Chapter 35
He had never wandered the streets of A City at 4:00 am before.
Leaving FISH BAR, his mind in turmoil, he walked slowly.
He knew Murong Jing’s words were meant to be hurtful, a deliberate attempt to sow discord between him and Murong Yan. But a nagging voice in his head whispered that perhaps Murong Jing was right.
If Murong Yan’s partner were the Oriental Group heiress, the news about the car fire wouldn’t have trended for so long, would it?
Something had happened at Guangyu, something that affected Murong Yan, and he, as his boyfriend, could do nothing. Just like during the business trip to Europe.
He could feel Murong Yan’s affection, but how much did it truly matter to him? He was older, more experienced, a seasoned businessman, not a lovesick teenager.
His apartment was dark and quiet, just as he had left it.
Murong Yan’s coat wasn’t there. He hadn’t come home.
4:00 am, and Murong Yan was still out.
Was he working late at the company? He wasn’t sure.
He couldn’t sleep. He was considering going to the company to join him when he heard the elevator arriving.
Murong Yan was back?
His heart leaped. He was about to go to the door when he heard voices outside.
A man and a woman.
He recognized Duan Shao’s voice.
“The fingerprint isn’t working. Try his hand again.”
The woman’s voice was unfamiliar.
“Maybe it’s a different finger? I’ll try another one.”
He instinctively hid behind the sofa in the living room.
A moment later, the door opened.
“Help me take him to the bedroom. This way.”
Duan Shao’s voice was getting closer.
He held his breath.
It was pointless. Duan Shao wouldn’t linger. He would simply drop Murong Yan off and leave.
Their footsteps stopped at the bedroom door. A few minutes felt like an eternity.
He imagined them taking off Murong Yan’s shoes and jacket, helping him into bed, and covering him with a blanket.
He huddled in the darkness, feeling like a secret lover hidden away.
He didn’t recall any women working in the CEO’s office. It was always just Duan Shao, him, Yu Qi, and Xia Jie. Was she from the business dinner? A secretary or assistant from the partner company? But why wasn’t Duan Shao, or one of the drivers, with Murong Yan? Was this woman closer to him than his own staff?
A thought flashed through his mind—
Was this Ji Ying’an, the Oriental Group heiress, Murong Yan’s childhood friend and rumored fiancée?
“Let’s go,” he finally heard Duan Shao’s voice, and they left.
He couldn’t see the woman, only heard her footsteps receding with Duan Shao’s.
The door closed.
Silence.
As he stood up, he realized he was trembling, his legs weak. He stumbled back to the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed.
Murong Yan’s cheeks were flushed, his breath heavy with alcohol. His long lashes fluttered. He seemed to sense Murong Cheng’s presence, trying to open his eyes, but failing.
“Yan-ge,” he whispered.
He didn’t know why he wanted to wake him.
Murong Yan stirred slightly but didn’t wake up.
“Yan-ge…” Murong Cheng’s voice cracked, and a tear slid down his cheek, landing on Murong Yan’s lips.
Murong Yan frowned in his sleep, his eyelashes fluttering again.
Murong Cheng leaned down, his head resting on Murong Yan’s chest. More tears fell, soaking into the blanket.
“Yan-ge, will you really marry her?”
“How long will you like me?”
“I… I don’t want to be your brother anymore. I want to tell them I’m your boyfriend.”
“Let’s go public, okay…?”
“Yan-ge, I want to stand by your side.”
He sniffled and felt Murong Yan’s hand on his head.
“Yan-ge?” He looked up, meeting his dark eyes.
“Okay,” Murong Yan murmured, a slight smile on his lips.
Murong Cheng: “What?”
Murong Yan closed his eyes, his voice husky. “You said you wanted to go public, right? Okay.”
“That’s not what I meant…” Murong Cheng said quickly, his words tumbling out. “That woman who brought you home, I…”
“That was Ji Ying’an. The business dinner was with Oriental Group,” Murong Yan explained, sitting up and reaching for his water glass.
It was empty.
Murong Cheng quickly filled it with warm water and held it to his lips.
Murong Yan drank a few sips. “I won’t marry her. I like you. I’ll like you for a very, very long time. What else did you say?”
Murong Cheng stared at him blankly. “Nothing… I think.”
Murong Yan chuckled softly and pinched his cheek. “Silly.”
Tears still glistened on his cheeks, but a smile played on his lips.
“I have a gala event in a few days. Be my date,” Murong Yan said, looking at him.
Murong Cheng’s first instinct was to refuse. “Is that appropriate…?”
Murong Yan looked at him intently. “Didn’t you just say you wanted to go public? It was your idea to keep our relationship a secret in the first place.”
He was right. Murong Cheng touched his nose sheepishly. Murong Yan had never wanted to hide their relationship. It was his own insecurity that had kept them in the shadows.
“What if, after we go public, everyone thinks I’m not good enough for you?” he asked, blinking at Murong Yan.
Murong Yan chuckled. “You’re my boyfriend. Who would dare say such a thing?”
He was right. Murong Yan was the powerful, decisive CEO of Guangyu Group. No one would dare question his choice, except perhaps his brother. But Murong Jing had already said his piece.
Speaking of Murong Jing—
“Yan-ge, I’ve always wondered something.”
Murong Yan: “What is it?”
Murong Cheng: “You and Murong Jing are brothers. Why is your relationship so strained?”
Murong Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if in thought. “I left home at a young age and lived at boarding school. I rarely saw my family. He was probably the same. We both knew that only one of us could inherit the family business. We were always meant to compete. But he’s much younger than me, so I never considered him a rival. Perhaps that’s why he resents me. He knows he can’t win.”
“Don’t your parents try to mediate?”
He was an only child, but his friends with siblings all had close, supportive families.
Murong Yan chuckled wryly. “Our family… is different. I think my father is wary of both of us. He doesn’t want either of us to fail, but he’s also afraid of us becoming too powerful and usurping his position. Our strained relationship is a form of control, I suppose.”
Murong Cheng was speechless. How could parents be like that? Was this the coldness of wealthy families?
He hugged Murong Yan, feeling a surge of sympathy for his lonely childhood.
Sent away to boarding school at such a young age, with a strained family relationship, he must have been lonely.
Lost in his thoughts, his body pressed against Murong Yan’s, he didn’t notice the darkening of the CEO’s eyes.
“It’s almost dawn,” Murong Yan murmured, his voice husky.
Murong Cheng looked up at him, confused.
“Let’s take a shower,” Murong Yan said, getting out of bed.
Before he could react, he was lifted into Murong Yan’s arms and carried towards the bathroom.
“Wait! Murong Yan…mmm…”
Murong Yan looked at him intently. “Call me hubby.”
“Hubby,” Murong Cheng blinked, his voice soft and pleading. “Can we do this another time?”
He could already feel the lingering soreness.
“Too late,” Murong Yan said, placing him in the bathtub and turning on the water.
