Ch74 - (II). Not ashamed, but proud

When Yan Chen arrived at the entrance of the National Assembly Hall and saw Rong Jun waiting there, a flicker of surprise crossed his face.

He quickly suppressed the warmth rising in his chest. He knew Rong Jun too well, this kind of unusual behavior was likely just an attempt to soothe him after everything that had happened.

In a few days, things would probably return to normal.

Still, he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “Why are you getting off work so early today?”

Rong Jun fastened his seatbelt. “I should be leaving around this time from now on.”

“What?”

Yan Chen’s grip tightened around the steering wheel. Thankfully, the car hadn’t started yet, otherwise, he might have hit the accelerator on instinct.

Rong Jun had expected the reaction. A faint, almost smug smile appeared as he briefly recounted what had happened that morning and the decision he had made, carefully omitting the part about invoking Yan Chen’s name to gain leverage.

By the time they got home, Yan Chen’s excitement hadn’t faded in the slightest.

And that only made Rong Jun feel worse.

Yan Chen was so easy to satisfy. That simple happiness only highlighted how little attention Rong Jun had given him before. Not only had Yan Chen always taken care of him in daily life, but Rong Jun had even used his name to protect his own pride.

The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt. He rubbed his forehead and let out a quiet sigh.

Yan Chen noticed immediately. Pulling him into his arms, he asked softly, “Qingqing, did something happen?”

“V…”

Rong Jun met his gaze briefly, but after only a second or two, he looked away.

“Did someone make things difficult for you because of this?”

Yan Chen’s eyes darkened, a dangerous glint surfacing. Rong Jun’s silence only deepened his unease. The tension in his expression intensified even more, determined to get rid of the person who hurt his Qingqing.

He reached out, pinching Rong Jun’s chin and lifting it so their eyes met.

His voice then turned cold, wanting to get an answer from Rong Jun.

“Speak.”

“No—no.” Rong Jun shivered slightly under that gaze, instinctively trying to pull back.

But before he could, Yan Chen’s hand pressed firmly against his back, drawing him close again.

Left with no escape, Rong Jun could only stay where he was, his eyes shifting guiltily to the side. “It was just… a little argument.”

“What happened exactly?”

Yan Chen’s grip tightened. The concern in his voice was impossible to hide.

Rong Jun had meant to tell him everything. But now that the moment had come, embarrassment tangled his thoughts, and his words came out haltingly.

“I…I…”

Yan Chen narrowed his eyes. “Qingqing, are you sure you want to keep doing this? You can just tell me and I will quickly take care of it.”

Rong Jun shook his head immediately. After a brief pause, he gathered his courage, pursed his lips, and slowly explained the part he had left out.

When he finished, he gently pushed Yan Chen’s hand away, lowered his head, and didn’t dare look at him.

A moment passed.

Then suddenly… Warm breath brushed against his ear. A hand came up to cradle the back of his neck… Yan Chen’s fingers idly stroking his skin.

And then suddenly the wolf bursted out laughing.

Rong Jun froze.

What followed left him even more stunned.

“Well done,” Yan Chen said, his voice low, laced with amusement. “Keep it up.”

“…Huh?”

Rong Jun pushed him away slightly, staring at him in disbelief, his mind going completely blank.

“I didn’t know you had it in you,” Yan Chen continued, clearly delighted. He pulled Rong Jun into a tight embrace, then, without warning, lifted him and dropped back onto the bed with him in his arms.

Looking back, he realized that over the past few years, Rong Jun had changed in subtle ways from the person he remembered.

And yet… It didn’t matter to him, he will always accept him no matter how he will turn out to be.

From beginning to end, he had never been able to let him go. Rong Jun will always be Rong Jun to him.

The sudden fall made Rong Jun’s head jolt slightly, leaving him dazed. Even after recovering, he still couldn’t quite follow Yan Chen’s train of thought. It was frustrating… And yet… there was an undeniable warmth spreading through his chest.

He wrapped his arms around Yan Chen’s waist, burying his face as he muttered softly, “Get up, you didn’t change your clothes yet before lying on the bed…”

Yan Chen only smiled, completely unconcerned.

After all… Rong Jun had always been like this when he was shy.

He would say the most nonsense stuff.