[At Night - Li Hao's office]
The night had swallowed the city whole, leaving only the glittering jewels of office lights behind.
In the hushed, expensive world of Li Hao's executive floor, the silence was abruptly broken.
Shi Wang, a man whose presence always felt like a challenge, strode into the reception area of Li Hao's office.
His secretary, Liu, a sleek shadow, followed close behind.
Li Hao's secretary, Gang Zi, a young man perpetually on edge, saw them and immediately snapped to attention.
"Mr. Shi! Welcome, welcome!" he stammered, bowing slightly.
Shi Wang's eyes, cold and sharp, scanned the empty threshold of Li Hao's personal cabin.
"Where is Li Hao?" he asked, his voice smooth but edged with impatience.
Gang Zi hesitated, his mind racing. "He's... he's on his way, Mr. Shi! Just a moment, please!"
A short, irritated laugh burst from Shi Wang.
"Hmph! You are telling me to wait for him? Are you serious?" He leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing. "I am as busy as he is, even more so sometimes. I am here only for his business, and look at him, making me cool my heels."
Gang Zi's face paled. He practically panicked. "I apologise for the inconvenience, sir! Truly! Just a minute, he'll be here any moment, I promise."
Shi Wang merely scoffed, a disdainful glint in his eye. He didn't wait for an invitation. With a dismissive wave, he walked past the flustered Gang Zi and pushed open the door to Li Hao's magnificent cabin.
Inside, he made himself comfortable on the plush, oversized sofa, crossing one leg over the other as if he owned the place.
Meanwhile, miles away, Li Hao's black Mercedes-Benz was tearing through the city streets.
He gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white, his foot heavy on the accelerator. His face was a mask of furious red, a storm brewing in his eyes. But the strange thing was, he didn't even know why he was so angry.
"Damn it!" he growled, slamming a fist on the dashboard, the sound muffled by the roaring engine.
"What is this feeling? This churning fire in my gut? It's like I want to smash something, but I don't even know what!"
His mind wandered, as it often did these days, to Yu Han. Just his name brought a flicker of something softer, something puzzling, to his raging thoughts.
"Yu Han.."
The image of his gentle smile,the easy, comfortable silence they shared.
"Why?" he mumbled, his voice raspy. "Why do I feel so… calm around him? So comfortable? It's not right. It's not how I usually am. It makes no sense."
A hundred questions swirled in his mind – about his anger, about Yu Han, about the unsettling emotions that had taken root – but he had no answers, and that lack of understanding only fueled his inner turmoil.
"I hate not knowing! I hate feeling out of control like this!" he cursed, pressing the accelerator even harder.
In a short while, Li Hao's Mercedes screeched to a halt in front of his office's massive, gleaming building. The tires burned against the asphalt, leaving a faint scent of rubber in the night air.
He practically leaped out of the car, slamming the door shut with a resounding CRASH that echoed through the quiet parking garage.
His face was crimson, his jaw clenched, and his eyes burned with an intensity that made anyone who saw him want to shrink into the shadows.
No staff member, not even the night security guard, dared to step in front of him. Li Hao stormed through the grand lobby, his footsteps heavy and furious.
He jabbed the elevator button with violent force. The doors opened immediately, and he stepped inside, but no employee, despite needing to go upstairs, had the courage to join him in the same elevator. They watched him ascend, a terrifying, solitary figure.
Li Hao's cabin was on the 19th floor. When the elevator doors finally slid open, revealing the hushed executive corridor, Gang Zi was practically vibrating with anxiety. He had been pacing nervously, caught between the demanding Shi Wang and the impending arrival of his notoriously temperamental boss.
But then he saw Li Hao stepping out of the elevator, a furious red storm in human form, and a sliver of relief, quickly followed by renewed terror, washed over him.
"Mr. Li!" Gang Zi practically ran forward, stumbling slightly. "Mr. Li, sir, where have you been all day? I've been trying to reach you—"
Li Hao didn't respond, didn't even glance at him, just continued his powerful stride down the corridor, radiating raw anger.
Gang Zi, despite his fear, had to deliver the news. "Mr. Li," he said again, his voice a little louder, a little more desperate, "Mr. Shi Wang is waiting for you in your cabin!"
When Li Hao heard Shi Wang's name, something inside him snapped. His face, already red, turned a deeper, more alarming shade of scarlet, almost purple. The underlying, unexplained rage now had a specific target, a tangible enemy.
"Shi Wang?" he muttered, a low growl escaping his throat.
"That insufferable snake!" His hands clenched into fists at his sides.
"Just his face makes my blood boil, let alone his voice. He is the only person I truly loathe, the only one who can make me feel this intensely furious on a normal day. What could that parasite possibly want now?" he thought bitterly, his earlier confusion melting into pure, unadulterated hatred.
He didn't walk towards his cabin; he strided, each step heavy with menace. He threw open the door with such force that it slammed against the wall, rattling the glass partitions.
And there, sitting in his CEO's chair, the very symbol of his power and authority, was Shi Wang, looking entirely too comfortable.
Li Hao stopped dead, his eyes blazing. The sight was like a match to dry tinder. Every ounce of his pent-up, unidentifiable rage found its focus.
"Shi Wang," Li Hao's voice was low, dangerously quiet, but it vibrated with a fury that made the air crackle.
"You have exactly three seconds to get out of my chair before I make you regret ever stepping foot in my office. How dare you sit in my damn chair?!"
The opulent office, usually a sanctuary of power for Li Hao, was currently occupied by an unwelcome guest.
Shi Wang reclined casually in the plush CEO chair, a picture of smug contentment, his eyes glinting with amusement at the sight of Li Hao's face reddening by the second.
Shi Wang said while leaning back, hands clasped behind his head, a wide grin spreading across his face, "Woah, Li Hao, calm down, my bro. I just wanted to try your... your chair is fucking comfortable. I really liked it."
Li Hao's jaw tightened, a choked, furious chuckle escaping him.
Li Hao said in dangerously low voice, "Huh! Comfortable? Cut the crap and get lost from my cabin!"
Shi Wang slowly uncoiled from the chair, a leisurely movement that seemed designed to further infuriate Li Hao.
"Bro, let's have some drink. I want to drink with you."
Before Shi Wang could take another step, Li Hao strode forward, his hand shooting out to grab Shi Wang's collar, bunching the expensive fabric in his fist.
"Get lost from here you fucking bastard!!"
Shi Wang's hand calmly reached up, holding Li Hao's wrist. His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, a chilling smirk playing on his lips.
"This office is going to be mine in some days. Go pack your bags for Thailand, my son."
Li Hao's face went from red to a terrifying crimson. Without another word, he balled his free hand into a fist and punched Shi Wang squarely in the face.
Shi Wang barely flinched, absorbing the blow with a stoic expression, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes.
He then pushed Li Hao away, stepped out of the office, and the door swung shut behind him.
Li Hao stood rooted to the spot, his chest heaving, his heart stomping like crazy as if he wanted to kill someone.
He didn't move, not even a muscle, the rage a burning inferno within him.
Meanwhile, Shi Wang stepped into his sleek black car. His secretary, Liu, was already in the driver's seat. Liu glanced at Shi Wang's reflection in the rear-view mirror, his eyes briefly registering the forming bruise on Shi Wang's cheek.
"What happened to your face, Mr. Shi?" Liu said without looking back.
Shi Wang didn't respond, his gaze fixed on the passing cityscape outside the window.
"Do you need some ointment? Should I stop at a pharmacy?"
"No need. Just drive."
Liu nodded, maintaining his professional silence for a moment before speaking again.
"Mr. Shi, our internal sources have informed me that Mr. Li was in Anhai since yesterday with someone."
Shi Wang's head turned slightly, his attention caught.
"With whom?"
"A young man. We don't know who he was."
Shi Wang repeated, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow, "A young man? Who could it be?"
He fixed his gaze outside again, then closed his eyes.
The image of Yang Zi's face flashed vividly in his mind. An undeniable urge to meet Yang Zi suddenly arose in his heart.
"Stop the car."
Liu pulled over to the curb.
Shi Wang said whilegetting out of the passenger seat,
"Step out."
Liu complied, looking at his boss with a questioning expression. Shi Wang then slid into the driver's seat.
"Go take a cab. I have to deal with other things."
Liu stood there, bewildered, watching as Shi Wang's car sped off, disappearing into the distance.
"I should quit. No, no, the salary here is huge." Liu said to himself in low voice.
_______________________
[Outside Yang Zi's apartment]
In a while, Shi Wang stopped his car in front of Yang Zi's apartment building.
He stepped out, pulled out a cigarette, and began lighting it, his eyes scanning the building as he thought about an excuse to meet Yang Zi.
With a nervous breath, he paced towards the door and pressed the doorbell.
A moment later, the door creaked open. Yang Zi stood there, mid-sentence, his voice already softened with expectation.
"Yu Han, finally you came bac—back..."
His eyes widened, shock replacing his initial relief as he registered Shi Wang on his doorstep.
"What the fuck are you doing here?!" Yang Zi said furiously.
Shi Wang glanced inside, trying to peer around Yang Zi.
"Are you alone?"
"Why are you asking this?! Just go back!"
He started to close the door.
"Wait, wait! I want some... please show some generosity." Shi Wang requested while holding the door.
Yang Zi let out a frustrated sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly.
"Come inside. And keep those dirty shoes outside."
Shi Wang grinned, shedding his expensive red-bottom shoes and placing them neatly outside.
He stepped in, immediately making himself at home by sitting on the sofa. The sofa was far from the luxurious comfort he was accustomed to, but he still feigned delight.
"Wow, your sofa is so comfortable!"
Yang Zi gave him a death stare, then turned and went into the kitchen. He poured a glass of water, returned to the living room, and practically shoved it into Shi Wang's hand.
"Thank you. I was literally thirsty."
Yang Zi didn't respond. His eyes, however, caught sight of the fresh bruise blooming on Shi Wang's cheek.
He still said nothing, but turned and walked into his room, reappearing moments later with a first aid kit. He sat down beside Shi Wang on the sofa and opened the kit.
Shi Wang watched him calmly, his gaze fixed on Yang Zi's face.
Yang Zi took out a swab, applied an ointment, and gently began to dab it onto Shi Wang's cheek.
Their faces were so close they could both feel the warmth of each other's breath. Shi Wang's gaze remained unswervingly fixed on Yang Zi.
Suddenly, Yang Zi pressed a little harder on the bruised area.
"Don't fucking look at me. Close your eyes."
His voice was cold and flat.
Shi Wang with a mischievous glint in his eye said ,
"No, I can't close my eyes. What if you kiss me? Then what'll I do?"
Yang Zi stopped, his hand freezing. He snapped the first aid kit shut with a decisive click and stood up.
"Shut up!"
But before he could move away, Shi Wang's large hand shot out, grabbing Yang Zi's arm, pulling him back down onto the sofa.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
Even before Shi Wang could formulate a response, the main door suddenly opened. Yu Han's voice echoed through the apartment.
"I'm Home, Yang Zi! Where are you?!"
Yang Zi's eyes widened in panic, as if he'd been caught doing something illegal. He snapped his hand away from Shi Wang's grasp.
" Yu Han, you're back!"
Yu Han entered the living room, his eyes first finding Yang Zi, then slowly shifting to the person sitting beside him. Shi Wang calmly turned his face towards Yu Han, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips.
"Hello, Yu Han! How are you??"