Jiatian Clubhouse.
Min Jia and Ma Rufang were already having a blast. Lin Hui glanced at his phone, checked WeChat, and saw that He Jian Shan still hadn’t replied—he was probably busy. Looking at the time, Lin Hui figured it was about time to leave. He stood up, ready to excuse himself, but before he could say anything, the music in the private room suddenly stopped for no apparent reason—
The noisy world went silent in an instant.
Min Jia and Ma Rufang froze, looking at each other, completely at a loss. Min Jia’s assistant, Huang Lu, quickly stood up.
“Min Jie, I’ll go find the waiter to see what’s going on.”
She rushed to the door, but as soon as she opened it, she suddenly took a few steps back, turning around with a shocked expression to look at Lin Hui.
“Lin… Lin…”
Lin Hui looked over, and a familiar figure had already entered, followed closely by the club manager.
Min Jia sneezed, instantly sobering up.
Ma Rufang noticed the sudden silence in the room and also turned to look at the door. She stared at He Jian Shan for a long time before hesitantly looking at Min Jia.
“Hey, isn’t that He—”
Before she could finish, Min Jia decisively covered her mouth.
The room grew even quieter, and the atmosphere turned strange.
Lin Hui remained calm, though he noticed that He Jian Shan hadn’t looked at him once since entering the room.
He Jian Shan took the initiative to break the silence. “President Min, what a coincidence. Aren’t you going to introduce us?”
Min Jia glanced back and forth between Lin Hui and He Jian Shan, not knowing what game they were playing. But since Lin Hui was her guest, she had no choice but to nervously introduce, “The lady next to me is President Ma, and this… this…”
Ma Rufang saw Min Jia struggling with her words due to her tipsy state and thoughtfully chimed in, “He’s Xiao Lin, Min Zong’s assistant. Assistant Lin, hahaha!”
Min Jia’s eyes widened.
“Assistant Lin?” He Jian Shan raised an eyebrow, softly repeating the title, his tone ambiguous, as if both puzzled and murmuring affectionately.
Lin Hui couldn’t help but curl his lips slightly but didn’t say anything. He also didn’t leave anymore, instead sitting back down comfortably.
Min Jia was fully awake now. She gave Huang Lu a look, signaling her to take the others out. The private room instantly became quieter, leaving only four people.
“Well, what a pleasant surprise. Why don’t I join everyone for a drink or two?”
He Jian Shan sat directly across from Lin Hui, casually grabbing a glass and preparing to pour himself some wine.
Ma Rufang, still clueless, exclaimed, “But Xiao Lin doesn’t drink!”
He Jian Shan’s hand froze. “Assistant Lin doesn’t drink?”
Lin Hui reached out and gently pressed down on He Jian Shan’s hand, the one holding the wine bottle. “If President He wants to drink, I can make an exception.”
He Jian Shan glanced up at him and poured the glass to the brim. “Shall we… play cards?”
Min Jia finally figured out what was happening—these two were flirting! And to think she had worried about He Jian Shan misunderstanding her inviting Lin Hui for help tonight. Alright, no need to explain anything anymore. She knew her place as the third wheel and prepared to retreat gracefully.
As she thought of this, she dragged Ma Rufang toward the door.
Ma Rufang, however, was intrigued. “They’re playing cards! Let’s watch first!”
Min Jia gritted her teeth. “Sis, no more watching. Let’s go get a spa treatment!”
Hearing their conversation, Lin Hui smiled. “Why not stay and watch?”
He slowly pulled out a deck of cards, shuffled a few times, and spread them out neatly on the table.
“Simple rules—highest card wins.”
Lin Hui gestured with his hand. “President He, you first.”
He Jian Shan’s slender fingers lightly tapped the table before selecting a card. Just as he was about to draw it, Lin Hui’s fingertips pressed it down.
“President He, I want this one too.” Lin Hui’s voice was soft, and as he spoke, his foot lightly tapped He Jian Shan’s leg under the table. It wasn’t hard, almost accidental, and quickly retreated.
He Jian Shan’s lips curved slightly.
Seeing them both reach for the same card, Ma Rufang nudged Min Jia, confused. “What’s so special about that card? Out of so many, why fight over one?”
Min Jia felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.
In the end, He Jian Shan let go. He gestured for Lin Hui to take it first.
Lin Hui flipped the card—a 7.
He Jian Shan casually picked one and flipped it—a 6.
Accepting his loss gracefully, He Jian Shan was about to raise his glass when Lin Hui grabbed it first and took a sip.
Ma Rufang yelled, “Xiao Lin! You’re the 7; he’s the 6. You won!”
“Ah? I misread it. Thought it was a 9.” Lin Hui looked up at He Jian Shan, feigning innocence. “What should we do, President He?”
Min Jia had reached her limit. Grabbing her coat and bag, she dragged Ma Rufang out, shouting from afar, “The bill’s on me!”
The spacious private room now held only two people.
The faint scent of perfume and alcohol lingered in the air, mixing into an odd fragrance that wasn’t particularly pleasant, but it reminded them—this was still a public place.
A relatively private public place.
The game continued, with Lin Hui patiently awaiting He Jian Shan’s response.
He Jian Shan, looking calm, leisurely studied the cards on the table, as though already strategizing for the next round. “I could take a sip to make up for it.”
“Even if you take a sip now, it’s not the sip you should’ve had earlier.”
The sentence twisted into a tongue twister, but He Jian Shan understood perfectly. He lifted his gaze to Lin Hui, a faint smile in his eyes.
“Then—Assistant Lin, are you willing to give back that sip of wine?”
Lin Hui pretended to be clueless. “How would I give it back?”
He Jian Shan stared at him for a moment before standing up.
The bright lights in the room illuminated every detail. Lin Hui could clearly see the faint trace of desire pooling in He Jian Shan’s eyes. He coughed lightly and averted his gaze, but his ears turned red.
He Jian Shan took a step closer.
Lin Hui hurriedly stood, instinctively taking a step back—only to bump against the wall.
Click.
His head accidentally hit the switch, dimming the room. The only light left came from the decorative ball lamp overhead, casting a hazy and dreamlike glow.
He Jian Shan was already standing right in front of Lin Hui.
The space between them was minimal. Neither spoke, neither touched, but their breaths intertwined.
He Jian Shan heard Lin Hui swallow lightly and suddenly chuckled.
He reached out, gently removed Lin Hui’s glasses, and let his hand rest casually at his leg. Lin Hui’s body tensed, but He Jian Shan seemed oblivious, letting his palm trail up to Lin Hui’s waist, where it stopped, barely holding him.
Lin Hui’s legs weakened slightly, his breathing uneven. Forcing himself to meet He Jian Shan’s gaze, his eyes drifted to the man’s neck.
That morning, Lin Hui had picked out an understated red tie for He Jian Shan, tying it himself while sitting on the bed.
Now, he tugged at the tie, playing with it in his hand. “President He, staying out so late, won’t Lin Zong be worried?”
He Jian Shan’s grip on his waist tightened. Lin Hui let out a soft sound. In retaliation, he gave the tie a small tug, pulling He Jian Shan closer to him.
Their breaths grew heavier, but neither took the final step.
The lingering fragrance in the air seemed to grow sweeter. He Jian Shan couldn’t resist leaning forward to taste Lin Hui’s lips, catching a hint of alcohol.
Lin Hui’s hand trembled.
He Jian Shan laughed softly, like he’d found a fascinating toy. He began to gently trace Lin Hui’s lips with his tongue, savoring every trace of sweetness left from the wine. After a while, he stopped. Raising his left hand, he brushed his thumb against the corner of his mouth, then licked it thoughtfully, remarking, “Sweet.”
Lin Hui was about to lose it.
He tilted his head back slightly, the hand gripping the tie trembling uncontrollably, and even his breathing was fragmented.
He Jian Shan took his time, like the slyest hunter coaxing his prey. Lin Hui’s eyes brimmed with a soft redness as he nearly collapsed, held upright only by He Jian Shan’s firm hold. Their bodies pressed together, leaving no room for concealment.
“He…” Lin Hui whimpered softly, desperate for more, but He Jian Shan refused to indulge him.
“Hmm?”
“Don’t you… want something even sweeter?”
He Jian Shan’s eyes darkened.
Like a storm, he captured Lin Hui’s lips, entwining their tongues as he searched for every drop of sweetness hidden between Lin Hui’s teeth, swallowing it whole.
The fervor left Lin Hui trembling, clinging to He Jian Shan like a drowning man.
It was an indulgent entanglement.
No one knew how much time passed.
When the kiss finally ended, He Jian Shan’s hand moved from Lin Hui’s waist to his throat. The room felt stiflingly warm. Lin Hui was drenched, his eyes glazed as if he’d just been caught in a downpour.
He Jian Shan’s thumb brushed over Lin Hui’s Adam’s apple, which rose and fell beneath his touch—like a heartbeat.
His hand paused.
With a long exhale, He Jian Shan, who had been holding back all night, finally lowered his head and nibbled on Lin Hui’s throat.
“Thanks for the treat, Assistant Lin.”
Author’s Note:
You two are such drama queens.
