The night before the board meeting, the penthouse was wrapped in a heavy, electric silence.
Guàn Jǐngchén had come home earlier than usual, the weight of tomorrow's vote visible in the tight line of his shoulders. He found Lin Yuè in the kitchen, quietly preparing dinner in one of his oversized black shirts. The sight stopped him in the doorway.
For a long moment, he simply watched — the delicate way Lin Yuè moved, the way the shirt slipped off one shoulder, the soft vulnerability in his posture.
Then he crossed the room in three strides.
He spun Lin Yuè around and kissed him like a man drowning. The kiss was fierce, desperate, full of everything he couldn't say. His hands shoved under the shirt, gripping bare skin as he lifted Lin Yuè onto the kitchen counter.
"Tomorrow," Guàn Jǐngchén growled against his mouth, biting his lower lip, "everything could change. The board might force my hand."
Lin Yuè gasped, legs wrapping around the CEO's waist. "Then take me tonight. Take everything you need."
Guàn Jǐngchén didn't hesitate. He shoved the shirt up to Lin Yuè's chest and pulled his own trousers open. Slicking himself quickly, he thrust inside with one hard stroke, drawing a sharp cry from Lin Yuè.
The rhythm was immediate and punishing — deep, fast, and unrelenting. Guàn Jǐngchén fucked him against the counter like he was trying to brand himself into Lin Yuè's body, one hand gripping his hip while the other tangled in his messy black hair.
"Every time I think about tomorrow," Guàn Jǐngchén panted between powerful thrusts, "I want to lock you in here and never let the world touch you again."
Lin Yuè moaned brokenly, nails digging into broad shoulders. "Then do it. Keep me. Use me. I don't care what the board says — I'm yours."
Guàn Jǐngchén's pace grew savage. The sound of skin slapping skin filled the kitchen. He leaned down and bit Lin Yuè's shoulder, marking him as he drove deeper.
"You're still so tight," he growled. "Still so perfect for me. Even after everything you did."
Lin Yuè came first with a sharp, sobbing cry, spilling between their bodies. Guàn Jǐngchén followed with a guttural groan, burying himself to the hilt as he filled him once more.
They stayed connected for several long minutes, breathing harshly. Guàn Jǐngchén finally pulled out and carried Lin Yuè to the bathroom, washing him gently under the shower despite the anger still simmering beneath his skin.
Later that night, they lay in bed, Lin Yuè curled against Guàn Jǐngchén's chest.
"The board meeting is at 10 AM," Guàn Jǐngchén said quietly, stroking Lin Yuè's back. "They've already prepared the vote. If they win, they want me to publicly announce our separation and suspend all your access."
Lin Yuè's fingers tightened on the CEO's shirt.
"What will you do if they force it?"
Guàn Jǐngchén was silent for a long moment.
"I don't know," he admitted. "Part of me wants to burn it all down. The company. The board. Everything. Just to keep you." His voice dropped lower. "Another part of me still wants to punish you for what you did. To make you feel even a fraction of the pain you caused me."
Lin Yuè lifted his head, eyes glistening in the dim light.
"Then punish me," he whispered. "Hurt me if you need to. I'll take it. As long as you don't throw me away."
Guàn Jǐngchén stared at him, eyes dark and conflicted. Then he rolled them over, pinning Lin Yuè beneath him once more.
He took him again — slower this time, but no less intense. Their eyes stayed locked as he moved deep inside him, every thrust filled with pain, love, and unresolved anger.
"I hate how much I still need you," Guàn Jǐngchén whispered against his lips.
"I know," Lin Yuè breathed, tears slipping down his cheeks. "I love you anyway."
They came together quietly, clinging to each other in the darkness.
Afterward, Guàn Jǐngchén held him tighter than ever, one arm locked around his waist.
"Tomorrow," he whispered into Lin Yuè's hair, "whatever happens… you're still mine."
Lin Yuè closed his eyes, pressing his face into the older man's chest.
"I'm yours," he whispered back.
The board meeting loomed like a guillotine.
One decision could tear them apart.
But in the quiet of the penthouse, with the city lights glowing outside, they held each other through the longest night of their lives — two broken souls refusing to let go, even as the world threatened to rip them apart.
End of Chapter 61