1122 - Chapter 38.2

They bantered playfully for a few more minutes before finally rolling up their sleeves to decorate for Qiao Qiao’s birthday party.

Yan Nanchen had originally considered hiring someone to create the most beautiful setup for his daughter. But now, he was glad he hadn’t voiced that idea because otherwise, he wouldn’t have had this chance, sitting face-to-face with the one he loved in the quiet of the night, surrounded by balloons, watching Jiang Yi from just inches away.

Jiang Yi skillfully blew up balloons. Every year, it was him and Chu Beiheng who celebrated Qiao Qiao’s birthday, decorating the place after she fell asleep. Over the years, they had blown up countless balloons for various holidays.

As he worked, he kept feeling Yan Nanchen’s gaze fixed on him.

At first, he thought to let it slide, but then he noticed Yan Nanchen wasn’t even helping with the balloons just staring. Frustration and annoyance bubbled up. Glancing at a freshly inflated balloon, his eyes narrowed slightly with mischief before he suddenly let go.

The balloon, abruptly deflated, made a farting noise before flying straight into Yan Nanchen’s face with a soft plop. Caught off guard, his startled expression froze as the balloon slid down his face, only for his hands to reflexively catch it, leaving him momentarily dazed.

Not a trace of the CEO remained, just a bewildered boy.

Jiang Yi hadn’t expected much, but Yan Nanchen’s expression sent him into fits of laughter. It inexplicably struck his funny bone, and he doubled over, unable to stop.

Yan Nanchen had been startled, but seeing Jiang Yi laugh so freely, clutching his stomach and bending at the waist, made the balloon-to-the-face moment suddenly worth it.

Just then, he noticed a stack of boxes beside them tilting precariously right behind Jiang Yi. His eyes darkened, and in a flash, he yanked Jiang Yi toward him.

Jiang Yi barely had time to react before he was pulled forward.

Instantly, the gust from their collision sent balloons scattering across the floor. The box of balloons toppled over with a thud, its contents bouncing and rolling, brushing past their ears before settling around them like a gentle embrace.

In that living room, they were enveloped in a sea of balloons.

Strangely romantic.

Thump-thump!

Jiang Yi found himself sprawled atop Yan Nanchen, arms wrapped around him, ear pressed to his chest. Through the fabric, he heard the strong, rhythmic heartbeat, pounding against his eardrum like whispered confessions.

Still dazed, he mumbled, “What are you doing?”

“The boxes were falling. I didn’t want you to get hit.” Yan Nanchen tightened his hold, chuckling softly at the blush creeping up Jiang Yi’s ears. “Yiyi, are you happy now? I’m asking if you’re happy.”

The question flustered Jiang Yi. He tried to sit up, but Yan Nanchen held him fast. “Stop taking every chance to cling to me.”

“Wasn’t this how we always were? Just call me ‘puppy,’ and I’ll love you endlessly.”

“That was then.” Jiang Yi gave up resisting, resting his head against Yan Nanchen’s chest. “This is now.”

“Yiyi, can we go back?”

Jiang Yi laughed softly. “Tell me, how do we go back?”

“I’ll wait right here. Just call me ‘puppy,’ and I’ll run to you with everything I have. From the moment I fell for you, the one who loved you was ‘puppy.’ The one who whined, cried, and clung to you, always ‘puppy.’”

Before he could process the words, Yan Nanchen lifted him into his arms.

Yan Nanchen sat up, and his posture shifted to sitting on his lap, looking down at him from above.

He lowered his gaze, meeting Yan Nanchen’s affectionate stare like a gentle sea, so mesmerizing it could make one dizzy, almost drowning in it.

“Jiang Yi, it was Yan Nanchen who deceived you, but the puppy who loves you has never lied to you. This heart, this heart that loves you, is real. From beginning to end, unwavering.”

In the vast living room, they sat amidst a sea of balloons, one looking down, the other looking up, their eyes locked.

Jiang Yi’s gaze flickered slightly.

This privileged, proud Alpha, burdened with the innate pressures of inheritance, possessed a maturity beyond his years and a meticulous tenderness. He had always felt as though Yan Nanchen had him firmly in his grasp even now, that feeling lingered.

But in this moment, he sensed that Yan Nanchen might not be able to live without him.

Was it his own blind confidence, or just an illusion?

Yet the rapid pounding of his heart was undeniably real so fast, so intense. Every word Yan Nanchen spoke elicited a reaction from him. How could he not know that the puppy’s love for him was genuine? He knew. He knew it clearer than anything.

Feeling the scorching intensity of Yan Nanchen’s gaze, he slowly raised his hand, covering those infatuated, adoring eyes with his palm.

Then he asked a question.

“What would you do if I hadn’t come back?”

“I would wait for you.”

“What if I didn’t come back for a long time?”

“I would wait for you, always and forever.”

“What if, I were gone?”

“Then I would be gone too.”

Jiang Yi felt eyelashes brush against his palm, sending a shiver through his fingertips and something damp. His heart clenched. Was this man crying? He didn’t remove his hand, afraid of facing emotions he couldn’t bear.

And that answer, it made him want to cry too.

“By ‘gone,’ I meant dead.”

“How could I possibly live without you?”

As Yan Nanchen spoke, Jiang Yi distinctly felt warm droplets fall onto his palm. Even with half his face obscured, the overwhelming sorrow in that moment wrenched his heart into knots.

Perhaps he still hadn’t fully processed it.

But he knew, the one who deceived him was Yan Nanchen, the untouchable, arrogant Yan Nanchen. The one who had always loved him deeply was the puppy, the puppy who rejoiced in his happiness and grieved in his sorrow.

He had always known. Always, always known.

Hand still covering Yan Nanchen’s eyes, he lowered his head, driven by instinct to press an irresistible kiss onto his lips.

Amidst the unexpectedly romantic sea of balloons, the kiss carried no lust yet it surpassed everything, lingering for what felt like an eternity.

By the end, Jiang Yi was breathless, his hands gripping Yan Nanchen’s shoulders as he rested his forehead against his, panting lightly, lashes fluttering. Softly, he called out, “Puppy.”

Yan Nanchen’s eyes were still wet, but he smiled. “What is it?”

“Just wanted to call you.” Jiang Yi lowered his gaze and called again, “Puppy.”

“Mm, I’m here.”

“Puppy.”

“Mm, I’m here.”

“Puppy.”

“Mm, I’m here.”

Like this, he called out again and again, and each time, the response came patient, unwavering.

In the end, Jiang Yi bent down and hugged Yan Nanchen. Perhaps it was because he wanted to let go but couldn’t, what else could he do? “For the past five years, I’ve thought of you every day. It’s just that every time I do, it hurts so much. I don’t want to keep thinking about you, but I can’t control myself.”

As he spoke, his eyes gradually reddened.

He truly couldn’t control himself, nor could he forget how good puppy had once been to him. The deception was real, he hated being lied to but so was the love. He had loved puppy deeply.

It was this contradiction that tormented him relentlessly, tearing him apart.

But now, it seemed he had found a delicate balance. As if every time Yan Nanchen said he loved him, the more he repeated it, the smoother those jagged edges of contradiction became.

Yan Nanchen tilted his head slightly, gazing at Jiang Yi, who sat on his lap. “It’s okay. I’ll wait for you. I was wrong, and I lost Niannian. You don’t have to forgive me.”

“I know. I really can’t get past this. But puppy, I still can’t forget you. I think, I still love you.” Jiang Yi could no longer suppress the torment of his inner conflict. He lowered his head, cupped Yan Nanchen’s face, and stared at him, his voice breaking into a sob.

Yan Nanchen smiled, tears slipping from the corners of his eyes. “That’s enough. I’m so happy.”

“Puppy.”

“Hmm?”

“I can’t forget your lies. I can’t forget the pain of losing Niannian. I can’t forget the past.”

“I know. It’s okay.”

Jiang Yi remained seated on Yan Nanchen’s lap, his legs slightly bent at the sides. His fingers trailed over Yan Nanchen’s shirt, slipping between the buttons until his fingertips brushed against the firm, defined lines beneath. He paused.

Yan Nanchen’s eyes reflected the man in his arms. To him, every expression, every movement, every word from Jiang Yi held an irresistible allure.

He watched as Jiang Yi lowered his gaze, slowly tracing a path from bottom to top silent, yet utterly mesmerizing.

Until Jiang Yi caught his lower lip between his teeth.

“Puppy.” Jiang Yi leaned in, biting Yan Nanchen’s lower lip. His voice was muffled, his eyelids lifting slightly, ripples of emotion swirling in his eyes. “The past can’t be undone, but I still want you in my future.”

Before the words fully left his mouth, Yan Nanchen kissed him fiercely.

They stayed like that, foreheads pressed together, kissing tirelessly.

Just like their love for each other complex and contradictory, unable to forget the past, unable to erase the indelible marks of their history, yet willing to love endlessly, without exhaustion.

“Yiyi, will you start over with me? Give me another chance to love you.”

Yan Nanchen’s voice was rough, laced with uneven breaths, the faintest tremor of nervousness trembling at the edge of his words.

Jiang Yi looked at him for a long, long time. Then, his lashes fluttered, and he nodded.

“I will.”

Yan Nanchen cried. Overwhelmed with joy, he tilted his head back, gazing deeply at Jiang Yi. He clasped their hands together over his heart, laughing through his tears. “Thank you.”

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