Director Nie, whose mood was far from pleasant, lingered in his office for half an hour. Only after confirming that Shu An had long since departed did he shut down his computer and emerge.
He slipped his phone—its screen fractured into a spiderweb of cracks, back into his pocket, intending to stop by a repair shop on his way home to have it replaced. Then it hit him: his car was still at the hotel. During the height of the evening rush hour, hailing a cab would be nearly impossible.
Damn it.
He cursed irritably under his breath, once again mentally ravaging that bastard surnamed Shu. To his surprise, the instant he stepped out of the elevator, he found himself face-to-face with the very subject of his thoughts.
Shu An was seated alone on a sofa in the lobby, positioned directly opposite the elevators.
His tailored, handmade suit perfectly showcased his broad shoulders and long legs while his striking features and aura drew the gazes of many men and women just finishing their shifts.
Nie Yunshen sneered inwardly, labeling him with four words: a hypocritical wolf in sheep’s clothing.
With so many people pouring out of the elevators, Director Nie couldn’t exactly beat up the current head of the Lans Group in broad daylight. He could only pretend not to see him and head straight for the exit.
Shu An rose and followed, putting his long legs to good use. He quickly caught up to him by the landscaped fountain outside the building.
“Nie Yunshen…”
“What the hell do you want!”
The fountain’s water jets abruptly surged skyward, then came crashing back down in a heavy splash moments later. The roar of the water masked Nie Yunshen’s low growl. As the city lights flickered to life, the neon glow filtered through the spray onto their faces, making both of them look somewhat surreal.
After snapping that sentence, Nie Yunshen immediately asked himself the same question in his mind: What the hell are you doing?
So what if you got screwed by your rival from ten years ago? So what if you rolled around the sheets with him for a day and a night? Did he rape you? If you hadn’t been willing, could he have even touched you? Wasn’t it your own lust that drove you to his door? Didn’t you lose yourself to his temptation and give in willingly? So now that he’s slept with you, he’s not even asking for anything in return, isn’t it? Does the fact that he’s not using you make those two days feel worthless?
Motherfucker!
Nie Yunshen covered his face with both hands and rubbed it hard, then glared ferociously at the man in front of him.
“Shu An, stop following me. I’m telling you straight, I am pissed off today, beyond pissed. I can’t guarantee I won’t punch you if you keep this up.”
“Why are you angry?” Shu An frowned, his gaze holding a sense of pure innocence that ran completely counter to his scheming persona. “Did you not enjoy yourself yesterday?”
Nie Yunshen was stunned into silence. Had he not enjoyed it? How could he not have? It was so goddamn good it made him feel like every bit of sex he’d had in the last thirty years was a waste of time!
As if reading his mind, Shu An continued before he could answer, “Since it felt good, what exactly are you angry about? Are you mad that I used that as an excuse to sleep with you even though I already had the funds moved into place? Or are you mad that I didn’t just lie there and let you screw me?”
Nie Yunshen thought to himself, So you actually understand, you bastard! Then why the hell don’t you let me screw you back!
“If it’s the former, I can explain; if it’s the latter, I’ll let you screw me in return.”
Nie Yunshen almost thought he was hallucinating because he had been too deep in his own fantasies. He looked at Shu An, who had somehow stepped right up to him, and asked uncertainly, “What… did you say?”
“I said, I’ll let you screw me in return.” Shu An’s voice wasn’t loud but it was just enough for Nie Yunshen to hear. “If I let you top me in return, will you stop being angry?”
Nie Yunshen was so exasperated he almost laughed. He was deeply convinced that this man’s brain was probably malfunctioning.
It turns out no one is perfect; who would have thought that the otherwise outstanding CEO Shu was actually a lunatic?
Nie Yunshen slipped his hands into his pockets, his face twisting into a cynical, devil-may-care grin. “Fine. No time like the present, let’s make it today.”
“Today?” Shu An’s expression froze.
Nie Yunshen let out a cold snort through his nose. “What? You just said you’d let me top you in return, but now that it’s for real, you’re chickening out?”
The corner of Shu An’s mouth twitched. “Is your back… up for it?”
The moment Nie Yunshen heard that, the fire he had just suppressed flared up again instantly.
“Even if my goddamn back was broken, I could still f*ck you until you’re screaming for mercy!”
That roar was loud enough to make every passerby turn their head.
Unable to look, Shu An turned his face away. Deciding to just let it all go to hell, Nie Yunshen barked at the passersby, “What are you looking at? Never seen two guys being gay before?”
The passersby thought: Certainly never seen anyone be so high-profile about it.
Fearing that staying any longer would draw a full-blown crowd, Shu An grabbed him by the arm and pulled him toward the parking lot.
Only after his outburst did Nie Yunshen realize that they were right outside the bank building, and most of the people coming and going were his colleagues. Although F Bank had a massive staff and not everyone knew him, it would still be bad for his reputation if someone filmed this and posted it online. Consequently, he uncharacteristically stopped making a scene and followed along obediently.
Once they were in the car, Nie Yunshen remained brooding in a sullen silence. When Shu An asked if he wanted to get something to eat, he flatly refused.
Twenty minutes later, Shu An pulled the car up to a highly sophisticated private kitchen restaurant.
Nie Yunshen remained in the passenger seat making no move to get out. “Does CEO Shu have trouble understanding plain Chinese? I don’t want to eat with you. Please take me back to the hotel to pick up my car.”
Shu An parked the car before reaching over to unbuckle Nie’s seatbelt and whispered in his ear, “If you don’t eat your fill, will you have the strength to top me?”
Nie Yunshen wouldn’t admit it even if his life depended on it but he was once again bewitched by Shu An’s voice and tone. Dammit, that flawless, 360-degree handsome face paired with that deep, sexy voice could make even the gods of the highest heavens surrender! Not to mention, he was just a shallow mortal.
And so, Director Nie’s principles held out for a grand total of only a few seconds before he decisively surrendered.
He comforted himself with the fact that he was, indeed, a bit hungry. Shu An was right, without a full stomach, where would he get the strength to do him?
Food and sex are basic human nature. Giving in to beauty and fine dining wasn’t exactly anything to be ashamed of after all.
While feeding himself excuses with such self-deception, Nie Yunshen tucked into the meal with a clear conscience. This private kitchen specialized in high-end Cantonese cuisine; the ingredients were fresh and the preparation meticulous. Though the dishes appeared light, they were bursting with color, aroma, and flavor. Even someone like Nie Yunshen, who generally lacked interest in Cantonese food, found himself thoroughly enjoying every bite.
Whether it was because he was full or because Shu An had proactively offered to let him do him back, Nie Yunshen’s mood lifted noticeably as they got back into the car and headed toward the hotel. He found himself actually able to chat with CEO Shu with a sense of composure.
“Shu An,” he said, “you really are quite interesting.”
CEO Shu glanced at him but said nothing as he focused on the road. This, however, didn’t stop Director Nie from continuing his performance.
He went on talking to himself: “A decade ago, we fought each other tooth and nail, and even our reunion ten years later was far from pleasant. I’ll admit I was the one who started it. I shouldn’t have made the Grand Boss of the Lans Group sell his ass in exchange for a few days’ extension on the loan. But you’ve already had your fun screwing me, so by all reasonable logic, we should never have crossed paths again after that. Tell me, what exactly are you after by rushing to let me top you back?”
Shu An still didn’t answer. He gripped the steering wheel before steadily making a turn onto another road without so much as glancing at him.
Nie Yunshen continued his self-absorbed Q&A session with utter shamelessness. “Oh, I get it. You must have seen how handsome, suave, dashing, and charismatic Nie Ge is and accidentally fell head over heels for my suit pan—f*ck!”
The sharp screech of brakes tore through the air causing the last syllable of Director Nie’s sentence to twist into a distorted yelp. His body jolted forward from the inertia before slamming back hard; his not-yet-healed lower back and backside instantly erupted in a symphony of pain, a “colorful” sensation that was just absolutely fantastic.
“Sur… name… Shu!” He glared at Shu An through gritted teeth, looking as though he wanted to tear a chunk of flesh right off the man’s neck.
Shu An calmly lifted his chin to gesture toward the front. “Red light.”
Director Nie was livid. “Do you even know how to drive! Who the hell slams the brakes like that for a red light? Just admit it, you did that on purpose!”
Shu An looked perfectly innocent. “Perhaps you were being too loud and distracted me.”
“……” Director Nie felt a sudden urge to commit murder. What little good mood he’d managed to scrape together vanished with a “poof” into thin air. No matter how he looked at it, this guy surnamed Shu was still insufferable. How could he have been naive enough to think they could coexist in peace? His brain must have short-circuited.
After the light turned green, Shu An set the car in motion again. Nie Yunshen didn’t want to deal with him anymore but after a few minutes of silence, the quiet in the cabin felt even more awkward, so he began searching for something to say again.
“Hey, when did you turn gay?”
Shu An kept his eyes fixed on the lane ahead, answering with a question of his own: “What about you?”
“College ah,” Director Nie said, suddenly energized now that the topic had shifted to his romantic history. “In my junior year, at the faculty Christmas ball, I met this incredibly beautiful Russian underclassman. The moment he appeared, the department belle I’d been chasing for two years instantly paled in comparison. Those big eyes, those long lashes, that slim waist, those long legs… every frown and smile was full of charm, both innocent and wild. He confessed to me before the dance even ended. With him being that proactive, who cared if he was a man or a woman? I had to get him into bed first and talk later…”
“I really regret it.” Shu An suddenly said softly.
Still immersed in his debauched memories of that beautiful youth, Director Nie smacked his lips with lingering relish before turning to ask, “What did you say?”
“Nothing,” Shu An replied.
Director Nie didn’t care in the slightest about what he had actually said and pressed on heartlessly, “So when did you know you were gay?”
“High school.” This time, Nie Yunshen heard Shu An’s two-word reply loud and clear.
Director Nie was instantly struck with shock.
“No way? You turned that early?” Before Shu An could even answer, Nie Yunshen began muttering his own conclusion. “No wonder you were totally indifferent to all those girls chasing you back then, it turns out you preferred someone with a dick? Holy sh*t, CEO Shu, you certainly hid that deep.”
Shu An didn’t bother responding this time. Instead, he slowed down and steered the car into the hotel’s underground parking garage.
Completely stunned by this sudden burst of gossip, Nie Yunshen was so thrilled that he forgot all about the pain in his backside. He pressed on relentlessly: “If you knew you were gay, there must have been someone you liked. Is it someone from our school? Or another school? It wasn’t that guy surnamed Wen from No. 3 High, was it? What was his name again?”
“Wen Siyu.”
“Right, right, Wen Siyu! Holy crap, it really was him?”
The parking lot was packed, and Shu An concentrated fully on finding an open spot. He offered nothing but a massive eye-roll toward Nie Yunshen’s wild imagination while refusing to comment.
Silence equals consent! Director Nie felt like he truly had the latent potential to be the next Sherlock Holmes.
“Back when we went to that math competition, I thought you were being a little too attentive to that guy surnamed Wen. Who knew you liked that type? Your taste is… well, unique.” Nie Yunshen patted Shu An’s shoulder with smug satisfaction. In his mind, he had far better taste in men than Shu An ever did. “But hey, a frail little bookworm is actually pretty cute. I heard he transferred during senior year—that wasn’t because of you, was it? Did you get your hands on him and then dump him like a heartless bastard?”
“……”
Having circled half the parking lot just to find a spot, CEO Shu was so stunned by Nie Yunshen’s wild imagination that he nearly backed his car’s rear end straight into the front of a nearby Audi. After finally parking the car without any further incident, he seriously began to consider whether he should help this person drain the excess water from his brain.
Seeing Shu An’s conflicted expression, Nie Yunshen took it as a confirmation of his suspicions.
“Hey, it’s no big deal. It’s been so many years anyway. You were just a kid back then, you didn’t know any better.”
Shu An nearly coughed up a lung in frustration. “It wasn’t him.”
“Even if it was, it doesn’t matter either. I won’t mock you,” Nie Yunshen said while adding mentally, I’ll only mock you secretly in my head.
“It really wasn’t him.” Shu An rubbed his forehead. “He’s the son of one of my father’s business associates. He hadn’t been very healthy growing up, and since he was coincidentally attending the same competition as us, my dad asked me to keep an eye on him. He transferred during his senior year because he wasn’t a local student; he had to return to his registered hometown to take the National College Entrance Examination.”
Uh… talk about an awkward blunder.
Nie Yunshen silently retracted the “claw” he still had resting on the other party’s shoulder. “Cough… I was just taking a wild guess, don’t mind me. Anyway, we’re here. I’ll go grab my car now. Bye!” As he spoke, he moved to open the car door and bail but to his surprise, Shu An grabbed his arm.
He looked back. “What? I’m not doing you today. We’ll set another time.”
“Nie Yunshen.” Although he was holding the other party’s arm, Shu An’s voice sounded strangely gentle. He said, “Aren’t you curious about who I liked? Do you want to hear it?”
Unlock advance chapters HERE!
Lucien On ABRWF Chapter 66.1