The bedroom lights remained off, casting a dim glow. Ye Mingxuan was lifted onto the bed by Tan Sizhe, his entire body held captive within Tan Sizhe’s embrace, unable to move. The latter rested his chin on Ye Mingxuan’s shoulder.
Ye Mingxuan felt the other man’s body tremble slightly. His heart skipped a beat as he squeezed Tan Sizhe’s arm. “Sir, are you feeling unwell?”
Tan Sizhe’s voice came from his neck, ticklishly soft. “No, I’m just a bit tired. I want to rest.”
Ye Mingxuan recalled Tan Sizhe’s grueling work schedule and assumed his body was finally giving out. He nodded silently, staying still.
“Mingxuan.”
“Hmm?”
“Since marrying me, have you been happy?”
Ye Mingxuan blinked softly, unsure why Tan Sizhe asked this, but answered honestly: “Yes.”
Tan Sizhe lifted his head, trying to read sincerity or pretense in his eyes: “Really?”
Ye Mingxuan: “Really.”
Tan Sizhe lay back down, his spine relaxing: ” As long as you’re happy.”
Question marks formed in Ye Mingxuan’s mind. He turned his face to look at Tan Sizhe: “Sir, what’s wrong?”
Tan Sizhe: “Nothing. I’m going to sleep.”
Ye Mingxuan: “Oh. Will you be having dinner then?”
Tan Sizhe: “No.”
Ye Mingxuan: “No dinner? You’ll get hungry.”
Tan Sizhe: “…” He pulled the quilt over both of them. “I’ll go soon after resting a bit.”
Ye Mingxuan sensed something was off with Tan Sizhe. He’d been perfectly fine this morning, yet by evening he’d changed like this. Had something happened at the company?
And this unease persisted. Ye Mingxuan noticed Tan Sizhe often sighed on the balcony, standing in the very spot he used to occupy, gazing up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, alone and utterly solitary.
“Aunt Fu, what’s really going on with the master?” Ye Mingxuan stood at the doorway with Aunt Fu.
Aunt Fu was anxious. “I don’t know. He was perfectly fine just a few days ago. How did he suddenly become like this?”
She was truly at her wits’ end with these two gentlemen. One after another, they were like this. Just when one stopped being sad, the other started feeling down.
“Could it be… that the gentleman is depressed too, because of the pressure from your prenatal depression?”
“What prenatal depression?”
Aunt Fu froze. “But Mr. Mingxuan, weren’t you suffering from prenatal depression?”
Ye Mingxuan: “No, I wasn’t.”
Aunt Fu: “You seemed very distressed a few days ago. Mr. Tan thought you had prenatal depression and even called Dr. Cai.”
Ye Mingxuan turned around. So Tan Sizhe had acted this way because of a misunderstanding about his prenatal depression.
But his sadness wasn’t due to pregnancy-related depression. He’d been well cared for during the pregnancy, his health indicators were normal, and the baby was healthy—occasionally punching him from within.
Some sorrows were best kept to himself; there was no need to burden others with them.
Ye Mingxuan walked to the balcony: “Sir.”
Tan Sizhe turned around. He hadn’t slept well these past few days, faint dark circles lingering under his eyes.
Ye Mingxuan looked at him, his gaze softening: “Aunt Fu made some snacks. Come down and have some.”
The weather was a bit chilly today, so Ye Mingxuan had come out wearing long sleeves. Seeing this, Tan Sizhe took off his coat and draped it over him: “The temperature swings are big. Don’t catch a chill.”
Ye Mingxuan: “Mm.”
Tan Sizhe stepped back into the room, then called out over his shoulder: “Sir!”
“I don’t have prenatal depression,” Ye Mingxuan tried to reassure Tan Sizhe. “I’m not sad anymore either, so you don’t need to worry about me.”
Was he no longer sad because he’d seen the person he wanted to see?
A dense, dull ache spread through his chest—sour and swollen, like a sponge saturated with water, heavy and damp.
“Got it.” Tan Sizhe swallowed hard and walked out of the bedroom.
…
Ye Mingxuan couldn’t fathom what Tan Sizhe was thinking, but his gloomy expression caught Lin Jiale’s attention.
Ye Mingxuan shook his head. “It’s not that. It’s the teacher. He’s been so down these past few days. I’m worried he’s sick.”
“Sick?!” Lin Jiale exclaimed. His voice suddenly cut through the quiet classroom, drawing the entire class’s gaze toward them.
“Sorry, sorry…” Lin Jiale apologized, lowering his voice. “Sick? How serious is it? If it’s bad, what about his company? Is he going to step down? What about my fund then?!”
Lin Jiale: “Could it be work pressure?”
Ye Mingxuan: “?”
Lin Jiale: “Think about it. Managing such a huge company alone—who wouldn’t feel the pressure? Plus, he’s so young and inexperienced. Something must have gone wrong at the company.”
Ye Mingxuan suddenly understood: “You’re right.”
If Tan Sizhe really collapsed, wouldn’t he be completely useless? When a husband falls ill, shouldn’t the wife shoulder the responsibility of running the company? That’s how it always plays out in TV dramas!
So when Tan Sizhe returned that evening, he found Ye Mingxuan curled up on the sofa reading Principles of Economics.
“Why did you suddenly start reading this?” Tan Sizhe asked.
Ye Mingxuan looked up, saw Tan Sizhe sit beside him, and glanced at the textbook before replying, “Nothing, just felt like reading it.”
He couldn’t very well tell Tan Sizhe, “I saw you were sick and decided to tidy things up to inherit your company.”
Ye Mingxuan shook his head. That would be too cruel for Tan Sizhe.
Tan Sizhe stared at Ye Mingxuan for a long moment, feeling increasingly uneasy. He realized he didn’t understand Ye Mingxuan at all, had no clue what was going on inside his mind.
Just like he had no idea if Ye Mingxuan even had him in his thoughts.
“Oh, Mr. Tan, I’ll be stepping out tomorrow afternoon,” Ye Mingxuan said. His bracelet had only one letter engraved so far—still so many left to go. He needed to visit Jian Dan’s shop again tomorrow afternoon.
Tan Sizhe lowered his eyelids upon hearing this, a pang of reluctance stinging his heart. “You really want to go that badly?”
Ye Mingxuan turned a page in his book. “Mhm.”
Tan Sizhe closed his eyes briefly, saying nothing. He rose and headed toward the dining room. Ye Mingxuan looked up, watching his retreating figure with puzzlement.
His phone vibrated on his lap. Ye Mingxuan picked it up. Jian Dan asked if he was coming to the shop tomorrow. Ye Mingxuan replied he would.
Jian Dan sounded unusually excited: 【Great! I’ll stock up on snacks for you.】
Ye Mingxuan: 【No need, Jian Dan.】
Jian Dan: 【It’s fine. If you’re Yu Sen’s friend, you’re my friend.】
Ye Mingxuan wasn’t sure what he was expecting. The next day, Yu Sen arrived at the shop shortly after he did.
Seeing him, Jian Dan exclaimed in surprise, “Dressed up so fancy?”
Yu Sen glanced down. “Isn’t this what I usually wear?”
Jian Dan scoffed, “Yeah right. You even sprayed on perfume.”
Yu Sen gave an embarrassed smile. He brought three cups of milk tea and a bag of snacks. Jian Dan took them and said to Ye Mingxuan, ” Yu Sen needed to talk to me, so I asked him to bring snacks over. Come rest for a bit—it’s a good chance to catch up.”
Ye Mingxuan nodded and walked over to sit at the table. This area was the shop’s break room, decorated in a woodland-inspired style. Jian Dan sipped her milk tea, glanced at Yu Sen, then stood up. “I’ll go wash some fruit.”
Yu Sen looked at her gratefully. After Jian Dan left, he helped Ye Mingxuan open his milk tea. “You left early at the last concert. I was planning to treat you to dinner.”
Mentioning the concert made Ye Mingxuan’s heart ache. He’d been trying so hard not to think about it, and now Yu Sen had brought it up.
Ye Mingxuan lowered his head, silently cradling his milk tea. Yu Sen asked, “What’s wrong? Feeling down?”
“No, nothing.” Ye Mingxuan gave an awkward smile.
Yu Sen: “By the way, how’s your bracelet coming along?”
Ye Mingxuan: “It’ll probably take another day. I should finish engraving it tomorrow.”
It was his first attempt at engraving, so he’d practiced a few times first. Only when he felt confident enough did he try it on the bracelet. After all, it was a bracelet worth thousands of dollars—he couldn’t afford to ruin it, so he was extra careful.
Engraving this thing was also hard on the eyes. He had to stop and rest for a while after working on it for a bit.
After hearing him out, Yu Sen’s face flushed. ” So you plan to give it away once it’s done?”
Ye Mingxuan: “Mhm.”
Yu Sen’s heart began pounding. Ye Mingxuan set down his milk tea: “I’ll get back to work. Make yourself comfortable, Brother Yu Sen.”
He walked back to his seat, picked up the engraving tool, and resumed tapping away.
……
【According to the bodyguard, not long after Mr. Mingxuan went inside, Yu Sen arrived too.】
【The two seemed to be chatting quite happily inside.】
Tan Sizhe stared at the message Bai Yu sent for a long time before setting his phone down expressionlessly. The curtains in the living room remained closed, only a sliver of white light seeping through the gap, casting a faint glow on his face.
A rustling sound came from outside the door. Ye Mingxuan opened it and stepped inside. The house was pitch-black, and he assumed no one was home. Just as he was wondering, he flipped the light switch and saw Tan Sizhe standing in the living room with his back to him.
Ye Mingxuan startled. “Sir?”
Tan Sizhe turned with his expression already composed, offering a smile. “Back already?”
Ye Mingxuan bent to change his shoes. “Yeah. Where’s Aunt Fu?”
Tan Sizhe rose. “I gave her the day off. I cooked dinner. Care to join me?”
Ye Mingxuan looked up. Tan Sizhe smiled gently, wrapping an arm around his waist as they headed to the dining room. “Look, all your favorites.”
After just one day apart, why was the master suddenly so cheerful? Ye Mingxuan was a bit surprised, but as long as the master was moving forward, that was what mattered. After all, depression was a difficult illness to cure once it worsened.
Seeing Tan Sizhe like this, Ye Mingxuan felt genuinely happy for him.
Tan Sizhe ladled a bowl of savory soup for him: “Try some.”
Ye Mingxuan smiled: “Sure.” He took a sip—the flavor was indeed excellent.
Tan Sizhe watched Ye Mingxuan: “Are you happy today?”
Ye Mingxuan looked up, unsure why Tan Sizhe asked this: “Pretty happy.”
Tan Sizhe felt a sharp pang in his heart. He hadn’t trimmed his hair in days; when he lowered his head, his bangs obscured his dark eyes.
He reached into his pocket for the two tickets. Ye Mingxuan said, “Sir, I need to go out again tomorrow.”
Tan Sizhe paused mid-motion, clenching his fist around the tickets. “Why?”
Ye Mingxuan took a sip of soup. “Hm?”
Tan Sizhe stared at him. “Do you have to go? Can’t you stay and keep me company?”
Ye Mingxuan set down his spoon. “Sir, what’s wrong?”
Realizing his tone had been sharp, Tan Sizhe swallowed hard and handed over the tickets. “Nothing. Just wondering if you’d like to attend Qi Lin’s art exhibition.”
“Professor Qi’s exhibition?” Ye Mingxuan took the ticket, his eyes bright as obsidian, glinting with tiny sparks under the incandescent light. “Can I really go?”
“Will you be going out tomorrow?”
Ye Mingxuan considered it. The bracelet would be ready tomorrow, perfect to give to Tan Sizhe at the exhibition. So he planned to stop by the shop before heading to the show.
“Yes, I’ll be out this afternoon. I’ll come by when it’s time.”
Tan Sizhe’s smile vanished.
Ye Mingxuan choked slightly at Tan Sizhe’s sudden change, fear creeping into his voice: “Sir…”
His wife’s eyes flickered with panic. Staring into his clear, doe-like gaze, Tan Sizhe couldn’t bring himself to speak harshly. He exhaled deeply.
Never mind. He was Ye Mingxuan’s legally recognized husband. All those other women were just passing flings. Once Ye Mingxuan had his fill, he’d always come home. As long as it didn’t come to his attention, he could pretend none of it ever happened.
“Nothing. Just come back early.” Tan Sizhe smiled, narrowing his eyes. “I’ll wait for you at the exhibition.”
…
For some reason, Ye Mingxuan couldn’t shake a sense of unease, though he couldn’t pinpoint why. Tan Sizhe was his usual self—eating, working, returning to the bedroom at bedtime, and pulling Ye Mingxuan closer to the center of the bed before sleep.
Yet Ye Mingxuan still sensed something troubling Tan Sizhe.
The next day, he slept in later than usual. When he woke, Tan Sizhe had already left for the office, and Aunt Fu had lunch ready for him.
After lunch, Ye Mingxuan headed to Jian Dan’s shop. He spent half the day completing the final steps. Satisfied, he gazed at his masterpiece—the bracelet glistening in the sunlight. A sense of accomplishment welled up inside him. This was only the second time since painting that he’d felt such fulfillment.
Jian Dan praised him, “You did a fantastic job, and you were so patient. Many customers I see can’t stand it after just an hour.”
Ye Mingxuan: “Thanks, Sister Jian.”
Jian Dan: “If you really want to thank me, bring me a few more customers.”
Ye Mingxuan chuckled, “Alright, I’ll be off then.”
Jian Dan: “Wait a moment. Yu Sen said he’ll be here soon. Why not let him give you a ride home?”
Ye Mingxuan let out an “Ah”: “No need to trouble Brother Yu Sen. I can go back on my own.”
“Mingxuan!” Yu Sen rushed in, looking flustered. “You’re leaving already?”
“Hmm,” Ye Mingxuan said, “I’ll just head back on my own. You go ahead and take care of your business, Yu Sen.”
Yu Sen: “It’s fine. My stuff isn’t urgent anyway. It’s rush hour now—hard to hail a cab.”
Ye Mingxuan hesitated slightly: “But…” His phone vibrated. He swiped open the screen to see Tan Sizhe asking if he’d arrived yet.
Not wanting to keep Tan Sizhe waiting, Ye Mingxuan decided to hurry to the exhibition. He carefully tucked the bracelet into his backpack and didn’t make any further excuses.
Yu Sen was delighted. He invited Ye Mingxuan to sit in the passenger seat and asked where he was headed. Ye Mingxuan gave an address that sounded very familiar to Yu Sen.
“Qi Lin’s exhibition?”
“Yeah.”
Yu Sen looked surprised. “What a coincidence! I was just about to ask if you wanted to go there.”
Ye Mingxuan froze. Yu Sen pulled out two tickets. “I pulled some strings to get these. I didn’t expect you were going too. Perfect, let’s go together.”
“No, I can’t!”
“Brother Yu Sen, I have plans with someone,” Ye Mingxuan clutched his backpack tightly. “So I can’t go with you. These tickets are good tomorrow too. Why don’t you find another friend?”
“…”
Yu Sen stared blankly at Ye Mingxuan. “What?”
Ye Mingxuan said he had plans? But wasn’t he supposed to give the bracelet…
“Are you giving the bracelet to the person you’re meeting?”
A faint blush spread across Ye Mingxuan’s cheeks. “Yeah.”
Yu Sen felt his face burn. He couldn’t believe Ye Mingxuan’s answer. For days, he’d been anticipating Ye Mingxuan giving him the bracelet, but Ye Mingxuan had told him otherwise.
Had he been overthinking everything? But Mingxuan had clearly… clearly been following him with his gaze since middle school.
“Yu Sen?” Ye Mingxuan called out. “What’s wrong?”
Yu Sen snapped out of his thoughts and pressed the gas pedal. “Nothing. I’ll drive you there.”
Ye Mingxuan nodded. “Okay.”
The convention center was only a ten-minute drive away, but rush hour traffic slowed them down. It took half an hour to reach the entrance. The moment Yu Sen pulled over, Ye Mingxuan eagerly unbuckled his seatbelt.
“Mingxuan!” Yu Sen grabbed his wrist. Ye Mingxuan turned back. Yu Sen hesitated, then reached up to ruffle his hair. “Go on,” he said with a smile.
Ye Mingxuan got out, thanked him, and reminded him to drive safely back.
Yu Sen watched Ye Mingxuan’s excited figure walk inside, feeling as if his heart had been carved into pieces, the pain radiating through his entire body.
When exactly had things changed? What had he missed…?
Ye Mingxuan texted Tan Sizhe to say he’d arrived, but the reply hadn’t come yet. He wandered around the exhibition hall. There weren’t many visitors—just collectors and connoisseurs who’d flown in from all over the country.
“Teacher Qi is so talented!” Ye Mingxuan murmured, leaning close to a painting and staring at the signature with admiration.
He glanced at his phone again—still no reply from Tan Sizhe. Ye Mingxuan paused, then pulled the bracelet from his backpack and clutched it tightly.
The surroundings plunged into gloom. Ye Mingxuan looked up and realized he’d wandered into a deserted area. To his right stood a vast, wide mirror, like a beast with a gaping maw, ready to swallow his frail figure whole.
Ye Mingxuan swallowed hard, turned, and quickened his pace back toward the exit. Then, a door beside him creaked open.
A strong hand reached out from the darkness, yanking him inside.
“Ah—!” Ye Mingxuan was pinned against the door as a click sounded and lights flared on.
After struggling to adjust to the sudden brightness, Ye Mingxuan’s eyes widened, his chest heaving. “Sir?!”
Tan Sizhe stood silhouetted against the light, his gaze lowered. His towering frame completely shielded Ye Mingxuan from view.
Just as Ye Mingxuan opened his mouth to speak, Tan Sizhe’s hand clamped down on his jaw. “Why?”
Tan Sizhe leaned closer, his slightly flushed eyes meeting Ye Mingxuan’s. “I convinced myself to let it go. Why did you bring him here?”
He had been tolerant enough. He believed it wouldn’t matter as long as Yu Sen didn’t appear before him. But today, at the entrance of the art exhibition, he saw Ye Mingxuan arrive in Yu Sen’s car. When they got out, Yu Sen had even ruffled Ye Mingxuan’s hair.
“Today was supposed to be our date!”
Ye Mingxuan startled. He hadn’t known why Tan Sizhe had suddenly become so furious. Before he could speak, he was silenced.
Tan Sizhe lowered his head, kissing him fiercely and urgently. Ye Mingxuan whimpered in pain as the ring box slipped from his fingers and fell at their feet.
This kiss was pure venting, devoid of any tenderness. Ye Mingxuan’s back pressed against the door panel, his legs pinned by Tan Sizhe’s knees, leaving him unable to move.
Once he realized what was happening, Ye Mingxuan began struggling, but Tan Sizhe clamped his hands behind his waist, holding him firmly.
“Don’t… mmm…”
Tan Sizhe’s scorching breath shifted from his ear to his neck, sending goosebumps across his skin. Ye Mingxuan’s voice cracked: “Sir, please… not here…”
“Shh.” Tan Sizhe pinched his ear, kneading it with just the right pressure. “He’s coming.”
“What?”
Ye Mingxuan was flipped over by Tan Sizhe, his armpits gripped as he was hauled toward a one-way glass panel. Only then did he realize it was the mirror he’d seen earlier.
Now, Yu Sen had arrived at this spot. He scanned the area, frantically searching for Ye Mingxuan.
Ye Mingxuan’s pupils contracted sharply.
How could this be… When did Tan Sizhe know about Yu Sen?!
“Why aren’t you speaking?” Tan Sizhe leaned close to his ear, his breath scorching yet his tone icy. “Isn’t he here for you? Say hello.”
His mind went blank. Shock, shame, and panic surged through him. Ye Mingxuan gasped in terror, struggling desperately. “Tan Sizhe!!”
Tan Sizhe pinned him against the wall from behind, lifting his shirt. One hand slid over his rounded belly as he bit down on his earlobe. ” Louder. Don’t you think it’d be more thrilling to let him know you’re carrying my baby?”
“No…” Ye Mingxuan stared at the reflection in the glass, where Tan Sizhe’s sharp, phoenix-like eyes shimmered. Something hot and wet dripped onto his shoulder.
Tan Sizhe was crying?
But why was he crying? What right did he have to cry? He was the one who had someone else on the outside.
Ye Mingxuan’s eyes reddened. He told himself he should be content, so he didn’t pry into Tan Sizhe’s affairs outside. But why did Tan Sizhe get so angry and hurt when he found out Ye Mingxuan had met with Yu Sen?
He should be the one angry and hurt.
“I hate you…”
He spun around and shoved Tan Sizhe, who stumbled back two steps, his body swaying unsteadily.
Ye Mingxuan grabbed the box from the floor and hurled it at Tan Sizhe, sobbing so hard his voice cracked: “I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!”
The box’s sharp corner struck Tan Sizhe, sending a piercing pain from his flesh to his ribs. Yet it paled beside the agony in his heart: “You… you hate me?”
“You hate me because of him?” His lips turned pale, his voice hoarse.
Ye Mingxuan roughly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, grabbed his backpack from the floor, and stormed out the door.
Yu Sen had wandered the gallery for ages without seeing Ye Mingxuan. He still didn’t want to give up, so he returned shortly after leaving.
Ye Mingxuan’s gaze had always been fixed on him, and he’d been waiting for the right moment to act. But just when he thought that moment had finally arrived, Ye Mingxuan no longer liked him.
Yu Sen felt panic rising. He searched frantically, convinced that finding Ye Mingxuan meant he still had a chance.
Then he saw Ye Mingxuan rush out. Before Yu Sen could feel joy, Ye Mingxuan didn’t even glance at him, clutching his backpack tightly as he ran away crying.
Yu Sen: “Mingxuan!” He chased after him, following Ye Mingxuan down the next street.
Tan Sizhe ran to the entrance looking for someone and witnessed this scene.
The sky darkened, moonlight casting a heavy glow on the ground. He lowered his head, staring at the black box in his hands, his fingers curling around it.
It turned out that in this detective game, he was the only one who lost.
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