After the Straight Male Incubus Became a Heartthrob - Chapter 29.1

This is the Office, Don’t…

What kind of twisted logic was this? Employees are supposed to work honestly for their pay, not spend all day coveting the boss!

Ye Lin swung his hand to strike, but his wrist was tightly pinned down, leaving him unable to move. Shen Shao knew him all too well; he could always pinpoint Ye Lin’s weaknesses and gain control in an instant.

“Shen Shao, let me go! Watch out, or I’ll fire you!”

“Oh? Fire me? Where else are you going to find a manager this cheap?”

Previously, Gu Jiazhi’s ninety million had been snatched away by Gu Zhe, and Shen Shao did not have much money either. Consequently, Ye Lin had become the largest investor and, by extension, the big boss of the entire company.

Fanxing was currently a small-scale company that had not even reached profitability; it was purely a money-sink. A position like Shen Shao’s should command a salary of at least a million a year, and the company simply could not afford to hire anyone else. For now, Shen Shao was the economical choice—working for almost zero pay with high efficiency—so Ye Lin barely managed to tolerate him. Once Fanxing grew, he would kick Shen Shao to the curb and replace him with someone higher-level.

Ye Lin mentally calculated their remaining funds. After buying equipment and paying wages, there was only ten million left, and it was burning up fast. There was no helping it; tech startups in their early stages were notorious money pits with slow returns. Still, this was a major company in the original novel, so the investment should not be a loss.

“What are you thinking about?” Shen Shao noticed him spacing out. He leaned into Ye Lin’s ear, breathing warmly against it before asking the question.

“Nothing! Just let go!” Ye Lin tried to struggle, flailing his limbs.

It felt like sitting on a bench in a sauna; he was about to get burned. He wanted to stand up immediately, but he was pressed back down.

“This is not some high-end office building; the soundproofing is terrible. The boss can be louder if he likes; it would be great to attract the employees outside,” Shen Shao whispered persuasively, his hands and feet becoming restless.

At this moment, he did not look like a high-level elite in a white shirt and plaid tie; he looked like a primal creature indulged in basic instincts.

“Shen… Shen Shao, you!” Ye Lin was indeed terrified of the employees outside. After all, he maintained an image of a majestic boss with two powerful lieutenants, Gu Jiazhi and Shen Shao. If the big boss was found being bullied in the manager’s office, it would be a total disgrace! If the employees found out, he would not be able to show his face ever again!

Ye Lin bit his lip hard, not daring to make a sound. Shen Shao wanted him to be afraid and cautious; he felt immensely smug. He looked refined and gentle on the outside, but in reality, he was a poisonous scorpion who specialized in bullying haughty, “stupid” little white rabbits. The rabbit had a big temper and was hard to coax, but it had its fatal weaknesses; once pinned, it could only lie there at his mercy.

“Fuck!” Ye Lin’s face flushed with anger as he cursed.

He was trembling, feeling as if he were standing in molten lava; every inch of him was burning red. Although he tried to convince the volcano to stop its eruption, the volcano was stubborn, insisting on engulfing him in high heat. Fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead; despite the air conditioning, he felt like he was melting.

“Liang Wenle could not do this for you, right?” Shen Shao looked up at him, boasting triumphantly.

“You… you…” Ye Lin almost slid off the chair, quickly grabbing the armrest to steady himself.

Liang Wenle would never do such a thing to him; it was always Ye Lin serving Liang Wenle. He had never expected it to feel like this. No wonder Liang Wenle’s reaction had been so intense before; so this was how it felt!

Ye Lin’s breathing was uneven and erratic. He tilted his head back to look at the ceiling light. It was not an exquisite multi-layered chandelier, but just a simple fluorescent bulb. Having lived in Liang Wenle’s villa for so long, he was not used to such simple surroundings.

In nature, rabbits are easily stressed; if startled, they will bolt or cry out. This rabbit was the same, letting out a startled cry and trying to run, only to be coiled back in by the wicked snake, left powerless as prey.

“Shen… Shen Shao!” When Ye Lin spoke, his voice lacked any strength. It was soft and limp, sounding less like an accusation and more like a plea.

“…” Shen Shao noticed the moisture in Ye Lin’s eyes. Highly satisfied, he intended to do something even more “wicked.”

“No… no!”

Sure enough, the moment he started, Ye Lin could not take it and scratched at him desperately.

“Don’t… don’t…” Ye Lin wanted to speak, but he soon realized he was losing control of his voice. He quickly covered his mouth to prevent any strange sounds from escaping. This was an office, after all; there were plenty of employees outside who admired him. He could not be caught.

Shen Shao was truly malicious to use this method against him! Ye Lin felt his strength failing. He continued to cover his mouth forcefully, his cheeks turning red and his vision blurring. At that moment, he suddenly missed Gu Jiazhi’s kisses; at least Gu Jiazhi would thoughtfully kiss him to stifle all the noise. But this bastard Shen Shao had no self-awareness; he insisted on torturing him without providing a solution.

Water lilies are hardest to bloom in this season. The petals are thick and full of sap, not yet fully open. One has to manually “wake” the flower by forcing the petals apart. Only then does it slowly awaken into a beautiful, enticing lily. Shen Shao was clearly a skilled gardener; he easily tended to the water lily and obtained the beautiful scenery he had long anticipated.

Before Ye Lin could recover, he felt Shen Shao leaning in. He quickly turned his head away. “Don’t… don’t kiss me!”

Shen Shao had no choice but to kiss his cheek, sighing helplessly. “You even find your own self disgusting?”

Ye Lin huffed and pinched Shen Shao’s arm hard to vent his frustration. Shen Shao pulled him into his arms, holding him steadily. Looking him in the face, he asked, “Then what about Liang Wenle? Would you find him disgusting?”

Ye Lin did not want to answer and closed his eyes. Shen Shao deliberately startled him into a cry, forcing him to open his eyes.

Now, Shen Shao started acting again. His brows furrowed in a sorrowful expression as he complained in a low voice, “Liang Wenle is the official boyfriend, so of course you would not find him disgusting. You only know how to look down on me.”

Ye Lin was disgusted by his tone and cursed, “Are you sick?!”

Shen Shao sighed. “See? Just because I have no status or title, you scold me. If it were your boyfriend, you surely would not have the heart to yell.”

Ye Lin was speechless. Although he was quite satisfied with Shen Shao’s “technique,” he really could not stand this man’s obsession with acting. This guy was a better actor than he was; he was the one who pounced and willingly became the “third party,” and yet here he was acting aggrieved. Where was the logic? Gu Jiazhi should really see this side of him; then he would never say “Shen Shao has great talent” ever again.

Shen Shao pinched his chin, his eyes resentful. “You are actually spacing out? I only get to be intimate with you on this one day every week; is this not a bit too much?”

Ye Lin muttered “idiot” and turned his head to look at the floor. Shen Shao pulled out his phone and scrolled to Liang Wenle’s contact info, holding it in front of Ye Lin’s face. “Tell me, who is better? Me or Liang Wenle?”

Ye Lin became alert and asked anxiously, “What are you trying to do?”

Shen Shao had a playful look on his face, like he was watching a drama. “My heart is broken by you. I might as well just come clean to Liang Wenle right now. I will tell him you are using his money to keep me on the side and even started a company for me.”

Panicked, Ye Lin lunged for the phone, shouting, “Don’t you dare!”

Shen Shao held the phone up high, out of his reach. “Then kiss me. Say I am better than Liang Wenle, and I will not make the call.”

Fuck! Is this right? He usually had to coax Liang Wenle, and now he had to coax Shen Shao! He was more exhausted than an ancient emperor!

Ye Lin helplessly leaned down to kiss him, suppressing his disgust to soothe him. “You are better than Wenle, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times better. Just be good and don’t call him.”

Satisfied, Shen Shao put the phone away. He leaned up to kiss him with a triumphant look. “I knew it. Being with Liang Wenle is forced, but I am your true love, right?”

Ye Lin nodded helplessly. “Yes, you are the true love.”

As soon as he said it, he was placed on the desk, his back hitting some files. It hurt a bit, and his skin turned completely red. Shen Shao moved the files to the side and began to handle the “real” business. This was his big boss, after all; he had to serve him well to keep his job.

However, the big boss was not satisfied with his “work,” because he soon started crying, his shoulders shaking. The corners of Ye Lin’s eyes were flushed as he wept bitterly, cursing, “Fuck… Shen Shao, you bastard, stop!”

Shen Shao turned a deaf ear. His acting phase was over; now it was pure pleasure time. Thus, the “bastard” employee began to offend his superior, tossing and turning him tirelessly.

At first, Ye Lin could hold back his voice, but eventually, he had no choice but to actively seek an embrace and melt into a kiss with Shen Shao.

After an unknown amount of time, Shen Shao suddenly stopped. He helped Ye Lin tidy his clothes, opened the window to air out the room, and re-aligned the files. Ye Lin was not actually fully satisfied yet; being forced to stop made him glare at Shen Shao with dissatisfaction.

Shen Shao just laughed. “Hurry up and tidy up. I feel like Gu Jiazhi is about to come back.”

A moment later, the door swung open. A panting, red-faced Gu Jiazhi appeared at the doorway, carrying a bunch of things. He looked radiant, his whole body brimming with joy.

“Shen Shao! That investor from last week; I closed the deal!”

“Ah, that is fantastic! See? I told you, there is no deal you cannot talk your way into.”

Startled, Ye Lin straightened his collar and moved toward the desk. Gu Jiazhi was about to sit on the opposite sofa when he finally noticed Ye Lin. “Ye Lin? Why are you here?”

Ye Lin gave a forced laugh. “I came to check on the work. To see if you guys were working hard.”

Shen Shao deliberately made a show of organizing files, emphasizing certain words. “That’s right. Ye Lin is very meticulous. He comes to ‘inspect’ me every day; he just cannot put his mind at ease.”

Ye Lin glared at Shen Shao, his fists clenched, wishing he could pummel him to death.

Gu Jiazhi thought Ye Lin still held a grudge against Shen Shao and was using “inspections” as an excuse to make things difficult. He tried to mediate, “Oh, come on. Shen Shao is giving his heart and soul to Fanxing now. Don’t be so suspicious.”

Shen Shao gave a polite smile. “Thank you for the understanding. I believe Jiazhi can lead the company to conquer the market.”

Gu Jiazhi waved his hand confidently. “It’s nothing. I’ve only recently realized that I am actually quite good at sales!”

Shen Shao continued to flatter him. “Exactly. Jiazhi is a natural at business. Everyone has their strengths. Someone introverted and shy like me is only suited for sitting in the office handling administration. We need someone outgoing and confident like Jiazhi to lift the company up.”

Ye Lin slowly turned his head to look at Shen Shao. He mouthed the word “introverted,” his eyes wide with disbelief. This guy had truly redefined his understanding of the word. If Shen Shao could be called “introverted and shy,” then there were no shy people left in the world.

Gu Jiazhi smiled bashfully. “You are too modest. Both internal and external roles are important. I believe with the two of us, Fanxing will grow in no time.”

Fuck! Gu Jiazhi actually believed Shen Shao’s nonsense. How stupid! No wonder Gu Jiazhi and Liang Wenle were friends; they were both so easy to trick. They were both idiots! These words Shen Shao said were exactly the same things he used to praise Liang Wenle, except Shen Shao’s version was totally insincere, not nearly as good as his own.

Ye Lin interrupted their conversation. “Fuck, I am still standing here! You are ignoring me and only caring about yourself and Shen Shao. Please realize that Fanxing only exists because I invested. You are both employees; I am the boss!”

Gu Jiazhi agreed with him, but then noticed his cheeks were a bit flushed. “Why is your face so red? Did you just run in from outside?”

Ye Lin quickly touched his face, explaining guiltily, “The temperature in the room is high. It is just hot.”

Shen Shao stood by, admiring his flustered expression as if looking at his own artwork, feeling very pleased. Gu Jiazhi only then noticed the window was open and quickly stood up to close it. “The window was open and the AC was escaping; of course it is hot.”

Shen Shao helped cover for him. “Oh, Ye Lin complained that my perfume smelled bad, so we opened the window.”

Gu Jiazhi knew about Ye Lin’s quirk; he liked natural scents and hated synthetic fragrances. He could only sigh. “He really does not like it. Don’t wear perfume in the future.”

Shen Shao said as if in passing, “You are so gentle and considerate toward Ye Lin. You know his likes and dislikes and take his feelings into account. It is almost like you are in a relationship, a model boyfriend.”

Gu Jiazhi’s expression instantly went cold.

Shen Shao looked apologetic. “Sorry, I misspoke.”

Ye Lin kicked his heel and cursed, “You did misspeak! What are you babbling about? Jiazhi and I are…”

He really did not want to hear that word.

Gu Jiazhi looked up and interrupted him, “Where are you going tonight?”

Thinking of Liang Wenle returning tonight, Ye Lin could only say, “Back to Liang Wenle’s place.”

Gu Jiazhi let out a cold laugh but said nothing. The atmosphere became awkward, like a brewing war.

Shen Shao took the initiative to speak up. “Let’s go to my place for dinner first. We can discuss the future plans while we are at it.”

Ye Lin found out later that Shen Shao had a weak stomach and had not trusted anyone else’s cooking since he was sixteen. He always cooked for himself, so his culinary skills were exceptionally good. Having dinner at Shen Shao’s place would indeed be a treat.

Ye Lin was the first to agree. “Sure, sure! Just cook fast.”

Gu Jiazhi reluctantly agreed. Since his family had cut him off financially, he wanted to focus on his career rather than get tangled up in romance; that never ended well.

The sun outside was at its peak. The white buildings and dark green trees under the bright light looked like an oil painting. After getting out of the car, Ye Lin jogged toward the Western-style apartment building, looking like a high schooler who had not graduated yet, full of youthful energy. Meanwhile, Gu Jiazhi and Shen Shao, busy with work every day, had a faint “aura of exhaustion” about them, their eyes looking tired.

Ye Lin even complained that they were walking too slowly. He turned back to urge them, “Hurry up, honestly!”

Gu Jiazhi rushed up to put an arm around him, whispering in his ear, “If you are so capable, why don’t you try socializing with clients and see if you are still this energetic?”

Ye Lin noticed pedestrians nearby and pushed him hard. “Hey, let go! People will misunderstand.”

Gu Jiazhi refused, even kissing his cheek. “I think you are just afraid word will get back to Liang Wenle. You are so heartless, still thinking of him even now.”

Unable to break free, Ye Lin looked to Shen Shao. “Hey! Are you just going to watch? Help me, or I will fire you!”

Shen Shao shook his head helplessly and advised Gu Jiazhi, “Just carry him back quickly. It is too sunny out; it is bad for the skin.”