73 : kiss was too shallows

 To free up his weekend time, Yin Luo changed all the recruitment talks he was supposed to attend to weekdays.

There was a large recruitment talk at 8:30 am the next day, and Yin Luo and his roommate got up early, arriving at the lecture hall before they were even fully awake.

Even so, they only managed to get seats in the back row.

Yin Luo had been undergoing desensitization therapy recently, and the results were quite good. Although crowded places still made him uncomfortable, it wasn't unbearable.

He had decided to attend this recruitment talk at the last minute and hadn't had time to find out which companies were recruiting or if there were any internship positions. So he asked a staff member for a brochure.

Yin's mother wanted to give him experience, so she hadn't arranged an internship for him at their company.

The brochure was quite thick. Yin Luo flipped through it, his eyes landing on the first few lines—Duan's Group? After a moment's hesitation, he took out his phone and searched, and it was indeed true.

And it seemed there were internship positions available.

Suddenly, a discussion broke out nearby.

"Wow, which company is he from? How can he be so handsome and young?"

"Looks like the Duan Group?"

"Duan Group? Then he's Duan Muze?! Damn, a domineering CEO has come to life! I really want to work there."

"It seems like they added more openings this year, let's give it a try..."

"Holy crap, he looked this way!! Did he catch you taking a picture?"

"Who took a picture..."

Hearing Duan Muze's name, Yin Luo paused, subconsciously looking up.

When he saw the man in a suit on stage, his heart skipped a beat.

He was too far away to see the man's face and expression clearly, but just from his silhouette and overall demeanor, he could tell that this person was Duan Muze.

The man's back was straight, and his temperament was aloof, making him stand out among the crowd on stage.

Yin Luo reacted for a moment before frowning slightly.

He thought he would only see him on the weekend, but it was earlier than expected.

And didn't he just wake up yesterday? How come he's already back to work?

Just then, the host's voice rang out: "Next, please welcome Mr. Duan Muze, President of the Duan Group, to speak."

Loud applause immediately erupted from the audience.

The Duan Group was originally a large company, but it showed signs of decline a few years ago. After a change of heir, it soared to new heights, surpassing all other companies in the entire Fog City.

Duan

Muze became an idol for many college students, but his achievements were kept very secret online, and he was always low-key, never giving media interviews. This added to

his mystique.

Yin Luo didn't pay much attention to these things, but he had heard classmates mention him until his high school reunion.

They hadn't spoken a word then, and Yin Luo assumed the other didn't recognize him, not expecting him to be so well-hidden.

He put aside his thoughts, thinking he'd call the professor later to ask, and seeing Duan Muze had already walked to the microphone, he immediately clapped.

His roommate sat beside him, unmoved. Yin Luo nudged him with his elbow: "Clap!"

Roommate: "..."

You're cute, I guess.

Duan Muze's voice was low and his speech clear and organized. Compared to many CEOs who gave long-winded presentations about corporate culture, he was better able to understand the students' perspectives and clearly articulate the questions they wanted answered.

“We’ve added more internship positions this year. Interested students can submit their resumes to the person in charge.”

After this brief announcement, Duan Muze came down from backstage. He was probably leaving.

Yin Luo was in the back row, close to the door, and being thin, she quickly found a gap in the crowd and squeezed out.

She was probably lucky; she saw Duan Muze’s tall, upright figure as soon as she came out. He was walking towards the door, followed by two assistants.

He didn’t look like he had just been sick.

There was some distance between them. Yin Luo wanted to call him, but her lips opened and closed again.

What should she call him… She usually just called him Duan Muze, but it wasn’t appropriate in this situation; the other person didn’t recognize her.

Seeing that he was about to turn the corner, Yin Luo didn’t dare hesitate any longer: “Hello!”

Duan Muze stopped.

He turned around, and a very young man was running towards her. He stopped when he reached her, looking up at her.

He must have been chased all the way from the lecture hall; the boy's hair was disheveled, a single tuft of hair stuck up, his cheeks were flushed, and there was a fine layer of sweat on his face.

His lips and the corners of his eyes were also red.

That face was exceptionally handsome.

Duan Muze's eyelids twitched involuntarily.

Even though it was their first meeting, he felt an unusual sense of familiarity with this boy.

His heart began to race.

He steadied his breathing, looked away

, and tried to keep his expression the same as before: "Is there something you need?"

His voice was cold, and his gaze was unfamiliar.

He really didn't recognize him.

His voice trailed off with a hint of disappointment, and he pursed his lips slightly.

Although Duan Muze's expression didn't seem to change to others, his two assistants who knew him well could tell that their boss and the male student opposite them were obviously... a little secretive.

Could it be that Duan was keeping a male college student as a mistress?

The two exchanged glances, shared their thoughts, and then, quite tactfully, took a step back.

Yin Luo raised his chin: "Do you know me?"

Duan Muze's expression was distant, seemingly keeping people at arm's length: "Sorry, I don't know you."

After he finished speaking, the person opposite him clearly showed disappointment, his eyelids drooping, looking somewhat pitiful.

Duan Muze found himself feeling a bit of pity. He was shocked by his own thought, his face stiffening.

He pressed his temples, thinking he might be recovering from a serious illness, his heart feeling uncomfortable.

Seeing the boy opposite him remain silent with his head down, Duan Muze didn't have the patience to give him any more and turned to leave.

Yin Luo noticed this and subconsciously grabbed his sleeve as before: "Duan—"

"Sorry." Duan Muze turned back, coldly interrupting him, "You already have a family, it's not appropriate to have this kind of contact."

Yin Luo: "..."

Family?

Yin Luo felt his sleeve being pulled back, the other person's voice was icy: "If you want to apply for a job, find the person in charge."

After saying that, he left without looking back.

Yin Luo: "..."

He really is cold-hearted.

And what does "having a family" mean?

Yin Luo belatedly realized what was happening and desperately wanted to give Duan Muze a good whack to wake him up. But it was too late. He went into a toilet stall and called Zhao Qing, telling him what had happened that day.

"This kid really said that?!" Zhao Qing raised his voice, thinking, "You're really asking for trouble." Yin Luo continued on the other end, "Yeah... he looked at me very coldly."

Although he knew Duan Muze had forgotten him, the contrast between his words and his current coldness was still immense.

He had done two missions for this guy, and his lips were practically worn out from kissing him so much.

"He forgot so easily..."

Zhao Qing

heard Yin Luo's aggrieved voice and immediately comforted her, "By the way, did you tell him your name? I told him your name."

Yin Luo was stunned for a moment: "I forgot..."

"It's okay, it's okay. He knows you saved him and was going to call you to thank you in person, but I told him you're quite busy these days. Do you have time later?"

Yin Luo composed herself: "I can only do it at noon."

"Then I'll call him later and have him ask you to meet at noon so you can have a good chat about the past."

Yin Luo quietly hummed in agreement.

"Don't worry, he'll remember you." Zhao Qing comforted her like a parent comforting their child.

Yin Luo felt a little better: "But he said he has a family, what's going on?"

"..." The old doctor couldn't help but exclaim, "He has no right to say that!"

Yin Luo: "..."

On the day Duan Muze woke up, besides the routine physical examination, he asked Zhao Qing an unbelievable question—

"Am I already married?"

Zhao Qing was silent for several seconds.

As far as he knew, his student had never been in a relationship, so why was he suddenly asking if he was married?

Zhao Qing said no, and the other party didn't ask again, but judging from what Yin Luo heard today, Duan Muze didn't believe it at the time.

But where did this guy get the confidence to think he had a wife?

"Wait a minute! This brat? I'll go over and scold him for you!" Zhao Qing felt like he was finally going to have a daughter-in-law, only to have her driven away by this brat. Before hanging up, he didn't forget to tell Yin Luo, "Don't give up on him! Otherwise, no one will want him!"

Yin Luo: "..."

After Zhao Qing hung up, Yin Luo returned to the presentation.

His roommate noticed he was in a bad mood: "What's wrong? Are you hungry?"

Yin Luo shook his head. He glanced at the stage and saw many people walking towards it.

"Oh, Duan's Group is already accepting resumes." His roommate waved the resume in his hand, "I saw a lot of people applying, so I applied too. I even submitted one for you."

Because time was limited in the morning, it was impossible to learn about so many companies at once, so Yin Luo and his roommate agreed to apply to each other's good companies. Anyway, with so many resumes, they could cast a wide net.

But... why did it have to be Duan's Group? He didn't want to see Duan Muze right now.

But then he thought, with so many resumes, he might

not even get an interview...

His cheeks puffed out as he finished

speaking. Why was he getting even angrier?

*

Duan Muze was sitting in the spacious back seat of a car, on his way back to the company.

Just thinking about the face of the boy who had spoken to him earlier made his heart rate spike.

He was frowning and deep in thought when the phone suddenly rang.

Duan Muze answered: "Hello, Teacher Zhao."

Zhao Qing sneered.

Duan Muze: "..."

Duan Muze had already misheard and repeated: "...Teacher Zhao?"

Zhao Qing then said: "Did you hear what I told you yesterday?"

"Which part?"

"The part about you not being married."

Duan Muze paused slightly: "I'm married."

Zhao Qing: "?"

He was holding back his temper, almost laughing in anger: "Why do you think you're married? Give me some reasons?"

Duan Muze actually gave one: "I have a wedding ring."

Zhao Qing was puzzled again.

He'd known Duan Muze for years and had never seen him wear anything out of the ordinary. Besides, before going home yesterday, the other man had already brought up the absurd question of being "married."

"Where did you get this ring?"

Duan Muze loosened his tie with one hand, pulling out a thin chain and staring at the ring hanging on it.

The ring had his favorite rose on it.

"When I woke up yesterday, this ring was right next to my desk."

Zhao Qing: "Huh?"

Duan Muze continued, "So, I must be married."

"..."

Zhao Qing finally understood what Duan Muze meant by the ring. He'd seen it before; it was on the table next to the hospital bed. "Isn't that a necklace? It's a gift from Yin Luo, wishing you a speedy recovery."

Duan Muze paused.

From Yin Luo? Had he misunderstood?

But... why would he give him a ring?

Zhao Qing, an observer, understood their feelings perfectly, so he didn't interfere. He let the young people confess their feelings themselves, just afraid that this stubborn temper might upset them.

"It's hard to explain over the phone," Zhao Qing said. "I just asked Yin Luo, and he said he'll be free at noon. Hurry up and ask him out for lunch to apologize properly."

"And also,

are you planning to go straight to the company?"

Before Duan Muze could speak, Zhao Qing warned, "Your body needs rest. What if you break down at such a young age? Will you still be able to find a wife then?" "

..."

Duan Muze put the necklace away. "Yeah."

After hanging up, he hesitated for a long time without taking it off.

He closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, but for some reason, he thought again of the boy he met at school today.

*

After the presentation, Yin Luo returned to his dorm. He turned on his phone and found he didn't have Duan Muze's contact information.

His roommate was scrolling through Weibo, reading a joke: "Hahaha, look at this line: I can enter your body, but I can't enter your life."

Others chimed in: "Hahahaha."

Yin Luo: "..."

He felt subtly insulted.

He wondered if he should message Dr. Zhao to ask for Duan Muze's contact information. But before he could ask, his phone vibrated.

It was an unknown number.

As soon as the sound faded, she guessed who it was, jogged to the balcony, and felt inexplicably nervous as she pressed the answer button. His voice was soft: "Hello?"

"Is this Mr. Yinluo?" Duan Muze's voice came from the other end.

The man's voice was slightly distorted in the receiver, but even lower, making Yinluo's ears burn. "Yes, it is."

"Hello, I'm Duan Muze. You helped me a lot before."

It was both formal and distant.

The thought that he didn't remember him made Yinluo a little angry, and his temper flared up. "No need for formalities, I'm younger than you."

There was a noticeable pause on the other end.

But it quickly recovered. "I'd like to thank you in person. Do you have time?"

Yinluo listlessly hummed in agreement.

On the other end, Duan Muze hung up the phone and worked on his work for a while before belatedly realizing—

the voice he had just heard sounded familiar.

*

The two had arranged to meet at 12:30. Ten minutes before the appointed time, Yinluo went downstairs and saw a black car parked downstairs in front of the dormitory building.

He went over and knocked on the window.

Then, the window slowly rolled down.

Yinluo looked at the man's slightly surprised face and said irritably, "What are you looking at?"

Duan Muze hesitated for a few seconds, "...You're Yinluo?"

Yinluo handed over his

student ID card, "Look."

He had only shown it for a moment when he remembered something and immediately withdrew it, "I'm not photogenic."

"..." Duan Muze knew what Yinluo usually looked like. For example, right now, he was wearing the most ordinary white T-shirt and light-colored jeans, but he was so beautiful that it was hard to look away.

After realizing what he meant, Duan Muze immediately apologized, "I'm sorry about what happened this morning..."

Yinluo gave a soft "humph."

Duan Muze noticed that he was in a bad mood and thought that he was bothered by what happened this morning, so he immediately opened the car door.

As soon as Yinluo got in, he smelled a sweet scent.

Was he wearing perfume?

Duan Muze didn't like perfume, but the one Yinluo was wearing smelled particularly good. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he made Yinluo fasten his seatbelt before heading to the restaurant.

For a distance along the way, Duan Muze could feel the boy's gaze constantly on him, light and airy, like it was hooked.

However, Yin Luo's voice quickly interrupted his thoughts: "You really don't recognize me?"

Duan Muze: "Sorry. But I heard from the doctor that we were high school classmates."

Although he vaguely felt familiar, he was certain he had never seen that face before.

Yin Luo: "We were high school classmates. You're two grades ahead of me, and we even met at the last high school reunion."

Duan Muze paused.

It seemed the boy next to him was paying close attention to him.

Well, helping him with his illness and giving him a ring... perhaps it went beyond mere attention, and was more like... liking.

From Duan Muze's expression, it was clear he didn't remember her. Yin Luo was truly angry this time, turning her head to face the window, not wanting to look at him.

The two remained silent the whole way. When they arrived at the restaurant's private room, while waiting for the food, Yin Luo stared at him: "Yes, you said you were married, but Dr. Zhao said you were single."

In an instant, Duan Muze seemed to confirm something: "Sorry for lying to you. I don't really like physical contact with others, so I always use this excuse when we're out."

Yin Luo was shocked: "..."

My lips are practically kissed raw by you, and now you're telling me you don't like physical contact?

He looked at the unyielding man opposite him, lowered his eyes in thought, and suddenly remembered some scenes from movies—amnesia or time travel always involved the male and female leads kissing.

Otherwise…

Duan Muze saw Yin Luo frowning, as if pondering some profound question. After a while, she seemed to give up thinking

: “Then let’s try it…”

Her behavior was too unusual. Duan Muze had just asked, “What—”

when he saw Yin Luo walking towards him, her eyes fixed on him.

Duan Muze’s throat went dry instantly, his mind went blank, all his attention drawn to the exquisitely handsome young man before him.

His skin was porcelain white like a doll’s, yet his lips were exceptionally red.

It was as if he had been kissed by someone he already knew well.

By the time Duan Muze reacted, Yin Luo had already straddled his lap, pressing her bright red lips against his.

Duan Muze’s breath caught in his throat for a moment, feeling the sweet fragrance growing stronger and stronger, filling his nostrils.

This was the first time he had been so captivated by someone he had just met.

Duan Muze's lips were a little dry and hard. Yin Luo felt uncomfortable touching them, but fearing it wouldn't last long, she pressed them together for a few seconds.

She wasn't very good at kissing; usually, she was the one being kissed, so she was particularly awkward when she initiated a kiss.

After a while, she felt herself being pushed away and opened her eyes, looking at the person opposite her with slight surprise.

Those eyes were already starting to moisten, even somewhat dazed. Duan Muze's eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was hoarse: "What are you doing?"

It seemed he hadn't remembered yet.

Was the kiss too shallow...? Yin Luo frowned.

The next second, the man, whose whole body was tense, saw the boy open his mouth and press it against hers again—

she could even see a small section of his soft, red tongue

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