“E-Exception?”
Wei Xicheng had no idea what Yu Beiyan meant by that. He didn’t dare to respond recklessly. Instinctively, he chose to ignore Yu Beiyan’s previous question. After all, what he thought probably didn’t matter to someone like Yu Beiyan.
If he said the wrong thing, it would only bring trouble upon himself.
“Mhm.”
Yu Beiyan slipped the candy wrapper into his jacket pocket and stood up.
“It’s getting late. I have a meeting to attend, so I’ll be leaving first.”
“Oh…”
Wei Xicheng took two steps back to clear the way, but just as he expected the man to walk past him, Yu Beiyan stopped right in front of him.
They were too close. Wei Xicheng could feel the man’s breath lightly brushing against his face.
“Do you want to come to my company and take a look?”
“Huh?”
Wei Xicheng instinctively tried to step back and create some distance, but his lower back hit the railing of the small pavilion. He had nowhere left to retreat, no way to escape.
Yu Beiyan observed his nervous expression and straightened up, putting some space between them.
“Didn’t you say that if you could become my colleague, you’d be so happy you’d wake up laughing from a dream?”
Yu Beiyan looked at the person in front of him, who was slightly shorter than himself. His fingers twitched at his side, suppressing the urge to pull Wei Xicheng into an embrace.
Not yet. He didn’t know when Wei Xicheng’s memories would return. If he acted too aggressively, he would only scare him away.
Through the finely crafted button right in front of him, Wei Xicheng could tell that Yu Beiyan’s lifestyle was far removed from his own. He couldn’t quite figure out what Yu Beiyan meant by this offer.
“Were you just saying that to humor me?”
The man’s voice was deep and sexy. Coming from such a close distance, it sent a shiver through Wei Xicheng.
“N-No, of course not.”
“Mhm. Then let’s go.”
???
Yu Beiyan turned and walked away without giving Wei Xicheng a chance to refuse.
Wei Xicheng stared at his retreating figure, suddenly suspicious of this man’s true intentions.
It couldn’t be revenge just because he ate and dozed off during his speech, right?
Since things had already come to this, Wei Xicheng resigned himself to his fate and followed after Yu Beiyan.
Anyway, he had nothing else to do this afternoon. Besides, not everyone got this kind of opportunity. Even if Yu Beiyan was just messing with him, he could tolerate it.
Worst case scenario, if he ever became an award-winning actor, he’d drag Yu Beiyan’s name through the mud in an interview.
That thought instantly lifted his mood.
His emotional shift was so obvious that Yu Beiyan noticed it and couldn’t help but smile.
After getting into the car, Yu Beiyan discreetly let out a breath.
Facing a Wei Xicheng who had no recollection of their past, Yu Beiyan truly didn’t know how to approach him. He had to be careful—not to scare him, yet somehow bring them closer.
It was only now that he realized—in every world before this, the one who had lost his memories was always him.
But fortunately, even when he had no memories, his instincts had always been frighteningly accurate—he had never done anything to hurt Wei Xicheng.
Thinking about this, Yu Beiyan finally couldn’t resist and reached out to ruffle Wei Xicheng’s hair.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he retracted his hand, sent a message to his assistant, put away his phone, and started the car.
Wei Xicheng stared at Yu Beiyan’s profile, still trying to process what had just happened.
What was that?
Did he just get petted like a cat?
Meow meow meow?
But looking at Yu Beiyan, he didn’t seem to think anything of it. Maybe… he was just being friendly?
Wei Xicheng comforted himself with that thought—until he suddenly remembered all the ridiculous gossip that Peng Bo had drilled into his head.
Wait a minute… could it be—?!
He quickly turned to look at Yu Beiyan’s sharp, sculpted profile. The man was focused on driving, his expression calm and natural, without the slightest hint of awkwardness.
Wei Xicheng prayed silently. Please let it be my imagination. There’s no way, no way… Stuff like hidden rules in the industry? Haha, impossible. Never gonna happen.
—
Inside the bright and pristine headquarters lobby, professionals in formal business attire walked hurriedly past.
The moment Wei Xicheng stepped inside, he felt completely out of place.
He glanced down at himself—casual top, jeans, and a pair of slightly worn-out sneakers. Compared to the polished, well-dressed “future colleagues” around him, he stood out like a sore thumb.
Looking at Yu Beiyan, who was walking ahead of him in a high-end tailored suit, Wei Xicheng mentally came to a conclusion:
Yep. This guy is definitely petty.
Managing the entire Yu Corporation, yet still holding a grudge against a mere student like him? What a joke.
“What are you thinking about? Talking bad about me?”
Yu Beiyan didn’t even turn around, yet he somehow saw right through Wei Xicheng’s thoughts.
“No, no, not at all! I was just thinking—Yu Corporation truly lives up to its reputation. If I want to become President Yu’s colleague, I still have a long way to go!”
After the “Pavilion Heart-to-Heart” incident and the “Car Head Pat” event, plus the time they’d spent together, Wei Xicheng surprisingly didn’t feel as distant from Yu Beiyan anymore.
It was as if some deeply buried sense of familiarity had been awakened.
Even Wei Xicheng found this shift in himself fascinating.
He had never thought of himself as someone who warmed up to people so quickly. But for some reason, he just knew—Yu Beiyan wouldn’t do anything to harm him.
That was part of the reason why he had no reservations about following him here.
After all, this was Yu Corporation’s headquarters. Normally, he wouldn’t even be able to step inside.
“Is that so?”
Yu Beiyan, walking ahead, seemed to think of something and lightly coughed.
“Then yes, you definitely need to work harder.”
“I will, I will!”
Wei Xicheng was no longer as reserved. He didn’t care how people looked at him as he trailed behind Yu Beiyan, curiously glancing around.
Though his behavior seemed a bit silly, his good looks and naturally refined air added a youthful, endearing charm to it.
Yu Beiyan didn’t linger in the lobby. He led Wei Xicheng straight to the elevator and pressed the button for his office floor.
—
To be honest, the most prestigious office Wei Xicheng had ever entered in his life was the dean’s office at his college.
But now, he could proudly say—he had seen the inside of Yu Beiyan’s office.
The clean, floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the cityscape outside with perfect clarity.
Wei Xicheng’s own reflection appeared faintly on the glass. Yu Beiyan stood right behind him, and from this angle, their figures overlapped—almost as if Yu Beiyan had encircled him in his arms.
But Wei Xicheng was too preoccupied to notice.
He was too busy marveling at the familiar streets below.
Money really is everything.
Standing here, looking down at the bustling city below, he could feel the sheer power of being at the top.
A knock on the office door pulled him back to reality.
Only then did he realize he had been standing there, lost in thought, for quite a while—completely ignoring the “CEO” who had walked in with him.
Turning around, he saw Yu Beiyan accepting a large shopping bag from his assistant.
And in that brief moment, Wei Xicheng caught a glance at the assistant’s face—eyes filled with pure shock.
The door quickly closed, and Wei Xicheng looked at the bag in Yu Beiyan’s hand.
Yu Beiyan smiled, walked to the sofa, and emptied the contents of the bag. A pile of snacks nearly covered the entire sofa, with a brand-new game controller landing in the middle.
Ignoring the snacks, Yu Beiyan picked up the controller and the gaming console, connecting them to the large screen in his office. Soon, a smooth game interface appeared.
“What are you standing there for? Here.” Yu Beiyan shoved the controller into Wei Xicheng’s hands, then picked up a file from the desk and headed for the door. “I have a meeting. Wait for me for a bit. Play by yourself.”
“Uh… you…” Wei Xicheng held the game controller, suddenly feeling like his life had taken the wrong script. Wasn’t this the kind of treatment reserved for the female lead in a Mary Sue romance novel?
“Hmm?” Yu Beiyan had already taken a step out the door but stopped, raising an eyebrow in question.
“You… are you trying to… sleep with me for favors?” Wei Xicheng swallowed hard.
Today, the senior executives at Yu Corporation felt that something was off.
The spacious conference room was unusually quiet. The department manager who had just finished reporting last quarter’s work progress had a slightly flushed face. Their boss, who should have been giving orders, was instead sitting in his seat, smiling. Should he wake him up or just keep waiting?
Sensing the awkward atmosphere in the room, the man in the main seat casually asked, “Why aren’t you continuing?”
“President Yu, um… I’ve finished my report.”
…
“Adjourn the meeting.” Yu Beiyan picked up his completely blank file folder and left in a hurry.
At the door, his assistant didn’t even have time to escape before being surrounded by the managers exiting the conference room.
“I don’t know either… Don’t ask me…” The assistant wore a bitter expression but ultimately didn’t spill the secret about the ridiculously good-looking young man in the president’s office. Even though he was pretty sure that person was the reason.
To be Yu Beiyan’s assistant, one had to know when to keep their mouth shut. Though, honestly, he suspected their president was about to make a mistake.
Wei Xicheng was curled up on the sofa, and before he could even finish one round of his game, he heard the sound of the door unlocking. He immediately straightened his posture, completely forgetting that he had placed snack bags all over himself while playing.
As soon as he sat up, the snack bags rustled and fell to the floor.
The moment Yu Beiyan walked in, he saw his little cutie pretending to act natural while picking up the snacks.
He glanced around and noticed that none of the bags had been opened.
“Didn’t like them?”
“No, no.” Wei Xicheng forced a smile, though it looked quite unnatural. This meeting was way too short. He had planned to play one round and then pretend he had been sitting obediently the whole time. Now, this was just embarrassing.
“Then why didn’t you eat?”
“…”
“Are you afraid of me?” Yu Beiyan walked forward, crouching down to help pick up the snacks. “You don’t need to be afraid of me—”
“I know!”
Before Yu Beiyan could finish, Wei Xicheng cut him off.
“How do you know?”
“…” Wei Xicheng tugged at the bag in his hands, internally scolding himself for his moment of brainless impulse.
“Sigh.” Yu Beiyan let out a soft sigh and once again ruffled Wei Xicheng’s hair. “Don’t be scared. I’m not going to sleep with you for favors.”
Author’s note:
Yu Beiyan: I finally brought my little wife back to my own territory (～￣▽￣)～
The real-world arc won’t be too long, but I’ll still include a bit of Xicheng’s career development (^▽^)
The ending is so close, my cuties! I can’t control myself anymore (I keep muttering about the finale every day…)
