I want to provide for you

Two minutes later, Shen Lian stood in the entryway, changing his shoes as naturally as could be.

Chu Yilan stood beside him, holding the roses stiffly.

At last, Chu Yilan asked, "Where did you go?"

"Work," Shen Lian answered. "My fever knocked me out yesterday, so I missed a commercial shoot. My manager called today and practically tore me a new one."

Chu Yilan snorted. "That desperate to make money?"

He hadn't had Shen Lian blacklisted yet. There was no need to start saving up for breach-of-contract penalties.

"I'm not making any." Shen Lian sighed. "I'm basically working for free."

Seeing Chu Yilan's brow furrow slightly, Shen Lian explained, "My contract with Xingtu is ending soon, right? They're squeezing me dry. They pile work on me, but the pay is pathetic. After buying you flowers today, I had eight hundred and eighty left in my bank account."

Once he'd said it, Shen Lian realized that didn't sound quite right. What dignity did a man have if he couldn't make money?

So he hastily added, "But don't worry. I know the entertainment industry. There'll definitely be opportunities. Next time, I'll buy you an even bigger bouquet of roses."

As Chu Yilan listened, something struck him square in the heart without warning.

No one had ever said anything like this to him.

"Is there any food?" Shen Lian asked. "I'm starving."

Chu Yilan called for Aunt Fen.

The stew Aunt Fen had made smelled incredible. Once they'd eaten their fill, she went to clean up the kitchen, leaving Shen Lian to discuss something with Chu Yilan.

"So, Master Chu, since you've brought me home, how about letting me stay here for a while?"

Chu Yilan lifted his gaze. "What is that thick skin of yours made of?"

Shen Lian chuckled. "Mostly, I have nowhere else to go. I can pay rent."

Chu Yilan said, "With what? This bouquet of roses? Or your eight hundred and eighty?"

"Come on, Master Chu. Trust me," Shen Lian said. "Three months, tops, and I'll make a big chunk of money."

Chu Yilan took it as nothing but hot air.

His gaze then fell on the roses beside him. He'd rarely received flowers in his life, and he didn't even like them. Yet this time, Shen Lian seemed to have filled a small gap in his heart.

Chu Yilan repaid every slight, but he never forgot even the smallest kindness, either.

Fine. Let him loose, and he'd only starve to death anyway.

"You like them that much?" Shen Lian's eyes lit up. "Then I'll give you flowers every day from now on."

Chu Yilan's expression turned cold. "Another word, and you can get out."

Shen Lian's smile only deepened. This so-called villain was actually very easy to please, and he found that utterly adorable.

Flowers it is! Someday, I'll give him a whole sea of them! A huge one!

That night, just before bed, Shen Lian received a call from his manager.

Seeing Qian Gao's name, he smiled, unsurprised.

Those three hours today hadn't been wasted.

Qian Gao had expected Zhao Ban to tear Shen Lian to shreds. As if standing them up for a whole day weren't enough, he wasn't even any good.

To his utter surprise, the advertiser called that evening and raved about the finished footage, praising Shen Lian's looks and presence on camera as well.

One business partner had even discreetly asked about him, apparently interested in having dinner with him.

This forced Qian Gao to reassess Shen Lian's worth.

Qian Gao currently had two variety shows in hand, both with mediocre ratings. He urgently needed either a highly controversial talking point or someone to throw to the wolves.

Remembering the online hate Shen Lian had faced recently, and knowing the buzz hadn't died down yet, Qian Gao came up with a plan.

Qian Gao arranged a meeting for the next day, and Shen Lian gladly agreed.

Shen Lian's bedroom was right next to Chu Yilan's. Aunt Fen stayed on the first floor and rarely came upstairs.

Before his shower, Shen Lian felt a little dizzy. He paused for a few seconds, then thought nothing more of it.

But once the hot water hit him, he sensed something was wrong while applying body wash. His ears rang and buzzed. Suddenly remembering that the body's original owner had a heart condition, Shen Lian trembled with fright, pulled on his shorts, and rushed out.

Unfortunately, mistakes happened. He'd overestimated this body.

Shen Lian managed to trip over absolutely nothing right at the bathroom entrance. His ankle struck the sliding door, and he immediately hissed in pain.

Several seconds passed before Shen Lian heard someone knocking.

He'd only left the door ajar when he came in, since he'd planned to go back out for some water.

A moment later, the person outside ran out of patience and pushed the door open.

Chu Yilan had just left his study and happened to be passing by.

Shen Lian wore a white T-shirt and loose shorts. Chu Yilan's eyes darkened the instant he saw him, because those were his clothes.

There hadn't been much choice. Shen Lian hadn't had time to bring his luggage over yet. Before bed, he'd mentioned it to Aunt Fen, who immediately fetched a few things Chu Yilan had long stopped wearing from a small room.

"Yilan stopped wearing these childish clothes after taking over the company. They're still in pretty good condition. You don't mind, do you?"

Of course Shen Lian didn't mind.

Now he sat on the floor, his fair ankle swollen, blood seeping through the scraped skin.

Chu Yilan badly wanted to ask, "Are you an idiot?"

But when he saw how pale Shen Lian's lips had become, he held back.

Frowning, Chu Yilan stepped forward and helped him up. "How did you fall?"

"Low blood sugar, maybe." Shen Lian wasn't sure either, but mentioning a heart condition would sound far too alarming. He'd find time to get checked at a hospital.

Chu Yilan wasn't satisfied with that answer. "It's your own body. You don't even know?"

"I've just been too busy lately," Shen Lian said with a smile.

Chu Yilan replied, "Then you can stop working."

Shen Lian couldn't help stopping in his tracks and turning to look at him.

That sounded interesting.

Not understanding why, Chu Yilan raised an eyebrow.

Someone with too much of an aggressive edge inspired wariness no matter how striking he looked, and Chu Yilan was a prime example. His features were always sharp and cold, but Shen Lian wasn't afraid.

"Don't look at me like that," Shen Lian said softly.

Chu Yilan's hand suddenly went cold. The scar on his face...

"I'm a total lech. You're so handsome I honestly can't control myself."

Chu Yilan said, "..."

He badly wanted to find some tape and seal Shen Lian's mouth shut.

Who taught him all this? He's got a line for everything.

Chu Yilan brought over the first-aid kit. Shen Lian didn't dare actually let him tend to him and quickly said he'd do it himself.

Standing beside him, Chu Yilan suddenly forgot what he'd been about to say.

Under the bright light, he saw the porcelain-white skin of Shen Lian's ankle. The oversized T-shirt and shorts made the young man's waist look even slimmer.

Shen Lian dabbed on some iodine antiseptic, frowning slightly when it hurt, but never making a sound.

Once Shen Lian had packed up the first-aid kit, Chu Yilan said in a low voice, "If work is too exhausting, you can stop."

Shen Lian looked up and found a hint of seriousness in Chu Yilan's expression.

This time, the meaning was unmistakable.

Chu Yilan could support Shen Lian, but his reasons for doing so were open to interpretation.

A test? Revenge? Either seemed plausible.

Shen Lian also knew Chu Yilan wouldn't reconcile with him so easily. If he agreed, he would become a little bird Chu Yilan kept at home. At the very least, that was how everyone else would see him.

If Chu Yilan wanted to be crueler still, he could wait until Shen Lian fell in love with him, then cast him aside-a blow straight to the heart.

Yet beneath all that, Shen Lian could still sense the faintest trace of compromise.

His heart suddenly ached for him.

Chu Yilan hated warmth, yet couldn't help yearning for it.

Because of a single declaration of affection that disregarded the scar on his face, and because of that bouquet of roses, Chu Yilan was willing to give Shen Lian a chance.

Even if that chance came only once, even if one wrong step would awaken a beast and plunge him into ruin, Shen Lian's heart still ached for him.

"No." Shen Lian's face glowed with a warm smile. "Master Chu, work isn't exhausting. I want to make money. I want to provide for you."

Chu Yilan said, "..." I shouldn't have bothered asking.