Chapter 22

The remaining five days of the holiday were spent doing little more than making love and eating, which seemed unbelievable, especially for Ye Ji’an, but it truly happened, and it indeed happened to him. On the first day of the new year, the carpet was sent to the dry cleaners, but that didn’t make any difference. With so many places to choose from—the bed, the sofa, the bathroom, even the kitchen and dining table—the only time Ye Ji’an went out was to retrieve some stored toilet paper from his home. For the rest of the time, he hardly wore clothes; the underfloor heating and radiators were so warm. When he cooked, he simply put on a pair of sweatpants and an apron, and he would be hugged from behind while chopping onions.

Liang Xiao kissed his ear while the onion juice in the air made him tear up, yet he continued to kiss.

This led to the fact that they had little laundry to deal with; the washing machine was piled high with dirty sheets and sofa cushions. At one point, Liang Xiao even had to insert himself into Ye Ji’an while he responded to work messages, patiently answering his subordinates’ questions in the work group, skillfully using WeChat’s built-in emojis like “strong” and “OK,” sounding like a perfect boss. No matter how long the messages were, he refused to use voice messages because outside the screen, he was gasping for breath, his swollen nipples being pinched and kneaded repeatedly, fingers trembling as he kept typing the wrong words, leaning on Liang Xiao’s shoulder, panicking and telling him to slow down. At other times, after they were entwined, Ye Ji’an, feeling drowsy, would suddenly crave a cigarette. Liang Xiao would hold his wrist, his sweaty nose brushing against Ye Ji’an’s fingers, and with a cigarette in his mouth, he would ask him for a lighter, the crimson glow of the cigarette tip in the dark becoming a natural form of flirtation.

One exhausting midnight, Ye Ji’an woke up naked in Liang Xiao’s arms, feeling his still damp backside. He stared at the ceiling, asking himself if this was a bit too crazy.

Indeed.

He, a man who had long accepted his dry and boring fate, at nearly thirty-five years old, was now living with a young man in his twenties who met all the standards of a tall, rich, and handsome ideal. From confirming their relationship to cohabiting, and now being so inseparable day and night, it felt like a dream.

It was like rain after a long drought.

So, was this a case of being well-fed and thinking of lust?

It seemed not wrong.

It took just a few days to go from not wanting to recall the content of self-taught short films to admitting that being penetrated was really enjoyable.

Ye Ji’an snuggled closer, gazing at Liang Xiao’s sleeping face. A bit of moonlight filtered in, and he stared at those delicate eyelashes for a long time. It was truly a terrifying face, terrifying because it was so stunningly beautiful. The innocence of his sleeping expression could almost evoke a desire in another person to cherish and protect it, just like when he spoke, every word seemed to say, “You should treat me well.”

One could only say that Liang Xiao was born to captivate people. Ye Ji’an was increasingly convinced that he would have been perfect for a baby formula advertisement in his infancy, and as he grew up, he must have been that cherished child surrounded by affection in both school and family. He understood that feeling all too well. For these past few days, he didn’t even want to touch the gaming console that had been sitting idle for months; he just wanted to be close to this person. What was the reason for that?

It seemed quite reasonable, really. Once the holiday was over, there would be no time to be clingy. When work resumed, survival was the priority; as soon as his head hit the pillow, he just wanted to catch up on sleep. Where would he find the time to snuggle up, share a few sweet kisses, and whisper tender words? For office couples, the best way to utilize the holiday was probably to make love like crazy, saving money, no need for reservations, and the relaxation effect was excellent. But that didn’t seem to be enough. With that thought, Ye Ji’an unconsciously stretched his arm and held Liang Xiao’s waist tighter.

He was still looking at that face. He loved watching him sleep, the more he looked, the more he liked it, yet he also hoped he would open his eyes and look at him.

Liang Xiao really did open his eyes. The moonlight had somehow slipped behind the clouds, and the night was dark. His eyes sparkled, “Senior, what are you looking at?”

Ye Ji’an replied seriously, “Just now? I was looking at your face, wondering if I could find gold on it.”

Liang Xiao felt a bit shy and asked, “Then what are you thinking about now, Senior?”

Ye Ji’an pretended to think seriously, “I’m wondering how many condoms we have left. Is it half?”

Liang Xiao burst out laughing.

On the first day back to work, Ye Ji’an didn’t go for a run. During the morning meeting, he surprisingly used a loudspeaker, clipping the little horn to his belt and wearing a microphone by his ear. His voice had become hoarse after these few days. At the same time, his lower back ached; from his tailbone to his backside, everything felt strange. Looking in the mirror, he felt something was off, so he had to deliberately keep a straight face, afraid others would notice something unusual.

There were still some oblivious colleagues eager to compliment him, “Director Ye, you look good!”

The instigator of all this, however, remained nonchalant. Even though he received the dreadful news of overtime on the first day back, he radiated a bright and refreshed aura.

But Ye Ji’an’s years of adaptability were not in vain; it didn’t take him long to get used to the work routine, as if he had never taken a holiday. More troublesome than the sudden return to fatigue was the team-building activity scheduled for that weekend. The General Manager personally led the event, requiring every employee from each department to participate. The plan was to walk a whole lap around the outer perimeter of the Olympic Sports Park in the cold wind of late February, supposedly to exercise and boost morale, pulling everyone out of the lazy atmosphere of the New Year.

For himself, Ye Ji’an had no worries, and for Liang Xiao, he was even more at ease. His headache stemmed from the fact that among the people in his department, very few enjoyed sports, and there were quite a few petite girls. Girls were generally more delicate in terms of stamina, and with a few special days each month, this bizarre activity couldn’t be skipped. He feared someone might faint while walking.

He could only ask Xiao Li from the General Affairs Department to prepare more hand warmers and masks, reminding everyone to dress warmly. He needed to find a chance to slack off, maybe rent a small bike to take a shortcut. After all, as a supervisor, it was inappropriate for him to say such things directly.

It had almost become a law that in the chaotic first week of the new year, everything was so prone to collapse. Fortunately, Ye Ji’an still had a bit of comforting good news. Valentine’s Day was on Thursday, a day when the company never required overtime, meaning he could at least enjoy himself before facing the miserable weekend.

He had already bought a gift. Liang Xiao loved photography, and his camera and lenses were neatly arranged in his cabinet at home. Ye Ji’an bought a Canon wide-angle zoom lens, specifically choosing a model that wasn’t already in that cabinet. As someone who didn’t know much about it, he was confident that a lens costing over ten thousand yuan wouldn’t be useless junk. It was a large box, which he wrapped in plain colored paper and hid in the lower drawer of his desk, planning to take it out on the day as a surprise.

He had also reserved a restaurant, the Vietnamese place they hadn’t eaten at before going dancing.

Who would have thought that the weather would turn against him? On February 13th, the day before Valentine’s Day, Ye Ji’an received a notice from upper management that employees who had been with the company for less than a year were required to visit a subsidiary in another district for a day, scheduled for February 14th.

Ye Ji’an calmly forwarded the message to his secretary, instructing him to notify everyone.

However, that night when he returned home, Ye Ji’an felt speechless, unusually unable to hold it together. He slammed his hand on the mattress, cursing the terrible arrangement. He said that the subsidiary had nothing worth visiting, they hardly ever contacted each other, it was just a formality. Organizing new employees to visit every year was a waste of time, and scheduling it on Valentine’s Day was just asking for trouble.

Liang Xiao, however, remained calm, wrapping his arms around Ye Ji’an’s shoulders and softly saying, “We still have time for dinner.”

Ye Ji’an rubbed his sore palm and muttered, “Did you ask?”

Liang Xiao smiled, “They said we can take the bus back around five. I still need to go get a gift for you.”

Ye Ji’an immediately calmed down, “Then hurry up.”

Liang Xiao raised his hand in promise, “I’ll make sure you only have to wait for me in the office until six.”

Ye Ji’an smiled. He looked at the ever-present blue-green lizard. Except when its owner put it in the box during their activities in bed, it seemed to prefer staying on the bedside table. “Alright, may Marx bless us.”

The next day, Liang Xiao got off the subway halfway and transferred directly to the subsidiary, while Ye Ji’an sat alone at the Fuxingmen station, waiting at the zebra crossing in front of the company building, his hands stuffed in his coat pockets, shrinking his neck against the wind, feeling somewhat unaccustomed. After a morning of work, four young people were absent from the department, and he felt a bit empty.

It wasn’t that Liang Xiao was around all the time; they hardly spent much time together. They would only bump into each other for a few minutes in the smoking room or bathroom, at most sneaking into a stall for a kiss when no one was around. Even when Liang Xiao came to Ye Ji’an’s office to submit reports or collect materials, they wouldn’t exchange a word outside of work. Ye Ji’an simply enjoyed the moment after completing part of his work, lifting his gaze from the screen to glance outside through the glass wall of his office, rubbing his sore eyes. Liang Xiao’s workstation was diagonally across from him, and his serious working posture always brought a sense of reassurance. No matter what color his shirt was, it was always pleasant to look at. Now, with him absent, staring at the empty seat and rubbing his eyes, even just a couple of times during those few hours felt empty.

Ye Ji’an felt a sense of horror at his quickly developed dependency.

During lunch, he reverted to a state of indifference, having a sandwich and a box of yogurt, and in the afternoon, he was full of energy. He wanted to finish his work quickly, waiting eagerly for Liang Xiao to return with that mysterious gift. By a little past three, he had no work left, just a short meeting before the end of the day. Ye Ji’an had thought he would have to work until at least four-thirty, but now feeling quite accomplished, he was preparing to brew a cup of tea and check his stocks when he suddenly received a call from his secretary, saying the front desk was looking for him.

Did a guest come to the front desk for him? As long as there was prior notice for work-related matters, Ye Ji’an would definitely arrange for someone to receive them. As for personal matters, it was rare to encounter such a situation.

When the call connected, he heard the flustered voice of the front desk girl, “Director Ye, you need to come quickly! Someone is looking for Liang Xiao from your department. They didn’t make a reservation or contact him, and they’re trying to force their way through the turnstile. There are people gathering to watch… It’s a foreigner!”

Ye Ji’an thought this was bad.

Wasn’t this just a series of unfortunate events?

He didn’t make a fuss or call any of his colleagues, not even putting on his coat, just grabbing his phone and heading to the elevator. In front of the copper-colored mirrored wall, he adjusted his tie and tucked his ID badge into his shirt pocket.

After descending several floors and exiting the elevator, he indeed saw a small crowd gathered at the turnstile, mostly security personnel, and the head of the security department was also there. In the center of their circle stood a tall, slender blonde boy.

This time, Roman wasn’t wearing a short-sleeved shirt; he was dressed in all black, with a denim jacket featuring a fur collar on top, and he stood there silently, expressionless, refusing to budge. Others were trying to pull him away, and as they pushed and shoved, he turned his face and, upon seeing Ye Ji’an, his expression changed.

Ye Ji’an swiped his card to exit, “Liang Xiao isn’t here. If there’s something urgent, just tell me.”

The crowd surrounding Roman turned to look at him, automatically parting to let him through.

Ye Ji’an took a deep breath, walked up to Roman, and said in English, “It’s not that he doesn’t want to see you; he really isn’t here. If necessary, I can pull up the attendance records to show you. Do you need that?”

Roman raised an eyebrow, his expression a mix of impatience and provocation, “Are you his current partner?” he asked directly in English.

The surrounding air became noticeably quiet, while Ye Ji’an remained calm, “I’m his department supervisor. When he’s not here, I’m responsible for work matters. If it’s not urgent, you can contact him privately. There’s no need to come to our company.”

He spoke directly to Roman, his face showing no emotion, and his tone remained the same. To outsiders, it certainly didn’t resemble the demeanor of a current partner facing an ex. Roman tilted his head, his lake-blue eyes looking at him with interest, “I have something to discuss with you. Is that okay?”

“Sure.” Ye Ji’an smiled, gently patting the shoulder of the head of security and saying softly, “It’s fine,” dispersing the onlookers. He then led Roman to sit in the café in the lobby.

He ordered a black americano, while Roman requested a cheese hot cocoa.

“Today is Valentine’s Day,” Roman took a big sip, a layer of cream on his upper lip, holding the cup with both hands, “Shawn actually left his lover on this day. That’s so unlike him.”

Ye Ji’an crossed his legs, lightly tapping the table leg with the tip of his shoe, and smiled, “You want to talk to me about your romantic history?”

Roman blinked, a playful expression appearing on his beautiful face as he revealed his sharp canine teeth, “Is that not allowed?”

“Listen, it’s work hours. I brought you here because you disrupted our work. I have a short meeting at five,” Ye Ji’an continued to smile gently, placing the mug on the table with a crisp “ding,” “If you’re here just to talk about this, you can come during lunch break and wait. I might have time.”