Zhuang Yihan's eyes were dark as he hung up the phone. Without a glance at the coffee on the table, he stood up and strode out the door.

Chen Shu had borrowed Yu Hui's car today. He opened the door, ready to get in, but was suddenly grabbed by the wrist and pinned against the car by Zhuang Yihan. Although Zhuang Yihan's lowered gaze concealed the fleeting annoyance in his eyes, the curve of his lips was chillingly cold as he asked in a low voice, word by word:

"Chen Shu, you dare to play me?"

It had always been him, Zhuang Yihan, choosing others. When did it become someone else's turn to choose him?

Chen Shu glanced at the hand gripping his and remained silent.

Zhuang Yihan's tone was dangerous. "Why aren't you talking?"

Chen Shu still said nothing, a faint, ambiguous smile on his face, as if he'd recalled something interesting.

'Look, isn't Zhuang Yihan quite good at throwing tantrums and threatening people? Why does he always hold back in front of Jiang Xi, not even daring to make a peep?'

'Thinking it over, it was probably because the guy was a glutton for punishment. Not that Chen Shu had any right to judge, since he himself had been quite the glutton in his past life. The only difference was that he had been reborn, so now, Zhuang Yihan was the only one left acting that way in this life.'

At that moment, no one knew what Chen Shu was thinking. "President Zhuang, you've misunderstood. I just happened to have plans to meet a friend this afternoon."

Zhuang Yihan raised an eyebrow. "Meet? To do what?"

Chen Shu replied, "Borrow money."

Zhuang Yihan asked, "Are you that desperate for money?"

Chen Shu chuckled. 'What a question,' he thought. 'Who isn't short on cash?' "I'm in urgent need of a million."

Zhuang Yihan said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "And that 'friend' of yours is willing to lend it?"

Chen Shu wasn't entirely certain. "A million... they should be willing to lend that, right?"

His face and figure were definitely worth that much. If he went to a club, plenty of people would be willing to pay. Zhuang Yihan had no doubt that after being rejected, Chen Shu could easily find some other fool with money to raise the sum. So, was he not special in the other's heart? Was he just another rich fool?

This realization made Zhuang Yihan uncomfortable. Yet, the angrier he became, the calmer his expression grew. After a long silence, he squeezed out through clenched teeth, "Five million. I'll have my secretary transfer it to you this afternoon!"

'Tsk, so generous?'

Chen Shu didn't agree right away. Instead, he studied Zhuang Yihan seriously, as if trying to discern whether he was just saying it out of pique. He stared until Zhuang Yihan was on the verge of exploding from humiliation and anger, then finally asked with a smile, "Is President Zhuang having a change of heart?"

Zhuang Yihan hadn't intended to do anything, really. He had just wanted to put Chen Shu in his place, but it was clear the other man wasn't buying it. He snorted coldly. "What, am I not allowed to change my mind?"

'Of course, you can,' Chen Shu thought. 'Whoever pays the money is the boss.' But...

"How many years do you plan on keeping me?"

This was a question worth pondering.

If Chen Shu were to get a job, assuming he didn't start his own business and earned six thousand a month, he'd have to work for seventy years without eating or drinking to save up five million. But you couldn't calculate it like that in this situation. Otherwise, it wouldn't be called being kept; it would be a buyout.

To be honest, Zhuang Yihan hadn't considered this question at all. The upper-class circle was a motley crowd, and keeping a young lover was commonplace. The short-term ones were over after a single night; the longer ones lasted two or three years at most. How long the novelty lasted depended entirely on one's mood. No one ever asked a foolish question like how long the arrangement would last. You simply enjoyed the favor one day at a time.

Zhuang Yihan didn't see himself as someone who tired of the old and chased the new; otherwise, he wouldn't have been fixated on Jiang Xi for so many years. Unfortunately, this "devotion" was not directed at Chen Shu. He was keeping the other man firstly because he was genuinely pleasing to his eye, and secondly, as an act of defiance against Jiang Xi. This made their arrangement even more precarious than one based purely on carnal pleasure.

Maybe in a year, maybe in half a month, or perhaps in just ten days, his interest in Chen Shu would recede in an instant like the tide. The best-case scenario would be a breakup fee, and then they would go their separate ways, back to their own lives.

But saying something like that out loud would be hurtful.

"One year, then."

Zhuang Yihan gave the answer without much thought. A year was neither too long nor too short, which was fine for both of them. Yet, the moment the words left his lips, he saw Chen Shu give a sudden smile. It was a very slight smile, flashing by so quickly one could barely catch it.

Zhuang Yihan couldn't describe what that smile meant, but an inexplicable panic rose in his heart. It felt as if in the near future, he would regret this decision with all his being. Like a bullet, delayed by the passage of time, that would one day pierce his heart without warning, a memory that would hurt so much it would keep him sleepless for years to come.

Chen Shu felt a bit sorry for Zhuang Yihan. "Five million for one year, isn't that a bit too expensive?"

Zhuang Yihan arched a brow faintly. 'Chen Shu is still a poor student at heart,' he thought, 'not yet dazzled by the wealth of our circle. Otherwise, why would he ask such a silly question?' "Isn't it better that it's a bit expensive?"

If it was more expensive, Chen Shu wouldn't lose out, and Zhuang Yihan himself would feel more at ease.

Chen Shu looked at him and smiled, his pair of bewitching, fox-like eyes curving like crescent moons, looking innocent and well-behaved. "Of course, it's good. I'm just afraid President Zhuang will be getting the short end of the stick."

Zhuang Yihan didn't know what came over him, but seeing Chen Shu smile made his heart itch, as if tickled by a feather. "I'm a businessman. I never make a losing deal."

He offered this price because he felt it was worth it. Besides, even if they broke up in the future, Chen Shu would be able to live quite well with this money.

Chen Shu fell silent at his words. After a moment, he suddenly said, "Let go."

Zhuang Yihan frowned. "What?"

Without a word, Chen Shu took his hand and used some force to pull it from his own collar. The injuries from last time had been on Zhuang Yihan's knuckles. They had finally scabbed over, but the force he'd just used had split them open again, and they began to seep blood.

A faint, customary smile played on Chen Shu's lips as he spoke, but it somehow gave the impression that he was angry. "I'm not going to run away. What's the rush?"

Zhuang Yihan didn't feel he had done anything wrong in the slightest. He raised an eyebrow coldly. "If you weren't running, what were you doing getting into the car?"

Chen Shu didn't answer. Under Zhuang Yihan's gaze, he opened the car door, bent over, and pulled out a pharmacy bag from the driver's seat. He dangled it in front of Zhuang Yihan. "To get your medicine."

Zhuang Yihan was stunned. "What?"

The topic had changed so quickly that he hadn't processed it yet.

Chen Shu glanced at the wound on his hand and reminded him softly, "Scar cream."

He always had the ability to make people feel so guilty they'd sit up in the middle of the night and slap themselves. Zhuang Yihan hadn't expected Chen Shu to still remember the injury on his hand. He was stunned for a moment, unsure of what to say.

Seeing Zhuang Yihan standing stock-still, Chen Shu asked with a smile, "What, are you still angry at me?"

He didn't mind Zhuang Yihan's earlier threat in the least. On the contrary, he was more than happy to humor the man, because the higher you build someone up, the harder they fall. After all, this man couldn't stay on his pedestal forever, could he?

Zhuang Yihan had no idea what was going through Chen Shu's mind. He glanced at the medicine box in the other's hand, a strange mood coming over him, and suddenly felt displeased. "Are you this considerate with every client you go out with?"

Chen Shu said, "No."

Zhuang Yihan asked, "What?"

Chen Shu looked at him earnestly. "There is no one else. I'm only like this with you."

There had never been anyone else. The only person he had ever loved and hated in his past life was Zhuang Yihan.

The early autumn wind blew through the street, rustling the parasol trees. The languid sunlight spilled down, draping Chen Shu in a pale golden light. At this moment, his normally indifferent eyes held an indescribable depth of affection and devotion. Even many years later, Zhuang Yihan would find himself uncontrollably replaying this day's scene in his mind.

Flustered, the first stirrings of love, giddy with joy—any word describing a budding romance could have been used to describe him that day. But back then, he was still naive and didn't know the true taste of love. He simply thought it was the heat of the sun that made his heart burn so hot.

Zhuang Yihan couldn't stop himself from pressing his lips together. "Why should I believe you? If I hadn't come out just now, who were you planning to meet?"

Chen Shu smiled. "I wasn't going anywhere. I was just coming out to get your medicine."

It was only then that Zhuang Yihan seemed to realize something. He looked at the black car behind him, a model far too expensive for a regular student. "Where did you get the car?"

Chen Shu followed his gaze and then looked away. "I borrowed it from a classmate. I'll return it when I go back to school this afternoon."

Their school was a bit far, and the route was convoluted and inconvenient, so he had borrowed Yu Hui's car.

With this topic as a distraction, Zhuang Yihan's anger strangely subsided. He glanced down at the time and realized it would be dinnertime in an hour. He had already postponed his afternoon meeting anyway. He hesitated before speaking. "My car is parked nearby. Have dinner with me tonight."

Coming from Zhuang Yihan, this was actually a sign of him softening his stance.

Chen Shu nodded lightly, naturally agreeable. "I'll drive. Just give me the address."

Just from the fatigue in the corners of Zhuang Yihan's eyes, he knew the man must have stayed up for a video conference with an overseas partner, fighting jet lag. This person was always accompanied by a driver and rarely drove himself. Moreover, he always ate at the same few places. Chen Shu could guess Zhuang Yihan's daily schedule with his eyes closed.

Zhuang Yihan glanced at Chen Shu, somewhat surprised. "You know how to drive?"

Chen Shu didn't elaborate. "I got my license a while ago."

Although Chen Shu was poor, he always had his own plans and never hesitated to spend money when necessary. He used to drive for people back in his hometown to earn money, and he'd borrowed money to get his license back then. When his father found out, he thought it was a waste of money and whipped him hard with a belt.

Zhuang Yihan didn't press the matter. He opened the door and got into the passenger seat, mentally running through the few private kitchens he often went to before casually picking one. "Let's go to Xiangming Pavilion. Their food is good. You should like it."

Chen Shu started the car and headed for their destination, barely needing to glance at the navigation. He said casually, "I'm not picky about food."

Zhuang Yihan replied, "Now that you're with me, you can afford to be."

Chen Shu's actions paused at his words. He turned his head to look, only to find that Zhuang Yihan had already reclined his seat and was leaning back with his eyes closed, feigning sleep. The fatigue between his brows was hard to miss. The sun was setting, and the glow of dusk slowly spread through the car window, falling upon the man's cool handsome face. It made the bridge of his nose seem even higher, exactly as he remembered from his past life.

...

Chen Shu silently retracted his gaze and continued to drive. It was hard to say what he was thinking as the car slowed to an exceptionally smooth and steady pace. Just as he thought Zhuang Yihan had fallen asleep, the other man suddenly frowned in distaste and blurted out:

"And one more thing, remember to tell that 'one-million' guy to get lost!"

'Trying to keep a lover with such a paltry sum of money. He should get as far away as possible!'