Ke Mingxuan and Ruan Chengjie are both the type of people who won’t back down once they set their sights on something. When they clash, it’s a fight to the end with no room for compromise. Recently, their ongoing battles both open and covert have become known throughout the second-generation circle. While many are aware of their rivalry, only Li Ze knows the full extent of it.

Sometimes, knowing too much isn’t a good thing because it means you’re bound to get caught in the whirlpool, especially when both sides are your friends. It’s enough to give anyone a headache.

Upon reaching Ruan Chengjie’s villa, the butler guided him through the vast garden to where he was practicing golf.

Dressed in a white casual golf outfit, Ruan Chengjie stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, gripping the club with both hands. As he made the swing, his expression remained composed and the movement smooth and elegant. He gave off the image of a mature, steady business elite, an appearance that at first glance seemed deceptively calm.

Perhaps because they were too familiar with each other, Ruan Chengjie didn’t immediately put down his club. Instead, he hit a few more balls under Li Ze’s gaze, then reluctantly turned around and walked toward him. He picked up a bottle of mineral water from the table and sat down opposite Li Ze.

Li Ze noticed the scar on his neck, hidden beneath the collar of his shirt, where it was faintly reddened by a cut from shattered glass.

After finishing his water, Ruan Chengjie casually asked, “What brings you here at this time? Don’t you have work today?”

“The company won’t fall apart just because I’m gone for half a day,” Li Ze leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the man across from him. “I just came from the anti-smuggling office.”

The friendly expression on Ruan Chengjie’s face darkened almost instantly upon hearing the latter half of the sentence. “What do you mean by that?”

Li Ze shrugged. “Exactly what you heard.”

Ruan Chengjie placed the water bottle on the table, his gaze sharp as he looked at his old friend, his pupils narrowing. “Are you going to side with Ke Mingxuan?”

Li Ze didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he asked, “Are you sure you want to continue?”

Ruan Chengjie stared at him. “Give me one reason not to.”

“We’ve been playing together for so many years. It’s not easy. I don’t want to see the brothers fall apart. Is that reason good enough?”

Ruan Chengjie’s gaze sharpened. “You’re mistaken. My target is Bian Yiqiu, not that young master Ke. If he’s sticking his nose in this, what can I do about it?”

“You know very well that Bian Yiqiu is his man…”

“What do you mean,’his man’?” Ruan Chengjie interrupted him sharply. “A lover? A fling? If Ke Mingxuan is going to go up against me over such a worthless person, maybe it’s him who hasn’t figured out his own place.”

“Can’t you see? Bian Yiqiu is nothing like his previous lovers or flings.”

“I can see that,” Ruan Chengjie dragged the words out, giving Li Ze a knowing smile. “That’s why I want to see just how far Young Master Ke will go for him. After all, even with He Sheng Media on their side, Huarui Group can handle it.”

Li Ze sneered. “What if you add Commander Ke into the mix, or even Old Master Feng?”

At the mention of “Old Master Feng,” Ruan Chengjie’s expression changed for the first time. He paused, then let out a dismissive snort. “He wouldn’t dare.”

Li Ze knew what he meant by “doesn’t dare.” Ke Mingxuan’s identity and background were both a useful tool for navigating the business world and a shackle that restricted his freedom. As the only son of the Ke family and the most cherished grandson of Old Master Feng, he could play around however he liked, but there was no way the Ke and Feng families could find out how much attention he was paying to another man.

However, Young Master Ke had always been accustomed to acting arrogantly. Who knew whether, for Bian Yiqiu’s sake, he would throw caution to the wind and even bring He Sheng Media into play. If that were the case, Commander Ke and Old Master Feng wouldn’t just sit idly by. No matter how they planned to discipline their son and grandson afterward, the first to suffer would certainly be Huarui. Li Ze understood this clearly, and so did Ruan Chengjie, but for him to just give up and let Bian Yiqiu go was something he could never accept.

Ruan Chengjie subconsciously raised his hand to touch the wound on his neck. He hadn’t forgotten how close he came to dying at Bian Yiqiu’s hands. What’s more, he very likely had naked photos of him. Although he wasn’t sure after being knocked unconscious, the fact that this matter was left unresolved would eventually become a ticking time bomb.

Imagine this: the president of Huarui Group, disheveled, half-naked, sprawled on the floor, with an entire wall of BDSM props behind him. If such photos ever made it to the media, his reputation would be ruined beyond repair. Years of carefully crafted image-building and Huarui Group’s credibility would crumble like a house of cards, and his position as president would be as good as gone.

While he did have compromising photos of Bian Yiqiu, he wasn’t foolish enough to think that a gang boss who didn’t even fear death would be concerned about a few nude pictures. Threats were useless against him. With no leverage, the only remaining option was to use force. If Bian Yiqiu truly had something on him, he’d undoubtedly use it as a trump card to negotiate. If not, then Ruan Chengjie wouldn’t hesitate to go to extremes. After all, anyone capable of humiliating him to this extent had to pay the price.

But what he hadn’t expected was that Ke Mingxuan would actually go so far as to oppose him for Bian Yiqiu’s sake. It seemed he had underestimated the status Bian Yiqiu held in Ke Mingxuan’s heart.

With Ke Mingxuan involved, Bian Yiqiu probably wouldn’t reveal his trump card so easily, leaving Ruan Chengjie forever hanging under a sword, always at someone else’s mercy. How could he back down? That would mean admitting defeat, and he wasn’t about to let that happen.

Li Ze saw that his advice wasn’t working, so he gave up on saying more. He had said everything he needed to say. Both sides were stubborn and wouldn’t listen, so he figured he’d let these two madmen fight it out. He wanted to see just how much trouble they could stir up next.

After Bian Yiqiu finished his questioning at the Customs Office, he walked out with Meng Jianyu. The whole process took less than thirty minutes. They had only asked a few symbolic questions, fined a small amount, and just like that, the “smuggling” case was closed.

The staff at the Customs Office politely escorted them to the door, informing them that once a few formalities were completed, the cargo ship could resume normal operations. Meng Jianyu felt almost flattered by the treatment. Just two hours earlier, the same person had been handling things arrogantly and with strict professionalism over the phone.

It felt like a classic case of finding hope when all seemed lost. Meng Jianyu’s spirits lifted, and his steps became lighter. However, when he turned to look, he noticed that Bian Yiqiu’s expression was dark, showing no signs of joy, and the atmosphere felt charged, as if a storm was about to break.

Zuo Cheng was waiting for them in the car. Noticing Bian Yiqiu’s expression through the window, he exchanged a silent glance with Meng Jianyu and asked, “Is the customs inquiry still causing problems? Is everything okay?”

Meng Jianyu shook his head and replied: “Maybe things went too smoothly, and the boss hasn’t reacted yet.”

Zuo Cheng: …

Bian Yiqiu finally got into the car and, without wasting any time, made the phone call.

During the wait for the call to connect, both Zuo Cheng and Meng Jianyu felt the temperature around them drop a few degrees. They exchanged a glance, their eyes silently conveying the same message: The boss is very angry, and the consequences are serious.

They were dying to know who was on the other end of the line.

However, Bian Yiqiu wasn’t about to give them that chance. Once the call connected, he coldly asked three words: “Where are you?”

Zuo Cheng and Meng Jianyu perked up, straining their ears to carefully discern the voice on the other end. It was deep, magnetic, and tinged with amusement. The response came with two words: “Miss me?”

Then they watched as their boss clenched the phone so tightly that the veins in his hand bulged with anger, as if he wanted to crush the phone. He stubbornly repeated his question, “Where are you?”

The person on the other end replied, “I just got home.”

Bian Yiqiu continued, “I need to talk to you.”

“I’m a bit tired today…”

“Give me the address.”

“Do we have to talk now?”

“Address.”

Meng Jianyu gave Zuo Cheng a look, silently signaling, Did you recognize who it is?

Zuo Cheng nodded. Meng Jianyu’s eyes lit up, but then Zuo Cheng looked away, clearly not intending to share. This left Meng Jianyu frustrated.

Bian Yiqiu hung up the phone and instructed Zuo Cheng to drive to Junlin Tianxia.

Meng Jianyu raised an eyebrow. Even someone as out of the loop as him knew that Junlin Tianxia was the most high-end residential community in the city, with the most powerful developers, the most complete facilities, the best property management, and the most impressive design concept.

In the bustling and prosperous downtown area, nestled in a quiet golden location, a high-rise apartment here could sell for the price of a villa. The residents are either wealthy or of noble status. Last year, a certain A-list actor from the entertainment industry purchased a property here, with gossip magazines eagerly reporting the headline, “Actor X spends a fortune on a luxury home in Junlin Tianxia.” This was enough to demonstrate the peak status of this development in Z City.

As Bian Yiqiu got out of the car, Meng Jianyu casually glanced out of the car window and was surprised to find that directly opposite Junlin Tianxia was the strikingly designed, eye-catching office building of He Sheng Media!

Was it a coincidence? How could he not believe it?

Zuo Cheng also wanted to get out of the car. But as soon as his foot touched the ground, Bian Yiqiu stopped him.

“You don’t need to follow me.”

“But…” Zuo Cheng wanted to say, What if I don’t follow you and another ‘date’ ends up with you in the hospital again?

“Either wait in the car, or go back,” Bian Yiqiu said, not looking back as he walked toward the community’s gate, leaving no room for negotiation.

Meng Jianyu quickly rushed over and asked, “Was the person on the phone Ke Mingxuan?”

Zuo Cheng gloomily sat back into the driver’s seat. “Yes.”

Meng Jianyu seemed thoughtful, muttering to himself, “It looks like Young Master Ke cares for the boss more than we thought.”

Zuo Cheng looked confused, indicating that he didn’t understand.

Meng Jianyu patted his shoulder, then returned to the backseat with a smug expression. Out of a sense of revenge, he didn’t plan to share his thoughts with him.

Following the address given by Ke Mingxuan, Bian Yiqiu took the private elevator straight to the top floor. Ignoring the doorbell, he raised his hand and fiercely knocked on the door.

Ke Mingxuan opened the door and said, “You’re quick to arrive.”

Bian Yiqiu didn’t intend to engage in pleasantries. Upon seeing him, he directly said, “What’s the meaning of this?”

Ke Mingxuan didn’t answer but gestured for him to come inside. This building had two units per floor, and there were neighbors next door.

Bian Yiqiu stood at the entrance and didn’t step further inside.

Ke Mingxuan leisurely closed the door, walked back to the living room, and picked up the red wine on the coffee table. “Would you like a drink?”

“I didn’t come for wine.”

“Oh.” Ke Mingxuan nodded and sat down on the sofa. “You said you wanted to talk.”

Yes, he wanted to talk to him. But now, standing in front of him, Bian Yiqiu suddenly didn’t know how to start the conversation. From the moment they met until now, they had never sat down and had a proper conversation. Their interactions were always about fighting and sex. Every time they met, it was like two animals in heat, exchanging punches and blows, neither of them willing to stop until they were both utterly exhausted.

Bian Yiqiu couldn’t understand how they had ended up in such a strange and awkward situation. They had done the most intimate things together, yet their relationship was hardly better than that of enemies. It was this guy who had gotten him into trouble, and it was also him who came to his rescue. That day at the winery, he clearly saw the worry and urgency in his eyes before he passed out, yet he also vividly remembered him saying, “I don’t care who you sleep with or who you fuck.”

Every time Bian Yiqiu thought that Ke Mingxuan might care about him even a little, Ke Mingxuan somehow always managed to throw cold water on him. He couldn’t understand what this person wanted, nor could he figure out why he was so obsessed with uncovering the reasons behind his actions.

For things he couldn’t understand, he could only rely on Ke Mingxuan to give him the answers.

So, Bian Yiqiu walked over and sat across from him, looking as if he really wanted to have a talk.

Ke Mingxuan asked, “What do you want to talk about?”

Bian Yiqiu tried to keep his voice calm, “First, answer my question from before. What exactly does all this mean?”

Ke Mingxuan pretended to be clueless, “What do you mean by that?”

“Haotian Investments, media apology, Customs Enforcement.” Bian Yiqiu patiently provided a few key phrases. If Ke Mingxuan dared to deny his involvement in these matters, he guaranteed there would be no futher words—he would surely grab anything nearby and smash it against his head.

Ke Mingxuan smiled, “Isn’t it good that someone’s helping you?”

Bian Yiqiu thought, very good, you’ve saved your head. He then asked, “Why help me? Out of guilt?”

“Why should I feel guilty?” Ke Mingxuan’s expression was even more infuriating than before.

“Because you’re the one who caused Jiu’an to be attacked by Huarui!”

Ke Mingxuan narrowed his eyes. “I remember I warned you more than once to stay away from Ruan Chengjie. It’s your fault for not listening.”

“You call that a warning?” Bian Yiqiu’s anger flared up at the mention of this, “Would it have been so hard to just say Ruan Chengjie’s a pervert?”

Ke Mingxuan didn’t answer him immediately. Instead, he leaned against the armrest of the sofa, seriously staring at him, until Bian Yiqiu started feeling uneasy under the intense gaze. Then, in a slow, deliberate tone, he asked, “Would you have believed me if I had said that?”

Bian Yiqiu froze for a moment, then immediately thought of how Ruan Chengjie appeared in front of him—gentle, affectionate, a refined gentleman. Compared to that, Ke Mingxuan, who would resort to physical violence at the drop of a hat, seemed much more like a pervert. If Ke Mingxuan had just said so, Bian Yiqiu probably wouldn’t have believed him.

Of course, Bian Yiqiu wasn’t naive enough to think that was the main reason. He stared at Ke Mingxuan and sneered, “The real reason you’re not telling me the truth is to cover up the fact that you’re the one who leaked my nude photos.”

Ke Mingxuan paused his movement of picking up the wine glass, subtly furrowing his brows. “I can explain that…”

“Wasn’t it you who sent the photos to him?” Bian Yiqiu didn’t even know why he still had a sliver of hope for the answer.

However, Ke Mingxuan gave him no hope at all, responding without the slightest hint of remorse, “Yes, I sent them.”

“Then what are you trying to explain!” Bian Yiqiu suddenly stood up from the sofa, his anger that he had been holding back flaring up, making his eyes redden. “Ke Mingxuan, you’re such an asshole! You know exactly what kind of fetish he has, and yet you sent him those photos. What the hell were you thinking? If it weren’t for those damn photos, how would that pervert, Ruan Chengjie, suddenly be interested in me, some burly guy? Now, he’s tearing things apart with me, and you’re pretending to help out? You want me to thank you? Dream on! From now on, stay the hell out of Jiu’an’s business. I don’t need your help, and I don’t want to owe you anything. The farther you are, the better. Don’t ever let me see you again!”

Bian Yiqiu’s anger kept building as he ranted, and after firing off a rapid series of insults, he didn’t even bother to look at Ke Mingxuan’s expression. He just turned around and left.

Ke Mingxuan leaned back on the sofa, raising a hand to cover his eyes, which hadn’t rested for several nights. He sighed wearily.

Although he said he could explain, he knew very well that what had happened had already occurred, and any further explanation would seem hollow. What could he explain? That he hadn’t expected Lin Jiayan to sneakily mess with his phone while he was playing chess with the old man? That he didn’t anticipate Lin Jiayan would leak his photos? That he hadn’t expected Ruan Chengjie to go after Bian Yiqiu even after his clear warning? Or that he didn’t expect their meeting on New Year’s Eve at their usual place would completely provoke Ruan Chengjie…

All the events were intricately linked, as if an invisible hand was stirring the wheel of fate. A photo, taken on a whim, turned out to be the trigger that pushed their relationship to a deadlock.

At this point, he could no longer throw Lin Jiayan under the bus and had to accept responsibility for what happened. Even if it caused a misunderstanding, it was better than making an enemy of someone like Lin Jiayan right now. The relationship between the Ke and Lin families was far from ordinary, and who could predict the consequences if things escalated? He couldn’t afford to gamble, nor did he dare.

Bian Yiqiu couldn’t understand the struggles of Ke Mingxuan. All he could feel was that his heart had plunged into a fiery abyss. The raging flames seared and tortured it, and the blood coursing through him was scalding, its intense heat crashing through his body, running wild in all directions.

He wanted to roar, tear, violate, and taste the exhilarating and frenzied sensation of blood. He wanted to skin and dismember that bastard inside the house, to make that hateful face never smile again!

If he didn’t do something, he might be consumed by his uncontrollable rage!

So he paused, took a turn, and then came back. Speaking to the man sitting on the sofa, he said, “Let me fuck you once.”