Amethyst
At 11:40 pm, Xu Zhiyuan, still awake, heard a car slam downstairs. The housekeeper and bodyguard hurried downstairs to check, and he followed suit. The door opened, and two drunken men walked in side by side, practically filling the living room with the stench.
The young master of the Lin family looked aggrieved and threw the person to the ground. Before the housekeeper could catch him, Xu Zhiyuan stepped forward and hugged Jinnan, who had his eyes closed, in his arms.
Drank a lot of wine.
When Jinnan gets drunk, he just hugs the quilt and falls asleep, ignoring the end of the world outside.
Lin Jiaze had drunk less, and explained with a bitter face, "We were originally planning to stay in Xuanshan, but this guy insisted on coming back. I spent the whole night looking for a driver. I've already dropped him off, so don't complain to my brother."
"You've worked hard." Xu Zhiyuan lifted Jinnan higher and reached out to test his temperature. "Butler Guo, please see Master Lin off."
The car drove away, the gate closed, and the rest of the people dispersed on their own accord. Only the bodyguard who had not yet changed shifts was left standing next to Xu Zhiyuan, tentatively reaching out his hand.
"I'll do it." Xu Zhiyuan did not allow any objection.
The last bystander disappeared into the shadows. Xu Zhiyuan once again had the chance to hug Jinnan. He held her for a long time, his heart warmed to the point of wanting to cry, his hands pressed against her snow-soaked hair.
In the last 20 minutes of January 22, Jin Nan returned to his side, and it was a celebration day that belonged to him alone.
Jinnan must have seen his text message, and he traveled all the way through the snow and wind for it.
Xu Zhiyuan thought of You Yi's words.
"Xiao Nan probably likes you."
At this moment, Xu Zhiyuan wanted to believe it.
"Jinnan, wake up." Xu Zhiyuan called him gently, "Drink some sobering soup before you go back to sleep."
He patted Jinnan's back, and his drunken eyes slowly opened, looking at the world hazily. When they were about to close, he heard Xu Zhiyuan's voice.
"Xu Zhiyuan?"
"It's me."
"Xu Zhiyuan."
Jinnan repeated his name over and over again, as if his entire language system had been drained out and he would have to rely on these three words to survive from now on.
"Xu Zhiyuan, I'm so happy."
"I feel like vomiting and uncomfortable."
"Xu Zhiyuan."
Xu Zhiyuan hugged him tightly and took him back to his room upstairs. While waiting for the bathtub to fill, he put him on the sofa by the window.
But in just a few minutes, the drunkard came over on his own and tried to squat like him, but ended up falling heavily to the ground.
Such a deep sound.
"Xu Zhiyuan, my butt hurts."
"It's going to hurt," Xu Zhiyuan chuckled. The bathroom floor was covered with a soft, non-slip mat, so he wasn't worried about Jinnan getting hurt. It was just that the hot water was running slowly.
Jinnan seemed to be fighting with his legs and couldn't get up, so he just half crawled and half walked, crawling to Xu Zhiyuan on his knees.
"Xu Zhiyuan."
"Um."
"What are you doing?"
"Turn on the water and give you a bath."
The hot water was taking so long to come out that Xu Zhiyuan's ears were burning, and the water wasn't even full yet.
"Xu Zhiyuan."
The drunk put his hand on his shoulder, but Xu Zhiyuan didn't push it away. He waited quietly for his next move.
Xu Zhiyuan quietly agreed to him in his heart.
I am in Jinnan.
What do you want to do? Whatever you want to do.
I am here.
"Do you like Ke Zhuo?" Jin Nan asked, "Do you think he's good-looking? Well... he is very good-looking, but, anyway, well, anyway, you are not allowed to think he is good-looking."
Xu Zhiyuan chuckled.
"Okay. Anything else?"
"Are you coveting my property?" Jin Nan asked again.
This time, Xu Zhiyuan was silent for a long time.
It took so long that Xu Zhiyuan thought everything was over, but Jin Nan suddenly said, "If you want it, I'll give it to you. Leave me three or five hundred thousand yuan as start-up capital, and I'll move to another city and start over."
Xu Zhiyuan turned around and unbuttoned Jinnan's shirt one by one. He was very self-disciplined, and even when doing something like this, he would not cross the line. There was a clear line between them, and Xu Zhiyuan would not cross it.
After taking off his clothes and picking up Jinnan, Xu Zhiyuan whispered to him, "Is this why you're keeping me under house arrest?"
"Huh?" The drunk Jin Nan didn't understand.
"You monitor me every day and have people keep a close eye on me. Is it because you're afraid of me?" Xu Zhiyuan asked. "Don't you want to do something to me?"
Jinnan was put into the hot water. One big hand held him tightly to prevent him from slipping, while the other hand wiped him gently as if brushing away the dust on the leaves.
He felt very hot, opened his eyes, and saw Xu Zhiyuan's face.
Today's dream was so real, and Xu Zhiyuan's face was especially clear.
He put his hand on Xu Zhiyuan's shoulder and suddenly kissed him, but unfortunately his aim was not good and he kissed Xu Zhiyuan on the right cheek.
In an instant, Xu Zhiyuan stopped all his movements.
"Who am I, Jinnan?"
"Who are you kissing?"
Xu Zhiyuan was practically praying. He had said Xu Zhiyuan's name so many times tonight, and Xu Zhiyuan didn't want him to change his mind at the last minute.
Do you still remember how to pronounce it, Jinnan?
Xu Zhiyuan felt his heart being tightly clenched, and then gently released.
"Xu Zhiyuan."
"Xu Zhiyuan."
Jinnan read it twice.
Xu Zhiyuan jumped into the water and hugged him, no matter how wet his clothes were. At this moment, the string called reason finally broke, leaving only the desire called Jinnan, buried deep in his heart.
He hugged Jinnan so tightly that there were pinch marks on her fair skin. Jinnan groaned in pain, pounding her hands on Xu Zhiyuan's shoulders, which fell down powerlessly for a moment.
"Xu Zhiyuan."
Xu Zhiyuan heard him mumbling softly, as if talking to himself.
"Please don't leave, okay? Don't chase me away, and don't leave me either. Let's live like this for the rest of our lives."
"You like me a little bit, okay?"
"Jinnan, Xiaonan." Xu Zhiyuan tried his best to resist the urge to tear him apart. Although the person was clearly in his arms, he still felt it was not enough.
He knew that everything tonight was a dream. Even if he did have sex with Jin Nan, what would it matter? Jin Nan was a drunkard and a fool. Not a word he said could be trusted.
He wished these words were said to him by a sober Jinnan.
I like you, I like you. He whispered to Jinnan, I like you more than anyone else.
Jinnan only had a fleeting smile.
"Sweet dreams, Mr. Xu."
Jinnan also thought he was just a fantasy.
There were thousands of mountains between them, and Jinnan had already retreated before they even began to climb.
Xu Zhiyuan refused. He bit Jinnan's neck, leaving a clear kiss mark that could be seen in the mirror.
Outside the bathroom glass, the city lights were hidden among the shadows of the trees. Xu Zhiyuan saw his own expression in the mirror, and even he was shocked.
Xu Zhiyuan, don't hurt him, don't force him. There is no such selfish and overbearing love. You should love him and treat him well.
Xu Zhiyuan.
Before the water turned cold, Xu Zhiyuan scrubbed Jin Nan clean and took him out of the bathtub. When he carried him back to bed, Jin Nan was already fast asleep.
Xu Zhiyuan walked to Jinnan's room like he knew the place well, unlocked it with the combination key, and tucked him into the soft, warm bed. He wiped Jinnan's hair bit by bit, and Jinnan curled up in the quilt, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he had had a nightmare.
Xu Zhiyuan glanced at Jinnan’s watch on the bedside table. It was 12:31.
He used the smallest breeze to dry Jinnan's hair, and waited until his brows relaxed. When he left, the moon was about to set, and Jinnan slept in the dark brocade bushes, without making a sound.
Compared to when he is drunk, Xu Zhiyuan loves him more when he is awake, loves him when he is alive, loves him when he hates or admires, and loves him when he has the courage to rise to the top after leaving the clouds and mud.
Life will not be in vain if I am loved by someone like Jin Nan.
Tonight was a night he stole from alcohol. Xu Zhiyuan didn't want such an answer, he wanted Jinnan to be awake, and he would be awake too, they would cling and kiss, sinking into it soberly.
When leaving and closing the door, Jin Nan, who had been silent all this time, suddenly called his name. Xu Zhiyuan turned around, but couldn't see Jin Nan clearly.
"Where are you going?"
"Come here and hold me to sleep."
The Silent One turned around and once again walked into the darkness that belonged to him.
*
Jinnan paid the price for his words.
He felt like he was entangled by a python all night and couldn't get out. When he woke up in the morning, he raised his hand and saw a circle of red marks on his wrist that had not yet disappeared.
Jinnan has bad skin. It turns red easily after a few bumps. Even a mosquito bite will leave a scar for one or two years.
There were too many people around him yesterday, and he didn't remember whether he was dragged away by someone. He stood up yawning, and when Jinnan came to the mirror, he was completely dumbfounded.
He still had his hands tucked into his clothes, scratching himself. His exposed abdomen had two red marks on it, clearly from being held very tightly. Even worse, there was a hickey on his neck that was quite visible. Jinnan had no recollection of who had given it to him.
Who drank yesterday?
They were all friends of theirs, and Li Hongfang was more familiar with them, but calling to ask about a hickey... Jinnan would never do such a thing.
Jinnan had no choice but to wear a turtleneck sweater with a spiked neck. Even though the collar was very high, the edge of the hickey was still visible, but it was not that obvious.
It was when he was rummaging through the closet that he realized he was in the old house.
With a sudden thought, Jin Nan sent a message to his bodyguard: "I came back by myself last night?"
After a while, the reply arrived: "Mr. Lin will take you back, Mr. Xu will take care of you."
Care, how to care?
Jin Nan inquired carefully and found out that due to the rain and snow last night, the bodyguards who were supposed to take over the shift had not arrived in time, and he and Xu Zhiyuan had been alone for a long time without anyone watching. The bodyguard only said that Mr. Xu had left his room this morning.
His room. Jin Nan screamed that this house was full of surveillance cameras, except for his room, because Jin Nan didn't want to be monitored.
Xu Zhiyuan spent the night alone with him. Jin Nan had no recollection of what they had said or done.
He didn't do anything out of the ordinary, did he? Was Xu Zhiyuan annoyed?
Jin Nan knew what he looked like when he was drunk. It was not the first time for him to hug a pillow and call Xu Zhiyuan. Could it be that Xu Zhiyuan was scared away by him?
"Where is Xu Zhiyuan?"
"Emergency morning meeting, Mr. Xu is already in Hualin."
Jin Nan hadn't been this nervous on his first day at work. He barely managed to wear the right clothes and arrived at the office looking radiant after a good night's sleep. But somehow, he felt like everyone was staring at him. Jin Nan knew it was just his imagination, that he had something to hide.
After going upstairs and sitting down, Lu Yiqing came in with coffee and the cheerful energy of a student: "Good morning, Mr. Jin. Your earrings look great today."
Earrings? What kind of earrings?
Jinnan touched his ear and felt a strange sensation.
He didn't pay much attention when he was washing up in the morning and didn't notice that his earrings had been replaced.
Jin Nan borrowed a mirror from Lu Yiqing, and when he took it out, he saw a pair of amethyst earrings on his ears. The color was so dark that it was almost black, and it only showed a deep purple color that was almost blue under the light.
Very luxurious, but not ostentatious.
It should have been his birthday present, but Jinnan couldn't remember who gave it to him or who put it on him.
For a moment, he began to hate alcohol as well.
What is Xu Zhiyuan doing? Listen.
"Mr. Xu, the person in charge of Maode has been waiting for half an hour. Do you want to see him?"
"Let Zhu Ze go, and don't mention the matter of Ankang Real Estate. We don't know anything about it."
"Okay." Claire's voice said, "Also, Nago called and said there's another piece of Amethyst up for auction this week. Would you like to bid?"
"Need not."
“Knock, knock, knock.”
There was a knock on the door at the same time from the headset and the door.
Jinnan only had time to take off his headphones before Xu Zhiyuan pushed the door open and came in, holding two documents in his hand and placed them on Jinnan's desk.
Xu Zhiyuan turned around and said to Claire, "You go and get busy first."
Jinnan and he were the only ones left in the office.
Jinnan was still wondering what Claire meant by "there is one more piece" when Xu Zhiyuan walked over and extended his hand.
Jinnan didn't move, so the hand fell to his earlobe and gently lifted it.
"Do you still like it?" Xu Zhiyuan asked.
He wouldn't tell me how much effort he put into the gift, he would just ask casually, "Do you like it?"
If Jin Nan hadn't known that he had chosen something so carefully that the auction house called him, he would have thought it was just a casual gift of no value.
"Did you give this to me?" Jin Nan asked knowingly.
Xu Zhiyuan raised his eyebrows but did not refute.
"How much did it cost?" Jinnan asked, a smile in his voice. "No embezzlement of public funds."
"It's a private account." Xu Zhiyuan also laughed, "It's not much more expensive than your Shawn Yue piece."
"It's so expensive," Jinnan said, "it's so small."
They seemed to be back in college, chatting like this through two screens during those years when they were separated by an ocean.
Only now face to face.
Two people who love each other pretend to be ignorant even though they know the truth.
"It's cut from a piece of raw stone. There's another one," Xu Zhiyuan said. "I'll give it to you later."
Jinnan's breath hitched. The implication was that if he wanted the gift he hadn't received, he couldn't become enemies with Xu Zhiyuan.
"It's so expensive." Jin Nan continued, "The cake they raised money to buy yesterday was only two thousand yuan."
"Is this expensive?" Xu Zhiyuan lowered his head. Unlike before, he did not avoid Jin Nan's gaze at all today.
In the past, he always avoided looking directly at Jinnan out of humility.
Jinnan noticed something was different about Xu Zhiyuan, but couldn't put his finger on it.
"I even gave you a seven-figure gift, why haven't you thanked me?"
"When?" Jinnan's heart beat faster.
"The purple iris, the one at Christie's," Xu Zhiyuan said. "I was in North America at the time, and I stayed up all night to get it."
"Jinnan, you are so generous. Give the two million away as a gift."
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