Don't Take Matters into Your Own Hands Again

Several employees in the corridor craned their necks, desperate to catch a glimpse of what was happening behind the closed door. They exchanged knowing looks and whispered among themselves, their conversation rife with speculation.

Then Yuan Chen swept his slightly weary but piercing gaze over them. The atmosphere instantly turned icy, and the employees scattered as though they had been burned. The already deserted corridor grew even quieter.

Lawyer Hao offered him a bottle of mineral water at just the right moment. He had handled countless lawsuits and arbitration cases, but this was his first encounter with such a fierce conflict within a company. For the moment, he had no idea how to handle the thorny situation before him.

"I heard Secretary Shen fainted just now. Does he need to go to the hospital?"

"No. He's already regained consciousness."

"Then, regarding the lawsuit, should we..."

"Now isn't the time to discuss that," Yuan Chen cut him off firmly. "We'll revisit it later."

"Understood."

Lawyer Hao immediately fell silent and took the bottle Yuan Chen had finished drinking from. He had a rough understanding of the situation and knew it was best not to say anything more.

Yuan Chen rubbed the sore back of his neck. Even he looked worn out after such an intense confrontation. Although he rarely showed it in front of others, the exhaustion on his face was now difficult to conceal completely.

"Let's call it a day."

"Security has secured the elevators and the parking lot. You can leave whenever you're ready."

Before leaving, Yuan Chen returned to the empty conference room, grabbed Shen Yi's arm as he leaned against the wall catching his breath, and forced him to his feet.

Shen Yi's legs were still weak, and his body lurched forward uncontrollably.

"Do you need me to carry you on my back?"

Yuan Chen's voice held an unyielding chill. Shen Yi only lowered his head, too exhausted even to answer. His listless state made Yuan Chen's brow furrow even more deeply.

"Then walk on your own. Unless you want someone to drag you out."

There was nothing gentle about those words. In stark contrast to the tenderness of their lips meeting earlier, all that remained now was the coldness of a command.

Fine. This was the real Yuan Chen. What was I expecting? Instead, that familiar coldness brought Shen Yi a measure of clarity. He managed to straighten his back and stand steady on his own.

Escorted by security, the two walked toward the parking lot in silence.

Their clothes were disheveled, and dust stirred up during the fight still clung to their hair. They looked as though they had just escaped a disaster scene.

Shen Yi struggled to keep walking, but his weak legs still trembled from time to time. Whenever they did, Yuan Chen stopped and stared at him with a scrutinizing gaze. That silent pressure left Shen Yi no choice but to grit his teeth and keep moving.

Ah... I really wish I could be alone. Shen Yi ruthlessly suppressed his surging emotions and forced himself onward. Yet unlike the raging storm inside him, there was only a single car waiting quietly in the parking lot.

As soon as the rear door opened, Yuan Chen pressed a hand against Shen Yi's shoulder and shoved him inside, denying him even the right to sit in the front passenger seat.

Shen Yi looked at him blankly. Before he could say anything, Yuan Chen climbed in after him and slammed the door shut.

"Back to Laiyin Lakeside."

He gave the driver the brief instruction as casually as though he were discussing the weather. Clearly accustomed to this, the driver started the car without hesitation.

A suffocating silence filled the car. Trapped in the back seat, Shen Yi could not settle, and even the driver seemed unusually cautious. Yuan Chen alone maintained his usual composure.

Shen Yi no longer wanted to waste his energy trying to figure him out. He rested his burning forehead against the cold window. His body felt hollowed out, his ears buzzed, and his limbs were too heavy to lift.

Worst of all were Yuan Chen's pheromones filling the enclosed car. Was he planning to marinate me in them? Although his pheromones had indeed soothed Shen Yi earlier, this concentration was far too much.

He weakly knitted his brows and asked in a low voice, "President Yuan, your pheromones..."

An icy gaze immediately swept toward him. Shen Yi understood at once that his request would get nowhere. Who knew what might happen if he kept talking? He could never win against Yuan Chen anyway, so he gave up trying to persuade him and simply closed his eyes.

Still, he could not deny that those pheromones made him feel safe.

The more deeply he breathed, the more the anxiety inside him eased. It was truly strange.

As his taut nerves gradually relaxed, his groggy head tilted involuntarily to one side.

The car was passing through an area where subway construction was underway. Steel plates laid over the road made the ride bumpy. Although the driver had slowed down as much as possible, he could not avoid the jolting entirely, and he glanced uneasily at the back seat through the rearview mirror.

"I'm sorry, President Yuan. I should have taken a detour."

"It's fine. Keep driving."

Yuan Chen answered absently. This level of noise and movement was still tolerable.

Amid the steady, slight jolting, Shen Yi's head struck the window with a loud thunk.

Yuan Chen, who had been checking his emails, turned at the sound and actually let out a quiet laugh at the sight. He could fall asleep at a time like this? And even a knock that loud didn't wake him.

He had intended to ignore it, but he still put down his phone and reached over to straighten the lolling head. The movement was not particularly gentle; he merely wanted to keep Shen Yi from hitting the window again.

A faint, sweet jasmine scent drifted from Shen Yi's open shirt collar. His unguarded face made it clear that his condition had stabilized considerably.

Yuan Hao's nauseating pheromones were completely gone. Now, only a faint fragrance lingered around Shen Yi, lightly mingling with Yuan Chen's own pheromones.

Yuan Chen let out a long breath and returned his attention to his phone.

When Shen Yi woke, the car was parked outside his familiar front door. The engine was off, the interior silent, and the driver's seat empty. Only he and Yuan Chen remained.

He hurriedly checked his watch. More than an hour had passed since they left. How could this man be so calm?? Feeling dizzy, he raised a hand to rub his disheveled hair.

"...Why didn't you wake me?"

His voice was still hoarse from sleep. Shen Yi forced himself to remain composed and discreetly moistened his dry lips.

Yuan Chen, who had been resting with his arms folded and eyes closed, opened his eyes at the sound. He did not look at Shen Yi, only let out a long sigh.

"Shen Yi."

His voice was low and cold. Clearly, he had been awake the whole time. Shen Yi's back stiffened involuntarily.

"You fainted earlier."

"Yes..."

"If you want to pursue the matter, you can sue Yuan Hao. I've already contacted Professor Hu. He'll prepare the medical report, and Lawyer Hao will handle the entire process from there. You don't need to worry about it."

His calm gaze turned toward Shen Yi. Still sitting with his arms folded, Yuan Chen studied him in silence.

"You don't have to. It's your choice."

"Could you give me a day to think about it..."

"Suit yourself."

Yuan Chen's answer was indifferent. He withdrew his gaze and looked out the window again.

"Remember, today was the last time. Don't take matters into your own hands again." He did not forget to warn him. Shen Yi had disobeyed the instruction to wait outside and barged in on his own, so a reprimand was only to be expected.

"Understood."

"And thank you for today..." Shen Yi struggled to express his gratitude. Awkward though it was, he had only escaped the chaos thanks to Yuan Chen's intervention. He had to convey that gratitude.

Yuan Chen did not respond. Nothing could be read from his impassive face. He neither nodded nor frowned. For a man who never bothered with pleasantries, this reaction was perfectly normal.

"Go home and rest."

Only after a long while did he give that brief reply. Shen Yi lowered his head and got out of the car.

His steps toward home were slow and unsteady. He stopped at the door to enter the code, letting out a long, heavy sigh.

Long after the living room lights came on, the black sedan remained where it was.

Like Shen Yi, who had left, Yuan Chen closed his eyes in exhaustion inside the car.