Don't bring this up again

"Wh... what?"

What he had just heard was so startling that Shen Yi's mind briefly stalled. The composure he had struggled to maintain fell apart completely, leaving him only able to furrow his brows and look up at Yuan Chen.

"I... I don't want to..."

"Shen Yi, dating men isn't a hobby of mine, either."

"But President Yuan, don't you... actually prefer men?"

"Men are simpler. But in terms of appreciation, women are better."

What kind of answer was that?

He wasn't deliberately targeting Shen Yi, merely unsettling him with that careless attitude. Shen Yi shook his head firmly.

Yuan Chen also took a step back. His considerable height had made looking down at others a habit.

"No need to be so resistant. It was just an offhand remark."

"I hope you won't bring this up again."

"Mm." Yuan Chen's voice and expression turned cold together. As though the matter were settled, he casually tossed his tie onto the floor and left the changing room first.

The door slammed shut with a bang, and only then did Shen Yi let out a heavy sigh.

He had been so tense that his palms were already soaked with sweat. Trying to relax, he habitually began putting away the formal clothes Yuan Chen had left behind. Sure enough, he had tossed them everywhere again.

Yuan Chen behaved no differently from usual, and Shen Yi gradually put away the memory of that day. Their busy routine continued, and several weeks passed in the blink of an eye.

"Make a copy of each of these documents for President Yuan, and confirm whether there are any changes to the one o'clock meeting at the research institute this afternoon."

Shen Yi handed several folders to Secretary Li. He moved a little sluggishly as he stood, and the hand braced against his desk trembled slightly.

"Chief, you look even more tired today. Are you still feeling unwell?"

"Mm... not great."

"What kind of cold is this bad? Have you been to the hospital?"

Shen Yi had been feeling unwell for three weeks. He had assumed it was an ordinary cold brought on by the change of seasons, but it had lingered longer than expected.

The persistent low fever and aching muscles drained his energy, while recurring abdominal pain left him dependent on painkillers. He had lost quite a bit of weight, too, and looked pale and listless.

"You should get a thorough examination at a major hospital."

"When would I find the time?"

Keeping up with Yuan Chen's schedule alone exhausted him. Especially now that the company had invested in developing a new drug, the work Shen Yi had to handle had multiplied.

"... Ugh."

Another stabbing pain struck his lower abdomen. Shen Yi held on to the corner of his desk and slowly crouched down. At the sight, Secretary Li pressed her lips together in concern.

"Chief, go get some rest. I'll handle President Yuan and the trip to the research institute."

"I can't do that. It's my job."

"I'll explain things to President Yuan when I deliver the documents... would that be all right? I've been working here for five years. I can manage this much, so please don't worry."

Shen Yi gave her an apologetic smile. Having his colleagues in the secretarial department share his workload because of his health left him both grateful and guilty for failing to fulfill his duties.

Back at his seat, Shen Yi took painkillers and a fever reducer from his drawer, swallowed them, and sighed deeply.

His body was crying out for rest, but as the department chief, he couldn't look visibly ill in the office. He could only prop his face in his hand and lower his head, a reluctant compromise.

About twenty minutes later, Secretary Li entered the office to deliver documents. It was as busy as ever, the overlapping ring of phones, the whir of printers, and the rapid clatter of keyboards weaving together into an atmosphere of tension.

"Assistant Shen."

Yuan Chen suddenly opened his door and stepped out, his voice icy. Hearing the summons, Shen Yi instinctively stood at once. The instant his eyes met President Yuan's, he knew something was wrong.

"Why aren't you ready to leave?"

"President Yuan, well..."

"If your health has deteriorated to the point where you can't perform your duties, you should take sick leave and rest at home."

Yuan Chen's merciless rebuke left Secretary Li looking distressed behind him. She had meant to help, but seemed to have angered President Yuan instead. All she could do was offer Shen Yi an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry. I'll get ready right away."

Shen Yi pushed his chair back and quickly put on his suit jacket.

The exacting Yuan Chen always required Shen Yi to accompany him on important outside engagements. Knowing that and still passing the work to Secretary Li had indeed been an oversight on his part.

As Shen Yi packed his briefcase, Yuan Chen watched him coldly. Always strict with himself, he couldn't understand Shen Yi's current state at all. In his view, managing one's health was part of the job.

He took in Shen Yi's pale face, then turned and strode out of the office. An icy atmosphere settled over the room, and the employees exchanged looks, not daring to speak.

"I'll be heading out. Sorry to leave the rest to all of you."

Shen Yi forced a smile to encourage his subordinates. Business trips were routine, yet his steps felt particularly heavy today. Worrying about how to soothe Yuan Chen's anger, he wiped the cold sweat from his temples and left the office.

Once the medicine wore off, drowsiness washed over him again. Shen Yi squeezed his eyes shut, then struggled to open them.

Not only were his eyelids heavy, but even the backs of his eyes felt hot. His mind was foggy, cold sweat seeped from his forehead, and though his skin burned, chills coursed through his body. His bones ached terribly.

After the two-hour meeting ended, Yuan Chen continued with an inspection of the research institute. The director walked ahead, eagerly explaining things with spit flying as he spoke. With Yuan Chen at the head, the group looked every bit like an emperor and his accompanying courtiers.

Despite feeling unwell all over, Shen Yi didn't dare let it show. He forced himself to stay alert, his gaze fixed on Yuan Chen's tall, straight back ahead.

"We expect to have a preliminary outline next week, and we're planning a demonstration. Would you be able to spare the time to attend, President Yuan?"

"Provided the demonstration is worth my time."

"We'll prepare thoroughly and make the most of this opportunity. We'll be sure to deliver the appropriate results."

"Assistant Shen, check next week's schedule."

Shen Yi immediately took out his tablet. Next week's schedule was already packed, leaving little room for an opening. Right now, he could barely even make out the words on the screen.

"... There's an opening of about an hour on Wednesday morning."

"Would that time work?"

"We'll do everything we can to accommodate your schedule, President Yuan."

"Even if you need more time, make sure you're fully prepared. I dislike halfhearted work."

"Of course. We understand."

Yuan Chen instructed him to clear all of Wednesday morning. The sudden order made Shen Yi's heart tighten. Those were all important engagements, and rearranging them wouldn't be easy. It looked like he would have to rack his brains tonight to rework the schedule again.

Just as he was walking down the steps, his vision suddenly went black.

His heel caught on the edge of a step, and his knees buckled. Slowed by fever, his body couldn't regain its balance in time. The tablet in his hand hit the ground first, the sound of its screen shattering painfully sharp.

Yuan Chen caught Shen Yi before he could fall. He instinctively supported Shen Yi by the waist, though a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

In truth, Shen Yi had lost all his strength by then and didn't even know what had happened. He merely sagged into Yuan Chen's arms, his whole body burning hot.

Once his surprise passed, Yuan Chen sighed silently. He lowered his gaze to the bowed head of the man in his arms, and his eyes abruptly turned cold.

How could someone take so little care of himself? How could illness leave him this weak?

"Where's the lounge?"

"This way. Please follow me!"

Yuan Chen easily scooped his secretary up into his arms. Ignoring every hand that reached out to help, he walked straight ahead.

When Shen Yi regained consciousness, two hours had passed.

He found himself lying flat, his body swaying gently with the movement of a vehicle. Something soft cushioned his head. He struggled to open his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Yuan Chen's sharply defined jaw.

"Ugh!"

Shen Yi made a strange sound, somewhere between a startled cry and a groan, and hurriedly rolled to one side.

Yuan Chen quickly caught him before he could roll off the seat. His scrutinizing gaze was no different from the one he had given the broken tablet. He clicked his tongue softly.

"You really do know how to cause trouble."

"President Yuan, what's going on...?"

"Don't you remember fainting during the inspection?"

He remembered. What confused Shen Yi now was why, after fainting at the research institute, he had ended up here in this position. And this clearly wasn't the institute.

Inside this unfamiliar luxury sedan, a portable IV setup was still connected beneath his cuff. The five-hundred-milliliter IV bag was nearly empty, so a considerable amount of time had clearly passed.

The realization filled him with panic. Shen Yi unsteadily pushed himself upright and settled into his seat, clutching the clothing that had cushioned his head. It was Yuan Chen's expensive suit jacket, now thoroughly creased from having been lain on.

"What about the inspection..."

"Could we have continued under those circumstances?"

"This car..."

Apparently not inclined to answer, Yuan Chen turned away and returned his attention to his tablet. His profile was so cold that it betrayed no emotion.

Only then did Shen Yi deduce that President Yuan had specifically called for this sedan for his sake. Such excessive consideration left him momentarily speechless.

"Once we reach City A, you're done for the day."

"I'm fine now."

"I'm not asking for your opinion. Don't you realize you'll only get in the way of work as you are?"

"..."

"I'll let today slide. Starting tomorrow, pull yourself together."

What was he supposed to say? He didn't know whether to call Yuan Chen considerate or harsh. His actions clearly showed concern, yet the words that left his mouth were always so grating.

Fortunately, Shen Yi was already familiar with Yuan Chen's way of expressing himself and had learned to filter his words automatically.

The lingering fever still left him dizzy. He held his forehead and sighed softly, then carefully removed the IV needle from his arm.

Silence filled the car on the way back to City A. Shen Yi settled into a corner and stared out the window in distress. Why did his body have to let him down like this? Even he was beginning to hate how weak he had become.