After a violent cough, Shen Yu'nan slowly opened his eyes. He was panting heavily, but his dark eyes seemed to gleam with a faint light in the darkness.
After a long while, Shen Yunan slowly sat up, leaning on the sofa, his gaze fixed on the floor as if lost in thought.
Only when the screen of his phone lit up did he slightly turn his neck to look at the phone he had thrown on the ground. The phone screen remained lit, but there was no ringing. The caller ID showed a number without a contact name.
Shen Yunan looked down, making no extra movements, but his face was as cold as if covered with a layer of frost.
The number that had been calling Shen Yu Nan all afternoon without being saved was his home phone. Shen Yu Nan knew very well that every time his family called him, it was for the same thing: money.
He loathed it to the extreme, yet... he was helpless.
When the phone went out and then came back on, Shen Yu'nan reached out and picked up the phone that had fallen to the ground, lowered his eyes and pressed the answer button.
The person on the other end of the phone spoke very quickly, rattling off a string of words.
"Get to the point."
Shen Yu Nan's voice was terribly hoarse, and after a pause, the other end of the line continued speaking.
Shen Yu Nan sighed softly as he listened. After the other person finished explaining the key points, he remained silent for a few seconds before replying, "I understand."
After saying that, he hung up the phone.
When Shen Yu'nan's family refused to let him go to university, he ran away from home overnight with his admission notice. He supported himself with his tuition and living expenses during university. He had no contact with his family for many years until two years ago when his mother was critically ill, and he reconnected with the Shen family.
*
After obtaining Shen Yu'nan's temporary address from the personnel department, Pei Wu drove there.
Driving there himself, Pei Wu realized that the place wasn't exactly close to the company. It was far on the edge of the bustling city center, surrounded by buildings that were newly built after the demolition of old houses in recent years. The occupancy rate was quite low. It was only after the subway opened in the last two years that the area became more lively and the surrounding facilities became more complete.
The neighborhood where Shen Yu'nan lives is full of newly built buildings, and most of the residents are people from other places who have settled here. There are many rental apartments, and there is a real estate agency next to the main gate of the neighborhood. The billboards at the entrance mostly display rental prices, which shows that most of the residents in this neighborhood are migrant workers.
The entrance to the residential area is filled with the lively atmosphere of cooking on a summer night.
Having spent most of her time in the research lab, surrounded by research data and cold machines, Pei Wu naturally felt out of place in this noisy and bustling atmosphere. She exuded an air of calm, self-possessed composure.
The community's security system is quite comprehensive; everyone enters by swiping a card, and Pei Wu, who doesn't have a community resident card, naturally can't get in.
The security guard glanced at Pei Wu and knew she wasn't a resident of the complex. He opened the window of the guard booth and shouted to Pei Wu, "Excuse me, miss, could you please have your friend come out and pick you up? People without a card aren't allowed in our complex, and you can't use the elevator without one. You'd better call your friend to come and pick you up at the entrance. I need to register you here."
"..." Pei Wu nodded politely to the security guard and then walked to the side.
She took out her phone and looked at her chat with Shen Yu Nan. After a moment's thought, she glanced around and, considering Shen Yu Nan's need for painkillers, Pei Wu asked the security guard again, "Hello."
"..." The security guard saw Pei Wu speaking to her and opened the window of the guard booth again. "What is it?"
“My friend isn’t feeling well and can’t come out to pick me up. Look, I’ll register first, and then leave my wallet here. There’s cash, cards, and my ID in the wallet.” Pei Wu paused and continued, “I’ll only be inside for a short while.”
"..." The security guard glanced at the photo on the ID card, compared it with Pei Wu's appearance, and then looked at the food she was carrying. It did look like she was visiting someone in the hospital, so he compromised and said, "Alright then, call your friend first, and I'll verify the information."
"Thanks."
Pei Wu dialed Shen Yu Nan's number.
*
Just as Shen Yu Nan hung up the phone, Pei Wu called immediately.
Shen Yu'nan looked at the nickname "President Pei" in the contact list, quickly composed himself, and pressed the answer button.
"It's me."
Hearing Pei Wu's voice on the other end of the phone, Shen Yu Nan swallowed hard before replying.
"Yes, may I ask what Mr. Pei needs?" Shen Yu'nan's voice was as usual, showing no sign of fatigue from sleeping all afternoon.
"I'm at the entrance of your residential compound."
"..." Shen Yu'nan frowned slightly as he listened to Pei Wu's words, until he heard the security guard's voice, "Are you a resident of building 26, xxx?"
At this moment, Shen Yu'nan subconsciously straightened his back, and his mind became instantly clear.
"Um, cough cough."
Shen Yu Nan's cough came from the other end of the phone, and Pei Wu could even picture him covering his mouth with his hand when he coughed.
"Please tell me your name and contact number so I can register you."
"Shen Yu Nan, phone number 1xxxxxxxxxx."
"The name and number match the one registered with the property management. We will now allow your friend to pass through."
"good."
The noise on the phone contrasted sharply with the quiet environment on Shen Yuhuan's side. The phone was once again in Pei Wu's hand. "I'll hang up now."
Shen Yu Nan feigned respect and replied, "Yes." Pei Wu had already hung up the phone.
Shen Yu Nan stared blankly at the phone that had just been hung up. He habitually tried to guess what the other person was thinking. After all, in the three years he had been her secretary, Pei Wu had never been to his place. Coupled with what had happened before, Shen Yu Nan felt that Pei Wu's behavior was unusual.
He subconsciously glanced at the paper bag he had casually tossed on the coffee table; inside were the thermos and hand warmers Pei Wu had given him during the day.
Shen Yu'nan's face was still extremely pale, and he was highly focused on Pei Wu's sudden visit.
Gradually, the aches and pains in his body subsided, and he knew that Pei Wu should be arriving soon.
That's just how men's bodies are. The various discomforts during special periods are slightly alleviated when they are exposed to their woman's female hormones. Although Shen Yu Nan was unwilling to admit it, that was the case between him and Pei Wu.
Thinking of this, Shen Yu'nan unconsciously clenched his hands, not even noticing the pain from his nails digging into his flesh.
The phone screen lit up again, drawing Shen Yu'nan's attention back.
It was a WeChat message from Pei Wu.
I'm in the elevator.
Shen Yu Nan got up and walked to the elevator to press the elevator button for Pei Wu. He watched the numbers slowly rise and put on his usual professional smile.
With a "beep", the elevator doors opened.
Shen Yunan met Pei Wu's face, and their eyes met.
"President Pei, cough cough."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
