At 3 a.m., the streets of B City, a metropolis known for its sleepless energy, were almost empty.

Only the neon lights were on, making the long autumn streets look a little bright.

From a distance, came the deafening roar of engines, loud enough to disturb the entire city, speeding closer at a heart-stopping pace before vanishing just as swiftly.

By the time the noise faded, all that was left were two faint red dots disappearing into the distance.

And before ten minutes had passed, the cycle would start all over again.

Shi Yi leaned against his Mercedes, a cigarette dangling from his lips, watching the cars race by, lap after lap, showing no intention of joining in.

A friend standing nearby nudged him playfully. “Young Master Shi, aren’t you going to take a spin?”

Shi Yi lifted his eyelids slightly but didn’t bother to respond.

Street racing at midnight wasn’t really his thing. He had an important meeting the next morning and still had to review the files on his desk.

Sensing his growing impatience, Wang Le, who had practically dragged him out here, gently tugged on his sleeve. “Ah Yi, why don’t you head back first…?”

Shi Yi frowned. “Can you stop calling me ‘Auntie’?”

Despite the irritation clouding his brow, he didn’t actually storm off. Known as Young Master Shi among his peers, he remained standing with his arms crossed, watching the rowdy group of reckless, privileged heirs. “Hurry up and find whoever you’re looking for, so we can leave.”

Hearing this, Wang Le shrank back nervously before scanning the crowd again. There were too many people gathered in clusters here and there, making it hard to spot anyone.

“Why don’t I check over there? Just wait for me a bit.”

Afraid that Shi Yi’s patience might completely run out, Wang Le was getting anxious. Shi Yi sighed helplessly and raised an eyebrow. “Go ahead. I’ll wait.”

If there was one unlucky thing in Shi Yi’s life, it was knowing this “family friend.”

The Shi and Wang families had a long-standing friendship. Shi Yi and Wang Le had practically grown up together, given their similar family backgrounds and life experiences.

The same elementary school, the same high school, and even the same university.

The only real difference was that Shi Yi had grown tall and broad, the kind of guy you’d spot in a crowd immediately. Wang Le, whether due to genetics or other factors, was noticeably shorter and smaller than average, with a slight frame that made him look as if he hadn’t fully developed. His voice was soft, his demeanor stubborn, and he had the kind of personality that made him an easy target for bullies.

If it weren’t for Shi Yi, he might not have even made it through university without getting tormented into dropping out.

Over time, Shi Yi had gotten used to stepping in to defend him.

After all, they’d been friends since childhood. Even giving up on a pet wasn’t that easy, let alone a childhood friend. And, coming from a military family, Shi Yi had a deeply ingrained sense of responsibility and a streak of old-fashioned masculinity that made it hard for him to abandon Wang Le, no matter how exasperating he could be.

Sometimes, even he found it laughable.

Staying up late and wandering the streets with Wang Le just to hunt down some so-called heartless scumbag wasn’t exactly how he had planned to spend his night.

To this day, he still couldn’t figure out how his timid yet overly imaginative childhood friend had ended up liking men.

What was wrong with women?

Soft to the touch, easy to coax, and much more comfortable in bed.

What was remotely exciting about another guy’s hard, muscular body?

Frowning, Shi Yi lit another cigarette and bit down on it irritably. When a passerby tried cozying up to him, he shot them a glare and barked, “Back off!”

If they leaned in any closer, he’d start kicking people.

Young Master Shi was already in a foul mood.

After waiting another twenty minutes or so, there was finally a glimmer of hope. Shi Yi spotted Wang Le up ahead, arguing and tussling with someone. Stretching out his long legs, Shi Yi ignored the shouts behind him and walked straight toward the source of the commotion.

The person Wang Le was grappling with looked oddly familiar.

Shi Yi felt like he’d seen him somewhere before, though he couldn’t quite place it. Still, the social circle here wasn’t exactly large, and at this hour, there weren’t that many people who’d be out racing or partying.

The guy was actually pretty good-looking, with sharp, handsome features and a hint of refined scoundrel vibe. He wore glasses perched on his nose and was surrounded by a group of women.

With looks like that, he really did have the makings of a heartbreaker.

Muttering this to himself, Shi Yi walked up to Wang Le and gave the guy a once-over. “Is this him?”

Wang Le clung tightly to the man, as if afraid he’d bolt the moment he let go.

The man had a faint smile on his face. When he noticed Shi Yi approaching, he raised an eyebrow and calmly started prying his shirt free from Wang Le’s grip. “Look, I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

He unclamped Wang Le’s hand from his shirt. “I don’t even know you.”

Wang Le, lacking the strength, barely struggled before he was forced to let go. But no sooner had he released him than Shi Yi stepped in, grabbing hold even more firmly. “You’ve got the look down, but why’d you have to act like a damn coward?”

The insult was harsh, and the man’s face darkened immediately. “Hey, if you’re going to curse someone out, at least figure out what’s going on first. Let go, and we can talk like civilized people!”

Getting hit with a personal attack right off the bat would piss anyone off. The man tried shaking Shi Yi off by yanking at his arm and raising his right elbow to push him away.

Both of them were strong, and the sudden scuffle nearly sent them crashing to the ground.

In the end, the man who’d been dragged around managed to steady himself by bracing against the hood of a nearby car. His shirt, however, didn’t fare as well. Shi Yi’s yank had torn it open, sending buttons flying in all directions, leaving him looking a little worse for wear.

“Damn it, are you out of your mind?”

Shi Yi frowned, ready to throw another punch when Wang Le quickly stepped in and grabbed his arm. “Shi Yi, wait! You’ve got the wrong guy!”

Shi Yi froze mid-swing, turning to give Wang Le a sharp look. “The wrong guy?”

“Yeah… it’s not him.”

“Then why the hell were you holding onto him?”

Already irritated by the whole mess, Shi Yi’s patience was wearing thin. After all that commotion, they’d grabbed the wrong person.

Startled by Shi Yi’s outburst, Wang Le instinctively stepped back before steadying himself and mumbling an explanation. “He’s Ah Qi’s friend.”

Hearing the name “Ah Qi,” the man who had almost taken a punch finally seemed to catch on. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, “You’re looking for Wang Yiqi?”

“Yeah.”

Wang Le nodded and took a step closer. “I’ve been trying to find him for days, but he’s completely disappeared. Do you know where he is?”

At that, the man hesitated, glancing briefly at Shi Yi, who was still standing behind Wang Le with a hostile expression. After a moment’s thought, he shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“Are you sure?” Shi Yi’s suspicion was written all over his face.

“Wang Yiqi flew to the U.S. three days ago. If you’re asking me where he is now, I honestly couldn’t tell you.” Ignoring Shi Yi’s doubtful glare, the man gave a faint smile and adjusted his disheveled shirt.

“When’s he coming back?”

“I really don’t know. But his birthday’s next week, so he’ll probably be back by then.”

He raised an eyebrow, making it clear that was all he was willing to say. Leaning back against the car, he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. The group of women who had been lingering in the background immediately flocked back to his side, draping themselves around his arm and casting curious glances at Shi Yi.

Feeling uncomfortable under their stares, Shi Yi gave Wang Le a tug. “Since he won’t be back until next week, just wait until then.”

He dragged Wang Le away.

It was only after they left that the onlookers dared to inch closer. One of them called out boldly, “Ming-ge, you’re fearless, huh? You actually dared to fight Shi Yi?”

Ying Ming glanced back and chuckled. “What fight? Were you blind? That didn’t even count as a fight.”

It was just a few buttons.

Though Ying Ming brushed it off like nothing, the onlookers still couldn’t help but murmur and click their tongues in awe. He shifted his gaze back to Shi Yi and Wang Le’s retreating figures, watching them disappear into the distance, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Why did he have a nagging feeling that things were about to get complicated from now on?

—-

Wang Yiqi was, without a doubt, one of the worst friends Ying Ming had ever made.

From the moment they met, nothing good had ever come of it. One problem followed another, and while Wang Yiqi had a talent for causing trouble, he had no skill when it came to cleaning up the aftermath. Inevitably, those around him were the ones left to bear the consequences.

And this situation with Shi Yi was a serious red flag.

That night, before Ying Ming even made it home, he was already dialing Wang Yiqi’s number, placing an international call. It took four or five attempts before the line finally connected, and when it did, the voice on the other end was irritable.

“Who the hell is this? Don’t you know how to pick a better time to call?”

“Fuck you, Wang Yiqi!”

That curse seemed to wake him up a bit. After a brief pause, the other side sounded slightly more alert, and his tone softened somewhat as he confirmed the number.

“Ying Ming?”

To his memory, this was probably the first time Ying Ming had ever called him while he was abroad.

Or rather, in all the time they’d known each other, Ying Ming had probably only called him four times total.

“Why are you calling me?”

“Let me ask you something. How the hell did you manage to piss off Shi Yi?”

Ying Ming wasn’t in the mood to beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

There was a brief silence on the other end before Wang Yiqi responded, confused. “Shi Yi?” He was familiar with the name, but for the moment, he couldn’t figure out what connection they had.

“Don’t play dumb. Shi Yi came looking for me tonight, asking where you were. What kind of trouble did you get yourself into this time?”

“I didn’t do anything!” Wang Yiqi protested, sounding wronged. “And besides, Shi Yi isn’t even my type!”

With that height, Shi Yi could lift him with one hand. Going after someone like that would be pure masochism.

“Not Shi Yi, probably one of his friends, someone named Le,” Ying Ming said. He hadn’t caught Wang Le’s full name but vaguely remembered hearing Shi Yi call him that.

“Wang Le?”

“So it is your fault!”

Hearing the name jogged Wang Yiqi’s memory, and his guilty tone confirmed he wasn’t entirely blameless. Ying Ming frowned. “Are you out of your mind? You have a talent for messing with people you shouldn’t.”

“How was I supposed to know Wang Le was friends with Shi Yi? Besides, I didn’t even do anything to him!”

“Whatever. Just get your ass back here!”

Ying Ming hung up, tossing his phone aside with a sigh, effectively ending the conversation.

He floored the gas pedal, and the night wind rushing past gave him a suffocating illusion, like the air had been sucked from his lungs. He sped all the way back to his place, skidding to a stop in front of the house before stepping out of the car.

The first thing he did after going inside was grab a beer from the fridge.

The clock on the wall pointed to six. A quarter of the day had already slipped by.

“Another day, huh…” Ying Ming muttered to himself with a sigh. He kicked off his shoes carelessly, leaving them askew on the floor, then sank into the couch. Grabbing the remote, he turned on the TV and shut his eyes.

He had this habit of needing background noise to fall asleep.

It was a lingering side effect from the insomnia he used to deal with. The noisier his surroundings, the easier it was for him to drift off. In contrast, complete silence left him tossing and turning, unable to settle down.

Sleeping with the TV on wasted electricity, but it couldn’t be helped.

Once a habit takes root, it’s hard to change.

And Ying Ming was someone who lived by his feelings. Many things in life were beyond logical explanation for him, and it all came down to a quiet intuition buried deep within.

Actors, perhaps, were prone to a bit of melodrama by nature.

That passing thought flashed through his mind just before he dozed off, the corners of his lips curved into a faint, unconscious smile.