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Yuan Chen's leave for his Heat Period was arranged in secret. Officially, he was traveling overseas on business, accompanied only by his executive assistant.

Shen Yi had been run off his feet these past few days. He had to monitor Yuan Chen's condition, rearrange his impossibly packed schedule, and secretly handle the preparations for his Heat Period leave without letting anyone else find out. Twenty-four hours a day simply weren't enough!

Only after boarding the plane could he finally catch his breath.

As he took off his jacket, the corners of Shen Yi's mouth lifted involuntarily. He had often traveled abroad with President Yuan on business before, but today felt different. Perhaps "elated" was the word for it.

"President Yuan, it's time for your medication."

Before takeoff, he handed Yuan Chen the pill.

The flight would take at least thirteen hours, so a suppressant was essential, just in case.

Still handling work on the plane, Yuan Chen glanced at him and obediently accepted the pill. He didn't even use water, simply chewing up the bitter tablet and swallowing it.

Taking Yuan Chen's physical condition into account, Professor Hu had prescribed only the lowest dosage of suppressants, and this was already the last pill.

The bitter taste seemed to linger. Yuan Chen's brow remained furrowed as he turned toward him.

"You've been smiling this whole time. You seem to be in a good mood?"

"Not at all. I've never been very good at controlling my expressions. Didn't you know that, President Yuan?"

He tried to make the question sound casual, but all he got in return was a feral look.

Even so, an invisible, insurmountable barrier seemed to stand between Yuan Chen and him.

Shen Yi didn't mind. He stretched out a little. The first-class seat was as spacious as a bed, with room to spare even when he straightened his legs. It was wonderfully comfortable. A flight attendant happened to pass, and he ordered a glass of chilled champagne.

How could he not be excited? Such a perfect vacation lay just ahead.

Vacation!!!

That's right! Yuan Chen's Heat Period was Shen Yi's vacation too!

His workaholic boss, President Yuan, was ruthless enough to try to suppress even his Heat Period with medication. As his secretary, Shen Yi had barely ever had a proper rest either. His first extended vacation in six years was nothing short of sweet compensation.

He probably won't call for me during his Heat Period, right? It's fine. That sort of thing absolutely cannot happen.

He had made every possible preparation, which left him especially confident. Shen Yi sipped his champagne, the corners of his mouth lifting unconsciously.

For some reason, he had a feeling this would be a perfect week.

It had been a long time since he'd last visited Boston. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't cooperating. Fierce winds swept snowflakes along, and by the time they reached the hotel, it had turned into a blizzard.

Fortunately, everything had been arranged within the hotel. Looking at the romantic snowy scene outside the windows, Shen Yi quickened his pace.

The room President Yuan had booked was the hotel's top-tier residential suite. Its defining feature was a bedroom comparable in size to an ordinary small apartment. Designed for extended stays, it also had a fully equipped kitchen, a study, and a spacious conference room, making it a perfect living space.

Shen Yi looked carefully around the room, checking every detail. As expected of a top-tier hotel with an eye-watering price tag, it was virtually flawless.

Although the suite had five rooms, Shen Yi wouldn't be staying here. Perhaps Yuan Chen would make full use of the others. After all, spending entire days entangled together was normal once his rut began.

Honestly, he wasn't curious about that part at all. As always, Shen Yi knew his place and focused only on matters within his duties.

Once his preliminary inspection was complete, he returned to the living room with a tablet and a small bag. Yuan Chen was already seated there, his arms crossed over his chest in a posture that conveyed clear displeasure.

"President Yuan, won't you have something to eat?"

"No appetite."

He had eaten on the plane and drunk quite a lot of high-proof whiskey.

Won't that be bad for his health... Shen Yi's concern flashed through his mind before he looked away. He understood his boss's current irritation perfectly. Knowing he was about to have sex with someone he didn't like would probably make anyone unhappy.

Shen Yi sat on the sofa opposite him and continued his report.

"Your changes of clothes are all in the dressing room. Room service will deliver three meals a day to your door on schedule. If you don't eat them, the staff will collect them on their own. There's also plenty of bottled water and towels."

"I've instructed housekeeping to clean only at your request. No one will disturb you without contacting you first, so please rest assured."

Shen Yi checked the notes on his tablet one by one. When he looked up, he met Yuan Chen's unwavering gaze as the man leaned to one side.

Those deep eyes seemed capable of drawing him in, leaving him momentarily speechless. After a pause, he finally managed to move his somewhat stiff tongue.

"Is there anything you'd like me to change?"

"No."

Yuan Chen toyed with the glass in his hand. The angular ice cubes struck its sides with crisp clinks. His gaze never left Shen Yi as he raised the glass to his lips.

"I just think your work really is impeccable."

With that, he took a sip of whiskey. Watching his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, Shen Yi unconsciously swallowed too. What's going on? Being praised by him only made him more uneasy.

He coughed softly, trying to break the awkward atmosphere, then opened the small bag he had brought. Several injectors lay neatly arranged inside. The one on the far left, marked with a red label, was the Heat Period stimulant.

The automatic injector resembled a thick marker. At the press of a button, its needle would spring out and inject the medication. Shen Yi handed it to Yuan Chen, who put down his glass and deftly administered the injection himself.

Shen Yi waited quietly beside him. He estimated that Yuan Chen would be fully in his Heat Period in another three or four hours. Perhaps because this was his first time dealing with this period since becoming Yuan Chen's executive assistant, he couldn't help feeling a little nervous.

Yuan Chen tossed the used injector into the trash. Seeing that his casually rolled-up shirt sleeves were a little untidy, Shen Yi stepped forward and carefully straightened them for him.

"Your Heat Period partner is expected to arrive in two hours. Would you like to see his photo first?"

"I thought I said I didn't care about that."

His answer was barbed and distinctly irritable. Shen Yi silently pressed his lips together.

But... this is someone he's about to be intimate with. Is he really not interested at all? Does it truly not matter?

Yuan Chen had given him full authority over every arrangement for this Heat Period, including finding a partner.

He had made only two requests:

The partner had to be a Beta.

The partner had to be male.

It wasn't that he had a particular preference for men. He had simply chosen the safest route to eliminate even the remotest possibility of conception.

Even so, the choice of partner couldn't be taken lightly. Shen Yi knew his boss had exceptionally high aesthetic standards, so he had put considerable effort into choosing a partner. If he foisted an awful Beta on him, he would inevitably bear the brunt of his anger in all sorts of ways afterward.

Shen Yi straightened his back. After putting the bag containing the remaining injectors on the shelf beneath the coffee table, he checked Yuan Chen's condition one last time.

That expressionless face belonged to the President Yuan he knew. There was still some time before his Heat Period officially began. Shen Yi took a deep breath.

"President Yuan, I'll take my leave now."

"Shen Yi."

"What is it?"

"You're staying downstairs, right?" he asked, his tone even more languid than before.

"Yes."

"It's been a long time since you've had a vacation this long, hasn't it?"

"Yes... things really have been busy lately," he murmured, almost to himself.

Somehow, Shen Yi felt as though Yuan Chen had seen straight through his inner delight, and he quickly composed his expression.

"I haven't made any particular plans to relax. I'll be on standby at all times. If you need anything, please contact me anytime."

He scoffed, clearly well aware that these were merely polite words. Just as Assistant Shen understood Yuan Chen exceedingly well, Yuan Chen understood Shen Yi equally well.

He turned his gaze elsewhere and continued drinking.

"Enjoy your vacation. I hope I won't have to contact you."

"Please get some good rest."

Doing his best not to provoke his unpredictable boss, Shen Yi slipped silently out of the suite. The moment the door closed, he let out a long breath.

Now all that remained was to wait for the Heat Period partner to arrive. Shen Yi checked his watch and, without pausing for a moment, headed straight for the lobby floor.