In the dimly lit private room filled with the smell of alcohol, Mr. Chen held a wine glass and happily played with three delicate young men who looked fragile.

Chu Shangluo and Ren Jiaoming sat on the sofa, facing Mr. Chen and the inappropriate scene with the young men. The two were sitting close, and every time Chu Shangluo slightly turned his head, he could smell the cold fragrance emanating from Ren Jiaoming. In this environment, filled with the stench of alcohol and decadence, Ren Jiaoming remained calm, his eyes devoid of desire, like a piece of flawless white jade. This made Chu Shangluo feel that everything outside of Ren Jiaoming was filthy.

As Chu Shangluo pondered, his eyes instinctively fixed on the front. Ren Jiaoming followed his gaze and noticed that Chu Shangluo had been staring at the boy on Mr. Chen’s right. Chu Shangluo felt a cold gaze on him and turned instinctively, his lips quickly brushing against something warm and soft. It was the first time such an accidental kiss had happened. Both Chu Shangluo and Ren Jiaoming were stunned for a moment.

Ren Jiaoming was the first to react. His lips curved into a cold line, and he pulled away from Chu Shangluo. The atmosphere from that moment had been incredibly ambiguous. Chu Shangluo’s heart raced a little, but when he saw Ren Jiaoming quickly distance himself, his heartbeat slowed. He crossed his legs, took a sip of his drink, and didn’t explain, leaving Ren Jiaoming to think whatever he wanted.

The ridiculous scene across from them continued. Chu Shangluo glanced at his watch. Damn, it’s been almost twenty minutes! He was growing impatient. Couldn’t Chen Tianyun hurry up? If it weren’t for the collaboration, he would have wanted to kick him in the balls.

Then, a soft sigh was heard as Chen Tianyun slowly straightened up. The boy who had been crouching also stood and obediently sat in Chen Tianyun’s lap. As if rewarding him, Chen Tianyun patted the boy’s head, then looked over at Chu Shangluo, who was drinking and visibly impatient. He smiled and said, “ Chu Ge, you really are just like the rumors say—never hiding your emotions. Are you getting anxious?”

Chu Shangluo didn’t want to be polite. He grabbed the contract and pushed it in front of Chen Tianyun. “Mr. Chen, take a look.”

Chen Tianyun’s flirtatious eyes shifted to Ren Jiaoming, gazing at him for a moment before saying, “I tried to poach Secretary Ren before, offered a high price, but couldn’t get him. Didn’t expect Chu Ge to manage it. Any tips you can share?”

Chu Shangluo glanced at Ren Jiaoming, surprised at how much attention he attracted.

“There’s no secret to it, I just hit it off with him,” Chu Shangluo said with a smile, subtly mocking Chen Tianyun for not having that kind of rapport.

Chen Tianyun picked up on the hint and chuckled awkwardly. “So Chu Ge also likes this kind of thing? I’ll call a few people to keep you company, or you can pick from the ones around me if you like anyone.”

Chu Shangluo glanced at the boys opposite them, each one plain and unremarkable, a far cry from Ren Jiaoming. His tastes were far better than Chen Tianyun’s, and just as he was about to refuse, he spotted the boy sitting to Chen Tianyun’s right. The boy looked barely an adult, with a gentle, obedient demeanor. However, every time Chen Tianyun touched him, the boy would bite his lip, a rebellious look in his eyes, as if forced into the situation.

Chu Shangluo wasn’t one to meddle in other people’s affairs, but the boy’s face reminded him of Chu Shangyue, and he felt a pang of sympathy. He raised his hand and pointed at the boy on the right. “If Mr. Chen doesn’t mind, I’ll take this little duckling for myself.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ren Jiaoming’s hand that was flipping through the contract paused. The boy glared at Chu Shangluo through clenched teeth. Chen Tianyun pushed the boy, saying, “Go, can’t you see he wants you?”

The boy was pushed into Chu Shangluo’s arms, and Chu Shangluo pretended to embrace him. Looking at Chen Tianyun, he said, “He’s young, it’s understandable. Mr. Chen, let’s talk business.”

Since they were businessmen, once the collaboration started, they had no time for any more banter. After the deal was concluded, both CEOs were satisfied with the maximized benefits. As Chu Shangluo left with the boy, Chen Tianyun wished him “a pleasant night.”

Ren Jiaoming followed silently behind Chu Shangluo, unaffected by the successful deal. After walking for a while, Chu Shangluo began to feel a little tired. Looking down, he met the boy’s stubborn, clear eyes and remembered he still had him in his arms.

Chu Shangluo asked, “How long have you been doing this?”

The boy answered honestly, “One day.”

“One day? I don’t think you really want to do this. Why are you doing it?”

“Need money.”

“You’re pretty honest.”

Ren Jiaoming, watching the two of them embrace in front of him, grew colder.

Exiting the gay bar, the trio had to navigate through a crowded dance floor, making little progress. The boy clung tightly to Chu Shangluo’s waist, seemingly resigned to follow. But the next moment, his arm was yanked away by someone, and he was shoved aside as more people surged forward. When he regained his bearings, he found Chu Shangluo was no longer there. He vaguely remembered seeing a pair of eyes that sent a chill down his spine.

Chu Shangluo finally managed to push through the door of the gay bar. Turning to Ren Jiaoming, he said, “You should also follow up on Chen Tianyun’s project.”

“Okay.”

The two walked side by side towards the car. As soon as Chu Shangluo sat inside, he remembered that he had lost track of the boy. He looked out of the car window but didn’t see him. It didn’t matter; he hadn’t planned to sleep with him anyway.

As the car slowly began to move, Chu Shangluo started to feel a bit tired. He leaned back in his seat and stared at the bare trees in the greenery, feeling drowsy. In the distance, the sound of firecrackers was heard. Without thinking, he asked, “What day is it today? Why are they still setting off firecrackers?”

“It’s Lantern Festival,” Ren Jiaoming glanced at him and said, “Do you want to eat some tangyuan tonight?”

“It’s a reunion day…” Chu Shangluo thought for a moment and then said, “No need, I don’t celebrate. Don’t bother ordering dinner either, just drop me off at home.” Every time these holidays came around, Chu Shangluo felt a bit uncomfortable. After all, no one was there to spend the holiday with him. What was the difference between celebrating or not? He glanced at Ren Jiaoming, thinking he was probably better off. Although Ren Jiaoming was an orphan, he surely wasn’t short of company for the holidays. His own parents and siblings were alive, but the house was cold and empty. Anyway, Chu Shangluo hated all holidays.

Chu Shangluo drifted off into thought when his phone rang. Seeing it was Chu Zong, he guessed that Chu Shangyue was causing trouble again. He sighed and answered, “What’s wrong?”

“Cousin, it’s bad! Shangyue ran off!”

Chu Shangluo immediately snapped to attention. “What happened?”

“Tonight, after work, I was taking Shangyue home. As soon as we left the Chu Corporation, Shangyue saw you and Ren Jiaoming leaving in a car. He chased after you and got into a taxi. I also followed, but when I got to the gay bar you went to, he disappeared!”

Chu Shangluo’s anger flared. “Why the hell are you only calling me now?!”

Chu Zong stammered, “I… I heard you were negotiating a big business deal, so I didn’t want to bother you. I thought it would be easy to find him in just one gay bar, so I called a few friends to help and even asked the bar owner. But… we still haven’t found him, I just called the police!”

“How long has it been? From when I got to the gay bar until now, it’s been over two hours! Do you know what kind of place a gay bar is? He’s only ten years old with the intellect of a child! If some pervert grabs him, he’s probably been raped several times by now! And you’re telling me this only now?!”

For the first time, Chu Shangluo wanted to kill his idiot cousin. “Where are you now? Have you checked the gay bar’s surveillance? What about the surrounding area?”

“I’ve checked, I’ve just received news. Shangyue was taken away by several men. I’ll send you their photos!”

Chu Shangluo looked at the photos that were sent and could vaguely make out their faces. Ren Jiaoming stopped the car and took out his laptop. “Send me the photos.”

Chu Shangluo forwarded the photos to Ren Jiaoming and also to Lin Zhi, asking him to investigate. However, because the photos were blurry, neither Lin Zhi nor Ren Jiaoming could find any accurate information. Chu Shangluo wasn’t the type to sit idly by, but for a moment, he had no idea where to start.

Ren Jiaoming stepped on the gas and headed back toward the gay bar, analyzing, “There are a few other gay bars within a 1-kilometer radius of the one we went to. The key difference is that this one has a lower threshold and is closest to the residential area. The people in the photos are dressed plainly, so they’re likely living in the residential area nearby and frequenting this gay bar. We’ll go back and ask around.”

Chu Shangluo took a deep breath. It seemed like the only option. They returned to the gay bar, and Chu Shangluo told Ren Jiaoming, “Let’s split up and look for him.”

Ren Jiaoming nodded and quickly disappeared into the crowd. The gay bar was packed, and Chu Shangluo had a hard time moving through it. People kept approaching him, asking for his number, and he cursed at them to go away. His emotions were tense, and if anything happened to Shangyue, he couldn’t forgive himself, even more so than Chu Zong. His parents would never forgive him either.

After asking many people and still having no leads, Chu Shangluo was suddenly grabbed by the arm. He shook off the person and yelled, “Don’t fucking block me…”

The boy was startled and asked in a low voice, “Mr. Chu, are you… are you okay?”

When Chu Shangluo recognized that the person in front of him was the boy Chen Tianyun had given him, he pulled out his wallet, took some money, and handed it to the boy. “Leave now, stop bothering me, I’m busy.”

The boy bit his lip, took the money, and noticed the photo on Chu Shangluo’s phone. He quietly asked, “Mr. Chu, are you looking for someone?”

Chu Shangluo shoved the phone in front of the boy’s face. “Have you seen him?”

The boy carefully examined the photo, then nodded. “I know someone like that. He lives near my house.”

Chu Shangluo grabbed the boy’s arm. “Do you have his phone number?”

The boy shook his head. “No… he just got out of prison… but I can take you to his house…”

Chu Shangluo’s face turned pale, and he immediately pulled the boy outside. “Let’s go, take me there.”

On the way, Chu Shangluo called Chu Zong again, asking him to bring more people. The boy watched as Chu Shangluo moved quickly and wanted to ask what was happening, but he didn’t dare.

After about ten minutes, the boy led Chu Shangluo into a dark alley. The boy said, “Mr. Chu, just walk through this alley, and we’re there.”

Chu Shangluo quickened his pace. Halfway through, he suddenly heard a man crying. His body stiffened, and he began to run.

In the quiet alley, a man was crouching on a snowbank, crying in fear. Chu Shangluo rushed over and hugged him, checking his clothes. The man struggled fiercely. “Let me go! No! No! Bad people!”

Seeing that the man’s clothes were intact, Chu Shangluo let out a sigh of relief, pinched the man’s face, and comforted him, “Gege! Gege! It’s me, it’s Chu Shangluo.” He repeated it several times, and the man slowly stopped shaking, looking at him with watery, surprised eyes. “Luo Luo! Luo Luo! I’m so scared!”

Chu Shangluo hugged him tighter. “Are you okay? Did anyone hurt you?”

“Five… five bad people… they tried to take off my clothes,” Chu Shangyue mimicked the man, pulling at his own shirt.

Chu Shangluo clenched his fists, his expression growing darker.

Chu Shangyue continued, “I… I ran out… I’m fine, Gege’s fine, Luo Luo don’t cry.”

Chu Shangluo didn’t think he was crying, but Chu Shangyue’s hand was already on his face, cold and damp with tears. The boy stood still for a moment. It was the first time he had seen a man cry. Was this how men cried? Not long ago, Chu Shangluo had been a proud, confident man, laughing and chatting with Chen Tianyun. But seeing him now, with reddened eyes, wasn’t a sign of weakness, but it made the boy’s heart ache.

The boy took out a tissue and handed it to him. Chu Shangluo took it and quickly wiped his eyes, feeling a little embarrassed.

He brushed the snow off Chu Shangyue’s clothes and held his hand. “Let’s go, let’s go back.”

Chu Shangyue happily grabbed his younger brother’s warm hand. After taking a couple of steps, he suddenly stopped, deep in thought, looking into the dark depths of the alley.

Chu Shangluo, puzzled, asked, “What’s wrong?”

Chu Shangyue pointed ahead. “Someone… someone…”

“What person?”

“Ah! It’s not a person! It’s…” Chu Shangyue deliberately put on a serious expression, as if trying to imitate someone. “Like this, doesn’t smile, handsome, save me, still inside…”

Chu Shangluo tried to understand what Chu Shangyue meant. After a moment, he released Chu Shangyue’s hand and quickly walked deeper into the alley. What Chu Shangyue was trying to say was—Ren Jiaoming is inside.