Initially, their plan was to cause some chaos and use it as a distraction to whisk Yu Zao away. But things didn’t go as expected.

When Yu Zao first entered the private room, the surveillance cameras experienced unusual interference—glitches, flashes, and eventually a complete blackout. Their equipment was top-tier, designed to bypass most signal jammers.

At one brief moment, the screen flickered, showing a blurry view of the room. Despite the unclear image, they could recognize everyone inside.

Quan Lushen was there.

They were doomed.

They had anticipated someone important might be inside, but they never expected to run into Quan Lushen! As they panicked, Jiang Cai suddenly remarked, “I told you not to pull such a stupid stunt.”

Though he didn’t name names, everyone knew who he was talking about. Yuan Jin, already on edge, snapped, “Weren’t you mute a moment ago? What’s with the criticism now?”

In an instant, the two started brawling. Their mutual friends, initially confused, tried to break up the fight, but one got hit in the crossfire, which escalated the chaos even further.

The fight continued down the hallway, right to Yu Zao’s door, with bodyguards struggling to hold them back.

In reality, their relationship was never particularly harmonious. They only hung out because of their similar social standing. Disagreements were common, but this was the first time things had escalated to such an embarrassing extent.

All for the chance to take Yu Zao home, Jiang Cai and Yuan Jin almost started another fight.

Out of the shadows, Chu Xi emerged. Calmly, he said, “I’ll take you home. I already hailed a taxi.”

In stark contrast to the disheveled, messy appearance of the other elites, Chu Xi looked composed and immaculate. His outfit, while simple, was neat without a wrinkle in sight. Standing next to the group, they resembled street beggars by comparison.

Why was Chu Xi still here?

Had he been silently watching from the corner while they were fighting, just to step in now that Yu Zao had appeared? And why was his hair so well-groomed—did he even take time to comb it?

Chu Xi’s well-kept appearance indeed caught Yu Zao’s attention.

They began to suspect Chu Xi’s motives, labeling him as “scheming” and a “green tea” personality.

But Yu Zao wasn’t drawn to Chu Xi because of his looks; he was more shocked that Chu Xi was willing to spend money on him.

In the original storyline, Chu Xi, though blackmailed with photos, always maintained a stingy attitude when it came to money.

He was willing to be a follower, to do menial tasks, but give up money? No way. Every time Yu Zao asked for money, Chu Xi’s answer was always a firm “no.” Go ahead and call the police if you want—I don’t have any money to give.

…

Even after getting into the car, Chu Xi still felt like he had lost his mind.

Especially after seeing the surprised and incredulous look in Yu Zao’s eyes—his delicate, fair face slightly lifted, his almond-shaped eyes sparkling like a jewel in the night.

That’s when Chu Xi realized what he had done.

He couldn’t even explain his own actions.

Maybe he had genuinely been worried that Yu Zao wouldn’t get out. He had already thought of calling the police multiple times if the group of second-generation elites couldn’t come up with a solution.

And besides, Yu Zao’s outfit tonight was… quite risky.

The tight white outfit hugged the slim waist, with an open neckline revealing a dip in the collarbone, further accentuated by a black bow. The fleshy thighs were tightly bound by black shorts, causing a ring of fair flesh to show. It was… truly beautiful.

Chu Xi had seen similar news reports. Bars were full of bad people, and many targeted pretty boys like Yu Zao. If these rich second-generation kids decided to abandon him after a night, even if Yu Zao managed to leave the bar, there was a chance he could be dragged into an alley by someone passing by.

His temper was bad, but it only attracted more attention. His outfit was minimal, and if torn or dirtied, it would only worsen the situation. Normally, he was spoiled and willful, treating Chu Xi as if he were beneath him. But in such situations, no amount of bad temper would help; no one would listen to him.

He probably drank a lot too, unable to recognize anyone around him. The more Chu Xi thought about it, the more distracted he became, his gaze landing on the black leather seat, where Yu Zao’s thighs were pressed, slightly distorted by the tightness of the fabric.

Yu Zao nudged Chu Xi with his leg. “Thirsty.”

The warmth from Yu Zao’s leg startled Chu Xi like a jolt of electricity. He realized he’d booked a private car, not a regular one, and it came with bottled water. Chu Xi hadn’t chosen the pricier option for any particular reason, just to avoid Yu Zao’s complaints. If he’d booked a regular car, Yu Zao would likely throw a tantrum right there on the street.

Yu Zao was the picky type, only accepting private rides, claiming regular cars had a bad odor. Spoiled as he was, Chu Xi had no idea who had raised him this way.

But Chu Xi never voiced these thoughts. It wouldn’t matter if he did—Yu Zao never thought he was in the wrong. He’d just turn around and scold Chu Xi, with his pretty face lifted arrogantly. Since it would end in the same way, Chu Xi didn’t bother arguing. It was easier to just go along with it and avoid a lecture.

At least it meant fewer scoldings.

Chu Xi unscrewed the water bottle and handed it to Yu Zao, but Yu Zao was too busy texting to take it. He slightly tilted his head and raised his sharp chin, clearly indicating that he wanted to be fed.

Chu Xi was silent for a moment. Yu Zao was getting more outrageous by the day. He couldn’t even drink water on his own because texting was more important? Could he not spare a second to drink?

With a blank expression, Chu Xi placed the bottle against Yu Zao’s lower lip. Yu Zao’s small mouth pressed against the bottle’s rim, and his full lips took on a translucent, jelly-like sheen. As Yu Zao slightly parted his lips, a strange fragrance wafted over. Chu Xi was momentarily dazed, his hand trembling slightly.

Yu Zao had barely taken a sip when some water spilled, wetting his chin and neckline.

Yu Zao snapped, “What are you doing!”

Chu Xi had been about to explain, but seeing Yu Zao’s chin and neckline damp with water, he lost his voice. The tight white shirt had become semi-transparent, faintly revealing the color of his skin underneath. Yu Zao’s full lips were pursed angrily, glistening with moisture.

Chu Xi stammered, “Sorry, I…”

“Sorry doesn’t fix it!”

“I…”

“My clothes are soaked!”

So spoiled, so willful. The tall, apologetic young man hung his head like a scolded puppy, letting the pretty boy lash out. Just like any boyfriend who had messed up and upset his lover, Chu Xi didn’t dare to say a word.

The driver tried to mediate. “Don’t be mad, little buddy. I’ll turn up the heat for you, and there’s a blanket in the back, so you won’t catch a cold. And you, as his boyfriend, should be comforting him! You can’t just rely on his love for you and treat him badly. He’s so pretty—what if someone else swoops in and takes him?”

“You’d better keep your man happy. I’ll raise the partition for you, so you can talk it out. Man, what’s a little pride compared to your partner?”

Chu Xi pressed his lips together. They weren’t even in that kind of relationship… He unwrapped the blanket and wrapped it tightly around Yu Zao. To be safe, he also laid a layer on the seat to prevent the water from soaking it.

Suddenly, Yu Zao threw his legs onto Chu Xi’s lap.

“Massage them, I’m tired.”

He hadn’t even done anything, yet he was already saying he was tired. He really knew how to cause trouble. Yu Zao glared at Chu Xi with his large, bright eyes, his small mouth a vivid red, his chin still glistening with water.

In the dim light of the car, Chu Xi averted his gaze in a panic, but his eyes inevitably drifted back. Yu Zao had taken off his shoes, his small feet still covered by white socks, resting on Chu Xi’s thighs. His skin was so pale it almost glowed in the dark. The white socks were loosely bunched at his ankles, while his slender calves led up to his thighs, where the shorts pressed into soft pink flesh.

When Chu Xi’s large, tan hand landed on his leg, the cool air in the car seemed to get warmer.

Chu Xi didn’t know why things had turned out like this. Before, whenever Yu Zao bossed him around—making him run errands and treating him like a servant—he would threaten him with those photos if he didn’t comply. But now, Yu Zao no longer needed to mention the photos; he could just order Chu Xi around.

Like now, with the leg massage.

Chu Xi’s hands trembled slightly. He didn’t like physical contact, and he’d never been this close to anyone before. In the past, he avoided Yu Zao altogether, hating to share the same space with him.

The soft sensation under his hands, like silken tofu, made him afraid to apply pressure… yet even his gentle touch left faint red marks on the pale skin.

Meanwhile, Yu Zao continued texting, annoyed by how quickly the group chat messages were flying in.

He could barely keep up!

The latest message was from Jiang Cai, asking what he was up to and why he had disappeared. Yu Zao casually replied that he was typing slowly. To his surprise, Jiang Cai send a voice call.

Yu Zao, frowning, warned Chu Xi in a fierce tone, “Don’t make a sound, you hear me?”

Chu Xi glanced at Yu Zao’s phone but said nothing. Annoyed, Yu Zao stomped on his hand. “Say something.”

Chu Xi grabbed his foot in response. “Okay.”

Satisfied, Yu Zao focused back on the phone.

However, strangely enough, his Viciousness score didn’t rise. In the past, whenever he made Chu Xi do chores or run errands, the score would rise, even if only by a little.

Whatever. He didn’t care.

Yu Zao pressed on the voice call.

Jiang Cai, currently in a car with a designated driver, cleared his throat and, before making the call, even turned off the music to make sure both sides could hear clearly. He then asked the driver, “Do you think I have a nice voice?”

But before the driver could respond, the call connected, Jiang Cai quickly turned his attention back to Yu Zao, and then pretended to be pretentious: “Actually, I don’t really like chatting on text.”
“Are you home yet?”

“No, not ye—mmph!”

The call abruptly ended.