Private cars offer convenience and don’t require ID checks, but they’re often late and unreliable.
Pei Lang waited at the bus station for over an hour. The driver he had booked earlier called to say something had come up and he wouldn’t be making the trip. Pei Lang stood under a sky streaked with hues of oil-painted sunset, the brilliant afterglow of the setting sun stretching across the horizon. Gentle evening breezes stirred the willow branches above him, and darkness loomed ever closer. Frustrated after waiting so long only to get this news, Pei Lang tried calling the driver for alternative contacts. However, the driver had switched off his phone.
Having faced such unexpected setbacks before, Pei Lang sighed, his patience wearing thin. After much effort, he managed to secure another car, but it wouldn’t leave until 8 p.m. — a full two hours away. Returning home so late worried him. Not because Yan Han might be upset over missing his massage, but because there wouldn’t be any dinner left. He hadn’t informed Aunt Lin he would be home for supper.
Ultimately, Pei Lang decided to find a restaurant nearby, grab a meal, and wait for his ride.
As the sun set, the once vibrant afterglow surrendered to the night and the city’s streetlights flickered to life. The night was beautiful, with a bright moon and a starry sky blending seamlessly with the warm glow of urban lights. Always one to adapt, Pei Lang treated the delay as an impromptu mini-vacation.
The city hummed with a leisurely rhythm, a quiet charm that even tourists seemed reluctant to disturb. The restaurants shared this calm, offering cozy atmospheres where diners exchanged soft-spoken conversations and anecdotes from their day.
Pei Lang entered a quaint, traditionally styled restaurant, requested a private booth, and ordered two small dishes along with a bottle of the local specialty rice wine. He savored his meal in peace, letting the tranquility of the place soothe him.
After finishing, he waited a while longer, but the driver still hadn’t called. Deciding not to waste more time, he settled his bill and prepared to wait elsewhere.
As he stepped out of the booth, a man walking in the opposite direction passed him. Pei Lang glanced at him briefly, noting his striking appearance, but thought little of it. Just as they were about to cross paths, the man suddenly grabbed his arm with surprising force.
The grip was strong, fast, and completely unexpected, leaving Pei Lang momentarily stunned. Frowning, he turned to glare at the man. “What are you doing?”
“Pei Lang?!”
The man was Yan Xiuyuan. Pei Lang had never met him before, so he didn’t recognize him.
This is bad… It’s someone who knows me.
Pei Lang cursed inwardly, quickly smoothing his expression into a polite smile and pretending to be familiar. “Oh, it’s you! Long time no see. What have you been up to lately?”
It was a perfectly neutral way to greet someone, but Yan Xiuyuan’s eyes burned with fury. His grip on Pei Lang’s arm tightened, as though he wanted to crush his bones.
Pei Lang’s suspicion was confirmed—this was an enemy.
Yan Xiuyuan hadn’t expected it at all. To suddenly run into the very person he’d been looking for by sheer chance after searching for so long—it was almost laughable. When he saw Pei Lang earlier, he’d thought the face looked somewhat familiar, though the outfit and demeanor were completely different. Grabbing his arm had been a gamble, but it turned out to be the real deal.
“So this is why I couldn’t find you. Hah, I see you’ve learned some tricks in my absence. Is this your way of hiding, or do you think changing yourself like this would make me like you? Pretending not to know me? How long do you plan to keep up this game of cat and mouse? Lucky for you, Ziqing is here too. If you kneel and apologize right now, I might let this slide.”
Yan Xiuyuan’s voice was venomous, his expression feral like a beast on the verge of snapping. It was a shame such a handsome face was wasted on someone so unhinged. The voice on the phone had sounded slightly different, but the tone was unmistakable—this was the same idiotic male lead.
Pei Lang dropped the facade, his smile vanishing. He grabbed Yan Xiuyuan’s wrist, twisting it with precise force. A sharp crack rang out, the sound of a bone dislocating, followed by a burst of searing pain. Yan Xiuyuan’s face turned ashen, his teeth bared in agony. “You’re courting death! How dare you fight back!”
He raised his free fist to strike, but Pei Lang moved nimbly, avoiding the blow with ease. Yan Xiuyuan’s punch hit nothing but air, leaving him momentarily stunned. He attributed it to his own anger clouding his judgment and Pei Lang being lucky.
“Yan Xiuyuan, you know, I’m starting to think you’re a bit childish. Tsk, tsk, tsk…”
Pei Lang pulled free from Yan Xiuyuan’s claw-like grip, casually rolling up his sleeve. On his pale, fair skin was an angry red imprint of fingers. His mood soured instantly.
At 25 years old, being called childish made Yan Xiuyuan’s rage reach a boiling point.
Repeatedly humiliated by Pei Lang, his pride was already in tatters. He’d thought Pei Lang’s arrogance was limited to phone calls, but to be insulted face-to-face? It was intolerable. “What did you just say?!”
“Look at yourself. Where’s that polished CEO image? You’re acting like a rabid dog, baring your teeth and barking at me, slobbering everywhere. Not only do you lack brains, but you’re spitting all over me too.”
Pei Lang’s tone was calm and chiding, like a patient elder speaking to a wayward child. The way he looked at Yan Xiuyuan was full of disdain as if assessing a hopeless case.
He sighed heavily, shaking his head. “Listen, I’m three years older than you. By age and etiquette, you should be addressing me as ‘Brother’ just like Pei Ziqing does. Not that I’d necessarily respond. But here you are, grabbing onto me like this. If that’s not childish, what is? I thought I’d made myself clear last time, but since you insist on picking a fight, don’t expect me to be polite.”
“Brother… What a coincidence to see you here,” Pei Ziqing said with a look of surprise when he noticed Pei Lang outside. His shock quickly turned into excitement as he realized there was a good show to watch.
Pei Lang simply smiled calmly and teased, “Your little darling has appeared.”
In front of Pei Lang, there was no need to pretend anymore. But in front of Yan Xiuyuan, he still had to maintain his good-boy persona. “Xiuyuan, did I make you angry again? Don’t be mad, okay?”
“No!” Yan Xiuyuan’s voice was harsh.
“Xiuyuan…” Pei Ziqing’s face showed a trace of concern, but his presence only added fuel to the fire. Yan Xiuyuan was furious to the point of no return.
“Ziqing, I’ve given him chances, but he doesn’t appreciate them. He’s provoked me time and time again. What kind of family is this? If he’s not going to act like family, then I won’t acknowledge him as one. Today, I’m going to teach him a lesson, or else he’ll think he can get away with anything. He doesn’t respect me and he won’t show any respect to you either.” Yan Xiuyuan was determined—Pei Lang was not going to escape tonight.
Pei Lang didn’t know when he had activated the recording function on his phone, though it might not be enough to deal with Yan Xiuyuan, at least he had proof that Yan Xiuyuan made the first move and he was only defending himself.
“Xiuyuan…” Pei Ziqing looked at him with tearful eyes, gently rubbing his face, but he didn’t say anything more. He silently accepted his actions.
Since they were in the hallway and there weren’t many guests around at that hour, the scene didn’t cause much of a stir. Yan Xiuyuan raised his fist and swung it toward Pei Lang with full force. Pei Lang easily sidestepped, grinning and clapping his hands. “Wow~ Your relationship really makes people envious. You two are a perfect match.”
“Don’t say anything!” Yan Xiuyuan’s punch missed, and being mocked only made him angrier. He took another swing, but it missed again. He then swept his leg in a furious kick, but Pei Lang effortlessly did a stylish side flip to avoid it. No matter what Yan Xiuyuan tried, Pei Lang dodged with ease, making Yan Xiuyuan angrier and angrier. His moves were growing more brutal and powerful, but he kept missing.
What was even more infuriating was that Pei Lang didn’t stop talking, his voice soft and melodious, still laced with sarcastic remarks.
“Ah~ You missed. That punch should’ve been three centimeters to the left. Don’t be discouraged, just follow my advice and try again.”
“Your leg technique is weak, no strength! Are you getting soft? Did someone drain your energy last night?”
“Ah, Mr. CEO, so rough. You’re swinging your fists like a gorilla, using nothing but brute force. No technique at all.”
“You must not have eaten before coming here, huh? Put in a little more effort, your little darling is watching. It’s always so embarrassing to lose face in front of someone you like. How about this, I’ll let you land a punch. Otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll lose face and not know how to back out.”
“Pei Lang! I’m going to rip your mouth off!” Yan Xiuyuan was losing control, filled with resentment and fury. He lunged at Pei Lang with a savage burst. This time, Pei Lang didn’t just dodge with ease—his steps were a little messy, and he barely managed to avoid it. Then, with a burst of speed, he raised his leg and landed a stylish kick to Yan Xiuyuan’s side neck.
“Stop!” A cold, unquestionable voice rang out. Pei Lang’s foot came to a halt just one centimeter away from Yan Xiuyuan’s neck. He turned around, confused, only to see Yan Han and Su Jia.
Why did Mr. Yan come too?
In his confusion, Pei Lang retracted his foot, took two steps sideways, and distanced himself from Yan Xiuyuan, standing obediently and not saying a word.
He had been caught beating up the male lead by his own uncle. Although they weren’t on the best of terms, they were still blood relatives. Pei Lang felt a bit nervous and tried to act as innocently as possible.
Yan Xiuyuan was fuming with both anger and surprise. “Uncle?”
Seeing this, Pei Ziqing quickly ran to Yan Xiuyuan’s side, calling out to him like a little rabbit. “Uncle.”
Yan Han was very angry. His lips pressed into a thin line, and his entire presence was full of authority. “Come here.”
Yan Xiuyuan slowly walked over, but Yan Han shot a cold look at him. “I didn’t call you.” His gaze shifted to Pei Lang, and he said again, “You come here.”
“Mr. Yan, what a coincidence,” Pei Lang smiled as he approached, a little bit of flattery in his tone. Yan Han was very intimidating when angry. Even the little chibi on his shoulder had stopped looking cute, standing in a military posture with complete seriousness.
“I’m taking him with me.” Yan Han issued his command.
Yan Xiuyuan disagreed. Though he was still a little afraid of Yan Han, hearing that Yan Han was going to take Pei Lang away, his fear was immediately replaced by anger.
“No!” His voice was raised. He glared at Pei Lang viciously. “Uncle, this is a personal matter between me and him. Please don’t interfere.”
Yan Han’s lips curled into a cold sneer. His gaze toward Yan Xiuyuan was entirely devoid of emotion, even colder than the look he gave Pei Lang. “If I don’t intervene, someone else will.”
With that, Yan Han proceeded to make a call to the old man, speaking clearly and concisely. “Father, your good grandson, Yan Xiuyuan, is about to harm Pei Lang. This matter, do you want to handle it, or should I personally deal with it?”
Yan Xiuyuan didn’t understand why his uncle was calling his grandfather and didn’t take the situation seriously at all.
After a brief conversation between father and son, two minutes later, Yan Xiuyuan’s father called. He scolded him immediately, saying he had failed to manage the company properly and was causing trouble everywhere. He ordered Yan Xiuyuan to return to the company immediately or he could forget about the CEO position.
Yan Xiuyuan left in shame, taking Pei Ziqing with him. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to throw a threat at Pei Lang, completely unaware that it was his own actions that had led to the scolding.
Pei Lang accepted the threat with a calm smile and a silent nod, giving off a vibe that would surely annoy the person further.
Finally, the world grew quiet again. Pei Lang glanced at Yan Han and then at Su Jia, noticing that Su Jia’s expression seemed unusual. Compared to his previous displeasure, tonight, there seemed to be a touch of admiration in his eyes.
????? Was Su Jia’s condition acting up again? What was with that look of admiration?
“Are you done eating?” Yan Han asked.
“Yes, I’m done,” Pei Lang answered.
Neither of them brought up the incident that had just occurred. Yan Han glanced at the wrinkle on Pei Lang’s shirt sleeve and his gaze deepened. “Then let’s go. Su Jia, bring the car around.”
“Yes, boss.”
