The fragile peace lasted exactly six days.
On the seventh day, everything began to fracture.
It started with a routine morning meeting on the 45th floor. Guàn Jǐngchén sat at the head of the table, one arm draped casually over the back of Lin Yuè's chair, fingers occasionally brushing the nape of his neck in that now-familiar possessive gesture. Lin Yuè kept his usual soft, innocent demeanor — head slightly lowered, big doe eyes focused on his notes, cheeks faintly pink whenever the CEO's touch lingered.
The discussion was about strengthening the AI defense layers when Li Wei cleared his throat.
"CEO Guàn, I'd like to raise a concern," Li Wei said smoothly, his polite smile not quite reaching his eyes. "With the rapid integration of new personnel into high-clearance areas, perhaps we should run a targeted audit on recent access logs. Just to be thorough."
Guàn Jǐngchén's fingers stilled on Lin Yuè's neck. His voice remained calm, but the temperature in the room dropped several degrees.
"I already approved the deeper scan last week. It returned clean."
Li Wei nodded. "Yes, but that was system-wide. I'm suggesting something more focused — particularly on individuals who joined recently and gained unusually fast access."
His gaze flicked briefly to Lin Yuè.
The room went silent.
Lin Yuè kept his expression perfectly innocent, fingers tightening slightly around his pen. Inside, Eclipse noted every micro-expression around the table — the subtle tension in shoulders, the way a few executives exchanged glances.
Guàn Jǐngchén's voice was ice. "Are you questioning my judgment, Li Wei?"
"No, sir. I'm simply prioritizing company security. As we all should."
The meeting ended on a tense note. The moment the door closed behind the last executive, Guàn Jǐngchén turned to Lin Yuè, pulling him into his arms.
"Don't listen to him," he said fiercely, cupping Lin Yuè's face. "He's jealous. Nothing more."
Lin Yuè nodded, offering a small, shy smile. "I know. I just don't want to cause problems for you."
"You could never be a problem." Guàn Jǐngchén kissed him deeply, pouring reassurance and possession into every slide of tongue and press of lips. His hands slid under Lin Yuè's sweater, stroking warm skin as if grounding himself.
They barely made it back to the CEO's private office before the tension boiled over.
The door had barely locked when Guàn Jǐngchén pushed Lin Yuè against it, kissing him with raw hunger. "I need you," he growled. "Right now."
Clothes were shoved aside rather than removed. Guàn Jǐngchén slicked himself quickly and lifted Lin Yuè, wrapping the younger man's legs around his waist. He pushed inside with one deep thrust, both of them groaning at the tight heat.
The rhythm was hard and urgent — hips snapping forward, the sound of skin meeting skin echoing in the quiet office. Guàn Jǐngchén's mouth was everywhere — sucking marks into Lin Yuè's neck, whispering "mine" between every powerful thrust.
Lin Yuè clung to him, moaning softly, nails digging into broad shoulders. Pleasure built fast and intense until they both came — Lin Yuè first with a broken cry, Guàn Jǐngchén following with a low groan as he filled him.
They stayed pressed together afterward, breathing hard. Guàn Jǐngchén kissed Lin Yuè's temple, murmuring, "I won't let anyone come between us."
That evening in the penthouse, the atmosphere felt heavier.
Guàn Jǐngchén cooked dinner while Lin Yuè helped, but the usual easy laughter was muted. After they ate, they moved to the balcony. Guàn Jǐngchén wrapped his arms around Lin Yuè from behind, chin resting on his shoulder as they looked out at the glittering city.
"Li Wei submitted another formal request for an audit," Guàn Jǐngchén said quietly. "I denied it again. But the board is starting to pressure me. They want reassurance."
Lin Yuè leaned back into the embrace, heart pounding. "What will you do?"
"I told them the truth — that I trust you with my life." Guàn Jǐngchén turned him around and kissed him tenderly. "And I do."
Lin Yuè's eyes stung. He kissed Guàn Jǐngchén back with everything he had — slow, emotional, full of love and fear.
That night, after another round of slow, intense lovemaking where Guàn Jǐngchén whispered "I love you" with every deep thrust, they lay tangled together in bed.
Guàn Jǐngchén held him close, stroking his hair. "The next system audit is in ten days. After that, I'm shutting down all remaining investigations. I want this chapter closed."
Ten days.
Lin Yuè closed his eyes, pressing his face into the CEO's chest.
He had survived the last scan.
But ten days felt both like an eternity and no time at all.
The whispers were growing louder.
Li Wei's suspicion was sharpening.
And the ghost of Eclipse was still buried in the code, waiting for the smallest mistake to surface.
Lin Yuè clung tighter to the man he loved, silently praying that when the truth finally broke free, love would be stronger than betrayal.
For now, he held onto this moment — the steady heartbeat beneath his ear, the warm arms around him, the quiet "I love you" whispered in the dark.
It might not last.
But while it did, it was everything.
End of Chapter 34