Director Yu, the one who called Qian Ying out, was the officer in charge of the detention center’s operations.

By regulation, suspects under detention for investigation were not allowed to meet anyone other than their lawyer. The rules were even stricter in Bian Yiqiu’s case. He couldn’t even meet with a lawyer. Yet, Director Yu informed Qian Ying that someone wanted to see him.

He asked who it was, but Director Yu didn’t say. He simply led him outside.

As soon as they exited the cafeteria, someone came forward to cuff Qian Ying’s wrists. Two armed prison guards followed closely behind as a precaution.

Qian Ying cooperated, keeping quiet as they cuffed him. He followed behind Director Yu but grew puzzled when he realized they weren’t heading toward the visitors’ room.

The group passed through the exercise yard and the basketball court. Director Yu scanned his fingerprint to access the office area. Eventually, they stopped in front of his personal office.

“Go in,” Director Yu said.

Qian Ying frowned. “Who’s inside?”

“You’ll see once you’re in. You’ve got twenty minutes, so don’t waste time,” Director Yu replied, then stepped into the hallway to light a cigarette. The two guards stood on either side of the door, keeping watch.

Qian Ying never would’ve imagined that the person waiting inside was Lin Jiayan—or that the first thing Lin Jiayan would say was that he wanted to get him out.

“But you have to promise me one thing,” Lin Jiayan said. “Once you’re out, you’ll clean up your act and start running an honest business.”

Qian Ying looked at him silently, then asked in return, “How do you plan to get me out?”

“I could ask my dad to help. He might be able to figure something out…”

“Your dad? Isn’t he just a regular logistics officer? He has that kind of power?”

“I… My dad is…” Lin Jiayan hesitated, at a loss for words.

“I know exactly who your dad is, Young Master Lin,” Qian Ying interrupted. “From the very beginning, I looked into your background thoroughly. Getting close to you was all part of the plan—to use the Lin family as my shield. I just didn’t expect I’d screw up this badly this time.”

Though Lin Jiayan had his suspicions, hearing it confirmed so bluntly felt like a heavy blow to the head. His mind went blank. “What did you just say?”

Qian Ying sneered. “Did you really think I liked you? Young Master Lin, has no one ever told you how insufferable you are? Other than your face, what else about you is likable?”

“You’re lying!” Lin Jiayan roared.

“Oh, right. I’m lying. Other than your face, your ass isn’t bad either. Especially when I had you crying and screaming under me—that was quite a sight…”

Slap!

The sharp sound cut Qian Ying’s words short.

Lin Jiayan’s hand stung fiercely from the force of the slap.

Qian Ying turned his head to the side from the impact, tasting the faint metallic tang of blood in his mouth. He spat to the ground and cast Lin Jiayan a mocking glance. “With a temper like yours, it’s no wonder your dear Mingxuan doesn’t want you.”

Lin Jiayan was trembling with rage, his entire body shaking. All the inner turmoil and struggle he’d endured over the past month now seemed like a massive joke. He had debased himself for someone like this, handing himself over only to be humiliated.

In the end, Qian Ying said, “Young Master Lin, the world out there is dangerous. Don’t be so naive next time.” Especially when I’m not by your side. Learn to protect yourself. Not everyone would put up with you like I do—even taking a slap willingly.

—

The next day during exercise time, Bian Yiqiu asked Qian Ying, “Did you really get close to Lin Jiayan just to use his family?”

Qian Ying, with a cigarette hanging from his lips and distinct finger marks still visible on one side of his face, looked frustrated. “When Ruan Chengjie came looking for me, I finally understood what kind of background the Lin family really has.”

Bian Yiqiu paused, then quickly caught on. “Should I give you a round of applause for your stellar acting?”

Qian Ying looked utterly unenthused. “Go ahead.”

So Bian Yiqiu gave a few half-hearted claps before asking, “With such a good opportunity, why didn’t you take it?”

For once, Qian Ying’s expression turned serious. “Precisely because I know the Lin family’s background, I can’t let him have anything more to do with me. Do you think washing clean is that easy?”

Bian Yiqiu fell silent. He understood better than anyone just how difficult it was to go clean. Jiu’an had been trying to shed its underworld reputation for over a decade, yet the label of “black market” still clung to it. And even if you cleaned up, your past crimes wouldn’t just disappear. Every single one would be remembered, waiting to pull you back down with a single misstep, dragging you into a bottomless abyss. He was living proof of that.

“And besides, I was born into the underworld. How am I supposed to clean up?” Qian Ying’s cigarette burned down to the filter as he spoke, and he stubbed it out on the concrete ground.

Bian Yiqiu said, “If you’re willing to try, it’s always possible to go clean.”

Qian Ying chuckled but didn’t respond. He stood up from the steps and brushed himself off.

Exercise time was nearly over. The two walked side by side, slowly heading back to their cells. As they crossed the yard, Qian Ying asked, “The last time you said you wanted to live a clean life—was it for that Mingxuan guy or whatever his name is?”

“Ke Mingxuan,” Bian Yiqiu said, stating the name and answering the question at the same time.

Qian Ying suddenly stopped in his tracks. “Wait a second. You’re telling me that Lin Xiaoyan’s beloved ‘Mingxuan ge,’ the one he’s always going on about, isn’t actually surnamed Ming?”

“Who told you his surname was Ming?” Bian Yiqiu’s gaze shifted subtly as he looked at him. “Ruan Chengjie told you about the Lin family’s background but didn’t mention who Ke Mingxuan is?”

“Nope. I even specifically asked if he knew someone called Mingxuan. He said no, never heard of him. So, I assumed he wasn’t part of that circle and didn’t think much more about it.”

Bian Yiqiu’s expression became indescribable. “Young Master Qian, has your brain shrunk from eating too many foreign pastries?”

Qian Ying: “…”

Bian Yiqiu continued, “Though, to be fair, it makes sense. If I were Ruan Chengjie, I wouldn’t tell you who Ke Mingxuan is either. Otherwise, would you still have worked with him?”

Qian Ying: “…”

“Forget it, Young Master Qian. Honestly, I think you being stuck in here isn’t unfair at all.”

With that, Bian Yiqiu strode off the exercise yard, making it clear he had no interest in continuing a conversation with someone whose intelligence seemed to be scraping the bottom. He was afraid prolonged interaction might drop his IQ to the same level.

Qian Ying stared at Bian Yiqiu’s retreating back, frozen in place for a good seven or eight seconds. Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, he clenched his teeth and cursed furiously, “Ruan Chengjie, fuck your mother!”

—

Ke Mingxuan had spent the entire night parked along the tree-lined road outside the detention center. Sometime past midnight, he dozed off in the driver’s seat. Around six in the morning, the sound of street cleaners sweeping woke him up. For a solid two minutes, he genuinely doubted if his neck still belonged to his body.

Moving sluggishly, he raised a hand to support his neck and gave it a firm twist. A series of bone-crunching pops echoed disturbingly, but at least his head was back in place.

He rubbed his face, turned to glance once more at the high walls and electric fences of the detention center, then started the engine and drove away.

Perhaps convinced that he couldn’t possibly rescue Bian Yiqiu, Commander Ke no longer restricted his movements or assigned anyone to tail him.

When he arrived at Chu Yi’s place, the couple was still in bed. Chu Yi opened the door and, upon seeing him, thought for a moment he was dreaming.

Half an hour later, Chu Yi set a freshly made breakfast on the table. Ke Mingxuan, having barely eaten the night before, was starving. Without holding back, he devoured two bowls of soft and fragrant millet porridge, a basket of steaming crab roe soup dumplings, and a plate of savory seafood fried noodles.

Satisfied and wiping his mouth, he spoke before Chu Yi could ask any questions, “I’m going to sleep first. We’ll talk after I wake up.”

Chu Yi pointed toward the guest room, indicating he could make himself at home, and then got up to fetch fresh pajamas and toiletries for him.

Carrying the items, Ke Mingxuan passed by the master bedroom, where Lu Xiao, still groggy, opened the door. The sight shocked him awake instantly. “You—you—you…”

“Morning,” Ke Mingxuan said, sparing only a single word before heading straight into the guest room without looking back.

Lu Xiao stood there with wide eyes, staring after him for a long moment. It wasn’t until the guest room door slammed shut with a bang that he snapped out of it. “That was Ke Mingxuan, wasn’t it? Did I see that wrong?”

“You didn’t,” Chu Yi replied, walking over to wrap an arm around the back of Lu Xiao’s head and plant a kiss on his lips. “Hurry up and freshen up, or you’ll be late for class.”

“I don’t have class the first two periods…”

“Then go back to bed for a bit?”

“No, I’ll head out with you. I need to drop off last week’s assignment at the studio first.”

Their voices gradually faded away. Half-asleep, Ke Mingxuan vaguely heard the sound of a door closing, and soon after, the apartment fell silent.

Ke Mingxuan slept from eight in the morning until two in the afternoon. When he finally got up, he no longer felt dizzy or heavy-headed. On the guest room door was a sticky note that read:

“There’s food in the kitchen. If you’re heading out, grab clothes from the bedroom. Spare keys are on top of the shoe cabinet.”

Ke Mingxuan looked at the note and thought, This is what it means to have a real brother.

At 4 PM, Ke Mingxuan arrived at the He Sheng Media building, taking the private elevator straight to the 79th floor. The moment Secretary Lisa saw him, she let out a scream, and Assistant Xiao Xu nearly dropped his glasses as he looked up from his desk.

He gestured for them to keep quiet, signaling Lisa and Xiao Xu to stay calm. “Tell Pei Siyuan to come to my office.”

In less than two minutes, Pei Siyuan was standing in front of him. Without a word, he strode forward and gave him a massive bear hug, thumping him hard on the back twice.

“I’m still recovering from serious injuries… Are you trying to send me back to the hospital?”

Pei Siyuan quickly let go. “Sorry, sorry, I got too excited. Are you okay? How’s your recovery going? If you’re still hurt, you shouldn’t rush back to the office. Although I’ve been so busy that I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve wanted to jump out of here, I think I can still muster one last spurt of energy.”

“Great. Take advantage of that burst of energy and hang in there a bit longer. I’m not planning on coming back to work just yet.”

“…I was joking!” Pei Siyuan wailed.

“But I’m serious,” Ke Mingxuan replied solemnly. “Things at home are a bit tricky right now. I won’t be able to resume work for the time being, so I’ll have to trouble you to hold the fort for a while longer.”

Pei Siyuan frowned. “Is this about… President Bian?”

“Yes.” Ke Mingxuan nodded without hesitation.

“How is he?” Pei Siyuan knew some details about their situation but not everything. So far, all he knew was that the two had been in a car accident, and Ke Mingxuan had sustained severe injuries protecting Bian Yiqiu. He wasn’t aware of Bian Yiqiu’s current condition.

“He’s in the detention center.”

“…What happened?” Pei Siyuan was taken aback.

“It’s a long story. Let’s not get into it now.” Ke Mingxuan sat down in his chair as he spoke. “How’s Jiu’an doing lately?”

“Not great,” Pei Siyuan replied, sitting across from him. “Yesterday, Jiu’an’s stock closed at 19.75. I haven’t had time to check today’s numbers, but I doubt it’s doing any better. After all, its two major industries were hit hard in succession, leaving the company severely weakened. It’s not something that can recover quickly.”

Ke Mingxuan frowned deeply. Although he had mentally prepared himself for Jiu’an’s struggles, he hadn’t expected it to be this bad. The stock price was nearly half of what it had been two months ago. Ruiyi and Hongyuan had suffered devastating losses, several hotels were severely impacted, and the progress on the 7-15 plot project was far behind schedule. Every day of delay cost money, and he could already imagine how dismal Jiu’an’s mid-year financial report would be.

“Get in touch with Ye Zhen—the CFO of Jiu’an—and finalize the equity cross-holding I mentioned earlier,” Ke Mingxuan instructed.

Pei Siyuan stared at him, remaining silent for a long moment.

Ke Mingxuan spoke again, firmly: “I know what you’re thinking, but I’m not open to objections on this matter.”

“I’m not objecting,” Pei Siyuan sighed heavily. “I just want to tell you that going for a cross-holding deal at this moment might not help Jiu’an. It could even drag He Sheng down with it. Are you absolutely sure about this?”

“I’m sure.” Ke Mingxuan didn’t hesitate, not even for show. “If you’re concerned, you can transfer your shares first. I’ll buy them from you at a price above the current market value—”

“Ke Mingxuan,” Pei Siyuan interrupted, his face darkening as he stood up. “You’re a fucking bastard.”

Without another glance at him, Pei Siyuan turned and stormed out of the room.

Ke Mingxuan chuckled quietly to himself, muttering, “He used to call me that all the time. Maybe I really am a bastard.”

He picked up the phone and dialed an extension, instructing Xiao Xu to buy him a new phone and replace the SIM card. Then, he had someone bring over Liang Ziyue’s car for him. After that, he called Chu Yi to help set up a dinner gathering with some friends. Jiu’an needed their support in business, and he needed their input on finding a breakthrough in Bian Yiqiu’s case.

Even though his father’s interference made it unlikely to clear the necessary hurdles, he couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. As long as there was even a sliver of hope, he couldn’t give up.

At the very least, he had to find a way to see him.