The Academic God Becomes an Internet Sensation After Joining a Dating Show - Chapter 97 - CEO X Subordinate AU Part 1

[Independent AU, with different setting from the main story]

Qing Lin was the CEO of the Chengqi Group. Recently, he had developed a crush on one of his employees.

His subordinate was a Music Director who had returned from overseas. He had recently been hired to handle music design for advertising, and he was a brilliant, talented genius.

Of course, it wasn’t just his talent; his face was exactly Qing Lin’s type.

On the very first day of the interview, Qing Lin was instantly taken by the dark gray three-piece suit he wore.

The collar buttons were buttoned tightly, making his figure look tall and straight. The man had thick eyebrows and a prominent nose. The contours of his face were deep. When he entered the interview room and briefly raised his eyes to sweep a glance, Qing Lin’s heart skipped a beat, derailed by that light gaze.

This was the first time he had fallen in love since he was old enough to know better.

It was also the first time he had felt such an impulse.

So, Qing Lin now regretted hiring Shen Xuzhi and making him a subordinate he directly managed.

After all, office romance was inherently complicated.

Especially with the CEO of the Group.

Qing Lin sat at the CEO’s desk, flipping through documents, somewhat lost in thought.

“President Qing?”

The man’s low, seductive voice echoed in the office. Qing Lin quickly looked up and heard him say, “Do you think there are any other areas that need revision?”

Qing Lin regained his composure, confirmed the document again, and said calmly and steadily, “No.”

Shen Xuzhi stood in front of him. Today, he wasn’t wearing a suit, but a camel-colored woolen coat, which was casual and natural, fitting his artistic temperament better.

“If there are no problems, I’ll be leaving now,” Shen Xuzhi said.

Qing Lin looked at him, his red lips parted slightly, then closed in silence.

He still had many questions he wanted to ask.

Such as whether he was free after work, if he wanted to eat together, if he had a partner now, if he would mind dating his boss, and if he wanted to make love…

Director Shen’s physique certainly inspired countless fantasies. Qing Lin suppressed his impulses again and again. The words he spoke were much colder under the pressure of reason, sounding frigid and devoid of any emotion.

“No. You may leave.”

The sexual fantasy arose again during the Group’s annual sports day.

As the CEO, Qing Lin hadn’t originally planned to attend the sports day.

But out of a desire to get closer to his subordinate and enhance the relationship between employees, Qing Lin participated in a few events at the sports day and deliberately assigned himself and Shen Xuzhi to the same team.

Qing Lin watched Shen Xuzhi compete in archery from the spectator stands.

Director Shen’s stamina was truly impressive. He basically covered most of the events for the PR team 2.

When he drew the bow, his chest expanded, revealing powerful muscles, broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a defined Adonis belt. His well-toned physique made it obvious that he exercised regularly.

He pulled the string, released it, and the arrow shot out.

Bullseye.

The whole crowd cheered.

Qing Lin felt a little hot under the wave of cheers.

Just sitting in the sun for a while was making him feel uncomfortable. It seemed he needed to exercise more in the future.

“Participants for the three-legged race, please proceed to the south side of the field.”

“President Qing.” It was that voice again, so pleasant, yet always calling him just “President Qing.” “The three-legged race has started. Let’s go.”

Qing Lin glanced indifferently at Shen Xuzhi. He had changed into sportswear and wore a sports headband on his forehead. Looking at him, he resembled an undergraduate student who hadn’t graduated yet, even though he was clearly older than him.

He stood up, stretched his muscles, and said coldly, “Director Shen, you know the phrase ‘it’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game’ isn’t in my dictionary.”

Shen Xuzhi chuckled softly after hearing that, “Understood, President Qing. I guarantee we’ll win.”

The three-legged race shall now begin.

Qing Lin was already a legend in the company. Although he possessed an exceptionally handsome, innocent, and beautiful face, he was incredibly strict in his work, rational and serious to the point of intimidation.

Director Shen, Shen Xuzhi, usually kept a cold demeanor as well, looking unapproachable.

These two paired up for the three-legged race was indeed a sight to behold.

“Please get ready, everyone!” the referee shouted.

Qing Lin never took anything competitive lightly. If he wanted to win, he absolutely would not lose.

Qing Lin had excellent athletic ability. A simple three-legged race was nothing to him.

But at that moment, a hand rested on his waist.

Qing Lin flinched, snapping his head up to look at Shen Xuzhi next to him.

His body heat was very warm. The palm was large, gripping his side waist, right where his tattoo was located.

Shen Xuzhi noticed Qing Lin’s gaze. He had no other expression but looked like he was asking knowingly, “What’s wrong, President Qing?”

Qing Lin: “…”

Shen Xuzhi tapped a finger against his waist, his touch lingering as if gently rubbing through the fabric.

Qing Lin was naturally sensitive, and no one had ever touched him like that before. This stimulation instantly made his ears turn scarlet.

Shen Xuzhi noticed his reaction. His hand moved higher, gliding over the fabric until it rested against his chest.

Qing Lin couldn’t help but lower his head.

All his employees were around. If he made a mistake here, it would be too embarrassing.

Qing Lin bit his lip and suddenly pushed Shen Xuzhi away.

He was still as calm as ever, only his skin was much redder than before, “Apologies, everyone. I feel a bit unwell, so I won’t be participating for now.”

The CEO’s regretful departure naturally disappointed the employees present.

Shen Xuzhi watched Qing Lin’s retreating back, turned around, and said to everyone, “I’m also feeling a bit unwell. I’ll be leaving first.”

Qing Lin practically ran to the restroom.

He felt that he really needed to start dating. He was actually aroused by just a simple touch.

He regretted his action just now, as it was too abnormal. He didn’t know what his subordinates would say about it later.

Qing Lin splashed cold water on his face, trying to calm down, but found he couldn’t.

He shamefully opened the door to a stall. Just as he was about to close it, a hand suddenly grabbed it, preventing him from closing the door.

Qing Lin was startled.

“President Qing, are you alright?” Shen Xuzhi’s voice came from outside the door.

Qing Lin was anxious and tried to quickly shut the door, but found that the man was very strong, and the door was completely fixed in place.

“…What is it?” Qing Lin didn’t want to be seen like this, but he also didn’t want to look too pathetic, so he forced himself to speak.

“I heard you say you were feeling unwell just now,” Shen Xuzhi said. “Do you need my help?”

Qing Lin bit his lip, feeling even more uncomfortable because of his voice, “…I’m fine. You should go.”

The outside seemed to fall silent for a moment.

Qing Lin thought he was leaving. He was about to let out a sigh of relief and loosened his grip on the door slightly.

But the next second, an external force suddenly flung the door open.

Qing Lin stared blankly at the open door. The man standing outside had sharp eyes, staring at his lower body.

“President Qing.” His gaze was predatory, sizing him up like a beast. Shen Xuzhi didn’t flinch and remained silent.

Qing Lin was startled, not knowing what to do. Leaving wasn’t an option, and staying wasn’t either. Then he saw the man take a step toward him. The moment the door closed, it crushed his defenses.

Ah, this is really annoying.

The next second, Qing Lin yanked Shen Xuzhi’s collar.

A massive force surged down. Qing Lin pressed Shen Xuzhi against the stall partition, tilted his head up, and blocked his lips with his own.

Shen Xuzhi was surprised. The CEO was lying on his body. When he kissed him, he kept his eyes open, and his light-colored eyes looked over with an unmistakable desire.

Qing Lin pressed his arm, taking a breath, “Didn’t you say you wanted to help me?”

Shen Xuzhi dared not move.

Qing Lin’s hand slid across his abdominal muscles, then climbed higher, and he reached out his tongue, trying to pry open his lips, but Shen Xuzhi turned his head, refusing him.

“Director Shen.” The CEO was displeased. “You don’t want to kiss me?”

The tone of that sentence was too much like a playful demand, completely inconsistent with his identity.

“Are you incapable of kissing, or do you not want to kiss?” Qing Lin narrowed his eyes at Shen Xuzhi. “Or do you not want to kiss a man?”

The moment the words fell, Qing Lin felt a large hand cup his neck, pressing the back of his head and pulling his hair to force him to lift his head.

What followed was a forceful kiss, prying open his lips and sweeping deep—rough and merciless.

Qing Lin, who had never been kissed like this, instantly melted into compliance. His hands, which were originally grabbing Shen Xuzhi’s shoulders, couldn’t hold on, and he softly tapped his chest muscles. Then his wrists were seized, and he was turned around and pinned against the wall.

“You were the one who provoked me first, President Qing.”

His voice was hoarse as he pulled back from Qing Lin’s lips for a moment. Qing Lin hadn’t even caught his breath when his pants were already loosened.

Qing Lin immediately closed his eyes.

At that moment, others suddenly entered the restroom. Qing Lin was startled, and Shen Xuzhi also tensed up.

“Hey, did you win any awards today?”

“No. Our team didn’t place at all. Those people were just too strong.”

It was some employees chatting about the day’s staff sports event, gathered by the sinks outside.

Qing Lin’s nerves were completely taut. He looked directly at Shen Xuzhi, silently pleading with him to stop moving.

Shen Xuzhi became slightly gentler but didn’t stop. He covered Qing Lin’s mouth with one hand.

“If you get into the top eight, can you get a bonus? I heard the first place gets tens of thousands.”

“Tens of thousands? President Qing is so generous!”

“Yeah, and he’s so handsome. His face is attractive to everyone, regardless of gender.”

“Exactly. I just caught a glimpse from far away today and was amazed. President Qing, when he’s not in formal wear, looks so soft, not scary at all like people say.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The conversation inexplicably shifted to Qing Lin. Shen Xuzhi found the words a bit grating.

He looked down at President Qing, whose eyes were already starting to glaze over, and suddenly put his finger into his mouth, pushing the tip deeper.

“Mmm…”

Qing Lin almost choked and let out a whimper.

“Did you hear something?” The person outside seemed to have heard something and asked.

Qing Lin was terrified and didn’t dare move, but Shen Xuzhi became less restrained. Qing Lin struggled to hold back any sound, his eyes already glistening with moisture.

“No,” the employee replied, “You must have misheard.”

The two chatted and laughed for a while, washed their hands, and then left.

Qing Lin finally reached the peak of his climax, slumping onto Shen Xuzhi, grabbing his collar, his eyes bloodshot.

Shen Xuzhi released Qing Lin and cleaned him up.

Qing Lin was disoriented. Before he could look at the man, he heard an icy voice next to his ear: “President Qing, do you often flirt with people outside?”

Qing Lin froze.

“It seems your problem is solved.” Shen Xuzhi looked at him coldly, completely lacking the warmth of the recent intimate moment.

“In that case, I’ll be leaving.”

Qing Lin hadn’t expected his relationship with Director Shen not only to fail to become closer but to become even more distant.

Outside of work, Shen Xuzhi completely avoided communicating with him.

In the past, he would say a few words when handing over work, but now there were no words at all. He did his job, Qing Lin did his, and Qing Lin was never given a chance to speak after a meeting ended.

Qing Lin was baffled.

But he was also more in love.

He suddenly understood the feeling of “the less a person likes me, the more I like them.”

It was exciting and captivating.

He couldn’t stop.

The more Shen Xuzhi ignored him, the more interesting Qing Lin found it, and the more he wanted to get his attention.

For instance, using the excuse of revising a manuscript to see him more often, deliberately running into him during lunch, or going to the recording studio to observe him record.

Qing Lin truly loved that face, especially when Shen Xuzhi was focused on work.

He noticed that Director Shen wore glasses when he worked, with gold frames. His dark eyes drooped listlessly, his lips were a pale color, and he always seemed somewhat aloof and indifferent, radiating an air of asceticism.

Qing Lin would stand behind, claiming to be inspecting the work, but actually just staring at the person.

Soon after, their eyes would meet, and Director Shen’s brow would furrow slightly.

Hmm, even his annoyed little expressions were fascinating.

After the accidental encounter with Director Shen in the restroom, Qing Lin often felt a strong urge.

Director Shen’s hand, Director Shen’s chest muscles, Director Shen’s warmth.

Qing Lin was an adult, so having physiological needs was natural.

However, he didn’t quite know how to satisfy them himself. Ever since Shen Xuzhi helped him last time, he found it difficult to calm himself down alone.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have Shen Xuzhi’s private contact information.

He wanted it, but there was never an opportunity to ask. They only communicated through a work account.

Qing Lin didn’t know how to address the situation between two men. During his lunch break, he searched on Baidu. During the search, he discovered a website.

This was the first time Qing Lin had read such stories. The descriptions inside were surprisingly detailed.

Qing Lin’s heart pounded as he read, but the web version was hard on the eyes. He downloaded the article, intending to transfer it to his phone.

He sent it via the PC version of Q/Q. The transfer completed, but Qing Lin didn’t see the article.

Hmm?

Why wasn’t it there?

Qing Lin was confused. He reopened his computer and froze.

He had sent it to the wrong person.

He had actually sent it to Shen Xuzhi.

For a moment, Qing Lin’s mind went completely blank.

It was over.

The message had been sent for over three minutes and couldn’t be recalled. What was even more despairing was the notification:

“The recipient has received: “The Overbearing CEO Bottom and His Loyal Subordinate Top [High Energy].”

Qing Lin: “…”

Qing Lin felt an urge to skip work and go home.

How embarrassing.

Soon, a knock came at the office door.

Qing Lin tensed.

“…Come in.”

The door opened, and Shen Xuzhi walked in from outside.

He was only wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, no coat. He still wore his gold-rimmed glasses, and the cuffs were rolled up, revealing a section of his powerful forearm.

The man’s presence was somewhat subdued. Having shed his gentlemanly facade from the day, he seemed colder than usual.

Shen Xuzhi entered and silently closed the large door.

Qing Lin forced himself to maintain composure, saying with an even tone, “Director Shen, is something the matter?”

Shen Xuzhi walked toward him, his eyes icy.

Qing Lin couldn’t help but swallow. Director Shen was handsome, but he was a little terrifying right now.

A few seconds later, Shen Xuzhi stopped in front of Qing Lin’s desk.

He picked up his phone, his expression gradually chilling, and read, “The Overbearing CEO Bottom and His Loyal Subordinate Top [High Energy].”

Qing Lin froze.

“The CEO was pressed onto the office desk, and the subordinate lifted his thigh to explore from top to bottom… A fiery kiss that stole his breath. In the forbidden environment, all senses were infinitely amplified…”

Qing Lin’s face flushed scarlet. He quickly lowered his head, not daring to look into Shen Xuzhi’s eyes again.

But the next moment, his chin was pinched, and he was forced to look up.

Shen Xuzhi gripped his jaw, his voice cold and brutal, “President Qing likes this kind of thing, huh?”

Qing Lin dared not make a sound, only feeling that the pressure on his hand had increased significantly. The hot thumb pressed against his lips. The touch stimulated all the meridians in his body. Driven by lust, he unconsciously took Shen Xuzhi’s finger into his mouth.

“Hmph.” Shen Xuzhi sneered. His thumb mercilessly probed and pressed down his tongue. He commanded him indifferently to open his mouth.

“What exactly do you mean?” Shen Xuzhi looked at the normally calm, rational, and flawless CEO, now looking alluring. He leaned down and asked.

He moved closer, his hand slowly stroking Qing Lin’s cheek, passing his earlobe, moving down his neck, growing hotter and hotter.

“Are you admiring me, seducing me,” his deep voice slowly drifted in, “or…”

“Do you want to sleep with me?”

Qing Lin’s pupils visibly widened.

Now, this was a mess.

Director Shen had definitely misunderstood.

Qing Lin couldn’t help but look at Shen Xuzhi again. With his face radiating high male hormones and his prominent nose, Qing Lin’s remaining few wisps of sanity should have been completely defeated.

He calmly considered for a moment. If he were to say now that he wanted to date him, Shen Xuzhi would surely think he was pretending, and there would likely be no future for them.

How about… see the misunderstanding through?

Sleeping together, and all that…

Qing Lin had never thought in his life that he would resort to this kind of method to get close to the person he loved.

Qing Lin bit his red lip, his ears flushed crimson from the touch, “…Give me your contact information.”

Shen Xuzhi responded, “Doesn’t President Qing already have it?”

Qing Lin answered, “I want your personal one.”

Shen Xuzhi was silent. After a long pause, he took Qing Lin’s phone and typed in his WeChat ID.

Qing Lin took his phone back, feeling a sense of delight.

Shen Xuzhi was still cold. After connecting on WeChat, he turned to leave.

“Hey.” Qing Lin suddenly stopped him, “Are you free after work tonight?”

Shen Xuzhi raised an eyebrow: “You’re that impatient?”

…No, actually, he just wanted to have dinner together.

But since they had already initiated this level of connection, Qing Lin thought he might as well not rush and start slowly.

Chasing someone should be gradual.

In the enormous CEO’s office, two people were at opposite ends. An invisible thread connected them, and an unspoken, ambiguous atmosphere spread, tender and intoxicating.

Qing Lin was quiet for a moment, then raised his beautiful and captivating amber eyes and said, “Yes, I am.”