DREB CHAPTER 68

“It’s only seven! Why go home now? Isn’t Ah Ning away on a business trip? I’m taking you out for some fun,” Qi Zhen said enthusiastically, turning the steering wheel as he drove down an increasingly deserted road.

Li Yan frowned. “No! I have a curfew…”

Qi Zhen remained unfazed. “Just blame me. Say I dragged you out. Ah Ning won’t hold it against you.”

The car sped up, and Li Yan glanced at the darkening surroundings, with no people in sight. He quickly dismissed the idea of jumping out of the car. “What exactly are you trying to do? I don’t want to go anywhere with you.”

“You’re breaking my heart talking like that.” Qi Zhen waved his hand theatrically and joked with a grin, “Don’t be so serious. What, afraid I’m going to sell you off?”

Li Yan realized there was no reasoning with someone as crazy as Qi Zhen, who was now humming an odd tune, clearly in high spirits.

They eventually arrived at a secluded manor, the silence around them unsettling. As soon as Qi Zhen stepped out, a waiter appeared and respectfully guided them inside.

It was obvious Qi Zhen was a regular. He navigated the place with ease, calling out to Li Yan a few times. “Keep up!”

Li Yan hurried after him, asking, “When can I leave?”

“After a little fun. Don’t worry, I won’t keep you out too late. Why are you so boring?” Qi Zhen dragged Li Yan along. “Come on, let’s go.”

They ascended to the sixteenth floor of the manor’s castle-like structure. When Qi Zhen pushed open the door, it was clear most of the guests were already there.

Following closely behind, Li Yan saw several people sprawled on the sofas. Some were familiar—they were part of the same crowd he had seen at the underground club the night Qi Zhen had returned, the same night Lu Lianning had skipped the “Shattered Window” wrap party to see Qi Zhen.

Every guest in the room had at least one companion, some even two. One arm was draped over an Omega, hands roaming beneath their clothes, while the other companion was locked in a kiss with someone else.

The room was dimly lit, with several open bottles of alcohol scattered around.

As soon as Qi Zhen entered, the crowd erupted, “What took you so long? People were starting to get impatient.” Liu Kai winked as he pushed a soft, beautiful Omega toward Qi Zhen.

“No, no, I brought someone else tonight.” Qi Zhen dodged to the side and smiled as he pulled Li Yan inside, who was lingering at the door.

Though some in the group had seen Li Yan in passing years ago, none of them recognized him now.

“Oh? Trying something new?”

“Ah, of course! Qi Zhen always likes to keep things fresh!”

Several gazes swept over Li Yan without pause, treating him as if he were nothing more than an insignificant object.

Li Yan felt uneasy as Qi Zhen pulled him down to sit amidst the smoke and chaos. The precious Omegas, whom Li Yan thought of as delicate and in need of protection, clung to the Alphas, allowing themselves to be teased and toyed with.

Once seated, Qi Zhen slowly picked up a glass, took a sip, and spoke, noticing Li Yan’s distracted expression. “You probably don’t know this, but Ah Ning started a fight with his father because he doesn’t want to marry Song Ruan. Lu Anling has been pressuring him. The reason he’s on this business trip is because a partner they recently secured backed out. That partner had always dealt with Lu Anling before.” Qi Zhen’s gaze rested on Li Yan. “So Ah Ning had no choice but to handle it himself.”

Li Yan couldn’t understand why Qi Zhen was telling him all this, or why he had brought him here to say it.

Until Qi Zhen added, “You don’t want Ah Ning to get married, do you? But you’re making something simple so complicated.” His tone made it clear he was implying that Li Yan was the one overcomplicating things.

Li Yan began to understand why Qi Zhen had brought him here. It was a reminder of his place—a warning to behave like Lu Lianning’s obedient little pet and not interfere with his master’s decisions. Li Yan was no different from the Omegas in this room, except he lacked the self-awareness they had.

“Mr. Qi, I think you’ve misunderstood. I also hope he will marry Song Ruan. But I have no influence over him,” Li Yan explained.

Qi Zhen’s tone became strange. “Oh? You want Ah Ning to get married?” He studied Li Yan’s face, which didn’t seem to be lying, then asked, “And now that he’s refusing, are you disappointed?”

Li Yan responded honestly, “A bit, yes.”

Qi Zhen revealed a smile, watching as Li Yan’s eyes drifted to the bottles of alcohol on the table. Li Yan suddenly turned and asked, “Do you have a cigarette?”

Qi Zhen handed him a cigarette, and Li Yan retreated to a corner of the hallway to smoke. Nearby, there appeared to be a storage room and the restroom further down the hall. A cart of liquor stood outside, probably left there by an employee who had either gotten distracted or gone to the toilet and forgotten about it.

Li Yan’s thoughts wandered, far removed from his surroundings.

After finishing the cigarette, he picked up one of the bottles from the cart and examined it. The label was in English, which he couldn’t read, though he recognized the milliliters listed on it.

He set the bottle down and noticed a fingerprint on it, so he wiped it off with his sleeve.

“Stop wiping. Do you know how many bottles of this wine your clothes could buy?” Qi Zhen’s voice suddenly appeared. He stood just two meters away, walking toward Li Yan.

“Can we leave now?” Li Yan didn’t want to return to the room filled with the mixed odors that made him uncomfortable.

Qi Zhen’s gaze at Li Yan had changed since the beginning. As he approached, the faint smell of cigarette smoke lingered in the air. “Ah Ning usually doesn’t let you smoke?”

Li Yan replied, “No.”

Qi Zhen slowly moved closer to him, their proximity already feeling a bit dangerous. He commented in a rising tone, “That pitiful, huh?”

Li Yan neither stepped back nor pushed him away. Instead, he simply asked, “What exactly do you want?” His expression was calm. “I thought I made myself pretty clear earlier.”

Whatever Lu Lianning did or decided was beyond his control. Why did Qi Zhen, and even Song Ruan, think he had that kind of influence?

Qi Zhen leaned in toward Li Yan’s neck, trying to catch a scent through the blocker patch. In a low voice, he murmured, “I just…”

Li Yan finished for him, “You’re just a bit curious.”

By now, Qi Zhen’s body was practically pressed against his, and his hand had boldly slipped under the hem of Li Yan’s shirt.

“You like Lu Lianning,” Li Yan stated flatly, his voice emotionless.

Qi Zhen let out a muffled laugh and admitted without reservation, “Yeah, I’ve got a bit of a thing for Ah Ning. But his temper is too much—always needs someone to coddle him. I can’t stand having to lower myself to him all the time.” One of his hands was already fumbling to undo Li Yan’s pants as he whispered in his ear, “But he does have a pretty attractive face… Ugh.”

A muffled groan abruptly cut off Qi Zhen’s words.

The two of them were nearly chest to chest, and the sound of Li Yan’s knee slamming into Qi Zhen’s abdomen rang out sharply.

Li Yan hadn’t held back. After all, he was a grown Beta. Qi Zhen had no choice but to stumble back two steps, clutching his stomach. It must have hurt, as his smile twisted, his eyes turning more sinister. He said, “Using Lu Lianning as your backer?”

He reached out again, trying to grab Li Yan and pull him back, his expression sending a chill through Li Yan.

As Qi Zhen made another attempt to pin him down and rip at his clothes, Li Yan grabbed a nearby bottle and smashed it against his head.

“Now this is using Lu Lianning.” Breathing heavily, Li Yan shoved the bloodied Qi Zhen aside and took off in the opposite direction as fast as he could.