Chapter 41
Lu Zhiyue made a big move this time.
When he found out that photos of Chi Suinian had sparked a small-scale frenzy online, he immediately arranged for Jiang Ying to delete the posts.
However, after several phone calls, he only managed to control a few large marketing accounts and temporarily restricted the widespread reposting. But the more he tried to suppress it, the harder it was to silence the netizens in their excited uproar.
The photos of Chi Suinian quickly spread and fermented among a bunch of onlookers with too much free time.
There was no way to delete them all.
[Nice, another deleted post. This is definitely some rich young master.]
[Young master +1. I can totally imagine some wealthy guy not wanting to show his face.]
[With a face this handsome, how could a pervert like me not have seen him before? I won’t accept it!]
[I want all his info in three minutes!]
[I’ve got urgent business in Jincheng, won’t be online these next two days.]
[Let me introduce—this is my cheese-flavored online husband I’ve never even met before!]
…
The flood of online comments overwhelmed Lu Zhiyue. He even looked up the “cheese” meme, and after reading about it, his face turned green.
The old posts couldn’t all be taken down, and new ones kept popping up like mushrooms. After a whole day of struggle, instead of cooling the hype, things only got more out of hand.
The comments about Chi Suinian were getting increasingly “explicit.”
Lu Zhiyue was getting desperate. In his panic, he called Xu Lingtao for advice.
Xu Lingtao was stunned: “I’m freaking speechless! Are you trying to debut Young Master Chi or what? If this keeps going, he’ll land a center spot out of nowhere!”
“I didn’t mean to hype him up—it’s just that some of the comments are so filthy I can’t stand it.”
“What’s the big deal? Netizens are just bored and talking crap online. What, you think they’re gonna show up at your house and snatch him?”
Xu Lingtao sounded exhausted. “What you should be worried about now is how to explain this to Young Master Chi. If he finds out you basically launched his career online, do you think you’ll be able to sleep tonight?”
“……”
Lu Zhiyue looked like he had a migraine.
Xu Lingtao thought his buddy had taken a nosedive in IQ ever since meeting Chi Suinian. They weren’t even dating yet and he already acted like a lovestruck fool. If they ever actually got married, he’d probably turn into a total idiot.
“You know what…” Xu Lingtao said recklessly, “Don’t you have Weibo? Just post a clarifying message. That way, everyone will know Chi Suinian is yours.”
Xu Lingtao was talking nonsense, but Lu Zhiyue thought it was a good idea.
After hanging up, he immediately had Jiang Ying fetch the PR department for the account login. He tried picking a few photos to post, but after sorting through them, he found all of them looked good—he couldn’t choose. So he just uploaded a full nine-photo collage.
The caption was simple. To make it more eye-catching, he even tagged “Zhizhi Still Swooning Today.”
From that moment on, the hype exploded. Chi Suinian, without even knowing it, had successfully debuted.
“Is that Chi Suinian in the photo?”
“And Lu Zhiyue.”
“Holy crap, are those two dating?”
“No wait, I heard they’re already married. They just haven’t held a ceremony yet.”
“They’re so lovey-dovey. This isn’t just couple content—it’s full-on couple slaughter!”
“I always thought Lu Zhiyue was naturally cold and indifferent, but wow, didn’t expect him to smile like that while leading someone’s horse.”
“Haha, Lin Zhi just thought Chi Suinian could be flirted with. Now look—he’s already taken. Does he still dare try to cuck Lu Zhiyue?”
At that moment, Lin Zhi really wished he could disappear.
An hour ago, he’d already seen the photos online. The person in them was refined and gorgeous, full of pride, with even his frowns and glares exuding charm.
When he saw Chi Suinian in person, he thought it was a rare opportunity and tried to take advantage of him with a little game punishment. He didn’t actually think he’d seduce him into a romantic affair.
Who could’ve guessed the random guy he tried to flirt with in a bar already belonged to someone—and not just anyone, but Lu Zhiyue.
Talk about bad luck.
Just last month, Lin Zhi had signed a cooperation deal with the Lu Corporation. If this got out, it would look terrible. He wiped the inappropriate expression off his face and offered an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I was just joking…”
Tang Jin sneered beside him. “We’ve all been out partying before. That excuse is pure BS. If offending someone could be solved with one ‘just kidding,’ that’d be way too easy.”
Lin Zhi frowned. “Then what do you want?”
“It’s not about what I want,” Tang Jin said. “You pissed someone off—you figure out how to make it right. Let it be a lesson.”
Chi Suinian had been quietly staring at his phone this whole time, completely absorbed in those nine photos, not hearing a word anyone else said.
Lin Zhi thought he was still angry, so he cleared his throat. “Well, I’ll drink three shots as an apology. Hope you forgive me.”
Chi Suinian kept scrolling.
He already knew that girl’s photography style was weird, but he hadn’t expected the retouched versions to be even stranger. Several shots even faked kiss angles.
…And in the photos, he himself was squinting with an expression of utter enjoyment.
For some reason, looking at those photos made him feel more embarrassed than angry. His whole body felt hot, and his heart thumped like crazy—more anxious than when he’d been in a car crash.
“……”
Damn it.
Chi Suinian abruptly stood up, bumping into Lin Zhi and making him stumble, spilling half his drink. “Cough, cough—what are you doing?”
Chi Suinian pressed his lips into a line and walked out. “You guys go ahead. I’m leaving.”
Today, he was going to personally show Lu Zhiyue why flowers bloom red!
“Hey, wait up!” Tang Jin hurriedly followed.
“Bro!” Chi Yu pushed through the crowd to catch up. “You’re already leaving?”
“Yeah.”
Chi Yu saw his expression and assumed he was still mad about that nonsense Ding Yuxing had said. He quickly added, “Don’t worry, bro—I’ll get back at him for you. I’ll get some guys to wait outside his place in a few days, throw a sack over him, drag him into an alley, and beat him until he doesn’t dare come near you again!”
Chi Suinian replied, “You want to get arrested again?”
Chi Yu’s face went pale. He shook his head rapidly.
“Stay put and don’t do anything stupid. I’ll handle it.”
“Okay. Well, safe trip, bro. I’ll come see you at Lu’s place in a few days.”
Chi Suinian didn’t reply. He wasn’t even sure if he’d still be staying at the Lu household by then.
After leaving the bar, a gust of cold evening wind greeted him.
“Leaving already, Mr. Chi?” the valet asked, stepping forward. “I’ll bring your car around right away.”
“Mm.”
Tang Jin walked out more slowly, and by the time he stepped outside, Chi Suinian had already driven off. Only a faint trail of exhaust lingered in the air.
“Damn, that was fast!” Tang Jin stared after the receding taillights in shock.
Lu Zhiyue was doomed.
“Mr. Tang,” the valet stopped a taxi and said, “Mr. Chi asked me to get a car for you. He said your leg’s still healing and made sure we got you home safely.”
Tang Jin snapped out of it. “Thanks.”
“Have a good night, sir.”
Chi Suinian drove straight to the Lu Corporation building. His chest was filled with rage—if he didn’t let it out, he might explode.
Today, no matter what Lu Zhiyue said, he wasn’t getting away without a beating.
Chi planned to beat him right there at Lu Corp—make him lose face just like he had, turn him into the next trending celebrity and hot gossip topic.
Let’s see if that bastard could still smile after that.
At the thought, Chi Suinian honked his horn.
What kind of damn intersection was this? Why was it so jammed?
He looked around and realized he’d taken a shortcut to save time—down a one-way street. Something must’ve happened up ahead. Dozens of cars were gridlocked in the narrow lane.
Chi Suinian clicked his tongue in frustration.
He just wanted to beat someone up. Why was fate throwing so many obstacles in his way?
He couldn’t move an inch. So he turned off the engine and stared out the window in boredom.
After a while, he realized the street looked familiar.
A few seconds later, he remembered—this was the small road beside Jincheng High School.
He didn’t feel much nostalgia for the school itself, but he still remembered someone who lived nearby.
Half an hour later, he found a temporary parking spot, locked the car, and followed his memory to a small corner shop on the street.
Unlike the noisy internet café he remembered, this was a quiet, almost deserted barbecue joint.
Chi Suinian stood outside for a while, thinking he had the wrong place, and was just about to leave when a man inside said, “In the mood for barbecue? We’ve got fresh fish today—slaughtered and grilled on the spot.”
Chi Suinian froze.
A man walked out wearing a black tank top. His muscular shoulders were hard to miss, and there was a faint scar at the corner of his eye.
Their eyes met—and both were momentarily stunned.
“Xiao Chi?”
“Old Han?”
“It’s really you!” Han Li laughed and clapped Chi Suinian on the shoulder. “What brings you here? Come on in—dinner’s on me tonight!”
Chi Suinian smiled slightly and didn’t stand on ceremony.
Han Li had been a close older friend from his student days. The man had a foul mouth, but he was slick with words—he could make you laugh or cry with a few sentences.
Once, Chi Suinian was cornered outside of school and forced into a dead-end alley. He only had two stones in his hands and was nearly beaten unconscious—until Han Li came to his rescue. As he helped bandage his wounds, Han Li scolded him:
“Hurts? Then hit back. If someone hits you ten times, you should at least hit once. If it’s gonna hurt, let everyone hurt—otherwise you’re just getting beat for nothing.”
“Tch, those shoes on your feet are worth a few months of my meal money. You’ve got money—tell your parents to hire you a bodyguard. Use those brats as punching bags.”
“What are you staring at? Keep looking and I’ll sell you off. Let’s go home.”
…
Because of that incident, Chi Suinian often came back near the school to check on Han Li during his free time.
But he’d lost a year of memory and didn’t know when Han Li had turned the internet café into a barbecue place.
“What do you wanna eat? Let me tell you, I’ve gotten pretty good at this after two years. There’s not a student at the affiliated high school who hasn’t eaten here. I guarantee once you try it, you’ll come back for more.”
Chi Suinian gave a small smile. “You decide. I’m good with anything.”
“Alright, still so easy-going.” Han Li turned on the exhaust fan, brushing sauce over skewers while chatting idly. “What’ve you been up to lately? Totally went off the radar. What, planning to cut me off?”
Chi Suinian paused. “No way.”
“Why not? You’ve been gone for over a year. If Jincheng hadn’t had a clean record with no serial killers in the past two years, I would’ve thought you’d been offed.”
Gone for over a year?
It lined up exactly with the time he’d lost his memory. Chi Suinian couldn’t come up with an excuse, so he simply told the truth. “I got into a small car accident. I don’t remember much from the past year.”
Han Li froze. “Amnesia?”
“Yeah.”
“You still don’t remember anything?”
Chi Suinian slumped into the chair. “Nope.”
Not a single fragment.
Han Li was silent for a moment before sprinkling seasoning on the meat skewers. “Well, you’re alive, and you’ve still got all your limbs. Could be worse.”
Ten minutes later, the barbecue was served. Considering Chi Suinian’s condition, Han Li had gone light on the seasoning and chili.
“So why’d you drop by today?”
“Just passing through.”
Han Li clicked his tongue. “I’d be happier if you said you came to see me.”
Chi Suinian took a bite and smiled. “In my condition, I can’t lie. I’d give myself away as soon as I opened my mouth.”
Han Li’s smile faded slightly. “How’d the accident happen?”
Chi Suinian recounted the incident from a year ago, carefully leaving out the part where he had been going to pick a fight with Lu Zhiyue.
“Lucky to be alive,” Han Li sighed when he heard the story.
“Guess evil lives long, huh?”
Han Li snorted. “At least you’re self-aware.”
Then he paused, eyes settling on Chi Suinian. “You fully recovered?”
Chi Suinian lifted his chin. “Strong as an ox.”
“…You mean a baby ox.” Han Li chuckled. “You, huh—so full of misfortune. Bullied in school, still getting bullied out of school. What a waste…”
“Bullshit,” Chi Suinian shot back. “I used to be the one doing the bullying.”
Han Li laughed, then said absentmindedly, “Cocky, huh? Did you forget that time you were cornered in that alley? If not for Lu Zhiyue—”
Han Li suddenly stopped, his expression flickering.
Chi Suinian froze, almost doubting his ears.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
“I’m not deaf.” Chi Suinian’s expression turned serious. “What does that have to do with Lu Zhiyue?”
Han Li clicked his tongue and sighed. “Tch, fine. Might as well tell you the truth—it’s been years anyway.”
Chi Suinian sat up straight, fingers tightening around the skewer.
That time he was cornered—
What did Lu Zhiyue have to do with it?
“To be honest, I took credit for something I didn’t do,” Han Li said. “Back then, the one who saved you in the alley wasn’t me—it was Lu Zhiyue. When I got home, I saw both of you lying at my doorstep, covered in blood. Scared the hell out of me.”
Chi Suinian swallowed hard. “And then?”
“He left. Told me not to tell you.”
Left?
Chi Suinian furrowed his brow deeply. He had absolutely no memory of this.
That scene had been chaotic. He’d been chased by a group of delinquents from another school, running until he ended up in a dead-end alley. He fought back as hard as he could, but couldn’t escape.
The next thing he remembered, he was already in Han Li’s house.
“You’re sure it was Lu Zhiyue you saw?” he asked.
“No doubt about it. The two legends of Affiliated High—Lu Zhiyue was the god, you were the devil. You were both famous. No way I’d get it wrong.”
Chi Suinian was completely at a loss for words now.
Ten years ago, at the Affiliated High, Lu Zhiyue had once reached out to help him—but he hadn’t remembered, and Lu Zhiyue never brought it up either.
Chi Suinian still remembered that during the period when he got jumped, his relationship with Lu Zhiyue had been terrible. They barely spoke.
Even so, Lu Zhiyue had still been willing to risk himself to save him?
Suddenly, Chi Suinian remembered Lu Zhiyue’s recent confession.
Could it be… this guy had liked him since their school days?
“What are you thinking?” Han Li asked suddenly.
“Nothing.”
“Then why the angry face?”
…Huh?
Han Li pointed at his face. “You’re clenching your jaw.”
“…”
Chi Suinian put down his skewer and placed some cash on the table—he didn’t control his strength, so it landed with a loud thud.
Han Li was about to say he didn’t need to be so polite, but when he turned to look, he was stunned.
Why did this kid’s face look so weird?
Startled, Han Li was about to take a closer look when Chi Suinian got up and walked off.
“Where you going?”
“Home.”
Han Li leaned against the door, smiling. “With that look, you seem like you’re off to start a fight.”
“I’m not,” Chi Suinian said. “I’m going to repay a debt.”
Han Li: “?”
He wanted to ask more, but Chi Suinian had already rounded the corner and disappeared from view.
Han Li stood outside the door, watching.
In contrast to the slow, idle pace of the pedestrians nearby, the young man’s footsteps looked unusually flustered.
