Chapter 3 — Don't Look at Me Like That

The next morning, Guo Zihan arrived at Yunhe Design Group carrying two coffees.

He placed one on his desk.

The other remained in his hand.

He stared at it for several seconds.

Then he sighed.

“This is ridiculous.”

He had bought it because Shen Yichen had said yesterday that he didn't like overly sweet coffee.

That was all.

It didn't mean anything.

It was simply coffee.

He walked toward Yichen's office.

The door was half open.

Zihan knocked.

“Come in.”

Yichen was standing beside the window, reading something on his tablet.

Zihan placed the coffee on his desk.

“For you.”

Yichen looked at it.

Then at him.

“Why?”

“Because you helped me yesterday.”

“I only told you about the sketchbook.”

“You still helped.”

Yichen picked up the cup.

“What is it?”

“Americano.”

“No sugar?”

“No sugar.”

Yichen took a sip.

His expression remained unreadable.

Zihan waited.

“Well?”

“It's good.”

Zihan smiled.

“See? I'm learning.”

Yichen looked at him for a moment.

“Thank you.”

Something about the simple words made Zihan's smile soften.

“You're welcome.”

He turned to leave.

“Zihan.”

He stopped.

Yichen was still holding the coffee.

“You don't have to keep doing things for me.”

Zihan looked back.

“I know.”

“Then why?”

Zihan thought about it.

Because he liked seeing Yichen's expression change.

Because yesterday, that brief touch had stayed in his mind all night.

Because somewhere between their arguments and late-night conversations, Shen Yichen had stopped feeling like an intimidating boss.

He had started feeling like someone Zihan wanted to know.

Instead, he shrugged.

“Maybe I wanted to.”

Yichen didn't answer.

Zihan left before he could say anything else.

---

By lunchtime, the entire office was discussing the hotel project.

The deadline had been moved forward by two weeks.

Everyone was stressed.

Zihan sat at his desk, staring at his screen.

“I need a miracle.”

A voice came from behind him.

“You need better time management.”

Zihan turned.

“Do you ever appear without criticizing me?”

Yichen placed a folder on his desk.

“Meeting room. Five minutes.”

“Bossy.”

“I heard that.”

“You were supposed to.”

Yichen walked away.

Zihan smiled.

He couldn't help it.

---

The meeting lasted nearly three hours.

By the end, Zihan's head hurt.

He rubbed his temples.

Yichen noticed.

“You're tired.”

“No.”

“You've rubbed your forehead twelve times.”

“You counted?”

“Yes.”

Zihan stared at him.

“You really pay attention to everything I do.”

Yichen's expression changed.

Only slightly.

“I'm responsible for the team.”

“Of course.”

Zihan smiled teasingly.

“Just the team.”

Yichen looked at him.

There was something in his eyes that made Zihan's teasing disappear.

“Don't look at me like that.”

Yichen's voice was quiet.

Zihan blinked.

“Like what?”

“Like you know something I don't.”

“I don't.”

“You do.”

Yichen turned away.

“Go home.”

Zihan gathered his things.

“You too.”

“I'll stay.”

“Again?”

“Yes.”

“You're going to turn into a statue at this rate.”

“I have work.”

“You always have work.”

Yichen looked at him.

“And you always talk.”

Zihan laughed.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

---

But Zihan didn't go home.

Instead, he went downstairs to the café across the street.

He sat beside the window with his laptop and ordered noodles.

Twenty minutes later, the chair opposite him moved.

Zihan looked up.

Shen Yichen.

He stared.

“What are you doing here?”

“Eating.”

“There are twenty tables.”

“Yes.”

“And you chose mine?”

Yichen pulled out the chair.

“You're loud.”

“This is a café.”

“Exactly.”

Zihan narrowed his eyes.

“You're avoiding work.”

“No.”

“Then why are you here?”

Yichen glanced toward the rain outside.

“I wanted coffee.”

“You have coffee at the office.”

“I wanted different coffee.”

Zihan smiled.

“Sure.”

They ate in silence for a few minutes.

It wasn't uncomfortable.

That surprised Zihan.

Usually silence made him feel like he needed to fill it.

With Yichen, somehow, it didn't.

Outside, rain slid down the glass.

Shanghai's lights blurred into gold and red.

Zihan looked through the window.

“Do you ever feel lonely here?”

Yichen looked at him.

“Shanghai?”

“Yeah.”

“Yes.”

The answer came so quickly that Zihan turned.

“You do?”

“Sometimes.”

“Even though you have everyone around you?”

Yichen nodded.

“People can be surrounded by thousands and still feel alone.”

Zihan lowered his eyes.

“That sounds familiar.”

Yichen watched him.

“Why did you come to Shanghai?”

“Work.”

“That isn't the whole answer.”

Zihan smiled faintly.

“You're getting better at asking questions.”

“And?”

Zihan took a breath.

“I wanted somewhere I could start over.”

Yichen didn't ask what he was starting over from.

He simply nodded.

“Then I hope you find what you're looking for.”

Zihan looked at him.

“What about you?”

“What?”

“What are you looking for?”

Yichen was silent.

Then he said,

“I don't know.”

For some reason, that answer stayed with Zihan long after they left the café.

---

Three days later, the hotel project reached its most stressful stage.

Everyone worked late.

Zihan had been staring at his screen for hours when his vision began to blur.

He leaned back.

“I'm done.”

A shadow fell across his desk.

Yichen.

“Go home.”

“I can't.”

“You can.”

“I need to finish this.”

“You need sleep.”

Zihan shook his head.

“If I leave now, I'll forget what I was doing.”

“You're already forgetting.”

“What?”

“You've been staring at the same line for ten minutes.”

Zihan looked at his screen.

He had.

He sighed.

“Fine.”

He stood.

The moment he did, the room tilted slightly.

He reached for the desk.

Yichen caught his arm.

“Zihan.”

“I’m okay.”

“You're not.”

Their faces were suddenly close.

Too close.

Zihan could feel Yichen's fingers around his wrist.

Warm.

Steady.

Neither moved.

Yichen's gaze dropped briefly to Zihan's lips.

Zihan noticed.

His breath caught.

Yichen looked back into his eyes.

“Go home.”

His voice was quieter now.

Zihan swallowed.

“Okay.”

But neither released the other immediately.

One second.

Two.

Then Yichen slowly let go.

Zihan stepped back.

His heart was beating far too quickly.

---

The elevator ride was silent.

They stood side by side.

Zihan stared at the numbers above the door.

Yichen stared straight ahead.

Neither mentioned what had happened.

When the elevator reached the ground floor, the doors opened.

Zihan stepped out.

“Goodnight.”

Yichen nodded.

“Goodnight.”

Zihan walked several steps.

Then stopped.

He turned around.

Yichen was still standing inside the elevator.

Their eyes met.

Zihan smiled.

Not his usual teasing smile.

Something softer.

Yichen's expression changed.

The elevator doors began to close.

Just before they met, Yichen said,

“Zihan.”

“Yes?”

“Don't look at me like that.”

Zihan's smile widened.

“Why?”

The doors closed.

Yichen remained alone in the elevator.

He closed his eyes for a moment.

Because he knew the answer.

Because every time Zihan looked at him that way, he wanted to forget that he was his boss.

And he was beginning to suspect that forgetting might not be difficult for much longer.

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