Chapter 18
Murong Yan dropped the word and returned to the ballroom.
Murong Cheng stood there, stunned, his cheeks burning.
Had he heard correctly? What did the CEO call him?
Silly?
Was he talking to him?
Such an… intimate term.
That wasn’t like CEO Murong.
He snapped back to reality, realizing the CEO had disappeared into the ballroom.
He hurried after him.
For the rest of the evening, Murong Cheng was distracted.
If his earlier inattention was due to stealing glances at Murong Yan, now it was because of that single word: “silly.”
He was supposed to be shielding the CEO from excessive toasting, but lost in thought, he trailed behind Murong Yan like a wooden post. He didn’t even notice when Murong Yan’s business cards fell to the floor, leaving the CEO to retrieve them himself.
As a result, by the end of the event, Murong Yan was drunk.
The crowd streamed out of the hotel. Murong Yan walked ahead, bypassing the valet area and heading towards a courtyard behind the hotel. Murong Cheng followed, confused, until the surrounding lights dimmed, and Murong Yan stopped by a flowerbed.
He sat down on the ground, his back against the flowerbed, his head lowered. Murong Cheng hurried over and crouched beside him.
“CEO Murong?” he asked softly.
“Hmm,” the man replied, his voice steady.
“CEO Murong, should I call Xia Jie?”
He wasn’t sure when the event officially ended and hadn’t told Xia Jie when to pick them up. But Xia Jie should be nearby.
The CEO shook his head.
No? Didn’t he want Xia Jie to pick them up? Was the event not over yet?
The ground was cold. It wasn’t appropriate for the CEO to sit like this.
“Then let me help you back to the lobby,” Murong Cheng said, not waiting for a response. He put the CEO’s arm around his shoulder and tried to lift him.
Murong Yan was taller and heavier. Lifting him wasn’t easy.
He wasn’t showing typical signs of drunkenness, but he seemed unsteady. Murong Cheng pulled, but Murong Yan’s weight kept dragging him down.
They stumbled, almost falling back down.
Murong Yan’s chin rested on his shoulder, his body pressed against Murong Cheng’s back. Despite the thick coats, Murong Cheng felt a burning sensation, as if the CEO’s body heat was seeping through the layers of fabric. The faint scent of his cologne filled the air, enveloping him.
He half-carried, half-dragged Murong Yan back to the lobby. A hotel staff member rushed over, offering assistance.
Murong Yan’s face was inches from his.
Murong Cheng didn’t want anyone else touching him. The thought of Murong Yan in such close proximity to another person filled him with a strange possessiveness.
“No, thank you,” he declined.
Murong Yan suddenly patted his shoulder.
An ID card appeared before him.
Understanding, Murong Cheng stopped the staff member. “Could you please get me a room?”
Even the cheapest room in a five-star hotel cost a fortune.
Murong Yan would reimburse him, of course, but it still hurt.
The CEO probably preferred suites. But a suite…
He glanced at the price, almost twenty times higher, and winced.
Even maxing out his credit card wouldn’t cover that.
“What type of room would you like, sir?” the receptionist asked.
Judging by the CEO’s state, he wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.
But a double room cost slightly more than a single.
Murong Yan would reimburse him, right?
He wasn’t so sure anymore.
He decided to play it safe.
“A standard king room will be fine,” he said, pulling out his ID and payment code.
After checking in, Murong Cheng gritted his teeth and dragged the CEO up to the room. Finally managing to get him onto the bed, he collapsed beside him, exhausted.
This must be the most basic accommodation Murong Yan had ever stayed in.
But for Murong Cheng, it was the most luxurious.
The room was spacious and bright, with a large mirror near the entrance and a bathtub behind a partition.
He turned to look at Murong Yan.
His usually sharp features were softened by sleep, his long lashes fluttering slightly.
The CEO was lying on his bed. The thought made his heart race.
Should he let him sleep like this? He was still wearing his suit. That must be uncomfortable.
He got up and took off the CEO’s shoes.
Perhaps disturbed by the movement, Murong Yan stirred and coughed.
Murong Cheng quickly grabbed a bottle of water, helped the CEO sit up, and held it to his lips.
Murong Yan drank a few sips without opening his eyes and then lay back down.
Had Murong Yan ever been this drunk before? If so, who took care of him? Duan Shao?
Would Duan Shao leave him alone or stay with him?
Lost in thought, he adjusted the pillows, making them more comfortable.
His fingers brushed against the CEO’s shoulder. He took a deep breath and carefully removed his jacket. He decided against removing his pants.
He pulled the white duvet over the CEO.
He had to admit, while booking the room, he had briefly considered sharing the bed. But now, he felt hesitant, too shy to lie beside Murong Yan.
He decided to sleep on the sofa.
Unable to find an extra blanket, he covered himself with the CEO’s jacket.
Exhausted from the night’s events, and comforted by the familiar scent clinging to the jacket, he quickly fell asleep.
He woke up the next morning and immediately looked towards the bed.
It was empty.
He sat up, startled, then heard the sound of running water from the bathroom.
Murong Yan was showering.
The bathroom door was made of glass and didn’t lock. He had checked last night.
He felt a pang of shame at his own thoughts.
He sat there, listening to the water, until it suddenly stopped.
Before he could look away, Murong Yan emerged, wearing a bathrobe loosely draped over his shoulders, revealing his toned chest.
Murong Cheng quickly averted his gaze, his face burning.
“M-Morning, CEO Murong.”
“Morning,” Murong Yan replied calmly.
Despite being the one seen, he was the more composed of the two. He seemed unconcerned by Murong Cheng’s gaze, calmly drying his hair with a towel.
His throat dry, Murong Cheng stood up and walked towards the bottles of water near the entrance, trying to avoid the CEO in his bathrobe.
Murong Yan stepped aside, blocking his path.
Murong Cheng looked up, confused.
“Where are you going?” the CEO raised an eyebrow.
Murong Cheng pointed to the water bottles. The CEO stepped aside.
The cold water felt refreshing. He quickly drank half the bottle, then coughed, choking slightly.
A drop of water slid down his chin. Murong Yan reached out and gently wiped it away. Murong Cheng stared at him, frozen.
“Want more?” Murong Yan asked casually.
He shook his head.
Murong Yan took the bottle from his hand, opened it, and took a sip.
The CEO just drank from his bottle!
Murong Cheng’s mind went blank.
He had never seen or heard of Murong Yan being this intimate with anyone. He blinked. Was he still dreaming?
He stared at Murong Yan, his breath catching in his throat. He watched as the CEO finished the water and placed the bottle aside, then looked back at him.
“Kid,” the CEO said, his voice slightly husky.
Murong Cheng realized he was talking to him.
He licked his lips nervously. “Yes?”
“Do you…” Murong Yan looked at him, his dark eyes unreadable, “also like me?”
Not “Do you like me?” but—
“Do you also like me?”
The word “also” implied… did the CEO like him too?
Murong Cheng’s mind short-circuited, his face burning. He couldn’t speak.
Seeing his reaction, Murong Yan chuckled, a hint of amusement in his eyes. He didn’t press further, changing the subject.
“Are you hungry?”
That was a much easier question.
Murong Cheng nodded quickly.
“Let’s go downstairs for breakfast.”
Murong Yan turned and went to get dressed. Then he extended his hand.
His long, slender fingers beckoned him. Almost involuntarily, Murong Cheng reached out and took his hand. Murong Yan held his hand naturally, leading him towards the door.
Just the short walk to the elevator made his palms sweat.
The elevator arrived with a ding. He quickly withdrew his hand, wanting to maintain a professional distance.
Fortunately, the elevator was empty. He gave Murong Yan an apologetic look, trying to explain his sudden shyness, but the CEO simply smiled gently, as if reading his thoughts.
They walked to the restaurant on the second floor, where they were led to a table by the window. The waiter handed the menu to Murong Yan, who then gestured for the waiter to give the smaller, drinks menu to Murong Cheng.
The prices were exorbitant. The menu only listed the names of the dishes, no pictures. He flipped through a few pages and then handed it back to Murong Yan.
“What do you want to eat?” the CEO asked.
Murong Cheng shook his head. “Anything is fine.”
Murong Yan ordered a series of dishes and returned the menu to the waiter. The restaurant wasn’t crowded, and they were alone again.
Murong Cheng fidgeted, unsure what to say.
The man he liked was sitting across from him, and he seemed to like him back.
What were they now? Did holding hands mean they were together?
He had seen plenty of relationships in real life and on TV, but now that it was happening to him, he felt strangely lost.
Ever since Murong Yan asked “Do you also like me?” or perhaps since that “silly” last night, he had felt like he was dreaming.
“Are you tired? Why did you sleep on the sofa last night?” Murong Yan asked.
The question seemed innocent enough, but Murong Cheng’s mind raced.
If he hadn’t slept on the sofa, would he have slept with the CEO? Did that mean… the CEO wouldn’t have minded?
Murong Yan looked at him. “Why is your face red?”
Murong Cheng cleared his throat. “No… no reason. I’m not tired.”
“Last night was the opening ceremony. The actual auction starts tonight. There’s an item I want, so I’ll be staying another night,” Murong Yan explained, as if sharing his schedule.
Murong Cheng nodded. “Okay.”
“You can go home and rest after breakfast. Come back to work tomorrow,” Murong Yan continued. “I’ll take you home. I’ll ask Duan Shao to join me tonight.”
“Oh, no need…” Murong Cheng said quickly.
“No need for what? No need to rest? Or no need for me to take you home?” Murong Yan asked, a playful glint in his eyes.
Murong Cheng’s cheeks burned again. “Both.”
“You can come tonight if you want, but Duan Shao is more familiar with the procedures, so I’ll need him here,” Murong Yan took a sip of water. “You can rest upstairs. I’ll extend the room and get a bigger one.”
So the CEO had disliked the basic room he booked. He felt a pang of guilt. “CEO Murong… I’m sorry…”
Murong Yan: “How much did it cost? I’ll transfer you the money.”
Murong Cheng hesitated, then showed him the payment confirmation on his phone.
A moment later, Murong Yan sent him a transfer. 50,000 yuan, far exceeding the room cost.
Murong Cheng was startled. “CEO Murong?”
Murong Yan: “Call me Murong Yan.”
Murong Cheng opened his mouth. “Okay.”
Murong Yan: “Let me hear it.”
Murong Cheng tried again. “Murong… Yan-ge.”
“Good,” the CEO smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
Murong Cheng: “Yan-ge, you sent too much. Are we getting a suite tonight?”
That was the only reason he could think of for such a large amount.
Murong Yan: “I’ll upgrade the room later. Guangyu has a partnership with the hotel. I can just charge it to the company account.”
Murong Cheng paused, his finger hovering over the “accept” button. “Then why did you send me so much…?”
Murong Yan replied matter-of-factly, “Keep it. You might need it for expenses later.”
He couldn’t refuse. He accepted the transfer, then heard Murong Yan add, “If you want to buy anything, you can use it. Let me know if you need more.”
His palms started sweating again. He looked up. “Yan-ge… what are we now?”
He stared at Murong Yan, not wanting to miss his reaction.
Unlike his usual impassive expression, the CEO smiled gently.
“What do you want us to be?”
Murong Cheng shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“Do you like me?” Murong Yan asked softly.
He nodded without hesitation.
“I like you too,” Murong Yan’s smile deepened.
The clear confirmation calmed his racing heart.
“Then…” he looked at Murong Yan, suddenly forgetting what he wanted to say.
Murong Yan met his gaze. “Be my boyfriend. Let’s give it a try.”
His voice was low and gentle, with a husky undertone. Before he could fully process the words, Murong Cheng nodded.
The rest of the meal was a blur.
This was his first time in such a high-end restaurant. He felt self-conscious, afraid of embarrassing himself in front of Murong Yan.
He declined the king crab, worried about making a mess. He awkwardly nibbled on a single prawn, trying to appear graceful.
He wasn’t sure if Murong Yan was full, but he certainly wasn’t.
He pretended to be finished and followed Murong Yan out of the restaurant, then to the reception desk to upgrade the room. He watched as Murong Yan left with Yu Qi, then finally relaxed.
The 50,000 yuan in his mobile wallet confirmed that this wasn’t a dream.
A hotel staff member handed him the key card for the suite and offered to escort him upstairs. He couldn’t refuse.
The presidential suite was far superior to the basic room he had booked.
It had a spacious living room, almost as big as his two-bedroom apartment.
Following Murong Yan’s instructions, he took a shower and lay down on the bed, but he couldn’t sleep.
Murong Yan’s face filled his mind. His usual cold expression, the way he looked at him, the smile from earlier today.
The more he thought about him, the more awake he became, and the hungrier he felt.
He was simply hungry for food. He had barely eaten anything during dinner, too intimidated by the elegant dishes.
He ordered takeout, played games on his phone, and finally drifted off to sleep.
He woke up before the evening event, got dressed, and went downstairs.
The invitation Xia Jie had given him was only for last night’s opening ceremony. He tried to enter the ballroom but was stopped by the security guard. He returned to the lobby, about to message Murong Yan when he bumped into Duan Shao.
“Duan-ge!” Startled, he quickly closed the chat window with Murong Yan on his phone.
Duan Shao raised an eyebrow. “Why are you coming from inside?”
“I…” Murong Cheng glanced towards the ballroom. “I arrived early, so I looked around.”
“Oh,” Duan Shao drawled, unconvinced.
Murong Cheng continued, “Duan-ge, do you have your invitation? They wouldn’t let me in with yesterday’s.”
“We don’t need invitations,” Duan Shao said, walking towards the ballroom.
Murong Cheng was confused. “Huh?”
“CEO Murong and I don’t need invitations. This face is our pass,” Duan Shao said without a hint of modesty.
He wasn’t boasting. As he reached the entrance, the guards bowed respectfully and gestured for him to enter.
Murong Cheng envied his confidence and followed him inside.
The ballroom lighting was dimmer tonight, perhaps to create a more suitable atmosphere for the auction.
Rows of chairs with small tables laden with pastries had been set up.
Duan Shao led him to a corner seat in the second-to-last row.
“CEO Murong prefers to be discreet and avoids the front rows at these events,” he explained.
A staff member handed them auction catalogs. The paper felt luxurious. Murong Cheng flipped through the pages, filled with images of jewelry he couldn’t identify, sparkling with vibrant colors, clearly expensive.
Was Murong Yan bidding on jewelry? What for?
He leaned closer to Duan Shao. “Duan-ge, which item is CEO Murong interested in?”
Duan Shao flipped to the last page. “This one. The final item.”
A Kashmiri blue sapphire necklace? Almost 20 carats. Even the photo couldn’t fully capture its beauty.
“CEO Murong wants to buy it as a birthday gift for Madam Murong next month.”
Duan Shao didn’t treat him as an outsider, even revealing the reason for the purchase.
Murong Cheng nodded. Before he could move back, Murong Yan suddenly appeared before him.
Still leaning towards Duan Shao, he felt a pang of guilt.
“CEO Murong,” Duan Shao quickly stood up.
Murong Yan nodded and sat down between them.
Already in a corner seat, with the CEO now beside him, Murong Cheng felt trapped.
Murong Yan’s scent enveloped him, his heart skipping a beat, his face flushing.
“Mr. Murong, why is your face so red? Are you feverish again?” Duan Shao asked, noticing his flushed cheeks.
“No,” he shook his head, coughing to cover his embarrassment. He pulled at his turtleneck. “I’m… a bit warm.”
The auction began, the auctioneer presenting each item.
The starting bids were in the hundreds of thousands, each item costing more than his annual salary. He felt increasingly out of place, especially under Duan Shao’s scrutinizing gaze. He fidgeted uncomfortably.
“I’m going for a walk,” he murmured.
Murong Yan’s dark eyes met his. “I’ll come with you.”
He didn’t seem to care that Duan Shao was there.
Duan Shao, sitting to the CEO’s right, stared at them, bewildered.
Murong Cheng panicked. “No, no need.”
Before Murong Yan could stand up, he squeezed past them, almost falling into the CEO’s arms. Murong Yan quickly caught him by the waist.
The touch was brief, but the spot where his hand had rested burned.
“Sorry, CEO Murong,” he mumbled, not looking up at either the CEO or Duan Shao, and practically ran out of the ballroom.
He stepped out into the corridor, breathing a sigh of relief, then heard footsteps behind him.
Despite being rejected, Murong Yan had followed him. He had left his bidding paddle with Duan Shao.
“Are you avoiding me?” the CEO’s low voice sounded behind him.
