The following days settled into a strange, fragile routine.
Guàn Jǐngchén went to the office every morning, but he made sure Lin Yuè stayed in the penthouse. He had disabled all external communication on Lin Yuè's devices and installed additional monitoring on the home system. It wasn't trust — it was control. A way to keep the ghost contained while he tried to figure out what to do with the boy he still loved.
Lin Yuè never complained.
He spent the days quietly — reading, cooking simple meals, waiting for Guàn Jǐngchén to come home. When the CEO returned each evening, the atmosphere shifted immediately.
That night was no different.
The moment Guàn Jǐngchén stepped through the door, he dropped his briefcase and pulled Lin Yuè against him, kissing him with barely restrained hunger. The kiss was deep and demanding, hands sliding under the soft sweater Lin Yuè was wearing to grip bare skin.
"You've been good today?" Guàn Jǐngchén murmured against his lips, voice low and rough.
"Yes," Lin Yuè whispered, melting into the touch. "I didn't leave. I didn't touch anything I shouldn't have."
"Good boy."
Guàn Jǐngchén walked him backward until Lin Yuè's back hit the wall. He shoved the sweater up and off, then pushed the trousers down, leaving Lin Yuè completely naked in seconds. His own clothes stayed mostly on — only his trousers were opened enough for him to free himself.
He slicked himself quickly and lifted Lin Yuè, wrapping the younger man's legs around his waist before thrusting inside in one hard stroke.
Lin Yuè cried out, head falling back against the wall.
Guàn Jǐngchén didn't give him time to adjust. He fucked him against the wall with deep, punishing thrusts, one hand gripping Lin Yuè's hip while the other tangled in his messy black hair.
"Every day I sit in that office," Guàn Jǐngchén growled between thrusts, "I think about how you lied to me. How you let me love you while hiding who you were."
Lin Yuè moaned, clinging to his shoulders. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
Guàn Jǐngchén's pace grew harder, more relentless. "You're sorry? Then take it. Take everything I give you."
Lin Yuè came with a sharp cry, spilling between their bodies. Guàn Jǐngchén followed with a low groan, burying himself deep as he filled him once more.
They stayed pressed against the wall for several minutes, breathing hard.
Guàn Jǐngchén finally pulled out and lowered Lin Yuè to his feet, but he didn't let him go. He held him close, forehead pressed to his.
"I still can't forgive you," he said quietly, voice strained. "Every time I look at you, I see both the boy I loved and the ghost I hunted. It's driving me insane."
Lin Yuè leaned into him, arms wrapped around his waist.
"Then keep looking at me," he whispered. "Until you can see only one of us again."
Guàn Jǐngchén's grip tightened.
That night, they slept in the same bed, but the distance between them felt wider than ever.
Guàn Jǐngchén held Lin Yuè from behind, one arm locked around his waist, but he didn't speak. Lin Yuè lay awake long after the CEO's breathing evened out, staring into the darkness.
He could feel the anger still simmering beneath the surface.
He could feel the love fighting to survive.
And he knew the next few weeks would either break them completely… or slowly piece them back together.
The next morning, Guàn Jǐngchén left for the office earlier than usual.
Before he went, he stopped at the bedroom door and looked back at Lin Yuè, who was still lying in bed watching him.
"Don't leave the penthouse," he said, voice firm but tired. "I'll be back tonight."
Lin Yuè nodded.
"I'll be here," he promised softly.
Guàn Jǐngchén stared at him for another second, then turned and left.
The door clicked shut behind him.
Lin Yuè stayed in bed for a long time after, staring at the ceiling.
He was trapped.
But he had chosen this cage.
Now he could only wait — hoping that the man who once loved him would eventually find a way to love the whole truth of him.
End of Chapter 54