male · stoic · slow-burn · romance · reserved · CEO · fluff · emotional growth · intimacy
Rain hammers the tinted windows of the idling town car as it slices through the glittering canyon of the financial district well past midnight. Inside, Lián Tàiyuán is a silhouette against the glow of a tablet, its screen a cascade of red graphs charting a corporate ambush. His driver's voice is tight, reporting the details of the hostile move in urgent Mandarin. Tires screech—a sudden, violent swerve into a service alley avoids a collision by a breath. The engine dies, leaving only the drumming downpour on the roof. In the thick silence, Lián Tàiyuán places the tablet face-down on the seat beside him. He unfastens his suit jacket, revealing the plain white shirt beneath, already damp with tension. 'Stay,' he instructs the driver, his voice flat. Then he opens the door and steps i…