Chapter 182: Stay Close
The steam from the tomato and egg noodles lingered in the light. Si Zhui held the bowl, sipping from it in small bites, his eyes fixed on Lin Yan across from him. The boy lowered his head to drink his soup, his profile softened in the warm light, but Si Zhui was still afraid that this gentleness was fleeting, so after finishing his noodles, he almost immediately clung to him.
Lin Yan had just put down his bowl and chopsticks when he felt the corner of his clothes being tightly grasped. He looked down and saw Si Zhui looking up at him, his eyes red like a frightened deer. He was clearly not crying, but it made him feel more nervous than if he had.
"What?" Lin Yan's voice softened unconsciously.
"I'm afraid you'll run away." Si Zhui whispered, rubbing his face against his arm like a spoiled kitten. "Brother Lin, can I follow you today?"
Lin Yan was about to refuse when he met his wet eyes. The words of rejection were on the tip of his tongue but he swallowed them back. He knew that the child was frightened. The cold treatment he received last night was like a thorn in his heart. He was afraid that he would not be able to calm down unless he confirmed something in person.
"Whatever you want." He sighed, stood up and wanted to go to the study to deal with documents, but was pulled by Si Zhui and stumbled.
The boy's grip wasn't strong, but he clenched it so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Lin Yan looked down at the wrinkled corner of his clothes and shook his head helplessly - this kid was using his clothes as a lifeline.
When he went to the study, Si Zhui moved a small stool and sat beside him, holding the uneaten piece of malt sugar in his hand, staring at his hands typing on the keyboard without blinking; when he went to pour water, Si Zhui followed him closely, like a little tail that could not be shaken off; when he leaned on the sofa and rubbed his eyebrows, Si Zhui came over carefully, imitating him and pressing his solar plexus, with a force as light as a feather brushing.
As the sun set, Lin Yan received a call from the company, saying that there was an urgent document that needed his signature.
"I have to go to the company." He picked up the suit jacket on the sofa and just put it on when he felt someone hugging his lower back.
Si Zhui buried his face in his back and said in a muffled voice, "I'm going too."
"The company is not a place to play." Lin Yan tried to pry his hands apart.
"I won't play, I'll just watch you." Si Zhui hugged her tighter, his voice tinged with tears, "If you don't take me with you, I'll... I'll cry in front of you."
These words sounded childish, but they touched Lin Yan's soft spot. He could imagine that if the child stayed at home, he would probably be restless and cry all night.
"...Let's go." Lin Yan finally compromised. When he turned around, he saw the light that suddenly lit up in Si Zhui's eyes, and the helplessness in his heart turned into softness.
On the way to the company, Si Zhui kept holding his hand. Lin Yan's hand was so big that it could completely wrap around his. The warmth of his palm passed through his skin, making him feel inexplicably at ease. He secretly raised his eyes and looked at the profile of Lin Yan who was concentrating on driving. Suddenly, a thought popped up in his mind - so this is what Brother Lin looks like when he works hard.
The Lin Group's headquarters was housed in a glass building in the heart of the city, its grandeur making Sizhui a bit intimidated. He clutched Lin Yan's shirt tightly and followed closely, his eyes curiously scanning his surroundings—men and women in business suits hurried about, desks clustered behind glass walls, and a solemn air hung in the air.
"Hello, Mr. Lin." The employees passing by greeted him one after another. When their eyes fell on Si Zhui, they were all a little curious, but no one asked any more questions.
Si Zhui felt a little shy being stared at, and shrank back behind Lin Yan, his hand gripping the corner of his clothes even tighter. Lin Yan noticed his uneasiness and calmly slowed down his pace, waiting for him to catch up.
The CEO's office was on the top floor, spacious like a small apartment. The floor-to-ceiling windows offered a dazzling night view. The interior was simple and elegant, with thick files stacked on the bookshelves, a stark contrast to the cozy atmosphere of Lin Yan's villa.
"Please sit down." Lin Yan pointed to the sofa, walked to the desk, sat down, and opened his laptop.
Si Zhui didn't sit down, but moved a chair next to the desk, sat down obediently, put his hands on his knees, and stared at Lin Yan without blinking.
Lin Yan felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by him and cleared his throat: "Why are you looking at me? You have a tablet, play by yourself."
"No." Si Zhui shook his head and whispered, "It's up to you."
He watched Lin Yan look down at the documents, his brows occasionally furrowed slightly; he watched him pick up the pen to sign, the sound of the pen tip scratching across the paper; he watched him answer the phone, his voice was steady and powerful, completely different from the tone he usually used when talking to him.
It turns out that Brother Lin is not only good at carving wood, but can also handle so many complicated things. It turns out that the burden on his shoulders is much heavier than I imagined.
As Si Zhui watched, he suddenly felt a little guilty. He used to think Lin Yan was meddling in his affairs, but now he realized that he was using his own way to shield him from the invisible storms.
After Lin Yan finished processing the documents, he looked up and saw Si Zhui staring at him in a daze, his little face full of seriousness and a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Have you seen enough?" He raised an eyebrow.
Si Zhui was startled and quickly lowered his head, his ears red as ripe cherries: "No...no."
Seeing him like this, the last bit of coldness in Lin Yan's heart dissipated. He stood up and walked over, squatting in front of him, his eyes level with his. "Are you still afraid?"
Si Zhui shook his head, then nodded and whispered, "I'm not afraid anymore. I just... I think Brother Lin is so awesome."
Lin Yan smiled and reached out to ruffle his hair: "Will you dare to disobey me again in the future?"
"I won't dare anymore." Si Zhui promised quickly, looking at him with sparkling eyes, "I will be a good boy and even give you a back massage."
"Yeah." Lin Yan responded, his heart suddenly softening. He took Si Zhui's hand and found that his palms were sweaty, probably because he was nervous all the way.
"Let's go, I'll take you to eat something." He picked up the coat on the back of the chair and was about to put it on when Si Zhui stopped him.
The boy stood on tiptoe, stretched out his small hands, and carefully smoothed out the wrinkles on his suit - those were the marks caused by his gripping all the way. His movements were very gentle, and his fingertips occasionally touched Lin Yan's back, and he would shrink as if he had received an electric shock, but he still stubbornly smoothed out every wrinkle.
Lin Yan stood there, letting him fiddle with it. Looking at his serious profile, at his calves slightly tense from standing on tiptoe, she suddenly felt an indescribable emotion well up in her heart.
It turns out that being cared for so carefully by someone is such a warm feeling.
"Okay." Si Zhui took a step back, looked at his neat suit, smiled with satisfaction, and revealed two small dimples.
Lin Yan looked at his smile, suddenly leaned over, and hugged him gently: "Next time, don't hold so tightly, your clothes will be damaged."
Si Zhui nodded vigorously in his arms, buried his face in his chest, and said sullenly, "Then you can't ignore me anymore."
"Okay." Lin Yan's voice was low and hoarse, with a thick smile, "I won't pay attention to you."
The night view outside the window was as bright as the Milky Way, and the lights in the office were warm and cozy. Lin Yan held the little person in his arms and suddenly felt that compared to those cold documents and numbers, the warmth in his arms and the weight of his palms were the most precious things in the world.
As for that wrinkled suit? Let it be wrinkled.
Anyway, there will always be someone who will carefully smooth things over for him.
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