Rong Yichen stood quietly beside Rong Jingtang, his fingertips absently rubbing the phone in the pocket of his tracksuit. His gaze rested on the gilded chandelier at the center of the banquet hall, and he seemed somewhat distracted.
Across from him, Sheng Yue, Sheng Huaide’s granddaughter, was looking him over with curiosity. The girl had a pair of round, almond-shaped eyes, like black grapes soaked in honey. They were rolling about now as she openly sized him up, her gaze sweeping over him with the haughty curiosity peculiar to a rich young lady.
Rong Jingtang chuckled and patted Rong Yichen on the arm. His tone was deliberately warm. “Yichen, this is Grandpa Sheng—Sheng Huaide. He’s full of praise for the research you did in Country Y and has been saying he wants to meet you.” Then he turned to Sheng Yue, deliberately emphasizing his words. “This is Grandpa Sheng’s own granddaughter. She’s your age and studies at Jing University too. You young people should get to know each other.”
Rong Yichen wore a carefully measured, faint smile and nodded. Inside, though, he saw through it perfectly well.
This wasn’t about getting to know each other. The old man had clearly tricked him into a blind date.
Sheng Yue lifted her chin, undisguised disdain in her eyes. She couldn’t understand why her grandfather insisted that she spend time with this illegitimate son from the Rong family, someone who wasn’t even fit to be seen in respectable company. He wore an ordinary tracksuit and didn’t even have a decent watch. Compared with the well-dressed young men from prominent families around her, he looked like some random passerby who’d wandered into a society banquet by mistake.
On the second-floor terrace of the banquet hall, Huo Yan leaned against the carved railing, his gaze fixed on the scene below.
He wore a custom-tailored suit in deep black. The platinum tie clip at his collar glinted coldly beneath the crystal lights, and the air around him was icy. His assistant stood half a step behind him, breathing as quietly as possible, not daring to disturb the powerful man.
Huo Yan’s gaze remained locked on Rong Yichen, watching the boy’s docile, harmless smile.
When he saw Rong Jingtang deliberately steer Rong Yichen toward Sheng Yue, Huo Yan felt a surge of displeasure.
He could clearly see the disdain in Sheng Yue’s eyes, and he could sense the deliberately distant coolness about Rong Yichen.
“Mr. Huo,” his assistant ventured in a low voice, “Old Master Sheng is still waiting for you to go over and greet him.”
Huo Yan slowly withdrew his gaze. His voice was as cold as ice. “What’s the hurry?”
His eyes returned to Rong Yichen. He watched the boy leave side by side with Sheng Yue without either of them saying much.
It didn’t look like things had gone well.
.
Night settled over the back garden of Yueting Grand Hotel. Koi swam through the pond beneath the moonlight, golden flecks of light rippling across the water.
Rong Yichen crouched beside the pond, a small piece of leaf pinched between his fingers. He teased the fish absentmindedly as he answered the phone.
A clear female voice came through the receiver, touched with amusement. “I’ll be back in a couple of days. You can be bored by yourself for a few more days.”
“I’m so sick of this,” Rong Yichen complained, tossing the leaf into the water and scattering the fish. “That old man from the Rong family tricked me into a blind date today. You’d better hurry back and come play the dutiful grandson too.”
The woman on the phone laughed and swore at him. “Oh, shut up. Do you know what those bastards in the organization have named our duo?”
“What?” Rong Yichen raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
“The Dutiful Grandsons.”
Rong Yichen: “…”
As the woman laughed gleefully through the phone, he caught the sound of footsteps behind him. His fingers tightened. “I’ll hang up,” he said hurriedly, then ended the call.
He stood and turned around.
Huo Yan stood beneath a camphor tree not far away, dressed in a deep-black suit, his tall frame straight as a pine. Moonlight fell across his sharply defined profile, lending it a hard, profound look.
Rong Yichen gave him an innocent smile, a hint of carefree amusement in his eyes. His tone was flirtatious. “Huo Yan. What a coincidence.”
Huo Yan walked a few steps closer, his gaze fixed intently on Rong Yichen’s face. His voice was slow and clear. “It’s no coincidence. I came here specifically to find you.”
Rong Yichen raised an eyebrow, his smile deepening. “Ever since that dinner, Huo Yan, you’ve kept your eyes on me.” He leaned in half a step, the corners of his mouth curving in a deliberately seductive smile. “What exactly are you after?”
Huo Yan only gave an ambiguous “Mm,” without answering directly.
Rong Yichen simply stepped forward and gently looped both arms around Huo Yan’s neck. Rising onto his toes, he looked up at him with curved eyes. His voice was soft and teasing. “President Huo, do you want to sleep with me?”
Huo Yan’s arms tightened at once around his slender waist. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he gave another low “Mm.”
Rong Yichen lifted his face and quickly kissed the corner of Huo Yan’s mouth, as light as a brush of feathers, then immediately drew back half a step.
Huo Yan’s breathing turned ragged. Intense desire surged in his eyes, and he bent his head to kiss Rong Yichen’s soft, red lips.
Just then, footsteps sounded behind them again, accompanied by a lazy, drawling voice. “Old Huo, no wonder I couldn’t find you. What are you doing out here?”
Rong Yichen immediately stepped away from Huo Yan and stood straight. The flirtation vanished from his eyes, replaced by an innocent, well-behaved expression.
The newcomer wore a vivid blue suit with the collar loosened and a glass of whiskey swinging in his hand. It was Xie Linzhou. He noticed the oppressive air around Huo Yan at once, then glanced behind him and saw Rong Yichen standing quietly there, his round, catlike eyes wide.
Xie Linzhou understood immediately. His casual smile returned, and he held out a hand. “Hello. Xie Linzhou.”
“Rong Yichen.” Rong Yichen reached out and shook his hand, his fingertips cool.
Huo Yan watched their clasped hands expressionlessly, his gaze cold as ice.
As if burned, Xie Linzhou immediately let go. He gave an awkward laugh. “The Rong family’s Second Young Master, huh?”
Rong Yichen nodded without speaking.
Xie Linzhou quickly glanced at Huo Yan again. Seeing his unfriendly expression, he patted Huo Yan’s shoulder and tactfully said, “Brother, I’ve got something to take care of. I’ll leave you two to talk.”
Huo Yan gave a slight nod. His look clearly said, “Get lost. Now.”
Xie Linzhou didn’t dare linger. He turned and left, his retreating figure quick as the wind.
The back garden fell quiet again, broken only by the rustle of leaves in the breeze.
Huo Yan turned back to Rong Yichen. The desire in his eyes had yet to fade, and his voice was low and hoarse. “Now no one will interrupt us.”
Before Rong Yichen could react, Huo Yan reached out, gripped the back of his neck, and yanked him hard against himself.
The next second, a fierce, possessive kiss swept over him.
It was nothing like Rong Yichen’s feather-light touch a moment ago. This kiss was hungry with years of pent-up obsession. Huo Yan’s lips and teeth crushed against his, as if he meant to swallow him whole, into his very bones and blood. His tongue forcefully pried Rong Yichen’s lips apart and swept over every soft corner of his mouth, with a domineering insistence that left no room for refusal.
Rong Yichen was pinned against the rough trunk of the camphor tree. The bark dug painfully into his back, yet, strangely, he didn’t fight back. He tilted his face up and let Huo Yan kiss him until he could hardly breathe, his fingers unconsciously clutching the hem of Huo Yan’s suit. His knuckles turned white.
Moonlight streamed through the leaves and fell across their intertwined figures, bathing Rong Yichen’s reddened ears and Huo Yan’s tense jawline in a hazy silver glow.
Huo Yan’s hand slid from the back of Rong Yichen’s neck to his waist and tightened, as if he meant to press him into his own body. His kisses traveled down from Rong Yichen’s lips, grazing his jaw before stopping at the side of his neck and leaving a series of deep red marks.
“Mm…” Rong Yichen finally let out a soft gasp. His gaze was hazy, like stars scattered into fragments.
Huo Yan paused and looked up at him. Intense desire and obsession surged in his eyes. His voice was painfully hoarse. “Will you come with me?”
Rong Yichen blinked, then suddenly smiled. He hooked a finger into Huo Yan’s tie, pulled him down again, and kissed him of his own accord.
“Huo Yan,” he murmured, his voice soft and teasing. “I’ll come with you.”