A Line Too Thin

Yichen thought he had himself under control.

After the elevator incident, he had buried the moment deep in his mind, convincing himself that it was nothing. A temporary lapse in his usually unshakable composure.

But fate seemed determined to test his limits.

~~

That afternoon, after the site inspection, Yichen's schedule took an unexpected turn.

One of their business partners—a high-profile investor—had invited them to a private networking event at an exclusive resort. He normally wouldn't have bothered attending, but Lu Zeyan would be there. And after the stunt he pulled flirting with Ruolan, Yichen needed to remind him who was in control.

It was supposed to be a simple gathering. Business talk, connections, nothing more.

But by evening, thunder rumbled in the distance, and the weather had taken a sharp turn for the worse.

Just as the event wrapped up and guests started leaving, the storm hit full force.

Torrential rain. Flash floods. Roads closed.

The resort immediately announced that no one could leave until morning.

Yichen exhaled sharply when he received the news. "Perfect."

Ruolan, who had just returned from a conversation with a client, looked up in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"We're stuck here for the night."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Wait, what? But I didn't bring anything—"

Before she could finish, the power in the resort flickered.

A loud boom of thunder cracked outside, shaking the building slightly. The lights dimmed for a second before the emergency power kicked in.

Ruolan instinctively stepped closer to him.

It wasn't dramatic—just a natural reaction to the unsettling atmosphere. But Yichen noticed.

And he hated that he noticed.

~~

Because the resort was suddenly overcrowded, available rooms were limited.

They had managed to secure only one.

"I don't mind sleeping in the lounge," Ruolan quickly offered, sensing Yichen's hesitation. "I'll be fine—"

"No." His reply was immediate, firm.

She blinked. "I don't want to inconvenience—"

"You won't." His voice was calm, unreadable. "Just take the room."

Ruolan hesitated but eventually nodded. "Alright."

~~

The room was a luxurious suite, but the situation was far from ideal.

As soon as they stepped inside, the air felt different.

There was only one bed.

Of course.

Ruolan rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Um… I can sleep on the couch."

Yichen glanced at the ridiculously small lounge chair and frowned. "No. Take the bed."

"But—"

"I'll sleep on the couch." His tone left no room for argument.

Ruolan didn't push further, instead retreating to freshen up.

~~

By the time Ruolan stepped out of the bathroom, she looked ridiculously soft.

Her makeup was gone, her long hair damp and tousled from the shower, and she was wearing nothing but the hotel robe.

Yichen, who had been casually scrolling through his phone on the couch, froze.

She looked… different.

No business attire. No carefully put-together look. Just barefaced, delicate, effortlessly beautiful.

She didn't even realize how different she looked. That made it worse.

He quickly looked away, forcing his thoughts back into place.

"I'll turn off the lights," Ruolan mumbled, pulling the covers up.

He only hummed in response.

A few minutes passed in silence.

Then.

Another loud crash of thunder.

Ruolan flinched.

Yichen noticed—again.

He was about to ignore it, pretend he didn't see the way she curled slightly into herself, but then she shifted in bed and accidentally brushed against him.

It was barely anything.

Just the softest graze of her fingertips against his arm as she turned.

And yet, every muscle in his body locked.

A simple touch. A fleeting, accidental moment.

But it felt dangerous.

The storm raged outside, but inside, Yichen was fighting an entirely different kind of chaos.

Ruolan, however, had already fallen asleep.

Oblivious.

Unaware of the fact that, for the first time in his life, Li Yichen didn't trust himself.