The Sick Beauty Gave Up Struggling

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Two hours later, the crowd dispersed. Intimidated by Shen Boyan’s imposing manner, no one proposed to continue the gathering. Xia Shu’an also drank a little wine. The air temperature in the luxury private car was moderate, with a hint of autumn chill. Xia Shu’an leaned on Shen Boyan’s shoulder, covered his legs with a small blanket, closed his eyes, and swayed back home.

It was 9 o’clock when they got home, not particularly late. Shen Boyan reeked of alcohol, so Xia Shu’an asked him to take a bath first.

The bedside lamp, the wall lamp, and the desk lamp complement each other, and the bedroom emits sparkling light. The man casually tossed the suit in his hands onto the couch and began unbuttoning the shirt on his body.

Shen Boyan had a broad palm and slender, strong fingers. He unbuttoned the decorative buttons on his sleeves, and the golden cufflinks with square ripple patterns suddenly reflected a platinum light. Even though he was about to take a shower, both cuffs were habitually rolled up to his forearms.

His navy blue twill tie was twisted casually askew at the edges, and the collar of his shirt, which had been unbuttoned two buttons earlier in the car, revealed the firm muscular texture of his shoulders and neck, as well as the distinctly shaped bulge at the base of his throat.

Shen Boyan’s whole person, whether it’s his appearance or his way of speaking and doing things, is full of a primitive masculine barbaric aura, and even his Adam’s apple is more prominent than Xia Shu’an’s. Xia Shu’an had touched it a few times when they were doing that, and the pulsation when his palm slid reminded him of some wild beast in the forest, watching its prey closely and ready to go.

“…”

Xia Shu’an was leaning on the sofa, his chin resting on the back of his hand, staring blankly at the man a few steps away.

Shen Boyan paused, turned his head, and said with a half-smile in his eyes, “Do you want to take a bath together?”

“Alright.”

“…”

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Xia Shu’an stood up from the sofa and walked slowly to him with his cotton slippers. His eyes were misty, and there was a trace of hot flashes on his cheeks, as if he were slightly drunk.

The faint smell of wine lingered in the breath of the two of them, slowly fermenting in the air.

Xia Shu’an looked up at Shen Boyan and said, “But I’m a little tired after drinking today, so I can only do half of it.”

He tilted his head and asked, “Do you want to do it?”

“…”

…

The next day, Xia Shu’an slept until the sun was high before getting up.

Shen Boyan has long since disappeared. He is a person who works for 360 days out of 365 days a year, and concentrates on torturing Xia Shu’an for the remaining five days.

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This doesn’t mean that he won’t torment Xia Shu’an for those 360 days, but he does it in moderation.

Xia Shu’an still carried the satisfaction from last night with him. He went downstairs at a leisurely pace. Seeing him coming down, Aunt Yu waved happily and said, “Mr. Xia, I’ve made yam and pork rib soup for you. I’ve also added angelica herb, wolfberry, and ginseng. It’s good for the body, so you should drink more later.”

“Okay, thank you.”

The soup has been simmering all morning, and the ribs and yam are cooked until tender. In addition to the special aroma of traditional Chinese medicine, as soon as the lid was opened, Xia Shu’an couldn’t wait to try it.

“Aunt Yu, it’s so fragrant.”

“Isn’t it? Mr. Shen specially asked us to make it.”

“…” Xia Shu’an smiled slightly. “Really?”

A few minutes later, Xia Shu’an sat at the table and slowly enjoyed the food. Apart from the soup, there were also desserts made by Aunt Qiao. Although the combination of Chinese and Western seemed nondescript, it was good enough.

Ginseng continued to generate heat in Xia Shuan’s body. After a while, his hands and feet became warm, and his breathing was hot and dry. Even the neck, half covered by the sweater, leaked a faint pink color.

But the heat made Xia Shu’an’s heart very satisfied, and he couldn’t help but drink a few more sips.

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“Did Shen Boyan say when he would be back?”

“He didn’t say anything.”

“Really?” He said regretfully, “Then he won’t be able to taste such a delicious soup. Such a pity.”

Aunt Yu smiled and said, “It’s not a pity; if Mr. Xia drinks it, Mr. Shen will be happy.”

Xia Shu’an smiled and shook his head. Thinking about it carefully, it was the same in his previous life. It felt like the whole world was assisting Shen Boyan, except for Shen Boyan himself, who was not at all competitive.

Xia Shu’an slid his fingers across the phone, looking at the chats in his friend group. Suddenly, his gaze fixed on a statement on the screen that emanated the smell of dog food from within:

[Old Six: Hehe, working overtime on Saturday, wife’s loving meal [Picture] [Picture]]

It was a three-layer thermos, and each layer was filled with love and dedication. The man also made a heart on top of the lunchbox.

It’s very nasty.

“…”

Xia Shu’an turned his head and shouted towards the kitchen:

“Aunt Yu, do we have an insulated box at home?”

“Yes, yes.” Aunt Yu trotted out, wiped her hands, and said, “Yes, there are several.”

“Then help me pack the soup. I’ll bring it to Shen Boyan.”

Aunt Yu was taken aback for a moment, and then her face was full of joy. “Okay, I’ll prepare it now.”

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Looking at the beaming faces of the two aunts, Xia Shu’an thought that if one day he and Shen Boyan really got married, he would definitely give the two aunts a big red envelope.

They are too dedicated.

A quarter of an hour later, Xia Shu’an walked towards the garage at a leisurely pace with the thermos bottle packed in his hand. In order to give someone a surprise, he didn’t even inform him in advance and only contacted Assistant Qi:

[Xia Shu’an: Assistant Qi, is Shen Boyan in the company?]

[Assistant Qi: Yes.]

[Xia Shu’an: Okay, I’ll come by later. Don’t tell him I’m coming. ]

[Assistant Qi: …Okay.]

Shen Boyan had a client visit today, and he spent the whole morning meeting them in the office, and only ended the talks near noon.

He glanced at his watch, pondering whether to ask Assistant Qi to make a restaurant reservation, when an assistant walked into the office and whispered beside him, “President Shen, Mr. Xia is here.”

Shen Boyan looked up and saw a familiar figure. He still held a metal bucket in his hand and glanced at the door, his gaze aligned with his. The young man arched his eyebrows and walked to the assistant’s desk on the side.

The corners of Shen Boyan’s lips turned up slowly, and he shook hands with the client and said, “I’m sorry, President Zhang, you’ve specially made an appointment with me. I was supposed to treat you to a meal, but my family sent the meal over, so I can only invite you next time.”

President Zhang is a middle-aged man with a simple and honest appearance. He inexplicably thinks that this sentence sounds strange, but he didn’t think too much about it. He smiled and said, “It’s okay, President Shen, you’re busy.”

Shen Boyan sent the guest out the door, and when he passed by the general manager’s office, he also looked deeply at the person sitting on someone else’s chair. Xia Shu’an returned with an innocent expression, seemingly not ashamed of taking someone else’s seat.

He sent the guest into the elevator before he turned back. Xia Shu’an was already waiting in the office.

The corners of Shen Boyan’s lips raised slightly, but they were quickly suppressed, with an unfathomable pampering expression on his face.

“Why are you here today?” He casually glanced at the table. “Bring me food?”

“Yes, Auntie made soup. It’s very delicious.”

Xia Shuan took out the soup, poured it onto a small bowl, and then took out the packed rice. He sat on the sofa, quietly watching him eat.

Maybe the soup was really delicious, or maybe he was hungry after working all morning. Shen Boyan ate cleanly, and after finishing, he even rinsed the bowl and chopsticks briefly with water.

The residual heat of the soup still remained in his body. Shen Boyan looked at the young man at the table, putting the bowl back, and tapped his fingers on the side of the sofa.

“I still have some things to do this afternoon; I can probably get off around three.”

Xia Shu’an responded, “Ok?”

Shen Boyan’s eyes traced Xia Shu’an’s side profile, staring at his lips that appeared a little fleshy due to the angle. His fingers curled up, and he said, “You can stroll around the company for a while, and we’ll go back together at 3 o’clock.”

“Okay.” Xia Shu’an packed the thermos box, turned his head, and said, “It just so happens that I’m also a bit sleepy, so I’ll rest for a while first.”

“Ok.”

Xia Shu’an slept in the small room for more than half an hour and woke up around 2 o’clock. Shen Boyan was not in the office. He greeted the assistant and slowly swayed downstairs.

On Saturday, there were not many people working overtime in the company. There were probably only one or two people in each department, which seemed extraordinarily empty. Until he reached a certain floor, he clearly felt the sound becoming noisy.

“There’s two more shoots before we’re done.”

“Where’s the makeup artist?”

“Went to the restroom.”

“Quickly, quickly, quickly call back ……”

Xia Shu’an has never seen how a promotional video is made. Compared to wandering up and down, this is obviously a better way to pass the time. He walked into a room with a flow of people and saw a temporary studio set up. Many people were directing in front of the camera, and one of them was the director whom he had met yesterday.

Xia Shu’an scanned around. Luo Nian’s agent wasn’t here today; only Luo Nian himself and two other people were. They were using a small brush to sweep something on his face while muttering something as if teasing him. Luo Nian was quickly amused; his makeup today was youthful and pretty, and his eyes sparkled like those of a student who hadn’t yet left school.

Luo Nian didn’t notice Xia Shu’an until he walked up to the stage again. His eyes lit up, and he gave Xia Shu’an a cute smile.

Xia Shu’an nodded towards him with gentle eyes.

After the shooting started, he watched from the side for a while. The few times they had met before, Luo Nian had looked soft and weak, either a bit flirtatious or looking easily bullied, but under the camera he was extraordinarily charismatic, filled with a youthful vigor, and was able to quickly understand and complete the photographer’s requests.

He is an excellent model.

Xia Shu’an watched for a while and walked out of the room without much interest. He was about to walk into the elevator when suddenly someone behind him called out to him: “Mr. Xia, Mr. Xia!”

Xia Shu’an turned around. “Luo Nian?”

Luo Nian gasped and stood in front of him.

After seeing him stop, he let out a long breath and said in a deep voice, “Mr. Xia, can I chat with you for a while? Five minutes, no, three minutes will be fine.”

Although Luo Nian was said to have a relationship with Shen Boyan, Xia Shu’an himself had no opinion of him. It’s probably because he seemed well-behaved and didn’t look like one of those legendary flirtatious cheap goods who specialize in digging other people’s corners. Besides, it’s first come, first served; his resentment was only directed at Shen Boyan and not toward other innocent people.

“Okay, then let’s go to the meeting room.”

The two walked into the meeting room at the side. Luo Nian closed the door and immediately bowed to Xia Shu’an.

“Mr. Xia, thank you.”

Xia Shu’an was slightly startled. “You…”

Luo Nian straightened up and said with sparkling eyes, “I heard from Assistant Lin that it was Mr. Xia’s suggestion that President Shen give me resources after the ‘breakup’ and help me review the company contract. The terms are very preferential to a newcomer like me. Thank you very much, Mr. Xia!”

Logically speaking, Assistant Lin shouldn’t have told outsiders about this, but Shen Boyan’s two personal assistants are well aware of Shen Boyan’s personality flaw: he can’t speak.

Therefore, they are particularly diligent in interpersonal communication, and Shen Boyan is also very tolerant towards them. This level of “whistleblowing” is not a problem.

Xia Shu’an figured out the connections after a little thought, and he said with deliberation, “Although Shen Boyan has a stern character, he has always been generous to his own people. I’m not sure about what happened between you two, but if it was a unilateral decision on his part to end it with you, he should have given you compensation.”

After all, there are financial compensations for dismissed employees, right?

But Luo Nian smiled, with a bit of mystery and a bit of “I knew it” expression, and said, “No, Mr. Xia.”

“You misunderstood the relationship between me and President Shen.”

…

“President Shen and I met at a party.”

“At that time, I just entered the entertainment industry, and the company forced me to curry favor with the wealthy people in the industry. I looked weak and docile, but I still had a temper. At that time, I refused to go, and the company threatened to freeze all my activities.”

“I had no choice but to go to the party with other people, where everyone was hugging and cradling men and women, not like some high society socializing, but more like a *** party. In the audience, only Mr. Shen sat quietly on the sofa. He was holding a glass, watching the other people, and drinking slowly.”

“Whenever someone goes up, he scares them away with just one look.”

“I have a feeling that he must be the richest and most prestigious person among all the people present, that’s why he can be so self-centered.”

At that time, Luo Nian was still afraid to go near that person. He attached himself to others at this party with fear and trepidation, thinking that all he had to do was obey, all he had to do was drink, and all he had to do was get a little snuggle from someone, and that would be the end of it.

But he was too naive. He only realized that something was wrong when his body began to heat up and the world began to spin before his eyes.

He was supported upstairs by two people, and he heard them jokingly say that he was “blessed” to have found a “noble man”. Fear seeped from the marrow of his bones, and he thought he was done for until he saw the man coming out of another elevator.

Luo Nian always remembered how desperately he ran towards Shen Boyan at that time.

“Sir, sir, please save me… I’ll do anything; I’ll do anything you say except in bed.”

“I can be your playmate. I will be there when you want someone to accompany you. Please save me…”

“What happened afterwards was very simple. President Shen took me away and claimed that I’m his person, so the company didn’t dare touch me anymore. When he needs someone to accompany him on some occasions, I’ll go over.”

“In a sense, we are considered superior and subordinate. At the same time, this relationship is what I asked for, so President Shen is not responsible for me. As originally agreed, the initiative lies with him, and he can end it anytime he wants.”

“So you know… ” Luo Nian laughed a little, arched his eyebrows, and said, “I was so surprised when Assistant Qi came over with the two contracts, as if I was really kept by him.”

“I’ve made a lot of money!” The young man said it with a showy expression. His tone was so cute that Xia Shu’an couldn’t help but smile.

“That’s pretty good. You’ve earned hundreds of millions without losing anything.”

“Yes!”

His face was concealed by exquisite makeup before, but now when he smiles, there is still a bit of childishness, which reminds Xia Shu’an of his former schoolmate and Ji Jiayin, who is now learning to be a strong person. They are beautiful beings who cannot protect themselves.

These beautiful and innocent beings will always end in misery, like butterflies in the rain and birds in cages. This seems to be a law, unless someone breaks this unreasonable law with more brutal and unreasonable violence.

Just like Xia Shu’an in the past, just like Shen Boyan in the past.

“I think maybe Mr. Xia doesn’t know about this yet. You’ve done me a great favor, and I thought, whether you care about it or not, I’d at least make it clear so you don’t get the wrong idea.”

He looked at Xia Shuan and said, “Don’t be unhappy.”

When he saw Xia Shu’an for the first time in the art gallery, he felt that this young man was very beautiful. That beauty was wrapped in a cold and detached temperament, like a pearl wrapped in a clam that hadn’t been extracted yet, which made people want to pry into it.

At that time, he hadn’t been taken out by Shen Boyan for a long time. Although it was a “foster” relationship, Shen Boyan in fact seldom looked for him and only occasionally went to some entertainment clubs to socialize. That was the first time he and Shen Boyan went to a place full of style, like an art gallery.

At that moment, he did indeed feel unusual, but he himself was struggling and didn’t have any extra thoughts. It wasn’t until yesterday, when he saw Xia Shu’an next to Shen Boyan again, that he realized why Shen Boyan called him over at that time.

“You are my benefactor, I don’t want you to be unhappy.” He said.

Xia Shu’an’s heart was slightly touched, he lowered his gaze and whispered, “Thank you.”

“Well, I have to go back, Mr. Xia, see you next time!”

Luo Nian waved to him and hurriedly ran out of the meeting room.

“Ah, wait—”

Xia Shu’an suddenly called Luo Nian to stop.

“Hm?”

The young man raised his finger between his lips and made a “shh” motion.

“What you say today, don’t tell Shen Boyan.”

Luo Nian showed a puzzled expression on his face, but he quickly laughed and nodded vigorously.

“I know; I won’t tell anyone!”

After he finished speaking, he quickly disappeared into the corridor like a swallow in spring. Xia Shu’an had a vague smile on his lips, put his hands in his trouser pockets, and walked upstairs slowly.

When Shen Boyan rescued Ji Jiayin and helped her conceive a whole set of plans to deal with the Gu family, he just felt that Shen Boyan was not “incurable”. He might not be a good person, but at least he was not a bad person.

But after hearing Luo Nian’s words, he changed his mind slightly: Maybe Shen Boyan is not a bad person. He has his own standards of good and evil. Perhaps many people will think that he is just acting recklessly and will not associate him with “good”.

But who can say that what he did was not out of “goodness”?

…

…

So, he can save Ji Jiayin out of good intentions, help Ji’s family, and fish Luo Nian out of the abyss, but then seize someone as innocent as him by force and give him the benefit of the doubt?

Damn, the fist is hardened.