AD Chapter 43

A deep male voice shattered the silence of the night.

“—Who’s there?”

Back at home, Shen Fushan suddenly remembered the documents he had left in his car after bringing them back from the office. Opening the door to retrieve them, he stepped into the yard, only to find the front gate unlocked and his eyes momentarily blinded by the high beams of a car parked outside.

In that fleeting moment, he thought he saw the silhouette of his son. His mouth acted faster than his brain, and he blurted out the question.

His voice wasn’t particularly loud, but the stillness of the night amplified it. Upon hearing his father’s voice, Shen Du instinctively pushed Qin Yi away, hastily tugging his clothes into place, a flash of panic crossing his face.

“Dad, it’s me!” Shen Du called out; his voice pitched higher than usual.

Why had Shen Fushan come out so suddenly? Had he seen anything?

Shen Fushan walked closer. “What are you doing out here?”

Under the dim light, he noticed a tall man standing next to his son. Most of the man’s features were hidden in the shadows, but his eyes gleamed brightly.

“Who’s this? Your friend?”

Shen Du discreetly nudged Qin Yi toward the car. Qin Yi, though unsure of what was happening, complied.

“This is the friend I told you about before—the one who cooks for me,” Shen Du explained.

“Cooking? Isn’t that your partner? Wait—he’s a guy? Hey, where are you going?”

Shen Fushan watched as Shen Du circled around the car, his hand already on the passenger door handle, clearly intending to leave.

Shen Du opened the door and called toward the house, “Mom, Dad’s all yours!”

Then he turned back and flashed a grin at Shen Fushan.

Illuminated by the car’s high beams, Shen Fushan saw his son’s smile—bright and carefree, just like the time he had rushed home to share the news of acing an exam.

“Dad, I have great news! I got first place on my test!”

The memories from years ago suddenly overlapped with the present. Shen Fushan heard his son’s voice clearly:

“Dad, I have a secret to tell you—this guy is my boyfriend!”

“What did you say you got? First… what? Boyfriend!?”

Like a bolt of lightning, Shen Fushan stood frozen in shock, his expression of reminiscence still lingering on his face. He could only watch as his son got into another man’s car and disappeared from view in the blink of an eye.

It took several seconds before he fully registered what had just happened.

By then, Yao Meiyuan was already standing in the yard, holding a freshly cut melon in her hands. “What are you standing there for? Come inside.”

In the car, Shen Du couldn’t hold back his laughter.

“That felt so good! So satisfying!”

Even Qin Yi’s lips curved slightly upward. “You should’ve at least said goodbye to your dad before leaving.”

“No need. I’ll wait until my mom has prepped him mentally,” Shen Du said. “I’m afraid he’d charge over and hit you.”

Leaning back against the seat, Shen Du began humming a cheerful tune, though Qin Yi couldn’t identify which song it was.

“Where are we going now?” Shen Du asked. “I left in such a rush I didn’t bring my ID.”

“You drove here, didn’t you? Do you have your ID?”

“I didn’t bring mine either,” Qin Yi replied.

“No problem.” Shen Du opened his phone and pulled up the Alipay app. “We can use digital ID.”

Qin Yi: “We’re not going to a hotel.”

Shen Du teased, “Then where are we going? To elope?”

Qin Yi answered matter-of-factly, “That’s not out of the question.”

The last time they were in a car together, Qin Yi had asked if Shen Du was willing to entrust his life to him. This time, it wasn’t just his life—his body and heart seemed to have been handed over as well.

Thinking back to everything that had happened recently, Shen Du found it amusing. Oddly enough, though it had only been a month, he felt like he had known Qin Yi for a very long time.

“So, where are we going? You’re not planning to send me back to Yunshan tonight, are you? Don’t worry, my dad’s mindset isn’t that outdated. At most, he’ll need a worldview adjustment.”

Shen Fushan was actually a sharp man, only revealing his “foolish” side to his wife and son. If he were truly as clueless as he seemed tonight, there was no way he could’ve built his business empire from scratch.

As a child, Shen Du had seen his father at work—calm, composed, and unsmiling. People at the company were said to fear him.

Meanwhile, Qin Yi’s phone kept buzzing.

Shen Du: “Aren’t you going to check it?”

“No hands free.” Qin Yi tossed the phone to him. “You check for me.”

Shen Du stared at the lock screen for two seconds, licked his lips, and asked, “Password?”

“Four ones.”

Shen Du: “I’ll change it to four zeros for you!”

Qin Yi chuckled.

The phone had been buzzing nonstop because Lu Ning and a few others were blowing up the group chat. Shen Du opened WeChat and immediately noticed a pinned chat at the top.

The note was just a red heart, nothing else.

But Qin Yi’s usual contact notes were always full names.

Shen Du turned the phone screen toward him, grinning mischievously. “Boss Qin, you’re quite the flirt.”

Qin Yi pressed his lips together but didn’t deny it.

[Lu Ning]: Lao Qin, say something. I just heard from Brother Hai that you asked him for Shen’s address. How’s it going now?
[Lu Ning]: We’re all waiting for your update. Don’t just read the messages and stay silent.

“Who’s Brother Hai?”

“A friend of mine who’s been working in Jing City. He knows the area well,” Qin Yi replied.

“So that’s how you showed up at my house,” Shen Du said.

Qin Yi gave a soft hum of affirmation.

Shen Du scrolled up through the chat history and saw that Qin Yi had made a call to the group. Immediately after, Lu Ning had commented, ‘That little brother is too bold—coming out just like that.’

He found it odd. “Why would Lu Ning say that?”

Qin Yi focused on the road and said, “Why don’t you ask him?”

“I’m asking you.” Shen Du turned to stare at him. “Are you hiding something from me?”

“You chased me all the way from Yunshan because you were afraid I’d fail at coming out and then dump you?” Shen Du asked. “But why were you so sure I’d fail?”

Shen Du suddenly remembered that Qin Yi seemed to have had a falling out with his own family.

It was hard not to connect the two situations. Shen Du’s eyes widened slightly. “You…”

Qin Yi didn’t let him finish. “That’s part of it, I guess.”

“Differences in values with my family. I didn’t want to be controlled anymore, so I went out on my own.”

“But it’s not like we’ve cut ties completely. We just don’t contact each other much.”

His explanation was brief and vague, but Shen Du could piece together the gist of it from his words. He’d even heard Shen Fushan gossip about the elite families in Jing City before, including the Qin family.

The Qin family’s head wanted his son to take over the family business, but the son had other ambitions.

Lost in thought, Shen Du didn’t notice that Qin Yi had parked the car.

“We’re here.”

Shen Du looked at the small estate in front of them. “What is this place?”

“My home,” Qin Yi said. “Not my family’s—mine.”

“Come on, get out of the car.” Qin Yi unbuckled his seatbelt and moved to open Shen Du’s door, but Shen Du beat him to it, hopping out and staring at the castle-like house in awe.

“How many houses do you have?”

Qin Yi thought for a moment and answered honestly, “Not many. If you’re interested, I can take you to see them all someday.”

Once again, Shen Du was floored by Qin Yi’s wealth.

“I thought you had a falling out with your family. How are you still so rich?”

Qin Yi replied, “I have a brain.”

Shen Du: “…”

Qin Yi led him inside and turned on the lights. The interior was lavishly decorated, with tall walls adorned with various styles of paintings. Upon closer inspection, Shen Du noticed that each photo had the artist’s name and the date it was taken in the bottom right corner.

“Shen Du, come here.”

Qin Yi pressed Shen Du’s hand onto the fingerprint scanner for the security system. “This was the first house I bought after leaving my family. From now on, it’s your home too.”

Beep, beep, beep.

The system confirmed the registration.

Shen Du’s hand was still under Qin Yi’s, and the whole situation felt surreal.

“Really added me to the system?”

“Do you think I’d lie to you?” Qin Yi lifted his chin and kissed him on the lips, walking inside while removing his jacket. “I’m going to take a shower. Coming?”

Shen Du muttered, “As if you haven’t lied to me enough.”

Hearing his complaint, Qin Yi thought back to his past antics—indeed, not the most reliable track record.

He tossed his jacket onto the sofa and beckoned to Shen Du. “Come here.”

“What now?”

“I won’t lie to you anymore.” Qin Yi ruffled his hair, fingers threading through the strands.

Shen Du didn’t believe him. “And if you do?”

“What do you want me to do?”

Qin Yi’s sincerity, coupled with his journey from Yunshan, surrounded Shen Du in a wave of affection.

“I’ve lied to you before too. Let’s call it even.” Shen Du slowly wrapped his arms around Qin Yi’s waist. Qin Yi felt his hands lightly roaming, almost teasingly.

Finally, they rested on his lower abdomen.

“If you dare lie to me again, Boss Qin, you know the consequences.”

Shen Du’s finger traced patterns near Qin Yi’s abdomen, his memory guiding him to precisely where Qin Yi’s tattoo was, even through the fabric.

On the right side of Qin Yi’s lower abdomen was a blue whale tattoo, and near his thigh was a black rose.

When they first met, Shen Du noticed that Qin Yi didn’t seem to have any tattoos, unlike Xiang Nan, Master Cao, or Master Xia, who all had visible ink. He had even been curious why Qin Yi’s body was bare but had never asked. Now, it seemed the tattoos were just in more hidden places.

“Okay,” Qin Yi agreed easily.

He was wearing a shirt and trousers again today, and the pants were a bit tight. Shen Du didn’t need to look down to know what was on his mind—Qin Yi’s usually indifferent gaze now carried a clear, familiar desire.

It was the look of someone aroused.

Shen Du’s hand stopped above the whale tattoo, his finger poking lightly at the muscle beneath the fabric.

The atmosphere was perfect. Qin Yi leaned down to kiss him, but Shen Du turned his head to dodge. “I have a question for you.”

Qin Yi’s lips brushed against his cheek, and he simply pulled Shen Du into his arms. “Ask.”

“What’s the secret of your left wrist?”

Shen Du’s hand lightly touched the watch on Qin Yi’s left wrist. He clearly felt Qin Yi’s body stiffen slightly at the question.

“You don’t have to answer, but you can’t lie to me.”

Shen Du emphasized, “You just promised.”

Because of work, Qin Yi rarely wore anything on his hands. But the day after returning from Yun University, he started wearing a watch—and never took it off since.

Not during se-x, not while sleeping, not even in the shower.

It was hard not to overthink.

Qin Yi let go of him, his gaze calm. “Do you really want to know?”

Shen Du said, “Am I allowed to?”

Qin Yi lowered his eyes, making his thoughts unreadable.

He extended his hand toward Shen Du. “There’s no ‘allowed’ or ‘not allowed.’ If you want to know, take it off and see.”

“Is there really something?” Shen Du raised an eyebrow.

He had only asked casually and didn’t expect to actually hit the mark.

Qin Yi hummed in acknowledgment. “Go ahead, just don’t laugh at me afterward.”

Don’t laugh?

As if! With such a rare opportunity, how could he not—

Shen Du couldn’t laugh. His hands tightly grasped Qin Yi’s, his eyes wide, filled with a mix of indescribable emotions.

Qin Yi’s hands were undeniably beautiful—long and fair, with cleanly trimmed nails and faint veins on the back. Right now, his hand was slightly tense, held by the one he loved.

Shen Du had complimented Qin Yi’s hands more than once. He had even experienced bliss within those hands. Now, as he held one of them, he noticed that the previously clean skin under the watch strap bore a tattoo.

It stretched over the veins beneath the skin.

The design featured Qin Yi’s signature tattooing style—letters surrounded by vine-like patterns.

“Shen Du.”

The boy dazedly touched the tattoo but didn’t dare press down, his trembling fingers hovering above it. Qin Yi observed every change in his expression and softly reminded him, “You promised not to laugh at me.”

When they first met, Qin Yi, as a tattoo artist, had advised Shen Du not to tattoo names on his body.

Now, the one who had given that advice had tattooed someone else’s name on himself—in such an obvious place as his wrist, no less.

It was laughable.

But Shen Du couldn’t laugh.

“You did this on purpose, didn’t you?” Shen Du’s voice trembled, his eyes growing hot.

Hearing Qin Yi say, “I like you so much,” hadn’t moved him as much as this. Now, Qin Yi’s “I like you so much” had taken a tangible form. He lowered his head, unwilling to let Qin Yi see his expression—it would be too embarrassing.

“Did you get it done after returning from school?”

“Yes,” Qin Yi admitted honestly. “That night.”

That night, in the live stream, he had heard Shen Du publicly share their secret relationship. Unable to sleep, he had taken Shen Du’s name and tattooed it onto himself with unwavering resolve.

The next morning, Qin Yi had thought his behavior impulsive. But then again, wasn’t Shen Du agreeing to be with him also an act of impulse?

Ordinary days were too dull; only a life full of ups and downs was truly exciting.

He had been prepared for this from the day of his confession.

As long as Shen Du chose him, he would choose Shen Du.

“Are you trying to guilt-trip me so I can’t easily break up with you in the future?” Shen Du pursed his lips, struggling to sound normal. “Qin Yi, you’re such… a bad person.”

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want this to become a burden for you,” Qin Yi said, patting his head. “Our relationship should be what it is.”

“You are still you.”

“How can I possibly have no reaction after knowing? My heart isn’t made of stone! What do you take me for?” Shen Du retorted angrily. “And you didn’t even tell me. Who do you think you are, doing something like this in secret? If I didn’t ask, would you never have said anything? Is this some kind of self-indulgent sentimentality? I never realized you were this kind of person before.”

Qin Yi truly wasn’t that kind of person. He was proud, possessing both the madness of an artist and the profit-driven pragmatism of a businessman.

Everything he did was ultimately for his own benefit.

But this was about feelings.

Feelings weren’t something you could calculate.

Maybe at first, there had been some calculation, but over time, Shen Du had unknowingly taken up a significant place in his heart.

Qin Yi couldn’t explain all of this—it was too complicated. He could only say, “Shen Du, you’re wonderful, but I’m ultimately eight years older than you. In this relationship, it’s only right that I give more.”

“That’s bullshit!” Shen Du suddenly looked up, and only then did Qin Yi notice his reddened eyes.

“Who told you that’s how relationships work? Are you out of your mind, Qin Yi? You’re so stupid! Are you 29 or 9?”

Seeing him so emotional, Qin Yi was at a loss.

He had never been in a relationship, so he didn’t know what love was supposed to be like or how Shen Du saw it.

After a moment of silence, Qin Yi could only weakly say, “I’m sorry.”

Shen Du sneered. “What good is ‘sorry’?”

Qin Yi’s gaze flickered. “Then what would work?”

Shen Du spread out his hand and held it up to him. “You can tattoo a name on me too.”

He then pulled down his collar, exposing his collarbone. “Or tattoo that butterfly—you said it suited me before. That works too.”

“Or maybe a mark on my stomach… Anything’s fine, but you have to leave something of yours on me.”

“But Shen Du, that would hurt too much,” Qin Yi said, objectively and calmly analyzing the situation.

Although he truly wanted to leave his mark on Shen Du, the consequences were too significant—something Shen Du, at his age, couldn’t bear.

He was still so young.

“It won’t hurt. Not as much as that night when you screwed me,” Shen Du blurted out, his words reckless and fiery. Like a cat with its fur standing on end, he bared his teeth as if ready to pounce and bite. Yet when he did, he suddenly let go, his emotions crumbling into dependence and vulnerability.

Leaning into Qin Yi’s embrace, Shen Du murmured, “Ge, just tattoo me. You can guilt-trip me too, make me just like you, okay?”

His tone was almost coquettish.

Qin Yi nearly agreed in the very next second, but after an intense internal struggle, reason prevailed.

“Don’t be silly.”

Shen Du really did stop, which surprised Qin Yi—until the next moment, when the boy’s leg hooked around him, stirring desires that were hard to suppress.

The words that followed made him grit his teeth.

“Brother, I want to sleep with you.”