After Falling for the Handsome CEO - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: I was the one taking advantage

At this moment, Shen Jin just wanted to bash his head against a wall and end it all!

Heavens! AHHHHHH!

With trembling legs, he clutched his head in his hands. His face was a deep, engorged red. His eyes were wide as he muttered incoherently to himself, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into so he wouldn’t have to face Yan Yu.

He dragged his battered body into his bedroom and slammed the door shut. The strength seemed to drain out of him instantly, and he slumped weakly onto the floor.

“Hiss…” The moment his backside hit the floor, a sharp, tearing pain shot through him, making him gasp. “It hurts…”

It really hurt—a burning, raw sensation. It was a feeling he’d never had before meeting Yan Yu, a pain he’d never experienced, yet now… it somehow made him feel happy.

Am I…

Am I really in love with Yan Yu?

The moment the thought surfaced, it wasn’t a question in Shen Jin’s heart—it was a certainty.

Immediately following that thought, the blood drained from his flushed face, leaving him pale. His eyes grew bitter, and he bit his dry lips.

He didn’t know what to do. How could he fall for Yan Yu? Yan Yu would never love him back; their status and positions were worlds apart.

The cold, shabby metal door pressed against his back. Despite only being separated by a single door—knowing he could see Yan Yu the moment he opened it—he felt as though they were separated by thousands of miles.

As his thoughts spiraled, Yan Yu’s magnetic, pleasant voice drifted in from outside. He asked softly, “Where are you? I brought the vegetables in for you.”

Shen Jin didn’t respond. He didn’t know what to say. He could only wrap his arms around himself, bury his face in his knees, and let out a soft, bitter sigh.

The sweet moments with Yan Yu from earlier felt like a dream, one he didn’t dare hold onto with any hope.

Knowing it was impolite to remain silent, he sniffed, adjusted his emotions, and patted his face. He replied stiffly, “Thank you… you can just… just put them on the table.”

He didn’t want to go out. He didn’t know with what face he could look at Yan Yu. He planned to hide in the room until Yan Yu left.

Perhaps as time passed and they had no more contact, his feelings for Yan Yu would fade.

He spoke again, his voice soft: “If you want to go back… go ahead.”

“What’s wrong?” Yan Yu frowned. He couldn’t understand the sudden shift. Things had been going so well; why was Shen Jin suddenly desperate to kick him out?

Hearing his voice made Shen Jin’s heart race again. Images of their intimacy in the kitchen flashed through his mind, and his ears began to burn once more. He lowered his head and whispered, “I’m sorry… I, I thought it was fake… I didn’t know…”

Yan Yu: “…”

After apologizing, Shen Jin heard no response. His heart sank, but he also felt a strange sense of relief, wondering if Yan Yu was angry.

After a long silence, he heard Yan Yu’s low, incredibly charming chuckle. “I was the one taking advantage of you, so why are you the one apologizing?”

Shen Jin froze. He hadn’t expected Yan Yu not to be angry. His heart was a mess of emotions—mostly joy, but with a lingering thread of bitterness.

“Aren’t you going to cook? Come out,” Yan Yu said from outside the door. “Take a shower first, then finish the meal. I didn’t eat much yesterday; I’m hungry.”

The mention of a shower brought a fresh wave of shame to Shen Jin, but he quickly caught the other point. He asked in surprise, “Will you actually eat the food I cook?”

“I’m hungry, why wouldn’t I?” Yan Yu’s teasing voice came through the door. “Unless you don’t want to feed me?”

“No, no!” Shen Jin shook his head vigorously and stood up, his voice tinged with excitement. “I’m willing…”

He pushed open the door and stepped out awkwardly. Seeing Yan Yu watching him with a smile made him even more self-conscious. He could only lower his head sheepishly. “I’ll go shower first…”

Yan Yu followed him. “I’ll go with you.”

Shen Jin wanted to refuse—partly out of shyness, and partly because his bathroom was tiny and would be a tight squeeze for two people. But refusal was futile; Yan Yu didn’t listen.

As they squeezed into the small shower together, Yan Yu couldn’t stop teasing him. It took a long time to finish, after which they cooked together.

Yan Yu, who had never lifted a finger for housework in his life, simply stood aside and watched. Once the food was served, they ate together. Yan Yu continued to play with him, feeding him mouth-to-mouth.

Though Shen Jin’s face remained crimson throughout, he smiled with a sweet, genuine happiness. He felt incredibly joyful, even if he knew this happiness might be fleeting.

After the meal, Yan Yu leaned down and left a light, “dragonfly-touch” kiss on Shen Jin’s forehead.

In that moment, Shen Jin felt as though they had been living together for years.

It made him feel like they were a real couple…

“Why are you so dazed?” Yan Yu smirked and lightly flicked Shen Jin’s forehead. The gesture was intimate, and coupled with that faint smile, it left Shen Jin even more enchanted.

He had no idea that because of this intimacy, a series of hardships was waiting for him…

…

Every moment of their close interaction during this time had been secretly photographed. The pictures were quietly delivered to the hospital and handed to the “sick beauty” lying in the bed—Xie Li.

Xie Li flipped through the photos one by one. His handsome face gradually turned as cold as frost. He gripped the photos so tightly he nearly tore them, a hint of crimson creeping into the corners of his eyes.

Due to his heart condition, it had been a long time since he’d allowed himself to get this emotional. He usually maintained a calm composure, but at this moment, he couldn’t stay cool.

Why him?! Why him?! Why him?!

Even if he had never formally responded to Yan Yu’s advances, in his mind, Yan Yu belonged to him. Without his permission, what right did this person named Shen have to touch what was his?

Standing before Xie Li was a handsome young man named Xu Cheng. His gaze toward Xie Li was filled with an indescribable tenderness, mixed now with worry. “A-Li, calm down first.”

Xie Li gritted his teeth, forcing his rage down. He lifted his beautiful eyes to look at the young man by the bed and let out a low laugh. “A-Cheng, do you think this is real?”

Xu Cheng had loved Xie Li for years.

He was the one person Xie Li could use and trust, because Xu Cheng placed him above all else. Even if Xie Li never truly looked at him.

Seeing Xie Li smile, Xu Cheng smiled too. He sat in the chair beside the bed, his eyes full of infatuation. He said softly, “It’s actually a good thing, isn’t it? This way, Yan Yu has someone he likes and won’t pester you anymore. When that happens, could you…”

Could you… finally look at me?

Xu Cheng stopped before he could finish. He saw Xie Li’s beautiful eyes turn icy in an instant.

A-Li, you say you don’t like Yan Yu… so why do you waste so much energy on him? I have only you in my eyes, yet you never see me.

Bitterness flooded Xu Cheng’s heart. He could only manage a hollow smile, his voice tinged with sadness. “A-Li, you actually love Yan Yu very much, don’t you?”

Xu Cheng and Xie Li had known each other since college. He had loved him for years and knew him better than anyone, yet he had refused to believe the truth.

He thought that as long as he gave everything and treated him well, Xie Li would eventually notice him. But after all these years, Xie Li’s gaze still held no love for him.

Instead, whenever Xie Li looked at Yan Yu, there was always a trace of suppressed adoration. Xu Cheng knew this because he spent his life watching Xie Li—he saw how Xie Li’s smiling gaze always drifted toward Yan Yu.

“What… what are you talking about?” The composure on Xie Li’s beautiful face cracked the moment he heard the question. He forced a smile. “Stop making such boring jokes.”

Xu Cheng bit his lip, his anger finally boiling over. “If you don’t love him, why does your gaze follow him everywhere? You’re always looking at him! Yet you claim you don’t like him! If that’s true, why haven’t you told him clearly all these years? Why do you keep things so ambiguous?”

Xie Li was stunned by the sudden outburst. His face grew paler. In his memory, this man was always gentle, speaking softly as if afraid of scaring him.

But now, he was shouting.

Xie Li should have denied the feelings for Yan Yu immediately, but seeing his ever-obedient follower snap, he couldn’t help but say, “You’re yelling at me?”

Xu Cheng’s anger deflated instantly. He bit his lip, his voice dropping significantly. “…I wasn’t.”

Xie Li stared at him until Xu Cheng looked away uncomfortably. Only then did Xie Li withdraw his gaze, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He smiled. “I’m leaving the hospital. It’s too stifling here.”

Xu Cheng blinked, then gave a gentle smile. “Then let me prepare a place for you to stay, okay?”

“No need. I already know where I’m staying,” Xie Li rejected him nonchalantly. He didn’t look at Xu Cheng’s crestfallen expression. He simply stared out the window, his grip tightening on the photos of Shen Jin and Yan Yu.

Whether he truly “liked” Yan Yu or not, he would never allow some penniless nobody like Shen Jin to snatch him away…