Bian Yiqiu finally stopped laughing, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and mischievously saved the recording of the voice from the phone call. Looking up at Zuo Cheng across from him, he asked with a smirk, “Who came by just now?”

Zuo Cheng, nearly at his wit’s end from the laughter, took a moment to respond before saying, “He Xu.”

Bian Yiqiu promptly dialed He Xu’s number. As soon as the call connected, he asked directly, “What kind of perfume did you wear today?”

“Huh?” Lawyer He, who was in a hotel room with a beautiful woman in his arms and about to move things forward, looked confused. “HUGO BOSS, huh?”

“Not suitable for you. Don’t use it again,” Bian Yiqiu said, then slammed the phone down with a sharp click.

Lawyer He listened to the endless beeping sound on the other end, staring at the screen for a while. It wasn’t until the woman beneath him impatiently rubbed her thigh against him that he muttered, “This is ridiculous,” threw his phone aside, and went back to his interrupted business.

In a good mood, Bian Yiqiu stood up and walked out, humming a song as he went. His singing still had four out of five notes completely off-key.

Zuo Cheng had long since gotten used to Bian Yiqiu’s singing, which was as rugged and uneven as climbing mountains and hills. He had learned to endure the discordant melody without changing his expression, keeping a neutral face as he stood behind him. He followed him into the third-floor restaurant and watched as Bian Yiqiu ordered a large spread of late-night snacks.

“Sit down and eat with me,” Bian Yiqiu called to him.

Zuo Cheng sat across from him, observing Bian Yiqiu’s face, which was full of excitement. He couldn’t help but ask, “Boss, you in a good mood?”

“Ah, yeah, not bad,” Bian Yiqiu replied.

“Because… Young Master Ke?” Zuo Cheng continued to ask.

As soon as Bian Yiqiu heard the name “Young Master Ke,” his mood soured. He picked up a small, crispy, fragrant fried yellow fish, bit its head off in one go, and chewed loudly on the bones and spines without answering Zuo Cheng’s question.

Zuo Cheng watched his expression, wondering if his eager curiosity was too obvious, possibly making the boss upset. But as an important member of the “Iron Triangle (Gossip)” alliance, he couldn’t help but feel curious from that phone call. He was dying to know what Ke Mingxuan had said on the other end to make Bian Yiqiu so pleased, to the point of acting like a madman.

Actually, Bian Yiqiu wasn’t upset; he was just thinking to himself: why was he in such a good mood? Was it because Ke Mingxuan didn’t want him getting too close to Ruan Chengjie? Or because Ke Mingxuan had told him he was jealous? That was bullshit—he knew Ke Mingxuan wasn’t really jealous. However, the threat in the latter part of the conversation didn’t seem fake. Which meant, getting too close to Ruan Chengjie had indeed made Young Master Ke unhappy.

But why should he be upset? He thought he had made his feelings clear when he refused to go back to their old spot last time. From what he knew about Ke Mingxuan, the guy wasn’t the clingy, emotional type. So what exactly did it mean that he made this call?

Let’s not even get into the fact that Bian Yiqiu didn’t want to continue their sex buddy arrangement. Even if they were still sex buddies, there wasn’t any law that said sex buddies had to be loyal to each other. As far as he knew, the handsome young men in Ke Mingxuan’s bed outnumbered him, and when it came to them, they were all pretty much the same. Talking about loyalty was just nonsense.

Could it be that Ke Mingxuan liked Ruan Chengjie?

Bian Yiqiu was taken aback by his own train of thought, but after a moment’s reflection, he realized that although Ke Mingxuan had mentioned jealousy, he never said who he was jealous of. It wasn’t entirely impossible, after all.

Ruan Chengjie was the kind of man who appeared elegant on the outside, with a calm demeanor and a knack for navigating the business world with ease. In private, he lived it up, excelling at everything from street racing to horseback riding. It was true that only a man like this could stand next to Ke Mingxuan and look so perfectly matched. As for someone like Bian Yiqiu—rough around the edges—he could barely communicate with Ke Mingxuan beyond stripping off his clothes and engaging in physical fun. They were on completely different levels mentally. How had he just been in such a good mood because Ke Mingxuan said that one line about being jealous?

Wait a minute, was he really in a good mood because of Ke Mingxuan?

“Cough, cough, cough, cough…”

The tragedy struck unexpectedly. Bian Yiqiu had become so absorbed in his thoughts that a fishbone got stuck in his throat.

Zuo Cheng’s face changed dramatically as he quickly handed him a cup of water. The entire quiet restaurant was filled with the thunderous sound of Bian Yiqiu’s coughing.

The restaurant staff ran over, their faces pale with shock. The manager rushed over in panic, the head of the dining department hurried over, flustered and fearful, and even the chefs came running out, waving their spatulas… A group of people surrounded Bian Yiqiu, anxiously offering care, trembling as if he were on the verge of death—or no, more like they were the ones about to meet their end.

Although there weren’t many customers at this hour, plenty of curious eyes turned toward them, all focused on the scene.

Zuo Cheng made a gesture of holding his forehead, his expression impossible to describe in words. He couldn’t help but wonder if this unexpected incident counted as a failure on his part as a bodyguard.

Bian Yiqiu coughed for a while, drank two cups of water, and finally managed to get the fishbone down. He waved his hand, signaling for everyone to go away.

Waitstaff: “President Bian, are you alright?”

Lobby Manager: “Boss, are you okay?”

Head of the Dining Department: “Boss, which fish did you eat? I’ll have someone take it and mince it for you right away.”

Chef: “…” My pan.

Bian Yiqiu: “Get lost, get lost, all of you!”

Seeing that his shout was full of strength, everyone assumed it wasn’t anything serious. They quickly scattered, hurrying off in all directions like a flock of birds.

Bian Yiqiu’s mood plummeted from the clouds to the depths of the valley because of a fishbone. He couldn’t hum any more tunes, but his stomach was still hungry. So, he silently continued eating, though his chopsticks never reached for the crispy fried yellow fish on the plate again.

As he ate, he cursed Ke Mingxuan’s entire lineage in his mind. His frustration flowed endlessly like the Yellow River, and even the chef’s carefully prepared crab roe soup seemed to have lost its flavor.

He stirred the soup with his spoon for a while, then with a clink, threw it into the bone plate.

Zuo Cheng raised his eyes to look at him. “Not eating?”

Bian Yiqiu furrowed his brows. “Something’s off with the taste.”

Zuo Cheng took a spoonful of the crab roe soup and carefully tasted it before replying, “I don’t taste anything wrong.”

“Really?” Bian Yiqiu picked up his spoon and took another bite. “Still off.”

“…” Zuo Cheng finally understood. The Boss’s taste changed depending on his mood. When he’s in a bad mood, even dragon meat wouldn’t taste good. “Should I ask the chef to make something else?”

“Forget it, let’s head back.”

Bian Yiqiu wiped his mouth with a napkin, casually tossing it onto the table, then stood up and walked out.

Zuo Cheng thought he was heading back to the private room or up to the upstairs rooms, but it wasn’t until they reached the parking lot that he realized they were going back to Yuelu Mountain Villa.

It was close to midnight, and the entire villa area was eerily quiet. Uncle Cen, the night watchman, heard the sounds and came out from the servant’s quarters, throwing on his clothes. He used the remote to open the wrought-iron gate slowly, and Zuo Cheng dropped him off at the gate before turning the car into the garage.

“Why is Young Master Qiu back at this hour? Would you like some supper?” Uncle Cen quickly dressed and respectfully asked as he stood in front of him.

Bian Yiqiu stepped up the stairs and casually replied, “No need, it’s cold. You should go rest.”

Uncle Cen knew his straightforward nature and didn’t press further. He nodded and returned to his room.

At this hour, both the butler and the servants had already gone to bed. The grand house felt somewhat empty and silent, with only a dim yellow floor lamp lighting up the corner of the living room.

This was why he didn’t like coming back—too big, too cold, with no one to care for him, making it feel less like a home.

He entered, went upstairs, cleaned himself up, and threw himself onto the soft bed, wrapping himself tightly in the comforter like a silkworm. He closed his eyes. Just before sleep overtook him, Bian Yiqiu thought to himself, If I’m pissed off, then you, Ke Mingxuan, don’t think you’ll be happy either. You don’t want me getting too close to that person named Ruan? Well, I’ll make sure to hook up with him just to show you.

So, with that thought in mind, Bian Yiqiu’s mood seemed to improve considerably. After all, anything that could irritate Ke Mingxuan made him feel particularly motivated.

No matter how unpleasant things were in reality, in his dreams, he was determined to take things into his own hands and show Ke Mingxuan exactly what he thought.

In a vast, misty, cloud-filled space, he could barely make out Ruan Chengjie’s face, still distant and unclear. The only thing he could vaguely discern was the alluring curve of his lips, teasing and inviting.

Bian Yiqiu gazed at the slightly parted lips, noticing the neat row of teeth, and the warm, inviting hint of a tongue between them. It was as if something in his vision shifted, and suddenly everything around him seemed more vivid, colorful, and intense.

He thought dreamily, how could Ruan Chengjie’s lips be so beautiful, so familiar, as if he had tasted them countless times before? Just the sight of them was enough to stir a deep sense of longing, as if he could already imagine what it would feel like.

He leaned in eagerly, and the other person responded with equal enthusiasm. As their lips met, arms wrapped around him, pulling him close in an embrace.

In the instant their lips and tongues touched, Bian Yiqiu suddenly caught the faint lingering scents of sandalwood and cool cedar. The delicate fragrance drifted between his nostrils, as if it were the most intoxicating poison, seeping silently through every nerve ending, deep into his skin, flesh, and bones, leaving him trapped, unable to pull away.

With his eyes closed, he pressed down on the other person, ignoring everything else as he greedily inhaled that intoxicating scent. He captured that warm, slick tongue, diving in for a deep, intense kiss that almost reached the back of the other’s throat, rough and forceful, as if he wanted to devour the person beneath him entirely.

Bian Yiqiu was so engrossed in the kiss, lost in the moment, when suddenly the world spun. Before he could realize what had happened, he found himself pinned down instead.

He blinked, his eyes adjusting to see a handsome face hovering above him. Those eyes, slightly upturned like blooming peach blossoms, held a playful glimmer that stirred something deep within him, sending ripples through his mind, leaving him disoriented and thoroughly entranced.

What the fuck—this wasn’t Ruan Chengjie at all; it was clearly Ke Mingxuan!

The next morning, when Bian Yiqiu woke up, he sensed something was off with where he was lying. He lifted the blanket and took a look, muttering a curse before quietly putting it back down.

The dream he’d had last night had been so erotic that it left him in quite a mess, staining the blanket and sheets.

For Boss Bian, who’d never been short of company, this was an utter embarrassment. Just from a dream, to feel this satisfied, if word got out, he’d be laughed at to no end, wouldn’t he?”

But that intense, exhilarating night with Ke Mingxuan in his dream had felt so incredibly real that, even now, when he closed his eyes, he could vividly recall the sensation of Ke Mingxuan’s heated hands brushing over his skin, the scorching breath at his ear, and the relentless thrusts that sent searing heat and overwhelming strength deep into his body. Each powerful surge pushed him higher into waves of pleasure, and even the uncontrollable spasms and tremors as he reached climax seemed etched deep within his soul. Just thinking of that scene left every bone in his body feeling like it could dissolve into dust.

Bian Yiqiu buried his face in the pillow, gritting his teeth and angrily shouting, “I fuck your grandfather!”