The chill of the night air bit at Yang Zi as he stumbled out of Shi Wang's car. It was pitch dark outside.
The wind, which was sharp and unwelcomed , tugged at his hair, mirroring the disarray within him.
"How could you do this to me, Yu Han? I… I thought we were family. But tonight… you proved me wrong. Why did you stay silent when that vile man, Li Hao, spewed those venomous words? Am I truly so insignificant to you?"
Unanswered questions bombarded Yang Zi's heart. He yearned for the support of the very person who had, in his eyes, abandoned him on the precipice of despair.
Shi Wang, who sensed Yang Zi's distress, hurried towards him.
"Yang Zi, please, don't think much about it. It will only bring you more pain. You need to talk to Yu Han. This isn't the insurmountable crisis you're making it out to be. He was merely having dinner with Li Hao; it was casual. And I know you despise Li Hao, but I assure you, he's not the man you believe him to be. Give him a chance to show you he's changed."
As they walked side-by-side towards the entrance of Shi Wang's house, the resonance of Shi Wang's words echoed in Yang Zi's mind. He risked a glance at Shi Wang's face, his own eyes still blurry with unshed tears.
"I… I don't give a damn about Li Hao," Yang Zi stated, his voice filled with disdain, which was a keen reflection of the pain Li Hao had inflicted.
"I just… I just thought… Yu Han would stand up for me when Li Hao claimed I controlled him. Is that true, Shi Wang? Do I really control Yu Han? I… I never imagined that. We've known each other since childhood. I treated him like my own brother, my own family. How could he let Li Hao say such a thing, and Yu Han didn't even flinch? He showed no rage towards Li Hao."
He looked at Shi Wang, searching for an answer. "Is that right, Shi Wang?"
Shi Wang stopped, and gently gripped Yang Zi's shoulder and forced him to meet his gaze.
"Yang Zi, listen to me. I understand how you feel right now, but consider the situation. We were in a public place. If Yu Han had spoken out then, would it have resolved everything peacefully? Sometimes, silence is the only way to de-escalate. I didn't choose to speak just to placate the situation."
He tightened his grip, his expression earnest.
"And how can you possibly think Yu Han would abandon you like this? He's likely hating himself right now. You two are family. You know each other better than anyone. So why are you letting these small things fester in your heart? Control yourself, and just sort it out, okay?"
Yang Zi remained silent, but Shi Wang's words and his steady presence began to calm the storm within Yang Zi's chaotic mind.
He eventually settled onto the plush sofa and still quiet.
He remembered the last time he unknowingly spent his night in Shi Wang's house, watching a movie, and then woke up in Shi Wang's bedroom.
He let out a heavy sigh, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on him. What was he supposed to do now? Forget everything? Apologize to Yu Han for making such a fuss? Or, impossibly, accept Li Hao?
"Okay, okay, that's enough, Yang Zi," Shi Wang's voice cut through the silence of the living room.
He emerged from the kitchen, carrying cans of beer and a bag of snacks. "Tonight, you're with me. Consider me your drinking partner, and forget everything else, alright?" He tried to inject a cheerful note into his voice, hoping to lift Yang Zi's spirits.
Yang Zi met his gaze directly. "I'm not in the mood for drinking, Shi Wang."
"Tsk tsk…" Shi Wang placed the drinks on the table near the sofa and sat on the floor. "You can't refuse, Yang Zi. You forgot we were on our way to dinner, but… leave it. Now, you're with me, and I want to have drinks with you."
Yang Zi sighed again, seeing the unyielding enthusiasm in Shi Wang's eyes. He couldn't possibly refuse him. "Shi Wang, please get married," he blurted out. "How long are you going to keep bothering me, huh?"
Shi Wang chuckled, cracking open a beer can and handing it to Yang Zi. "Don't you like seeing me roam free? Don't you know what happens after marriage?"
Yang Zi took a sip, then asked, his tone became serious, "What happens after marriage?"
Playfully, Shi Wang nudged Yang Zi's thigh. "People, specifically men, lose their freedom, don't you know? Look at us right now. It's already past midnight. Would we have this much freedom to drink this late if we were married?"
"Then why do you keep bothering me?" Yang Zi asked, another sip of beer in his hand.
"Because I like you," Shi Wang whispered.
The words seemed to float past Yang Zi, unheard. "Huh? What did you say?"
"Nothing…" Shi Wang took a sip, his expression was solemn. "…I just enjoy your company."
"Don't you have other friends?"
"I do… but they just treat me like CEO Shi Wang, not like you. You treat me like a person. Like the real me."
Yang Zi nudged Shi Wang's head gently. "Do you like getting punches from me?"
Shi Wang burst into laughter. "Hahaha… that's kind of true. Only you can punch me like this."
"So you like punches, huh?" Yang Zi placed his beer can on the table and playfully charged at Shi Wang,
Shi Wang giggled like a child, as Yang Zi's lightweight punches was just like tickle to him.
In a moment of playful tussle, they rolled onto the floor. Yang Zi landed on top of Shi Wang, his fists still flying. Abruptly, Shi Wang caught both of Yang Zi's wrists with a single hand.
He forcefully pinned Yang Zi beneath him.
The world around them seemed to blur and then stop, their eyes locked. Yang Zi's hands were still held captive, their breaths unsteady. In the profound silence of the night, only the thumping of their hearts filled the air.
A primal desire stirred within Shi Wang, a longing he dared not fully acknowledge yet found impossible to ignore.
He was ready to risk it all, just to have Yang Zi. The man he fell for; the man who made him human; the man who unknowingly taught him what it's like to be in love
As for Yang Zi, his eyes widened, his breath caught in his throat, his mind was a white void. Only one thought echoed: Should I kiss him?
"Yang Zi… Yang Zi… kick him… kick him off you… what the hell is wrong with you… just fucking kick him… get him off…" Yang Zi was at war with himself, his mind and body pulling in opposite directions.
He wanted to escape, but his own body… his treacherous body… betrayed him.
"Yang Zi…" Shi Wang swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbed. His gaze drifted from Yang Zi's eyes to his lips. "…Yang Zi, I'm… I'm sorry."
He braced himself for whatever came next, but his immediate priority was overwhelming: he wanted to taste Yang Zi.
He leaned forward, their faces now mere millimeters apart.
Seeing Shi Wang so close, Yang Zi's instinct was to retreat. He fluttered his eyes shut, which was a silent invitation that shattered Shi Wang's last remnants of resistance.
Then, without a second thought, Shi Wang closed the remaining distance, and his lips gently pressed against Yang Zi's.
Shi Wang had been with many women, had kissed them countless times, but it had always been an empty act, driven solely by his own pleasure.
But Yang Zi was different. Shi Wang didn't want to shatter him, not like he had so carelessly done with others.
Instead of force, he waited, waiting for Yang Zi's consent. And this moment, this was it.
The kiss was as delicate as a swan gliding across a calm lake, disturbing not a ripple.
Shi Wang's hand, which was resting on the floor beside Yang Zi's head, slowly lifted to cup Yang Zi's cheek, and his thumb traced the curve of his jaw. Yang Zi's own fingers, which was hesitant at first, now rose to lightly grip the fabric of Shi Wang's shirt across his chest.
For a moment, Shi Wang tried to pull back; a jolt of panic or perhaps a ghost of his usual self-control asserted itself.
His lips pulled back slightly, a mere breath from Yang Zi's, his eyes flickered open in a desperate attempt to regain some semblance of propriety.
But before Shi Wang could fully retreat, Yang Zi's hands tightened, the hesitation was now vanished. His fingers tangled in the back of Shi Wang's hair, and with a gentle yet firm tug, he pulled him back down. He wasn't ready to let Shi Wang go.
Their lips met again, this time with a fervent urgency that had been absent before. Yang Zi's mouth parted slightly.
He whispered into Shi Wang's ear, "Shi… Shi… I… I want more."
Those words were enough to ignite the already raging fire within Shi Wang.
He deepened the kiss, and stole every breath from Yang Zi.
He broke the kiss,and met Yang Zi's gaze and murmured, "Yang Zi… I'll give you everything."