A trace of surprise flickered in Liang Jin’s eyes as his gaze slowly swept over Li Wenshui’s attire.

Li Wenshui was the first to avert his eyes. Acting as though he didn’t recognize anyone in the room, he gathered up his tray and prepared to leave.

“Hey,” Pei Zhi, spotting something amusing, shifted his gaze from Liang Jin to Wen Yushu and finally to Li Wenshui. With a playful smile, he said, “Isn’t this the little master from the construction magnate’s family? What’s this? Back again to experience life?”

As always, Pei Zhi enjoyed mocking others, taking Li Wenshui as a source of entertainment.

Li Wenshui’s expression stiffened, but he forced a calm demeanor. “Just happened to have some free time and helping out a friend,” he replied. Of course, he knew Pei Zhi was deliberately trying to embarrass him and only wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

“Oh—” Pei Zhi dragged out the word, then said mockingly, “Didn’t think the young master would have poor friends who need a side job.”

Li Wenshui’s brow furrowed tightly, and he silently tightened his grip on the tray.

The half-drunk Wen Yushu, hearing the exchange, lifted his head from Liang Jin’s shoulder. Zhou Qi, attempting to smooth things over, said, “Experiencing life isn’t such a bad thing. Didn’t Liang Jin go through his Yiku Yue last month?”

Meanwhile, Xu Mingwei had been staring at Li Wenshui the entire time, as if he were a delicious prey. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed occasionally.

Liang Jin glanced at Xu Mingwei, his gaze gradually darkening. Turning to Li Wenshui, he said, “There’s nothing for you to do here. You can go.”

Not wanting to see the beautiful figure leave so quickly, Xu Mingwei hurriedly added, “Don’t go so fast. Why not stay and have a drink with us?”

It was obvious Xu Mingwei had taken a liking to Li Wenshui. Zhou Qi watched curiously to see how Liang Jin would react.

“Ride with me tonight,” Liang Jin said almost immediately after Xu Mingwei had spoken, his tone casual and familiar. Without even glancing at Xu Mingwei, he reached out and briefly held Li Wenshui’s wrist.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Wenshui quickly left the room, unwilling to linger any longer.

Once the door to the private room closed again, Xu Mingwei, having seen such a stunning beauty, suddenly found the boy in his arms dull and tasteless. He looked at Liang Jin, who had ruined his fun, suppressing his displeasure as he smiled and asked, “Liang Ge ^[1]Ge means showing respect and also means brother, Xu Mingwei is older than Liang Jin but Liang Jin’s family is richer and more powerful than his so that’s why he used Ge as respect., you know him? Why not introduce us?”

“Just a friend,” Liang Jin replied, picking up his glass. His smile curved subtly, but his eyes held an unreadable emotion. “Not the best personality. I doubt someone like Xu would want to get to know him.”

After leaving the private room, Li Wenshui felt distracted. Images of Wen Yushu leaning against Liang Jin’s chest and Liang Jin teaching Wen Yushu how to ski kept surfacing in his mind. Each time he thought of it, the heavy weight on his chest seemed to grow even heavier.

After delivering another round of drinks, things began to slow down. The senior bartender called Li Wenshui over to rest for a bit at the bar. Just as Li Wenshui sat down, the bartender stared at him for a long moment before pushing a cocktail toward him. “On the house,” he said.

The glass wasn’t large, and a pale red liquid with floating lemon pulp filled it. Li Wenshui pushed the glass away, politely declining. “Sorry, I don’t drink when I’m working.”

The senior bartender patted Li Wenshui’s shoulder enviously. “Li, you’ve hit the jackpot. This drink is expensive. I can’t even bring myself to buy it. Leo’s notoriously stingy. I’ve known him for so long, and he’s never treated me. You should give it a try—it’s not very strong, more like a soft drink.”

Hearing that it was a high-end cocktail, Li Wenshui didn’t want to waste it, but he remained cautious about drinks from strangers.

Leo seemed to pick up on his hesitation. Pointing to the surveillance camera above them, he smiled. “I’m a professional bartender. I can guarantee with my 13 years of experience that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with my drink.”

The senior bartender added, “You don’t need to worry. Leo may not have much money, but his character is solid. I vouch for him.”

Leo couldn’t help but laugh. “Why doesn’t that sound like a compliment?”

Li Wenshui trusted the senior bartender, who had introduced him to part-time jobs during his most difficult times. He picked up the glass and took a small sip. The icy liquid slid down his throat, leaving a chill that seemed to reach his heart.

Leo leaned in slightly, watching him. “How’s the taste?”

Li Wenshui thought for a moment. “It tastes like cherries—sweet at first, but slightly sour when swallowed. Now it’s a bit bitter.”

“That’s exactly right. It’s made with cherry syrup, lemon juice, and whiskey. The bitterness comes from dried orange peel,” Leo explained as he wiped a glass. “It has a name: Meeting You.”

Li Wenshui took another sip, feeling only the cold, sour tang and bitterness.

Leo elaborated, “This drink was created by a former bartender after a breakup. He said that when you meet the wrong person, the relationship is sweet at first, then sour, and leaves a bitter aftertaste.”

Silently, Li Wenshui drank his cocktail, beginning to understand the sentiment behind the creation.

The senior bartender’s walkie-talkie buzzed. He gave a couple of instructions before leaving to deliver drinks. Not long after, a stranger sat down beside Li Wenshui.

“Give this beautiful waiter a Danke,” the man said, staring intently at Li Wenshui.

Leo frowned. Danke was the strongest cocktail available here, one that would cause severe dizziness after just seven sips. Those looking to take advantage of others often ordered it.

“No need,” Li Wenshui said, holding his glass. “I already have a drink.” He downed the remaining half of his cocktail, but the man’s hand had already landed on his shoulder.

When Liang Jin stepped out, he happened to see this scene: Li Wenshui being held by an unfamiliar man while drinking. Liang Jin’s gaze subtly darkened.

The moment the man touched him, Li Wenshui felt as if he had been pricked by a thorn. He slammed the glass onto the counter and stood abruptly. “I have to deliver drinks. Excuse me,” he said coldly before swiftly retreating to a quiet corner.

Just as he let out a sigh of relief, a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. Startled, Li Wenshui instinctively tried to push the person away, but a familiar voice whispered in his ear, “Baby, it’s me.”

Li Wenshui’s tense body gradually relaxed, and his resisting hands fell to his sides. Liang Jin’s embrace was warm, but the image of Wen Yushu leaning into Liang Jin’s arms flashed through Li Wenshui’s mind once more. He lowered his gaze and firmly tried to push Liang Jin away.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Liang Jin caught his hand and held it tightly. His palm was warm, heating up Li Wenshui’s cold fingertips. “Are you upset?”

The suffocating weight on Li Wenshui’s chest inexplicably grew heavier. He stared at the floor and replied softly, “No.”

Liang Jin rested his chin on Li Wenshui’s shoulder and gently kissed his cheek. “Let’s go home. This isn’t a good place to be.”

Liang Jin’s words ignited Li Wenshui’s anger. He turned to glare at Liang Jin, his round eyes filled with frustration. “Why? You can be here, but I can’t?”

“I’m here for business,” Liang Jin explained patiently. “This place isn’t safe.”

But Li Wenshui wasn’t in the mood to appreciate Liang Jin’s concern. “Am I interrupting your skiing lessons with someone else?”

Liang Jin leaned closer to get a better look at Li Wenshui’s face, which was flushed a faint red with anger.

“Are you jealous?” Liang Jin smiled faintly and explained unhurriedly, “He’s just a friend. Teaching a friend to ski isn’t a big deal.”

‘Just a friend‘—Liang Jin had said the same thing about Ji Xingzhou last time.

“Or maybe he’s just one of your ambiguous backups?” Li Wenshui shot back, his voice sharp. Liang Jin never seemed to reject such ambiguous relationships. So what did that make him? Even if they were just contractual partners, shouldn’t he deserve some respect?

Li Wenshui felt a wave of bitterness. He tried hard to suppress the growing sense of grievance and took a deep breath. “You promised to take me skiing before, but you broke your promise. And today, you were holding someone else.”

Even though Li Wenshui tried to act indifferent, his words betrayed how much he cared.

For Liang Jin, seeing his partner get jealous was endearing. So even though Li Wenshui was accusing him, Liang Jin didn’t get angry. Instead, he had the patience to coax him. “Don’t feel wronged, okay?” His tone softened. “Baby, ever since I’ve been with you, there’s been no one else. I wasn’t here to ski today—it was for business. If you want to ski, I’ll take you tomorrow.”

Li Wenshui said nothing, clutching the hem of his shirt tightly.

Liang Jin cupped his face and kissed his reddened lips. “Promise me you’ll go home. Don’t stay here.”

Li Wenshui turned his head away and stepped back, breaking free from Liang Jin’s hold. “If I leave now, I won’t get paid. Am I supposed to work the entire morning for free? I’m not some idle young master. I need to earn money.”

Liang Jin grabbed his hand again. “This place gets dangerous at night. I’m saying this for your own good.”

How was it “for his own good”? Stopping him from earning money was for his good?

Li Wenshui felt uncomfortable, the emotions in his heart clamoring for a release, and his words turned harsh:
“You just don’t want me to interfere with your sweet moments with others, do you? First it was Ji Xingzhou, then Wei Sibai, and now Wen Yushu. Who’s it going to be tomorrow?”

Liang Jin’s smile disappeared entirely. A little jealousy from a lover could be endearing, but when it crossed boundaries, it became tiresome. And Li Wenshui seemed exceptionally good at being tiresome.

Liang Jin released Li Wenshui’s hand, his dark, pitch-black eyes carrying a chilling intensity that sent shivers down one’s spine. His thin lips moved slightly as he spoke,
“Do I need to report to you who I meet? Do you even have the right to know?”

When Liang Jin wasn’t smiling, he was terrifying—sharp and ruthless, exuding an icy aura that made people feel as though they’d fallen into a frozen abyss.

“I’m different from you. I come here for leisure, while you stay here as someone else’s entertainment,” Liang Jin said, noticing Li Wenshui’s slightly reddened eyes. Without meeting his gaze, he turned and walked away, adding,
“If you don’t trust me, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Li Wenshui lowered his head, his body trembling uncontrollably. His face alternated between red and white, and his heart felt as though someone had struck it with a heavy blow, leaving it aching and swollen. Liang Jin’s words were simply too cruel.

Back at the bar counter, for the first time, Li Wenshui ordered another cocktail. His mind kept replaying Liang Jin’s cold expression, his mocking question.

The right? Do I even have the right?

If he didn’t, then why bother maintaining this relationship? Because of the agreement? Because Liang Jin helped him deal with Yu Zizhuo? Or was it those occasional gifts meant to appease him?

Or perhaps it was the long-awaited benefits he had hoped for?

But in the three months they’d been together, Liang Jin hadn’t given him any benefits at all.

Li Wenshui took a large sip of the cocktail, the sour bitterness spreading in his mouth. He felt like he couldn’t breathe.

He had always been pragmatic, so if there was nothing to gain, there was no reason to keep investing in this relationship. Cutting losses quickly had always been his way.

Given the current situation, there was no need to hold on any longer.

Li Wenshui sniffled, his head growing dizzy as he slumped over the table, muttering,
“Why am I putting up with this kind of treatment?”

Liang Jin was a bastard. He didn’t want anything more to do with him.