He Played Emotional Games With His Arch-Enemy - Chapter 1

When Shi Yu woke up, he felt as though his entire body had been run over by a forklift.

Fragmented sunlight burned his eyelids. He squinted, his head throbbing as if a gust of wind were swirling inside, and his bones and waist ached miserably.

Where was he?

His vision gradually focused, and the familiar ceiling slowly became clear. He frowned slightly and tried to move his waist, only to realize it was being pinned down by a strong, powerful arm.

Shi Yu froze. He looked up, and a face with aggressive, deep features came into view. The man had a high bridge to his nose and a deep brow ridge. His long, narrow peach blossom eyes were slightly upturned, looking both haughty and sharp.

The man was still asleep. His warm breath brushed against Shi Yu’s face. Shi Yu stared for a moment, and once he realized he was curled into the man’s chest in a dependent posture, his brain buzzed.

He suppressed his collapse and closed his eyes tightly. After letting his chaotic thoughts settle, he slowly opened them again, trying to turn the scene before him into a dream.

Clearly, it was not a dream.

He and Duan Jinghuai had slept together.

Once this realization became clear, he felt his adrenaline spike to its peak. His heart felt like it had been detonated, pounding wildly.

Had he really failed to hold back?

His mind was a tangled mess. He took a deep breath to force himself to calm down, trying to recall the details of the previous night.

Right then, there was a rustling sound beside him. Shi Yu’s breath nearly stopped in fright, and he quickly closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

The air fell silent for a few seconds. The surroundings were so quiet that the only sound was the drum like heartbeat in his chest.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Shi Yu felt the man’s burning gaze fixed on his face, staring without concealment.

It felt like a century passed. Just as Shi Yu’s back was becoming stiff and numb, the man beside him suddenly reached out and brushed his fingertip over Shi Yu’s brow and eyes.

His movement was very light, as if he were afraid of waking him or shattering a dream. The moment he touched him, he withdrew his hand.

Shi Yu was so nervous he felt like tiny insects were eating at him. Beneath the covers, his palms began to sweat.

After a moment, the bed beside him lightened as the man got up. Shi Yu let out a sigh of relief in his heart.

The sound of water came from the nearby bathroom. Shi Yu fumbled around the bedside table for a long time but found nothing. Only then did he realize that his clothes and phone had all been left in the living room.

Last night, it started in the living room, moved to the large bathroom, and finally, Duan Jinghuai had carried him back to the bedroom.

A series of terrible images flashed through his mind. Shi Yu’s cheeks and ears suddenly burned. He shrank back into the covers, his toes curling against the edge of the blanket as he hid himself away completely.

This was lethal.

Probably due to the alcohol, many fragments were blurry, but he still clearly remembered Duan Jinghuai’s burning temperature and the fit of their embrace. He also remembered the wolf like aggression and the never ending stamina.

Shi Yu covered his eyes with the back of his hand in a state of collapse.

Only two weeks ago, the two of them were in a tense standoff. Duan Jinghuai had hated him since they were children and had always viewed him as a thorn in his side, yet now.

There was nothing he could do. He had long ago accepted that Duan Jinghuai was the calamity of his life.

Two weeks ago.

Dark clouds pressed down on the city. The penthouse venue, reaching toward the sky, was grand and luxurious, enough to overlook all the lights of the city.

The Swan Bay Project launch.

On the stage, a brilliant newcomer dressed in a deep blue embroidered suit stood tall. The collar rose against a long, fair neck, and the suit fit his long legs and slim waist perfectly. His features were elegant, his facial contours defined by the layers of light and shadow. Every gesture exuded a cold and noble aura.

Below the stage, Duan Jinghuai leaned lazily on his hand. His index finger tapped irregularly on the table as his dark, cool gaze remained fixed on the man on stage.

This was the CEO who had recently been parachuted into the Junyi Group. Before even returning to the country, he had remotely orchestrated the acquisition of the Chengzhou project that Duan Jinghuai had been eyeing for months.

Junyi had previously been an inconspicuous company. Although it was next door to his own Jinghang Group, its headquarters, R&E, was located in the United States. Usually, it only took on small domestic projects. No one expected it to openly play games right under Duan Jinghuai’s nose this time.

Duan Jinghuai snorted at this, thinking he had simply been careless. But to everyone’s surprise, as soon as this man returned to the country, he swallowed forty percent of the shares in the Swan Bay project, surpassing Duan Jinghuai’s thirty percent.

Duan Jinghuai maintained a calm exterior, but he could not help feeling apprehensive. This person not only understood his way of doing things but could even guess eighty percent of his psychological state. It was terrifying.

It was not until today’s official launch that he understood the source of this derailment.

Shi Yu.

He should have thought of it sooner. The only person in this world who knew him so well, besides his parents, was Shi Yu, who had grown up with him and once permeated every detail of his life.

The man stood before the floor to ceiling window. Behind him were the city lights, looking as distant as if they were embedded in a curtain of stars.

Duan Jinghuai slowly tightened his fist. His fingertips turned white as they pressed into his palm.

After eight years of not seeing him, Shi Yu was still just as annoying.

Their conflict could be traced back to a swimming class championship in kindergarten. After starting school, they were constantly at odds over who would have the top grades.

Shi Yu was well behaved, and all the teachers liked him. Duan Jinghuai was a rebel; although his grades were top tier, he was always fighting and causing trouble. Shi Yu was the class monitor in middle school and the student council president in high school, managing him in everything. Duan Jinghuai often felt that this person was the bane of his existence.

That was until their senior year of high school, when Shi Yu suddenly followed the girl he liked abroad to study. He left without saying a word to anyone and vanished from everyone’s sight.

Duan Jinghuai skipped classes for three days and finally blocked all of his contact information.

Now, looking at the smiling Shi Yu amidst the social bustle, Duan Jinghuai clenched his teeth, his eyes suppressing a dark, cold fury.

As a rising star in the business world who had just outshone the prominent Duan Jinghuai, Shi Yu was naturally surrounded by fawning crowds.

Duan Jinghuai masked his emotions and walked forward with a highball glass, stopping beside Shi Yu.

“Congratulations, CEO Shi.”

His low, indifferent voice spoke as the rims of their glasses clinked with a crisp, lingering sound.

Shi Yu blinked and looked up. The man had a high nose and deep eyes. He had lost his youthful look, his features now sharper and more hardened. His haughty, cold gaze swept over Shi Yu.

Shi Yu’s lips moved almost imperceptibly as his fingertip lightly stroked the side of his glass.

Seeing Duan Jinghuai, the seasoned Zhuang Yuan nearby hurried to act as a bridge. “Oh, CEO Duan is here! I was just about to introduce you to CEO Shi.”

Shi Yu withdrew his gaze and smiled slightly. “No need to trouble Chairman Zhuang. There is no one in Jinggang who does not know CEO Duan’s name.”

Zhuang Yuan patted Shi Yu’s shoulder and laughed. “The two of you are so young, yet you are both among the few top talents in our Jinggang.”

“You overpraise me. I have just returned to the country and have many things to learn from CEO Duan.” Shi Yu’s tone was distant and polite to the point of being cold.

Duan Jinghuai frowned slightly, his gaze darkening as he stared at him. He hated Shi Yu’s pretentious and extremely cold manner.

Duan Jinghuai’s fingertips turned white from the force with which he gripped his glass. He squinted, coldness flowing in his eyes. “You are too modest. It is CEO Shi’s insight and judgment that I should learn from.”

The atmosphere fell into a silent stalemate.

Fearing the tension between the two, Zhuang Yuan smiled until his face was full of wrinkles. “Haha, why are you being so modest? If there is business, we should all make money together.” He paused and smoothed things over. “CEO Duan, please excuse us. I will take CEO Shi over there to say hello.”

Zhuang Yuan was a respected figure in the financial world, and everyone had to give him some face. Realizing he had lost his composure, Duan Jinghuai’s tightened lips relaxed. He took a small step back and nodded. “Please, suit yourself.”

The banquet did not end until late at night.

The moonlight was thick, and the surface of Swan Bay was as dark as spilled ink. On the shore, the tireless river of lights wound into a line, merging with the stars.

A black Maybach crouched by the roadside like a beast.

Just as Shi Yu opened the car door, a strong arm suddenly braced against it, easily blocking his way. He looked up, his expression unchanged.

“Shi Yu, what is the meaning of this?” Duan Jinghuai asked, his dark, sinister eyes locked onto him, each word spoken with an undercurrent of emotion.

Shi Yu paused, then curled his lips slightly. His elegant face showed a perfect measure of politeness and distance. “What is CEO Duan talking about? I do not understand.”

Duan Jinghuai sneered. “Stop playing dumb.”

Shi Yu tilted his head and said nonchalantly, “Whatever CEO Duan has his eye on are the projects with the most potential in Jinggang. I am no exception.”

“The harder something is, the more interesting the fight becomes, is it not?”

A vehicle drove by in the distance, the river of lights sweeping through layers of shadow and making Duan Jinghuai’s features look blurry.

Duan Jinghuai’s gaze deepened further, his voice dropping to a rasp. “I am not talking about that.” He took a step forward, his toes touching Shi Yu’s. A fire burned in his dark eyes as he locked onto Shi Yu, as if trying to see through all his thoughts.

The stalemate lasted for several seconds. Shi Yu blinked and asked calmly, “Then which matter are you talking about?”

Duan Jinghuai suddenly choked. He had countless grievances and frustrations about Shi Yu leaving for another country without a word back then. But what position, what identity, what right did he have?

A friend? A childhood companion?

Thinking of how their ten plus years of confrontation had been turned into a ghost by time, Duan Jinghuai’s heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, leaving him unable to breathe.

Indeed, they were nothing to each other. Shi Yu hated him. Where he went, what he did, and who he was with, there was no need to tell him.

Duan Jinghuai had always been arrogant and unyielding, but whenever he met Shi Yu, that reckless pride was shattered and swallowed down.

His fingertips slid slowly off the car door handle. Shi Yu took the opportunity to open the door. The lush lights of the street left his face half hidden in the shadows. “If CEO Duan has nothing else, I will be leaving first.”

The car window completely separated the two. Through the dark glass, Duan Jinghuai’s brow furrowed deeper. The car slowly brushed past him and merged into the flow of traffic.

Duan Jinghuai pulled a box of cigarettes and a lighter from the storage compartment. He leaned lazily against the car, tapped out a cigarette, and cupped his hands to light it. A wisp of smoke rose, and a spark of crimson glowed brightly in the dark night.

Feeling irritable, he pulled out his phone and dialed Jiang Yu’s number. After a moment, Jiang Yu answered. The other end was filled with the electronic music of a bar. The sound moved from near to far, and once he reached a slightly quieter place, he gave a lazy “Hello.”

Duan Jinghuai got straight to the point. “Shi Yu is back.”

A few emotionless words hit Jiang Yu, snapping him awake. He gave a sudden “Huh?” and tugged at his hair. “You found out?”

“You knew?” Duan Jinghuai’s brow furrowed sharply. “You knew and you did not tell me?!”

Jiang Yu frowned. “Back in university, you were the one who told me you did not want to hear any news about Shi Yu and that I should make him disappear from your ears. Did you forget?”

Duan Jinghuai fell silent. “Then what is he doing back this time?” He paused, pinched the skin between his thumb and forefinger, and asked hoarsely, “Is he leaving again?”

Jiang Yu replied, “I am not sure. He lives in the same neighborhood as I do now. Why? Did the two of you start fighting as soon as you met?”

Duan Jinghuai took a deep drag of his cigarette and let it out slowly. The swirling grey white smoke obscured his features. “No,” he said, tightening his jaw as he flicked the ash.

He was just as cold as if he were treating a stranger. The wind from the sea blew through him, cold to the core. He hung up the phone and stood alone on the shore. The dim yellow light stretched his transparent shadow long.