Feng Yu's voice interrupted again. "Mr. Mo, shall I order lunch for you? You haven't eaten anything since morning. Mr. Guo said—"
"I'm not hungry."
"But—"
"I said I'm not hungry," Mo Yue snapped, then immediately regretted the sharpness. He leaned back, rubbing his temple. "Forget it. When Andre gets here, let him worry about it. Isn't that why Guo Ming dragged him back? To play babysitter?"
Feng Yu nodded cautiously, scribbling something in his notepad.
Silence fell again.
Mo Yue's lips curved faintly as his mind wandered back, unbidden, to Andre's cold voice replying to Guo Ming: "Yes, Mr. Guo. I'll do everything you say."
Obedient words, spoken with a tone so detached it was almost defiant in its own way.
Mo Yue closed his eyes. "That boy… he's not obedient. He's just unshakable. Maybe that's worse."
A restless chuckle escaped him. "Andre… you really do stand out. No matter how much I try not to notice."
And with that, he leaned back, one arm draped over the couch, waiting—knowing Andre would come soon, and curious, against his will, about what it would mean to have him by his side tonight.
****
The ticking of the wall clock was the only sound filling the lounge. Mo Yue lounged across the couch, one arm stretched along the backrest, his long legs crossed lazily. From a glance, he looked the picture of indifference—casual, bored, perfectly at ease. But beneath the sunglasses tossed aside on the table, his eyes remained half-open, restless, flicking every so often to the door.
He hated that he was waiting.
For Andre.
Feng Yu had busied himself in the corner, tidying a stack of papers and humming softly as if trying not to disturb the air. Every so often, he peeked nervously at Mo Yue, as though expecting him to erupt.
Finally, there was a knock. A firm, steady knock.
Mo Yue's pulse betrayed him by jumping. He clicked his tongue and sat straighter, disguising the reaction with a bored yawn.
"Come in."
The door opened, and there he was—Andre.
Tall, straight-backed, his white shirt neat against his lean frame, his expression as calm as water untouched by wind. He stepped inside without hesitation, his gaze sweeping briefly across the room before settling neutrally on Mo Yue.
Mo Yue caught himself staring a second too long. The boy's presence filled the space the way silence fills a cathedral: heavy, commanding, impossible to ignore.
"Mr. Mo," Andre greeted, voice low and even, as if the weight of Guo Ming's instructions hadn't touched him at all.
Something in Mo Yue's chest pulled taut.
Tch. Annoying.
"You're late," Mo Yue said, though the clock told him Andre was right on time.
Andre didn't flinch. "I came directly from Mr. Guo's office."
Mo Yue smirked. "Always so obedient. If Guo Ming told you to jump, would you?"
Andre's eyes, cold and steady, met his. "If it was reasonable."
The bluntness landed sharper than expected. For a moment, Mo Yue felt like he'd been struck—then, just as quickly, a laugh escaped him.
"Hah. Reasonable. You really don't change, do you?" He leaned forward, resting his chin in his palm. "Two weeks apart and you're still the same statue."
Andre didn't answer, didn't react. That silence, that calm… it gnawed at Mo Yue more than any argument could have.
Feng Yu, perhaps sensing the tension, quickly spoke up. "Mr. Andre, should I order something for Mr. Mo? He hasn't eaten yet."
Andre's gaze shifted briefly to Feng Yu, then back to Mo Yue. "What do you want to eat?"
Mo Yue arched a brow. "Oh? Taking orders already? You're not my personal assistant anymore, but my work assistant. Part time at that."
"I was told to make sure you eat," Andre said simply.
The words shouldn't have carried weight, but something in the way he said them—firm, steady, without care for Mo Yue's sarcasm—stirred an odd sensation. It wasn't obedience. It wasn't rebellion either. It was just Andre being… Andre.
And damn if that wasn't more irritating than either extreme.
Mo Yue leaned back again, hiding the shift in his chest with a lazy smirk. "Fine. Surprise me then. But don't make it boring. If I'm forced to be babysat tonight, at least feed me something worth chewing."
Andre gave a faint nod, already pulling out his phone. Efficient. Unmoved. Not even rising to Mo Yue's bait.
The silence stretched again, but this time, Mo Yue couldn't look away. The boy stood there like a quiet shadow, but somehow brighter than the lights above them. Every angle of his profile was sharp, young yet mature, unyielding.
Two weeks. Just two weeks, and the difference was enough for Mo Yue to notice—and keep noticing.
"Why does it feel like he's the one who's grown, while I've stayed the same?" Mo Yue thought bitterly. "Cold kid. Always so damn cold. And yet…"
He stopped the thought before it formed, clicking his tongue.
"Hey," he called suddenly, just to break the silence.
Andre looked up from the phone, expression unchanged. "Hm?"
Mo Yue's lips curved, though his eyes narrowed. "Don't think Guo Ming's trust in you makes you special. I can't be handled, Andre. Not by him, not by you."
Andre studied him for a second, then said calmly, "I never thought you could be handled."
The answer, sharp in its honesty, landed heavier than any defiance.
Mo Yue's chest gave that same strange pull again, and his laugh this time was low, quiet, almost to himself.
"Tch. You really are… different."
Andre didn't ask what he meant. He just returned to finishing the order, cold and composed as ever.
And Mo Yue, leaning back into the couch, felt the corner of his mouth twitch upward against his will.
For once, the prospect of tonight's ball didn't feel like pure torture.
Because Andre would be there.
A.N: Hey everyone 💖 I know my updates have been a bit up and down lately, and I really appreciate you sticking with me through it all. Life on my side has been packed, and finding the right balance hasn't been easy.
To keep things steady from now on, I've set a fixed schedule: updates will come 3 times a week — Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. ✨ That way you'll always know when to expect the next chapter.
Thank you for your patience and love. Your support honestly keeps me motivated, and I'm excited to share more with you all 🥰. Enjoy.