Ke Mingxuan drove onto the airport expressway, forgetting to roll up the window. The cold, biting wind rushed in, but he didn’t feel it. His body was burning with fury as he gritted his teeth, cursing Bian Yiqiu—an idiot, a brainless fool. He ranted until he ran out of insults, but it still didn’t ease his anger. Slamming his fist onto the steering wheel, he wished it was Bian Yiqiu’s face. One punch, and he’d knock some sense into him.

After cursing, he recalled that day in the small villa, when Bian Yiqiu had said that he liked Ruan Chengjie and wanted to be with him. The anger, which had been slightly cooled by the wind, flared up again. Without regard for traffic laws, he slammed on the brakes, coming to an abrupt stop in the middle of the expressway.

Luckily, there were no cars following behind. Otherwise, this reckless stop could have caused a serious rear-end collision.

Ke Mingxuan thought to himself: That idiot likes Ruan Chengjie, and is willing to be toyed with by him. What the hell are you doing? A few rounds of casual sex and you rushing over there?

Ke Mingxuan didn’t dare to think about what he was doing or why he was so obsessed with Bian Yiqiu. The moment he thought about what Ruan Chengjie might do to Bian Yiqiu, the blood in his body surged uncontrollably to his head.

He lit a cigarette, trying to calm himself down, but after two minutes, he grew even more agitated, flicking the cigarette butt out of the window. He restarted the engine and sped toward the airport at top speed.

Bian Yiqiu, you’d better tighten your skin, or I swear, I’ll make sure you can’t get out of bed for three days!

Of course, Ke Mingxuan couldn’t find Bian Yiqiu at the airport. His phone was off. After circling the parking lot, he spotted the Maybach, parked neatly. It seemed Bian Yiqiu had parked it there himself and left in Ruan Chengjie’s car.

Unable to hold back another curse, Ke Mingxuan pulled out his phone and dialed Lin Jiayan’s number. Soon, the deafening sound of music blared from the other end, probably from some bar or nightclub where people were caught up in their wild nightlife.

“You’re back from D City? I’m with Fatty and the others at the BASEMENT. Do you want to come over…?”

Before Lin Jiayan could finish, Ke Mingxuan interrupted him, “Where did Ruan Chengjie take Bian Yiqiu?”

The smile on Lin Jiayan’s face instantly disappeared, completely wiped off. “You’re calling me just for Bian Yiqiu?”

Ke Mingxuan took a deep breath, trying his best to make his voice sound less impatient.

“Xiao Yan, I don’t have time to explain things to you. We all know what Ruan Chengjie’s preferences are, or you wouldn’t have taken advantage of my lack of attention to send him those photos of Bian Yiqiu. Just tell me where they are, and I’ll pretend this never happened.”

Lin Jiayan gritted his teeth, challenging him, “What if I don’t tell you? Are you going to keep cutting ties with me, or are you going to beat me up?”

“Lin Jiayan!”

“Ke Mingxuan, why are you in such a hurry? They’ve gone out together before. President Ruan is much gentler with him than you are. This time, maybe they’re just going out for a late-night snack.”

“A late-night snack? Why arrange to meet him at the airport? Ruan Chengjie returned from Macau the day before yesterday—don’t tell me you didn’t know. If he’s meeting Bian Yiqiu at the airport, then his place must be nearby. If you won’t tell me, I’ll find it myself. But Lin Jiayan, remember this: our more than twenty years of friendship ends here.”

Without waiting for Lin Jiayan to respond, Ke Mingxuan hung up the phone.

He closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. Although his words sounded casual, the area around the airport was vast, and it would be impossible to find him quickly. If he wanted to check the surveillance footage from nearby roads, he’d need help from the precinct, but that might alert his uncle. If that happened, it would be hard to explain to Commander Ke, and things would spiral out of control.

He sighed and was about to scroll through his phone to call someone when a text from Lin Jiayan came through.

“I really don’t know where Ruan Chengjie took him. Ask Li Ze; their relationship is pretty close, he should know.”

Ke Mingxuan slapped his forehead—how could he have forgotten someone as important as Li Ze?

It’s hard for Ke Mingxuan to define just how good the relationships within their group are. They often gather for meals and fun, and when business matters arise, they always support each other without hesitation. However, if you really think about it, there are still some closer and more distant connections. For example, he has a particularly good relationship with Chu Yi and Fang Rui, while Ruan Chengjie is closest to Li Ze. No matter the event, these two are almost always together, inseparable. If it weren’t for the clear knowledge that Li Ze isn’t interested in Ruan Chengjie’s special preferences, he might even suspect that these two are a couple.

Li Ze was also quite surprised to receive his call. Indeed, his relationship with Ruan Chengjie was closer than with others, but even so, Ruan Chengjie had never revealed his interest in Bian Yiqiu in that way—if anything, Li Ze never imagined that Ruan Chengjie would target someone close to Ke Mingxuan. First of all, they had been friends for so many years, and secondly, Bian Yiqiu was not someone easy to mess with, so was Ruan Chengjie out of his mind?

Li Ze had no idea where Ruan Chengjie would take Bian Yiqiu. Last year, at his private club, Ruan Chengjie had been involved in the death of a second-tier celebrity, which caused a massive scandal. The Ruan family had worked hard to suppress the news, and now, if Ruan Chengjie wanted to “have some fun” again, the location was kept secret, and he hadn’t even told Li Ze where it was.

“However, if you’re near the airport, I suggest you check out the new vineyard he bought. It’s located on the eastern section of the airport road, about six or seven kilometers ahead—very close.”

“Send me the exact address.” Ke Mingxuan said, not even taking the time to say thank you before hanging up the phone and immediately starting the car.

Li Ze’s message came through quickly, but Young Master Ke never expected that when he arrived at the vineyard, what awaited him would be a punch from Boss Bian, as swift and fierce as a thunderstrike.

Two hours earlier—

Bian Yiqiu arrived on time at the terminal, waiting for President Ruan to land. Since Ruan Chengjie hadn’t told him which flight he was on, he could only wait idly in the car. Half an hour later, he received a call. Ruan Chengjie informed him that he had already picked up the car and asked him to wait at the exit, telling him not to drive himself.

Nowadays, airports offer free valet services for VIP clients, and for just the two of them, it made sense not to drive two cars. So, Bian Yiqiu didn’t think much of it. He closed the car door and walked toward the exit.

Ruan Chengjie was driving a black Mulsanne. Bian Yiqiu opened the passenger side and got in. Ruan Chengjie immediately leaned over, their breaths almost touching.

Bian Yiqiu thought that he was going to give him a warm kiss. However, Ruan Chengjie only gently and considerately fastened his seatbelt, then whispered in his ear, “I’m taking you to a good place.”

The car smoothly turned onto the airport road, moving forward at a steady speed. Bian Yiqiu thought to himself that the main goal for tonight was to get things done with this person, and as for where it happened, he didn’t care.

The destination wasn’t far from the airport. Before the two could exchange many words, they had already arrived.

Bian Yiqiu only realized it was a winery when he got out of the car. Of course, it wasn’t one of those vineyards from abroad; this was just a winery engaged in import trade. Inside, there was a temperature-controlled cellar dedicated to storing various fine wines, a wine exhibition hall, a tasting room, and a meeting room. The décor was elegant, with excellent taste, and it had already reached a considerable scale.

He couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy. He had clearly mentioned not liking red wine, so why had Ruan Chengjie gone out of his way to bring him to this winery?

As if he could see through Bian Yiqiu’s doubts, Ruan Chengjie said, “My biggest gain in Macau this time was winning two bottles of limited edition French wines crafted by a renowned Italian winemaker. I know you don’t like red wine, but I can’t wait to share it with you. Boss Bian wouldn’t deny me this favor, would you?”

Facing Ruan Chengjie’s gentle smile and affectionate gaze, Bian Yiqiu naturally couldn’t bring himself to refuse. It was just drinking a couple of glasses of red wine—he might as well consider it a little enhancement for tonight’s passion.

So, he smiled and said, “Of course.”

Ruan Chengjie led him into the wine tasting room. Out of “professional habit,” Bian Yiqiu instinctively scanned the room’s décor and arrangement. For some reason, he felt like something was off.

The large wine cabinet embedded in the wall, the irregular display of various fine wines, the bright crystal chandelier, the modern abstract paintings, the wooden low tables, fabric sofas, decanters, and the white calla lilies blooming in the open porcelain vases—all of it was intricately crafted, striving for perfection. Even the way Ruan Chengjie poured the wine was graceful, like a work of art. The scarlet liquid in the crystal glass slowly slid down the sides, its speed and density strikingly beautiful, and the sticky texture on the glass walls reflected an intoxicating amethyst-like hue, tempting and alluring. Bian Yiqiu couldn’t find a single flaw.

What was off? As Bian Yiqiu pondered, he reached for the wine glass. But Ruan Chengjie’s warm breath brushed against his ear, sending a shiver down his spine, and in that instant, everything he had been thinking just moments ago slipped from his mind.

“Cheers.”

The back of Bian Yiqiu’s neck itched. He thought it must be a signal from his body, a reaction to the surge of blood. So, he downed the wine like he would a soda, then turned to put his arm around Ruan Chengjie’s neck, aiming for a French kiss flavored with red wine.

Ruan Chengjie smiled, subtly stepping back. Bian Yiqiu, acting like a real thug, lunged at him, knocking the wooden low table askew with a loud crash. The second glass of red wine, freshly poured, toppled to the floor and shattered, sending wine splattering everywhere.

Boss Bian’s strength directly pinned the impeccably dressed President Ruan to the carpet.

Ruan Chengjie was stunned for a few seconds, struggled briefly, then laughed.

“Hey, let’s move to another place.”

Bian Yiqiu ground his teeth, raising an eyebrow with a mischievous grin.

“There’s no one else around, so this works just fine—”

Ruan Chengjie didn’t resist, his breath gradually growing heavier. His chest heaved beneath his fitted jacket, and then he pulled his hand out to touch Bian Yiqiu’s face, his warm palm sliding over Bian Yiqiu’s dry lips.

Bian Yiqiu, slightly dazed, opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to feel the warmth of Ruan Chengjie’s palm. But before he could finish the motion, he suddenly realized that the dizziness flooding to the back of his head wasn’t entirely from the psychological pleasure of what was about to happen.

Ruan Chengjie effortlessly pushed Bian Yiqiu off him, who had suddenly frozen in the middle of his action.

“You…”

Bian Yiqiu’s tongue had gone numb, his body sprawled out on the floor, his pupils unfocused. In his bright, white field of vision, a huge shadow suddenly loomed. Ruan Chengjie leaned down to look at him, his gaze deep and unfathomable, then slowly extended his hand, pressing it back against Bian Yiqiu’s face.

Then, he slapped Bian Yiqiu hard across the face.

“You’re drunk.”

The sharp sound of the slap echoed, but Bian Yiqiu showed no reaction. His eyes remained open, yet it was as if his soul had left his body, leaving behind only his perfectly sculpted, muscular frame.

“I am too.”

Ruan Chengjie smiled as he said these words, then bent down to lift Bian Yiqiu up, turning and walking into another room hidden behind the wine tasting room.

For a man who stood 185 cm tall and was well-built, being lifted like a princess wasn’t an easy feat. Bian Yiqiu never imagined that someone as refined as Ruan Chengjie could actually lift him so effortlessly.

Heaven hadn’t intended for him to die. As he collapsed to the floor, his left palm landed on a shard of broken glass, which dug deeply into his skin. The pain made him shudder, and through the haze, he vaguely heard Ruan Chengjie muttering two sentences. His body felt light, and after what seemed like only a few steps, he was gently set down.

His willpower and the intense dizziness were at odds, pulling and tearing at each other, fighting viciously. His dull nerves slowly began to process the sensations, telling him that the place he was now was definitely not far from the wine tasting room, probably next door, or maybe even an internal resting room.

Ruan Chengjie was confident in the amount of sleeping powder he had used, so after setting Bian Yiqiu down, he didn’t pay him any more attention. Instead, he turned on a device that resembled a projector. Bian Yiqiu could sense that the lighting in the room was much dimmer than in the wine tasting room. The projector displayed only visuals, no sound, and the whole room was eerily quiet.

Ruan Chengjie remain silent. As the drug gradually drained the strength from Bian Yiqiu’s body, he teetered on the edge of losing consciousness. His hand, still gripping the shard of glass, was forced to press it deeper into his flesh.

The sharp pain made him break out in a cold sweat, temporarily alleviating the dizziness caused by the drug, giving him enough awareness to resist the invisible hand that kept trying to pull him into the darkness. At the very least, he had to figure out what Ruan Chengjie was planning before he passed out!

The two of them had no past grievances or recent conflicts. In fact, in Bian Yiqiu’s mind, their relationship was quite harmonious and close. He really couldn’t understand why Ruan Chengjie would suddenly act this way. Did he think that Bian Yiqiu’s casual comment about “one time each” was a trick, so he decided to take the initiative and force things on him first?

If that was the case, Bian Yiqiu really wanted to tell him, “I don’t like being drugged and raped. If you have the guts, fight me like Ke Mingxuan did, and this grandpa will surrender his ass to you.”

Unfortunately, Ruan Chengjie’s style was nothing like Ke Mingxuan’s. From the very start, he had no intention of confronting him head-on.

Bian Yiqiu couldn’t help but bitterly laugh to himself. After spending over two decades in the underworld, facing countless dangers, he never expected to fall into the hands of someone like this. It seemed the “gentle embrace” truly was the hero’s grave—he’d be too ashamed to face Old Master Jiu even in death.

He forced his eyes open, and the first thing he saw was Ruan Chengjie, sitting sideways on a lounge chair. His body was slightly tilted, legs crossed, casually sipping red wine, but his gaze was almost entranced as it fixated on the image projected on the wall. He had no intention of rushing to deal with Bian Yiqiu.

Following his line of sight, Bian Yiqiu tried to see what had captured his attention. However, once he clearly saw what the projection showed, he nearly choked on his breath.

He stared intently at the photos of himself, naked and bound, being projected onto the entire wall. Every old scar, every muscle, every vein was vividly detailed. His blindfolded face, the dense pubic hair between his legs, and his dormant private part nestled in the bush, all had been captured in close-up shots. Even in this situation, Bian Yiqiu couldn’t help but narcissistically think, Damn, this guy looks so handsome, this physique is damn great, and that cock is damn big… Wait, that’s not the point. The real question is, why are these photos in Ruan Chengjie’s hands?