Evan brought Yan Chuan to a restaurant that wasn’t heavily advertised; it only had a small wooden sign at the entrance and seemed to have a low customer flow. However, upon entering, they were greeted by well-trained waitstaff, and the first sight was a rugged faux mountain with a gentle stream flowing beneath it.
Evan calmly led Yan Chuan inside and accurately found the reserved private room. “Go on in,” Evan said as he opened the door first, “Just the two of us.” The private room was conveniently located; although it faced the corridor, it was semi-open, allowing a view of the surroundings. Instead of merely being a restaurant, it felt more like a scenic spot.
Yan Chuan took a seat. Evan handed him the menu and recommended several dishes based on his taste. “This one has a light flavor,” he noted. “By the way, there’s a hot spring here; we can soak in it after eating.” Yan Chuan selected a few dishes and said, “Okay.” After a moment’s thought, he added, “But I didn’t bring my swimsuit.”
Evan replied, “I brought one for you.” He maintained a calm demeanor. “Do you want to drink some wine? The fruit wine here is quite good, and we can have the driver take us back afterwards.” Yan Chuan shook his head. He didn’t have much tolerance for alcohol, and although fruit wine has a lower alcohol content, it still wasn’t suitable for him.
Evan didn’t push further, but Yan Chuan realized it was too late to decline the invitation to the hot spring. He furrowed his brow, feeling a little annoyed, but when he noticed Evan’s usual expression, he suddenly understood what was happening. They had lured him in first, and now they were suggesting he join the hot spring, right?
So, regardless of the changes, Evan remained the same. The private room was quiet; most of the conversation was initiated by Evan with Yan Chuan responding a bit reservedly. The dishes they ordered were served quickly, accompanied by soft footsteps and a few snippets of conversation: “Is the room reserved?” “It’s in there.” The voices were lazy and somewhat familiar.
Yan Chuan furrowed his brow slightly, listening as the footsteps grew louder. When several figures passed by the semi-open window, he suddenly set his spoon down.
In Evan’s puzzled gaze, Yan Chuan leaned against his shoulder and buried himself against his chest. His little face nuzzled into Evan’s neck; the warm breath he exhaled tickled Evan. The beautiful little employee even reached out, seemingly dependent, wrapping her arms around his shoulder, with her fair cheeks brushing against his slightly rough fabric.
With her soft body pressed against him, a faint fragrance wafted into the air, leaving Evan frozen, unable to react for a moment. He sat there like a fool, allowing the pretty little employee to cling to him, completely enveloping him. The soft, dark hair brushed against his chest, and Evan heard his own heart racing.
“What’s wrong…?” Evan swallowed hard, “Why are you suddenly leaning over?”
Yan Chuan didn’t respond; instead, he tightened his grip, refusing to reveal his face. “It’s nothing…” he mumbled, sounding a little muffled, “Just let me hold you for a moment…”
Upon hearing this, Evan dared not move, stiffening his body as Yan Chuan leaned against him. In the meantime, a group of people walked by in the corridor.
There were three individuals, the tallest among them had bright platinum hair. Their expression was indifferent, giving off an air of arrogance as they passed by. A young man in a baseball cap glanced into the private room out of the corner of his eye, catching a glimpse of the intertwined figures, before quickly turning his head away, politely averting his gaze as if afraid to interrupt their intimate moment.
After a moment, when the group had passed, Yan Chuan pulled away from Evan’s embrace. His hair was a bit messy, his bangs sticking up, and his cheeks were flushed.
“It’s fine,” he murmured, biting his lip as he reached out and straightened Evan’s collar, smoothing out the wrinkles in his shirt. “Let’s continue eating.” His statement was abrupt, as strange as how he had unexpectedly buried his face in Evan’s chest just moments ago.
Outside in the corridor, Corey responded lightly to his agent who was trailing behind. Their team agent knew his family, and he usually enjoyed some leniency in their interactions. Today, they were dining together to discuss the team’s plans for the upcoming year.
“I understand,” Corey replied, a bit irritated, dismissing his agent with a wave. “I’ll discuss it with them tomorrow.” The “them” referred to his teammates, including Lian Zhen.
The team’s development required input from all members collectively. As his agent rambled on, Corey’s mind drifted for a moment. Hadn’t he just walked past a private room? Inside, there seemed to be someone dressed similarly to the beautiful little host.
Corey hadn’t seen the person’s face directly, but he could tell from their slender figure and fair skin that they were quite attractive. Yet, this person was clinging to a handsome man, flirting with him intimately. The man being clung to had deep green eyes, a tall stature, and an imposing presence; he clearly radiated strength.
The tall man’s arm was wrapped around the slender waist of the person he held, leaning close to whisper something in their ear. It sounded like flirtation, prompting the person he was embracing to shrink their shoulders slightly, like a timid creature tucked away in its refuge. It seemed like they were being teased, unsure of where to go, finding solace only in the arms of the one provoking them.
In an instant, a multitude of thoughts raced through Corey’s mind.