An embrace

On the way back, Shi Yuan seemed unusually pensive. He was rarely like this. He was quiet when he read at home, too, but then he radiated a peaceful ease that told anyone who looked at him just how comfortable he was.

Wei Zelin glanced sideways. Shi Yuan was leaning against the car window, which was rolled all the way down on the passenger side. The wind blew so hard he could barely open his eyes, though he didn't seem inclined to try. He let his tousled hair whip against his cheeks, his eyes closed, lost in thought.

He was hurt after all.

Wei Zelin thought that not everyone was as coldhearted as he was. Most people still felt affection for their biological fathers, still hoped for something from them.

The car passed the café where Shi Yuan had spent the day, then stopped at the next street corner.

Feeling the car stop moving, Shi Yuan half opened his eyes.

We aren't home yet, are we? Why did we stop?

"I'm going to buy something. Wait here a moment."

Wei Zelin parked the car, opened the door, and got out.

Shi Yuan didn't dwell on it. He felt that this body's memories were affecting his own state of mind.

His chest felt heavy, though he knew perfectly well that he couldn't save the Shi Family from ruin, nor could he get involved.

Lowering his head, Shi Yuan murmured softly.

"There's nothing I can do. I'm just an ordinary person. I borrowed your body to come back to life..." He paused and rubbed the black mole on the side of his finger...

That explanation needed some reconsideration.

"Anyway, I'm sorry. I won't sacrifice myself for the Shi Family, and I don't have the ability to help, either."

Once he finished, he felt relieved, as though he had given "Shi Yuan" an explanation.

Anyone else witnessing the scene would have found it rather eerie.

Two knocks sounded on the frame below the window. Shi Yuan jumped and jerked his head up, only to realize Wei Zelin was back.

He bent slightly and handed Shi Yuan the bag he was carrying.

Shi Yuan accepted it awkwardly.

Did Wei Zelin hear me? I was pretty quiet just now. He probably couldn't hear, right?

But being caught muttering nonsense to myself is still incredibly embarrassing!

Wei Zelin walked around to the left, opened the door, and got in. As he fastened his seat belt, he said to Shi Yuan, "Didn't I recommend this place to you last time? Try it. It should be better than the shop outside our company."

Ever since he got into the car, Shi Yuan had been sneaking looks at his face, but he couldn't detect any change in his expression.

Then he heard that the desserts had been bought for him, and froze for a moment.

Holding the bag, Shi Yuan felt the same way he had the last time Wei Zelin saved him some pastries.

His chest felt warm, a stark contrast to his wind-chilled cheeks.

He's such a gentle person. Did he go out of his way to buy these because he saw I was feeling down?

Shi Yuan didn't ask. He thanked him and slowly opened the bag.

Inside was a box of three plump, white cream-filled mochi.

They had just eaten dinner, so this was exactly enough for Shi Yuan to finish.

Using one of the little squares of waxed paper inside, Shi Yuan picked up a mochi and brought it to his mouth. He bit through the thick, soft, chewy outer layer to a flowing mango filling. It was richly fruity and just sweet enough. It really was delicious.

He ate in small bites, looking quiet and well-behaved.

Wei Zelin turned his attention back to the road, the corners of his mouth lifting silently. Feeding a little animal like this felt rather nice.

And if your actions could change its mood, that felt even better.

It was past ten when they arrived home, well beyond Shi Yuan's usual bedtime.

He had grown drowsy after finishing the food in the car, though he perked up a little on the way upstairs. Once the door opened and he saw his soft, fresh-smelling little bed, he couldn't suppress a yawn.

Wei Zelin told him to wash up first. Shi Yuan didn't argue; he was simply too sleepy.

Wei Zelin took off his jacket and hung it over the back of a chair, then took his phone out onto the balcony to call his subordinate.

"Have Lin Hui approach the starlet. She's fairly wary. She might not believe you if you go."

"Mm."

"Stick to the original plan."

"Wait..."

Holding his phone, Wei Zelin could see the tightly closed bathroom door from his room. He pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek. Remembering how quiet and forlorn Shi Yuan had looked in the car, he changed his mind at the last moment.

"Leave Shi Guohua a way out. Don't go all the way."

After he ended the call with his subordinate, the door in front of him suddenly opened. Surprise flickered in Wei Zelin's eyes.

He washed up so quickly today?

Wei Zelin had spoken in a low voice, and the Wei Family's house was well built. Once Shi Yuan closed the door and turned on the tap, he could barely hear anything outside.

Even if he could hear, he had no energy to listen.

He had kept his eyes closed the entire time he washed up and had only haphazardly wiped himself dry. He wore a loose, oversized T-shirt and gray cotton shorts, with two trails of water still running down his calves. Water dripped from his hair, soaking his neckline.

Seeing this, Wei Zelin took a compact hair dryer from beside the bed and started over to hand it to him.

With his eyes half open, Shi Yuan felt his way out of the bathroom. In his daze, he saw a shadow before him, but his body moved faster than his brain. One leg had already stepped forward when he instinctively realized he might collide with it and should back away.

His other leg faltered in midair, and he fell backward uncontrollably.

Wei Zelin reacted fast. Still holding the hair dryer in his left hand, he had already reached out with his right to catch Shi Yuan around the waist.

The T-shirt was loose, but the waist beneath it was slender.

He couldn't resist rubbing his fingertips against it a couple of times as he held him, though his face betrayed nothing.

Now Shi Yuan was fully awake.

His legs kicked as he leaned backward, his entire weight supported by the hand beneath his waist.

The heat of that palm made him shudder. He instinctively tried to move, and his already lowered body dropped straight toward the floor.

Wei Zelin dropped the hair dryer and used both hands to pull him directly into his arms.

"How can you be so clumsy?"

Shi Yuan's eyes were wide and round, his mouth slightly open as he drew shallow breaths. His heart pounded so loudly that he didn't hear Wei Zelin's teasing at all.

How did I end up hugging him?

His pounding heartbeat traveled through their thin clothing to the chest of the man holding him.

It put Wei Zelin in an excellent mood. He gently patted Shi Yuan's back as though soothing a child.

"Take your time. Dry your hair before you sleep, all right?"

The low voice sounded right beside his ear, and the skin where Shi Yuan's neck met his ears flushed red.

"O-okay... okay, I know. Th-thank you, Brother Lin," he stammered.

Shi Yuan was embarrassed and shy, his ears so hot they felt as though they might start steaming. Every last trace of sleepiness had been scared away.

Wei Zelin picked up the hair dryer and checked it. It seemed to still work. After handing it to Shi Yuan, he went to the bathroom to wash up himself.

Shi Yuan dried his hair and lay on the bed, rolling and squirming from side to side. His heart tingled, and he felt certain he would be unable to sleep tonight.

But when Wei Zelin came out and looked again, Shi Yuan was already asleep on his stomach, the thin summer quilt tangled beneath him.

Wei Zelin tugged at it a couple of times but couldn't pull it free, only making the person on the bed mumble in protest.

The weather was still warm, so sleeping without a quilt wouldn't hurt. He left him alone.

Wei Zelin had been busy these past few days, and Wei Zexuan hadn't returned to the old family home either. Shi Yuan guessed that he was busy dealing with the Shi Family.

He had something important to do himself.

"Number eighteen, Shi Yuan. Is Shi Yuan here?"

Shi Yuan hurriedly stood up from his seat in the waiting area. "Yes, I'm here!"

"All right, come in for your interview."

The interview was easier than he had imagined, perhaps because he had prepared so thoroughly.

It felt like being a novice hunter who had practiced archery diligently at home, only to nervously enter the forest for the first time, set a simple trap, and discover he had already caught more than enough. None of his other skills even had a chance to come into play.

Simply put, Shi Yuan had memorized material well beyond the syllabus...

Never mind the process; the result was good.

After obtaining his Teacher Qualification Proof, he immediately applied for his Teacher Qualification Certificate.

That part was easy. He just needed to gather the relevant documents and have his Mandarin Proficiency Certificate ready.

He had already passed that exam before his interview. He had taken the Mandarin Proficiency Certificate exam in his previous life. There were a few differences between the two worlds, but nothing major, so it was still familiar territory.

Shi Yuan rose from his seat at the internet café, feeling completely at ease.

Once his online verification went through, the relevant department would issue his certificate. He only had to wait at home for the delivery.

Then he needed to hurry and attend interviews, find a suitable school, even somewhere a little out of the way. The most important thing was to protect himself from this mess as soon as possible.

During this time, Shi Guohua called him several more times, appealing to his emotions and trying to reason with him. But Shi Yuan wasn't his real son, and the tiny bit of sympathy he had felt before had been destroyed by Shi Guohua's sudden outburst last time. Of course he wouldn't put himself on the line for him.

After that, there was no more news of him. Shi Yuan didn't deliberately seek any out, and the notifications on his phone were usually entertainment news anyway.

He even saw rumors about Wei Zexuan and the male celebrity from the bus stop advertisement, and marveled inwardly.

Doesn't Wei Zexuan like Shen Duo? Why is he flirting with a celebrity now?

Ren Zhi?

Rich people really do live freely. Not even a gap between partners. Although... that male celebrity really is handsome. And those big abs...

When Wei Zelin returned, he found Shi Yuan staring at his phone in a daze.

On the screen was a suggestive photo of Wei Zexuan and the actor Ren Zhi at a nightclub.

"I went to collect a package from the gatehouse and brought yours back too."

Shi Yuan cheered, instantly forgetting the sexy male celebrity.

"It's my certificate!"

Couriers couldn't enter the residential complex, so the property management staff collected all the deliveries and brought them to each resident's home or the gatehouse.

Shi Yuan had received the delivery notification and had just been about to go downstairs to collect it.

He took the package from Wei Zelin. It was a thin document envelope, and when he opened it, his Teacher Qualification Certificate was indeed inside.

Shi Yuan's delight was plain on his face. With the certificate, he could look for a job; with a stable job, he could find a place to live. Schools also had staff dormitories, though he wasn't sure what the conditions would be like.

He looked at the dull gray cement walls and the floor that remained dusty no matter how often it was cleaned. However bad it is, it can't be worse than this.

At that moment, Wei Zelin could sense Shi Yuan's good mood, as well as the eagerness to leave this place in his eyes.

He smiled too, but it was a mocking smile, a smile at Shi Yuan's naivety.