[At Morning- Yu Han's old house]
The morning air in the old house was thick with a comfortable silence, only broken by the soft rhythm of two men breathing.
It was still dark in the room, the heavy curtains blocking out the first hint of dawn.
Li Hao blinked his eyes open slowly, the lingering warmth of sleep clinging to him.
The first thing he registered was the gentle weight across his body. His heart gave a strange lurch, a flutter he didn't quite understand.
Yu Han was sleeping facing him, his face soft and relaxed in slumber, a stark contrast to his usual guarded expression.
One of Yu Han's legs was casually thrown over Li Hao's, and his left hand rested lightly, trustingly, on Li Hao's waist.
This was the first time Li Hao had slept this close to anyone, let alone someone who had burst into his life with such a chaotic energy.
He found himself mesmerized, watching the gentle rise and fall of Yu Han's chest, the faint shadow of his eyelashes against his cheek.
He watched for at least five minutes, a strange, unfamiliar protectiveness stirring within him.
BEEP...BEEP.....
Just as a soft smile threatened to touch his lips, a sharp, insistent beep pierced the silence.
Li Hao's phone.
He flinched, his heart thudding, acutely aware of Yu Han's proximity.
He carefully, almost surgically, extricated himself from Yu Han's hold, moving with the precision of someone defusing a bomb. He eased out of bed, grabbing his jacket, and tiptoed into the living room, leaving the door ajar.
He snatched his phone from the table. It was a message from Gang Zi, a progress report. Li Hao scanned the details, his brows furrowing slightly as he processed the information.
But soon, a different sensation took over – hunger.
He glanced back at the bedroom door, then at his watch. "Still early."
"Might as well get breakfast," he muttered to himself. He pulled on his jacket completely, grabbed his keys, and slipped out of the house.
Some time later, Li Hao returned, two paper bags filled with the aroma of hot soy milk and steamed buns. He placed them carefully on the small dining table.
Meanwhile, Yu Han had started to stir. He woke to the unfamiliar empty space beside him. His eyes shot open.
He remembered falling asleep, Li Hao next to him. Now, nothing.
"Where is he? Has he... has he gone home?" A strange pang hit his chest. "Fuck, Yu Han, why are you even thinking about him?" He chastised himself, running a hand through his messy hair.
He swung his legs out of bed, feeling a sudden chill. He padded into the living room, his face carefully schooled into indifference.
His eyes landed on Li Hao, who was arranging the food on the table. A small, almost imperceptible wave of relief washed over Yu Han, quickly replaced by his usual prickliness.
"Why are you still here?" Yu Han's voice was flat, devoid of emotion, though his heart gave a small skip.
Li Hao turned, a playful smirk on his face. "I thought of leaving you alone, but you had wrapped me around you so tightly, it made me so difficult to leave."
Yu Han's face twisted in disgust. "Stop fucking lying and get lost." He felt a flush creep up his neck.
Li Hao chuckled, unbothered. "Go shower and come eat breakfast."
Yu Han didn't say anything, just shot him a withering look before turning and striding towards the bathroom.
A few minutes later, a knock echoed through the house. Li Hao, who had just poured himself a cup of soy milk, put it down and went to the door.
Standing there was a man in his thirties, professionally dressed, carrying a briefcase.
"Yes?" Li Hao asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Good morning. I'm Gu, a property agent," the man said, offering a cordial smile. "I'm looking for Mr. Yu."
Li Hao blinked. "Mr. Yu?" he repeated, a strange feeling beginning to prickle at him.
"Yes, Mr. Yu. He called me and told me he wants to sell this house. I've come to show him the list of potential buyers."
Li Hao's jaw tightened. He remembered the raw, desperate pain on Yu Han's face last night, clutching his parents' picture.
"This house."
"Yu Han is in the shower right now," Li Hao said, his voice flat. "Could you please come back in sometime?"
"Oh, no problem at all," Mr. Gu replied cheerfully. "Just call me whenever he's available." He nodded politely and left.
Li Hao stood there, bewildered.
"Why would Yu Han wants to sell something that was the last thing his parents have left? Last night, he had cried so desperately, holding his parents' picture. Something is definitely off."
A while later, Yu Han emerged from the bathroom, a towel draped around his neck, his hair damp. He walked over and sat on the sofa beside Li Hao, picking up a steam bun.
Li Hao was still lost in thought, staring out the window. He turned his head slowly, taking in Yu Han's freshly scrubbed face.
"I have a friend," Li Hao began, his voice surprisingly calm, "he wants to sell his old house. It's where he spent his childhood, with his beloved parents. Now his parents aren't in the world anymore, and that house is the only thing they left for him." He paused, watching Yu Han carefully. "And he's selling it. So, you know, what could be the reason for selling such a precious treasure?"
Yu Han took a bite of his steam bun, chewing thoughtfully. He looked completely unconcerned.
"Your friend must be struggling financially, that's why."
Li Hao's expression changed. A storm seemed to gather in his eyes. "So, this is the reason you are selling your house."
Yu Han choked on his bun, his eyes wide. "Huh? How do you know about this?" he spluttered, genuinely surprised.
"Property agent was looking for you," Li Hao stated simply.
Yu Han sighed, picking up his soy milk. "Ohhh... I'll contact him."
Li Hao moved closer, closing the distance between them. "So, you are financially struggling. But when I offered you a job, you declined it without giving a thought. Why?"
Yu Han instinctively moved backward, trying to create space.
"I don't want your help. I'm an adult, I can manage things on my own."
Li Hao's irritation flared. He leaned in, his voice deep and laced with anger. "So this is how you manage things on your own, huh?!"
He grabbed Yu Han's chin, turning his face forcefully to make him meet his gaze. "So tell me now, why were you crying last night?"
Yu Han struggled, trying to turn his face away. "It's none of your business!"
"It's none of my business, huh!" Li Hao repeated, his voice dangerously soft.
Then, with a furious push, he shoved Yu Han back onto the sofa.
Li Hao grabbed his car keys from the table, his movements sharp and deliberate.
He stalked out of the house, slamming the door shut, leaving Yu Han alone and stunned on the sofa.
The living room felt unnervingly silent, the lingering scent of something vaguely masculine – something that was Li Hao – still hanging in the air.
Yu Han lay sprawled on the sofa, the cool leather cushions doing little to ground him.
His mind replayed the last few hours, a blurry montage of danger and then... nothing. A single, hot tear traced a path from the corner of his eye, down his temple, and into his hair.
"He really left this time," he whispered to the empty room, the realization a dull ache in his chest.
Suddenly, a jolt. Left? As in, gone? For good? He sprang up, heart hammering, and dashed to the door, flinging it open.
There was Nothing. He really was gone.
Slumping back onto the sofa, a hollow feeling settling deep within him, Yu Han stared blankly at his phone for a moment.
Curiosity, a dangerous thing, pricked at him. He unlocked it, the screen a beacon in the dim room, and typed two words into the search bar: "Li Hao."
What flashed onto the screen next stole his breath, his eyes popping wide in disbelief.
"Li Hao - CEO of Li R&D PRIVATE limited, a domestic defence research and development company."
The words screamed at him, each letter a fresh stab of shock.
"Whattttt!!!!!! CEO!!!!! What the fuckkk!!!!How is this possible?!"
His mind became a chaotic storm of questions, a dizzying spiral of "whys."
"Why would Li Hao shoot that man in the convenience store? Why would he capture me at my his house? Why the hell would he run a background check on me? Why would he came here with me, treating my wounds, being so... gentle?"
"He's such a fucking rich man," Yu Han muttered, his voice hoarse, "why would he come after me?"
Then, the realization of his own actions hit him with the force of a physical blow. He started pulling at his hair, tugging strands between his fingers.
"Oh god, oh god, how could I have kissed such a billionaire?!" he shrieked, the panic rising in his throat. "I'm going to die! He must be seeking revenge on me because I had kissed him in front of a woman, she must be his girlfriend... oh my god, and I had also kissed his girlfriend!!!!!! Fuck , Yu Han,What should I do now? What do I do?! He's gonna kill me!!
He was on the verge of hyperventilating when his phone suddenly blared, cutting through his rising hysteria.
It was Yang Zi. Yu Han snatched it up, forcing his voice to an even keel, though his hands trembled.
"H-hello?"
"HEY, YU HAN!" Yang Zi's voice boomed through the receiver, laced with fury. "Are you selling your parents' house?!"
Yu Han blinked, momentarily stunned. "Huh? Who told you that?"
"I just got a call from a person from our neighbourhood! He said he's interested in your property!"
"Oh," Yu Han said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Well, this property is no use for me. In the future, I'll going to be selling it anyway."
"DON'T YOU DARE SELL IT!" Yang Zi screamed, his voice cracking with rage. "COME BACK RIGHT NOW! If you sell it, then there is no need to come back! Choice is yours!"
And with that, he hung up, leaving Yu Han staring at his phone, the dial tone a mocking hum. He was in a dilemma.
A billionaire ex-hostage situation, an angry best friend, and a house he desperately needed to sell but couldn't.
"What should I do now?" he sighed, running a hand over his face. "Why is my life like this? I need money, but I can't leave Yang Zi."
He stood up, the weight of his tangled life settling on his shoulders. With a resolute, if weary, sigh, Yu Han started packing his small bag.
He had to go to Beijing.
_______________________
Miles away, the roar of an engine was a counterpoint to Li Hao's own internal storm.
He gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white, the car a black blur on the highway, pushing maximum speed.
"It's none of my business, huh!" he growled to himself, his voice raw with frustration.
"Yeah, you're right, Yu Han. It's none of my fucking business! Why the fuck am I meddling in your business? Why the fuck I felt so comfortable with you? Why was I taking care of you?"
He slammed his hand on the horn, a long, angry blare that echoed across the empty road.
"AHHHHHH!"
He roared, leaning his head back against the seat for a split second before focusing on the road again. "I'm going crazy!"