The two people on the bed quickly adapted to the light and looked up simultaneously.

Two pairs of big, watery eyes stared up at Pei Xi. Their cheeks were faintly red, their lips slightly open, and their eyes blinked from time to time, looking at him amorously.

“……”

Pei Xi looked at them in silence.

The young man on the bed leaned closer to him. He blinked for a long time with no response, so he simply twisted his body and leaned on the edge of the bed, trying to rub his head against Pei Xi’s legs.

As if facing a formidable enemy, Pei Xi swiftly took half a step back, finally remembering where that strange sense of familiarity came from.

Wasn’t this young man the one who followed He Chuzhou out of the hotel that morning?

Beep—

The sound of the door lock opening to a room card sounded again.

Pei Xi reflexively frowned when he saw the person he least wanted to see push open the door and come in.

And the latter was equally surprised to run into him here.

Flipping the room card in the palm of his hand, He Chuzhou leaned against the door without rushing in: “Old friend, why are you in my room?”

Pei Xi saw the room card in his hand and then glanced again at the lively and fragrant bed. How could he still not understand what was going on?

If he was just slightly nauseated at the elevator door earlier, he was well and truly sickened by everything in front of him now.

The sound of rapid footsteps came from afar, and the attendant who had just taken Pei Xi upstairs ran over panting: “President Pei, I’m extremely sorry. The situation was chaotic just now and I mistakenly gave you that room key—”

His voice cut off abruptly when he caught sight of the current situation in the room, and his expression froze at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The number of onlookers had increased inexplicably, and the two mostly naked people on the bed flushed with embarrassment. They turned over and tried to creep under the quilt piled to the side.

Faced with everything before him, Pei Xi tried his best to calm his emotions and breathing, then walked out without saying a word.

Unexpectedly, as he passed the door, a sudden wave of dizziness hit his head.

He almost lost his balance and fell down, but a hand fortunately held his arm in time: “Hey, are you okay?”

“Don’t touch me!”

Pei Xi shook him off with a composed expression. He held onto the wall to suppress the turmoil in his stomach, and strode away with frosty features.

The attendant who caused the incident stood there helplessly.

“Okay, go send him off.”

He Chuzhou waved his hand, seeming to have no intention of complaining: “I don’t need any help here.”

As if he had received amnesty, the attendant thanked him repeatedly before hastily chasing after Pei Xi.

He Chuzhou flicked his wrists and straightened up, walking into the room.

When he was at the door just now, his line of sight was blocked. He could only vaguely see someone on the bed, but didn’t know the specific situation.

When he drew closer and clearly saw the boldly dressed man and woman on the bed, he couldn’t help but bite his cheek with a sour expression.

Thinking back to the man standing beside the bed in a dilemma just now with a look of incomprehension on his face, he was suddenly unable to restrain his laughter.

Tsk, what a pity that he was late.

He was rather curious as to what the serious man’s reaction was upon lifting the quilt.

As He Chuzhou approached the bed, the young man recognized him. His face was obviously more confused than that of the woman’s.

Wasn’t this the person he gave money to find a place to eat hot and sour noodles that morning? Why was he bumping into him again?

Just when the two of them couldn’t figure out what was happening now, He Chuzhou leaned down and tore off the tape on their mouths and pulled the quilt back over them.

“You two…..” He Chuzhou said these two words leisurely.

The two people were holding the corners of the quilt, four eyes exposed as they rolled, deer-like, to look at him.

The faint blushes on their cheeks because of Pei Xi had not yet faded, and deepened once again due to He Chuzhou’s appearance.

Wancheng. Wancheng was truly a getaway paradise.

He Chuzhou: “Isn’t it embarrassing to be dressed like this and squeezed into the same bed for so long without being able to chat?”

The young man: “……”

The young woman: “……”

“I’m just joking.” 

He Chuzhou smiled and set the room card on the bedside table: “Here, I’ll put it here for you. You can rest for the night and then check out tomorrow morning. I’m going.”

Having said this, he turned and left the room, not forgetting to conscientiously close the door for them before leaving.

The two were left alone on the bed, looking at each other in dismay.

*

*

It was already after 11 o’clock when Pei Xi returned to Wancheng.

Before going back, he went to the company to pick up documents, and when he got home, he ate something casually and took some medicine. He just barely fell asleep in the early morning.

At 7a.m. the next day, his assistant sent a message saying that he had already connected with Mr. Zhang’s assistant. The meeting time was approximately 10 o’clock, and the location was still the hotel where the auction was held last night.

Because they had to run back and forth, the other party specifically included an apology in the email. It was just that Mr. Zhang had already arranged to stay abroad for a time after the auction.

He had a flight ticket for around 1 o’clock this afternoon, and feared he wouldn’t be able to catch it if he made the trip to Wancheng.

Pei Xi expressed his understanding, and as soon as the morning meeting concluded, he took the documents and rushed to the neighboring city for the appointment.

The car passed through the city and drove steadily onto the highway.

Somehow, after taking medicine and resting for a night, Pei Xi’s condition had not improved. On the contrary, there were faint signs of it worsening, the strength in his body slowly declining.

He just hoped that victory would come quickly. He really didn’t have enough energy to sustain himself in this state and deal with matters.

Dong Han, who was sitting in the passenger seat, kept taking frequent looks in the rearview mirror. After several times, this finally caught Pei Xi’s attention.

“What’s wrong?”

Pei Xi looked up from the documents and tiredly adjusted his glasses.

Belongings had similar qualities to their owners, and so did the glasses placed on Pei Xi’s face. Even the lenses and silver frames seemed to reflect a calm, cold light.

“President Pei.” Dong Han sounded a little uncertain: “The car behind us seems to have been following us since we left the city.”

Pei Xi didn’t take it to heart: “Perhaps it is just going the same way.”

Dong Han: “But that’s President He’s car.”

Pei Xi: “…….”

Pei Xi immediately turned his head. Sure enough, a black car was driving behind them not too distantly.

Pei Xi: “Are you sure that’s He Chuzhou’s car?”

Wasn’t he supposed to have rested at the hotel last night after the auction? Why had he appeared in Wancheng at this time?

“En, the license plate number is correct.”

Dong Han guessed: “Is it possible that President He is also going to see Mr. Zhang?”

This possibility could indeed not be ruled out.

And if this was the case, the situation was not very optimistic for them. He Chuzhou had been laying low during this period, and no one could tell what preparations he had made in secret. 

Pei Xi closed the document: “When you made an appointment with Mr. Zhang’s assistant, did he reveal that he had made an appointment with someone else at the same time?”

Dong Han answered in the negative and took out his cellphone: “President Pei, would you like me to contact Mr. Zhang’s assistant now and ask?”

Pei Xi stopped him: “No need.”

At this point, no matter what the other party’s answer was, he still had to go.

He was the one asking for something from the other party, and there was no point in asking too many questions. If Mr. Zhang was to misunderstand and think he meant to condemn him, it would do more harm than good.

But if He Chuzhou really……

Pei Xi: “Contact He Chuzhou’s assistant.”

Dong Han was a little surprised: “President Pei, what do you mean?”

Pei Xi: “Ask them directly if they are going to meet Mr. Zhang.”

Dong Han understood and immediately opened his cellphone to contact He Chuzhou’s assistant.

The call connected quickly, but after Dong Han said “Hello” at the beginning, there were no further words.

After a couple of seconds, he turned back to glance at Pei Xi, looking troubled.

Pei Xi: “What’s wrong?”

“President Pei, President He answered the phone.”

Dong Han held the phone lower: “He says there is no need to go to such trouble. If you want to know anything, you can ask him personally.”

A bit of impatience showed in Pei Xi’s eyes, and he reached out to take the phone, putting it to his ear: “It’s me.”

“I hear that. Morning.”

He Chuzhou’s voice came through the connection as casually as if this was a chat between acquaintances. It was no exaggeration to say that it was pleasant to the ears.

It was just that the voice that fell into Pei Xi’s ears was somewhat sarcastic.

It couldn’t be helped. Pei Xi’s negativity filter on him was too thick. No matter what he said or did, Pei Xi found him objectionable to see or listen to.

Uninterested in talking nonsense to him, Pei Xi asked straight to the point: “Are you going to meet Mr. Zhang?”

He Chuzhou was also very direct: “Yes.”

Sure enough.

Pei Xi suppressed his annoyance: “Mr. Zhang’s flight leaves at 1 o’clock today.”

He Chuzhou: “So our time is around 10a.m.”

Pei Xi was stunned. His was also at 10 o’clock, so Mr. Zhang actually planned to see them both at the same time.

How could they still discuss like this?

Lay their cards on the table and bid in person?

If He Chuzhou had expected that the meeting would be like this, based on Pei Xi’s understanding of him, he must have prepared to overwhelm him by surprise.

At this thought, Pei Xi’s expression turned even worse: “You knew I would make an appointment with Mr. Zhang today. Did you do this on purpose?”

He Chuzhou gave a brief laugh: “President Pei, you overestimate me. How could I know that you had an appointment today? It’s just a coincidence.”

Pei Xi didn’t believe a word he said: “What do you intend to do?”

He Chuzhou: “Discuss the land, of course. What else can I do?”

Pei Xi’s voice grew even colder: “You know that isn’t what I’m asking.”

“How can I know?”

He Chuzhou said in a relaxed tone: “President Pei, don’t forget that we have a fair, competitive relationship. Putting it this way, can I also ask you why you deliberately made an appointment on the same day as me?”

Pei Xi gripped the phone tightly, saying nothing.

“By the way, has President Pei had breakfast?”

He Chuzhou yawned, endlessly changing the topic: “We should have plenty of time when we get there soon. Do you want to go have a bowl of noodles together?”

Who wanted to eat with him?

Pei Xi suppressed his displeasure and was just about to hang up the phone.

“Pei Xi!”

But at this moment, He Chuzhou suddenly burst out with a loud shout: “Lower your head!”

Pei Yi was startled by him.

However, just as He Chuzhou finished speaking, there was a loud sound of friction from the front and bottom of the car simultaneously, and what followed was a sharp pain that exploded from the corner of his eye and the side of his head.

He had no time to react, and completely lost consciousness amidst the thunderous impact.

---

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Chapter 2 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 4

Wu Qing had guessed wrong. Pei Xi looked down on He Chuzhou not only because of their competitive relationship in the industry, but also because of He Chuzhou as a person.

He was unlearned and blinded by lust, and after studying abroad for several years, he was still a fool when he returned. He was able to overcome all objections and take the position of leader of the He family all thanks to his father, who had absolute power back then.

As for why he was able to maintain it for so long, he relied on the assistant his father had trained for him, who would advise him on every detail.

To put it bluntly, He Chuzhou pretended to be President He, but he was actually just a big infant in a high position.

He was also a big infant who welcomed all comers, loved various types of sensual pleasure, and had an extremely chaotic private life.

With such a person as an opponent, Pei Xi only felt that it was a huge insult to himself and to Pei Group. How could he still spare him a good look?

As for the land by the river, although He Group had thus far shown no interest in participating in the competition, he wouldn’t let down his guard until it was a done deal.

After all, that military advisor of He Chuzhou’s liked nothing more than to interfere in the final stages.

Therefore, he must not leave the auction empty-handed tonight.

Knowing that many collectors had their own eccentricities and liked to collect all kinds of strange things, he did not have any expectations for tonight’s auctioned items from the start.

He was not interested in collecting. As long as he snatched a trinket at random for conversation material, this trip would not be in vain.

It was just that he hadn’t expected that Mr. Zhang’s hobbies would be so ridiculous.

Matchbox combination sets from around the world; keys of all kinds, ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign; free souvenirs from various restaurants; soil from the centers of various craters…..

Pei Xi: “…….”

The bidders around him with the same intentions: “…….”

If the crater soil was replaced by a meteorite, he wouldn’t be so reluctant.

What would he do with such a big pile of dirt when he went back?

Even though the items were all kinds of weird, there were still many people who bit the bullet and bid for them.

Seeing that the collection was getting smaller and smaller, and that the people around him had more or less acquired something, Pei Xi’s fingers tapping on his number card gradually became disordered.

He couldn’t wait much longer.

He would take the next one. As long as it didn’t take up too much space, no matter what it was, he would—

“Item twenty-six, Beetle Specimens.”

“It was reported that these are beetle specimens from all over the world that Mr. Zhang spent nearly three years meticulously collecting. There are a total of 1,298 species, with various shapes and gorgeous colors…..”

Pei Xi: “……”

Pei Xi: “……….”

He stared numbly at the densely packed insect specimens on the stage, caught in an existential crisis.

To bid?

Or not to bid?

Where would he put it after he took it?

Where could he put so many bugs without having to see them?

The beetle specimens entered the final stage of the auction, and the auctioneer began to count down. The hammer fell.

Pei Xi closed his eyes in exhaustion and put his fingers between his eyebrows, trying to get rid of the image of the beetle family that lingered in his mind.

“Item twenty-seven, Ice Seed Jadeite Bracelet.”

Pei Xi paused and looked at the auction table again.

The red cloth was removed. In the glass box on the table, a jadeite bracelet of excellent quality exuded a warm, soft luster under the lights.

The auction was coming to an end, and there was finally a normal item.

“This bracelet was purchased by Mr. Zhang from an elderly lama when he went to Tibet to do charity work five years ago. Meticulously crafted and polished from the finest raw ice seed jadeite, each jade bead is flawless. The color is clear and transparent, and it can be considered the highest quality.”

“The ice seed jadeite bracelet’s starting price is two million.”

“Two and a half.”

“Three million.”

“Five!”

“Six million.”

Pei Xi raised his hand to hold up his card: “Twenty million.”

The number of bidding calls promptly dropped by half, but there were still a few numbers added after careful consideration.

“Twenty-two million.”

“Twenty-five.”

“Thirty.”

Pei Xi didn’t want to waste time on this sort of thing and raised the card again: “Fifty million.”

Those few voices also disappeared.

Fifty million was just about right, and was not a small sum.

It wasn’t worth more than that.

The auctioneer: “President Pei bids fifty million. Everyone, are there any higher bids?”

The auctioneer raised his hand: “Fifty million, going once.”

“Fifty million, going twice.”

“Fifty million—”

“Sixty million.”

Just when there was almost no suspense about who would win the bracelet, someone in the corner suddenly raised their card.

Everyone turned their heads in surprise to look toward the source of the voice.

Near a pillar, He Chuzhou leaned back in a chair with his legs crossed. His expensive suit jacket was placed on the armrest, causing a few wrinkles.

As if he had sensed something, he tilted his head slightly, looking across the crowd to collide with another gaze.

After exchanging glances for only a moment, Pei Xi turned back with a cold face and went on to raise his number card to bid: “Seventy million.”

This price far exceeded the original value of the jadeite bracelet. Knowing that bidding was hopeless, others changed their mentality to that of watching the entertainment.

Just for a bracelet.

President Pei and President He were worthy of being industry leaders, and were indeed rich and overbearing.

He Chuzhou: “Seventy-five million.”

Pei Xi: “Eighty million.”

He Chuzhou: “Eighty-five million.”

Pei Xi: “Ninety million.”

Neither rushed nor slow, He Chuzhou said: “Ninety-five million.”

The rumor that the two did not get along was confirmed again.

Standing at the edge of the stage, Mr. Zhang hissed with aching teeth, looking back and forth between this pair of “old friends.”

They were making no concessions. His bracelet was really worth its price today.

Pei Xi’s hand slowly tightened on the number card, and in the end, he covered it on his knees, feeling as if he had a fish bone lodged in his throat.

The auctioneer’s countdown ended, and the auction hammer fell. He Chuzhou won the ice seed jadeite bracelet at the high price of nearly 100 million.

Now there were only a few items left.

Fortunately, Pei Xi’s luck was not too bad. The remaining items were normal compared to the previous ones, and at the end of the auction, he harvested a ruby stone carving.

In the end, it was not in vain. 

He gave a strained sigh of relief.

His physical discomfort was worse than during the day, and the gleaming lights in the venue dazzled him.

He really needed to rest.

The auction was over, and there would be some arrangements for entertainment and relaxation later. But for Pei Xi, there was no need to continue participating.

He stood up to leave, and a middle-aged gentleman next to him happened to stand at the same time as him. The two of them bumped into each other, and the remaining half glass of champagne in the other person’s hand spilled all over him.

“President Pei! Sorry, sorry, my apologies.”

The other party slapped his head and apologized profusely. In desperation, he tried to use his hands to help wipe away the alcohol stains.

Pei Xi was a bit irritated by such an accident, and raised his hand to stop the other party’s movements. “It’s fine.”

The man heard the resentment in his words. His hands froze midair, and he was a little embarrassed for a moment.

Fortunately, an attendant noticed the situation in time and came over to inform him that the hotel had prepared a room for every invited guest, so that they could go up and rest at any time or deal with similar emergencies.

The attendant: “There are spare clothes in the room. President Pei can go and change.”

Pei Xi took off his stained jacket and told Dong Han when he came over to tell the driver to wait at the door. Then he followed the attendant and left the venue to go upstairs under the middle-aged man’s extremely apologetic look.

*

*

“It was so mysterious that I thought it would be some great thank you gift.”

Wu Qing looked at the room card that had been thrust into He Chuzhou’s hand and sneered: “This is it? It’s cliche~ isn’t it?”

He Chuzhou picked up his jacket, held the room card between his fingers to reply to a message, and responded to Wu Qing perfunctorily: “En, en. Same old, same old.”

Wu Qing extended his neck: “Who are you talking to?”

He Chuzhou didn’t even raise his head: “Your grandma.”

Wu Qing: “ ? ”

Wu Qing: “What the hell! Why are you talking to my grandma?”

He Chuzhou turned his phone over to show him.

The message was from Ms. Chu, He Chuzou’s mother, Chu Yuelan.

The corners of Wu Qing’s mouth immediately twitched: “Fuck.”

He Chuzhou tilted his head cheerfully.

Wu Qing: “All day long you’ve been acting like my dad. Why haven’t I seen you spend over 90 million on a bracelet for this son to wear for fun?”

He Chuzhou retracted his hand: “Your grandma liked this one today. I’ll definitely get you one next time.”

Wu Qing grinded his molars and rolled his eyes, but quickly reacted: “So that jadeite bracelet is what she wants?”

He Chuzhou gave a nasal hum and continued to reply to messages.

Wu Qing was surprised: “So you didn’t deliberately steal it to go against Pei Xi?”

He Chuzhou didn’t understand: “Am I sick?”

Wu Qing clicked his tongue twice, saying with intention: “I don’t know whether or not you’re sick. In any case, a certain person must have concluded that you’re sick.”

Of course He Chuzhou knew who he was talking about. He didn’t take it to heart, and put his phone away after answering the last message: “Are you going or not?”

“Going, ah.” Wu Qing jerked his chin at the key card in his hand. “But what will you do with this thing?”

He Chuzhou tossed his jacket to him: “Wait for me at the door.”

*

*

The room was on the top floor of the hotel.

As soon as Pei Xi got out of the elevator, a drunk wandered over like a lonely soul and vomited in front of him. The turbid stench quickly spread.

Pei Xi’s footsteps paused: “…….”

The attendant was also startled and quickly informed his superior through his headset of the unexpected situation near the elevator door.

It would take a while for the person handling it to arrive, and the drunkard was so dizzy that he didn’t know where he was and almost fell into his own vomit.

Pei Xi was already feeling uncomfortable, and now he felt sick to his stomach, so he simply averted his gaze: “Give me the room card, I’ll go by myself.”

The attendant bowed to him apologetically. He struggled to support the drunk guest with one hand, and used the other hand to take out the room card and give it to him: “It’s the one at the end of the corridor.”

Pei Xi took the room card and left with haste.

There were two rooms at the end of the corridor. Pei Xi couldn’t be bothered to go back and inquire, so he first tried the one on the right. When there was no response, he went to the room on the left, and this time the door opened successfully.

The room card was inserted into the card slot, which controlled the room’s power supply, and the lights turned on.

Pei Xi closed the door and stood there pressing his brow for a moment, then walked to the closet and opened the door.

There was a regular black suit inside, a jacket, shirt, and trousers. Not even the tie was left out.

It must be said that Mr. Zhang was indeed very prepared.

The event was over and it didn’t matter if he wore the jacket or not, so Pei Xi only took the shirt.

“Wu.”

Just as he was about to unbutton his clothes, a strange muffled sound suddenly came from behind him.

Pei Xi turned his head. The room was empty. Nobody was there.

Had he misheard it?

He hesitated, then suddenly saw the quilt on the bed move slightly.

He hadn’t been paying attention when he entered the door just now. At present, he took a closer look and saw that the quilt was not spread evenly over the bed. Instead, it lifted in a long arch. It was obvious that there was something inside.

Or…..a person?

……A person?

Why was anyone in this room?

Pei Xi’s expression became a little mystified, and he walked over to stand by the bed, looking down.

No more strange sounds came from inside, but something was definitely moving.

He no longer hesitated, and began to directly lift the quilt—

“Wu, wu.”

The people on the bed had been in the dark for too long and couldn’t adapt to the sudden light, so they reflexively closed their eyes to avoid it.

Now Pei Xi could clearly see that there was a man and a woman beneath the quilt. Very little covered their bodies, and only the key parts were hidden.

The black leather fabric made their bodies look dazzlingly white. Their mouths were covered with opaque tape, and their hands and feet were loosely tied with red ribbons.

In order to keep the ribbons from unraveling, the two could only move carefully, and they looked particularly foolish. The rabbit ears on their heads and the tails below the tailbone swayed with their moments.

Pei Xi: “…….”

---

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Chapter 1 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 3

Not long after getting off the congested elevated highway, they were blocked again by a red light. The driver stepped on the brakes and looked at the road ahead on the navigation system.

Pei Xi reclined in the back seat and pressed his fingertips to his throbbing temples, trying to relieve the bursts of pain under his skin.

Counting today, he had been working at a high intensity for a month. His body was reaching its limit, and was sending out warning signals about its urgent need to rest.

If he didn’t sign the contract quickly, he would likely exceed his limits.

Someone passed by outside the window. The light wavered, and he couldn’t help but frown at the discomfort caused by the change between light and dark.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the passing traffic police, the bustling vehicles, and the hotel with eye-catching decorations across the street.

—Island Hotel, the most famous love hotel in Wancheng. The rich colors on the outside walls were full of suggestive implications.

It was a pity that he had no interest in this. Just as he was about to look away, the hotel door suddenly opened from the inside and several men came out one after another, talking and laughing.

The Wancheng shopping district was very big, and at a glance, almost all of the faces were unfamiliar. 

Except for the one who took up the rear, as if taking a leisurely stroll. His appearance and stature were excellent, and he stood out amongst the crowd, so much so that Pei Xi’s eyes landed on him the moment he appeared.

And like all of his companions, he was also “equipped” with a young man.

The young man had a perfect smile on his face, with a slender figure and thin clothes, and the way he paced close to the man’s side was full of obedience and flattery.

With the time of day, the location, and the people, the transaction of money for flesh was all but brought openly to the table.

Pei Xi’s eyes immediately filled with disdain, as if they had been dirtied by something unclean. When the red light turned green, he turned his head without hesitation: “Let’s go.”

Pei Group Building.

As soon as Pei Xi entered the office, his assistant hastened over with several documents.

“President Pei.”

Dong Han placed the documents in front of Pei Xi.

“There are indeed many people interested in the riverside property, but except for the He family, the others pose no threat to us.”

The riverside property had long been in disuse, and would be reclaimed if construction work did not begin. Therefore, the landowner, Mr. Zhang, intended to transfer this land.

The site was located upstream of the industrial zone, overlooking the mountains and the river. The environment was superior, the surrounding infrastructure was complete, and the foot traffic was enormous and steady.

No matter how you looked at it, this land had extremely high commercial value. With proper planning, it could be called a money-making treasure land.

Everyone coveted this savory dish, and once the news of the transfer was released, countless pairs of eyes stared at that piece of land.

It was only that the land was expensive. The price alone was enough to deter 70% of those people, not to mention the other stringent requirements put forth by Mr. Zhang.

Currently, the only two families that could perfectly meet all of the conditions were the Pei and He families.

The He family. His only threat was also his greatest threat.

He thought of the man he had seen at the door of the hotel not long ago. Pei Xi suppressed his disgust and quickly recalled the other two people who were accompanying He Chuzhou at that time.

Fortunately, Mr. Zhang wasn’t there.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed that the opponent had no direct means of defeating the enemy with one blow.

It wasn’t that he was overly cautious, but that his opponent, He Chunzhou, was so strong.

Or to be more precise, the assistant at He Chuzhou’s side was so strong.

The talent cultivated by the old man of the He family was not only flexible in mind and decisive in method, but always loved to take people by surprise.

He had already suffered more than one setback at the hands of this behind-the-scenes strategist, and now that they were meeting on a narrow path again, he did not dare to let his guard down.

Pei Xi: “Find some time today to contact Mr. Zhang’s assistant and ask if Mr. Zhang is free tomorrow. I want to speak with him in person.”

Dong Han: “You want to make an appointment for tomorrow?”

Pei Xi: “En.”

“But President Pei, Mr. Zhang’s auction is tonight.”

Dong Han reminded him: “If we make an appointment individually as soon as the auction is over, won’t it seem a little too forceful?”

Pei Xi stared at the computer without looking up: “There is no need to consider this in business.”

It was the nature of businessmen to pursue profit, and they were never afraid to put their goal directly on the table. Being reserved didn’t work in their circle. If you hesitated for a moment, it would be too late for correction or regret.

Dong Han nodded: “Yes.”

The afternoon meeting began at 3 o’clock and lasted until nearly 7 o’clock.

Mr. Zhang’s auction would be held in a neighboring city, starting at half past eight, and it would take at least an hour to drive there from Wancheng, so time was a bit tight.

Thus, dinner was naturally skipped. Pei Xi told the driver to wait at the door of the company and walked straight to the elevator after exiting the conference room. 

It was already after working hours at this point, and a few girls were loitering in the administrative room, gathered together to chat:

“In your video…..this is President He from the He family. Where was he filmed?”

“The location is near Wan High School. It was probably a high school student who ran into him during evening self-study.”

“Someone in the comments actually said he looks like a ‘domineering CEO.’ Isn’t that just so?”

“He Chuzhou, ah, he’s so handsome. Every shot looks like it’s from a blockbuster movie.”

“It’s a pity that he’s a fool and a playboy.”

“Which of today’s rich second generations doesn’t spend money?”

“Don’t always aid the enemy. Our President Pei is both handsome and talented, no less good-looking than President He…..”

While talking, the slightly older girl spotted the person walking over from the other end and gently tugged her colleague with a shhh.

When the person drew closer, they greeted him with a staggered “President Pei,” and watched him leave.

“Be careful.”

The curly-haired girl warned the intern: “From now on, during work hours and especially in front of President Pei, never discuss He Group or President He.”

The intern was curious: “Why? Do they not get along?”

This was an interesting question. The girl raised an eyebrow: “Look at those two people. Does it seem like they would get along?”

When the intern heard this, she looked at the main character of the video, who was casually leaning against a car, then looked up at her immediate boss, whose strictness was evident even when he was viewed from behind. She nodded thoughtfully.

“It seems that’s really the case…..”

Their mismatched horoscopes were visible to the naked eye.

*

*

After leaving the city and turning onto the highway, Pei Xi rushed to the auction venue ten minutes before it started.

The venue was seething with people happily drinking alcohol. With Mr. Zhang’s identity and status, this small auction was as crowded as a large one.

Pei Xi signed in at the door and received his number card. Mr. Zhang spotted him from a distance in front of the French windows and smiled happily, waving at him.

Pei Xi handed the number card to Dong Han and walked over. He stopped a step away from the other party, grasping the outstretched hand: “Mr. Zhang.”

Mr. Zhang held champagne in one hand, the knowing smile on his face undiminished: “President Pei came here right after leaving work?”

Pei Xi retracted his hand with a nod.

Mr Zhang: “Aiyo, you’ve worked hard. It’s so flattering that President Pei came all this way to participate in my little auction.”

Pei Xi pulled his mouth into a faint arc: “Mr. Zhang is being modest. It is my honor to receive an invitation.”

“How can that be? I think President Pei is the one being modest. All right, then I hope there is something in my collection that President Pei likes. Oh, by the way—”

Mr. Zhang remembered something and turned to the person beside him, his eyes cycling between him and Pei Xi: “Both of you are well-known figures in Wancheng. I suppose you don’t need me to make introductions, right?”

Since he said this, Pei Xi was finally willing to glance at the figure next to him whom he had been ignoring.

The latter smiled casually. His tone was low and deep, with a languid energy: “En, we’re old friends.”

Compared to Pei Xi, who wore a neat, ironed suit and tie, tidy from his hair to the tips of his shoes, He Chuzhou was simply the opposite extreme.

A dark suit jacket was placed on his left arm, and his tie was untied. Two of the buttons on his shirt were undone and the collar was loose, exposing part of a collarbone.

His hair seemed to have been carefully tended to and then accidentally messed up, a few strands falling down over his forehead. It was like looking at a big cat that had finished hunting and licking its fur, very lazy and relaxed.

The outside was excellent, but the inside was rotten.

Pei Xi swiftly looked away, not commenting on his so-called “old friends” statement.

“Old friends? Haha, it’s great that you’re old friends, ah. We’re all acquaintances, which makes matters easier to deal with.”

Mr. Zhang toasted them joyfully: “Okay, since we know each other, I won’t say much else. I hope the auction tonight goes smoothly.”

Pei Xi’s frown was almost invisible, and there was no alcohol in his hand.

At this time, a waiter carrying a tray happened to pass by He Chuzhou. The latter took a glass very smoothly and then extended it to Pei Xi in a natural movement.

Pei Xi raised his eyes, but He Chuzhou wasn’t looking at him. The corners of his mouth were pursed in a smile: “I’ve heard that Mr. Zhang has a vast collection. Tonight’s auction will be exciting.”

Mr Zhang: “Haha, you flatter me.”

Pei Xi lowered his eyes to the champagne and raised his hand expressionlessly to take it. He touched Mr. Zhang’s champagne glass lightly, and there was a clear clinking sound. The golden liquid in the glasses swayed.

The auction was about to begin, and Mr. Zhang quickly left for the back to prepare. His assistant followed him upon seeing this, and asked him if he was interested in letting Pei Xi and He Chuzhou bid for the riverside property.

“Bid?” Mr. Zhang was surprised. “But so far, President He has not expressed any intention to purchase it, ah.”

The assistant: “You don’t know, but those two are famous rivals in Wancheng. Because the development direction of their enterprises are highly consistent, their competition for projects has never stopped. But compared to President Pei, who strikes first, President He is the best at attacking from behind.”

“Is that so?” Mr. Zhang was not from Wancheng, and didn’t know much about its business district. “I hadn’t considered that.”

The assistant: “Then what do you think now?”

Mr. Zhang pondered for a moment before quickly reaching a decision: “If that is the case, then I’ll let them compete individually.”

The assistant was puzzled: “Compete?”

“The price is secondary. The key is to make the best use of the land.”

Mr. Zhang smiled and patted his assistant on the shoulder: “Although this is business, it can’t all be about money. Sometimes it is also very important to consider other aspects of fairness.”

*

*

As soon as Mr. Zhang left, Pei Xi immediately put down his unfinished glass and turned around to leave.

He Chuzhou was left alone in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. Bored, he remained there and slowly finished his small half glass of champagne.

Very soon, a man wearing a gaudy shirt strolled over. He looked at Pei Xi as he walked away and gloated: “Is he scowling again?”

He Chuzhou didn’t care: “Is he? I didn’t see.”

“That’s okay, it’s fine that I saw it.”

Wu Qing grinned cheekily: “How long has it been since the last corporate meeting? Why does it seem like Pei Xi’s attitude toward you has gotten even worse? What project did you steal?”

“What I’ve been working on lately are all previous projects.”

He Chuzhou finally finished the glass of champagne and set down the empty glass: “Don’t falsely accuse me.”

Wu Qing: “You dare to say that you don’t plan to take the riverside property?”

He Chuzhou raised his eyes to look askance at him: “I haven’t taken it yet. Why, do you need a commercial loan?”

“It’s not me who needs one, ah. You’re not taking my land.”

Wu Qing: “But you still haven’t said a word up to today. Are you holding back your ultimate move again? You have such a dark heart, no wonder Pei Xi doesn’t like you.”

“What a coincidence.” 

He Chuzhou shrugged indifferently and walked toward the auction table: “I also don’t think much of blockheads who regard everyone as beneath their notice.”

Wu Qing followed up: “That’s right, but the insult is not very accurate. Blockhead? Such a pretty blockh—”

“President He, we meet again.”

A middle-aged man appeared out of nowhere, a palm on his big belly and a smile on his face: “Do you have a couple of minutes?”

Wu Qing recognized this man as the boss of a large domestic medical device company. Since the previous year, he had been expressing his strong intention to partner with He Group.

After nearly a year of contact and inspections, the other company was at last successful in signing a contract with He Group yesterday. Early this morning, he was still talking about his “great contraptions” when he abducted He Chuzhou to go for breakfast.

He just didn’t know what the point was of trying to get together after the contract was already negotiated.

The auction would start in a few minutes, and he was idle at the moment. He Chuzhou stopped good-naturedly and waited for the other party to continue.

The portly man got straight to the point: “It’s nothing important. I am just extremely grateful to President He for agreeing to cooperate with us. To express my gratitude, I have prepared a small thank you gift.”

“Oh?” Wu Qing heard this and immediately became interested. “What kind of thank you gift?”

“Well, it needs to be kept secret for the time being.”

The portly man spoke modestly, but there was an unconcealable look of pride on his face. He seemed to be full of confidence in his preparations.

“When the auction is over, I will have someone deliver the gift to President He. I ask that he kindly accept it at that time.”

---

T/N: Yes, I started yet another project. Blame the unique existential dread of someone getting to a good story before me. That’s how much I like it.

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Table of Contents >> Chapter 2

Author: Wu Ning (呜咛)

Pei Xi and He Chuzhou’s companies were rivals. They despised each other and were destined to be bitter enemies.

However, at the critical moment when they were competing for a project, Pei Xi got into a car accident.

He Chuzhou sent him to the hospital. The doctor told him that Pei Xi might have side effects from his concussion, and to be mentally prepared.

When He Chuzhou turned around, he saw that the person in the hospital bed had woken up. His gaze was still cold, condescending, and contemptuous of all living beings.

Wasn’t this good?

Unexpectedly, the night he left the hospital, he received a call from Pei Xi. The voice was correct, but the tone sounded like a different person, aggrieved enough that water could be wrung from it.

“Chuzhou, it’s already dark. Why haven’t you come to pick me up?”

*

*
Pei Xi’s brain was damaged when he was hit by a car. His brain would be confused each time he woke up, and he had to sleep again to restore it to its original state.

What caused him to break down was that when his memory was confused, He Chuzhou inexplicably became his husband. What was even more devastating was that whenever his memory returned to normal, he could clearly remember what happened during that chaotic period of time!

How could someone survive repeatedly jumping from side to side like this?

Flirtatious wife-slave gong x cold and arrogant but tender on the inside beauty shou.

---

Tags: cold protagonist, power couple, amnesia, humor, romance

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Chapter 1	Chapter 21	Chapter 41	Chapter 61
Chapter 2	Chapter 22	Chapter 42	Chapter 62
Chapter 3	Chapter 23	Chapter 43	Chapter 63
Chapter 4	Chapter 24	Chapter 44	Chapter 64
Chapter 5	Chapter 25	Chapter 45	Chapter 65
Chapter 6	Chapter 26	Chapter 46	Chapter 66
Chapter 7	Chapter 27	Chapter 47	Chapter 67
Chapter 8	Chapter 28	Chapter 48	Chapter 68
Chapter 9	Chapter 29	Chapter 49	Chapter 69
Chapter 10	Chapter 30	Chapter 50	Chapter 70
Chapter 11	Chapter 31	Chapter 51	Chapter 71
Chapter 12	Chapter 32	Chapter 52	Chapter 72
Chapter 13	Chapter 33	Chapter 53	Chapter 73
Chapter 14	Chapter 34	Chapter 54	Extra 1
Chapter 15	Chapter 35	Chapter 55	Extra 2
Chapter 16	Chapter 36	Chapter 56	Extra 3
Chapter 17	Chapter 37	Chapter 57	Extra 4
Chapter 18	Chapter 38	Chapter 58	Extra 5
Chapter 19	Chapter 39	Chapter 59	Extra 6
Chapter 20	Chapter 40	Chapter 60	Extra 7

After I get better, I ask for Mingcheng’s portrait back.

Dr. Zhao tells me that after I was diagnosed with amnesia, in order to prevent agitating me again, Mingyi proposed to bring Mingcheng’s portrait back to the Wen family. This proposal was accepted by both families, so it has been kept with the Wen family for the past six months.

As his widow, of course I insist on having him come back after I find out.

The portrait of the deceased is sent by Mingyi.

She hasn’t returned to the place where we lived as children for many years. Next to the Wei family home is the Wen family’s old house. Many years ago, our families often got together. As children, we played on the first floor. From my yard, I can still see the decaying flower branches and grape vines of the Wen family’s small garden.

There are actually several pieces of calligraphy and paintings by my second brother and I on the first floor of my house, but my father’s works have long since disappeared with his passing.

The things are still there, but the people are not.

I lean on the second floor balcony and see her standing in front of the door, looking around as if remembering. She looks for a long time. In the end, she looks steadily at the long-unattended Wen family yard with a lonely and desolate expression.

Probably because she has been standing there for so long, the medical staff on the first floor notice her presence and go out to inquire about her identity.

Only then does she return to her senses, as if waking up.

“I didn’t expect you to ask for his portrait back so early.” She opens a black silk bag and takes out a photo frame also wrapped in black silk, handing it to me along with Mingcheng’s death certificate.

I read the death certificate before slowly opening the black silk wrapping the photo frame.

In the black and white photo, he still looks noble and handsome in life. His features are very relaxed, the corners of his lips are slightly raised, and there is a smile on his face, as if he is looking at me tenderly.

My fingertips shake uncontrollably as they gently touch his face.

“I thought…..you would blame him somewhat.” Mingyi probably hasn’t quit smoking. Her voice sounds lower and hoarser than before.

I shake my head and stand up holding his portrait. “When a person dies, they no longer exist. What else can I blame him for?”

The old Wei family house is also very large. I had cleared out a dark room in advance and put in an altar and an incense burner. After putting Mingcheng’s portrait up, I offer him three sticks of incense.

Mingcheng, welcome home.

His face is blurred by the slowly rising wisps of smoke.

Mingyi stands at the door looking at me, and says in a low voice: “He no longer exists, but your feelings for him exist. A-Zhen…..” She is silent for a moment, and smiles bitterly when I look back at her. “Even though you know he was not as good for you as you thought, that he did many excessive things behind your back, and that it’s even possible that a lot of the pain you’ve endured was caused by him, you…..still love him, right?”

Wen Mingcheng was the lover I knew so well, but I have to admit that I didn’t know him well enough. Perhaps he wasn’t truly a kind-hearted person.

As Mingyi said, maybe some of the things that hurt and scared me were directly or indirectly caused by him. 

I knew the person, but I didn’t know his heart. I was with him since I was eighteen years old, and we slept together for nearly ten years, but in the end, I didn’t know what he was thinking.

But I know that he sacrificed his life to save me at the critical moment.

I actually saw his body when the rescuers pulled us out of the deformed front half of the car. He had borne practically all of the injuries for me. The pressure from the front of the car being squeezed and deformed was all on him, and he was cut to pieces by various fragments. Of course, the most fatal wound was the cut on his neck that severed the main artery.

Blood had spurted all over me.

And if he hadn’t knocked me down, it would have been me whose throat was cut.

It is hard for me to imagine his pain, but no matter how painful it was, he never let me go.

I know that he loved me very much.

So I nod without hesitation: “Yes, there is nothing I can’t forgive him for.”

Mingyi is silent for a long time, then suddenly smiles with a hint of relief: “My brother was right. He always wins.” 

. . . . . . . .

At night, I kneel in front of his portrait and burn some paper money and paper offerings for him in an iron basin.

Nowadays, there are various styles of paper offerings. I bought his favorite hydrangeas and peonies. There are many different kinds, and even some that are made to look like electronic products, such as mobile phones.

These things slowly burn to ashes in the iron basin.

The air smells of fire burning.

I kneel before the altar table, clasp my hands, and speak softly to his portrait: “I’m sorry, Mingcheng. Don’t blame me for forgetting you for so long.”

“I really miss you…..husband.”

When he was alive, he liked me calling him that very much, but I always had a hard time saying it out loud. Now that I call him that way, he can’t hear me anymore.

When I put down my hands and open my eyes again, his portrait is still smiling like that. I look at it silently for a while, and something wet drips down my face into the brazier.

I don’t know when I fell asleep in front of his altar.

Half asleep and half awake, I sense someone standing next to me. I think it’s a doctor or nurse at first, but my biological sixth sense gives me a feeling of oppression and crisis.

I struggle to open my eyes, but I can’t.

I’m conscious, but I can’t move my body at all. Even trying my hardest, I can’t even bend a finger.

Although the person next to me doesn’t make a sound, I sense him lean down, and if looking down at my struggles.

This makes me feel awful, as if darkness is peering into me.

I remember. This phenomenon seems to be called…..sleep paralysis!

Before I can think of anything else, a cold hand touches the skin of my neck. This hand has no warmth at all, like the cold touch of a snake.

It travels repeatedly across my cheeks and neck, invading my skin and ravaging my nerves. I desperately try to open my eyes and get up, but I can only hear my breathing become heavier.

Gradually, the cold snake moves downward against my skin. I can’t stop it. I can only let it get under my collar and creep all over my body…..

. . . . . . 

“Ugh…..” I wake up gasping. A thin layer of sweat has broken out on my body, and the skin of my face is hot. My chest rises and falls sharply with my chaotic breathing, and my waist and limbs tremble uncontrollably.

As a married person, of course I know what has happened to me, and I bite my lower lip in shame and anger.

Mingcheng’s portrait is still looking at me on the altar table, but I don’t dare to look up at him.

“He” is in front of Mingcheng’s portrait.

The lights in the room are not on, and the three incense sticks on the altar have already burned.

The faint scent of incense in the air and the residual smell of burning paper wrap around the black and white portrait on the table and me lying on the floor. 

I hold back my anger and button up my clothes with hands that are still shaking, cursing softly into the darkness.

“Shameless!”

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Chapter 24 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 26

Not long before, He Lan really did take that person back to the room and put him on the bed. He also found the antidote and tried to feed it to Qin Yu. But Qin Yu was probably unable to bear it, and refused to open his mouth at all, clenching his teeth tightly. After a lot of fussing, time was wasted.

Even after regaining his senses a little, Qin Yu curled up in discomfort. He could only make He Lan go out so that he could relieve himself.

He Lan agreed to go out, but Qin Yu had no time to keep an eye on him. Hearing movement near the door, he thought He Lan had gone out, not realizing that He Lan had only locked the door.

Soon, Qin Yu couldn’t take it anymore and began to do it himself. But he was very clumsy. After all, he usually had few desires, and his already disabled body was even more unsuited to it.

Suddenly, a shadow was cast down. “You’re such a fool, ah. Do you want to die of the pain?”

Qin Yu opened his eyes at once and looked over. He Lan’s eyes were so dark that they were bottomless, and the obvious intent there completely  betrayed him. Qin Yu’s heart palpitated, and he felt faintly afraid. They had experienced hardships on the island, together come life or death, and the atmosphere between them had long since changed.

During this period, He Lan had teased him many times. It wasn’t like Qin Yu didn’t understand the intent in the eyes that often looked at him, but for Qin Yu, He Lan was just following a man’s instincts. So, facing this situation and knowing how to be more comfortable, Qin Yu still suppressed the pain in his body and said: “Get out.”

But he had forgotten that He Lan was never obedient. The more he wanted something done, the more He Lan would do the opposite.

His mouth was blocked before he could shout it a second time.

The bed curtain slid down, and He Lan could be heard whispering: “I’ll help you without asking for anything in return.”

Qin Yu knew that he shouldn’t sink into depravity, and shouldn’t get close. Nothing good would come of it. Yet, he still lost control. He had something pressing on his heart, and suffered from the unknown pain. In the end, he could only fruitlessly blame it on lingering drug residue, unaware that the drug had been eliminated all at once. There was no need for further treatment at all, but he still allowed He Lan to gradually lose control over and over, as if both of them were possessed. It wasn’t until dawn the next day that he fell asleep in a daze.

Soon after, there seemed to be a knock at the door, and he heard Huo Fenglie say they needed to move.

He Lan asked for water to clean the two of them up, and then he was carried into the carriage.

On the carriage, Liu Zhenqing had just awoken when he saw He Lan come in with Qin Yu wrapped in a blanket.

Liu Zhenqing rubbed his eyes and looked at them. He couldn’t get back to their room last night, the inn was full, and they were afraid to go somewhere else and get split up. Huo Fenglie could only find a carriage and have Liu Zhenqing sleep in it.

Initially, Liu Zhenqing thought that the two people would come out soon once the drug was cured, and they moved places overnight. But now he looked at the morning light in a daze. Liu Zhenqing had been so sleepy that he passed out. He watched He Lan carefully hold Qin Yu and adjust his position to let him sleep more comfortably. And Qin Yu didn’t react at all. This was incredible for Qin Yu, a martial arts practitioner.

Liu Zhenqing racked his brains. This was obviously caused by the excessive use of something. He sucked in a breath in disbelief. Had the medicine not cured him? It would only turn out like this if there was no solution.

Confounded, Liu Zhenqing asked: “Did you not find the antidote?”

He Lan did did not conceal it, saying directly: “I found it. It was difficult to feed it to him, and it took a long time. In the end…..”

“Are you…..together?” Liu Zhenging burst out speaking.

He Lan was stunned for a moment, then coughed: “It’s not like that. It was just the effects of the medicine.”

For He Lan, that situation was more like setting his instincts free. On the island, he could only look but not eat, and they occasionally had to stick very close to hide themselves. It was truly torturous. He did not admit that he had taken advantage of another person’s plight, and only thought that he was good at seizing opportunities. Both of them were happy in the end, so why not? In any case, it wasn’t the first time.

If they were to talk about being together…..cough, cough…..this cold-blooded fellow needed to confess, ah. Anyway…..anyway, he had no objections. He was willing to take responsibility, but a certain someone was unwilling.

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. It was all the drug’s fault, ah. Was this sort of excuse easy to use? He knew the science behind the medicine, and it was obvious that this guy He Lan couldn’t control himself…..he was simply shameless and immoral, doing whatever he wanted. It made a person envious…..

…..Okay, he was jealous. Look at them doing this and that when they weren’t even together, but that silly dog…..

Huo Fenglie suddenly opened the curtain and greeted them, and thoughtfully gave Liu Zhenqing a food box, which contained the breakfast Liu Zhenqing liked to eat recently.

As a result, when he looked up, he saw Liu Zhenqing looking at him with dissatisfaction.

“Do you want to eat something else?” Huo Fenglie asked.

Liu Zhenqing shook his head coldly, and Huo Fenglie went outside to work as the carriage driver.

Liu Zhenqing picked up a bun and ate it, as if substituting it for Huo Fenglie. Just waitI One day, I’ll use drugs and excuses to deal with you. Let’s see how far you can endure it!

Of course, Liu Zhenqing was only thinking this due to envy and resentment, and would not certainly not mess around for real.

He Lan also picked up something to eat. To be honest, meeting up so suddenly, he really didn’t know where to start, and the timing also wasn’t right. So, in the spirit of courtesy and reciprocity, or perhaps because of his inner vigilance against a love rival, he asked in turn: “What about you two? Without us getting in the way, have you grown closer?” He had always been optimistic about these two people. And now that Qin Yu could see Huo Fenglie again, he might still have some thoughts about him.

As a result, based on the discrepancy between their situations, this sentence was truly heartbreaking. “No.”

The driver outside seemed to let the carriage become unsteady.

“Ah? Why?”

“Probably because…..there are no drugs!” 

He Lan looked at Liu Zhenqing speechlessly, not sure whether he was mocking him or joking. Mostly likely he was joking. “Oh, by the way, I used that ointment of yours and I want to buy it. How much is it?”

It didn’t take much to figure out what he had used.

That was handed over by his master, and he had originally planned to keep it for himself…..

He Lan had used it and planned to buy the rest.

“Five hundred taels!”

He Lan was shocked on the spot: “So expensive, ah!”

“What, you’re reluctant to part with such a good thing?” Liu Zhenqing said, taking his anger out on him.

“Okay, five hundred taels is five hundred taels. I don’t have it with me now. I’ll take it into account and give it to you when we return to the capital.” He Lan said shamelessly: “Do you have any more? I want to buy a few more boxes.”

Liu Zhenqing: Shameless! He’s Er-gou’s good brother!

Can’t he give Er-gou some of his shameless qualities?!

The carriage soon arrived at Song Xingmu’s courtyard. Qin Yu also woke up at this time. As expected, the ointment had worked well and he wasn’t in much pain. Before, it was just that he was exhausted and had taken too many drugs, so he fell asleep in He Lan’s arms.

Although He Lan still wanted to carry Qin Yu out of the carriage, he was turned away by Qin Yu’s cold eyes.

Even though he was aware that others might know about their relationship, Qin Yu still maintained his distance when he was awake. After getting off the carriage, he said to Huo Fenglie: “Zhanyuan, I want to talk to you in private.”

Having heard about their past, Liu Zhenqing could pretty much guess that what Qin Yu was going to say must be related to the Dongchang.

But He Lan became angry when he heard this: “If there is something to discuss later, you should rest first. Zhanyuan still has to go see Captain Song. He had an accident last night, and we don’t know what happened.”

Qin Yu frowned and wanted to say something, but He Lan picked him up and said to the servant who came to greet the guests: “Give us a room!”

The servant quickly led the way.

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie went to check on Yi Chuan first.

When they arrived, the smell of medicine was all throughout the room. Song Xingmu was sitting at the bedside, seemingly lost in thought, while Yi Chuan lay silently on the bed.

Hearing the noise, Song Xingmu turned around.

“How is he?” Liu Zhenqing asked, stepping forward.

Song Xingmu’s voice was a little hoarse, as if he hadn’t slept all night: “His life is safe. Fortunately, you’re here.”

Liu Zhenqing stepped forward to check his pulse, and also thought he would be fine.

Song Xingmu’s voice grew gradually colder. “The other party used smoke to deal with Yi Chuan, then used a poisoned dagger to strike him many times…..the poison has been cured now, but the blood loss was excessive. His body has been ravaged by the poison and his vitality consumed. I’m going to…..kill them!”

Liu Zhenqing turned to see Song Xingmu slowly raise his hand to pinch the glass earring in his ear, as if he was going to crush it with force. He understood Song Xingmu’s anger.

Liu Zhenqing recounted what he had heard the night before. It was certain that Zhao Haicheng had set the trap to intercept Yi Chuan.

“I think it’s because the military officer died, and Zhao Haicheng likely thinks Yi Chuan was the one who killed him. He doesn’t believe that it was his own group that silenced him. Getting rid of Yi Chuan is comparable to getting rid of a weapon in your hands, and also an opportunity for revenge. The enemies we’re facing now should be two groups of people. One is the rebels, and one is the island residents like Zhao Haicheng who have an unclear enmity. The rebels do not regard the island residents as their own and kill them at will, but the island residents are being foolishly used for their benefit.”

With Liu Zhenqing’s analysis, many things became clear.

And the key now was the location of the island. Song Xingmu stood up at once, knowing that the people who knew the island’s location were at his home.

They needed to go and talk to He Lan and Qin Yu.

But as soon as Song Xingmu got up, he heard the sound of Yi Chuan waking up. Song Xingmu was abruptly unable to raise his feet, and sat back down. He held Yi Chuan’s hand and said: “How are you?”

Yi Chuan awoke in a daze and saw that Song Xingmu was next to him, looking at him with eyes full of pain.

Yi Chuan quickly took his hand back and said: “Why are you looking at me with such a disgusting expression? I won’t die.”

The corners of Song Xingmu’s mouth twitched. He knew that this brat would be fine.

“You won’t die, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you injured so seriously. All the martial arts skills you learned were in vain.”

Yi Chuan scoffed, unresigned: “The other party is despicable.”

Liu Zhenqing stepped forward to ask: “Yi Chuan, why did you follow them at that time?”

Song Xingmu also asked when he heard this, “Right, ah. Didn’t I tell you not to mess around? You should have at least come back to inform us, ah.”

“I heard them plotting against you. I thought there was some sort of trickery, so I followed them.” Yi Chuan said: “It was only after I was ambushed that I realized those words were deliberately leading me to follow them step by step.”

Yi Chuan wore a somewhat vexed expression. Song Xingmu poked his head and said: “So foolish. You need to learn your lesson after this, or I’ll spank you!”

Yi Chuan instantly blushed, glaring at Song Xingmu. This was still the person at his side?

It wasn’t the first time Liu Zhenqing had heard this, and Huo Fenglie didn’t care much about the affairs of others, so they both remained tranquil. 

Yi Chuan calmed his breathing and said: “But when the governor was here, I heard him confirming the time with Zhao Haicheng, who said to leave in five days.”

The three of them were slightly surprised.

“Is it the governor leaving, or Zhao Haicheng?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

Yi Chuan said: “The governor will leave and move elsewhere.”

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie instantly realized that there was a problem with the governor.

Song Xingmu was relieved now that Yi Chuan was awake, and the group of them went to He Lan and Qin Yu’s room.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, they witnessed He Lan being kicked out.

Liu Zhenqing shook his head, saying: “What a familiar scene.”

Huo Fenglie stepped forward to help He Lan up.

“What’s going on?” Song Xingmu asked in confusion.

“Those two are a couple who haven’t gotten together yet. They’re horseplaying,” Liu Zhenqing said directly.

“Don’t the Dongchang and the Jinyiwei not get along?” 

“In a sense, they are a match made in heaven,” said Liu Zhenqing.

Song Xingmu said with a smile: “Judging by your tone, are you envious?”

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. It could be seen at a glance that they were good brothers.

The group of people stopped making trouble. After all, proper business was more important.

He Lan got straight to the point: “There are also remnants of the Three Kings among the rebels, and we’ve determined that the assassination plot in the capital was their doing. They did it in order to disrupt the Spring Plowing Ceremony, destroy the emperor’s reputation, and make people think that the origin of the emperor’s throne is unclear. They’ve gathered together to hide on the island, plotting rebellion. The money from several cases we’ve investigated ended up in their hands, not only to make weapons, but to make fire powder, and they also bribed some shopkeepers in the Liu Family Chamber of Commerce to transport it for them. There are also many dirty naval forces under Commander Song. The residents of the islands are pretty much mixed in with them, and they all intend to rebel and take over the country.”

Liu Zhenqing promptly asked the question he was most concerned about. “Are there any true clan members of the Yuan family within the Three Kings remnants?”

He Lan shook his head: “How could that be possible? The so-called leaders either followed the Three Kings in the past or are relatives of theirs. They just refuse to accept that their grand dreams are gone, so they continue to make trouble under the banner of clearing the names of the Three Kings. They allege that the emperor took the throne through shady means, and also admire them, so they unthinkingly follow them as if possessed. Even if they succeed, who will be the boss?”

“Such people should be unable to cooperate. Why do they gather together and make so much noise?” Song Xingmu asked in puzzlement.

Liu Zhenqing said: “Because there are many officials colluding with them, including the Minister of Revenue who died previously.”

“Right, so is the governor,” Song Xingmu realized.

Huo Fenglie looked at Qin Yu then, but Qin Yu maintained a cold face and said nothing. It seemed that he would only talk to Huo Fenglie in private.

“Where is the island?” Huo Fenglie asked directly.

Song Xingmu quickly laid out a map of the sea area.

He Lan and Qin Yu stepped forward to identify it, but were very much not familiar with the situation in the sea area. They only knew the rough location, and there were five small islands in that section.

He Lan said: “There’s no need to worry. I’ll go along when we send out troops, and I’ll recognize it when I see it. When the time comes, Lao Qin and I will identify it. It’s impossible to miss.”

However, Liu Zhenqing and Song Xingmu were familiar with these small islands. At that time, when they had just seized the 30,000 troops, they intended to purge the pirates. Because of the good location, they often stationed themselves on these islands, and got along with the residents. Now it had become a den of rebels.

The last question was the most critical.

“How did you two escape?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

When Liu Zhenqing asked this question, their expressions were not very good. There seemed to be some hidden peril.

So He Lan told them about their experience. The two of them had followed the weapons to the island, and although the island was not big, it was easy to find hiding places. However, in order to investigate the truth, they frequently had to take risks. They hid in a room when they were nearly discovered, but a person suddenly appeared in the room and knocked them unconscious.

“That person’s martial arts skills are very high. We couldn’t even react,” He Lan said. “When we woke up, we were on a slave-trading ship.”

Qin Yu nodded in agreement. “It is extremely odd. If it was the enemy, we would have long been dead, but they brought us out and we ended up being rescued by you. At first we thought it might be a trap, but even though we were poisoned, we observed carefully and found no traces of trickery.”

“So someone saved you?” Song Xingmu asked in surprise. “Who was it, ah?”

Both of them shook their heads. This situation really made them feel that there was no end to the trouble.

---

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Chapter Eighty-Eight << Table of Contents >> Chapter Ninety

Death. A living thing losing its life.

In this world, life is not eternal, but fleeting. Therefore, death is a very common and normal thing.

The Buddha said that all appearances are false. This means that everything in this world is false, untrue, subjective. Therefore, people must know how to set themselves free of entanglements. My family are all scholars, so I naturally know the meaning of this sentence.

But, but…..

The tragic collision of two million-dollar luxury cars had drawn much attention.

In fact, the truth is very simple. The young master of Yuhua’s newly wealthy Fang family drove his new car while drunk. He drove through a red light with three friends and crashed into the car belonging to the chairman of Wen Group. A total of five people died in this car accident, but Chairman Wen’s spouse was only slightly injured because he was protecting him. 

This incident was of great concern, causing an uproar online and in real life. After a long period of time, the news media would still bring it up and rehash it.

People were very distressed over the unexpected death of Chairman Wen. At that time, people who worked with or did not work with him wanted to come to my house and visit me, his family member. There were also many in the media who wanted to interview me.

I rejected them all.

I remember that when I got home, there were many reporters gathered in front of my house, and as soon as I got out of the car, cameras big and small were aimed at me. Many people asked me about the future of the Wen family, asked me how I felt about Mingcheng risking his life to protect me. Some also asked me whether I would remarry in the future and how I felt about his death.

I don’t remember how I responded, or if I even responded at all.

I can’t remember clearly. My brain hasn’t functioned well since Mingcheng died.

I buried Mingcheng quickly after returning home, and denied requests to attend the funeral by anyone other than relatives. 

Outsiders were not allowed to come to the funeral to pay respects to his body, nor were interviews accepted. He was buried in a hurry.

There was a lot of criticism online over this, calling me heartless and suspecting that I was anxious to inherit his estate. What’s more, they suspected that I pulled him to shield me during the car accident so that I only suffered minor injuries, which was why I didn’t dare let anyone see the body.

Of course, there were also many subtle discussions in the real world. It seemed that a child I taught believed the rumors. He ran up to me and scolded me for causing him to be unable to believe in love.

Events will metamorphosize in people’s mouths, and the internet can easily spread and prolong the fermentation of matters. Just because I insisted on burying him early, there were so many inexplicable accusations.

But it didn’t matter. I had no love for surfing the internet at that time. In the real world, I couldn’t tell the difference between reality and dreams, and the comments of others simply did not enter my brain.

I thought there was no problem with burying the body early. After all, there was no custom in this region of having a seven-day moratorium on burying a body.

However, I also admit that there were other reasons why I insisted on burying him early and did not allow others to see his remains.

The car crash at that time was intense. The young master of the Fang family’s car exploded and caught on fire, and the entire front of our vehicle was deformed. He held me tightly under his body, countless pieces of glass and broken iron piercing him. He…..was not so good-looking anymore.

But in the last moments of his life, besides holding me firmly, he still covered my eyes tightly until his body became rigid and difficult to pry from me. His hand was still over my eyes.

In the past many years, he had never appeared in front of me in a slovenly manner. He cared very much about his appearance and whether or not he looked good. Whenever he came to see me, he always looked neat and tidy.

I think…..he didn’t want me to look at him, and didn’t want others to see him like this.

I hired a very capable undertaker in the business at a high price. And I heard from Mingcheng’s mother that the expert had made his remains very lifelike, so I took one last look at him.

The undertaker was truly impressive. When I entered the room, I saw Mingcheng lying in a coffin, covered with white lilies. There were no traces of injury on his body. His face was still handsome and his expression was calm and peaceful, as if he was asleep.

I looked at him for a long time and said to him in my heart: “Wen Mingcheng, you have always been the most good-looking.”

The day of the burial was cloudy, cold, and snowy.

My mom and Mingcheng’s mother hugged each other and cried, weeping without sound. Mingcheng’s father and Mingyi remained silent, saying nothing.

As his widow left behind in the world, I stood in front of the tombstone holding his portrait. Together, we watched his urn be put into a coffin and buried underground. The atmosphere was one of absolute pain and grief.

The funeral lasted for a long time, snowflakes floating in the sky and falling on the heads of everyone present. 

The dead was buried in peace, and the living lived on.

I knew that Mingcheng no longer existed in this world.

. . . . . . .

“I don’t know whether to be happy or sad that you remember this.”

I am half-reclining in bed, watching the little white bird eating food outside the window. When I hear this, I turn to look at the speaker. “You’re my doctor, of course you should be happy for me.”

Dr. Zhao helps me replace the finished IV bottle with a new one. The corners of his mouth twitch briefly. The skin on his face is dark and puffy, and his expression looks more tired than mine.

Probably because he wants to smoke a cigarette, his right hand subconsciously reaches into his pocket, then suddenly pauses and withdraws. “I really should be happy for you. The fact that you can remember means that your condition has improved. But that period of time you forgot…..”

After Mingcheng died, I acted very calm. I didn’t cry or make a fuss, I held the burial with composure, and I helped deal with his funeral affairs. I also dealt with the issue of his inheritance and worked with the directors to help Mingyi take office.

They all thought I likely wouldn’t have too many problems, but not long after, I was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment due to an overdose of psychotropic drugs.

I actually had no thoughts of committing suicide. He saved me, so I would naturally live well. I only wanted to relieve the pain.

I just unknowingly took the whole bottle of medicine. Fortunately, Dr. Zhao found out in time when he went to my house to deliver medicine.

I didn’t die, but I forgot about his death.

During the time I forgot, I told everyone around that Mingcheng was at home. How could there be something wrong with Mingcheng? They thought I was suffering from longing and stress, so they told me to take medicine but were afraid to tell me the truth.

No one, neither my doctor nor my family, was willing to pierce this window covering.

They wanted me to get better, but they thought it would be painful for me to think about.

I refused to stay hospitalized or stay at my older brother’s house. I chose to return to the old Wei family house where I lived as a child. I lived on the second floor, and the medical staff lived on the first floor.

The sun is very bright today, and my little white bird looks plump in the sunlight. Occasionally, out of boredom, it will use its little red feet to grab the grains of rice in its bowl.

Sparrows tease it from time, making it so angry that it flaps its wings and chirps in fury.

I look at it for a moment with a light smile, and then turn to Dr. Zhao: “These days, my mother and others didn’t dare to say anything when they came to see me. Don’t worry, as the saying goes, no child can cry all the time. What’s more, I’m not a child either. It’s been so long, and thinking about it now, I realize that I’ve been very unattached to the world.”

“I also recruited a new student this year. He somehow knows I’m sick, and sends me messages every day saying that he will wait for me and that I won’t let him down.”

Dr. Zhao gives me a deep, gloomy look: “I hope what you’re saying is true.”

He chats with me for a while, but before leaving, he turns to me and says: “A-Zhen, there are many people who like you in this world. You should cherish yourself more.”

In the afternoon, the young guard comes to see me.

I remember his name, Xiao Nan.

He apologizes to me, saying that he is sorry he sent me home alone. As he speaks, he starts to cry: “Why did you run to the police on your own? Wasn’t I on duty outside? What if something happened to you? Wouldn’t it be my fault if you were hurt?”

He looks about nineteen or twenty years old, like he just graduated from a sports school. When he cries, it is with snot and tears, and because he cries with a grimace, his cheeks wrinkle together.

So I comfort him.

Perhaps he opened his mouth too far while crying and accidentally swallowed air, because he begins to hiccup as he says intermittently: “Sorry, I didn’t…..I didn’t know……about Mr. Wen.”

I smile softly and pick up a package of hazelnut biscuits my brother brought me from the table, and hand it to him: “Eat something and be at ease.”

He moves to stretch out his hand and take it with a slightly embarrassed expression, then finishes it shyly and swiftly.

The package of biscuits diverts his attention, and after eating it, he feels much better. He forgets to cry, and stops hiccupping. 

He sits blinking for a while, trying to think of some way to comfort me, but after trying for a long time, he can only squeeze out one sentence.

“Mr. Wei, live a good life.”

I smile and nod: “Thank you, Xiao Nan.”

Maybe because I encouraged him, he thinks for a moment and says: “The puppy I grew up with passed away. I’m sad, but feel that he’s still alive in my heart. I think about him sometimes. When I was in school, the teacher said that as long as I still remember him, he has not really died. I think this makes sense. It’s like saying he’s still with me, so…..um, I mean, we all gotta live well.”

I didn’t expect him to speak so much, although he concluded with a sentence that was logically a bit far-fetched.

I listen to him in silence, then quickly ask him: “Is it possible that he’s really at your side?”

This sentence startles him.

He opens his eyes wide and looks at me in shock: “No way? There are no ghosts in this world, and of course there are no ghost dogs.”

After saying that, he gives me a worried look: “Mr. Wei, are you okay……”

At once, I raise my eyebrows at him and smile: “I was just teasing you.”

He breathes a sigh of relief and says: “You scared me to death.”

As the sun goes down in the evening, he rushes to work the night shift and the nurse comes to ask me to fill in the daily form.

There are a few simple multiple-choice questions on the list, as well as a place for a signature at the end.

I lower my eyes and easily sketch out the answers to several questions, chatting with the nurse: “I’ve heard people say that hospitals are places with a lot of yin energy. Do you feel scared when you work the night shift?”

The nurse laughs. Her voice is clear and sweet, full of vitality. “Of course not. That is to say, the internet always suspects that the hospital is haunted, and we are a psychiatric hospital. How can there be ghosts if people don’t die? Besides, the supernatural doesn’t exist.”

“You’re right.” I agree with a smile, and sign my name.

Wei Zizhen.

After watching me do all this, she takes the list and carefully examines the name I wrote. Before leaving, she clears the table for me and finally bids me farewell with a teasing smile: “Good night, Mr. Wei. If you need anything at night, ring the bell at any time. Although there are no ghosts in this world, you can call us if you are afraid.”

She jests at me, and I pretend to be angry and ignore her.

After the nurse leaves, the raised corners of my mouth lower. 

My gaze returns to the window.

A lot of people came into my room today, and they all thought I was looking at the bird outside, which was true, but not entirely.

Because nobody notices the black figure standing outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The sun moves from east to west, but all of its rays avoid him.

If there are no supernatural beings in this world…..

Then what are you?

---

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Chapter 23 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 25

Liu Zhenqing suddenly raised his head to look at Zhao Haicheng with an expression of shame, anger, and grievance, saying: “Lieutenant General Zhao, have you…..have you seen Captain Song?”

Zhao Haicheng was slightly taken aback: “I haven’t.”

Zhao Haicheng had not participated in what followed after, and stayed in Pingjin Square at that time. He tried to find an opportunity to steal the portrait, but the opponent was so skilled that he had no chance, so he had to give up and leave. He originally knew that the group would leave here in a carriage, and wanted to come over and inquire about the situation. In the end, he couldn’t catch them, but met Liu Zhenqing here. Although he hadn’t participated, he expected that Song Xingmu had gone to rescue Yi Chuan.

Judging from the look of Liu Zhenqing, Song Xingmu should have been with him before, and when he saw the distress signal, he went off to save that person and left Liu Zhenqing on the street.

Zhao Haicheng probed once again: “Was the carriage that passed by just now Captain Song’s?”

Liu Zhenqing knew that people like Zhao Haicheng must be very cautious, so he couldn’t tell a total lie. Half-truths were the easiest way to deceive people, so he pointed to the alley next to him and said: “I was initially all the way back in there, so I didn’t hear the sound of the carriage. But when I rushed over, he had already disappeared. Could it be that Captain Song was in the carriage? Then why didn’t he call me?”

Liu Zhenqing looked forward anxiously.

Zhao Haicheng said with a frown: “I just saw a carriage pass by, and I’m not sure. But you…..why is Young Master Huo in a dark alley?”

Liu Zhenqing trembled at the question. Zhao Haicheng’s eyes narrowed slightly, and his eyes flashed with a fierce light, but he froze in the next second.

Liu Zhenqing looked embarrassed, and his hands unconsciously grabbed the skirt of his clothes. As if he had a guilty conscience, two red spots showed on his snow-white cheeks.

“I…..we weren’t…..it was Captain Song who….who asked me to wait here…..”

Seeing that Liu Zhenqing looked like he was about to cry, Zhao Haicheng was stunned. His head buzzed, and he turned to look into the dark alley. Thinking of Song Xingmu’s reputation, he could already imagine what the two of them were doing there just now.

“You!” A burst of shock hit the pit of his stomach.

Liu Zhenqing trembled with fright, looking so humiliated that he wanted to crawl into a crack in the ground.

“How can you have so little love for yourself? I thought you were at least a dignified person. You…..” Zhao Haicheng scolded him angrily.

Liu Zhenqing lowered his head and complained internally, but slightly hunched his shoulders.

Zhao Haicheng thought of the portrait and looked at the person in front of him, feeling inexplicably disappointed and restless with anxiety.

“Young Master Huo, now that Captain Song has put you in such an embarrassing situation, you should know that in his heart, you are just a plaything.” Zhao Haicheng couldn’t help saying coldly, “Don’t keep making the same mistake.”

Liu Zhenqing thought he was pretty much done, and that it was enough to eliminate the suspicion in Zhao Haicheng’s mind. He didn’t want to be continuously scolded by a brat.

Liu Zhenqing raised his head and looked at Zhao Haicheng with a pair of fragile eyes that were pretending to be strong, saying: “Lieutenant General Zhao, please leave me alone.”

“You!” Zhao Haicheng hadn’t expected him to say this. He really wanted to turn around and leave him to his fate. “Why are you doing this?”

Liu Zhenqing was impatient. He really feared that if he said it was love, Zhao Haicheng would talk for half a day, so he said simply and directly: “Money.”

Zhao Haicheng instantly choked, looking at Liu Zhenqing as if his brain had shut down.

What was so surprising? Wasn’t money the simplest reason?

The more Liu Zhenqing thought about it, the more he felt that this excuse was very appropriate. “Five thousand taels of gold is nothing to Captain Song. I feel I can live a good life by following someone like this.”

Such a simple and unpretentious reason.

But Zhao Haicheng immediately felt offended and humiliated. The voice that had called out ‘five thousand taels’ indeed belonged to Song Xingmu. And five thousand taels of gold was something that he himself…..didn’t have.

As Liu Zhenqing spoke, he suddenly sensed a familiar gaze.

Liu Zhenqing took a peek and saw Er-gou crouched silently on the roof opposite, staring hard.

Because the building behind Zhao Haicheng was some distance away, Zhao Haicheng didn’t notice at all.

“Are you so…..vulgar?!”

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. Why did this fellow look like he had failed his expectations, ah? Don’t place any weird assumptions on him, okay? After all, they weren’t at all familiar with one another. Liu Zhenqing truly felt that Zhao Haicheng’s expectations about him were baffling.

Liu Zhenqing pretended to be humiliated and donned an angry expression, but said: “That’s just how I am. Whoever can afford five thousand taels of gold, I will follow.”

Sure enough, the expression of Er-gou above was blank.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help laughing internally, not realizing that he had made Zhao Haicheng furious. The man reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him in forcefully. “You really are…..”

“Don’t!” Liu Zhenqing shouted at once, because he saw that Huo Fenglie seemed agitated by this action and was about to descend.

Liu Zhenqing found a gap to signal to Huo Fenglie not to approach. After all, Zhao Haicheng had seen Huo Fenglie’s portrait and would recognize him.

Zhao Haicheng was also startled by Liu Zhenqing’s shout, and realized that he had lost his composure.

He let go of Liu Zhenqing and looked at him with great disappointment. Unwilling to give up, he finally asked: “Since you only care about money, are you having a difficult time?”

Such persistence caused Liu Zhenqing to be surprised at the boy’s naivete. Liu Zhenqing made a show of being offended and refused to pay any attention to Zhao Haicheng.

Zhao Haicheng was even more disappointed. He was about to turn around and leave, but suddenly remembered something and said: “Who else was with you tonight? Was it Captain Song’s new bodyguard? Since Captain Song had something to do, why didn’t he have him send you off?”

Liu Zhenqing considered the intent behind Zhao Haicheng’s question. Based on what he had just overheard, it could be judged that the purpose of Zhao Haicheng’s group tonight was to deal with Yi Chuan. Zhao Haicheng must have said this because he was not present and didn’t know that Huo Fenglie had gone there too.

In other words, Huo Fenglie’s existence had been exposed. Only, not everyone knew who he was for the time being, and just thought he was a new guard hired by Song Xingmu.

Liu Zhenqing hesitated for a long time, and Zhao Haicheng couldn’t help but be suspicious: “What? You’re following Captain Song and you don’t even know who that person is?”

Liu Zhenqing gave Huo Fenglie a look and said: “How can I interfere with Captain Song’s affairs? It seems he’s felt unsafe recently and hired someone from the jianghu.”

Although Zhao Haicheng accepted this statement, he was a little concerned about Liu Zhenqing’s hesitation. However, he got on his horse without saying anything more.

Seeing that he was going to leave, Liu Zhenqing finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he heard Zhao Haicheng speak again: “I’m afraid Captain Song won’t have time to return, so I will take you back to the inn.”

Liu Zhenqing looked at Zhao Haicheng expressionlessly, thinking: Will it never end?

Zhao Haicheng was initially very disappointed in Liu Zhenqing, but after mounting his horse, he saw that the surroundings were deserted. He was a lone, frail young master on the streets at night, and even just now, Song Xingmu had…..he was standing there so alone, and he knew that Song Xingmu had no time to care about his little lover at the moment. He still felt a little soft-hearted.

“No need,” Liu Zhenqing said in a clear voice.

In the end, Zhao Haicheng bent down and tried to grab Liu Zhenqing’s waist and force him onto the horse.

Liu Zhenqing was taken by surprise, and it was too late to retreat.

In the next moment, Zhao Haicheng felt a chill on his neck, as if the cold night air had condensed into an arrow that was shooting toward him.

In the blink of an eye, a person appeared behind Liu Zhenqing before the two of them could react.

Liu Zhenqing was already held in the arms of Huo Fenglie, who retreated three meters away.

Zhao Haicheng looked at them in astonishment. Liu Zhenqing quickly turned around, and was relieved to see that Huo Fenglie had put on a mask before coming down.

“Who are you? Let him go!”

Zhao Haicheng had only seen Huo Fenglie’s figure from a distance before, and didn’t recognize him immediately this time.

But when Huo Fenglie heard Zhao Haicheng say “let go,” he hugged Liu Zhenqing tighter in his arms. He gave Zhao Haicheng a look filled with killing intent, shocking him on the spot.

Liu Zhenqing hastily patted Huo Fenglie’s arm. If Er-gou was too obvious, Zhao Haicheng would have to be suspicious of their relationship.

Huo Fenglie was no fool either. After Liu Zhenqing’s reminder, he let go and said in a deep voice: “As Captain Song’s guard, I’ve been ordered to deliver…..Young Master Huo.”

Liu Zhenqing nearly laughed when he heard the words ‘Young Master Huo.’

Zhao Haicheng frowned slightly. Looking at the two people before him, he kept feeling that something wasn’t right. “You…..why are you still wearing a mask?”

Liu Zhenqing’s heart skipped a beat.

Huo Fenglie said coldly: “I forgot to take it off.”

“Then take it off now!” Zhao Haicheng said.

Liu Zhenqing didn’t know whether Zhao Haicheng was suspicious or just cautious, wanting to identify the guard at Song Xingmu’s side.

Huo Fenglie said: “You are not my employer! You are not qualified to give me orders.”

The domineering command hidden in his words caused Zhao Haicheng to freeze up, wondering to himself, could he actually be a jianghu man who kills people like flies?

Liu Zhenqing was quick to interrupt: “Where is Captain Song?”

Huo Fenglie said at once: “Captain Song has returned after being attacked.”

“What?! An attack, how could that happen?! Is he okay?” Liu Zhenqing turned pale with fright.

“He’s already gone back.” Huo Fenglie said succinctly: “I will see you off.”

Zhao Haicheng knew there was no reason to stay any longer. “In that case, I’ll take my leave.”

After saying this, Zhao Haicheng rode off.

Liu Zhenqing breathed a sigh of relief. Watching Huo Fenglie take off his mask, he said: “Fortunately, you’re quick-witted. That brat has seen your portrait and could recognize you.”

“Why are you here alone?” Huo Fenglie asked curiously.

Liu Zhenqing explained the situation just now and what he had experienced.

Huo Fenglie’s expression immediately turned ugly, and he regarded Liu Zhenqing with lingering fear in his heart. “Sorry. I won’t leave you alone next time.”

Liu Zhenqing waved his hands and said: “I’m the only one who didn’t suffer tonight. Qin Yu should be fine, but I don’t know about Yi Chuan. He Lan picked up Qin Yu to go to Song Xingmu’s villa together.”

Huo Fenglie nodded, and was about to leave with Liu Zhenqing when his footsteps suddenly stopped.

“What’s wrong?” Liu Zhenqing asked in confusion.

Huo Fenglie turned sharp eyes toward a nearby corner. He whispered: “Someone is still here.”

Liu Zhenqing understood at once that it was Zhao Haicheng who had left and returned, hiding in the dark to observe them.

Turning around, Liu Zhenqing looked at the maskless Huo Fenglie. If Zhao Haicheng looked over, regardless of seeing his face, the action of Huo Fenglie putting on his mask again would seem very abrupt.

Huo Fenglie naturally understood, and ducked into the alley where Liu Zhenqing was hiding just now to buy time to put on the mask.

Liu Zhenqing considered how to explain them entering the alley. Should he pretend that he dropped something and came to look for it?

Just as he was thinking, he heard Huo Fenglie say: “Come here, Qing-ge. I’ll fly you away. He won’t catch up.”

Although he couldn’t catch up, it would be strange.

Liu Zhenqing pondered how to get Zhao Haicheng to stop spying on them. If he was suspicious and traced him to the inn, a great many things would be suspect.

“Qing-ge…..” Huo Fenglie prompted.

Liu Zhenqing raised his head and looked over. Wearing a black half-mask, Huo Fenglie seemed to have a strange sense of stoicism, which gave Liu Zhenqing an impulse in this dark alley. Sure enough, his Er-gou was handsome even with half his face covered. Looking at him made him itch to see.

It was true that lust arose in danger.

Ai? Wait.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes flashed and the corners of his mouth rose slightly, giving him a calculating look. Without waiting for Huo Fenglie to react, Liu Zhenqing directly tugged his collar and whispered: “If you cooperate well, I can expel all his doubts.”

Huo Fenglie was wondering what Liu Zhenqing had come up with when there was a soft touch on his lips.

His eyes immediately opened wide, and he stared at the person so close at hand. Because he had just been pulled closer to talk, and Huo Fenglie was unprepared. He didn’t expect that Liu Zhenqing would do this, and could only stiffen up like a piece of wood.

Liu Zhenqing’s mouth parted slightly, and he said in a serious tone: “Don’t think of trivial matters when there is something important at hand. Don’t be stiff.” Having said this, he hooked his arms around Huo Fenglie’s neck so that his whole body was hanging on him. Then he leaned backward with force so that the two of them were pressed against the wall.

And at this time, Zhao Haicheng had jumped to a roof next to the alley. He did feel that the atmosphere between the two was strange, not unfamiliar like Liu Zhenqing had said, which caused Zhao Haicheng’s previously dead suspicion to spring back to life. When he returned and tried to follow them, he found that they had suddenly hidden in an alley, which was even stranger. Zhao Haicheng didn’t know the reason, and wanted to find out.

But when he looked down, his entire body froze.

The two people were actually…..kissing, with the guard forcefully pushing Liu Zhenqing against the wall.

Zhao Haicheng was so angry that he lost his mind. His first reaction was that Liu Zhenqing was being coerced. After all, he was Song Xingmu’s lover. Perhaps this savage guard was attracted to him, and after he left, the guard bullied him. With his martial arts skills so high, how could Liu Zhenqing resist? The atmosphere between the two was so strange just now that he feared this wasn’t the first time he had been bullied. Liu Zhenqing must be afraid that Song Xingmu wouldn’t want him, so he did not dare to complain and could only endure the humiliation.

Zhao Haicheng was immediately biased toward Liu Zhenqing and thought about his difficulties, intending to go down and save him.

But he suddenly heard Liu Zhenqing’s voice come from the alley in a completely different tone.

It was a tone he had never used when talking to him. Rising slightly and a little mellow, as if there was a hook in every word, and also like the caress of a feather, sultry and tempting.

“Gege, don’t worry. Since Captain Song has no time for me and also specially appointed you to send me back, we’ll have plenty of time.”

This was clearly voluntary, and their relationship was very close.

Zhao Haicheng was frozen on the roof. He also had to admit that he could see Liu Zhenqing hugging the guard’s neck tightly with both arms, completely ingratiating.

And below, Huo Fenglie’s cheeks were already burning hot when Liu Zhenqing finished these words. The cry of “gege” caused him to stiffen even further, and just as he was about to open his mouth, Liu Zhenqing kissed him again.

Huo Fenglie clenched one fist and pressed it against the wall behind them. Nearly all of his internal force was sent into the wall through this fist, cracking it in order to just barely maintain a stable state. Otherwise, he may really lose control.

The previous accident on the ship had already left him at a loss. Why did Qing-ge come up with such a bad idea? Was it really unintentional?

He felt that Qing-ge was really driving his sanity into chaos.

Not only that, but while Liu Zhenqing teased him with his lips, he also scratched his neck with his fingers. Although he knew he was doing this to express his intentions, Huo Fenglie still felt like he was in hell. His body unsurprisingly reacted, and he could only keep his distance to prevent Qing-ge from noticing.

Liu Zhenqing drew on Huo Fenglie’s neck: [Tell me to stop when he leaves]

“He hasn’t left yet?”

“Do we still need to continue kissing?”

“Ai, there’s no helping it.”

“How about acting more intensely to scare him away?”

Huo Fenglie froze for a moment. What…..what was something more intense?

Feeling the warmth on his lips move away, Huo Fenglie looked down, only to see Liu Zhenqing blinking his eyes at him. But all of his attention had moved to Liu Zhenqing’s slightly red and kiss-swollen lips.

They had really kissed for a long time just now. Although it was just their lips touching, he…..really kissed Qing-ge for a long time.

It was like a dream. His brain felt like it had been given an electric shock, and he couldn’t even describe the incredible taste just now.

In a daze, he heard Liu Zhenqing continue to say in that silky voice: “Gege, don’t be angry. I’m not close to Captain Song, it’s for our future. Wait until we’ve saved enough money. When the time comes, we’ll find an opportunity to fly far away.”

Liu Zhenqing gave a perfect explanation for this situation. But Huo Fenglie had no intention of listening to what he was saying, because he felt Liu Zhenqing lift one leg and coil it around him.

Huo Fenglie’s pupils shrank. Because of the force, he was entirely caught off guard and pressed down on Liu Zhenqing’s body.

Liu Zhenqing, who was still acting, suddenly moaned. No matter how thick-skinned he was, he still turned red. He was somewhat at a loss and even wanted to let go, but in the end, bad intentions and a cool head prevailed.

And at this time, Huo Fenglie no longer wanted to raise his head.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes shut slightly, and it was like his heart was being scratched by a kitten. Not only did his leg not let go, but he still embraced Huo Fenglie’s neck as if he was kissing his throat. Then he whispered deliberately in his ear: “Gege, not…..not here, okay?”

Huo Fenglie had to use up all of his strength to maintain his sanity. How could he talk to Liu Zhenqing?

Liu Zhenqing snickered. Seeing as Zhao Haicheng didn’t seem to have left yet, Liu Zhenqing ran out of patience. Standing on one leg was very tiring, so he came up with the ultimate killing move, a soft cry of pain like the signal of something beginning.

“Gege, it hurts, be gentle…..”

In an instant, all of the blood in Huo Fenglie’s body rushed to his head, and he reflexively pressed in further.

And the person on the roof finally couldn’t listen any longer. He flew off almost as if running away, without even a care for exposing himself. The tiles on the roof were broken by his steps. This time, Liu Zhenqing didn’t have to be a martial arts master to tell that Zhao Haicheng had finally been scared away.

Before Liu Zhenqing could put down his leg, Huo Fenglie suddenly stepped away. Almost instantly, he turned his back to Liu Zhenqing and faced the deep alley as if facing the wall in reflection of his misdeeds.

Liu Zhenqing suppressed his laughter and didn’t disturb him. After tidying his clothes, he thought about it and stepped forward to say: “What’s wrong? Wasn’t it the perfect plan? Even if Zhao Haicheng knows General Huo is here, he won’t suspect us. And from now on, when we are at or away from Song Xingmu’s side, he won’t look twice at us.”

“En.”

“Then what are you doing? Did you hate being kissed by Qing-ge?”

“No! I don’t…..”

“Oh, then you liked it?”

Huo Fenglie drew a sharp breath and said: “No…..that’s not what I meant!”

Liu Zhenqing was unhappy, saying in his heart, your body is more honest than your mouth. But through their clothes, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t say firmly that he had felt it. If the other party wouldn’t admit it, should he take off his pants on the spot?

Just thinking about it put him in a dilemma. Oh well, back to business.

“Let’s go back to the inn,” Liu Zhenqing said with a sense of loss.

Huo Fenglie quickly turned and went back to him. He lowered his head and nodded like a child who had made a mistake, then flew back with Liu Zhenqing in his arms. He also peeked at Liu Zhenqing the entire time, as if observing his expression and mood.

Liu Zhenqing really didn’t lose his temper at all.

When the two returned to the inn and were about to open the door and enter, Huo Fenglie grabbed Liu Zhenqing’s wrist.

Liu Zhenqing turned to look at him in puzzlement, only to see Huo Fenglie’s face full of shock. Then he pulled Liu Zhenqing downstairs with an embarrassed look on his face.

Judging from Huo Fenglie’s reaction, could it be that he had heard something?

Liu Zhenqing came to a realization in a moment and was filled with astonishment. No way, since he was in their room, he should have taken the antidote. Was he still out of control?

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Chapter Eighty-Seven << Table of Contents >> Chapter Eighty-Nine

I don’t know how many times I hit him on the head.

When I come to my senses, his refined and elegant face is no longer the same.

Blood gurgles out of his head, gore splashed everywhere.

The sheets and pillows are stained. There is blood everywhere on the floor and walls, and on me from hitting him.

I stand beside the bed, my hands stained with blood, and warm liquid drips from the hammer onto the floor.  I hear the drip, drip, drip, and the disgust and terror make my scalp numb.

The body is breathing vigorously on its own, but in fact, there is no flesh left.

I feel a drop of blood fall from my forehead into my eyes, coloring them blood red.

This is a prison.

I am banished to my own hell.

When he gets up after pretending enough, I will definitely be very miserable, and he might kill me.

But I really feel so much hate. I hate Wen Mingcheng who betrayed me, I hate the replacement who deceived and toyed with me, and I hate myself.

Time passes little by little. He does not get up from the bed, and I see his blood gradually stop flowing.

The blood coagulates on his face and turns dark red. The flesh is curled up and covered in blood clots, making it look ever more ferocious and terrifying, and the color of the body’s skin has also turned pale purple.

I see that his nails have turned white and blue, and that his skin has become horribly stiff to the naked eye.

The blood all over my body seems to have stopped dripping, and the cold crawls upward from the soles of my feet, making my limbs stiff.

After a while, I slowly and hesitantly reach out to touch his body.

The skin that my fingertips touch is cold, and the muscles have lost their elasticity.

I try to move his hand, but his joints are difficult to rotate, and the fingers that I forcibly straighten slowly return to a slightly clenched fist.

This is rigor mortis.

He…..looks like a real corpse.

. . . . . . .

“You’re saying you killed your husband?”

It is late at night at the police station, and the lights in the duty room are very dim. I huddle on a chair next to a desk, and two police officers sit in front of me with pens and notebooks. 

The young-looking policeman on my left has been staring at me since I came in, and the officer on the right who asked me the question looks to be in his thirties. He has rimless frames and a steady, intimidating temperament. After writing in the notebook for a moment, he looks up and questions me.

I don’t know why they didn’t take me to an interrogation room. Am I not scary enough?

“Yes! No, it’s possible that…..I might have killed him.” The air feels like it is made of knives, drilling into my trachea and cutting into my internal organs.

The sticky smell of blood still lingers, and fragmented colors and terrifying, distorted visions ravage my mind. When I close my eyes, I see a murder scene and an unrecognizable corpse.

“I thought he was a demon, so I beat him to death. I think he’s deceiving me, but I’m still so scared…..please go back with me to take a look.”

Wen Mingcheng is a very particular Achilles heel of mine.

I have loved him longer than I have hated him, loved him unforgettably for many years. He is deep in my mind, carved into my bones, occupying my soul.

Even though my reasoning tells me that he is not a good person, that he has deceived me and possibly betrayed me, and that the imposter I seemingly beat to death must also be playing a trick on me…..

The sight of Mingcheng’s body lying dead before my eyes still scares me.

I can’t help but recall the story Dr. Zhao told me about the woman who mistook her husband for a goat spirit and strangled him with her own hands.

“I felt like he had been replaced, and he acknowledged it tonight. But…..he seems to really be dead. Could it be that I’m having hallucinations? No, I can’t be!”

Mingyi was right. I’ve been toyed with miserably by him.

My Wei family are all honest, kind people. I admit that I was pampered by them as I grew up, and I’m a person with a gentle personality and a soft heart. When he and I fell in love, I really loved him wholeheartedly and without defenses. If he is truly a cruel person and used my feelings to hurt me, then I will have no power to resist, and I’ll really be played with to death by him.

The tears must have dried up. My eyes hurt so much that there is even pain in my eyebrows and temples, like my skull is about to burst.

I no longer care what others think of me and lay on the table, hugging my head.

A policeman in front of me seems to stand up. I hear the sound of a chair being dragged, and hear his footsteps moving around the room before they finally stop next to me.

A piece of clothing is draped over my body.

It is the young policeman.

He has found a plainclothes jacket from somewhere and covered me.

It’s always a little cold at night in coastal cities. I’m wearing very thin clothes, and I don’t know if it is because of the temperature or my emotions, but my body is shivering slightly.

This piece of clothing covers my body and helps me block the cold wind blowing through the window. I stare up at him blankly.

He is still very young, with thick eyebrows and round eyes. His skin is fair and soft, but fine lines have appeared prematurely between his eyebrows. The way he looks at me with sympathy and compassion is inconsistent with his age. 

I don’t know why he’s sympathizing with me. Logically speaking, shouldn’t I be interrogated strictly?

And when he does this, the other officer doesn’t stop him. He writes on the paper for a moment, puts down the pen, and raises his eyes to give me a deep look. “I have notified your family and your doctor. They will be here soon to take you back to your older brother’s house.”

They’re letting me go home?

“…..Why?! I might have killed someone, Officer.” I am astonished.

I think of something and urgently reach out to grab his arm. “Do you not believe me?”

He lowers his head with a heavy glance at my hand, then pushes the notebook he was using in front of me and passes me the pen. “Someone has already visited your home. Please write your name here.”

I pick up the pen and write my name where his finger indicates, then push it to him and say anxiously: “I hit him with a hammer…..”

He says nothing. He glances down at my signature and pauses imperceptively. Then he raises his eyelids to look at me again. 

“Mr. Wei, do you see what you wrote?”

I don’t understand, so I take another look and realize that I’ve written “A-Zhen.”

My brain really is broken.

“I’m sorry, can I correct it?”

He doesn’t say if it’s okay, and just turns another page before pushing it to me.

This time, the entire page is blank. I don’t know where to write, so I write in the upper lefthand corner.

He watches me the whole time. When he sees that I’m done writing, he takes it back, looks at it, and pushes it toward me again.

I looked at his pointing finger.

I had still written “A-Zhen.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

His finger moves to the right, gesturing for me to write again.

I quickly write again on the right side.

There is no need to show him this time. I freeze when I look at the name I wrote.

It is still A-Zhen.

His finger continues to slide to the right: “Continue.”

I write it again.

The room falls into a deathly silence.

After a few minutes, I impolitely take the notebook and write my name frantically.

The sound of the pen scratching rapidly on the paper is particularly clear in the silence, and the sound of the paper being punctured is also harsh.

Gradually, my hand shakes to the point that I can no longer hold the pen.

I have written an entire page of ‘A-Zhen.’

Neither policeman speaks.

And I also stare straight at the handwriting in the notebook in disbelief. I freeze in the chair, completely stunned.

……I don’t know what my name is.

I can’t remember.

Wait, I need to calm down.

First of all, what is my last name?

My surname is Wei!

Right, my surname is Wei!

Then which ‘Wei’ is it?

They call me A-Zhen, so my name is…..Wei Zhen?

It doesn’t seem right. I probably haven’t even heard this name.

My name is Wei A-Zhen?

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

A-Zhen should be a nickname.

…..Then what is my name?

I suddenly recall something crucial.

Where is my ID card?!

My name will be on my ID card.

I raise my head abruptly: “Officers, where is my ID card? I came here with my ID card, right?”

“I suddenly can’t remember my name. Please let me look at it.”

“Please give it to me quickly…..”

I am probably in a state of complete madness.

“Mr. Wei!” The young officer next to me suddenly calls in a deep voice.

He startles me and I look up blankly, only to see that his eyes are red.

The young police officer grimaces bitterly and says to me: “Mr. Wei, stop looking. You don’t have your ID card.”

I don’t have my ID card? Why didn’t I get my ID card when I called the police?

How could I be so forgetful?

I don’t even know myself. How do the police know my name if I didn’t bring my ID card?

Ai…..that’s not right?

I don’t know what my name is, so I didn’t introduce myself to them. I also didn’t give them my ID card, so…..how do they know that my surname is Wei?

All police stations have facial recognition, and it is said that the identity of the other party can be confirmed through that technology. There happens to be such a lens beside this table and computer. Is this how they know who I am?

Feeling hopeful again, I plead with the officer who seems most likely to speak: “Officer, do you know my name? Please tell me.”

He listens to me quietly, then reaches out to hold my shoulders and leans down to look at me.

“Mr. Wei…..have you forgotten me?” He says something I don’t understand, pointing at the other officer. “This is my mentor, have you forgotten him too?”

I am struck dumb.

I look at his face, trying hard to remember, but there is no such face in my memory, nor the face of the older police officer at the table.

“…..Have we met before?”

“You don’t remember.” He opens his police ID and shows it to me. There is his personal photo and name on it.

I look at it carefully, but his name is unfamiliar to me, and so is his photo.

Likely noticing my confusion, he takes back the ID. Looking down at himself in the photo, his voice carries the weight of memories, and each word sounds particularly heavy. “This photo was taken when I first joined the force half a year ago. At that time, the first case my mentor and I handled was the car accident with you and Mr. Wen…..”

My eyes suddenly open wide. He is telling me of an experience I have no memory of.

He falls silent again after saying this. 

In the photo, his smile is bright and sunny. But now, although he still looks young, his face is already mature, heavy with fatigue and compassion.

He looks at me again, his eyes deep and solemn.

“Mr. Wei, your husband passed away a long while ago.”

“When you returned from your honeymoon, there was an asshole drunk driving and racing…..the cars collided. It was a terrible accident.”

“You were shielded by him, but fragments from the windshield cut his throat. He bled to death before the ambulance arrived.”

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Chapter 22 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 24

Lu Qi had successfully achieved his goal. He wanted to get a haircut before school started, but the newbie stylist ruined the haircut with his clippers. In the end, he had no choice but to get a short haircut that was a little longer than a buzz cut.

Fortunately, he had a good-looking face and could manage a haircut disaster. Wearing a hat regularly was not a big problem. As for his hair, it would be fine once this embarrassing period passed.

It was just that Mu Nanqiao liked to rub his short, stubbly hair and call him a little hedgehog when they were being intimate. It was particularly hateful!

One time, Lu Qi was almost late because he had been kept up too late the day before. Boss Mu had one car undergoing maintenance and the other one had driving restrictions, so they took Lu Qi’s vehicle.

Shenmei was very close to his work, so after Lu Qi arrived at school, Mu Nanqiao walked to the company.

Lu Qi put his long legs on the ground and removed his helmet, shaking off the sweat on his head. He said in a huff: “Hurry up, go by yourself!”

But the big fox stood still, looked at Lu Qi with a smile in his deep eyes, and licked his lips maliciously.

Lu Qi’s alarm bells blared: “What are you doing?”

Mu Nanqiao said: “Baby, I suddenly feel that your haircut is very tasteful. Speak honestly, is there anyone at school pursuing you?”

Lu Qi felt a little guilty.

There was. Although he was not as good as the perfect male model big fox, he could still achieve a score of 7 or 8. After changing to this short hair, two male dancing students inexplicably skipped over to add his WeChat.

But he didn’t give it, ah. He didn’t want to give a certain person opportunities to use the topic to his advantage at night. He shook his head fast: “There’s not, there’s not.”

“Baby…..” Mu Nanqiao stepped forward to stand beside the motorcycle and grasped the back of his neck, saying: “Do you know that when you feel guilty, you shake your head really fast like a little dog shaking off water?”

Lu Qi: “You’re the dog…..ah……”

Mu Nanqiao quickly nibbled his lips, then took a step back and smiled, waving his hand: “Lu Baby, you say I’m a dog, so it’s not excessive for me to bite you, right? I’ll leave a mark so that undiscerning people can have some sense of proportion.”

Boss Mu had recently discovered the benefits of casual wear. Nowadays, other than on formal occasions, he usually dressed in casual, loose clothes. As soon as he raised his hand, his sleeve slid down, revealing a large gold bracelet.

Lu Qi’s eyes were nearly dazzled, but when he returned to his senses, he was so embarrassed that he asked in a whisper: “Why are you wearing this again?”

“Is there a problem?” Mu Nanqiao waved his wrist proudly. “I like it very much.”

Lu Qi: “…..As long as you’re happy.”

They separated in a secluded place. Lu Qi found a parking spot, then took his helmet and hurriedly went to find his mentor.

Little did he know that the big fox rolled up his sleeve and strolled around Shenmei. After ravaging the eyes of Shenmei with his shiny gold bracelet, only then did he turn around and go to work with extreme pride.

In short, by the time Lu Qi found out about this, the rumor had already spread: A low-key rich second generation with an extravagant lifestyle took a person to school, and a kept first-year graduate student wore a big gold bracelet and wandered around campus. The world is declining. Is this the distortion of human nature or the decline of morality?

Lu Qi: ……

I’m also a rich benefactor for a day!

[Proud cat.jpg]

The post affectionately called this new graduate student the “Double-Door Vixen.”^[1]

Fifteen minutes after it was posted, the post was deleted by the administrator due to having bad values. 

Lu Qi ate his own melons, but didn’t catch any fresh ones. He only got a few screenshots from his friends and went back to share them with “freshman graduate” Mu Nanqiao.

This sort of speculation obviously didn’t cause any trouble. When Lu Qi found out, the brief discussion was already over, because no one could find this so-called Double-Door Vixen at all. But these people analyzed that it was still very possible that Lu Qi was a rich second generation. 

“I told you not to walk around wearing that big gold bracelet. Now look, you’ve been misunderstood…..” Lu Qi’s eyes curved as he smiled mischievously. Taking particular joy in another’s misfortune, he said in a drawl: “Mr. Double-Door Vixen?”

Mu Nanqiao’s eyebrows rose. Just as he was about to say something, Lu Qi’s phone vibrated.

He hadn’t finished reading the forum screenshots yet, and his phone was unlocked. Mu Nanqiao lowered his head and looked at the WeChat message.

[I’m the Latin dancing brother, please add me and request that I add you as a friend]

Lu Qi was still laughing while hugging his pillow. He turned his back toward Mu Nanqiao to grab the milk on the coffee table, and suddenly couldn’t help but shiver. His small animal instincts came into play, and he felt like he was being targeted by some large animal.

Turning his head, he looked into Mu Nanqiao’s fox-like eyes that seemed to be smiling but not smiling. He swallowed carefully: “That, it’s not good to spread rumors, but not many people know about it, so…..”

Mu Nanqiao said: “That doesn’t matter. I think I’m having a sense of crisis.”

Lu Qi was puzzled: “Why?”

The big fox leaned down and drew closer little by little, very much in a hunting posture. His hands were already placed on Lu Qi’s waist.

“Young Master Lu is handsome and has a good temperament. There’s no telling how many people believe the rumors and are just waiting to be taken care of by you…..” He paused to drag back this person who was trying to escape. “I must work hard to serve my benefactor well.”

“No, no, no need. Your professional skills are very good now!” Lu Qi fumbled around in a flutter. An idea floated through his mind during the turmoil, and he quickly explained: “Did someone send a friend request? Don’t be jealous, I won’t accept any of those people who added me!”

Mu Nanqiao: “Those? Which ones?”

Lu Qi: ……

I’m dead!

. . . . . . .

Early the next morning, Lu Qi woke up and immediately posted on his WeChat Moments.
[The Double-Door Vixen is my fiancé and will be the legal wife after graduation! There is no sugar baby relationship! Don’t add me as a friend! He’s going to make trouble! (sobbing, sobbing)]

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T/N: That’s the end, friends! I hope you enjoyed this cute little story as much as I did. As always, your donations help keep this site ad-free!

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[1] A man referred to as “double-door” in physique is well-proportioned and muscular, with slim legs. ⮐

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Chapter Fifty-Six << Table of Contents