The next day.
Rong Yichen was sprawled halfway across the sofa, a shark plush pinned beneath his chest. His fingers deftly toyed with the concealed weapon in his hand while his other hand tapped open the computer. His video call with Shen Qingci connected almost at once.
Shen Qingci’s clear voice came through the screen as she calmly laid out the information on their target. “Zhou Mingyuan is Zhou Qing’er’s father. She’s supposed to get engaged tomorrow to Lu An, the younger son of the Lu family. Zhou Qing’er doesn’t want to marry him, and Lu An isn’t willing either. But Zhou Mingyuan got swindled by an international black-market arms dealer and landed himself in a heap of trouble. Now the arms dealer has run off with the money, and Zhou Mingyuan’s company is on the verge of collapse. Most of his assets are overseas, though, so the families here in the capital haven’t caught on yet. That’s why he’s in such a rush to marry his daughter into the Lu family. He hopes the alliance will get him a few projects and keep his company afloat.”
Rong Yichen toyed with the string in his hand and nodded absently. “Another idiot.”
“Exactly.” Shen Qingci leaned back in her chair, her voice edged with amusement. “How’s the equipment coming along?”
Rong Yichen gripped the string with both hands and held it up to the camera, giving it a little wave. A glint of mischief passed through his eyes. “All ready.”
Shen Qingci nodded, brisk and businesslike. “Good. Now hack into the hotel’s internal network.”
As soon as she finished speaking, they both fell silent in perfect accord.
Rong Yichen broke the silence first, raising an eyebrow. “Who’s hacking?”
Shen Qingci raised an eyebrow right back. “You hack. I looked up the information.”
Rong Yichen tucked the string into the small case he carried with him and said, entirely unapologetic, “You hack. Making concealed weapons is way harder than looking things up. Besides, you love gossip.”
Shen Qingci snorted and tapped the camera with her fingertip. “Look at you, you lazy bastard. All you have to do is move your fingers and tap away at a keyboard. How did you get this lazy?”
Rong Yichen blinked innocently. “No, I have to go register this afternoon. I really am busy.”
“Fuck, it’ll take ten minutes, and you’re telling me you don’t have time?” Shen Qingci’s voice rose sharply, edged with exasperation.
Rong Yichen pouted and said nothing.
They stared at each other through the screen for half a minute, silent tension filling the air between them.
Then, in perfect unison, they raised their hands and started playing rock-paper-scissors.
Three rounds later,
Rong Yichen lost by a hair.
Shen Qingci burst out laughing and hung up without mercy, leaving him with a parting line that lingered in his ears: “Don’t forget, we still have to check out the site tonight! Hahahahahaha! Bye! Hahahahahaha!”
Rong Yichen smacked his own hand in frustration and muttered, “Useless!”
Just then, his phone rang again.
He picked it up, and when he saw the name flashing on the screen, the corners of his mouth curved up without him realizing it.
It was a call from his “family” contact, Huo Yan.
He cleared his throat and answered. “Hello?”
Huo Yan’s low, magnetic voice came through the receiver, like a warm feather brushing lightly past his ear. “I’ll take you to register this afternoon.”
“Aren’t you busy?” Rong Yichen toyed with the tassel on a sofa cushion, a hint of barely concealed cheer in his voice.
“Not for the next few days.” Huo Yan paused, then added softly, “Mainly…I missed you.”
Rong Yichen swung his legs, his eyes curving into crescents as a smile spread from them. “Sure. Come with me, then.”
“Mm. I’ll come pick you up in a little while.” Huo Yan hung up with a smile, in an excellent mood. He flipped through the project proposals on his desk, then happily called his assistant back.
Watching his boss behave like this—something he almost never did—the assistant broke out in a cold sweat.
This was a stranger to him.
.
At two in the afternoon, Huo Yan’s car pulled up outside the apartment building right on time.
Rong Yichen had just reached the entrance when he spotted the familiar black sedan. The window lowered. Huo Yan wore a sharply tailored dark gray suit. His profile was stern, but the instant he saw Rong Yichen, his expression softened. He reached over and opened the passenger door for him.
“Have you been waiting long?” Rong Yichen climbed in and set his backpack on his lap.
“I just got here.” Huo Yan fastened Rong Yichen’s seat belt for him. His fingertips brushed Rong Yichen’s wrist, seemingly by accident, then he pressed a light kiss to his cheek and handed him a box of chocolate cake. “One of the girls at my company said this cake is good. Try it.”
“Mm.” Rong Yichen took the cake and turned to look at Huo Yan. His hand on the steering wheel was well-defined, his profile smooth and focused as he drove. Sunlight came through the window and cast a small shadow from his eyelashes.
Rong Yichen looked away and down at the cake.
Chocolate cake.
It had been so long since he’d had any.
The cake brought his thoughts back to when he was little.
Back then, his mother had promised to buy him a chocolate cake for his birthday.
But before the cake came the roar of a violent explosion—and his mother, blown apart until only half her body remained.
Even after he had money of his own, he rarely ate chocolate cake, though he really did love chocolate.
“Huo Yan,” Rong Yichen said suddenly. “Thank you.”
Huo Yan glanced at him, smiling. “You don’t have to thank me.”
“Mm…” Rong Yichen blinked hard, pulling himself out of the painful memory.
Huo Yan sensed the shift in Rong Yichen’s mood and freed one hand to ruffle his hair. “Don’t you like it?”
Rong Yichen shook his head, opened the box, and took a bite. The sweet flavor melted on his tongue. He turned to look out the window, but couldn’t hide the smile at the corners of his mouth. The streets sped past outside as a spring breeze flowed through the half-open window, mingling with the faint scent of Huo Yan’s cedar cologne. It made him feel safe and at ease.
When they reached Jing University, Rong Yichen turned down Huo Yan’s offer to go in with him.
Huo Yan nodded, got out, and walked around to open the passenger door for Rong Yichen. “I’ll wait in the car. Call me when you’re done.”
“Okay.” Rong Yichen nodded and was just about to turn away when Huo Yan gently caught his wrist. Looking at him, Huo Yan said, “Be careful.”
Rong Yichen clasped Huo Yan’s hand in return and gave it a little shake. “Don’t worry.”
He turned and went inside the building. Huo Yan stayed in the car, watching until Rong Yichen disappeared through the doorway before slowly drawing his gaze away. He could still feel the warmth of Rong Yichen’s wrist on his fingertips.
About an hour later, Rong Yichen reappeared at the entrance. He hurried over to the sedan, opened the door, and got in, a relaxed smile on his face. “All done. It wasn’t that much trouble.”
Huo Yan started the car and glanced at him. “Going home?”
Rong Yichen nodded. “Home. I have something to do tonight.”
“Okay.” Huo Yan’s voice was gentle. “Are you going to the Lu family’s engagement banquet tomorrow?”
Rong Yichen murmured in reply and looked at him. “You’re going too?”
“Mm. My grandfather and Grandfather Lu get along pretty well, so I have to go.”
At his answer, Rong Yichen twisted his fingers together. “Then I’ll come find you tomorrow.”
He gazed at Huo Yan with round eyes, then tilted his head as he thought:
I wonder if I’ll scare him tomorrow…
Huo Yan nodded and stroked the little cat beside him who was about to get up to mischief. “All right.”
Outside the car windows, the sky gradually darkened, and the city’s neon lights flickered on one after another, reflected on their faces.