BTMDY Extra 14

The sudden downpour had quickly turned the roads around the hotel into puddled, traffic-clogged messes. To avoid messing up his guests’ schedules, Lin Shen announced the end of the banquet early and politely went from table to table, toasting and seeing them off.

 

Naturally, Lu Chengxuan was selectively ignored.

 

With such an obvious sign of disfavor laid out in plain sight, he didn’t bother forcing the issue. He had originally planned to leave after waiting a long while for Lin Shen to return from the banquet hall, with the driver and car standing out in the heavy rain.

 

But that hotel key card had completely thrown his plans off.

 

He had no idea what Lin Shen intended. Before him, Xu Suinian, fully grown, just stood there clueless, while the other child, barely a year old, obviously couldn’t offer any useful information.

 

The only thing Lu Chengxuan was sure of was that he couldn’t just ignore this.

 

Perhaps Lin Shen wanted to talk.

 

Or maybe he planned to confront him—but the banquet hall, crowded and full of eyes, had kept him in check.

 

Either way, his intention was clear: he wanted to find a private place to meet.

 

So Lu Chengxuan didn’t overthink it. He called his driver to leave immediately, gave a brief greeting to the two in front of him—one big, one small—and headed straight for the elevator.

 

The card indicated Room 1602, on the 16th floor.

 

He walked along the long corridor on the soft carpet, stopping in front of the corresponding door. Tilting his head, he glanced at his own reflection in the narrow metal trim along the frame, subconsciously trying to soften his expression.

 

Realizing it looked no different from before, he gave up, swiped the card at the lock, and turned the handle after the beep confirmed it.

 

A standard suite opened up before him: a living room with a sofa and coffee table, wide floor-to-ceiling windows, everything neat and perfectly arranged. The surfaces of the sofa and bedroom were smooth, not a wrinkle in sight.

 

Everything was standard hotel furniture; there was nothing extra.

 

Clearly, he was the first person to step into the room after it had been registered at the front desk.

 

He wasn’t surprised that Lin Shen wasn’t there.

 

He closed the door behind him, but just before locking it, something made him pause. He left a small crack and stepped inside, lifting the curtain with one hand to peek outside.

 

The hotel’s soundproofing was excellent; the heavy rain outside was blocked completely.

 

Raindrops raced down the glass, turning the nightscape beyond into something unreal. The dazzling neon lights melted into mottled fragments, strange and mesmerizing, like a scene from a dream.

 

After a while, Lu Chengxuan pulled back, turned, and sat on the sofa. He took out his phone and sent Lin Shen a message:

 

‘I’m here.’

 

The minute hand on the wall swept round and round, yet no reply came in the chat window.

 

The feeling of having nothing to do was strange to him.

 

For as long as he could remember, he had always known exactly how to spend his waking hours; as long as he was conscious, there was always something to do.

 

He never handled work on unfamiliar computers or networks.

 

But there was always so much to do, always so busy. Even if he couldn’t actually do anything at the moment, he could at least think.

 

Yet right now, his brain, usually always running, felt like someone had hit pause. It was strangely empty.

 

This state hardly ever showed up in his life.

 

He couldn’t even clearly remember the last time it had happened.

 

Under his father’s strict rules, this would have been considered wasting time.

 

Lu Chengxuan had never thought that was wrong—after all, time was limited, and it was a waste for a person to be awake and do nothing.

 

But at this moment, he didn’t want to think, study, or work.

 

Even if he had nothing to do.

 

Thinking that, Lu Chengxuan suddenly remembered school, out of nowhere.

 

They had always shared a desk. During breaks, Lin Shen would prop his head on his hand, spinning a pen, staring out the window, lost in thought. When asked what he was doing, he would just say he was spacing out.

 

He had a pen in hand, could have solved a couple of problems, but instead chose to stare blankly.

 

Of course, he wasn’t the only one doing this, but back then, Lu Chengxuan found it impossible to understand why procrastination and extreme laziness existed with no logic. When he tried to ask Lin Shen, the answers were always, ‘Mind your own business’ or ‘Handsome guy stuff, you don’t need to worry about it.’

 

Now, Lu Chengxuan thought he could understand that feeling.

 

Time should be spent on meaningful things, sure, but maybe the moments wasted were the ones that truly belonged to you.

 

He was always pushed forward by his ingrained, trained way of thinking, rarely taking deliberate time to recall the past. Yet even then, memories remained sharp, each scene crystal clear, refusing to fade with time.

 

Now, Lin Shen was no longer the person he used to know.

 

In just two short years, he had gone through so much, swept along by fate from a fresh high school graduate into the pillar of a family, expected to stand alone. Change was only natural.

 

But Lu Chengxuan always felt that if he hadn’t gone abroad back then, their relationship wouldn’t have become so strained.

 

Even if he couldn’t change anything, at least they could have faced it together, instead of leaving Lin Shen to fight alone—just out of school, forced to carve a path through the adult world by himself.

 

Running a company was no easy task.

 

From the moment he was born, he had been guided along a set path, with all kinds of preparation and groundwork. Lin Shen, however, had been thrust into it, and in just a few hundred days, stood at that level.

 

Lifted up high, looked up to, expected to perform.

 

Even he didn’t need to rush so much. He could have grown under his family’s protection for a while, taking years before stepping onto this path.

 

But Lin Shen had no shade to rest under anymore.

 

So, on one hand, Lu Chengxuan knew that what had happened to the Lin family was an accident, something sudden and completely unrelated to him.

 

On the other, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he owed something.

 

He didn’t know what he could possibly do to make things right. Back then, Lin Shen had at least been open about his moods—if he was upset, he’d show it, get angry, and it was easy to tell.

 

Not like now, when it was impossible to guess what he was thinking.

 

Still, things weren’t all bad. At least Lin Shen was still willing to give him a chance to talk.

 

That was already better than slamming the door and refusing to see him.

 

Lu Chengxuan stayed sitting quietly, waiting for Lin Shen’s return, not feeling the slightest annoyance at being ignored.

 

He’d been the same back in the banquet hall. He was the same now.

 

Time dragged on. Lin Shen hadn’t replied to any of his messages, but Lu Chengxuan didn’t feel anxious at all. He didn’t even glance at his watch; he simply sat on the sofa, still and silent, as if he had merged with the room itself.

 

Footsteps passed the hallway many times, but none stopped at this room.

 

Almost two hours had gone by before the door finally made a sound.

 

Lin Shen pushed it open. He didn’t seem to look carefully at who was inside, humming some tune under his breath. After closing the door, he walked into the living room with light, almost playful steps. The moment he sat down on the sofa, he let out a long, relieved sigh, like a weight had slipped off his shoulders.

 

As he came closer, Lu Chengxuan caught the faint smell of alcohol.

 

He quickly ran through the opening lines he’d prepared in his head, but before he could speak, Lin Shen suddenly leaned sideways without warning, lying down with his head resting on Lu Chengxuan’s thigh, eyes gently closing.

 

Lu Chengxuan froze, every movement and breath stopping at once.

 

After a few seconds, he lowered his head slowly, looking at the face just inches away. His lips parted twice, but before he could sort his words out, Lin Shen spoke first, his voice slow and lazy.

 

“Qingxiao, don’t move. Let me lean on you for a bit… my head’s spinning…”

 

Lu Chengxuan swallowed hard, the words he’d prepared slipping back down his throat.

 

Xu Qingxiao, the youngest son of the Xu family.

 

He vaguely remembered the Xu family being in the textile business. This was his first time meeting the boy today—Xu Qingxiao was young, just started college.

 

Different name, clearly the wrong person. Lu Chengxuan had seen Xu Qingxiao at the banquet. They didn’t look alike at all, except maybe their hair color.

 

Thinking back to the boy personally handing him that hotel key card, Lu Chengxuan fell silent for a moment.

 

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. His first action was to raise both hands, pressing his index and middle fingers gently against Lin Shen’s temples, slowly and softly massaging in circles.

 

Lin Shen’s long lashes trembled visibly.

 

But he didn’t open his eyes. The tension between his brows eased, his whole body relaxing as he exhaled a long breath and murmured, slow and drawn out—

 

“Worked all day. I’m so sick of it.”

 

Lu Chengxuan didn’t stop his hands. He lowered his gaze, stayed silent for a moment, then quietly said, “Then get some proper rest.”

 

The instant he spoke, Lin Shen’s eyes snapped open.

 

The room was utterly still, broken only by the sound of their breathing. Lu Chengxuan’s hands stilled. They stared at each other for a long while, and yet, Lin Shen didn’t immediately sit up. Instead, he let out a faint, ambiguous laugh.

 

“This clueless kid… if I left the company to him, it’d be doomed sooner or later.”

 

After saying this, he finally propped himself up on the sofa. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he waved it casually and said without much concern, “Sorry, Xiao Lin got the wrong person. Not your appointment.”

 

With that, Lin Shen brought the phone to his ear, not giving Lu Chengxuan a chance to speak.

 

“Hey, Qingxiao, where are you?”

 

“I’m on the way home with Dad. What’s up, bro?”

 

“Nothing, just reminding you and your uncle to be careful on the slippery roads in the rain.”

 

“Okay, let’s game together when we have time!”

 

The call ended after a few sentences. Lin Shen tossed the phone onto the coffee table in front of him, casually pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, flicked one out with practiced ease, lit it, and leaned back lazily. He glanced at Lu Chengxuan as if to say, ‘Now you can speak if you want.’

 

But Lu Chengxuan said nothing. He simply looked at Lin Shen quietly.

 

He didn’t know what to say.

 

Or rather, he couldn’t find the right position to say it from.

 

Yet Lin Shen, who usually hated his silence, didn’t seem to mind at all. After waiting a while and seeing him still say nothing, he appeared unusually patient and began speaking on his own.

 

“It was Xu Qingxiao, Mr. Xu’s son. Today is probably your first time meeting him, right? The blond-haired, blue-eyed little charmer… I completely forgot to introduce him to you. He’s interesting. Whenever I call him, no matter what he’s doing, he’ll drop everything to come game with me, play with me.”

 

Lu Chengxuan wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but it felt like Lin Shen deliberately lingered on the words ‘play with me’ in a very suggestive way.

 

The careful emphasis clearly hinted at something, making it hard not to overthink.

 

He watched Lin Shen quietly and gave a faint, noncommittal “Mm.”

 

Lin Shen held the cigarette between his fingers, watching his reaction intently as he spoke. Seeing the somewhat indifferent response, he narrowed his eyes slightly, exhaled smoke lazily, and suddenly let a small smile curl at the corner of his mouth.

 

“Engaged?” he asked, out of the blue.

 

The sudden change of topic made Lu Chengxuan pause for a moment. After a brief hesitation, he shook his head: “No.”

 

Lin Shen tilted his head and asked again, “Single?”

 

Lu Chengxuan couldn’t figure out what he was thinking. He could only answer what was asked, nodding: “Mm.”

 

Hearing this, Lin Shen seemed to discover a rare novelty. He reached for the ashtray on the coffee table, flicked the ashes with interest, and said, “Lu Chengxuan, you haven’t been with anyone all these years, have you? No offense, I’m just genuinely curious… is waiting until the wedding night to enter the bridal chamber one of your family rules?”

 

Lu Chengxuan caught the meaning behind Lin Shen’s words—he wasn’t lacking attention from others. Forcing himself to ignore the strange, uneasy twinge in his chest, he kept his face calm and answered evenly.

 

“No family rules like that. I’m used to being alone.”

 

Lin Shen almost laughed, coughing as the smoke hit his throat. “Don’t you get lonely?”

 

“No.”

 

Hearing such a straightforward answer, Lin Shen raised an eyebrow slightly and deliberately paused, watching him without speaking, as if plotting something in his mind.

 

After a moment, he pressed the almost-burnt cigarette into the ashtray, extinguishing it.

 

“If you don’t get lonely, I do. Since this little mix-up happened, why not stay? It’s raining outside, it’s inconvenient anyway.”

 

Lin Shen didn’t directly say what he wanted him to stay for, but the subtle undertone was obvious. Anyone with eyes and ears could tell.

 

This turn of events, however, completely caught Lu Chengxuan off guard.

 

He had thought Lin Shen called him over either to talk seriously or to confront him. Either way, he would have had a chance to fix their relationship.

 

Now, he didn’t know how to respond at all.

 

Over the past two years, he could have learned a lot about the Lin family through different channels, could guess many of Lin Shen’s business decisions, and in some ways knew them as well as his own.

 

But Lin Shen’s private life was a realm Lu Chengxuan had no access to.

 

The moment he realized that Lin Shen might have some unclear connection with that Xu family’s youngest son, a heavy, uncomfortable feeling settled somewhere deep inside him.

 

It wasn’t hard to guess why he felt that way.

 

Seeing him remain silent, Lin Shen’s smile stayed seamless. Calmly, he said, “We’re all adults here. Let’s be straightforward. Things done willingly can’t be forced. If it’s inconvenient, that’s fine—I’ll send a car for you to go back.”

 

With that, he reached for his phone and scrolled through the contacts as if to call a car—but before the call went out, someone gripped his wrist.

 

Lin Shen stopped, looking up at him.

 

“You and him…”

 

There wasn’t enough time for Lu Chengxuan to organize his thoughts, so he could only stop mid-sentence.

 

But Lin Shen looked into his dark eyes and understood completely, replying calmly, “What’s the matter? Isn’t it allowed? Whatever I do with anyone is my freedom, right?”

 

Lu Chengxuan’s Adam’s apple moved with difficulty. “You can do it with anyone?”

 

Lin Shen’s eyes quickly flicked away during the brief downward glance, then returned to normal. His tone remained light and effortless.

 

“Of course not anyone. Who do you think I am? I have standards too.”

 

Hearing that, Lu Chengxuan said nothing, sinking back into silence.

 

No matter how inexperienced he might seem, he knew very well why Lin Shen wanted him to stay.

 

But more than anything, Lu Chengxuan wanted to repair the distance between them.

 

The barriers between people weren’t something that could be erased just by doing the closest things.

 

He hesitated, but Lin Shen hadn’t lost his impatience. He didn’t give him much time to think and spoke bluntly:

 

“If you can, go shower. If not, I’ll call a car. Just be quick—don’t drag this out…”

 

“Lin Shen, does this make you happy?”

 

Lu Chengxuan suddenly interrupted, his gaze fixed tightly on him as he asked.

 

Lin Shen froze for a moment. Caught in the directness of that stare, he had no escape. In such a short time, he didn’t realize that Lu Chengxuan—acting beyond the strict behavioral logic drilled into him by his father—could actually be changed.

 

The Lu family’s rules weren’t irreversible; they just required time.

 

At this moment, Lin Shen focused on masking his flustered state and, gritting his teeth, answered quickly:

 

“Of course. If you behave well, I’ll naturally be happy.”

 

Receiving that confirmation, Lu Chengxuan didn’t hesitate. He stood up and walked toward the bathroom.

 

The slight intoxication in Lin Shen’s expression vanished the moment Lu Chengxuan turned away, leaving only clarity in his eyes.

 

As the sound of running water filled the room, Lin Shen’s thoughts wandered.

 

So much had happened in the past two years. He had been pushed forward by an invisible, unstoppable hand, battling cunning opponents in the ever-changing business world—old foxes at least ten years his senior. He had begged for investments, deceived and been deceived, twisted into a version of himself he barely recognized.

 

Unconsciously, he hardly knew who he had become.

 

There was a time when buying cards was for companionship, playing games was for fun.

 

Now, everything had one purpose:

 

Winning.

 

Tonight, when Lu Chengxuan came here, he hadn’t had any specific plan or motive. He hadn’t thought much—he just acted. And suddenly, all the pieces fell into place.

 

Fine. Obsession only tortured oneself.

 

He would treat this failed relationship as closed, let them go their separate ways, and stop standing in each other’s path.

 

The suite had two bathrooms. The bedroom had its own. Lin Shen lit another cigarette, sat on the sofa silently, listening to the water, and after finishing, stood and went into the other bathroom.

 

When he finished and came out, he saw Lu Chengxuan sitting at the edge of the bed.

 

The bedside drawer was open, and the box inside was now in his hands.

 

Their eyes met. After a moment, Lin Shen walked over, snatched the box from him, tossed it aside, and bent down, kissing him without hesitation.

 

The instant their lips touched, the world spun.

 

Lu Chengxuan immediately locked onto his waist, pinning him down. They rolled onto the bed. In the split second their lips parted, Lin Shen could clearly read the dark undercurrent hidden beneath the calm surface of Lu Chengxuan’s obsidian eyes.

 

Their gazes intertwined, and neither knew whose heartbeat was racing faster.

 

Lin Shen reached up to hook his hand around Lu Chengxuan’s neck, but before he could apply any force, Lu Chengxuan’s lips were already pressed heavily against his.

 

The kiss started chaotically, almost like two trapped beasts tearing at each other—aggressive, relentless, as if trying to devour the other alive.

 

When a faint metallic tang of blood surfaced, Lu Chengxuan suddenly slowed his rhythm.

 

It gave Lin Shen the illusion of victory. His aggressive advance seemed to lose control.

 

The more desperate he became, the more Lu Chengxuan retreated strategically.

 

Between their lips and teeth, Lu Chengxuan met every tangle and provocation from Lin Shen and responded in kind.

 

The loose bathrobe was quietly slipped off without a sound.

 

Lin Shen’s haste and raw intensity soon left him short of breath. His inexperience made him gasp uncontrollably, needing brief breaks to draw deep breaths away from the kiss.

 

Seizing the moment, Lu Chengxuan shifted his focus, lowering his head to another undulating territory.

 

Lin Shen, still catching his breath, suddenly groaned.

 

He drew in a sharp breath, every nerve ending firing. Instinctively, he grabbed Lu Chengxuan’s hair at the back of his head, his mind and body waging war between pushing up and pulling down.

 

In the end, the leftover clarity in his mind won. He forced Lu Chengxuan up.

 

Lin Shen’s breathing hadn’t even settled, a strange flush coloring his eyes and cheeks. He stared at Lu Chengxuan, unable to tell whether the previous sensation or the psychological thrill had been stronger.

 

He reached out, brushing Lu Chengxuan’s lips with his thumb, his voice hoarse:

 

“I didn’t ask for this. Why are you lowering yourself like this…”

 

“Uncomfortable?” Lu Chengxuan asked him.

 

Lin Shen said nothing. He just stared, breathing heavier and heavier, and after holding it in for a long while, his eyes reddened. He couldn’t help muttering a curse under his breath, then grabbed Lu Chengxuan’s chin and said,

 

“…Continue.”

 

*

 

The next day, Lu Chengxuan woke up, stirred by his internal clock.

 

He had never been one to linger in bed. As soon as he opened his eyes, he prepared to sit up, but in those few seconds before he could organize his thoughts, he noticed someone warm lying against him.

 

Looking down, he saw the same small boy he had met yesterday, sleeping peacefully, his innocent face inches away.

 

Lu Chengxuan had rarely ever been confused in his life.

 

But seeing Lin Wangye in that moment left him dumbfounded for a full minute.

 

He had no idea when the boy had arrived. The child was still sound asleep, probably not even aware of who he was sharing the bed with. He had simply dozed off, comforted by the warmth next to him.

 

Lu Chengxuan’s arms were trapped by the child’s little hold, leaving him frozen in place, not daring to move a finger.

 

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