Tick-tock, tick-tock.
The rain, carrying a chill, poured over the whole body.
Like a drowning person on the brink of death being thrown onto the shore by the waves, the moment he broke through the surface, a rush of oxygen violently filled his chest. Ye Ning’s chest rose and fell sharply as he gasped for air.
…Where is this?
Wasn’t he in the sea?
The icy, heavy sensation in his palm stirred his consciousness. He moved his stiff fingers slightly and lowered his head.
In his blurred vision, he saw the object he was holding in his hand.
Oh.
A steel bar.
Wait a minute.
A…what???
“Due to the combined influence of cold air and the monsoon trough, our city will experience significant rainfall over the next two days. The top five stations with the highest accumulated rainfall are… heavy rain… the total rainfall during the process… citizens’ travel… ”
“Did the sky get stabbed today? It’s raining so heavily!”
“Young Master Ye, what are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to fight?”
“No fight?! You know when the car crashed into the wall and made a turn; there’s no way out! Little Young Master Ye, we haven’t forgotten how you shut down our brother’s car repair shop! We didn’t make a fuss because you’re young and we’re tough, so we couldn’t be bothered, but don’t think we’re easy to mess with! Constantly causing trouble for Huai-ge, do you really think we won’t do anything to you?”
“Your Ye Family is powerful, but this Yunjiang City isn’t ruled by your Ye Family alone!” The man’s voice was getting louder. “Others might be afraid of you, but I, Zhao Haonan, am not! I’m making it clear today. Whether you want to fight or not, you have to fight!”
……
So noisy.
“Ding—Ding—Ding—”
The sound of the city’s main clock tower chiming the hour slowly lingered in the air.
The voices, the rain, the mechanical street broadcasts, and the chimes of the clock intertwined in the dim alley, swallowing everything.
Ye Ning’s ears kept ringing, and after the final sharp ringing in his head, the last thin layer of transparents barrier between him and the world completely vanished.
The world was reset and adjusted.
He looked towards the rock-gray clock tower on the horizon. Through the rain curtain, the display clearly showed a few words: Jianjing Time, 3:00 PM.
Ye Ning spent twelve minutes, and at exactly 3:00 PM, he gave up on his illusions and faced reality.
—He had transmigrated into a book.
He transmigrated into a modern business drama novel called ‘Fengyun[mfn]T/N: Fengyun (风云) is a Chinese term that can be translated as wind and clouds. In literature or media, it can imply dramatic events, shifting fortunes, or intense battles—often with a focus on political or business intrigue.[/mfn]’, a story about the power struggles of a wealthy family.
It was the story of Lu Sihuai, the legitimate heir of the Lu Family, known as ‘a powerful family with a long history.’. He took control of various forces in Yunjiang, Jianjing, and other regions, moving into different industries, and rapidly expanding the Lu Family’s business territory.
Unlike the typical ‘rise to power’ stories with an unstoppable male lead, Lu Sihua was already a top player from the start. However, at this stage, only a few people in Yunjiang knew about his identity as the ‘heir of the Lu Family.’.
As for ‘Ye Ning’, the Ye Family of Yunjiang was one of the ‘territories’ that had been swept away.
Ye Ning: “……”
Ye Ning lowered his gaze, looking at the heavy, nearly one-meter-long silver steel bar in his hand, gleaming with a cold light in the rain. His eyelids twitched heavily.
If he remembered correctly, according to the original story, next, he would use this steel bar to break one of the male lead’s follower’s legs, and then… the male lead would make him lie in the hospital for a month.
A month later, he was discharged from the hospital, and the male lead returned to Jianjing from Yujiang.
From that point on, the Ye Family and the Lu Family became enemies, charging forward on the path to becoming one of the ‘business empires.’.
His frozen thoughts suddenly snapped back to reality, and Ye Ning’s fingers trembled.
Help.
The steel bar was hot and burning to the touch.
The rain grew heavier and heavier.
In the cold, damp alley at the end of the street, the air was thick with a smell of moss and dirt, as well as the looming presence of the violence that was about to begin.
“Brother Hao, that little young master… seems off. He’s been standing there without moving for a long time!”
“Damn, he’s not faking it again, is he?” The man said, his head constantly swiveling to glance down the alley.
A violent confrontation was about to break out.
Ye Ning hadn’t figured out how to call for a stop yet, but in a blink of an eye, a scene from the story suddenly flashed through his mind.
He couldn’t remember that person’s name anymore, only that he was also a male villain, always causing trouble for the male lead. In the end, the only result was ‘leaving in disgrace, never stepping foot in Jianjing again.’ He didn’t lose any limbs or break any bones—because that person liked Li Sihuai.
Hate was born from love.
Out of love, he chased all the way from Yunjiang to Jianjing, where the Lu Family was located.
Out of hatred, he sought revenge by hurting others while inflicting a thousand wounds on himself—a suicidal act of revenge that fully caused Lu Sihuai trouble.
After the incident was exposed, Lu Sihuai never spared a single glance at him.
This so-called entangled love and deep hatred in others’ eyes failed to stir even the slightest ripple in the heart of the person who had long stood at the top.
Ye Ning remembered the book’s description of Lu Sihuai—though he was in a position of power, he never trampled on others to rise, nor was he an arrogant man who took pleasure in others’ love and hate. He was always proper yet distant.
The premise was—as long as one didn’t touch the people by his side. In other words…
Ye Ning gazed ahead through the curtain of rain.
The group of people before him.
Fortunately, it wasn’t too late.
The steel bar hadn’t been swung down yet.
Ye Ning continued to recall the plot.
Like him, a cannon fodder, the ‘predecessor’ in the book ended up heartbroken and returned to Yunjiang to recuperate.
The male lead didn’t take it to heart, and his followers repeatedly cursed their bad luck. Later, no one ever mentioned the person or event again, letting them fade away in the old city.
Ye Ning once again heard a buzzing sound in his ears.
Heartbroken and sorrowful, cursed by misfortune, returning to Yunjiang to heal from emotional wounds, never stepping foot in Jianjing again, never seeing Lu Sihuai again…
Could such a good thing really exist in this world?
At the end of September, Yunjiang City still held onto a trace of summer heat, but it couldn’t withstand the strong winds and heavy rain.
Zhao Haonan felt as if his muscles and bones were about to be softened by the pounding rain.
“What are you still waiting for?!” He angrily wiped his face, casually grabbed a wooden board nearby, weighed it in his hand, and with a firm grip on one end, pointed it at the group of thugs behind Ye Ning. His voice was as harsh as a broken gong. “If you’re too scared to fight, just shout ‘grandfather[mfn]T/N: In this context, “grandfather” (爺爺) is used as a mocking term to imply submission or defeat. It’s a way to humiliate the other party, suggesting that if they’re too scared to fight, they should show respect or surrender by calling out “grandfather.”.[/mfn]’ and get lost.”
“F*ck your grandfather, I’m not a man if I don’t break your leg today.”
“I’ve had a rabies shot; do you think I’m scared of you!”
In the cold, raining alley, both sides armed themselves with their weapons—-
“Where is Lu Sihuai?”
A voice slowly echoed through.
The sound of rain was heavy, and though this voice wasn’t loud, it clearly brushed past everyone’s ears.
It was very soft, warm like a murmured whisper, yet it easily interrupted the battle.
Both sides came to an abrupt halt, turning their heads to look at the source of the voice.
Zhao Haonan rubbed his ear, unsure whether it was the rainwater soaking through and making it itch or if it was the sudden soft whisper from this little young master that startled and made his ear itch.
…What kind of nonsense is this?
Or is it some new tactic?
Who is he trying to fool?!
Zhao Haonan sneered first. “Little Young Master, are you scared? If you’re going to fight, then hurry up and do it. Don’t…”
The next second, Zhao Haonan and those behind him had their words stuck deep in their throats.
Because they saw Ye Ning lift his head, his eyes red, his hand gripping the steel bar trembling.
It didn’t look like he was enraged; it appeared more like…
“N-Nan-ge, is… is he about to cry?”
Zhao Haonan and everyone behind him. “?”
The group of thugs behind Ye Ning. “???”
Zhao Haonan had fought his way through the ranks in Yunjiang for many years, starting as a mechanic in the back alley and eventually building his own racing team and car repair shop, taking on all kinds of races in Yunjiang. He boasted himself on having seen all kinds of situations, but this… he had never encountered before!
Showing weakness? It doesn’t seem like it?
Begging for mercy? That doesn’t seem right either.
For a moment, Zhao Haonan was actually at a loss for words.
There were no other reasons.
Ye Ning was just too handsome, so much so that the families around Yunjiang City would describe him with just one phrase: “The noble young master raised by Yunjiang.”
His stunning appearance left Zhao Haonan and the others at a loss for words. With their limited vocabulary, they rack their brains and could only come up with a word—handsome, unquestionably, with a striking kind of beauty.
“Little Young Master Ye,” even Zhao Haonan stammered; his words were faltering. “We’re all straightforward people. If you really don’t want to fight, there’s… no need to cry…”
Zhao Haonan couldn’t finish his sentence.
They watched the precious little young master walking toward them, step by step, in the rain.
“Let me ask you again, where is Lu Sihuai?”
He asked while moving forward.
The steel bar in his hand was dragged forward with his steps, leaving a wet trail on the ground. It was quickly washed away by the rain, leaving only the sharp, jarring sound of metal scraping against the ground.
“He isn’t coming, did he?”
Ye Ning took one step after another, walking up to Zhao Haonan. The scraping sound of the steel bar dragging along the ground came to a stop along with his footsteps.
A distance that was already dangerously close.
As long as Zhao Haonan and his group raised a hand, they could drag this pampered noble young master, raised by Yunjiang, into the filthy, muddy alley.
However, none of them made a move.
Whether it was Zhao Haonan or the thugs behind Ye Ning brought, at this moment, there was only one thunderous thought in their minds.
You/Boss, weren’t you only making moves when Huai-ge/Lu Sihuai wasn’t around?!
Ye Ning slightly lifted his eyelashes, his gaze locking onto Zhao Haonan. A few seconds later, he let out a soft laugh.
…As if laughing at himself.
“He didn’t come.”
The voice was extremely low, so low that only Zhao Haonan and a few people nearby could hear it.
It sounded like it was meant for them to hear, yet also as if it were said to himself.
Zhao Haonan’s throat moved instinctively, swallowing a mouthful of saliva.
He forced himself to remain calm. “Aren’t you the one who always looks for trouble when Huai-ge isn’t around?” The words were already at the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t bring himself to say them.
Because they saw the eyes of the young master in front of them, brimming with moisture mixed with the rain, the corners of his eyes reddening shockingly. His voice trembled even more, yet his face carried a smile.
“If I break one of your legs, will he come to see me?”
Zhao Haonan: “…???”
Everyone: “???”
Wait a minute, what do you mean by “If I break one of your legs, will he come to see me?”
F*ck! F*ck! F*ck!
Zhao Haonan trembled as he touched the pulse on his own wrist.
Wait, why is this thing still beating?
Zhao Haonan’s mouth was dry, as if it had been filled with two pounds of sand. After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence. “Uh, well, Little Young Master Ye, today’s incident might be a misunderstanding, we…”
“Zhao Haonan.” Ye Ning dredged up the name of the person in front of him through his memory.
“Ah?” Hearing his name from Ye Ning’s mouth, Zhao Haonan instinctively straightened his back. He lifted his eyes and collided with Ye Ning’s moist gaze.
Then he heard a sentence that, even many years later, would still shake him to his core when he recalled it.
“Why do people like you all get to stay by his side?”
“…But I can’t?”
Ye Ning’s voice quivered, his hand also shaking. In the end, as if drained of strength, he released his grip. The steel bar in his hand made a loud ‘bang’ as it struck the damp ground. It writhed and shook once, twice, before rolling into an unnoticed corner.
The moment the tears mixed with the rainwater fell, the atmosphere in the entire alley suddenly froze.
No one spoke.
Everything around seemed to slow down, as if the air had gained weight, pressing down on the mind.
Who am I? Where am I? What did I just hear?
Having said everything that needed to be said, Ye Ning held his breath and stood still, silently apologizing in his heart.
The phrase ‘people like you’ was indeed not his true intention.
He didn’t think there was anything wrong with people like Zhao Haonan. On the contrary, he actually admired them.
But in a moment of urgency, he had to find a reasonable excuse on the surface to cause trouble for them in the name of ‘Ye Ning’.
Everything settled down.
Ye Ning slowly exhaled a long breath. Next, he would wait for Zhao Hoanan and the others to curse their bad luck and leave, then pass the message to Lu Sihuai that he would go back to ‘recuperate his emotional wounds,’ and Lu Sihuai would return to Jianjing, never to meet again.
Thank heavens, everything turned out relatively well.
Just as he was thinking this, one of Zhao Haonan’s underlings suddenly moved.
Here they come.
Ye Ning adjusted his expression, ready to end the scene, but the next second, that person instantly shoved Zhao Haonan beside him.
“N-Nan-ge, you… you make him cry!”
Zhao Haonan yelled at the top of his lungs, as if struck by lightning. “I-I-I didn’t!”
Ye Ning: “…???”
All of Ye Ning’s expressions froze, leaving only bewilderment.
He stared blankly at Zhao Haonan, who was acting completely out of character.
Ah?!
In a blink of an eye, a raindrop hit his eyelashes, the stinging sensation forcing his eyes to redden even more.
Zhao Haonan had never been this frantic in his life, as if facing a formidable enemy.
“Hey, hey, hey, don’t, don’t cry!”
“I’ll make a call; is it alright if I call Huai-ge?!”
Ye Ning: “?!”
Ah???
T/N: Welcome to another journey~ This is a very light novel without heavy plots or dramas. I recommend this for those who want to read something light and humorous. Enjoy~
