Chapter 42

"You clearly know his nature..."

Zhuang Ji's voice was low, he clenched his jaw so hard it seemed his teeth might shatter.

Fei Yuncheng curled his lip slightly: "Of course I know."

Fei Yuncheng said: "I know he was raised poorly since he was a child—that he pursues pleasure and shirks hard work, acts unruly on the surface but is cowardly and insecure deep down. I also know he’s like a dodder plant; he must depend on a man to live."

Zhuang Ji: "Fei Yuncheng!"

"But so what?"

Fei Yuncheng set his cigar aside, the smoke at his lips drifting through the extravagant and opulent hall.

Fei Yuncheng said: "I can keep him."

The two men confronting each other were both dressed luxuriously and carried themselves with elegance, though they seemed to differ in age and were miles apart in their views.

"I can indulge him—even if he becomes addicted, even if he can’t stop gambling… that’s even better. I have money; I can afford to lose, and I can afford to support him, until he can’t leave me."

Fei Yuncheng looked leisurely at Zhuang Ji, a faint, cold smile flickering in his unhurried eyes. "What about you, junior?"

*

Many hospitals in Hong Kong operate differently from those in the northern city, with the better medical conditions often being privately owned.

On the way to the hospital with Su Ningyu, since there were no family members present and considering the issue of follow-up medical costs, the doctor asked several times which hospital they should go to.

"Take him to the best one, the best one!"

Lu Tingchao was panicked, sitting beside the medical staff and unconsciously picking at his other hand's ring finger with his index finger. "...He has a medical history, something like congenital heart disease, I think—I forgot the name of the condition."

Su Ningyu, lying on the stretcher, looked haggard and pale, with deep shadows under his eyes, as if he hadn’t rested properly in a long time.

The medical staff on the ambulance completed the most basic examinations and then contacted the hospital ahead to prepare for surgery.

The lead doctor, blond and blue-eyed, turned around and spoke to Lu Tingchao in halting Mandarin: "Because the situation is life-threatening, if all vitals are suitable upon admission, we will proceed with surgery immediately."

Lu Tingchao was stunned for a moment, twisting his hands even more tightly: "Ah... okay, yes, alright."

"Considering the patient is from the mainland, we will also contact his family," the doctor said. "As for the fees, you may need to advance the payment."

"Okay, okay," Lu Tingchao nodded vigorously like pounding garlic. "I’ll go pay the fees in a moment."

The doctor nodded and turned back to focus on further emergency procedures.

Lu Tingchao sat dazed for a while, then, as if suddenly waking from a dream, reached out cautiously and tugged at the doctor’s sleeve: "...Um, excuse me..."

The doctor turned around: "Hmm?"

Lu Tingchao’s face was also pale, his eyes filled with anxious fear: "...He, he seems to have been sick for a long time. Will this surgery... will he make it through?"

"If we operate immediately, there is still hope. Not operating now would mean giving up the last hope," the doctor said calmly, his tone both matter-of-fact and reassuring. "The patient is still young, after all. We will do our best."

Lu Tingchao sat in a daze in the corner, nodding after a long pause: "Okay... got it."

This was the lavish casino floor, still some distance away from the best private hospital.

After the earlier conversation, the entire ambulance fell into an unspoken, heavy silence.

Apart from the beeping of medical machines, the atmosphere felt claustrophobic and tense.

As if trying to make himself as small as possible, Lu Tingchao carefully shrank further into the corner, his fingers unconsciously picking at one another until A Zhi reached out and grasped both of his hands.

Having likely never done much manual labor since childhood, Lu Tingchao’s hands were typical of someone who had lived a sheltered life—pale, soft, and well-kept.

In contrast, A Zhi’s hands were rough, covered with thick calluses.

When they closed around Lu Tingchao’s, it felt almost protective.

"Stop it, you’re bleeding."

A Zhi stopped Lu Tingchao’s movements, his brow deeply furrowed. "Can’t you see?"

Only then did Lu Tingchao instinctively look down.

When he was nervous, he had a habit of picking at his fingers—a behavior that seemed to have developed slowly since childhood, though no one had ever stopped him before.

"Oh, okay…"

Lu Tingchao murmured meekly, but after a moment, he began secretly picking at his fingers again.

A Zhi simply wrapped his hand around Lu Tingchao’s entire hand: "This hospital is the best in all of Hong Kong."

A Zhi continued, "Its medical equipment and resources are sourced internationally, and it has the most advanced technology in the country. If even this place can’t save him, then it’s simply his fate."

The lighting in the ambulance was dim.

As it weaved through the streets, the light took on a flickering, patchy quality.

And in this surreal, shifting light, A Zhi’s expression appeared especially detached.

Lu Tingchao looked at him, paused, taken aback.

"Everyone has their own destiny."

A Zhi released Lu Tingchao’s hand, dug out a cartoon band-aid from somewhere, peeled it open, and stuck it on the bloody marks on Lu Tingchao’s fingers.

The scattered wounds were covered, creating a false sense of calm.

After a moment of silence, Lu Tingchao suddenly said, "It shouldn’t be like this."

A Zhi: "What?"

Lu Tingchao seemed to be struggling for words, hesitating before speaking: "Su Ningyu is really outstanding. Even though his family was so poor, he still got into such a good university. I think he’s pretty impressive."

A Zhi: "So?"

Lu Tingchao: "He worked so hard. He shouldn’t come to this."

"Hah."

A Zhi laughed softly.

Lu Tingchao turned around reluctantly, "What do you mean by that?"

A Zhi shook his head, "Nothing."

Lu Tingchao scrunched up his face, "You're making fun of me."

A Zhi, "Yeah."

Lu Tingchao, "Huh?"

Lu Tingchao, "..."

A Zhi said, "Not exactly making fun."

Lu Tingchao, "Then what is it?"

A Zhi, "Just curious, how did you grow up since childhood?"

Lu Tingchao was always particularly honest when answering questions. He thought for a moment, "Oh, my grandpa raised me when I was little. Then when I was seventeen, my family went bankrupt. At eighteen, I got married..."

Lu Tingchao, "After that, my husband was always having an affair with someone else, so I got divorced. Then I ended up here."

A Zhi raised an eyebrow, "Having an affair?"

Lu Tingchao nodded, "Yeah."

A Zhi, "Then you must not have loved your husband."

Lu Tingchao, "Huh?"

Lu Tingchao firmly denied, "No way! I was crazy about him!"

"It's that he loved you more."

A Zhi seemed a bit annoyed. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, then remembered they were in the car. He took one out, took a whiff, and put it away again.

A Zhi said, "Your grandpa loved you too."

A Zhi, "That's why you ended up so naive and... clueless."

Lu Tingchao, "..."

Lu Tingchao was instantly furious.

Since childhood, he had only ever been praised.

Praised for being cute, praised for being pretty, praised for being good-looking—

But never called foolish!

Lu Tingchao's face flushed red with anger. Restrained by being in the car, he didn't dare make a scene, so he just glared fiercely at A Zhi, "You're the foolish one! You're insane! Your whole family is foolish!"

After cursing, still not satisfied, he added, "I'm going to tell Fei Yuncheng you insulted me! I'll have him dock your pay!"

But A Zhi laughed.

"See."

A Zhi suddenly said, "In our Cantonese dialect, there's a very popular song with a line that goes, 'Those who are favored act fearless.'"

A Zhi, "You always act fearless."

A Zhi said, "You get angry freely, you're happy freely, all your emotions show on your face... Your little kid is called Doudou? You're more like a child than he is."

Lu Tingchao opened his mouth, suddenly feeling that what A Zhi said was somewhat right.

He felt a moment of guilt.

"But what will it matter even if you tell Fei Yuncheng?"

A Zhi touched the cigarette pack again, then smiled, "Little Lord Lu, do you really think Hong Kong is like the places you used to live? That Fei Yuncheng is Zhuang Ji or Mo Lingnan?"

Lu Tingchao stared at A Zhi for a while and said nothing.

A few seconds later.

A Zhi suddenly asked, "Understood?"

Lu Tingchao hung his head, ignoring him, staring blankly in the direction of Su Ningyu's hospital bed.

The ambulance had steadily stopped at the hospital service elevator entrance.

The ambulance medical staff and hospital personnel were coordinating the handover. Su Ningyu's gurney was carefully lifted from the ambulance in front of Lu Tingchao and then moved onto the transport elevator.

A staff member ran over and said a few words in Cantonese to Lu Tingchao.

Just as Lu Tingchao looked completely confused, A Zhi nodded, "Got it, we're on it."

Lu Tingchao glanced over.

A Zhi signaled for Lu Tingchao to follow, "They're telling us to go pay the fees. Let's go."

Lu Tingchao, "Oh..."

To this day, Lu Tingchao still didn't know why Su Ningyu was in Hong Kong, nor why he had ended up in a place like the gambling den.

But apparently, his status was that of a student temp. In Hong Kong, he had neither social benefits nor health insurance. Besides earning a daily wage, he had even signed a no-liability waiver with the gambling den upon employment.

Of course, the daily pay was indeed substantial.

This made Lu Tingchao once again realize how lucrative the gambling den's business was.

Fortunately, after the divorce, Lu Tingchao was indeed richer than before. He had the breakup money Zhuang Ji gave him, the leftover allowance Mo Lingnan had previously given him, Fei Xiuqi's card, and a supplementary card Fei Yuncheng had issued him.

Lu Tingchao could swipe any of them whenever he felt like it.

After hesitating for a long time, Lu Tingchao ended up swiping Zhuang Ji's card.

A Zhi stood by watching.

Now that they were finally out of the ambulance, A Zhi took out a cigarette and dangled it unlit between his lips.

A Zhi was clearly much more familiar with this hospital than Lu Tingchao. He watched Lu Tingchao finish swiping the card, then led him to another building, "The operating room is on the ninth floor. Do you want to go up yourself, or should I take you?"

Lu Tingchao thought for a moment, "...Could you take me, please?"

"Sure."

A Zhi fished out a lighter and lit his cigarette, "Wait till I finish this."

Lu Tingchao: "..." He said nothing.

This was the lawn outside the hospital's medical building.

People came and went, hurriedly.

Lu Tingchao stood waiting with A Zhi for a long time, unable to wait any longer: "...How much longer?"

A Zhi tapped the ash off his cigarette: "About half left."

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Lu Tingchao turned around: "He said, forget it, thank you. I'll go up alone. You can go back first."

Dusk came early in Harbor City.

When they left the gambling hall, it was only around four o'clock, but now the sky was getting dark.

A blood-red sunset spread across the horizon like a painting, while the medical building stood in the hospital resembled a sharp sword, cutting right through this crimson sky.

He looked up, tried to see the layout of the ninth floor through the faint windows, but couldn't see clearly.

He gulped and tentatively took a couple of steps.

Then.

He heard A Zhi say: "This is where Devin picked me up when I was a kid."

Lu Tingchao froze for a moment and turned back.

But A Zhi had already stubbed out his cigarette. He was actually quite tall, and as he walked over, he blocked what little sunlight remained in front of Lu Tingchao.

"After my family's business went under, my dad was in jail, and my mom didn't die immediately after jumping off a building—she was sent here."

A Zhi also looked up at the blood-red sky, as if that crimson hue had stained his eyes as well. "I became an orphan in this hospital."

Lu Tingchao: "Ah..."

Lu Tingchao really wasn't good at comforting people: "Well, sorry about that..."

A Zhi: "It's fine."

A Zhi: "Actually, it worked out okay. My mom gave the last few businesses she had to Devin, and Devin came to pick me up. He raised me."

Lu Tingchao: "Oh, oh... Mr. Devin seems like a good guy then."

"Good person?"

A Zhi laughed. "Maybe. After all, I didn't have your luck. I didn't meet a Zhuang Ji, and then a Mo Lingnan."

A Zhi started walking: "Alright, follow me."

*

Su Ningyu's surgery began about six in the afternoon, after all indicators were adjusted appropriately, and went on until two in the morning.

Although Lu Tingchao stuck around the entire process, he'd gone from standing outside the operating room, to sitting outside, and finally leaning against A Zhi and falling asleep outside the operating room.

Until the red light went off.

The head surgeon came out and began asking for the family in English, only to see Lu Tingchao, who had just been woken up by A Zhi, still half-asleep.

Head surgeon: "..."

A Zhi yanked Lu Tingchao to his feet, and they walked over to the head surgeon together.

The head surgeon began rattling off in English.

Lu Tingchao: "..."

The more Lu Tingchao listened, the more confused and lost he became. Eventually, he quietly, cautiously, and almost entirely hid behind A Zhi, as if trying to burrow into him.

"What kind of gibberish is this."

Lu Tingchao muttered complaints while jabbing A Zhi in the side. "Translate it for me."

A Zhi: "..."

Head surgeon: "..."

Clearly, the head surgeon understood what Lu Tingchao said.

The next second, the surgeon switched to Mandarin: "The surgery was relatively successful. We've fixed the relevant muscle layers and stent issues. From now on, the patient needs to be especially careful not to overexert himself or engage in strenuous exercise."

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Lu Tingchao's face turned red as he was so embarrassed he could've dug a hole with his toes. Mustering up his courage, he peeked out from behind A Zhi: "Will it affect his lifespan?"

The surgeon seemed particularly broad-minded and didn't seem to mind Lu Tingchao's earlier remark: "As long as he's careful, a normal lifespan is guaranteed."

"That's good, that's good."

Lu Tingchao breathed a sigh of relief and gave a deep bow to the surgeon. "Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean that!"

The head surgeon waved his hand, said a few words in Cantonese to A Zhi, and then left with the other two members of his team.

A little later, another doctor in charge and a few nurses pushed Su Ningyu's hospital bed out of the operating room.

Lu Tingchao couldn't help but peek—

Su Ningyu on the bed still looked pale, but the ventilator showed his heart rate was steady, the kind of soothing heartbeat that brings relief.

Lu Tingchao patted his chest and asked A Zhi: "What else did he say to you just now?"

A Zhi: "Just some small talk. He was my mom's college friend."

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Lu Tingchao lowered his head again and said, "Oh... Should I apologize again?"

A Zhi: "No need."

A Zhi's tone was relaxed and casual: "It's been many years. I've long gotten over it. Besides, with your brain, don't worry about these things."

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Lu Tingchao really wanted to yell at A Zhi some more but held back. Instead, he turned back and asked: "Then what should I think about?"

"Think about what you'll do in the future."

A Zhi was reaching for his cigarette case again. "You have no life skills at all. Either go back to Zhuang Ji or return to Mo Lingnan."

Lu Tingchao: "Can't I just stay in Gangcheng?"

A Zhi: "Gangcheng?"

A Zhi seemed to want to say something but ultimately held back.

"Whatever."

A Zhi turned around and said, "I'm going for a smoke. The surgeon said no visiting until tonight, so don't be foolish and rush in again—you'll get kicked out."

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Lu Tingchao was furious, but he also knew he couldn't beat A Zhi.

After a moment's thought, he made a nasty face at A Zhi's retreating back—

Just as A Zhi turned around to look at him.

Lu Tingchao: "..."

A Zhi paused in surprise, then removed the cigarette from his lips: "You're really childish."

"A word of advice,"

A Zhi said with what sounded like a sigh, "Better not go back to the Fei family ancestral home tonight."

Lu Tingchao asked curiously: "Then where do I sleep?"

"Hotel, bar, nightclub, internet cafe. Wherever you want."

A Zhi said, "But if you really like the Fei family that much, pretend I didn't say it."

*

Su Ningyu's hospital room was indeed inaccessible, and Lu Tingchao knew he couldn't just barge into the ICU.

But he truly didn't know where to go.

He had just arrived here; the supposed-to-be Weijing Manor wasn't fully renovated yet, and going there alone now... he didn't dare.

Lu Tingchao could only sneak over to check Lu Doudou's kindergarten, only to be told that Doudou had already been picked up by Fei Yuncheng.

"Oh... oh."

Lu Tingchao struggled to communicate with the kindergarten staff, taking a while to understand what they were saying. He nodded carefully and stepped back outside.

Just then, Fei Yuncheng called.

The man's voice on the phone was as steady and soft as ever: "A Zhi told me the surgery was successful?"

Lu Tingchao was sitting on the curb.

Cars were coming and going in front of him.

"It's done."

Lu Tingchao nodded earnestly. "Cost a lot."

Fei Yuncheng: "How much did you spend?"

Lu Tingchao: "Tens of thousands of yuan. He didn't have insurance."

"I see."

Fei Yuncheng said, "Why didn't you use the secondary card?"

Lu Tingchao: "Well... I used my own money."

"Mine can be yours too."

Fei Yuncheng seemed to give a low laugh on the other end. "It's fine, I'll pay you back when you're back. Are you still at the hospital? I'll send a driver to pick you up."

Lu Tingchao: "Ah, no need."

Lu Tingchao hesitated for a moment before adding, "...I'm meeting up with a classmate tonight. I'll come back tomorrow."

There was a brief pause on the other end.

Lu Tingchao could faintly hear Fei Yuncheng's even, controlled breathing—

It made Lu Tingchao's heart tighten nervously for some reason.

Just as Lu Tingchao couldn't bear the awkward silence and was about to speak first,

Fei Yuncheng said: "Okay."

Lu Tingchao: "...What?"

"It's good to go have fun. You haven't gotten to relax since coming to Gangcheng. I've already picked up Doudou, and he's asleep now."

Fei Yuncheng's tone was indulgent. "Which classmate? I'll have the driver take you there?"

Lu Tingchao stammered: "College... no, high school classmate."

Lu Tingchao: "No need, I'll just take a taxi myself. It's really close!"

Another moment of silence.

Fei Yuncheng nodded: "Alright, then be careful, Chao Chao. See you tomorrow, okay?"

Lu Tingchao: "Yeah... see, see you tomorrow."

Fei Yuncheng didn't hang up first.

It was Lu Tingchao who hung up quickly, as if the phone was too hot to hold.

He wasn't as good with people as many others, but on his journey of growth, Lu Tingchao possessed a persistence like a stubborn animal.

—Just like the reminder A Zhi had given him.

Lu Tingchao didn't know why A Zhi had said that, but he did what he said anyway—

The result was that he now had no place to be.

"Sigh."

Lu Tingchao sighed heavily, stood up, dusted himself off, took out his phone to find the nearest bar, and caught a cab over.

When he was a teenager, except for sometimes annoying Zhuang Ji at school, Lu Tingchao was pretty much like a typical spoiled rich kid in most situations.

*

What he did most was bar-hopping, showing off on his motorcycle through the streets, only to be dragged home by Old Man Lu.

So when he felt bored now—

Lu Tingchao still thought of going to a bar.

Lu Tingchao was born for a life of glitz and glamour. He was raised in luxury and indulgence, raised to be greedy and lawless, and couldn't handle the slightest bit of hardship.

This bar was pretty famous in Hong Kong.

When Lu Tingchao searched for ratings, he saw many positive reviews and plenty of photos. It seemed to be one of the hottest spots in Hong Kong.

That was good.

Lu Tingchao preferred livelier places.

It was late at night.

The taxi stopped at the entrance of the bar.

Though it was autumn, the weather wasn’t too cold yet. Lu Tingchao took off his jacket and undid the top two buttons of his shirt underneath, showing off smooth skin.

He casually tucked half of his shirt into his pants, making it look uneven, then rolled up his sleeves a bit to expose his slender wrists.

Passing through the hazy lights and bustling crowd,

Lu Tingchao got gasps from those around him as he sat down at the bar.

No matter where he went,

his beauty always made him the center of attention everywhere he went.

The remaining light by the dance floor illuminated Lu Tingchao’s dark, well-defined eyebrows and the starlight sparkling in his eyes. He was like a rose that came alive at midnight, slowly blooming again amidst the decadent and enchanting glow.

Some people are upright, suited for a straight, respectable path forward.

But Lu Tingchao himself had grown up wild, like a tree never properly pruned, or like a piece of the night in a world of extravagance, or even like a toxic fruit of desire.

Before Lu Tingchao could even raise his hand, the bartender leaned in first: "What can I get you, beautiful?"

Lu Tingchao guessed the meaning and extended a finger, giving a charming smile: "Bloody Mary, thanks."

The bartender blew him a kiss and soon brought over the glass: "It's on me."

Lu Tingchao shook his head, taking the drink: "I don't understand."

The bartender: "..."

The bartender laughed too, pulling over a stool to sit across from Lu Tingchao: "It's on me, handsome."

"Oh."

This time Lu Tingchao understood. He was used to people buying him drinks and didn’t refuse. "It's good."

Lu Tingchao drank with a swagger that contrasted sharply with his appearance—free and easy.

He swirled his glass and smiled at the bartender again: "Can I get a B-52?"

The bartender held the glass, then trailed his fingertips down, brushing the back of Lu Tingchao’s hand before gently clasping his wrist: "Not gonna happen."

Lu Tingchao: "?"

The bartender took away Lu Tingchao’s glass and kissed the back of his hand: "Let me make you my specialty, alright?"

Lu Tingchao’s cat-like eyes shone like gems under the bar lights.

He had finished his first drink too fast, and two faint blushes had already spread across his cheeks. When he looked up at someone, he seemed intently focused and innocent.

"You're still paying?" Lu Tingchao asked hopefully.

The bartender had seen thousands of people—even celebrities came here often.

But just that one glance from Lu Tingchao made him feel like his whole body was on fire: "My treat."

Lu Tingchao pulled his hand back, resting his chin in his hand as he looked down: "Then make it ten."

After saying that,

Lu Tingchao lazily looked over, his tone soft and sugary: "I’ll... drink you broke."

"Alright,"

the bartender took a deep breath, "drink up."

Soon, ten shiny glasses were lined up in front of Lu Tingchao.

Each glass had a unique shape, and the colors inside varied, shading from light to dark in a particularly smooth gradient.

A layer of blue flame danced across the surface of each glass, dangerous but vivid.

"Try it,"

the bartender sat back down opposite Lu Tingchao, "this is the famous Rainbow Staircase—known throughout Hong Kong."

Lu Tingchao: "Whoa."

Under the lights, the surface of the drinks shimmered like water, beautiful, dazzling, deep and mysterious.

Lu Tingchao reached out his hand and asked, "Which one should I start with?"

"A beauty’s choice is always right."

The bartender placed a glass of soda water on the other side of Lu Tingchao. "These are strong, don’t drink too fast."

Lu Tingchao shook his head: "Don't worry, I can hold my liquor."

He decided to start with the darkest one.

Though the surface had just been scorched by flames, the liquor still felt slightly cold as it went down.

But only at first.

As he drank more, Lu Tingchao gradually warmed up, as if a burning heat was slowly rising around him, wrapping him in a slowly growing sense of security.

In his daze, Lu Tingchao realized that perhaps only this kind of life—the one most similar to his youth—was what he was meant to live.

He shouldn’t have married Zhuang Ji when he was down and helpless, tying himself down and holding Zhuang Ji back.

He should always be free, never restrained, forever happy.

"It's... it's... really good."

Lu Tingchao spoke haltingly, as if reconfiguring how his tongue worked, then slouched against the bar to look at the bartender and thumbs-upped. "Im... impressive."

The bartender waved a hand in front of Lu Tingchao's face: "Are you drunk?"

"No, no."

Lu Tingchao chugged the last glass. "Chao Chao doesn't get drunk."

The bartender asked: "Your name is Chao Chao?"

Lu Tingchao: "My name is... yes, I'm Chao Chao."

The bartender: "I like that name. Baby Chao Chao, are you here with anyone tonight?"

Lu Tingchao's dazed gaze turned to him, seeming to process the bartender's meaning for a moment before shaking his head: "I can't... can't sleep with anyone anymore."

The weight behind those words was heavy.

The bartender almost immediately asked: "Chao Chao is so impressive, have you slept with many people?"

"No! No!"

Lu Tingchao hurriedly defended himself, holding up two fingers. "Only... only two."

As a child, he was always controlled by Zhuang Ji, and even after growing up, he still got slept by him.

Lu Tingchao looked somewhat dejected, slouched against the bar, appearing innocent and small. "Zhuang Ji always says... you can't just sleep with anyone."

This was something Zhuang Ji had constantly drilled into his head since their youth, and now, in his drunken state, it surfaced reflexively in his words.

However, the bar was noisy, and the bartender couldn't make it out. He leaned in closer: "Who said that?"

Lu Tingchao looked away, as if thinking to himself, then suddenly shook his head vigorously: "No, that's not right."

The bartender: "?"

Lu Tingchao: "I've already dumped him. He's too annoying!"

"I'm free."

Lu Tingchao stood up, swaying while bracing himself against the table. "I want to live my old life again. The people who like me could fill several planets. I want to ride motorcycles, hit up bars, I want..."

Lu Tingchao stumbled, nearly toppling into the bartender's station—

Just a second before the bartender moved to pull Lu Tingchao into his arms.

Another hand reached around from behind Lu Tingchao, sliding around his waist as if having done so countless times before, holding him firmly.

It also caught his restless hands.

The bartender, who had been so close to claiming him, was naturally displeased at being cut off. He coldly glared at the man opposite him—

Only then did he notice that the man was bundled up unusually well.

Literally covered up.

Even though it was nighttime, and especially in a chaotic place like a bar,

the man still seemed afraid of being recognized, with an oversized hood hiding his hair and most of his face, and a mask covering the lower half.

Only his eyes were visible.

Those eyes were narrow and deep, suggesting mixed ancestry, with a faint, steely gray deep within.

And now those eyes turned to look at the bartender.

The chill in them was like the coldest frost of winter, instantly making the bartender's blood run cold.

He looked somewhat familiar, yet the bartender couldn't pin down why.

Just then, Lu Tingchao in the man's arms began to struggle again. He didn't like being half-dragged, half-restrained like this, his slender hands flailing as he squirmed in the man's embrace.

"I want to dance, I want to dance!"

Lu Tingchao slurred, his words tangling, almost incomprehensible, yet he still managed to lurch forward, trying to break free from the man's hold and run toward the dance floor.

Of course, he didn't succeed.

His attempt to escape was quickly suppressed by the man.

As if holding a prized possession he'd reclaimed, the man's demeanor toward Lu Tingchao was unexpectedly soft, almost fond and permissive: "Next time, okay? Be good, you're drunk. Let's go home, alright?"

Lu Tingchao shook his head wildly: "No, no!"

Lu Tingchao began windmilling his limbs again: "I want to go to the dance floor, I want to cop a feel of some hot guy's abs, I want to hook up with a handsome guy..."

The man: "..."

The man ducked down and pressed a masked kiss to Lu Tingchao's lips: "There, kissed. Now be good, okay?"

"No!"

Lu Tingchao froze briefly, but only a moment, before thrashing more violently. "You're too rigid, let me go..."

Seeing this, the bartender, after some thought, couldn't bear to give up just yet: "Sir, you see Chao Chao clearly doesn't want to go with you. Why not hand him over to me—"

"Hand him over to you?"

The man's gaze looked down on him as if regarding a jackal that's already lost the hunt. "Who do you think you are, to even dare say his name?"

The bartender's anger spiked. He stood up abruptly, but as he did, he noticed several figures standing behind the man, looking like bodyguards.

—This was clearly not someone to mess with.

The bartender had seen enough shady types. He clenched his fists but ultimately decided not to cause trouble and walked away.

Meanwhile, Lu Tingchao was still writhing and struggling in the man's arms.

He insisted on heading toward the dance floor, paying no mind to the fact that the man behind him was completely covered up.

Finally,

as Lu Tingchao thrashed about, about to stumble into the dance floor, the man, as if at his wit's end, swatted Lu Tingchao's backside.

Then, as Lu Tingchao went still.

He swept him up into a horizontal carry and went out through the side door of the bar.

Lu Tingchao was speechless.

Even after being tossed into the car, Lu Tingchao was still disoriented. He reached out in disbelief to touch his own backside, and his eyes instantly reddened.

Just then, the man who’d carried him also got into the car from the other side, closing the door. He then grabbed Lu Tingchao’s wrist and yanked off the string of bodhi beads from his slender, pale wrist, hurling it fiercely out the window.

Lu Tingchao curled up in the corner of the back seat. His shoes had been lost at some point during the struggle, leaving only a pair of light gray ankle socks.

"What are you doing?!"

The night breeze outside the bar had finally helped Lu Tingchao clear his head slightly. Through his hazy sight, he watched as the man smacked his backside and threw away his bracelet. Unable to bear it any longer, he kicked the man as hard as he could.

Lu Tingchao felt he had used all his strength.

But the man didn’t make a sound. Instead, he reached out, grabbed Lu Tingchao’s ankle, and just as he had stripped off the bracelet, he peeled off Lu Tingchao’s grayish-white cotton sock as well.

Then.

The man lowered his head and sank his teeth into Lu Tingchao’s delicate, pale toe.

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Lu Tingchao froze in shock.

He remained half-lying, half-crouching, his entire body stiff as a wooden sculpture.

After a long moment, he trembled, his voice watery: "You... you freak!"

"Mhm. I’m a freak."

With one hand gripping Lu Tingchao’s ankle, the man used his other hand to remove his mask, revealing a face adored by millions of fans, placed on a pedestal, and repeatedly voted as one of the most handsome faces.

Having known each other for over a decade and married for seven years,

Lu Tingchao had never seen such a perverted side of Zhuang Ji. His lips trembled in fear: "Zhuang... Zhuang..."

Zhuang Ji’s slender, defined fingers slowly traced the skin of Lu Tingchao’s foot. Then he lowered his head, planting moist kisses that meandered along the arch of his foot.

Finally, as Lu Tingchao flinched back fearfully,

a deep, fierce bite mark, already bruising, was left on Lu Tingchao’s toe.

There was no one else in the car.

With a sudden, urgent movement, Zhuang Ji pinned Lu Tingchao down, meeting his gaze: "But baby, I’ve wanted to do this for a long time."

Lu Tingchao was about to cry from terror.

He had seen Zhuang Ji as an exceptional youth, as a refined gentleman in his younger days, and as an increasingly captivating, almost irresistibly charming figure on his path to becoming a movie emperor.

But never had Zhuang Ji seemed so frightening.

Like a ravenous, half-mad animal finally dragging its dying prey back from the brink, hurrying back to its den to devour it.

"You’re too fragile, Chao Chao."

Zhuang Ji’s throat worked visibly. He lifted Lu Tingchao’s ankle. "Look... I only bit you once, and it’s already swollen."

A tear suddenly rolled down Lu Tingchao’s cheek, tracing the fine line of his jaw.

It didn’t fall onto the leather seat but was caught by Zhuang Ji’s tongue and swallowed.

Lu Tingchao finally started crying helplessly.

He wept uncontrollably, trying to shrink into an even smaller ball in Zhuang Ji’s arms but unable to move, trapped under his weight.

Deep-seated reflexes from childhood made Lu Tingchao instinctively wrap his arms around Zhuang Ji’s waist, like a hostage with Stockholm syndrome clinging to their captor.

Lu Tingchao’s tearful voice was soft, fine, and sweet—a fragrance Zhuang Ji wished he could sear into his very bones.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry, waa... don’t bite me..."

Lu Tingchao buried his entire face in Zhuang Ji’s chest, his voice muffled. Whether from tears or something else, a patch of fabric on Zhuang Ji’s shoulder grew damp.

Only then did Zhuang Ji embrace him back.

His kisses moved down from the top of Lu Tingchao’s head, over his ears, cheek, forehead, the tip of his nose, and finally settled on his lips.

Zhuang Ji’s presence was both unfamiliar and familiar, something Lu Tingchao couldn’t escape.

Tears continued to fall from Lu Tingchao’s eyes, but he had no escape, no refuge. He didn’t know if Zhuang Ji’s embrace was safe, but the car door was closed.

Zhuang Ji’s arms were closed around him too.

Zhuang Ji whispered, "Chao Chao didn’t do anything wrong. It’s my fault."

Lu Tingchao opened his mouth but said nothing, letting out a small, sobbing hiccup.

Zhuang Ji rubbed Lu Tingchao’s back, gently soothing him again and again, his tone tender and affectionate: "I wanted to return the Lu family to Chao Chao, which is why I staged those rumors with Jiang Rong."

Lu Tingchao’s face flushed from Zhuang Ji’s kisses. His tear-filled eyes opened to look at Zhuang Ji, but he didn’t know what to say.

His moment of clarity brought by the night breeze slowly faded as the heat inside the car intensified.

Belatedly, the rising warmth seemed not just from the alcohol but something unfamiliar, aggressive, and inexplicable—a scorching heat that set his bones tingling.

The confusion and drowsiness in Lu Tingchao’s eyes, like a smoldering ember, gradually reignited, filling his beautiful eyes.

"Lu Tingchao, you said you’d only love me, right?"

Zhuang Ji’s fingers undid the top two buttons of Lu Tingchao’s shirt, resting over his heartbeat.

Lu Tingchao looked at Zhuang Ji in a daze. Only when asked a second time did he slowly nod: "Mhm."

Zhuang Ji: "Chao Chao has already given me a baby. Chao Chao must love me very much, right?"

Lu Tingchao blinked: "...Mhm."

Zhuang Ji’s voice was almost coaxing: "Then does Chao Chao love me now?"

The car windows were closed, parked in an unknown alley.

The rising heat had completely clouded Lu Tingchao’s thoughts.

He had drunk too much too fast—high-proof and varied—and the rush of drunkenness was overwhelming.

But Lu Tingchao had drunk many, many kinds of alcohol.

Nothing had ever made him feel this awful... so awful that it felt like he had to find someone, hold onto someone, to feel better.

Lu Tingchao was pinned into the corner of the back seat, looking at Zhuang Ji, unable to resist biting his lip without a word.

And Zhuang Ji dipped his head with unbearable gentleness, kissed Lu Tingchao’s mouth corner again—it was the kind of kiss Lu Tingchao used to love the most, clingy and sweet.

Zhuang Ji asked once more, “So does Chao Chao still like Zhuang Ji gege?”

“Not any more.”

This time, Lu Tingchao finally answered Zhuang Ji’s question.

Amid the dizziness and strange heat brought on by the alcohol, Lu Tingchao briefly regained a shred of his own resolve—though it didn't feel entirely firm.

Because Lu Tingchao, very carefully, barely noticeably, rubbed himself against Zhuang Ji.

The suddenly silent car seemed to produce a strange echo in that moment, so the words “not any more” swirled endlessly inside the vehicle, shooting through Zhuang Ji like flying blades, leaving him bleeding.

Fortunately, during the time Lu Tingchao had been away, Zhuang Ji had gotten used to the hurt.

Zhuang Ji didn’t seem to notice Lu Tingchao’s little act of mischief.

He didn’t even change his tone in the slightest, instead kissing the corner of Lu Tingchao’s mouth again: “What does Chao Chao like?”

Lu Tingchao’s agony became increasingly unbearable; he couldn’t help but want to lean into Zhuang Ji, yet he also wanted to clench his teeth and hold back.

Lu Tingchao averted his gaze, his voice turned husky, unlike usual, yet all the more enticing: “...Chao Chao likes money.”

Zhuang Ji laced his fingers through Lu Tingchao’s, pressing their clasped hands against the car window: “Mhm, Zhuang Ji gege has money.”

Zhuang Ji asked, “What else does Chao Chao like?”

Lu Tingchao was going mad from the heat.

He had never been one who could handle torture, and teetering on the edge of breakdown, he could barely hold on before caving.

Lu Tingchao wouldn't look at Zhuang Ji, but he secretly tried to press himself against him, as if that would make him feel better, even just a little more comfortable.

Zhuang Ji’s breath brushed his ear, still asking: “What else does Chao Chao like?”

Lu Tingchao finally snapped.

He shoved at Zhuang Ji hard, as if using every last bit of his strength to break away, his voice completely hoarse: “Move, move over...”

There was no way Zhuang Ji would let Lu Tingchao run.

He easily hooked an arm around Lu Tingchao’s waist, pulling that slender frame flush against himself.

In an instant.

Zhuang Ji even caught the faintest glimpse of something like resignation in Lu Tingchao’s eyes.

“Weren't you having fun grinding against me, Chao Chao?”

Zhuang Ji lowered his head to kiss Lu Tingchao; this time, it wasn't pushed away, and there was no escaping. “Why run now?”

The increasingly thin air in the car made Lu Tingchao’s whole body take on a languid, rosy flush.

He truly felt too hot, too hot, and reached out blindly for the switch for the rear car window.

But he was caught and pulled back midway.

Zhuang Ji coaxed, “No, Chao Chao, you're sweaty, you'll catch a chill.”

Lu Tingchao was unbearably hot, and Zhuang Ji wasn't making a move.

He felt like a fish on a grill, while the diner just wouldn't dig in.

Lu Tingchao was going insane.

He struggled in Zhuang Ji’s arms for a while, tears rolling down his cheeks: “Zhuang Ji, you’re a pervert, you’re disgusting, you're shameless... I want out, let me out...”

The fish on the cutting board, trapped and unable to move.

The diner asked, “Then where does Chao Chao think he's going?”

The fish thrashed: “I’ll go find Fei Xiuqi, find Mo Lingnan, find A Zhi...”

The diner showed an almost cruel smile: “Chao Chao, what to do? They’re not here.”

The fish stared blankly for a beat, then said, “Then I'll find Fei Yuncheng, find Daddy...”

Zhuang Ji’s expression shifted instantly.

An uncontrollable gloom swept across his well-defined profile, the storm in his eyes seeming to brew in an instant, unable to be calmed.

Zhuang Ji instinctively glanced at the storage compartment where he kept his medication—inside were various drugs prescribed by his psychiatrist, which he was required to take on schedule as directed.

—“The initial symptoms shouldn’t be too severe; you’re a typical case of progressive worsening. The stronger your fixation, the more severe the condition.”

—“The more you want to possess him completely, the harder it becomes because he is a person in society and cannot belong entirely to you.”

—“Once your balance is lost, your thoughts spiral out of control. You need to free yourself, perhaps let go of this obsession.”

Obsession.

Zhuang Ji’s bloodshot eyes fixed unblinkingly on Lu Tingchao before him.

After a long moment.

Zhuang Ji seemed to finally regain a sliver of clarity. He reached out, helped Lu Tingchao grasp it, and successfully saw the person in his arms part his lips slightly.

As if in a moment of pleasure.

Zhuang Ji maintained a slow, unhurried pace, then lowered his head to kiss Lu Tingchao’s temple: “Daddy. Chao Chao, do you know what Daddy means?”

Lu Tingchao squirmed a few times, seeming impatient, his reddened eyes opening: “It means someone who helps me, Daddy.”

Zhuang Ji didn’t speak.

He was still slow, so slow that Lu Tingchao couldn’t help but want to take matters into his own hands. Only then did Zhuang Ji reach out and grasp Lu Tingchao’s wrist: “Would Daddy sleep with you, Chao Chao?”

Lu Tingchao was flushed with urgency, even instinctively grabbing Zhuang Ji’s hand: “Hurry...”

But Zhuang Ji refused to move: “Would Daddy touch you like I do?”

Lu Tingchao, his wrist held by Zhuang Ji, couldn’t move, and Zhuang Ji wasn’t moving either. He was burning up, going mad: “No... no...”

“But Fei Yuncheng would.”

Zhuang Ji leaned close to Lu Tingchao's ear, pausing for a long moment. "Lu Tingchao, he'll be even rougher with you than I am. He'll get you hooked. From then on, you'll either be in his bed or at his card table, with no daylight in sight."

Each frigid word seeped into Lu Tingchao's ear along with the warm breath.

It seared him, making Lu Tingchao tremble all over.

The burning sensation left him slow to react; it took him a long while to regain his senses. Trembling, he finally managed to respond, "No... that won't happen. You're lying!"

"You can go ask him yourself, baby."

Zhuang Ji fiercely kissed Lu Tingchao's shoulder, then straightened up and let out a soft laugh.

Lu Tingchao was flushed all over, having been left hanging and struggling in the throes of interruption.

Yet Zhuang Ji remained fully dressed. "I'll give you a chance now."

Zhuang Ji reached out and gently pinched the tip of Lu Tingchao's ear. "Choose: me or him, Chao Chao."

Zhuang Ji seemed to have cracked the car window open.

*

Lu Tingchao caught a whiff of perfume from passersby in the night breeze, followed by the low voices of occasional passersby—sometimes distant, sometimes near, as if right beside the car. One glance would expose him in such a state inside the vehicle.

Yet, in that moment, Zhuang Ji seemed unusually generous. He even tugged at his collar, speaking like a true gentleman: "If you're unwilling, I can send a car to take you back—back to your Daddy."

The night breeze seemed to only half-clear Lu Tingchao's head. He instinctively looked down at himself, lips quivering.

Zhuang Ji asked, "Have you decided?"

Lu Tingchao could barely make out the meaning of Zhuang Ji's words, but he roughly understood that if he wanted to leave, Zhuang Ji would let him get out of the car...

But how could he get out in this state?

Lu Tingchao shook his head.

Zhuang Ji leaned in closer. "What does shaking your head mean?"

Lu Tingchao, cowed by Zhuang Ji's gaze, tried to lean back but had nowhere to escape. "No... I'm not getting out..."

"Oh."

Zhuang Ji nodded in understanding. "If you don't get out, you'll have to be slept with by your husband. Does Chao Chao understand?"

Lu Tingchao bit his lip again, cautiously reaching out to clutch at Zhuang Ji's clothes. "Y-yes, I understand..."

Zhuang Ji: "Good."

With just one arm, Zhuang Ji hauled Lu Tingchao into his lap.

He kissed Lu Tingchao's lips, then reached out to gently and soothingly caress him. "Then, baby, say after your husband: 'Chao Chao is willing to be slept with by his husband.'"

The indescribable heat was entirely under Zhuang Ji's control.

Lu Tingchao, feeling utterly trapped, felt his eyes welling up. "Chao Chao... Chao Chao is willing to be slept with by his husband..."

"Chao Chao is so good."

Zhuang Ji's eyes were already blazing with desire, like a longing that could not wait another second.

He abruptly lowered his head like a predatory animal, planting kiss after kiss on Lu Tingchao's slender, soft neck. Then, like a demon back on earth, he crushed in an embrace the sacrifice that belonged solely to him.

This was his every longing.

So even in death, the demon would never let go.

If not for the body aches and sore back after waking up, Lu Tingchao felt he had actually slept quite well.

Zhuang Ji's technique had always been good, and it seemed to have improved even more during this time...

As Zhuang Ji went to the outer room to check with staff about breakfast, Lu Tingchao leaned against the bed in a daze, mulling this over numbly.

*

The phone, tossed aside on the bedside table the night before, vibrated—a rare event.

Since arriving in Hong Kong, very few people had called this number.

Lu Tingchao was dazed for a moment before leaning over to check the caller ID—it was actually Chi Cheng.

Aside from occasionally chatting and gossiping with Chi Xiaoguo, Lu Tingchao hadn't received a call from his manager in a long time.

But life aside, work had to go on. After all, as a completely obscure, run-of-the-mill artist, Lu Tingchao was doing well to get two days of work a month.

Zhuang Ji, on the other hand, was different.

He worked 31 days a month because there were only 31 days at most in a month.

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Sigh.

So unfair.

Lu Tingchao answered, irritated. "Brother Chi, is there work?!"

"What work?!"

Chi Cheng sounded like he was about to jump out of his skin. "You were photographed last night at a Hong Kong nightclub, getting handsy with some stranger, and it's all over the headlines! Didn't you know?!"

Lu Tingchao: "...Huh?"

Lu Tingchao was stunned.

Chi Cheng: "What do you mean, 'huh'? Where were you last night?! Are you even in Hong Kong right now?!"

Lu Tingchao: "Uh..."

Having managed Lu Tingchao for so many years, Chi Cheng could decipher his meaning from a single syllable. His scalp prickled with dread. "When did you go to Hong Kong?!"

Lu Tingchao: "A few days ago..."

Chi Cheng: "Then you definitely weren't at a nightclub last night, right? You were at home, weren't you?!"

Lu Tingchao: "Uh..."

Chi Cheng: "..."

Chi Cheng's heart sank, colder than the lake water in late October.

"Never mind, just check the headlines yourself. I’ll send you screenshots."

After a brief moment of collecting himself, Chi Cheng reluctantly regained his professionalism as an agent and sent over a few images. "You weren’t very popular before, but lately, your CP with Fei Xiuqi has been gaining a lot of momentum. Plus, neither of you has had any new work recently, so everyone’s been waiting for news from you two."

Chi Cheng: "And then you go and drop this bombshell?! Lu Tingchao!! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

Lu Tingchao: "...I..."

Chi Cheng: "I can see a bartender in the photo—that’s easy to explain. Just say you were drunk and he was helping you. But who’s the other person?"

Lu Tingchao: "Just..."

Chi Cheng: "Even though you and Zhuang Ji are divorced, you can’t just pick up random people! Who knows if they’re clean?!"

Lu Tingchao: "Right, right..."

Chi Cheng: "You didn’t sleep with them, did you?"

Lu Tingchao: "...Ah."

Just then, the bedroom door creaked.

Zhuang Ji entered with a breakfast tray: "Baby, I—"

Lu Tingchao quickly gestured for him to shut up.

Luckily, Chi Cheng didn’t seem to notice the noise on this end.

After a moment, Chi Cheng quickly came up with a plan: "We need to get to the root of this. Since it’s only a side-profile photo, here’s what we’ll do: send me a few photos of your room. I’ll post them from a Beicheng IP and say you’ve been in Beicheng the whole time, never went to Hong Kong. By the way, you bought your flight ticket with your passport, right? That way, fans won’t be able to trace it."

Lu Tingchao thought about it—even a private jet probably wouldn’t leave a trace—and nodded reassuringly: "Mhmm."

"Alright then."

Chi Cheng was always decisive. "Take the photos right now and send them to me. I’ll handle the post."

Lu Tingchao nodded obediently: "Okay."

The call ended.

Zhuang Ji finally walked over with the tray and sat down by Lu Tingchao’s bedside.

He seemed to have just taken a shower, wearing only a towel around his waist, revealing well-defined abs and the scattered bruises and scratches left by Lu Tingchao’s nails the night before.

Zhuang Ji asked: "Chi Cheng?"

"Mhmm..."

Lu Tingchao, still groggy from just waking up, responded slowly after a moment: "Brother Chi said I made it to the hot search list last night and we need to deal with it. He asked me to take a few photos of where I am now so he can post them."

Zhuang Ji nodded: "I saw the news."

Zhuang Ji: "Should I have the hot search taken down?"

Lu Tingchao shook his head: "Brother Chi probably has it under control. I’ll just send him the photos... I’ve never taken photos like this before. Let me see..."

"I’ll do it."

Zhuang Ji took Lu Tingchao’s phone. "He probably just needs pictures that prove you weren’t out. We just need to find an angle that makes it clear."

Lu Tingchao: "Oh, okay."

Zhuang Ji was undoubtedly more experienced in this area, so Lu Tingchao didn’t argue further.

Once Zhuang Ji took the photos, Lu Tingchao quickly sent them to Chi Cheng, adding a cute emoji: "Thanks, Brother Chi."

"Where should we go later?"

Zhuang Ji helped Lu Tingchao put on his socks and fastened the top button of his pajamas. "I only have a small job this afternoon. If you’re tired of Hong Kong, how about we go to the Ryukyu Islands in a couple of days?"

Lu Tingchao shook his head, reverting to the well-behaved demeanor he had during the early days of their relationship: "No, I need to go see Doudou. He has kindergarten today."

Zhuang Ji quickly said: "Then I’ll go with you."

"No need."

Lu Tingchao broke free from Zhuang Ji’s embrace. He smoothly put on his jacket and didn’t touch the breakfast Zhuang Ji had brought over. "When Doudou registered for residency in Hong Kong, your name wasn’t on it. He has nothing to do with you. No need to trouble yourself."

Zhuang Ji seemed stunned.

He stood there, watching as Lu Tingchao moved away from him, dressed himself, and prepared to leave.

Just as Lu Tingchao reached for the door handle, Zhuang Ji grabbed his arm: "What do you mean?"

Lu Tingchao was pulled back and forced to face Zhuang Ji. He looked up, slightly confused: "...Huh?"

That innocent expression, almost casual, pierced Zhuang Ji’s heart like a knife once again.

"I’m asking... Lu Tingchao, what do you mean?"

Zhuang Ji said softly.

Lu Tingchao still didn’t understand: "What... what do you mean?"

Zhuang Ji: "We slept together! Lu Tingchao!"

"Oh..."

This time, Lu Tingchao understood. He curved his lips into a smile: "But that doesn’t matter. We’ve slept together plenty of times before."

Zhuang Ji: "..."

Zhuang Ji’s expression turned deathly pale.

The joy and excitement of the morning seemed to drain from his very bones, taking with it all his support and motivation.

Zhuang Ji’s voice was even broken, each word seeming to carry blood: "So what?"

"So let’s not be responsible for each other."

Lu Tingchao clapped his hands cheerfully, thinking he’d come up with a brilliant idea. "Just like how you always bothered me with Jiang Rong when we were married. Now we’re free—you can see other people, and don’t bother with me either. Okay?"