Chapter 38: HE Side Story (Part 2) [Side Story] Part 1

Shen Yu quickly took off his shirt, then wrapped himself in the fluffy warm blanket. His hair was still wet, so he reached up to tousle it and asked Zhou Jinsheng, “Zhou Jinsheng, do you have a hair dryer here?”

“No, but there are clean towels.”

Zhou Jinsheng took a towel from the side cabinet and turned his head to look at Shen Yu.

The indoor lights scattered a brilliant yet cold halo, and their gazes met within that glow.

This was the first time they had truly locked eyes since Shen Yu woke up. It was no longer just a glance from Zhou Jinsheng standing under dazzling lights amid a sea of people, nor a signal locking onto prey amid surging undercurrents.

Shen Yu blinked. The look Zhou Jinsheng gave him was too complex. He lowered his eyes and reached out to take the towel. “Mm, wiping it off works too. It wasn’t that wet to begin with.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jinsheng suddenly leaned in close.

The man’s thick, scorching breath approached abruptly. His fingers gently lifted Shen Yu’s hair in a somewhat clumsy motion. He raised his hand and wrapped the clean towel around Shen Yu’s damp hair, rubbing it gently.

Shen Yu blinked and drew back his hand. He shifted his body slightly to make it easier for Zhou Jinsheng to move.

Warm air blew intermittently from the car vents. Zhou Jinsheng’s fingers occasionally brushed through his hair. Though the motions were clumsy, they were unexpectedly gentle, like a scalp massage.

Shen Yu’s body was enveloped in the warm blanket, making him feel toasty all over. The gentle rhythm relaxing his scalp made him feel extremely comfortable. When a person felt comfortable, they easily grew drowsy. Shen Yu lifted his eyelids and felt sleepiness creeping in.

But he did not forget the main matter. He yawned and spoke up. “Right, Zhou Jinsheng, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Zhou Jinsheng carefully dried his hair with lowered eyes and asked, “What is it?”

Shen Yu said, “I didn’t wake up because of He Qian.”

Zhou Jinsheng kept his gaze down on Shen Yu’s fluffy nape. “I know.”

The root of the issue had never been He Qian. It lay in the doctor’s words: “The patient has weak will to live.” Even someone as arrogant as Zhou Jinsheng did not dare reach out again to grasp him.

…If he was the cause of all this, if he was the one who had inflicted trauma on Shen Yu.

Then the only way to touch him was to let go.

But he… could not control himself.

He could not let go.

Zhou Jinsheng knew he had to rein himself in.

He feared hurting Shen Yu. He feared everything racing toward an irreparable end.

Whenever this surging love and desire grew uncontrollable, he locked himself in the basement of Zhou Mansion. The endless darkness and cravings nearly swallowed him whole. Only when he suppressed these destructive urges each time did he dare stand at a distance, watching from afar amid the noisy crowds.

Just one glance.

One glance was enough.

If the price of letting Shen Yu live well was to remain a mere bystander in his life forever, then so be it.

Like hell.

It was utterly awful.

The man behind him fell silent. Shen Yu did not know how to explain it to Zhou Jinsheng. He could hardly tell him that he was not from this world.

A moment later, Shen Yu spoke up. “I was just tired back then. I really wanted to sleep and get some proper rest.”

The fingers drying his hair paused.

Feeling this lacked persuasiveness, Shen Yu added, “Really.”

The warm air in the car wafted gently, carrying fine currents of their mingled scents. It was as if their emotions intertwined like hidden undercurrents.

Zhou Jinsheng resumed gently drying Shen Yu’s hair. After a long silence, his myriad words condensed into one question. “And now?”

Shen Yu did not catch on right away. He yawned sleepily. “What?”

Zhou Jinsheng asked him, “And now? Do you still feel tired?”

Tired?

Shen Yu had not expected Zhou Jinsheng to ask that. He grew even sleepier and chuckled. “A little, yeah.”

Hearing his laugh, Zhou Jinsheng smiled too and made a suggestion. “Then, how about going on a vacation to rest?”

Vacation? Shen Yu nodded. “Sure.”

They fell silent. Sleepiness overwhelmed Shen Yu. He could not help but lower his eyelids and close his eyes. His head bobbed down with Zhou Jinsheng’s motions until he slowly drifted off, leaning backward.

Then a pair of arms caught him, drawing him into a broad, warm embrace.

In his swaying dreams, Shen Yu heard the sound of ocean waves. When he woke, he found he was not in Zhou Mansion. Sunlight streamed in through two massive glass windows. Far off, waves rolled, and sunlight fractured into brilliant sparkles on the crests.

Shen Yu instinctively reached for his phone and saw that his things were neatly placed on the bedside table. Next to the phone lay a yacht key.

With a click, the room door opened. Zhou Jinsheng was dressed casually: a black high-neck base layer on top and gray trousers below. It softened his overly deep and dangerous aura, revealing a touch of casual sharpness.

Zhou Jinsheng raised a brow and asked nonchalantly, “Want to go out on the boat?”

Shen Yu had been busy with company matters since waking up and had not taken a proper break. He would not pass up such a perfect vacation opportunity.

He nodded. “Sure, give me a minute to change.”

Zhou Jinsheng crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. He pointed to the wardrobe nearby. “Clothes are in there.”

Shen Yu opened the wardrobe. It was huge, filled with neatly arranged garments. He did not usually have choice paralysis, but now he felt a bit unsure what to pick.

As Shen Yu hesitated, Zhou Jinsheng walked over. He pulled out a gray hoodie and a pair of white trousers. “How about this set?”

“…Fine.”

Shen Yu was not picky. He glanced at them and took the clothes. He planned to change in the bathroom, but Zhou Jinsheng strode away and turned his back to him.

Shen Yu paused.

Zhou Jinsheng stared somewhat absentmindedly at the pristine white wall ahead. After a moment of silence from behind, the sound of a belt being unbuckled rang out, followed by trousers sliding down from his hips to the floor. Then came the rustle of fabric.

Shen Yu pulled on the hoodie and suddenly spoke up. “Zhou Jinsheng, do you know why I didn’t bring an umbrella?”

“Perhaps, Zhou Jinsheng, I was waiting for someone.”

Zhou Jinsheng froze.

“And you just happened to show up, didn’t you?”

Shen Yu bent down to pull on the trousers and smoothed down the hoodie bunched at his waist. He smiled. “All changed. Let’s head out to sea!”

Zhou Jinsheng pressed his tongue hard against his teeth. He turned to look at the man in the room.

The gray hoodie and casual pants fit perfectly. On Shen Yu, the outfit looked vibrant and youthful, like standard college student attire.

Shen Yu tugged at the hoodie collar. The drawstring had gotten tucked inside. He had never realized before that his chest was such a sensitive spot; the string brushing against it felt foreign.

He pulled the string out and draped it over the outside of the hoodie as he walked out.

Zhou Jinsheng lowered his gaze and followed behind. His eyes lingered on Shen Yu for a long, unhurried moment.

As Shen Yu took a step down the stairs, he noticed the gaze and stopped. He gripped the railing, turned his head, and raised a brow slightly. “What? You’ve been staring at me?”

Zhou Jinsheng was silent for a moment before asking, “Did you dress like this in college too?”

“?”

Shen Yu froze. Long-buried memories suddenly flooded in like waves. A smile tugged at his lips as he teased in a familiar, intimate tone. “What, regretting that you didn’t get to be part of my past?”

Zhou Jinsheng’s narrow eyes narrowed slightly.

The man’s eyes were closely set. Whenever he narrowed them like this, it was like fixating on prey, exuding a deep sense of danger that few could face without fear.

He leaned down abruptly, bringing his face close to Shen Yu’s. His gaze fell on Shen Yu’s parting lips. With warmth restored, they were plump like ripe red cherries, glistening as if dripping with dew.

His scarlet tongue tip wound around obscure saliva as he spoke, flickering in and out of view.

Zhou Jinsheng lowered his eyelids. “Is it okay?”

Shen Yu blinked. Okay for what?

Zhou Jinsheng leaned in even closer, his voice husky. “Can I kiss you?”

Shen Yu froze.

“No answer means yes?”

The man’s eyes darkened. Standing one step higher on the stairs, he bent down. One hand firmly yet gently cradled the back of Shen Yu’s head, while the other arm steadied his lower back. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to Shen Yu’s.

His supple tongue tapped lightly twice on the sealed lips like knocking at a door.

In this confined space, their hot breaths intertwined. The air grew thick with ambiguity. After two light taps, Zhou Jinsheng stilled. His powerful chest rose and fell, and his ink-black eyes swirled with dark red as he watched Shen Yu, lying in wait like a predator for its ensnared prey.

But who was really the prey?

An itchy, hot sensation spread across his lips from the contact. Their breaths mingled and surged. Shen Yu tilted his chin up and parted his lips slightly.

The subtle parting was like a signal to advance. Zhou Jinsheng’s fingers gripped the back of his head firmly. His tongue slid past Shen Yu’s lips and teeth, forcefully entering his mouth to tangle and dance with his wet, soft tongue.

Shen Yu lowered his eyes slightly.

In this quiet corner, the wet, ambiguous sounds of saliva exchanging filled the air.

Cathead Island’s ecosystem had reached perfection. There were even plans to relocate Jingyang’s main campus there. During Shen Yu’s extended vacation, he encountered big shots every few steps—people he had only seen on TV before.

These big shots, whom Shen Yu had never dared dream of meeting, were mostly over fifty, old enough to be his grandfather. Yet when they saw him, they stopped, one hand behind their back, and waved with the other. “Going surfing?”

“?”

Shen Yu, carrying his surfboard, nearly slipped but managed his expression masterfully. He smiled back and confirmed he had not embarrassed himself before replying, “Yeah, the waves are big today. Might even catch a whale.”

Catch a whale? The old man eyed the vibrant young man before him and sighed wistfully, lost in some memory. “You young people these days sure know how to have fun.”

Shen Yu extended an invitation. “Want to join me?”

“No, no.” The old man waved it off. His face held none of the intimidating severity from TV; instead, it broke into a kindly smile. “These old bones of mine can’t take that kind of excitement. You young folks go ahead—don’t miss out.”

Shen Yu smiled in acknowledgment, removed the goggles from his forehead, and perched them on his high nose bridge. He stepped across the sand toward the sea.

The island’s community was well-developed, with beaches right next door and dedicated wind and tide monitoring systems. But perfection had its downsides. Once, after surfing, Shen Yu had carried his board through the winding paths and nearly gotten lost.

For privacy, the residential clusters featured various small paths. The main roads were fine, but shortcuts could easily confuse newcomers unfamiliar with the layout.

Zhou Jinsheng sat in the courtyard handling work. Hearing Shen Yu’s remark, he paused in his documents and glanced at the surfboard by Shen Yu’s feet.

Surfing was Shen Yu’s latest hobby. The board bore DIY vibrant paint splattered like overturned pigments in a riot of colors.

At the tail was a black waterproof sticker of a raving cat: a black cat with a pink bowtie around its neck, oversized sunglasses, a disdainful expression, pursed lips, and swaying to the beat.

Cool yet cute.

Zhou Jinsheng had never felt anything like it—like his heart was soaked in warmth, melting into softness.