Chapter 52 – Confession
Lin Yan turned his head and coughed softly. He withdrew his hand, pretending as if he hadn’t heard that sentence at all.
The silence came at just the right moment, neatly covering up what Lin Yan didn’t want to face.
But Lu Heng had no intention of letting it go. He kept rubbing his face against Lin Yan’s hand.
That made Lin Yan feel a little embarrassed.
Come on—you’re not Meiqiu right now.
Why are you rubbing against my hand like this?
“Alright, alright, let’s go,” Lin Yan said helplessly. Still, he unconsciously used the gentle tone he normally used to coax Meiqiu as he comforted Lu Heng, then raised his hand and patted his head.
The two of them stood up and went back. In his room, Lin Yan began organizing the documents from today’s inspection.
The little orange cat lay quietly by Lin Yan’s feet.
Maybe every cat had a different personality, or maybe this one had just recovered from a serious illness and lacked energy.
If it were Meiqiu, it would definitely make a fuss for quite a while—cling to Lin Yan and demand pets, and insist on sleeping on his lap.
It was a bit like how Lu Heng had just begged him to touch him earlier.
Thinking about it, it was actually kind of funny. When you looked closely, many of Lu Heng’s behaviors were surprisingly similar to Meiqiu’s—both were just as adorable.
But then, suddenly being told that Meiqiu wasn’t actually Meiqiu, but Lu Heng instead…
To be honest, Lin Yan wasn’t really angry. What he felt more was embarrassment and shyness. After all, he used to hug Meiqiu all the time, shower him with kisses, and even sleep in the same bed with him.
So yes—this was the kind of mortifying social death that made one want to disappear. Lin Yan had no idea how to face Lu Heng now, yet the other party had forced him to see him almost every day these past few days.
He let out a soft sigh. Thankfully, Lu Heng still didn’t know that he had already figured everything out. Otherwise, Lin Yan couldn’t even imagine how awkward it would be.
Just then, his phone rang beside him. Lin Yan glanced at it—it was Chen Xin calling.
“Hello, what’s up?”
“Brother Yan, there’s a project that needs your signature. When will you be back?” Chen Xin asked.
“I probably won’t be back until the afternoon,” Lin Yan added, “Is it urgent?”
“No, it’s not.”
“Alright, then I’ll sign it tomorrow,” Lin Yan replied, eyes still on the computer as he organized the files.
The other end of the call went silent—strangely quiet for quite a while.
“Brother Yan,” Chen Xin finally said after waiting too long, “you didn’t forget what day tomorrow is, did you?”
“What’s tomorrow?” Lin Yan asked. “Your birthday?”
That didn’t seem right. Lin Yan clearly remembered that Chen Xin had already celebrated his birthday not long ago.
Or… had he remembered it wrong?
“It’s not that—it’s your birthday,” Chen Xin said, almost laughing in exasperation.
Who forgets their own birthday?
Lin Yan glanced at the bottom-right corner of his computer screen.
It really was his birthday.
Time had passed so quickly. In the blink of an eye, he was about to turn another year older—another year gone by.
And this year held special meaning for him.
“Oh, I was busy and forgot,” Lin Yan said with a smile.
The few people in Technical Department Four had a very good relationship. Whenever it was someone’s birthday, they would always gather for a meal or go karaoke together.
They had been doing this for years now. Birthdays had become their time to relax and spend together.
That was what made Lin Yan feel warm—his birthday was no longer just an ordinary day.
“Then let’s see where we’ll go eat,” Lin Yan said.
“It’s fine, Wang Hao already decided on the place,” Chen Xin replied. “But, Brother Yan… there’s something a bit awkward to mention.”
“Go ahead,” Lin Yan said. He relaxed his back and lifted his hand to stretch.
The next second, his hand dropped completely.
“Wang Hao is bringing his girlfriend,” Chen Xin said. “And then there’s me and Yang Yang.”
Well—Lin Yan couldn’t help but laugh. He said helplessly, “So you’re reminding me that I’m the only single one, huh?”
“Hehe,” Chen Xin said. “No, I just wanted to tell you in advance. I was worried that on your birthday, seeing everyone in pairs might make you feel something.”
“Don’t worry,” Lin Yan replied. “Absolutely not.”
Since his birthday was coming up and he happened to be at home, Lin Yan planned to go burn some incense for his mother later.
In the room next door, Lu Heng was scrolling through his phone. He searched on an app for how to pursue Lin Yan, but every result felt completely useless.
Annoyed, he tossed the phone aside. Then he suddenly remembered—tomorrow seemed to be Lin Yan’s birthday.
Fortunately, this time he had followed Lin Yan here.
He got up again and entered this crucial piece of information into the app once more.
The answers he received were still emotionless and mechanical—none of them suitable.
Now he was standing in front of Lin Yan as Lu Heng, not as a little cat. Though he felt relieved, it also made things more difficult.
He didn’t know what Lin Yan felt about him. What if he confessed and got rejected?
No search engine could give Lu Heng a perfect answer.
In the end, he called his cousin, Lu Yan.
This was the one person Lu Heng believed to be the most experienced.
A carefree young master who used to drift through nightclubs every day—someone Lu Heng had once looked down on with disdain.
That was, until a few years ago, when this guy fell in love with someone.
He completely turned himself around. He stopped going to nightclubs, spared no effort in pursuing the person he liked, and the moment he succeeded, he got married. After marriage, he settled down properly and stayed at home like a model husband.
“Hello, brother.”
The person on the other end picked up. His breathing was uneven, coming in short bursts.
“What are you doing?” Lu Heng asked. Something about that voice didn’t sound right.
“What else… could I be… doing?” Lu Yan took three breaths just to finish one sentence, each trailing off with faint panting. “Doing it.”
Lu Heng immediately felt the urge to hang up. He had already moved the phone away from his ear.
“I’m kidding,” Lu Yan chuckled. “I’m running.”
He liked teasing Lu Heng, and he knew his personality well—always stopping before going too far.
Lu Heng brought the phone back to his ear. “I want to ask you something.”
It was a little hard to say out loud, but he didn’t hesitate for even a second. When you had no other options, asking someone with experience was the sensible choice.
Still, he had never imagined a day when he would need to seek advice from this cousin of his.
“What kind of thing would make you come ask me?” Lu Yan said, his tone carrying a hint of surprise.
This older brother—strictly disciplined since childhood and raised as the family heir—actually had a problem he couldn’t solve?
Interesting. Far too interesting.
What kind of dilemma could push the refined, intelligent Lu Heng into this state? He was definitely curious.
“Oh? Let me hear it. What’s got you so troubled?” Lu Yan said lightly, his voice tinged with amusement.
“Well… how did you pursue your wife?” Lu Heng said haltingly, completely unlike his usual decisive self.
At that, Lu Yan burst out laughing.
To think the all-capable big brother would be stumped by something like this.
Sure enough, in this world, nothing was harder than matters of the heart.
“Brother, that’s it?” Lu Yan said frankly. “You could’ve just said so.”
“I…” Lu Heng felt embarrassed, being laughed at by someone younger than him. Worse, he couldn’t even argue back. “Just… say it directly?”
“First, you have to let him know you like him,” Lu Yan said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. “It’s not complicated. Just say it.”
“But what if… he doesn’t like me?” Lu Heng asked.
Lu Yan understood at once.
So that was what he was worried about. How surprising. He’d really like to see who this person was someday—someone who could make a man so ruthless and decisive in the business world become this anxious and unsure. That person must be incredibly beautiful.
Knowing that this man was simply afraid to say it out loud, Lu Yan added, “Why don’t I teach you a few tricks?”
Lu Heng didn’t respond, silently allowing him to continue.
“Go straight for it—push him onto the bed. You’re both adults. That kind of compatibility is what makes a relationship last,” Lu Yan said with a mischievous laugh. Being able to tease his older cousin like this—he could die without regrets.
There was no response from the other end, so he hurriedly added, “If you don’t have the guts for that, then just kiss him. If he doesn’t refuse, that means there’s hope.”
At that moment, Lu Heng deeply regretted making this phone call. He didn’t know which part of his brain had malfunctioned to let this person give him advice.
As for kissing—it wasn’t like it had never happened before.
His thoughts drifted, and he recalled that kiss, one he had done almost instinctively.
After what Lu Yan said, he carefully thought back to Lin Yan’s reaction at the time. It didn’t seem like Lin Yan had shown any strong resistance.
The only problem was that those times, Lin Yan had been drinking. That made it hard to judge his true feelings.
“Can you… talk properly?” Lu Heng clicked his tongue.
“I am telling the truth,” Lu Yan said confidently. “Otherwise, why do you think I chased my wife so hard?”
His voice suddenly dropped. “A single night together is worth a thousand pieces of gold.”
“Go back to whatever you were doing,” Lu Heng said coldly.
“Hey, wait—brother, I’ll be serious,” Lu Yan quickly replied, finally dropping the teasing tone. “You still need to tell him directly that you like him. Only then can you know what he really thinks.”
Love always begins with a confession.
More precisely, a confession is simply placing something both people already understand into the open.
Only then is there a chance to move forward.
If one person keeps liking the other without saying anything, at most it’s just a one-man performance.
Before knowing the other person’s feelings, overthinking is the most foolish thing to do. Only by telling them directly can you know what the next step should be.
“I…”
“Wait—don’t tell me you can’t even say it out loud,” Lu Yan said, hearing the hesitation in Lu Heng’s voice.
Hadn’t he already said it? Or at least… sort of?
And his actions were obvious enough. The other person couldn’t possibly be unaware, right?
“Brother,” Lu Yan continued, “even though in the adult world, a lot of things don’t need to be spelled out—have you ever thought that if you don’t say it, the other person isn’t going to come up and ask whether you like him?”
Hmm. That did make some sense.
Especially since every time he was about to say it, he had been interrupted. Maybe that also meant Lin Yan already understood his feelings—he just hadn’t let him continue because of certain reasons.
As for what those reasons were… he would probably only find out after saying it out loud.
“Mm. I understand,” Lu Heng said. “Then how should I confess?”
“Any time, any place is fine,” Lu Yan replied. “You don’t need to make it too deliberate.”
“Then tomorrow is his birthday. Do you think that would work?”
If Lu Heng were standing next to him right now, Lu Yan would have probably smacked him across the head.
The perfect timing was right in front of him—what was there to hesitate about? If not now, then when? After the other person got a partner? Or when they were old?
“What do you think, brother?” Lu Yan said helplessly.
Perhaps the hardest trial anyone ever faces… is love.
For someone so handsome, wealthy, and highly intelligent, he seemed to become much more foolish when it came to love.
After hanging up the call, Lu Heng no longer felt as anxious, though his palms were slightly damp with nervous sweat. Lu Yan’s words might have sounded unreliable, but the core message was clear.
He knew he liked Lin Yan. And he wanted to be with Lin Yan—that was enough.
He glanced at the time. It wasn’t too late yet.
He immediately stood up, grabbed his car keys, and headed out. At the moment he closed the door, he glanced once toward the room next door before leaving.
He had to be quick.
That was the only thought in Lu Heng’s mind—to celebrate Lin Yan’s birthday here before tomorrow arrived.
This was Lin Yan’s home. To him, it must hold a different kind of meaning.
With limited time, all he could prepare was a cake.
He drove to a dessert studio that usually required reservations far in advance. The search app said this place made the best cakes, so he came without hesitation.
In his memories, Lin Yan had once said many things to Meiqiu—and Lu Heng remembered every one of them. From those memories, he picked out everything related to birthdays.
Lin Yan had a sweet tooth. He especially liked a cheesecake with a delicate texture and a faint gardenia fragrance.
He had once mentioned it casually—when he was young, his mother always made it for his birthday. After that, he had never tasted another cake that truly suited his heart.
Back then, Lu Heng had still been Meiqiu, squatting beside him and listening. He had quietly kept those words in his heart.
He described the flavor to the master baker as carefully as possible—meticulous, almost stubborn in his precision.
The old craftsman adjusted the recipe again and again. Lu Heng waited patiently beside him.
After quite a while, the cake was finally finished. He took it and left immediately.
After that, he went to a flower shop to prepare a bouquet.
He didn’t choose the usual roses, but instead selected a fresh, elegant arrangement.
Then he drove straight to Lin Yan’s house.
When he saw the person waiting at the door, he couldn’t help feeling puzzled.
Had something happened? Did Lin Yan already know something—was that why he was waiting outside?
After parking the car, Lin Yan skillfully opened the back door, placed the cat carrier inside, then sat down in the passenger seat.
“Let’s go,” Lin Yan said after fastening his seat belt.
A faint scent of incense still clung to him. After burning incense for his mother, Lin Yan had packed up and prepared to head back.
He had gone to knock on Lu Heng’s door earlier, but the room was empty. No one was inside, and there were no clothes or personal belongings left behind either.
He assumed Lu Heng had already moved everything into the car.
As soon as he came downstairs, Lu Heng drove up.
“Where are we going?” Lu Heng asked in confusion.
Lin Yan frowned. Why would he ask that? Didn’t this man know they were heading back today?
“Back, of course,” Lin Yan said. “Today’s the last day of the business trip.”
“Wasn’t it three days?” Lu Heng asked. He clearly remembered He Lingchen saying it was three days.
“Oh—President Lu,” Lin Yan said, reaching to unfasten his seat belt. “Are you planning to stay another day?”
Lu Heng tightly grasped his hand, stopping his movement. Then he said, “I remembered it wrong.”
Lu Heng glanced back at the trunk. A ribbon was still peeking out from the top, fluttering slightly when the car started moving.
They could only go back first.
When they arrived downstairs in the residential complex, Lin Yan got out of the car and went to the back seat to take the kitten. A pleasant floral scent brushed past his nose. He glanced over, but didn’t see anything, and thought to himself that the flowers were probably meant for someone else.
Carrying the cat carrier, Lin Yan said a quick goodbye to Lu Heng and went upstairs.
Lu Heng parked the car in the underground garage. When he opened the trunk, the bouquet—after the long drive—had already wilted.
He had originally planned to give the flowers to Lin Yan at midnight, but then thought that Lin Yan would probably already be asleep by then.
Lu Yan’s words—anytime is fine—had thrown him completely off balance. He hadn’t even stopped to think about whether it actually made sense.
Just like this wilted bouquet, everything had appeared at the wrong time.
Still, he tried to salvage it. He brought the flowers home and placed them in water, hoping they wouldn’t wilt any faster.
“You’re back?” Ding Yue asked as she watched her son walk in.
His expression was clearly unhappy, his mood low. Lu Heng responded softly and went straight back to his room, lying down on the bed. After driving for so long, he was exhausted.
Ding Yue was supposed to catch an early flight the next morning. Seeing his condition, she knew something was wrong.
A mother knew best—if she asked him directly, he would either say nothing was wrong or brush her off with work as an excuse.
So she guessed it must have something to do with Lin Yan.
It was just after work hours. She wasn’t sure if Lin Yan was home, so she sent him a message to ask.
Just like last time, she soon appeared again at Lin Yan’s doorstep.
“Auntie, please come in,” Lin Yan said, stepping aside to make room.
Ding Yue handed him a bottle of red wine.
“Auntie, this…” Lin Yan hesitated, unsure whether he should accept it.
Seeing her insist, he took it and placed it in the cabinet behind him.
“It’s fine—just take it,” Ding Yue said with a warm smile. “Last time I left in such a hurry, I never properly thanked you for taking care of that little cat.”
Lin Yan rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Taking care of that kitten had already brought him far more than he deserved—accepting this gift made him feel even more uneasy.
Ding Yue walked further inside. Last time, she hadn’t had a chance to look around his place. Now that she did, it truly felt warm and cozy—very much like a home.
No wonder Lu Heng was willing to stay here for so long.
When she reached the bookshelf, Ding Yue lifted her gaze and saw a fluffy little nest placed on the top shelf.
“Oh, that’s for the kitten to sleep in,” Lin Yan explained.
Just then, a small orange cat ran out of the room, poked its head out, and stared cautiously at the unfamiliar visitor.
Startled, the kitten quickly ran back into its little nest and curled up again.
Ding Yue watched the cat thoughtfully. Seeing that Lin Yan was raising another one, she asked, “Did you adopt another cat?”
“Yes,” Lin Yan replied. “We rescued it while on a business trip with President Lu. Since we couldn’t find anyone to adopt it yet, I’m keeping it for now. I already had some cat supplies and food at home.”
When she had arrived, Ding Yue had noticed something.
Lin Yan hadn’t asked about that cat at all.
Even when she deliberately brought up the topic of cats, Lin Yan still didn’t ask a single question.
Perhaps Lin Yan already knew?
But the last time Lu Heng spoke to her, he had said that Lin Yan didn’t know anything—he had even thought he was hiding it perfectly.
Looks like he’d been exposed after all.
“You… already know?” Ding Yue asked tentatively.
Hearing this, Lin Yan froze for a moment. After a brief pause, he understood that what she meant by knowing was knowing that Lu Heng was the cat.
Lin Yan hadn’t planned to hide it. He simply responded with a quiet, “Mm.”
He poured a glass of water for Ding Yue.
“It seems he hides things far worse than his father did,” Ding Yue said, gesturing for Lin Yan to sit down.
That sentence also reminded Lin Yan that Lu Heng’s ability to turn into a cat was something inherited from his family.
Naturally, the fewer people who knew about something like this, the better. But she wasn’t worried about Lin Yan knowing—and in fact, the reason she came today was to tell him the truth.
She hadn’t expected that he already knew.
“When did you find out?” Ding Yue asked, lifting her cup for a sip of water.
Perhaps he had discovered it on his own. The weight in her heart eased a little—after all, very few people could accept something like this.
Judging from Lin Yan’s reaction, he didn’t seem frightened by the idea of someone turning into a cat. If anything, he probably resented Lu Heng’s deception more.
“A few days ago,” Lin Yan answered honestly.
“Were you scared?” she asked.
“No,” Lin Yan shook his head. “After taking care of him for so long, he’s already become family.”
Hearing that, Ding Yue felt relieved and happy. She truly didn’t understand what Lu Heng had been hesitating or fearing.
“Do you like him?” Ding Yue asked—the same question as last time.
“I do.”
Lin Yan’s answer was exactly the same as before, without a hint of hesitation.
“I don’t mean the cat,” Ding Yue said gently. “I mean the person.”
At once, Lin Yan fell silent. He didn’t know how to respond.
“You young people’s affairs aren’t something I can manage, and I won’t interfere,” Ding Yue continued. “But I know my son well—he likes you.”
Hearing that, Lin Yan was slightly startled. But after thinking about it, the person who understood someone best in this world was probably their mother.
If his own mother were still alive, she would likely know what kind of person he liked too.
Deep down, Lin Yan did like Lu Heng. It was just that all his worries and concerns made him uncertain.
“Auntie… why do you…” Lin Yan didn’t know how to phrase the question, his words coming out haltingly.
“Xiao Yan,” Ding Yue said softly, “I like you. That’s why I know Lu Heng must like you too. We won’t interfere with his choice of partner. If we did, he probably would’ve been engaged long ago.”
Lin Yan didn’t understand the complicated family relationships behind wealthy households. At most, he remembered things he’d seen on television as a child—arranged engagements and such.
They always emphasized one core idea:
Matching family backgrounds.
So he naturally assumed that someone from a family like Lu Heng’s would need a political or business marriage—someone of equal status. Someone “appropriate.”
That she could actually support her son liking another man—this was completely different from what Lin Yan had once imagined.
When Ding Yue said those words, it felt almost unbelievable, as if they had shattered the rigid way Lin Yan had always viewed things.
Starlight seemed to bloom in his eyes. He parted his lips slightly, yet didn’t know what to say.
“Don’t worry,” Ding Yue said with a smile. “I won’t tell him that you already know he’s the cat. After all, he was the one who hid it first.”
After Ding Yue left, Lin Yan remained seated there alone, lost in thought.
Before going to bed, he tossed and turned restlessly. A faint sense of unease lingered—he had a feeling he would be sleepless again tonight.
When he finally drifted into a hazy sleep— His phone rang several times in a row.
Lin Yan glanced at the screen. It was a message from Lu Heng.
Lu Heng: [Lin Yan.]
Lu Heng: [Happy birthday.]
The timestamp landed exactly at midnight. Lin Yan had no intention of replying and pretended to be asleep.
The next second, another message came through.
Lu Heng: [To the you I like—may you be happy every day.]
When we were young, liking someone felt like a casual joke, something that could be said lightly. Yet even then, people would carefully build the atmosphere before speaking those words solemnly.
As the years passed, the word like became weighed down by hesitation and uncertainty. Only after truly understanding it did one realize how heavy it was.
And often, it was only in moments of unguarded honesty that it could finally be spoken so simply.