The days dragged on in heavy silence.
Guàn Jǐngchén's routine remained rigid. He left for the office early and returned late, carrying the invisible weight of boardroom battles and lingering suspicion. Lin Yuè stayed confined to the penthouse like a beautiful, obedient prisoner — cooking meals, keeping the space clean, and waiting every evening with quiet anticipation.
Tonight, the tension felt thicker than usual.
Guàn Jǐngchén came home later than normal, the scent of whiskey faint on his breath. The moment the door closed, he looked at Lin Yuè — who was waiting in the living room wearing nothing but a loose white button-down shirt — and something in his eyes snapped.
"Come here," he ordered, voice low and rough.
Lin Yuè crossed the room without hesitation. Guàn Jǐngchén grabbed him by the waist and pulled him into a bruising kiss, tongue invading immediately, hands shoving under the shirt to grip bare skin.
"You've been alone all day," Guàn Jǐngchén growled against his mouth. "Thinking about me?"
"Always," Lin Yuè breathed.
Guàn Jǐngchén walked him backward until they reached the couch. He pushed Lin Yuè down onto it, then stood over him, stripping off his own jacket and shirt with impatient movements. His eyes never left Lin Yuè's body as he opened his trousers.
"On your back. Legs open."
Lin Yuè obeyed instantly, spreading his thighs. The shirt rode up, exposing everything. Guàn Jǐngchén slicked himself quickly and knelt between his legs, thrusting inside with one hard stroke.
A sharp moan escaped Lin Yuè. Guàn Jǐngchén didn't give him time to adjust — he set a brutal pace, hips snapping forward, hands gripping Lin Yuè's thighs hard enough to leave bruises.
"Every meeting today," Guàn Jǐngchén panted between thrusts, "they kept asking about you. About whether I'm compromised. About whether I'm thinking with my cock instead of my head."
Lin Yuè whimpered, back arching as the CEO drove deeper. "I'm sorry… I never wanted to make things harder for you."
Guàn Jǐngchén's hand wrapped around Lin Yuè's cock, stroking him roughly. "Then take it. Take everything I need to give you."
The rhythm was punishing. The couch creaked under them. Lin Yuè's moans grew louder, more broken, until he came with a sharp cry, spilling over Guàn Jǐngchén's hand. The CEO followed with a deep groan, burying himself to the hilt as he filled him.
Afterward, Guàn Jǐngchén collapsed on top of him, breathing hard. He didn't pull out immediately. He stayed buried deep, face pressed against Lin Yuè's neck.
"I hate how much I still need you," he admitted quietly, voice strained. "I hate that even after everything, I can't stop wanting this."
Lin Yuè wrapped his arms around the CEO's back, holding him close.
"I know," he whispered. "I'm still here. I'll take whatever you need to give me."
Guàn Jǐngchén stayed silent for a long moment.
Then he pulled out slowly and stood, offering his hand. Lin Yuè took it, letting himself be led to the bathroom. They showered together — Guàn Jǐngchén washing him with surprisingly gentle hands, fingers tracing every mark he had left earlier.
Later, as they lay in bed, Guàn Jǐngchén held Lin Yuè from behind, one arm locked around his waist.
"The board is calling another emergency meeting tomorrow," he said into the darkness. "They're threatening to force the issue if I don't distance myself publicly."
Lin Yuè's fingers tightened on the arm around him.
"What will you do?"
Guàn Jǐngchén's grip tightened in response.
"I don't know yet," he admitted. "But I'm not letting them take you from me. Not after everything."
Lin Yuè turned in his arms and pressed a soft kiss to his collarbone.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Guàn Jǐngchén didn't reply. He simply pulled Lin Yuè closer and closed his eyes.
The anger was still there.
The distrust still lingered like smoke.
But so did the love — stubborn, bruised, and refusing to die.
In the quiet penthouse, with the weight of the outside world pressing in, they held each other through another night, both wondering how much longer they could survive in this painful, fragile space between hatred and devotion.
End of Chapter 57