EHEWASS CHAPTER 87

Chapter 87: Ye Zeqian

In one of A City’s most prestigious residential communities, on the seventeenth floor. 

Two adjacent apartments had been combined into one, giving the entire floor to the Ye family.

Low-key and pragmatic, that was the Yes’ family motto. Because of that, Ye Zeqian had never lived the kind of lavish life one would expect from a wealthy clan’s descendant. He wasn’t all that different from an upper-middle-class kid. He drove a mid-range car, wore good quality but little-known brands.

It was precisely this refusal to conform that made him the famous “high-mountain flower” of the city’s upper circles.

There’s a saying: “Go with the flow but stay untainted.” Even while surrounded by materialism, he managed to keep his own pace and his own principles.

But there’s another saying too: “Push anything to an extreme, and it’ll turn against you.” Someone too out of step with the mainstream eventually becomes a “weirdo” in everyone else’s eyes.

Those who admired him thought he was wonderful. Those who didn’t thought he couldn’t be more insufferable.

That was Ye Zeqian in a nutshell, never one to compromise or curry favor.

“Back already?” His mother, Bai Xuan, glanced toward the door.

“Mom.” Ye Zeqian came over, holding a man’s coat that clearly didn’t belong to him, it clashed entirely with his own outfit. “It’s already past eleven. You’re still up?”

“Whose coat is that?” Bai Xuan narrowed her eyes.

“A friend’s,” he said.

“Are you and Gao Zhen back together?” Bai Xuan’s tone soured immediately. She had never liked Gao Zhen. To be honest, she preferred her son end up with a woman. After all, surrogacy was legal now, having a child was no problem.

“No.” Ye Zeqian quickly clarified. “I can’t stand him anymore, don’t even mention his name. And this coat belongs to Young Master Xu, not one of those shady people you’re imagining.”

Bai Xuan froze. “Which Young Master Xu?”

“Xu Chaoyan.”

“Didn’t you refuse the blind date with him?” she frowned.

Her son looked up sharply. “What blind date?”

The memory of that invitation from three days ago hit him like a punch, his vision went black for a second.

“I know Xu Jing,” Bai Xuan said, referring to Xu Chaoyan’s aunt. “She mentioned the family was helping him find a match.”

Ye Zeqian pinched the bridge of his nose to keep his temper in check. “Why didn’t you just tell me?” Linda had only said there was a meeting, not who it was with!

“I didn’t know you’d be interested.” Bai Xuan gave a teasing smile. “Well, it’s not too late to pursue it now, just make sure you don’t regret it later.”

She wasn’t against the idea of her son “marrying up,” so long as he could handle the pressure that came with it.

He nodded silently, took a few steps toward his room, then stopped and turned back. “Does he know about this?”

“I’m not sure,” Bai Xuan admitted. “Maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t. But I’d guess yes.”

Someone of that stature would never agree to a meeting without knowing who was involved.

“……” Ye Zeqian pressed a hand to his burning face as he walked away, utterly mortified.

Who else in the world would dare reject a man like Xu Chaoyan? That wasn’t dignity, that was idiocy.

Luckily, the other man’s grace and self-control were impeccable. He hadn’t shown a hint of offense, and had even gone out of his way to help him afterward.

Ye Zeqian had always been arrogantly convinced that none of the so-called “excellent men” around him were truly worthy.

They were either emotionally stunted, tasteless, or straight men with zero self-awareness. The best of them might be “flawless” in manners, but lacked an interesting soul.

Yet now, here was someone with both outstanding inside and out, refined, intelligent, and genuinely captivating.

And he didn’t dare make a move.

He could only send texts that gave away nothing of what he felt.

Ye Zeqian: Mr. Xu, I’ve arrived home. Good night.
Xu Chaoyan: Good night.

Just two words. Two perfectly neutral words.

He couldn’t read a single emotion from them. No warmth, no irritation, nothing at all.

Meanwhile, Li Dong was brushing his teeth when the message came in. He replied with one hand, absently typing two words.

After all, in his understanding, Ye Zeqian was supposed to be aloof and self-contained. A man who valued solitude. The book never once described him as the gentle, clingy type.

Ye Zeqian: I just spoke with my mother and learned that the blind date I turned down a few days ago was actually with you. I’m really surprised… You need a blind date?

Li Dong raised an eyebrow.

At that moment, the supposedly proud nobleman didn’t look cold at all, more like a bashful little white rabbit testing the waters, clutching a carrot with a pouty “If you want it, you can take it but I’m not giving it first.”

Xu Chaoyan: Yes. I didn’t realize you didn’t know it was me. I thought you turned it down because I wasn’t good enough.

Ye Zeqian: Mr. Xu really knows how to joke.
(If this man counted as “not good enough,” then all other men might as well jump off a cliff.)

Xu Chaoyan: Haha, as long as you’re not disappointed it wasn’t me.

A moment later, another text followed:
Xu Chaoyan: It’s late. Rest early, Zeqian.

Ye Zeqian stared at those two messages, his heart sinking. He typed only:
Ye Zeqian: Good night.

If only he could suggest a second “blind date”… but how could he possibly bring that up himself?

Li Dong, ever disciplined, rarely stayed up past midnight. By eleven he was usually in bed.

The next morning, he drank a large glass of warm water, then went out jogging or cycling between seven and eight.

If the weather was bad, he went to the gym. If he didn’t feel like exercising, he read or cooked his own breakfast.

At eight o’clock sharp, he’d sit down to a balanced meal and start the day full of energy.

By nine, he was at the office, greeting everyone he passed with a bright, genuine smile.

“Good morning.”

And it wasn’t a fake, corporate kind of smile. It was warm, sincere, and disarming.

At that same time, Ye Zeqian stood by the elevator, holding a paper bag. His mind was blank. Every time he saw the man, he somehow forgot how to breathe.

“Morning.” Li Dong reached past his waist to press the elevator button, smiling faintly.

“Morning…” Ye Zeqian managed stiffly, then lifted the bag. “Here’s your coat.” He’d dropped it off at a dry cleaner’s the night before and rushed to pick it up this morning.

“The elevator’s here.” Li Dong didn’t take the coat, he just pulled Ye Zeqian inside with him.

Normally, the germ-phobic man would’ve scowled at being touched, but before he could freeze up, his face flushed instead.

When the elevator filled with professionals heading to work, the two were pushed to the corner.

Knowing full well that Ye Zeqian hated crowded spaces, Li Dong shielded him with his arm, creating a small bubble of space around them.

And just like that, Ye Zeqian found himself pressed against the man’s chest, breathing only his scent.

He noticed people glancing at them enviously.

Well, this was definitely the kind of thing novels would call “swoon-worthy,” he thought smugly, leaning in just a bit closer.

“Ah, I forgot. Your floor’s an even number.” Li Dong’s deep voice vibrated against his chest, making Ye Zeqian’s scalp tingle. “Tell you what, come up to twenty-nine first, then go back down.”

“Mmh…” A strange little sound escaped his throat, startling him.

Flustered, he gripped the paper bag tighter but couldn’t seem to move away.

“We’re here.” Li Dong glanced down at him with a calm smile.

“Oh…” Ye Zeqian hurriedly straightened up, smoothing his already-perfect hair, and followed him out.

“The down elevator’s right across.” Li Dong pressed the button for him.

“Thank you.” Still dazed, Ye Zeqian mumbled, “Morning elevators are always packed, I could’ve just taken the stairs.” It was only one floor. He wasn’t that delicate.

“True.” Li Dong turned toward the stairwell.

“Mr. Xu…” Ye Zeqian blurted, “You never thought of inviting me to your office for a visit?” He’d been waiting all morning to ask, practically giving himself an ulcer over it.

“You want to see my office?” Li Dong looked surprised. “Sure. I thought Mondays would be too busy for you.”

That was genuinely unexpected, Ye Zeqian had actually asked first.

“I’m not busy. I just didn’t know if you were.” His voice sounded awkward even to his own ears. He felt like one of those desperate guys who used to hit on him.

“The busiest time’s already passed, so now’s fine.” Li Dong reached out and took the bag from his hand. “Come on, I’ll show you the office I designed myself.”

He’d just finished redecorating over the weekend, tailored perfectly to his own taste.

“Alright.” Ye Zeqian couldn’t stop stealing glances at him. “I’ve been meaning to redecorate mine too. Maybe I can get some inspiration,” he said, immediately hating how shallow it sounded.

A man with such confidence in his own taste didn’t need “inspiration” from anyone.

“Sure, we can talk ideas.” Li Dong opened the office door. “Please, come in, my landlord.”

The view that greeted him, and that teasing line, hit Ye Zeqian all at once.

“Mr. Xu, your sense of aesthetics is completely beyond my expectations…”

Until that moment, he hadn’t realized an office could feel this warm and comfortable, like a true home.

There were few phrases in the world more reassuring than a man who knows how to make a home.

---

Author’s Note:
【What’s it like to marry Dong-ge?】【Thank you to all the lovely ones for the nutrient solution~ I adore you!】

           TOC