Chapter 22
For the past year, Lin Heng had been the ultimate third wheel.
Ever since Lin Mian and Lu Chen got married and moved into the newly renovated Lu estate, family dinners at the Lin mansion had become a masterclass in domestic sweetness. Lin Heng would sit across the table, trying to enjoy his steak, while Lu Chen meticulously cut up Lin Mian’s food, and Lin Mian softly fed Lu Chen dessert. Even their father, Master Lin, had taken to teasing him, constantly dropping unsubstantiated hints about how the Lin Group needed “another stable anchor” to secure its future.
At thirty-one, Lin Heng was the most eligible bachelor in Shanghai. He was wealthy, devastatingly handsome in a cold, aristocratic way, and possessed an untouchable corporate reputation. Yet, his heart remained an impenetrable fortress. He had spent so many years fighting to rebuild the family empire and protecting his younger brother that he had completely forgotten how to live for himself.
“You need to get a life, Ge,” Lin Mian had told him playfully during the wedding reception, adjusting Lin Heng’s lapels. “The corporate world won’t keep you warm at night.”
Lin Heng had simply scoffed, telling his little brother to focus on his own honeymoon. But tonight, as a sudden summer downpour lashed against the glass windows of the high-end Midnight Blue lounge in the heart of the financial district, Lin Heng felt the quiet weight of those words.
He swirled the amber liquid in his whiskey glass, loosening his silk tie. He had just concluded a grueling, six-hour negotiation with an international tech conglomerate. His body was exhausted, and his mind was numb.
“Is this seat taken?”
A low, remarkably smooth voice cut through the ambient jazz music of the lounge.
Lin Heng blinked, turning his head. Standing beside his private booth was a man who looked to be around his own age. He was tall, with a lean, athletic build hidden beneath a relaxed, cream-colored cashmere sweater and dark trousers. He had sharp, striking features-a well-defined jawline, silver-rimmed glasses, and dark eyes that crinkled with an intelligent, slightly mischievous warmth. He was holding a glass of red wine, dripping slightly from the rain outside.
Lin Heng, used to social climbers and opportunistic business rivals, narrowed his eyes slightly, his corporate mask slipping instantly into place. “It is private. But if you are looking for a place to hide from the rain, I suppose I don’t mind.”
The stranger let out a soft, amused chuckle, sliding into the leather booth across from Lin Heng with an effortless, fluid grace. “Thank you. The storm outside is savage. I’m Shen Yu.”
He extended a hand. Lin Heng stared at it for a fraction of a second before shaking it. Shen Yu’s grip was firm, warm, and confident.
“Lin Heng.”
Shen Yu’s eyes flashed with a sudden, knowing spark behind his glasses. “Ah. The Lin Heng. The ruthless savior of the Lin Group. I should have recognized the sharp suit.”
Lin Heng frowned, leaning back, his defensive walls rising higher. “If you are here to pitch a business proposal, Mr. Shen, you are wasting your time. I am off the clock.”
Instead of being offended or intimidated by Lin Heng’s icy demeanor, Shen Yu simply laughed-a rich, genuine sound that seemed to cut right through the tension in Lin Heng’s chest.
“Relax, CEO Lin,” Shen Yu murmured, taking a slow sip of his wine. “I am a chief pediatric surgeon at the Shanghai Central Hospital. The only thing I know how to pitch is a medical report. I don’t want your shares, and I certainly don’t want to talk about logistics. I was just tired of sitting alone, and you looked like you needed a distraction.”
Lin Heng paused, his analytical mind momentarily short-circuiting. A pediatric surgeon. No corporate motives. No hidden agendas. Just a beautiful, brilliant man sitting across from him, looking at him as if he were just a regular human being, not a billionaire shield.
For the first time in years, Lin Heng felt his shoulders drop. He looked at Shen Yu-truly looked at him-and noticed the faint, exhausted shadows under the doctor’s eyes, contrasting with the brilliant, lively warmth of his smile.
“A surgeon,” Lin Heng repeated, his voice losing its sharp, transactional edge, replaced by a quiet curiosity. “That sounds a lot more stressful than running a corporation.”
“Oh, it’s terrible,” Shen Yu teased, his eyes dancing with amusement as he leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm. “Children are much more difficult to negotiate with than board directors. They don’t care about stock values; they just want to know why the injection hurts.”
A small, genuine smile-one that hadn’t appeared on Lin Heng’s face in months-slowly broke through his icy exterior. He raised his whiskey glass toward Shen Yu. “Then I suppose we both deserve a drink tonight, Dr. Shen.”
“To surviving the storm,” Shen Yu replied, clinking his wine glass against Lin Heng’s.
As the rain continued to pour outside, washing away the remnants of the past, the two men sat in the dim, warm light of the lounge, talking late into the night. For the first time, Lin Heng wasn’t thinking about the Lin Group, or his father’s expectations, or his brother’s safety. He was laughing, listening, and feeling a strange, intoxicating warmth blooming deep within his chest.
When they finally walked out to the lobby to call their respective drivers, Shen Yu stopped, pulling out a sleek black fountain pen from his pocket. He reached out, gently taking Lin Heng’s hand, and wrote a string of numbers directly onto the palm of Lin Heng’s hand.
The touch of Shen Yu’s warm skin against his sent a sudden, electric jolt straight to Lin Heng’s heart.
“Call me, Lin Heng,” Shen Yu whispered, leaning in just close enough for Lin Heng to catch the faint scent of sterile mint and expensive cologne. “And next time, let me buy the drinks when you’re off the clock.”
With a final, devastatingly handsome wink, Shen Yu stepped into his waiting car, leaving Lin Heng standing in the grand lobby of the lounge.
Lin Heng looked down at his palm, his fingers curling slowly inward as if trying to trap the lingering warmth of the doctor’s touch. A soft, breathless laugh escaped his lips.
He pulled out his phone, instantly sending a quick text message to Lin Mian:
[Lin Heng]: Tell Lu Chen I won’t be coming to family dinner this Sunday. I have a prior engagement.
Miles away, in the security of the Lu estate, Lin Mian stared at his phone, a brilliant, knowing smirk spreading across his face as he snuggled closer into Lu Chen’s chest.
The wolf had his sparrow, and now, the shield had finally found his doctor. Every single piece of the rewritten universe was finally, perfectly in its place.
To be continue
