For three consecutive days, troublemakers came to stir up chaos at the Celebrity Club, all of them skilled fighters. The bodyguards and subordinates watching over the place were knocked out one after another, and all the valuable items in the lobby and private rooms were smashed clean.

Bian Yiqiu was someone who never understood the concept of “a small tolerance can prevent great chaos.” From the moment he was born, no one taught him to exercise restraint or to retreat when facing a stronger opponent. Even when he was just seven or eight years old and beaten nearly to death by thugs more than ten years his senior, he still charged at them recklessly, sinking his teeth into their throats and refusing to let go, even when they were on the brink of death.

His path in the underworld had been paved with blood and violence. Although life had been a little easier since meeting Old Master Jiu, the cruelty and ruthlessness in his bones had never faded.

Bian Yiqiu had always followed the principle of “if you respect me an inch, I’ll respect you a mile” in his dealings in the underworld. Even when the uncles and brothers, who had followed Old Master Jiu secretly fought against him, they always maintained a facade of harmony and unity in public. No one had ever dared to openly provoke him before.

The entire underworld of Z City was waiting to see how he would respond. However, this time, Bian Yiqiu shocked everyone who was eager for a spectacle.

He didn’t lash out, didn’t retaliate, and didn’t even utter a harsh word. Instead, he paid substantial medical fees to each of his injured subordinates, had Ye Zhen transfer more funds, and completely renovated the club, treating the entire incident as if nothing had happened, brushing it aside with ease.

Not only did outsiders fail to understand, even his own subordinates were puzzled. Everyone was speculating about who could be behind the trouble that had come to the Celebrity Club.

Though Bian Yiqiu appeared calm on the surface, inwardly, he longed to dig up the ancestors of the “Ke” family and whip their corpses to vent his fury. The pain of patience, as anyone who had endured it knew, was far from easy to bear. But in this situation, he truly had no other option but to endure. The Ke family was not something he could afford to provoke right now.

If Bian Yiqiu were still the lone wolf he once was, even if he couldn’t defeat them, he would have found a way to take out his anger. No matter the cost, he wouldn’t let Ke Mingxuan get off easy. But now, he was no longer alone. Old Master Jiu had entrusted him with the vast family business, and he carried the fates and livelihoods of thousands of brothers with him. He couldn’t let a moment of anger put the entire Jiu’an Group at risk.

Ke Mingxuan’s background is indeed formidable. He hails from a powerful family in Z City, with connections that give him significant leverage. His father is a military district commander, his uncle is the director of the public security bureau, and his maternal grandfather, although retired, still wields considerable influence. These powerful connections across various political and security systems in Z City and beyond make him a significant figure.

Moreover, his own accomplishments are impressive. After graduating from university, he founded and expanded He Sheng Media, which, within five years, became one of the top three media companies in the country. This rapid success has made him not only wealthy but also influential, placing him far above those like the characters in the black market world, who, despite their power, are dwarfed by his social and financial capital.

Given this background, it’s no wonder that he can afford to act so confidently, even provocatively, in front of someone like Bian Yiqiu, who has his own power in the underworld.

The people who caused trouble at the club this time were all dressed in plain clothes, but their skills and demeanor clearly showed they were from the military. In China, which gang would dare to challenge the army? So, Boss Bian had no choice but to swallow his pride and endure it, whether he liked it or not. He chose to ignore the situation, thinking that Ke Mingxuan, this busy heir, wouldn’t waste too much time on his small club. After a few days of fun, he figured Ke Mingxuan would stop.

It turned out he was right. Ke Mingxuan did back off. After the club was renovated, it wasn’t smashed again.

Just when Boss Bian thought he could finally relax, believing the matter had blown over, Young Master Ke’s actions once again shattered his worldview.

He was kidnapped!

That’s right, he, Bian Yiqiu, Boss Bian, was kidnapped!

And not just once!

The first time was in the parking lot of the Celebrity Club. Boss Bian got into his car, only to realize that both the driver and the bodyguard had been swapped. The second time was in a hotel restroom, where he was knocked out cold in the toilet. The third time, he was in his own hotel room, in the middle of an intimate moment with a pretty young man, when the door was suddenly broken down…

What? You ask what Zuo Cheng was doing during all this? He’d like to know too! Somehow, Ke Mingxuan always managed to seize the exact moment when Zuocheng was away to snatch him up, making him almost suspect that Zuocheng had been bribed to act as Ke’s informant!

The truth, however, was far less dramatic. The first time, Zuocheng had gone back to retrieve an important item Bian Yiqiu forgot in the parking lot. The second time, he’d gone to the restroom. And the third? Well, Bian was… busy with his lover. None of these situations were ones where Zuo Cheng could reasonably stick around.

Who could have predicted that Ke Mingxuan was such a vindictive, shameless bastard? Just because Bian Yiqiu’s men mistakenly kidnapped him once, he had to repay the favor threefold.

And during the third time, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Bian, completely naked, was hauled off to Ke’s lair without even a scrap of cloth to cover himself.

Then, he heard Ke Mingxuan’s extremely infuriating laughter, followed by the relentless sound of a camera shutter clicking away, over and over again.

Furious beyond reason, Bian Yiqiu tried to leap up and attack, but his hands and feet were tightly bound, and a blindfold covered his eyes. The only part of him left free to move was his mouth.

“Ke, if you’ve got guts, just kill me now! Otherwise, I’ll make sure you regret it!”

Ignoring Bian’s threats, Ke Mingxuan leisurely scrolled through his phone, admiring the freshly taken photos of Bian in all his glory. With a smirk, he drawled, “Boss Bian, do you even realize how irresistible you look right now? Your body is practically made for bondage, seeing you tied up has got me all hard.”

Bian Yiqiu’s face flushed red with rage and then pale with shame, oscillating between the two as he ground his teeth. He wished he could slice off the part of Ke Mingxuan that was hard right then and there. But reality was cruel, he couldn’t even get up.

Damn it! Death is preferable to humiliation! If he endured this any longer, he might as well start writing his name backward!

So, not long after, Bian Yiqiu, on his own, cornered Ke Mingxuan in the underground parking lot of He Sheng Media. He broke one of Ke Mingxuan’s legs and fiercely pointed at him, saying, “Beating you is my personal action. If you have the guts, take me on one-on-one. Don’t bring your damn family background into it.”

Ke Mingxuan sneered inwardly. What a joke. Family background is capital. Do you have it? No? Then sit tight while I crush you to dust.

What followed was a brutal lesson for Bian Yiqiu—a deep, unrelenting experience of being ensnared on all sides, surrounded with no escape.

First, the Celebrity Club was frequently visited by the police, commerce, tax departments, and others, all taking turns to find faults. The club was fined tens of thousands for fire safety violations and ordered to shut down for rectification. Shortly after, the group’s import-export company faced trouble at customs, being barred from docking due to “incomplete documentation.” Ruiyi Financial was reported for loan sharking and was hit hard by regulatory authorities. Even the prime piece of land Bian Yiqiu had his eye on for building a hotel slipped through his fingers during the bidding process.

Worse still, all the connections Bian had spent years and fortunes maintaining were suddenly useless. In Z City, no one dared openly go against the Ke family.

At this moment, Bian Yiqiu finally realized what it meant to be overconfident. After decades of running with the underworld, he had achieved some success, but in the eyes of someone like Ke Mingxuan, born with a silver spoon and a proud heir to wealth and power, everything he had fought for, all the wealth and status he had earned by risking his life, was nothing.

Even while lying in a hospital bed, Ke Mingxuan could remotely mobilize his vast network to cripple Ji’an Group. Yet, he hadn’t gone all out. In every move he made, there was room for retreat, leaving Bian with a bitter taste of both defeat and mercy.

For example, the club was only shut down for renovations, and once the work was done, it could reopen. The import/export documentation was deliberately delayed for a few days, but the ship were allowed to dock. The financial company’s high-interest loans were split into separate fees, allowing them to skirt the regulations without causing real harm. As for the piece of land, it ultimately failed to be won by Jiu’an, but no other company took it either, so there was still a chance in the second round of bidding…

Of course, Bian Yiqiu didn’t think that Ke Mingxuan left him these opportunities out of kindness. Like a cat toying with a mouse in its claws, Ke Mingxuan wouldn’t kill it immediately. He would first intimidate, play with it, and torture it, enjoying the sight of the helpless mouse darting in panic, unable to escape. Only when he grew bored would he end its life with a disinterested flick.

Putting drugs on his cargo ship was probably Ke Mingxuan’s final move when he got bored of playing. When Bian Yiqiu first found out about the drugs on his ship, he truly believed this was the end for him.

Later, Ke Mingxuan clarified that the drugs weren’t something he had arranged to be planted. He wasn’t ready to kill him just yet, and the reason, of course, was that he hadn’t had enough fun.

At first, Bian Yiqiu didn’t believe him, but when Ke Mingxuan explained his reasoning, he finally did.

If one were to point out one of Ke Mingxuan’s strengths, it would have to be his honesty. No matter how ruthless his methods or arrogant his attitude, he never stoops to lying.

In other words, Bian Yiqiu, the “mouse,” wasn’t going to die just yet. Ke Mingxuan wasn’t done playing with him.

Because of this, not only did Ke Mingxuan not take advantage of the situation, but he also did him a huge favor. Through his influence with the customs and police, he managed to get Bian Yiqiu cleared of the drug charges, essentially saving his life.

Bian Yiqiu was powerless against how effortlessly Ke Mingxuan toyed with him. Just recently, he had been pushed to the edge by him, and now, out of nowhere, he owed him a huge favor. After all, no matter how petty Ke Mingxuan’s actions were against the Jiu’an Group, they were nothing compared to the life-threatening smuggling drug charges.

Bian Yiqiu sincerely wanted to thank him and take the opportunity to settle things between them once and for all, so he extended an invitation to have dinner together.

Ke Mingxuan agreed but pointed at his own leg with a faint smile and said, “Once I can move around freely again, I’ll take you up on your offer.”

Bian Yiqiu was instantly speechless. After all, he was the one who had broken that leg in the first place.

However, after that, Jiu’an Group no longer faced any trouble from government departments, and even the land that had slipped away was easily acquired. From then on, he and Ke Mingxuan seemed to have reached a certain balance of sorts.

One day in October, Ke Mingxuan suddenly called Bian Yiqiu and asked if he still owed him a meal.

Although Bian Yiqiu didn’t particularly care for this arrogant heir, he wasn’t about to miss the opportunity to make peace with him. So, he arranged for them to meet at Yuelong Bay over the weekend, hoping to properly host him.

Yuelong Bay, though a hot spring resort located in the northern suburbs, had a renowned Chinese restaurant. The head chef, whom Bian Yiqiu had poached from a Michelin three-star restaurant with a large sum of money, had built a good reputation for several signature dishes.

Bian Yiqiu arrived first and ordered the food. Soon, Ke Mingxuan arrived, driving himself without any extra people accompanying him. Bian Yiqiu, surrounded by several bodyguards, couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.

Ke Mingxuan grinned mischievously. “You guys in the gang are this scared of dying?”

Bian Yiqiu chuckled dryly, replying, “Too many enemies, and I don’t have a solid background like Mr. Ke’s. I bring bodyguards, just in case.” He then turned to signal Zuo Cheng to take the bodyguards and leave the private room.

Since it was a Chinese meal, Bian Yiqiu opened a bottle of his own treasured 15-year-old Maotai, worth over ten thousand on the market. As soon as the bottle cap was opened, the intoxicating fragrance of the liquor filled the room.

Ke Mingxuan laughed, “Are you trying to get me drunk on purpose? I came here driving alone. What if I can’t drive back later?”

“This is a hotel, do you think they’d leave you without a place to sleep?”

Ke Mingxuan lounged casually in his chair, staring at Bian Yiqiu across the table full of exquisite dishes. His smile was sly and ambiguous as he lifted his glass and took a slow sip, savoring the drink.

The two finished a bottle of Maotai, though they hardly touched the food on the table. Ke Mingxuan, however, liked fish and ate the entire steamed grouper, leaving the rest of the dishes mostly untouched.

Bian Yiqiu, with average alcohol tolerance, felt a bit lightheaded after half a jin (250ml) of the 53% white liquor, but Ke Mingxuan seemed unaffected. In fact, Bian Yiqiu started to wonder if Ke Mingxuan was still thirsting for more. He politely asked, “Do you want another bottle?”

Ke Mingxuan put down his chopsticks and glanced at him, a smirk curving his lips as he said, “No need, I think this is just right.”

Bian Yiqiu wasn’t sure what he meant by “just right,” but hearing that Ke Mingxuan didn’t want more was a relief.

The two of them managed to have a relatively pleasant conversation at the table, at least there was no tension or cold hostility between them, though they truly had little in common.

Different circles, different backgrounds, different educations, different interests.

Ke Mingxuan liked red wine, while Bian Yiqiu thought that kind of drink was something only women would enjoy. Bian Yiqiu enjoyed playing golf, but Ke Mingxuan believed it was a sport for nouveaux riches. Ke Mingxuan discussed the impact of international politics on the global economy, and Bian Yiqiu responded that he had a toothache. When Bian Yiqiu mentioned how difficult it was for gangs to survive these days, Ke Mingxuan casually replied, “Then don’t be in one.”

That left Bian Yiqiu speechless. What else was there to say when someone told him not to be in the business anymore?

Afterward, Ke Mingxuan stood up and said, “It’s done. Let’s go.”

Bian Yiqiu stood up as well, grabbing his coat from the rack and draping it over his arm. “I have a small villa here that’s more comfortable than the hotel rooms. If you don’t mind, you can stay there tonight.”

“You stay there too?” Ke Mingxuan asked as he opened the door.

“Hmm?” Bian Yiqiu didn’t expect that question, but he answered honestly, “No, I have some business to attend to in the city.”

Ke Mingxuan didn’t comment on that, instead standing in the hallway, gazing at the lush greenery in the garden. “The view here is nice. Come walk with me.”

“Alright, I’ll walk you to the villa.”

The Yuelong Bay hotel was a vast, Jiangnan-style garden compound, with dozens of uniquely designed retro villas scattered like seashells amidst towering trees. Each villa was equipped with its own private hot spring. It was mid-autumn, with the bright moon hanging high in the sky and the fragrance of osmanthus filling the air. The silver moonlight gently flowed over the winding cobblestone paths, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere.

Bian Yiqiu’s private villa was at the farthest end of the garden, a good ten-minute walk away. The two of them strolled leisurely toward it, treating it as a way to digest their meal.

Bian Yiqiu opened the door and stepped into the villa, briefly explaining the amenities at Yuelong Bay and informing him that if he needed anything, he could use the landline to contact the front desk. With a polite “Mr. Ke, get some rest,” he turned to leave, but unexpectedly, Ke Mingxuan, who had been silent the entire time, called out to him.

Bian Yiqiu turned back and looked at the handsome man sitting on the sofa. For some reason, his temples throbbed twice.

Ke Mingxuan rested one arm on the armrest of the sofa and casually placed his other hand on his crossed legs. Leaning back into the soft leather, he slightly tilted his head and looked at him with an air of languid elegance. It was a posture that exuded both laziness and grace.

Then, as if casually mentioning something, he said, “Boss Bian likes men.”

It was not a question, just a simple statement.

Bian Yiqiu raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and waited for him to continue speaking.

And Ke Mingxuan did not disappoint him, quickly continuing with his words. However, to Bian Yiqiu, that statement sounded quite shocking at the time.

He said, “In that case, there’s no need to go back tonight.”