Chapter 72 – Can You Try to Accept Me?
At that moment, Yan Shengping’s eyes felt unusually dry, and his throat seemed to be blocked by something, rendering him speechless. A buzzing sound was all he could hear. He took a stiff step forward, and then his legs moved uncontrollably, striding quickly toward Lin Ganzhi.
“Yan—”
Before Lin Ganzhi could finish, Yan Shengping pulled him into a tight embrace. The warm chest smelled of pine and withered snow. Lin Ganzhi’s tense body relaxed in a way it never had before. It felt as if, after a long and turbulent journey, he had finally found a harbor.
“Lin Ganzhi,” Yan Shengping’s hoarse voice sounded from above, as if he were trying hard to suppress a powerful emotion. The end of his words trembled more than usual.
“Thank you.” Yan Shengping should have been angry right now, angry that Lin Ganzhi hadn’t listened and stayed in a comfortable hotel for the night before coming back the next day. But when Lin Ganzhi stood before him, having overcome all obstacles just to wish him a happy birthday, Yan Shengping couldn’t bring himself to say a single word of blame.
He had never in his life met someone who would go to such lengths for him without any expectation of reward.
“Lin Ganzhi,” Yan Shengping murmured his name again, his arms tightening around Lin Ganzhi’s body, which was clad in only a thin jacket.
At the sound of his name being called again and again, Lin Ganzhi’s nose began to sting. The humiliation, frustration, helplessness, and cold he had endured since last night all transformed into a torrent of grievances that poured out in Yan Shengping’s embrace.
I wasn’t going to cry, but who could resist when the boss is being so sentimental?
Lin Ganzhi slowly raised his stiff hands and hugged Yan Shengping’s back tightly. In the silent, snowy night, he sniffled loudly.
Two clumsy people held each other tightly in the cold winter night.
“Oh, my! Sir, Ganzhi! Why are you two standing outside? It’s so cold!” A startled cry came from the doorway. Uncle Yan hurried out, holding an umbrella open to shield them from the heavy snow.
It was Uncle Yan’s reminder that jolted the two of them out of their intense emotional vortex.
Yan Shengping’s rationality returned in that instant. He took Lin Ganzhi’s hand to lead him back inside, but Lin Ganzhi remained rooted to the spot. Puzzled, Yan Shengping turned back to see Lin Ganzhi’s somewhat strained smile.
“You go in first. I stood here for too long, and my feet don’t seem to want to move. Let me just take a moment,” Lin Ganzhi said, exhaling a puff of white mist, preparing to struggle a bit on his own.
Yan Shengping frowned. As Lin Ganzhi looked down, he stepped forward, bent down, and swept Lin Ganzhi into his arms in a princess carry. It was the first time Lin Ganzhi had ever been carried like this, and he was so startled he had to clutch at Yan Shengping’s collar. The slightly pulled-open collar revealed a stretch of collarbone and a particularly conspicuous clavicle mole.
Lin Ganzhi felt a little embarrassed and buried his face in Yan Shengping’s chest, acting like a timid quail for a few seconds. Just as they were about to go inside, he remembered his things.
“Yan Shengping, the cake!” Lin Ganzhi had been so moved earlier that he had let go, and the cake had fallen into the snow.
“Uncle Yan!” Yan Shengping called back. Uncle Yan quickly responded and brought all of Lin Ganzhi’s belongings inside.
Yan Shengping carried Lin Ganzhi all the way to the sofa. The warmth of the room began to thaw Lin Ganzhi’s stiff body, and with it came a renewed awareness of the cold. Yan Shengping quickly turned on the living room’s air conditioner and took off his own sweater, wrapping it tightly around Lin Ganzhi. Yan Shengping’s unique scent instantly filled Lin Ganzhi’s senses.
“Feeling better?” Yan Shengping’s voice was tinged with anxiety. Seeing Lin Ganzhi shivering uncontrollably, he couldn’t help but take his hands. Although his own hands were also cold, they were much better than Lin Ganzhi’s nearly frozen fingers.
Lin Ganzhi nodded slightly, his mind still a bit muddled and not yet fully awake. He didn’t even think to question why his boss was holding his hands.
Looking at Lin Ganzhi’s red nose and eyes, Yan Shengping felt a pang of sorrow. He didn’t let go of Lin Ganzhi’s hands and simply sat beside him.
“Uncle Yan, could you please make a bowl of ginger soup?”
After putting things away, Uncle Yan hurried to the kitchen, saying as he went, “It’s no trouble at all. I’ll make the ginger soup first, then run a hot bath for Ganzhi. On such a cold day… didn’t they say the flight was delayed? Ganzhi, how did you get here?”
Lin Ganzhi swallowed, feeling the muscles in his mouth gradually regain sensation. “I… I took the high-speed rail, but that was delayed too. I wasn’t sure if I could make it today, so I didn’t message you guys. I was afraid you’d wait up too late for me.”
Lin Ganzhi explained, hoping his explanation would pass muster with his boss and Uncle Yan.
Upon hearing this, Uncle Yan’s heart ached. “What’s staying up a little late? Seeing you like this now makes me feel even worse, Uncle Yan.”
A warmth spread through Lin Ganzhi’s heart, and he couldn’t help but sniffle again. He then cautiously glanced at Yan Shengping beside him. He was only wearing a thin shirt. Even with the air conditioning on, Lin Ganzhi felt cold for him. He wanted to share the sweater, but Yan Shengping was still holding his hand, and he was too embarrassed to pull away. So, he just scooted over, pretending to casually snuggle up to Yan Shengping, hoping he would warm up a bit too.
Beside him, Yan Shengping noticed his movement and watched him in silence. In a low, hoarse voice, he said, “Lin Ganzhi, when you show someone the greatest kindness, you must also have the courage to accept their kindness in return. You have never been a bother to me. If a situation like today happens again, I don’t want to see you toughing it out alone all the way home.”
Lin Ganzhi froze. He seemed to understand what Yan Shengping was saying, but he couldn’t quite accept that Yan Shengping was saying it to him.
After all, he hadn’t done anything for Yan Shengping. He had only managed to catch the last hour of his birthday. When others spoke ill of Yan Shengping, he had no status or power to make them shut up, only able to offer meager support with his words.
“I…” Lin Ganzhi lowered his head, not knowing how to face this.
But this time, Yan Shengping seemed determined not to let him off the hook. He gently but firmly cupped Lin Ganzhi’s face, which was heavy with hesitation and worry, forcing him to meet his gaze.
“Lin Ganzhi, don’t be afraid to trouble me. I have been accepting your kindness all this time. So, you must also try to accept me. Can you do that?”
Yan Shengping’s eyes were filled with seriousness, with no hint of joking. He seemed like a completely different person from the Yan Shengping who had only lived under the same roof with Lin Ganzhi because of a verbal agreement. A flicker of confusion crossed Lin Ganzhi’s eyes.
Is Yan Shengping asking me to truly accept him as a person, and not just see him as a character from a book?
Lin Ganzhi was silent for a rather long time. He thought about many things. He knew that Yan Shengping was actually a very good person—sharp-tongued but soft-hearted, decisive in business, but with a kind heart. He was incredibly good to him, an employee, almost to the point of being the best boss of the year. But before this, he had always interacted with Yan Shengping with the attitude of an observer watching a story character. It seemed that in his heart, there was always an unbreakable film between them.
The day their contract ended, his connection with Yan Shengping would be severed forever.
Initially, he hadn’t held much hope for how today would turn out. He had imagined many scenarios, such as Yan Shengping not caring about his foolish efforts, not appreciating him rushing back from so far away through so much hardship, and even scolding him a few times.
In short, the current situation was far better than he had anticipated. To be honest, he was a little happy. He was happy that Yan Shengping was accepting his off-course efforts, even speaking to him so gently and telling him to accept his kindness.
Did this mean, in a way, that Yan Shengping had completely accepted him as a person?
Lin Ganzhi was surprised by his own analysis, and at the same time, a little happy. Under Yan Shengping’s gaze, a mix of complex emotions swirled within him, and Lin Ganzhi finally gave a silly nod.
I get it. The boss sees me as a brother now!
Receiving a definite answer, Yan Shengping was also very happy. This little fool must have figured some things out after thinking for so long. But what was there left to doubt when he was willing to overcome all obstacles in such cold weather just to wish him a happy birthday? The jealousy he had felt during the variety show had completely vanished in that instant.
Then, Lin Ganzhi witnessed Yan Shengping smile so happily for the first time. His already excellent features seemed to be further enhanced in that moment. A touch of frailness softened Yan Shengping’s sharp facial features with a misty beauty. His lips curved up slightly, and his fair skin seemed to glow under the cold light.
What was even more stunning was the aura he exuded when he smiled. Lin Ganzhi felt as if he had experienced a magnificent scene of melting ice and blooming spring within his mind.
As he watched, Lin Ganzhi’s mind went blank. He didn’t need a mirror to know that his cheeks must be flushed and the tips of his ears were practically burning. Who could resist such divine beauty?
Lin Ganzhi covered his nose and gently pushed some distance between himself and Yan Shengping. With a nasal tone that sounded almost like a whine, he said, “Yan Shengping, you… don’t look at me like that.”
Yan Shengping frowned in confusion. Didn’t he just understand? Why the sudden change of heart?
Then Lin Ganzhi continued, “With looks like yours, in ancient times, you would have caused the downfall of a nation. If you debuted in the entertainment industry now, you’d be stealing jobs from actors and the center position from idols. The destructive power is too strong. I can’t take it!”
After this rapid-fire speech, Lin Ganzhi turned away to cover his face and calm down. After a moment, he said, “My suggestion is that Mr. Yan should try not to smile in front of people in the future. It could easily cause a public stampede.”
The perfectly good atmosphere was all but destroyed by Lin Ganzhi’s stream of compliments. Yan Shengping was half-amused, half-exasperated by this little foolish fox. His looks were the last thing he cared about. This face might be an asset in the entertainment industry, but in the business world, he had been looked down upon by countless people because of it when he was just starting out.
His familiar subordinates all knew his temper. He disliked it most when people discussed his appearance, a shadow left over from his days of struggle. However, when Lin Ganzhi said it, he didn’t feel the same aversion. Instead, he felt a sense that it was his advantage. So he couldn’t help but ask another question:
“So, do you like this face? Or do you hate it?”
“Any Face-con would love it!” Lin Ganzhi answered without hesitation, determined to let Yan Shengping know just how handsome he was on his twenty-ninth birthday.
“Face-con?” Yan Shengping wasn’t familiar with internet buzzwords, having only recently started surfing the web in the last few months.