“Tsk tsk tsk.”
“Tsk tsk tsk tsk.”
“……”
Yin Chen rubbed his temples.
“Just say what you want to say.”
He glanced at Lin Yuhan across the table and suddenly felt a twinge of self-doubt.
Why exactly had he invited Lin Yuhan to dinner in the first place?
“Hee hee hee, it’s nothing much, just a bit surprising that you’d invite me for hot pot.”
Lin Yuhan sucked a large gulp of cola through his straw, then continued staring at Yin Chen like a curious new creature.
“And your outfit today… tsk tsk tsk, it’s really different, President Yin.”
He sighed, “Honestly, I always thought your wardrobe only had formal wear.”
Spring, summer, autumn, winter—he had never seen Yin Chen wear anything else!
And basically it was always black, white, or gray, as if the world had been reduced to those three colors.
“You’re not wrong. It used to be like that.”
Yin Chen hadn’t expected Lin Yuhan to figure it out. He gave a slight nod.
The high-neck sweater he wore today revealed a glimpse of his elegant Adam’s apple with his movements, and his fair, rosy skin almost made the eyes dizzy.
By the time the food arrived, countless servers were already staring in astonishment.
“Ah?”
Lin Yuhan paused mid-motion, dropping a shrimp ball.
His mouth slightly open, he muttered, “Really? Is that true?”
Is there really someone in this world who only wears formal attire?
“Strange?”
Yin Chen saw him struggle with the shrimp ball and leaned over slightly to help.
“Thanks.”
Lin Yuhan withdrew his impaired hand and obediently sat back down, scratching his head.
“Well… it’s just… kind of strange, right? I mean, everyone has their own style preferences, even if it’s ragged clothes… but all formal wear?”
That seemed too stifling!
He precisely dropped each shrimp ball into the pot, watching them float and sink like cute little plump dumplings.
Yin Chen observed for a moment, then took a leisurely sip of cola.
“Hm, I also thought it was strange. That’s why I’m trying something new now.”
He still remembered Ali’s face turning red when she first saw him in this outfit.
If he could make Ali flustered like that, this outfit must be good, right?
Yin Chen felt an inexplicable confidence.
“This new attempt is a success.”
Lin Yuhan clicked his tongue a few times and gave a thumbs up.
Scooping up shrimp balls with his impaired hand, he happily drank another gulp of cola.
…Ah, awkward.
He twisted uncomfortably, feeling his stomach churning.
“…I’ll go to the restroom first.”
With an embarrassed chuckle, Lin Yuhan dashed off.
Yin Chen waved dismissively, not particularly concerned.
Seeing this, Lin Yuhan zipped away in a flash.
Blame his still-healing broken hand!
It forced him to suck the straw just to release some energy.
Sigh.
Being still partly disabled, Lin Yuhan instinctively dove into a stall without thinking in the restroom.
After much effort, he finally solved the problem and stepped out, striding confidently—completely unaware of the dark gaze behind him.
He was happily thinking how nice Yin Chen was to come eat hot pot with him when suddenly a strong force pushed him from behind.
In the next second, his forehead slammed into the wall with a loud thump, and his vision darkened. Dizziness nearly made him collapse.
Instinctively, Lin Yuhan shivered, arms instinctively crossing to protect his chest.
For some reason, he immediately remembered the moment his hand had been injured.
“Lin Yuhan.”
A cold, menacing voice echoed.
Surprisingly, Lin Yuhan wasn’t too shocked.
He leaned against the wall and turned his head, meeting Dongfang Wan’s twisted, furious expression.
Dongfang Wan’s face was full of malice.
“You actually blocked me? And why haven’t you come to work? What are you doing in a place like this?”
He had gone nearly mad trying to find Lin Yuhan!
Even the old man’s access card was of no use—just to locate Lin Yuhan.
After sending countless messages and calls, he found that Lin Yuhan had actually blocked him.
So this was what Lin Yuhan meant by ‘taking a temporary break’?
Did Lin Yuhan still even consider him?
A torrent of questions flooded out, and Lin Yuhan felt himself reliving that same day’s scene.
So he thought, they both needed to stay calm.
“Let go of me. My hand’s already been disabled once—do you want to make it a second time?”
Dongfang Wan’s gaze faltered when he noticed thick bandages wrapped around Lin Yuhan’s wrist.
He instinctively loosened his grip, and Lin Yuhan immediately freed himself.
“How did you know I was here?”
Lin Yuhan flexed his hand and breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed no further injury had occurred.
He looked up at Dongfang Wan’s dark expression.
Dongfang Wan couldn’t possibly know this place, since he had never lowered himself to accompany Lin Yuhan here for a meal.
Irritated by Lin Yuhan’s calm tone, Dongfang Wan snapped,
“Don’t worry about that! Answer my questions!”
Again.
Seeing Dongfang Wan act like a domineering lord, Lin Yuhan felt a hollow emptiness.
They were supposed to be equals, lovers even. Dongfang Wan had come after him first—but when did he start acting like a self-important boss in front of him?
Being stared at so intently, Dongfang Wan grew even more frustrated.
He kicked the wall beside him, gritting his teeth:
“Answer me! Why did you block me? What do you mean by this?”
“I didn’t mean anything,” Lin Yuhan said softly. “Just like you see now, meeting each other would only hurt both of us, so I decided to separate temporarily. I thought you already knew.”
He sighed, feeling some hurt.
He had hoped that when they met again, it would at least be a joyful reunion.
But in the end… nothing had changed.
“But I never agreed to this!”
Dongfang Wan’s voice cracked with emotion.
“I know you’re upset that I accidentally hurt your hand, but it was unintentional! I never meant to hurt you! Why didn’t you let me explain and just leave the hospital?”
“Do you know how upset I was when I finally got out of bed, rushed to find you, and discovered you weren’t there?”
How could Lin Yuhan leave so easily?
Did he not care?
“I know.”
Lin Yuhan made a face even uglier than crying.
Precisely because he knew, he had to leave.
He didn’t want Dongfang Wan to see him flustered, cornered by reporters in an ordinary ward.
He didn’t want Dongfang Wan to see him trembling even now at the thought of him.
“You know?”
Dongfang Wan’s face froze in shock.
Next second, it twisted even further.
“If you know, why didn’t you answer my calls? Why didn’t you read my messages?”
Because I was scared.
Lin Yuhan looked at his twisted expression and thought silently.
“Say something! Look at me, and speak!”
Dongfang Wan roared, and Lin Yuhan, stunned by his near-crazed look, glanced around.
Sure enough, several rooms had opened doors to peek.
Panicked, he blurted,
“Don’t act like this. Be rational—we should leave first.”
Last time Dongfang Wan had made the papers. It couldn’t happen again.
He wanted to pull Dongfang Wan away, reaching instinctively—but Dongfang Wan suddenly gripped his arm tightly.
“You want to run again? Where do you think you can run?”
His expression was almost unhinged, dark with rage.
“Do you think I didn’t know? That it was Yin Chen who took you from the hospital? You think I’m stupid, that I wouldn’t notice you went to eat with Yin Chen?”
“Lin Yuhan.”
His teeth ground, his face twisted further, enlarging grotesquely.
“Tell me the truth—have you… already gotten involved with Yin Chen?”
A thunderbolt hit Lin Yuhan.
His pupils dilated. Speechless, he stared in disbelief.
What was Dongfang Wan saying?!
His chest felt like it was being burned by fire, anger and a deep, buried ache surging up his throat, blocking his voice.
Lin Yuhan looked at the man so close, eyes reddening.
So Dongfang Wan’s trust in him was far less than he had imagined.
He squeezed out,
“You had someone follow me? Investigate me?”
He had thought they had an agreement—Dongfang Wan would never pull that rich-person routine.
At the very least, he would respect him, as his lover, and his privacy.
Dongfang Wan took a breath, then grit his teeth:
“So what? You even stopped doing your work at the group. Do you know how much effort I put in to keep your position?!”
He had sacrificed so much for Lin Yuhan, even defying his second uncle’s advice. And yet Lin Yuhan was ungrateful?
Here it comes again.
Lin Yuhan thought.
The ache in his chest turned into clarity. He looked Dongfang Wan in the eyes.
“Yes, I didn’t go to work. But Dongfang Wan, did you forget why I didn’t go?”
He raised his hands slowly, catching Dongfang Wan off guard.
“I planned to resign. With these hands that can do nothing, how could I continue working at the group? Now, do you still think it’s my fault?”
“I…”
Dongfang Wan noticed the gaze of scorn from around them, feeling a twinge of shame.
Why did Lin Yuhan always disregard his pride?
This time too. Last time too.
“As for Yin Chen taking me away, since you mentioned it, I won’t lie.”
He had always felt he couldn’t show weakness or embarrassment in front of Dongfang Wan.
But now, thinking about it… why not?
Lin Yuhan remained exceptionally composed.
Their social statuses were worlds apart—differences were inevitable.
All those pretenses he’d put up before now seemed merely like bravado.
“It was me who asked Yin Chen to take me from the hospital.”
Lin Yuhan stated calmly.
“You…”
Dongfang Wan’s breathing suddenly became rapid.
“But it’s not what you think.”
For the first time, Lin Yuhan interrupted him.
“I asked him to take me away because I couldn’t afford the hospital fees. That’s it. Simple. Surprised?”
Dongfang Wan’s face first froze in shock, then twisted into amusement.
“You’ve stopped even trying to deceive me? You’re my Lin Yuhan—do you think I’d believe such an excuse?”
His teeth ground, dark thoughts clouding his mind.
“Besides, I arranged your assistant position with a monthly salary of twenty thousand! Do you know that ordinary people might never earn that in a lifetime?”
“I know.”
Lin Yuhan responded, then countered.
“So what?”
He lifted his awkward hand, flexing his fingers to start counting.
“My salary is twenty thousand a month, but every time I’m with you, you always go to places befitting your status. Maybe you don’t remember, but I’ve picked up the tab a few times—at least ten thousand each time. How much do you think I have in savings?”
Dongfang Wan shifted uncomfortably. Why was Lin Yuhan suddenly talking about money?
That wasn’t the real issue between them.
“I never intended for you to pay. Those places have the Dongfang family’s accounts—you could just charge it there.”
“Is that so? Oh… now I get it.”
Lin Yuhan’s words were light, but his heart ached more.
See? This was the unbridgeable chasm between him and Dongfang Wan.
“…Fine, I can let the hospital thing go. But what about you having dinner with Yin Chen—how do you plan to explain that?”
Dongfang Wan stared at his calm demeanor, suddenly flustered.
He liked Lin Yuhan.
Back in university, he’d fallen for him at first sight.
Otherwise, why would the future heir of the Dongfang Group be with another man?
Yet he always felt Lin Yuhan didn’t like him nearly as much.
“There’s nothing to explain. We’re just ordinary friends having a meal. You saw the place, and my broken hand—you really think anything else could have happened?”
Lin Yuhan felt a chill in his chest.
At this point, the first thing Dongfang Wan thought of was still… asking for an explanation?
The same lover who once worried over a small accidental scratch—where had he gone?
Hands… hands again!
A trace of impatience flickered in Dongfang Wan’s eyes.
Why did Lin Yuhan keep bringing this up?
He already said he didn’t mean to hurt him—and yet he almost got kicked into the hospital by Lin Yuhan!
Why couldn’t Lin Yuhan forgive him?
“If you say nothing happened, then come back with me.”
Suppressing his impatience, Dongfang Wan lowered his gaze to Lin Yuhan.
After a pause, he added,
“Yin Chen isn’t exactly a good person. Don’t get too close to him. This time, if it weren’t for Yin Chen, the company’s new project would have succeeded long ago.”
“What?”
Lin Yuhan blinked.
What did Yin Chen have to do with the company’s new project?
Dongfang Wan explained casually,
“You know I’m fully responsible for this new project. It was supposed to collaborate with Yin Corporation, but Yin Chen repeatedly gave me attitude and refused to meet me. The project hasn’t made any progress, and my second uncle already scolded me to death.”
His expression flickered strangely, unnoticed by Lin Yuhan, who still asked,
“Besides Yin Corporation, is there a better partner?”
Dongfang Wan fixed his gaze on him and said slowly,
“Yin Corporation is the best choice. Yuhan, since you said you and Yin Chen are just friends, why not ask him to hand over this project to Dongfang Group? He’s here having dinner with you, isn’t he? Just talk to him.”
Lin Yuhan stared, astonished.
“Don’t joke. Yin Chen would never listen to me. It’s such a huge project—I’m just an ordinary friend…”
His words died in Dongfang Wan’s gaze.
“You… still don’t believe there’s nothing between me and him, do you?”
Lin Yuhan had no idea how much willpower it took to hold back tears and speak these words calmly.
The instant the words left his mouth, his body felt icy.
Dongfang Wan’s voice was low and steady.
“I didn’t say that. I just think someone of his status would listen to your opinion if you asked. This project is very important for the group—you know I’m still under my second uncle’s evaluation. If this project succeeds, I’ll pass my assessment. I just… want your help.”
Help him?
Ah.
Suddenly, everything clicked in Lin Yuhan’s mind.
No wonder Dongfang Wan had someone follow him, investigate him, but never appeared.
No wonder he only showed up right when Lin Yuhan was having dinner with Yin Chen.
He had been waiting for Lin Yuhan to meet Yin Chen, to create leverage—so Lin Yuhan would go to Yin Chen for a favor to clear his own name.
Thought after thought flashed through Lin Yuhan’s mind. He realized—he didn’t feel as strongly for Dongfang Wan as before.
At that moment, he was utterly speechless.
“Isn’t that Young Master Wan of the Dongfang family? Didn’t expect him to come to a place like this… rare sight.”
As they stood tense, a cold, calm voice suddenly spoke.
Dongfang Wan instinctively turned his head, pupils narrowing.
Who else could it be but Yin Chen?
He forced a smile, tugging at the corner of his lips.
“President Yin is joking. Even he comes here to eat… what’s so surprising about me? Didn’t expect to see you here, though. I thought you’d been too busy to even eat or check your phone.”
Yin Chen gave him a faint glance, then a small nod.
Dongfang Wan froze.
What did Yin Chen mean?
Next, he saw Yin Chen step back slightly, revealing a handsome face behind him.
Dongfang Wan searched his mind, realizing he didn’t know this person.
“Not wrong. I’m still discussing work—just finalized cooperation on our new product with President Zong. Didn’t expect to see Young Master Wan standing here. A bit surprising.”
Yin Chen’s tone was flat, without the slightest trace of sarcasm about Dongfang Wan blocking the path.
His words stunned all three.
Dongfang Wan, shocked: “President Zong? Cooperation? Didn’t President Yin come here to eat with Lin Yuhan?”
He instinctively looked at Lin Yuhan.
Lin Yuhan was equally baffled.
Huh? Who was this President Zong? And what cooperation?
Zong Cheng was even more shocked.
Huh? He just rushed here after Yin Chen’s call, to this place full of unpleasant memories, and… this happened?
Is there such good luck?!