TDH Chapter 17

Li Que smelled a faint fragrance lingering on his husband’s body. It wasn’t the men’s cologne Zhang Ruien usually wore, but rather a light, airy scent, like a rose on the verge of blooming, carrying the freshness of water vapor. But hidden beneath layers of strong perfume as it was, one had to pay very close attention to notice it.

 

The French were naturally fond of flowers, and even with half Eastern blood, Li Que was no exception. Clearly, during those few minutes his husband was away, Zhang Ruien and Jiang Cenglan had some physical contact, perhaps an embrace. But knowing Zhang Ruien’s temperament, Li Que guessed that Jiang Cenglan must have been the one to take the initiative.

 

Was he warm and passionate toward those he liked? The thought filled Li Que with jealousy.

 

In truth, even Dr. Brown had been surprised at how quickly Li Que shifted his affections. But Li Que himself accepted it with perfect ease. He had never considered falling in love first to be a form of surrender, or something beneath him. On the contrary, in his view, love was something profoundly precious. He felt proud that, even at thirty, he still possessed the ability to love so vividly.

 

Therefore, he was practically impatient to take Zhang Ruien’s place in Jiang Cenglan’s heart. After all, Jiang Cenglan had begun to admire him seven years ago. His two years with Zhang Ruien had been nothing more than a malicious scheme, and it was Zhang Ruien who ought to be driven out of their world.

 

Sometimes, Li Que even thought that Zhang Ruien had stolen something extremely precious from him, something that had belonged to him all along.

 

The brilliantly gifted Jiang Cenglan should belong to him, the one who had inspired him. With that thought, Li Que rubbed his wrist and asked,

“When were you planning to tell me that you’ve run into financial trouble?”

 

Cold sweat broke out instantly on Zhang Ruien’s forehead.

 

Indeed, his finances had run into problems.

 

It was only after coming to New York that Zhang Ruien realized just how mediocre his talent truly was. Back in his hometown, his achievements had been considered outstanding, but among the countless young prodigies on the international scene, he was merely regarded as “hardworking.”

 

Over the years, Li Que had handed him plenty of resources for appearances, packaging him as a promising, up-and-coming designer. Yet after being exposed to the world of the upper class, Zhang Ruien’s ambitions gradually shifted toward business.

 

He still created, but most of his work was built upon others’ foundations. In the meantime, he had poured significant investments into various ventures, quickly amassing personal wealth. But now, the grand commercial blueprint that had once looked so promising was on the verge of collapse, thanks to the implementation of new tariff policies.

 

No wonder he had been up to so many little tricks lately.

 

But Zhang Ruien still wasn’t sure just how much Li Que already knew.

 

He was about to murmur a few placating words in his defense when, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Li Que’s slender wrist. The rubber band that symbolized self-restraint was gone. Instantly, Zhang Ruien became much more obedient. Running through his thoughts quickly, he carefully chose what he could say aloud: “Richard, darling, the businesses I invested in recently…”

 

Li Que let out a cold laugh.

 

Standing nearly the same height as Li Que, Zhang Ruien was by no means short. But his partner’s life of abundance had given him a natural air of superiority, an oppressive presence that had weighed down on Zhang Ruien throughout their seven years together. So even though he knew full well how sincere Li Que’s feelings for him were, Zhang Ruien couldn’t help but always feel beneath him.

 

Or perhaps it was simply a lack of confidence.

 

So at that moment, when Li Que rose from the sofa and strode toward him with a menacing air, Zhang Ruien’s first reaction was to raise his arm to block.

 

It was a completely subconscious action, yet it exposed his lack of trust in Li Que.

 

Li Que stopped in his tracks.

 

He had to admit, for a brief moment, he truly did want to lay hands on Zhang Ruien and grab any excuse to give him a real beating. Not only had he thought about it, but his body had already started to move; however, it was precisely Zhang Ruien’s instinctive defensive gesture that brought him back to his senses.

 

Because at that closer distance, the lingering scent of body wash clinging to Zhang Ruien’s suit cuff, a scent belonging to another man, once again pulled Li Que back from becoming an impulsive devil.

 

Li Que closed his eyes.

 

Zhang Ruien also realized that his reaction had been inappropriate, quickly adjusting his posture. But by now, Li Que’s heart had already flown elsewhere, unwilling to linger on the pathetic ugliness of his cheating husband. He only sneered: “What are you blocking for? Do you think I’d actually lay a hand on you?”

 

That had been his original plan, Li Que thought to himself.

 

But it wasn’t yet the time to tear everything apart.

 

Zhang Ruien thought Li Que was offering him a step down, forcing a laugh as he said, “No, I just… Richard, it was wrong of me to keep things from you. I just didn’t want you to worry about me…”

 

And yet, that night ended with the two of them each hiding their own thoughts, sitting down for a false, insincere discussion. Li Que promised he would help resolve the problem and give his support, but demanded that Zhang Ruien refrain from any fashion-related activities in the near future, apart from MODE magazine.

 

“You’re a designer, and you know that high-end clients care a lot about a designer’s artistic purity,” he started. “Lately, you’ve been too tied up in business dealings, and it doesn’t leave a very good impression.” Li Que then shifted the tone as he continued: “This time, the new policy really caught everyone off guard. But honestly, you show a lot of potential in business. Have you ever thought about switching paths?”

 

The implication in that last line made Zhang Ruien’s heart pound wildly, for few people knew it: Li Que was actually born in the world-renowned Eros Group.

 

Founded in the early twentieth century, after a century of war and peace, the Eros Group, or rather, the Eros family, had achieved an almost monopolistic dominance in the global fashion industry. Starting with leather goods and handbags, over a hundred years, they have acquired more than seventy influential, heavyweight brands in the industry. But that family valued its wealth and power above all else. Rather than uncontrolled expansion through sheer numbers, they prized close bloodline inheritance. The current heads of the family were a brother-and-sister pair, one of whom was Li Que’s mother, Madame Margot, who just happened to oversee the fashion division.

 

Perhaps Li Que’s passion for love also came from his mother. In her youth, she had been wild and unrestrained, falling in love with a Chinese man. Even though they had separated many years later, both Li Que and his cousin, as heirs of the next generation, still enjoyed wealth beyond imagination.

 

As far as Zhang Ruien knew, years ago, the actual shares of AP Watches had already been transferred to Li Que’s name.But Li Que wasn’t much interested in running brands, so he appointed professional managers, while outwardly serving only as the brand’s global spokesperson.

 

So what did Li Que mean now? Had Madame Margot finally relented, allowing him to enter the family’s core businesses?

 

Confronted with such immense temptation, Zhang Ruien readily agreed to halt his other fashion activities.

 

And so, the two men with hidden agendas presented themselves the next day at MODE magazine headquarters, putting on a grand, mutually flattering interview.

 

…………………………..

 

Li Que’s attack had come out of nowhere, at least in Zhang Ruien’s eyes.

 

For Li Que, however, he had already reached the end of his patience. During this time, he had tormented his own wrists into a terrible state. Once, during a video call with his family, they noticed. The very next day, his cousin flew in from France.

 

The timing was perfect. With his cousin’s help, the two of them worked together: after confiscating all of Zhang Ruien’s identification and credit cards, they actually packed him out of the country, isolating him on the other side of the planet under the guise of a once-in-a-century business opportunity.

 

“Just take him out.” That was a line Li Que had actually learned from his cousin, who was far less restrained. But his cousin, burdened with many responsibilities, had a packed schedule. After helping Li Que, he left quickly, while Li Que booked himself a full package of home-visit beauty treatments.

 

If not for time being tight, he would even have gone for some cosmetic procedures.

 

Getting rid of his ex-husband had taken place just two days before MODE’s feature was published.

 

Over those two days, using a new phone with Zhang Ruien’s SIM card inserted, Li Que experienced firsthand the Little Doll’s, that being the nickname he had given Jiang Cenglan, anxiety and anguish.

 

Li Que’s heart ached, but he did not soften.

 

At thirty years old, he had once again fallen hopelessly and recklessly in love. But the boy was seven years younger than him, still in the prime of his youth, and this time Li Que had fallen faster than ever before.

 

Even he himself found it unbelievable that for the first time in his life, he had developed the mindset of someone who could not afford to lose. He had never felt this way before.

 

He didn’t want to lose. He felt that if he lost again, he truly couldn’t bear it.

 

After all, in his younger years, Li Que had been invincible in love.

 

Except for that damned straight husband who had tricked him into marriage!

 

But this time around, Li Que hoped he could finally find happiness.

 

…………………..

 

Two days later, at noon, in his Long Island villa, Li Que finally received the call he dreamed about every night.

 

Jiang Cenglan called three times, each more desperate than the last. Li Que rejected all three, each time letting the busy signal last a little longer.

 

When he judged the time was right, he sent over the address.

 

Afterward, he smoked a cigarette, forcing down the trembling in his hands brought on by excitement, then rose and walked toward the bedroom.

 

An hour later, freshly washed, fragrant, and looking every inch the supermodel, he emerged in a silk robe he had carefully chosen the night before, seductive and alluring.

 

At last, he greeted the boy he had been waiting nearly half a year to see.

 

And with a smile, he invited him into his home.

 

Li Que’s summer arrived, right on schedule, in the blazing sunlight.

 

He thought: Love, too, should be like this.

 

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T.N: This chapter marks the end of the back story/ Li Que’s POV. From next week, we are back to the main story, with the scandal of having their relationship exposed and all that jazz. I just have to say that I personally consider Li Que to be batshit crazy, but oh well, as long as Jiang Cenglan likes it, I guess it’s fine 🤷‍♀️

 

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