Hotel lobby.
Tan Sizhe held a cigarette between his teeth as someone below him held out a lighter. He lowered his head slightly, and the spark ignited the cigarette.
“Why did it suddenly start raining? Everything we’re eating and drinking is getting wet.” Ye Yufan shook the water droplets off his body, his expression as sour as if he had eaten spoiled food.
Wang Zilu wiped the screen of his phone with a handkerchief to check if any water had gotten inside, then looked up and asked, “What should we do now? Should we just go home?”
“Why go back? That would be such a bummer!” Ye Yufan glanced around. “This is a hotel, isn’t it? Let’s just find a place to sit down and eat something.”
He looked at Yu Sen, who was frowning and staring at his phone.
Ye Yufan called out to him, “Yu Sen! What are you doing?”
Yu Sen looked up, “Yufan, did Mingxuan reply to you? When is he coming back?”
“He…” Ye Yufan’s eyes flickered, “He replied.”
“He said to wait a little longer.”
Yushen said, “I’ll ask him myself.”
“No need!” Ye Yufan ran over, snatched his phone, and grabbed Yushen’s arm,
“He’ll reply to me soon. Let’s go have afternoon tea first, and I’ll tell you once he replies.”
Yu Sen tried to say something else, but Ye Yufan dragged him to the tea house. Wang Zilu and the others exchanged a knowing smile and excitedly followed behind.
“President Tan, I’ve bought everything you asked for.” The bodyguard walked up behind Tan Sizhe.
Just as Ye Mingxuan was about to break down, there was a commotion at the door.
He jumped to his feet and saw Tan Sizhe carrying two large bags into the house. He opened his mouth: “Sir…”
Ye Mingxuan wanted to ask Tan Sizhe where he had been and why it had taken so long, so long that he thought Tan Sizhe wouldn’t come back.
But he knew he had no right to ask.
Ye Mingxuan just stared at Tan Sizhe as he approached, saying nothing.
“Come here.” Tan Sizhe sat down on the sofa and patted the seat next to him.
Ye Mingxuan hesitated for a moment, then obediently sat down next to him.
Tan Sizhe opened the bag and took out medical supplies: disinfectant swabs, sterile bandages, and waterproof gloves.
Seeing these items, Ye Mingxuan’s pupils trembled.
“Extend your hand,” Tan Sizhe said.
“Sir, perhaps I should do it myself…”
“Can you use one hand?”
“I…”
Ye Mingxuan shook his head.
The rain stopped after a short while, and sunlight broke through the clouds, casting a golden glow that slanted into the room, elongating the two figures.
Then he picked up the paper bag beside him and handed it to Ye Mingxuan: “Go take a shower and change your clothes.”
Ye Mingxuan immediately took the clothes into the bathroom to shower.
The lights were on in the room, and Tan Sizhe was idly flipping through his phone. Hearing the sound, he said, “Come over and eat something.”
Ye Mingxuan hesitated and walked over, seeing the table piled high with snacks.
There was strawberry soft-serve ice cream, cheesecake, rose sparkling water, and fried chicken and fries, among other snacks.
Ye Mingxuan widened his eyes and looked at Tan Sizhe uncertainly.
Tan Sizhe smiled faintly: “Yes, it’s all for you.”
Ye Mingxuan swallowed hard. He felt as if he had won the lottery, his head spinning.
When he carefully put a small piece of cake into his mouth and tasted the fresh sweetness, he finally realized it was really for him.
Tan Sizhe leaned against the sofa, his voice lazy, “I don’t like eating these things.”
The crystal chandelier above cast a colorful glow, making the food look especially delicious.
Ye Mingxuan met the man’s gaze and realized he had been acting a bit out of place. He carefully suppressed his smile and slowed his movements.
Ye Mingxuan chewed on a chicken wing and blinked twice.
A walk? In his pajamas?
Tan Sizhe grabbed his jacket and went out the door.
As soon as the door closed, Ye Mingxuan paused for two seconds and grabbed the chicken wing with his hand.
It was much easier to eat now.
With no one around, Ye Mingxuan felt much bolder about eating. He grabbed the chicken wing and started munching on it, scooped a big spoonful of ice cream into his mouth, and burped contentedly.
Tan Sizhe leaned against the wall talking on the phone and politely nodded to the janitor.
The janitor walked away, and the call was connected.
Bai Yu was taking a nap at home and sounded sleepy when he answered the phone: “What’s wrong?”
Tan Sizhe: “There’s something I need you to investigate.”
Hearing the serious tone in the other person’s voice, Bai Yu paused for two seconds, and his sleepiness vanished instantly. He pulled the pillow and sat up: “What is it?”
“Which shareholder is rebelling?”
“Could there be a spy in the company?”
“A Jin was poisoned to death?! What a vicious business war!”
“What nonsense.” Tan Sizhe rubbed his temples. “Investigate Ye Mingxuan’s living conditions, starting with the school he attended.”
“…What?” Bai Yudang thought he hadn’t woken up yet.
Tan Sizhe repeated himself.
“President Tan, are you serious?” Bai Yu was shocked. “I thought you called me for something important, but you just want me to investigate this?”
Tan Sizhe listened to Bai Yu’s complaints over the phone for a few minutes before coldly giving him a number.
Bai Yu took several deep breaths.
“President Tan, rest assured, I’ll exceed the target!”
The cleaning man noticed Tan Sizhe standing at the door and couldn’t help but look at him curiously, but Tan Sizhe ignored his gaze and stood like a statue.
He even burped.
“…” Ye Mingxuan’s ears turned red.
Tan Sizhe suppressed a smile and walked over to the computer desk on the other side, which was the gaming area, equipped with two computers and comfortable gaming chairs.
“What do you want to play?” Tan Sizhe turned on the computer.
Ye Mingxuan looked at the computer, his eyes flickering: “Can I play?”
Every time Ye Mingxuan went in to clean, he would see him wearing headphones and playing a game called League of Legends with others.
“Sure.” Tan Sizhe pulled out a chair for him to sit down. “You can play anything you want.”
“Anything?”
“Anything.”
“Can I play League of Legends?”
“Sure.” Tan Sizhe raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised that Ye Mingxuan knew how to play the game.
“You want to play League of Legends?” Tan Sizhe pulled out a chair.
Ye Mingxuan’s clear eyes darted around: “Can I play Plants vs. Zombies?”
“Sure,” Tan Sizhe curved his lips, “Plants vs. Zombies?”
Ye Mingxuan bit his nails and asked timidly, “Can we play Landlord?”
“Can…” Tan Sizhe flashed a hint of confusion, “Landlord?”
Half an hour later, accompanied by a cheerful melody, Ye Mingxuan won the seventh round of cards.
He counted his rapidly increasing Joy Beans, smiling傻乎乎地笑著.
Tan Sizhe saw his Joy Beans reset to zero and thought it must be a mistake. Why did Ye Mingxuan seem happier when he lost as the landlord?
Ye Mingxuan laughed, then noticed Tan Sizhe’s lifeless gaze and paused, shyly stopping his laughter.
“Want to play some more?” Tan Sizhe asked.
Ye Mingxuan shook his head.
Tan Sizhe: “Then go lie down on the bed.”
The air froze for a moment, and Ye Mingxuan’s eyelashes trembled uneasily.
After eating and playing, the man was indeed going to do that thing with him again…
Ye Mingxuan bit his lip and, under Tan Sizhe’s gaze, walked shamefully toward the bed and climbed onto it.
His buttocks were round and firm, his waist supple. When he knelt down, his waist dipped slightly, and his pajamas rode up, revealing a smooth waistline.
Ye Mingxuan immediately covered his buttocks in alarm: “Wait, sir!”
Tan Sizhe: “Lie down properly.”
Ye Mingxuan sniffed, lay back on the bed, crossed his hands over his chest, and closed his eyes nervously.
A large blanket covered him.
Ye Mingxuan opened his eyes: “?”
Tan Sizhe lay down beside him, staring at the ceiling: “Go to sleep.”
Ye Mingxuan’s eyes were clear: “Sir?”
“Or do you want to do something else?”
“No, that’s okay!”
Ye Mingxuan closed his eyes nervously.
He had been feeling really tired lately, especially today after doing so much work, his whole body ached.
So he fell asleep soon after.
Tan Sizhe heard the steady breathing coming from beside him, turned his head, and saw Ye Mingxuan’s calm sleeping face.
The boy had fair skin and delicate, beautiful features, though he looked a bit thinner than yesterday.
Just spending half a day at the Ye family’s house had made him lose so much weight.
Tan Sizhe furrowed his brows.
Just as he was thinking this, Ye Mingxuan’s phone on the bedside table vibrated several times.
Yu Sen Ge: [Mingxuan, we’re at the hotel’s tea restaurant. Do you want to come over?]
[Where are you now? I’ll come pick you up.]
Tan Sizhe raised an eyebrow, pinched Ye Mingxuan’s finger with his fingertips, and gently lifted it to press on the fingerprint lock.
The screen unlocked, and Tan Sizhe replied to the other party in a low voice: [He’s sleeping.]
