Lu Nanyang downed his drink in one go. The glass clinked crisply as it hit the table.
He walked over to Xie Quan and deliberately bumped his shoulder. Xie Quan stumbled back a couple steps, caught off guard, creating distance between him and Wen Fei.
“Is tonight just drinking and cake?” Lu Nanyang said. “Isn’t that a little boring?”
“Well, there’s karaoke,” Jia Rong quickly offered. “Wanna sing a couple songs later?”
“You go ahead,” Da Ze said. “I’m not gonna embarrass myself.”
Laughter broke out.
Behind the bar, Tony looked up from wiping the counter. “Hey, you guys want to play murder mystery? A customer left a box here last time.”
Everyone loved the idea. Jia Rong ran over and brought the box back. “Boss, your place is like a treasure chest—everything’s in here!”
Xie Quan, face cold, straightened the creases on his shirt. Just as he looked up, someone’s shadow loomed over him.
“This is my last warning. Stay away from Wen Fei. Got it?”
Xie Quan smirked, amused. “Why? Do you like Wen Fei?”
A second later, Lu Nanyang grabbed him by the collar, slamming him against a high stool with a bang.
Fortunately, everyone else was gathered around the table examining the game box, so no one noticed the small altercation.
“Wen Fei is my friend.” Lu Nanyang’s voice was low and sharp, his nose almost brushing against Xie Quan’s cheekbone. “If you make a move on him—I’ll make you regret it.”
Xie Quan remained calm, even smiled a little. His long eyelashes lifted slightly, and his thin lips parted, warm breath lingering faintly in the air between them.
“Then what if I’m interested in you?”
Just then, Wen Fei’s voice suddenly rang out,
“Come on, come on! Hey, Lu-ge, Dr. Xie, you two—”
Lu Nanyang pulled his hand back as if he’d been burned and quickly put distance between himself and Xie Quan. The latter lowered his head with a slight smirk, calmly buttoning back up the collar that had just been yanked open, as if nothing had happened.
Lu Nanyang returned to the table and sat down. The cake and beer had already been cleaned up by Jia Rong and the others, and they were now busy passing out role cards.
Lu Nanyang looked at the murder mystery game’s introduction with disinterest—it was a Western fantasy-themed mystery, which didn’t seem appealing at all.
He didn’t particularly like or dislike social games like this—Da Ze and Jia Rong were into it, so he just joined in to keep them company.
While he was reading through the game details, Xie Quan sat down—directly across from him, not a millimeter off.
Lu Nanyang didn’t lift his head, not even sparing him a glance.
“Alright, have you all finished reading?” Jia Rong closed his little booklet. “Let’s introduce our roles. I’ll go first. I’m a con artist—”
Everyone burst into laughter.
Jia Rong looked confused and blinked.
“Huh? What’s so funny?”
“Man, you just blew your own cover!” Da Ze laughed.
It took Jia Rong a second to realize what he’d done.
“No way, no way! That doesn’t count. Let’s redo it!”
“Forget it, there’s only one copy of the script. Just roll with it,” Da Ze waved it off and glanced at his own booklet.
“I’m the king, lord of this palace. I invited you all here.”
“I’m the emperor’s daughter, a princess,” Wen Fei raised his hand.
“I came to the banquet with my father today.”
“Ah, great,” Da Ze was delighted at the sudden upgrade in status.
Xie Quan smiled,
“I’m a duke invited to the banquet, and an admirer of the princess. I plan to take this opportunity to court her.”
“Oh my~” Wen Fei blushed dramatically, covering his face with the booklet.
A vein pulsed visibly on Lu Nanyang’s forehead.
“Lu-ge,” Jia Rong reminded, “It’s your turn.”
“Ah.” Lu Nanyang quickly flipped open his script. After reading a few lines, his expression turned complicated.
“What’s wrong?” Jia Rong asked. “Come on, spill it!”
“That look—don’t tell me you got the murderer role?” a girl teased with a grin.
“No,” Lu Nanyang replied dully.
“I’m… a palace guard responsible for security. But I slipped while passing the banquet hall and got punished by the king—so now I’m in here mopping the floor.”
Wen Fei couldn’t help it—he laughed first. After catching Lu Nanyang’s deadpan stare, he collapsed onto his arms and laughed even harder.
Lu Nanyang silently stared at his pitiful three-line role and questioned his life choices.
The game began, and everyone excitedly started discussing clues—except Lu Nanyang, who leaned on his hand, bored, stirring his cocktail and zoning out.
Xie Quan maintained his perfect posture—every gesture elegant, every smile just right. Lu Nanyang noticed that even after all this time, Xie Quan hadn’t touched his drink or cake. He hadn’t eaten or drunk anything since arriving but still blended into the scene effortlessly.
That face—delicate and scholarly—made it easy to believe anything he said.
At the table, the Duke was explaining his motives to the King:
“Your Majesty, please believe me. I am loyal to you above all, and my love for the Princess is steadfast and true. I would never bring dishonor to the royal family.”
The Princess joined in:
“Ahem… That’s right. Dr. Xie is the Duke. I think what he says makes sense. Don’t doubt him, Da Ze.”
The King looked convinced.
“Alright then, let me ask—Jia Rong—”
Da Ze didn’t get to finish his line—he was suddenly cut off.
Lu Nanyang didn’t even look up as he casually scanned the booklet and asked nonchalantly:
“Your Grace, the Duke, could you tell us where you were at 8 p.m. last night?”
Xie Quan smiled calmly,
“As I said earlier, I was admiring the flowers in my private garden.”
“But if I recall correctly,” Lu Nanyang cut in sharply,
“it was raining last night. Were you enjoying the flowers while sitting in the mud under the rain?”
Xie Quan’s smile faltered for half a second—but he quickly recovered, replying with a grin,
“This… forgetful guard may not know, but I grow lotus flowers in my garden. They’re most beautiful when viewed in the rain.”
Lu Nanyang: “…”
“That’s true!” Wen Fei quickly nodded,
“Rain on lotus blossoms—so poetic!”
Poetic, my ass.
You’ve been completely charmed by him, haven’t you?
Lu Nanyang was beyond irritated.
Wen Fei even leaned over and whispered,
“Stop being so hard on Dr. Xie, will you? It’s his first time playing. He doesn’t even know how it works yet.”
“His first time.”
“Doesn’t know how.”
Lu Nanyang rolled his eyes and turned away in frustration.
Then, suddenly—he felt something light brush against his calf, like someone’s foot had touched his leg.
At first, he didn’t think much of it and casually shifted his position. But two seconds later, the same sensation crept up from his ankle.
Lu Nanyang’s eyes shot up in realization—and landed directly on Xie Quan sitting across from him.
Xie Quan had his chin resting on his hand, not looking at him, chatting casually with Wen Fei beside him. From time to time, he smiled warmly—causing Wen Fei’s cheeks to turn redder and redder, completely absorbed in their conversation.
Lu Nanyang frowned and tried to pull his leg back, scraping his foot against the floor to dodge.
But the other quickly followed, sliding up his calf with an ambiguous touch, lingering at his knee with two light taps before moving to his thigh.
A tingling sensation shot up Lu Nanyang’s spine. He could feel Xie Quan’s toes pressing softly against the fabric of his pants, rubbing subtly against the cloth and his socks, creeping upward in a slow, exploratory motion.
Apparently finding a spot he was satisfied with, Xie Quan finally deigned to turn his head and glance at Lu Nanyang.
He lifted his hand slightly, placed his thumb to his lips, and gently bit his neatly trimmed nail. Behind the lenses, his eyes narrowed into a smile—charming, even seductive.
…
The murder mystery game didn’t take very long. Before long, the true culprit was revealed—it turned out to be the king himself. The duke and the princess were innocent, and the fraudster was hired by the king to confuse everyone.
Lu Nanyang turned on the tap, scooped some cold water into his hands, and splashed it on his face. After repeating this a few times, he finally felt a bit calmer.
He turned off the tap and looked up at his reflection in the mirror.
His bangs were soaked, with water sliding down his temples and dripping off his chin. Lu Nanyang braced both hands on the sink and took a deep breath.
That’s when he heard voices from inside the restroom.
“R-really? You’re really going to help me?”
It was Wen Fei’s voice.
Lu Nanyang’s head shot up instantly.
“Of course,” another voice replied with a chuckle. “I always keep my promises. I never lie.”
Bang! The restroom door was suddenly slammed open. Wen Fei and Xie Quan turned their heads in surprise at the sudden intrusion.
“What did he say to you?” Lu Nanyang demanded, glaring at Wen Fei. “Don’t believe his crap—he’s not sincere! He’s just using you like a toy! Who knows how many others he’s got outside—”
Wen Fei’s eyes widened in disbelief. He pushed Lu Nanyang hard and snapped, “What are you talking about! Dr. Xie just agreed to help me get in touch with an old Chinese medicine doctor he knows, so he can take a look at my dad and help with his recovery! What are you thinking!”
…?
Lu Nanyang opened his mouth but couldn’t say a word.
“You’ve really gone too far today, Lu Nanyang!” Wen Fei said angrily. “I invited Dr. Xie here, and you embarrassed him in front of Da Ze and Jia Rong like that? Do you even see me as a friend?”
“I didn’t—” Lu Nanyang tried to explain but couldn’t get a word in.
“If you don’t want to be friends, then forget it. Do whatever you want.” Wen Fei stormed out of the restroom, furious.
“Hey—!” Lu Nanyang hesitated, not sure whether to chase after him, when suddenly he heard a quiet, mocking laugh behind him.
His mind changed instantly. He grabbed Xie Quan by the collar and slammed him hard against the wall.
Xie Quan smiled as he raised his hands in surrender, his expression innocent, even as his back hit the cold hard wall with a thud.
“Xie Quan, are you f*cking done?” Lu Nanyang growled through clenched teeth, tightening his grip. “I warned you—stay the hell away from my friends!”
Instead of fear, Xie Quan pressed his knee forward, squeezing between Lu Nanyang’s thighs. Their clothes pressed tightly together.
“Then how about staying close to you instead?” Xie Quan asked in a hoarse voice.
