Su Ning tried to think, but the more he thought, the dizzier he felt. The throbbing headache from the alcohol intensified, and the lingering dizziness from being transported into this world came in late, making him feel even worse. Still, he forced himself to introduce himself, “Hello, I’m Su Ning. Zhou Chunqing asked me to come over and said you could take me back…”

His vision began to blur, so he didn’t notice the slight frown on the person before him, who interrupted, “Young Master Su, of course, I know who you are.”

“Zhou Chunqing, huh—so you ran into her in there?”

The man’s voice was as cold as his expression. But with his brain half-frozen, Su Ning didn’t notice anything strange and just nodded.

Li Chu sat quietly beside him, entirely covered by his trench coat, not making a sound.

The person in the front passenger seat seemed to have noticed Li Chu too, looking at his figure with mild surprise and asking, “Is this…Li Chu?”

“Yes,” Su Ning replied, confirming with the man’s reaction. “We need to leave this place quickly.”

On his way over, Su Ning had already decided that going back to the show wasn’t a good idea. He had been gone too long; the show’s crew had probably noticed his absence by now. Besides, leaving Li Chu behind wouldn’t be right either. Going home seemed the best option, so he gave an address. “Please take me to Galaxy Bay; it’s not far from here.”

Hearing the person agree with a “Sure,” he relaxed, leaning back against the seat, drifting between sleep and unconsciousness.

After a moment, with his eyes still closed, Su Ning didn’t see another person enter the driver’s seat. As they opened the car door, they reported, “Young Mr. Shen, I just went to check. The people at Diao Chun Jiang said Young Master Su took Li Chu and even punched Jiang Chenfeng before…”

The person immediately fell silent after realizing there were others in the car.

Noticing the sleeping Su Ning and Li Chu beside him, they looked momentarily stunned.

The “Young Mr. Shen” in the passenger seat signaled for the newcomer to settle down and asked, “Did you see what the previous car looked like when you parked?”

“I drove in just as he was leaving,” the newcomer answered, trying to recall. “Looked like another van.”

Diao Chun Jiang was popular with lesser-known actors, so this type of car wasn’t unusual.

Li Chu, however, had sobered up enough to catch the words “Young Mr. Shen” and immediately sensed something was off.

Li Chu knew Zhou Chunqing used a company car, so he hadn’t thought much of it when he got in. But she only had a few friends—mostly struggling actors from similar backgrounds. How could she have a “Young Mr. Shen” in her contact list?

Su Ning, already out like a light, lay there, completely indifferent to the world around him. Li Chu wasn’t too concerned about Su Ning’s well-being, but he did worry about Zhou Chunqing.

Just as he was about to shake Su Ning awake, Young Mr. Shen seemed to sense his intent and instructed, “Tell the people at Diao Chun Jiang to see that Zhou Chunqing gets back safely.”

“If Jiang Chenfeng decides to throw a tantrum, let’s not involve any innocent bystanders.”

Li Chu sat back instantly.

Though he had gotten into the wrong car, this person seemed to understand the situation and genuinely intended to help them leave. He obviously knew Su Ning, so maybe Su Ning’s background was actually useful.

The car quickly drove away from the hillside club, and the cool night breeze drifted through the windows as Su Ning sank deeper into sleep.

In his dreams, he kept recalling fragments of the “Thorns and Thistles” project proposal he’d read. Aside from a few disjointed phrases, he remembered only the striking cover art: a fallen angel lying in a rosebush full of thorns, its wings shattered. The red roses looked like blood, and the angel’s hand stretched upward, creating a powerful visual impact.

The character on the cover was small, the angel’s features unclear. The manga-style art made it hard to tell if the angel was male or female, making it impossible to determine the protagonist’s identity from the cover alone.

In the dream, Su Ning watched as the angel’s pure white wings gradually fused with the blood-red roses, emitting a metallic, sharp glimmer. In this bizarre dreamscape, he kept trying to zoom in on the angel’s face, only to see it suddenly open blood-red eyes, reaching out and clutching him tightly. The sensation of pain on his arm grew until he was awakened by an unfamiliar voice.

“Young Master Su? We’re here.”

He snapped his eyes open, the angel’s face fading, replaced by the strikingly beautiful face of the person in the passenger seat.

In fairness, this person did look rather angelic.

Su Ning took a deep breath, looking around to see his single villa in Galaxy Bay outside the window.

Covered in cold sweat, he then heard the passenger’s voice, as ethereal as if floating, “Did Young Master Su dream of something sinful? You seemed rather unsettled.”

The tone was cutting, not exactly friendly, but it snapped Su Ning out of his half-awake state.

As he moved to respond, he noticed he was now covered with a coat he didn’t remember wearing. Only then did he notice another person in the driver’s seat.

“I’m the assistant, Chen Tao, came aboard after you fell asleep,” the assistant explained considerately, “You’d had quite a bit to drink and didn’t have enough layers on, so I grabbed a spare coat to keep you warm.”

“Chilly out; don’t want you catching a cold, Young Master Su.”

An assistant?

One of Zhou Chunqing’s friends with an assistant?

Actually, that made sense—her friends were probably minor celebrities who might have an assistant around.

Su Ning rubbed his forehead, not lingering on the thought. He was only frustrated that his haziness had caused him to miss details. First things first, he asked, “Where’s Zhou Chunqing?”

Why hadn’t he seen her?

Only Li Chu was beside him, still shrunk under the coat, barely noticeable.

“She’s fine,” Chen Tao replied, “We sent another car to ensure she left Diao Chun Jiang safely.”

Su Ning relaxed a little, casting a glance at the beauty in the passenger seat, who was as icy as ever. But Su Ning understood that without this person’s permission, the assistant wouldn’t have dared to cover him with a coat.

Maybe his tone was sharp, but he was still kind at heart. After all, he’d been pulled out to drive a stranger around. It was normal to be a bit irritable.

Su Ning replied graciously, saying he hadn’t dreamed of anything, then got out of the car with Li Chu. When he tried to return the coat, the passenger simply shook his head, “Keep it.”

Since he insisted, Su Ning didn’t push.

The coat had been on him for a while and now smelled heavily of alcohol. It would need a good wash before he returned it. He could always find Zhou Chunqing later, so he wasn’t in a rush.

“Thank you for your help,” Su Ning said, pausing by the car door to offer his sincere gratitude. “If there’s a chance, I’d like to thank you in person. By the way, I didn’t catch your name—”

The man shook his head, interrupting him, “No need.”

Seated in the passenger seat, he still wore that faintly detached expression, the streetlights casting an alabaster glow on his face like a statue of an angel with a daunting aura. Su Ning opened his mouth to speak again, but the car pulled away as if it had only stopped for a moment to lend a hand, leaving without a second’s delay.

Su Ning didn’t linger outside either. Once he’d locked the door, he felt his exhaustion settle in fully.

Li Chu, looking like a timid little rabbit, stood at the door, still as if he didn’t dare move. Su Ning watched him for a moment before heading into a nearby room, quickly returning with a soft bundle in hand.

“Go take a bath,” Su Ning directed, pointing him to a room, “The guest room’s ready; there’s a bathroom inside.”

Li Chu looked down at the pajamas in his hand.

Immediately asking him to clean up? What a jerk—just typical scum behavior.

Li Chu’s eyes darkened, though he didn’t say a word and nodded slowly.

Su Ning watched him for a moment, noting that he seemed alert, able to answer, and walked steadily to the guest room. Soon, he heard the sound of running water.

Su Ning kept an ear out for any changes in the water flow, ready to intervene if anything seemed off. He spent some time rummaging through the kitchen until he found a bag of dried goji berries and red dates left by the housekeeper. While waiting for hot water to boil for a sobering tea, he opened the kitchen tap to wash a cut on his arm.

He only noticed the cut when he returned home. It must have happened when he blocked that bottle.

His senses had dulled from the alcohol, and he’d fallen asleep in the car. It was only while looking for something in the kitchen that he saw the bloodstain on his sleeve. No wonder his dream had felt so painfully real.

While Su Ning cleaned his wound, Li Chu entered the guest room. After locking the door, he turned on the faucet, splashed his face with water, and loosened his belt. From a hidden pocket in his pants, he retrieved a small communication device, about the size of a smartwatch. His pants had held up well, despite those bastards tearing most of his shirt.

The hidden pocket was at his waist, seamlessly blending in.

Jiang Chenfeng’s group hadn’t checked thoroughly. They’d taken his phone but missed this. He doubted they’d even suspect that this seemingly naive little trainee had such capabilities.

The device allowed him to send messages and record audio. Li Chu flipped through his contacts and found the entry labeled “Paparazzi,” calmly sending a few messages, “Had an incident.”

“Things didn’t go as planned tonight. Su Ning acted weirdly out of character. I doubt the recordings are strong enough to expose these people. Too bad.”

Tonight, he’d prepared more than just this device to record audio; he’d also planted a hidden camera in the room Jiang Chenfeng frequented at Diao Chun Jiang. The footage would be sent to his computer, as a backup plan.

Naturally, he wasn’t alone in this effort.

After sending the messages, Li Chu scrolled up to a contact marked only with the letter “S.” He hesitated, intending to inform them of tonight’s events, but before he could, he received a message from that contact.

“Unexpected turn of events, but you did well tonight.”

“Don’t worry. After it’s all over, everything I promised you will be fulfilled.”

Li Chu’s eyes widened slightly as he reread the message, trying to decipher its meaning.

Hadn’t Su Ning messed everything up by his sudden interference? Hadn’t he failed to capture anything significant?

Originally, he had planned to stay at Diao Chun Jiang and try again, but Zhou Chunqing’s sudden appearance had forced him to abandon the plan.

The contact didn’t send any more messages.

Li Chu stashed the device back in its hiding spot, standing by the bathroom sink, his thoughts unsettled by the night’s strange events.

Unable to figure it out, he stepped into the shower, washing away any traces of suspicion.

Meanwhile, Su Ning, in the kitchen, was treating his arm wound. His shirt was in the way, so he shrugged it off. After tending to the cut, he searched for the first aid kit.

Just as Li Chu finished his shower and came out, he saw Su Ning sitting shirtless in the living room, back to him, looking like he was waiting eagerly, ready to pounce.

So, this was why he’d been so generous earlier—planning to have him all to himself.

Scoffing internally, Li Chu felt more repulsed than ever, though he hid it well. Softly, he called, “Young Master.”

His hair was still damp, and Su Ning’s oversized pajamas made him look like a high schooler dressed in adult clothes, innocent and utterly harmless.

As he approached, the oversized collar slid slightly, revealing a sliver of his collarbone. He looked very young, with a chubby face that made him look soft and round, like a dumpling, easy to shape.

Su Ning turned to him, silhouetted against the light, holding what looked like a rolled-up piece of string. He spoke, “Finished? Come over here, then.”

The words made Li Chu feel even more disgusted, thinking Su Ning was up to something twisted.

He’d anticipated this. Though he hadn’t set up a camera, the communication device could record audio. Any incriminating evidence tonight would do.

Steeling himself, he walked over and sat beside Su Ning, but before he could say anything, Su Ning, not even glancing at him, picked something up from the table and placed it in his hand.

Li Chu blinked, feeling warmth spread through his hand. He looked down and found a cup of warm water, mist swirling above it. Goji berries and red dates floated in the water, wholesome and healthy. Along with it, Su Ning had given him a box of hangover medicine.

Li Chu: “…?”

Wait, what kind of new game was this?