Chapter 101: Hot Pot
Wen Yan looked at the unquestionable sincerity in Pei Zhouye’s eyes and swallowed the words that had been on the tip of his tongue. He knew that once Pei Zhouye made a decision, he rarely changed his mind. More importantly, he understood the deep care hidden within that persistence. It wasn’t a haughty arrangement; it was the concern of someone afraid he would suffer alone while abroad.
He lowered his head and prodded the eel in his bowl. The tender texture of the fish was coated in a thick, savory sauce, mirroring the warmth currently surging through his heart. “Then… while you’re in Switzerland, if there’s an emergency at the company, don’t feel like you have to go out of your way to accommodate me,” Wen Yan whispered. “I can take care of myself, truly.”
Pei Zhouye set down his chopsticks and reached across the dining table. His fingertips lightly brushed against Wen Yan’s cheek. “I know you can. But I want to spend a few more days with you, to see you shine at the seminar. Is that so bad?”
Wen Yan’s face instantly flushed, a faint pink spreading even to the tips of his ears. He looked away, feigning focus on his seaweed salad, unaware that the gaze Pei Zhouye fixed on him was so tender it could practically melt.
After lunch, Pei Zhouye needed to return to the company to handle the final batch of documents. Clutching his bag full of research materials, Wen Yan insisted on going with him. “I’ll organize the report framework in your office. I can also double-check the laboratory data Professor Zhang gave me.” Fearing Pei Zhouye might refuse, he added, “You do your work; I won’t disturb you.”
Pei Zhouye laughed and ruffled his hair. “Silly thing. When have I ever said you were a disturbance?”
As the car pulled into the underground garage of the Pei Group, Wen Yan instinctively tightened his grip on his bag. The last time he had come here was to help Pei Zhouye retrieve an urgent file. At that time, the glances from the employees in the hallways had made him uncomfortable, making him feel as though he didn’t fit into the atmosphere at all.
Sensing his tension, Pei Zhouye intentionally slowed his pace after getting out of the car. He took Wen Yan’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t be nervous. No one here dares to say anything.”
They happened to run into Pei Zhouye’s special assistant, Lin Zhou, in the elevator. Lin Zhou was stunned for a moment upon seeing Wen Yan, but quickly bowed his head respectfully. “President Pei, Mr. Wen.”
Wen Yan gave a somewhat stiff nod. Lin Zhou didn’t linger, simply handing a document to Pei Zhouye. “This is the notice regarding the postponement of the board meeting you requested. All departments have confirmed it.”
The elevator doors opened, and Pei Zhouye led Wen Yan toward his office. As they passed an open conference room, the sounds of a project discussion drifted out. Wen Yan instinctively leaned closer to Pei Zhouye, only to hear him whisper, “Come whenever you want from now on. There will always be a place for you in my office.”
The blinds in the office were half-closed, and the afternoon sun filtered through the gaps, casting mottled shadows on the carpet. Pei Zhouye set up the sofa in the lounge area and pulled a thin blanket from the cabinet. “Lie down for a while if you’re tired. I’ll take you home as soon as I finish these documents.”
Wen Yan nodded, spreading his materials across the coffee table. He began checking the laboratory addresses and the research directions of the scholars page by page. Pei Zhouye sat behind his desk, his gaze occasionally drifting from his files to rest on Wen Yan’s focused profile. The way Wen Yan’s slender fingers gripped his pen, how he lightly bit his lower lip when encountering key information, and the slight furrow of his brow—that look of concentration moved Pei Zhouye more than any business proposal ever could.
Unknowingly, evening arrived. The sky outside gradually darkened, and only two warm yellow desk lamps remained lit in the office. Wen Yan stretched and rubbed his aching shoulders. When he looked up, he realized that Pei Zhouye had finished his work long ago and was leaning back in his chair, watching him.
“When did you finish?” Wen Yan asked, surprised.
“About half an hour ago.” Pei Zhouye stood and walked over, leaning down to help him pack up his materials. “You looked so focused; I didn’t have the heart to disturb you.” He reached out and felt the back of Wen Yan’s neck. “Tired? Let’s go home.”
Wen Yan nodded. As he followed Pei Zhouye out of the office, the hallway was nearly empty. Passing by the breakroom, he noticed the lights were still on and heard the faint voices of two women.
“Did you see? President Pei brought Mr. Wen again today. I heard he even postponed the board meeting just to accompany Mr. Wen to Switzerland.”
“That’s not all. I heard from Assistant Lin that President Pei specifically told the administration department to replace all the items in the office lounge with the brands Mr. Wen likes…”
Wen Yan’s footsteps faltered. He felt a gentle tug at his heart. He turned to look at Pei Zhouye, but the man acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing, continuing to lead him forward—though the grip on his hand tightened slightly.
Once in the car, Wen Yan couldn’t help but ask, “When did you have the administration department change things?”
Pei Zhouye’s hand paused on the ignition, a flicker of a smile in his eyes. “Last time you said the sofa was a bit hard, so I had them swap it.” What he didn’t say was that even the mug on the coffee table had been bought in the light color scheme Wen Yan preferred, and the tea had been changed to the Biluochun Wen Yan loved to drink.
As the car left the city center, Wen Yan leaned against the window, watching the streetlights recede. He suddenly said, “Pei Zhouye, while I was organizing my data today, I found a professor at ETH Zurich whose research direction is very similar to the cell differentiation topic I’m working on.”
“Oh?” Pei Zhouye glanced at him. “Then once we reach Switzerland, I’ll go with you to visit him.”
“No need, I can go by myself.” Wen Yan waved his hand hurriedly. “You’ve already delayed so much work for me; I can’t let you worry about these small things.”
Pei Zhouye didn’t argue. He simply reached out and took his hand. “Alright, we’ll do it your way. But if you run into any problems, you must call me immediately, understood?”
Wen Yan nodded vigorously, but a pang of bitterness rose in his heart. He knew that while Pei Zhouye seemed accommodating, he was actually more worried than anyone. The incident with Lin Seran had left Pei Zhouye injured; with him going to Switzerland this time, Pei Zhouye would surely be consumed by worry.
When they returned to the apartment, a courier box was sitting at the door. Pei Zhouye leaned down to pick it up, seeing that the recipient was Wen Yan and the sender was a bookstore in the city.
“Did the books you bought arrive?” Pei Zhouye asked while opening the package.
Wen Yan blinked, then remembered he had indeed ordered several monographs on cell research online the previous week. “Yes, they’re professional books. I want to finish them before going to Switzerland.”
Pei Zhouye pulled out the books. Seeing the dense areas reserved for annotations on the covers, he couldn’t help but smile. “You, always so hardworking.” He handed the books to Wen Yan. “Don’t read yet. I’ll go cook; you rest for a bit.”
Wen Yan sat on the sofa clutching his books, watching Pei Zhouye’s figure busy in the kitchen while wearing an apron. He suddenly felt that these days were truly wonderful. No arguments, no misunderstandings—just two people staying quietly together. Even doing mundane, ordinary things felt like absolute happiness.
Dinner consisted of four dishes and a soup, all of which were Wen Yan’s favorites. Pei Zhouye kept placing food in Wen Yan’s bowl while hardly moving his own chopsticks. “Eat more. You’ll be busy starting tomorrow when you organize your research results.”
Wen Yan picked up a piece of spare rib and put it in Pei Zhouye’s bowl. “You eat too. Don’t just look after me.”
After dinner, Wen Yan took the initiative to wash the dishes. Pei Zhouye leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching him. Wen Yan’s sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, revealing his slender wrists. Water dripped from his fingertips, creating small splashes in the sink.
“Need help?” Pei Zhouye walked over and gently embraced him from behind.
Wen Yan’s body stiffened for a moment before relaxing. “No need, I’ll be done soon.” He tilted his head, his nose brushing against Pei Zhouye’s chin. “Pei Zhouye, do you think it will rain when we go to the seaside?”
Pei Zhouye lowered his head and kissed his forehead. “It won’t. I checked the weather forecast; it’s supposed to be sunny those days.” He paused, then added, “Even if it does rain, we’ll just stay in the hotel together and listen to the rain while watching the sea. That sounds quite nice too.”
Wen Yan smiled and nodded, his heart full of anticipation. He imagined himself and Pei Zhouye in a hotel by the sea, the sound of pitter-patter rain outside as they leaned against each other to watch a movie. Just thinking about it made him feel blessed.
After the dishes were done, they sat in the living room to watch a movie. Wen Yan leaned into Pei Zhouye’s embrace with a professional book in his hand, though he wasn’t really absorbing it. An old romance film was playing on the screen, showing the male and female leads finally coming together after many obstacles.
“Pei Zhouye,” Wen Yan suddenly spoke. “Do you think we’ll encounter a lot of difficulties in the future?”
Pei Zhouye looked down at him, his expression serious. “We will. But as long as we’re together, there’s no difficulty that can’t be solved.” He lightly patted Wen Yan’s back. “Don’t overthink it. Just cherish the present.”
Wen Yan nodded, burying his face in Pei Zhouye’s chest. He knew Pei Zhouye was right. No one could say for sure what the future held, but as long as they trusted and supported each other, they could surely overcome any obstacle.
Late at night, Wen Yan lay in bed, unable to sleep. He thought of what Gu Yulan had said to him before going to prison, thought of his own past hesitation and unease, and then thought of Pei Zhouye’s constant tolerance and protection. His heart felt like a tipped-over jar of five spices—sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy all tangled together.
Sensing his unease, Pei Zhouye reached out and pulled him into his arms. “What is it? Still thinking about things?”
Wen Yan nodded, his voice a bit raspy. “I thought of Gu Yulan.”
Pei Zhouye’s body stiffened for a second before he gently patted his back. “It’s all in the past. Don’t think about it anymore.”
“I know it’s over, but I still can’t help but think.” Wen Yan’s voice carried a hint of a sob. “He wasn’t always like that. We were once such good friends…”
Pei Zhouye didn’t say anything, simply holding him tighter. He knew the guilt in Wen Yan’s heart and understood that the matter with Gu Yulan was a wound that was difficult to heal. Some things didn’t need words; companionship was the best comfort.
After an unknown amount of time, Wen Yan gradually fell asleep in Pei Zhouye’s arms. Pei Zhouye looked at his sleeping face and gently kissed the corner of his eye.
The traces of unshed tears there made his heart ache.
He took out his phone and sent a message to Lin Zhou: Check on Gu Yulan’s situation in prison for me. Don’t let him have any contact with Wen Yan again.
After sending the message, Pei Zhouye placed his phone on the nightstand and embraced Wen Yan once more. He knew what he was doing might be extreme, but he couldn’t let Wen Yan suffer any more harm. The matter of Gu Yulan had long since passed; he would not allow anyone to disturb Wen Yan’s life again.
The next morning, Wen Yan was woken by the sunlight. He opened his eyes to see Pei Zhouye sitting by the bed, holding a breakfast menu.
“Awake?” Pei Zhouye said with a smile. “See what you want to eat; I’ll have the restaurant deliver it.”
Wen Yan rubbed his eyes and took the menu. “I want soup dumplings and soy milk.”
“Alright.” Pei Zhouye picked up his phone and called the restaurant.
After hanging up, Pei Zhouye sat beside Wen Yan and felt his forehead. “Didn’t sleep well last night? Your eyes are swollen.”
Wen Yan lowered his head, embarrassed. “It’s nothing, just a nightmare.” He didn’t say he had slept poorly because he was thinking of Gu Yulan, fearing it would worry Pei Zhouye.
Pei Zhouye didn’t press him, simply patting his hand. “Don’t overthink. You still have to organize your research results today; stay in a good state.”
Breakfast was delivered soon. As Wen Yan ate his soup dumplings, he suddenly remembered something. “By the way, Professor Zhang asked me to organize my research results into a PPT. Do you think I should add some charts for the experimental data?”
“Of course you should,” Pei Zhouye said. “Charts are more intuitive; they’ll help others understand your results more clearly. If you need help, just tell me.”
Wen Yan nodded, feeling much more at ease. After breakfast, he sat at the desk and began seriously organizing his research. Pei Zhouye sat beside him, handling company emails and occasionally helping Wen Yan verify data.
At noon, Professor Zhang called Wen Yan to ask how the organization was going. “If you run into any problems, call me anytime,” Professor Zhang’s voice was full of concern. “By the way, the weather in Switzerland is colder than here; remember to pack a few more thick coats.”
“Thank you, Professor Zhang. I understand.” Wen Yan hung up, his heart filled with emotion.
Pei Zhouye looked at him and teased, “Professor Zhang is so good to you; he cares more than a father would.”
Wen Yan shot him a look. “Don’t talk nonsense. Professor Zhang is my mentor; of course he cares.”
Pei Zhouye didn’t argue, simply reaching out to ruffle his hair. He knew how important Professor Zhang was to Wen Yan and was glad Wen Yan had such a good mentor.
By the afternoon, Wen Yan had finally organized the framework of his research. He stretched and leaned back in his chair, looking at the PPT on his screen with a sense of accomplishment.
“Finished?” Pei Zhouye walked over and looked at the screen. “Nicely done. It’s even better than I imagined.”
Wen Yan smiled. “There are still some details to perfect. I can finish everything by tomorrow.”
“You’ve worked hard.” Pei Zhouye leaned down and kissed his forehead. “I’ll take you out for something delicious tonight as a reward.”
Wen Yan’s eyes lit up. “Really? Then I want hot pot!”
“No problem,” Pei Zhouye agreed with a laugh.
That evening, the two of them went to a hot pot restaurant. Wen Yan ordered many dishes, all his favorites. Pei Zhouye sat across from him, constantly placing food in Wen Yan’s bowl and even cooking the sliced mutton for him.
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