His voice was low and deep, chilling as ice, carrying an authority that allowed no resistance and pressed down like a mountain.
It was only one simple word, yet the instant it left his mouth, the temperature around them seemed to plunge. An immense pressure descended over the room.
The burly bodyguards at the door visibly trembled, frightened into motionless quails.
“S-sorry, President Li, we’re—”
“It has nothing to do with me.”
The lead bodyguard had not even finished when the man cut him off without mercy.
“I said, get out.
“Do I need to repeat myself?”
If they still failed to understand such an obvious order to leave, then they had no business working as bodyguards. Trembling, they quickly bowed and apologized.
“We’re terribly sorry. Please forgive our rudeness. We’ll leave immediately!”
The moment the words were out, the group fled the room as fast as if they were escaping for their lives, even conscientiously closing the door behind them.
“…Go. Search downstairs… Maybe he took the elevator…”
Along with their hushed murmuring, the footsteps in the corridor gradually faded until it seemed they had left the floor entirely.
Huh? They were scared away just like that?
Once everything around him fell quiet, Song Nian, still crouched in front of the man, slowly blinked and tilted his head out to peek.
The person who had helped him really was a good man.
And he seemed incredibly powerful too. One sentence had been enough to frighten all of them away.
Could he be some kind of big shot? If so, was this another thigh Song Nian could cling to?
“Thank you. Seriously, if it weren’t for you, they would’ve caught me. May I ask your name?”
With that thought in mind, Song Nian tipped his face up and gave the man a sweet smile, politely thanking him.
Just as he began calculating how to get closer to this potential benefactor, he heard the man above him give a faint scoff before lowering his head too.
At that moment, a beam of sunlight streamed through the window like a spotlight and landed squarely across the man’s face.
They faced one another. Their gazes collided in midair, and each man’s features were fully reflected in the other’s pupils.
Only then did Song Nian finally get a clear look at him.
“Y-you’re…”
His pupils practically shook. His face filled with shock, and even his words began to stammer.
“Who am I?”
Li Yanchuan gave a cold laugh. The corner of his mouth pulled into a mocking curve as he looked down at Song Nian from above.
“Song Nian. You tell me.”
His thin lips parted as he deliberately asked a question to which he already knew the answer.
Being suddenly called by his full name felt like the King of Hell reading his name from the ledger of the dead. Song Nian trembled.
How could this man be Li Yanchuan?!
Running away from a wedding only to run straight into the groom himself—was there anything more terrifying?
Song Nian wanted to cry. Still crouched there in unbearable awkwardness, he had no idea how to move, much less how to answer.
How was he supposed to explain this? Sorry, I’m in the middle of running away from our wedding. Thank you for helping me chase those people off. I’ll be continuing my escape now.
That would probably trigger the die-in-the-street ending on the spot!
His brain spun at high speed as Song Nian frantically searched for a way out.
He put on an awkward but polite smile and was just about to start making something up when he looked at the man’s outstanding face and abruptly stopped.
Bathed in the warm light of morning, he finally took a careful look at Li Yanchuan’s appearance.
Li Yanchuan had sharp brows and striking eyes, a classically handsome face with a cold, upright cast. His facial lines were hard and distinct. His lips were thin and straight, pressed into a flat line.
His dark, deep pupils were like a bottomless sea, concealing every emotion. Whenever his assessing gaze fell on someone, it seemed coated in frost and mist, distant and indifferent.
The hand resting on the back of the chair looked pale beneath the sunlight, faint blue veins visible along the back of it. Paired with his wristwatch and perfectly tailored suit, he looked mature and composed.
Beneath the icy aura that warned people to stay far away was the mature appeal unique to a grown man.
Even seated in a wheelchair, he still carried effortless authority, every inch the man at the top. Not the slightest trace of weakness showed.
Staring at Li Yanchuan’s face, Song Nian shamefully swallowed.
This was bad. Before running away, he had never considered that the man he was supposed to marry might be this handsome.
And if he remembered correctly, Li Yanchuan was twenty-nine, exactly six years older than him.
—As though being handsome was not enough, even the age gap was perfect.
Mature. Steady. Completely his type. Practically the rare ideal man he had always wanted.
Song Nian went dazed on the spot. His eyes stayed glued to Li Yanchuan for a long time without a word.
“What? Still haven’t come up with an excuse?”
Only when Li Yanchuan’s icy voice sounded did Song Nian snap back to himself.
“Of course I know who you are.”
Song Nian scratched his cheek in embarrassment and lowered his head, looking almost shy.
Then, gathering his courage, he solemnly took Li Yanchuan’s hand and lifted it between them.
“You are…”
“—my husband.”
His eyes shone as he spoke each word with unwavering certainty.
The eyes looking up at Li Yanchuan were sparkling, as though stars were flashing inside them, so bright they were nearly dazzling.
—Forget running away. Who would run from a free husband this handsome?
As the saying went, dying beneath the peony blossoms made even a ghost romantic. He had already been given another life. If he got to marry his ideal type before meeting a tragic ending, it would still be worth it.
Heh-heh.
Li Yanchuan looked down at the hand gripping his own, then at the ridiculously pleased smile on Song Nian’s face. Recalling the word husband from moments ago, he frowned.
What was Song Nian trying to perform now?
Had Li Wenguang instructed him to start closing the distance immediately so that Li Yanchuan would lower his guard?
The moment he remembered Li Wenguang’s provocation yesterday, Li Yanchuan’s expression darkened.
He coldly withdrew his hand and, without saying a word, turned his wheelchair to leave.
“Hey, husband, where are you going?”
Seeing that, Song Nian hurriedly stood to follow him.
Unfortunately, he had been crouching for too long and the circulation in his legs was poor. Both legs had gone numb until his feet barely felt like his own.
The instant he took a step, his disobedient legs tangled together. Song Nian stumbled, lost his balance, and pitched straight forward.
“Wah—!”
Just when he thought he was about to hit the floor hard, he suddenly fell into a solid embrace.
Hearing the noise behind him, Li Yanchuan had stopped just as he was about to leave. He had only begun turning around to see what happened when Song Nian abruptly threw himself into his arms.
If Li Yanchuan had not steadied the wheelchair in time, both of them might have gone over onto the floor.
“Hiss…”
Song Nian sucked in a breath, covered his head, and slowly pushed himself upright. Only then did he realize he had actually fallen on top of Li Yanchuan.
His hands were braced on the wheelchair’s armrests and his knees were planted on the seat. From behind, it looked as though Song Nian were directly straddling Li Yanchuan’s thighs.
Their positions had completely reversed. Song Nian was above, and Li Yanchuan below.
He lowered his head slightly and realized how little distance remained between them.
They were so close that their noses nearly touched, and he could feel the faint warmth and contact of the other man’s skin.
He could even sense Li Yanchuan’s breathing turn suddenly heavier.
Even at such close range, the man’s perfect features held up. Li Yanchuan was so handsome that Song Nian could not help swallowing again.
It was also the first time Li Yanchuan had properly examined Song Nian face-to-face at such close distance.
Before this, he had only seen the ID photograph in Song Nian’s file. They had never truly interacted.
His Adam’s apple moved as though he wanted to say something, but in the end he swallowed every word.
There was no denying that Song Nian had an excellent appearance. He was the delicate, fair type, with skin so pale that it seemed the slightest pressure would leave a red mark behind.
His features were neat and refined. His eyes were round and bright with drooping outer corners, always looking moist beneath a faint layer of mist, making him seem especially innocent and obedient.
If he wanted to, he could probably capture anyone’s heart just by acting a little spoiled with those eyes.
No wonder Li Wenguang had gotten entangled with him.
At the thought, Li Yanchuan’s expression darkened.
“Sorry. My legs went numb.”
Their eyes met. Neither spoke for a moment. Song Nian finally broke the silence with an awkward explanation in a small voice.
He pursed his lips, making his already full cupid’s bow stand out even more. With the glossy lipstick on them, his lips looked almost like jelly.
They made a person instinctively want to wipe that lipstick away.
By whatever means. With whatever part of the body.
“…Get up.”
