Chapter 59 Under the Blanket
——＜A gentle dividing line＞
The soft, thin blanket was like a stone dropped into a lake, sending ripples of indescribable emotions through Su Yan's heart. He clutched the edge of the blanket, which seemed to still hold a trace of Huo Shen's unique, cold and steady aura.
This wasn't charity, nor was it an order. It was more like a... silent response. A response to his overstepping of the bounds of propriety last night, a "protection" that even he himself couldn't understand.
Huo Shen was telling him: I saw it.
This realization left Su Yan feeling utterly confused. He would have preferred Huo Shen to continue treating him with coldness and control; at least that way, the lines would be clear, and he would only need to think about how to fear and survive. But now, this thin blanket blurred that line, introducing a strange, warm feeling, leaving him feeling lost.
Huo Shen didn't go to the company that day. He stayed in his study, but the door was unusually not completely closed, leaving a crack. Su Yan could even faintly hear the sound of keyboard tapping and the occasional low voice, as if on a conference call. The tone was calm, without much emotion.
Assistant Zhou showed up on time, delivering documents and coffee. As he passed through the living room, his gaze lingered for a moment on the thin blanket that Su Yan had neatly folded and placed on the sofa. His eyes remained unchanged, but Su Yan keenly sensed that beneath that calmness, there seemed to be a subtle hint of scrutiny and... coldness.
At noon, after the servants had prepared lunch, Huo Shen unexpectedly emerged from his study. He appeared to have returned to his usual self, stern and composed, though the usual sharpness between his brows seemed to have faded a bit, with a hint of weariness from a recent illness.
He didn't look at Su Yan, but walked straight to the main seat at the table and sat down.
Su Yan hesitated for a moment, then sat down diagonally across from him as usual and began to eat in silence. The atmosphere was still silent, but no longer as cold and suffocating as before.
"Not to your liking?" Huo Shen suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. His eyes fell on Su Yan's barely touched plate.
Su Yan was startled, raised his head, met Huo Shen's calm gaze, and quickly shook his head: "No, it's delicious."
Huo Shen didn't say anything else, but just pushed the plate of steamed fish in front of him, which was almost untouched and which Su Yan seemed to have glanced at twice before, in front of him.
An extremely simple action caused Su Yan's hand holding the chopsticks to freeze in mid-air.
Huo Shen, however, acted as if he had done something perfectly natural. He picked up his chopsticks again and continued eating, as if the subtle movement had never happened.
Su Yan looked at the plate of fresh fish in front of him, and his heart felt like it was being gently bumped by something, sour and painful. He lowered his head, silently picked up the fish, and put it into his mouth. It tasted good, but he tasted an indescribable bitterness.
What was this? A slap in the face followed by a sweet date? Or... some kind of... easing... that he couldn't comprehend, didn't dare to contemplate?
After dinner, Huo Shen did not return to his study immediately. He walked to the French window, looked outside, and suddenly asked, "Do you hate me?"
This question came too abruptly and directly, and Su Yan was caught off guard and stood there in a daze.
Hate him? Of course he did. Hate him for imprisoning him, for controlling his life, for putting his brother in such a desperate situation.
However, looking at Huo Shen's lonely back standing in the halo, the word "hate" got stuck in his throat and he couldn't say it out.
A long silence is an answer in itself.
Huo Shen didn't seem to expect his answer. He turned around and looked at Su Yan calmly: "Hate me or not. Su Yan, you can't escape."
His tone was calm and non-threatening, he was just stating what he believed to be a fact.
"Stay by my side. This is your only way." He took a few steps towards Su Yan and stopped one step away from him, his eyes deep. "I can give you shelter, and even... consider giving Su Chen a way out."
"The premise is," he leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice with an unquestionable control, "you always remember who you belong to."
His words, like a carefully woven web, blended tenderness and threats, blanketed Su Yan. On one side was his brother's possible survival and this sudden, unsettling "easing," and on the other was the abyss of complete self-loss and eternal dependence.
Su Yan looked into Huo Shen's eyes, which were so close to him, and saw his own pale and confused face clearly reflected in them. He knew that he was standing at a more dangerous and tempting crossroads.
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