was not yet ready when he heard Ye Ran in the living room obediently say, “Goodbye, brother.”
The words were clear; Ye Ran’s naturally soft tone carried a clinging affection, no matter how serious he tried to sound.
An Yu couldn’t stand it. As soon as Ye Ran hung up, his racing heartbeat still unsettled, he pressed him on the sofa, hugging his waist, demanding, “Quick, Ye Ran, call me brother too!”
Startled, Ye Ran dropped his phone with a clatter.
Hearing An Yu’s demand, he laughed and cried at the same time. “…Brother An Yu?”
An Yu paused his playful antics, suspiciously sat up, rubbed his ear, and somehow lost the impulsive excitement he’d felt when first hearing Ye Ran call him brother.
He picked up Ye Ran’s phone, handed it back with a sigh, and went to the kitchen for coffee and milk tea, casually asking, “Why are you here today?”
Ye Ran didn’t pay attention to his previous whims. He paused, eyes wandering. “Nothing, the house is too stuffy.”
He had decided to completely forget what happened last night.
If Shen Shi asked, he would say he was drunk and remembered nothing. Their brotherly relationship remained unchanged.
As for what Shen Shi said last night…
Ye Ran took a deep breath, heart racing.
Forget it. Forget everything.
Once decided, it felt like a huge stone on his chest had been lifted. Exhausted from staying up all night, he felt drained.
An Yu cooked a simple lunch of shredded potatoes and tomato-egg soup.
They ate casually and went to their rooms for a nap.
Ye Ran set an alarm for 2 p.m. An Yu asked, puzzled, “Do you have something this afternoon?”
“Mm,” Ye Ran nodded, not revealing he planned to visit the Ye company; knowing An Yu’s temper, he would surely stop him. “I’m going to the studio.”
“Oh,” An Yu didn’t suspect, turning up the air conditioning. “Then go to sleep quickly.”
…
Over an hour passed.
Ye Ran woke, his limbs weak from lack of sleep. He shook his groggy head to wake fully, checked the phone—1:50 p.m.
Turning off the alarm early, he quietly got up, tidied himself, and left the An residence.
Unlike the vast Shen corporation, the Ye company was small, occupying only one floor of an office building, with a streaming company upstairs and a small studio below.
When Ye Ran arrived, there was nothing but the sound of wind and rain. Across the street, two fast-food shops were open; other facilities were sparse.
Ye company was on the third floor. The waiting area was clean and neat. Next to it was a glass partition door, frosted in the middle. The receptionist lowered her head, writing something. Behind her, the company name was displayed in artistic lettering: Ming Ye Clothing Company.
After a past crisis, many old employees had resigned. The receptionist had been there almost three years, seeing Ye Ran only a few times.
But Ye Ran’s face was distinctive; she paused, then smiled. “Mr. Ye.”
Ye Ran smiled slightly. His hair damp from the rain, black and contrasting with his fair skin, clearly well cared for. She remembered when shareholders had caused trouble for Ye Ran and felt relieved he was fine now. She didn’t check his name, letting him in directly.
“The chairman’s office is still locked. You can check the general manager’s office next door.”
Ye Ran froze. “General manager?” When did Ye’s company get a general manager?
She explained, “Probably hired by a shareholder. The GM isn’t often here, only once a week, but very capable, our company has been running normally in just a week under her.”
Ye Ran’s eyelid twitched. “Is the GM surnamed Shen?”
“No,” she said in surprise. “Surnamed An.”
Relaxed, Ye Ran chuckled at his own sensitivity, nodded, and entered the office.
The company was divided into a rest area and a work area. Workstations were spaced apart. Employees, in their early thirties with families, ignored newcomers and continued their work.
The work area was orderly. Ye Ran had the chairman’s office key, found in Ye Huaishan’s study. Hesitant, he didn’t enter, instead checking the GM’s office.
Inside, he realized the GM’s office was separated from the chairman’s office by only a glass door, not even locked.
Sighing, he pushed the door open, entering Ye Huaishan’s workspace, a long-standing office where he had done homework and waited for his father.
Back then, as a small child, the company was small. A wall separated the office from another small business. Employees would scare young Ye Ran, saying wild beasts lived there and he would be eaten if he didn’t wait for his father.
He was obedient, adorable, and the teasing young male employees likely didn’t mean harm, but it haunted him for a long time.
Later, Ye Huaishan prepared a partition in the office for him to rest or do homework. Sometimes, if his father was busy, Ye Ran would nap there and wake up already at home.
Now, those memories were in the past.
He lowered his eyes, quietly retrieved the key, and opened the office rest area.
The newly renovated space was larger, with a bathroom, big bed, wardrobe, and an open window providing fresh air.
The bedding hadn’t been tidied for a long time. Ye Ran rolled up his sleeves, took clean linens from a dustproof bag, and refreshed the bed.
Exhausted, having barely slept last night and napped only two hours today, he sat on the bed, eyelids heavy, mind drifting in a haze. Gradually, he closed his eyes, unable to stay awake, and lay down to rest.
This nap was restless.
In his dream, besides wind and rain, chaotic human voices appeared, familiar footsteps amidst the confusion.
Then, a sharp female voice pierced the darkness, waking him from his sleep: “…I’m here for… an inspection. Everyone, carry on with your work.”
…
When he woke up, the lounge was dimly lit.
Ye Ran felt weak, his limbs sore and heavy, even more so than at noon.
He kept a regular routine; whenever his biological clock was disrupted, he would feel drained the next day.
Groggily opening his eyes, his heart raced and his mouth was dry. There was no water in the lounge, but in the office was an unopened box of bottled water. After a while, he finally managed to climb out of bed.
His white sneakers had fallen beside the bed. Feeling along in the dark, Ye Ran found them, put them on, and pushed the door open. The ringing in his ears from sleep deprivation gradually faded, and finally, he could hear the conversation outside clearly.
“Is that the investor? He looks so young.”
“Yeah, I heard he’s not even thirty.”
“I feel like I’ve seen him before… don’t you think he looks familiar?”
“Stop, stop,” said the woman at a desk facing away from the chairman’s office, her expression serious as she spoke quickly. “The inspection has reached us!”
As her words fell, through the partition window, four or five figures slowly appeared.
Holding the bottled water, Ye Ran’s eardrums buzzed the moment he recognized the figures—
In the office area, a man stood surrounded by three or four people, his posture upright, exuding a powerful, calm presence. He wore a black coat, his eyelids lifting calmly, eyes deep and unfathomable, listening to those around him without any trace of indifference or coldness.
The moment he appeared, the previously noisy office fell silent. The receptionist nervously followed the group, holding evaluation sheets and constantly writing notes.
The group would soon pass directly in front of Ye Ran.
The man, basked in attention like a king among stars, seemed to sense something. He turned his head, his dark, profound gaze piercing through the partition window, landing directly on Ye Ran’s face, an unfathomable, calm abyss.
For a moment, despite knowing Shen Shi couldn’t actually see him, Ye Ran gripped the water bottle tightly, panicking utterly.
…
“President Shen, what’s the matter?” Anna strode ahead decisively. After a few steps, seeing Shen Shi and Xu Wen hadn’t caught up, she turned back in confusion.
Xu Wen also looked up, puzzled, not understanding why Shen Shi had stopped in the corridor.
Employees at nearby desks trembled, quickly recalling if they had done anything wrong, typing too slowly? Drinking milk tea at work without reason? Reading novels and getting caught???
The office was in disarray. Shen Shi, who had caused all this tension, remained silent, then suddenly changed direction, walking toward the large window of the chairman’s office.
His expression was calm, his pace unhurried, making it impossible to read his thoughts.
For a moment, Ye Ran even thought Shen Shi had seen him.
He stood frozen behind the glass, clutching the water bottle, only hearing the echo of footsteps and his own rapid heartbeat.
Next, he saw Shen Shi slowly speak: “—”
But it wasn’t directed at him.
It was toward the female employee outside the window.
Airflow finally returned to normal.
Ye Ran exhaled a long, uneasy breath, not daring to move, still staring nervously at Shen Shi, sweat dampening his temple.
His heartbeat was erratic, his thoughts in chaos, unable to make sense of them. Shen Shi… why would he inspect Ye Corporation?
He glanced again at the woman with the nameplate on her chest—
Anna.
General Manager of Ye Clothing Company.
She was talking to Xu Wen with ease; Xu Wen smiled and even showed her the file marked “Junting Group.” Their interaction was more like colleagues than friends or superior-subordinate.
Suddenly, Ye Ran had an absurd and unbelievable thought.
After a while, he noticed the group approaching the GM’s office.
…The GM’s office was connected to the chairman’s office!
His eyelids twitched. Coming back to himself, he was pressed against the lounge door, breathing heavily in the darkness, restrained yet tense.
“Click.”
The door opened.
Anna yawned. She was in her thirties, older than both Shen Shi and Xu Wen. Though Shen Shi’s assistant, she was more casual in nature. She had even invited them to her children’s full-month celebrations.
“What brings you here today?” Anna raised her eyebrows with a smile, glancing at Shen Shi who was texting, then at the flustered Xu Wen. “Just a reminder, President Shen, you asked me not to interfere too much. Ye Corporation is developing normally; I haven’t intervened excessively.”
“Hm,” Shen Shi’s gaze moved from the partition door, calm and indifferent. “Keep it that way.”
Anna smiled: “Keep what? Don’t let anyone know I’m a spy for the Shen family?”
Her words shocked Xu Wen into coughing. Anna glanced at him: “Stop coughing. You’re in the know; I know nothing.”
Then, with interest, she looked at Shen Shi: “The Ye acquisition report I gave you last time was rejected, and the investment report before that too. President Shen, you’ve given me so many raises for no reason; I feel undeserving.”
Shen Shi ignored her. Ever since having children, her mischievous tendencies had grown stronger.
“Idle talk aside, make me a report on Huating’s quarterly profit and loss.”
Huating, a national hotel chain, was a major project.
Anna instantly straightened: “Sorry, President Shen. I have elders and children to care for. After work, I have to pick up the kids from daycare and spend time with them. I’m not idle at all.”
Shen Shi glanced at her: “If you’re not idle, don’t ask.”
“Yes.”
Anna’s seriousness lasted only two seconds. Seeing that Shen Shi wanted to be alone, she immediately smiled and patted Xu Wen’s shoulder, speaking gently: “Old Xu, my husband’s niece is beautiful, from a prestigious school, only 24 this year…”
Xu Wen: “… …”
He looked at Shen Shi in despair, who was staring at his phone, eyes narrowing slowly like a cat playing with its prey.
The office went completely silent.
Ye Ran sat uncomfortably on the edge of the bed, parched, throat dry. After the earlier fright and sweating, he desperately wanted water.
The lounge had no view outside. Pressing against the door, Ye Ran strained to hear voices.
He didn’t even understand why he was so afraid of Shen Shi.
His herbivore instincts warned him never to appear before Shen Shi.
It was like an invisible boundary, cross it now, and everything would spiral out of control.
A loud door closed in the GM’s office next door.
Ye Ran swallowed, his shoes kicked off again. Feeling around on the floor, he didn’t find them. After a while of silence outside, he cautiously tiptoed to the lounge door, grasped the handle, and opened a small crack.
It was late.
Outside, rain and wind raged, clouds heavy.
Both empty offices had no lights on, dark and quiet.
He widened the crack, finally peeking out, then cautiously stepped into the lounge, relying on memory to find the bottled water.
After fumbling for a long time, he frowned, feeling along the wall. Stumbling step by step, he finally found the box of water and almost cried with relief. Squatting, he tried to open it.
Clumsy in the dark, he didn’t notice how strange the atmosphere had become.
Until the GM’s office suddenly turned on the lights.
The bright light spilled through the partition door. Ye Ran looked up, dazed, seeing Shen Shi standing there, seemingly having appeared out of nowhere.
He was still squatting, sweat soaking his temples, clinging to his pale cheeks, nose damp with fine sweat, lips red, trembling. His pupils looked pitiful and terrified, like a rabbit caught by a predator, frozen.
The office AC was on.
Shen Shi had removed his coat, the light falling on his upright, strong figure.
He wore the familiar shirt and vest, eyes lowered, gazing at Ye Ran’s bare feet, then at the unopened water box. Calmly, he asked: “Ranran, what are you doing here?”
Ye Ran: “…”
He struggled to regain some rational thought amidst his racing heartbeat. Shen Shi’s handsome face was shadowed, light flowing over his deep, indifferent eyes. Though his tone was neutral, Ye Ran sensed an unsettling presence.
Stammering, he replied slowly: “I… I came to sleep.”
As soon as he said this, his mind went blank, realizing he might have said something terrible.
Sure enough, Shen Shi stared at him, asking calmly: “Why not sleep at home?”
“…Sorry,” Ye Ran’s throat felt parched, hesitating: “I… I’ll go home now.”
He stood up, knees numb from squatting, calves trembling. Facing Shen Shi, he carefully turned toward the lounge.
His shoes were still inside.
Two steps in, he still felt that penetrating gaze stuck to his back, deeper and heavier than through the glass.
Just before entering the lounge, Shen Shi spoke: “Ranran,” the man asked slowly, “do you remember how you got home last night?”
…
He didn’t know how he answered, probably wrong, as Shen Shi then lifted him horizontally.
The broad, warm chest of an adult exuded dominance. Ye Ran, small and soft in comparison, felt tiny.
The events of last night had been fully exposed. He was carried into the GM’s office. The chair was soft; he sat, knees curled, looking up at Shen Shi, calling softly: “…Older Brother… Shen… Shen Shi.”
Shen Shi murmured “Hm,” gently brushing away the moisture at Ye Ran’s eyes. Ye Ran squinted, thinking he might be spared, and the fear in his eyes diminished slightly.
“Ranran, do you know?” Shen Shi’s voice was low and calm, flowing slowly in the quiet night. “You blink when you lie.”
The fingers on his eyelids felt scorching. Ye Ran froze, and before he could react, Shen Shi asked again: “Ranran, tell me, do you know what happened last night?”
Ye Ran tried to control his blinking, obediently answering: “…I don’t know.”
“Good,” Shen Shi smiled, rarely so. His features seemed to gain an indescribable charm. Grabbing Ye Ran’s ankle, he said: “Then I’ll do it again.”
The rough, warm fingers on his ankle measured and teased. Ye Ran was intimidated, Shen Shi lowering his eyes, smiling, watching him struggle, eyes damp, obedient yet cautious.
“No, Older Brother Shen Shi,” Ye Ran withdrew his foot slightly but couldn’t pull it back. “Let yesterday stay in the past.”
“But I don’t want it to stay in the past,” Shen Shi said.
Before Ye Ran could respond, he pulled a small black box from his pocket, opening it. The familiar red anklet appeared. Ye Ran froze, eyes tracking the anklet, whispering: “I… I don’t want to wear it.”
His gaze followed the anklet upward, accidentally meeting Shen Shi’s deep, dark eyes.
Shen Shi’s lips curled slightly. Gently, he held Ye Ran’s jaw with the hand around his waist, kissing him heavily, inescapably.
“Ranran, children who lie must be punished.”
…
The hot, intense breath pressed in.
In over twenty years of life, Ye Ran had never been this close to anyone. He curled his shoulders, pressed against the chair, forced to tilt his head under a deep kiss.
Unlike the gentle, breezy kisses of adolescent fantasies, his lips were pried open forcefully. Eyes red and wet, lashes damp with tears, trembling, pupils scattered and dazed. Only after many tears did the reluctant man release him, coaxing him to breathe.
Even after release, Ye Ran couldn’t recover. Mouth open, neck and earlobes flushed, tongue hidden under lips like a ripe berry, sweet juice almost flowing.
Shen Shi slowly narrowed his eyes, Adam’s apple moving. Suppressed emotions broke free, instinctively leaning down. This time, Ye Ran kept his head lowered, arms around Shen Shi’s neck, kissing him.
He tasted the sweet, soft juice.
First kiss, no breath control, no avoidance, Ye Ran cried more, body trembling, shoulders hunched, forced to open and let him see his tongue, then kissed speechless.
Sweat clung to him, sticky.
Feeling filthy, tears rose again.
Shen Shi’s kisses were still heavy, deep.
The usually composed man was unusually invested, insatiable, whispering by Ye Ran’s ear to kneel, tilt his head, wrap around him, all while Ye Ran, embarrassed, kept crying.
Finally, Shen Shi’s broad shoulders pressed down.
Shadows enveloped Ye Ran, trapping him in the soft, narrow chair. He was lifted, Shen Shi’s warm, gentle voice by his ear: “Little one, hold me.”
…
In the vast office, endless kissing mingled with the soft rain outside.
Finally, sitting in Shen Shi’s arms, drinking the lukewarm water he had made, Ye Ran completely let himself “faint.”
…He didn’t want to live.
Completely surrendered.
