Divorce and Desire: Love with My Boss

"Thank you for helping me take care of my mom." Noah came here only once a year, but the grave was always spotless, without a speck of dust.

Noah looked at the old man's white hair, his eyes still shining, "Alright, see you next year."

The house still had water and electricity; Noah made sure to pay the bills through his phone. That way, every time he came back, it would feel like someone was here.

But inside the house, the TV no longer showed the cloud bread, and no bright smile greeted him, saying, "Welcome home."

Noah still couldn't bring himself to face this house. So after resigning from his job, like a coward, he stayed in A City.

"The winter here is too cold. I can't get through it alone."

Noah took a hot shower, changed clothes, and boarded the return train. The snow in A City had stopped, and Noah's longing was tucked away in the depths of his heart.

When he opened the door, everything was the same as when he left. However, Shawn wasn't home. He had probably gone out, thinking it would be too boring alone.

Noah placed his dirty clothes in the washing machine. His silver-gray winter coat, which he had worn earlier, had been sent to the dry cleaners before he left.

While waiting for the clothes to dry, Noah scrolled through his phone. His friend circle was empty, except for a post he made during his wedding, which he had since deleted.

As he scrolled, he saw a post from Ethan.

It was a video. At first, the screen was pitch black. Then, with a few whooshing sounds, a grand and magnificent fireworks display lit up the night sky, one burst after another, bright enough to illuminate half the sky.

The display was huge—much larger than anything he had seen recently. In A City, fireworks had been banned for years. It had been so long since Noah had seen anything like it.

On a whim, Noah clicked on the video. Ethan only had two posts, both of them videos.

The second video was of Ethan swimming. The lines of his muscles were smooth, and the water made his skin shine under the sunlight.

Noah pinched his own arm. It was still hard, but he wasn't happy with how it felt. He was a terrible swimmer, too.

Looking at the video, for some reason, Noah felt a strong desire in his chest. He wanted to try swimming, too.

At the end of the video, Ethan pushed himself up from the pool. His well-defined abs flashed for a moment before the video cut off.

"Can swimming really give you abs like that?" Noah thought.

He touched his own soft belly, which had no muscle tone. He had been eating a lot of cake lately, and though he used to have some definition, it was now gone.

At that moment, the washing machine on the balcony beeped, signaling the end of the cycle. "Right, time to hang the clothes."

Noah threw his phone aside and went to retrieve the clothes from the machine. Even though they were already dry, Noah still twisted each piece of clothing as though he were searching for stones in an egg, repeating the process again and again. It took him ten minutes to hang just five pieces of clothing.

He couldn't help but feel uneasy about his phone. The house only had a projector for entertainment. Perhaps it was because he hadn't seen a man's body in so long that he had such a strong reaction to Ethan's video.

Lying in bed, Noah tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Just earlier, while taking a shower, as the warm water flowed over him, his mind couldn't help but imagine the water in a swimming pool.

Swimming in this season must still be quite cold, right? But once your skin gets used to it, would the sensation of swimming feel free and refreshing?

In the pitch-black night, a light suddenly flickered on.

"An indoor pool... and the price isn't that high."

Also, nowadays, many activities offer single-session experiences, so even if you don't like it after trying once, it's still worth it.

By the time Noah closed his eyes, he had already booked a session through his app.

The sky outside was still gray, and it seemed there would be no sun today.

Noah was already packed and ready, looking at the empty living room. He tried knocking on the door of the apartment next door.

No response. The person inside probably hadn't gotten up yet.

Just as he turned around, a hoarse voice came from within, "I'm up, I'm getting… up."

Noah glanced at his phone. "Then I won't wait for you. I'll head to the shop to prepare."

"Hey, hey, you're really not waiting for me?" Shawn sounded like he had just woken up, his hair was a mess, looking like a bird's nest.

"The dough needs to rise, the fillings need to be mixed, and baking also takes time. So I really have to go."

Shawn yawned and covered his mouth, "Alright, I'll wake up earlier tomorrow and go with you."

"When you go out, remember to bundle up. Winter's not over yet."

Noah left a parting remark before heading out.

Shawn followed shortly after, and when they arrived at the shop, he was slurping on a hot and sweet soy milk. "Noah, I brought you breakfast."

"Put it down first. I'm not done yet." Noah responded from inside while continuing to work.

"Hey, let me help you. My tasks are fewer, so maybe if I finish before opening time, you can still have a bite of the breakfast I brought you."

"Then you can help me separate the eggs. Grab two bowls." Noah couldn't think of a simpler task than that.

Shawn smiled widely and rolled up his sleeves, "Leave it to me."

By the time Noah finished baking the bagels, he began spreading them with the prepared fillings.

Looking at the two large bowls full of egg yolks and egg whites, Noah thought to himself: Well done, truly well done.

Shawn looked at Noah with an expression that begged for praise, and Noah had no choice but to force a smile. "You did great—quick and a lot."

The last word was slightly emphasized.

"Where's the breakfast you brought?"

Noah took a big bite, almost tearing at it, chewing hard with his mouth full.

"Why eat so fast? We still have ten more minutes before the shop opens." Shawn looked at his watch, completely puzzled.

"No, I just enjoy eating this way," Noah said, and to prove his point, he took a big gulp of soy milk, his cheeks puffing up.

"Being able to eat is a blessing. You're just too skinny; you should eat more."

Noah suddenly stopped chewing, thinking of his small belly. After swallowing the bite, he didn't want to eat any more.

"I'm not eating anymore."

"You really are skinny—don't you like hearing good things?" Shawn said, feeling a bit frustrated as he ate the fried dough sticks in his hand.

Noah started arranging the pastries on the plate, putting them in their corresponding spots.

Owning a coffee shop was naturally something to be happy about, but it had also become a sweet burden.

Even when he deliberately controlled himself, tasting the dishes still inevitably led him to take a bite.

Noah started thinking about whether he should increase his exercise. For example, he could sign up for a kickboxing class.

Back in high school, he had always thought that men who practiced boxing or kickboxing were incredibly handsome and charismatic.

When he mentioned it to Oliver back then, Oliver said, "You, an omega, practicing kickboxing? You want me to watch other people take advantage of you? That's not happening. And besides, you don't need to practice. I've got you covered."

Now, Noah finally realized that no one will always be there as your support, as your rock.

Only he himself would always be there, the sharpest spear and the strongest shield.

He planned to try some things he had once wanted to do but never dared to.

Things like riding a roller coaster, paragliding, or rock climbing…

While his body still had energy, he wanted to boldly go for it.

After closing the shop, Noah rushed straight to the indoor swimming pool. He even bought a full set of gear at the front desk.

Since it was his first time here, a coach accompanied him and explained swimming-related knowledge.

Noah knew how to warm up; back in his university sports classes, the workout was always quite intense, so they would warm up at the beginning of every class.

"For beginners, we usually recommend gradually acclimating the chest to the water temperature before fully getting in, like this."

Noah followed the coach's example, copying his movements well.

"Alright, you can get in now."

Noah was like a newly hatched chick, doing whatever the coach told him, so obedient.

The water level in the pool wasn't deep, only up to the waist. This made Noah feel a bit more confident.

"Now we'll start with breathing exercises. Don't be nervous. Follow my command, take a deep breath with your mouth open, then slowly exhale in the water."

Noah followed the coach's instructions, breathing in and out repeatedly.

"Great, now stretch your arms straight out on the floor, relax, don't tense your muscles."

"Take a deep breath, dip your head into the water, then slowly, raise your right foot first, then your left foot. Keep your legs together. If you can't hold it, stand up straight and breathe."

Floating in the water reminded Noah of the cloud bread from his childhood, his body floating lightly on the water's surface.

The water was gentle, and when he closed his eyes, it really felt like he was flying.

As Noah was breathing, his eyes were filled with dazzling light. This feeling was truly amazing.

Noah returned home, but his heart was still fluttering. The experience had been so enjoyable that he immediately got a membership card.

It was getting late, so Noah decided to wander around the snack street near the swimming pool.

Halfway through eating, Noah called Shawn.

After a while, Shawn finally picked up. "Have you eaten yet?"

The loud background noise made it hard for Noah to hear clearly. "It's too noisy there. Find a quieter place."

"Is it better now?" Shawn stood in the dim stairwell, a cigarette still burning between his fingers.

"Much better. Do you want some fried noodles?"

Shawn took a puff of his cigarette, his voice a bit hoarse. "Did you go home?"

"No, I'm still outside. The boss's fried noodles here are really delicious."

"I've already eaten. I'll be home later."

Noah raised an eyebrow. "You could've just said you weren't eating." He hung up and continued eating his noodles.

"You're making a call here?" A man with smoky makeup leaned against the door frame. His delicate features and androgynous look made him unusually attractive.

"What's up? Can't resist coming out to find me for just a few minutes?" Shawn leaned against the wall, tilting his head and teasing.

The man wasn't angry. He walked over and hooked Shawn's neck, pulling him down, his warm breath falling on Shawn's lips. "This place... seems like a good spot for something."

Shawn's back was against the wall, no way to retreat, so he chose to move forward instead.

In an instant, their positions reversed. "Are you interested in me?"

"People come here to have fun, right?" The man's eyes slanted up, his gaze playful. "Could it be you're still a pure boy?"

Shawn laughed lightly, his voice full of suggestiveness, echoing in the hallway. "How could I be?"

Just when it seemed like things were heating up, Shawn took two steps back, creating some distance. "I'm not pure, but I prefer to do these things with familiar people."

With that, he pushed the door open and went out, heading straight back to the private room.

"Hey! Didn't he just go out with you? Why didn't he come back with you?" A woman in a black shirt, holding someone in her arms, asked.

The room was warm, and there were quite a few people, so wearing so little didn't make her feel cold at all.

"He went to the bathroom. I'm done for tonight. Let's meet next time."

"You finally came out to play, just for you, and you didn't even play for long?"

Shawn grabbed his coat. "I'll treat you properly when I get back. I have work tomorrow, I'm leaving now."

When Shawn returned, he expected to find complete darkness waiting for him. But in the moment he opened the door, there was a soft, affectionate light in his eyes.

On the coffee table in the living room was a beautifully crafted flower lamp.