What is wrong with this world? Qi Beisong going after men was already enough, but the original host also happened to like men? Is it that hard to find a straight guy?!
(Then again, if the original host was straight, how would he have ended up as an MB in the first place?)

“Let go!” Cheng Ji shouted.
“I won’t, Cheng Cheng!” The man hugged him even tighter. “You’re so handsome, so irresistible!”
“I said, LET GO!!”

To make things worse, the man suddenly leaned in to kiss Cheng Ji on the face. “Love me just a little, I’m begging you! I want you!”
“One more move and I’ll hit you!!!”
“Cheng Cheng!”

Cheng Ji lifted his foot and kicked him more than a meter away.
The man immediately fell to the ground, staying there for a while before lifting his head to cry out in anguish, “Cheng Cheng… why are you treating me like this?”
Cheng Ji responded, “I’m giving you ten seconds to leave my house. If you don’t, don’t blame me for being rough!”

He was furious, his scalp prickling as if needles were stabbing into it, feeling like his patience had been completely worn out by this stranger.
It was obvious to him that the original host and this guy didn’t have a simple relationship—this was a shameless opportunist.

The original host’s phone was in Cheng Ji’s possession, and there wasn’t the slightest hint of romance in it. Even if the original host had kept a low profile due to being in a same-sex relationship, there would’ve been some clues.
If they were dating, the phone would show evidence—text exchanges, repeated call logs, shared photos, or even subtle hints like two cups of milk tea, two glasses of wine, or fingers entwined. But there was nothing. The phone only contained a few random game screenshots, very few selfies, and the main contacts were his mother, Xu Le le, and Dr. Zhu from the Fourth People Hospital. He didn’t even have this guy on his WeChat.

The original host’s disappearance had been sudden, not premeditated. There was no time to clean out his phone.

“But I really like you, Cheng Cheng!” the man persisted.
“Five seconds left,” Cheng Ji said coldly. “Get out of my house.”

If the original host didn’t acknowledge this person, then Cheng Ji had every reason to continue disregarding him.

“Cheng Cheng!” the man cried out in desperation. “I was wrong! I’m apologizing, isn’t that enough? I lost my mind! I’ve had such a miserable year! Can we start over?”

Wrong? Apologizing? Lost his mind? Why?
So… was this the ex-boyfriend who cheated?

Sure enough, the man’s next words were, “It was just a fling with her!”

“…” Cheng Ji crouched down and asked, “Have I ever hit you before?”
Judging the man’s expression, he said, “No, huh?”

He nodded to himself. “Well, today’s the day to break that streak!”

Grabbing the man’s collar with one hand, he lifted him off the ground. Before he could even prepare to throw a punch, there was suddenly a loud, urgent banging at the door. The force made it sound like the police raiding for gambling or prostitution.

What the hell was going on? Was he some kind of magnet for trouble? He had only come home to look for money, yet he couldn’t get a moment of peace!

Annoyed, he dragged the cheating ex to the door to open it. Standing outside was Qi Beisong.

“…”

For about ten seconds, neither side spoke. Cheng Ji even forgot to run, dumbfounded as he made eye contact with Qi Beisong. He suddenly noticed how striking Qi Beisong’s eyes were, like deep pools in a cold, dark night, reflecting nothing but his own image.

It seemed to be snowing again outside. Fine droplets clung to Qi Beisong’s long, dark eyelashes, traces of melting snow from his body heat.

Qi Beisong was half a head taller than Cheng Ji, gazing down at him. His expression wasn’t one of disdain or hatred—but it wasn’t kind either.
Suddenly, Qi Beisong pulled out his phone, snapped a picture of Cheng Ji’s face, and sent it to a group chat. He captioned it: “Everyone, take a good look. This is the little brat.”
The chat was his personal bodyguard group, which, counting him, had six members—none of them soft-hearted.

Wang Beifeng, idle at Changkang Hospital, replied within three seconds: “Hey, not bad-looking!”
Qi Beisong shot back with a voice message: “I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

Cheng Ji was startled by the photo-taking and stepped back, his already large eyes widening further.
At this moment, the ex-boyfriend spoke up first: “Cheng Cheng, no wonder you won’t take me back. Have you fallen for him?”

Cheng Ji snapped out of it, turned his head, and asked, “What nonsense are you spouting?!”

The ex-boyfriend persisted, “You’re not even giving me a chance anymore? I made one little mistake—everyone makes mistakes like that. I already know I was wrong. Why won’t you give me a chance to fix things, Cheng Cheng?”

Before Cheng Ji could respond, Qi Beisong interjected, “Hey, you over there. Who are you?”
The ex-boyfriend replied, “I’m Xu Liang.”

Qi Beisong said, “Oh, no wonder you’re ‘Liang’ (cold). Even your name says so. But who asked for your name? I asked who you are.”
Xu Liang replied, “I’m Cheng Cheng’s boyfriend.”

Cheng Ji immediately let go of Xu Liang’s collar and frowned, saying, “I don’t know this guy!”

Qi Beisong looked Xu Liang up and down. His gaze was anything but polite—it would have been kinder to a stray dog. Cheng Ji recognized that look; it was the same one Qi Beisong gave him the first time they met in Room 388, when Manager Zhou brought him in.

“Ah, so he’s the boyfriend of an enemy,” Qi Beisong said with a smirk. “That makes him an enemy too, doesn’t it, Mr. Cheng?”

Cheng Ji had no idea what Qi Beisong was up to and shot him a glare.

Qi Beisong added, “Well then, I won’t hold back.”
“??”

Qi Beisong threw a punch that slammed Xu Liang into the wall!

Standing at 1.85 meters and weighing 80 kilograms, Qi Beisong didn’t even need to punch—just leaning on someone could be devastating. Xu Liang, an ordinary guy, couldn’t withstand the blow. He fell flat on his back and passed out on the spot. This was far worse than the kick he’d received from Cheng Ji earlier, which had been a calculated push using only his lower leg.

“Pretty good at fighting, huh?” Qi Beisong turned and asked Cheng Ji provocatively.
Cheng Ji replied coldly, “Don’t be ridiculous, idiot. You’re just picking on someone weaker than you.”

Qi Beisong said, “You’ve called me an idiot twice to my face and said I was childish once. I’ve kept track of all of it.”
“So what?” Cheng Ji retorted icily.

Qi Beisong asked, “Do you even realize what’s happening right now?”
“And what’s that?”

“Qi Ye is repaying evil with kindness,” Qi Beisong said. “He was bullying you just now, wasn’t he?”
“…”

Cheng Ji pointed to his unconscious ex-boyfriend, lying in the doorway, and said, “Report him? To hell with that! If this wasn’t my house and I wasn’t worried about breaking stuff, you’d already be lying next to him!”

Qi Beisong, also pointing at the ex, retorted indignantly, “You had the nerve to throw a punch at me but ended up with someone like this? What the hell is your taste? He bullied you—why didn’t you fight back?”
Cheng Ji snapped angrily, “I didn’t fall for him, I don’t even know him! And why do I have to explain this to you?!”

“Because starting now, you’re mine. I’m taking you with me!” Qi Beisong declared.
Cheng Ji raised an eyebrow. “Where to?”
“My place,” Qi Beisong said.

Cheng Ji blinked, glancing behind Qi Beisong. “You plan to kidnap me? How many people did you bring?”
“You’re sharp,” Qi Beisong admitted with a smug grin. “I brought two. One’s waiting on the stairs, and the other’s in the car downstairs. Both are ex-military and quite capable fighters.”

Cheng Ji didn’t reply.

Qi Beisong continued, “You got me locked up by the cops for six hours. Isn’t it fair for me to hold you for a few hours in return?”
“Fair enough!” Cheng Ji nodded decisively, catching Qi Beisong off guard. “Can I at least change clothes first?”

By the time Qi Beisong entered the house, it had been over ten minutes since Cheng Ji showered, so he didn’t notice Cheng Ji had already changed clothes. He generously said, “Sure, go ahead.”

Cheng Ji headed toward his bedroom, but Qi Beisong followed him. Cheng Ji stopped at the doorway and said, “I’m changing my underwear. Can you give me some privacy?”
“You? As if you’re worth looking at,” Qi Beisong scoffed arrogantly.

Truth be told, Cheng Ji wasn’t Qi Beisong’s type. Maybe the face, but definitely not the personality.

Leaving aside the “looks good” prerequisite, Qi Beisong usually stuck to a specific type: obedient, gentle, even a bit soft, for the sake of convenience and avoiding hassle. He didn’t mind spending lavishly on gifts, but he wasn’t one for lengthy conversations.

And why would he need to talk much? There were plenty of people willing to throw themselves at him.

Yet Cheng Ji was the MB (male companion) he had conversed with the most—by far.

He was also the one who lingered in Qi Beisong’s mind the longest, completely against his own will.

“If I’m not worth looking at, why are you following me?” Cheng Ji asked with a smirk.
“Fine, go ahead!” Qi Beisong stopped, putting on an air of arrogance.

Cheng Ji partially closed the door, leaving a two-inch gap, just enough for Qi Beisong to see faint movement inside. Then he opened the wardrobe to block the view, grabbed a pre-packed backpack from the bed, and slipped out onto the balcony.

The balcony wasn’t enclosed, with only an air conditioning unit and some metal brackets outside. Cheng Ji stepped onto the AC unit, grabbed a nearby lightning rod for support, and easily climbed onto the rooftop.

By the time Qi Beisong realized something was off, Cheng Ji was already on the roof.

Qi Beisong didn’t expect him to dare climb out from the fifth floor. At first, he searched the room, overturning everything. Then he rushed to the balcony and looked up and down.

“He’s on the roof!” Qi Beisong confirmed.

He dashed to the staircase and shouted, “Chen Chuan!!”
One of his bodyguards, Chen Chuan, called back, “I’m on the third floor!”

“Find the emergency ladder and get to the roof! He’s escaping!”

Chen Chuan immediately climbed to the fourth-floor landing and found the emergency ladder.

The ladder wasn’t much of a safety feature, just a dozen horizontal iron bars fixed to the wall. The lowest rung was over two meters above the ground—probably to prevent reckless kids and adults from climbing up.

Qi Beisong leaned out of the stairwell window and yelled down, “Lei Jing!!”
Lei Jing, his other bodyguard, looked up. “What?”
“Block him! Don’t let him escape!”
“Huh??”

By the time Qi Beisong and Chen Chuan managed to climb to the roof, Cheng Ji was already gone, having descended via another unit’s staircase. Since they hadn’t seen where he went, they had no idea which unit he exited from.

The building had three sections: A, B, and C. Cheng Ji’s family lived in section B. To avoid missing him, Qi Beisong and Chen Chuan split up to search sections A and C.

However, the building had a flaw for Cheng Ji: one side bordered a nearby institution’s high wall, which happened to belong to a bank branch. The wall was extremely tall and equipped with an electric fence.

Cheng Ji couldn’t climb it, and when he reached the ground floor, he realized all the exits led to the same street—where Qi Beisong’s Bentley and Lei Jing were waiting.

He was starting to get a headache.

…

When Qi Beisong and Chen Chuan angrily arrived, Cheng Ji was nowhere to be seen. Lei Jing, however, stood there, gazing thoughtfully in a certain direction.

“Old Lei, you let him get away?!” Qi Beisong asked, furious.
Lei Jing shook his head. “He’s just too nimble. He slipped away right under my nose.”
“Why didn’t you chase him?!”

Lei Jing remembered the “24-hour ceasefire” agreement. He had intentionally let Cheng Ji go, worried that chasing him too hard might lead to trouble—like the guy coming down with another fever. Besides, Lei Jing couldn’t figure out Qi Beisong’s feelings toward Cheng Ji, so he turned a blind eye.

Qi Beisong was annoyed but couldn’t do much. His relationship with Lei Jing wasn’t something to ruin over such a trivial matter.

“Did you spar with him?” Qi Beisong asked.

“Two or three moves,” Lei Jing replied.
“What do you think of him?” Qi Beisong asked, intrigued. “What’s his background?”

Lei Jing said, “Same as mine.”

“What?”
“Classic military or police combat training. Same as me, isn’t it?” Lei Jing added, puzzled. “But I checked his records. He’s got no such history!”

Author’s Note: Cheng Ji wasn’t a special forces soldier in his past life—he was a SWAT officer, working on the front lines of emergencies.

The SWAT units we often see with “special duty” on their backs are usually patrol SWAT. The real frontline SWAT operators, the ones wielding rifles, aren’t easy to spot.

Of course, if you try something bold, they’ll be right there for you!

Lei Jing was beginning to understand why Qi Beisong was chasing after Cheng Ji. On one hand, Cheng Ji had done something to him that he couldn’t let go of, and on the other hand, Cheng Ji was incredibly intriguing.

Not in the sense of someone who tells jokes or tries to please others, but rather because of the striking contradictions and extreme contrasts within him. It was hard to comprehend how they coexisted in the same person.

Lei Jing said, “Although I let him go, I planted something on him.”

With that, he pulled out his phone, swiped a few times on the screen, and held it up for Qi Beisong to see.

Qi Beisong glanced at it and patted Lei Jing on the shoulder, laughing. “Lei Old Bro, you’re something else.”

Lei Jing had slipped a GS tracking signal transmitter into Cheng Ji’s backpack. It was no bigger than a fingernail but far more precise than ordinary tracking devices, with an error margin of less than ten meters.

As Qi Beisong watched the red dot representing Cheng Ji move steadily along the map, he smiled with satisfaction. Lei Jing, meanwhile, took a screenshot and shared it in their group chat, immediately receiving a flood of praise.

• “Lei Old Bro, amazing!”
• “Heart hands emoji.”
• “Who’s that, the handsome guy surnamed Cheng?”
• “Lei Old Bro, your methods are suave.”
• “Wow, overkill for just a chicken.”

Lei Jing replied: This isn’t just a chicken, he’s formidable.

Qi Beisong added: Who called him a handsome guy? Who dares say that? Wang Beifeng, is it you again?

Wang Beifeng went radio silent.

As they were about to leave, Chen Chuan suddenly asked, “Young Master Qi, what about the guy upstairs?”

If Chen Chuan hadn’t brought it up, Qi Beisong would have completely forgotten about the ex-boyfriend lying unconscious. He quickly gave orders to leave a car behind and told the others to go after Cheng Ji. Then he went back upstairs to Cheng Ji’s apartment, locked the door, and slapped the ex awake.

The ex-boyfriend opened his eyes and saw Qi Beisong, his soul nearly leaving his body. Panicking, he scrambled to escape, only to be pinned down by Qi Beisong’s foot on his back.

“Hey, buddy, do you know who I am?” Qi Beisong asked.

“N-n-no,” stammered the ex.

“Are you a local in Hongcheng?”

“N-no, I’m not.”

“Oh, then forget it. I’m too lazy to introduce myself.” Qi Beisong narrowed his eyes. “Did you really date Cheng Ji?”

“Y-yes, we dated,” replied the ex.

“How did you even tolerate him?” Qi Beisong asked earnestly.

“He didn’t have any bad habits,” said the ex. “If anything, he was just a bit timid and clingy.”

Timid and clingy? Qi Beisong hadn’t noticed that at all.

“Sir, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now,” the ex said, ready to bolt. His luck had been terrible today—he’d knocked on the wrong door and ended up running into a nightmare.

Qi Beisong dragged a chair to block the door, sat down with his legs crossed, and smirked. While he wasn’t confident about beating Cheng Ji, he could easily handle Cheng Ji’s ex-boyfriend.

“Don’t go yet. Tell me more about how you two met.”

The ex had no choice but to answer, “I was his senior. When he was a freshman, I was a senior. We met at school.”

“And why did you break up?”

“Well, I graduated,” the ex replied.

Qi Beisong suddenly understood. “Oh, I see. You graduated, entered a bigger world, and dumped him, right?”

That was actually the case, but the ex didn’t dare admit it.

“So, why are you here this time? Regretting the breakup and trying to get back together?”

He guessed right, but the ex-boyfriend said, “No, I’m just on a business trip to Hongcheng and decided to stop by to see him. No ulterior motives.”

“Hmm.” Qi Beisong shook his head. “You know, the doors in the Cheng family’s house aren’t very soundproof. I stood outside and listened to you two arguing for five minutes. Turns out you were performing a comedy routine. ‘Chengcheng, you’re so handsome, I just can’t stand it. Chengcheng, I only made a small mistake. Chengcheng, that person and I were just fooling around.’”

He mimicked the conversation with uncanny accuracy, then asked with a smirk, “Hey, that ‘person’—was it the he with the male radical, or the she with the female radical?”

Seeing the ex-boyfriend’s panicked silence, he nodded. “Got it. It must’ve been a woman. You’re aiming for marriage, huh? If it had been another man, you wouldn’t look this awkward. Didn’t expect this from you—impressive and calculating. Tricking Cheng Ji wasn’t enough; you’re trying to drag some poor girl into the fire pit. Not me—I only like men. Can’t even get it up for a woman.”

The ex-boyfriend stammered, “You don’t understand. I’ve been under a lot of pressure because of my family. My parents are very traditional, and Cheng Ji is too dependent. I couldn’t possibly stay entangled with a man.”

Qi Beisong cut him off. “Do you have any shame?”

The ex was at a loss for words.

“Have some shame,” Qi Beisong said. “My family’s pressure is worse than yours. Everyone in my family, starting with the old man, is hard to deal with. But I’ve still been entangled with plenty of men. When I was sixteen and discovered my orientation, my dad locked me up at home for half a month. I sawed through the iron bars and jumped out of the fourth floor to escape. I’ve loved, been dumped, and I don’t regret any of it. If there were mistakes, they were mine—not my family’s or my partner’s. Of course, after I grew up, I’ve been kind of bad at relationships. Everyone I’ve met has just been playing around.”

The ex tried to explain, “It’s different. Honestly, Cheng Ji and I broke up mainly because we weren’t compatible.”

Qi Beisong sneered. “Not compatible, yet here you are trying to reconcile?”

The ex stayed silent.

Qi Beisong lit a cigarette, took a drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke. “Since you broke up last year, you probably don’t know about his current situation.”

He answered his own question, “Yeah, you don’t know. If you did, you wouldn’t have come here on a whim. People like you—I’ve seen plenty. So realistic, so selfish. You want to take advantage but can’t handle losing. Pretending to be virtuous while doing dirty deeds.”

The ex-boyfriend, who might otherwise have been considered a mid-level elite in society, could only accept the scolding from this domineering tyrant. His face was bruised and swollen, the pain numbing him.

Tapping the ash from his cigarette, Qi Beisong said, “Let me crush your hopes and tell you about his situation. He dropped out of school, sold his house to pay for his mom’s medical treatment—she’s dying, by the way—and now he has no money, no family, no friends, and no job. Do you think he’s still worth reconciling with?”

“…”

“Oh wow, you’re honest! You didn’t even bother with a polite lie.” Qi Beisong asked, “Does that mean you admit it?”

The ex acquiesced.

Perhaps in front of Cheng Ji, he’d stammer out flowery excuses when retreating. But under Qi Beisong’s pressure, his tongue was tied.

With disdain, Qi Beisong stood up, opened the door, and said, “Alright, get lost. I can’t believe I stooped to the level of explaining all this to you. Don’t let me see you again. And don’t ever come to Hongcheng again. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

The ex left with his head down but paused to ask, “Can you at least tell me who you are?”

What he really wanted to know was Qi Beisong’s status—whether he was the son of a high-ranking official, an heir to a conglomerate, or a leader of some organization. After all, he still had to survive in society. If he offended someone like Qi Beisong without making amends, his career would be over.

But Qi Beisong simply replied, “I can guarantee that I’m currently the most important person in Cheng Ji’s life.”

He didn’t need to guarantee it. After all, Cheng Ji had been hounded by him for days, and just thinking about him gave Cheng Ji splitting headaches.

“Get out!” Qi Beisong roared.

The ex scurried away as if fleeing for his life.

Behind him, Qi Beisong shouted, “Trying to compete with me? Know your place!”

After the ex left, Qi Beisong lingered for a few more minutes, puzzled.

He was naturally attracted to men and had a sort of radar for these things. Whether someone was straight or gay, he could usually tell at first glance. Even closeted individuals couldn’t escape his perception—after all, he was too handsome for anyone to ignore.

He was certain Cheng Ji was straight. But why did a straight man have an ex-boyfriend? And why would a straight man end up at Shuiyue Villa as a B, even showing up with the manager in his private room?

Suddenly, he smacked his thigh and exclaimed, “Damn! Could he be bi?”

But no, that didn’t seem right either—he’d be able to sense it if Cheng Ji were bisexual.

Cheng Ji was truly an enigma. A complete mystery.

Meanwhile…

Cheng Ji didn’t realize there was something extra in his backpack. As he hopped into the taxi, he let out a deep sigh of relief. He could tell that Lei Jing was intentionally going easy on him today, which made him feel that Lei Jing wasn’t a bad person. If he weren’t working as Qi Beisong’s lackey, Cheng Ji thought they might even have become friends in the future.

When the two had briefly exchanged moves earlier, Cheng Ji had asked about Lei Jing’s background, and Lei Jing mentioned he used to work in anti-hijacking operations.

Anti-hijacking squads are usually part of the Armed Police Force’s Special Operations Unit, responsible for emergency incidents. It was clear that Lei Jing’s overall abilities were top-tier.

“A special forces soldier, huh…” Cheng Ji murmured to himself.

Using special forces skills against a cop—wasn’t that kind of cheating?

Wait, no—Lei Jing was retired, but Cheng Ji was still technically in service.

Actually, not really—he had already reincarnated, so how could he still count as “in service”?

His head started to ache as he realized that if he ever clashed with Lei Jing again, he’d be at a massive disadvantage. After all, Lei Jing was trained in the same special forces tactics that had been drilled into Cheng Ji. It would just be a case of evenly matched opponents.

“What special forces are you talking about?” the taxi driver asked curiously, glancing back.

Cheng Ji thought the driver looked a bit familiar. He focused on the man and, sure enough, recognized him as the same guy who had picked him up outside the Shuiyue Villa that night—the one who had played Lin Chong Escapes at Night on the car stereo for some “fitting ambiance.”

Irritated, Cheng Ji snapped, “Driver, are you on day shift or night shift?”

The driver replied cheerfully, “Oh, you remember me! I drive nights, but my wife usually handles the day shift. She’s sick today, though.”

“I’m sick too. Hurry up and take me to the Fourth People’s Hospital,” Cheng Ji grumbled.

The driver quipped, “Strange, that hospital’s been super busy lately. Just the other night, I took this ugly, obnoxious drag queen there.”

Cheng Ji rolled his eyes so hard he thought they might get stuck. Annoyed, he crossed his arms and decided not to respond. But the driver kept muttering under his breath until Cheng Ji finally exploded, “Drive faster! If you don’t, I might die in your car!”

The driver laughed nervously. “Funny, that drag queen said something similar about dying too.”

Cheng Ji smirked coldly. “Driver, I can tell at a glance your meter’s been tampered with. It’s ticking faster than normal. Do you want to explain yourself at the transport authority or the traffic bureau?”

“…”

“Alright, sir, I’ll get you to the hospital right away. Sit tight, and I’ll play you some light music—because life’s like a drama, we’re all here by fate. Listen to more music, stay calm, and live to be a hundred!”

At the hospital, Cheng Ji went back to the surgery department. The doctor who had seen him yesterday had asked him to return after 24 hours for further evaluation.

The swelling and redness in his… sensitive area… had mostly subsided, and the pain had significantly lessened. The doctor removed the silver stud embedded in his navel and advised him sternly, “No more random body piercings. Sensory thrills are fleeting; the risks of pain and infection are all yours to bear.”

“It wasn’t my idea,” Cheng Ji muttered. Then, with a shrug, he added, “Never mind.”

Because he had only just recovered from a fever that morning, the doctor prescribed another day of IV treatment to ensure there wouldn’t be a relapse of inflammation. Cheng Ji paid the fees, collected the medicine, and headed to the IV room, unaware that someone was tailing him.

The large IV room was packed with people, thanks to the recent drop in temperatures and occasional snow, which had triggered various ailments in the population.

After his IV needle was inserted, Cheng Ji sat alone in a corner, holding up his IV bottle and staring blankly at the soap opera playing on the communal TV. Around him, children wailed, adults bickered, and the noise was overwhelming.

About ten minutes later, Lei Jing arrived at the Fourth People’s Hospital with Chen Chuan and others, meeting up with a few more members of their group. Except for Wang Beifeng, who was stationed at Changkang Hospital, the core members of Qi Beisong’s team numbered six. With the addition of dozens of peripheral members, the group’s scale was considerable.

Chen Chuan, quick-witted and unfamiliar to Cheng Ji, was assigned by Lei Jing to gather intel.

Following the GPS signal, Chen Chuan scouted the observation, injection, and IV rooms, then returned to report, “He’s on IV drip.”

“He’s still sick?” Lei Jing asked.

Chen Chuan nodded. “Yeah, and he’s all by himself. He looks kind of pitiful. What’s going on between him and Qi? Why is Qi so fixated on him these days? He’s even ignoring proper business.”

Lei Jing shrugged. “No idea.”

“Does Qi like him or something? He’s not exactly drop-dead gorgeous,” Chen Chuan commented.

Lei Jing raised an eyebrow. “Does Qi’s family pay you to gossip?”

Chen Chuan grinned mischievously. “I’m just curious. Qi’s never gone after someone like this before.”

Lei Jing stepped aside to call Qi Beisong and updated him on the situation. Qi simply replied, “Withdraw for now,” before hanging up.

Lei Jing raised his eyebrows. “Wow, he’s actually showing some restraint for once.”

He told his team to leave, adding, “No bothering Cheng Ji today.”

Chen Chuan asked, “So we’re back to bothering him tomorrow?”

With a sigh, Lei Jing replied, “I need to talk to Beisong tonight. From where I stand, Cheng Ji and his mom are at their lowest point. One more straw could break them entirely. If Qi wants revenge, now’s not the time. Otherwise, he’s no better than that neighbor who took advantage of their desperation to buy their house dirt cheap.”

Before he could finish his thought, Qi Beisong called again. “Tell Wang Beifeng not to leave.”

“Huh?”

“Have Wang Beifeng keep an eye on Cheng Ji’s mom. If something comes up, he should help out. He needs to start taking responsibility instead of drifting aimlessly,” Qi said.

“…”

From the sidelines, Chen Chuan remarked, “Qi’s got the filial piety of a saint.”

Lei Jing smirked. “Chen Chuan, since Wang Beifeng’s leaving, you’ll take his place.”

“What?!”

“You cut right to the heart of the matter earlier. Seems like you’re not aimless,” Lei Jing said.