Unforgettable Touch - Chapter 27

Chapter 27 – Fatten You Up a Bit

For the next week or so, Shu Zhenshan didn’t show up at the studio.

Most of the time, it was engineers from Yanchuan Tech coming to ROAM for meetings. Later, under Tian Xiaozhe’s reminder, they realized that this arrangement didn’t quite align with business etiquette. When does the client come work at the contractor’s place?

So on the tenth day of Shu Zhenshan’s absence, Ran Buyue brought the CMF designer and the interaction designer to the Yanchuan Tech building.

The CMF expert was the girl with the dyed hair—everyone called her Grey Li. Because they were visiting the client’s company today, she actually dressed decently for once, tying up her pastel-blue ombré hair and obediently following behind Ran Buyue.

Yanchuan Tech was only about two hundred meters from the studio, but this was Ran Buyue’s first time stepping inside.

The building was tall and spotless, with well-designed functional areas. Sunlight streamed through the glass dome at the top. Some employees worked at their desks, others gathered in colorful lounge areas, scribbling ideas on whiteboards.

Led by the product manager, Ran Buyue toured most of the facility.

He couldn’t help but notice that, except for the fifth floor where Shu Zhenshan’s office was located, none of the building’s glass walls directly faced the studio.

No wonder that from the studio’s windows, the only part of Yanchuan visible was Shu Zhenshan’s office.

The product manager brought them to the robotics team’s lab and asked if there was anything else they needed.

“Nothing much, thank you,” Ran Buyue replied casually, then asked, “President Shu hasn’t been around lately?”

The product manager nodded. “President Shu and several executive assistants have been away at headquarters these days. I’m not sure exactly what they’re dealing with—sorry.”

Ran Buyue nodded.

The manager asked, “Is there something urgent you need from President Shu? I can inform his assistants.”

“No,” Ran Buyue replied, “it’s nothing.”

The robotics team was based on the third floor. Their lab took up half the floor and was more than three times the size of the one Ran Buyue had used in college. All the machine tools and materials were state-of-the-art.

What Shu Zhenshan had once said—he’d really made it happen.

Designing in a space like this naturally lifted the mood. Just like how weapon enthusiasts love armories, or luxury car collectors feel giddy looking at their garages.

During a meeting break, Ran Buyue looked out the window to rest his eyes and happened to see a sleek, aggressively stylish luxury car pull up to the Yanchuan entrance. A bodyguard in a black suit ran up to open the door.

A long leg in suit pants stepped out. The man ducked to exit the car, expression cold and sharp, then strode into the building.

Several people scurried after him, speaking quickly as they caught up. Shu Zhenshan occasionally nodded.

Everyone’s expressions were serious. Even Patti, who was usually all smiles, had a solemn look on her face.

Ran Buyue pressed his lips together, eyes locked on Shu Zhenshan’s face.

In just a few days, he had clearly lost weight. His facial features were sharper, and a faint bluish hue under his eyes made his chiseled face look even more austere. Wrapped in a fitted black suit, he looked like a blade unsheathed.

Soon, they disappeared into the building. The driver pulled the car away, and the area returned to its quiet state.

Ran Buyue turned away from the window.

Grey Li was teasing a nerdy engineer nearby, the conference table buzzing with relaxed chatter—but none of it reached Ran Buyue.

For the second half of the meeting, his expression remained blank, only speaking when necessary. Others quickly picked up on his mood and dropped the banter.

When it ended, Grey Li whispered, “Boss, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Ran Buyue replied. “You guys organize the discussion points. I’ll be back in a bit.”

He hovered at the elevator for a while before pressing the button for the fifth floor.

The elevator doors opened to a completely different atmosphere—tense and brisk. People in formal attire rushed about with purpose.

Someone spotted Ran Buyue and approached him with a stern face. “Sir, you can’t be here. Please leave immediately.”

Ran Buyue asked, “Is President Shu busy?”

The man simply repeated, “Sorry, sir. Please leave at once.”

Just then, Patti happened to pass by and paused. “Director Ran? Are you here to see President Shu?”

The man hesitated, then greeted her. “Hi, Sister Patti.”

Ran Buyue shook his head. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“Please wait here for a moment.” Patti led him to an empty guest room and invited him to sit. “I’ll get you some water.”

She returned a few minutes later with a warm glass and set it beside him. “Please wait a bit, Mr. Ran. President Shu will be here shortly.”

Ran Buyue almost said, I really don’t have anything to discuss, but the words spun on his tongue, then turned into a simple, “Thanks.”

Patti smiled and left in her heels.

Not long after, the guest room door opened again. Shu Zhenshan walked in with his usual calm demeanor, looking poised as ever. He closed the door gently and asked in a warm tone, “I didn’t know you were coming today. Did something happen?”

Ran Buyue stared at him. The stress he had seen earlier on Shu Zhenshan’s face was now completely gone.

Had he not witnessed it upstairs, he would’ve thought this was the same composed, unshakable man as always—capable of handling anything.

“No,” Ran Buyue replied, then asked, “How’s everything on your end?”

“All going smoothly. Just a little busy,” Shu Zhenshan said with a smile.

But Ran Buyue could see the red veins in his eyes. He stared at him for several seconds, then said lightly, “I just came to the wrong floor. Figured I’d stop by and say hello. It’s our first visit to the headquarters—got to observe the proper etiquette.”

A casual visit—an easy excuse with no pressure.

“…No need to bother with that,” Shu Zhenshan said.

Ran Buyue gave a nonchalant “Mm.” “Well then, I’ll be going.”

Shu Zhenshan spoke from behind him, “Next time, just let me know beforehand.”

Ran Buyue paused with his hand on the door, then suddenly turned around and called, “Shu Zhenshan.”

“Nothing serious going on with the company, right?” he asked at last.

Shu Zhenshan answered calmly, “No.”

Ran Buyue nodded. “Alright.”

He pushed the door open and walked out.

Nothing major had really happened, Shu Zhenshan thought.

He’d handled things far more urgent than this over the years. He was used to adapting, solving problems as they came. Ran Buyue had once shown him that seeking comfort didn’t help anything move forward.

He admitted that back in college, there were moments when he was exhausted—juggling school and work, barely holding it together—and had hoped for a comforting hug from Ran Buyue. But he’d been pushed away.

As Ran once said: This is the path you chose. There’s nothing to complain about.

In the six years since, Shu Zhenshan had rarely spoken about the difficulties he faced in work or life.

No matter how rough the road, he got through it. Not even bullets could stop him. After weathering countless storms, he could finally look back and see a wide-open sky.

He had built a powerful ability to heal himself—no need for others to worry, no need for consolation.

It took him another three days to finish handling the matter before he was free to return to other projects.

Patti brought over reports summarized by the subsidiaries and neatly stacked documents needing signatures. Shu Zhenshan reached for the Yanchuan Tech file first.

Once he finished reading, he looked up. Spring sunlight poured outside the window.

The office across from his had its blinds wide open. He could clearly see Ran Buyue focused intently on his computer screen, papers scattered across his desk, with a neatly set-aside meal box still unopened.

Just then, Tian Xiaozhe barged into the office like a whirlwind, hands on his hips, pointing at the meal box, then at Ran Buyue, ranting about something.

Ran Buyue made a surrender gesture and reluctantly opened the box, starting to eat.

Tian Xiaozhe hovered like a guard, watching him for a while before someone called him away. Before leaving, he barked one last warning.

As soon as Tian left, Ran Buyue quickly put down his chopsticks and pushed the meal box away, wrinkling his nose in clear disgust.

Like a kitten catching a whiff of fermented fish.

Shu Zhenshan couldn’t help but chuckle.

He messaged Tian Xiaozhe:

Shu Zhenshan: “Xiao Zhe, President Shu will drop by to align on the recent project progress. Please give Director Ran a heads-up.”

Tian Xiaozhe took several minutes typing, then replied:

Tian Xiaozhe: “Got it, Sister Patti! President Shu is always welcome!”

Shu Zhenshan pulled the blinds shut and headed for the kitchen.

An hour later, he arrived at ROAM studio carrying a large paper bag.

He went straight to Ran Buyue’s office like he owned the place. Ran looked up from behind his screen, clearly unimpressed. “You’re here.”

Shu Zhenshan casually made the glass walls turn opaque and set the bag heavily on Ran’s desk.

Under Ran’s puzzled gaze, he began pulling things out one by one.

One meal box. Two. Three. A thermos. Utensils…

All Kuromi x Sanrio themed.

Ran Buyue said icily, “What are you doing?”

Shu Zhenshan pointed at the plain meal box with a different style. “Returning the one you gave me last time.”

“…Weren’t you here to align on the project granularity or something?” Ran said, exasperated.

Shu Zhenshan opened the Kuromi utensils, handed the chopsticks and spoon to Ran, and said with a slight tilt of his chin, “Eat. We’ll talk after.”

Ran glanced at the closed door and the frosted glass. He tossed the utensils back into the box and snapped, “I’m not hungry.”

A small sniff.

Without saying a word, Shu Zhenshan opened each box.

The warm aroma of food filled the room.

Glazed braised chicken wings, golden-fried stuffed tofu, shredded spicy chicken salad, bright green boiled choy sum, and clear pigeon soup with yam and poria—all neatly skimmed of excess oil.

Every dish had visible traces of ginger, prepared in all sorts of ways.

Gurgle. Ran Buyue swallowed.

Shu Zhenshan once again placed the chopsticks beside him and patiently waited.

Ran didn’t take them, instead asking coldly, “Where did you order this from?”

Shu Zhenshan answered smoothly, “Some private kitchen.”

Oh, Ran said. “I don’t eat food with unknown origins.”

Shu Zhenshan leaned in slightly and asked in a low voice, “Want me to feed you?”

Ran shivered all over, as if some memory had been triggered—his whole body tingled.

At last, he reluctantly took the chopsticks, grabbed a chicken wing, and nibbled at it like a hamster.

Shu Zhenshan pulled up a chair and sat beside him, calmly watching him eat.

Ran, clearly uncomfortable under his gaze, gnawed at a chicken bone, then sneered, “Weren’t you super busy lately, President Shu? Now you’ve got time to sit here doing nothing but watching a business partner eat—how hardworking.”

Put the bone here.
Shu Zhenshan gently took the chewed bone from Ran’s mouth and dropped it into an empty box.

He said leisurely, “You’re overthinking it. I’m doing this for myself too.”

Ran scoffed, “What, if you fatten your partner into a ball, Yanchuan’s stock price will go up?”

“You’re too skinny.”

Shu Zhenshan lowered his voice.
“You don’t feel good to hold.”

Ran’s fingers twitched.

Shu Zhenshan’s voice softened further—
“Three days left. Fatten up a little.”