AD CH63

“Domestic violence?” Chen Jian looked at Sun Nana, not entirely sure if he could believe it.

Sun Nana’s sorrow felt a bit too exaggerated. Combined with her outfit, makeup, and runway-ready posture, Chen Jian even harbored a fleeting suspicion that if domestic violence were truly involved, Sun Nana might very well be the perpetrator.

But a second later, he froze.

Sun Nana turned her head slightly, sweeping her hair aside. Right next to her left ear was a purplish, bloodied gash. Further down, near the left side of her jaw, sat an ugly bruise.

To be honest, even when Shan Yu had knocked Chen Dahu unconscious with his crutch, he hadn’t left marks this severe.

“Is your ear okay?” Chen Jian asked instinctively.

Sun Nana didn’t say a word, just looking at him.

Crap, did she go deaf in that ear?

Chen Jian looked back at her, slowed his speech, and asked again, “Did your ear get hit? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Sun Nana turned her head away dramatically, pressed a finger to the corner of her eye, took a sharp breath, and exhaled heavily. It was still overly theatrical, like a third-rate actor giving a bad performance.

But watching her “act” this time, Chen Jian’s feelings were entirely different.

“After all these days,” Sun Nana sniffled, turning back to look at him, “you’re the first person to ask if I’m okay.”

“It could also be… that other people just didn’t see your injuries,” Chen Jian offered carefully to comfort her.

“I haven’t run into many people at all,” Sun Nana waved her fingers dismissively in front of her.

“…Oh.” Chen Jian wanted to grab the air and stuff his previous words right back into his mouth.

“My name is Sun Nana, everyone can call me by my English name, Nana. I’m twenty-eight, preparing for a divorce but haven’t managed to get it yet,” Sun Nana said. “Do you need me to introduce any other personal details?”

“No need, just needed a general understanding of the situation,” Chen Jian said. “We also need a photocopy of your ID card for our records.”

Sun Nana stood up, popped open the side pocket of her suitcase, and pulled out a tiny, blindingly shiny clutch made entirely of gold sequins. She retrieved her ID card and handed it to Chen Jian.

“I’ll give this back once I’ve made a copy,” Chen Jian stood up. Walking to the door of the women’s dorm, he pointed inside. “You can settle in first. Right now, only Hu Pan lives here. Zhao-jie stays over sometimes; Zhao-jie is Zhao…”

“Zhao Fangfang, the older sister busy in the kitchen,” Sun Nana dragged her suitcase into the inner room, then turned back sideways. “You can head down first. I’ll come find you for my ID later, no need to make a special trip to bring it up.”

“…Alright,” Chen Jian nodded. Just to be safe, as he prepared to leave, he stopped and added, “Your private matters—I’ll keep them confidential.”

“It’s fine,” Sun Nana leaned casually against the doorframe. “It’s not something shameful anyway.”

“Mm,” Chen Jian nodded, turning and walking out of the dorm.

He stood in the hallway for two seconds before entering the elevator, feeling that he probably didn’t need to pass her off as the boss’s distant cousin anymore. Calling her a “problem from the boss” wouldn’t be much of an exaggeration either.

Boss Shan had to explain himself just for eating a biscuit, while Boss Sun just went ahead and arranged her own accommodation.

“Domestic violence?” Hu Pan lowered her voice, completely shocked, as she copied the ID card. “Who hit her? Her parents? Or her husband… Oh, it’s probably a husband. At twenty-eight, she’s likely married…”

“Even though she said she doesn’t mind people knowing, it’s still a private matter,” Chen Jian whispered. “Let’s just keep this between the two of us. Unless she talks about it herself, let’s not spread it around.”

“Don’t worry, you know me,” Hu Pan flashed an OK sign. “Is it really just the two of us keeping it a secret?”

“Mm,” Chen Jian acknowledged. “Why?”

“Does Boss Shan really have that little presence?” Hu Pan said. “He is the owner of this guesthouse, after all.”

Chen Jian laughed. “Right, him too.”

Everyone had found time to finish eating. There were two takeout boxes left for the boss and the store manager, and tucked inside one of the bags was a bottle of sugar-free cola. The staff were very thoughtful toward the boss.

Taking the takeout, Chen Jian prepared to head upstairs just as Sun Nana came down the stairs. She had swapped her fluffy little coat for a sparkly baseball jacket, looking much sharper, though she was still wearing low heels.

“Your ID.” Chen Jian handed it to her. “Do you want to change your shoes? Aren’t those tiring?”

“I don’t know how to walk in flats,” Sun Nana said, walking briskly toward the restaurant. Flinging her hair back, she turned around. “I always lean backward.”

“Oh my,” Hu Pan smiled from the front desk. “Total runway vibes.”

When Chen Jian brought the food into the office, Shan Yu had changed into a tracksuit. He was sitting behind the desk, legs propped up, head tilted back as he looked at the computer screen on the desk. He was probably still looking at those photos.

“Looking at photos?” Chen Jian placed the food on the coffee table and walked over.

“Mm,” Shan Yu nodded, moving his left arm from the armrest. “Want to see?”

“Yeah.” Chen Jian hesitated for half a second before sitting on the armrest, keeping one foot on the floor and half-leaning against the back of the chair.

Shan Yu reached his arm around him, resting his hand on Chen Jian’s waist.

Chen Jian looked down at it.

“Hm?” Shan Yu slipped his fingertips under the hem of Chen Jian’s hoodie, lightly tapping against his stomach.

“Nothing.” Chen Jian looked back up at the computer screen.

On the screen was a photo of the old village surrounded by silver woods under the moonlight, dotted with warm lights. It looked like a village straight out of a fairy tale.

“Let’s look at Dayin’s cast of demons.” Shan Yu skipped ahead a few photos.

Flames leaping from an iron drum, people dancing around the fire—everyone was bathed in the warm, bright glow of the firelight, looking joyful and passionate.

Everyone was smiling so radiantly. So radiantly that Chen Jian could only recognize Zhao Fangfang by her face, relying on hairstyles to identify Hu Pan and Sanbing…

“How did they manage to make faces like that?” he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Who knows,” Shan Yu’s fingertips traced lightly across his stomach, moving to the next photo. “This one isn’t bad. We can use it.”

This photo captured the moment just before everyone burst out laughing—a state of anticipation. In the background, Chen Jian and Shan Yu could be seen sitting together on the long bench.

“Mm,” Chen Jian acknowledged.

He wanted to look at the photos, but right now, his attention couldn’t stay on the screen.

It was entirely, entirely focused on his stomach.

On Shan Yu’s hand.

“This one works too,” Shan Yu clicked to the next one. “For the ones with really exaggerated expressions and movements, we can print them out to make a photo wall, and replace those pretentious paintings Qian Yu hung up in the restaurant.”

“Mm,” Chen Jian nodded.

“There’s another batch of photos from the bonfire festival,” Shan Yu’s fingertips traced from Chen Jian’s stomach to the side of his waist, then slowly across from the left side to the right. “We’ll sift through them then and see how many we can scrape together.”

“Mm.” Chen Jian realized he hadn’t heard a single word Shan Yu just said.

This was the first time he had ever been this distracted while the boss was assigning work.

“What is it?” Shan Yu’s hand stopped moving.

“You tell me?” Chen Jian turned his head to look at him.

Shan Yu didn’t speak. He just leaned back in the chair, looking back at him. After a few seconds, a faint, subtle smile suddenly curved his lips.

Chen Jian paused, then grabbed Shan Yu’s hand. As he turned his body, he brought one knee onto the chair, leaned over the backrest, and kissed him.

The kiss carried a trace of frustration from being deliberately provoked. It landed heavily, like an attack.

Shan Yu seemed to have been waiting for it, rising to meet him almost instantly. As Chen Jian turned, Shan Yu’s hand slid from his waist to his back, his warm palm feeling as if it carried an electric current.

The chair tipped backward, pushed to its maximum tilt without the adjustment lever being pulled.

A series of creaks and groans echoed from beneath the backrest, aligning with their heartbeats in a bizarre, rhythmic harmony, like the prelude to some surging background track.

The scar on Shan Yu’s waist brushed against Chen Jian’s palm, the distinct texture feeling as though it grazed directly against a nerve.

Then, breathing rushed past his ears like a gale, instantly drowning out the background music in his head.

Every sensation hit him like a storm. What he heard, what he saw, what he touched—all of it was a tempest, so dense it left him gasping for air…

…

By the time the storm gradually subsided, Chen Jian’s breathing slowly found its normal rhythm. He took a deep, forceful breath, finally expelling the oxygen-starved chaos from his body along with the exhale.

The leg he had kept kneeling on the chair was completely numb. Half of his body weight rested on Shan Yu, but he still didn’t want to move.

“Your hand,” he turned his head slightly. His voice was a bit hoarse, forcing him to clear his throat before tracing his hand down Shan Yu’s right arm to find his hand. “Did I crush it?”

“No.” Shan Yu’s voice was right by his ear, carrying a faint pant.

Chen Jian braced himself against the back of the chair, trying to get up first.

“Don’t move,” Shan Yu said.

“Huh?” Chen Jian froze.

“The chair is about to flip,” Shan Yu glanced upward.

Chen Jian followed his gaze and realized that not only had the backrest been forced into its maximum tilt, but the entire chair had tipped backward. The only thing stopping it from falling completely was one corner of the backrest caught on a cabinet door behind them.

“Holy shit, the cabinet door is dented,” Chen Jian muttered, quickly reaching out to grab the drawer handle above the cabinet to prevent them both from crashing to the floor when he tried to get up.

“The cost of replacing the cabinet door will be deducted from your salary,” Shan Yu said.

Chen Jian shot him a look, not bothering to reply. He gingerly lowered his numb leg first, grimacing for a few seconds until feeling returned, before finally straightening up and pulling the chair—and Shan Yu with it—back upright.

“This chair is probably busted too.” Shan Yu stood up and tugged at the waistband of his pants.

Chen Jian lowered his eyes and glanced.

“Still want to look?” Shan Yu asked.

“I really…” Chen Jian sighed in helplessness.

Shan Yu chuckled, kissed the corner of his mouth, and turned into the bathroom. “I’ll go first.”

“Then I’ll head back to the dorm…” Chen Jian looked toward the office door, unsure if anyone was in the dorm right now.

Probably not. Everyone is busy.

Everyone is busy, while the store manager and the boss aren’t doing any actual work…

“Doing what?” Shan Yu popped back out, looking at him. “Suddenly feeling so generous?”

“I’m going to change my pants,” Chen Jian said.

“Wear mine,” Shan Yu said.

“Isn’t that even more generous?” Chen Jian countered.

Shan Yu laughed. “Change into the new ones. They’re on the sofa.”

“Mm,” Chen Jian’s brain was still buzzing, incapable of further thought. He nodded.

When Shan Yu emerged from the bathroom, he had changed his clothes.

Chen Jian was still leaning against the desk in a daze.

“You okay?” Shan Yu walked over and touched his face.

“I’m fine,” Chen Jian grabbed his hand and pressed it to his own lips. “Just a bit… maybe overly excited. Haven’t quite recovered yet.”

Shan Yu wrapped his arms around him.

Chen Jian quickly hugged him back tightly, burying his face in Shan Yu’s neck and closing his eyes.

It was still that faint scent of seawater, fresh and tranquil.

After holding him for an unknown amount of time, Chen Jian finally felt like he had truly recovered. He opened his eyes and asked softly, “Are you wearing some kind of cologne?”

“Both the body wash and the cologne smell like this,” Shan Yu said.

“It smells good,” Chen Jian said. “That night I jumped the wall and ran into you, you smelled exactly like this.”

“I’ll give you a set,” Shan Yu said.

“If I use it, it probably won’t smell the same,” Chen Jian pressed against his neck and took a deep breath. “This scent has your smell mixed in too.”

“Cut off a piece of my meat and pair it with it,” Shan Yu offered.

“Are you insane,” Chen Jian laughed.

Shan Yu’s bathroom was filled with this scent. It was very comforting and relaxing.

After cleaning up, Chen Jian changed into the new pants Shan Yu had bought—a pair of cargo pants. They fit quite well; they were probably the same size.

When he walked out of the bathroom, Shan Yu was already sitting by the coffee table, having opened the takeout boxes.

The moment the smell of food hit him, Chen Jian heard his stomach growl.

“I’m hungry,” Chen Jian walked over and sat down.

“After eating, let’s head to the barbecue grounds,” Shan Yu pushed his portion toward him and picked up his children’s chopsticks. “See how things are going.”

“Meeting. Fire safety meeting,” Chen Jian said. “I already gave instructions to the folks at the barbecue grounds. They’ll call you if anything comes up.”

“Oh, the fire safety meeting. Teacher Chen Erhu’s class,” Shan Yu nodded. After two seconds, he turned to look at him. “Call me if anything comes up?”

“I gave the instructions at noon. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to answer my phone while practicing driving,” Chen Jian explained.

“Hurry up and tell them to call yours,” Shan Yu said.

“Even Nana acts more like a boss than you do,” Chen Jian smiled.

“Calling her so affectionately already?” Shan Yu clicked his tongue.

“Sun Nana, English name Nana,” Chen Jian clarified.

“How… trendy,” Shan Yu said.

“Mm,” Chen Jian nodded. “I asked her about it. She said she ran away after suffering domestic violence. Let’s let her work for now and see how things go.”

“This inn…” Shan Yu took a bite of food, chewing slowly.

“Break the rule just this once,” Chen Jian was too impatient to wait. “What about this inn?”

Shan Yu swallowed. “It’s cursed.”

Chen Jian laughed, stared at Shan Yu for a moment, then leaned over and kissed his cheek.

“You got oil all over my face,” Shan Yu’s lips quirked up.

Chen Jian smiled without speaking and went back to eating.

Teacher Chen Erhu was highly displeased that the store manager and the boss were eating too slowly, making him wait for ages and delaying his class schedule. He yelled directly through the walkie-talkie: “Chen Jian! Didn’t we say there was a fire safety training tonight?!”

“Be right there,” Chen Jian grabbed the walkie-talkie and replied.

“Did you notify Shan Yu?” Chen Erhu asked. Before Chen Jian could reply, he probably realized it was a walkie-talkie and not a phone call, so he corrected himself: “Did you notify Boss Shan?!”

Shan Yu grabbed the walkie-talkie: “Notified. Be right there.”

The other side went silent.

Chen Jian cleared the takeout boxes from the table. “I’ll head down first.”

“Mm.” Shan Yu leaned back on the sofa and stretched.

“Your face,” Chen Jian reminded him before walking out, “wipe it.”

“Mm,” Shan Yu smiled and nodded.

The guests eating in the restaurant had all left, and virtually no one was checking in at this hour. The first floor had temporarily returned to its usual tranquility.

Everyone followed Teacher Chen Erhu into the same conference room where they had previously held the mixer with the Happy Beans.

“Is everyone here?” Chen Erhu held a notebook. “Sit wherever.”

“Everyone’s here.” Sanbing remained fully supportive of his old boss.

Seeing that everyone outside was gone, Mushroom followed them into the conference room and lay down by Chen Jian’s feet.

Sitting next to him, Shan Yu stretched out a leg and used his toe to tease Mushroom.

“Be serious,” Chen Erhu looked at Shan Yu.

“Whoa,” Shan Yu voiced a quiet exclamation of surprise and pulled his leg back.

Chen Jian turned his head away, stifling a laugh.

“Before this, this training, this fire safety training begins,” Chen Erhu sat up perfectly straight, “let me first say a few words off-topic.”

This made Chen Jian quite curious. Chen Erhu could barely get on-topic words right; now he wanted to go off-topic?

“I want to thank everyone at Dayin, and the store manager and the boss for trusting me,” Chen Erhu’s speech suddenly became incredibly fluent the moment he veered off-topic, “for letting me do something like this…”

Shan Yu raised a hand and clapped twice.

“Boss Shan, I’m not finished,” Chen Erhu said.

Chen Jian pushed Shan Yu’s hands down.

“Even though I don’t have much education, and… have never worked a proper job before,” Chen Erhu said, “you all still gave me a chance. Thank you very much.”

“We’re all the same,” Hu Pan said.

“Mm,” Chen Erhu nodded. “So to me, Dayin is my second home! For this home, fire safety is extremely important. In order to improve family members’ prevention, fire awareness, fire prevention awareness, and, emergency handling abilities…”

For some reason, Chen Erhu’s stiff expression of gratitude, followed by his even stiffer transition to the main topic, filled Chen Jian with an inexplicable sense of being moved. He glanced at Shan Yu.

Shan Yu was watching Chen Erhu very seriously.

Chen Jian thought back to the words Shan Yu had said to him once before.

If I give these people a hand, I hope they can give me a hand too.

Support me on Ko-fi