Chapter 40: Game of Breaths
The door was pushed open, and Huo Shen's tall figure appeared at the door. He was wearing dark home clothes, and his face was still pale from his illness, but his eyes had regained their usual sharpness, like a precise scanner, taking in the scene in the study in an instant.
Su Yan's heart almost stopped beating. He froze in place, his hands still subconsciously tidying up the non-existent dust on the desk, and the blood drained from his face.
Huo Shen's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, then slowly swept across the place where he had just squatted, and finally fell back on his face, his tone calm and unwavering: "What are you doing here?"
Every word was like a hammer hitting Su Yan's tense nerves. He forced himself to swallow, trying to make his voice less trembling: "I... I saw you fell asleep, so I thought of coming to the study to help you sort out..." This excuse was pale and weak, even he found it ridiculous.
Huo Shen didn't say anything, but walked in. His leather shoes made a nearly silent thud on the carpet, but each step felt like it was stepping on Su Yan's heart. He walked to the desk, his eyes seemingly inadvertently sweeping over the secret compartment that Su Yan had just locked.
Su Yan felt like his breathing was stagnant. He could almost hear the sound of blood rushing in his ears.
Just when he thought he would be exposed in the next second, Huo Shen suddenly reached out his hand, not pointing to the secret compartment, but picking up an ordinary report on the new energy market that he had read before on the desk.
"Are you interested in this?" Huo Shen asked without raising his head as he flipped through the report, his tone unable to tell whether he was happy or angry.
Su Yan was stunned for a moment, then realized that this was an opportunity to change the subject, so he quickly continued, "Just... take a look, some parts are hard to understand." He tried to make his tone carry a bit of curiosity and clumsiness.
Huo Shen raised his eyes, and his deep gaze fell on his face. There was no longer the scrutiny he had before, but instead there was a hint of indescribable complexity, like an evaluation, and like... a very faint interest.
"What don't you understand?" Huo Shen asked.
Su Yan casually pointed to a paragraph in the report about the comparison of technical parameters. His heart was still beating wildly and his brain was working fast, preparing to deal with the next questions.
However, Huo Shen didn't delve into the technical question. He closed the report and casually tossed it back onto the table with a soft "pa" sound. Then, he walked over to Su Yan, so close that Su Yan could smell the faint scent of medicine and the refreshing air from his shower.
"Su Yan," Huo Shen's voice was low and unquestionable, "I don't care what you are looking for or what you want to do."
Su Yan's heart sank suddenly.
"But," Huo Shen suddenly changed the subject. He reached out his hand, gently lifted Su Yan's chin with his fingers, and forced him to look into his eyes. "Remember what I said. Stay by my side and don't do anything stupid. Your life, and the safety of your brother Su Chen, all depend on your thoughts."
His tone was calm, even gentle, but the threat in his words was like a cold knife, pressing against Su Yan's throat.
Su Yan's body went cold. He knew Huo Shen must have noticed something. He didn't point it out, not because he didn't know, but because he didn't want to punish him yet, or perhaps he enjoyed the feeling of control, like a cat and mouse.
"I... I don't dare anymore..." Su Yan lowered his eyelashes, his voice filled with real fear and trembling. This time, it was not a disguise.
Huo Shen seemed satisfied with his reaction and released his hand, but his fingertips seemed to linger as they gently brushed his jawline.
"Go down." Huo Shen turned around, facing away from him, and walked back to the desk. His tone returned to his usual commanding tone, "Don't enter the study again without my permission."
"Yes." Su Yan responded softly and walked out of the study quickly as if he was escaping.
After closing the study door, he leaned against the cold wall, his legs weak and his back soaked with cold sweat. He felt like he had just walked through the gates of hell.
Huo Shen knew! He must have known! He knew he was secretly investigating, but why didn't he react? Was it because of that damn "interest"? Or was it because he felt he was completely under control and couldn't make any waves?
And his warning about Su Chen made Su Yan feel a chill in his bones. Huo Shen always knew that Su Chen was his weak spot.
Returning to the guest room, Su Yan locked the door and slid down to the floor. He spread his palms, watching his fingers tremble slightly with nervousness. Huo Shen's indulgence and warnings, like an invisible net, bound him tighter and tighter. He thought he had found his opponent's weakness, but found himself still struggling within his grasp. The brief sense of advantage brought by the key and diary disappeared, replaced by a deeper sense of powerlessness and... a kind of resoluteness, like the feeling of being seen through.
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