After over an hour of playfulness, Tan Sizhe had to get up for work. Ye Mingxuan had class at ten that morning, so he wasn’t in a rush.
Tan Sizai usually changed in the dressing room, but today he went nowhere. Right in front of Ye Mingxuan, he crossed his arms, grabbed the hem of his pajama top, lifted his arms, and pulled it off.
Soon, he shed his pajama bottoms too, revealing his well-toned physique completely before Ye Mingxuan.
Ye Mingxuan’s eyes widened behind his glasses. Tan Sizhe’s body proportions were impeccable—broad shoulders, narrow waist, muscles bulging with power. Beneath his cool, pale skin, prominent veins traced intricate patterns across his arms, thighs, and abdomen, radiating raw masculine strength and sensuality.
But… but was it really appropriate to expose himself so brazenly in front of him?!
Ye Mingxuan immediately hid himself under the covers, leaving only a sliver of his pink ear exposed.
Tan Sizhe knelt on the bed and mischievously pulled back Ye Mingxuan’s blanket. “Why stop looking? Don’t you artists need to observe models? Is my physique not up to par?”
Ye Mingxuan screamed silently inside, grabbing the blanket to shield his eyes. “Enough! Enough!”
Tan Sizhe let out a low chuckle before ceasing his teasing. He got out of bed, dressed, and left for a few minutes. Returning with a breakfast tray, he placed it on Ye Mingxuan’s side of the bedside table. Then he gently pulled the boy out from under the covers: “Eat breakfast in the morning. Watch out for gallstones.”
Ye Mingxuan had just crawled out from under the covers, his hair a tangled mess like a bird’s nest. Seeing Tan Sizhe fully dressed, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. “Got it, sir.”
“It’s Dr. Tan,” Tan Sizhe flicked his forehead lightly. “The drama isn’t over yet.”
So this was Dr. Tan’s brand of health care. Ye Mingxuan took the soy milk, swallowing his embarrassment. “Thanks, doc—docto—doctor.”
Dr. Tan left the room satisfied. Ye Mingxuan’s groggy head gradually cleared. He downed several gulps of soy milk before stuffing bread into his mouth.
After finishing, Ye Mingxuan snapped a photo of the empty plate and sent it to Tan Sizhe.
The other party must still be in the car, replying quickly: “Okay. It’ll rain today. Remember to bring an umbrella when you go out.”
Ye Mingxuan replied, “Got it.”
After replying, he scrolled up through their chat history. It was mostly mundane reminders—like telling him to bring a scarf when going out, wear a jacket when it was windy, or eat meals on time. Ye Mingxuan stared at it for a moment, his heart feeling thick and sweet as if drenched in honey.
He lingered at home a while longer before leaving. The driver dropped him off at the teaching building just as a light drizzle began to fall, enveloping the entire campus in a hazy veil of rain.
Ye Mingxuan pulled out the umbrella Tan Cize had prepared for him. Its top was beige with a small rainbow printed on it, while the inside was black—perfect for blocking the sun on sunny days.
He opened the car door, reached out to unfold the umbrella. Its canopy was exceptionally large—enough to shelter two grown men—and effectively kept the rain at bay. As Ye Mingxuan entered the building, he realized not a single drop had touched him.
Standing under the eaves, Ye Mingxuan closed the umbrella, gave it a shake, and tucked it into a plastic bag before heading upstairs.
Because of the rain, students streamed into the building from the downpour, bringing wetness with them. The corridors and staircases were damp. Ye Mingxuan walked carefully, moving slowly until he reached the classroom.
Lin Jiale had already saved him a seat, and Ye Mingxuan walked over to sit down.
“Yesterday’s forum was crazy lively, you wouldn’t believe it. They made up eight hundred stories afterward, each one weirder than the last. I was watching at home getting so impatient, I wanted to tell them the truth right then and there, but I held back.”
Lin Jiale sighed, “Too bad I wasn’t there, and no one recorded it. Otherwise, I’d have saved it on a disc to watch over and over whenever I had free time.”
“By the way, did Teacher Qi praise you?”
At this, Ye Mingxuan perked up like he’d been injected with adrenaline, nodding excitedly: “Teacher Qi said I have a talent for drawing!”
Lin Jiale: “Really? Even Master Qi said you have talent? Why not just switch majors and study art?”
Ye Mingxuan’s heart skipped a beat. Something nearly burst out of him, yet he remained silent as if struck dumb.
Lin Jiale continued talking to himself, “I don’t think you ever had much interest in civil engineering anyway. Why not take this chance to study oil painting—something you’re actually passionate about?”
After speaking for a while, he noticed Ye Mingxuan hadn’t responded. Turning to see his friend staring blankly, Lin Jiale waved a finger in front of his face. “Mingxuan, what are you thinking about?”
Ye Mingxuan snapped back to reality. “Nothing.”
Lin Jiale asked, “What do you think of my suggestion?”
Ye Mingxuan opened his pencil case and pulled out a pen. “I’ll think about it.”
Lin Jiale nodded. “Yeah, as long as you like it.”
As soon as they finished speaking, class began. Ye Mingxuan opened his notebook and started taking notes on the teacher’s PowerPoint slides, but his thoughts were scattered by Lin Jiale’s suggestion.
Learning to paint—it was a dream he’d held since childhood. But learning to paint required so much money. He simply couldn’t afford such a huge expense.
Ye Mingxuan rested his head on his desk, his eyelids drooping heavily.
The sound of laughter drifted in from outside the window. Ye Mingxuan looked up and peered through the emerald leaves of the Chinese tallow tree. He saw a group of boys and girls carrying easels walking by—apparently another class heading out for a sketching session.
Every time he witnessed this scene, his heart fluttered. Yet Ye Mingxuan knew full well he would never be one of them—just as he knew the combined savings in his and Liu Yan’s bank accounts didn’t even cover a fraction of Ye Yufan’s art tuition.
Ye Mingxuan sighed deeply, watching the people below for a moment before withdrawing his gaze.
Yet contentment was his greatest strength. Ye Mingxuan quickly regained his composure. He was already deeply satisfied with the studio at home and the opportunity to take Professor Qi’s elective course at school.
Thinking of the studio Tan Sizhe had arranged for him, Ye Mingxuan felt immense gratitude, yet also a nagging worry. His master had given him so much, yet he had no idea how to repay him.
As if heaven knew his inner thoughts, a notification pinged from his phone calendar. Glancing at it, Ye Mingxuan saw the date: March 20th.
Wasn’t that his teacher’s birthday?!……
“Mr. Tan seems in an especially good mood these past few days. He treated us to bubble tea the day before yesterday, small cakes and coffee yesterday, and today he brought McDonald’s for everyone. What could possibly be making him so happy?”
“What else could it be? He must be in love!”
“In love?” one employee gasped. “Really? I haven’t heard anything about that.”
Another employee replied, “Would the boss share his personal life with us? I’m just guessing. He’s been glowing lately—definitely in love.”
“Actually, I heard the boss is already married! Not sure if it’s true though.”
“It’s possible. Mr. Tan is 26 now, young and accomplished, handsome too. He’d definitely arranged his marriage early.”
“Then who’s the partner?”
“Definitely the daughter of another wealthy businessman. Ordinary folks like us can forget about it.”
Bai Yu passed by and heard their loud gossip, furrowing her brow. “What are you chatting about here? Get back to work!”
The group spotted Bai Yu and immediately chorused, “Executive Assistant Bai!” before shoving each other back to their desks.
Bai Yu snorted derisively, took a few gulps of her milk tea, and stepped into the VIP elevator bound for the top-floor CEO’s office.
Upon entering, she spotted Tan Sizhe, neglecting his work as he preened before the full-length mirror, adjusting his collar and tying his tie.
“Ooh~” Bai Yu emitted a high-pitched, effeminate voice. “What wind blew Mr. Tan into such a state?”
Tan Sizhe tucked his tie under his jacket flap and shot Bai Yu a sardonic glance. “None of your business.”
Bai Yu plopped onto the sofa, sipping his milk tea through a straw. “Seems like you and Mingxuan have been living it up lately. Every time I walk in, I catch you primping in front of the mirror. Wait—Ye Mingxuan isn’t even here. Who are you trying to impress?”
“…” Tan Sizhe fiddled with his watch strap before turning away and sinking into the executive chair, leaning back with relaxed posture. “Just because he hasn’t come now doesn’t mean he won’t come later. Who knows when he might show up? I’ve already cultivated the habit of maintaining a perfect appearance. That way, I won’t be caught off guard by unexpected situations.”
After hearing his words, Bai Yu gave him a heartfelt thumbs-up, almost ready to applaud him the next second. “You’re amazing. To take it this far… I’m defeated. I can’t hold a candle to you.”
Tan Sizhe chuckled softly. “Of course. You’re not married, so you wouldn’t understand.”
Bai Yu: “…”
Tan Sizhe extended his index finger, tapping Bai Yu’s bubble tea in mid-air. “Like how you’re drinking your bubble tea with that thick straw right now—straining so hard to suck up the pearls that your face contorts. That kind of thing would never happen to me.”
Bai Yu, his cheeks sucked in from pearl-sucking: “…”
Tan Sizhe lifted his elegant teacup to his lips and took a small sip: “This is how you maintain your image. No matter the time or place, you ensure the other person never sees a single flaw.”
Bai Yu instantly crushed his plastic cup flat. He wanted to fly straight to Ye Mingxuan right now and demand he lock up his husband before he caused more trouble.
“Hehehehehe.” Bai Yu looked like a thousand-year-old zombie trapped under a coffin lid, his mouth twitching in a forced smile. “This is infuriating! Infuriating! You don’t play like this!”
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Bai Yu pulled it out. “Speak of the devil—it’s Mingxuan calling.”
Tan Sizhe glanced up, motioning for Bai Yu to take the call. Bai Yu answered: “Mr. Mingxuan? What? You’re downstairs?! Alright, hand the phone to front desk staffer Mei. I’ll have her escort you up.”
“Mingxuan’s here.” Bai Yu hung up, catching Tan Sizhe adjusting his collar again. Frustration boiled over. “I’m done with you love-struck fools!”
A few minutes later, the office door opened. Ye Mingxuan entered cautiously yet curiously. He saw Tan Sizhe leaning back in his chair, his handsome brows slightly furrowed. His eyes were fixed intently on the computer screen as he worked with utmost concentration.
Meanwhile, Bai Yu lay sprawled across the sofa, clutching his chest and gasping for breath as if he might pass out at any moment.
Ye Mingxuan, unaware of the situation, asked, “Mr. Bai, what’s wrong?”
Bai Yu: “I was thinking Tan CEO should do a men’s fashion magazine shoot.”
Ye Mingxuan: “?”
His gaze shifted to Tan Sizhe, who lifted his head from the computer screen. Spotting Ye Mingxuan, he walked over. “Why the sudden visit? Did the driver bring you? Was there traffic?”
“I had no classes this afternoon, so I came over.” Ye Mingxuan looked at Tan Sizhe, his eyes bright. Suddenly remembering what he held in his hand, he picked it up and smiled. ” Sir, this is the milk tea I brought for you!”
Tan Sizhe raised an eyebrow, looked down, and immediately spotted the thick straw tucked beside the cup in the transparent bag. He froze for a couple of seconds.
Bai Yu straightened up: “Oh my!”
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