Li Wenshui had no impression of Su Yangqiu and couldn’t figure out how he might have offended him. Su Yangqiu, with his aloof demeanor, looked at him as if to say someone like him didn’t belong there.

Someone interjected, “Hey, Yangqiu, the guy’s not here for you anyway.”

Zhou Qi grabbed Li Wenshui’s arm and led him to the sofa, patting his shoulder. “Don’t mind him. He’s just like that—doesn’t like dealing with strangers. Liang Jin should be here soon.”

Sharing the room with three unfamiliar people made Li Wenshui extremely uncomfortable. He stood up. “I think I’ll wait outside.”

A hand quickly pushed him back down. A young man in a floral shirt leaned in with a sly smile. “Hi, I’m Pei Zhi. And you are?”

“Li Wenshui.”

Pei Zhi’s lips curled into a smirk. “Your name is even more ordinary than you look.”

Pei Zhi’s persistent closeness made Li Wenshui uneasy, but Zhou Qi patted Pei Zhi on the shoulder. “Alright, don’t scare him.”

“How could I scare anyone? I’m too handsome for that.” Pei Zhi picked up a bowl of hazelnuts and placed it in front of Li Wenshui. “Since you’ve got nothing to do, help us peel some hazelnuts. Liang Jin likes them too.”

The bowl was full, but there were no tools to crack the nuts. Li Wenshui hesitated, unsure of what to do.

Pei Zhi explained, “It’s easy. Look, each hazelnut has a small opening. Just peel it apart.”

Li Wenshui wasn’t naive—he knew they were mocking him. But in this situation, leaving wasn’t an option, and refusing might provoke them further.

Pressing his lips together, he picked up a hazelnut. His short, cleanly trimmed nails pressed into the shell, and though it wasn’t too hard to crack, it left a faintly uncomfortable sensation on his fingertips.

Zhou Qi hooked an arm around Pei Zhi’s shoulders. “Stop sitting around. Let’s play cards—three people for Dou Dizhu.”

Pei Zhi glanced at Li Wenshui, who was quietly peeling nuts, and laughed. “Peel them well. I’ll eat them later.”

The three of them began playing cards, drinking, and chatting, seemingly forgetting about Li Wenshui.

Relieved to be ignored, Li Wenshui let out a quiet sigh. Of the three, only Zhou Qi was somewhat neutral in his attitude, while the other two clearly looked down on him. There was an unbridgeable gap between him and them—not just in terms of background but also in the circles he couldn’t hope to enter.

After peeling for a while, Li Wenshui’s fingers started to ache. Pei Zhi, still focused on his cards, reached back and grabbed the peeled hazelnuts, tossing a few into his mouth. Chewing noisily, he remarked, “Hazelnuts peeled by a beauty taste better.”

He offered some to Su Yangqiu, who curtly declined. “I don’t eat those.”

“Suit yourself. Your loss.” Pei Zhi passed the nuts to Zhou Qi, who took a few and glanced at Li Wenshui. “Thanks for your effort.”

From the moment Zhou Qi accepted the nuts, Li Wenshui was certain Zhou Qi didn’t see him as an equal either. To them, he was just a convenient servant, though Zhou Qi was polite enough to disguise it with kind words.

“Hey, Li Wenshui,” Pei Zhi asked while playing cards, “when did you meet Liang Jin? I’ve never heard him mention you.”

The crisp sound of hazelnut shells breaking continued as Li Wenshui kept his head down, his reddened fingertips silent.

Pei Zhi, dissatisfied with the lack of response, asked again, “What business is your family in? I’ve met most of the rich kids around here, but I’ve never seen you.”

He was probing on purpose. Despite Li Wenshui’s niche-brand outfit, Pei Zhi had immediately pegged him as someone from a poor background. People like that were easy to spot—they lacked confidence in their gaze and would unconsciously hunch their shoulders.

Though Li Wenshui sat straight, with no visible fear in his eyes, small gestures betrayed him. Earlier, there had been an unopened bottle of wine in front of him, but he had moved it far away. People instinctively avoided financial risks they couldn’t afford, and Li Wenshui clearly couldn’t handle even the price of that bottle.

Li Wenshui stopped peeling for a moment. Ignoring Pei Zhi again would seem deliberate, so he replied with a well-rehearsed line he’d used countless times at school. “My family’s in construction. We just moved to Beijing a few years ago. It’s a big city, so it’s normal if we haven’t met.”

“Fair enough.” Pei Zhi’s eyes glinted with mischief. “What company? My family’s in construction too. Maybe we’ve worked together.”

Struggling with a particularly stubborn hazelnut, Li Wenshui maintained a calm expression. “Chen Yang Construction.”

He wasn’t worried about Pei Zhi verifying his claim. The company was real, and it had recently moved to Beijing. It was small, and its owner had a son the same age as Li Wenshui. The family was currently abroad, making it unlikely anyone would investigate further.

“Oh~” Pei Zhi dropped the subject and grabbed more of the peeled hazelnuts.

By now, half the bowl was gone. Li Wenshui’s thumbs burned with pain, and his hands trembled as he reached for another nut.

Just then, the door to the private room opened, and bright daylight poured in. Liang Jin stood in the doorway, framed by the light.

Li Wenshui froze and looked up.

In the dim room, Liang Jin’s gaze first landed on the group playing cards. With a smile, he asked, “Why didn’t you wait for me?”

Pei Zhi tossed his cards aside and walked up to greet Liang Jin. “Ah, finally! The VIP arrives late. If you’d come any later, we’d have moved on to the next venue.”

“Well, at least I’m not too late,” Liang Jin replied, taking a seat on the sofa.

Pei Zhi pointed at Li Wenshui. “Didn’t you notice someone new? He’s been waiting here eagerly for ages and even peeled hazelnuts for you. When did you meet this little beauty from a construction family? And why didn’t you introduce us?”

Liang Jin turned his head, confused, and spotted Li Wenshui sitting not far away. Construction company? So, he was still lying.

Li Wenshui remained in his position, still peeling hazelnuts. A small mountain of shells had accumulated in front of him, while only a few peeled nuts sat on the plate. Scattered across the card table were round, intact hazelnuts.

Liang Jin smirked faintly and glanced at Pei Zhi. “You sure those were peeled for me?”

Pei Zhi shrugged. “You didn’t show up. I couldn’t let the little beauty’s efforts go to waste, so I helped you eat them.”

Liang Jin’s expression remained unchanged as he took out a cigarette. Just as he was about to light it, a sharp “click” interrupted him.

He turned to see Li Wenshui holding a simple, one-yuan lighter. The bright red of his fingertips from overuse stood out starkly.

After a moment of silence, Liang Jin put away his cigarette. His eyes curved slightly as he asked, “How did you manage to find me here?”

Li Wenshui placed two slightly damp bags on Liang Jin’s lap and blinked lightly, smiling. “Thank you for the other day. I got you some premium mangoes and washed your clothes for you.”

Liang Jin moved the bags off his lap. Three hours earlier, it had rained, and the bags must have gotten wet while Li Wenshui waited for a bus.

“Suit jackets can’t be washed with water. As for the mangoes, take them back and eat them yourself. Anything else?”

The faintly ingratiating smile on Li Wenshui’s face faltered slightly.

“Thanks for the thought, but next time, don’t come looking for me.” Liang Jin’s voice was calm but firm. Having shown up at his home before and now seeking out his friends, Li Wenshui’s lack of boundaries irritated him.

A hint of confusion flashed in Li Wenshui’s eyes. “I just wanted to thank you. That’s all.”

“And I mean what I say.” Liang Jin took Li Wenshui’s hand, placed the mangoes back in it, and said, “Take these home for your sister.”

Li Wenshui stared at Liang Jin, unable to read him. One moment, Liang Jin was helping, hugging, and touching him; the next, he was mocking, teasing, or being cold. ^[1]T/L’s Note: Don’t you know about, push and pull trick Xiao Wen, aist, I just want to snatch you up and raise you huhu

Seeing Li Wenshui hesitate with teary eyes, Liang Jin gently squeezed his calloused hand. “The value of what you create with your own hands is far more secure than something unearned.”

Li Wenshui yanked his hand back, his eyes filled with defiance. “I’ve never taken anything without earning it!” Everything he had, he had worked for.

“Alright,” Liang Jin said, smiling faintly. “Then what about me? If you haven’t taken from me, does that mean you like me?”

“So what if I do? Is that illegal?” Li Wenshui shot back.

The three men at the card table fell silent simultaneously.

Pei Zhi: This little beauty is really persistent.
Zhou Qi: What’s Liang Jin hesitating for? He’s got someone chasing him—just say yes already!
Su Yangqiu scoffed, his expression filled with disdain.

Liang Jin’s casual demeanor shifted as he carefully studied Li Wenshui. The young man’s light brown eyes swirled with turbulent emotions, his cheeks flushed, and his face calm yet unapologetically firm.

Liang Jin’s smile faded. Slowly, he enunciated each word: “I don’t like you.”

“Fine!” Li Wenshui’s chest tightened as he abruptly stood up, grabbed the gift bags, and strode out the door.

Liang Jin was momentarily stunned. He had expected Li Wenshui to persist a bit longer, but instead, he left decisively this time.

The door slammed shut with force.

Zhou Qi broke the silence first. “Do you really not like him? He seems exactly like your type.”

Liang Jin picked up his wine glass and carefully wiped it with a tissue. “Greedy, opportunistic, and insincere—do you like that?”

Zhou Qi laughed. “What’s sincerity worth? Don’t ruin something good with talk of sincerity.”

Pei Zhi suddenly walked over to Liang Jin, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Sincere or not, isn’t it easy to find out?”

Liang Jin, uninterested in Pei Zhi’s schemes, ignored him.

But Zhou Qi perked up. “How would you test that?”

“He says he likes you, right? Then date him. Don’t give him a single benefit and see how long he sticks around.”

Liang Jin took a sip of wine and dismissed the idea. “Boring.”

Pei Zhi laughed and said, “It is boring, but then again, we don’t really have anything better to do.”

Zhou Qi added, “I actually think it’s pretty interesting. I’ve heard a few things about him—vain, materialistic, and greedy. But when he said he liked you just now, he seemed genuine. So, which one is true?”

Pei Zhi chimed in, “Exactly. Liang Jin, what do you think? He’s so good-looking; it’s not like you’d lose anything.”

“Just a waste of time,” Liang Jin replied dismissively.

Outside, light rain started to fall again. Liang Jin caught sight of an umbrella by the door—the one he had given Li Wenshui before.

Pei Zhi’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “It’s not like you’re short on time. How about we make a bet? Let’s see how long Li Wenshui’s so-called affection lasts if you don’t give him anything in return.” Pei Zhi nudged Liang Jin, who clearly didn’t want to participate. “I’ll make it big: I have a horse ranch in the western suburbs. If Li Wenshui lasts a month, I lose, and the ranch is yours.”

“I bet he won’t last three months. If I lose, you can borrow my private jet whenever you like,” Zhou Qi chimed in enthusiastically.

Even Su Yangqiu, who had been silent until now, placed a card on the table and said firmly, “One week.”

Liang Jin stood up, walked to the door, and picked up the umbrella. “I haven’t agreed yet. Isn’t it a bit early for you all to start betting?”

“So when will you agree? If you don’t, I might just go after Li Wenshui myself. I bet he’d agree to date me if I asked,” Pei Zhi said confidently.

Liang Jin opened the door, revealing a cryptic smile. “We’ll see.”

—

Li Wenshui had already walked quite a distance from the bar when he realized he hadn’t taken the umbrella. But since it belonged to Liang Jin, he decided to leave it behind. His face burned, and his chest felt a sour ache he couldn’t describe.

Liang Jin’s misinterpretation and rejection left him angry and defeated. The memory of Liang Jin’s dismissive words—“I don’t like you”—was vivid in his mind, replaying over and over. Li Wenshui sniffled, unsure why he felt so upset.

As the drizzle turned heavier, Li Wenshui, without an umbrella and unwilling to get soaked, jogged to a nearby bus stop for shelter. The rain poured down relentlessly, and as it did, his emotions began to settle.

The pressures of life rarely gave him time to grieve, and he had trained himself to calm down quickly. It seemed clear now—there was no path forward with Liang Jin. So be it. He’d give up.

A gust of cool wind swept past, but before the bus arrived, a black luxury van pulled up in front of him.

The door opened, and a man in a gray suit stepped out, heading straight for Li Wenshui. Remembering his past experience with Yu Zizhuo, Li Wenshui instinctively tried to run, but several other men jumped out of the van and quickly restrained him.

Soaked and trembling from the cold rain, Li Wenshui faced the suited man, who introduced himself calmly: “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sun Ming, the lawyer for Luo Jianan’s mother. I’m not here to harm you.”

Li Wenshui glared at him warily. “What do you want?”

Sun Ming took out a manila envelope, retrieved a stack of documents, and began reading from them. “In the four years you’ve known Young Master Luo, he made 63 bank transfers to you, totaling 37,000 yuan. Additionally, the branded gifts he gave you are roughly valued at 50,000 yuan.”

Li Wenshui interrupted, his voice sharp: “Those gifts were things Luo Jianan didn’t want anymore, and the money was payment for errands I ran for him. Are you here to take it all back?”

“We have no intention of taking anything back. Madam simply hopes you will stop exploiting Young Master Luo. Her love for her son compels her to make this request, and she hopes you will understand.”

Li Wenshui shoved the bodyguards aside and snatched the documents from Sun Ming’s hands. His eyes reddened with anger. “One says I take without earning, and another says I’m a con artist! What have I ever taken without earning? What have I ever conned anyone out of? Do you think having money gives you the right to slander people?”

Sun Ming’s expression remained neutral. “Whether or not it’s a con is for the courts to decide.”

“Fine! Go ahead and sue me!” Li Wenshui shouted, trembling with fury. “I can sue you for defamation too!”

“But as far as I know,” Sun Ming said calmly, “you don’t have the money to pursue a lawsuit.”

Li Wenshui’s outburst fizzled out as reality sank in. He loosened his grip. Yes, he had no money. When Yu Zizhuo spread false rumors about him, he couldn’t afford legal action. And now, when accused of fraud, he couldn’t fight back either.

Rain dripped from his hair into his eyes as he lowered his head in defeat.

Sun Ming added, “We won’t sue you as long as you stay away from Young Master Luo.”

Li Wenshui remained silent. Luo Jianan was his only friend. Even when he had approached Liang Jin, using Luo Jianan as leverage, he never thought it would mean losing him forever. Now these people were threatening him, forcing him to never see Luo Jianan again.

“Refuse, and you’ll need to come with us to see Madam,” Sun Ming warned. One of the bodyguards grabbed Li Wenshui’s arm, and as he struggled, the expensive mangos fell to the ground.

At that moment, a silver-gray car pulled up by the roadside, and the door opened—

“Uncle Ming, what’s going on here?” Liang Jin asked as he approached, holding an umbrella.

Sun Ming nodded at him. “Madam wishes to see him.”

Liang Jin glanced at Li Wenshui, who stood silently, looking like a drenched cat. Without hesitation, Liang Jin reached out, wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and pulled him close. Smiling, he said, “I understand what this is about. Uncle Ming, you can head back now. I’ll speak with Aunt another day.”

Sun Ming looked at Li Wenshui for a moment before turning his gaze back to Liang Jin. “Alright. Drive safely in this rain.”

With that, Sun Ming and his men got into their car and left.

Liang Jin tightened his hold on Li Wenshui and teased, “Didn’t I warn you before not to wait until my aunt took action? What did Uncle Ming say to you? Is this little bit of pressure enough to knock you down?”

Li Wenshui shoved Liang Jin away and bent down to pick up the scattered mangos. Three of the five mangos had split open, the flesh mixing with rainwater. Heartbroken over the waste, he muttered to himself. They were expensive; he couldn’t just throw them away.

Liang Jin crouched down and reached for the ruined mangos. “Just leave them.”

Li Wenshui swatted his hand away and carefully gathered the mangos into the bag. Then, without another word, he stood and strode toward the bus stop. His silhouette seemed fragile and lonely, as if he might shatter with the slightest touch.

A flicker of an unreadable emotion flashed in Liang Jin’s eyes. He quickly caught up with Li Wenshui, forcefully wrapping an arm around his waist and shoving him into the car.

Liang Jin slid into the seat next to him. “I’ll take you home.”

Li Wenshui’s shoulders trembled uncontrollably, his fists clenched tightly, turning pale. In a low voice, he said, “I’ve decided. I’ll stay away from all of you. You don’t have to drive me; I have legs. I can walk.”

For a moment, Liang Jin thought he might have seen tears in Li Wenshui’s eyes, but when he leaned closer, he only saw dampness mixed with complex, suppressed emotions that he couldn’t quite decipher.

The car heater hummed softly, and Liang Jin draped a blanket over Li Wenshui. “Calm down for now.”

The interior of the car was silent except for the muffled sounds of rain pattering outside. Liang Jin cracked open a window and leaned against it, smoking a cigarette.

Time passed. The sun set, and the sky turned dark. Li Wenshui eventually calmed down.

Liang Jin stubbed out his cigarette, reached out to check Li Wenshui’s clothes, and found they were mostly dry. “Feeling better now?”

Li Wenshui took a deep breath and nodded. “Much better.”

At that moment, someone tapped on the car window. Liang Jin accepted a shopping bag from the person outside, shut the window, and placed the bag on Li Wenshui’s lap.

Li Wenshui looked down and saw a box of exquisitely packaged cake.

“I remember Jianan mentioning that you like this,” Liang Jin said with a smile.

When Li Wenshui opened the box, he immediately recognized the cake as a specialty from a famous boutique bakery in the city, one so exclusive that people often had to wait in line to get it. He’d always heard how delicious it was but had never been willing to splurge on it.

As the sweetness melted in his mouth, color gradually returned to his pale face.

Liang Jin rested his chin on his hand, watching him for a while. Li Wenshui ate the cake delicately, taking tiny bites as if afraid it might run out too soon. A bit of cream clung to his pink lips, and he licked it away with his tongue.

After eating only a third of the cake, Li Wenshui carefully packed the rest back into the box, intending to save it for Li Wenshing.

“Thank you for the cake,” he said, savoring the lingering taste as he licked his lips.

“No need to thank me,” Liang Jin replied. After a brief pause, he asked, “Do you really like me?”

Li Wenshui froze for a moment, softly murmuring, “Huh?”

“You’re not after anything?”

Li Wenshui looked directly into Liang Jin’s eyes. “What are you trying to say?”

Liang Jin leaned back slightly and spoke calmly. “Do you want to be with me, Li Wenshui?”

He continued before Wenshui could respond, “Don’t rush to agree. I have two conditions. First, no one else can know about our relationship. Second,” Liang Jin’s hand gently caressed Wenshui’s cheek as he met his shining eyes, “since you claim you’re not after anything, I’ll take your word for it. But if you ever ask me for money or power, this relationship will end.”

“For fairness, you can also name two conditions of your own—anything unrelated to money or power—and I’ll promise to fulfill them. And if you ever decide you want to end this relationship, just let me know. I never cling to anyone.”

Lhaozi’s Note: Anyone reading? Ready your thick faced because we will experience second hand embarrasement always hahaha and oh, a tissue hahahaha