As soon as Lu Lianning entered the bedroom, he saw Li Yan squatting on the floor, opening the bottom drawer of the bedside table and pulling out a black phone.
After taking it out, Li Yan blew off the nonexistent dust and found a charger to plug it in. When the charging icon appeared on the screen, he seemed relieved and placed the phone on the bedside table.
This was the phone that Lu Lianning had given him when he first let him go out. The phone had only one contact: Lu Lianning.
Li Yan had kept it with him, but his mind hadn’t been functioning well during that time. He went out several times, and when curfew came, he couldn’t remember the way back. Wandering anxiously around the neighborhood, he would encounter kind strangers who helped guide him home.
Later, he tried going out a few more times, and there were always those mysterious kind-hearted people who appeared just in time.
Once he became familiar with the routes, he never used the phone again.
After all, he didn’t have anyone in this city he needed to contact.
Li Yan wore gray pajamas that matched Lu Lianning’s, made of soft, loose cotton with elastic pants that were easy to take off.
At a glance, it looked like a couple’s set with what Lu Lianning was wearing.
Lu Lianning leaned against the wall, watching as Li Yan turned on the phone and poked around the screen with his finger, looking somewhat inexperienced.
He walked over and said casually, “What’s this? Planning to chat with your new friend?”
Li Yan shook his head, looked up at Lu Lianning, and said, “I’m setting an alarm. Tomorrow morning… I want to wake up early to exercise. I feel like my health isn’t great, so I need to work out more.” Then, in a quieter voice, he added, “Please don’t do it so late tonight, okay?”
Lu Lianning looked at him. When Li Yan glanced up like that, his eyes appeared rounder, giving him an innocent look that seemed unfitting for his age.
Lu Lianning reached out, pulled him back onto the bed, and started unbuttoning his pajamas.
He wasn’t opposed to Li Yan wanting to exercise. Over the years, Li Yan’s health had indeed not been good, and his stamina wasn’t what it used to be, which meant it had been a while since Lu Lianning had enjoyed himself to the fullest.
But his tone didn’t suggest any willingness to compromise, he simply said, “That depends on your performance.”
So that night, Li Yan was particularly eager, even trying to please Lu Lianning by kissing him.
This was unusual because Li Yan was rarely this proactive, often just passively going along with things.
That night, they only did it twice before calling it a night.
–
Li Yan started working at Lin Sheng’s family hotel. It took him three days to become familiar with the job, which really wasn’t complicated. All he had to do was handle payments and set up membership cards for the guests.
The hotel’s decor leaned toward a Scandinavian style, designed by Lin Sheng’s senior from the same school. The color scheme was soft, creating a homey and comfortable atmosphere. The top floor featured a music restaurant with a direct view of the central square’s light fountain.
Li Yan enjoyed his work here. Every few days, he would hang out with Lin Sheng and the others.
When Du Lin saw him again, he stuttered like someone with a knife to his throat, apologizing and saying he had been too reckless last time.
Li Yan shook his head, assuring him it was fine. He truly didn’t take it to heart; in his eyes, these people were like a bunch of kids.
This period of ease and happiness lasted less than half a month before it came to an abrupt end.
That day, Lu Lianning came in with Song Ruan. When he saw Li Yan wearing a white work shirt, he paused, momentarily thinking he was mistaken. Song Ruan, holding onto Lu Lianning’s arm, also stopped and leaned in to ask, “What’s wrong?”
Li Yan immediately broke into a cold sweat. Out of all the hotels and restaurants in City A, how could he run into Lu Lianning here? And why did Lu Lianning have to come for dinner so early? He didn’t have a curfew! Why did Lin Sheng’s hotel have to be so high-end!
Li Yan swallowed, resisting the urge to hide under the front desk. It was clear that Lu Lianning didn’t want to embarrass his fiancé in public either, so he pretended not to know him. Li Yan straightened up and issued a membership card for Lu Lianning.
As their eyes met, Li Yan handed him the card, lowering his gaze to avoid making eye contact. At that moment, Lu Lianning let out a soft chuckle from his throat.
Li Yan immediately trembled, and the card slipped from his grasp.
The card fell onto the desk, and he quickly picked it up again. “Apologies, sir.”
Lu Lianning left him hanging for over ten seconds before finally taking the card from him under Song Ruan’s puzzled gaze.
At 7:28 PM that night, Li Yan lingered outside the iron gate, hesitating and not daring to go in.
Only when he realized he was almost out of time did he finally enter.
Lu Lianning had returned early. Li Yan didn’t understand why he ended his dinner with his fiancé so soon. Surely settling accounts with him couldn’t be more important than having a date with his fiancé.
Trembling with fear, Li Yan opened the bedroom door. Lu Lianning was there, rummaging through the black phone.
But he certainly wouldn’t find anything, as Li Yan truly only used it as an alarm clock.
Hearing the door open, Lu Lianning turned around and tossed the phone, which he hadn’t found any information on, back onto the table with a “bang.”
Li Yan entered and stood there, saying dully, “You’re…you’re back so early…”
“You want me to come back later?” Lu Lianning’s eyes were cold. “Well, this is something. Lying to me about exercising. You’re getting bolder and bolder!”
Li Yan’s face turned a few shades paler. He forced himself to say, “I didn’t break your curfew, so why can’t I work?”
When Li Yan was first allowed to go out, he had considered finding a job. However, his low education level was one issue; the other was that Lu Lianning kept his ID card.
He had asked for it several times, but Lu Lianning would completely ignore him and just drag him to bed, leaving him unable to get out of bed for several days. After that, Li Yan never brought up wanting his ID again.
“Do you have no brain at all! You’re just a nobody without identification. Why on earth would a top-rated hotel hire you! Can’t you see what that Lin family’s kid is up to!” Lu Lianning’s anger only grew as he spoke, his voice filled with rage.
Li Yan was incredulous when he heard this. “How do you know his last name is Lin? Have you been having me followed again!”
Lu Lianning took a deep breath, clearly not intending to answer. He simply said, “You’re not leaving the house for the next month.”
This sentence hit Li Yan like a blow, leaving his mind blank. He had just made friends, found a job, and started to feel like his life might have some meaning. Now, Lu Lianning was about to take it all away with just a few words.
“No, why?! Why can’t I work? You’re already engaged…” Li Yan couldn’t help but raise his voice intensely.
Lu Lianning cut him off, his gaze sharp as a dagger. “So you’re just eager to find yourself a new home?” Li Yan had never dared to talk back to him like this before. But now, look at him—eyes red and defensive, standing there arguing his case.
Lu Lianning thought to himself that this wasn’t entirely Li Yan’s fault. It was that Lin Sheng, the youngest son of the Lin family, who had approached Li Yan with bad intentions, luring him in like this.
Li Yan used to be more cunning, but after being imprisoned for two years, he had lost touch with society. When he came out, he wasn’t quite right in the head. He had no family, no friends, and he survived only because he depended on Lu Lianning.
But now, he was not only lying to him but also sneaking off to work at that goddamn friend’s hotel, eating with him, and even going on dates at the gym!
Thankfully, Lu Lianning hadn’t detected anyone else’s pheromones on Li Yan. If he had…
Lu Lianning’s gaze grew cold and piercing, his eyes darkening as he locked onto Li Yan. “With all the companies under the Lu family, none can provide for you!? You just have to run off to the Lin family to work?” He continued, “Fine, you want to work? Come back and work for me, just like you used to.”
“I won’t!” Li Yan’s chest heaved violently. As if dealing with Lu Lianning at night wasn’t enough, now he wanted to keep him close during the day too. Would he ever get a moment to breathe?
Li Yan’s continued defiance completely infuriated Lu Lianning. He grabbed something nearby and smashed it to the floor. “What the hell do you want then! To work at that Lin kid’s crappy hotel in plain sight? Don’t even think about it!”
He was fuming inside, his eyes fixed on Li Yan. “I’ve been spoiling you too much lately, haven’t I?”
But then he saw Li Yan’s expression suddenly change, completely different from the defiant yet fearful look he had shown earlier. His eyes were filled with panic as he crouched down to pick up the broken pieces at Lu Lianning’s feet.
It was the tassel night lamp. The lamp itself had shattered, and the tassel, which Li Yan had braided into a small braid at some point, was now hanging limply over Lu Lianning’s slipper.
