Bian Yiqiu stood in front of the sink, staring at the man in the mirror. He raised his hand and tapped his fingers, and though no words were spoken, the look in his eyes clearly conveyed: you’re screwed.

After finishing his grooming, he walked back to the bedroom and glanced at his phone.

Two missed calls—one from He Xu and one from Ruan Chengjie.

He Xu had gone to the club to find him last night, and called again early this morning. It must have been something important. So, he ignored Ruan Chengjie’s call and returned He Xu’s first.

On the phone, He Xu said the matter he had assigned was already taken care of.

Bian Yiqiu asked, “Nothing went wrong, right?”

He Xu replied, “I handle things. Don’t worry.”

Bian Yiqiu said, “Next month, Old Qian is turning sixty. Prepare a generous gift for me.”

After hanging up, Bian Yiqiu glanced at the screen and saw Ruan Chengjie’s incoming call. He hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose to ignore it.

The impact of last night’s spring dream was too overwhelming; he needed some time to recover.

Slipping into his sheepskin slippers with soft soles, he walked downstairs. On the dining table was a spread of authentic Chinese breakfast—delicate and finely crafted crab roe soup dumplings, jade green dumplings filled with spinach juice, and a steaming bowl of freshly ground tofu pudding, topped with chili oil, Sichuan pepper oil, chopped cilantro, scallions, pickled mustard, stir-fried sesame, and crispy yellow beans… Just the aroma of the spicy, fragrant dish was enough to make one’s mouth water, irresistible and tantalizing.

Bian Yiqiu pulled out a chair and sat down, picking up a spoon to stir the tofu pudding and the seven or eight kinds of condiments together. After taking a bite, he sighed in satisfaction. Now this is what you call a heavenly taste.

The butler entered from outside, holding the newspaper he had just taken from the mailbox at the front gate, as he did on many mornings. He walked straight to the dining room.

Bian Yiqiu, who was almost illiterate, didn’t actually have the habit of reading the newspaper every day. With the development of information technology, he could get all the news online in real time. In his view, the paper media, which wasted so many resources, should have been eliminated long ago. But when Old Master Jiu was alive, he read the newspaper every day. The butler had served him for decades, and it wasn’t something that could be changed easily.

The butler’s surname was Shi, though Bian Yiqiu didn’t know his full name. He only remembered that on the first day he was brought here, the man, whom Old Master Jiu had asked him to call “Uncle Shi,” had gently held his hand and, while helping him tend to his wound, had kindly asked, “Does it hurt?”

Bian Yiqiu was fourteen at the time. He had already been struggling and surviving in the darkest, filthiest hell for seven or eight years. His body was a patchwork of new wounds over old scars, to the point that his skin was hardly recognizable. He hurt others as much as they hurt him, willing to risk his life just to repay his injuries double. Compared to the countless times he had nearly lost his life from severe injuries in the past, this particular injury wasn’t that serious.

But this man asked him, “Does it hurt?”

How could it not hurt? Even if his body were made of steel and iron, he was still just a half-grown child. Yet some injuries, after hurting for so long, you just get used to them and can’t feel them anymore.

Strangely enough, when the two-foot-long watermelon knife struck his back, cutting into his shoulder blade and tearing through flesh, he didn’t feel much pain. He still had enough strength left to muster that savage will to survive. Turning around recklessly, he threw himself at the thug who had attacked him from behind, slamming the man into a pile of garbage and smashing his skull with a brick, blood and brain matter splattering everywhere.

But with just three words from this man, every wound on his body seemed to awaken in an instant. They all screamed and struggled, howling in agony—pain, fucking pain! The pain was so intense that it brought him to the brink of tears.

Uncle Shi, watching him with reddened eyes yet silently stubborn, tightened his grip on his hand and said, “Good boy, don’t be afraid. From now on, Old Master Jiu will protect you.”

It all went back to what Uncle Shi had said to him many years ago. After Old Master Jiu passed away and Bian Yiqiu moved out of Xuyuan, Madam Mei asked if he needed to bring along a few trusted servants. He paused for a moment before asking, “Can Uncle Shi come with me?”

Uncle Shi and Old Master Jiu were from the same hometown and were only a few years apart in age. It was said that before Old Master Jiu entered the underworld, the two had worked as apprentices in the South. As Old Master Jiu’s power grew and his family business flourished, Uncle Shi remained by his side, managing the finances and household affairs. Old Master Jiu never married, and neither did Uncle Shi. The two had supported each other for decades.

The night Old Master Jiu passed away, a few so-called elders attempted to stage a coup. Uncle Shi stood guard by Old Master Jiu’s bedside, unwavering, ignoring the chaos unfolding outside. Later, when Bian Yiqiu was released from prison, he confronted those people with the force of a divine intervention. Uncle Shi left Old Master Jiu’s room only once. He lingered for just two minutes, handed Bian Yiqiu a will without sparing a single glance, and then returned to Old Master Jiu’s side.

Bian Yiqiu dealt with the troubles outside and stepped into Old Master Jiu’s bedroom. The man who once made people tremble at the mere mention of Z City’s underworld was now deeply unconscious. Various life-monitoring devices and tubes were connected to his body, but his expression was rare—peaceful and serene, as if he were merely sleeping. His pride and sharpness had not been crushed by illness, and his appearance hadn’t changed much. It was as though, in the next moment, he could rise and engage in lively conversation, full of vigor and energy. In contrast, Uncle Shi, sitting by his side, could not hide his exhaustion, and his temples had noticeably turned gray.

Bian Yiqiu stood by the bed for a while, and then Uncle Shi spoke: “You should go. I’ll stay with him for this last stretch.”

For some reason, at that moment, Bian Yiqiu felt out of place standing there. He gave his godfather a long look before quietly stepping out.

Madam Mei was surprised by his decision to take Uncle Shi with him but didn’t object. Instead, she said, “It’s up to Uncle Shi.”

Uncle Shi replied, “It’s rare for Young Master Qiu not to be bothered by this old man. If he wants me, I’ll go with him.”

After Bian Yiqiu moved out of Xuyuan, he brought with him only Uncle Shi, a cook with exceptional skills named Aunt Qin, a gardener and driver, Uncle Cen, and a bodyguard, Zuo Cheng. Aside from them, no one else came. The old mansion at Xuyuan, along with the team of capable servants, was left to Madam Mei.

Bian Yiqiu bought a large villa at Yuelu Mountain Villa, not far from the university town, but he rarely returned. When he did, it was mostly to enjoy Aunt Qin’s cooking or to visit Uncle Shi. In his heart, if Old Master Jiu was like a father to him, then Uncle Shi, who had cared for him all these years, was as close to a mother as he could have.

As for Madam Mei at Xuyuan, she was, in Bian Yiqiu’s mind, secondary to Uncle Shi.

“Don’t forget to come back to Xuyuan for dinner tonight.”

Past events were brought to the surface, like the last remnants of tofu pudding in his bowl. Bian Yiqiu scooped up the remaining bit that the spoon could no longer lift and quickly scraped it into his mouth, almost as if he could swallow the entire bowl.

Aunt Qin came out of the kitchen and, upon seeing him, couldn’t help but smile. “There’s more in the kitchen.”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Bian Yiqiu handed his bowl over, grinning as he looked at Aunt Qin. “Add more pickled mustard and crispy soybeans. That’s the best.”

“Alright,” Aunt Qin said with a smile as she took the bowl and returned to the kitchen.

Uncle Shi brought the newspaper back, then remembered that the person sitting at the table was no longer Old Master Jiu. With that thought, he sat off to one side and began reading the paper himself.

Bian Yiqiu wiped his mouth with a napkin, then turned to Uncle Shi, replying with unusual seriousness to what he had just said, “Uncle, I won’t forget.”

Uncle Shi looked up from the newspaper, offering a warm smile. He didn’t say anything more, but his expression was clear—Bian Yiqiu understood. It was as if he was saying, As long as you remember, that’s enough.

Old Master Jiu was a man of great discipline, and during the holidays, it was always a tradition for the family to gather for a meal. Today was the last day of December, and tomorrow was New Year’s Day. As per usual practice, he had to return to Xuyuan tonight. After all, no matter the circumstances, Madam Mei was still Old Master Jiu’s official ‘wife’, even though they had never actually married.

Speaking of Madam Mei, she could be considered a heroic woman in her own right. When she first met Old Master Jiu, she was just in her early twenties, while he was nearing his forties—almost twice her age. A powerful and influential gang leader, Old Master Jiu had wealth, status, and a commanding presence. His maturity and complex history made him the kind of man many young women admired and were drawn to.

Old Master Jiu had plenty of beautiful lovers by his side, and while Madam Mei wasn’t exceptionally stunning or breathtaking, how she eventually won his heart was something Bian Yiqiu didn’t know. One way or another, she managed to outshine all the other women around him and succeeded in moving into Xuyuan, staying there for twenty years. From Miss Mei, she rose to become Madam Mei.

Though she never received that official piece of paper, being able to live in Xuyuan was in itself an acknowledgment from Old Master Jiu. Everyone, from top to bottom, had to address her as ‘Madam’.

Bian Yiqiu arrived at Xuyuan when he was fourteen, and Madam Mei was twenty-three—young, beautiful, gentle, and affectionate. Old Master Jiu adored her immensely, providing her with all sorts of delicious food, entertainment, and luxury items, sparing no expense in her comfort. Anything she could desire, except the moon itself, was given to her. The servants would secretly whisper that Madam Mei must have some special charm, as she managed to tame a man who was once feared and respected by everyone.

The first person Bian Yiqiu met after being brought to Xuyuan was Uncle Shi. During his recovery, it was Uncle Shi who took care of him, offering warmth and comfort. For the first time, he experienced what it felt like to be truly cared for and cherished. As a result, Bian Yiqiu developed a deep, almost instinctual bond with him. As for Madam Mei, he treated her with politeness and respect, but beyond that, there was no strong emotional connection.

This was likely also tied to Bian Yiqiu’s initial identity. When Old Master Jiu first brought him back, it was because he admired Bian Yiqiu’s tenacity — how he, even after suffering severe injuries, still refused to give up and sought to defeat his opponent. At that time, he was essentially kept around as a bodyguard, so there was no reason for Madam Mei to treat him any differently.

But Uncle Shi was different. From the moment Master Jiu brought him back, Uncle Shi truly cared for the boy, raising him like his own son.

When Bian Yiqiu was around seventeen or eighteen, he started working for Master Jiu. Every time he went out on a mission, he would return covered in wounds. The worst time, he was shot in the abdomen and thigh and almost died. Lying on the hospital bed, delirious from the pain, he overheard Uncle Shi arguing with Old Master Jiu. That was the only time Bian Yiqiu ever heard Uncle Shi lose his temper, and the one he was angry with was Old Master Jiu.

The two of them were outside the hospital room, and although their voices weren’t loud, the dizzy Bian Yiqiu understood the gist — Uncle Shi was insisting that Old Master Jiu stop sending him on such dangerous missions. What surprised him even more was that Old Master Jiu agreed without hesitation.

At that moment, Bian Yiqiu thought to himself, If only Uncle Shi were my real father.

However, Uncle Shi wasn’t his father, Old Master Jiu was.

After his injuries healed, Old Master Jiu formally adopted him as his godson and never again sent him on life-threatening missions. Instead, Bian Yiqiu started managing the family business alongside him. The servants stopped calling him ‘Xiao Qiu’ and began addressing him as ‘Young Master Qiu’.

As for Madam Mei, she treated him well and never neglected him. Regardless of other matters, Bian Yiqiu couldn’t forget her dedication after all these years by Old Master Jiu’s side, even without a formal title. Out of respect, he followed the rules: whether Old Master Jiu was present or not, he always made sure to return in time to accompany her for the evening meal.

In the afternoon, Bian Yiqiu personally went to the mall to pick out an expensive jade jewelry set. In truth, he had no idea how to choose, so he simply walked into a store and asked for the most expensive option. Luxury boutique staff loved customers like Bian Yiqiu—people with deep pockets and little concern for the details. To them, he was like a walking black-gold card, and they couldn’t hide their radiant smiles.

Once, he took a casual fling shopping—a third-tier celebrity, stunning like a delicate vase but with acting skills so poor that he struggled to make any headway in the industry. Despite his third-tier status, his presence rivaled that of first-tier stars, especially when he was out shopping with Bian Yiqiu, whose spending was effortless and extravagant. In the flagship store of Vacheron Constantin, Bian Yiqiu bought three watches, each costing over seven figures, paying with his card as if it were nothing. The handsome, elegant salesperson couldn’t help but steal envious glances at the vase-like celebrity, his jealousy practically burning in his eyes.

After completing the purchase, Bian Yiqiu handed the store clerk a business card and told him to notify him when the new arrivals came in. That evening, he received a call, and naturally, he ended up getting the young man into bed. Just like that, the little vase was inexplicably replaced by a store clerk, and the three Vacheron Constantin watches became parting gifts.

Problems that can be solved with money are the easiest ones in this world. Choosing gifts is like this, and choosing a casual fling is the same. If someone sleeps with him and isn’t after his money, that’s where things get a bit complicated.

For example, Ke Mingxuan.