Chapter 48 — A Quiet Storm Before Dinner
Andre stood in front of the mirror, expression calm and indifferent, the same cold, silver-eyed boy everyone knew. His shirt was black, sleeves rolled just enough to expose the veins running along his forearms. The dark slacks hugged his long legs, paired with polished black shoes. Nothing about his outward appearance hinted at the wildfire burning deep within.
He buttoned the last cuff slowly, his movements deliberate, restrained—just like his entire existence in the past five months. He had mastered this mask, perfected the art of calm. But under that mask, his thoughts were loud, heavy, pulling him deeper and deeper.
Zhen Yichen.
"Andre…"
We'll be seeing tonight after just five months but those five months were like five years.
The soft voice broke into his thoughts. Ge Lin stood by the bedroom door, hesitating, lips pale from biting them too much. "About what I said earlier… about the person you were calling out … I shouldn't have—"
Andre's gaze flicked toward him, sharp and cold. The boy froze instantly. That stare always had weight, like a blade resting against his skin.
"I wasn't trying to interfere," Ge Lin continued, forcing the words past his dry throat. "I just… I don't want things to change between us. If I crossed a line—"
"Forget it."
The tone was flat, leaving no room for argument. Andre adjusted the watch on his wrist and reached for the black coat hanging by the chair.
"But—"
"Forget it, Ge Lin." He repeated, slow this time, eyes pinning him in place. "Don't talk about or mention him. Or who I call Ever again, it's none of your business."
His voice wasn't raised. It didn't need to be. Each word was precise, like ice settling over fire.
Ge Lin swallowed hard, nodding quickly even though his heart felt tight. He wanted to ask more, wanted to beg Andre to stay, to keep what they had. But the boy's expression was unreadable, that same beautiful, distant look that drew him in and destroyed him at the same time.
Andre turned to the mirror one last time. His reflection stared back—flawless, composed, cruel. He wondered briefly if Yichen would notice the change. If he'd look at him and see the same boy who used to resent him… or the man he'd become in his absence.
No. Not a boy anymore.
The corner of his lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. He has be smiling lately weirdly or rather smirking. Well it wasn't a happy one but one with thoughts so dark.
Grabbing his keys, Andre brushed past Ge Lin without another glance. The faint scent of his cologne lingered in the air, cold and addictive. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving silence in its wake.
Ge Lin stood there, fists clenched by his sides, his throat tight with words he couldn't say. Deep down, he knew—whatever Andre was walking toward tonight, it wasn't him. He never even care at first. All he wanted what just to have the boy body and taste it. But now, his thoughts are drifting dangerously and it won't be a good ending. He knows that for sure.
On the Road.
The city lights blurred past as Andre drove through the night, one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting loosely by his thigh. The hum of the engine was low, steady, yet inside his head was chaos.
Images flickered like cruel reels of film—Yichen sitting at the dining table, Yichen's indifferent expression, Yichen avoiding his gaze that night five months ago. That same man who ran halfway across the world after leaving him in a mess of desires he couldn't put back in a box.
Andre laughed softly under his breath, humorless. You really thought distance would save you?
Every mile closed the gap between them. Every turn tightened the coil inside him. He had waited too long for this moment, rehearsed it in his mind until it became something feral.
Tonight, I'll see you again.
The thought rolled like thunder in his chest.
At the house.
The house loomed ahead, bathed in warm light that spilled softly from the wide windows. It looked the same as always—quiet, elegant, expensive. Andre got off the cab neatly and stepped out, the night air sharp against his skin.
As he walked toward the door, his phone buzzed once in his pocket. A message from Ge Lin lit up the screen:
"Will you be back tonight, should I wait for you?."
Andre stared at it for a beat indifference, then locked the screen without replying.
The door opened before he could reach for the handle. Celia stood there, her face brightening the second her eyes landed on him.
"Andre! You're here."
Her voice was warm, a sharp contrast to the frost in his veins. She reached for his arm, ushering him inside quickly.
"Come in, come in. We were just waiting for you." She walks ahead to the dinning while he pauses briefly watching her walk away into the dinning where they were having dinner.
We. Meaning Zhen Yichen was waiting too. He moves forward walking into the house just stopping briefly to drop his black coat his took off on the coach in the living room.
'This will be a long night.'