The restaurant was booked exclusively for their company that night. The department manager enthusiastically flattered everyone in the lobby before leading the employees to greet Wen Yun.
Wen Yun nodded, his face still expressionless, not saying much. His demeanor was somewhat relaxed, as though his thoughts weren’t really focused on this dinner.
That was, until Xie Zhinan arrived.
Wen Yun’s gaze finally sharpened. He looked through the sea of people and made eye contact with Xie Zhinan.
The chubby manager kept talking beside Wen Yun, his voice loud, but Wen Yun didn’t seem to be paying attention. Xie Zhinan wasn’t either.
All the noise and commotion, the movement of figures, the lights and colors in the lobby… everything seemed to fade into the background, becoming a blurred and quiet backdrop.
Because Wen Yun was looking at Xie Zhinan, and Xie Zhinan was looking at him.
So, everything else seemed unimportant.
It wasn’t until someone else entered and brushed past him that Xie Zhinan’s mind snapped back to reality. The world around him began to move again, sounds and colors gradually returning.
But Wen Yun was still looking at him.
His throat tightened, and his heart suddenly sped up, thumping against his chest. His thoughts became disordered, completely out of his control.
Why was Wen Yun here?
Why was Wen Yun here?
A business trip?
Hadn’t he just come back from a business trip?
Xie Zhinan’s first reaction was: With so many business trips, is Wen Yun getting enough rest? Is his body holding up?
Then he wondered—
Had Wen Yun really come to the island just for a business trip?
Xie Zhinan was rarely fortunate, so he tended to view things with pessimism.
He didn’t think Wen Yun liked him, or even if he did, it was only a little. Once the interest faded, he’d probably be discarded again.
Being discarded was something he had grown used to, so he never had any high hopes for Wen Yun.
He never dared to fantasize.
He had learned to snuff out all the hope in his heart the moment it arose, so he wouldn’t be disappointed.
Although he couldn’t help indulging at times, when the moment of being discarded inevitably arrived, at least it wouldn’t hurt too much.
But maybe his emotions had been too chaotic lately. The past two months of ambiguity, the unresolved entanglements between the two of them, and even… his feelings, which he could no longer suppress no matter how hard he tried.
And then… Wen Yun’s words yesterday: “I never intended for us to be just boss and subordinate.”
What did that mean?
Xie Zhinan hadn’t dared think deeply about it, not yesterday, and not now.
But emotions and desires are things that cannot be suppressed.
If you close the door, they’ll knock on the window. If you shut the window, they’ll climb down the chimney.
They will stand before Xie Zhinan, revealing their naked truth, and tell him—
See? You’re not a machine, nor an AI. You can’t truly destroy your emotions and desires and live like a piece of wood.
You will feel pain, feel wronged, and you’ll be full of longing—
You need love.
Not having it will make you sad, will make you loathe yourself, will make you doubt yourself.
That’s why you think… maybe it would be better not to have such desires at all.
But the floodgates of his heart had loosened. For once, Xie Zhinan couldn’t suppress the delicate, sensitive, and unspeakably hopeful thoughts hidden deep inside him.
He ordered himself not to dwell on what Wen Yun’s words meant, but another hope beyond his control slipped out of his heart.
He found himself wondering—
Did Wen Yun come here today… for me?
Too terrifying.
This kind of thought was just too terrifying.
He felt out of control, placing his hopes on someone else, only to be easily shattered.
Xie Zhinan was suddenly overwhelmed by panic. His heart raced erratically as he blinked quickly twice, trying to turn his face away, as if ready to leave.
But before he could truly crush all those inappropriate desires, he saw Wen Yun’s lips move slightly. Looking at him, Wen Yun silently said—
“Don’t hide.”
Xie Zhinan felt like a rabbit caught mid-escape, dragged out of its burrow by a cold yet scorching predator. He was pinned to the ground, held by the back of his neck between sharp teeth.
The beast’s breath whispered in his ear, over and over.
“I never intended for us to be just boss and subordinate.”
Xie Zhinan’s ears buzzed, his head grew hot, and his feet froze in place. He truly forgot how to run.
He had also missed the perfect opportunity to escape.
A colleague approached, patting him on the shoulder with a cheerful invitation, “Xiao Xie, come join us!”
Caught off guard, he nodded hurriedly in a fluster, agreeing.
Xie Zhinan lowered his gaze, forcing himself not to look at Wen Yun.
Don’t look, don’t look, don’t look…
But just as he turned to leave with his colleagues, he subtly lifted his eyes and stole a glance toward Wen Yun.
And then, their eyes met again.
Xie Zhinan watched as Wen Yun’s eyes slowly curved, offering a faint, fleeting smile at him through the noise, through the crowd of shifting figures.
Wen Yun always liked doing things like this.
Amidst all the chaos and countless onlookers, he would show him a silent kind of intimacy.
Like when he brushed his ankle under the cafeteria table before, or later when he pressed the elevator button for him.
It seemed both secretive and straightforward.
Always leaving people guessing.
….
Xie Zhinan’s department manager, surnamed Yang, was… average. Average as a person, average in his professional capabilities.
But Manager Yang was cunning, adept at navigating complex situations and currying favor.
When the company’s young heir arrived, Manager Yang naturally didn’t dare to neglect him. It had only been an hour since he learned Wen Yun had also come to the island. Out of courtesy, he’d extended an invitation without expecting Wen Yun to actually show up.
At first, he was surprised, then overjoyed.
To be honest, Manager Yang was a little intimidated by this young, newly appointed CEO.
Wen Yun’s approach was far more decisive and ruthless than the previous president’s. In the two months since he took office, he had fired who needed firing, reassigned who needed reassigning, and promoted who deserved it. Manager Yang, sitting precariously in his mediocrity, constantly felt on the verge of falling off the edge, so he desperately wanted to make a good impression on the new boss.
If Wen Yun had come, it was an opportunity, at least.
After showering the young heir with compliments in the lobby, Manager Yang planned to take him to a more upscale place for dinner.
But Wen Yun lowered his gaze and said nothing.
Tentatively, Manager Yang suggested, “Shall we move to a private room then?”
Still, Wen Yun remained silent.
Manager Yang spent half the evening making polite small talk and excessive flattery, yet Wen Yun remained impassive.
The new CEO was aloof, with no discernible preferences. Manager Yang, unable to grasp his thoughts, began to feel uneasy.
Until—
He noticed that while he was speaking, Wen Yun seemed distracted, as though his attention was elsewhere.
Following his gaze, Manager Yang saw the department’s quiet, unremarkable employee.
The employee did his job well but was reserved, showing no eagerness to stand out or please his superiors. Even if he was reprimanded, it wouldn’t faze him; he’d simply go about his work as usual. Manager Yang wasn’t fond of employees like that—those he couldn’t control. If not for his competence, Manager Yang would have dismissed him long ago.
Still, he was decent-looking.
An idea crossed Manager Yang’s mind. Feigning nonchalance, he remarked, “That’s one of our employees, surname Xie. Works well, but doesn’t know how to read the room.”
The statement carried a hint of insinuation.
At last, Wen Yun responded, shifting his gaze from Xie Zhinan to Manager Yang, his eyes lowering slightly.
Manager Yang couldn’t decipher the look and chuckled awkwardly.
“Let’s go,” Wen Yun said, retracting his gaze, his tone unreadable.
Manager Yang forced a smile as he ushered Wen Yun upstairs to a private room.
Though mediocre in business, Manager Yang had a knack for reading people.
This cold and detached new CEO seemed, oddly enough, to have some interest in their unassuming employee.
Previously, rumors had circulated in the company, but Manager Yang dismissed them as baseless gossip. Now, seeing this, perhaps there was some truth to it.
Maybe Wen Yun’s sudden appearance on the island wasn’t a coincidence after all.
However, Manager Yang couldn’t quite interpret Wen Yun’s final look. After some hesitation, considering his precarious position, he made up his mind.
Xie Zhinan was summoned midway through dinner.
Manager Yang personally approached him with a glass of wine, pulling him aside to a quiet corner, employing a mix of coercion, persuasion, and flattery.
Xie Zhinan understood the implications and found it utterly absurd.
The sheer absurdity of it all momentarily overshadowed the panic and unease he felt whenever he saw Wen Yun.
“…What?” he asked blankly, repeating the question in disbelief.
Manager Yang, displeased with his lack of tact, replied sharply, “Others would kill for this opportunity. Be sensible. It’s just dinner and a toast, not your life. What’s there to hesitate about?”
After more coaxing, Xie Zhinan was still stunned but was forcibly dragged into the private room.
Inside were a few other company executives. Only two seats were vacant.
Wen Yun wasn’t there.
….
Wen Yun had indeed come to the island for Xie Zhinan.
When he saw him come in, it wasn’t as if he didn’t want to step forward and simply take him away.
After all, Xie Zhinan didn’t like occasions like this. Even the food served wasn’t to his taste—he probably wouldn’t have a good time all evening.
But Wen Yun held himself back.
Xie Zhinan likely didn’t want others to know they had a past.
If he didn’t want it, then so be it.
Company gatherings like this weren’t particularly formal. Most of the time was spent chatting casually. Wen Yun spoke very little, mostly listening to others, occasionally responding with a cold “Mm” or a slight nod.
Midway through, he got up to use the restroom.
When he returned and opened the door, he saw an unexpected figure sitting beside his seat.
Xie Zhinan’s hands were clenched into fists, placed stiffly on his lap. His posture was overly proper—or rather, it seemed more like a defensive unease.
Hearing the sound from the door, Xie Zhinan raised his head, his eyes wide open, carrying a trace of emptiness and confusion as he looked at Wen Yun.
Wen Yun’s expression instantly turned cold.
“President Wen, let me introduce you to Xiao Xie from our department, Xie Zhinan! He’s always the most diligent worker in our team!” Manager Yang, oblivious, smiled brightly and waved at Xie Zhinan. “Xiao Xie, hurry up and come over to toast!”
Xie Zhinan… didn’t know how to react.
Under the dim yellow lighting, with interlacing shadows, the table was cluttered with the remnants of food. The scent of alcohol lingered in the air, making him dizzy and nauseous.
Seeing no response, Manager Yang, dissatisfied, called out again, “Xiao Xie!”
The veins in Xie Zhinan’s forehead throbbed painfully. Like a robot following orders, he slowly, bit by bit, raised his hand. His pale fingers carefully pinched the edge of the wine glass.
Then, Wen Yun walked over.
A large, slender hand with distinct joints reached out, pressing down the wine glass he was about to lift.
The scorching warmth of Wen Yun’s fingertips brushed against the skin on the back of Xie Zhinan’s hand, making him flinch as if burned and the glass almost slipped from his hand.
“He doesn’t drink,” Wen Yun said, pressing the glass back onto the table. He turned his gaze toward Manager Yang, who was standing to the side.
Manager Yang, ever the perceptive one, sensed that there might be something here. He was just about to feel pleased with himself and speak further when Wen Yun’s next words sent a chill down his spine, making cold sweat break out all over him.
“Since Manager Yang is so fond of toasting,” Wen Yun said, his pale hand effortlessly lifting the glass from Xie Zhinan’s loose grip, “why don’t I toast you instead?”
Wen Yun’s deep, cold eyes fixated on Manager Yang as he held the glass and raised it slightly, signaling to him.
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Author’s Note:
You have no idea how long I struggled with this chapter TvT.
I kept fixating on unimportant details, rewriting it multiple times.
It felt like my brain was in knots, and even after losing some hair from the frustration, I still wasn’t happy with the original version. While I liked the emotional tone of an earlier draft better, I felt it didn’t align with the characters’ logic, so I scrapped it and started over (wiping away tears).
Thank you all for your support! See you next time~
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