Late at night, the sky outside the window was pitch black, with neon lights and scattered residential lights resembling stars in the dark night. Checking the time, it was already past eleven in the evening.
Chu Yan, sitting in the chair at the general manager’s desk, took off his glasses, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He then picked up the water cup beside him and downed it in one go. The cold water instantly filled his stomach, bringing a slight sting that made its presence known. Rubbing his stomach, Chu Yan poured himself a cup of hot water, took out some stomach medicine from the drawer, and swallowed it with the warm water.
With a sigh, he organized the various tools and documents on his desk, his expression relaxing slightly. Today’s work was finally done.
Recently, the headquarters had been arranging a major project in collaboration with the government. Their branch company, due to Chu Yan’s exceptional abilities and a series of special factors like geographical location, had secured a significant role in the project. As a branch of the headquarters, they had to ensure their work was flawless to avoid losing face. Naturally, as the general manager, Chu Yan had been even busier than usual.
And just like that, before he knew it, it was already this late.
Originally, he hadn’t planned to stay so late today. But just before leaving work, a brilliant idea had struck him. Being somewhat of a perfectionist, Chu Yan feared that if he waited until he got home, the idea might vanish. So, he had no choice but to work overtime, throwing himself entirely into the task. By the time he snapped out of it, he hadn’t eaten dinner, and his stomach was on the verge of acting up.
Rubbing his forehead, he splashed cold water on his face to perk himself up slightly. After tidying the office, he picked up his briefcase and left the company building.
Chu Yan, now twenty-eight, had lost his parents in an accident years ago. However, they had left behind a considerable inheritance, and since he was already an adult, he could manage his life just fine. A top graduate from a prestigious university with a degree in a highly competitive field, he had joined a multinational corporation’s headquarters after graduation. Thanks to his outstanding abilities, he had been groomed for leadership and was transferred to this branch company two years ago for further development. Through his own efforts, he had secured the position of general manager.
If he performed exceptionally well, a promotion and transfer back to the headquarters with a raise were just around the corner.
As the golden bachelor in many people’s eyes—handsome, talented, wealthy, and capable—Chu Yan had remained single to this day. He was somewhat of a clean freak, aloof and hard to approach, a true workaholic and ascetic. Some in the company even speculated privately about who would eventually manage to pluck this unattainable flower and win his heart.
As for the gossip below, Chu Yan wasn’t completely unaware. But when it came to relationships… Glancing at his reflection in the rearview mirror, he sighed.
In terms of looks, Chu Yan could easily rival the popular young idols of the day. In fact, his mature and refined demeanor gave him an edge over them. However, his usual glasses and strong aura often made people overlook just how attractive he was. Despite being nearly thirty, he still looked like a fresh-faced college student.
This led Chu Yan to dress in a more serious, old-fashioned manner to appear older and more authoritative. While others tried to look younger, he did the opposite.
With such outstanding qualities, the reason Chu Yan remained single was simply that he hadn’t met someone who truly resonated with him, someone who could make his heart flutter. Since no one had captured his heart, he couldn’t just indulge casually. His current status was inseparable from the high standards he had always held for himself.
Chu Yan had always believed in quality over quantity, especially when it came to finding a lifelong partner. Naturally, he had to be cautious. The result? He was still single.
Sighing, Chu Yan admitted to himself—he wanted a handsome guy too.
Yes, that’s right. Compared to beautiful women, he definitely leaned more toward men.
Starting the car, Chu Yan drove slowly toward home. But who would’ve thought that an unexpected incident would occur halfway? Just as he was driving normally, he suddenly slammed on the brakes, startled by a figure darting in front of his car.
The person had appeared out of nowhere. If Chu Yan hadn’t been driving slowly, he might have actually hit them. His forehead twitched as he barely managed to control his expression. Were people these days really so careless about their own and others’ safety?
Just as Chu Yan thought the matter was over, the figure suddenly appeared outside his passenger window and knocked on the glass.
Resigned, Chu Yan turned to look and saw a young man—or perhaps a boy?—with flushed cheeks and a sunny, handsome face. The person outside looked barely in his early twenties, definitely younger than Chu Yan.
Staring at a face that perfectly matched his aesthetic preferences, Chu Yan slowly rolled down the window, intending to hear what the stranger had to say. But as soon as the window opened, a strong smell of alcohol hit him.
Chu Yan: “…”
Meeting the slightly dazed gaze of the stranger and glancing at the nearby bar, Chu Yan was speechless. Alright, he understood—this was a drunkard. No wonder he had recklessly dashed in front of the car earlier. Wasn’t there anyone sober around to keep an eye on him?
The stranger grinned foolishly at Chu Yan. “Pretty~ Smile for me~”
Rubbing his temples, Chu Yan decided not to argue with a drunk kid younger than himself. He planned to either send him away or hand him over to someone he knew before heading home. After a long day, he was exhausted and just wanted to sleep.
However, Chu Yan had underestimated the drunkard’s persistence and sheer willpower.
Half an hour later, utterly drained by the drunkard’s antics, Chu Yan yawned. He had work tomorrow and just wanted to go home, wash up, and sleep—not babysit a drunk guy in the middle of the night!
Finally, faced with the drunkard’s unfocused, confused eyes, Chu Yan surrendered. He pulled the man into the backseat and decided to take him home. It wasn’t like he didn’t have a guest room, and as a grown man, he wasn’t afraid of a drunkard. Letting him stay one night shouldn’t be a big deal.
For some inexplicable reason, Chu Yan felt a strange ripple in his heart toward this sudden drunkard, leading him to make such an irrational decision.
Later, he could only repeatedly tell himself: *I was just too tired, my mind wasn’t clear, that’s why I brought a random drunk guy home. Absolutely, definitely, 100% not because I’ve been single for too long and saw a guy who perfectly fits my type, making my heart race uncontrollably! Definitely not!*
Too drowsy (and distracted by the man’s looks) to think straight, Chu Yan didn’t notice the calculating glint in the eyes of the supposedly blackout-drunk man as he watched Chu Yan’s back from the rear seat.
Drunk? The man sneered inwardly. *What a joke. That little bit of alcohol couldn’t possibly make me drunk.* He hadn’t even drunk much—the strong smell of alcohol on him was just from his clothes being splashed by his rowdy friends earlier. The alcohol had dried, but the scent lingered, making him reek of booze.
After the car drove off, a few heads popped out from the bar, watching the departing vehicle in bewilderment.
“What just happened? Did the boss just randomly get into some stranger’s car?”
“The boss is drunk? Yeah, right! We barely drank anything, and he had even less than us. Since when does our ‘thousand-cups-and-still-standing’ boss get drunk so easily?”
“What’s the boss up to now? He suddenly ran off—scared the hell out of me!”
“Seriously, what’s his game this time?”
Completely unaware of the heated discussion behind him, Chu Yan drove the man home—a textbook case of inviting a wolf into his house. He even mused inwardly that the drunkard was surprisingly well-behaved, not vomiting, causing trouble, or making a scene. If he stayed this calm, taking care of him for a bit wouldn’t be so bad.
……
Not long after, Chu Yan realized just how wrong he had been.
*Where was this drunk brat well-behaved?! WHERE?!*
Staring at the man clinging to his waist like a limpet, reeking of alcohol, Chu Yan’s expression darkened as his inner germaphobe screamed in protest.
Just as he was about to lose his temper, he looked down and met the man’s hazy, unfocused eyes. The man’s face—somewhere between mature handsomeness and youthful sunshine, with a mix of innocence and experience—paired with those mesmerizing peach-blossom eyes made Chu Yan’s heart race uncontrollably.
Finally, Chu Yan sighed in defeat. “Fine, you win.”
In the end, Chu Yan dutifully dragged the man to the bathroom, bathed him, and dressed him in clean pajamas. Since he didn’t have spare sleepwear, he had to lend the man an old set of his own—one he had worn only once before realizing it was too big and storing it away.
The pajamas, bought online, had been slightly oversized for Chu Yan, so he had only worn them once before packing them away, thinking he might grow into them later. Now, they’d found unexpected use.
The man looked young but was definitely lean and muscular—taller than Chu Yan by almost a head, with a more solid build. His chest and abs were well-defined, making Chu Yan’s nose threaten to bleed. The pajamas, slightly too big for Chu Yan, were a bit snug on the man, perfectly outlining his toned physique—far more impressive than Chu Yan’s office-worker frame.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage