The sky was heavy with dark clouds. Li Wenshui expertly navigated his creaky bicycle through the damp alleys. The muddy dirt road was exceptionally difficult to traverse, but he had traveled it countless times. As he neared the entrance of the alley, he slowed down.

Ahead, a sleek black sedan was parked. The car’s polished, luxurious appearance stood in stark contrast to the shabby, cluttered slum around it. Li Wenshui recognized the model; his half-brother, Li Liyan, owned a lower-end version of the same car. But the one in front of him was a top-tier model, so expensive that just one of its components could fund the livelihoods of everyone in this small alley for ten years.

With no one around, Li Wenshui jumped off his bicycle and walked briskly to the car, pulling out his phone. Leaning slightly against the vehicle, he took several photos of himself with the car, clearly pleased, and then proudly posted them on social media.

Afterward, he circled the car twice, his eyes filled with envy.

The car window rolled down without warning, and Li Wenshui suddenly found himself locking eyes with a pair of amused, narrow eyes.

The man inside rested his chin lazily on his hand, studying the startled young man whose almond-shaped eyes had widened in shock, much like a frightened cat. With a playful smile, the man said, “Finished taking photos? I need to drive off now.”

Liang Jin had been observing him from inside the car for a while. Dressed in garish designer labels with overly conspicuous logos and sporting hair dyed a gaudy shade of pink, the youth looked like an insignificant internet personality obsessed with vanity. But his face was undeniably stunning, with skin so flawless and fair that not a single pore was visible even at this close range.

“You’d look better without that watch,” Liang Jin remarked, his peach blossom eyes curving slightly. “I’ll give you a ride sometime.”

With that, the car window rolled up, and the sedan sped away.

Li Wenshui held his wrist, where his imitation designer watch was strapped, and stared blankly at the receding car.

Clearly, Liang Jin hadn’t recognized him.

—

Li Wenshui was the last to arrive at the banquet hall, and his entrance immediately drew everyone’s attention.

Under the soft incandescent light, the red mole at the corner of Li Wenshui’s eye stood out, captivating and alluring.

A few of his classmates were in attendance, and they were all surprised to see him. Li Wenshui had never been close to Luo Jianan, the host of the party, nor did he belong to the same social circle.

Luo Jianan came from a prestigious family of scholars. The guests at his birthday banquet were either wealthy or well-connected, and even the parents of his classmates were acquainted. Li Wenshui, on the other hand, had no ties to privilege and wasn’t part of their world.

What’s more, they didn’t like him.

Li Wenshui was strict, unyielding, and inflexible. As the assistant to the department advisor for two years, he had never shown any leniency in class matters. Anyone who tried to reason with him was met with sharp wit and an unassailable argument. He also loved to show off, flooding his social media with posts about brand-name items, as if desperate to proclaim his wealth.

To those who were truly accustomed to luxury, Li Wenshui’s behavior seemed petty and distasteful.

On top of that, rumors about him abounded—chaotic personal life, vanity, a tendency to bully the weak and fear the strong, and an unwillingness to let things go. If they had to list the things they disliked about him, they could probably talk for days.

But Li Wenshui was used to these disdainful looks. Ignoring them, he walked straight to the dessert table, picked up a slice of strawberry cake, and took a bite. The cake was soft and sweet—his favorite. Honestly, if not for the cake, he wouldn’t have come at all.

“There you are! I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Luo Jianan exclaimed, his birthday crown askew on his head. “I thought you weren’t coming. Come with me; I want to introduce you to someone.”

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Luo Jianan led Li Wenshui to the center of the banquet hall.

“Cousin, Liyan, this is Li Wenshui, my classmate,” Luo Jianan said warmly. His clear eyes and shallow dimples exuded enthusiasm and sincerity as he gazed at Li Wenshui.

Liang Jin’s expression subtly changed. His peach blossom eyes flickered toward Li Wenshui’s bare wrist, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“Well, isn’t this a coincidence? We meet again.”

Indeed, it was quite the coincidence. Li Wenshui hadn’t expected Liang Jin to be Luo Jianan’s cousin.

“Cousin, you know each other?” Luo Jianan asked, his tone laced with curiosity.

“Mm, we happened to meet on the road earlier,” Liang Jin deliberately paused, “He…”

“My hair was messy, so I used a car window to fix it. I didn’t realize it was your cousin’s car,” Li Wenshui lied without batting an eye.

Liang Jin leisurely poured himself a drink, making no effort to expose Li Wenshui’s lie.

Meanwhile, Li Liyan had been silently observing the interaction between Li Wenshui and Liang Jin, but he couldn’t make sense of their relationship. Putting on a friendly smile, he extended his hand. “Hello, I’m Li Liyan.”

Li Wenshui, however, refused to shake his hand, leaving Li Liyan awkwardly withdrawing it. He glanced cautiously at Li Wenshui, who stared back at him.

The atmosphere grew subtly tense.

Noticing the undercurrent between the two, Liang Jin looked thoughtful.

“Xiao Nan^[1]Xiao is an intimate way to call someone, it is attached to a name, it means little., come here with your cousin,” someone called.

“Coming!” Luo Jianan replied, grabbing Li Wenshui’s arm. “Wenshui, wait here for me. My mom’s calling me. I’ll be right back.”

As Liang Jin led Luo Jianan away, only Li Wenshui and Li Liyan remained, staring at each other.

Li Wenshui’s bold, rebellious aura clashed with Li Liyan’s gentle and reserved demeanor. Standing side by side, no one would guess they were blood-related brothers.

Li Liyan bit his lip, a hint of fear in his eyes as he faced Li Wenshui. “Gege^[2]Ge or Gege means brother, are you really not close to Liang Jin?”

Li Wenshui didn’t bother hiding his disdain. “Don’t call me that. I’m not your brother.”

Li Liyan hurriedly pulled out his phone and opened Li Wenshui’s latest social media post, anxiously asking, “If you’re not close, then why do you have a picture with his car?”

Ah, so that’s it, Li Wenshui thought. Li Liyan liked Liang Jin.

They had nothing in common, but one thing they shared was their taste in people. After all, Li Wenshui’s first boyfriend had been stolen by Li Liyan.

Smiling faintly, Li Wenshui said, “What counts as close? Does the fact that he’s held me count?”

Li Liyan’s expression shifted instantly.

Li Wenshui enjoyed seeing Li Liyan uncomfortable, so he pressed further, his tone dripping with satisfaction. “Don’t believe me? I know Liang Jin has a butterfly tattoo on his chest. Have you seen it?”

With an air of superiority, he added, “You’re afraid I’ll take him from you because you know you can’t compare to me. Liang Jin likes beautiful people, and you’re plain and ordinary. He wouldn’t even look at you, would he?”

Li Liyan’s grip on his wine glass tightened, his knuckles turning white. “Li Wenshui, no wonder your mom left you, and Dad doesn’t want you either. Someone like you…”

Before he could finish, Li Wenshui snatched his wine glass and decisively splashed the red wine in his face.

Now angry, Li Wenshui’s normally soft almond-shaped eyes sharpened, their corners slightly widened. His face, usually radiant, became strikingly fierce.

Li Wenshui’s beauty was like a thorny rose—gorgeous but full of sharp edges.

The commotion drew the attention of their classmates, who started whispering. It was just like Li Wenshui to stir up trouble.

Even Liang Jin noticed.

He walked over, handed a tissue to Li Liyan, and glanced at Li Wenshui with mild displeasure. “What happened?” he asked with concern.

Li Liyan hurriedly shook his head, awkwardly wiping the wine off his face. “It’s nothing. Don’t blame him.”

Li Wenshui, unapologetic, only felt that his day had gone sour. Thanks to Li Liyan, he hadn’t even had the chance to enjoy a proper slice of cake.

As he turned to leave, someone grabbed his collar, pulling him back.

Liang Jin raised an eyebrow, his faint smile losing its warmth. “Don’t you think you owe my friend an apology for being so rude?”

Liang Jin, the epitome of a wealthy third-generation heir, was the same age as Li Wenshui but of a completely different temperament. Calm and composed, he spoke with a steady, gentle tone, his face adorned with a polite smile.

Yet that smile sent an inexplicable chill down Li Wenshui’s spine.

He looked directly at Liang Jin, stubbornly lifting his chin. “I’m not apologizing.”

In that moment, Liang Jin’s eyes took in every detail of Li Wenshui: the faint tremor in his misty pupils, the flush of anger on his pale cheeks that spread to the corners of his eyes, making him look like an inflated, fierce paper tiger.

Liang Jin let go. He never bullied beautiful people.

Li Wenshui shot him a sharp glare and stormed off.

Crossing his arms, Liang Jin watched him leave, bemused. He couldn’t understand when Luo Jianan had become so shallow.

This Li Wenshui—aside from his stunning looks—had little to offer. No wonder Auntie was so adamantly opposed to him.

The sky was drizzling with light rain.

Li Wenshui, without an umbrella, sought shelter under the awning of a nearby shop. The outfit he was wearing couldn’t get wet—it was borrowed from a friend. Unable to afford a cab, he could only wait for the rain to stop before heading out.

Taking out his phone, he checked his emails, but there was still no response to the resumes he had sent. Graduation was approaching, and his classmates with connections had already secured internships. Even Li Liyan had smoothly joined his mother’s company.

Despite being a top finance student, having won numerous awards, serving as a student leader, and even working as an assistant to the adviser, Li Wenshui’s outstanding resume still hadn’t yielded any offers.

He exhaled deeply and put away his phone. Across the street, a brightly lit five-star hotel stood where a bar used to be. It was there that he’d first spoken to Liang Jin.

During the summer of his senior year, he had worked part-time at that bar. The place was chaotic and full of shady characters, and he often had to endure wandering hands, tolerating it as long as it wasn’t too much—he desperately needed the money.

One rainy day, just like this, he found himself cornered in the bar’s restroom by a drunk stranger. The man had already removed his pants. Panicked, Li Wenshui grabbed a bottle and smashed it against the man, then jumped out of a first-floor window.

Though he twisted his ankle, he didn’t stop running, and in his frantic escape, he collided with someone standing under a streetlamp smoking.

The person was Liang Jin—a tall, slender boy who wrapped him in a large trench coat. Through the slightly open white shirt, Li Wenshui caught a glimpse of a vividly detailed butterfly tattoo, red and blue, on Liang Jin’s pale chest.

“I have something to do soon, so I can only take you to the bus stop across the street. Is that okay?”

Under the dim light, the boy’s features were sharp yet gentle, his expression calm and slightly smiling.

Liang Jin steadied him with long, strong arms, and together they slowly walked to the crowded bus stop.

“I have to go now,” Liang Jin said, draping his trench coat over Li Wenshui. “Next time, I’ll treat you to milk tea.”

But the promise of milk tea never came true because Li Wenshui never saw Liang Jin again.

The next time they met was at university orientation. They were in the same program, but no matter how many times they crossed paths, Liang Jin never recognized him.

It made sense—someone like Liang Jin, popular, wealthy, and surrounded by admirers, would never remember someone like him.

The rain gradually stopped. Just as Li Wenshui was about to leave, a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

Zhao Mingcheng’s sneering face loomed close. “Li Wenshui, isn’t it about time you paid up? How long are you planning to hide?”

“Don’t touch my clothes,” Li Wenshui snapped, pushing him away. “I’m not hiding. I’ve been busy job hunting, and the deadline is tomorrow. I’ll pay you on time, so stop pestering me!”

“Wow, you’ve grown some nerve, huh? Wearing designer clothes but can’t pay up? These clothes…” Zhao Mingcheng’s eyes scanned him. “Not bad, huh? Might fetch a good price.”

Without hesitation, Zhao Mingcheng started tugging at Li Wenshui’s coat. Panicking, Li Wenshui clung to it. If the coat got ruined, he couldn’t afford to compensate his friend.

During the scuffle, the sound of fabric tearing came from the sleeve. In a panic, Li Wenshui punched Zhao Mingcheng in the face and took off running.

“Fuck! Li Wenshui! Just wait till I catch you—I’ll skin you alive!” Zhao Mingcheng roared.

Li Wenshui darted to the street corner and spotted a car with the door ajar. Without thinking, he jumped in.

Breathing heavily, his sweat-soaked hair clung to his forehead, and his torn sleeve and mud-streaked pants made him look utterly disheveled.

Turning to the driver’s seat, he said, “Sorry, let me stay for a moment. I’ll leave soon…”

Leaning lazily against the seat, his face partially obscured in the dim light, was Liang Jin, exuding an air of aloof elegance.

“Is my car comfortable?” Liang Jin asked, his tone cold and detached. “Do you want to take a picture again?”