Li Wenqing was experiencing such a luxurious car for the first time. She got in carefully, afraid of damaging something.

Li Wenshui, on the other hand, was not new to riding in Liang Jin’s car. He appeared much more relaxed compared to his sister, sitting less stiffly. However, both siblings shared the habit of keeping their shoes a distance away from the front seats, revealing their mutual concern about scratching the leather covers with their shoes.

As the car drove away from the amusement park, Liang Jin asked, “Why didn’t you reply to my messages? I thought you weren’t coming.”

Li Wenshui looked out the window, where trees half-shielded the sunset, creating layered shadows. “What’s the big deal? You didn’t reply to my messages either.”

Glancing at the rearview mirror, Liang Jin caught a glimpse of Li Wenshui’s softened expression under the warm light. Smiling, he said, “I didn’t reply? Maybe I forgot. I’ve been busy lately, and I don’t use WeChat often.”

Li Wenshui’s lips twitched slightly in mild disdain, unwilling to respond. Busy with what? Running around having fun? Forgetting to reply and not using WeChat often—what a dismissive excuse.

Liang Jin didn’t bother to explain further, as he wasn’t concerned whether Li Wenshui believed him or not.

Meanwhile, Li Wenqing suddenly remembered that this was the same car that had dropped her brother home that night. So, the handsome driver must be Liang Jin, the name on the cake box tag! But if their relationship was so close, why did they act like strangers at the amusement park today?

The car stopped at the entrance of an alleyway. Li Wenqing got out, and Li Wenshui leaned against the window to give instructions. “I’m going to handle something with… a friend. Not sure when I’ll be back tonight. Don’t wait up. Call me if you need anything.”

Li Wenqing waved at them.

As the car started, Li Wenshui kept his eyes on his sister until the vehicle turned a corner and she was out of sight.

Liang Jin remarked, “Your sister seems to have a much better personality than you.”

“Of course! My sister is well-read, outstanding in her studies, obedient, and gentle. She’s obviously better than me.” At the mention of his sister, Li Wenshui couldn’t hide the pride on his face. It wasn’t until he realized Liang Jin had just indirectly criticized his character that he felt it was too late to refute.

Liang Jin couldn’t help but laugh. “I have a gift for you,” he said, glancing at the passenger seat.

Following his gaze, Li Wenshui saw a shopping bag from the luxury store they had visited earlier. His urge to argue vanished; instead, his tone softened. “Liang Jin, what is it?”

Liang Jin was amused by the sudden shift in attitude. “Take a guess,” he teased.

A glimmer of excitement flashed in Li Wenshui’s light-colored eyes as he thought, Could it be the watch? Did Liang Jin notice how much he liked it and buy it for him?

Although they had agreed that he wouldn’t accept any benefits, there was no rule against Liang Jin gifting him something voluntarily. Rumors said Liang Jin was always generous with his partners, gifting cars and houses without hesitation. Considering how much time they had spent together earlier, it wouldn’t be unusual for him to receive a watch.

Even if it wasn’t the watch, anything from that store would be expensive enough to show off for a while and boost his image. Of course, Li Wenshui hoped it was the watch—he had liked it so much and had been thinking about it for days.

Driven by the possibility, Li Wenshui became unexpectedly well-behaved, even diligent. As Liang Jin drove, he reached over to massage his shoulders. Having worked as an apprentice at a massage parlor before, Li Wenshui was confident in his skills.

Liang Jin, genuinely enjoying the massage, asked with a smile, “Just one gift, and you’re already this eager to please?”

Li Wenshui didn’t see a problem with it. Considering how expensive the gift was, offering a massage seemed only reasonable. Besides, taking good care of his benefactor might mean more gifts in the future.

“I don’t have much to offer in return to thank you,” Li Wenshui admitted candidly.

“Don’t worry. You can express your gratitude later in a more hands-on way,” Liang Jin replied.

Li Wenshui thought to himself, Is Liang Jin hinting that I should take the initiative?

He had never been the one to take the lead in bed and wasn’t even sure how to do so. But since Young Master Liang had made the request, and considering the gift, he figured he could give it a try later.

As the sun set and night fell, Liang Jin’s car arrived at the address he had given to Li Wenshui. The moment Wenshui got out of the car, he eagerly grabbed the gift box, unable to contain his excitement. He didn’t even bother pretending to be reserved.

Liang Jin held his hand, smiling meaningfully. “Open it inside.”

Wenshui held back, reasoning that it wouldn’t hurt to wait a little longer.

Once inside, Wenshui sat down on the sofa and carefully took the packaging box out of the gift bag. He had been hoping it was a watch and had moved to the sofa to ensure he wouldn’t drop it by accident. But the size of the box made it obvious that it wasn’t a watch; it was more like clothing.

A pang of disappointment hit him, but he tried to console himself—clothing was still better than nothing. With that thought, he opened the box, full of anticipation.

Inside lay a black velvet lace slip dress.

The smile vanished from Li Wenshui’s face. All his excitement was immediately replaced with emptiness.

Of course. Liang Jin had mentioned over WeChat earlier that he wanted to see him in a dress tonight. He shouldn’t have let himself hope for anything else. He shouldn’t have been so happy so soon.

Wenshui’s eyes were filled with disappointment. His emotions felt like a roller coaster—soaring to the heights of expectation, only to plummet harshly into the depths of despair. His chest felt tight and heavy, leaving him dejected and powerless.

Liang Jin probably knew I liked the watch, right? Wenshui thought. So why couldn’t he just buy it for me? But then, he realized, Why would he buy it for me? He never promised to. It’s not like he broke his word. I don’t even have the right to blame him.

Wenshui lowered his head, staring silently at the dress. What a waste of excitement. He felt a sour sting of humiliation in his heart. Earlier, he had massaged Liang Jin’s shoulders so much that his tendonitis had flared up again. And this so-called gift turned out to be nothing more than a frivolous toy to satisfy Liang Jin’s twisted amusement—something he couldn’t use, and couldn’t even sell.

Liang Jin reached out and tousled Wenshui’s hair. “Baby, put it on for me.”

Wenshui clutched the dress tightly, stubbornly refusing to move.

After a moment, Liang Jin suddenly picked Wenshui up from the sofa and carried him onto the balcony.

Sitting on the balcony railing startled Wenshui out of his unhappy mood. He clung to Liang Jin’s neck in panic, staring into Liang Jin’s crescent-moon eyes, which sparkled like stars under the night sky.

“Liang Jin, put me down!” Wenshui pleaded urgently.

Liang Jin shook his head with a smile. “What were you thinking just now?”

Wenshui turned his head away, lowering his eyes. “Nothing,” he mumbled.

“Really nothing?” Liang Jin turned Li Wenshui’s chin to face him and kissed his trembling lips.

Wenshui’s lips were forced open as Liang Jin’s tongue explored every corner of his mouth. Unskilled in kissing and unable to even catch his breath, Wenshui was left dazed. Each time he lost himself in the kiss, Liang Jin would pinch his lips apart and softly guide him, “Breathe.”

Wenshui would take a breath before being kissed again. This cycle repeated several times until his lips felt numb, his mind spinning, and his breaths grew heavier. He couldn’t remember when Liang Jin had taken him down from the railing. By then, a strap of his dress hung loosely on his elbow, exposing his smooth back and slender waist. Liang Jin lightly bit his reddened ear, which looked as if it might drip blood.

Leaning tiredly on the balcony railing, Wenshui could see the brightly lit commercial street in the distance. His gaze wandered, shifting between the wet ground from a recent rain and the deep night sky.

Liang Jin gently brushed away Wenshui’s damp black bangs and said, “This dress suits you.”

Wenshui didn’t take it as a compliment. Frustrated, he tried to push Liang Jin away, his voice faltering, “Liang Jin, I’m so tired. Can we go to the bed?”

Liang Jin kissed his back softly. “The view here is better.”

—

The next day, Wenshui didn’t get out of bed until the sun was high in the sky. The large bedroom was silent; Liang Jin was gone. Dressing quickly, he walked outside and saw the crumpled dress lying in the trash can.

A dress that cost 30,000 yuan had turned into a worthless piece of fabric overnight. Supporting himself against the wall, Wenshui crouched down, wanting to take it out. That’s 30,000 yuan—it could cover his debts for three months! But after a brief hesitation, he pulled back his hand. Taking it out would serve no purpose—what was he going to do with it? Use it as a rag?

On the dining table was a box of exquisite cake, clearly left for him by Liang Jin. It was from the same shop as last time. Wenshui felt a mix of emotions. So a whole night of fucking is worth just a cake?

He didn’t eat the cake. Just like before, he emptied the refrigerator, taking all the stocked food and drinks to sell for cash. Only when he converted the items to money did the suffocating weight in his chest ease.

After returning home, Wenshui caught a cold—all because Liang Jin had left him out in the cold wind on the balcony for half the night. He wasn’t one to go for IV drips, so he simply took some fever medicine and carried on with his routine.

The old tricycle he used had been modified into a small van suitable for his street vending. Freshly painted, it looked clean and new. In his spare time, he bought various tools for making cakes. Unable to afford classes, he taught himself by watching videos.

Despite his usual focus on earning money, this venture brought him genuine joy. It was the one thing he truly loved and found happiness in.

Liang Jin hadn’t contacted him in a while. The only time they crossed paths was on the day of Wenshui’s thesis defense. They briefly passed each other in a hallway, and Liang Jin had slyly pinched him on the butt as they brushed shoulders.

Wenshui thought Liang Jin might reach out that night, but his WeChat messages remained silent.

—

The summer heat was oppressive, offering no respite even after nightfall. Riding his tricycle through the bustling commercial district, Wenshui weaved through the crowd on his first day of selling cakes. He only made two types—tiramisu and soy milk box cakes—priced at 10 yuan for a small portion and 15 yuan for a large one.

Initially, there were few customers, but gradually, more people came by. By the end of the night, he had just one box of tiramisu left, which he set aside to eat later at home.

Unintentionally, his tricycle ended up near a quiet villa district. Stopping to wipe his sweat and drink some water, he noticed that the ice water he’d brought along had already turned to room temperature.

Not far away, a large villa was bustling with activity, its bright lights and constant stream of people making the place lively. Wenshui found the scene familiar and, after a moment, realized it was Liang Jin’s home.

He had learned the address from Luo Jianan before, intending to thank Liang Jin. But both times he came, Liang Jin hadn’t been there—or perhaps had intentionally avoided him.

What day is it today? Wenshui wondered, peering curiously inside.

A car passed by, and someone inside glanced at Wenshui, then frowned in disdain. What’s the security doing, letting anyone wander in here?

After a second look, the person’s expression shifted. Recognizing Wenshui, the car stopped, reversed, and the door opened. Out stepped Pei Zhi, who approached him directly.

Pei Zhi eyed Wenshui’s attire with amusement and said, “What’s this? The son of a construction tycoon slumming it for a taste of life?”

Wenshui forced a laugh and prepared to leave, but Pei Zhi blocked his way. “Since you’re here, why not go in? Today’s Liang Jin’s birthday.”

“Ah?” Wenshui exclaimed, startled.

It seemed that Li Wenshui wasn’t aware of the situation.

Liang Jin and Li Wenshui had been together for a month now. Just yesterday, Pei Zhi had lost a horse ranch to Liang Jin in a bet, and the defeat left him feeling bitter.

Pei Zhi changed his tone and said, “Come with me. Liang Jin has something to discuss with you.”

“He’s looking for me? Why didn’t he send me a message?”

Pei Zhi yanked Li Wenshui off his tricycle. “He just mentioned it. I’m sure he’ll text you in a bit.”

Li Wenshui stood still, feeling uncomfortable in his shabby clothing. He shook his head. “I can’t.”

But Pei Zhi didn’t give him the chance to leave. Taking advantage of Wenshui’s hesitation, he grabbed his wrist tightly and forcefully dragged him into the villa.

Li Wenshui’s simple and modest outfit clashed starkly with the well-dressed and glamorous guests inside the villa.

Liang Jin was surrounded by a crowd of people, including Ji Xingzhou and Li Liyan. Pei Zhi barged through the group and pushed the reluctant Wenshui, who had been about to turn and leave, right in front of Liang Jin.

With a mischievous smile, Pei Zhi said, “Look who’s here.”