The house was filled with relatives and friends, and Li Qun’s face was full of vigilance, afraid that Li Wenshui might cause trouble. Ever since his remarriage, Li Wenshui had frequently embarrassed him, creating chaos and leaving the family in constant turmoil. It wasn’t until the day Li Wenshui moved out that Li Qun could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Among his three children, Li Qun believed Li Wenshui was the most worthless one.

Leaning against the banquet table, Li Wenshui coldly pulled out a photo from the envelope, giving it a quick glance before forcefully throwing it at Li Qun’s face.

“What’s the meaning of this? Why would you introduce Wenqing to him? This man looks like he’s forty!”

Li Qun’s face turned red with embarrassment. He suppressed his anger and grabbed Li Wenshui by the arm, dragging him toward the door.

“I’m just thinking of Wenqing’s future. His family is wealthy enough to provide her with a life of luxury—what’s so bad about that? And I’m not forcing her. If you’re not interested, then forget it. Now leave and stop embarrassing me here!”

Near the large, spotless floor-to-ceiling windows, piles of birthday gifts were stacked. A nanny casually picked up an expensive jade pendant to tease the baby in her arms, who giggled innocently. The child, oblivious to everything, had been destined for a life of privilege and abundance from the moment she was born.

Meanwhile, Li Wenqing, with her outstanding grades, intelligence, and bright future, was being introduced to an old man at the prime of her youth.

How ironic.

Shaking off Li Qun’s grip, Li Wenshui grabbed another glass of wine, downed it in one gulp, and then smashed the glass at Li Qun’s feet with a resounding crash.

His eyes were sharp, his presence overwhelming. “Don’t you know Wenqing is only eighteen? Her life has just begun, and you’re already trying to marry her off? Do you think everyone is as shameless as you, groveling and becoming a live-in son-in-law?”

Li Qun’s face turned dark with rage, the veins on his forehead bulging.

Li Wenshui pointed at the baby and shouted, his voice sharp and piercing, “Would you let her get married at eighteen?”

“Waaaah!” The baby’s ear-piercing cries filled the room, clearly frightened by Li Wenshui’s outburst.

Hearing the commotion, Wu Dongya hurried over, anxiously scooping up the baby while casting a glance at the troublemaker. Her expression twisted in shock and disgust, as if she’d seen something filthy.

“Li Qun, why is he here? Call security and throw this lunatic out! What bad luck!”

“Me, bad luck? Aren’t you two worse? One shameless homewrecker and one scumbag who abandoned his wife and kids—you’re truly a perfect match!”

Wu Dongya screamed, “Li Qun, shut him up!”

Li Qun swung his fist, and before Li Wenshui could react, the blow landed squarely. His frail body had no chance against the solid punch of a middle-aged man.

The force sent him reeling, stumbling into a table, which overturned with a loud crash. Wine glasses shattered on the ground in a chaotic clatter.

Lying on the floor covered in shards of glass, Li Wenshui felt a warm liquid seeping into his ear, accompanied by a faint buzzing sound.

Everything around him fell silent. Every eye in the room was now fixed on him.

Through gritted teeth, Li Qun snarled, “Have I gone too long without teaching you a lesson? If you want to cause trouble, do it somewhere else. This isn’t your home!”

Li Wenshui’s face burned with pain. After a moment of composure, he slowly got up from the floor. It was no surprise that Li Qun had hit him; after all, he had been beaten frequently as a child. Li Qun didn’t just hit him; he also beat his mother, and it was because she couldn’t stand his long-term domestic abuse that she chose to leave.

Li Wenshui lifted his head high, straightened his back, and with half of his face swollen and bruised, stared directly at Li Qun, his gaze sending a chill down Li Qun’s spine. Everyone around them was watching the spectacle, and no one ever stood by Li Wenshui’s side. Li Liyan, who had been lingering at the edge of the crowd, was the first to snap out of it. He hurriedly approached Li Wenshui and cautiously asked, “Ge, are you okay?”

Li Wenshui shoved him away. “Get lost!”

Li Liyan stumbled backward, but was steadyed by Liang Jin. So Liang Jin was here too. After a brief exchange of glances, Li Wenshui turned his eyes away, no longer caring if Liang Jin saw the worst side of him. He took out his phone and dialed the police.

After Li Wenshui called the police, the well-planned full moon celebration came to an abrupt end. The police took them to the station for investigation, collecting evidence and questioning them until the early hours of the morning.

When the mediation began, Li Qun didn’t think he had done anything wrong. He argued confidently, “What’s wrong with teaching my son a lesson? It’s perfectly natural for a father to discipline his son!”

Li Wenshui, arms crossed, didn’t even look at him. His tone was clear and resolute: “I request a medical examination for the injuries. I don’t agree to any settlement.”

Li Liyan suddenly realized the gravity of the situation and whispered to Wu Dongya, “Mom, if my brother doesn’t back down, Dad might be sentenced for intentional injury. It could be a year, or maybe three.”

Wu Dongya was horrified, glaring with disgust at Li Wenshui, her eyes filled with disbelief. How could a son be so heartless as to send his own father to prison?

In the end, Li Wenshui was taken for a medical examination, and Li Qun was detained.

By the time Li Wenshui left the hospital, it was already past 1 AM. The night sky was dark, and everything was silent. His right ear continued to buzz, and he could barely hear anything clearly. He patted his ear, but the sudden sharp pain felt like needles pricking him, making him gasp in discomfort.

Wu Dongya and Li Liyan had been waiting for him. As soon as he emerged, they approached him. The woman no longer had the haughty attitude she displayed at the banquet. She reluctantly softened her tone to speak to her despised stepson: “Wenshui, if this matter can be resolved privately, why involve the police? Auntie knows you don’t lack money, but Wenqing is about to go to college and will need money. How about you tell me how much you need, and I’ll try to help.”

Li Wenshui remained expressionless and changed direction, walking away.

Wu Dongya hurriedly stepped in front of him, handing him a bank card, seemingly afraid that he would return it. She stepped back a few paces and called out from a distance, “This is 50,000 yuan. If it’s not enough, come to me again. Wenshui, your father was wrong to hit you, but please try to understand me. Your little sister just turned one month old. You wouldn’t want her to grow up without a father, would you? She doesn’t understand anything; she’s innocent.”

Li Wenshui clenched his hands behind his back, his lips pressing into a tight line. He thought to himself, does that mean Wenqing and I are at fault too? But Li Wenshui wouldn’t express such weakness. “I don’t want to talk to you right now. If you want to communicate, contact my lawyer.”

Wu Dongya was taken aback. She knew Li Wenshui wouldn’t be so easily swayed.

“Why bother with a lawyer? It’s a waste of money. Just go home and rest. Tomorrow, we can talk things over properly.”

Li Liyan grabbed Wu Dongya’s arm and whispered, “Mom, go back to the car. I’ll talk to my brother.”

Li Wenshui raised his foot to leave, but Li Liyan quickly caught up. He hadn’t noticed the extent of Li Wenshui’s injuries earlier, but now he could see that his brother’s under-eye area was swollen and bruised, and there were several small cuts oozing blood. His previously stunning appearance was no longer recognizable.

“Dad went too far this time. You’re already this old, and he still hits you. Let me take a look.”

Li Wenshui instinctively took a step back, pushing his hand away forcefully. “Don’t touch me.”

Li Liyan took a deep breath. “Can’t you forgive Dad? If you hadn’t caused a scene today, made things difficult for my parents, how would it have come to this? I don’t understand what you’ve been fighting for all these years. There are so many families out there with misfortune, but none of them hold on like you do!”

Li Wenshui’s ears, along with his temples, throbbed with pain. He dug into his ears, which were wet, his fingers stained with blood. Hatred flashed in his eyes. “Is it so hard to understand? I just don’t want your family to have a good life.”

Li Liyan didn’t try to stop him from leaving again, still feeling that Li Wenshui was being unreasonable. At the bus stop at this hour, only a single small light illuminated the area. The buses had stopped running, and the streets were deserted, not even a taxi in sight. The night wind blew, and Li Wenshui felt cold from head to toe. He hugged himself tightly, crouching down, and dialed Luo Jianan’s number. The only friend he could rely on was Luo Jianan. He also understood that this “reliability” was because Luo Jianan liked him. Liang Jin was right; he was taking advantage of Luo Jianan’s feelings for him. It was shameless, selfish, but that was just how twisted and dark he was.

After a while, a car drove up. The door opened automatically, and under the streetlight, Li Wenshui tightly grasped a bank card, his body curled into a ball, his bright pink hair blowing into various shapes by the wind. He lifted his head, his round eyes no longer fierce, with a faint red tint around his eyes and nose, looking both beautiful and innocent. If Liang Jin had to describe Li Wenshui with an animal, it would be a wild cat: cute in appearance, knowing how to use its advantages to beg for food from humans. Li Wenshui must have used this look to deceive his cousin countless times.

“Liang Jin?” Li Wenshui’s surprise was brief. He tucked the bank card into his pocket, his sharpness returning to his face. A quick change in expression was also a trait of a little wild cat, Liang Jin thought.

“Jianan had something come up and couldn’t make it, so I’m here to give you a ride,” Liang Jin smiled. “Congrats, you’ve achieved your goal. The money in the card should be enough to settle your debts for the month, right?”

Li Wenshui’s face hurt, his ears still aching, but he didn’t want to argue. He sat in the passenger seat, slightly raising his chin. “If I can get the money, I guess it’s my skill.”

Liang Jin wasn’t surprised by Li Wenshui’s smugness; he had seen many people like him. “Your little tantrum got everyone sent to the police station,” Liang Jin said, his arm around Li Wenshui’s side. “Some people’s business got delayed, others lost time, and I missed my appointment. My little boyfriend is throwing a breakup tantrum.”

Li Wenshui leaned back against the chair, feeling uncomfortable with Liang Jin so close to him. They were almost face-to-face. He could smell Liang Jin’s faint perfume and feel his warm breath. Liang Jin fastened Li Wenshui’s seatbelt, then casually returned to the driver’s seat. “Not causing trouble for others is a true skill.”

Suddenly drawing close, then pulling back, Liang Jin moved smoothly and naturally.

Li Wenshui wasn’t as calm as Liang Jin. He tried to act nonchalant. “Aren’t you the one who doesn’t want to talk about relationships?”

Liang Jin raised an eyebrow. “Did you inquire about me?”

“No,” Li Wenshui turned his gaze to the night outside the window.

Liang Jin didn’t need Li Wenshui to ask. Who didn’t know that the most powerful young master of the Liang family in the capital was a playboy, only sleeping around and not dating? Because of his lack of affection, Liang Jin spoke about breakups without any emotional fluctuation, as if he weren’t talking about his own situation.

“But I’ve heard about you,” Liang Jin smiled. “They say you’re selfish, vain, and mean. Your popularity isn’t very good.”

Liang Jin’s words weren’t pleasant. From the moment they got in the car, he seemed friendly and approachable, but his words were full of jabs at Li Wenshui. Li Wenshui wasn’t blind to it, and if it were anyone else, he would have snapped by now. But not with Liang Jin. He couldn’t afford to provoke him.

Pretending not to care, he replied, “What’s the use of good popularity? Can it send me money?”

“At least with good popularity, you wouldn’t only have to call Jianan at this hour,” Liang Jin’s tone was calm. “You should only have Jianan as a friend? Or maybe only Jianan, the little fool, listens to you. But Li Wenshui,” he shifted his tone, “have you forgotten my advice?”

Liang Jin kept his eyes on the road, never looking at Li Wenshui, but Li Wenshui could feel an intense pressure coming from all directions, suffocating him.

The car suddenly stopped, and outside was a dark, old alley.

“Don’t look for Jianan anymore. He’s not someone like you, can reach,” Liang Jin gave his final warning.

The car door opened, and the headlights shone into the dark alley, which seemed endless. “The car can’t go further in. I’ll leave you here.”

Li Wenshui didn’t want to stay a second longer. He quickly got out of the car, his eyes full of frustration. He didn’t want to be controlled by anyone, but he had no confidence to say “no” to Liang Jin.

Because Liang Jin knew everything about him—knew he lived in such a miserable place, knew his wealth was just a facade, and knew how insignificant he was.

After Li Wenshui returned home, he slept for only three hours before rushing to his part-time job. Strangely, today was the repayment day, but Zhao Mingcheng didn’t pressure him. After transferring the money Wu Dongya had given him, Zhao Mingcheng unexpectedly sent him a message asking: “Li Wenshui, what’s your relationship with Liang Ge?” Li Wenshui understood—Zhao Mingcheng thought he was involved with Liang Jin. He didn’t reply to Zhao Mingcheng, letting him believe the misunderstanding, it wasn’t too bad. At least Zhao Mingcheng would definitely not dare to seek revenge for the punch now. He roughly calculated that, after deducting the high-interest loan, the money to cover the clothes damage, and the living expenses for Li Wenqing, only 8,000 yuan was left. That amount wouldn’t last long. His ears still hurt, but he was too lazy to go to the hospital, so he bought some anti-inflammatory medicine from the drugstore to make do.

His part-time job was at a popular hotpot restaurant with heavy foot traffic. Li Wenshui worked two day shifts and one night shift. Though exhausting, the wages were high, and the payment was daily. Otherwise, he didn’t know how he could come up with the fixed monthly loan payments. After completing two days of shifts, that evening, Li Wenshui left the hotpot restaurant, feeling weak in the legs. He didn’t return home; instead, he went to the night market to buy a box of fruit salad and spicy stir-fried rice cakes. He then took the bus to the busiest area of Jing City.

When he got off the bus, the area was brightly lit, with people everywhere, nothing like the small alley he lived in, which was always dark with no one around at night. When he reached the entrance of the residential complex, the security guard gave him a thorough look, as if interrogating a criminal, and asked where he was going and who he was looking for. After answering each question, the guard still had to make a phone call to confirm before letting him in.

This high-end residential area had one unit per floor. As soon as Li Wenshui exited the elevator, Luo Jianan, who had been waiting for him, grabbed him and pulled him into the spacious, bright living room. “Wenshui, what happened to your face? Your lips are pale, are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m fine, just had a small fall,” Li Wenshui said, setting down his snacks and clearing the used dishes from the table. “I brought you something you like, come eat.”

“As long as you’re okay,” Luo Jianan happily opened the food box, eating while smiling at Li Wenshui. “Wenshui, you’re so nice. Stay over at my place tonight? I just bought a new gaming console, we can play together!”

Li Wenshui picked up Luo Jianan’s notebook and quickly began scrolling through it. His brow furrowed slightly. “Didn’t I already fix the format for you? Why is it messed up again? And your conclusion and references are empty, didn’t I send those to you?”

Luo Jianan scratched his head. “Don’t be mad, I really don’t know how to do it, Wenshui, can you write it for me?”

Li Wenshui sighed heavily. He had already sent Luo Jianan the template, materials, topics, and ideas for his graduation thesis. At this point, it was almost like writing it for him.

“I just want you to put the content together according to the template. It’ll be much easier for the defense if you have a basic understanding,” Li Wenshui snatched the fruit from Luo Jianan’s hand and pushed the computer towards him. “Stop eating, the first draft is due soon. Hurry up and finish it, I’ll revise it for you.”

Luo Jianan: “…Alright.”

Li Wenshui didn’t stop for a moment and found Luo Jianan’s online store account book in the study.

After his internship in his senior year, Luo Jianan didn’t want to look for a job, so his mother opened a clothing online store for him to learn online sales, which also helped with the school’s employment rate requirement. Li Wenshui’s employment agreement was also listed under Luo Jianan’s online store. Luo Jianan’s strict mother had only one demand for the underachiever, Luo Jianan: to keep the accounts in order. However, the account book was messily written: “This month’s inventory: ten items, sold eight.” There were no prices or categories listed. Li Wenshui: “…”

As the top student in the finance department, Li Wenshui couldn’t bear such a disorganized account. He flipped through the bills for the past two months. Last month’s work was at least somewhat decent—at least he used the loan table—but the accounts were still not balanced. Li Wenshui thought that Luo Jianan was just born into a good family. If it were him, he probably wouldn’t even have enough to eat.

“Where are the receipts and the transaction records from last month?” Li Wenshui asked.

Luo Jianan was frowning over his thesis. “The receipts are in the drawer, and the transaction records are on the computer.”

Li Wenshui opened the drawer and found a mess of purchase receipts, including one from a year ago when he bought a gaming console.

“Do you have enough receipts?”

“Well, they’re all there, but some might have been lost.”

“Your March accounts are wrong. How can you still be selling at a loss?”

Luo Jianan put his hands on his head in frustration. “I don’t know, that’s why I asked for your help. Tomorrow my mom is going to check the accounts, and I can’t just waste the money she’s giving me!”

Li Wenshui gritted his teeth, reminding himself that this wasn’t a group project—this was his part-time job. Li Wenshui worked efficiently and finished sorting out almost half a year’s worth of accounts for Luo Jianan in an hour, also organizing the receipts. When he looked up, he saw that Luo Jianan had already fallen asleep at the desk.

Li Wenshui: “…”

He gently covered Luo Jianan with a blanket and was about to leave when his arm was suddenly grabbed. “Don’t go. Stay at my place? I still have something for you.”

Luo Jianan’s dark eyes were full of longing.

Li Wenshui hesitated. “What is it?”

Luo Jianan immediately perked up, running to his bedroom and coming back with an LV shopping bag, inside which was a light pink floral dress. “I bought this for my niece, but it’s too big for her. Since your sister is a year older, she should be able to wear it.”

Li Wenshui thought that it was almost summer, and Li Wenqing was still wearing her spring school uniform. He happily accepted the gift. “Thanks. It must’ve been expensive?”

Luo Jianan shrugged. “It wasn’t that expensive, just under 20,000 yuan.”

Li Wenshui lowered his eyes. “20,000 isn’t much? It must be nice to have money.”

“Our family isn’t that wealthy,” Luo Jianan replied, “Compared to my cousin’s family, we’re nothing.”

Luo Jianan thought for a moment about how to describe the Liang family’s wealth. He pulled Li Wenshui to the balcony and pointed to the nearby shining commercial street. “That whole area belongs to my cousin’s family.”

Li Wenshui leaned against the railing, staring at the bustling scene in the distance without blinking. He had once fantasized that if he ever had money, he would rent a storefront there and open a cake shop.

Luo Jianan turned his head, and Li Wenshui’s soft pink hair fluttered gently in the night breeze, like cherry blossoms falling on his head, serene and beautiful.

“Wenshui, why don’t you quit looking for a job and work for my online store?”

“Don’t joke, you only sell eight pieces of clothing a month. If I follow you, I’ll starve to death.”

Luo Jianan leaned on the railing, tilting his head seriously. “I won’t let you starve. I have enough money to pay your salary.”

Li Wenshui saw the intense feelings rising in Luo Jianan’s eyes. It was like being burned by that gaze, and he quickly looked away. “I’m tired. I’m going to take a shower.”

Luo Jianan’s face showed disappointment. “I’ve prepared toiletries for you, all new, in the bathroom cabinet.”

Li Wenshui walked into the bathroom. “Thanks, you’re so considerate. Your future girlfriend will be lucky!”

Luo Jianan sighed heavily and stayed on the balcony for a while, letting the wind blow through his hair, until the doorbell rang, pulling his thoughts back.

He opened the door in confusion, just as Li Wenshui was finishing his shower. Luo Jianan stammered, “Cousin, what are you doing here?”

“Why didn’t you answer the phone? Your mom is worried sick and asked me to come check on you.”

“Maybe my phone ran out of battery.” Liang Jin didn’t say anything more and his gaze moved past Luo Jianan, landing on Li Wenshui.

Li Wenshui, with his damp hair, was wearing mismatched slippers and a bathrobe, the collar loosely hanging open, revealing a large area of his neck. His skin was as white as snow, and his bright eyes and perfect teeth made him look almost ethereal. The two of them locked eyes, and the air seemed to freeze.

Luo Jianan was the first to react. “I asked Wenshui to help me revise my thesis. Wenshui, if you’re tired, go back to your room and rest. It’s the same room you stayed in before.”

Li Wenshui averted his gaze and walked up the stairs. “See you tomorrow.”

A trace of displeasure flickered in Liang Jin’s smiling eyes. Li Wenshui was so tactless.

Luo Jianan insisted, “Cousin, stay here tonight. Your room is still waiting for you.”

When Liang Jin didn’t move, Luo Jianan realized that Li Wenshui had ended up wearing his cousin’s slippers. He knelt in front of the shoe cabinet, “Let me find you a new pair of slippers.”

Liang Jin leaned lazily against the doorframe, crossing his arms. “What do you like about him? His looks?”

Li Wenshui’s only redeeming feature was his face.

Luo Jianan scrambled through the cabinets, “No, although Wenshui is really good-looking, I like his personality.”

Liang Jin raised an eyebrow, thinking of Li Wenshui’s poor character. “Such as?”

“He’s kind, he helps small animals, and he gets really emotional watching movies.”

Liang Jin dismissed Luo Jianan’s words as a joke. Someone who didn’t shed a tear after taking a punch would be moved by a movie?

Luo Jianan finally found a slipper. “He’s very thoughtful. He knows I’m allergic to scallions, so he always brings me food without scallions. You also know that I’m hardly ever at school, but all my assignments and papers are written by Wenshui. Before the finals, he stayed up late tutoring me.”

“He does it to earn money,” Liang Jin interjected.

Luo Jianan placed the slipper at Liang Jin’s feet. “You can’t say that. I willingly pay him. I’m happy to do so because Wenshui treats me really well. He does get a bit short-tempered sometimes, but he’s actually really cute. Plus, he even brought me some delicious food today.”

Cute? Is that the person who splashed wine on someone’s face? Or the one who smashed a wine glass on the floor?

“How much did you pay him for writing the thesis?”

“Five thousand yuan. It wasn’t just for the thesis, he also helped me with my accounts.”

“Are the junk foods on the table worth 20 yuan?” Liang Jin changed into his slippers and walked over to the wine cabinet, picking out a bottle of red wine. “You’re swooning over such small favors? Luo Jianan, don’t be fooled. Everything you’ve said could easily be faked.”

Luo Jianan frowned. “Cousin, I don’t want to hear you talk bad about Wenshui. I know what kind of person he is.”

Liang Jin sipped his red wine, noncommittal.

*

Li Wenshui hadn’t been to Luo Jianan’s house in a while. It was nice to have money—there was a spacious room, a light quilt, and even the mattress was incredibly comfortable. The room smelled faintly sweet, a scent he felt he had smelled before but couldn’t quite place. As for Liang Jin… After a tiring day, he didn’t feel like thinking about it. He would deal with tomorrow’s matters tomorrow.

A long time later, the bedroom door opened again. Liang Jin, who had drunk a glass of red wine while soaking in the bath, felt the drowsiness take over. He took off his bathrobe, lifted the covers, and lay down on the bed.

Lhaozi’s Note: Hope you are enjoying this novel, I am the translator, currently working on this one, If you encounter any grammatical error or spelling please comment so that I will fixed it, thankyou. Enjoy reading!