People who don’t usually drink alcohol get drunk easily.
Bai Yujun’s voice gradually became softer until, after uttering the last syllable, she simply collapsed on the table and fell asleep.
Yan Mu stepped out to get a blanket from the waiter, but as soon as he opened the door, he ran into Qu Xiao, who was waiting in the corridor.
Just this afternoon, Young Master Yan suddenly requested a private room for a night, saying he was meeting a friend.
Xiang Yao’s business was booming, and private rooms had to be booked at least two days in advance. However, the moment Qu Xiao heard that Yan Mu was bringing a friend, he gave him a first-class private room without hesitation. The room was spacious, well-decorated, and equipped with a smart lightning system that could sense movement to turn the lights on and off or even change colors.
Curious about which friend was important enough for Young Master Yan to personally book a private room and wait, Qu Xiao even asked the staff to keep an eye out. When he left school, the staff reported to him, “Nothing peculiar. Shin had someone bring alcohol and some items to the private room. Oh, and earlier, a particular beautiful girl asked for directions to room 3001.”
The moment Qu Xiao heard ‘3001,’ his eyes lit up.
Which ‘3001’ could it be? It’s the one Young Master Yan booked, of course!
What is the beautiful girl going to room 3001 for?
What is she doing there?! It has to be a date!!
The urge to gossip stirred within him, but since it was a date, Qu Xiao didn’t want to interrupt. He restrained his curiosity and waited outside, calling Wen Da to come along and witness the moment when Young Master Yan was finally taken. Wen Da should be on the way now.
“Young Master Yan, why are you coming out?” The door was slightly ajar, and Qu Xiao peered through the gap, trying to catch a glimpse of something.
“Do you have a blanket?” Yan Mu asked.
“Yes, yes, yes!” Qu Xiao immediately sent the waiter to fetch one, then held it out with a charming smile plastering on his face.
The gap in the door was too small; not even a single hair could be seen. Perhaps he could use it as an excuse to go in and take a look.
However, to his surprise, Yan Mu stood in the doorway, clearly not intending to let him in. He stretched out his hand and said, “Just give it to me.”
Qu Xiao was truly curious about who the girl was. Could it be the one that Young Master Yan was pursuing at school? Or had he set his sights on a new target?
He couldn’t hold back, straining his neck, and tentatively asked, “…Young Master Yan, since it’s to meet a friend, why don’t I meet them too? The more friends, the merrier, right?”
Yan Mu gave an extremely dismissive reply, “Next time.”
Qu Xiao: “……”
Deeply asleep, Bai Yujun showed no awareness when Yan Mu draped the blanket over her. The lightning system detected Bai Yujun’s movements and automatically dimmed the light above her head before Yan Mu left.
The dim orange light was at a brightness, perfect for a short rest.
On the other side of the private room, there was a balcony with a small round table and two rattan chairs placed outside.
While Yan Mu was out to get the blanket, Jiang Zhihuo had already cleaned up the wine glasses on the table and was waiting on the balcony.
The floor-to-ceiling window was open, and the moonlight cast a long shadow of a tall figure.
Yan Mu sat down on the other rattan chair.
The third floor wasn’t very high, but the night view of the bustling Lincheng’s West Street was beautiful, and the sound of wheels rolling could be heard.
Jiang Zhihuo poured a glass of wine for Yan Mu, swirling it gently. The color of the wine reflected on his sharply defined hand.
In moments like this, when the two were alone together, it was clear they weren’t there to enjoy the night view and chat. Jiang Zhihuo went straight to the point and asked succinctly, “When did you find out?”
Yan Mu took a sip of his drink and threw the question back. “Find out what?”
These past days, it had already been quite obvious. Bringing Bai Yujun here wasn’t just because her birthday was tomorrow.
Yan Mu had known all along, so there was no need to play dumb at this point. Jiang Zhihuo admitted it candidly. “I didn’t get close to Yujun with the intention of pursuing her.”
Yan Mu nodded. “That’s what I guess.”
Jiang Zhihuo asked, “Tell me, when did you figure it out? I thought my acting was pretty convincing.”
Yan Mu answered frankly, “You did act really well. I believed it at first too.”
Jiang Zhihuo turned his head, and their gaze locked. “Then what?”
Yan Mu responded, “It was from the time you had someone inquire about Yujun.” He paused for a moment and continued, “The things you asked about were too detailed and scattered. You made it so obvious that everyone was aware. That’s not how you pursue a person.”
They had discussed this topic before, and Jiang Zhihuo’s explanation was: That’s how your Huo-ge chases a girl—bold and high-profile.
Jiang Zhihuo thought this reason fit his persona quite well, so he asked, “Isn’t this justification authentic enough? Your Huo-ge is really that type of person.”
Yan Mu: “If I hadn’t been living with you, it would have been very genuine.”
“How so?” Jiang Zhihuo nodded.
Yan Mu’s voice was calm and deep. He replied, “You’re not someone without a sense of decorum.”
Jiang Zhihuo: “Wow, Yan-ge, this is the first time you compliment me. How did you come to that judgment?”
Yan Mu: “We’ve lived together for two months.”
Jiang Zhihuo: “Mhm?”
Yan Mu: “Have you ever heard me complain about you?”
Jiang Zhihuo raised an eyebrow.
Yan Mu said, “Things have hardly been touched. I have a bit of a cleanliness obsession. I haven’t had the cleaning service come in the past two months, but the room and the floor are still clean every day, just like before you moved in.”
“Not only that. Aside from when it’s absolutely necessary, you rarely share the same space with me. Even your luggage is only placed in a designated area. When it comes to washing up, you make sure to dry the toothbrush cup and place it in the farthest corner.”
“In other words, apart from kissing, physical contact, and makeup lessons, there is nothing changed in my living conditions.”
“Unless you and I are the same kind of person, there’s only one possibility—you’re adjusting to my living habits.”
The green lights on the street began to flicker, and vehicles lined up neatly in their lanes, waiting.
Jiang Zhihuo took a sip of his wine, his Adam’s apple moving up and down.
Yan Mu continued, “If you’re this type of person, then even if you were genuinely pursuing a girl, there’s no way you wouldn’t consider her feelings.”
After explaining, many things became clear. Naturally, Jiang Zhihuo picked up the conversation. “The details I looked into were meticulous, so you guessed that I might actually conduct a trajectory investigation. Since you were able to find out about Feng Zhi, it shows you’ve had experience in this area; it’s not surprising that you came to this conclusion.”
“So the trajectory report on Feng Zhi and the removed character profile was all to test me?”
Trajectory investigation was a crucial step in evidence gathering. It’s not just about tracking someone’s life path but also about inferring their personality and psychology.
For instance, when shopping at a convenience store, whether you use your left hand or right hand to put items into the bag, whether you grab them with all five fingers at once or use your four fingers first and your thumb to secure them—each almost imperceptible difference can reveal several aspects of your personality.
Even Bai Yujun and the driver who was closely watching her didn’t realize his intention. Being able to extrapolate such a possibility from this tiny detail, God of Learning Yan, truly lived up to his reputation.
Jiang Zhihuo asked again, “Aren’t you worried that back then I was a hot-headed guy chasing after a girl, completely unaware of these things?”
Yan Mu: “You can be an idiot, but I’m not.”
Jiang Zhihuo laughed. “Are you insulting me or praising yourself?”
Yan Mu responded bluntly, “Both.”
Jiang Zhihuo propped up his chin, resting his elbow on the small round table, and looked up at Yan Mu. “Your intentions aren’t pure either. Do you have someone you like? This is substitute literature[mfn]T/N: substitute literature refers to a type of narrative where one person (often in a romantic or emotional sense) acts as a substitute or stand-in for someone else, usually in the context of relationships.[/mfn], Yan-ge.”
Yan Mu met his gaze and said with self-mockery, “This is pretty sleazy of me.”
Jiang Zhihuo narrowed his eyes.
At that moment, Yan Mu’s phone, which was on the table, vibrated.
Qu Xiao was really curious, and his gossiping nature grew stronger as Yan Mu returned to the private room, sending several messages in quick succession.
Qu Xiao: How is it going?
Qu Xioa: Our private room isn’t a hotel; you can’t just mess around.
Qu Xiao: But if it were you, I’d make an exception.
Qu Xiao: However…there’s nothing, you know, in there. Should I bring the thing in?
Qu Xiao: Young Master Yan, Young Master Yan, reply to me.
Qu Xiao: Wait, no, if that were happening, you shouldn’t be replying to me at all.
Yan Mu saw that this person’s notions were drifting in all sorts of directions, so he typed a message to stop him from his random thoughts.
Yan Mu: Stop imagining things.
It wasn’t the right time to be looking at his phone; one message was enough. After that, no matter how many messages Qu Xiao sent, Yan Mu didn’t respond.
Since the topic had already been brought up, it should be discussed fully.
Yan Mu set his phone into silent mode and placed it face down on the table. He then continued, “I have some speculations; just estimates based on my current understanding. I’ll share them with you, and you can choose to stay silent. If you argue, I’ll directly assume what I said is the truth. Of course, I can also take your silence as approval of the facts.”
Yan Mu rarely spoke such a long speech, setting the conditions at the beginning and end, almost as if enclosing them within a boundary.
Jiang Zhihuo pointed out, “Doesn’t that mean everything would be right no matter what?”
Yan Mu: “Yes.”
Jiang Zhihuo smiled and took another sip of his wine. “Suit yourself.”
Yan Mu: “Initially, I just thought Yujun was very strange. I didn’t think she was an emotionally unintelligent girl, but when faced with clear signs of pursuit from us, she didn’t show any rejection. So during our first outing, I told her, ‘We are chasing you.’ and she instead acted quite abnormally.”
Jiang Zhihuo: “When did you say that? Was I not there at that time?”
“Mhm.” Yan Mu said, “After that, you started asking around, and I had a friend help me look into things. Then I discovered something even stranger.”
Jiang Zhihuo: “What?”
Yan Mu: “In the previous investigation, I only focused on Yujun, just a superficial investigation, nothing to do with her privacy. In the beginning, she was merely an ordinary student with a clean background without a scandal. However, one day, something suspicious showed up in the investigation.”
Jiang Zhihuo went straight to the point. “Bai Group?”
“Mhm.” Yan Mu nodded. “As far as I know, five years ago, Bai Group was just a small private company with an investment of only one million. How did it manage to grow so rapidly within five years, transforming from a small enterprise into an industry leader in technology, pharmaceuticals, and various other fields?”
Jiang Zhihuo: “Perhaps it’s just fortune. After all, in this day and age, nothing is impossible, right?”
“This is indeed a possibility.” Yan Mu said, “The higher you rise, the more you’re watched. Given their methods and foundation, such rapid growth is too conspicuous. That’s why they’ve caught a certain party’s attention—someone has started investigating them.”
“A long time ago, I heard about particular things—like how some families would use omegas’ bodies as bargaining chips to secure contracts. Back then, most people brushed it off as a joke, and a few took it seriously. However, rumors like that won’t come out of nowhere.”
Jiang Zhihuo: “Mhm.”
Yan Mu continued, “Bai Yujun, the Bai Family’s adopted daughter. Before her, the Bai Family had adopted five girls in total. Four of them have already died—without exception, they were all omegas.”
“The turning point for the Bai Group’s rise was a high-value contract signed on the eighteenth birthday of the first adopted daughter.”
Jiang Zhihuo was unfazed and praised, “You even found that? You really know the details!”
Yan Mu ignored his perfunctory attitude and said calmly, “I also found it strange—why do I know such detailed information? And why did I suddenly learn about it not long ago? It’s almost as if someone is deliberately feeding this to others who are investigating.”
Jiang Zhihuo: “Obviously on purpose.”
Yan Mu nodded. “Five years is too brief. Many are eyeing Bai Group, and it’s clear that more than one entity is investigating them. Apparently, these inside details have been intentionally disclosed. Maybe my understanding is limited, but I can only speculate that someone is planning to take action against the Bai Group.”
“Still, who exactly is it? A competitor? Or the police? I tend to lean towards the latter. The reason is simple. Bai Group is involved in more than just one business interest; the transactions they are making are illegal.”
Villa area.
Bai Zhengou slammed the pen down forcefully.
Ink splattered from the pen’s tip, leaving a conspicuous ink stain on the light-colored carpet.
Five minutes ago, President Wang suddenly contacted him. “I won’t be signing your contract.”
Bai Zhengou: “Why?!”
President Wang’s tone was extremely agitated, and a sound of fist pounding the table came through the telephone receiver. “You’re asking me why?! You’ve been lying to me the whole time!”
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, President Wang abruptly cut off the communication, leaving only a string of busing signals in his ears.
“Crazy bastard.” Bai Zhengou threw the communication device down and fired off a string of harsh insults at the old man before taking a deep breath.
This contract from President Wang was crucial; it couldn’t be messed up.
Bai Zhengou contacted his secretary, asking him to bring some items to President Wang’s residence and, in the process, find out exactly what was going on.
However, his message didn’t get sent.
The signal suddenly vanished.
When he turned on the computer, it displayed ‘no network connection.’.
It’s all trash.
Bai Zhengou was already choleric, plus now, being inexplicably faced with hostile behavior, he was even more furious.
At that instant, the doorbell rang.
Since Bai Yujun was leaving the next day, the butler and housemaids were off today; therefore, Bai Zhengou came out to personally open the door.
Outside the door, police sirens flashed, and a row of police officers stood. The one leading them was a middle-aged man with a particularly stern expression—high nose, deep eyes, and sharp, defined features.
The man displayed his police badge; his surname was Li.
Also presenting a search warrant.
Bai Zhengou was aware of the businesses he engaged in; thus, his face instantly turned pale. Fortunately, he had long perfected the ability to hide his emotions, quickly adjusting his expression. He opened the door and asked, “A search warrant? What have I done?”
The young officer behind the man spoke without any hesitation. “We received a lead that Bai Group is suspected of drug trafficking, human trafficking, and other crimes. A search warrant has been applied for from the higher-ups. Please cooperate with the investigation.”
Bai Zhengou refused to back down. “Without any evidence…”
Officer Li sternly cut him off. “The evidence has already been collected. Possibly, I wouldn’t have gone through all the trouble to come here.”
He lifted his right hand and declared to the people behind him, “The suspect resisted and refused to cooperate with the investigation. He has been suppressed.”
The criminal police following him instantly seized Bai Zhengou’s arms, while the others marched in one after another.
In this situation, Bai Zhengou had no time worrying about his image and shouted, “What exactly are you trying to do?!”
Officer Li said, “The Bai Group has been advancing too fast, which has already raised doubts within the police. We launched an investigation, but as the decision-maker, your anti-surveillance measures skills were strong. It wasn’t until the end of June this year that we obtained preliminary evidence. ”
Officer Li walked to the sofa, bent down, and found a small, fingernail-sized disc in the corner.
Bai Zhengou’s pupils immediately contracted.
Officer Li placed the disc into an evidence bag and said, “You’re very clandestine, using radio communication in the 21st century. However, your signal was intercepted by the police a month ago. Your communication with the dealer has already been exposed. With these pieces of evidence, there’s enough to sentence you to life imprisonment, or even the death penalty.”
Bai Zhengou began to struggle wildly, shouting, “Who put this here?!”
The criminal police tightened his grip, and Bai Zhengou let out a dreadful scream in pain before gradually calming down.
All those around him were trusted confidants who wouldn’t expose his dealings. Bai Yujun wouldn’t either–she simply didn’t dare.
So who else?!
It was then that Bai Zhengou remembered something. Half a month ago, a young man bravely burst into the villa area to confess his love to Bai Yujun! Unable to stand being watched, he had called the young man in and harshly scolded him.
What can be achieved with such a useless method?!
Bai Zhengou lifted his head; his eyes widened in shock. “Did he put it here?”
Officer Li didn’t respond. Meanwhile, a young criminal police officer came down from upstairs. “Officer Li, we’ve found a suicide note and a box.”
Officer Li meticulously read through the suicide note, turned to Bai Zhengou, and said seriously in a deep tone, “Using an omega for body trading, inflicting them into mental abuse until they committed suicide… Bai Zhengou, how many life sentences do you think you deserve?”
The wine glass clincked, and the two of them simultaneously tilted their heads back, drinking it all in one go.
They had already drunk too much tonight. Yan Mu’s face revealed signs of inebriation, with a hint of redness at the corner of his eyes. Yet, sitting beside him, Jiang Zhihuo appeared unaffected, not a slight trace of drunkenness showing. He even refilled his glass, as though he was drinking water rather than alcohol.
Feeling a little dizzy, Yan Mu rubbed his temples and said, “Your candle-lit confession method is really stupid.”
Jiang Zhihuo chuckled a few times. “The more stupid, the more effective. Otherwise, how would I get people to watch? How else could I get in?”
Yan Mu waved his hand.
Jiang Zhihuo lowered his gaze to check the time. It had been two hours and twenty minutes since their last kiss.
They had talked quite a lot tonight and stayed here for a while, so the heat should be appearing soon.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, a sharp pain suddenly spread throughout his body; his breathing and heartbeat accelerated in an instant.
Yan Mu noticed Jiang Zhihuo’s unusual behavior and gently placed his hand on his.
As an emotionless inhibitor, Yan Mu had always done his job well—dutiful and responsible. He had never neglected his duties due to the relationship between the two, and allowing Jiang Zhihuo to suffer the pain of the heat alone.
Now that Bai Yujun’s matter had been revealed, they were no longer love rivals. Their relationship was only maintained by one thing: agreement.
Yan Mu cupped Jiang Zhihuo’s face with his hands.
They had done this countless times, and with his eyes closed, he could already predict what would happen in the next moment.
Having both drunk, their breath was extremely hot as they exhaled.
Just as their lips were about to touch, Jiang Zhihuo gently pushed Yan Mu away, his palm pressing against the other person’s chest.
“There’s something that needs to make it clear before kissing.” Jiang Zhihuo said.
Yan Mu stared at him.
Jiang Zhihuo: “The relationship between us is just that of a doctor and a patient.”
Jiang Zhihuo had stated this when they first set the rules, but now the situation was different, the scene was different, and the meaning was different as well.
“I won’t get caught up with you in any way, here.” He pointed to the back of his neck. “As long as there’s another solution, I’ll leave you immediately and won’t make any further involvement.”
“You can still like your white moonlight. What happens between us is just an accident. I’ve no idea how things were between you two before, but at least now, you’re not together. Nothing happened between us after this either. During this period, any contact can be without any psychological burden. ”
Jiang Zhihuo lowered his gaze, his long eyelashes fluttering, casting a half-shadow. “I’m telling you this, but I’m also telling myself.”
Jiang Zhihuo’s words were very clear. With a single sentence, he drew a long and deep line between them. He wouldn’t cross it, and he wouldn’t allow Yan Mu to step over even a single inch.
Yan Mu spoke in a deep voice. After a long pause, he finally responded quietly, “Alright.”
Jiang Zhihuo flashed a calm smile and tilted his head back.
Yan Mu placed his hand on the back of his neck, his thumb gently brushing over the bite mark. The sensation of skin touching skin was always ambiguous.
A ten-minute kiss was long, yet it was extremely restrained and solemn.
The taste of alcohol lingered between their lips, and his mind was too muddled to tell whether it was the inadvertent release of pheromones or the alcohol they had just drunk.
The smart lightning above scanned their movements. They were kissing, and the light shifted, casting a faint, soft blue glow. It was so nuanced, as if everything was engulfed in an ambiguous light.
*
“You’re finally here!” Qu Xiao hurriedly welcomed Wen Da into the bar, feeling both restless and excited.
He was just too curious—ahhh!
What exactly happened between the iceberg Young Master Yan and the girl?!
It wasn’t that Qu Xiao had a bad personality or loved gossiping about others. It was just that, after knowing Young Master Yan for so many years, this was the first time the other person had actually invited a girl out. That was genuinely an irregular sight—so rare. In fact, in Qu Xiao’s mind, it was comparable to the first time humans set foot on the moon.
Qu Xiao said as he walked upstairs, “I sent him a message, but Young Master Yan didn’t respond. You tell me, what could he be doing if he’s not responding? Right, right?! Let’s go check it out!”
Wen Da was also curious; otherwise, he wouldn’t have rushed over as soon as he got the call. However, Qu Xiao’s suggestion of ‘going to check it out’ was a bit too much. He asked, “How do you plan on checking?”
Qu Xiao had a plan in mind. He took out a room key card and said, “Room 3002, the two balconies are next to each other. We’ll go to the balcony and take a look. If we can see something, that’s great; if not, I’ll give up and wait for Young Master Yan to come out. What do you think?”
“Alright.” Wen Da said. After all, if the people inside were really going to do something, it wouldn’t happen on the balcony. He guessed they’d probably return empty-handed, but if Qu Xiao’s inquisitiveness was not satisfied, he’d probably be restless until late at night.
Qu Xiao quickly opened the door to Room 3002, hurriedly pulled open the curtains and the sliding glass door to the balcony, and rushed outside in haste.
Yet, as soon as he stepped out, he froze in place, completely stunned.
“What’s the matter?” Wen Da, a few steps behind, had been thinking that Qu Xiao likely didn’t see anything and was disappointed. Just as he was about to say words of comfort, he turned his head to look at the other balcony. His steps faltered, his body stiffened, and he couldn’t take any step forward.
They saw Young Master Yan.
The light above was dimmed to a deep blue, and the surrounding area was projected with water patterns, along with several jellyfish swimming around.
Romantic and ambiguous.
They saw Young Master Yan press a person against the wall and kiss them.
The person he was kissing was a man and appeared very familiar.
They kissed deeply and naturally, as if it wasn’t the first time they had done something like that.
“S, S, S…”
Qu Xiao seemed frozen in place, as if his body had been nailed down. It took him a while to regain his serenity, swallowing a couple of times before he could barely utter a sound.
“Shin?!”
The author has something to say:
It’s made up; don’t take the novel too seriously~
But it’s true not to break the law~~
