To Raise a Soul 41

His hand which held Yin Yan’s was sweaty and his ears and face looked ready to light up in flames. His heart raced and breathing was a little difficult.

Yin Yan abruptly let go of his hand, turned around, and pulled off Yu Zhen’s scarf. He pinched Yu Zhen’s nose and ordered, “Open your mouth.”

Yu Zhen exhaled and inhaled deeply through his mouth.

“Are you trying to suffocate yourself?” Yin Yan let go of his nose and rapped him on his head again.

As fresh air entered his lungs, the feeling of suffocation from holding his breath left him.

Yu Zhen’s face and ears turned an even deeper shade of red. Shaking his head vigorously, he tried to explain that he’d just forgotten to breathe, but he choked on a cold breeze instead. He pitifully clutched at his throat and coughed, embarrassment and anxiety in his mind.

What’s with me today? Why do I keep doing embarrassing things in front of Yin Yan? 

Yin Yan patted his back and said, “It’s alright. The receptionist and guards will have to watch lots of people today, they won’t remember such a small thing.”

“I’m not… No, I am!”

At the peak of his embarrassment, an unknown burst of heroic fighting spirit rose within him. He gathered up his courage and grabbed Yin Yan’s hand. Acting as if it wasn’t a big deal, he added, “Let’s go. I’m very hungry. Let go eat!”

The nurturing of feelings starts with food. Having the same preferences for food is a good way of reducing the distance between two people! En! It should be done this way!

It was the first time he’d taken the initiative to hold Yin Yan’s hand. Nervous, his grip on Yin Yan’s hand was tight. If it were a woman whose hand was being held, they would have yelped at the pain. 

However, Yin Yan wasn’t a woman. He wasn’t even a regular man.

Yin Yan lowered his gaze to their interwoven hands. After a few seconds, he looked up at Yu Zhen’s reddened ears and face. A feeling of warmth crept into his eyes and a smile shone through. He returned the hold on his hand. He followed Yu Zhen and said, “Alright. Let’s go and eat. Where did you park the car?”

“Over there.” Yu Zhen pointed. He walked somewhat stiffly and his arm was outstretched as if it had been thwacked into that position with a rock.

Yin Yan looked in the pointed direction and found that it wasn’t far away. As they walked, he said, “You came at a good time. In the afternoon, there will be a meeting with the team members of the project. You should take part in it.”

Right now, whatever he says goes. Yu Zhen nodded and remained focused on their clasped hands. 

This won’t do. It’s hot. I’m going to sweat again.

I heard that if you sweat while holding hands, you’ll be hated. What should I do? Is there a way for me to not sweat? I clearly didn’t sweat like this in the past.

That’s right! I’m a cultivator! I can use magic to stop the sweating.

En. Magic. Magic… Cleaning magic?

How would cleaning magic work?

“Car key.”

Without his noticing, they had arrived at his parking spot. Their hands loosened and a cold breeze blew past them. Nevermind sweat, my excitement needs to be dealt with.

Faster than he could think, Yu Zhen made his move and grabbed onto the hand Yin Yan was moving away. 

The air around them stilled for a moment.

Yin Yan looked at him and asked, “What’s the matter?”

“… My… key is in the coat pocket,” Yu Zhen replied stiffly. He let go of that hand but pulled on Yin Yan’s other hand and began searching in the dirty coat’s pockets.

Yin Yan moved too, holding Yu Zhen’s searching hand and removing it from the coat. Then he began searching in the jacket himself. After he found the keys, he pulled open the door and motioned for Yu Zhen to get in. “Your hands are a little cold. You should get in first.”

How can he be so calm? How can Yin Yan be so calm?

We were both holding hands. Here I am, so nervous that I keep making mistakes, but he’s as calm as usual.

If Yin Yan has no feelings towards me, then all of his actions are just that of an elder taking care of their junior.

At a loss, Yu Zhen pursed his lips as he glanced at Yin Yan. Stooping, he got into the car and fastened his safety belt.

Yin Yan felt the drop in his mood and looked down at the top of his head. He reached out and gently touched his head. “The people in the lobby really won’t remember. I’ll make you Eight Treasures Cubed Rabbit tonight.”

The hand on his head was very gentle and the use of that dish to coax Yu Zhen was subtle.

Yu Zhen blinked blankly. The mix of nervousness, shame, panic, and distress melted away in a short space of time. Raising his head to look at Yin Yan’s ever calm expression, a softness welled in his heart and he asked, “Do you want me to catch a hare again?”

Feeling the change in his emotions again, Yin Yan looked at Yu Zhen’s particularly cute and childish expression. A confusing sense of hesitation appeared within him and he was unable to hold back from gently rubbing Yu Zhen’s hair again. He replied, “You don’t need to this time.”

Yes. It’s just like this. Although Yin Yan tends to wear no expression, his actions are very gentle.

Yu Zhen’s mood soared. He smiled and replied, “I can help you!”

“En.” Feeling Yu Zhen’s happiness, Yin Yan relaxed. He removed his hand and shut the passenger door. He then took his place in the driver’s seat and glanced at Yu Zhen once again before heading to the Japanese restaurant.

Yu Zhen had only casually mentioned wanting to eat Japanese food. At the time, he had said, “I’ve grown to this age, but I haven’t had proper Japanese food yet. If I get the chance, I’d like to try it.” It was but a simple sigh of regret. He hadn’t expected Yin Yan to remember it and especially take him out for it. 

Throughout the meal, Yu Zhen secretly observed Yin Yan, trying to find out what his preferences were.

Observation was the key to gathering information. However, all sorts of feelings welled up in his heart as he watched Yin Yan.

From ordering the dishes, to ordering seconds, to choosing the sauces and also swapping sake for juice, everything Yin Yan did was in consideration of Yu Zhen rather than himself. Everything that he did felt natural. It was so natural that if he hadn’t been paying attention, Yu Zhen would have missed the special care he was being given.

The juice was filled up perfectly. Any dishes that he tasted once but didn’t have a second bite of were promptly removed. Dishes that he picked from more often were swiftly placed before him… I knew that Yin Yan was good to me, but I had no idea he was so meticulous about it. He practically takes care of everything.

This man is too great.

He looked at the sushi that was moved in front of him “without him noticing” and squeezed his chopsticks.

Under this kind of tender treatment, even the coldest of people would fall in love with him. So it’s not at all strange for me to fall in love with him. This is so normal, it can’t be any more normal. 

Compared to him, I’m not doing nearly enough. I’m like a scoundrel who only knows how to take, but not how to give back.

He was both moved and gloomy over the realization. The movement of Yin Yan’s chopsticks paused and he looked at Yu Zhen who faced the sushi before him with a rueful expression. After a couple of seconds of silence, he beckoned to a waiter and motioned for some sushi to be packed up to be taken home.

Yu Zhen’s senses returned to reality and he asked, “Are you bringing food for someone?”

“If you like it, I can bring you here again in the future.” Yin Yan shook his head and moved a plate of sauce in front of Yu Zhen. “This is the first time you’re eating a Japanese meal. Your stomach might not like it so remember to have a pill later.”

So why are you asking for some to be packed?

Yu Zhen became even more puzzled, but as he looked at Yin Yan’s handsome face he didn’t want to ask any more questions. He nodded obediently and continued to eat sushi. 

After they finished their meals, they returned to the office. Yu Zhen had been struck down by his own self-label of “scoundrel” so his mood was low. On their way, he asked, “Oh, right, Chi Nan…”

“The formation was broken before it was completed so the lifespans of the residents have been fully returned. On the other hand, their damaged luck and fortune will need to be restored slowly.” Yin Yan parked the car, took off his safety belt, and looked at Yu Zhen. “Tonight, we’ll go to Boli Building. I’ll set up a restoring formation for them.”

Relieved at his words, Yu Zhen looked at the ever-reliable Yin Yan and couldn’t help but say, “You’re really amazing.”

Yin Yan paused in the motion of pushing open the car door and he looked back at Yu Zhen.

Embarrassed by the look, Yu Zhen had turned his head away and whispered, “Wh-Why are you looking at me?… You are amazing.”  

Yin Yan simply replied, “Boot-licker.”

Yu Zhen’s expression froze and he turned to look back, but Yin Yan had already alighted from the car. What greeted him was the sight of a door being shut.

“…” 

They walked into the lobby, one ahead of the other. Yu Zhen still wore Yin Yan’s coat and Yin Yan was still just wearing his sweater while the dirty coat had been left in the car.  Yu Zhen’s brows were a little knitted, giving him a slightly unhappy look.

When the receptionists and guards saw them enter, they perked up. It was hard to detect, but the gazes of the staff moved between the two of them. A gossipy feeling filled the air. 

Yin Yan and Yu Zhen didn’t pay attention to their looks. Instead, they went straight into the exclusive elevator.

When the elevator doors shut, YinYan pressed the button for the highest floor. Turning to look at Yu Zhen, he asked, “Are you angry?”

“No.” Yu Zhen shook his head. He looked straight ahead at the beautiful, decorative patterns on the door rather than at Yin Yan. 

Yin Yan suddenly reached out and held his hand.

After a moment’s pause, he finally looked at Yin Yan.

“Dad is also at the company. Let’s go greet him.” Yin Yan pulled him closer just as the elevator doors opened. Then he led Yu Zhen out of the elevator and onto the top floor.

On the top floor, only Yin Hexiang had an individual office. The rest of the floor was meeting rooms and an open-plan office area.

Yin Yan led Yu Zhen through the office space, all the while attracting countless curious looks. Uncomfortable, Yu Zhen fixed his eyes on Yin Yan’s back and pretended he was simply crossing a road.

Yin Hexiang happened to be available when the two of them arrived, so they simply knocked on the door and entered the office.

Seeing Yu Zhen, Yin Hexiang’s serious expression relaxed a little.

In contrast, Yu Zhen was cautious, as if it were his first time meeting his partner’s parent.

Figuring that he was nervous about his first job designing gardens, Yin Hexiang gave him some warm encouragement. Then he instructed Yin Yan to help Yu Zhen with his work and to teach him well.  

After giving their greetings, the two once again walked through the office hand-in-hand under the gazes of the present employees.

“The office area in charge of ​​the leisure center project is on the 15th floor. In a little while, HR will send you your work card. You don’t need to report here every day, just follow me. If there’s a team meeting, I’ll bring you along.”

Seeing that Yu Zhen only nodded silently, and his body language seemed to be a bit stiff, he paused and recalled Yu Zhen’s unusual behavior in the morning. Finally, he couldn’t help but softly ask, “Yu Zhen, do you blame me…”

Ding.

The elevator door opened, and a young man holding a pile of documents rushed in. Yin Yan quickly pulled Yu Zhen to his side.

Yu Zhen was listening attentively to his words, so when he was pulled he became unbalanced and fell into Yin Yan’s arms. His body turned rigid, and he quickly righted himself up.

It was only after the young man had entered that he noticed there were people inside the elevator. He would’ve been unable to stop himself from bumping into Yu Zhen, so he sighed in relief when Yu Zhen was pulled away. Once he stopped and was stable on his feet, he turned and apologized, “Sorry, my apologies, I’m in a rush so I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. These materials are urgently needed in the upstairs meeting room, I… Yu Zhen?”

Yu Zhen looked at the person cautiously then, when he remembered them, he asked, “Are you the… erm, alumni from that day?”

Noticing his uncertainty, the young man’s grip on the documents tightened. He glanced at Yin Yan and stiffly smiled, “Yeah, that was me. I’m Cao Xingdong. My dad was quite rude that day… Um, why are you here? Do you also work here?”

“I guess you can say that. I just started today.”

Yu Zhen was vague in his reply. He was too embarrassed to say that he had entered through connections. He pulled Yin Yan out of the elevator and replied with a smile, “Hurry on up. Didn’t you say they needed those urgently? It wouldn’t be good to let the people in the meeting room wait for long.”

Cao Xingdong was dazzled by his smile. Once he regained his senses, he glanced at Yin Yan again before finally mumbling a goodbye. He then pressed on the button for the top floor and kept his gaze trained on the floor.

“He’s a new intern for the company. He has a temporary work pass.” Yin Yan watched the number on the elevator rise and he continued, “He’s not very effective in his work. The people who need the materials are upstairs. If they are pressed for time, going up the stairs would be faster than taking the elevator.”

Yu Zhen turned to look at him, inspecting him from top to bottom.

Yin Yan returned his look with a calm expression. Still holding hands, he continued to lead Yu Zhen across the fifteenth floor with the same expressionlessness. 

“You were being a little weird just now.” Yu Zhen looked at him with assessing eyes. He continued with certainty, “You don’t usually comment on strangers. Is there something wrong with Cai Xingdong?”

“No,” Yin Yan replied. He glanced back at Yu Zhen and said, “You’re about to enter the workplace. Don’t be as inefficient as him.”

He’s making it sound like he’s giving me a lesson on professionalism. 

Yu Zhen was still suspicious. Based on the principle that one should know themselves and the enemy, Yu Zhen analyzed Yin Yan’s unusual words and actions but overlooked the fact that Yin Yan continued to hold his hand. Once again, he was “paraded through the town” for all to see.

The leisure center was a small project with a small number of people working on it. The people working on the project would only be able to fill up half of a small meeting room.

 He had spoken to each person over the phone before, and with the information provided by Chi Nan, Yin Yan had quickly grasped the character of everyone on the team. After clarifying the progress of each person’s tasks, the meeting proceeded smoothly.

The person who was responsible for the gardens had already been transferred away, so Yu Zhen filled up the vacancy. 

The project team appeared to accept Yu Zhen, this newcomer, with grace.

After all, he was the newly arrived little boss’ partner. They had to give face. 

Yu Zhen felt the curiosity and scrutiny behind their accepting appearance. He smiled and politely responded to them before focusing his attention on the work.

He was a newcomer with no experience and, to top it all off, he had entered the company through the back door. It was expected for him to be sized up by the team. I’ll prove myself through my actions. I’ll work hard and not embarrass Yin Yan.

Without realizing it, an afternoon passed by. Yin Yan ran the meeting very thoroughly. He scrutinized every aspect of the project and broke down each problem. After the exhausting meeting was over, the team had turned into used up husks of themselves. 

I’m convinced. I’m completely convinced.

When they had first heard that the boss would airdrop his son into the project, they doubted the little boss’ capabilities. They had assumed that the little boss had made a comfortable nest for himself at the branch office because he had no abilities and was only an idiot second-generation. 

But it had become clear that they were wrong.

This little boss is too strong. He’s ruthless and his focus on the problems are shocking. I don’t know what’s going on in his brain. There are so many elements, but he’s managed to give out so much work to us. He actually remembers and knows what was in all those files that were handed over. 

They looked to Yu Zhen. Although they’d had a meeting for the whole afternoon, Yu Zhen was still full of energy. They sighed in their hearts. 

They’re so weird.

Although airdropped guy number two wasn’t as scary as their little boss, he was stubbornly conscientious. With their higher age counts, they couldn’t endure the youthful energy. 

“Department Head Liu, if area A is really becoming an art and literature hallway, then the greenery plans from before need to be scrapped and the bonsai decorations need to be changed.”

Yu Zhen simply drew a sketch of his general idea for new greenery plans. He handed it to a balding middle-aged man and said, “Have a look. Would this high-altitude growing plant do? Part of the art and literature hallway is open air. A broad and tall tree would block the sunlight. This type of shorter plant should be just right.”

The department head trembled when he saw Yu Zhen push the piece of paper over. He hurriedly waved his hand and replied, “Department Head Yu, you can decide. Later, I’ll give you a copy of the plans for the leisure center. You can alter the designs as you please since I’m not familiar with landscape architecture.”

Smiling, he then turned to Yin Yan and said, “Um… Manager, today’s meeting…”

“It’s concluded.” Yin Yan finally closed the documents in front of him. He glanced over at everyone and said, “Thanks for your hard work, the meeting is over.”

“It’s not hard, it’s not hard. It’s what we should be doing,” responded a female department head. Afraid that he would think of any other problems and drag them in for more discussions, she clutched her documents closer to her chest. 

Seeing their exhaustion, Yin Yan tactfully got up. He walked over to Yu Zhen’s side and helped him tidy up his documents. He gathered up all the documents and then left with Yu Zhen in tow, clearly showing that he did not intend to hide their relationship.

The inside of the meeting room remained quiet until the meeting room’s door was shut. The female department head finally relaxed. She let out a long sigh and said to two colleagues beside her, “Hey, you singles group. Did you see the matching rings on Department Head Yu and the little boss? It seems like they… you know.”

“But hasn’t the little boss been chasing after the daughter of Dingli’s chairman these past few years? Before the new year, Dingli’s precious miss was even here at our company. How come after the new year…”

“Don’t mention that precious miss from Dingli. I have a good friend who works at Qianle. I heard that the boss of Qianle cut off supplies to Dingli and blocked their business. It’s part of their falling out.”

As the two young colleagues began discussing the topic with the woman, the weariness disappeared from their faces and was replaced with gleeful, gossipy expressions. 

The woman excitedly asked, “A falling out t? What happened?”

“I don’t know. Anyway, the boss really hated the young miss from Dingli. She doesn’t even hide it.” The colleague shook his head. Remembering something, he excitedly added, “Hey, how do you think this little boss’ partner got here? He looks good. His temper is good. He even studied horticulture. He deals with flowers and plants everyday… Do you think he’s a young master of some noble family?”

The woman rolled her eyes. “Noble family? Where can you find noble families in China these days? But Department Head Yu does have a nice appearance and personality. He’s easy on the eyes. Compared to the woman from Dingli, he’s nicer to look at.”

“Ohoho. Are you jealous? Although Dingli isn’t big, they do count as… ”

Cough! Cough! Cough!

The half-bald Manager Liu suddenly coughed a few times, stood up, and said, “Pay attention to the situation.” After that, he took his documents and left the meeting room.

“Ha! A male pet who came in through the back door has been described by you lot as a noble young master. If the little boss really valued ​​Yu Zhen, would he only buy him a gold ring?” A middle-aged man with a slightly mean appearance also stood up. While packing up his documents, he said, “To be so lovey-dovey and crooked in a public place – this style of working is too disgusting.”

After that, he turned and also left.

Since he usually couldn’t stand Zhou Wei, one of the men frowned and muttered, “Did Zhou Wei eat gunpowder? His words are too harsh. He even talked about a style of working. Department Head Yu clearly didn’t do anything. If someone was acting crooked, it’d be the little boss. His eyes must be blind.”

 The woman patted him. Having their gossip session interrupted, the female department head was annoyed. She tidied up her own documents and told everyone to disperse. 

For the first time, Yu Zhen found that his improved hearing was a terrible thing. Hearing the discussion of the department heads from the room next door, he looked up at Yin Yan who was arranging some documents and shifted uncomfortably.

“You don’t need to care about the opinions of others.” Yin Yan switched off his computer and picked up his coat. “I’ve already spoken to Mom. Let’s go back to the apartment. I’m making Eight Treasures Cubed Rabbit.”

Yu Zhen didn’t get up. Instead, he touched the ring on his finger and said, “Now that you’re in the head office, many people will have their eyes on you. This ring… Why don’t I buy a better one for you?”

Having fallen in love, the things he cared about became things he was unconsciously stubborn about.

He wasn’t concerned about how others would evaluate him, but he did care if people were looking at Yin Yan with strange looks in their eyes.

For the little boss of Jinjiang, gold that only cost a few thousand RMB wasn’t suitable. 

…Just like me and Yin Yan. We’re too unsuitable in every way.

I’m not some aristocratic young master. I’m just a poor boy from the countryside.