Chapter 9
News of Lin Mian’s flawless performance spread through the Lin Group headquarters like wildfire.
By the time the clock struck 5:30 PM, even the janitors were whispering about how the notoriously short-tempered youngest master had suddenly turned into a brilliant, hardworking model employee.
Lin Mian packed his leather briefcase with a quiet smile, bidding a polite goodbye to a still-dazed Manager Wang. As he walked out of the building alongside Lin Heng, his older brother still couldn’t take his eyes off him.
“Xiao Mian, be honest with me,” Lin Heng said as they climbed into the back of the family car. “Did you secretly take a business administration course while you were out partying? That analysis on the logistics error was something even senior managers miss.”
Lin Mian laughed softly, staring out the window at the passing Shanghai skyline. *No,* he thought to himself. *I just spent my past life watching our family business collapse from the sidelines after my death, listening to the news reports while floating as a useless ghost.*
“I just decided it was time to grow up, Ge,” Lin Mian replied aloud, turning to his brother with clear, earnest eyes. “I don’t want to be a burden to you and Dad anymore.”
Lin Heng’s heart melted. He reached out, aggressively ruffling Lin Mian’s hair just like he used to when they were kids. “Good boy. Dad is going to lose his mind tonight when he hears about this.”
True to Lin Heng’s words, dinner at the Lin mansion that evening was unlike anything the household had experienced in years. Master Lin, usually a man of few words and stern glances, had already read Lin Mian’s report three times before the soup was even served.
“Excellent. Truly excellent,” Master Lin praised, his booming voice echoing with genuine pride. “To spot a discrepancy in the logistics chain on your first day… Xiao Mian, you have the Lin family blood in your veins after all.”
Madam Lin kept putting the best pieces of braised pork belly onto Lin Mian’s plate until his bowl was overflowing. “My sweet boy must have used so many brain cells today. Eat more, look how thin you’ve gotten these past few days!”
Sitting at his usual spot across the table, Lu Chen watched the warm family scene with a quiet intensity. He had been invited to stay for dinner again-not that he needed much convincing. His eyes never left Lin Mian. Seeing the boy who used to scream and slam cutlery now sitting gracefully, blushing at his family’s praise, made Lu Chen’s chest tighten with an emotion so fierce it bordered on obsession.
“Xiao Mian,” Lu Chen spoke up, his deep voice drawing the table’s attention. He raised his glass of water slightly toward the younger boy.
“Congratulations on your first successful day. I heard Manager Wang was highly impressed.”
Lin Mian raised his own glass, his eyes locking with Lu Chen’s. A secret, shared warmth passed between them, remembering their private lunch in the Maybach. “Thank you, Lu Chen. I couldn’t have done it without your… afternoon motivation.”
Lin Ran, the older sister, paused her chopsticks mid-air. Her sharp, elegant eyes darted between Lu Chen and her little brother. She noticed the way Lu Chen’s gaze lingered a second too long on Lin Mian’s lips, and the way Lin Mian’s cheeks flushed a soft pink whenever Lu Chen spoke. A knowing, amused smile tugged at her lips, but she chose to remain silent for now.
After dinner, Lin Mian stepped out onto the grand second-floor balcony to catch the cool night breeze. The sky over Shanghai was painted with the glittering lights of the city’s skyscrapers.
He rested his hands on the marble railing, taking a deep breath. He was genuinely happy, but a small, lingering fear still clawed at his mind.
*Can I really change everything? Will the universe realize I cheated death and try to take me away again?*
“Thinking about your next corporate takeover?”
A deep, smooth voice broke his train of thought. Lin Mian turned to see Lu Chen stepping onto the balcony. He had discarded his suit jacket, his white dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar, revealing a hint of a sharp collarbone. He looked breathtakingly handsome under the moonlight.
“Just thinking about how lucky I am,” Lin Mian whispered, turning back to face the view.
Lu Chen walked up until he was standing right beside Lin Mian, close enough that their shoulders brushed. The familiar, comforting scent of sandalwood and rain wrapped around Lin Mian, instantly calming his anxious thoughts.
“You’ve changed so much in forty-eight hours, Xiao Mian,” Lu Chen murmured, his voice dropping into a low, intimate register. He turned his body, leaning his hip against the railing so he could study Lin Mian’s profile. “Sometimes, when I look at you, I feel like you’re a bird that’s about to fly away. Like you’re hiding a secret from me.”
Lin Mian’s heart skipped a beat. Lu Chen was too sharp. He always had been.
“If I had a secret… would you hate me?” Lin Mian asked softly, turning his head to look into those dark, bottomless eyes.
“Never,” Lu Chen answered instantly, without a shred of hesitation. He reached out, his large, warm hand covering Lin Mian’s cold fingers on the marble railing. He squeezed gently, his thumb caressing the back of Lin Mian’s hand. “I don’t care what secrets you have, or why you suddenly changed. I only care that you are here, safe, and within my reach.”
Lu Chen leaned in a fraction closer, his gaze dropping to Lin Mian’s lips before rising back to his eyes. “In the past, you always ran away from me. But now, you’re looking at me. Tell me, Xiao Mian… am I allowed to hope?”
Lin Mian’s breath hitched. In his past life, he was too blind to see the profound, unwavering love Lu Chen held for him. But now, standing under the stars, feeling the steady, protective warmth of the man who had wept over his dead body, Lin Mian knew he didn’t want to run anymore.
Slowly, deliberately, Lin Mian turned his hand over, intertwining his fingers tightly with Lu Chen’s.
“You don’t have to hope, Lu Chen,” Lin Mian whispered, a radiant, breathtaking smile breaking across his face. “I’m right here. And I’m not going anywhere.”
To be continue
