The Burning Last Night
The air in the penthouse seemed to cease. The distance between them was now only a single breath.
Yu Chen narrowed his eyes, a cynical smile clearly etched on his face.
"You think you can challenge me like this?" His voice was low, yet it held the dominance of a true alpha.
Li Yuan Bo did not flinch. His face remained calm, as if entirely undisturbed. "I'm not challenging," he replied slowly, almost a whisper. "I'm just standing equal. You don't like it?"
Yu Chen fell silent, his body leaning forward, making the gap even narrower. His arrogant aura enveloped the room, attempting to exert pressure. Yet Li Yuan Bo's gaze remained steady his dark eyes ignited, full of an impenetrable conviction.
"Be careful, Yuan Bo." Yu Chen lowered his voice, almost hissing in his ear. "Playing with fire with me… could burn you to ashes."
Li Yuan Bo smiled faintly, the corner of his lips lifting calmly. His hand slowly touched Yu Chen's jacket wrist, not submissively, but with complete control.
"Fire does burn," he said flatly yet unsettlingly, "but I'm not the type to easily turn to ash."
At that moment, the air seemed to vibrate. Two figures, alpha and sigma, stood opposite each other not just a mere clash of egos, but a magnetic field drawing closer, almost inevitably.
The stifling silence finally exploded. In a flash, Yu Chen pulled Li Yuan Bo close, his grip strong on his nape. His sharp gaze was just a hair's breadth away before his lips pressed down forcefully.
The kiss was not a request, but a command. Hot, insistent, full of an alpha's ego. Yu Chen demanded obedience, as if wanting to assert that nothing could rival his power.
But Li Yuan Bo did not withdraw. He responded calmly, the rhythm of his lips unhurried, yet in every movement lay a hidden strength a sigma's distinctive control. Instead of submitting, he equalized, making Yu Chen even more trapped in the intensity.
Their bodies drew closer, driven by the long-suppressed tension. The black tie came undone from Yu Chen's long neck, Li Yuan Bo's shirt opened further, leaving traces of intimacy that could no longer be hidden.
The city lights pierced the large glass, bearing witness to how two men with different auras merged: one with burning dominance, the other with piercing calmness. That night, the grand penthouse was no longer cold it became an arena where alpha and sigma met in a wild yet elegant game of love and power.
Thin cigarette smoke wafted in the air, mixing with the aroma of freshly poured red wine. The luxurious penthouse kitchen bar was lit by golden chandelier light, reflecting on the cold black marble surface.
Yu Chen sat half-leaning on a high stool, his shirt now loosely undone, leaving his skin still hot from the remnants of the night. In his hand, a glass of wine swirled slowly, while a lit cigarette rested on his lips.
Beside him, Li Yuan Bo sat casually, his white shirt half-open, his shoulders looking relaxed, yet his eyes remained sharp. He lit his cigarette, inhaled slowly, then exhaled the smoke calmly.
They exchanged glances for a moment, before a small laugh finally broke the silence. A warmth rarely seen from Yu Chen.
"They say I'm too arrogant," Yu Chen spoke, cold, but this time with a hint of self-mockery. He sipped his wine.
"The media always loves to write dramatic stories, as if they know me better than I know myself."
Li Yuan Bo smiled faintly, exhaling cigarette smoke sideways.
"Arrogant?" he turned, looking at Yu Chen with a gaze too deep for mere joking.
"That is you. If they wrote otherwise, it would feel strange."
Yu Chen chuckled softly, looked down briefly, then returned his gaze forward.
"Perhaps you are right."
They fell silent again, enjoying the companionship in a silence that felt strangely comfortable. Wine, cigarettes, and brief laughter amidst the wild rumors of the outside world a rare pause in the lives of two men always full of secrets.
Glass after glass of wine was exchanged. Cigarette smoke thickened, but no one attempted to open the window. For them, tonight was only about relaxation after the storm, a highly valued respirasi.
Yu Chen rested his elbow on the bar table, staring blankly at the crystal chandelier. "Three years…" he murmured softly, as if talking to himself. "I never thought it would be that long."
Li Yuan Bo turned, the corner of his lips slightly raised.
"For me, it feels fast," he said calmly. "Perhaps because every day is always filled with your drama."
Yu Chen glanced at him, a thin arrogant smile appearing. "Do you still remember the first time we met?"
For a moment, silence was filled with memory. A faint flashback seemed clearly pictured in their minds.
A gala party three years ago. Amidst the crowd of top artists, Yu Chen, who had just won a major award, felt besieged by envious glances. Then entered the figure of a young man in an elegant black suit, standing by the side of the room without saying much. Li Yuan Bo's sigma male aura immediately set him apart from the crowd.
Yu Chen exhaled cigarette smoke, smiling stiffly. "A cold young CEO, standing alone in the corner of the gala. I even briefly thought you only came to show off your wealth."
Li Yuan Bo chuckled softly, his tone light but his eyes piercing.
"And it turns out I found an arrogant superstar who thought the world revolved around him."
A faint laugh escaped Yu Chen, rare yet genuine.
"Funny, that two people who equally dislike crowds could last this long."
They fell silent again, but this time there was no distance. The nostalgia bridged their wounds and arrogance, making it a story only the two of them understood.
Crystal lights sparkled, expensive gowns and suits were scattered throughout the grand ballroom that night. The gala premiere was held under intense media scrutiny, a place where stars competed in charm and investors upheld their prestige.
In the midst of the hustle and bustle stood a young man, 26-year-old Li Yuan Bo. His posture was tall, his face handsome with a sharp yet calm gaze. His black suit was neatly tailored; every movement radiated the authority of a CEO who didn't need many words to attract attention. His mysterious sigma male aura made him contrast sharply with the other guests who were busy seeking the spotlight.
Yu Chen, who had just received a major award that night, was the center of attention. But behind his arrogant smile, he felt saturated with the envious whispers of the other artists. As his gaze swept the room, he spotted Li Yuan Bo standing upright at the side of the room, calm, seemingly undisturbed by the surrounding commotion.
As if drawn by an invisible magnet, Yu Chen walked closer. "You are not from this world," he said coldly, his voice laden with an alpha's prestige.
Li Yuan Bo slowly turned, his lips forming a faint smile. "True. But this world exists because of people like me behind the scenes." His voice was deep, calm, but meaningful.
For a moment, they stared at each other. Two dominant figures met one accustomed to being chased by the spotlight, the other accustomed to controlling from the shadows.
It was not just an ordinary introduction. That night became the beginning of their three years together, a relationship that had been full of tension, ego, and an attraction difficult to define from the start.
The last cigarette smoke faded in the crystal ashtray. The wine in their glasses was half empty, but the atmosphere was now different heavier, deeper.
Li Yuan Bo placed his glass slowly on the marble table. His gaze was serious, his voice no longer light.
"Yu Chen… I have to return to Canada."
For a moment, time seemed to stop. Yu Chen turned, his gaze sharp, yet his face remained flat. No expression of surprise was visible, only an authoritative silence. He lifted his glass, sipping his wine slowly before answering
"Canada?" his voice was cold. "Why so sudden?"
Li Yuan Bo took a deep breath, staring straight at Yu Chen.
"My parents requested it. My father has been waiting for me to return for a long time. They can no longer tolerate… my lifestyle here."
Yu Chen was silent, twirling the ring on his middle finger again. Arrogant, cold, seemingly unshakeable. But in his silence, something tightened.
Li Yuan Bo continued, his tone lower, almost bitter. "You know, our relationship… has never been normal. You're a superstar, the spotlight is everywhere. And I, I'm a CEO, but also the son of a family that has never truly accepted this choice."
Yu Chen placed his glass down slowly, then stared straight at Yuan Bo. A thin smile formed on his lips, more like a challenge than tenderness.
"And you think I care about the word 'normal'?" His voice was heavy, deep. "It's the world that places the labels. I just live as I want."
Li Yuan Bo held that gaze, his eyes flashing with a mixture of admiration and anxiety. That night, for the first time in three years, both realized that their love was not just about ego and passion but also about a choice that would soon either separate or strengthen them.