“Fuck, who are you trying to scare in the middle of the night?” Bian Yiqiu exaggeratedly patted his startled chest.

The man stood up straight and took a step toward him. As he moved, the pitch-black night seemed to recede with his steps, like a tide slowly pulling back. His flawless, god-like handsome face came into view from the shadows, revealing itself to the world. Like an elegant leopard, he looked down at his prey with a half-smile, lazily and nonchalantly uttering two words: “Scaring you.”

Even though Bian Yiqiu had become so familiar with this man’s features and tone that he could describe them with his eyes closed, every time he saw him, he was still shocked by how the hell someone could look so damn good and so charming. But unfortunately, no matter how handsome and charming his face was, it couldn’t hide the fact that he was an asshole.

“Congrats, you did it.” Bian Yiqiu rolled his eyes in boredom and turned to leave.

Ke Mingxuan paid no attention to his indifferent and cold attitude. With his hands casually tucked into his pockets, he took a long stride to catch up with him. “Aren’t you going to ask who sent them?”

Bian Yiqiu tightened his coat and tucked the gun away. “No need to ask, I know who it is.”

Ke Mingxuan shot him a glance. “Who?”

Bian Yiqiu answered, “What’s it to you?”

Ke Mingxuan was completely honest. “Curious.”

“…” Bian Yiqiu fell silent for a moment, then thought of another question. “How did you end up here?”

“I’ve been right behind you the whole time. You only noticed those two idiots, not me.”

“Impossible!” Bian Yiqiu was quite confident in his counter-surveillance skills. “When did you start following me?”

Ke Mingxuan answered earnestly, “When you crashed your car.”

Bian Yiqiu remained silent for a longer time this round, until he was about to step onto the square. Then, he transformed all his anger and frustration into a forceful “Fuck!” that echoed through the air.

“You’re watching me almost get assassinated, and you don’t help me?”

Ke Mingxuan lazily pointed at the two guys still lying motionless in the alley. “Just those two half-baked idiots, do you really need me to step in?”

Bian Yiqiu sneered. “You’re just here to watch the show, aren’t you?”

Ke Mingxuan openly admitted, “Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see it.”

Bian Yiqiu really didn’t want to waste another word on him. “Sorry to waste Young Master Ke’s time. I’ll be going now. You do whatever you need to do. Bye.”

After saying that, Bian Yiqiu waved his hand and strode into the crowd, showing not a hint of reluctance.

Ke Mingxuan stood at the edge of the square, watching Bian Yiqiu’s tall, straight figure grow farther and farther away. Suddenly, he found himself missing the firm, muscular body wrapped under that black coat. And once that sense of longing took root, it grew like wild grass in spring—instantly, it surged into a wild fire within him, leaving him parched, restless, and itching with desire.

His gaze traced the broad shoulders, strong waist, firm hips, and powerful legs. With every step, it felt as though Bian Yiqiu was deliberately swaying in front of him, gracefully inviting him to pounce and take control of his body, though, of course, this was just Young Master Ke’s reckless fantasy. Bian Yiqiu’s posture was upright and elegant, exuding confidence. Yet it was precisely this rough, no-nonsense man, completely contrary to Ke Mingxuan’s usual preferences, who stirred a brutal, almost violent instinct inside him every time they crossed paths, an instinct to tear him apart and devour him whole.

As he ran his tongue over his teeth, like a hungry wolf fixated on Bian Yiqiu’s figure and preparing to act on the idea simmering in his mind, his phone rang at the most inopportune moment.

Fatty on the other end of the line asked why he hadn’t arrived yet. Ke Mingxuan replied that he had, and was just parking.

After hanging up, he walked to the street corner and, as expected, found a parking ticket slapped on his car by a traffic officer.

Did he really just rush to leave his car on the side of the road to follow Bian Yiqiu because he wanted a traffic cop’s autograph?

Ke Mingxuan gave a self-deprecating smile, drove into VITA’s private parking lot, and took the elevator straight to the third-floor VIP area.

A group of friends had planned to ring in the New Year at Fang Rui’s KTV. As soon as Ke Mingxuan stepped out of the elevator, he could hear Fatty’s off-key but ear-piercing voice, rivaling Pavarotti, carrying through the walls from a private room. That saved him the trouble of looking for a waiter—he simply headed straight to the room.

It wasn’t clear whether it was because the drinks lacked a kick tonight, or if the handsome guy in his arms wasn’t quite up to the task, but throughout the night, Young Master Ke’s mind kept wandering. His hands absentmindedly rubbed his fling’s rear, but something about the sensation just didn’t feel right.

Fatty asked if he wanted to sing, but Ke Mingxuan declined. Lin Jiayan suggested playing dice, and Ke Mingxuan refused again. Li Ze handed him a drink, and without even glancing at it, he downed it in one go. Fang Rui and Chu Yi tried to talk to him, but he didn’t hear a word. He didn’t even notice when the waiter came in with more drinks, completely oblivious that the person was Lu Xiao.

Right next to him, Mr. Chu, who was busy playing kissy-face with some MB, ended up in a bit of an awkward situation. Lu Xiao’s face turned pale as he tossed the bottle aside and stormed out. Young Master Ke couldn’t help but savor the moment, feeling a smug sense of satisfaction. But little did he know, that feeling would last no more than two minutes before Lu Xiao returned. In a dramatic, commanding move, he kicked open the door, tossed the little MB aside without a word, and yanked his man out of the room. The whole sequence was smooth, swift, and decisive—Ke Mingxuan almost felt like whistling and cheering.

While secretly happy for Chu Yi, he couldn’t help but think with a touch of mischief how amusing it would be to let Boss Bian see how his beloved Lu Xiao had slowly fallen under the mighty, heroic Chu Yi’s charm.

At this moment, Boss Bian had just stepped through the doors of the celebrity club, where a group of his brothers were waiting to toast the New Year with him. Due to a car accident on the way and being followed by someone, he had arrived a little late. His trusted subordinates, led by He Xu, immediately forced three large shots of strong white liquor into him. The sharp, fiery liquor burned all the way down his throat and into his stomach, sending a wave of heat through his internal organs before surging up to his head. Before long, he started feeling dizzy.

Boss Bian wasn’t someone with many weaknesses, but if he had to admit to one, it would be his alcohol tolerance. Although three shots of white liquor wouldn’t knock him out, it was enough to make it hard for him to drink any more.

Luckily, he had eaten a lot at Xuyuan today, so his stomach had enough to absorb the alcohol. If he had drunk those three shots on an empty stomach, he would’ve collapsed on the floor without a doubt.

After finishing the drinks, He Xu didn’t spot Zuo Cheng, so his gaze swept over Bian Yiqiu, his brows furrowing slightly. He leaned in close to Bian Yiqiu’s ear and asked, “Ran into some trouble?”

Bian Yiqiu shot him a sideways glance, silently conveying the message: Why would I get into trouble? If anyone crosses my path, that’s the real trouble.

He Xu, the big lawyer, pointed at the hem of his coat. Bian Yiqiu looked down and, after a moment, cursed under his breath, “Damn it.”

To say that He Xu had sharp eyes would be an understatement. No matter how troublesome a case or complicated a file, he could always spot the details that others missed among a pile of unrelated documents. And after working alongside Bian Yiqiu for so many years, he had a pretty good understanding of Bian Yiqiu’s vain nature. If it were any other time, Bian Yiqiu wouldn’t have dared show up to a brother’s New Year celebration with even a speck of dirt on his clothes, let alone a wrinkle in his shirt.

He Xu bent down and flicked at the stain with his finger. “Moss, still pretty fresh. Just came from Donglin Community?”

Donglin Community was the old residential area behind Xinghe Plaza, which had recently been marked for demolition.

Bian Yiqiu finally gave him a proper look. “How do you know?”

“The moss had ‘Donglin Community’ written on it.”

“You’re full of crap.”

“I’m serious,” He Xu said, pulling out a tissue to wipe his hands, then speaking to him with complete seriousness. “Moss like this only grows in places that are consistently damp and shady, like alleys or corners. And it’s still a bit wet, not dry, which means it’s not far from here. The only place nearby that fits this condition is Donglin Community. It’s an old residential area with low buildings, blocked by the Xinghe Building in front, so no sunlight gets through. Now that the residents have moved out, it’s pretty much deserted, making it an ideal place for moss to grow. You must’ve walked along the seaside avenue from Xuyuan, then turned onto Fuyuan Road at the Jinxi Interchange, passing Xinghe Square. My guess is, something happened near the square, you were either being followed or chasing someone to Donglin Community. This moss probably rubbed onto you while you were in an alley fighting, am I right?”

Bian Yiqiu have to admit, he truly in awe of He Xu’s ability to make inferences about him—his skills are so impressive, it’s almost as if he should be a detective instead of a lawyer. Even Sherlock Holmes would have to step aside.

“So, tell me, how many people were there in the fight with me?”

“No more than three.”

“Why?”

“The alley in Donglin Community is too narrow. With too many people, it’s impossible to fight. It can only be one-on-one. And apart from this patch of moss on your body, there are no other marks, which means the fight ended quickly. So, there wouldn’t have been too many people.”

“Then keep guessing, who sent them?”

“Is there even a need to guess? Recently, it’s only that kid from the Qian family who’s been acting more vigorously.”

Bian Yiqiu nodded, about to say something more, when he turned and saw Zuo Cheng pushing open the banquet hall doors and quickly walking toward him. “Boss, you didn’t…”

“It’s fine,” Bian Yiqiu interrupted, “Is my car alright?”

“Just a scratch on the paint,” Zuo Cheng replied, then glanced at He Xu. “Did you bring the car back?”

He Xu answered with an unnaturally ambiguous monosyllable, “Mm.”

Zuo Cheng blinked. “So, did you bring the car back or not?”

Bian Yiqiu glanced at He Xu before looking at Zuo Cheng. “You had him drive the car?”

“Yeah, the owner of the car that was hit is really difficult, and I wasn’t comfortable with you going alone, so I had Lawyer He help. But boss, you left too quickly. I searched the square but couldn’t find you…”

“Of course, I didn’t even go to the square.”

Bian Yiqiu looked at He Xu with a half-smile, half-mockingly. “Sherlock Holmes?”

He Xu’s eyes flickered as he shouted toward the door, “Miss Ye, the beauty, has arrived! I need to go over and have a drink with her. Boss, you got a bit too much to drink earlier. Zuo Cheng, take good care of him…”

As he spoke, he lifted his foot, intending to head toward Ye Zhen, but was quickly stopped by Bian Yiqiu, who blocked his path. “You wait a minute!”

“I’m not waiting! I’m going to drink with the beauty. What’s there to do with you two rough old men?” He Xu rebelliously swatted away Bian Yiqiu’s arm, determined to get closer to Ye Zhen. However, after walking for a while, he found himself still in the same spot. Turning around, he realized his collar was being held by Bian Yiqiu.

He turned around and chuckled twice. “Boss, I was just joking with you… Ouch!”

Before he could finish his sentence, Bian Yiqiu kicked him hard in the rear, causing him to stumble forward. Just as he thought he was about to crash into the arms of the beautiful Ye Zhen, feeling that happiness had arrived too suddenly, he then saw Ye Zhen step aside with evident annoyance, swiftly dodging him. In the next moment, his nose slammed into a hard, solid chest.

“Xiao Xu Xu, after all these years, you’ve finally thrown yourself into my arms!” Meng Jianyu exclaimed excitedly, cupping He Xu’s now finely polished, handsome face before kissing him.

“Damn it!” Lawyer He couldn’t dodge in time, and just like that, his first kiss of the day was snatched by that guy Meng. He shoved him away, grabbed a napkin from the table, and furiously wiped his mouth. “Which eye of yours saw me being willing?! It was clearly Boss who kicked me over!”

Meng Jianyu, looking like he’d just witnessed a miracle and nearly moved to his knees in gratitude, bowed to Bian Yiqiu. “Thank you, Boss!”

Bian Yiqiu responded, “You’re welcome. He’s yours for the night.”

He Xu: “…”

“Hahahahaha…”

Everyone burst into laughter, except for Zuo Cheng, who looked completely bewildered, unable to figure out what Lawyer He had done to provoke their boss this time.

The group continued their lively eating, drinking, and joking around, each taking turns to toast. Knowing that Bian Yiqiu couldn’t hold his liquor well, Zuo Cheng took every drink on his behalf, blocking all the toasts. In the end, Bian Yiqiu remained perfectly fine, while Zuo Cheng was the first to get completely drunk.

Luckily, the hotel was right above the club. Bian Yiqiu instructed two people to help carry Zuo Cheng to his room, then wrapped an arm around the handsome young man one of his subordinates had just offered up and headed to his own suite.

Just as he reached the door, the phone in his pocket suddenly buzzed. He took it out and glanced at the screen casually—and his breath instantly stopped.

There, in bold letters on the screen, were three words: “I miss you.”

Sender: Ke Mingxuan.

Bian Yiqiu figured he must be hallucinating from those three shots of baijiu; otherwise, how could he be seeing such a cheesy message from that guy Ke?

He stopped in his tracks, shook his head to clear his mind, and was just about to swipe the screen to take a closer look when a second message came through immediately after.

“…your ass.”

Bian Yiqiu nearly spat out blood, and with an intense, unstoppable force as if he were charging into battle, he swiftly replied with five words:

“Go to hell you bastard!!”