The commotion outside woke him. He frowned slightly, feeling a strong light even before he opened his eyes.  

Someone approached him quickly, and then a pair of arms lifted him horizontally.  

The hands were unfamiliar—strong, broad. A man’s hands. But he didn’t know who it was. He had never been held like this before.  

“Ah Yan.”  

Someone called his name. “Ah Yan!”  

Jiang Quyan recognized the voice.  

He wanted to laugh. Maybe he really did laugh—he wasn’t sure. He just felt like he was laughing.  

He thought, Guan Zhengying, do you feel pain now?  

So even someone like you can feel pain?

Guan Zhengying carried him out. They were moving—Jiang Quyan could feel it.  

Through the narrow slit of his half-open eyes, he saw flashes of red and white, and the words “ICAC” flickered past his vision. He struggled, trying to turn his head and see what was happening, but Guan Zhengying pressed his head to his chest, covering his eyes and ears, completely enveloping him in his embrace.  

“Shh, don’t be scared.”  

Then he was placed on a stretcher. The ambulance was already waiting outside the station, and he was immediately transferred onto it. Medical staff surrounded him, tending to his wounds and checking his condition.  

Guan Zhengying got into the ambulance with him.  

“I…” The only thing Jiang Quyan managed to say was, “I didn’t say anything.”  

Guan Zhengying closed his eyes for a moment, his expression filled with pain. “I know.”  

The ambulance sped toward the hospital. Just treating his external injuries and running a full-body examination took several hours. Throughout the entire process, Guan Zhengying remained by his side, never leaving.  

At some point, Jiang Quyan must have passed out again, because he woke up from a nightmare, gasping.  

His hand was still being held.  

Every time he opened his eyes, Guan Zhengying was there.  

The doctor reported his condition directly to Guan Zhengying—Jiang Quyan didn’t even hear it himself, as he had already fallen asleep. The result was that he needed to be hospitalized for a week for continuous observation and treatment.  

By the time he had slept enough and regained enough consciousness to truly assess his situation, his body was wrapped in bandages, and most of his hair had been shaved off. The exposed parts of his scalp felt chilly.  

Seeing Guan Zhengying still by his bedside made him uneasy.  

“What are you hiding for?” Guan Zhengying held him down, making sure he didn’t move too much and pull out the IV drip. “You’re the most good looking person in the world. No one’s better-looking than our Ah Yan. No need to hide. Don’t be afraid of looking ugly.”

Jiang Quyan felt wronged. “They called the company. Why did they say I don’t exist?”

Guan Zhengying patiently explained, “They lied. Your friend contacted the company immediately and informed me, which was how I found out you had been taken away. During that time, I called you many times, but I never got through. They wanted to deceive you so that you’d hand over the information to them.”

Jiang Quyan reluctantly accepted this explanation. But he still felt embarrassed and wanted to hide.

“It’s my fault.” Guan Zhengying sincerely apologized. “It won’t happen again. This is the last time.”

Jiang Quyan hadn’t expected the boss to apologize to him. After all, Guan Zhengying hadn’t intentionally put him in danger, and he had arrived in time to save him.

But Guan Zhengying was very serious about this matter. He emphasized, “Remember, you are mine. You belong to the Guan family. You’re not useless, and you’re not without value.” And he promised, “This is my principle—anyone who belongs to me, I will protect. As long as I, Guan Zhengying, exist, you will be safe.”

Jiang Quyan’s chest felt hot and tight. Realizing this, he quickly turned his head away to hide his flustered expression.

Only he could hear how fast his heart was beating.

…..

“Yeah,” before his tears could fall, Jiang Quyan tightened his grip on Guan Zhengying’s hand, “You promised me last time that it would be the last time. You broke your word, so you have to compensate me—this counts as a work injury. Medical expenses and emotional distress compensation, you can’t get away with it.”

As he spoke, his tears turned into laughter.

Guan Zhengying gazed at him deeply and wiped his tears away. “Should I add it to your salary, or pay it in a lump sum?”

Jiang Quyan replied confidently, “You decide. Either way, I definitely can’t afford the hospital room fees myself.”

“Just the room fees? That’s all you want? No ambition.” Guan Zhengying made the decision for him. “I noticed you don’t have a good parking spot for your new car. Why don’t you move to Causeway Bay after you’re discharged? You’ll be closer to Ah Xue, and you two can look after each other. Sham Shui Po is a mess, and the security isn’t great. Now that you’re a VP, you shouldn’t be living there anymore. If people found out, they’d think I was mistreating my employees.”

Jiang Quyan treated his words as a joke. “By that logic, wasn’t I embarrassing you before?”

Guan Zhengying smiled—this time, his expression was full of warmth. “No. You will never embarrass me.”

Jiang Quyan’s face felt hot at his words, and he quickly averted his gaze.

“They…” He struggled to find a different topic. “Those people who chased our car and opened fire—have they been found?”

Since Guan Zhengying had been at the hospital, his subordinates were handling the investigation. “Don’t worry about it. It’s being taken care of.”

“They didn’t actually want to kill Ah Xue or me.” Jiang Quyan calmly analyzed, “The motive for intimidation was stronger. Otherwise, when our car crashed into the tree, they could have come closer and fired again, or pushed the car further down the slope. If they really wanted us dead, that would have been the safest approach. But they didn’t. Instead, they retreated immediately.”

Guan Zhengying said coolly, “Whoever did this is challenging me. I won’t tolerate it.”

“My point is, they might have a different goal,” Jiang Quyan continued, sensing his anger. “Why would they want to scare us? What are we supposed to be afraid of? Did we offend someone? Did we do something wrong? Or is there another reason?”

Guan Zhengying understood what he meant. “Ah Xue has been getting a lot of attention lately. Could it be a jealous competitor who can’t stand seeing her succeed?”

That was a possibility.

Jiang Quyan thought about it. “Over the past two years, there have been increasing attacks against her. Because she started her career in Japan, it’s easy for people to spread rumors that she was involved in the sex industry. She just finished the Spring Fashion Week and stole the spotlight—if that made someone feel threatened, it wouldn’t be surprising.”

“Has anything like this happened before?”

“Nothing this extreme. Usually, it’s things like putting rat poison in her snacks, hiding needles in her clothes, or spraying knockout drugs on letters she receives…”

“That’s why, for the past two years, we haven’t accepted any gifts. Anything given to her has to be tested by an assistant first.”

“In Japan? Or in Hong Kong?”

“Both. But mostly in Japan.”

Guan Zhengying said, “I’ll assign more security to you both. If you need anything else, tell me immediately.”

Jiang Quyan hesitated for a moment but decided to speak up. “Before Ah Xue and I got in the car, Ah Hong came to see me.”

Guan Zhengying frowned. “What did he want this time?”

Jiang Quyan briefly summarized their conversation. “I don’t think he was trying to harm us. I know he’s not a bad person. And after I explained your stance to him, I think he understood. He just has some misunderstandings about you.” He hesitated before adding, “I just don’t know if his uncle shares the same misunderstandings.”

“When this happened, my brother-in-law called me immediately,” Guan Zhengying revealed. “It happened on the day of his sister’s funeral, on his own turf. He was furious. He sees it as a huge sign of disrespect to the deceased, so he insisted on investigating it himself. He promised to give me an explanation.”

That sounded reasonable enough. Jiang Quyan asked, “What do you think?”

Guan Zhengying said, “Traditionally, people in mourning aren’t supposed to spill blood—it’s bad luck. But times have changed. Whether people still follow those rules is another story. Hopefully, it wasn’t him. Otherwise, I won’t be able to show any mercy.”

Jiang Quyan was more worried about Guan Xuexin. “I’m fine, but Ah Xue might have some trauma after this.”

“What do you mean you’re fine?” Guan Zhengying shot him a sharp look. “You and Ah Xue both matter.”

Hearing this, Jiang Quyan felt content. “I know, I know. You’re such a good boss, always looking out for your employees. But she’s a girl—more delicate. I’m a man. A few bumps and bruises aren’t a big deal.”

Guan Zhengying looked down at their intertwined hands, gently rubbing his fingers against Jiang Quyan’s. “Sometimes, I almost wish you were a girl…”

He was talking to himself, but Jiang Quyan heard him loud and clear. His face instantly burned.

Guan Zhengying didn’t finish his sentence. The ambiguous words passed, and he switched back to a calm tone. “I will get to the bottom of this. Someone will be held accountable. But you don’t need to get involved. Some things are better left unknown. I’ll tell you when it’s over. For now, rest. Hand your work over to Maggie, and call me if anything comes up.”

Jiang Quyan was in a state of confusion, and he could only nod awkwardly in response.

It wasn’t until he saw Guan Zhengying out of the hospital room that he reacted and became frustrated. What was going on with Guan Zhengying lately? Why was he saying such strange things? He wasn’t like this before!

Because the doctor was concerned about potential concussions or internal bleeding, Jiang Quyan stayed in the hospital for a full week before being discharged. Guan Xuexin’s injuries were lighter, and she had already gone back to her boyfriend, leaving him alone in the hospital with nothing to do. The only time he found any enjoyment was when Luo Jiajun came to visit and chat in the evenings.

On the day of discharge, Guan Zhengying personally showed up and instructed a moving company over the phone to empty out the apartment in Sham Shui Po and move everything to Causeway Bay. Guan Zhengying himself drove Jiang Quyan directly from the hospital to the new apartment, not even giving him the chance to say goodbye to the old place.

Jiang Quyan originally thought that the mention of moving was just a joke, but to his surprise, he really moved. He had gotten emotionally attached to his place in Sham Shui Po, and switching locations so suddenly made him feel out of place. On the way there, he played stubborn and acted spoiled, unwilling to go upstairs, only accepting the apartment keys after Guan Zhengying threatened to carry him inside.

Once inside, the four or nine staff members cleaning the place greeted him, calling him “Boss Yan,” which made Jiang Quyan’s scalp tingle. Guan Zhengying had made it clear that he was strengthening the security measures and had arranged for Jiang Quyan and Guan Xuexin to stay in the same building. Outside the building, the security guards downstairs pretended to walk dogs, read newspapers, or drink coffee, while two tall men in suits stood like statues by the door.

When Luo Jiajun came to celebrate the housewarming later, he was so scared by the guards that he thought he had walked into the wrong place, which made Jiang Quyan feel quite embarrassed.

“In another two months, will I need to be frisked just to see you, boss?” Luo Jiajun teased, finding it all too exaggerated. “This is ridiculous. It’s the 21st century, and you’re still acting like gangsters? Haven’t you guys gone legit already?”

Jiang Quyan didn’t know how to explain: “I strongly protested against it! But it didn’t work.”

Luo Jiajun teased him: “With the car, the house, and now all these strange security people, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think Guan Zhengying is hiding a mistress in a golden house. Are you a VP or a kept wife?”

“Shut up!” Jiang Quyan pretended to hit him.

Luo Jiajun laughed and dodged, grabbing the fresh ingredients he had just bought and heading to the kitchen. As he walked, he commented, “You’ve really made it big. This kitchen is huge! How much is the rent? Are you paying, or is Guan Zhengying? Wow, the view from this window is amazing!”

Jiang Quyan helped him out. They were planning to have a hotpot dinner: “Why did you only buy vegetables and not any seasonings? How are we supposed to eat this?”

Luo Jiajun glanced around the empty kitchen: “How was I supposed to know you didn’t have any seasonings here?”

“I haven’t had time to buy them for the new place yet. You wash the vegetables, I’ll go downstairs to get some.” Jiang Quyan said, heading out on his own.

He hadn’t had time to explore the area around his new place, everything felt fresh and new. Causeway Bay was completely different from Sham Shui Po. The upscale neighborhood had garden pavilions, small bridges, and ponds downstairs, with soccer fields and basketball courts in the northeast and southeast corners. Jogging tracks meandered through green areas, and instead of candy vendors and small shops, there were now large supermarkets, food chains, and beauty salons.

After buying the seasonings from the supermarket, Jiang Quyan lingered in front of the Maxim’s bakery window. He loved sweets, especially Western pastries that were beautifully made and colorful. When he first arrived in Hong Kong, his modeling agency’s manager had treated him to a cake from Maxim’s, and he had been obsessed ever since, naively believing that Maxim’s represented the pinnacle of desserts. Later, as a model, he was forbidden from eating pastries to maintain his figure, and with his tight finances, he could only dream of tasting them.

It wasn’t until he joined the Guan family and received his first paycheck from Fuzheng that the first thing he did after work was buy a two-pound cake from Maxim’s to bring home and eat. Later on, after seeing the world with Guan Zhengying, he naturally realized that Maxim’s wasn’t exactly high-end, but his initial love for it didn’t change. Every time he passed by a store filled with the scent of cream and fruit, he still felt the urge to stop.

“Vincent?” A woman’s voice surprised him as she walked up behind him. “What are you doing here?”

Jiang Quyan was just asking the store clerk to wrap up a chocolate cake when he turned around to see Sussi: “Long time no see. I live here now. How about you?”

Sussi also lived in the area: “I’ve been living here for two years, but I’ve never run into you. Did you just move in?”

“Yeah, it was just a couple of days ago,” Jiang Quyan smiled. “What a coincidence. Which building do you live in?”

Sussi pointed to the last building: “Building 3. Congratulations on the move.” She stepped forward to pay for the chocolate cake. “I didn’t know, so this cake is a small gift for your housewarming.”

“Thanks, thanks, looks like I’m really lucky today,” Jiang Quyan said, seeing that she was holding some vegetables as well. He joked, “Even senior partners have to cook for themselves?”

“Yeah,” Sussi smiled, “I’m tired of eating out, it’s better to cook myself.”

Jiang Quyan looked at the wrapped chocolate cake and thought for a moment: “Luo Jiajun and I are having a hotpot dinner, why don’t you join us?”