Chapter 121#
I am yours.#
“More than that.”
Those two words, whispered like a low sigh, drifted softly into his ear.
Jian Yunchen blinked in confusion.
Two simple words, yet they contained a multitude of complex emotions.
He tightened his embrace, his heartbeat faintly beginning to quicken.
“More than what?” he asked urgently. “Qin Mu, tell me quickly, more than what?”
Qin Mu remained buried in his arms, refusing to speak, his embrace only growing tighter.
“Qin Mu…” Held in that circle, Jian Yunchen’s bones even began to ache. The violent thudding of a heart vibrated through their pressed skin, blow by blow, making his chest go numb. His eyelashes trembled; for the first time, he felt it so clearly.
The Qin Mu who seemed all-powerful and invincible in his eyes—his heart was actually beating this fast.
After a period of silence, Qin Mu let out a helpless, soft sigh, as if in concession.
He said softly, “More than just caring.”
He pressed firmly against the back of Jian Yunchen’s head, cool strands of hair slipping through his fingers. Qin Mu’s voice was low and raspy as he whispered, “To me, you are different. You are the most special.”
Jian Yunchen blinked slowly. Qin Mu’s words were like a pebble dropped into the lake of his heart, creating ripple after ripple. His heart was shaken to the point of numbness. By now, he could no longer tell if his numb heart was vibrating from Qin Mu’s powerful pulse or if it was racing too fast because of that single sentence.
He huddled in Qin Mu’s arms, surrounded by Qin Mu’s scent, which even began to make his brain feel deprived of oxygen. His limbs felt weak, and the tip of his heart seemed to melt under a warm current. The vessel known as his heart could no longer contain the overflowing emotions; they spilled out.
A cozy warmth enveloped him, leaving only the name “Qin Mu” echoing slowly in his mind.
“Qin Mu…” Jian Yunchen called his name softly.
“I am yours…”
The gentle, lingering words were like the murmured endearments of a lover.
“I am yours, I am yours forever…”
“Good.”
Qin Mu cupped his face and lowered his head to meet his gaze. Those peach blossom eyes, which always held a hint of playfulness, were now filled with a tender smile that flowed between his brows. Jian Yunchen was momentarily entranced.
Qin Mu let out a soft laugh. He took Jian Yunchen’s wrist and gently placed the other man’s hand against his own cheek. Qin Mu tilted his head until their noses touched, and the mask that had always sat like a layer of mist over his eyes slowly dissolved.
He looked into Jian Yunchen’s eyes and laughed softly, though his tone was laced with a bit of helplessness: “You won. When do you plan to come and claim me as your prize?”
Jian Yunchen’s eyes widened slightly as he quickly recalled what Qin Mu had said that day.
A brilliant light instantly ignited in his eyes. He cupped Qin Mu’s face, unable to stop himself from confirming repeatedly, “I won? You’re saying I won?”
“Yes.” Qin Mu looked at his smile and couldn’t help but smile himself. For the first time, he realized the true meaning of the phrase “completely willing.”
I want to see you win, even if it means I lose.
He leaned in and gently took Jian Yunchen’s lip between his own. Jian Yunchen tilted his head back slightly and opened his mouth in utter submission.
Their tongues intertwined intimately, as if using this method to convey the indescribable emotions between them.
Jian Yunchen was kissed until he was panting, yet he was still loath to pull away. He hooked his arms tightly around Qin Mu’s neck, soft whimpers escaping his throat, trembling slightly with excitement.
Their lips parted. Jian Yunchen breathed shallowly, his eyes still shining. He held Qin Mu’s face and stared intently into his eyes. With the corners of his mouth curled up, his voice was full of cherished pride: “You’re mine now.”
Qin Mu held his hand and lowered his head.
“I am yours.”
Jian Yunchen’s good mood lasted until he went to work the next day.
With the new CEO delegating power, his workload had inevitably increased. He had always been focused by nature and held high standards for himself, yet today he found himself frequently zoning out. Even his colleagues in the same project group noticed something was up.
“Little Jian?” Sister Li, from his group, called him softly.
He was young and had a good temper; despite his high position in the company, everyone affectionately called him “Little Jian.” Sister Li’s eyes were full of ambiguous teasing. “Staring at your phone all day… it looks like you won’t be working overtime today?”
The whole group had been working overtime for a long time for the project. Sister Li was senior and had a way with words. Seeing Jian Yunchen looking radiant and in an exceptionally good mood, she wanted to drop a roundabout hint.
Jian Yunchen pursed his lips and looked down sheepishly, habitually turning his phone face down, but he couldn’t suppress the dazzling smile at the corners of his eyes.
Before he could speak, the notification sound on his phone went off again, vibration after vibration, feeling like tremors against Jian Yunchen’s heart.
The group erupted in another wave of good-natured laughter. Sister Li, being the closest, couldn’t help but lean in and ask, “Are you in a relationship, Little Jian?”
Jian Yunchen’s eyelashes flickered gently. He pinched his fingertips and gave a soft “Mhm.”
Having received an answer, the spirits of gossip instantly ignited among the crowd. They began prying from all sides about this mysterious person who seemed to have their Manager Jian so enthralled.
The atmosphere was growing increasingly lively. Jian Yunchen was being questioned until his face turned an unnatural shade of pink. His past experiences made him unaccustomed to such attention, but because the questions were centered around Qin Mu, he couldn’t help but feel a bit soft-hearted. He even harbored a hint of pride that he wasn’t even aware of.
Just then, a sudden clamor came from outside the meeting room.
Before everyone could react, the door to the meeting room was slammed open.
The smiles on everyone’s faces didn’t even have time to fade before they froze upon seeing the intruder. The lively atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point. Several people even stood up instinctively, like students caught doing something wrong, lowering their heads while stealing glances at the person standing aggressively in the doorway.
Jian Yunchen turned his head slightly. After seeing the person’s face clearly, his heart skipped a heavy beat.
The joy that had been on his brow vanished instantly, replaced by a cold gaze.
“Dad!” Jiang Yunhan grabbed Jiang Sheng’s arm, trying to persuade him in a low voice. “Dad, let’s talk about whatever it is at home—”
Jiang Sheng threw off Jiang Yunhan’s hand and strode over to stand in front of Jian Yunchen. The corners of his mouth were pulled down, and his eyes burned with clearly suppressed rage.
Jian Yunchen’s gaze swept over Jiang Yunhan’s anxious face before slowly shifting back to Jiang Sheng’s grim expression.
He lifted his eyes and looked at him without backing down, a cold sneer curling his lip.
“I recall that President Jiang was suspended pending investigation. By what authority did you swipe your way up here?”
A playful, malicious smile flickered in Jian Yunchen’s eyes. “You didn’t sneak in by following behind some employee, did you? If so, the security guards downstairs are truly incompetent.”
“Wouldn’t you agree, President Jiang?”