At noon the next day, the sun was blazing. Warm light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Cloudview Apartments, casting pale patches across the gleaming marble floor.
When Rong Yichen came downstairs, Huo Yan’s black Bentley was already parked neatly outside. The window was halfway down, revealing the man’s sharply defined jawline. The moment Rong Yichen opened the door and got in, he met Huo Yan’s smiling eyes. Their warmth was even more dazzling than the midday sun.
“Thanks for coming to pick me up. Let’s go.” Rong Yichen’s eyes curved as the corners of his lips lifted in a faint smile. The small mole at the corner of his eye stood out in the sunlight.
Huo Yan hadn’t taken his eyes off him since he came downstairs. The young man wore a simple white hoodie, his soft hair resting against his forehead. He looked less cool and sharp than usual, and a little more obedient and boyish—like a tiny kitten with its paws tucked under it. The sight made Huo Yan’s heart melt.
“Mm.” Huo Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he answered. Even the way he started the car grew unconsciously gentler.
The faint scent of cedarwood filled the car—the fragrance Huo Yan usually used.
Rong Yichen put away his phone, lightly tapping the screen with his fingertips before turning to the man beside him. “Did you recognize me the first time we met?”
Huo Yan’s hand paused on the steering wheel. He glanced over, his eyes brimming with tenderness. “Yes. The moment I saw you.”
“Your memory’s pretty good, then.” Rong Yichen raised an eyebrow, his tone teasing.
Huo Yan chuckled softly, a hint of barely perceptible regret in his voice. “I never forgot you. After you saved me back then, I went back to look for you, but I couldn’t find any trace of you.”
Rong Yichen’s fingers paused. He replied as if it were nothing, “Mm… I was traveling at the time.”
As if. He’d been on a mission. If Huo Yan had found him, how would he have gone on working as an assassin?
Huo Yan didn’t suspect anything. He merely nodded and focused on the road ahead. Silence settled over the car again, broken only by the low rumble of the engine.
The car soon pulled up outside a private barbecue restaurant in the south of the city. With his hands in his pockets, Rong Yichen stood at the entrance and looked up at the European-style building. The gilded sign shimmered so brightly in the sun it made his eyes swim. He couldn’t help raising an eyebrow. “Even barbecue restaurants are built this extravagantly?”
Huo Yan came up beside him and naturally shielded him from the glaring sunlight. “It’s a dining club with a range of cuisines. They customize the menu to suit each guest’s needs.”
Rong Yichen nodded, thinking that they certainly took things seriously. He glanced around without thinking, his eyes landing on the imposing building next door. Four gilded characters were engraved on the plaque: Xingtan Club.
“Xingtan Club…” he murmured to himself, scratching his temple with a fingertip. The name seemed familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he’d heard it.
Just then, a familiar figure entered his field of vision. Rong Yichen’s expression instantly darkened, and his smile vanished.
President Sheng.
He was walking into Xingtan Club alongside two men in suits, his face arranged in a deliberately ingratiating smile, though a trace of menace lurked in his eyes. He was nothing like the man who usually seemed to “care about nothing.”
Rong Yichen had just drawn his fingers from his pocket and hadn’t yet had a chance to react when a warm hand gently clasped his wrist.
Startled, he whipped around and met Huo Yan’s smiling eyes. The man’s palm was warm, his fingers softly brushing Rong Yichen’s skin as he asked in a gentle voice, “Can I hold your hand?”
What incredible eyes, Rong Yichen thought. His ears instantly burned, and his breathing stumbled for half a beat. He nodded quickly and clasped Huo Yan’s hand in return, his fingers tightening unconsciously. “Yes, yes.”
Then he tugged Huo Yan toward the barbecue restaurant, his voice carrying a hint of deliberate urgency. “Come on. I’m hungry.”
In the restaurant’s private room, warm yellow light fell over the meat sizzling on the grill, and its fragrance filled the air. Rong Yichen, however, was somewhat distracted.
Who owned Xingtan Club again?
He took out his phone, logged into the organization’s internal network, and asked in the group chat.
【V】Who owns the Xingtan Club in the capital?
Replies soon appeared.
【T】Your big brother here.
【R】What, is our V bored and looking to spend some time at the club?
【K】Getting tired of playing the grandson?
【T】@R What are you talking about? My club is a respectable business.
【S】Oh, give it a rest. Our V already had a romantic encounter back home.
【R】Tell us more.
【K】Tell us more.
【T】Tell us more.
【U】Tell us more.
【O】Tell us more.
【V】? You’re never this lively normally.
【V】In all seriousness, I want to check the surveillance footage at the club. @T
【T】Sure, go ahead. Once you’re inside, head straight to Room 404. The code is 0022667. Then call the manager.
【V】Okay.
【V】Why has everyone else gone quiet?
【T】They made a smaller group chat.
【V】……I’m out.
When Rong Yichen looked up from the chat, his plate was already piled high with sizzling, glistening meat. Huo Yan had rolled his shirt sleeves up to his forearms, revealing his cleanly defined wrists. Holding the barbecue tongs between his fingers, he turned the meat with steady, focused movements. He was so intent that even his brows didn’t move.
When Huo Yan saw that Rong Yichen had finally finished, he looked up and said as casually as if he were commenting on the weather, “Try some.”
Watching Huo Yan fussing over him, Rong Yichen felt a little guilty. He turned his phone face down on the table and absently rubbed the edge with a fingertip before explaining softly, “I have to go to school tomorrow. I was just taking care of a few odds and ends.”
Huo Yan nodded. Warm light from the charcoal grill gleamed in his eyes as he asked in a low voice, “Do you need me to take you?”
Rong Yichen had a mouthful of barbecue, his cheeks puffed out like Song Tingsong, a little squirrel. He shook his head and answered indistinctly, “No, no. I don’t live on campus. I just need to register.”
Huo Yan watched his puffed-out cheek and swallowed softly, his eyes holding a smile like melting sugar. “How are you settling back into life in the capital? Are the Rong family treating you well?”
“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Rong Yichen chewed, replying indistinctly, the smoky aroma of grilled meat still on his tongue.
Seeing that he didn’t look troubled, Huo Yan asked, “Do you have enough money to spend?” Before Rong Yichen could answer, he had already slid a black card across the table. Its surface gleamed coldly in the light. “Use it however you like. The PIN is six ones.”
Rong Yichen thought, What the hell? But he kept his expression composed, marveling silently at how bold a move that was.
He couldn’t be bothered to refuse. He picked up the card and slipped it into his hoodie pocket, its cool surface still against his fingertips. Then he looked up at Huo Yan and smiled. “Thanks.”
As Huo Yan watched Rong Yichen accept the card, it felt as if a feather had brushed his heart. There was something wonderful about taking care of a sweet, well-behaved boy.
“Huo Yan, the meat you grilled is really good.” Rong Yichen was thoroughly enjoying it. His eyes shone like they held starlight, and his voice brimmed with undisguised satisfaction.
Huo Yan served him another piece of perfectly grilled short rib, his voice gentle. “I’m glad you like it.”
After the meal, Rong Yichen lounged lazily in his seat, patting his round belly again and again like a little kitten who’d eaten his fill and was getting sleepy.
“What are you doing this afternoon?” Huo Yan propped his chin on one hand and looked at the boy across from him, who was as catlike as ever. A hint of unconcealed anticipation lingered in his eyes.
Rong Yichen patted his belly and thought it over seriously for a moment. He needed to go to the club next door and check the surveillance footage, to make sure there hadn’t been any loose ends from what happened before.
He considered his words, making his tone sound as casual as if it were true. “I have something to do this afternoon. A friend of mine is back too, so we have to get together.”
“Then you can’t spend time with me.” Huo Yan’s brows drooped visibly, and his voice took on a hint of hurt.
Rong Yichen raised an eyebrow. Seeing the slight droop in the other man’s expression, he stood and walked over to sit beside Huo Yan. Before Huo Yan could react, Rong Yichen cupped his face and tipped his own up, kissing him.
Huo Yan put an arm around his waist, his body going stiff for a moment in surprise. But the instant he felt the soft warmth of Rong Yichen’s lips, he took the lead, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.
When they finally parted, Rong Yichen licked his tingling lips, the taste of Huo Yan still lingering on his tongue. He looped both arms around Huo Yan’s neck, his fingertips gently stroking the skin at the back of his neck. With a sly, captivating look and the corners of his eyes lifted like a little fox, he leaned close to Huo Yan’s ear and whispered in a slightly husky breath, “Come over to my place in a couple of days, okay? In the evening~”
Huo Yan gazed down at him, so utterly captivated he could barely think straight. He wrapped both arms around Rong Yichen’s waist, bent his head, and pecked his soft lips a few more times. His voice was low and hoarse. “Okay.”