The night wind wrapped around them, bringing a chill, and the porch light swayed in the breeze.

Ren Jiaoming watched Chu Shangluo, half of his face hidden in the dimming and brightening shadows of the light. It was the first time he had been called such a word, and Ren Jiaoming froze for a moment, but his grip on Chu Shangluo’s wrist remained tight. Since Chu Shangluo called him shameless, he would continue being shameless.

Seeing that Ren Jiaoming didn’t react, Chu Shangluo’s head grew hotter from the alcohol. He gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on Ren Jiaoming’s wrist. “You said you wouldn’t let go, right? Fine, then today, you can damn well lose this wrist of yours!”

Ren Jiaoming furrowed his brows. Chu Shangluo was squeezing his wrist, the one with a past injury. Since the last time he had twisted it, it hadn’t fully healed, often waking him in pain at night. When he woke up, he would always think about how Chu Shangluo had massaged his wrist that day, full of concern in his eyes. Even though Chu Shangluo was exhausted, he still forced himself to rub out the bruising for him, eventually falling asleep sitting up. That was the first time he had felt a stir of affection for Chu Shangluo.

Now, though, Chu Shangluo’s eyes were full of rejection, and he was using all his strength to twist Ren Jiaoming’s wrist, trying only to escape. Ren Jiaoming felt pain, but it wasn’t just from his wrist. He looked at Chu Shangluo sadly, his face growing paler, but he still showed no sign of letting go. Even if his wrist were to break, he would not release him.

Chu Shangluo wasn’t weak, and though he was a little weaker than Ren Jiaoming, his grip shouldn’t be underestimated. After squeezing for a while and seeing sweat bead on Ren Jiaoming’s forehead, he still refused to let go.

So Ren Jiaoming was this clingy, huh? Chu Shangluo found it funny. Now the positions were reversed. When he loved Ren Jiaoming, Ren Jiaoming didn’t want him. Now that Ren Jiaoming loved him, he didn’t want it anymore.

Chu Shangluo had no more strength left to hold on to Ren Jiaoming. When he finally released his grip, Ren Jiaoming’s wrist was bruised and swollen. Chu Shangluo raised his hand and showed Ren Jiaoming his own bruised wrist, sneering, “Doesn’t this scene feel familiar? Do you remember? At first, I grabbed your wrist like this, and to push me away, you squeezed mine just like this. Often, the next day my wrist would be this color.”

Perhaps the alcohol had gone to his head, but as Chu Shangluo spoke, his eyes, heavy with drunkenness, no longer held the usual defiance. Instead, they were filled with sadness.

Ren Jiaoming didn’t dare to look into Chu Shangluo’s eyes. His other hand rested on Chu Shangluo’s wrist, which had long since healed, gently rubbing it. “It won’t happen again. I won’t treat you like that anymore.”

“There’s no ‘later,'” Chu Shangluo said, pain rising in his heart. “Ren Jiaoming, not all wounds can be healed, and you can’t just keep betraying my feelings over and over. If you tell me that it won’t happen again, do you think I can just pretend nothing ever happened?”

Chu Shangluo began shaking Ren Jiaoming’s hand forcefully again. As he did so, he pointed at the villa in front of him and laughed in frustration. “Three hundred million, I spent three hundred million building a marketplace! What do you think? Expensive, huh? Use your business mind to think about it, is it worth it? Is it a losing deal?”

Ren Jiaoming closed his eyes and reached out to support the unsteady Chu Shangluo. His normally cold voice faltered slightly. “I’ll give you whatever you want.”

“What do you mean, ‘give me whatever I want’? Forget it, you’re still playing the lapdog for others. Even if you had something to give, I’d be poor, I’d farm, I’d beg on the streets before I accept anything from you!” Chu Shangluo was now struggling to pull Ren Jiaoming’s hand off. After all this time, did Ren Jiaoming still think that it was a matter of giving or not giving? How could he have been blind enough to fall for someone so emotionally distant?

Ren Jiaoming: “I have nothing to do with the Wen family.”

“Love has nothing to do with it. Do you think that by giving me gifts, it means I’ll forgive you? And then you’ll just remodel your house, bring your brother in, and happily live there? Or do you think you can make me turn back, and the three of us can live together? Have you imagined this kind of life?”

Chu Shangluo’s voice suddenly turned cold. “I’m telling you, that’s impossible. Ren Jiaoming, listen well. This house will either turn into a marketplace or be torn down. I wasted three hundred million, but I won’t give it to you. And don’t dream about some happy ending. People like you don’t deserve such a life!”

Ren Jiaoming’s hand trembled slightly as he grasped Chu Shangluo’s. The words “don’t deserve” hit him hard, making him feel a deep sense of despair. What he wanted the most had been so close, but he missed the chance and now only received the cold “don’t deserve.”

His body grew weaker, cold sweat soaked his back.

Chu Shangluo took a deep breath. What he had just said didn’t bring him any satisfaction, because living here with Ren Jiaoming had once been his own beautiful dream. The day before that dream shattered, the renovation company had called him to ask what color theme he wanted for the villa’s interior. They even praised him as a good man, saying they’d never seen a boss put so much effort into a gift for his lover. At that time, he had laughed and corrected the designer, saying that Ren Jiaoming wasn’t just a lover, but his partner, someone he would spend his life supporting. The designer had even said they envied his partner for being so loved.

He had proudly called himself a good man that no one could find, even with a lantern. But the very next day, the person he wanted to spend his life with stood with his family’s mortal enemy, coldly and condescendingly saying everything was settled between them.

Chu Shangluo, drunk and heavy-hearted, felt a mix of anger and deep helplessness. “Ren Jiaoming, you really… are hopeless. I know about the history between our families, and whether you hate my father or our family, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

Ren Jiaoming’s breathing became more labored. He was struggling to hold on, his burning head leaning against Chu Shangluo’s neck.

“I don’t hate you.”

“Shut up and listen to me.” Chu Shangluo exhaled deeply. “It doesn’t matter anymore. If you want to settle everything, we can settle it. You, for your business, would sleep with the son of your enemy. Maybe someday I’ll even praise you for your willingness to sacrifice yourself for your great cause. But for now, it’s just too much for me. You lied to me about the antique shop, set up spies around Chu Zong, and even worked with Wen Yan. How did you think I could ever be with you again?”

Ren Jiaoming suddenly felt something warm and moist on his hand, a sensation so hot that it made him shudder.

He immediately turned to look at Chu Shangluo’s face. Chu Shangluo was drunk, his eyes slightly red, but still clear. Ren Jiaoming froze. He thought Chu Shangluo was crying and gently reached to wipe his eyes, but there was nothing to wipe away. His eyes were filled with regret and pain. “It’s my fault. I could have left earlier, not let you fall deeper,” he paused, his voice soft, “But I was selfish. I was addicted to your kindness.”

Ren Jiaoming’s voice was usually cold, and even now, despite the pain in his heart, there was no noticeable fluctuation. “I didn’t help the Wen family harm you, I’ve never stood with them, and I’ve never had any unclear relationship with Wen Yan. I never saw you as an enemy, I just wanted to get the antique store back.” He looked into Chu Shangluo’s eyes, hoping to see the love that had once been there, but now it was gone. Ren Jiaoming’s body trembled lightly. “I used the wrong method.”

Chu Shangluo pushed Ren Jiaoming’s hand away from his eyes. He could see Ren Jiaoming’s hesitation and regret, but even when Ren Jiaoming regretted it, he still wore a cold, distant expression, as though looking down on everyone. Chu Shangluo couldn’t tell if he felt relieved or suffocated by this face. But the delayed explanation was useless to him now; he truly didn’t want to be entangled with Ren Jiaoming anymore.

“So what? Just because you didn’t treat me as an enemy and only took the antique store, should I thank you? Thank you for sparing the son of your enemy? Don’t you still think you’re entitled to get the antique store back? You don’t think you did anything wrong. You think your family’s things belong to you, and you should just take them. But if you want them, why don’t you just ask me? Or go ask my dad! What do you think you’re doing, hanging around me day and night pretending to be nice? I don’t owe your family anything!” Chu Shangluo struggled angrily, “Let go of me, do you know how annoying you are when you’re so stubborn?!”

Ren Jiaoming wrapped one arm around Chu Shangluo’s waist and with the other, their fingers intertwined. Their hands had been entangled for so long that they were sweating slightly, and the cold wind made them feel even colder.

“Sorry,” Ren Jiaoming, feeling lightheaded from Chu Shangluo’s struggles, let out a heated breath near Chu Shangluo’s ear, “I made many wrong judgments. I was wrong.”

Chu Shangluo stumbled to the table, leaning on it for support. He was exhausted, angry, and helpless all at once. “Stop talking, I’m tired of hearing it. What wrong or right? You’re not wrong, let’s just say neither of us are. Is that okay? I drink a little, and you act like a damn plague standing there. Don’t you know how disruptive you are? If I could call the police to arrest you, I would have done it already. Now, I know what you’re thinking, what you’re clinging to. I think we should just admit that our personalities just don’t match and we’re better off apart. I don’t want to be with you anymore. Okay?”

Ren Jiaoming’s heart tightened, and he rejected this idea firmly. “No.”

“Then fuck you!” Chu Shangluo’s words almost made him choke, and fueled by alcohol, he struggled without hesitation. They both fought and stumbled, causing the table to shake wildly.

Ren Jiaoming’s body had already reached its limit. His arms were showing signs of giving way. Then, he was pushed away by Chu Shangluo. He staggered back two steps, but their hands were still intertwined.

Chu Shangluo cursed as he tried to pry Ren Jiaoming’s fingers apart. Ren Jiaoming gritted his teeth in agony, his eyes showing a wild, stubborn determination.

His voice was cold, but it twisted as if he was desperate for it: “We made a bet. You said you would never let go of my hand. If you do, you’ll give me your life.”

After everything said tonight, Chu Shangluo’s throat was dry, his voice almost hoarse, yet Ren Jiaoming was still shamelessly clinging to him? When Chu Shangluo made this promise to Ren Jiaoming, it wasn’t said casually. He had been sincere, not intending to let go of Ren Jiaoming’s hand. Now, Ren Jiaoming was using this bet to cling to him, and Chu Shangluo realized he was reaping the consequences of his own rash promise. Fueled by alcohol, Chu Shangluo’s anger reached its peak. Fine, if that’s what he wanted, he would fulfill this bet!

He grabbed the bottle on the table and smashed it hard. The bottle shattered with a loud “crash,” leaving a sharp, knife-like edge. Chu Shangluo shoved the bottle into Ren Jiaoming’s hand, gripping Ren Jiaoming’s hand, and pressed it against his own carotid artery, his eyes bloodshot as he shouted, “Yes! I fucking said it! I, Chu Shangluo, keep my word! I’m letting you go now, I don’t want my life anymore, you take it! I don’t care about my life, I’m not going to be with you anymore!”

Ren Jiaoming looked at Chu Shangluo, shocked and in pain, his face drained of color. He hadn’t expected Chu Shangluo to go this far just to avoid his entanglement. The sharp edge of the bottle was only an inch away from Chu Shangluo’s soft skin. If Ren Jiaoming applied any force, it would cut through his skin. Chu Shangluo squeezed Ren Jiaoming’s hand, leaning in closer. “Damn it, are you going to make a move or not? If I give you my life, will you finally let go?”

Ren Jiaoming refused to move. Every breath he took was painful. As Chu Shangluo’s furious voice raged, a single tear fell from Ren Jiaoming’s eye. The tear traced the red mole at the corner of his eye and disappeared into the dark night. He slowly released his grip, and the bottle fell to the ground. He couldn’t take Chu Shangluo’s life.

Chu Shangluo sneered, grabbed a bottle of liquor from the table, took a swig, and staggered toward the villa. As he passed Ren Jiaoming, he flashed a mocking smile. Ren Jiaoming clenched his lips tightly, exuding a suffocating aura of tension.

Chu Shangluo, feeling unwell, rubbed his chest and, lifting his head, saw Lin Zhi just coming out of the villa. He waved at Lin Zhi and began walking toward him but was suddenly yanked back by someone’s grip on his arm.

“You still haven’t had enough…” Someone lunged at him. Chu Shangluo didn’t have time to react and instinctively pulled Ren Jiaoming into his arms as he was knocked back by the weight of Ren Jiaoming’s body. As a drunkard on the verge of blacking out, Chu Shangluo stumbled two steps back. Furious, he punched Ren Jiaoming, intending to hit his face, but when he saw Ren Jiaoming’s beautiful face, he stopped.

When Lin Zhi ran over, he saw two people lying on the grass. One was a drunk Chu Shangluo, and the other was Ren Jiaoming, who had fainted from a high fever.

Lin Zhi: “?” What happened? He had just gone inside the villa to make a phone call!