Chapter 85

The air was like semi-solidified amber, and the vast, labyrinthine house became even more silent in the night.

The atmosphere was silent until Lin Langyi finally asked, "Didn't we say not to contact each other recently?"

When she asked that question, her voice was soft and gentle, like flowing, soft, densely woven cashmere. She tilted her head slightly, and even her eyes were serene.

But the words she spoke were anything but pleasant to hear.

Yuan Chuyu was completely enveloped in silence. He stood in the shadows, while half of her body remained in the brightly lit bathroom.

At the end of the long, narrow corridor, only a few wall lamps were turned on at intervals, casting long, distorted shadows, like unruly monsters that had been hiding inside people.

His face was somewhat pale, and although he had been drinking, his earlobes were flushed, but his gaze was cold.

He asked softly, "Does today count as 'recently'?"

Lin Langyi leaned against the wall at the corner. There was no one in the bathroom, but she still spoke in a low voice.

She said, "If I say it's okay, then it's okay."

“But today is my birthday.” He suddenly pursed his lips and said, unusually stubborn, “I made a wish.”

Lin Langyi: "What did you wish for?"

He looked at her; her dark silk shirt clung well to her skin, and her elephant gray tie was tied meticulously, but soon it began to sway loosely.

His ever-straight and upright back bent slightly, the shirt tucked into his trousers creating a smooth line, and a sexy and beautiful mark protruded from his spine, which extended all the way to the back of his neck.

He was a head taller than her, and when he leaned close to her like this, it seemed as if he wanted to completely engulf her in the shadow he cast.

The tie hung in the air, slippery against her again. She looked up and watched as he intently reached behind her head and removed something.

It might be a blade of grass, or a cat's fur, she guessed. She had just been petting black clam shells with a group of girls on the lawn, and she had quite a few on her.

He picked it up for her, but didn't move away, his chin hovering above her head, his light breath occasionally brushing against her.

"Wishes won't come true if you say them out loud."

The silence was suddenly broken when the front door of the house was pulled open with a creak. After it was fully opened, it was pushed against the wall and slammed shut on the doorstop.

Lin Langyi suddenly took two steps back, just like when she was a student and walking with her lover on the street. When she saw the head teacher from afar, she immediately and ruthlessly shook off her lover's hand and slowed down to prevent the two of them from walking side by side.

“I don’t have any overseas classmates.” Yuan Chuyu spoke slowly and deliberately, like an old record player that was stuck in a malfunction, even as footsteps sounded in the distance.

He explained to her very seriously, speaking clearly and slowly, as if afraid she wouldn't believe him: "I don't want to explain to you again overnight."

The next sentence was filled with grievance: "But you blocked me, so I can't talk to you."

"Okay, Mom, I know. I'm looking for a chance to talk to Mr. Yuan alone. I just saw him walk into the house."

Lin Langyi shuddered. Lin Xiangshuo's voice was getting closer and closer, and he could enter the corridor just around the corner.

She grabbed his hand, and in her haste, she also pulled his tie, which was hanging in front of him, into her palm, and dragged him into the bathroom without saying a word.

The broken shadow cast on the wall moved, and Lin Xiangshuo turned into the other end of the corridor, still holding his phone in his hand, as the shadow flashed past him.

He craned his neck forward and tentatively called out, "President Yuan?"

Lin Langyi pulled the person into the bathroom, slammed the door shut, and locked it in one swift motion.

Time seemed to stand still. After a couple of seconds, she turned her head from her sideways listening position and saw the man in front of her being led by her tie to bow slightly, without uttering a single complaint.

She let go, and the silk material was already wrinkled from being kneaded.

"President Yuan, are you inside?" Lin Xiangshuo had already walked to the door. He knocked on the door with his finger and introduced himself, "I am Lin Xiangshuo. It is an honor to attend the banquet tonight. The gift I just gave you was on behalf of the company. I have another one that I would like to give you on behalf of myself... I wonder if you would be able to spare ten minutes to allow me to talk to you?"

Lin Langyi leaned against the door, and the vibrations from the knocking were clearly transmitted to her through the door panel, as if someone was tapping the back of her neck with a small hammer.

There's no need to guess what Lin Xiangshuo wanted to say to Yuan Chuyu; it's as clear as day.

She looked up at Yuan Chuyu and held up a finger to her lips.

The other person remained aloof and self-possessed. His pupils were incredibly dark, and his thin eyelids were lowered as he gazed at her intently. He slowly tucked the tie in front of him back into her palm.

When the second knock sounded, he bent down, inevitably getting close to her, even softening his breathing, and kissed her very carefully.

Without making a sound, he had her hold onto the tie around his neck, her head bowed obediently as if she were offering her neck for execution, and he gently caressed her lips.

After caressing her for a long time, he finally used the tip of his tongue to slowly pry open her teeth and entwine with her.

Listening to Lin Xiangshuo's flustered, nervous, and pleading words completely overturned the dark ink within her body, seeping into every crevice of her bones.

Lin Langyi maliciously took a small step back, pressing himself completely against the door panel. Then, he tightened his grip on the tie, wrapped it around the back of his hand, and pulled him even closer to kiss him.

Lin Xiangshuo's humble and servile words of pleading became the fuel for the fire that was burning within her. She recalled Oscar Wilde's quote, "Everything in the world is about sex, except for sex itself, sex is power," and her head began to throb.

Her head was pressed tightly against the door panel, her hair rustling as she rubbed it. She reached out her other arm, hooked it around his neck, and pulled him down. Her fingers briefly ran through his short hair, then traced the back of his neck down to his burning ears.

Amidst her erratic breathing, she caught a glimpse of his ears, which were burning red. He was pinching his earlobe with his fingernails, then suddenly releasing it, leaving a crescent-shaped mark.

The kiss changed its tone; he slipped his hands between the door panel and her waist, pulling her close and embracing her tightly.

As she took a breath, she tilted her head, and the long earring on her earlobe slammed against the door with a "thud," standing out starkly in the silent environment.

Lin Xiangshuo, who had been organizing his thoughts for a long time outside the door, suddenly stopped talking.

He glanced at the ground and saw light shining through the crack in the door. He also clearly saw a shadow walking towards the restroom for a moment when he turned the corner and entered the corridor.

He spent the entire night waiting for an opportunity to speak with Yuan Chuyu alone, constantly keeping track of where Yuan Chuyu was, what he was doing, and when he was doing it.

I clearly saw him walking towards the house...

"President Yuan, are you there?" Lin Xiangshuo asked again, his tone becoming somewhat uncertain due to the lack of response over the long period.

Lin Langyi pointed to the table. Yuan Chuyu seemed to be under the influence of alcohol at this moment. His fair skin was flushed with a light blush, and even when he looked up at her, his eyes were like misty clouds filled with water vapor.

Seeing her lift her skirt and stand on tiptoe to lean against him, he grabbed her arm first and shook his head briefly.

It wasn't a rejection. In front of her, he stretched out his long, slender fingers and placed them on his collar. With a quick bend of his knuckles, he loosened the tie and then unbuttoned it one button at a time from top to bottom.

His firm and beautiful body unfolded before her like a painting. His loosely tied tie was still around his neck, and his belt was still tightly fastened with an austere and strict demeanor. This upside-down and chaotic contrast made it hard for her to stop.

He turned the expensive, smooth shirt inside out, folded it, and placed it on the table before lifting her up and sitting her down securely.

She watched him squat down, a small piece of his skirt fabric still covering his arm, his hand encircling her ankle, letting her step on his shoulder in her high heels.

Lin Xiangshuo, standing at the door, received no response for a long time. He wanted to leave but was unwilling to give up. He was certain that he had seen Yuan Chuyu enter the house, but now the toilet, a black hole that swallowed all sounds, made him unsure whether the person inside was actually Yuan Chuyu.

All night long, there was no opportunity to sit down and have a quiet conversation alone. Once he left the house and returned to the golf course, Yuan Chuyu would be surrounded by many guests again.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Lin Xiangshuo simply waited at the door, figuring he'd know if it was Yuan Chuyu once the person inside came out.

If yes, then we can invite him to speak privately; if not, then we can just assume he's just here to wash his hands.

In short, let's wait and see...

Inside the door, Lin Langyi braced herself with both hands behind her back, uncontrollably lifting her face upwards. Through her teary eyes, she felt the bright light shining down on her head, so bright it made her blood rush. She used one hand to barely block her vision, and the indescribable stimulation made her close her eyes tightly, trying to suppress the physiological tears.

The high heels dangled precariously from her feet, with half of her instep already exposed. She wanted to curl her toes up to keep the shoes from falling off, but she couldn't resist straightening her legs.

In the chaos, she reached for his hair, and somehow touched something, hearing him let out a suppressed gasp.

Her heart fluttered as she saw him glance at her with a hesitant, fleeting look, his eyes sparkling, and a hint of pink tinge appearing at the corners of his elongated eyes.

Her disheveled short hair was parted to reveal a red, no longer fresh wound, but the meticulous care made it look less gruesome.

Lin Langyi touched the scar, which hadn't fully healed, with her finger, eliciting another heavy breath from him. He tightened his grip on her thigh, whether out of liking or dislike, it was hard to tell.

As she floated, Lin Langyi could no longer concentrate on listening to the sounds outside the door. She vaguely thought that Lin Xiangshuo might have already left, and that she would be there soon.

The ringing of the cell phone made my heart stop, like a runaway kite suddenly being pulled hard, but rebelliously soaring upwards against the wind, a feeling of weightlessness suddenly rushing to my brain.

Not only that, a familiar voice rang out casually from not far away, asking, "Lin Langyi, did you fall in?"

Lin Langyi's throat was blocked, and her knees, which she instinctively raised, were restrained even more tightly, preventing her from dodging.

Her mind went blank for a moment, and an uncontrollable tremor spread throughout her body. Her left foot twisted and turned on his shoulder, and her high heel finally fell off, landing right in his arms.

Her ankles were pressed against his shoulder bones without any barrier, the skin they touched burning hot, as if they were about to scorch her.

Lin Langyi desperately tried to regain control of her body and immediately rummaged through her bag for her phone to hang up, but she was completely out of it and couldn't recover for a long time.

The bell rang long and melodiously, its sound lingering.

"Yan Jin?" Lin Xiangshuo asked in surprise, "Is Xiao Yi inside?"

Cheng Yanjin didn't hang up the phone. He simply lowered his hand from his ear, and the lit screen of his phone faced outwards, displaying the words "Lin Xiaozhu" clearly.

He frowned: "Can't you recognize your sister's ringtone?"

Lin Xiangshuo's face suddenly showed a bit of embarrassment and awkwardness. No wonder it had been silent and silent inside. It turned out that Lin Langyi was inside.

How can she feel about him after hearing what he said?

She probably didn't know how to face them, and knew it would be awkward if they met, so she didn't come out...

Lin Xiangshuo's face turned pale and then purple as if he had swallowed half a fly. He was annoyed and embarrassed, and he repeatedly said "I'm sorry" to the restroom without any name or identity. He just wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Turning around, Lin Xiangshuo didn't know whether he was explaining to Cheng Yanjin or comforting himself, and he laughed it off, saying, "I just saw President Yuan walking this way and thought it was him, so I came over."

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Cheng Yanjin's eyes twitch. The lazy look on his face suddenly disappeared, his face straightened, but his eyelids drooped down as he stared straight at him.

Lin Xiangshuo was startled by his expression, which could almost be described as a sudden change of attitude, and nearly bit his tongue.

Completely unaware of what he had said wrong, Lin Xiangshuo stood there for a few seconds, when suddenly he heard a "pat-pat" sound in the eerie silence.

Cheng Yanjin looked away, his expression turning cold as he stared at the source of the sound.

Lin Xiangshuo was quite frightened by his brother-in-law and could only follow his gaze downwards, only to discover that a pitch-black cat had somehow sneaked in.

Perhaps because the door was open, or perhaps because it followed Cheng Yanjin in, this smooth-furred black cat happily rushed down the corridor, its paws making a "pat-pat" sound every time they stepped on the smooth marble.

The kitten ran in as if it knew the way well, and immediately blocked the closed bathroom door with its face. It pressed down with its front paws, half-raised itself, and stretched out a paw to scratch around under the door.

It made a "gurgling" sound in its throat and scratched at the ground with its paws, as if it wanted to follow the dog into the toilet.

Cheng Yanjin's shoulders trembled slightly, and he abruptly hung up the phone, the ringing stopping abruptly.

You could hear a pin drop.

Lin Xiangshuo was still a little slow to process what was happening. He stood there awkwardly, stammering, "Isn't this President Yuan's cat?"

“President Yuan’s cat…” He slowly lifted his gaze from the kitten trying to crawl into the bathroom, looking inch by inch at the closed door, “Xiao Yi’s phone…”

Cheng Yanjin's face was stiff and his jaw was clenched. He gripped his phone tightly in his palm, his nails digging deep into his flesh, as if he was suppressing surging emotions that were about to erupt.

His breath was being held back, and his eyes seemed to be churning with turbulent waves. After a deathly silence, those turbulent expressions finally receded like the tide and disappeared without a trace.

"I give up on you, you greedy cat!" Cheng Yanjin's voice came out, but he stood there for a full three or four seconds, as if he had not yet regained control of his body.

"Lin Langyi fed you some food outside just now, and you came running here with her like a little puppy?"

Cheng Yanjin took a stiff step forward, like a drowning person desperately coughing up the first mouthful of water, and then the rest of his reactions slowly returned to normal, like a disconnected wire being reconnected.

He walked over in a few steps, squatted down, picked up the kitten that was frantically scratching at the door, and scolded, "You followed her to the bathroom? What, you run off with whoever feeds you? You little opportunist."

Black Butterfly kept meowing and wagging its tail. Cheng Yanjin held it in his arms and stroked its back fur rather clumsily to soothe it, saying, "She'll be out soon, what's the rush?"

Turning his head, Lin Xiangshuo was still standing blankly in front of the door, while Cheng Yanjin's expression had completely calmed down, as if he had straightened out a crumpled piece of white paper and smoothed out every crease.

He calmly said, "You've waited in the wrong place. Brother Yu is a germaphobe. If he needs to go to the bathroom, he'll definitely go to the one in his own room on the third floor, not here."

How could Lin Xiangshuo doubt the words of his close friend Cheng Yanjin? Hearing this, he felt it made sense and hurriedly nodded and stepped back: "Then...then I'll go to the third floor to wait for him?"

"Hmph..." Cheng Yanjin scoffed.

After mocking the person, he tilted his head back and moved his head slightly from side to side, making his prominent Adam's apple stand out on his neck.

Looking up, the luxurious murals come into view, the dim lighting creating a sense of decadent opulence.

Cheng Yanjin's Adam's apple bobbed, his gaze unfocused, his voice remaining calm, like an iceberg submerged in the deep sea, dark and profound: "If you have something to ask Brother Yu, then don't rush upstairs to find him. He doesn't like people trespassing on his territory without any sense of propriety."

Lin Xiangshuo quickly agreed. He always felt a sense of awe and unconscious fear towards people from far above his own social class: "Ah, okay, okay, thank you for reminding me, Yan Jin. Then... then I'll wait outside?"

Cheng Yanjin slowly tightened his jaw, lowered his head, and looked ahead again. He wasn't looking at Lin Xiangshuo, but rather at the distorted and deformed shadow projected on the wall.

He said, "Go directly to the rest area of ​​the golf course. I'll go up there later and say a few words for you, and ask Brother Yu to come see you later."

Lin Xiangshuo was overjoyed and expressed his gratitude profusely. Only afterward did he remember his younger sister was just a door away. His expression faltered, but considering they were family, he decided not to go too far and explained:

"I don't mean anything by it, I just want to thank President Yuan for taking care of the Lin family."

Seeing that Cheng Yanjin seemed to be in a daze for a moment after saying that, Lin Xiangshuo quickly shut his mouth and said, "I, I'll go back to the court first, thank you Yanjin!"

After saying that, he couldn't hide his joy and left happily.

The corner between the restroom and the corridor was deserted, the lights diligently shining on every inch of the space, the shadows on the walls were motionless, only the lively and adorable cat in my arms was the only sign of life in the air.

At the sink, Yuan Chuyu calmly tidied Lin Langyi up with a tissue. He held her high heels and put them back on her feet. He carefully tucked the hem of her skirt, which had been draped over his arm, so that it didn't leave any unsightly marks.

He helped her down to her feet, ignoring the fact that he was still soaked from her presence. He carefully examined her from head to toe, then smiled and shook his head at her, mouthing, "It's nothing."

She was impeccably dressed and tidied her hair in front of the mirror, while he finally had time to grab a few tissues and casually wipe the water stains from his collarbone and chin.

The silk shirt he was wearing on the table was completely ruined, and his tie was all wrinkled, so he simply took it off and left it on the table.

Lin Langyi finished getting herself ready, staring at herself in the mirror. She could still hear the kitten meowing outside the door, knowing that Cheng Yanjin hadn't left yet.

Going out like this requires some mental preparation.

Not hearing any movement from Cheng Yanjin made her feel a sense of unknown wariness, unsure of how he would make his move.

He was so quiet, no, so deathly silent, that it was almost unnatural.

Lin Langyi placed her hand on the table, lowered her head slightly, and took out her phone from her bag.

As soon as I turned on the screen, I finally heard his voice from outside the door.

It was a very ordinary, soft, and gentle voice. Lin Langyi had never heard Cheng Yanjin's voice so low and calm before, as if he were carefully taking care of a seedling that had just sprouted from the soil.

He said, "Lin Langyi, I'll go outside and wait for you. We're about to cut the cake..."

His casual tone was like a wisp of smoke dissipating in the air as he said, "It's your favorite mousse with filling, so hurry up and get it."