Ren Jiaoming stood on the balcony for a long time, the sea breeze seeping into his bones.

Suddenly, his phone rang, breaking the silence. He snapped out of his thoughts and answered the call. Wen Yan’s delighted voice came through:

“Ruan Ge, I can’t believe Chu Shangluo actually gave you 15% of his shares! Why didn’t you tell me?”

Ren Jiaoming gazed at the waning moon over the sea, his voice calm. “What do you want?”

“Why not transfer those shares to me? I’ve acquired quite a bit in the past few days, but I’m still not fully confident I can take down the Chu Corporation. If I had your 15%, it would be mine for sure!”

Ren Jiaoming listened quietly before replying, “You’re being too greedy. You might not be able to swallow the Chu Corporation whole.”

Wen Yan scoffed. “How would I know if I don’t try? For the past two years, my family has been negotiating partnerships with numerous seafood companies. Now, we’ve finally monopolized the Beijing seafood market, disrupting Chu Shangluo’s supply chains. Their stock has already started to fall these past few days. Yesterday, I even convinced Mr. Chen’s successor to cut ties with Chu Shangluo and work with me instead. When you return, Chu Shangluo will have lost both shares and partnerships—it’ll cost him dearly. I’ve been waiting for this moment for too long. But even so, it feels like something’s still missing.”

Pausing, Wen Yan chuckled. “You did the right thing placing Zhou Ying by Chu Zong’s side. Thanks to him, you’ve gained control over the three jade and antique shops Chu Zong managed for Chu Shangluo, making it easier for me to acquire shares.”

Ren Jiaoming remained silent.

Wen Yan continued, “Ruan Ge, I know all you want is the jade pendant and those three antique shops. But now, isn’t the pendant the only thing you’re missing? Trust me—give me that 15% of shares, and I’ll have complete control. I’ll push Chu Shangluo to his breaking point. I refuse to believe he won’t surrender the pendant then. That way, you won’t be under his control anymore. By the way, my father was asking when you’d return for dinner.”

Ren Jiaoming’s voice stayed calm, only responding to the last question. “Soon.”

There was a brief silence on the other end before Wen Yan spoke again, a chilling edge in his voice.

“Don’t forget how you’ve survived all these years. Work with me, Ruan Ge. Taking down the Chu family benefits us both.”

Ren Jiaoming’s tone remained unwavering. “I’ll only take what I need. As for your ambitions, I’ll say it again: you might not be able to take down the Chu Corporation.”

“Fine, I’m not here to argue with you. But whether you’ve had a change of heart or not, remember—you’re not just a secretary. That’s a fatal mistake in this industry. Besides, those three antique shops are worth half the Chu Corporation. Everyone in the jade and jewelry circles has their eyes on them. Taking them from Chu Shangluo will be no small blow. When he learns the truth one day, do you really think he’ll thank you for being ‘merciful’ instead of taking everything?”

The cold sea wind whipped through Ren Jiaoming’s black hair. When he finally hung up, he felt frozen to his core. The chill seeped from his fingers to his toes.

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t stood in the cold wind for long periods before, but this was the first time it felt this icy.

Suddenly, a scorching warmth pressed against his back—Chu Shangluo’s chest. Chu Shangluo rested his head on Ren Jiaoming’s shoulder, gently warming his icy hands while yawning.

“Who were you talking to? Why aren’t you back in bed yet?”

Chu Shangluo was like a living furnace, instantly engulfing Ren Jiaoming’s frozen body. Ren Jiaoming stiffened completely.

Chu Shangluo kissed Ren Jiaoming’s cold lips gently. “What are you thinking about?”

Ren Jiaoming snapped out of his thoughts, eyes falling on Chu Shangluo’s uneven bangs from the half-finished haircut. He reached out and brushed the strands aside.

“I’ll finish cutting your hair tomorrow morning.”

Chu Shangluo yawned again. “Okay.”

The next morning, just as Chu Shangluo woke up, Ren Jiaoming entered the room with a pair of scissors.

Chu Shangluo was a bit surprised by Ren Jiaoming’s enthusiasm for giving him a haircut. As Ren Jiaoming carefully trimmed his hair, Chu Shangluo recalled how Ren Jiaoming was skilled at jade carving. Maybe Ren Jiaoming saw his hair as another piece of art to be finely crafted.

“Close your eyes,” Ren Jiaoming instructed softly.

Chu Shangluo obediently closed his eyes. Ren Jiaoming’s warm breath brushed against his face and ears, making his heart race.

After a while, Ren Jiaoming brushed away the stray hairs on Chu’ Shangluos face with his fingers and whispered, “It’s done.”

Chu Shangluo opened his eyes and looked into the mirror. His hair was neatly trimmed, making him appear a bit more stylish and dashing than usual.

Ren Jiaoming gazed at Chu Shangluo’s eyes, no longer hidden behind his hair, noticing the sharp, confident gleam in them. He realized he quite liked looking into Chu Shangluo’s eyes.

Chu Shangluo ran his hand through his shorter hair and playfully nudged Ren Jiaoming with his elbow.

“Hey, you’re pretty good at this! When we grow old, you should open a barbershop, and I’ll just watch you cut hair all day.”

He paused, then added with a grin, “No, wait, you’re such a clean freak. You probably wouldn’t cut anyone else’s hair. How about this—I’ll be your only customer? You’ll open the shop just once every two weeks, only for me. On the other days, we can go fishing or take walks in the park. What do you think?”

Ren Jiaoming lowered his gaze and silently set down the scissors, not responding to Chu Shangluo’s playful vision of the future.

Chu Shangluo didn’t mind. He was used to Ren Jiaoming’s quiet nature by now. Feeling satisfied with his new haircut, Chu Shangluo decided to make the most of their remaining time before their evening flight. He grabbed Ren Jiaoming’s hand and dragged him out for a day of sightseeing.

They had a carefree day—first exploring the sea in a submarine, then taking a boat ride along the river, followed by a scenic ground tour in a sightseeing vehicle. Remembering Ren Jiaoming’s reserved nature, Chu Shangluo suspected he had probably never experienced an amusement park either. So, the two grown men ended up trying every thrill ride they could find.

At first, Chu Shangluo worried Ren Jiaoming might not handle roller coasters, bungee jumping, or drop towers well. But he soon realized he had underestimated him. Despite his calm exterior, Ren Jiaoming enjoyed the adrenaline rush just as much.

While they were suspended high in the air on one ride, Chu Shangluo caught sight of the spark in Ren Jiaoming’s eyes. It struck him then—Ren Jiaoming enjoyed these moments just as much as he did.

After coming off the roller coaster, Chu Shangluo collapsed against Ren Jiaoming’s shoulder, panting with exhilaration.

“Let’s work hard for a few more years,” he said breathlessly, “then retire early. I’ll take you to try all kinds of exciting things like this.”

Ren Jiaoming, as usual, remained silent.

By the time they returned home, the sun was setting. The golden light barely peeked through the layers of clouds, mixing dark hues with streaks of red. Distant headlights flickered along the roads like scattered lanterns.

Walking side by side along the riverbank, the breeze gently tousling their hair, Chu Shangluo felt a rare sense of peace. He turned to glance at Ren Jiaoming and, without a word, reached out to hold his hand.

Ren Jiaoming looked back, his gaze calm and unwavering.

The moment felt delicate, almost indescribable. Chu Shangluo didn’t know if Ren Jiaoming sensed it too, but his heart was full. For the first time, he wondered if maybe—just maybe—this path they were on could lead to forever.

When they returned home, there were still four hours before their flight. Chu Shangluo planned to take a nap.

After showering, a knock sounded on the door.

Chu Shangluo answered it to find Uncle Liu standing there with a document envelope.

“This is from Madam,” Liu said. “She just returned from the temple and asked me to give this to you.”

Chu Shangluo took the envelope and set it on the nightstand.

Ren Jiaoming emerged from the bathroom and asked, “What’s that?”

Chu Shangluo took off his bathrobe and lay down on the bed. “A Buddhist scripture. My mom asked me to recite it.”

Ren Jiaoming sat by the bedside, allowing Chu Shangluo to untie his bathrobe belt. “Why recite it?”

Chu Shangluo thought for a moment and replied, “I’m not sure. My parents started practicing vegetarianism and Buddhism when I was a teenager. Every year, they visit temples. It’s become a family tradition, and even I make it a habit to pray at the end of each year.”

“Alright, stop asking pointless questions,” Chu Shangluo said with a smirk, letting the conversation trail off.

After everything was over, Chu Shangluo was so exhausted that he didn’t want to move. This time, he noticed Ren Jiaoming hadn’t left immediately but instead rested his hand firmly around his waist, holding him so tightly he couldn’t move. It seemed as if Ren Jiaoming wanted to linger in the moment a bit longer.

But this was just Chu Shangluo’s guess—he could never fully understand what was going through Ren Jiaoming’s mind.

—

At exactly 11 p.m., while preparing to board his flight, Chu Shangluo received a call.

His expression darkened immediately, and even after taking his seat, his fists remained clenched. He was so furious that he forgot to give Ren Jiaoming the jade pendant he had planned to present.

The call was from Wang Yuanhao’s attending physician. Wang had finally regained all his memories and, under pressure from the doctor, confessed the mastermind behind the incident that harmed Chu Shangyue years ago—Wen Zhengyang, the father of Wen Yan and the current head of the Wen family.

Wang Yuanhao admitted his real name was actually Li Jun. The true Wang Yuanhao had died of illness shortly after being manipulated by Wen Zhengyang into causing a car accident with Chu Shangyue.

No one knew why Wen Zhengyang wanted to harm Shangyue. Fortunately, Chu Shangyue survived the ordeal. But Wen Zhengyang was unsatisfied and later ordered Li Jun to drug Shangyue’s drink at a banquet. The drug made Shangyue emotionally unstable, leading to a heated argument with Chu Shangluo. Shangyue stormed off and, under the drug’s full effect, braked suddenly, causing Chu Shangluo to rear-end him.

Later, when Li Jun demanded money from Wen Zhengyang, Wen Zhengyang, feeling threatened, sent people to silence him. Li Jun, having nowhere to run, disfigured himself with burns and assumed the identity of the already-deceased Wang Yuanhao. However, his twisted personality led him to be imprisoned for sexual assault.

Now, hoping for protection, Li Jun had revealed everything to Chu Shangluo.

Chu Shangluo’s veins bulged with rage. Not only would he refuse to protect Wang Yuanhao/Li Jun, but he was determined to make the entire Wen family pay. His hatred ran so deep that he was resolute—Wen Zhengyang would suffer.

—

By the time the plane landed in Beijing, it was already afternoon. Chu Shangluo turned on his phone to find multiple missed calls—from Lu Wen, Lin Zhi, and even Chu Zong.

Chu Zong called again, his voice urgent. “Cousin, you need to come back now! Something serious has happened!”

A sinking feeling spread through Chu Shangluo’s chest.

Chu Zong continued, “Wen Yan tricked us. I didn’t expect my secretary, Zhou Ying, to be his man. Remember how you asked me to acquire shares? I was busy with other projects, so I left it to Zhou Ying. Turns out, he tampered with the process, and a large portion of the shares ended up in Wen Yan’s hands. He’s sitting in your office right now.”

Chu Shangluo took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “You useless fool! This is nothing to panic about. I’ll be there immediately.”

Ren Jiaoming noticed Chu Shangluo’s grim expression.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Chu Shangluo gritted his teeth. “Wen Yan’s here.”

Even though Ren Jiaoming had anticipated this, his brow still furrowed slightly.

Upon arriving at the office, Chu Shangluo’s presence was so intimidating that everyone in his path was too scared to even breathe.

He kicked open his office door. Wen Yan was sitting leisurely in his chair, a smug smile on his face. Beside him, Lin Zhi and Lu Wen glared at him with open hostility.

“Mr. Chu, you’re finally here?” Wen Yan greeted with a smirk.

Chu Shangluo clenched his fists, barely holding back the urge to pummel Wen Yan. Instead, he sneered. “So what if you’ve acquired 60% of the shares? This kind of shady competition—you dare take me to court over it?”

Wen Yan cast a glance at Ren Jiaoming, standing silently behind Chu Shangluo with a stern expression. His smile turned more sinister.

“No need for a lawsuit. Let me tell you a few things, Chu Shangluo. First, the partnership deal you had with Mr. Chen? That’s mine now. And I believe you funded that project upfront, right? If you want to get paid, you’ll have to wait. Mr. Chen’s sick, his household’s in chaos, and no one’s paying your bills anytime soon.”

He paused, then added mockingly, “Oh, and I also discovered a little debt of yours. Three hundred million, isn’t it?”

Three hundred million…?!

Everyone in the room was stunned, including the silent Ren Jiaoming.

Wen Yan continued, “Now that Mr. Chen can’t pay up and you’re still in a financial hole, what will you do? Besides, not all of the 60% of shares I acquired were obtained improperly. Some employees willingly sold them to me. Technically, I’m now the largest shareholder of Chu Corporation.”

Chu Shangluo’s chest heaved violently as he glared at Wen Yan’s detestable face, his teeth clenched, fists so tight they turned white.

The office door suddenly burst open, and Chu Zong rushed in, panic evident on his face. He whispered into Chu Shangluo’s ear, “Cousin, our seafood market was just shut down by the authorities. People got sick after eating there, and it’s already hit the news. Our stock prices are plummeting, and we’re facing massive compensation claims. Worse, the market is being closed for a full year.”

Chu Shangluo’s expression darkened. So this was what Wen Yan had been silently plotting all along.

Wen Yan smirked. “So, Chu Shangluo, how about you sell Chu Corporation to me? I’ll stop all of this and even give you three hundred million to fill your financial hole.”

“Go to hell!” Chu Shangluo spat through gritted teeth, seething with rage. He grabbed Ren Jiaoming’s arm and stormed out.

The formidable President Chu never backed down, even when the situation seemed impossible to reverse. He needed to find a way to fight back.

Suddenly, Wen Yan called out from behind, “Chu Shangluo, don’t you get it yet? Why do you think I managed to get those shares so easily? Because Zhou Ying works for me. But do you remember who brought Zhou Ying into your company? It was Ren Jiaoming! He placed him here on his third day in the company.”

Chu Shangluo halted abruptly, staring at Ren Jiaoming in disbelief.

Everyone in the room was equally shocked.

Ren Jiaoming furrowed his brows slightly, his cold gaze sweeping toward Wen Yan, clearly displeased with the disruption.

Wen Yan, provoked by Ren Jiaoming’s icy glare, sneered, “Chu Shangluo, why don’t you check the financial transactions of your three antique shops while you’re at it? See if anything seems off.”

Lin Zhi, drenched in cold sweat, began checking the accounts while silently praying it wasn’t true. Chu Shangluo had treated Ren Jiaoming with such genuine care—if this betrayal was real, it would be devastating.

But the moment Lin Zhi saw the financial records, his face turned pale, and he glared at Ren Jiaoming with fury.

Seeing Lin Zhi’s expression, Chu Shangluo felt a painful jolt in his chest. His mind went blank, and when his thoughts returned, they were a chaotic mess—memories swirling together like a fog.

Flashes of him shielding Ren Jiaoming from harm.

Arguments with his father about wanting to be with Ren Jiaoming.

Moments by the seaside, promising Ren Jiaoming he would quit smoking for him.

Countless memories where he had genuinely poured his heart into this relationship came rushing back all at once.

The pain in his heart felt as if someone had hollowed it out, the agony spreading through every fiber of his body.

It hurt so much that he couldn’t even summon the strength to feel angry.