Yan Chen was too angry to sleep.

Driving alone through the deserted streets in the early morning, he eventually turned towards the club and called Qi Wenxing to come out for a drink.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Qi Wenxing was still half asleep, but when he saw the time, he laughed in exasperation, “Ge, it’s three in the morning, what are we drinking for?”

“Are you coming or not? Don’t give me any crap.”

The resentment was palpable even through the phone waves. Qi Wenxing said, “Wait,” and half an hour later, he appeared at the club.

Pushing open the door to the private room, he visibly paused. “Why is it just you?”

Yan Chen sat alone on the sofa, his long legs crossed and resting on the coffee table, emanating a dangerous aura.

“What’s going on?” Qi Wenxing sat down and noticed the nearly empty bottle of alcohol on the table, asking, “Didn’t you talk things out with Muye?”

Yan Chen was furious at the mention of that name and sneered coldly, “He’s nothing.”

Qi Wenxing sighed, “Can’t you two just calm down for a day? From childhood to adulthood, always competing in grades, always fighting over things. Isn’t it exhausting? Even if you enjoy it, could you consider me? Damn it, being stuck in the middle as a punching bag every day is really uncomfortable.”

“You should say that to him,” Yan Chen said quietly, “Tell him to stop eyeing other people’s things all the time, how despicable.”

Qi Wenxing was puzzled, “He’s at his family’s pharmaceutical factory now, you’re in the entertainment industry, there’s no connection between you two. What can he be eyeing from you?”

Yan Chen glanced at him, his expression darkening. Qi Wenxing understood immediately, “Stealing people?

Seeing Yan Chen’s even darker expression, Qi Wenxing knew he had hit the mark.

He smiled, “If your little sweetheart isn’t behaving, just dump him. Find someone better, why get so angry?”

“You know nothing,” Yan Chen downed a mouthful of alcohol, gritting his teeth. “That damn Qin Muye has set his sights on An Yi.”

“…huh?” Qi Wenxing’s mouth fell open in surprise. “And An Yi… fell for it?”

“He dares! If he even thinks about it, I’ll lock him up for good.” Yan Chen’s eyes were blazing with fury, leaving Qi Wenxing stunned.

Similar situations had occurred before, but no one took them seriously, and the most intense it ever got was a few rounds of sarcastic remarks. But judging by Yan Chen’s reaction this time, it was clear that he was serious.

Qi Wenxing was both surprised and amused, “Are you so worked up because of An Yi?” He stroked his chin, adopting a thoughtful pose. “Come to think of it, he’s been with you the longest. It’s normal to develop feelings over time.”

“Stop talking nonsense, I hate talking about love.” Yan Chen impatiently finished his drink.

“So you’ve been with him for so long, aren’t you tired of him?” 

Yan Chen threw a cold glance.

Qi Wenxing grinned, “Apart from An Yi’s exceptional skills in that department, I really can’t think of any reason why you’re holding onto him so tightly.”

Yan Chen was only halfway into the entertainment industry, surrounded by young, talented individuals who were more attractive than An Yi. If An Yi could stay, he must have something special.

“Come on, spill the beans. It’s just the two of us here now,” Qi Wenxing poured them each a half glass of whiskey, “And besides, I like women, so I won’t steal your An Yi.”

Yan Chen swirled his glass of alcohol, taking his time to speak.

He didn’t know why he had been holding onto An Yi for five years. An Yi was too quiet, too dull. In his colorful and diverse world, An Yi was just a faint, dim background color. Sometimes, he even went days or weeks without remembering An Yi’s existence.

But there were benefits to his quietness. Every time he felt upset, just seeing An Yi could miraculously calm his restless mind by half.

So he never planned on cutting ties with An Yi, at least not for now.

Thinking about this only annoyed Yan Chen further.

It was precisely this quiet, obedient, always agreeable An Yi who, ever since meeting Qin Muye, had become like a possessed demon, bickering with him every day.

“Do you think he’s just going through a delayed rebellious phase?” Yan Chen attempted to find a reason. “After all, he was always a model student in school. Then, when his family ran into trouble and he had to go out and earn money, the pressure was immense, and he never had the chance to rebel.”

“Oh yeah, sure, a nearly 30-year-old rebellious teenager.” Qi Wenxing quipped.

“…Damn it, don’t provoke me,” Yan Chen glared at him. “Give me a serious analysis.”

Qi Wenxing leaned back, looking aggrieved. “I can’t butt in on you gay guys’ relationships! Besides, An Yi didn’t take the bait, so why are you still bothered?”

“How can I not be bothered?!” Yan Chen fumed. “He actually fought with me because of Qin Muye! He even told me to leave! He never used to be like this. Is he going to ascend to the heavens in a few days?!”

Qi Wenxing chuckled again, taking out his phone as if to take a picture of Yan Chen.

Yan Chen snatched his phone away, “What are you doing?”

“I want to post on my socials to show everyone what a flustered mess you are.”

Without a doubt, Qi Wenxing received another glare from Yan Chen.

“Okay, okay, I’ll be serious,” Qi Wenxing laughed for a while, then moved closer to Yan Chen, putting an arm around his shoulder and giving him advice, “I heard An Yi’s sister is in the hospital. It’s understandable if he’s not in a good mood. You need to be more understanding and considerate at a time like this.”

Yan Chen snorted, “So should I just forget about what happened between him and Qin Muye?”

“You said nothing happened, right?”

“But they’ve been secretly contacting each other behind my back. Just because nothing happened now doesn’t mean it won’t in the future.”

“…Anyway, for now, stop picking fights with An Yi over this. You’re pushing him away. But then again,” Qi Wenxing smirked like a sly fox, “Muye is quite skilled in this aspect. He knows how to manipulate people’s hearts. You really should be cautious. An Yi might run off with him when you’re not paying attention.”

Yan Chen wished he could crush his glass, his voice low, “I shouldn’t have invited you out, just causing trouble.”

“Let’s ease that trouble.” Qi Wenxing called the manager over, and with a glance, within five minutes, the private room was filled with men and women with exceptional looks and figures.

Qi Wenxing chose a blonde woman to accompany him, while Yan Chen sat with a serious expression, his gaze sweeping over each person’s face until it finally landed on a delicate face.

“Is the young man new here?” Qi Wenxing called someone over, and the others recognized the amusement and left. He pointed to the seat next to Yan Chen, “Sit next to Chen ge, don’t be nervous, what’s your name?”

“Chen ge, hello, everyone calls me Xiao Yin.” The person timidly replied, with a clean and soft voice, somewhat similar to the tone when An Yi smiled and spoke.

Yan Chen’s expression eased slightly, and he drank the glass of wine handed to him by Xiao Yin.

Qi Wenxing yawned on the side, “I can’t hold on anymore, I’m going upstairs to sleep. Have fun, we’ll talk tomorrow.” After saying that, he left with the beautiful woman, swaying unsteadily.

The room quieted down again. Xiao Yin became a bit bolder, his hands restless as he touched Yan Chen’s chest, slowly moving downward, touching his belt.

He knelt down, smiling pleasingly at Yan Chen.

Yan Chen’s face tensed, and he suddenly grabbed Xiao Yin’s chin, staring at his face.

Although he was good-looking, he lacked the elegance that belonged to An Yi, and those eyes… too greedy, An Yi would never have such a look.

“Chen ge?” Xiao Yin’s chin was pinched painfully, and he called out to Yan Chen with confusion.

Yan Chen snapped out of his thoughts, released his grip, and coldly said, “Leave.”

“Did I do something to upset you? I can change.” Xiao Yin asked, trying to please Yan Chen.

“Leave.” Yan Chen felt annoyed, leaned back on the sofa, and closed his eyes.

He placed his hand on his forehead, with thoughts of An Yi’s red eyes and cold expression telling him to “leave” swirling in his mind. No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t feel right.

Everyone by his side was either groveling for money or status. Only An Yi, who refused his money and fame, always silently yearned for love with those wet eyes.

What was the point of such an elusive thing?

It was boring and self-inflicted.

With a chaotic mind, he eventually fell asleep as the alcohol took effect.

The next day, he woke up feeling sore all over and a bit congested. He probably caught a cold.

His phone was filled with unread messages, but An Yi’s chat box remained silent, not even a single word of concern or greeting!

This was unreasonable!

For several days, Yan Chen was in a state of irritability towards everyone.

In order to retaliate against Qin Muye, Yan Chen specially brought skincare products, and alcohol to Qin’s house. He sweetly and affectionately called Qin Muye’s parents, complaining to them about Qin Muye.

After hearing his mother angrily scold Qin Muye over the phone and ask him to come home soon, Yan Chen finally felt relieved of the pent-up anger.

He reluctantly swallowed his pride and took the initiative to contact An Yi, intending to end this inexplicable cold war.

However, An Yi’s phone number was unreachable, and there was no response to his messages.

Yan Chen tried calling from Jiang Hai’s phone. The moment the call connected, he exploded, “How dare you block me?!”

As soon as An Yi heard his voice, he immediately hung up the phone.

Yan Chen was so angry that he smashed the phone to pieces.

Jiang Hai: “…”

Yan Chen couldn’t contain his anger and directly ordered Jiang Hai, “Cancel the cards he’s using! All of them!”

“…But what about the hospital…” Jiang Hai hesitated.

“Don’t cancel the hospital card. Do whatever you need to do, but An Yi has to come and find me first.” Yan Chen gritted his teeth. “I want to see how long he can remain stubborn!”

Jiang Hai nodded. “Okay.”

Meanwhile, An Yi, ever since receiving Yan Chen’s call, began to feel uneasy.

He had been busy looking for a job these past few days. His previous studio dared not let him return because of Yan Chen’s intervention. Other similar jobs either had incompatible schedules or inadequate pay, so he could only take a part-time job at a milk tea shop to cover his daily expenses.

After finishing his shift for part-time job, he worked as a designated driver until late at night.

Despite being physically exhausted after a long day, his mind couldn’t rest.

Whenever he closed his eyes, he would recall the various humiliating words Yan Chen had said to him that night, each one piercing his heart like a dagger.

He stayed awake until five in the morning. He got up to prepare breakfast for An Ya, cooked and steamed the food, packed it in a sterilized thermal lunch box, delivered it to the hospital for secondary sterilization, and then sat in the hospital stairwell, video-calling his sister to have breakfast together.

This was one of the rare peaceful moments in his day.

But this day, he had been anxious since morning.

He kept zoning out during video calls, feeling something was wrong.

Sure enough, as soon as he ended the call, the door to the stairwell opened.

Lin Yuming, dressed in a white coat, poked his head in and met his gaze.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Lin Yuming said solemnly, motioning for him to follow. “Come with me to the office, there’s something I need to tell you.”

^[1]Author’s note:

Yan Chen: Transforms into a fire-breathing Tyrannosaurus Rex!