He Chuzhou accepted his fate the moment he opened his mouth.

In early autumn, the nighttime temperature was not very high. This person had just come from the hospital, and looked so fragile running around like this. His head wasn’t healed yet, and he could catch a cold due to the wind.

It was just a 500-word letter of guarantee. He would just write it. There should be a lot of templates online, so he would just copy one and be done.

“He Xingxing knocked over the trash can. I was cleaning it up.”

He threw the blame on the dog without any burden of conscience, then put away his phone and walked over to casually touch Pei Xi’s half-dried hair: “Why did you come out without blow drying it?”

Pei Xi’s voice also seemed to be soaked in water vapor, with a moist, soft tone: “I couldn’t find the hair dryer.”

This straightforward and obedient attitude suddenly made He Chuzhou’s hands itch, so he simply patted him again: “I think I put it in the bedroom. Come on, I’ll find it for you.”

The soft hair felt surprisingly good.

Pei Xi followed him into the bedroom and watched him take out a white hair dryer from the bedside table. He asked: “Chuzhou, have you finished writing your letter of guarantee?”

He Chuzhou had known he wouldn’t forget. He bent down and inserted the plug into the socket, handing the hair dryer to him: “I was just discussing work with someone. I’ll write it right away, you blow dry your hair first.”

“Okay,” Pei Xi said.

He Chuzhou planned to go to the study and find a piece of paper first, but as soon as he reached the door, he was stopped by Pei Xi.

He turned around: “Can’t find the switch?”

“No.” Pei Xi put his free hand on his stomach, as if feeling something. “I haven’t eaten in a long time.”

“Chuzhou, I’m so hungry.”

*

*
In the open kitchen connected to the living room, He Chuzhou stood in front of the refrigerator, selecting ingredients.

A person who had just been discharged from the hospital would be weak and shouldn’t eat heavy food. It was best to eat something light. Cooking seafood noodles should do it.

He Chuzhou boiled some water and put in a handful of noodles. The faint sound of the wind could be heard in the room, and he found that this night was truly fantastical.

He had taken Pei Xi home, was cooking noodles for Pei Xi, and would soon write a letter of guarantee for Pei Xi.

Heh, the level of novelty was no less than that of Ultraman proposing to Captain America. Who would believe it if he told them?

His cell phone suddenly vibrated. Looking at the caller ID, he clicked to answer: “What?”

A crisp “Ge” came from the receiver. There was no telling what He Aiyue was excited about in the middle of the night: “What are you busy with?”

He Chuzhou said casually: “Who told you I was busy?”

He Aiyue: “Aren’t you ‘bosses’ busy all day long?”

He Chuzhou: “I’m going to hang up.”

“Ai, don’t, don’t!” He Aiyue quickly stopped him with a laugh, then said in a flattering tone: “Something’s going on, ah. Your dear little sister has a small favor she needs your help with.”

He Chuzhou turned down the heat: “What small favor? You want me to help you with a test paper again?”

He Aiyue spoke with a sense of righteousness: “How could that be? I’ve finished all my test papers this week!”

He Chuzhou raised an eyebrow and glanced at the call interface. Was she sensible?

He Aiyue: “Actually, it’s a mathematics olympiad exercise book. There are still two units and I really can’t write anymore. Ge, there is more merit in saving a life than in building—”^[1]

He Chuzhou: “I messaged Mom.”

He Aiyue: “…..a pagoda…..”

He Aiyue: “Ah?”

He Aiyue: “Ahhhhhhh!”

He Aiyue: “Boss He! How could you stab me in the back without regard for martial ethics!”

He Chuzhou: “Second child, you flatter me.”

“Okay, we’re playing for keeps, right?”

He Aiyue’s attitude changed instantly: “Believe it or not, I’m going to tell Mom that you’re hiding a beauty at home. When she comes to the house and finds out that you’re still a single dog, she will bombard you for three days and three nights!”

He Chuzhou had long been immune to these petty fights, and after saying “do what you want,” he neatly hung up the phone.

Once the noodles were out of the pot, he set the bowl on the table. Pei Xi also opened the door and walked out slowly in slippers that didn’t fit his feet.

His blow-dried hair was soft and covered his forehead, making him look years younger than his actual age. He looked tall and straight, with fair skin and a beautiful appearance.

He Chuzhou turned his head and saw him. At the thought of He Aiyue’s threat just now, the corners of his mouth silently twitched.

Keeping a beauty hidden at home. From a rather strange perspective, He Aiyue indeed got it right this once.

“Come and eat.” He placed chopsticks on the bowl.

Pei Xi walked over and sat down, looking at the fragrant bowl of seafood noodles in front of him. Then he looked up at He Chuzhou, a little confused.

Could it be that he was allergic to seafood?

He Chuzhou: “If you can’t eat it, I’ll make you a —”

Pei Xi: “Chuzhou, when did you learn to cook?”

The two spoke almost simultaneously, and He Chuzhou paused for a few seconds after being interrupted: “What?”

Pei Xi repeated: “When did you learn to cook?”

He Chuzhou, who had always been a good cook, was silent for a moment, unsure how to answer: “Should…..should I not be able to?”

Pei Xi shook his head: “No, I’ve always been the one to cook for you.”

Okay, got it.

He Chuzhou’s expression didn’t change: “Did you forget that you spent a month teaching me?”

Pei Xi stared blankly: “Me?”

He Chuzhou: “Yes, you.”

Pei Xi’s eyes widened slightly, and after a moment, he let out a semi-comprehending “oh.”

He really didn’t remember much, but this was very reasonable, and not unacceptable.

Having rationalized it in his mind, he lowered his head and concentrated on eating noodles. And having muddled his way through again, He Chuzhou was considering whether to go to the study and copy a letter of guarantee now.

During this period, he took the time to reply to a few work messages. By the time he noticed that something was wrong, Pei Xi had practically his entire face buried in the bowl.

“Tsk, what are you doing?”

He swiftly reached out to grasp the back of this person’s neck, lifting him up: “How unpalatable must it be that you want to die eating it?”

Pei Xi had eaten most of it, but couldn’t finish the rest. When he was picked up, he put down his chopsticks and lowered his eyes, rubbing his temples: “I don’t want to die.”

That voice was also weaker than before.

He Chuzhou was really afraid that if he let go, he would fall and wash his hair in the bowl, so he used his other hand to move the bowl away: “Then what is your explanation?”

Pei Xi: “Dizzy.”

His voice was very low, almost like a mumble, and He Chuzhou didn’t hear clearly: “What sound?”^[2]

Pei Xi must have felt uncomfortable being grasped by him. He tilted his head to avoid his hand, then reached over and grabbed it, pulling it in front of him to press his forehead against it.

The broad palm was warm and dry, which put Pei Xi greatly at ease. He just held it and pressed the entire weight of his head on it, closing his eyes: “Dizzy. Feels bad.”

This time, He Chuzhou heard him clearly.

But what was more intuitive than the verbal explanation was that the temperature against his hand was significantly higher than a normal body temperature.

“What’s wrong with you?”

His brow furrowed: “When did you get a fever? Why didn’t you tell me until now?”

Pei Xi’s words were sticky: “I thought I was hungry, and I would be fine if I ate something.”

He Chuzhou: “Can not eating give a person a fever from hunger? What is with your roundabout way of thinking?”

“I’m just dizzy, I didn’t know I had a fever.”

Pei Xi turned his face around in his palm and whispered to him: “Chuzhou, I feel really uncomfortable. Please stop being fierce to me.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

This was considered fierce?

Forget it, what could he say?

He could only let out a long sigh and say, “I won’t be fierce to you.” Then he took him back to the room and placed him on the bed.

The bed in the master bedroom.

After all, there was no telling what the “man of the house” would do if he found out he wasn’t sleeping in the master bedroom.

After taking his temperature and confirming that it was a low fever, he found a fever reducer in the medicine box. He went to the kitchen to pour a glass of water and came back to watch this person take the pills.

“What’s wrong with that hospital, do they only care about serious illnesses and ignore the minor ones? You were discharged so easily without any trouble.”

Mentally exhausted, he helped Pei Xi pull up the quilt: “Go to sleep. It’s a low-grade fever, nothing serious. You should be fine when you get up in the morning.”

Half of Pei Xi’s face was sunken into a dark pillow. He was even more pale and bloodless, and exhaustion could be faintly seen on his features, but a pair of eyes continued to stare at him.

He Chuzhou: “What, don’t want to sleep?”

Pei Xi pressed his elbows on the quilt, holding down the corners of it: “The medicine hasn’t taken effect yet, and I still haven’t seen your letter of guarantee.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

He Chuzhou could kowtow in admiration for him: “Okay, I’ll write it now. Just wait.”

He clapped his hands and was about to stand up, but Pei Xi grabbed him by the corner of his clothes: “Where are you going?”

He Chuzhou: “To the study, ah.”

Pei Xi: “You’re going to the study to write it?”

He Chuzhou raised an eyebrow: “Where else?”

“Can you not go to the study?”

Pei Xi moved his fingertips inward, drawing more fabric into his hands: “Just write it here, I don’t want to be alone.”

How could he copy it if he wrote it here? 

He Chuzhou made an excuse: “The pens and paper are in the study. There aren’t any here.”

“You can take them from the study.”

Pei Xi looked at him with misty eyes. His voice was slightly hoarse: “Chuzhou, I’m sick. I don’t want to be alone. Please stay with me for a while.”

“……”

He Chuzhou closed his eyes and slapped a palm to his forehead: “I’ll get the things and be back in half a minute.”

A minute later, He Chuzhou was sitting on the sofa, thinking hard about the contents of the letter of guarantee.

Guarantee that there would be no divorce.

Guarantee that he would not forget to pick him up in the future.

Guarantee not to call him President Pei again.

Guarantee……

What else needed to be guaranteed?

A guarantee that he would never bring anyone home again to bring trouble upon himself?

He really didn’t expect that after so many years, there would be a time when he would consume brain cells just to reach the word count for a composition.

“Is it very difficult to write?”

The voice came from the bed. Pei Xi lay on his side in bed, watching him. One of his hands came out of the blanket and was pressed under his cheek in a cute posture: “It’s okay if you write less.”

He Chuzhou felt as if he had received amnesty.

Pei Xi: “It doesn’t have to be 500. 480 is enough.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

Thank you very much.

He rambled on and rounded the word count up to 482, rubbing his brow tiredly as he prepared to hand in the paper. He saw that the examiner had sat up at some point and was leaning on the bedside, playing with a bracelet.

The bright white ice seed jadeite had a clear and delicate color under the light. Only after being put on, compared to the cold, thin, white wrist, it also became second-rate.

Not long ago, the two of them were competing for this bracelet at the auction house, money flying everywhere.

The memory-addled Pei Xi liked this bracelet very much. He wanted to say something to He Chuzhou, but when he looked up, he found that the other person’s expression was indescribably strange.

“Chuzhou, what’s wrong?”

After speaking, he thought of something and held his wrist with some anxiety: “Is it because I can’t wear this?

“No.” He Chuzhou waved his hand and stood up to walk over. “It’s not something you can’t wear. If you like it, just wear it for fun first.”

In any case, his mother had bought a lot of new jewelry recently, so there was no rush to give her this. He could just send it in a couple of days.

Pei Xi caught the key word and wondered: “First?”

“No, you heard wrong.”

He Chuzhou calmly deceived him and handed him the letter of guarantee: “Here is the guarantee. Can you go to sleep now?”

Pei Xi took it and read it carefully: “En, it’s good overall, but the details are lacking. Chuzhou, it’s been so many years. How are your essay writing skills still so poor?”

This, He Chuzhou really couldn’t refute.

His poor composition was not a matter of a day or two. Ever since he was a child, his teachers commented that his connotations and meaning were forced.

“I’ve already performed above average. Teacher Pei, don’t be too picky.”

He took the letter of guarantee from Pei Xi’s hand and set it aside: “Okay, it’s very late. Go to sleep quickly.”

Pei Xi lay down and pulled up the quilt.

But two seconds later, under He Chuzhou’s puzzled gaze, he rose again with his upper body propped up and carefully put the guarantee in the cabinet drawer.

He Chuzhou was speechless: “Would you like to find a picture frame so you can hang it on the wall?”

Pei Xi blinked: “Can I?”

“No.” He Chuzhou heartlessly refused, covering his eyes: “Hurry and go to sleep.”

After a night of hard work and great effort, he was already very tired and sleepy, and just wanted him to go to sleep quickly so that he could rest.

In the middle of the night, He Xingxing would probably bite the tail of the cow cat several times in his dreams.

Pei Xi took his hand and said seriously: “Chuzhou, my fever seems to have gone away.”

“It’s gone? So soon?”

He Chengzhu was dubious and tried to touch his forehead, but his hand continued to be grabbed: “Let go and let me see if it’s really gone.”

But Pei Xi said: “You can’t touch with your hands. Lower your head.”

He Chuzhou didn’t doubt him. He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned down to touch his forehead to his, feeling heat from the other person’s skin: “How can you say it’s gone—”

A pair of arms wrapped around the back of his neck, interrupting his next words.

Pei Xi didn’t let him retreat. Their foreheads were pressed together, and the tips of their noses were almost touching. They were so close that he could clearly see his own reflection in the other’s eyes.

“I have a cold, you can’t kiss me.”

Pei Xi whispered: “But you can sleep behind me, so I won’t breathe on you and won’t infect you.”

Inexplicably, he went from sitting to lying down with someone in his arms.

The slight numbness at the base of his ears passed. He Chuzhou didn’t know where Pei Xi had learned this trick.

The sensation of the breath that had gusted against his lips moments ago lingered for a long time, and the warmth that filled his arms at this moment continued to spread.

He couldn’t quite adapt.

He could only be happy for Pei Xi that the person he was “married” to was not someone else.

Moving the arm that was being pressed down, he thought with complicated emotions.

If he were to be replaced by someone with bad intentions, there was no telling if there would be any bones left by morning.

This person usually had ten thousand eyes on the back of his head, but didn’t inherit any of them due to his amnesia.

……After being held in his arms for a night, would Pei Xi really not want to commit suicide when he woke up?

The anti-fever medication finally began to take effect and Pei Xi calmed, his breaths gradually becoming light and long.

He Chuzhou was also tired.

Pei Xi had a small frame, a good sleeping appearance, and a fluffy head. Holding him in his arms could also help him sleep. A wave of drowsiness flooded over him.

But he didn’t dare sleep. He feared that if he slept, Pei Xi would wake up and be so furious that he performed hara-kiri.

After making sure Pei Xi was asleep, he climbed up and rolled onto the sofa by the window, putting a blanket over his head.

The night had been full of turmoil and the chaos of war. He could finally sleep, and would be completely liberated when he sent this person away in the morning.

From the darkness of night to the dawn of daylight. He Chuzhou heard the everyday sound of the dog scratching at the door.

Lifting his eyelids, he vaguely saw in his sleepy state a figure sitting up in bed. The figure quickly changed clothes, opened the door, and left the room without stopping.

The dog took the opportunity to rush in and jumped on the sofa, starting to rub against He Chuzhou’s face and neck.

He Chuzhou pushed the dog’s head away in a daze, wondering, did he intend to go back by himself?

That was good. It saved him a trip. 

It was still early, so he planned to close his eyes for a while.

Just a couple seconds after closing his eyes, he opened them again. He looked at the empty bed, then at the door.

No way, Pei Xi was……okay?

---

[1] This is the full saying: “Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda.” (救人一命，胜造七级浮屠) ⮐

[2] He Chuzhou didn’t hear clearly and confused the ‘yun’ (晕) in dizzy with ‘yin’ for sound (音). ⮐

---

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Chapter 6 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 8

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Pei Xi’s eyes flickered slightly: “You rarely call me that.”

Apparently that wasn’t it. His entire being was screaming that it wasn’t right.

He Chuzhou continued to think. When Pei Xi called him ‘Chuzhou’ on the phone, he directly used his surname and first name, so the corresponding answer should be: “Xixi?”

Pei Xi was still in a low mood: “You’ve only called me that once.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

In the next few short seconds, countless addresses he had heard between couples flashed through He Chuzhou’s mind.

Honey, baby, cutie, beloved, stinky pig, dummy, darling……

Just as he was about to select a few reliable ones, his examiner caught him off guard by handing him the answer: “You don’t like to call me Xinxin^[1] anymore?”

He Chuzhou’s “Baby” dissipated in his mouth.

“Xinxin?” He asked with some puzzlement.

The slightly intimate word felt very strange in his mouth, and was also very contradictory to Pei Xi. 

Wasn’t this a bit excessive?

Pei Xi thought he was being called, and hummed softly.

He Chuzhou had missed twice in a row, and made up for himself: “I don’t dislike it, I just think that what you want is more important. It doesn’t matter to me. En…..it’s all up to you.”

“I like it when you call me Xinxin.”

Pei Xi’s voice was soft and low, his expression unclear when he lowered his eyes: “It’s a nickname that only my family knows. If you don’t call me that, nobody will call me that.”

A…..a nickname?

He Chuzhou was overwhelmingly flattered, and muttered to himself: “Should I actually know this? No, do I deserve to call him this?”

Pei Xi didn’t hear clearly, and raised his head: “What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

He Chuzhou smiled as if nothing had happened and went along with his words: “Xinxin is pretty good. I like it too. Then let’s just…..get out of the car and go inside now?”

Pei Xi finally nodded, only when he had just turned sideways and stepped out with one foot, he immediately retracted it.

He Chuzhou sucked in a breath: “What’s wrong now?”

He even subconsciously looked down at the ground. His feet weren’t burned, were they?

Pei Xi: “I’m so tired.”

He Chuzhou: “Tired?”

Pei Xi, weakly: “I feel like I don’t have the strength to walk anymore.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

Fine, fine.

You are an ancestor. If you don’t want to walk, then you don’t want to walk. It’s not a big problem.

He Chuzhou bent down and picked him up.

Pei Xi hugged his neck extremely cooperatively. Tilting his head, he rested it comfortably on his shoulder with a clear conscience.

Closing the car door with his elbow, He Chuzhou locked it and walked out of the garage. Very quickly, he noticed that something was wrong with the feel of the weight in his arms.

“Why are a grown man’s waist and legs so thin?”

He hefted him and said disapprovingly: “You’re so light, and boney to the touch. Don’t you eat at home?”

Pei Xi replied: “Don’t we eat every meal together?”

He Chuzhou: ……Okay, just pretend he didn’t say anything.

Once he entered the door and put the person down, he crouched and took out a pair of brand new slippers from the bottom of the shoe cabinet, placing them in front of Pei Xi: “Wear these.”

Pei Xi regarded them carefully for a moment and came to a conclusion: “Chuzhou, the size is too large. These should be your slippers, where are mine?”

Naturally, yours are in your shoe cabinet.

Of course, he could only think this. He Chuzhou randomly found an excuse to deceive him: “I washed them during the day and they’re not dry. Put mine on first.”

Fortunately, Pei Xi was not suspicious and bent down to put on the new slippers.

When he looked up again after changing them, He Chuzhou had vanished from the huge living room and there was only a black and white border collie sitting next to him, staring curiously.

Pei Xi frowned slightly, a hint of caution in his eyes: “Who are you?”

He Chuzhou grabbed a clean set of pajamas and came out of the room. Pei Xi was still standing there without moving a step, staring intently at He Xingxing.

What was he doing?

Pei Xi quickly noticed him and looked over: “Chuzhou, did you forget to close a window when you went out?”

He pointed at He Xingxing: “A puppy came to visit.”

Pei Xi’s expression was very calm, but he was a little childish when he spoke of the puppy. The combination of the two created an inexplicable cuteness.

The “visiting” He Xingxing couldn’t really understand, but it didn’t matter. He just wagged his tail when faced with the guest brought back by his father.

He Chuzhou looked at He Xingxing, whose tail was wagging wildly, and then at Pei Xi, who seemed to be facing a formidable enemy, and suddenly wanted to laugh.

It was unclear who the visitor was. And the guilty one blamed the other party preemtively, bullying a puppy that couldn’t speak.

“My great-uncle’s family moved.”

He walked over while bullshiting: “They can’t keep a dog at the new house, so they sent him here.”

Pei Xi took the pajamas from him and asked: “So we have to keep it until death by old age?”

He Chuzhou withdrew his hand and said: “Whose death from old age?”

Pei Xi pointed at He Xingxing again.

He Chuzhou: “……”

He Chuzhou: “If nothing unexpected happens, then this is the case.”

Pei Xi: “Can’t you send it back to your great-uncle?”

“I can’t.”

He Chuzhou noticed that his furrowed brow had not relaxed, and asked casually: “What, you don’t like dogs?”

Pei Xi shook his head: “That’s not it.”

He Chuzhou: “Then why do you want to send him away?”

“Because I don’t like raising dogs.”

Pei Xi said: “Dogs need to go out every day. I heard that dog owners have to get up early to walk them during the coldest part of winter.”

He raised his head and shifted his gaze from He Xingxing to He Chuzhou’s face, looking unhappy: “I don’t want to get up early.”

For a moment, He Chuzhou thought there might be something wrong with his ears.

Had he actually heard Pei Xi say that he didn’t want to get up early?

A person who valued work more than anything else and wished he could devote all of his energy to his career, a model worker who was as involved in life as a robot, said he didn’t want to get up early?

This made He Chuzhou a little more interested: “So why did you get up early before?”

Pei Xi was puzzled: “Before? But I haven’t gotten up early in a long time.”

He Chuzhou choked, and could only change the question: “I mean, how did you get up earlier when you were in school?”

Pei Xi considered for a moment: “I set a lot of alarm clocks and set them far away from the bed.”

He Chuzhou: “Why did you set them far away from the bed?”

Pei Xi didn’t hide anything: “Because if they were too close, I might turn them off and fall asleep.”

Unexpectedly, President Pei, who was serious and meticulous in front of others, engaged in a battle of wits and valor while lying in bed.

He Chuzhou imagined this scene in his mind. The corners of his mouth rose and he was about to say something, when he heard Pei Xi say: “But no matter how many alarm clocks there are, they aren’t as useful as you.”

He Chuzhou: “?”

He Chuzhou: “What does this have to do with me?”

Pei Xi: “You call me sometimes. No matter how early it is, as long as I hear your voice, I won’t feel sleepy.”

He Chuzhou was speechless.

He hadn’t expected that the timeline of Pei Xi’s memory would be so long. It should be known that they didn’t even know each other existed before university.

Seeing that he hadn’t responded, Pei Xi wrinkled his nose inconspicuously and said in a disappointed voice: “You don’t remember?”

Damned if I can remember.

“You stayed in the hospital all night. You must not be feeling well.”

He Chuzhou coughed and avoided the topic: “Go shower first. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the dog and won’t make you get up early.”

Fortunately, Pei Xi did not dwell overly much on this issue since he had received a satisfactory answer, and obediently walked to the bathroom with the pajamas and slippers in his arms.

He Chuzhou breathed a sigh of relief. Pressing his temples, he glanced to the side at He Xingxing and gave him an extra treat. Pei Xi, who had already reached the bathroom door, turned around: “Chuzhou?”

“En?” He Chuzhou subconsciously raised his head.

“Remember to write a letter of guarantee.”

Holding his pajamas, Pei Xi stood at the door and said word by word: “The word count doesn’t need to be too high, just around 500. You can read it to me when I come out of the shower.”

“……”

The hand He Chuzhou was about to pet the dog with froze mid-air, neither moving nor retracting.

He Xingxing waited a long moment with the food in his mouth and couldn’t wait for this person touch his head. He had no choice but to swallow this treat, then took the initiative to jump high and nuzzle him.

It couldn’t be helped. His father was the only one who would spoil him.

*

*

Yun Ji: [The address of Pei Xi’s parents’ house?]

Yun Ji: [You want it now?]

Yun Ji: [To do what? Propose marriage?]

He Chuzhou: [Are you sick?]

He Chuzhou: [Don’t worry about it, just give it to me]

Yun Ji: [No, I don’t have it, ah. How would I know where his parents live?]

He Chuzhou: [What about their contact info?]

Yun Ji: [Not that either, ah. Do you think I’m some bigshot? But I do have his assistant’s info. Do you want it?]

He Chuzhou: [His assistant is still lying in the hospital. How could I contact him?]

He Chuzhou: [See if you can find someone who knows his parents’ contact info and address]

Yun Ji: [It’s possible, but it will take some time. It probably won’t happen for a while]

He Chuzhou: [Is 10 minutes enough?]

Yun Ji: [ ? ]

He Chuzhou: [I’ll give you 5 more minutes at the most]

Yun Ji: [Are you listening to what you’re saying?]

Yun Ji: [Cousin, I’m just your assistant, not your cow or horse, or your wishing well]

Yun Ji: [Why are you in such a hurry?]

It was difficult for He Chuzhou to explain.

He couldn’t just say that if he didn’t send this person away, he would have to write a 500-word letter of guarantee. He hadn’t written that sort of thing since he graduated from junior high school.

He Chuzhou: [There is a project to discuss]

Yun Ji: [Wow! How big is the project that it requires you to go in person?]

Yun Ji: [Besides, Old Mr. Pei has long stopped working on these things. If you have a project, it’s useless to go to him. You need to go to Pei Xi]

Yun Ji: [But Pei Xi also might not respond to you]

He Chuzhou: [Just do it]

Yun Ji: [You’re too much]

Yun Ji: [Just do it. Fine, fine, I’ll go and ask for you. Just wait]

Yun Ji: [By the way, remember to calculate overtime pay for me]

Yun Ji moved very quickly, at least faster than what he had said.

It took less than 10 minutes for the contact information to be sent over. It came with an address, down to the house number.

He Chuzhou: [ ? ]

He Chuzhou: [Didn’t you say it would take a while?]

Yun Ji: [ I suddenly remembered that I played ball with a distant cousin of Pei Xi. I just scrolled around and found that the WeChat account was still there]

He Chuzhou: [Excellent. Thanks]

He tossed a big red envelope to Yun Ji. Scrolling up to the contact information, he clicked on the phone and was about to make a call when there was the sound of a door opening and footsteps behind him. Pei Xi had come out after showering.

He Chuzhou was 188cm tall. Pei Xi was half a head shorter than him, and his body was more than a little smaller. The pajamas he wore were baggy, the collar was loose, and the fabric on the shoulders fell down his arms.

The cuffs covered the backs of his hands and the trouser legs covered his feet. That pale, clean body was wrapped in soft fabric as if he had stolen an adult’s clothes.

The redness of his skin caused by the heat had not faded, and there seemed to be a layer of moisture in his eyes, inexplicably reminding He Chuzou of when he had first gotten He Xingxing.

Weak and small, with pure, limpid eyes. Looking at He Chuzhou with trust and dependence, and so well-behaved that it made a person want to get their hands on him and pet him.

Except there was no tail to wag.

When he saw Pei Xi like this, He Chuzhou’s fingertips froze less than a centimeter away from the dial key and couldn’t continue.

And Pei Xi, completely unaware that he might be sent away soon, looked at him in confusion: “Chuzhou, what are you doing standing on the balcony?”

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[1] Xinxin (心心) is a cutesy name that approximately mean’s “my heart.” ⮐

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Chapter 5 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 7

“Send troops,” Liu Zhenqing said directly. “Now that we have determined where the rebels are, there is no need to consider future issues. Since Zhao Haicheng told the governor that the evacuation deadline is in five days, regardless of whether or not there is a trap, the sooner we send troops, the better it is for us.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Huo Fenglie and Song Xingmu asked at the same time: “How many people are on the island?”

He Lan said: “There are less than five hundred people with combat effectiveness.”

Song Xingmu glanced at Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie, saying: “I can mobilize a thousand people here. They are my trusted subordinates.”

“You can go to sea in the name of purging pirates. As for the reason……Yi Chuan was injured and the Sea King is furious.” Liu Zhenqing cooperated tacitly.

Song Xingmu and Liu Zhenqing exchanged glances with a smile.

“The remaining troops on shore…..” Song Xingmu looked at Huo Fenglie.

Huo Fenglie said: “I will go to nearby prefectures to mobilize troops. The fastest round-trip is three days. I will muster fifty thousand troops, enough to surround the entire city.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded and said: “Fenglie will go mobilize troops, and Brother Qin and Brother He will accompany Captain Song to prepare to go to sea. How about we start moving at noon today?”

Huo Fenglie and Song Xingmu nodded in tacit agreement. Qin Yu and He Lan were also about to nod, when they suddenly realized it was Liu Zhenqing giving orders, ah. Never mind Huo Fenglie, but why would Captain Song, who was senior to them, obey orders, ah? Although their hearts were full of surprise, Liu Zhenqing’s analysis and arrangements were good, so they could only listen.

When the discussion was over, Qin Yu grabbed Huo Fenglie with a serious expression.

Huo Fenglie stayed.

Unresigned, He Lan said: “What do you need to talk about again? Can’t I listen?”

He Lan stared closely at Qin Yu when he said this. Looking for Huo Fenglie as soon as they returned, he feared he had forgotten which man was with him last night!

But Qin Yu still said coldly: “No.”

“Yundu, you go out first.” Huo Fenglie cooperated.

“You! You guys!” He Lan took a deep breath and was about to get angry, when he heard Liu Zhenqing say: “Brother Qin hasn’t eaten anything up to now. Brother He, why don’t you go to the kitchen with me and find some food to bring him?”

Liu Zhenqing stepped forward to pull him away, but He Lan would only go down two steps.

After coming out, He Lan couldn’t help but complain: “He and I have been through thick and thin together, what can’t he tell me, ah? He’s so…..so heartless!”

Seeing how angry He Lan was, Liu Zhenqing smiled and said: “You and they are brothers, so at least believe what they are talking about is serious.”

“Even though I know it’s serious business……”

“Don’t be jealous at this critical moment.”

He Lan immediately denied it: “I’m not, don’t talk nonsense.”

When they arrived at the kitchen, Liu Zhenqing watched as He Lan carefully selected something for Qin Yu, who was currently feeling unwell. He found it amusing, and couldn’t help but tease: “Speaking of which, the relationship between your Jinyiwei and the Dongchang is very bad. If you became brothers with Fenglie as a bridge between you, that would be fine, but if you were together, the bosses on both sides would certainly have something to say about it.”

He Lan said without hesitation, “Hmph, even if they are the bosses, no one can control who I want to be with!” 

Liu Zhenqing gave a treacherous smile, and even He Lan was embarrassed when he realized.

The two of them walked back, and Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but ask more about the island.

He heard He Lan say that the people on the islands, whether rebels or islanders, hated Liu Zhenqing very much. Even He Lan found this very strange. It was natural for the traitors to hate him, after all, it was Liu Zhenqing who had pushed them to this point. But what did the islanders have against Liu Zhenqing, ah? According to what Liu Zhenqing had done here, they should be grateful.

But it was very difficult to say. Weren’t there still people who said that Liu Zhenqing colluded with pirates for profit? Perhaps those who hated pirates were angry toward Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing constantly felt a strange uneasiness in his heart while listening to He Lan.

As for the martial arts master who knocked them out and sent them away, then went to the Huo Family courtyard to report the news, he was really not simple. There was a traitor among the rebels, or someone who was unwilling to join the conspiracy. Liu Zhenqing was biased toward someone really lending a hand. In any case, a smart rebel would think of a better way to use these two people than sending them out.

But how did that person know He Lan and Qin Yu? Not only must he know about them to arrange such a move, but also their relationship with Huo Fenglie. With such high martial arts skills, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but think of one person. But he wouldn’t hang around with rebels. Could it be…..because of that mission?

Liu Zhenqing didn’t allow himself to think too much. The more he thought, the more anxious he became.

“Done talking?” He Lan raised an eyebrow.

“En. You should rest as soon as possible. There are still three hours before noon.” When he finished speaking, Huo Fenglie pulled Liu Zhenqing over and walked out.

He Lan walked in with the food and saw Qin Yu sitting at the table with a solemn look on his face.

“Is there a problem that’s difficult to solve? I can help, ah. Don’t you believe in my capabilities?” He Lan handed over the food as he spoke.

Qin Yu raised his head and glanced at He Lan. He took the food and gave his thanks, and it was unknown if he was thanking him for the food or He Lan’s thoughts.

He lan was endlessly angry, and refused to stop asking insinuating questions, but Qin Yu turned a deaf ear, immersed in his own thoughts.

When he was done eating, Qin Yu raised his head at last and said impatiently: “I’m very tired, and my whole body hurts. We’re leaving at noon, so I need to rest now.”

These words stifled He Lan. After all, it was he who had caused Qin Yu’s fatigue.

He Lan coughed. “Then let me use my internal strength to massage you. The ointment used by the miracle doctor works very well. You can’t go to sleep until the massage is done, don’t delay business.”

As he spoke, He Lan took out the ointment he had hidden. 

Qin Yu turned a gloomy look toward him, then looked at the ointment in his hand.

He Lan reacted instantly with a cough. Not long ago, he had used this ointment to help Qin Yu…..

“Don’t think blindly, ah. I still know what’s right when it comes to serious matters. This is indeed for a massage.”

Qin Yu withdrew his gaze and walked directly to the bed in the inner room, acquiescing to He Lan’s proposal.

But when He Lan adjusted his mood and walked in with the ointment, he suddenly stopped breathing.

Qin Yu could be seen standing beside the bed and taking off all of his clothing, revealing his lean white back.

And there were various marks left by He Lan on that back, including the handprints on both sides of his slim waist.

He Lan’s eyes instantly reddened with desire. “You…..”

“Aren’t you going to massage me? Come on.”

Upon saying this, Qin Yu lay right down on the bed. He didn’t seem to care at all about the man behind him who had pressed him to the bed all night.

He Lan finally felt what it meant to drop a rock on his own foot, and adjusted his breathing several times before stepping forward.

He had originally planned to sit sideways on the edge of the bed, but his hands would be really weak like that. “Then let me get on top and massage. It will be more convenient.” He Lan was truly sincere when he said this.

Qin Yu hesitated for a moment, but still nodded.

He Lan jumped onto the bed and half-knelt over Qin Yu, not daring to sit down. But when he reached out to massage, he felt that the muscles under his hands were tight.

He Lan’s eyes flashed. As expected, Qin Yu was putting on a show of not caring. Now it was finally his turn to calm down.

As soon as He Lan was relaxed and proud, he became shameless and no longer held himself back. The movements of the massage became firmer and firmer, testing Qin Yu’s bottom line little by little and teasing him to the end.

At last, Qin Yu couldn’t bear it anymore: “He Yundu! If you can’t control that thing, I’ll help castrate you!”

He Lan’s lips rose: “There’s no way, it seems to get a little out of control when I’m facing you. In this posture, the residual memories compel me. When you asked me to come up, you should have expected this result. Or did you do it on purpose?”

Qin Yu said coldly: “I didn’t expect that you would still be a beast at this time. If you don’t want to massage me, then scram.”

“Don’t worry, I haven’t even taken off my pants yet, so I can’t be considered a beast. Besides, we have to leave at noon. No matter how shameless I am, I wouldn’t add any more to your burden.” He Lan continued to massage as he spoke.

Qin Yu found it laughable. He said it himself that he was shameless, yet thought himself infallible. 

“So you also know that you’re shameless?”

“It is you who makes me shameless.”

Qin Yu couldn’t be bothered to waste his words on him, and pretended that he couldn’t feel anything. In any case, this sort of fraternization appeared in various instances on the island. In his opinion, He Lan was just a stallion who couldn’t control himself, and he had long become accustomed to it.

“How about you tell me your little secret with Zhanyuan, and I’ll quit being shameless.”

Qin Yu scoffed coldly.

He Lan was at his wits end. He knew what Qin Yu was like, and if he refused to tell anyone, even torture to extract a confession would be useless.

He Lan couldn’t help but gripe: “If I had known, I would have asked last night when you were cooperating with everything. Torture might be useless, but that kind of forced confession might work.” When He Lan finished speaking, he shifted intentionally.

In a flash, Qin Yu looked back wrathfully at He Lan and shoved him away. “Get out of here, I don’t need you!”

He Lan hid back, watching Qin Yu’s red lips opening and closing. Although he was scolding him, it was still very seductive. He suddenly said: “You have such a hard mouth, so why is it so soft when you kiss? Could it be that I felt wrong?”

Qin Yu was stunned when He Lan suddenly rushed over, embraced him, and kissed him until he nearly suffocated. Only then did he realize that he had been pulled to lay on top of He Lan while He Lan’s hands continued to massage him, as if this posture was more beneficial.

Qin Yu tried to get up, but was restrained by He Lan.

“If you move again, I won’t hold back.” He Lan shifted threateningly.

Qin Yu’s face changed colors, and he really didn’t move for a while.

“Let me kiss you again to calm the fire.” He Lan raised an eyebrow and pressed forward.

Qin Yu’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe that he had given in so much and made this person so shameless.

As a result, one of He Lan’s hands continued to massage while the other held the back of Qin Yu’s head. After a period of resistance, He Lan finally got his wish. Qin Yu struggled but finally closed his eyes.

After the massage, He Lan really did stop acting like a scoundrel. Holding Qin Yu in his arms, they both fell into a deep sleep, conserving their energy for serious matters.

On the other side, Huo Fenglie told Liu Zhenqing the truth.

“He saw his adoptive father’s confidants coming and going on the island.”

Liu Zhenqing’s expression changed slightly. “Who is the Dongchang loyal to now?”

Originally, the Dongchang and Jinyiwei should be entirely loyal to the emperor.

Huo Fenglie remained silent, because he didn’t know the answer. If they were loyal to the emperor, then what was happening with the current situation? If they weren’t loyal to the emperor, then what on earth was the Dongchang doing? Could the eunuchs be involved in politics or be loyal to someone else?

Liu Zhenqing suddenly opened his mouth: “No matter what the situation is or what the Dongchang is involved in, just pretend you don’t know. Do not tell Yuan Jue.” 

Huo Fenglie was a little surprised: “Why?”

Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie for a moment and then reached out to touch his firm and persistent face.

Huo Fenglie could only freeze, a bit lost as he looked at Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes were somewhat dazed. He was worried. Even if there was a one in ten thousand chance, he was worried for the person most involved in all this, Huo Fenglie. He worried that Yuan Jue would want to do away with him. Wouldn’t both sides suffer?!

Perhaps his thoughts were too dark. And logically speaking, Yuan Jue had no reason to do away with the Huo family, which helped him protect the country. But Liu Zhenqing was still worried. He could not tolerate even the slight possibility. His Er-gou could not be harmed by others.

But in the face of the Huo family’s nature, Liu Zhenqing still couldn’t speak directly. He could only say: “Just don’t say anything for now. In any case, your brother is also involved, so let’s investigate slowly. Okay?”

Huo Fenglie regarded Liu Zhenqing for a moment, then nodded obediently and said: “Qin Yu also intends to rush back to the capital to investigate after the matter here is over.”

“He plans to deal with his adoptive father?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

“He wants to make sure that his adoptive father was kept in the dark, and also wants to persuade him. I think this move is very dangerous, and I don’t agree with it, but Qin Yu has made up his mind.”

Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie and said: “Rather than saying that he is loyal to Great Zhou, I think that he truly regards you as a brother and has his own set of right and wrong in his heart.”

Huo Fenglie said: “Me, He Lan, and Bai Su are all his brothers. If he is with the Dongchang, he will become our enemy. He has made his choice. He just asked me for one more thing.”

“If the Dongchang matter fails, does he want you to spare his adoptive father’s life?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

Huo Fenglie nodded. “He said he would disappear with his adoptive father.”

Liu Zhenqing was momentarily stunned, thinking that if he left, what would He Lan do?

But if it really got to that point, it would be very difficult for the two, considering their identities.

After talking about Qin Yu’s affairs, he mentioned the arrangements for troop deployment.

“Qing-ge, travel will be difficult all the way. Let me prepare a riding outfit for you.”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback: “Who said I intended to go with you?”

Huo Fenglie stared blankly for a moment, then said with a frown: “You’re not coming with me? Do you want to go to sea with Captain Song and the others?”

Smiling, Liu Zhenqing said: “You’re in a rush, and they need to go out to sea and wait for an opportunity. There may be a dangerous battle later, so why should I, a weak scholar, hold everyone back, ah? This matter isn’t complicated, and doesn’t require any further effort from me.”

“But you’ll be here alone,” Huo Fenglie said at once.

“Yi Chuan is still here recovering. Song Xingmu must have arranged guards, and the assassins still don’t know that we’re here. I’m not their main target, and it’s safe to stay in the other courtyard,” Liu Zhenqing said.

Huo Fenglie could not refute, but he would feel uneasy without Liu Zhenqing in front of him.

Looking at Huo Fenglie’s serious expression that carried a subtle hint of grievance, Liu Zhenqing’s heart melted. He couldn’t help but tease: “Can’t bear to leave me? You wish for me to be at your side at all times?”

Huo Fenglie froze. The words were so ambiguous that he didn’t dare answer.

Suddenly, Liu Zhenqing grabbed Huo Fenglie and led him inside.

Before he could react, he had already been pulled to the bed.

Huo Fenglie was pushed onto the bed by Liu Zhenqing. Seeing that Liu Zhenqing was about to reach out and untie his outer garment, Huo Fenglie was dumbfounded by the other’s unpredictable behavior.

“Qing-ge!” Huo Fenglie grabbed Liu Zhenqing’s hands in shock.

Liu Zhenqing said, deadpan: “What are you doing?”

Huo Fenglie: Wasn’t that what he should be asking?

Seeing Huo Fenglie’s look of alarm, Liu Zhenqing smiled and said: “What’s wrong? Aren’t you leaving for three days?”

Huo Fenglie: So…..so what?

Liu Zhenqing raised an eyebrow and said: “No more acupuncture? A medicinal bath can be delayed, but acupuncture is still indispensable. I’ll give you an acupuncture point map when the time comes, so remember to find a doctor for acupuncture along the way. It can’t be skipped, understand?”

Without him as a burden, Huo Fenglie’s calculated time should be shorter. This extra time would help him in finding a doctor for acupuncture.

Upon hearing this, Huo Fenglie regained his composure and obediently took off his clothes so that Liu Zhenqing could begin the acupuncture. 

But after the acupuncture was finished, Liu Zhenqing did not go to rest, nor did he let him get dressed.

Huo Fenglie grabbed his clothes and looked at Liu Zhenqing. Although he still had a straight face, he looked pitiful.

Liu Zhenqing lay down and patted the bed next to him, saying: “Lie down and sleep for a while, you didn’t even get any rest last night. Build up your strength.”

“I…..”

“Sleep with me for a while. Be good.” After speaking, Liu Zhenqing closed his eyes. Sure enough, Huo Fenglie lay down after a moment in just his inner clothes.

Huo Fenglie had just calmed his breathing when Liu Zhenqing turned around and poked Huo Fenglie’s side. He turned to look.

Liu Zhenqing said with a smile: “Er-gou, although business is important, I must still remind you that your body is more important. Don’t mess around and make me angry.”

“I understand,” Huo Fenglie said.

“That’s the spirit. If you don’t obey, I will…..punish you.” Liu Zhenqing slowly drew closer with an indescribable sense of oppression. The distance continued to shrink until their noses touched. Liu Zhenqing could feeling Huo Fenglie’s breathing stop, and his pupils quivered slightly.

“I…..I understand.”

Liu Zhenqing’s lips rose slightly. His gaze slowly swept from Huo Fenglie’s nervous eyes to his lips, and Huo Fenglie noticed all of this. It caused his heart to beat like a drum. This highly suggestive act was too deceptive. Huo Fenglie clenched his fists nervously, lying on the bed like a wooden plank and not daring to move at all. 

Suddenly, Liu Zhenqing gave an “Ah,” as if the arm he was supporting himself with had slipped.

Huo Fenglie felt his lips being pressed softly, neither hard nor light. It was the same touch as the night before. It struck Huo Fenglie’s heart and soul like an overwhelming toxin, and at that moment, his fists clenched with a snapping sound.

“Aiyaya, so sorry, my arms are very sore.” As he spoke, Liu Zhenqing lay back and pretended nothing was wrong, as if he hadn’t kissed him just now. Like it was just a bump, and no one was taken advantage of at all.

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth rose as he lay quietly with the lingering memory. It was time to say goodbye. If he didn’t kiss him, when would he get the chance? Since Er-gou wouldn’t take the initiative, he had to find a way.

But Huo Fenglie to the side didn’t dare turn his head to look, fearing that just one glance would make him lose control.

Was it intentional…..or unintentional? It should be…..unintentional.

Huo Fenglie truly felt as if his brain had been burned out, and didn’t dare think too much about it.

In the end, Liu Zhenqing was the only one who fell asleep without a care. After falling asleep, he still used Huo Fenglie as a pillow, clinging to him tightly. Huo Fenglie couldn’t rest at all, and could only let Liu Zhenqing hug him while watching silently. When he couldn’t help himself, he only dared to press a kiss to Qing-ge’s hair.

On the other side, Song Xingmu stayed quietly with Yi Chuan for a while until the time was up. When he stood and was about to leave, there was a tug on the hem of his clothes.

Song Xingmu turned and saw that Yi Chuan looked as if he intended to get up: “I want to go too.”

“What foolishness is this?” Amused, Song Xingmu pushed him back down.

Yi Chuan frowned. “I can still fight.”

“I’ve put notices up asking the entire city to find talented doctors to treat you. If you showed up on the boat with me, wouldn’t you be exposing me?” 

Song Xingmu had said that only with great fanfare would they believe that Song Xingmu was so angry that he went off in a rage to kill pirates.

“But you…..”

Song Xingmu raised his hand and said: “Even though one hand is disabled, my martial arts skills are still intact, and there will be others around. I’ll just be giving orders. You should recuperate well and wait for me to return victorious.”

Seeing that Yi Chuan wanted to say more, Song Xingmu suddenly laughed. Touching his chin, he examined Yi Chuan and said: “Yi Chuan, ah, you’re so worried, ah. I understand. Although you usually call me a pervert, you actually like me, right? Are you afraid that I will fall in love with someone else when I join other outstanding people?”

Yi Chuan expression immediately distorted. He grabbed the short sword to the side and launched it at Song Xingmu’s face.

Song Xingmu caught it with one hand. Yi Chuan was stunned when he saw this beautiful sword-dancing movement, just like when Song Xingmu would dance with a sword in the past.

Song Xingmu put the short sword on his waist and gave him a wink. “I’m leaving. Recuperate well. If your injuries have gotten worse when I return, see if I don’t spank you.”

At a quarter to noon, everyone gathered. 

Liu Zhenqing patted the horse Chen Jiangyue’s nose, whispering next to its ear: “Remember, bring Er-gou back to me safely.”

Chen Jiangyue huffed disdainfully, and its owner patted it. 

The other three people left one after another. Huo Fenglie sat on the horse and looked at Liu Zhenqing. His eyes were filled with tenderness and affection, which finally turned into the sentence: “Wait for me.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded with a smile and watched him leave.

After that, Liu Zhenqing stayed in Yi Chuan’s courtyard, waiting for news. He soon heard that Song Xingmu had left by boat. The plan was officially launched. Midway, he also received the painting from Lao Ding. Liu Zhenqing couldn’t be bothered to open it, and wanted to burn it on the spot.

But he thought about this five thousand taels of gold, ah, and the painting was bought by Huo Fenglie. It would be no good to destroy it directly. But Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help feeling sour when he thought of Huo Fenglie’s eyes gazing at the painting.

Okay, it was decided. He would wait for Huo Fenglie to come back before destroying it. If he dared to bare his teeth, then just wait and see.

Two days later, Yi Chuan was basically able to get out of bed, but still moved with difficulty. Liu Zhenqing stayed with him for a while, and when he prepared to go back, Yi Chuan suddenly grabbed him. His expression changed slightly as he pulled him toward the back room.

“There is killing intent. It’s the enemy,” Yi Chuan said succinctly, and stuffed him into the closet.

Liu Zhenqing looked at Yi Chuan, who was unsteady on his feet. How could he allow him to take risks? He pulled him into the closet as well. “We should hide together and take a look at the situation first.”

Soon after, a group of people rushed in and began rummaging through the house.

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Chapter Eighty-Nine << Table of Contents >> Chapter Ninety-One

The moon was bright and the stars were few. On a rare night when he didn’t have to work overtime, He Chuzhou was forced to give up his leisure time walking his dog and drive to the hospital.

Naturally, the dog didn’t come.

History tended to repeat itself.

Different time, same place. After catching up on his sleep and walking the dog, He Chuzhou once again stood at the door of the hospital ward, facing the same doctor as during the day and discussing the same topic about the same person.

He Chuzhou: “So he really has side effects?”

The doctor nodded affirmatively: “Judging from the current situation, that is indeed the case.”

Was this person a voice-con, repeating everything he said?

He Chuzhou asked again: “Then when will he recover?”

The doctor: “It could be as soon as three to five hours or as slow as three to five days. It could also be three to five weeks. I can’t say for sure.”

He Chuzhou’s head hurt when he heard this probability: “Why didn’t you contact his family?”

Speaking of this, the doctor was also very helpless: “The patient claimed that he had contacted his family and they would pick him up soon. We didn’t know that the person he contacted was you.”

Doctor: “He is now out of his coma. He doesn’t want anyone to touch his phone and insists that you are his family member. There is nothing we can do.”

This situation was indeed difficult to handle. He Chuzhou lifted his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose: “I’ll find a way to contact his family in a moment.”

The doctor had great trust in this warm-hearted passerby, and after saying, “We’ll trouble you,” he took the medical files and went elsewhere.

It was getting late now, and there were not many people left in the hallway of the inpatient department.

He Chuzhou turned and walked into the ward, and the eyes glued to him moved accordingly.

Pei Xi was looking at him.

This was really an unprecedented first.

It should be known that in the past, this person would have ignored him to the end. His boundaries were clearly drawn, and no matter when or where, he wouldn’t bother to look at him.

The change of attitude was so sudden that He Chuzhou couldn’t help but stop in front of the hospital bed and observe.

From the full, smooth forehead to the straight and narrow bridge of his nose, from the slightly drooping corners of his eyes hidden by long eyelashes to the moderately thin pursed lips. The cold white skin. The sharp jaw.

In fact, since returning to China a few years ago, He Chuzhou had heard others describe Pei Xi as “beautiful” more than once.

He had thought at first that it was an exaggeration, because it was really hard to imagine how a man could be described as beautiful.

Later, when he saw him with his own eyes, he unexpectedly found that describing Pei Xi with this word was practically a tailor-made fit.

It was impossible to deny that Pei Xi was beautiful. And it was not the androgynous sort of beauty. Viewed from a completely male perspective, it could be said that he was a beauty that was entirely pleasing to the eye.

It was a pity that his temperament was so cold and his style of behavior was overly strict. His entire being exuded an aura that would repel people thousands of miles away, and his extremely beautiful appearance was reduced to 8.8 points due to the alienation welded to his face.

Especially when facing He Chuzhou, the inexplicable disgust in his eyes practically solidified and fell out.

But the Pei Xi in front of him was nothing like the Pei Xi he knew well.

The long-condensed frost between his brows had melted completely, becoming a stream connecting snow-capped mountains on a plateau, enveloped in gentleness and delicacy beneath the coolness. When staring straight at a person, even his eyes were incredibly soft.

An unprecedented brain-addled Pei Xi.

It was quite novel.

He Chuzhou’s eyebrows shifted slightly and he bent down, putting himself and the patient at the same level as they looked at each other: “You’ve left so many relatives and friends without contact, and only took advantage of me. President Pei, are you touching porcelain to cheat me?”

Pei Xi sat back on the bed with the blanket pulled to his waist, staring at him without saying a word.

He Chuzhou: “Let’s talk it over, can you give your parents a call?”

Pei Xi pursed the corners of his mouth slightly, but still did not speak.

“What, are you worried about them knowing?”

After some thought, He Chuzhou changed his mind: “Otherwise, can you call a friend? Or a sibling?”

Pei Xi still did not speak.

He Chuzhou waited for a while and then simply stretched out his hand: “Then give me your phone and I’ll find someone suitable, okay?”

At this time, instead of saying anything, Pei Xi silently put his hand behind his back and stuffed his cellphone under the pillow, an action of silent refusal.

He Chuzhou didn’t understand. He straightened up and hissed: “President Pei, what are you—”

“He Chuzhou.”

The person who had long been silent was finally willing to speak.

It was just that his voice was off. There was a faint tremor in the calmness, and the expression wasn’t right, his eyes slightly red: “Do you want to divorce me?”

He Chuzhou: “……?”

He Chuzhou: “? ? ? ? ?”

*

*

“It’s my fault, I don’t want to divorce.”

“You’re not angry?”

“It’s not that I purposely didn’t pick you up, I was so busy with the things at hand that I forgot. I don’t intend to divorce you.”

Driving out of the hospital parking lot, He Chuzhou made pleasant remarks along the way, his words a bit frazzled. But the person in the passenger seat was still sulking, and firmly pointed the back of his head at him.

When he took the time to turn his head and look, Pei Xi’s appearance was reflected in the car window under the night sky. His expression was very mild, but he exuded grievance and sadness everywhere.

He Chuzhou was really at his wits end.

He had to retract his previous opinion at the hospital. A brain-addled Pei Xi was not novel, but troublesome.

Before this, he had never met anyone so difficult to coax. Even if that girl He Aiyue came, she would have to accept defeat.

He also hadn’t expected that Pei Xi’s memory problem was not simply a matter of confusion, but had directly edited and inserted brand new memories into his brain.

He Chuzhou, who had inexplicably become a “married person,” didn’t care much about this. After all, it was not him who should be sweating, but Pei Xi once he returned to his senses.

For such a person who could not tolerate things outside of his own views, when he realized what he had done during his confusion, there was no telling how revolted he would be.

As for the family member issue, he had brought him to the hospital, so he couldn’t actually leave him alone there. Since he couldn’t contact his real family members, he had to be taken back by his fake family member first.

But right now, what was the deal with being unable to coax him no matter how hard he tried?

He tapped the steering wheel from time to time, recalling the methods he used to coax He Aiyue in the past, and tried them all on Pei Xi one by one.

“Do you want milk tea?”

“Do you want to eat cake?”

“A new skirt…..do you want new clothes?”

“I can take you to the mall to ride the sightseeing train?”

It was no use.

It was no use at all.

After talking for a long time, the only response he got was the throaty female vocals of the music in the car.

He Chuzhou gave up.

If he couldn’t be coaxed, he wouldn’t coax him. If he wanted to be angry, then he could just be angry.

It was just one night’s work. Once he asked his assistant to contact the He family tomorrow and sent this person away, it would have nothing to do with him.

Twenty minutes later, the car drove steadily into a high-end residential area in the city center and stopped in the private parking space of a villa.

He Chuzhou shut off the engine and got out of the car. He closed the door and was about to lock the vehicle when he noticed that there had been no movement from the passenger side for a long time.

Puzzled, he walked around the car and opened the door. The patient he had brought back was still sitting in the passenger seat, unmoving.

Pei Xi had his hands clasped and sat in a well-behaved posture with his head lowered. From He Chuzhou’s perspective, only a bit of his fair profile and lowered eyelashes could be seen.

This reincarnation of a puffer fish had such a bad temper. He Chuzhou was also frustrated. He held the car door and said angrily: “How about we get out of the car first?”

President Pei still chose to remain silent.

“The lighting here isn’t good. Wouldn’t you rather be angry inside the house?”

“How about I drive you around a couple of times?”

“Are you going to sit here all night?”

“Princess, please get out of the car?”

After several repeated attempts, He Chuzhou finally lost his patience and simply leaned down to hold Pei Xi’s face in his palm, forcing him to look at him: “Ancestor, I’ve already apologized. Why are you still angry?”

Pei Xi pressed his chin against He Chuzhou’s warm, dry palm. His eyelashes trembled a few times before lifting up, and he finally spoke: “You just want to divorce me.”

……This troublemaker still wasn’t over it?

He Chuzhou frowned and was about to say something, but when his eyes met Pei Xi’s, he was so stunned that he couldn’t utter a single word.

Due to his nature, even if there was a problem with his memory, Pei Xi shouldn’t expose too much emotion on his face. His expression was perpetually calm, with a coldness that came from within his bones.

But just with the subtle changes in his eyes and tone of voice, he could still vividly convey his emotions, directly touching people’s hearts even more than an outstanding command of language.

For example, right now, the downturn in his voice and the sadness in his eyes easily gave He Chuzhou the misconception that he really deserved to die.

The impatience that had arisen immediately vanished.

Forget it, He Chuzhou thought. Why am I fussing over a person with a brain problem?

“Whoever wants to divorce you is a dog.”

He released his grip and helped push down a strand of hair sticking up on the back of Pei Xi’s head: “I really was busy and forgot. Didn’t I rush to pick you up as soon as you called me? I guarantee this won’t happen next time.”

Pei Xi didn’t answer immediately, but the expression in his eyes clearly eased.

Seeing that there was hope, He Chuzhou continued to work hard: “How about I write you a letter of guarantee when we get back with a seal and signature? Will you stop being angry then?”

Pei Xi: “…..That’s not it.”

When He Chuzhou heard this, he didn’t understand: “What?”

Pei Xi’s attitude softened, and he became a little more awkward, saying in a low voice: “It’s not because of that.”

He Chuzhou speculated: “You’re not angry because I forgot to pick you up?”

Pei Xi nodded slightly.

He Chuzhou: “Then what is it?”

Pei Xi raised his eyes to look at him again. His voice was not loud, but his words were clear: “You just called me President Pei.”

He Chuzhou: “?”

Pei Xi: “Twice.”

He Chuzhou: “? ?”

What was the problem with this? If not President Pei, what should he call him?

To be honest, He Chuzhou couldn’t understand it. But when he was thinking about how to ask, he suddenly felt fortune smile upon him.

Just like how a parent calling your full name indicated that you would be beaten soon, an unfamiliar address between husband and wife was either sexy or the prelude to a mystifying quarrel.

Judging by the current situation, it was obvious that there was no such sexy fun in the compilation of Pei Xi’s memories.

But if he couldn’t call him President Pei, what should he call him?

How could he know what kind of character Pei Xi had arranged for his “husband?”

Right, husband!

“It was just a little joke.”

Paying close attention to the emotional changes in Pei Xi’s eyes, he ventured: “…..Wife?”

---

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Chapter 4 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 6

I soak in the bathtub for a long time, until the water has cooled.

The bathroom mirror is covered with a light sheen of moisture. I stand in front of it looking at myself, and feel that my face is also a little blurry.

When I was a child, Mingcheng’s father said that I was the prettiest among the three children, but I know that he liked a gentle appearance. In fact, Mingcheng was the most beautiful. His appearance was dazzling and impeccable, with a robust handsomeness. 

I will never forget his loving face.

The bathroom light flickers suddenly and violently, and I even hear the buzzing sound of electricity.

Almost at the same time, I realize something is wrong and turn to run. But then the entire room falls into darkness, and with no one around, the bathroom door slowly turns on its own and locks with a click.

“Ugh….!” I am held in front of the sink by hands that hold my wrists behind my back. There is a dull pain in my wrist bones, as well as my hip bones that are pressed against the edge of the marble vanity.

I can’t see anyone in the dark, but another cold white face appears next to mine in the mirror.

This face has a high nose bridge, deep features, and lips that curve without smiling, but there are no pupils in those black eyes. His body seems to be slowly emerging from a black sea, carrying a cold, heavy darkness, eerie and strange.

I look in the mirror, and his eyes turn in my direction.

The face similar to Mingcheng’s makes me shudder.

I turn my head away, but he holds my chin with his cold hand and forces me to look in the mirror.

“I think you like this face a lot. Aren’t you happy to see me?”

He is not human. I can’t break free, so I look at him in the mirror. “It’s not this face that I like. You’re not him. Of course I’m not happy to see you.”

“Yes.” He raises his lips and nods with a smile. “You are unhappy when you see me, and you are afraid of me, but he is Wen Mingcheng, and so am I…..”

I interrupt him with a cold expression: “You are not Wen Mingcheng.”

His face darkens upon hearing these words, and his phoenix eyes with slightly raised tips are like exquisite but lifeless paintings, bottomless.

He suddenly tilts his head, curling his thin lips and pressing them against my ear as he says with a smile: “This isn’t easy to say, you know? When I saw that portrait, I had a feeling of familiarity. You yourself should know that my presence at your side must be inseparable from him.”

I lower my eyes and say nothing. What he says is true. This matter is definitely related to Mingcheng, but I believe that he loved me. No matter what his original intentions were, he didn’t intend to harm me.

So I say: “I’ll send you back.”

“Send me back? Back to where?” He raises his eyebrows mockingly, and his slender hand slips from my chin to my chest. During my struggle, it moves forcefully to the knot of the towel, teasingly holding it between two fingers. I grit my teeth hard and eye his fingertips. As long as he pulls with a little force, I will be bare. I feel extremely humiliated, but I’m helpless.

Then I feel him push me against the sink forcefully, and I begin to struggle in desperation.

Mingcheng was outwardly reserved and dignified. He was not obsessed with this aspect, but when he really wanted to do it, he let himself loose. And we had been together for more than ten years, so I was inevitably very experienced in this area.

So the person behind me only needs to make subtle actions, and I know what he’s going to do. My wrists hurt terribly from the violent struggle, and my eyes are red from the exertion. “Stop!”

Although he didn’t make it to the last step in front of the portrait just now, he still went too far. And that was in front of Mingcheng’s altar, which was tantamount to making me betray my lover in front of him……I really can’t bear it.

“Are you a beast? Do you still have any humanity?!”

When I say this, he suddenly turns me around and then irresistibly pushes my upper body down on the sink.

The sinktop is very spacious. I lay on my back with my upper body resting on the marble countertop. Because of this sudden change in posture, the gap between my legs becomes wider, and he takes a step forward.

My hair stands on end, and I can’t keep myself from shouting: “Get out of here! Don’t!”

He looks down at me with a cold smile on his face, and presses a hand to my chest with such force that I can’t move. “You think I have no humanity, but in your eyes, I am not a human being. I am a ghost, a monster, something terrible and evil. I don’t deserve to be Mingcheng.”

“But the other Wen Mingcheng was not a good person at all. I heard what you and that woman said. He did many unscrupulous things behind your back. He drove away your friends, tricked you into sleeping with him, and caused you to be beaten by your father. You lost your original fiance and had no choice but to marry him. There is probably much more besides. Even I, whom you hate, am here because of him.”

I see the deep anger in his eyes, and the sinister, taunting smile on his face. “But I have never harmed you, ah. You are devoted to him, but only fear and reject me. How is this fair?”

“You are afraid of me. What are you afraid of me for? I told you that I am Wen Mingcheng. From the moment I arrived, I knew that I was Wen Mingcheng. The unworthy person is him, not me.” He leans down directly above my body, looking right at me with eyes like a black abyss. “Think about it, didn’t we get along very well in the beginning? You called me husband, and you also liked me touching you when we shared a bed. We can obviously live happily, as long as you forget about him.”

“You only have to forget him. I am the better Mingcheng, and I will not be as short-lived as him. As long as you are willing, I will accompany your soul forever.”

His theory shocks me, and I am terrified by his last words.

If I had never discovered that he was an imposter, I really would have agreed to his strange request, and it is very likely that my soul would never again be able to break free…..

“He is him. You are you. He was wrong, but I forgive him. You are not human, you should go back to where you came from…..ah!”

Suddenly, he lowers his head and bites my neck hard. The pain makes it impossible for me to continue talking.

Then he kisses the side of my face with a smile. “If you forgave him because he died for you, I can do the same, ah. You can hit me in the head with a hammer again, or stab me through the heart with a knife. I can also do it myself for you. What kind of death do you want to see?”

In horror, I uncontrollably recall the dreadful experience of hammering him to death that night.

“Stop talking, stop talking!” 

“I insist on talking.” He chuckles a few times and straightens my face with both hands. His face is like a perfect mask, and there are dark waves in his eyes, like black holes that can suck away the soul.

“Since you have forgiven him, you should accept me. After all, I appeared because of him. It was impossible for him not to know what my appearance would mean, or what I would want to do. Frankly speaking, he offered you to me. You love him so much, but you refuse to listen to him?”

I can’t bear it anymore, and raise my hand to slap him. “Shut up, ah! It’s impossible, he wouldn’t do this!” 

His face turns slightly sideways by my hard slap. His eyelashes lower, and he is silent for a moment.

Because his eyes are concealed by the shadows of his eyelashes, I can’t see his expression clearly.

But he’s right. I am indeed afraid of him. Even though my fear has made me very numb, I am still afraid. I try my utmost to push him away, and he actually gets up.

But he stands tall in front of me and looks at me deeply with an unclear expression. This posture and gaze make me instinctually aware of the danger.

I put my hands on the sink to push myself up, and he suddenly holds my wrists.

The bathroom door clicks open on its own again.

He drags me out by force and throws me into the room where Mingcheng’s portrait is kept. After entering, he locks the door behind his back.

I crawl up from the ground at once, and he picks me up by the waist to press me firmly against the altar table.

At the side of my face is a burned out incense burner, and in front of me is Mingcheng’s black and white portrait.

He is smiling lightly in the photo, but in this atmosphere, I don’t dare to look at him.

With deep and profound malice, the person behind me leans toward my ear and says cruelly: “You believe in him. You think he is a good person and a good husband. Then do you think that he, who caused this situation today, will come and save you?”

“Don’t—”

He uses his fingers to untie the knot around my waist and hisses again: “Be good, scream a little quieter.”

---

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Chapter 25 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 27

Pei Xi felt as if he had fallen into a huge, dark space, sinkingly endlessly into this space where only he existed, unable to reach the bottom.

His ears picked up a jumble of sounds. Car horns blaring; shouting and cries; footsteps coming and going; the sound of wheels rolling…..

He occasionally bumped into an invisible wall at the edge due to the inexplicable shaking. Trembling in pain, he tried to raise his hand to touch it, but his arm seemed to weigh a thousand pounds and he couldn’t lift it no matter what.

There was a faint glare shining on his eyes through a thin film, and the surroundings gradually changed from noisy to quiet.

He tried hard to follow the direction of the light source, but his body became increasingly uncontrollable, floating up and down.

What……what was this?

Dull pain emanated from everywhere in his body. He watched helplessly as the light drifted away, leaving him farther and farther. He couldn’t catch up, and could only sink deeper into the darkness.

After an unknown period of silence, his ears finally captured the sounds of the outside world again.

The sounds of doors opening, footsteps, and small conversations.

Brighter light covered his face. His eyelids were so thin that the fine blood vessels could be seen, and could not hide the subtle movements of his eyes.

His eyelashes trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes.

The pupils automatically adjusted in size as they adapted to the sunlight, until he could clearly see everything in the hospital ward.

……Hospital ward?

His mind was blank, half of his consciousness still in turmoil. For a moment, he couldn’t recall what had happened and why he was here.

A nurse happened to come in on her rounds and saw that he was awake. She quickened her pace and came to the bedside to carefully confirm his condition, then left the words “wait a moment” and turned to call the doctor.

He closed his eyes and turned his head. When he opened them again, he unexpectedly met the gaze of the person on the sofa.

The other person seemed to have just woken up, with a face full of sleepiness and depleted energy.

Pei Xi’s expression froze: “…..?”

Three minutes later.

The doctor stood at the door of the ward, explaining Pei Xi’s situation to the profusely yawning He Chuzhou.

“All of the necessary examinations have been done. It’s nothing serious, just a slight concussion that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Looking at his physical condition alone, long-term overwork and lack of sleep have had a greater impact on his body than the car accident. He should remember to pay more attention to sleep, and balance work with rest.”

“But one thing we need to pay special attention to is that the patient’s brain was hit on a specific location. The possibility of uncontrolled side effects cannot be ruled out in the short term, and as a family member, you must be mentally prepared.”

“Uncontrolled side effects?”

He Chuzhou squinted his eyes, not understanding the meaning of this sentence: “What are uncontrolled side effects?”

The doctor gave a range of answers: “There may be drowsiness or memory impairment. We’re not sure exactly.”

He Chuzhou was baffled upon hearing this, and turned to look at the person sitting in the hospital bed.

Pei Xi had just woken up after sleeping all day and night, and the originally crisp and pressed suit had been replaced by a loose hospital gown. His hair was not as neatly combed as it usually was and his face and lips were still bloodless, giving him a pale, weak appearance.

The only thing was that the eyes that glanced over him were still lofty and contemptuous of all living beings.

Wasn’t this a good thing? Then what was wrong?

Besides, what did it have to do with him if he was truly confused? He had sent the person to the hospital and stayed with him all night, which could be considered a most benevolent and righteous act.

“Doctor, you’ve misunderstood.”

He Chuzhou retired after accomplishing a great task: “I’m just a passerby who was willing to help others, not his family. Now that he’s awake, have him contact his family later. I still have things to do, so I’ll leave first.”

After that, he concluded his farewells to the people inside and picked up his jacket, turning to leave.

The small sofa in the ward was ridiculously tiny. He was nearly 1.9 meters tall and didn’t sleep well all night. He just wanted to go back and catch up on his sleep.

The doctor was astonished, and waited until he was out of sight before clicking his tongue: “Today’s young people are truly warm-hearted, sending a stranger to the hospital and staying there for a day and a night.”

Pei Xi slowly shook his head. After a brief moment of blankness, he sorted out the turmoil and finally remembered the car accident.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he regained his senses, he heard himself saying to the doctor: “He stayed for a day and a night?”

The doctor walked into the ward: “Yes, ah. He followed the ambulance to the hospital and never left. You’ll have to thank him properly later.”

The doctor was unaware of the grudges between them that could not be explained in a few words. Pei Xi didn’t want to explain further, so he just gave a vague hum in response.

The doctor opened the medical record and repeated the medical instructions he had given He Chuzhou in more detail.

Similarly, Pei Xi didn’t think the side effects of a mild concussion could be serious. He only cared about one thing: “Can I be discharged from the hospital now?”

The doctor closed the medical record: “You can, but I suggest you stay in the hospital a few more days for observation. After all, it was your head that was hit, so you still need to pay more attention to it.”

Pei Xi felt that there was no major problem with him. He still had unfinished work, and didn’t want to waste time in the hospital.

But at present, he could clearly feel that his physical strength had not yet recovered. After much deliberation, the two parties decided to postpone the discharge until evening.

The cause of the car accident was very clear. It was due to the other driver’s misjudgment of road conditions when he forced a lane change. The other party was fully responsible.

Dong Han and the driver were more seriously injured than him and had not yet awoken. Although there were no serious problems, if they didn’t recuperate for a month or two, they probably wouldn’t be able to regain their strength.

Pei Xi would hand over subsequent matters of compensation to the lawyers later, and notified the company managers to grant Dong Han and the driver three months of paid leave. Then he logged into his mailbox on his phone and began processing important emails.

There was still some time until evening, so he couldn’t just lie down and do nothing.

Only, he had really overestimated his current state, and hadn’t read two thirds of an email before sleepiness hit him like a surging tide.

When he woke up again, it was already dark.

The streetlight outside illuminated the tops of lush trees, and the footsteps of the medical staff came and went briskly in the hallway.

There were no lights on in the ward, and with the light coming through the window, he could just barely see in the darkness.

Pei Xi opened his eyes and gazed at the ceiling. After a while, he sat up and looked around as if he had encountered something confusing and incomprehensible. His expression revealed a fragile and confused look that had never been seen on him before.

He stared at the nighttime scene outside the window for a long time and put the back of his hand against his forehead. Then he slowly reached for his cellphone on the bedside cabinet and made a call.

*

*

“He Xingxing, walk slower.”

“Slower.”

“Slow down a little more, are you trying to kill your father?”

“Tsk, don’t sniff the butts of others or you might get your head scratched.”

The border collie whined, wagging his tail as he sat and looked at the little cow on the flowerbed for a moment and then looking up at He Chuzhou. His black and white fur was shiny and smooth under the street lamp, very beautiful.

He Chuzhou crouched down with the leash and rubbed He Xingxing’s doggy head skillfully, joining him in staring at the black and white cow-patterned cat.

He Chuzhou: “Hm, you look like a couple.

He Xingxing: “Woof~”

He Chuzhou: “You really like it?”

He Xingxing: “Woof~~”

He Chuzhou: “It’s a pity, you two are a cat and a dog, and mixing species is not easy, ah.”

“Awoooo~”

He Xingxing began to howl, getting excited when he suddenly saw something. Standing on his hind legs, he took the leash from He Chuzhou’s hand and ran toward a spot nearby.

When he returned, he not only had the leash in his mouth, but also a snack bag that had been tossed away.

“Good dog. You’re worthy of being my son.”

He Chuzhou took the snack bag from the dog’s mouth and threw it into a trash can: “I’ll give you a reward later.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the phone rang.

He Chuzhou stroked He Xingxing’s ears with one hand and took out the phone with the other. When he saw the caller ID, there was a flash of surprise in his eyes.

Was this person calling at such an hour to pay back the medical expenses he had paid in advance?

He clicked to answer, but there was no activity on the other end of the phone.

He Chuzhou glanced at the screen again to make sure the call hadn’t hung up, and patiently put it back to his ear: “What is it, President Pei? Do you need advice on something that is difficult to say?”

“Chuzhou.”

At last, a cold voice came through the receiver. That one single word caused He Chuzhou to suspect that it was an auditory hallucination.

He Chuzhou: “…..What-zhou?”

“Chuzhou.”

The voice was Pei Xi’s, but the tone seemed to belong to a different person. It was no longer arrogant, and so light that it made a person’s ears soften, containing an imperceptible grievance: “It’s already dark, why haven’t you come to pick me up?”

Under the streetlamp, the little cow cat swung its tail as if about to leave. Upon seeing this, He Xingxing immediately went forward and tried to get close to it. The dog’s nose was already halfway up when he realized his father was not paying attention to him, and he looked back in confusion.

And not far away, his father was still crouching in place as if the top of his head had been struck by lightning, his face burnt on the outside and tender on the inside.

---

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Chapter 3 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 5

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.”

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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.

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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