Qin Yu had never been one for company. His penthouse, perched high above Shanghai's glowing skyline, was always silent, sterile, untouched by others. Until now.
The moment he stepped out of the steamy shower, he could feel it. The shift in the air, an unmistakable presence that didn't belong to him.
He reached for the towel slowly, methodically drying his face as his eyes narrowed. No sound. No movement. But someone was here.
He dropped the towel and stepped barefoot into the hall, his eyes sweeping the space like a hawk scanning a battlefield. And there he was-standing by the floor to ceiling window, dressed in all black. The city lights cast a faint glow around him, painting his sharp jawline and the cut of his cheekbones like an artist's dream.
Yan Rui. Again.
Qin Yu's chest tightened, not with fear, he wasn't someone who feared men like Yan Rui but with something far more dangerous. A slow burn. A mix of annoyance and... interest.
"You came in without permission, again. " Qin Yu said, his voice calm but laced with sharp edges.
Yan Rui turned, his obsidian eyes dragging over Qin Yu's still damp form with no attempt to hide it. "You didn't lock your door."
"I have three layers of security."
"And I got through all three."
That smug confidence.
Qin Yu crossed his arms, chest bare, his towel slung low around his hips. "What do you want, First Young Master Yan?"
That title.... he found out about me.....interesting....Yan Rui gave a small amused smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You didn't reply to my messages. It's getting annoying and I don't enjoy being ignored."
"I was busy," Qin Yu said flatly. "Unlike you, I don't live for dramatic entrances."
"I don't live for anything," Yan Rui replied coolly. "But when I want something, I take it."
There it was that intensity. That madness beneath the ice. Qin Yu could feel the tension between them thicken. He should've called Shen Wenlang, should've made him send the uninvited guest out. But he didn't.
Instead, he walked past Yan Rui, grabbing a sleek shirt from the sofa and sliding it on, slowly, deliberately, giving Yan Rui time to enjoy the show if that's what he was here for.
"You still haven't told me what you want," Qin Yu said, buttoning the shirt lazily.
Yan Rui's voice was low. "You're in danger. That auction you attended last night was a trap. You were being watched. I didn't get the full details yesterday."
Qin Yu paused.
Yan Rui stepped closer, slow and smooth. "Spanish buyers. Someone tipped them off. They weren't just there for artifacts."
"I know how to handle myself."
"But not how to disappear." Yan Rui's voice lowered as he approached. "You still move like a man who believes the world is ruled by money."
"Isn't it?"
Yan Rui's eyes flicked over his face. "It used to be. Before blood became more valuable."
Their gazes locked, and for a long moment, the silence stretched between them. Hot. Tight. Dangerous.
Qin Yu was the first to look away. "Is that all?"
"No," Yan Rui said, stepping closer again. "You interest me, President Qin. You hide behind your calm like it's armor, but I can see you."
"You see what you want to see."
"Maybe. But I never chase what I can't catch."
Qin Yu snorted. "And you think you can catch me?"
Yan Rui reached out, a gloved hand brushing Qin Yu's jaw lightly. "I already have."
Qin Yu didn't move, didn't flinch. But inside, his heart slammed once, just once, no twice...fuck was he kidding, a few times. He was used to people fawning over him. Wanting his power, his wealth, his name. But Yan Rui wanted none of that. He wanted something deeper. Something primal.
"Don't touch me again," Qin Yu warned, his voice quieter now.
A. Rather, he should say... touch me again...
"I will," Yan Rui said. "But not tonight."
He turned toward the door, and Qin Yu didn't stop him. He wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
But just as Yan Rui reached for the panel to unlock it, he stopped.
"I lied," he said.
Qin Yu raised a brow. "About?"
Yan Rui turned back around and before Qin Yu could say another word, the man had crossed the space between them, grabbed him by the collar, and kissed him.
Hard.
It wasn't gentle. It wasn't sweet. It was pure fire. The kind that burned and marked.
Qin Yu froze for a split second, stunned, not by the kiss, but by how much he wanted to respond.
But he didn't.
When Yan Rui finally pulled back, his eyes searched Qin Yu's face, daring him to react.
Qin Yu's voice was steady, cold. "I should kill you for that."
Yan Rui smirked. "You won't."
And with that, he turned and walked out, leaving Qin Yu standing there, heart pounding, lips tingling, and mind spinning.
A. Ohhh how he loved that kiss, kiss me again please 🫢