Chapter 4
Shen Yan wasn’t a heavy drinker, and after just two glasses of red wine, his head began to feel a bit dizzy. However, the moment he saw Su Yunzhe, he immediately realized it was the perfect chance to explain things to his “sponsor.” So, he hurried over, smiling as he greeted, “President Su, why are you out here alone?”
Su Yunzhe, who was leisurely stretching out on the bench, taking up most of it, didn’t respond at first when he heard Shen Yan’s voice. Instead, he casually extinguished the cigarette he’d only taken a couple of drags from, flicked it into a trash can three meters away, and then glanced at Shen Yan with a calm and indifferent tone, “Just having a smoke.”
With that, he stood up and waved dismissively, signaling he was about to head back inside.
After being out in the cool air for a moment, the alcohol hit Shen Yan a bit harder, leaving his mind foggy. His gaze followed the arc of the cigarette butt as it sailed into the trash can, and a completely irrelevant thought popped into his head: This guy, Su Yunzhe, is actually pretty gentlemanly.
By the time Shen Yan snapped out of it, the “gentleman” had already walked quite far.
He quickly caught up and grabbed Su Yunzhe by the arm, as if afraid he’d slip away, his tone slightly urgent, “Su Zong, wait! I need to talk to you.”
The alcohol gave his voice a faint, soft nasal tone that sounded unexpectedly tender.
Shen Yan didn’t notice this, but Su Yunzhe certainly did. Slightly surprised, he turned to look at him, noticing that Shen Yan’s face was more flushed than usual, and his eyes seemed to have a misty sheen to them.
Is he drunk?
Su Yunzhe was a little surprised—he had never seen anyone get drunk in a setting like this before. And Shen Yan didn’t smell of alcohol at all; he still looked fresh and clean. Nevertheless, Su Yunzhe turned back around, gently removed Shen Yan’s grip on his arm and held his hand instead, using his other hand to support Shen Yan’s shoulder, intending to take him back inside.
However, Shen Yan was entirely focused on seizing this opportunity to explain things to his “golden master,” completely oblivious to Su Yunzhe’s actions. He continued, “Su Zong, I really don’t like Duan Yang at all. But since he’s such a big star and came over to talk to me, I didn’t want to be too cold and make it seem like I wasn’t giving him any face. So, I just acted a bit more friendly. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not his fan at all—I don’t even know what shows he’s been in.”
Although Shen Yan wasn’t entirely drunk, his reactions were a little slow, but his thoughts were still clear.
Su Yunzhe couldn’t understand why Shen Yan was telling him all this. He assumed Shen Yan might be babbling nonsense because he was drunk, so he casually responded, “Got it,” his tone somewhat dismissive.
Shen Yan immediately grabbed onto Su Yunzhe’s clothes, emphasizing in a serious tone, “Really, Su Zong, you have to believe me. I swear, if I were Duan Yang’s fan, I’d get hit by a car going 200 miles an hour!”
The alcohol had completely erased Shen Yan’s sense of fear toward his “golden master,” and at that moment, the only thought in his head was: I must make Su Yunzhe believe me. I don’t want him to hold a grudge and take revenge.
So, he clung tightly to Su Yunzhe’s clothes, clearly unwilling to let go until Su Yunzhe believed him.
Su Yunzhe turned and saw Shen Yan’s serious and solemn expression. His eyes, slightly misty with unshed tears, were locked onto him with a mix of hope and nervousness, as if he was terrified Su Yunzhe wouldn’t believe him.
A flash of confusion crossed Su Yunzhe’s eyes before a look of realization dawned.
He let go of Shen Yan’s shoulder, turning to face him fully. His lips curled into a smirk, and he said with a playful, teasing tone, “Did I forget that we signed a… sponsorship contract?”
He deliberately emphasized the words sponsorship contract, his tone carrying a hint of mockery.
Shen Yan’s alcohol-clouded mind couldn’t keep up with the sudden shift in the conversation. He blinked in confusion, just about to ask why the topic had veered to sponsorship when Su Yunzhe leaned in close, his breath brushing against Shen Yan’s ear as he whispered with a chuckle, “Relax, even if it were a sponsorship contract, I’d only want your body, not your heart.”
The warmth of Su Yunzhe’s breath against his ear, combined with the heat from the alcohol, made Shen Yan feel like his entire ear was on fire. His body shuddered uncontrollably, and he instinctively wanted to push Su Yunzhe away. But before he could, Su Yunzhe had already stepped back, his tone returning to its usual calm and indifferent manner. “Let’s go, I’ll take you back.”
Because of the alcohol, Shen Yan’s whole body was already feeling hot, and with Su Yunzhe’s breath teasing his ear, it made his ears feel like they were burning. His body shivered involuntarily, and he instinctively wanted to push Su Yunzhe away. However, before he could act, Su Yunzhe had already taken a step back, his voice returning to its usual calm indifference, “Let’s go, I’ll take you back.” He then grabbed Shen Yan and led him away.
Shen Yan’s ears still tingled, and he scratched at them, his mind slowly beginning to catch up. After a moment, the meaning behind Su Yunzhe’s words finally dawned on him: Who you like has nothing to do with me. Don’t flatter yourself!
Shen Yan froze for a second, then couldn’t help but grin. Even though the “golden master’s” attitude wasn’t particularly friendly, the outcome was still to his satisfaction.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the artificial lake, Duan Yang had already stepped out of the venue and was waiting.
It wasn’t long before his manager, Yu Lin, came jogging over. “I found out. The name’s Shen Yan, ‘Yan’ as in the color. She’s Su Yunzhe’s newly hired special assistant.”
“‘Yan’ as in color? Are you sure?” Duan Yang frowned, wondering if he’d heard wrong.
He had asked Yu Lin to investigate because he was curious about the relationship between Shen Yan and Su Yunzhe, never imagining that the person in question might not be Shen Yan at all.
But Yu Lin nodded, “I’m sure. The HR department confirmed that’s the name on the contract. And it’s highly unlikely that she’s your Shen Yan—the one from your family.”
“Why?” Duan Yang asked.
Yu Lin explained, “Apparently, even though she holds the title of special assistant, she doesn’t do any actual work. She just collects her salary without lifting a finger. And her relationship with Su Yunzhe is pretty odd. People in the president’s office speculate that she might be Su Yunzhe’s kept woman. Also, take a look at this—when I came over earlier, I happened to see this.”
Yu Lin pulled out his phone and opened the photo gallery, handing the device to Duan Yang.
The photo showed the moment when Su Yunzhe leaned in to speak to Shen Yan. From Yu Lin’s angle, it looked less like they were talking and more like they were embracing.
“Su Yunzhe has never brought a female companion to a public event before, but tonight, he made an exception. Honestly, even if she’s not his mistress, I could believe she’s his girlfriend. So, she can’t be your Shen Yan!” Yu Lin concluded.
“Why are you so sure?” Duan Yang glanced at the photo and handed the phone back, not entirely convinced by Yu Lin’s certainty. “Even if she is Su Yunzhe’s lover, that doesn’t mean she can’t be Shen Yan. Sure, that guy has no redeeming qualities, but his face is still decent. If he were being kept, I wouldn’t find it that surprising.”
A hint of surprise flashed across Yu Lin’s eyes. “Are you joking? We’re talking about Su Yunzhe here. There’s no way he’d be keeping a man.”
Duan Yang stared at him, waiting for further explanation.
Seeing that Duan Yang genuinely didn’t know, Yu Lin explained, “Su Yunzhe absolutely hates homosexuals. Back in college, a guy confessed to him, and Su Yunzhe almost beat him to death. The guy was so scared he ended up dropping out. From what I’ve heard, Su Yunzhe is a total heterosexual. There’s no way his lover could be a man!”
Duan Yang hadn’t known about this, but based on Yu Lin’s certainty, it was probably true.
With that in mind, if this Shen Yan really had a close relationship with Su Yunzhe, the chances of her being Shen Yan from Duan Yang’s past were slim.
“But isn’t it all a bit too coincidental? They look so similar, and even their names are almost the same.” Duan Yang shook his head, still harboring some doubts.
Yu Lin chuckled, “It’s unbelievable, sure, but not impossible. Remember that news story from Southeast Asia a while back? Someone attended a friend’s wedding and met someone who looked exactly like them, even though they were total strangers. So yeah, it’s rare, but it can happen.”
Yu Lin patted Duan Yang on the shoulder, offering some comfort. “I know you’re worried—afraid of how to explain things to the old man if this gets out. But trust me, this Shen Yan isn’t the one you’re looking for. Plus, given her relationship with Su Yunzhe, it’s best if we don’t stir up trouble. As for the other Shen Yan…”
Yu Lin paused, then cautiously suggested, “Why not try reporting it to the police? Let the Shen family handle it…”
“No!” Duan Yang cut him off coldly before he could finish.
It was clear from his reaction that Duan Yang was highly averse to this suggestion. After coldly rejecting the idea, he turned and walked off without another word.
Yu Lin, having been shut down, could only shrug in resignation.
He had already guessed Duan Yang’s attitude before even suggesting it. Duan Yang was overly cautious about certain things.
Duan Yang was currently on the rise in his career, and while he was promoted as a serious actor, most of his popularity still came from his looks. If news broke that he’d secretly gotten married at such a young age, it would undoubtedly affect his popularity.
That’s why his marriage to Shen Yan was kept a secret.
Duan Yang was paranoid about the secret getting out, and he strictly controlled the number of people who knew. Even after Shen Yan ran away, he didn’t dare to call the police.
Yu Lin’s idea was that if Duan Yang couldn’t report it himself, they could let the Shen family handle it. After all, Shen Yan was their son. If he went missing, it would make perfect sense for his father to report it to the police, wouldn’t it?
But Duan Yang clearly worried that the police might dig too deep and end up dragging him into it, so he refused to go along with the idea.
This had turned what should have been a simple situation into a complicated mess.
…
Around ten in the morning, Shen Yan finally woke up.
Still groggy, he turned over and leaned against the bed, taking in his surroundings for a while before a question popped into his mind—Where am I?
A soft, plush bed, enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, and an unobstructed view of the ocean outside.
For a brief moment, he wondered if he had somehow returned to his original world, back to his own home.
But he quickly dismissed the thought, realizing that he was still wearing last night’s formal attire.
The suit was form-fitting, designed with a tailored waistline that hugged his body tightly, leaving no room to spare. It looked flattering, but it was incredibly uncomfortable, especially after sleeping in it all night. While he hadn’t noticed it in his sleep, the moment he woke up, the constriction around his waist became painfully obvious.
On top of that, it was clear he hadn’t showered the night before—his skin felt sticky and gross, adding to his discomfort.
Without wasting a second, he dashed into the bathroom to take a shower. As he washed, he started piecing his thoughts together.
He hadn’t drunk too much the night before, so there were no memory gaps. He remembered Su Yunzhe pulling him out of the event, getting into Su Yunzhe’s car, and then… apparently falling asleep.
Wow.
Shen Yan couldn’t help but be impressed with himself. He’d managed to fall asleep in the car of a man he’d only met twice—someone who, during their first encounter, had practically tried to buy him out of lust.
Now, here he was, soaking in a bathtub, completely unharmed. Shen Yan wasn’t sure whether to thank Su Yunzhe for having self-control or just consider himself incredibly lucky.
But he was surprised. Given Su Yunzhe’s usual “I’m not interested in anything” attitude, he’d expected the man to find him asleep, fail to wake him up, and leave him alone in the car instead.