Chapter 31
"What did you say?!"
Yichen's voice thundered, sharp enough to slice through the silence that clung to the room. His dark eyes widened, locking onto Andre with a mixture of disbelief and danger.
Andre, however, didn't flinch. He leaned back slightly, his arms crossed, silver eyes glittering with cold mockery. His lips curved into a smile that didn't reach his face.
"Oh, that you're gay," Andre repeated slowly, every word dripping with deliberate venom.
For a moment, Yichen said nothing. His chest rose and fell as though he had been struck. His composure—always so perfect, always unshakable—fractured before Andre's eyes.
"You…" His voice came out lower, rougher. "How—"
Andre tilted his head, feigning curiosity. "Oh, are you shocked that I know?"
The silence between them stretched tight, heavy. Yichen's hands curled against the sheets, knuckles pale.
"Zhen Yichen," Andre said suddenly, his tone sharp as a blade, "how could you trick my mom into marrying you when you don't even want her? When you don't even want women?"
The accusation struck deep. Yichen's jaw tightened, but his mouth stayed closed.
"Or did you marry her just to save face in front of the public and your family?" Andre pressed further, his voice cold, mocking. "No—wait. It's worse than that, isn't it? You didn't just marry her for appearance. You married her to use her. To cover up who you really are."
Yichen's throat bobbed. His silence was louder than any denial.
Andre narrowed his eyes, savoring that silence, pushing harder. "You don't know what shocks me most. The lies you've fed my mom, or the fact you thought I'd never find out. Did you really think you could hide this forever?"
"How—" Yichen finally managed, his voice strangled, "—how do you know?"
Andre smirked, leaning closer, his breath brushing against Yichen's cheek. "Oh, you must be wondering. Let me save you the headache." His words were deliberate, cruel, his tone as sharp as broken glass. "I saw the folder hidden on your laptop."
For the first time, Yichen's mask completely shattered. His eyes went wide, his body went rigid as if the world beneath him had just collapsed.
"You… went through my private folder?" His voice shook, low with both shock and fury.
Andre chuckled darkly, stepping back just slightly. "Let's just say I stumbled upon it by mistake."
But his mocking tone suggested otherwise.
Flashback
Andre had been sixteen when it happened.
He still remembered the quiet war inside him that day—the bitterness of needing something from Yichen, the man he swore he'd never rely on. His private tutor had given him an assignment that required a system, and though Andre resisted asking, eventually he caved.
That evening, Andre walked to Yichen's study, his steps steady, silver eyes cold.
Yichen was seated behind his desk, working intently, his fingers moving swiftly across documents. He looked up when Andre knocked and entered, eyes narrowing faintly in surprise.
"Mr. Zhen," Andre said flatly, his tone formal, distant. "I need your laptop."
The request was so blunt, so uncharacteristic, that Yichen actually paused mid-sentence. He studied the boy for a moment, then—shockingly—nodded. "…Alright."
Andre blinked, caught off guard by how easily the man agreed.
"The silver one on the table," Yichen said, gesturing to the side. "The password is 12£yu."
Andre picked it up silently.
"Thank you," he muttered.
"It's fine," Yichen said, leaning back. "I should have noticed earlier that you needed one. Use this tonight. I'll get you your own tomorrow."
"No. I don't need it."
Yichen's lips curved faintly, as though he wanted to say more, but he returned to his papers. "Alright. Then take it for tonight."
Andre walked out with the laptop, his chest tightening. He didn't want Yichen's gifts. But it was too late—he had already taken this one.
Back in his room, Andre worked on his assignment. After hours of typing, he saved the file—only to realize he couldn't find it anywhere. Frustration burned through him as he clicked into the wrong tabs, searching through hidden files. Out of irritation, he typed in the same password Yichen had given him, trying his luck.
The folder opened.
What he saw inside left him frozen.
His ears rang as soft, muffled sounds spilled from the speakers. "Haa… haa…"
He blinked, confused at first, until the images loaded. And then his entire body went rigid.
"Nngh… ah…"
Men. Dozens of videos and images. Explicit. Intimate.
Andre slammed the laptop shut, his hands trembling. His silver eyes were wide, his skin cold. He sat there in silence, heart pounding wildly against his chest.
So this was the truth. The secret Zhen Yichen kept hidden under lock and key.