45 : sensitive that before

 Since Yin Luo chose to leave with Shang Chengnin at the last auction, Duan Muze had focused all his attention on his work. He suddenly realized what kind of man was worthy of Yin Luo.

A mature man like Shang Chengnin, successful in his career and confident in everything.

Or a young, sunny, and privileged young master like Lu Ran.

He didn't belong to either category.

He was just a stray dog ​​struggling to survive.

No wonder Yin Luo looked down on him.

Duan Muze channeled his longing for Yin Luo into motivation at work. From that day on, he slept very little each day, and his methods gradually became ruthless. Soon, under his leadership, the company began to become the leading company in Wucheng.

The Duan family patriarch also saw all this. After all, they were all his sons, with his blood flowing through their veins. Rather than entrusting them to a useless person raised from childhood, it was better to give them to someone truly capable.

Especially since he saw a certain drive in Duan Muze—a drive that was both crazy and obsessive. He admired such a person and needed such a person to inherit his legacy.

Six months later, Duan Muze officially became the heir of the Duan family, securing his position. Even the old foxes in the company dared not openly question him.

Duan Qixuan and his mother had several arguments, but the head of the Duan family was unwell and residing in a high-end sanatorium, unwilling to see the spendthrift mother and son.

All power was concentrated in Duan Muze's hands.

So when the mother and son came to the company to cause trouble for Duan Muze, they were driven away by security without even being seen. Those who had previously spoken up for them, seeing their position was now secure, quickly switched sides and sided with Duan Muze.

Duan Qixuan had no choice but to give up.

However, despite their past treatment of Duan Muze, he didn't seem to intend to eliminate them. They continued to live in the villa they were entitled to, and continued to squander their inheritance.

Little did they know that their status had already begun to change.

They had gone from arrogant playboys bullying an illegitimate son to parasites of the Duan family.

Although they would live a life of comfort and luxury, they constantly worried about whether Duan Muze would kick them out and had to be mindful of others' opinions.

Fortunately, Duan Muze didn't care about them and didn't dwell on their past bullying and insults.

Only when he had power firmly in his grasp did he dare to dial that familiar number.

After a few rings, the phone was switched off.

Duan Muze waited patiently

for a while, then dialed again, but it was still switched off.

A bad feeling crept into his heart. Out of worry, Duan Muze canceled his work and drove to Yinluo's school. He drove all the way to the dormitory building and called Yinluo again.

The phone was switched off.

Duan Muze put away his phone, frowned, and went into the dormitory building to find the dormitory manager.

The dorm supervisor, who had been taking a nap, was annoyed to be woken up, but upon noticing that the man opposite him looked even more annoyed, he held back his complaints and helped flip through the dorm management records: "I know this student you're talking about, the one who's even fairer and prettier than a little girl, let me see..."

The supervisor searched, then suddenly slapped his forehead: "Right, I remember now, isn't his surname Yin? I remember that surname is quite unique, but it seems he hasn't been here this semester."

Duan Muze's breathing quickened: "Do you know where he went?"

"I heard from his roommates that he went abroad." The supervisor looked up at the man's face, then suddenly realized, "Haven't I seen you before? You used to often come downstairs to pick people up, were you picking up that student—"

Seeing the man's murderous expression, the supervisor guessed what was going on. He had already guessed a bit about their relationship, so he didn't continue, cautiously suggesting, "You could...you could call him, or I could ask his dormmates for you."

Duan Muze took a while to find his voice: "No need, thank you."

The dorm supervisor said sympathetically, "You're welcome."

Duan Muze was like a lost soul. For the past six months, he hadn't dared to sleep too much or have any other thoughts, all so he could become a successful person as soon as possible—at least, have the same advantages as Yin Luo's other suitors. And

what happened? While he was still anxiously thinking about how to win her back, Yin Luo had already abandoned him.

Rain began to fall.

Duan Muze's hair was soaked, and he stood there for a long time before getting back to his car.

He didn't go back to the company, but went to his apartment.

Inside, there was a layer of dust. Duan Muze sat at the dining table, facing the window. The sky was overcast, the rain outside was getting heavier, and the room was warm and quiet.

He didn't know how long he had been lost in thought, but he began to hallucinate.

"It's awful..." the boy's voice, lingering with complaint, rang out from across the room. Duan Muze jerked his head up, but the familiar face had vanished again.

The man's shoulders finally relaxed.

He pressed his temples, the weariness of the

past surging deep into his heart.

Pain.

It was a pain he had rarely experienced.

It was like being helped up from a mud pit, finally believing it, only to have the other person suddenly let go just as he was about to climb out.

And then leaving without a trace of regret.

Not even a glance back.

He had been abandoned.

He had been abandoned again.

If Yinluo were in this room right now, Duan Muze would want to grab his shoulders and ask him directly.

He wanted to ask him.

Were all those words true?

Was his wish for my happiness on my birthday true?

Was it true that he would stay in this dilapidated house even if it were filled with roses?

Memories flooded back like a tidal wave, suffocating Duan Muze, his eyes turning bloodshot. He suddenly stood up and walked towards the bedroom.

There was a desk next to the bed. Duan Muze opened the drawer, took out the box, and went out. It

was already dark outside, the dim streetlights illuminated the scene, and occasionally a car or two passed by, their headlights reflecting the heavy rain. Duan Muze stood by the trash can and threw the box in.

Then, expressionless, he went upstairs.

He turned off his phone, dried his hair, and turned on the TV to try and make the room noisy.

Two hours passed like this.

Suddenly, Duan Muze jumped up nervously and stormed out—

he still couldn't bear to throw it away.

Those memories, fading into silence.

The rain outside was heavy, and the once half-empty trash can was now full. Duan Muze had to bend down to rummage through the trash.

A mother and daughter came downstairs. The little girl saw someone rummaging through the trash can: "Mommy, what is he doing?"

This was an upscale neighborhood with excellent security, so homeless people wouldn't be rummaging through the trash cans. Plus, the man was handsome and well-dressed… The woman, holding the child protectively, chose another path.

Duan Muze didn't even look up.

The usually aloof and handsome man was now completely soaked, his hair obscuring his eyes, rain streaming down his face. He

looked utterly disheveled.

His expensive shirt cuffs were stained with trash, and he continued searching for the box in the stinking bin, oblivious to the mess.

He had thrown it in himself, and now he had to retrieve it like a drowned rat.

But he finally found it.

Duan Muze took the box back; it wasn't waterproof, and everything inside was soaked—cufflinks, a small fan, the receipts for the movies they'd seen together…

The cufflinks and fan were okay; the man carefully wiped them clean with tissues.

As for the nearly rotten movie tickets, he slowly dried them and then glued them back together.

After finishing, Duan Muze slumped weakly in his chair, his face deathly pale, his eyes bloodshot, like a wounded but helpless wild beast.

He knew.

From the moment he went downstairs to retrieve the box, he knew he couldn't forget Yin Luo.

But he would never trust him again.

*

Years later.

Wucheng Airport.

Yin Luo landed at noon, the weather was fine from the car.

He left in winter, and returned after winter had passed.

He bought his own flight, deliberately not telling anyone, until he got a call from Yin Yuzhou after leaving the airport: "Yin Yin, have you gotten bolder?"

"Weren't you busy lately? So I came back by myself." Yin Luo stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window in the airport, looking at his reflection, "I'll be home in an hour, I need to call Mom, I'll hang up now."

On the other end of the line, the man listening to the dial tone gave a helpless smile.

He's grown up.

He doesn't even call her "brother" anymore.

Thinking that they hadn't seen each other for a while, Yin Yuzhou quickened his pace.

Over here, Yin Luo called his mother and, as expected, got a scolding. But since he'd been wandering abroad for years, his mother couldn't bear to yell at him; she only said a few words, mainly telling him to be careful when he came back.

Yin Luo comforted her for a bit before hanging up.

Actually, it wasn't that he didn't want his family to pick him up, but as soon as he sent out his flight information, besides his family, Shang Chengnin and Lu Ran would definitely know too.

In the original story, the second male lead and the third male lead already had a good relationship with the male lead, so it was impossible for them to come to the airport to pick him up.

He wanted to avoid disrupting the plot.

Yin Luo opened his phone and arranged for a car to wait there. Then he was bumped by someone next to him.

It wasn't a hard bump, just a graze on his shoulder. He looked up at the other person; it was a tall, good-looking young man.

The young man smiled at him: "Sorry."

Yin Luo moved aside

a bit: "It's okay."

The young man couldn't help but glance at Yin Luo again.

He had noticed this young man earlier. Slender and upright, with delicate features, fair skin, and an elegant and fragile neck line under his coat.

He rarely encountered such a handsome man.

And he seemed so gullible.

The boy, itching to speak, was suddenly approached by two tall, muscular men in sunglasses, who appeared to be bodyguards. They surrounded him, their menacing demeanor suggesting they would drag him away if he took another step. Looks like he's taken.

That's understandable; someone as handsome as him wouldn't lack suitors. The boy left dejectedly.

System: [Host, you're back in the country. They're not even hiding anymore.]

Yin Luo glanced at the two men in black suits beside him.

Old acquaintances.

In his second year abroad, the system alerted him that Duan Muze had sent people to follow him. However, these men hadn't done anything to him, even helping to drive away some of his harassing suitors.

Yin Luo had let them be.

But Duan Muze was more vengeful than he'd imagined, actually sending people to follow him… He thought that a year would somewhat fade these memories, after all, he was just a minor passerby in the male lead's life. Why did the hatred deepen with time?

If he stays abroad and doesn't come back, I guess I'll just drag him into an alley and kill him one day.

System: [No way, that doesn't fit the male lead's character, and the original plot is to slowly torture you, host.]

Yin Luo: [...]

Yin Luo: [Baby, don't call me "big brother" anymore, you're scaring me while calling me so affectionately.]

System: [Don't worry, host, I will protect you (#^.^#)]

Retribution is inevitable, besides, Yin Luo has already been abroad for years, and has seen everything he hadn't seen in real life before, so he has no regrets.

It's time to face these things.

*

The day after he returned home, Shang Chengnin and Lu Ran heard the news and called him to ask him out. Yin Luo hadn't eaten Chinese food in a long time, so he didn't refuse.

In the past few years abroad, the two of them would fly over to see him whenever they had time, so they didn't see much change when they met, especially Shang Chengnin, who was over ten years old but still well-maintained.

Lu Ran, on the other hand, had grown taller and had taken on many fashion shows, and had many fans because of his looks. Everything

seemed to be progressing as expected. And these two seemed even more attentive, bringing him gifts and taking him out to eat every few days. Yin Luo felt like he could live a life of luxury. Early April weekend. At a banquet. Amidst the clinking of glasses, Yin Luo followed behind Yin Yuzhou, occasionally calling out to those who came, then taking a sip of his wine. He wasn't fond of socializing, but the host of this banquet had specifically requested his presence. The host's identity was self-evident. Yin Yuzhou knew what the other party was planning and didn't intend for Yin Luo to attend, but Yin Luo insisted: "Brother, don't you still have business to discuss with him? If I don't go, he'll definitely make things difficult for you and for Mom and Dad." Duan Muze's inherent protagonist aura had allowed him to establish a firm foothold in Wucheng over the years, his position unshakeable. Only the merchants were still doing relatively well. But the Yin family's business had plummeted due to Duan Muze's deliberate obstruction. They all knew the reason, but had no choice but to yield to him. Yin Yuzhou has put a lot of effort into his work these past few years, and he's become quite exhausted, but he still can't escape the protagonist's aura. Yin Luo felt a little sorry for him, after all, Yin Yuzhou had treated him quite well. Now that he's back, the target of retaliation will shift to him alone, which is beneficial to the Yin family in any case.

Seeing that Yin Yuzhou was about to say something, Yin Luo volunteered, "Brother, don't worry, I won't lose anything by going."

Of course not, he wouldn't be gone after going.

This banquet was the beginning of Duan Muze's revenge.

Yin Yuzhou sighed and pressed his forehead, repeating his instructions several times before finally agreeing to let Yin Luo go.

However, two hours had passed since the banquet, and Yin Luo still hadn't seen Duan Muze. He had drunk two glasses of red wine and was feeling a bit tipsy, so he put down his glass and went to the garden outside for some fresh air.

The garden was quite unique, planted entirely with roses, which looked exceptionally beautiful under the moonlight.

Yin Luo stayed alone for a while, then turned to go back, only to find someone standing by the door.

His breathing quickened.

Compared to his aloof and arrogant demeanor of a few years ago, Duan Muze was more mature, but his aura remained unapproachable. The surrounding lights were bright enough to see the coldness in the man's eyes.

Perhaps from drinking too much, Yin Luo's legs felt weak.

There were only the two of them in the garden, the atmosphere awkwardly tense, with Duan Muze's gaze fixed

on him.

Yin Luo felt uncomfortable under his gaze and was considering whether to walk past him and go straight into the house when the man's voice suddenly rang out: "We're all acquaintances, aren't you going to say hello?"

His voice was icy.

Should...should she say hello?

Yin Luo subconsciously bit her lip. Was Duan Muze's temper really this bad before? Back then, he seemed to just ignore people, not speak with such barbs. He's

definitely grown a lot.

"Um...my brother is looking for me." Yin Luo cautiously took a few steps towards him, pointing to the door next to the man, "Could you please move aside?"

The man suddenly chuckled coldly.

Just when Yin Luo thought she was about to be mocked again, Duan Muze suddenly moved aside.

It seems...he's not so difficult to talk to after all. Perhaps the experiences of the past few years have made him more magnanimous.

Yin Luo pursed her lips and walked past him.

*

People kept coming and going around Yin Yuzhou.

Yin Luo didn't go to his side, but simply sent him a message and left the banquet.

This fits his character perfectly.

According to the original plot, Yin Luo was a spoiled young master; after being reprimanded, he certainly wouldn't stay any longer. Moreover, he hadn't expected anyone to be waiting for him outside, which is why he went back alone.

The lights outside dimmed instantly.

Yin Luo looked for his driver; his lips, soaked in alcohol, were slightly numb, so he licked them involuntarily.

He couldn't find the driver, but a man in a black suit approached him: "Mr. Yin, our master would like to invite you to the car for a chat."

After following him for two years, Yin Luo finally heard the voice of a bodyguard in a suit.

However, this differed from the original story—in the original, Duan Muze had the bodyguard simply drug him and take him to the car. This was much more polite.

System: [Host, this isn't important; the result is the same.]

Yin Luo: [...]

His purpose in attending the banquet was to be taken away by Duan Muze, so he didn't waste any more time and followed the bodyguard to a black car. Before

he could even react, the car door opened, and the man inside grabbed him by the waist and pulled him inside.

Yin

Luo didn't know how things had turned out this way.

It didn't seem like a kidnapping at all. The fact

that he couldn't move was quite like it, though.

At that moment, the car slowly started moving. He sat

on the man's lap, his waist tightly wrapped around him.

Duan Muze's body temperature was so high, the heat constantly radiating through him. Yin Luo felt uncomfortable, shifting uncontrollably, then struggling symbolically a couple of times, beginning to recite the lines he already knew by heart: "Duan Muze… what… what are you going to do—uh—"

He felt a pinch on his waist.

Instantly, he lost all strength and finally sat obediently.

"Finally willing to call my name?"

Duan Muze's breath was intense, hitting Yin Luo's ears and the back of his neck. Those were precisely his most sensitive spots. He couldn't help but shiver, letting out a small, muffled sob.

The man was already deeply immersed in this rich fragrance.

For the past two years, someone had been sending him photos of Yin Luo to his email every day. Eating, reading, laughing, daydreaming…

They had never met, yet Duan Muze had become the person who understood Yin Luo best.

But some things couldn't be seen in photos.

For example, Yin Luo's slightly taller figure, his fully developed features, and the familiar scent.

Duan Muze took a deep breath.

Just now in the garden, he had wanted to hold him like this.

This time, he wouldn't let Yin Luo leave again.

The man's other hand covered Yin Luo's slender, long palm, tightly entwining his fingers. The mole on the young man's wrist had faded considerably. It

must look beautiful when it swayed.

He thought.

He chuckled softly again, his gaze falling on the young man's pinkish earlobe, and almost uncontrollably biting it.

This elicited a shiver from the person on top of him.

Duan Muze could hear Yin Luo's soft sobs/gasps. He maliciously rubbed the small patch of soft flesh on the earlobe with his teeth, then said in a low, husky voice, word by word, "

Seems more sensitive than before."

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