Chu Yunhan had said many sweet nothings in the past. They were usually directed at women, beginning with romantic words that left the other party’s heart fluttering and gaze softening. What followed was a kiss, and if the kiss stirred emotions, it naturally led to some joyful moments. He was well-versed in this routine.
But now, the other party was a man—and, by their roles, that man was the one on top. That earlier confession had already drained all his courage, and the lingering kiss had left his body weak and his mind muddled, with no clue what to do next. It wasn’t until he felt the other man’s fingertips gently brush the corner of his eye that he opened his eyes tremblingly. He saw Chu Yichen looking at him, and his face flushed with embarrassment. Dryly, he muttered, “I’m hungry. Shall we have breakfast?”
“Okay.” The man replied.
He waited for a long time, but the other party didn’t move. Bewildered, he blinked.
“The door is too narrow. You’ll have to let me go first before we can get out,” Chu Yichen said, a smile forming on his lips and tenderness filling his eyes.
Even the tips of Chu Yunhan’s ears were red. Like being jolted by electricity, he hastily released the arms he had wrapped around the other man’s waist and tried to step away to flee, only to stop again. Hesitantly, he said, “I… I don’t want to go to work today…”
“Okay.”
“Then I… will accompany you today. Is that okay?” He pressed forward anxiously.
“Okay.” The man answered indulgently.
At the round dining table, the two of them sat on either side, separated by a little girl in the middle. While Chu Yunhan nibbled on a soup dumpling, he couldn’t help but sneak glances at Chu Yichen. But the moment their eyes met, his face turned red, like a traffic light switching to stop.
Yuanyuan looked at him worriedly and asked: “Did Uncle Han catch a cold and have a fever? Why is your face so red?” Because she lived with two ‘Uncles Chu’, to distinguish them easily, she changed her name and called Chu Yunhan ‘Uncle Han’, another ‘Uncle Chen’.
Seeing the teasing curve at the corners of Chu Yichen’s lips, Chu Yunhan mumbled awkwardly, “No, It’s just a bit hot.”
Yuanyuan let out an ‘oh’ and obediently resumed eating. Once she finished, Chu Yunhan prepared to take her to kindergarten. When she walked to the door, she found that the driver, old Zhao, was already waiting by the car and said, “Young Master said you didn’t have a good rest last night and asked me to drive.”
That person was always so considerate toward him. Warmth filled Chu Yunhan’s heart as he nodded and got into the car. When he returned, he discovered that Chu Yichen hadn’t gone to the office either. Instead, he had temporarily moved his work into the study. In the study, the senior members of the Black Eagle Society—Hei Yu, Bai Xiao, Lan Xue, Qing Feng, and others—were sitting on the sofas in a circle, seemingly discussing something important.
As soon as he walked in, the room fell silent. Over a dozen pairs of eyes turned to him simultaneously, some glaring at him with open hostility. Chu Yunhan understood that it was because he had put the young master they loyally protected into danger several times, leaving him battered and scarred. If not for Chu Yichen’s intervention, they would have torn him to pieces and fed him to the dog long ago. The fact that they hadn’t told him to leave was already a sign of respect for him. Feeling awkward, he said, “You guys talk, I’ll first…”
“Didn’t you say you’d keep me company today?” Chu Yichen interrupted, looking up from his documents. He casually patted the seat beside him and said, “Come here.”
At that, all the gazes turned to surprise. Even Hei Yu, who usually had a stoic expression, slightly opened his mouth, exchanging a glance with Bai Xiao. Bai Xiao raised an eyebrow and smirked faintly at Chu Yunhan but said nothing.
He stiffened his neck and walked over, hesitating for a moment. The sofa was for three people, and Chu Yichen was sitting in the middle with no intention of moving. This meant that no matter which side Chu Yunhan chose, he would end up pressed close to the other man. His face grew hot again. Finally, he sat on the left, his heart pounding like a rabbit’s, though he forced himself to appear nonchalant. “You’re discussing confidential matters. It’s not appropriate for me to listen.”
“I have nothing to keep secret from you.” Chu Yichen said this lightly, turned to Hei Yu and said, “Continue.”
Hei Yu paused briefly before resuming, discussing plans to take over the Sheng family’s territory in J City. But Chu Yunhan didn’t hear a word. That one sentence from Chu Yichen had set his heart racing like a shrimp being steamed alive.
He thought he could be considered good at saying sweet nothings and coaxing people.
He hadn’t expected this man’s words to be utterly lethal… Compared to him, his own efforts were utterly insignificant.
Distracted, Chu Yunhan sat there, pretending to flip through the documents Chu Yichen had handed him, though he didn’t absorb a single word. Just sitting side by side like this—the brush of their clothes, the touch of their elbows, the occasional meeting of their gazes—was enough to leave him completely unfocused.
Chu Yichen indeed had a lot of work to handle and worked nonstop from morning until noon. Likely tired from the lack of sleep the previous night, he asked Du Chuan to bring in a cup of hot coffee. Chu Yunhan frowned and said, “Don’t drink that.”
The comment was abrupt. Noticing everyone looking at him, his face turned slightly red, and he softly added, “It’s not good for your health.”
The man smiled, his thin lips curving into a pleasing arc, “Alright, I’ll have tea instead.”
He smiled like this, with a hint of doting, which made Chu Yunhan feel like he was trapped in a steamy sauna with a fierce stove fire, and his whole body was so hot that he was about to smoke. Hastily, he found an excuse, “I’ll step out to make a call…” and fled the study, defeated.
The senior members, seeing their interactions, roughly pieced things together and sighed inwardly, “So the iron tree has finally bloomed.” Taking the hint, they quickly wrapped up the most important matters and left, leaving their afternoon to their young master, who had a complicated relationship.
After lunch, the two of them walked in the yard for a while. When passing by the pond, he was afraid that Thor would come out again, so he coughed and said, “Let’s head back.” Chu Yichen said nothing and grabbed his hand.
The warmth from the slender fingers and dry palms warmed his hands little by little, as if his heart had settled down.
Hand in hand, they walked forward.
Just like childhood.
At this moment, Chu Yunhan seemed to see a vision of two children, hand in hand, laughing as they crossed a small pond. A faint ripple stirred in his heart. He clasped the other man’s hand in return, their fingers interlocking like an unbreakable lock. As they neared the doorway, neither let go. They walked inside, still holding hands, under the gaze of the household staff. Chu Yunhan felt that after today’s ordeal, his face had grown a layer thicker. Resigned, he blushed and said, “I’m a bit tired. Do you… want to take a nap with me?”
“Okay.” Chu Yichen was like an unprincipled parent who doted on his children. This was the word he said the most today.
Both of their intentions were the same—to ensure the other wasn’t too tired, resulting in perfect harmony.
The master bedroom carried a faint sandalwood scent that was calming and soothing. Yet now, lying side by side with Chu Yichen, Chu Yunhan’s heart was racing so wildly he couldn’t settle down. Afraid of disturbing the other, he forced himself to remain as still as a corpse, not daring to move.
“You staying like that is making it hard for me to sleep too,” Chu Yichen said with a helpless chuckle. Turning on his side, he said, “Turn this way.”
Chu Yunhan turned his face, and under the shared blanket, he found himself face-to-face with the man. His gaze accidentally fell on the bit of neck exposed beneath the collar, and the memories of that whip strike flashed through his mind, filling him with regret. Reaching out hesitantly, he lightly touched the spot, only for his hand to be caught.
“Want it?” Chu Yichen asked.
Chu Yunhan was stunned for a moment before he realised what the other party meant. His face was on fire, and he said in a low voice, “No.” Then he said softly, “I just… want to see. Is that okay?”
He wanted to see the scars.
The man was silent for a moment before pulling the blanket up, enveloping both of their heads entirely. Then he guided the hand he had caught to rest gently on the first button of his pyjamas.
The entire world shrunk to a blanket and two people.
In the pitch-black space, Chu Yunhan could feel only the other’s steady breathing and the warmth of his body through the fabric. He fumbled to undo the buttons, one by one, until his hand came into contact with—
Bare skin. Scalding. Marked with scars.
His movements faltered for a moment, his hand trembling slightly. In the darkness, he traced his fingers over the chest inch by inch, gingerly feeling the uneven scars. His fingertips lingered over each deep groove as if he could feel the sharp pain they once caused, as though the piercing agony was cutting through his own body now. As his fingers moved, each scar became an indelible mark of guilt etched on his heart, a reminder of the mistakes he had made that could never be erased.
Chu Yunhan’s palm came to rest over the spot where the bullet wound was—just as Zhang Juan had pressed his hand to it once before. Beneath the layers of skin, muscle, and bone, he felt the steady thumping of a heart.
One beat. Then another.
Fortunately, this man is still alive.
Fortunately, this man is still with him.
Chu Yunhan’s eyes were filled with tears. He pressed his lips together tightly and leaned forward to wrap his arms around the man. He held him tightly, like an animal clinging to a piece of driftwood in a flood, the kind of embrace that spoke of desperation and a refusal to let go. His voice trembled as he choked out, “Does it still hurt…”
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.” After Chu Yichen said that, he felt a little wet on his chest. He reached out and touched Chu Yunhan’s head and said, “It’s all in the past.”
The furry head in his arms shifted slightly, accompanied by the sound of sniffling.
“Go to sleep,” Chu Yichen said. He tried to pull the blanket down a little to expose his head, but Chu Yunhan pressed it down firmly, unwilling to let it budge. Knowing that he was trying to hide his tearful face, Chu Yichen chuckled. “Aren’t you afraid of suffocating?”
“It’s not stuffy.” His voice was muffled, nasal from crying.
“You’re just going to sleep like this?”
“En.” He nuzzled into Chu Yichen’s arms again and changed into a comfortable position.
The man smiled and hugged him.
Under the blanket, the two of them were pressed so close together that their heartbeats became indistinguishable from one another.
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