Chapter 35 Part 1

The kiss came too suddenly and too fiercely. With Zhu Ran’s emotions already in collapse, it was even more intense than their first kiss.

Zhu Ran didn’t even have time to react. His eyes widened, tears forced out by Huo Boyan clinging to his lashes as he stared in dazed bewilderment.

Just a second ago, Huo Boyan had been telling him to calm down, but the next second, he lunged forward recklessly and bit Zhu Ran’s lips. That aggressive demeanor made it seem like he wanted to devour Zhu Ran whole.

Huo Boyan stood nearly 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighed over 176 pounds, his excellent physique maintained through long-term aerobic and strength training. In that moment, he bore down on Zhu Ran like a truck. Zhu Ran, caught completely off guard, couldn’t withstand the fierce impact.

His lower back bent backward like a softened paper straw, and cries of mercy escaped his mouth, but they elicited not a shred of pity from Huo Boyan.

Huo Boyan swept Zhu Ran onto the desk in one smooth motion. Their bodies knocked over stacks of files and items, but Huo Boyan paid them no mind.

His gentlemanly demeanor, ingrained deep in his bones; his brilliant brain, which had operated flawlessly for nearly thirty years; his iron will, always capable of staying calm—all of it crumbled, shattered, and broke apart under Zhu Ran’s gaze.

All his senses, impulses, desires, including his very soul and will, surged toward one place—Zhu Ran.

Huo Boyan’s arms clamped around Zhu Ran like iron, forcefully pressing the back of his head to prevent any escape. He controlled all of Zhu Ran’s breaths and reactions.

But it still wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough.

He wanted Zhu Ran.

He wanted Zhu Ran’s tears, breaths, embraces, lips, body, thoughts, and even his soul.

He wanted all of Zhu Ran, wanted him to belong to him willingly, to trust him, adore him, and depend on him.

He wanted Zhu Ran, so that he could never leave him in this lifetime.

In that moment of utter madness, just as Zhu Ran feared he would be completely devoured by Huo Boyan and trembled in terror, Huo Boyan suddenly regained control with a powerful surge of self-restraint.

His body was already a mess, but his mind brutally suppressed all the impulses on the verge of spiraling out of control. He buried his aggression, destructiveness, and insane craving for Zhu Ran deep beneath a calm exterior.

Miraculously, he slowed his movements, reining in that highly destructive behavior to a level Zhu Ran could accept—like a gentle spring rain softly falling.

Zhu Ran quickly sensed the change. The urge to flee faded as he gradually sank into the tender dream Huo Boyan had woven. He was like a bee with its legs stuck in honey, trapped in a cunning human’s lure, yet naively thanking nature for the gift.

Huo Boyan self-taught developed a service-oriented mindset and deceptively made Zhu Ran believe it was his true nature.

Zhu Ran thought he had regained control, and his alarm system shut down completely. His hands climbed to the back of Huo Boyan’s neck, his body going limp as he let out sickeningly sweet sounds amid the dreamy kiss.

“Like it that much?” Huo Boyan chuckled softly. Zhu Ran, in a slight daze, opened his eyes and stared at the man’s expression from point-blank range—the black depths of his eyes brimmed with tenderness and emotion.

Zhu Ran seemed a bit embarrassed. He closed his eyes and let out a soft “Mm.”

Huo Boyan’s breathing grew heavier as a result, but he still restrained himself, gradually infusing the once-dominant kiss with soothing intent.

Zhu Ran immersed himself in that hot-spring warmth, feeling enveloped, uplifted, and saturated.

Miraculously, he emerged from that helpless despair.

The kiss ended in a tender, lingering fashion. For the next several minutes, their foreheads pressed together as they steadied their ragged breaths.

Huo Boyan spoke first, his large hand pressing the back of Zhu Ran’s neck in a mildly forceful tone that wasn’t off-putting. “Feeling better?”

Zhu Ran sat on the desk, tugging awkwardly at the hem of his clothes before nodding lightly.

The atmosphere grew a little awkward—mostly because he hadn’t planned to get involved with Huo Boyan, yet here he was, inexplicably kissing him again.

Though Huo Boyan had initiated it, Zhu Ran couldn’t exactly blame him; after all, his own willpower wasn’t that strong, and things had spiraled like this in a haze.

Huo Boyan, however, acted completely at ease, showing no sign of having taken advantage. He bent down to pick up the scattered files from the floor.

Zhu Ran’s face heated up. He hurried down to help tidy up, then spotted his own handwriting on a sheet of paper—utter chaos. Without seeing it, he might not have even remembered what he’d written.

“Want to talk about it?” Huo Boyan’s calm voice sounded.

Zhu Ran glanced at him but stayed silent.

He wasn’t good at opening up to others. Even with his closest friend, Song Xingchen, it was hard for him to share his troubles and secrets.

As for Huo Boyan…

They’d known each other too short a time. Though their bodies had inexplicably grown intimate, their emotions hadn’t reached the level where he could bare his secrets. Huo Boyan seemed reliable and could offer advice and help, but Zhu Ran worried that over-relying on him might lead to irreversible consequences.

He didn’t know where that thought came from, but Zhu Ran truly couldn’t cast everything aside and relax around Huo Boyan.

His silence stretched too long, so Huo Boyan suggested they go eat first. It was a simple request, and Zhu Ran agreed without hesitation.

Huo Boyan grabbed Zhu Ran’s suitcase and headed downstairs. As the elevator doors closed, he added, “Mind coming to my place?”

To Huo Boyan’s home?

Zhu Ran blinked. He felt it wasn’t the best choice, but perhaps because he’d just turned Huo Boyan down earlier—or maybe due to the day’s emotional rollercoaster and constant rushing around—he was exhausted and didn’t want to waste time finding a place to stay.

Zhu Ran hesitated for a moment before finally agreeing.

Huo Boyan’s home wasn’t far from the company—a luxury apartment penthouse with a view overlooking Victoria Harbour at night.

The interior matched Zhu Ran’s expectations: modern minimalist art style, sparsely furnished with just a few pieces and artworks, leaving vast, luxurious open spaces. It felt less like a lived-in home and more like a high-end art museum.

Huo Boyan briefly explained the layout before leading Zhu Ran to the guest room. He said everything in the house was available for Zhu Ran’s use, the bedroom door could be locked from inside, and it had its own bathroom. He told Zhu Ran to shower first and come out for dinner when ready.

Zhu Ran’s brain had shut down from overload, tangled in countless thorny issues. He desperately needed someone to direct him, to reclaim a sense of control from these small tasks.

Still, Zhu Ran dawdled before getting started. By the time he showered and blow-dried his hair, half an hour had passed.