After Falling for the Handsome CEO - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: I’m Begging You, Stop Touching Me

That slap was exceptionally loud. It left Shen Jin’s ears ringing, a dull buzzing sound that drowned out everything else.

Yan Yu was stunned too. He had been in the heat of his rage; seeing the boy dare to talk back and try to cut ties had only added fuel to his fire. By the time he realized what he was doing, the slap had already landed—leaving a vivid, shocking red handprint on that pale, frail face.

“I… I didn’t… I mean…” Yan Yu looked at his own palm, then stared at Shen Jin’s face. For a fleeting second, he wanted to say he hadn’t truly meant to hit him, but whose fault was it for making him so angry?

Yan Yu’s expression remained grim. Even if he felt a flicker of regret, what came out of his mouth was a roar thick with hostility: “Tell me! Who gave you permission to talk back to me!”

Shen Jin’s eyes turned red instantly. To keep the other man from seeing it, he hung his head low, staring at the tips of his shoes. He gritted his teeth, desperately trying to force the tears back. “I… talked back to you… I’m sorry…”

Without the so-called “transaction,” Yan Yu was a high-and-mighty CEO, a man of noble status whom Shen Jin could never afford to offend, let alone scream at…

That slap made Shen Jin realize with painful clarity that he really was nothing. In Yan Yu’s heart, he was just a bed partner for a bit of novelty—to be thrown away once the interest faded.

That submissive “I’m sorry” and the way he bowed his head in apology made Yan Yu’s chest ache slightly, a dense, prickly pain that made it difficult to breathe for a moment.

Before he could process what that emotion was, Shen Jin lowered his head even further and stumbled toward his door, his voice weak and drained: “I… I need to… go back…”

He was afraid that if he stayed a second longer, Yan Yu would see the tears that were about to overflow. It was too humiliating.

Yan Yu watched the thin, trembling figure swaying in the night wind as he fumbled for the door. It made his heart tighten. Unable to explain the feeling, he instinctively grabbed the boy’s hand from behind: “Shen Jin!”

However, the moment he was touched, Shen Jin shuddered as if he had been burned. He yanked his hand back as if avoiding a venomous snake. His hand holding the key was shaking violently as he struggled to fit it into the lock, muttering incoherently, “I… I’m so tired… I’m sleepy, I… I need to… go to my room and sleep…”

Looking at him like this, something in Yan Yu’s heart was stirred, leaving him with a trace of reluctance. He grabbed Shen Jin’s hand again, snapping, “What kind of temper are you throwing now!”

He couldn’t understand it. Didn’t the boy need money? He was willing to pay to keep him as a lover; what was there to be dissatisfied about! Even if he wasn’t grateful, he shouldn’t have this attitude!

Yan Yu was born with a silver spoon, a treasure held in the palm of everyone’s hand since childhood. He was proud, possessed a strong sense of self-esteem, and was the center of attention wherever he went. Everyone treated him with nothing but respect!

Yet here was Shen Jin, infuriating him time and time again! Constantly pushing his boundaries!

Shen Jin’s trembling body stiffened at those words. He felt a sense of disbelief, and the pain on his face flared up again. His voice, thick with a nasal congestion from holding back tears, wavered: “I… I… I’m throwing a temper?”

How would I ever dare to throw a temper with you…

Shen Jin closed his eyes. He finally understood. From the start, their statuses were never equal. What Yan Yu needed was someone to vent his desires on—someone obedient, someone who would follow his every whim without question…

By acting this way, he had likely crossed a line.

“I’m very tired today…” Shen Jin gritted his teeth, suddenly wanting to laugh, though it was a pained, broken sound. “Whatever it is… we can talk… talk tomorrow…”

He pulled his hand out of Yan Yu’s grip, pushed open the rusty iron door, and stumbled inside with his battered body. He desperately wanted to slam the door shut and hide—to hide back in a world where it was only him. Only then would he feel safe.

Just as he was about to close the door, Yan Yu reacted quickly, jamming his leg in to block it. Veins popped on his forehead as he yelled in frustration, “I haven’t finished talking! Who gave you permission to close the door!”

Shen Jin was no match for his strength. Trying to force the door shut was impossible. He was shoved back several steps by Yan Yu’s brute force, only barely managing to keep his footing.

He hung his head, looking utterly drained. His body swayed as if he might collapse at any moment. He looked defeated, his eyes hollow, as he murmured under his breath, “This isn’t allowed, that isn’t allowed…”

You don’t love me, so I’ll stop bothering you. But why… why must you still be like this?

Yan Yu strode up to him and gripped his jaw hard, forcing his head up. He snarled, “I told you to look me in the eye and explain yourself clearly! Are you deaf?!”

Forced to look up, Shen Jin’s face was wooden. Those eyes, once clear and full of smiles, were now dead and dull. They were rimmed with red, and a treacherous tear slid from the corner of his eye, landing on the back of Yan Yu’s hand…

Yan Yu, who had been fuming with rage, froze at the sudden warmth of the tear on his skin. He couldn’t react; for a moment, his angry face flashed with a look of helplessness and confusion: “Shen… Jin?”

Shen Jin shifted his gaze slightly. The redness in his eyes and the red mark from the slap remained painfully clear.

I’m begging you, stop touching me… The more you touch me, the more it hurts…