The morning after the board's verdict, the penthouse was filled with a new kind of tension — heavier, more determined.
Guàn Jǐngchén woke with Lin Yuè still wrapped tightly in his arms. For several long minutes he simply held him, breathing in the scent of his hair, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest. The decision he had made last night still burned in his veins: he would not distance himself. He would fight the board if necessary.
But that decision came with consequences.
He pressed a slow kiss to Lin Yuè's temple, then his cheek, then his lips. Lin Yuè stirred, golden-brown eyes fluttering open, instantly soft and vulnerable when they met his.
"Good morning," Lin Yuè whispered, voice still hoarse from the night before.
Guàn Jǐngchén didn't reply with words. He kissed him deeply instead, rolling on top of him and pressing him into the mattress. The kiss quickly turned heated, hands roaming with familiar hunger. Guàn Jǐngchén took his time, kissing down Lin Yuè's neck, sucking fresh marks into the pale skin while his fingers teased sensitive nipples until they peaked.
When he finally pushed inside, it was slow and deep. Their eyes stayed locked as he moved, hips rolling in a deliberate rhythm.
"I made my choice," Guàn Jǐngchén whispered against his lips. "I'm not distancing myself. I'm standing with you."
Lin Yuè's breath hitched, fingers digging into broad shoulders. "You're risking everything for me."
Guàn Jǐngchén thrust deeper, drawing a soft moan from Lin Yuè. "You're worth it. Even after everything."
They moved together slowly, intensely, eyes never leaving each other. When they came, it was quiet and emotional, bodies trembling as they clung to one another.
Afterward, Guàn Jǐngchén held him close, stroking his back.
"The board will react badly," he said quietly. "They might try to remove me. I need to prepare."
Lin Yuè nodded against his chest. "I'll stay out of sight. I won't make things harder for you."
Guàn Jǐngchén tilted his chin up, eyes dark and serious. "No. You stay by my side. I want them to see that I'm not ashamed. That I choose you."
Lin Yuè's eyes glistened. "Even knowing who I am?"
"Especially knowing who you are," Guàn Jǐngchén replied, voice rough. "The boy who lied to me… and the genius who still managed to steal my heart."
They spent the day together in the penthouse. Guàn Jǐngchén worked from his study while Lin Yuè stayed close, occasionally bringing him coffee or sitting quietly on the couch. Every few hours, Guàn Jǐngchén would pull him into his lap for slow, deep kisses that sometimes turned into more.
In the late afternoon, he took Lin Yuè against the window again — slow this time, almost tender. He moved deep inside him while whispering promises against his ear.
"No matter what happens with the board," he breathed, "you're mine. I'm not letting you go."
Lin Yuè came with a soft sob, clinging to him tightly.
That evening, as they lay in bed, Guàn Jǐngchén held him from behind, arm locked around his waist.
"The board has called another emergency meeting in two days," he said into the darkness. "They're going to push for my removal if I don't comply."
Lin Yuè turned in his arms, pressing their foreheads together.
"I'll understand if you have to choose the company," he whispered. "I never wanted to destroy what you built."
Guàn Jǐngchén's grip tightened almost painfully.
"I'm not choosing the company," he said fiercely. "I'm choosing you. Even if it costs me everything."
Lin Yuè's eyes filled with tears. He kissed Guàn Jǐngchén softly, pouring all his love and guilt into it.
They made love again that night — slow, emotional, and full of unspoken vows. Guàn Jǐngchén moved deep inside him, whispering "I love you" with every thrust, every kiss, every tender touch.
Afterward, as they lay tangled together, Guàn Jǐngchén held him close and said the words Lin Yuè had been terrified to hope for:
"I'm still angry. I'm still hurt. But I'm choosing to fight for us. For you."
Lin Yuè buried his face in his neck, tears slipping silently down his cheeks.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Outside, the city lights glittered indifferently.
Inside the penthouse, two broken souls held each other through the night — ready to face whatever the board meeting would bring.
The fight for their future had officially begun.
End of Chapter 64