DREB CHAPTER 100

After staying in City A for half a month, Li Yan planned to return to Wujingwan Town on a sunny day.

He said he needed to bring over his belongings. Lu Lianning didn’t think there was much to pack from Li Yan’s place, but he went along with it and drove him back.

When they arrived at Wujingwan Town, Li Yan opened the door and began packing his old clothes from the wardrobe. Looking at the garden brimming with big, crisp white cabbages, he felt it would be a pity to leave them behind.

Holding his clothes, he glanced at the cabbages and then at Lu Lianning.

Seeing his expression, Lu Lianning said, “If you want to take them, go ahead. It’s not like there’s no room.”

He walked over, rolled up his sleeves, and went inside Li Yan’s house to find some tools.

The two of them crouched in Li Yan’s garden, huffing and puffing as they pulled all the cabbages out of the ground.

When Li Yan started loading the cabbages into the Bentley, his expression grew serious, as if he were handling a noble cabbage.

The muddy cabbages left dirt all over the car’s interior, and Li Yan looked embarrassed when he noticed.

But Lu Lianning didn’t mind. He simply arranged the cabbages more neatly inside the car. Seeing Li Yan’s uncomfortable expression, he paused, then pursed his lips, realizing what was bothering him. “Last time, I was drunk and didn’t mean to kick your vegetables. If you still want to grow some, you can use the garden at home.”

Clearly, he had misinterpreted Li Yan’s look. Li Yan agreed in a low voice.

The two got into the car, with Li Yan sitting in the passenger seat.

As they drove away, Li Yan couldn’t help but look back through the window for one last glance. Seeing him like this, Lu Lianning began saying something he didn’t quite mean, “If you ever want to come back for a visit, I’ll come with you anytime. We can stay for a few days, or however long you’d like.”

Even as he spoke, he was already planning to order some seeds to be delivered that very night. He wanted Li Yan to have his own vegetable garden at home, as a way of keeping Li Yan’s heart close.

He had just ended the long-distance phase of their relationship, so of course, he wanted Li Yan to stay nearby.

Li Yan, hearing this, clearly appreciated it. His face softened, and a slight smile appeared. He felt that Lu Lianning had changed in some ways.

Meeting Li Yan’s gaze, Lu Lianning tilted his chin up slightly, and at the next red light, he quickly placed an order for the seeds. Then he said to Li Yan, “I understand—after all, this is where you grew up.”

When Lu Zerui graduated from kindergarten, they celebrated his sixth birthday with a party. Qi Zhen came to the house, arriving a bit late and holding a neatly wrapped gift box.

Upstairs, Lu Zerui and his friends of the same age were running around the playroom, shooting toy guns at each other in a game of chase.

Li Yan was bent over the coffee table in the living room, slicing cake.

Qi Zhen entered without making a sound. The house was noisy, so Li Yan didn’t notice him until a pair of black leather shoes appeared in his field of vision. Only then did he slowly look up.

Li Yan had never had a particularly good impression of Qi Zhen, but seeing him arrive with a gift, he held back from saying anything; after all, Qi Zhen was Lu Lianning’s childhood friend.

Even though this “friend” clearly harbored impure thoughts and repeatedly overstepped boundaries with Lu Lianning, he still managed to maintain a steady place in Lu Lianning’s world.

This was uncharacteristic of Lu Lianning, whose nature wasn’t particularly magnanimous or tolerant. He was quick to resent interference in his personal affairs.

Li Yan lowered his gaze slightly, recalling the wrap party years ago for Shattered Window, a film that held great significance for Lu Lianning and into which he had poured immense effort. Li Yan remembered how, to welcome Qi Zhen back, Lu Lianning had skipped the event entirely.

“Hey, Li Yan!” Qi Zhen’s eyes crinkled as he smiled warmly, greeting him as if they were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years.

Li Yan responded with a soft, “Mm.”

Qi Zhen set the gift down and looked at Li Yan, asking, “Where’s Ah Ning?”

Ah Ning?

Li Yan raised his head slightly and replied expressionlessly, “I don’t know.”

Qi Zhen seemed amused by Li Yan’s expression. He leaned in close, so close that their breaths brushed against each other’s faces, and spoke in a tone dripping with feigned hurt, “Ah, why look at me like that? Do you despise seeing me?”

Li Yan didn’t move.

Qi Zhen continued, “Don’t tell me you’ve hated me since the very first time you saw me.” Straightening up, he put some distance between them, the corner of his mouth curving into a smile devoid of any warmth. “It’s strange, though. No matter how much you lie or play hard to get—running off to Wujingwan Town so Ah Ning would come looking for you—you’re still the purest person in his eyes.”

He gave a slow clap, his smile broadening. “Impressive tactics.”

“I didn’t do that,” Li Yan replied calmly, meeting his gaze.

“You didn’t? Do you think you deserve it? Or do you feel wronged—like Lu Lianning should atone for his sins, begging for your forgiveness because he hurt you back then?” Qi Zhen tilted his head, as though truly perplexed. “But Chen Yu got sick and couldn’t afford treatment, so giving up was only natural. Yet you wouldn’t accept his fate. You pulled Lu Lianning into it with your ulterior motives, and later still refused to face your own fate.”

“What gives you the right? You started all this, yet you want to blame others even more?” There was a strange sincerity in Qi Zhen’s expression, as though he were genuinely baffled.

Li Yan looked at the man in front of him, wondering why he continually reappeared in Lu Lianning’s life. In truth, their values aligned in many ways. They had called Li Yan greedy for risking his life to save the ailing Chen Yu, and back then, Lu Lianning had mocked him countless times for being foolish.

Lu Lianning was good at playing the victim, and this old friend of his clearly understood that.

Qi Zhen might even encourage Lu Lianning to indulge himself fully, letting him be as uninhibited as possible. Yet, from beginning to end, Qi Zhen was always Lu Lianning’s staunchest protector, ensuring his interests were preserved in every way.

He couldn’t bear to see Lu Lianning lose.

Qi Zhen was the kind of person who would eagerly sharpen a knife if Lu Lianning wanted to kill someone but would say, “What a shame,” and break the blade if Lu Lianning suddenly decided to let it go.

Qi Zhen likely had no better option, which was why he confronted Li Yan so directly.

Perhaps Lu Lianning’s obvious care for Li Yan had left him with no room for his usual tricks. He knew exactly where Lu Lianning’s boundaries lay and would push just close enough to provoke without ever truly crossing the line.

“Do you know what it’s like for an Alpha with damaged glands sitting at the negotiation table?” Qi Zhen asked, his eyes fixed on Li Yan, noticing that his words hadn’t stirred any emotion.

Li Yan finally reacted, his lips tightening as he looked directly at Qi Zhen. He asked quietly, “What happens…”

“What are you two doing?”

Lu Lianning appeared at the top of the staircase, his voice cutting through the unpleasant conversation. He frowned, noticing how close they were standing. Descending swiftly, he pulled Li Yan back a step before turning to Qi Zhen. “Who invited you here?”

“Ah Ning, those words hurt me.” Qi Zhen put on a cheeky smile again, as though he hadn’t just been pressing Li Yan mercilessly, trying to provoke him. He held up the gift box and waved it. “It’s a present for my nephew.”

Before Qi Zhen could even lower his hand, Lu Lianning grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the door, clearly displeased by his proximity to Li Yan.

“Oh, come on, why are you so stingy? We just had a little chat to say hello.” Qi Zhen twisted his body as Lu Lianning dragged him outside.

Lu Lianning’s expression was dark. “What are you really here for?”

“To celebrate my nephew’s birthday!” Qi Zhen laughed.

“There’s another banquet later. This afternoon was just for Lu Zerui’s little playmates. Why are you trying to join the fun?”

“Fine, I just wanted to chat with Li Yan. I was worried that if he didn’t want to attend the banquet later because of the crowd… where would I find him? Hmm—”

Qi Zhen’s sentence was cut short as Lu Lianning yanked open the car door and shoved him inside. “Safe trip! No need for goodbyes!”

He then called out loudly, “Butler! Don’t let this person’s car enter from now on!”

That evening, Lu Lianning drank quite a bit at the banquet.

He seemed to be in an unusually good mood. When they returned home, he held Li Yan in his arms, calling his name repeatedly, kissing him over and over as if he couldn’t get enough. Each time they parted even a little, he smiled.

He was the picture of drunkenness.

Lately, Lu Lianning had been overly cautious around Li Yan, afraid that any action might trigger his trauma. He was always extremely patient. But perhaps due to the alcohol that night, his actions were less restrained.

Li Yan kissed him back with rough intensity and softly called his name, the entire bedroom filled with the altered scent of citrus.

It felt as though Li Yan’s mouth and nose were covered, making it hard to breathe.

Hearing Li Yan call his name, Lu Lianning seemed to regain some of his senses. He pulled Li Yan into a tender embrace, kissed him gently, stroked his back, and comforted him in a soft voice, murmuring his name before holding him even tighter.

Suddenly, he said, “From now on… when you see Qi Zhen, just ignore him.” Burying his face in the crook of Li Yan’s neck, he rubbed against it a few times, ensuring it was covered with his own scent, and added disdainfully, “He’s always so envious.” His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he could see through all of Qi Zhen’s schemes.

At that moment, Li Yan wrapped his arms around Lu Lianning’s neck and leaned closer. “I want to see.”

His warm breath brushed against the glands at the back of Lu Lianning’s neck.

Lu Lianning was extremely reluctant to show any scars in front of Li Yan, but with Li Yan in his arms, holding him close and making such a request with such intimacy, it was difficult to refuse.

“Alright,” Lu Lianning said, lowering his head slightly to let Li Yan see.

Under the dim glow of the tasseled nightlight, a deep scar stretched across Lu Lianning’s fair skin, spanning the entirety of his glands. It was hard to imagine the kind of force or resolve it took to cause such destruction.

“Have you seen enough?” Lu Lianning started to feel uneasy.

As soon as he spoke, a tear slid down Li Yan’s face, landing directly on the glands.

The sensitive Alpha glands reacted as if scalded by the warmth of the tear. Lu Lianning’s breath hitched for a moment before becoming heavier, his whole being seeming to ignite. Yet Li Yan continued to hold his neck, staring at the scar.

Another warm tear followed, splashing onto the glands.

Lu Lianning closed his eyes and said hoarsely, “Li Yan, please, spare me.”

Whether Li Yan spared him or not, no one could say. What was certain was that the next day, Li Yan, who had promised to take Lu Zerui to school, was unable to get out of bed.

Lu Zerui stood at their bedroom door and had barely knocked when his father, with a dark expression, carried him away and handed him over to the butler.