The diagnostic request felt like a test.
Lin Yuè sat at the long conference table, fingers moving across the keyboard with deliberate, careful precision. The entire senior security team watched him — some with mild curiosity, others with thinly veiled skepticism. Guàn Jǐngchén sat at the head of the table, eyes never leaving Lin Yuè's face.
"Take your time," the CEO said, voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of something sharper. "I want every layer examined."
Lin Yuè nodded, keeping his expression soft and slightly nervous. "Yes, CEO Guàn."
He ran the diagnostic exactly as an innocent junior programmer would — slow enough to seem thorough, pointing out minor inefficiencies that any talented intern might notice. But inside, his mind raced. The backdoor he had planted was still hidden, buried deep beneath layers of legitimate code. One wrong move and the entire facade could shatter.
As he worked, Guàn Jǐngchén stood and circled the table, stopping directly behind Lin Yuè's chair. One large hand rested on the backrest, fingers occasionally brushing the nape of his neck — a touch that could look professional to others but felt intensely intimate to Lin Yuè.
"You're good at this," Guàn Jǐngchén murmured, low enough that only Lin Yuè could hear. "Almost too good."
Lin Yuè's fingers faltered for a split second. He looked up with wide, innocent eyes. "I just… pay attention. That's all."
Guàn Jǐngchén's gaze lingered. "Paying attention is dangerous when you notice things others miss."
The meeting ended without incident, but the tension followed them back to the CEO's private office.
The moment the door closed, Guàn Jǐngchén locked it and pulled Lin Yuè against him, kissing him with barely restrained hunger. Hands roamed under the soft sweater, mapping warm skin as if trying to memorize every inch.
"You were perfect in there," Guàn Jǐngchén growled against his mouth. "But I saw the way you hesitated on the third layer."
Lin Yuè gasped as the CEO's lips moved to his neck, sucking a light mark just below his collar. "I… I was nervous. Everyone was watching."
Guàn Jǐngchén pulled back just enough to look at him, eyes dark and searching. "Were you?"
Lin Yuè nodded, letting his lashes flutter. "I don't like being the center of attention."
The CEO studied him for a long moment, then softened. He cupped Lin Yuè's face and kissed him again — slower, deeper, almost apologetic.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "The investigation is making me paranoid. Every anomaly feels like a threat now."
Lin Yuè wrapped his arms around Guàn Jǐngchén's neck, pressing their foreheads together. "You don't have to apologize. I understand. You've been carrying this ghost for years."
Guàn Jǐngchén's grip tightened. "I hate that it's touching what we have. You make me want to forget all of it."
They ended up on the wide office couch, clothes half-removed, bodies pressed together in a heated tangle. Guàn Jǐngchén took his time, hands and mouth worshipping every inch of Lin Yuè until the younger man was trembling and whispering his name like a prayer. The release was intense, leaving both of them breathless and clinging to each other.
Afterward, as they straightened their clothes, Guàn Jǐngchén's tablet chimed with another secure notification.
He glanced at it, expression hardening.
"The forensic team found another trace," he said quietly. "The coding signature matches Eclipse exactly on three new vectors. They're running a deep background cross-check on everyone with high-level access in the last six months."
Lin Yuè's blood turned to ice, but he kept his voice gentle. "Including… me?"
Guàn Jǐngchén looked at him sharply, then softened. He pulled Lin Yuè into his arms again, pressing a kiss to his temple.
"No. Your records are clean. I checked personally." He paused, then added, almost reluctantly, "But I'm still running a deeper scan tonight. I need to be sure."
Lin Yuè nodded against his chest, hiding the flicker of panic in his eyes.
That night in the penthouse, after another round of slow, emotional intimacy, Guàn Jǐngchén fell asleep with Lin Yuè tucked securely against him.
Lin Yuè lay awake long after, listening to the steady heartbeat beneath his ear.
The background check would find nothing obvious — he had built the Lin Yuè identity too carefully. But the deeper forensic scan could uncover inconsistencies if Guàn Jǐngchén pushed hard enough.
He slipped out of bed quietly, moved to the study, and opened his hidden tablet.
The redirect code he had planted was still working… but it wouldn't hold forever.
Lin Yuè typed a new anonymous message, fingers steady despite the pounding in his chest:
*Stop digging, Jǐngchén.
Some truths are better left in the dark.
You won't like what you find.*
He scheduled it to send at 3 AM.
Then he returned to bed, curling back into Guàn Jǐngchén's warm embrace.
As sleep finally claimed him, one thought echoed in his mind:
*The mask is cracking.*
*And when it breaks… I hope you still want the boy underneath.*
End of Chapter 15