That insane, inhumane torment dragged on until noon, leaving Ke Mingxuan on the verge of snapping. What brink him to the brink of madness, though, was how Bian Yiqiu simply got up after satisfying himself, completely turning a blind eye to the fact that he was still painfully hard.

The fire burning in Young Master Ke’s chest finally exploded. In a few swift moves, he tore off the blindfold and kicked open the bathroom door. Like a feral, enraged beast, he pinned Bian Yiqiu against the wall and fucked him senseless, finally managing to reclaim some semblance of dignity.

By the time they stumbled out of the bathroom, Bian Yiqiu was swaying on unsteady legs, completely drained. He collapsed onto the bed, not even managing to lift a finger.

Ke Mingxuan looked down at him and asked, “Tired?”

Bian Yiqiu answered, “I’m hungry.”

Ke Mingxuan glanced at the time—it was almost two o’clock. Since neither of the two could cook, they had no choice but to order food.

Bian Yiqiu took this opportunity to nap again, and it wasn’t until lunch arrived that Ke Mingxuan pulled him out of the bed to eat.

At 4 PM, Zuo Cheng received a call from Bian Yiqiu, asking him to pack his personal belongings and send them to Junlin Tianxia.

The moment Zuo Cheng hung up the phone, he sent a series of shocked exclamation marks in their chat group. However, it was a weekend, and Ye Zhen was getting a spa treatment with her best friend, Lao Meng had plans to go fishing with some friends, and He Xu had just gotten his client out of detention. So, the message sat there for a while, with no replies—completely unlike usual. Zuo Cheng found himself left alone, idle in the hotel.

As a full-time bodyguard who has been with Bian Yiqiu 24/7, Zuo Cheng had practically shared every moment with him over the years. Whether it was in Xuyuan, Yuelu Villa, or the Celebrity Club, his room was always next to the boss’s.

When Bian Yiqiu had just gotten out of prison, things at Jiu’an Group were chaotic because of Old Master Jiu’s passing. To ensure his safety, there were times when they even shared a room and a bed. Even if Bian Yiqiu was meeting some lover or having a rendezvous, he didn’t mind being a silent observer—though that was only before Young Master Ke came into the picture.

Ever since Young Master Ke showed up, Zuo Cheng realized his presence was becoming less and less noticeable. From the early days when the two of them had their little secret dealings… no, was it “colluding” instead? Ugh, that doesn’t sound right either… Whatever, the point is, once those two hit it off, Zuo Cheng had never been included again.

They stopped letting him tag along when they went out, refused to have him join their dates, and eventually disappearing for days at a time became the norm. And now, great—before the relationship even had time to fully develop, they’d jumped straight into living together. Had they ever thought about how this single dog… uh, the bodyguard, might feel?

Zuo Cheng was deeply hurt, really hurt. As he wallowed in his feelings, he couldn’t stop agonizing over the question of whether he should follow his boss to live with Young Master Ke now that they’d moved in together.

Of course, with his intelligence and emotional IQ, he couldn’t come to any conclusion.

The chat group remained silent, not even a single person to consult. For the first time, Zuo Cheng felt the loneliness of life, like snow falling in solitude.

So, he sent another message in the group: “I really want to be in a relationship too!”

After sending it, he tossed his phone onto the bed carelessly, stood up, and went next door to help Bian Yiqiu pack his things.

Celebrity Club was Bian Yiqiu’s private property. The lower four floors were a club, while the five floors above were a hotel. The entire building had only around thirty floors, not standing out much amid the towering skyscrapers of the city center that often reached fifty or sixty stories. Its specs weren’t as high as those of Huayue or Yuelong Bay, but the hardware facilities were even better than those of five-star hotels. The reason was simple—when Bian Yiqiu decided to open Celebrity Club, he had already planned for it to be his personal residence. Of course, the place he lived in had to be top-notch.

Bian Yiqiu’s exclusive suite had three bedrooms: the master bedroom was his, the second bedroom was Zuo Cheng’s, and a guest room had been converted into an office to handle business affairs. Of course, it was occasionally used for other purposes by Bian Yiqiu.

Zuo Cheng moved two large suitcases out of the office, sorting Bian Yiqiu’s belongings and putting them into the right compartments. After finishing, he went back to his room, grabbed his phone, and prepared to leave. To his surprise, the screen showed several missed calls. Ye Zhen had called three times, and He Xu and Lao Meng had each called twice.

He opened the chat group and saw dozens of unread messages, all from the three of them. It started with questions about what had happened to him, what had triggered him, but soon turned into discussions about what kind of men or women he liked, and whether he was more suited to men or women.

He immediately regretted sending that message about wanting to be in a relationship earlier. Expecting anything wise from these guys was like hoping to hear ivory from their mouths—it was simply impossible.

Just as they were about to conclude that he was more suited to men, Zuo Cheng quickly threw in the bombshell about Bian Yiqiu and Young Master Ke moving in together, successfully redirecting their attention.

Just as they were about to conclude that he was more suited to men, Zuo Cheng quickly threw in the bombshell about Bian Yiqiu and Young Master Ke moving in together, successfully redirecting their attention.

Finally, Zuo Cheng asked, “Do you guys think I should go with them?”

He Xu: “Are you saying the lights at Young Master Ke’s place aren’t bright enough?”

Ye Zhen: “Or do you think Young Master Ke’s dog food is especially delicious?”

Lao Meng: “Both of the above are what I wanted to ask.”

Zuo Cheng, feeling utterly defeated: “…I think the boss doesn’t need me anymore.”

He Xu: “It’s okay, bro, I still need you.”

Zuo Cheng: “What do you need me for?”

He Xu: “My big aunt’s cousin’s cousin’s niece just returned from abroad. I’ll take you to a blind date.”

Zuo Cheng: “I think I’ll go eat dog food instead. Goodbye.”

After sending that message, Zuo Cheng stuffed his phone into his pocket and pushed the two large suitcases toward the elevator.

However, Bian Yiqiu and Young Master Ke, who had just started living together, weren’t about to let a third wheel intrude on their private world. Dog food wasn’t something you could just get anytime, and Zuo Cheng was still too naive to understand that.

Firstly, Young Master Ke didn’t like outsiders stepping into his private territory. Secondly, their moments of passion were quite unpredictable in both time and place, making it rather inconvenient for Zuo Cheng to stay there. Besides, with their combined combat skills, having Zuo Cheng around didn’t add much value.

What’s more, Celebrity Club wasn’t far from Junlin Tianxia. If Bian Yiqiu needed to go out, it would only take Zuo Cheng a few minutes to drive over, so it wouldn’t interfere with his duties as a bodyguard.

For all these reasons, Zuo Cheng was ruthlessly abandoned by his boss.

Although he had outwardly made peace with Ruan Chengjie, Ke Mingxuan still wasn’t completely at ease. He privately called Li Ze, asking him to keep an eye on Huarui’s movements.

As someone relatively close to Ruan Chengjie, Li Ze felt a bit uncomfortable when he heard this. While he had firmly sided with Ke Mingxuan in the matter between Ruan Chengjie and Bian Yiqiu—because he knew what Ruan had done was undeniably underhanded—now that the two parties had reconciled, he felt there was no need for Ke Mingxuan to remain so guarded.

“Ruan Chengjie isn’t an idiot; he knows how to weigh his priorities. Huarui has partnerships with Fengze, Hengya, and Qitian. If I’m not mistaken, the project you and he invested in last year hasn’t wrapped up yet either. The reason we stepped in to mediate wasn’t just because we’re friends—it’s also because our families’ interests are intertwined to varying degrees. Ruan Chengjie knows that too. I don’t think he’d be foolish enough to stir up trouble behind the scenes again. Unless, of course, he’s gone mad.”

Ke Mingxuan stood on the balcony, smoking a cigarette. Hearing Li Ze’s words, the corners of his lips curved slightly into a smile devoid of warmth. “Who knows if he’s gone mad or not?”

“Ke Mingxuan…”

“Li Ze,” Ke Mingxuan interrupted him, “precisely because our interests are tied, you should be more inclined to do me this favor. It’s also for his benefit. If he stirs up any trouble again, it won’t end well for anyone. Don’t you agree?”

Silence fell on the other end of the line. In truth, no one knew Ruan Chengjie’s personality and temper better than Li Ze. The two had grown up together, practically sharing the same pair of pants. Li Ze was well aware of how obsessive Ruan Chengjie could be when it came to something he cared about.

To be honest, Li Ze had his own doubts about how smoothly the reconciliation had gone. But they were all seasoned players in the business world, adept at weighing pros and cons. He believed Ruan Chengjie had made his decision after careful consideration, just as Ke Mingxuan and Bian Yiqiu had when they agreed to the truce.

Still, given how far the conversation had gone, Li Ze understood Ke Mingxuan’s intentions. He agreed to keep an eye out. After all, whether as a childhood friend or as the CEO of Fengze—the company most closely tied to Huarui’s projects—he didn’t want to see Ruan Chengjie make another wrong move.

After the Lantern Festival, Ke Mingxuan threw himself back into his busy work routine. Bian Yiqiu had initially braced himself for a long adjustment period to reconcile their vastly different lifestyles. However, once they started living together, he realized that the process wasn’t about how much time they spent—it was about how much space they held for each other in their hearts. When you truly care about someone, making changes for them comes naturally, often without even noticing.

For instance, Bian Yiqiu adjusted his schedule to ensure Ke Mingxuan could get a good night’s sleep. Ke Mingxuan, in turn, adapted his tastes to make sure Bian Yiqiu enjoyed his meals. Bian Yiqiu gradually came to accept Ke Mingxuan’s hobbies, even occasionally joining him on the rooftop for a glass of wine. Meanwhile, Ke Mingxuan gave up his passion for outdoor sports now and then, opting to play a few rounds of golf or a game of snooker with him.

When the mood struck, the two of them would sometimes have a match in the living room or the gym, treating it as a bit of fun. After all, Bian Yiqiu had never given up on beating Young Master Ke.

It wasn’t about settling who was “on top” or “on bottom”—he simply enjoyed the thrill of a heated, no-holds-barred fight.

Bian Yiqiu’s fighting style was self-taught and unorthodox. While his moves were fierce, his approach was one of reckless abandon, often resulting in mutual damage. It worked well in the underworld, where the rules were simple: the weak feared the strong, the strong feared the crazy, and the crazy feared those who didn’t value their lives. But against someone like Ke Mingxuan, who had trained under the rigorous discipline of formal military combat, such tactics didn’t fare well. No matter how hard Bian Yiqiu tried, Ke Mingxuan always found an opening to subdue him with precision and control.

After their sparring session, the two lay side by side on the floor. Ke Mingxuan earnestly explained the moves they had used, detailing how to deliver the most effective counterattack while minimizing injury.

Panting heavily, Bian Yiqiu turned his head to look at the man beside him. “You should spar with Zuo Cheng next time.”

Ke Mingxuan also turned to him. “Is Zuo Cheng that good?”

“I can’t beat him, that’s for sure.”

“Alright,” Ke Mingxuan said with a smirk, flipping over to pin Bian Yiqiu beneath him. He leaned down, capturing his lips in a kiss. “But first, let’s settle tonight’s score.”

The two of them tangled together until late into the night.

The next morning, as usual, Ke Mingxuan got up at seven. After washing up, he went for a run and picked up breakfast on his way back. Only after finishing his meal would he head to work. This routine hadn’t changed—except now, breakfast was for two.

Thanks to Young Master Ke’s disciplined routine, Bian Yiqiu’s old habit of late nights and even later mornings at the club had seen a dramatic improvement. Perhaps influenced by Ke Mingxuan’s serious attitude toward work, Bian Yiqiu started to feel that his own lifestyle was a bit too idle. Recently, in a shocking turn of events, he began making appearances at the company.

When he strolled into the office at 2 p.m. one afternoon, Ye Zhen assumed he’d just stopped by on a whim. But the next day, he arrived at 10 a.m., raising a few eyebrows. Then, on the third day, he shocked everyone by showing up at 9 a.m. sharp, leaving the executives at Jiu’an utterly stunned. Whispers quickly spread among the staff, speculating whether the company was facing a crisis or planning some major moves.

Bian Yiqiu couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the commotion his punctuality caused. However, after a while, people got used to it, realizing he still followed his usual pattern of working a few days and taking breaks.

Despite this, compared to before, Bian Yiqiu had become much more dedicated to his work. He now spent at least half of his week in the office, which moved Director Ye to the point of almost tearing up. No longer did she have to cross an entire district to get Bian Yiqiu’s signature at the Celebrity Club.

Given how exhausting the previous night had been, Bian Yiqiu could have easily skipped work today without feeling guilty. But just before 10 a.m., his phone rang, and it was unfamiliar number.