As soon as those words were spoken, everyone froze for a moment.

The reason Ke Mingxuan invited Bian Yiqiu was to make an even group of eight people with four cars. Since Bian Yiqiu was Ke Mingxuan’s friend and didn’t know anyone else, he’d naturally end up in the same car as him. But with Lin Jiayan cutting in like this, it was clear he was deliberately trying to stir things up a bit.

Honestly, Bian Yiqiu didn’t care which car he rode in. Though Ke Mingxuan’s Hummer was unbeatable in terms of off-road power, for comfort, Ruan Chengjie’s Range Rover, Fang Rui’s Mercedes G, or even Zhao Bin’s Jeep Wrangler were better choices. It was just Lin Jiayan’s tone that rubbed him the wrong way, and from the way he spoke to Ke Mingxuan, it was obvious there was something unusual between the two of them.

Thinking about this, Bian Yiqiu became even more irritated. He suddenly realized that he’d come along today playing a rather foolish role.

Bian Yiqiu had a quirk: if someone annoyed him, he’d make sure to annoy them even more. Keeping his head down just wasn’t his style.

So, acting as if he hadn’t heard anything, Bian Yiqiu walked right past them, headed to the front, pulled open the passenger door of the Hummer, and climbed in. He leaned his elbow out the window and yelled at Ke Mingxuan outside, “What, you worried about stepping on ants? Hurry up!”

His shout made everyone freeze, even Ke Mingxuan raised an eyebrow, and Lin Jiayan’s face turned utterly grim.

Bian Yiqiu shot Lin Jiayan a provoking grin. “Sorry, I just like the Hummer. If you don’t mind, you can take the back seat.”

Lin Jiayan’s face flushed red, then pale, and just as he was about to speak up, Ke Mingxuan turned and called out, “Fatty!” Zhao Bin, who had been thoroughly enjoying the show, immediately hurried over, threw an arm around Lin Jiayan’s shoulder, and steered him aside. “Xiao Lin, come on, come on! Today you get to drive my car. Go wild with it!”

As annoyed as Lin Jiayan was, he couldn’t just drag Bian Yiqiu out of the car in front of Ke Mingxuan. So, he took the way out offered, following Zhao Bin into the Wrangler.

Bian Yiqiu had come out on top, feeling smug about his little victory, completely oblivious to the way the others were now eyeing him with a different kind of interest.

Ke Mingxuan walked over to Fang Rui and Liang Ziyue’s car, said a few words, then returned with a paper bag, which he tossed to Bian Yiqiu after getting in. He opened it and found a sandwich and a cup of freshly ground soy milk.

“Damn, finally some food!” Bian Yiqiu ripped open the sandwich wrapper and took a huge bite. “Mmm, not bad. Did you get this just for me?”

“Liang Ziyue’s wife just made extras, that’s all,” Ke Mingxuan replied. As he finished speaking, Zhao Bin’s Wrangler roared past them, with Lin Jiayan at the wheel.

Bian Yiqiu took a sip of the rich, creamy soy milk and glanced at the Wrangler speeding off. “Huh, didn’t expect that kid, looking all delicate, to drive so aggressively.”

“A sandwich still can’t shut you up?” Ke Mingxuan shot him an exasperated glare before grabbing the radio and pressing the switch. Zhao Bin’s voice soon came through.

“What’s up, Boss Ke?”

“Keep an eye on Lin Jiayan. Don’t let anything happen.”

“With me here, nothing will. By the way, what’s the deal between you and Bian Yiqiu—”

Ke Mingxuan cut off the channel before he could finish.

Since he was wearing earphones, Bian Yiqiu didn’t hear any of it. He quickly finished off the sandwich and sipped his soy milk, drinking it slowly and contentedly.

Turns out, when Boss Bian’s stomach was full, even the scenery outside looked a bit more pleasing.

The Wrangler led the way, followed closely by Ruan Chengjie and Li Ze’s car, then Fang Rui and Liang Ziyue in third, with Ke Mingxuan and Bian Yiqiu bringing up the rear.

They had to exit the highway at the South City junction, switch to a national road, pass through Pingchuan and Yaguan, then onto a provincial road, entering the Old Mountain Pass. After driving another seven kilometers south, they’d reach Longxu Town. Fengling lay four kilometers northwest of Longxu Town, marking the true start of the off-road trail.

Lin Jiayan actually took Zhao Bin’s words to heart and went all out, driving the Wrangler like a race car. He kept it over the speed limit the entire way, and in the blink of an eye, left the other three cars far behind.

The radio crackled twice, and Ruan Chengjie’s calm voice came through. “Young Master Lin’s got quite a temper today. I say, Boss Ke, you might want to calm him down. If something happens, it’ll be hard for all of us to explain.”

“Whoever brought him should go calm him down,” Ke Mingxuan replied nonchalantly. Luckily, Zhao Bin also had his earphones on, so Lin Jiayan, who was putting all his energy into speeding, couldn’t hear what they were saying on the full channel.

But that wasn’t so lucky for Zhao Bin, because he was the one who had brought Lin Jiayan.

However, heaven knows, this wasn’t voluntary on his part. Lin Jiayan was like a live ancestral figure in their group, with such a short temper that no one dared to offend him. Moreover, it was obvious to everyone that he had something for Ke Mingxuan, but the young master Ke played dumb and acted like he didn’t notice. Even Zhao Bin couldn’t stand it. The result of this was that he ended up telling Lin Jiayan the time and route for this off-road trip.

Since Lin Jiayan was right next to him, Zhao Bin couldn’t say much. It was Fang Rui, who was driving, spoke up in Zhao Bin’s defense. “This isn’t Zhao Bin’s fault. If Lin Jiayan came to any of us, none of us would have turned him away. Sure, we met him because of you, but we’ve been friends for years now. He’s always calling us ‘Bin ge’ or ‘Rui ge,’ and when it really matters, you just leave him hanging. Do you think that’s fair?”

“Exactly,” said Li Ze. “Lin Jiayan’s feelings for you are deep and unwavering. You’ve got plenty of boyfriends to play around with, it’s not like you can’t be attracted to men. So why are you so cold toward him?”

“That’s not the same,” Ke Mingxuan replied, because Lin Jiayan wasn’t like those other guys he could just have fun with and then forget. That was why he couldn’t play around.

“It’s a bit different. Young Master Ke likes those fresh-faced boys around seventeen or eighteen,” came Ruan Chengjie’s voice.

“Then what was he doing when Lin Jiayan was seventeen or eighteen?”

“At that time, he was busy chasing after pretty girls. He probably didn’t realize he had potential with men yet.”

Li Ze laughed and cursed under his breath, “Damn.”

The only married person in the group, Liang Ziyue, finally couldn’t take it anymore. He cleared his throat and asked, “Zhao Bin, where are you guys now?”

“Just got off the national highway, we’re about to enter Lao Shankou,” Zhao Bin replied.

“Tell Jiayan to slow down a bit, and find a place to rest in Longxu Town. We’ll have lunch before heading into the mountains.”

“Got it.”

The chatter over the intercom finally died down. Ke Mingxuan took off his headset and tossed it onto the center console, then rolled down the window to get some fresh air. But a strong gust of cold wind rushed in, instantly waking up Boss Bian, who had been napping.

He pulled his collar tighter, glaring at Ke Mingxuan with irritation. “Are you crazy? Why are you opening the window on the national highway?”

Ke Mingxuan, already irritated by Lin Jiayan’s behavior, snapped, “It’s my car, I can do whatever I want with it. If you don’t like it, find another one.”

Bian Yiqiu sneered, “Oh, you’re waiting for me to leave? Is it because I didn’t let your little lover sit in this car, and it’s been bothering you the whole time?”

Ke Mingxuan, furious, slammed his fist on the steering wheel, causing the Hummer to swerve dangerously, almost hitting the guardrail.

“God damn it, why does everyone think there’s something between me and Lin Jiayan?”

“Ke Mingxuan, what the hell are you two doing? Can’t you drive properly?!” Fang Rui’s shout came through the headset. Though it wasn’t amplified, it was loud enough for both of them to hear clearly.

Ke Mingxuan only realized after a moment that he had taken off his headset but hadn’t switched off the channel, so it seemed like their quarrel had been overheard by everyone.

Bian Yiqiu also realized his tone had been a bit off and fell silent, no longer speaking.

Ke Mingxuan calmly put his headset back on and replied, “My hand slipped.”

“Your hand slipped and you managed to make the road curve into an S-shape? Damn, that’s impressive.”

“It’s dry and the weather’s causing people to easily get irritated. How about I get a few cans of herbal tea for you all when we get to the town?” Ruan Chengjie said, still with that annoying tone.

Li Ze, eager to stir things up, chimed in, “Boss Ke, you sure know how to surprise us with your tastes.”

In a way, Li Ze wasn’t wrong. Even Ke Mingxuan found it hard to believe that he’d suddenly developed an interest in Bian Yiqiu’s ass. Who knew how he went from just looking to wanting to pin him down? Maybe those naked photos of him bound and blindfolded were just too tempting. He’d flip through them casually in the hospital, and it always made him hard. If he didn’t take a bite out of it, how could he live with the fact, that his integrity has long since disappeared?

Moreover, there’s no denying the incredible satisfaction that comes from fucking someone as tough as yourself, leaving him so exhausted and overwhelmed that he’s practically begging for mercy. That kind of pleasure, which goes beyond mere physical connection, is something those young, obedient boys can never provide. On top of that, Boss Bian’s physique is truly extraordinary. In every way, he’s the most satisfying bed partner Ke Mingxuan ever had in all these years, without exception. Why else would he keep coming back for more, indulging in him for two months straight without growing tired of it?

Ke Mingxuan thought about it, and surprisingly, the irritation that had flared up earlier started to subside.

After all, the two of them had been occasional bed partners for quite a while. While they didn’t always get along well in everyday interactions, they were perfectly compatible in bed. He was always courteous with his little lovers, so shouldn’t he show a bit more tolerance toward Boss Bian, whose pride was as big as the sky?

After all, this guy was just the kind of prickle-ridden troublemaker he was. Expecting him to say a few nice words was as pointless as trying to shut his mouth. What did his issues with Lin Jiayan have to do with Boss Bian? It was a bit unfair to drag him into this mess for no reason.

So, for the first time ever, Young Master Ke lowered his stance and said, “Well, just now, I wasn’t angry at you.”

Bian Yiqiu, arms crossed, leaned back in his seat and looked out the window at the rapidly retreating scenery. Hearing this, he scoffed and turned his head. “Young Master Ke, are you kidding me? It’s just the two of us in the car. If you weren’t angry at me, who were you angry at?”

“I really wasn’t angry at you. I was just a bit frustrated from being messed with on the public channel.”

“Wait a minute!” Boss Bian suddenly exclaimed.

Ke Mingxuan glanced at him, and he continued, “Are you apologizing to me?

“……” Ke Mingxuan said stiffly, “If you think so, then fine.”

“Don’t, this is a historic moment, I must record it to relive it every day,” Bian Yiqiu said, taking out his phone and switching to the recording mode. “Come on, say it again.”

Ke Mingxuan immediately changed his expression, “Bian Yiqiu, do you believe I’ll kill you in this car?”

Bian Yiqiu pretended to be troubled, “In front of your little lover? Isn’t that inappropriate?”

“Which one of your damn eyes saw him as my little lover?”

“Not really?” Bian Yiqiu put his phone away and moved his neck, which had become stiff from the sleeping position. “Isn’t it that the way he looks at me is just like how one would look at a love rival?”

“He looks at any man around me like they’re a love rival.”

“Oh~~” Bian Yiqiu purposely dragged out the tone. “So, it’s like ‘the flowers are willing, but the water is heartless’?”

Young master Ke’s glare was colder than the biting north wind outside. “If you haven’t read books, don’t use adjectives carelessly.”

Bian Yiqiu asked, “Did I say something wrong?”

Ke Mingxuan didn’t respond to him: “Anyway, when we get to the town later, be polite to Lin Jiayan, and stop butting heads with him.”

Bian Yiqiu lazily looked at him: “What, are you worried about him?”

Ke Mingxuan rolled his eyes at him, feeling there was no way to communicate with this person, so he chose to remain silent. Bian Yiqiu also found it boring, closed his eyes, leaned back against the seat, and soon fell back to sleep.

Ke Mingxuan looked at his sharply defined side profile and silently muttered, “Idiot.”