Ever since that near-combustible kiss in the car, Arthur felt as if he had come down with a heavy cold. He was dizzy all day, and everything he looked at seemed to be obscured by a layer of frosted glass.
Yet, he was simultaneously hyper-energetic. He couldn’t sleep at night, his mind replaying Shen Yanzi’s looming shadow, his scorching breath, and that raspy line: “The way you look when I’m jealous is better looking than usual.”
It was shameful and frightening, but more than that, it carried a secret excitement that made his toes curl.
Shen Yanzi, however, acted as if nothing had happened.
When they met for a meeting the next day, he wore that same icy, business-as-usual face, as if the tyrant who had kissed Arthur’s lips until they were swollen the night before was someone else entirely.
Only occasionally, when their gazes accidentally collided in mid-air, Arthur would pull back sharply as if burned, while Shen Yanzi’s eyes would grow exceptionally deep, staring until Arthur was too restless to sit still.
This eerie, unspoken atmosphere persisted for several days.
That evening, there was another unavoidable business cocktail party. Arthur had never been fond of such occasions a crowd of people holding wine glasses and wearing fake smiles while uttering insincere pleasantries. But as one of the project leads, he had to steel himself and attend.
The party was held in a luxury hotel ballroom. It was a bit more casual than a formal ball, but glasses were still clinking and the air was thick with a mixture of perfume and alcohol.
Arthur arrived a bit late. By the time he entered, many people were already there. He instinctively began searching for that familiar figure.
Sure enough, Shen Yanzi was already there. He stood amidst a group of business moguls in suits, holding a drink and listening with a detached expression to a balding old man holding forth. Even in this setting, he remained like an iceberg that automatically lowered the surrounding temperature; people naturally kept their distance.
Arthur didn’t go over immediately. He grabbed a drink first and lingered while greeting a few acquaintances, but his mind was entirely focused on the other side of the room.
He noticed that Shen Yanzi seemed a bit distracted today. While listening to others speak, his gaze would occasionally sweep the room as if he were looking for something.
Is he looking for me?
Arthur’s heart felt itchy, and he couldn’t help but steal another glance.
Today, Shen Yanzi wore a dark gray suit without a tie. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone, making him look less formal than usual and adding a touch of casual languor… and sexiness.
Arthur felt his throat grow dry and quickly gulped some wine.
Just then, Shen Yanzi’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, gave a slight nod to the people around him, and walked toward the slightly quieter terrace to take the call.
Arthur’s gaze followed him subconsciously.
The lighting on the terrace was dim. Shen Yanzi stood with his back to the ballroom, leaning against the railing as he spoke. The distance was a bit far, and Arthur couldn’t hear the specifics, but he could see that the lines of Shen’s profile seemed quite relaxed.
Suddenly, a bold thought popped into Arthur’s head he didn’t understand Chinese!
Whenever Shen Yanzi was with him, he spoke either English or used a few Chinese words to tease him; he had never spoken Chinese at length in front of him. Now that he was on the phone, could Arthur…
Creep a little closer?
To hear the tone he used when speaking Chinese?
Perhaps… he might even hear something else?
Once the thought surfaced, it scratched at his heart like a kitten’s claws. Arthur acted like a thief, looking left and right to ensure no one was watching. He took a deep breath, pretended to wander casually, and bit by bit moved toward the floor-to-ceiling windows near the terrace, hiding behind a large potted plant.
He held his breath and pricked up his ears.
Shen Yanzi’s voice drifted over fitfully; it was indeed Chinese. The tone was deeper than when he spoke English, and the pace was slightly faster, carrying a unique, cold magnetism that was incredibly pleasant to the ear.
Arthur listened, somewhat mesmerized. Although he didn’t understand a single word, he just felt…
It was deadly sexy!
He heard Shen Yanzi seemingly giving instructions to an assistant about work, mentioning a few figures and deadlines. It sounded quite boring.
Arthur was feeling a bit disappointed and was about to slip away when Shen Yanzi suddenly paused on the other end of the line. Then, as if he had heard something interesting, he let out a low chuckle. The sound traveled through the night air, making Arthur’s eardrums tingle.
Then, Shen Yanzi’s voice rose again, and his tone seemed to have become… a bit different.
It remained steady, but it seemed to carry a trace of undetectable…
Teasing? Or rather, indulgence?
Arthur’s heart leaped, and his ears perked up even higher. He heard Shen Yanzi use that beautiful Chinese cadence to say unhurriedly into the phone:
“…Mm, I see.”
“It’s nothing major, just a cocktail party.”
“Ran into a little trouble…”
(A brief pause)
“He’s wearing a silver-gray suit. It’s so dazzling under the lights it makes one’s head spin. Like a… clever little peacock.”
(Another extremely low chuckle)
“Hmm? It’s fine, don’t worry about him. He’s quite fun to tease.”
“That’s all for now. Hanging up.”
The call ended. Shen Yanzi put away his phone but didn’t turn back immediately. He remained with his back to the ballroom, looking at the distant night scenery, seemingly lost in thought.
Behind the plant, Arthur was completely frozen.
Silver-gray suit…
Little peacock…
Fun to tease…
These few fragments of captured Chinese vocabulary pieced themselves together frantically in his mind! He was wearing… a silver-gray suit today! And Shen Yanzi’s gaze… had indeed swept over him several times!
So the “little trouble,” the “clever little peacock,” and the “fun to tease” mentioned on the phone… were all about him?!
A cold chill surged from his feet to his crown, followed by an immense sense of grievance and anger that erupted like a volcano!
So all his flirting these days, his nervousness, his expectations, his shyness…
In Shen Yanzi’s eyes, it was all just “little trouble”?
Just “fun to tease”?!
He was nothing but an “interesting” pastime?!
Arthur’s eyes turned red instantly, moisture quickly gathering. He bit his lip hard to keep himself from crying or screaming on the spot. He lunged out from behind the plant, oblivious to whether anyone saw him, and stormed onto the terrace, stopping dead in front of the newly turned Shen Yanzi.
Shen Yanzi clearly hadn’t expected him to appear so suddenly. A flash of surprise crossed his face, especially when he saw Arthur’s reddened eyes full of grievance and fury. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
“Arthur?”
He spoke, his voice still carrying a trace of the relaxation from the phone call.
“Shen Yanzi!” Arthur’s voice carried a sob, trembling as he tried to suppress his rage. He stared intently at Shen Yanzi and choked out an accusation in English: “You bastard!”
Shen Yanzi froze, clearly not understanding where this sudden accusation was coming from. “What?”
“You think I’m a trouble? A peacock? Just for your amusement?”
Arthur was so angry his words were failing him, and his tears finally began to fall. “You… you’ve just been playing with me all along!”
Watching the tears, Shen Yanzi’s frown deepened. He seemed to want to reach out, but Arthur took a sharp step back, dodging the touch.
“I heard you! Just now!” Arthur pointed at the phone, his voice breaking. “You said… you said it in Chinese! I’m not stupid! I know it was about me!”
Shen Yanzi’s expression turned complex.
Looking at Arthur’s agitated and aggrieved state, a flash of realization crossed his eyes and perhaps… a trace of extremely faint, almost invisible chagrin?
He opened his mouth, seeming to want to explain: “Arthur, listen to me…”
“I don’t want to hear it!” Arthur interrupted him, haphazardly wiping the tears from his face with the back of his hand and turning to run away. He felt like an utter fool; staying another second would cause him to break down.
The moment he turned
A large hand shot out and firmly seized his wrist!
The force was so great it nearly made his bones ache!
“Ah!” Arthur gasped. Before he could react, he was yanked back by a massive force!
In a dizzying blur, he crashed into a hard, warm chest!
Shen Yanzi’s arms were like iron clamps, wrapping around his waist and back with indisputable strength, pinning him firmly in his embrace!
“Let me go! You bastard! Liar!”
Arthur was both shocked and enraged, struggling desperately and hammering his fists randomly against Shen Yanzi’s chest. But Shen Yanzi’s arms didn’t budge; instead, they tightened.
He rested his chin on the top of Arthur’s head. His warm breath fanned Arthur’s hair, and his voice sounded low and raspy—yet it carried a strange, soul-soothing power as it echoed in his ear:
“Don’t move.”
“Listen to me.”
Arthur’s struggling gradually weakened, not because he was being obedient, but because his strength was spent and because… this embrace was too familiar and too easy to crave. He buried his face in the expensive fabric of Shen Yanzi’s suit, weeping silently, his body trembling with sobs.
Feeling the tremors in his arms, Shen Yanzi tightened his hold further. He lowered his voice until it was nearly pressed against Arthur’s ear; the warm breath entering Arthur’s ear canal caused a shiver:
“Yes, I was talking about you.”
“The silver-gray suit is very beautiful. You look like you’re glowing.”
“You dazzled me so much… I couldn’t focus on talking to anyone else all night.”
Arthur’s sobbing paused.
Shen Yanzi’s lips were practically pressed against his earlobe as he continued to whisper, his voice carrying a hint of helplessness and… indulgence?
“Little peacock…”
“It was a compliment. You’re beautiful and flashy. You make me want to… hide you away.”
“Fun to tease…”
He paused, seemingly letting out a soft sigh. “Because whenever I see you smiling at others, right here…”
He grabbed one of Arthur’s hands and forced it against the left side of his chest, over his heart. Through the shirt fabric, Arthur’s palm could clearly feel the powerful, rapid thumping beneath.
“…it feels very uncomfortable.”
Arthur froze completely, forgetting to cry, forgetting to be angry. All of his senses were concentrated on the raspy voice in his ear and the drum-like heartbeat beneath his palm.
Shen Yanzi lowered his head, his nose brushing against Arthur’s reddened ear. His last few words were almost a whisper, carrying a lethal temptation and a declaration:
“Do you understand now?”
“So, stop provoking me.”