Unforgettable Touch - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Head-to-Head

Two months was a bit long, Ran Buyue thought.

But better than nothing.

“Today is the 4th,” Ran Buyue said. “Then let’s set the 4th of every other month.”

Shu Zhenshan replied, “Okay,” his gaze sweeping indifferently across the wrecked room before finally landing on the nightstand beside Ran Buyue’s bed.

Ran Buyue followed his gaze. Their phones were placed side by side on the table.

The mattress dipped beside him, and a slender, bare arm reached across his vision—Shu Zhenshan leaned over him to retrieve his own phone.

Ran Buyue sneered, “President Shu, already back to work? Truly a man of endless duties.”

Shu Zhenshan opened his calendar. “I’m adding a schedule entry.”

“…”

Even hookup appointments went into his calendar—he really was organized.

Probably had too many people to meet—writing them down helped avoid mix-ups.

Suddenly, Ran Buyue didn’t want to stay in bed with Shu Zhenshan another second. He wrapped himself in the bathrobe and got out of bed to take a shower.

One glance at the floor changed his expression—the carpet was littered with several knotted, used condoms, and their clothes were strewn messily in the distance, showcasing the indulgent chaos of the previous night.

It reminded Ran Buyue that even in the heat of the moment, when things were rushed and intense, Shu Zhenshan still calmly reached into the drawer to grab protection. He never missed a single step, as if it were a reflex.

A seasoned veteran, clearly well-practiced in safety.

Not like when they were young and reckless, when passion ruled and nothing else mattered.

That was real intimacy—raw, uninhibited skin-on-skin. Embarrassing, yes, and a hassle to clean up, but to be honest… Ran Buyue liked it. Though he never said so.

But now, they weren’t brash young men anymore, nor were they close lovers.

Only lovers would give themselves to each other without reservation.

The flood of memories stirred up his emotions. Caught off guard, he zoned out for a moment. The bed was high, and as Ran Buyue jumped down, his legs buckled. He nearly collapsed but caught himself on the nightstand.

A detached voice came from behind. “If you need help, I can assist you.”

The tone didn’t sound like he genuinely wanted to help.

Without looking back, Ran Buyue headed toward the bathroom and curtly replied, “No need.”

As soon as the door closed, he slumped down, biting his lip, his legs trembling slightly.

It felt like running a marathon after not exercising for ages.

Ran Buyue stood in front of the mirror, examining his body. His complexion was flushed and pale.

It had been ages since his body was covered in such dense, intense marks—just seeing them was a shock.

Lowering his head, he watched his chest rise and fall with each breath. He reached out and gently touched one spot, sucking in a sharp breath through his teeth.

He remembered when he was a child, his mother had taken him to a br3ast clinic. He stood small and fragile in front of the doctor, exposing an asymmetrical body part. It looked like a sunken volcanic crater and filled him with shame.

The doctor said it was a Grade 2 inverted n1pple—a deformity, but nothing serious for a young boy. It only affected appearance. If he cared about it, surgery was an option. If not, just keep it clean.

His mother thanked the doctor. On the way home, she asked if he wanted it treated.

Little Ran Buyue clutched her hand tightly and whispered like a mosquito, “No… I’m scared of pain.”

She chuckled, patted his head, and said, “Alright then. The doctor said it doesn’t affect your health—that’s good enough.”

Maybe because of that, Ran Buyue rarely went swimming. Even at the beach, he never just wore swim trunks like other boys, never proudly showing off his body.

The first time he undressed in front of Shu Zhenshan, he instinctively tried to cover it. But Shu Zhenshan didn’t laugh or find it strange. In fact, he showed an unusual level of interest and affection.

Shu Zhenshan especially loved playing with it—never got tired of it. Ran Buyue once joked, “Shu Zhenshan, you’re more effective than surgery,” but then quickly stopped laughing.

Now, standing before the mirror, Ran Buyue frowned. After so many years, it had once again been toyed with to the point of staying inverted.

What a damn dog.

Grumbling to himself, he finished his shower, stumbled into his clothes, wrapped himself up tightly, and opened the door to leave. He found Shu Zhenshan fully dressed, seated at the desk, focused on his laptop—likely working.

Since he was working, Ran Buyue went about getting dressed and headed to the door, ready to leave.

“Where are you going?” Shu Zhenshan suddenly asked.

“Leaving, of course.” Ran Buyue sounded puzzled. “What, you expect me to stay and work with you after s3x?”

“Oh,” Ran Buyue suddenly realized, “or wait, do you want me to pay for the room now? What’s your account number?”

“…”

Shu Zhenshan held his patience. “You scheduled lunch with me today. Remember?”

Ran Buyue thought for a moment. “Oh, right. Thanks for the reminder. I was supposed to apologize to you in person—for ruining your clothes.”

Even as he said it, Ran Buyue found it funny. “But you know what? Forget it. Having lunch over something like that is a waste of time. Just send me the bill.”

Shu Zhenshan said, “No need.”

“Why? Because I slept with you last night?” Ran Buyue laughed. “So that’s all I’m worth, huh?”

“It’s not about that,” Shu Zhenshan said as he approached him. “It’s because we’re likely to become partners. It’s petty to quibble over small things with a future colleague.”

Ran Buyue sneered, “Who says we’ll become partners? I told you—I don’t sleep with colleagues.”

Shu Zhenshan said calmly, “I don’t think the two conflict. Once we’re out of bed, it’s just business—no interference.”

Ran Buyue didn’t respond, as if weighing the truth in those words.

“You know me,” Shu Zhenshan emphasized. “I keep my word.”

Ran Buyue slowly nodded. “Yeah, I know you do.”

Shu Zhenshan continued, “In that case, since we’ve already scheduled lunch, no need to cancel it. Let’s make it a working lunch. I’ll explain the project.”

Ran Buyue recalled the dozens of pages of documents he’d skimmed—he did have some questions and needed to talk with Shu Zhenshan.

He nodded. “Alright. I’ve got things to ask too.”

When it came to work, the two were surprisingly in sync.

The room’s previous sensual atmosphere had been replaced by a professional one. Shu Zhenshan got straight to the point. “In four hours, let’s meet at the Yanchuan Group headquarters in Pengcheng. Someone will receive you.”

Ran Buyue gave an OK gesture, turned, and left.

But before the door fully closed, he stepped back inside, lifted his chin slightly, and glanced down at Shu Zhenshan’s neck. He said, “Cover that up.”

Bang—the door shut completely.

Shu Zhenshan walked into the bathroom, stood before the mirror, and looked at the bite marks scattered across his neck. He traced each one with his fingertip, like a collector admiring a row of rare treasures.

—

In the warmth of April, Ran Buyue wrapped a scarf around himself, called Tian Xiaozhe, and the two set off from Hong Kong back to Pengcheng. On the way, he told him about Yanchuan’s invitation to collaborate.

Xiaozhe was stunned when he heard Yanchuan’s offer, jaw nearly hitting the floor. “Holy sh1t, boss, you’re amazing. Take it! We won’t need to work for five years after this!”

“Pathetic. So shortsighted,” Ran Buyue scolded. “You went to the tech expo yesterday too—so many potential clients there. Why hang ourselves from one tree?”

Tian Xiaozhe pulled out a brochure from the expo, listing participating organizations and sponsors. It was full of tech companies from all over—electronics, cars, AI, Web3, virtual currencies, robotics. Some were top global tech giants. The booths were stylish, futuristic—like stepping into a sci-fi novel.

Xiaozhe flipped through and commented one by one: “Too new—hasn’t even finished Series B funding… This one looks fancy but has no actual product, just concept fluff… This one’s American, you know how they are… Oh, this is Yao’s car company—they’re solid, but not in the same league as Yanchuan.”

Ran Buyue made no comment.

Yanchuan’s offer was indeed tempting: high pay, independence for his studio, and by far the most promising project he had on hand.

The downside? He’d have to work with his ex.

Worse—his ex was the client.

“Is Yanchuan really that good?” Ran Buyue asked.

That question made Xiaozhe turn serious. “Not really. Yanchuan Tech is a newly founded subsidiary. Robotics has nothing to do with their core business—it’s all uncharted territory. Plus, their boss—Shu Zhenshan—”

Ran Buyue raised an eyebrow. “What about him? Weren’t you admiring him before?”

Xiaozhe pouted. “Distance creates admiration. Just because you got one of his shirts wet, he wouldn’t let it go—he’s petty, calculating, and difficult to deal with.”

Ran Buyue said, “Then why are you pushing me to take the project?”

Xiaozhe: “Because they’re offering way too much…”

He added his verdict on Shu Zhenshan: “A rich jerk.”

A few hours later, they arrived at Yanchuan Group’s building.

Patti came down to greet them and led them to the conference room. Shu Zhenshan was already seated at the far end of the long table with several scientists.

In April warmth, Shu Zhenshan wore a fitted black turtleneck. He stood to greet Ran Buyue, formal and flawless.

Ran Buyue said, “President Shu.”

Shu Zhenshan gestured politely. “Director Ran, please have a seat.”

It was pure business—formal long table, their teams and assistants on each side, the project proposal projected on-screen clean, clear, visual.

Shu Zhenshan briefly introduced his team and cut straight to the point. This time, his presentation was far more in-depth than the user-friendly one from the tech expo. He skipped surface-level explanations and delved into technical concepts—wide-ranging, complex, and clearly more sophisticated than before.

Ran Buyue listened intently, jotting notes rapidly. At one point, their eyes met. They both looked away like nothing happened—one kept talking, the other kept listening.

“That’s the general concept of the project,” Shu Zhenshan concluded. “Director Ran, any questions?”

Normally, at this point, the audience would ask for more details to show they fully understood the concept. Given it was Shu Zhenshan presenting, most assumed the young designer wouldn’t raise anything difficult—he might even be eager to sign the deal.

Ran Buyue said, “Please flip to page 23. Thanks.”

Patti complied.

Ran Buyue pointed at the screen and calmly said, “This structure in the sketch—only aliens could build something like that.”

The scientist team: “…”

Tian Xiaozhe: “…”

Shu Zhenshan: “Explain.”

Ran Buyue slid his notepaper over. “You focused too much on component precision and ignored system coordination. What you’ll end up with is a bizarre monster that most users can’t even use.”

—Just like your old habits. That last part, he didn’t say aloud.

Shu Zhenshan calmly countered, “But users don’t want a useless thing that can’t even execute complex basic commands.”

—Just like your old habits. He didn’t say that part either.

The two clashed—each cool and composed in tone, yet the tension in the room grew thicker with each exchange.

One scientist tried to defuse the situation. He said it was normal to argue in early development, even scrap and restart several times. “No need for a full-on fight. President Shu, Director Ran, you both have valid points—let’s all calm down and discuss more.”

Ran Buyue frowned. “We’re not fighting.”

Shu Zhenshan frowned. “We’re perfectly calm.”

The scientists: …

You two are obviously about to throw punches!

Tian Xiaozhe trembled. So their relationship really is bad.

The two stood in tailored suits, poised like swords drawn at opposite ends of the table.

Who would’ve thought that just a few hours ago, they had fallen asleep entangled in each other’s arms.

And now, those crisp, elegant suits covered the scattered kiss marks they had left on one another.