Category: Surrender 3 (Page 4 of 4)

       Whether it was men or women, kissing seemed pretty much the same.

        This was Chu Yunhan’s only thought. He was leaning on the leather sofa, staring at the strange scenery outside the floor-to-ceiling window in a daze. This was Sheng the fifth’s residence in K City. It was a small villa with a private courtyard and was very clean. Sheng the fifth promised him that in another week, he would take him back to J city after he had settled his affairs. J City was the Sheng family’s territory; once there, he would finally be completely free.

       He had not been to J City many times, and he had only been left with a fragmented impression that the air quality was not very good and was a bit dry, the food tasted a bit strong, and the girl was pretty.

       If he had to stay there for the rest of his life… As he thought of this, he was a little irritated. The remote control in his hand kept changing channels, but he didn’t know what to watch, so he finally threw it aside. He called Jiahui and was relieved to hear that his mother had been taken back to Zhou’s home. Although his grandfather had already retired from politics, his connections and authority remained intact. Having his mother stay with the Zhou family was much more reassuring for him than leaving her in Chu Yichen’s hands.

       “Yunhan ge, what’s going on between you and Yichen ge? Can you tell me now?”

       “I had a fight with him… things got tense, so I want to get away for a bit. Don’t look for me; when I’ve figured things out, I’ll come back on my own.” He really didn’t have the face to admit that he had set a trap to deceive Chu Yichen, so he could only be vague about it, “Take good care of my mom for me, spend time with her when you can, and remind her to take her medication on time. Tell her I’m busy and can’t come back for the time being.”

       “Okay, I got it.” Jiahui was a little sad, “You don’t have to worry about Auntie. But you and Yichen ge, can’t you have a good talk? It would be good if you both could compromise a little. You two were so close when you were kids; how did it come to this?”

       Chu Yunhan had no way to answer. Perhaps that was just how life was—one wrong step led to another, and once a rift formed in a relationship, it became nearly impossible to mend. After he hung up the phone, he lay back on the bed, pulling a pillow over his head in frustration.

       A rift was a rift, after all, and Chu Yichen didn’t regard him with any importance anyway. Living with nothing? Ha, he refused to give that person the satisfaction.

 

       Sheng the fifth was really busy these days, leaving early and coming back late. Knowing that Chu Yunhan wouldn’t be able to accept it for a while, he didn’t rush to do anything. He slept next to Chu Yunhan every night, occasionally cuddling and kissing. Chu Yunhan used to hold girls like this, but now, as he was in the girl position himself, he found everything awkward. But he could only force himself to adapt. He heard that there was no sign of anyone from the Chu family, so he couldn’t help but curse in his heart, thinking that Chu Yichen probably wished he would just disappear and stay far away.

       After four days of peaceful life, Sheng Ming called at noon and said he would pick him up later to have dinner with him. Chu Yunhan felt bored staying in the house, so he naturally agreed. He was in the living room when the door opened, “I’ve changed my clothes, where are we going tonight…” Before he could finish his words, he was held down by several strong men who rushed in and dragged him into a Mercedes-Benz.

       “Who sent you here? Where is Sheng Ming?” Chu Yunhan, who was sandwiched between the two people in the back seat, was very uneasy.

       No one responded.

       He asked again, “Where are you taking me?”

       Still no one responded.

       No matter who these people were, they must had no good intentions in picking him up in this way. Chu Yunhan was worried and suddenly reached out to grab the gun from the waist of the man next to him, but another man pressed the gun against his back. At this time, the person in the front seat said coldly, “We are just following orders and don’t want to hurt anyone. Please don’t embarrass us, Young Master Yun.”

       Chu Yunhan knew he couldn’t escape, so he reluctantly sat back down, feeling anxious. When he saw the familiar scenery on the roadside and the Chinese-style buildings getting closer and closer, he lowered his head in despair. Accompanying him back was Bai Xiao, who must have suffered a lot and was covered in injuries.

       Hei Yu, who came to greet them at the door, bowed and said, “Young Master Yun, Young Master and the guests are waiting for you inside.” After that, he added in a low voice, “The Young Master said that you should judge for yourself what should be said and what shouldn’t.”

       Chu Yunhan smiled bitterly. He originally thought that the Sheng family was so powerful that even if Chu Yichen found out his whereabouts, he would not be able to do anything to him under the protection of the Sheng family or that the two sides would go back and forth to give him a chance to escape. Who would have expected Chu Yichen to have the ability to have the Sheng family take the initiative to deliver the goods to his door in just a few days?

       His legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead. As he stepped into the main hall and looked around, his gaze fell on Sheng Ming, who was standing there. At that moment, Sheng Ming’s gaze was fixed on him as well. Their gazes met, revealing mutual reluctance and desolation. Sheng the Fifth, who had long desired him and thought he could finally fulfil his wish, now felt deeply frustrated as he found himself powerless to keep him by his side. On the other hand, Chu Yunhan saw Sheng the Fifth as a lifeline, only to have that lifeline snap and find himself dragged back into captivity, feeling regretful. Their exchanged looks were like those of a pair of estranged lovers.

       “Chu Yunhan.” A voice sounded, interrupting the silent exchange between the two. Chu Yunhan’s eyes followed the sound, and he shuddered when he bumped into the man sitting on the mahogany scholar’s chair. In Chu Yichen’s eyes seemed to lie an impending snowstorm; merely meeting his gaze made one feel an unbearable, bone-chilling cold.

       This time, he was afraid he was really going to die.

       Seeing his expression, Chu Yunhan sighed in his heart.

       Besides Chu Yichen, there were two other people sitting in the main hall. One had slightly gray hair and a beard, about sixty years old. There was also a very young man, only in his twenties, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and looking gentle and elegant. At this moment, he stood up, walked towards her, stretched out his hand, and said, “This must be Yunhan. I’m Shen Mo. Nice to meet you.”

       Chu Yunhan had never seen this person before and shook hands with some confusion.

       “Is your head hurt?” the young man asked, looking at the bruises on his forehead.

       “A bump. It’s not serious.”

       “That’s good.” He smiled. This man looked fair and handsome, and his smile seemed to have a spring breeze blowing on it, which makes people feel very comfortable. He turned around and said, “Uncle Sheng, Yichen, since everyone has returned safely, this matter can be considered resolved for now. Next, we should sit down calmly and discuss things. I will mediate between you two. What do you both think?”

       Chu Yunhan was a little surprised. A young man announced that he would be the mediator between the Sheng family and the Chu family and seemed determined to convince both parties. Where did this calm confidence come from? While he was standing, Chu Yichen and Sheng Weiyong also stood up, which showed that this person’s identity was extraordinary.

       “With the Young Third Master as the mediator, this Yichen naturally has no objections.” the man said slowly.

       “Naturally, this Sheng has no objection either. My son’s actions have disturbed Elder Shen and troubled the Third Master. I am truly embarrassed. Whatever punishment or apology is deemed necessary, I will fully comply without any objections.”, Sheng Weiyong’s attitude was very cooperative.

       “Uncle Sheng, it is true that Fifth Brother was at fault from the beginning. Even if there were some minor grievances, it was never justified to block the road, kidnap someone, and cause injury. If someone were to treat the Sheng family brothers this way, you surely wouldn’t let it go either. So it’s understandable that Yichen was angry and ordered your warehouse to be lit, wouldn’t you agree?”

       Chu Yunhan was startled. This guy Chu Yichen actually set fire to the family’s warehouse?

       “The Young Third Master is right,” Sheng Weiyong said sternly, “I have been negligent in disciplining him; this kid has become accustomed to the lawlessness and has done such a thing; it’s really a shame for me.” After saying that, he shouted angrily behind him, “You little bastard, why don’t you get over here and apologise properly?!”

       Sheng Ming frowned and walked slowly to Chu Yunhan, looking slightly apologetic, “I should apologise to you. This time, it was my lack of foresight.” He paused and said, “You don’t need to say anything; this is all my fault. I admit it. I’m sorry.”

       His words carried a hidden meaning, concealing his true thoughts between the lines.

       Chu Yunhan understood. The ‘lack of foresight’ mentioned by Sheng the Fifth referred to not taking him away in time, and the phrase ‘no need to say anything’ was to make him keep silent and let him bear the responsibility of the matter. It was as if it was really just the fifth son of the Sheng family who was so audacious that he kidnapped the eldest young master of the Chu family.

       But this was clearly not the case. He was just the one he turned to for help, a passing bard. Even if he took advantage of the situation and made a request to him, it was a fair transaction and there was nothing to blame. The tenderness in Sheng the Fifth’s eyes made him feel guilty and he wanted to speak. When he caught a glimpse of Chu Yichen’s expression out of the corner of his eye, his heart trembled.

       That look was telling him to shut up.

       What would happen if he told the truth? How could he explain being held in confinement? Bringing up his involvement in Grey Wolf’s rebellion would do no good for him or the Chu family. What’s more, Chu Yichen also set fire to the Sheng family’s warehouse. That man took action without leaving any room, and the Sheng family was estimated to have suffered heavy losses. Sheng Weiyong thought his son had made a mistake and robbed him, so he didn’t care. If he revealed that he asked the fifth for help at this time, the Sheng family would definitely not give up and would only intensify the conflict. At this point, it was impossible for the Sheng family to take him in, so it was pointless to say anything.

       Chu Yunhan’s lips moved, but in the end he didn’t say anything. He looked at Sheng the fifth with gratitude in his eyes and gave a slight ‘hmm’ as a response.

       Shen Mo coughed lightly and spoke again, “Yichen, Uncle Sheng, and the Fifth Brother have both apologised, so it’s time for you to cool down as well. Your two families are like the old man’s right-hand men; if things get out of hand, it won’t look good for anyone, and it would be a disgrace to his reputation. He’s sent me here to ease the tension and hopes that both of you will consider the old man’s face and take a step back. The person is back safely, and the goods, well, if they’re burnt, they’re burnt—let’s just take this as a way to get to know each other’s boundaries better. In the future, there will be times when the two families need to cooperate, so don’t let this affect your relationship. Let this matter pass and be forgotten, okay?”

       These words were said in a flawless and impartial manner, and Elder Shen was even brought up to give pressure. Chu Yichen took the lead and said to Sheng Weiyong, “Chairman Sheng, burning down the warehouse was a rash decision on my part, and I hope you can be magnanimous and not take it to heart. As for the losses, I’m willing to compensate at full value.”

       “No need.” Sheng Weiyong waved his hand with the demeanour of a true leader, “Just like Young Third Master said, what’s burned is burned. After all, this matter was Sheng Ming’s fault. I hope Chairman Chu can forgive us.”

       The handshake and reconciliation brought satisfaction to all. The grand drama had come to an end.

       Chu Yunhan stood in the middle, suddenly feeling a sense of emptiness. These people seemed like illusory backgrounds, with no real connection to him. He felt like a speck of dust, floating in this bleak world with no place to return to.

       Chu Yichen saw off the Sheng family and Shen Mo, then looked at Chu Yunhan. After a moment of silence, he instructed his bodyguards, “Take him to my room.”

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Notes:
Just how selfish this guy can be? We’ll never know…

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       “Why are you hiding here?” Jiahui asked in a small voice.

       “What did Chu Yichen tell you?” He deleted the text messages on his phone and returned them to her.

       “Chen ge said that you took over the company’s affairs and were sent to City C for a while. Then he mentioned that Auntie wanted to go to clear her mind, so she took me along.”

       “My mother?!” Chu Yunhan was shocked, “…how did he find my mother?”

       “‘Find’? What do you mean? Hasn’t Auntie been staying at the villa in the Beishan?”

       Of course not. The day before the incident, he had Gray Wolf quietly pick up his mother from there and send her to a sanatorium in City H. The whole thing was done in extreme secrecy—how could Chu Yichen have tracked them down? Could it be that Gray Wolf’s men were being watched by him from the start? Did he know that Gray Wolf would betray him? Or perhaps he had already sensed his involvement in the matter? But if that were the case, how could he have been lured into the trap by just a phone call from him?

       Seeing the confused look on Jiahui’s face, he couldn’t tell the whole story, so he could only ignore it and say, “It’s nothing. How is my mom’s mental state right now? Is her health okay? There weren’t any problems on the way, were there?”

       “It’s good. Chen ge arranged this trip very thoughtfully. Auntie was very happy and was in a good mood along the way. To be honest, did you and Chen ge have a fight? Don’t cause trouble for him. He’s been overwhelmed with work, dealing with a ton of things every day, and it’s been a long time since we had a meal together. Oh, right, we went to Sweden…”

       “Shh, keep your voice down.” Chu Yunhan interrupted her ramble and said, “Next, I need you to help me with a few things. I can’t explain the reasons right now, but I promise I’ll tell you everything later. For now, please don’t ask, alright?”

       Jiahui saw his solemn expression and was a little at a loss, “…Okay, what’s the matter?”

       “First, when you leave here later, make sure to avoid everyone. Act like you haven’t seen me and don’t know that I’m home.”

       “Oh.” She suppressed her curiosity and agreed.

       “Second, don’t show your cell phone to others. If a stranger calls me, tell him I’m at the Chu family’s old house.”

       “Okay.”

       “Third, help me take good care of my mother and find an excuse for Grandpa to send someone to pick her up and take her back to Zhou’s house.”

       “But Auntie said that she was used to living in Beishan courtyard…”

       “We have to leave there!” Chu Yunhan said anxiously.

       Jiahui was taken aback by his attitude, but the two grew up together and trusted each other. Since it was something Chu Yunhan asked, there must be some reasons, so she nodded and said, “Alright, I understand.”

       After Jiahui left, Chu Yunhan quietly slipped out of the storage room. He originally wanted to go all the way back, but he was caught by bodyguards on the way and escorted directly back to the room. As a result, in addition to being locked up and not allowed to leave the room, he was not given food for two whole days. Chu Yunhan felt that Chu Yichen was treating him like a pet, just like Thor. When Thor was obedient, it was allowed to walk around the yard; when guests arrived, it would be chained up, and only when it wagged its tail would it be fed. If it disobeyed, it would be left hungry.

       He couldn’t live like this.

       However, in this predicament, all he could do was wait. Like a trembling lion in a circus caravan, waiting for a minstrel willing to lend a hand.

       Every morning, the sun slowly rose from the east, casting a red glow across the sky and making the black tiles on the roof glisten. At night, the daylight gradually faded, the sky darkened, and a crescent moon appeared alongside scattered stars. Time had never felt so slow before—so slow that it left a barren emptiness in his heart.

       Chu Yunhan, who was bored, leaned against the window and stared at the sky all day long, anxiously waiting for the long-awaited response.

       On the tenth day after Jiahui’s arrival, Chu Yichen informed him to attend an event with him.

       ——Shengjing Group’s charity dinner.

       Upon hearing the news, Chu Yunhan’s heart beat wildly. He pretended to be disdainful and said, “It’s boring, I won’t go.”

       “I thought that after being locked up for so long, you would want to go out for a walk.” The man raised his eyes and said, “If you don’t want to go, then forget it.”

       It was as if a dull thunder had hit him, and he felt great regret. He hated himself for trying to die for no reason and stuttered, “Uh, it’s better to go out for a walk. It’s too boring at home.”

       Chu Yichen looked at him for a while and said, “Go and change clothes.”

       A dark blue formal suit was prepared for him. Chu Yunhan usually disliked colours that were too dark and always felt immature. At this moment, he was not in the mood to care about whether he looked good or not. His mind was in such a mess that he even tied his tie wrong several times.

       He hadn’t chosen the wrong person; that guy was indeed reliable. Now, he could finally leave this cage, but what was the next step? What exactly were his plans? Everything was still unclear, and he could only proceed cautiously, step by step. The opportunity was hard-earned, so he had to be extremely careful.

       In the back seat of the car, the two sat side by side, silently all the way. It wasn’t until they entered the venue that Chu Yichen said, “Outside, you are still the eldest son of the Chu family, so keep your mouth shut.”

       “Don’t worry, I will be a puppet and not cause you any trouble.” He glanced at Bai Xiao, who was following him and spoke in a mocking tone.

       These kinds of banquets were still so boring—people clustered in twos and threes, exchanging pleasantries, each expanding and solidifying their connections. Having been absent for a long time, he was immediately noticed by a few familiar young gentlemen as soon as he showed up, who were eagerly signalling him.

       Chu Yunhan knew that they were afraid of Chu Yichen and could not come over to greet him, so it was inconvenient for him to come over and say hello. Unfortunately, he was now a ‘prisoner’ and couldn’t run over to hang out with them, so he had to pretend not to see them.

       “It’s really rare for Chairman Chu’s to visit. It’s a glorious sight.” A voice was heard, and then a middle-aged man with a beard was seen striding towards them. He was the second son of Sheng Weiyong, the president of Shengjing Group, and the head of the Southeast Region—Sheng Guang.

       A smile appeared on Chu Yichen’s face, and he extended his hand to shake hands with him, “How could a Chu be absent from Shengjing’s invitation?”

       “I’ve always heard that Chairman Chu is handsome and dashing. When I saw you today, you were indeed extraordinary.” The one speaking was a young man standing behind him, dressed in a perfectly tailored white suit with a hint of roguishness in his smile. Chu Yunhan’s gaze fell on him, then awkwardly looked away, afraid that others might notice something amiss.

       This man’s name was Sheng Ming. He was Sheng Guang’s biological younger brother, fifth in line. He was known as ‘Fifth Master’ down the road, and he also had the nickname ‘Gods Impossible to Save’, meaning that once this guy targeted you, even the Gods would have a hard time saving you.

       The reason why they had this title was because the Sheng family also started out in the underworld, and their home base was in the north. In the past few years, there had been people in the court, and their claws had become deeper and longer, and they had reached K City. The newly opened nightclub in the south of the city was their property, and it had affected Lihao’s business to a certain extent.

       Chu Yichen smiled lightly, “Thank you. Chairman xiao Sheng is a young talent with a bright future.”

       After the show of mutual compliments was over, they began to take their seats. It was the same routine of soliciting donations that followed: a few children were brought on stage to tell their tragic stories, and some rare items were auctioned off. Business tycoons spent lavishly to show their generosity.

       Chu Yunhan’s gaze kept drifting toward Sheng the fifth, so he decided to lower his head and focus on the wine glass in front of him. After sitting there for a while, he found an excuse to go to the restroom. Bai Xiao followed him to the door, and after Chu Yunhan made a round in the restroom without finding anything unusual, he began to feel anxious.

       Was he actually planning to help him escape or not? This was the best opportunity, and who knew when the next chance would come… He sat on the toilet for a long time, waiting until Bai Xiao came in to find him before he emerged from the restroom with a frustrated expression. After that, he sat there like a puppet, completely detached from the performances on stage and the conversations happening around him, with no interest in paying attention.

       Until the end of the banquet, there was no movement.

       Hei Yu leaned next to Chu Yichen and whispered a few words. The man pondered for a moment and said, “I have something to do at the moment, so you go back first.”

       Chu Yunhan and Bai Xiao got into the car and leaned back in the backseat with their eyes closed without saying a word. About ten minutes later, the driver suddenly made a sharp turn and stepped on the brakes, causing the entire car to slide out of a semicircle due to the huge inertial belt. His head hit the car window and broke, causing severe pain.

       “Don’t move!” Bai Xiao looked stern and pulled out his gun neatly.

       His head was dizzy, and there were stars in front of his eyes. Suddenly, he heard several gunshots coming from behind, and the tyres of the car went flat. Then Bai Xiao pulled him out of the car. He stumbled a few steps and finally stopped.

       In front of him was a circle of men in black suits, all with guns in their hands.

       “Who are you?” Bai Xiao lost his smile and asked gloomily.

       “We just met, and you forgot so quickly?” A familiar voice rang, and the man in a white suit appeared leisurely in front of everyone with an extremely evil smile.

       “…Sheng Fifth Master?” Bai Xiao protected Chu Yunhan behind him, “What do you want to do?”

       “According to the cliché, it should be called… a hero saving the beauty.”

       “What?” Before Bai Xiao could react, he was hit on the back of his neck, his vision went dark, and he fell to the ground. Immediately, a man in black stepped forward, grabbed the gun and held him down. Before Bai Xiao fainted, he gritted his teeth and struggled, “Chu Yunhan, you despicable villain!”

       Chu Yunhan breathed heavily; it was he who had just made the move. The children of the Chu family had learned self-defence techniques from a young age to handle sudden dangers. This chop was one of the simplest ways to neutralise an opponent. Seeing someone raise a gun, he shouted urgently, “Don’t shoot him!” His agitation caused a sudden dizziness, and he almost collapsed to his knees.

       “If you don’t want to kill, I won’t kill him. Why so anxious?” Sheng Ming held him in his arms. Seeing the wound on his head, he clicked his tongue twice, took out a handkerchief to hold the wound for him, and said with a smile, “It won’t look good if you have a scar, beautiful.”

       “You damn near killed me.” He couldn’t help but curse.

       “So you have to wear your seat belt when riding in the car.” Sheng Ming smiled, helped him get into his car, bent over and fastened his seat belt for him, and said, “No one will disturb you now, we can have a good talk.”

       “What to talk about?”

       “The reward for the hero who saved the beauty.”

       Chu Yunhan’s heart sank and he said, “You are taking advantage of the situation.”

       “Yeah.” He admitted readily, “I still know the matters of the underworld. Previously, there was a rebellion within Black Eagle’s ranks involving Grey Wolf, and then you disappeared without a trace. So, I suspect you were caught up in it. With no news of your death or appearance, it’s likely you were detained. After receiving your message, I became even more certain of this. Extracting you from Chu Yichen’s grasp is difficult. It’s not so much the act of intervention but the aftermath. Even if I manage it cleanly and he finds nothing, it’s easy for him to guess that the Sheng family is behind it.”

       He looked at Chu Yunhan with a smile and said, “The Sheng family is in K City. The foundation is not yet stable. Dad warned us not to make enemies, yet I risked being hunted down by Dad and Chu the Second Master for you. Shouldn’t I ask for some reward?”

       “What do you want?”

       “You should know what I want.”

       “…” Chu Yunhan avoided his gaze for a long time and said softly, “I’m really not…not gay…”

       “You’ve escaped from the Chu family, but it will be hard for you to stay in K City. With Chu Yichen coverage all over the city, there won’t be any other safe place for you. Except with me.” Sheng Ming folded the handkerchief and put it in his hand, “I won’t deny that I’m taking advantage of the situation because I’ve never been a good person. I just know that this is the only and best chance for you to agree. Ever since we met three years ago, I’ve been waiting for this opportunity. I even volunteered to transfer to K City for you. If you agree, I’ll take you away from here—whether you want to go up north or abroad, it’s entirely up to you.”

       Yes. Chu Yunhan knew Sheng the fifth’s thoughts clearly, and he was well aware of his preferences. During that chaotic first encounter, he had nearly been pinned down to the bed. He had kicked him to the ground, and from that fight, they had somehow become friends. Though they were called friends, Chu Yunhan still felt somewhat afraid of him. The way he looked at him was too intense and sometimes even made him feel as if he were stripped bare, so he later intentionally distanced himself from him.

       He asked for help at this time because there was no way out and only this person could help him.

       And the one that Sheng the fifth wanted—was him.

       Men and men…he couldn’t accept it. But there was no other way now; he didn’t want to be locked up and waiting to die again. The only option was to agree first, run away from Chu Yichen and then make plans.

       “Okay, I promise you.” Chu Yunhan said without confidence.

       Sheng the Fifth seemed to have guessed that he would agree and smiled. He hooked his tie with his fingers, brought his face close to him, and said softly, “Then, be sure to pay a deposit first.” After that, he put his lips to his and opened his mouth to wrap his tongue.

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       The air in the old house had the faint smell of sandalwood, making it easy to relax. The sound of cicadas outside the window was a little noisy, but it easily brought him back to the past. Lying on the bed, many old things from his youth came to mind. He fell asleep thinking about it, and when he woke up, it was already sunrise.

       He slowly got out of bed. When the middle-aged man waiting in the hall saw him coming downstairs, he nodded and greeted, “Young Master Yun.”

       “Du Chuan.” Chu Yunhan searched his mind briefly before recalling this name, “Long time no see.”

       Du Chuan was the housekeeper personally selected by Chu Yu. He had been with Chu Yichen since he was young and was responsible for taking care of all his daily life. In his impression, this man always had a gentle and refined demeanour, never lost his temper, and was always calm and composed. He did things in a very orderly manner, almost never making any mistakes.

       “Yes. Are you having breakfast now?”

       “Yeah.” He responded and sat down at the dining table.

       Plain porridge, small side dishes, accompanied by two or three types of Chinese dim sum—these were still the old man’s habits. He ate slowly and methodically, biting into the shrimp filling, and asked, “Is this still Aunt Wang’s cooking?”

       “Yes.”

       “Have you eaten yet? Why don’t we sit down and have something?”

       “I’ve eaten; enjoy your meal.”

       The attempt to get closer had failed. Chu Yunhan pretended to ask casually, “How has Jiahui been lately?”

       “I’m not sure about Miss Zhou’s situation.”

       “Has she come here to see me?”

       “No.”

       He frowned, “No? Not even once?”

       “Yes.”

       How could that be? Jiahui usually loved inviting him out for meals, but it had been three months without any contact—but not even once had she reached out to him?

       “Did Chu Yichen say something to her?” Chu Yunhan raised his eyebrows, “What lies did he make up to deceive her?”

       “I don’t know.”

       He said angrily, “Interesting. You spend every day with that master of yours, but you don’t know anything?”

       Du Chuan remained silent, his expression still impeccably polite, leaving no room for criticism.

       Chu Yunhan knew that there was no point in arguing with him, so he put down his spoon and said, “Arrange a car for me. I want to go out.”

       “The young master has told me that you need to stay at home for the time being.”

       He was startled, “…What do you mean?”

       “Without the Young Master’s consent, I cannot arrange for you to go out.”

       Chu Yunhan asked in disbelief, “He wants to lock me here?”

       No response was equivalent to a tacit admission.

       “Ha, ‘lose everything’, that’s what it is.” He angrily kicked the table leg, trying to calm his emotions, “Did he say how long he would lock me up?”

       “No.”

       “I want to see him. Where is he?”

       “The Young Master is out.”

       “When will he come back?”

       “I don’t know.”

       “…” He sat dejectedly for a while and said gloomily, “Let me know when he gets back. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”

       “Alright, Young Master Yun.” The butler responded politely.

       His phone had been taken away by the bodyguards the night he was caught. There was no TV signal in the room, and the curved display screen could only be used for playing single-player games. Although he was allowed to move freely within the mansion, the scope of his movement was limited to his room and some ‘accessible’ common areas, such as dining rooms, libraries, and hot spring pools. When he tried to enter the computer control room, he was stopped coldly by the bodyguard. Du Chuan told him tactfully that permission was required to enter the computer room.

       Who’s approval was needed? It’s obvious. That person had completely confined him, cutting off all possible connections with the outside world. Chu Yunhan patiently waited for a full three days, but Chu Yichen still hadn’t returned. When he asked Du Chuan, the only response he got was—Young Master was busy.

       Yeah right. What was he busy with? He just wanted to avoid seeing him.

       At first, he could pass the time playing games and reading books, but as time went on, everything started to feel meaningless. After all, he had spent the past few years living a carefree life, travelling, vacationing, horseback riding, skiing, playing golf, racing cars, chasing young models, and partying in nightclubs—living it up. Now, confined to this small space with no entertainment, it was unbearably frustrating, and what made him even more anxious was the lack of news about Jiahui and his mother.

       Chu Yunhan paced around his room like an ant on a hot pan every day. As the days went by, his anxiety continued to churn and was forcibly suppressed, making it a real torment. With half a month passing and Chu Yichen showing no intention of appearing, he steeled himself and began a hunger strike.

       Sure enough, on the third day of his hunger strike, when his legs were weak from hunger, Du Chuan came upstairs and asked him to come down, saying that Chu Yichen was back.

       The man was wearing a dark brown silk home suit and was sitting on the large sofa in the study room reading documents. Hei Yu stood behind him, bowing and talking to him from time to time.

       Chu Yunhan was impatient. He sat on the opposite sofa and asked bluntly, “How long do you plan to lock me up?”

       The man flipped through the documents in his hand and said, without even raising his head, “Why? Are you tired of living here?”

       How could you not get tired? There was nothing in this miserable place. He kept his words in his heart and said in a low voice, “I want to go out to see Jiahui. You can also send someone to follow me.” After saying that, seeing that the other party did not react, he quickly added a guarantee, “I won’t cause you trouble.”

       “Jiahui went to Northern Europe to relax and won’t be back for the time being.”

       Chu Yunhan was stunned, “Why would she go there?”

       Chu Yichen raised his eyes and looked at him lightly without answering.

       That look made his heart pound. It took him a long time to figure it out, and his face became hot. The purpose of sending Jiahui far away was to prevent her from getting involved in the rebellion he started. Not only would it be embarrassing for her to be in the middle of a brotherly rivalry, but it could also be dangerous if things got out of hand. He had vaguely thought of this at the time, but the situation was urgent, and he was led by the grey wolf half-heartedly, so there was no way he could take care of so much. Chu Yichen obviously considered the problem much more carefully than he did.

       “Then…when will she come back?”

       “You don’t need to know.” The man cut off the conversation, “You and she will never have the chance to meet again.”

       Chu Yunhan sat stiffly, his throat dry, “You want to lock me up for the rest of your life?”

       “Now you understand what it means to have nothing?”

       He felt a chill all over as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, cold from head to toe. This guy was serious. When they gave him the choice of life or death, they had already prepared for this, intending to imprison him for life.

       Was this what the so-called heir’s education has produced? So cruel.

       What was the point of living as a prisoner, even if he lived a long life with good clothes and fine food? But when the words ‘Then just kill me’ came to his lips, he couldn’t say them out. He was afraid that the person’s understatement of ‘Okay’ would really turn him into a cold corpse. He was afraid of death.

       He wanted to live; even if locked up, he still wanted to live.

       How sad.

       He hated himself for being so weak and stupid.

       His eyes turned red unknowingly. Chu Yunhan stood up and walked out. A man’s deep voice came from behind him, “If you think the hunger strike is interesting, feel free to continue.”

       He paused, gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

       You wanted me to commit suicide? But I won’t go along with your wishes.

       He walked out of the study quickly and said to Du Chuan in the hall, “I’m hungry. Prepare a meal for me.”

       The imprisonment continued, and Chu Yunhan’s mind was filled with thoughts of how to escape except for eating and sleeping every day. After waiting for a full week, he finally got the chance. Early that morning, Du Chuan informed him that he was temporarily staying in his room and was not allowed to go out. He also sent two bodyguards to guard the door. He knew that someone he knew must have come to the old house.

       When he was a child, the old man also set up curfews. He would often sneak out in the middle of the night to join his friends for fun and practice his ability to climb the balcony and jump into the water pipe. Now he rummaged through the box and found the old rope he had used. He crouched on the balcony, looked around carefully, and, taking advantage of the moment when no one was watching, swiftly slid down the pipe.

       After having lived there for so long and scouting the area several times in recent days, he carefully made his way forward, hiding and avoiding detection. He had been hiding behind a shelf in the east wing storage room for a long time before finally hearing sounds from the garden outside. Peering through a small window, he saw the back of someone in a pink dress, and his heart leapt with joy, almost causing him to knock over the shelf. Once he managed to calm himself down, he crouched by the window and imitated a few bird calls.

       This was a game they used to play when they were kids. He would spend all day playing and running around with Chu Minran, causing a ruckus in the courtyard. Chu Yichen, with his calm demeanour, mostly spent his time reading but would occasionally join in their games. Zhou Jiahui was the daughter of the little brother of Chu Yunhan’s mother, Zhou Yuran. With the younger sibling often bedridden due to poor health, Zhou Yuran would frequently bring her to stay with them. The little girl was very cute and won the old man’s affection, and also repeatedly called him ‘Yunhan ge’. Because she was young, she could never find them during hide-and-seek and would end up crying in frustration. Chu Yunhan would mimic bird calls to draw her attention so she could find him, and then he would help her look for the others.

       This sound was like a secret code between the two of them. When they grew up, they always liked to joke like this. As soon as he called twice, Zhou Jiahui turned around in surprise. It took her a long time to see him through the small window.

       Chu Yunhan hurriedly made a silent gesture and winked at her desperately. Jiahui came out to answer the phone and was very surprised to see him, but she saw that he looked anxious and did not look like he was playing around. Then she avoided others and quietly entered the storage room.

       “Why are you here? Yichen ge just said that you…” She was interrupted before she could finish her words. Chu Yunhan said anxiously, “I don’t have time to explain. Lend me your mobile phone.”

       When he got the phone, his hands were shaking. He hurriedly pressed a series of numbers and sent a message with only four words.

       “Help me. Chu Yunhan.”

---

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       “I choose the second.”

       It was not a hard choice.

       Survival is a human instinct, and he was only twenty-eight years old, far from the age to see through life and death.

       As long as he could keep his life, what did it matter if he lost everything? At worst, they could kick him out of the Chu family, erase his identity, and leave him penniless on the streets. Such a life might be tough, but it was still better than death. At least staying alive meant there was still a future.

       Chu Yunhan, who had returned from the hell gate, finally breathed a sigh of relief. When he stood up, he found that his legs were a little weak. He followed Chu Yichen out of the private room and saw Tang Shaocheng leaning on the corridor. The two people’s eyes met, and each saw surprise in the other’s eyes.

       Tang Shaocheng’s eyes darkened. He adjusted his expression and greeted Chu Yichen with a smile, “Young Master Chen, here for some fun as well?”

       “Had some free time today, thought I’d drop by.” Chu Yichen replied. The Tang family had developed quite well in logistics in recent years, and since the two sides had cooperated before, they knew each other.

       “After all, you are the most charming. No matter how much I try to win him over, this Ah Zhou guy doesn’t give me the slightest chance, let alone make an appearance.”

       These words made Chu Yunhan’s eyebrows jump. This guy was actually acting jealous at this time. He glanced at Chu Yichen secretly, and seeing that the other party was calm, he did not dare to speak rashly, so he could only remain silent.

       “He doesn’t often appear in public, so General Tang may not have recognised him. This is my brother Chu Yunhan.” The man said slowly, “A while ago, he made some mistakes and was punished by being made to work as a waiter in his own place to experience life. Speaking of which, I must thank General Tang for looking after him these past few months.”

       Brother?

       Tang Shaocheng was stunned, and it took him a long time to return to his senses. The person he had been chasing for so long was actually the eldest young master of the Chu family, and countless ‘no wonders’ suddenly filled his heart. No wonder his manners were impeccable, his taste refined, and he wouldn’t accept any gifts or give him the time of day. A cold sweat broke out immediately. He had actually tried to get this young master into bed… He quickly recalled if there had been any actions or words that might have offended the young master and hurriedly said, “I truly had no idea. If I have offended Young Master Yun in any way, it was completely unintentional. I sincerely hope Young Master Yun won’t take it to heart.” After all, the Chu family was not like any other business partner; offending them could lead to serious trouble.

       Chu Yunhan did not expect that Chu Yichen would reveal his identity so straightforwardly, but since he was given the script, he could only act according to it and said perfunctorily, “Not at all. It’s rare to meet a friend like General Tang—consider it one of the gains from this life experience.”

       Only now did Tang Shaocheng get a good look at him. His skin was fair, with brown hair, double eyelids, and long eyelashes. Beneath his slanting eyebrows, his deep-set eyes seemed to hold a hidden allure. His face, flushed with a peachy hue from the alcohol, was undeniably handsome. Such a face, unfortunately, belonged to someone untouchable—it truly was a pity, he sighed inwardly. But he was a man who knew when to hold back; once he identified a danger zone, he would never cross the line. As for the stains of spilt wine on Chu Yunhan, he naturally wouldn’t ask any more questions about their origin.

       Three identical black Mercedes-Benzes were already waiting at the door of Lihao. Fortunately, he didn’t have to sit in the same car as Chu Yichen. Chu Yunhan leaned on the back seat and breathed a sigh of relief. When he saw the person clearly in the passenger seat, he was stunned.

       “…Uncle Yang?”

       “Young Master.” Yang Lin turned around and spoke rather awkwardly.

       “Are you okay? He didn’t do anything to you, right?” He asked anxiously. Lihao’s supervisor was Yang Lin. Finding himself here was tantamount to intentionally hiding him. This was a serious crime in the meeting, and he was very worried about Yang Lin’s safety.

       “Young Master Yun, I’m truly sorry…” Yang Lin spoke with his head lowered, his voice choked and faltering. “I wanted to help you; I was always trying to find a way, but then I slipped up, and Hei Yu discovered some clues… If I continued to hide it, I wouldn’t have lasted much longer. So… I’m not afraid to die, but my family—they all depend on me… I had no choice, that’s why I…”

       Told them the truth.

       Even Yang Lin, whom he regarded as his last resort, had turned to the other side. At the end of this pursuit and escape game, what trump card did he have left?

       Chu Yunhan sat stiffly and was silent for a long time before speaking, “When did he know about it?”

       “About a month ago.”

       So it turned out he had been exposed long ago, even earlier than he had anticipated. Chu Yichen had already made it clear that there was a connection between himself and Tang Shaocheng, which meant he had been under surveillance for some time. The fact that they waited until today to make a move against him was likely because they wanted to see if he could stir up any more trouble. Thinking of this, he felt a tightness in his chest, a suffocating discomfort.

       “Eldest Young Master, the Second Master has kept your matter under wraps, and only a few senior executives in the company know about it. After all, you are brothers; he will surely forgive you…”

       “Stop talking.” He leaned back on his seat tiredly and closed his eyes. He knew in his heart that Chu Yichen asked Yang Lin to appear here just to let him understand that he had betrayed his relatives and had no one to rely on. If he wanted to live a good life, he had to obey.

       Was there really nothing left?

       He clenched the fist hanging at his side.

       No one spoke in the car, and the atmosphere was heavy and tense. Chu Yunhan looked out at the fleeting lights and shadows outside the window and suddenly recalled a fairy tale his mother told him many years ago. In the story, a circus trapped all the homeless animals in a huge cage, dragging them along as they wandered and performed. Eventually, a bard came to their rescue. At that moment, he felt like one of those lost animals, confined in a small cage, hastening towards an unknown destination in the night.

       But where was the bard who could save him?

       He closed his eyes tiredly and stopped trying to read the road signs. No matter what Chu Yichen wanted to do to him, it was just a matter of dealing with challenges as they came and protecting himself as best as he could.

       About half an hour later, the car came to a stop, revealing a familiar scene. A brightly lit traditional Chinese courtyard with a round archway leading to an exquisitely landscaped garden. Walking through the covered walkway and around a pool of jade-green water, one would find a three-story building with white walls and blue tiles.

       Chu Yunhan looked up to the room on the right side of the third floor, and the wooden wind chime hanging on the wooden pane window made a faint sound in the night wind.

       That was his room.

       Or rather the room that once belonged to him.

       This old Chu family residence was the place where he grew up. The old master of the Chu family enjoyed lively gatherings, so his sons raised all the children here. It wasn’t until they reached high school that each of them returned to their own homes. Even so, during holidays, everyone would come back, and they would meet frequently. Afterwards, when his father, Chu Qin, suddenly passed away from a heart attack, Chu Yunhan rarely came back. Meanwhile, after Chu Yichen was confirmed as the next family head, he continued to live in the old residence with both of his fathers.

       Although the old man who sent off the young man with black hair did not speak of it, his spirit suffered as a result. He then passed away six months later. At the funeral, the two of them had black gauze wrapped around their arms and stood side by side with Minran on the side of the mourning hall. Jiahui’s suppressed crying could be heard behind them. No one spoke. From beginning to end, it was like two trees growing alone, hiding all their emotions in the tree holes, standing upright and silent.

       That was the last official meeting between them. Two years later, Chu Yu retreated to seclusion for physical reasons. Chu Yichen officially took over the Chu family’s leadership and became the family’s head. Chu Yunhan graduated from university and held the title of director of several companies. He lived freely in the mountains and seas for a long time and made many friends. Chu Yichen called him back several times during this period, but he ignored them. It had been a long time since he returned to his hometown this time.

       Chu Yunhan followed the man upstairs and opened the door. The furnishings in the room had not changed. On the table were the handmade motorcycle models he had made before and some photos he had taken when he was young. On the table were a used gamepad. The room was cleaned and spotlessly clean.

       “You will live here starting today.” Chu Yichen only said this and left. Chu Yunhan sat for a while, then stood up and opened the wardrobe. On one side of the inside were the clothes he had worn and even a set of junior high school uniforms that he had left behind in the old house and forgotten to take away. On the other side were several sets of cotton home clothes, all of which were loose-fitting. They seemed to have been washed and were exactly the size he was wearing. He took a shower, washed the red wine off his body, and put on his clothes and slippers. However, he had no desire to sleep, so he went downstairs to take a stroll.

       The night was deep, the moonlight serene, and the indigo sky dotted with twinkling stars. A thin layer of mist floated on the pond. He walked slowly along the path paved with pebbles by the edge of the pond. The wind rustled the drooping willows, brushing past his hair, sweeping across the water’s surface, creating delicate ripples. He was heading towards a pavilion not far away when he heard a rustling sound and stopped to find its source.

       Suddenly, a huge black shadow stood up from the wall, scaring him so much that he took a step back. When he looked closely, he saw a big black dog looking at him warily, and he was suddenly frightened out of his wits.

       Damn, I forgot there was this guy by the pond!

       “T-thor…” He was afraid of dogs. When he was a child, despite warnings, he boldly tried to provoke a pregnant shepherd’s dog, and was knocked to the ground by a swipe of its paw. If the bodyguard hadn’t arrived in time, his arm would have been bitten to pieces. Since then, he has been afraid of dogs, especially large ones.

       The big dog seemed to recognise his voice, relaxed its guard, and walked towards him with its tail wagging. “No, don’t come over! Don’t come over, don’t come over…” Chu Yunhan turned pale with fright, and his legs and feet became weak, and he kept backing up. Seeing that the dog was about to pounce, he turned around and ran away in a panic. “Here, help!” Before he could even shout out, he bumped into someone. The man was knocked back a step, clasped his wrist, and said in a deep voice, “Thor, stop!”

       The big dog stopped behind him, stuck out its tongue, and barked softly.

       Chu Yunhan’s whole body froze, and he barely recovered from the panic. He raised his eyes and saw the person coming. His face immediately turned red, and he whispered, “I…forgot it was here…” but couldn’t continue with the next sentence.

       The distance was too close, so close that they were almost touching.

       He backed away from the other person’s arms in embarrassment. He felt a hot and humid puff of air behind his back. It was obvious that he was about to hit the dog. His hair stood on end immediately, and he hid forward and pressed into the other person’s arms again.

       Awkwardness squared¹something like awkward2.

       Chu Yichen looked at him indifferently, showing no intention of retreating to make way for him, nor did he ask the dog to leave. So Chu Yunhan was caught between the man and the dog, unable to move forward or retreat, and became a patty in the hamburger.

       Embarrassing to the Nth power.

       “Can… you make it go away first?” He lowered his head and asked. For some reason, he didn’t dare to look into the man’s eyes.

       After a long silence, Chu Yichen finally said, “Thor, go back.”

       The big dog looked at the two people and reluctantly returned to the kennel next to the wall to lie down. Chu Yunhan breathed a sigh of relief and immediately took a step back. In order to ease the embarrassment, he said something else, “It really listens to you.”

       Chu Yichen let go of his wrist and said expressionlessly, “To me, an obedient dog has a value of existence. The same goes for people.”

---

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       “Not bad at massaging. I didn’t know you had the talent to serve others.” The man retracted his legs and teased.

       Chu Yunhan’s body was cold after being recognised, and his brain slowly came back to consciousness from a blank state. He tried to stand up but was held down by someone pressing on his shoulder.

       “Young Master Yun, don’t move.” Bai Xiao, who appeared behind him at some point, whispered with a smile, “If you move around, you may have multiple holes in your body.” It seemed like a joke, but it carried an undertone of coldness.

       Only then did he feel the gun pressed against his back shoulder, and the hairs all over his body stood up. He looked at Chu Yichen. The man resembled a deity with lowered eyes amidst swirling incense. His expression extremely unreadable, as if it could change at any moment, with his mood unpredictable.

       Chu Yunhan didn’t dare to move.

       At Hei Yu’s signal, all the ‘outsiders’ including Cao Kun withdrew. Only Chu Yichen, who was sitting and half-kneeling, Hei Yu, Bai Xiao and four bodyguards were standing in the room.

       Was this a family secret not meant to be exposed? He sneered inwardly, thinking that Chu Yichen was truly just saving his own reputation.

       The lights gradually turned on.

       “The hair is so ugly.” Chu Yichen’s voice floated down from the top of his head.

       The burgundy wig was pulled off by Bai Xiao, revealing the short brown hair underneath. Hei Yu took a disposable comb from the cabinet beside the bed and combed his hair neatly.

       “Much better.” The man finished the wine in the glass and shook it at him, “Come here and pour some wine.”

       Chu Yunhan maintained his one-knee kneeling position and did not move. After a moment of silence, he said, “I thought you didn’t let me move? You can pour it yourself.” When he was hiding before, he was constantly on edge, nearly driving himself crazy. But when the situation reached the point of being exposed, he became calm again. He knew very well that there was no way out once he fell into Chu Yichen’s hands, and there was no point in struggling. It was more satisfying to just break a jar and throw it. However, the unconscious gesture of clasping his fingers still betrayed his inner tension.

       The man raised his eyebrows. Chu Yunhan only felt numbness in his shoulders and arms, and then a layer of burning pain slowly emerged, and a warm and sticky feeling seeped out. Bai Xiao’s bullet accurately passed over his left arm, scratching his sleeve and leaving a deep blood mark on his skin.

       “The next shot won’t be that far off, Young Master Yun.” Bai Xiao’s voice was cold.

       Chu Yunhan’s face turned pale, and he stood up numbly. His legs were a little weak, and he staggered before he stood up. He walked slowly to the man’s side and poured wine for Chu Yichen.

       “It’s too boring to drink like this, sit down and play dice with me.” The man said, “Guess the number, the loser drinks.”

       Can I even say no? Chu Yunhan smiled bitterly in his heart and sat down on the single sofa next to him.

       In front of both of them sat identical empty goblets. Hei Yu knelt on one knee before the coffee table, then placed two dice into a black dice cup. He shook it vigorously a few times, stopped, and moved his hand away from the table.

       “You first.” Chu Yichen said.

       Anyway, it was a matter of a blind cat hitting a mouse. Chu Yunhan guessed randomly, “Big.”

       The dice cup was opened—ten points. He had actually guessed it right.

       Bai Xiao poured a thin layer of red wine into Chu Yichen’s glass. The man shook it and drank it in one gulp.

       Round two. The other party still asked him to guess first. Chu Yunhan chose ‘small’, but it was nine points, he lost. Bai Xiao walked up to him, lowered the mouth of the bottle, and the red wine continued to flow out until the entire glass was filled.

       “What’s this?” He frowned, “It’s not fair at all.”

       “It’s indeed unfair.” Chu Yichen looked at him calmly, “I never said this was a fair game from the beginning.”

       “You…” He wanted to stand up but was pushed down on the sofa. Bai Xiao had a usual smile on his face, “Don’t move.”

       “If you have the guts, shoot me dead,” Chu Yunhan gritted through his teeth.

       “If the young master gives an order, I will be happy to carry it out.”

       Chu Yunhan felt a chill run down his spine as the hidden murderous intent in that smile sent goosebumps all over his body. He sat stiffly and said to Chu Yichen, “You want me to drink all this glass?”

       “Latour, 1989, Bordeaux red wine. It’s your favourite flavour, if I remember correctly.” The man leaned on the sofa and looked at him lazily.

       Chu Yunhan pressed his lips together, picked up the glass filled with deep ruby-red wine, and tilted his head back, closing his eyes as he drank it down. The sour taste flooded his mouth, gradually turning numb with each swallow. No matter how fine the wine, drinking it this way would only make it hard to stomach. After finishing the glass, he placed the empty cup back on the coffee table.

       Hei Yu continued shaking the dice cup. Five points—small. He guessed right again and exhaled slightly in relief. However, the game continued. After Chu Yichen drank the sip of wine in his glass, the dice began rattling inside the cup once more. Now Chu Yunhan understood why the man had so generously let him guess first—because under these rules, no matter how long the game went on, he would always be the loser. He could only pin all his hopes on luck, wishing he could keep guessing right. Unfortunately, good luck always slips away too easily.

       After guessing wrong four times in a row, he felt nauseated and dizzy as he looked at the wine. He picked up the cup and put it down again, saying, “I can’t drink any more.”

       Chu Yichen put his hands on the back of the sofa and looked at him. Seeing that he still didn’t move, he said, “Bai Xiao, help him.”

       “Young Master Yun, I’m sorry.” Bai Xiao neatly lifted Chu Yunhan’s chin with his hand, forced him to open his teeth, and then poured the wine in the glass into his mouth.

       Chu Yunhan’s eyes widened, and he struggled desperately. However, his body was pinned firmly to the sofa by the bodyguard, leaving him no room to move. The wine he drank choked into his trachea, and he instinctively began to cough. At the same time, he was forced to swallow the liquid that made him breathless, making a whimpering sound. After the glass was poured out, the bodyguards let go. He arched his back and coughed violently. In addition to his face, his white shirt and uniform were also stained with red wine, making him look miserable. Chu Yunhan coughed for a long time before he calmed down. He stared at the person opposite him with red eyes, “Have you had enough?”

       “Go on.” Chu Yichen said nonchalantly, “Guess, big or small?”

       Clearly, the game would continue, never ending until the one in control decided to call it off. Chu Yunhan knew that he was now like prey trapped by a pack of wolves with no chance of escape, left to be toyed with and tormented at the whim of his captor. A wave of despair surged in his heart.

       There was no way out.

       He pursed his lips and gritted his teeth, and said, “Let’s change the game. The outcome will be decided in one round. If I guess right, you let me go. If I guess wrong, you kill me.”

       The man looked at him, the amusement in his eyes growing stronger and stronger. His brows stretched, his thin lips raised, and he said lightly, “Okay.”

       He actually…agreed.

       Chu Yunhan was a little stunned for a moment. He stared at the other person for a moment but could not see any other emotions from that face, as if the bet that decided his life and death just now was just an ordinary entertainment game and a pastime.

       It was an expression of indifference.

       The man did not care whether he lives or dies.

       He had anticipated that falling into Chu Yichen’s hands this time would mean a beating, torture, or even being shot—pain so intense it would make him wish for death. But he was certain that, no matter what, the man wouldn’t let him die; that was why he had strategically suggested this wager. Now, this certainty wavered. He began to doubt that his assumption was fundamentally wrong—that Chu Yichen truly intended to take his life. In trying to be clever, he had only given the other man a reason to act, pushing himself to the edge of a cliff.

       “Guess, big or small.”

       Chu Yunhan trembled, looking at the dice cup that had stopped in Hei Yu’s hand in despair, and then turned his gaze back to Chu Yichen. His eye circles were a little red, and after a long time, he said dejectedly, “Big.”

       “You sure?” The man looked at him with a half-smile, “You can think about it for a while, I have time tonight.”

       There was a fine line of sweat on his forehead, mixed with the still wine, making it very sticky. There was a scale inside his head, with two weights, ‘big’ and ‘small’ placed on it, swinging left and right. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. He raised his forehead and changed his words, “Small… I choose small.”

       The dice cup was opened.

       Chu Yunhan stared rigidly at the two dice, motionless as if frozen in place. It wasn’t until Hei Yu softly said, “Young Master Yun, you lost,” that he dazedly lifted his head, his eyes clouded with a mist, his voice hoarse, “So, you’re going to kill me, is that it?”

       “These are the rules of the game you set.” Chu Yichen leaned on the sofa and tilted his head slightly, and Bai Xiao pulled out the gun again.

       “You can’t kill me…” He stood up suddenly and was immediately pushed back into the single sofa by two men in black. Bai Xiao’s gun was pressed against the back of his head. Chu Yunhan’s face turned pale, and he spoke tremblingly, “Chu Yichen, if you kill me, Uncle Yu and Uncle Xu will never forgive you, as well as Minran and Jiahui… “

       “As the head of the family, it is my duty to clean up the traitors.” The man glanced at his frightened face and said, “Don’t worry, I will still allow you to be buried in the family cemetery as the eldest young master of the Chu family so you can properly keep the old man company.”

       “No, it can’t be like this…” He was already in a state of confusion and only wanted to survive. He shouted, “Yichen, I was wrong. I only agreed to them in a fit of enthusiasm… I didn’t know how things would turn out. In this way, I really don’t know… Yichen, I—”

       “That’s enough! Don’t call me that.” A cold voice interrupted him. The man’s black pupils seemed to be burning with two jet-black flames, melting heat and coldness into one place. Every word he uttered seemed to be frozen, “Every time you call me that, it reminds me of the act you put on over the phone. Your voice trembling, saying you were scared, asking me to save you, crying and calling my name. Tell me, what was your expression at that time?”

       “I was wrong…” Chu Yunhan felt Chu Yichen’s undisguised anger for the first time. This anger made him tremble with fear, and he kept begging for mercy softly with red eyes, “It was because of my obsession that I did those things…I don’t dare to do it anymore, please…”

       The whole room was so quiet that the only thing left was his cry for mercy.

       After a long time, the man’s cold voice sounded.

       “I can give you two choices. The first is to die with everything. The second is to live without everything.”

---

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       Run.

       This was the only thought left in his mind, but his legs were as heavy as lead, and he couldn’t move. His whole body was stiff, and his heart was beating fast in his chest as if it was about to explode.

       He had envisioned countless reunions and thought he could behave calmly enough, but when it happened, all the hard-earned psychological preparation collapsed instantly. The world seemed to have turned into a thick paste, wrapping him in it and making him breathless.

       One second, two seconds. Time was distorted, stretched into slow frames.

       One step, two steps. The shiny handmade leather shoes stepped on the thick carpet, coming towards him, getting closer and closer.

       Five meters, three meters, one meter…

       Every pore seemed to be shouting to escape, and the stiff body lost the ability to react. Like a person about to drown, his mouth and nose were blocked by the water pouring in, and he was suffocated until he almost lost consciousness.

       And then… passed by.

       All the senses seemed to return at once, and after a moment of disorientation, the brain regained its ability to think.

       He was not recognised.

       Ah Zhou clenched his uncontrollably trembling hands into fists and placed them against his sides, lowered his head and let his burgundy bangs cover his eyes.

       That’s right. He was just the most ordinary waiter in Lihao, and he would not get any special attention from the guests. As long as he did his job in an orderly manner, he would not attract attention. Besides, with so many people offering their services to him when he came here, he would have many opportunities to slip away.

       Sure enough, as soon as a group of six people stepped into the private room door, Deputy General Manager Cao Kun hurried over with a group of supervisors, bowed and said, “Young Master Chen, I didn’t know you were coming, and I didn’t go downstairs to greet you. I apologise for the oversight.”

       “It’s alright, it’s rare that I’m temporarily free today, so I came here to have some fun” The young man sat down in the middle of the cowhide sofa, crossed his legs, and casually flipped through the wine list in his hand. The few people who followed him in stood quietly behind him. The whole room was so quiet that one could hear a needle drop. Seeing such a scene, a thin layer of sweat broke out on Cao Kun’s forehead. He stood obediently and secretly observed the people sitting at close range.

       With black hair and eyes and features outlined like ink on paper, dressed in a plain, traditional Chinese Tang suit¹, he exuded the scholarly air of a cultured scholar. His thin lips seemed to hold a faint, almost imperceptible smile, yet his gaze was cold, like a star with a chilling glow on a winter night, looking down on the world from above. It was also like a legendary weapon from the martial world, so sharp it could easily pierce the heart. He sat there calmly and unruffled, yet he effortlessly commanded the entire room. The chilling aura of his unspoken authority made everyone involuntarily straighten their backs.

       The adopted son of Chu Yu, the former president of the Golden Eagle Group, the newly succeeded head of the Chu family, and the new leader who holds the financial resources of the Golden Eagle Group and the authority of the Black Eagle Society–Chu Yichen.

       The sudden arrival of the big boss made Cao Kun very panicked. He quickly wondered in his mind whether he had made any mistakes in Lihao’s management and that the boss had come to him in person to trouble him. After all, the new head of the family was not someone so free that he would go to a nightclub. Although he had only seen Chu Yichen a few times while following Yang Lin, from these encounters, he understood that, just as the rumours outside suggested, Chu Yichen was even more formidable than his father, Chu Yu, and was even more difficult to deal with. To make matters worse, General Manager Yang Lin was not present today…

       “General Yang might have already gone to sleep, and I can’t reach him. Here are the company accounts for the past few months. Please take a look.” Cao Kun handed over the account details, and the man in the black suit standing next to the sofa reached out to take them. After that, he turned them over carefully before handing them to Chu Yichen.

       “No need. I told you, I’m just here to have fun.” He tapped the red wine on the list with his slender fingers, “Have a bottle of wine, and Hei Yu will arrange the rest.”

       “Understood.” the man in the black suit replied, giving a few instructions to Cao Kun. Soon, both the wine and snacks were served. Cao Kun personally uncorked the bottle, and the liquid poured into the crystal decanter showed a deep red hue. The lights were dimmed, and a few people entered with musical instruments, playing and singing tranquil tunes.

       Sure enough, he still didn’t like the hustle and bustle.

       Ah Zhou in the corner looked at the man leaning on the sofa silently. The panic just now had finally calmed down. The darkness was a natural protective colour, allowing him to peek in the dark. At present, it seemed that his disguise was successful, at least the other party did not recognise him. What would Chu Yichen’s face look like if he knew the person he’d been looking for was right next to him? He wanted to laugh but couldn’t.

       “I’m going to the bathroom.” He whispered to Da Hua, and then slowly walked to the door. As soon as he opened it a crack and saw the person standing outside clearly, he immediately lowered his head and shrank back.

       Shit. He couldn’t help but curse inwardly. Just now, he was thinking about why Chu Yichen only had Hei Yu with him, but it turned out that Bai Xiao was guarding the door outside. Both of them were Chu Yichen’s deputies and two of the Black Eagle Society’s key officials—one in charge of people and the other of money. Known in the underworld as the ‘Black and White Duo’²the name Hei Yu is black feather and Bai Xiao is white daybreak, one was ruthless and the other shrewd, both being formidable characters. Compared to the always icy Hei Yu, the smiling Bai Xiao was even more difficult to handle and would surely expose him.

       It seemed that there was no way to escape, so for now, he could only stay where he was.

       “Aren’t you going to the toilet? Why didn’t you go?” Da Hua asked when he saw him coming back.

       “It’s not that urgent…” He smiled bitterly.

       Over there, Cao Kun carefully poured the wine into the cup. He didn’t do this kind of thing very often, and now he looked even more clumsy, and some of the wine spilt out.

       “You don’t need to do it yourself. Let the waiter come over.” Chu Yichen said.

       “Ah, okay.” Cao Kun felt relieved and said to the two of them, “Come here.”

       Ah Zhou felt his mind tremble, and his whole body felt stiff. Da Hua beside him saw that he was not moving and pulled him. He had no choice but to lower his head and step forward, bending down to wipe the wine on the table.

       “Young Master Chen, do you want to call some girls to help with the fun?” Cao Kun asked.

       “No need. I’ve been busy and tired recently and want to relax a bit. Having too many people around would just be a hassle.”

       “Then should I ask the massage therapist to come and give you a massage?”

       “Just him. Have him give my legs a massage.” Chu Yichen put his long legs on the coffee table.

       Ah Zhou, who had his head lowered constantly, was still worried about who this ‘he’ was referring to when he heard Cao Kun calling his name. Suddenly, his heart sank.

       In this case, he had no way out. The more unnatural it was, the easier it was to get through, so he could only bite the bullet. Although the light was dim, the distance was too close. He did not dare to risk looking at each other, so he could only lower his body as low as possible. The only available positions were squatting or kneeling. He lowered his head and knelt down on one knee. When his hands touched the other party’s pants, he felt a little trembling.

       Ah Zhou massaged again and again. His back and forehead were covered with sweat, but his palms were cold. He felt like he was being fried in a big pot, and every minute was excruciatingly long. In addition to praying, ‘Don’t recognise me’, his mind also cursed Chu Yichen a hundred and eighty times: You bastard, you actually asked me to kneel down and massage your legs.

       After about three songs, the man spoke again, “Why did you choose this name?”

       He trembled, and the movements of his hands paused.

       Is this a normal pick-up line, or…has he been recognised? He forced himself to calm down quickly, and deliberately lowered his voice and said, “Random.”

       “Ah Zhou.” The man took a sip of wine and said, “Very good.”

       “…Thank you, boss.” As soon as he said these words dryly, he heard the other party slowly adding the second half of the sentence.

       “It sounds much more pleasant than Chu Yunhan.”

       His pupils shrank suddenly, and he froze in place.

       The world was turned upside down.

---

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       The music was switched off, and the only sound in the room was the fat man’s rough snoring. The changing images of the MTV on the screen reflected on Ah Zhou’s face, blurring his expression. He held a cheap mobile phone and typed a series of familiar numbers on the keypad, but his finger hesitated over the dial button. After a while, there was a knock on the door. He quickly put his phone into his pants pocket and stood up.

       It was the room attendant who came to pick up Fatty Zhang. Ah Jie, who happened to take over, also arrived, so he returned to the staff dormitory.

       Though it was called a dormitory, it was actually just a low building next to Lihao’s, only about five hundred meters away. Each small compartment was packed with three sets of bunk beds, accommodating six people in total. Each floor shared a restroom at the end of the corridor. Since it was free, the accommodation was always full. Young boys gathered here, playing cards, smoking, and making noise. The cramped rooms were cluttered with shoes, socks, and clothes thrown about, and even with the windows open, the air was still filled with a strong smell of sweat.

       At this time, except for the two people on the night shift, the other three were already asleep, snoring slightly. Ah Zhou went in quietly, knocking over something in the darkness and making a soft sound. He casually wiped his face with the towel hanging by the bed and fell on his own bed. He couldn’t sleep for a long time and couldn’t help but take out his mobile phone. He looked at the numbers for a long time. Finally, he pressed ‘Cancel’ and threw it aside.

       Nothing could be done.

       A surge of powerlessness completely surrounded him.

       Mother, Jiahui, Minran… The longing grew crazily in his heart, yet he didn’t even dare to reach out. He felt like a rat hiding in a hole, struggling to survive.

       As the night grew darker, everything became quiet. He lay in a daze as if he hadn’t had a good sleep for a long time, and he was living the life of a walking zombie every day without end.

       He dreamt again of the past. In midsummer, after the rain, the sky was clear, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and wet soil. The old man napped in a reclining chair under the eaves while the big dog lay obediently by his side. His father and three uncles chatted in the garden, laughing heartily at some joke someone had told. His mother chatted with an aunt while handing him a peeled apple. Jiahui, wearing a white dress and a small crown, tiptoed over, covering his eyes from behind with her little chubby hands, asking him to guess who she was. Minran, with a slingshot in hand, called out his name and ran over, insisting on pulling him to play. And then there was that person…

       “Yichen, do you want to eat the apple?” He heard his own young voice.

       A slightly young and handsome face turned to him, with a smile in his bright eyes, as gentle and soft as moonlight.

       “I’ll share half with you.” He handed it over.

       Suddenly, the person’s brows furrowed, shifting from surprise to coldness. There were no words, no movement; those black eyes were as cold as ice, sharp enough to seem as if they could see through everything.

       But the apple in his hand had somehow turned into a gun—cold and heavy. “No, this isn’t right…” In his panic, he tried to throw it away, but it wouldn’t come off. He looked up in terror, only to see numerous black gun barrels pointed directly at him.

       His heart trembled suddenly, and he woke up, sitting up from the bed and gasping for air.

       It turned out to be a dream.

       The cold sweat on his body almost soaked his clothes. Fear followed him from nightmare to reality.

       How much longer would he have to endure? How much longer could he hide? What would happen if he was caught?

       He didn’t dare to think about it.

       How on earth did it get to this point? He curled up on his side. The name tag with ‘Ah Zhou’ written on his chest glowed light green in the dark.

       He gave a bitter smile. The name was truly fitting—he now felt like a small boat lost at sea, fearful of the tumultuous waves that might come at any moment and hoping for a safe harbour that might never appear.

       The old man was right. He really was no match for that man, and he had never been better than him since he was a child. Just because of his stupid dissatisfaction, he was instigated and flattered with ulterior motives, and he became arrogant enough to want to replace him. In the end, in just three months, he was forced into a desperate situation where he was betrayed by his family and had to hide out and work as an inconspicuous waiter in Lihao.

       Yang Lin arranged this for him. His father’s former subordinates were his last resort, and he promised to send him abroad secretly. However, ten days had passed since the last contact, and the person Yang Lin sent to pick him up still did not show up. Every day was like torture, and there was nothing to do but wait. He felt that if he continued like this, he might go crazy.

       After spending the night in a daze, he ordered some takeout to fill his stomach. Ah Zhou stayed in the dormitory all day and started the night shift at ten o’clock in the evening. As soon as he arrived at the private room he was responsible for, he heard Ning ge’s call in his headset.

       Luo Ning was the human resources manager. He always had a serious look and was very strict with Lihao’s employees. He had fired many people because of their shortcomings. Ah Zhou thought that the whole Fatty Zhang incident had happened yesterday, and he was mentally preparing himself for the consequences. However, what he received instead was a notice of his own transfer to a higher floor.

       “Why?” He was very surprised.

       “Someone on the tenth floor has resigned, and now we are short of people.”

       “I mean… why me? My ability to work is not outstanding, and I heard that waiters above the fifth floor must undergo professional training.”

       “You follow Da Hua, he will lead you.”

       “But…”

       “What, you don’t want to?” Luo Ning looked up at him, “Not many people refuse a salary increase.”

       At Lihao, the servers received a basic salary in addition to commissions based on the amount spent in the private rooms. Ah Zhou, who was currently working on the third floor, was responsible for four smaller rooms, where the service revenue for a single night amounted to only a few thousand yuan. In contrast, if he were transferred to the tenth floor, he would be assigned to a luxury room with two to three colleagues, where the spending could reach ten thousand yuan or more per night, naturally doubling his income. Lower-level servers would do anything to move up, often flattering Luo Ning. Xiao Ding had even tried to bribe him, but Luo Ning refused. It was a pity that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was not good for Ah Zhou. He lowered his eyebrows and said, “I am too timid. I am afraid I will make mistakes and make the guests unhappy.”

       Luo Ning’s lips curled up, “Really? I think people who dare to charge extra money to their guests must be brave.”

       His heart skipped a beat, and his face turned a little pale. As expected, this matter had indeed not gone unnoticed.

       “If this kind of incident—adding orders secretly while the guests are drunk—gets exposed, not only will you be fired, but you’ll also have to pay for all the ordered items. Whether I expose it or not depends on your attitude. Think carefully.”

       With that being said, there was no way out for him. He pursed his lips and said, “Which room on the tenth floor am I in charge of?”

       “1003.”

       “I’ll go over now. Thank you for the promotion Ning ge.”

       The elevator stopped on the tenth floor, and as the doors opened, the surroundings brightened. The hallway was lined with golden silk carpets, and the electronic wall displayed blue wave-like light patterns guiding the way to various private rooms. The guests for Room 3 had not yet arrived, so Da Hua, who was in charge of this area alongside him, led him around the room. Akin to a presidential suite, the room was equipped with all the necessary facilities. There was a small stage for entertainment performances with a space reserved for live music, and a silver pole stood tall. The room’s open-concept design allowed for an unobstructed view of the inner bed and the bathtub positioned by the window. The luxury of the space carried a subtle air of sensuality, making it convenient for guests to enjoy a variety of intimate services.

       “How about it? It’s much better than the third floor, isn’t it?” Da Hua glanced at him, “Working on this floor is no different than working downstairs. You need to have sharp eyes, quick hands and feet, and you have to keep your mouth shut no matter what. Whatever you do inside has nothing to do with us, so don’t make a fuss and don’t act around, do you understand?”

       “Yes.”

       “The guests are scheduled to arrive at eleven. You should prepare yourself first, cheer up, and fix your hair—it looks messy.”

       “Oh.” Ah Zhou responded but didn’t actually move. While Da Hua stepped out to get the fruit tray, Ah Zhou sat down in the middle of the circular sofa, looking at the empty little stage. A faint, self-mocking smile appeared on his lips.

       He was no stranger to this place. There was a time when he loved to hang out here, getting drunk with his buddies, drinking a lot of wine and hugging a lot of women. One time, he drank too much and was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. When he woke up, he saw Jiahui’s crying face, and he never came here again after that.

       He didn’t want her to cry.

       But he knew she would definitely cry if he left without saying goodbye.

       Ah Zhou frowned a little irritably. Seeing Da Hua come in, he immediately stood up and pretended to wipe the clean coffee table.

       “Someone is looking for you outside.” Da Hua said, “Please deal with it as soon as possible. It will be bad when the guests come.”

       He responded, not surprised to see Tang Shaocheng standing outside the door, and greeted him politely.

       “I heard you were transferred here. I wanted this room, but it’s a pity it’s been booked today.”

       “Yeah.”

       “Then I can see you on this floor more often from now on, which is good.” The man smiled.

       “The guests will be coming soon.” It was a clear hint for him to leave.

       “Why don’t you go to East Lake with me tomorrow? You’ll be bored if you stay in the dormitory all the time.”

       Ah Zhou initially didn’t want to agree, but fearing that the man would keep pestering him and draw unwanted attention, he reluctantly complied. He knew that moving to this floor increased the chances of running into someone from his past, so he had to be extra cautious. After sending off Tang Shaochen, he immediately lowered his head and returned to his post outside room 1003, waiting to greet the guests.

       Around eleven o’clock, the buzzer vibrated, indicating that the guests had arrived. The sound of staggered footsteps came from the direction of the elevator, getting closer and closer.

       Ah Zhou raised his head slightly and saw the person clearly from under the burgundy bangs. He suddenly stiffened and even stopped breathing.

---

Notes:
His name the Zhou in Ah Zhou (阿舟) means boat

---

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       On a summer night, after a few muffled thunders, it began to rain heavily. The city was drenched with rain in a matter of seconds, even washing out the neon sign that read ‘The Beauty Welcomes the Noble Guests, Indulging Them in a Dreamlike Gentleness’.

       This was a signboard from Lihao. As the largest nightclub in K City, the sudden heavy rain did not have much impact on its business. It was like a demon squatting in the city, exuding a seductive aura that attracted people who were greedy for pleasure, fabricating ambiguous and erotic nights and greedily sucking up the money in their pockets.

       A window in the third-floor corridor was open, and the bright yellow light outlined a dark shadow beside the window. It was of a young man, about twenty-seven or seventy-eight years old, with particularly conspicuous burgundy hair. The bangs were very long and hung low, almost covering his eyes. He was resting his elbows on the window frame, quietly looking at the rain outside.

       He took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a drag. The overly strong nicotine breath rushed into the lungs and irritated his throat, making him cough uncontrollably.

       They said that alcohol relieved worries and smoke dissipated sorrow. As for this cigarette, he still couldn’t get used to it.

       The cigarette burned inch by inch between his fingers. His fingers were long and slender, with distinct joints, and clean without any traces of labour. His tall and upright figure, dressed in the standard white shirt and black vest of a waiter, looked somewhat handsome, but unfortunately, the bright red, punk-style hair on his head completely ruined the effect. On his chest, he crookedly wore a gold nameplate with a golden eagle emblem on the front and the words ‘Lihao 3rd Floor Waiter—Ah Zhou’ on the back.

       The cigarette was left behind by a guest, quite strong and not from a high-quality brand. The third floor where he worked catered to ordinary customers with modest spending and even more modest tips, unlike the higher floors. The structure of Lihao was very clear: the higher the floor, the more upscale the service, and the more extravagant the customers, leading to higher tips. However, serving those high rollers required more careful attention, and since he had only been there for three months, he hadn’t had a chance for a promotion yet.

       “Tsk, Ah Zhou.” A similarly dressed waiter came out of the private room, leaned over, and grabbed the cigarette in his hand. The waiter took two puffs, then stuffed it back into his hand, grinning, “You’re quite good at slacking off.”

       He frowned slightly, almost unnoticeably, and turned sideways to avoid the man’s approach. He threw the cigarette butt on the ground and said, “Are you saying I should just stand there and be a spectator while they’re doing that kind of thing inside?”

       The waiter with the name tag ‘Xiao Ding’ on his chest knew what he meant. He smiled, tilted his head and said, “Have you heard that there is a new nightclub in the south of the city, and it is quite big? Ah Qing’s brother works there, and I heard the pay is not bad.”

       “You want to change jobs?”

       “No.” Xiao Ding pointed to the eagle on the name tag on his chest and said with some pride, “K City is Golden Eagle’s territory, and Lihao is Golden Eagle’s industry. We are all Golden Eagle people and anyone daring to compete with us for business is just seeking their own demise.”

       Ah Zhou looked at him noncommittally, “You certainly have a strong sense of belonging.”

       “Of course, the first rule of the employee code is to be loyal to the group.” As he was talking, the buzzer in his hand buzzed. He frowned and said, “This guy keeps asking for drinks, then calls for a girl but complains about the prices, always picking the cheapest options. What a cheapskate… Anyway, stop talking and get in there quickly. It would be a disaster if Ning ge caught you slacking off.” He hurried back to the private room to serve the guests.

       The rain was still falling, washing over the entire city, and the cool and moist wind came with it, blowing away his burgundy hair, which was hanging on his forehead, exposing his entire face.

       It was a very fair face, without any impetuous air. The eyes exposed from under the exaggerated bangs had a distant and lonely look, indifferent to a bit of cold, which was incompatible with this luxurious occasion.

       The buzzer in his pocket vibrated, making a monotonous electronic sound. A trace of exhaustion and boredom flashed across his eyes. He wiped his burgundy hair carelessly, turned around and walked towards the private room he was responsible for. His eyes accidentally caught a glimpse of the person looking at him not far away, and his steps stopped. After a moment of astonishment, he quickly lowered his gaze and even deliberately lowered his head to let the bangs on his forehead fall down to cover his eyes and said in a formulaic and plain voice, “Good evening, General Tang, and welcome to Lihao.”

       The man who stopped in the corridor curved his lips and smiled. He walked to him and stood in front of him. He said, “It’s almost the end of your shift. Let’s go out for a snack together?”

       “Thank you. I’m not hungry.” Ah Zhou lowered his gaze and said, “I have to go to work. I wish you a good time at Lihao tonight.” After saying that, he was about to go around the other party but was caught. he was taken aback and instinctively shook his hand to break away, but unexpectedly the other side squeezed it very tightly and didn’t shake it off. He raised his eyebrows at the other party with anger.

       Tang Shaocheng, who had been rejected, initially intended to lose his temper, but the sight of the other party’s cold, stern expression stirred something in his heart. His anger immediately dissipated, and he slowly let go.

       After all, there were so many beautiful young men. He had lowered his pride and persisted for so long just for this rare, distinctive cold demeanour, hadn’t he?

       Tang Shaocheng, who prided himself on his refined taste, always looked down on the women with a whiff of the underworld in the soul-selling cave. One night three months ago, as he was going downstairs, he happened to see a waiter entering the VIP elevator. When their eyes met, the waiter immediately realised and stepped back.

       Just this look was enough to make him stunned. He thought he had it within his grasp, but three months had passed, and he had used every trick in the book without getting him into bed. The fact that he was occasionally willing to have a meal with him alone was a great honour. However, he did not intend to give up.

       This Ah Zhou really made him curious.

       Despite being someone struggling on the lower rungs of society, he never showed any eagerness to please. Even when he was being humble and compliant, there was an indescribable aloofness about him. Though he had an exceptionally handsome face, with eyes as clear as a tranquil pool that could captivate anyone, he stubbornly refused to cut his bright red punk hair. Despite the opportunity to use his connections to advance by associating with influential people, he refused to attend any gatherings or accept any gifts from him. Even though financially strained, he maintained impeccable dining etiquette in upscale venues, exuding a remarkable composure. On one occasion, he inadvertently saw Ah Zhou showing a mocking expression when a waiter said the wrong name of a wine.

       The more he came into contact with him, the more he felt that there was an elegant and calm demeanour in Ah Zhou’s movements. This magnanimity seemed to be innate, and deeply ingrained, and even someone who had been raised in luxury like him might not measure up. For this reason, he had even gone so far as to have someone investigate Ah Zhou’s background, but so far, he had found nothing.

       Beautiful, cold, defensive, and rebellious.

       Like a leopard dormant in the mountains and forests—it was difficult to approach and could not be caught. He was also like a flower on a high mountain, standing proudly on a cliff, tempting people to flock to it.

       Difficult puzzles always sparked a deeper curiosity, making him, as a puzzle-solver, eager to delve into them endlessly.

       “Are you free tomorrow afternoon? I asked someone to bring some beef over from Japan. Let’s try it together.” Tang Shaocheng sometimes felt that Ah Zhou was the true nobleman who would disregard a fortune, while he himself had become the one fawning over a wealthy patron. From the initial novelty to later exerting all his effort to discover who had the upper hand, he found that he only grew more determined in this dynamic, and he even admired his own patience.

       “I have a night shift tomorrow, and I have to sleep in the afternoon.”

       Tang Shaocheng was not surprised at all by his rejection and continued, “Then I will come to your private room tomorrow night.”

       “If General Tang is not afraid of losing reputation by coming to this floor, I don’t mind.”

       “Reputation is nothing compared to you.” Tang Shaocheng smiled, “See you tomorrow night.”

       Ah Zhou looked at him, said, “I’m leaving,” and turned back to room 364. The guests inside were already very drunk. Their bloated bodies were leaning against the almost naked escort Lan Xin, and they kept shouting, “One more round.” Lan Xin threw the dice on the table and said with a sweet smile, “Boss Zhang, you haven’t drunk this plate of fine wine yet. You are a grown man; you can’t play tricks with a little girl like me.” After saying this, he drank heavily from the wine glass in his hand. The fat man drank it all down, muttered noisily for a short while, and was completely drunk.

       Seeing that he didn’t respond, Lan Xin stopped smiling, pushed him aside hard, and said in a cold voice, “Touching and kissing and still not giving a tip. Does he think five hundred yuan is enough to get me to perform? Bah!” After saying that, she neatly picked up a cigarette and put it in her mouth, but the lighter could not be lit. She cursed irritably and turned around to see Ah Zhou standing by the door. She curled her red lips, crossed her legs and hooked her fingers, “Here, light a cigarette for me.”

       Ah Zhou didn’t say anything. He bent down to pick up the red coat that had been thrown on the ground. He walked over and put it on her body. He then took out a lighter from his vest pocket with the words ‘Lihao welcomes you’ printed on it, lit it for her, and then sat down next to her.

       Lan Xin looked at him for a while and then said, “Why? Isn’t this sister good-looking?”

       “Tired of seeing it.”

       Hearing his answer, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter, “You’re something else… There are plenty of people who want a taste of me, and you’re not interested. Could it be that you’re actually into guys? That Boss Tang seems quite taken with you.”

       “That’s his business.” Ah Zhou said very coldly.

       Lan Xin smiled, hooked his shoulder, and brought the half-smoked cigarette to his mouth, “Take a puff.” Seeing him frown, she stopped her hand and said, “Okay, I won’t play with you anymore. What about this fat guy? I don’t want to stay here with him; it’s greasy and disgusting.”

       A Zhou fiddled with the glowing order device in his hand and said, “Send him to the panoramic suite upstairs.”

       “He is so stingy how can he order that…” Lan Xin paused at this point as if she suddenly came to her senses, her red lips curled up, “You are a bad boy. But, if he gets into trouble…”

       “He is not Lihao’s VIP, no one will care.”

       “That’s right.” She pinched the fat man’s face with her bright red nails and said with a smile, “I’ve let you take advantage of me; this time, I’ll make sure to drain you properly.”

       The top three floors of Lihau featured various high-end rooms, offering the most ‘comprehensive’ services to satisfy those wealthy patrons who were reluctant to wake from their indulgent dreams, with prices often exceeding tens of thousands. Zhang Pangzi, being just a small-time individual boss, usually only sneaked out some private money to indulge himself in secret, liked to get hands-on but was very stingy, even reluctant to leave a tip. He would never have dared to book such an expensive room. When he was drunk, Ah Zhou took the liberty of booking it for him. When Zhang Pangzi woke up and caused a scene, Ah Zhou and Lan Xin both insisted that it was Zhang Pangzi’s own choice. The fat man had no choice but to swallow this silent loss. As a result, he probably wouldn’t have had the money to come back for a long time.

       “The person who is waiting for the guest room will come to pick him up. You can get off work.” Ah Zhou said.

       “Mm. Yuanyuan is still waiting for me at home.” Lan Xin put on her clothes, took out a small mirror from her handbag, and quickly used a wet wipe to remove her lipstick and eyeshadow. Her face, now bare, showed a clean and gentle appearance, lacking the sharp allure of smoky makeup and revealing a softer, more subdued warmth. Compared to other hostesses, at thirty-eight, she was no longer young. There were fine lines at the corners of her eyes, and her skin looked somewhat dull from the frequent use of poor-quality cosmetics. Before leaving, she waved her hand and said, “Thank you.”

       Ah Zhou replied, ‘En’. He was indifferent to everyone except Lan Xin because Lan Xin helped him. He was a person who remembered favours.

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I don’t understand your silent protection, and you don’t understand my stubborn persistence.

Through these misunderstandings, we have wasted so much time. How much of the past has been let down?

Before this life runs out, I want to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you,

to shield you from disaster, and dispel your loneliness for you.

Before this life runs out, I want to be your companion,

to walk through the long rivers and setting sun, and to watch the stars and moon together.

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Notes:
Helloo, I’m back with volume 3~~
Volume 3 has actually already been translated by another group here
So if you want to read it faster you can read it first on the page I linked~
This book is different from the other book, the other book didn’t have blatant r4p3 as most of the non-consensual scenes in the other book are a CNC (consensual non-consensual) type.

---

Support the author by buying the author’s works and/or giving some kisses here~
(It’s very easy to buy from myrics.com because they support Paypal payment in small amounts~)

We have a discord server for those who want to receive an update ping and various announcements~
Join here ^^

And please buy me some kofi if you like the translation~

Also leave some ratings if you like this series here~