Chapter 27 “Who Doesn’t Make Mistakes?”

Jiang Yao was sleepless until three in the morning and was woken up by a phone call at noon. A friend had organized a racing event and asked if he wanted to join.

The pain in his shoulder blade had subsided. He opened the curtains to see a nice day and decided to accept the invitation.

As he left, Jiang Yao glanced at the shoe cabinet.

Duan Zhuxian’s slippers were still neatly placed inside.

*

Driving to the location, he saw a group of people scattered around, waving at him.

Jiang Yao didn’t get out of the car. Instead, he stepped on the gas and drove onto the open field, doing a couple of laps. The roar of the engine sparked his adrenaline, bringing back a long-lost feeling.

During his entanglement with Duan Zhuxian, he had almost forgotten that he used to be restless, constantly flying around the world, challenging various extreme sports, going sea fishing on a whim, indulging in eating, drinking, and having fun—living a carefree and dashing life.

When he got out of the car, he was immediately surrounded by friends, who started asking what he had been up to lately since he hadn’t been seen around.

Jiang Yao casually replied that he had been working on a new project, and the adjustment period had been quite taxing.

Everyone was a bit surprised but didn’t find it unreasonable.

Among their group, Jiang Yao was always the most ambitious, always striving to be the best. Even during his school days, he could compete with elites like Duan Zhuxian. Due to his strong capabilities, he was rarely held back by work.

Someone asked with concern, “Is the partner hard to deal with?”

Jiang Yao chuckled. “You could say that.”

The race was scheduled for the afternoon. Surrounded by friends, Jiang Yao entered the lounge, where another group was already seated on the sofa. Among them were a few people who were close to Li Ruizhi and looked at Jiang Yao with hostility.

Jiang Yao ignored them and found a place to sit. Someone greeted him, “Jiang Yao, long time no see.”

He looked up to see a man in his thirties, dressed like a diamond bachelor, holding a young boy who had his face buried in the man’s chest.

This was the friend Chen Yiqi mentioned yesterday at the archery club, the one who was sponsoring an idol.

Jiang Yao nodded. “Long time no see, Brother Wang. How’s the sculpture exhibition going?”

Wang Yan sipped his tea and said indifferently, “It’s going alright, just missing a bit of something since someone refused to grace us with their presence, despite our best efforts to invite them.”

Jiang Yao smiled apologetically. “I’ve been too busy.”

When Wang Yan’s touring exhibition came to Lingbei City, Jiang Yao had planned to attend. However, early that morning, someone suddenly got frisky with him at the restaurant. Jiang Yao got fired up, wanting to take control, and grabbed Duan Zhuxian by the collar, pinning him against the floor-to-ceiling window. Duan Zhuxian with a smile, raised his hands in surrender, then caught Jiang Yao off guard and pinned him against the glass instead. Their back-and-forth tussle went on until they lost track of time, making it too late for Jiang Yao to attend the exhibition.

Wang Yan waved his hand. “Just joking. I know Jiang Li has been going through a tough time recently and is short on staff.”

Noticing Jiang Yao’s occasional glances at the person in his arms, Wang Yan directly grabbed the boy’s chin and turned his face towards Jiang Yao. “Let me introduce you—He Luo, leader of the idol group ODD. You might have heard of him.”

Jiang Yao responded with a simple “Mm.”

He hadn’t heard of them before, but yesterday, when he was looking up Duan Zhuxian’s rumored lover Zhang Sheng, he had also searched the entire group.

A bad feeling suddenly surged in his heart.

He turned his head and, sure enough, saw that irritating face.

Not far away, Zhang Sheng was smiling and ingratiating himself with Li Ruizhi’s friends, putting in quite the effort.

Jiang Yao’s back straightened instantly. His eyes instinctively scanned around Zhang Sheng, then he relaxed, rubbing his forehead, thinking he was overthinking it.

As much of a jerk as Duan Zhuxian was, he wasn’t stupid enough to openly bring his lover to a place like this.

He Luo, who had been sleeping and was suddenly woken up, looked confused but followed Wang Yan’s lead and said, “Hello, Mr. Jiang.”

Jiang Yao found the title quite pleasing.

Usually, people called him “bro” or “Young Master Jiang.” Rarely was he addressed as “Mr. Jiang,” except during work.

On the other hand, Duan Zhuxian was already widely revered as “Mr. Duan,” which sounded particularly accomplished. In this regard, Jiang Yao always felt he was a step behind Duan Zhuxian.

So, his attitude toward He Luo softened a bit.

At that moment, a commotion erupted at the door. Jiang Yao looked over and saw Duan Feiyi smiling as he walked into the lounge.

Jiang Yao frowned slightly and asked the friend who had invited him to the race, “Why is he here?”

His friend explained, “Today’s recreational race was arranged with his help. This racetrack is invested and built by the Duan family. Your grudge is with Duan Zhuxian, not his brother, right?”

Jiang Yao: “…”

If he had known from the start that Duan Feiyi would be here, he would have guaranteed he wouldn’t come.

At this moment, he didn’t want to see anyone with the surname Duan.

Duan Feiyi walked to the center of the crowd and clapped his hands. “It looks like most of you are here. Today’s venue and entertainment fees are all waived. If you have any questions, feel free to come to me. Enjoy yourselves.”

The people around immediately started cheering and flattering Duan Feiyi, trying to bask in his glory, given his prestigious “Duan” surname.

After their brief encounter yesterday, Jiang Yao had a poor impression of Duan Feiyi and chose to ignore him. He looked down, fiddled with his phone, sent a message, and then went to the bathroom.

As he came out of the stall, he saw Duan Feiyi standing by the sink, slowly washing his hands, seemingly waiting for someone.

Jiang Yao hesitated for a moment, then walked over and turned on the faucet.

“We didn’t get a chance to greet each other properly at the club the other day,” Duan Feiyi suddenly said,”Brother’s wife?”

“Don’t call me that.”

Jiang Yao looked up, meeting Duan Feiyi’s long, narrow eyes in the mirror. Duan Feiyi’s gaze held a smile, but the mirth leaking from his eyes was unsettling.

“You’re right,” Duan Feiyi said, drying his hands with a paper towel. “It was careless of me to expose your relationship with my brother in a public place.”

Currently, Jiang Yao and Duan Zhuxian were in a hidden marriage. Until their two companies formally integrated, they couldn’t make their marriage public to avoid disrupting their plans, especially in the stock market. They had to be fully prepared before announcing the news.

However, Jiang Yao wasn’t worried about that. He simply disliked being called those words.

*

Back in the lounge, Jiang Yao had just stepped inside when someone blocked his path. “Hello, Young Master Jiang. My name is Zhang Sheng.”

Jiang Yao found Zhang Sheng annoying and responded with a simple “Mm,” walking past him with no expression.

However, Zhang Sheng seemed oblivious to the cold shoulder and kept trying to engage with him over the next half hour.

Sitting across from Jiang Yao, Zhang Sheng pointed at Jiang Yao’s wrist. “Young Master Jiang, I have the same watch.”

Someone nearby overheard and looked surprised. “That watch is quite expensive. Do you idols make that much money?”

Zhang Sheng smiled but didn’t respond.

The person immediately caught on. “Oh, was it a generous gift from someone special?”

Zhang Sheng continued to stay silent, but his smile showed a hint of bashfulness.

Jiang Yao looked at him and almost felt nauseous.

Even though he usually wasn’t sensitive to such petty schemes, he sensed something peculiar.

It seemed like Zhang Sheng was deliberately showing off something in front of him.

Could it be that Duan Zhuxian had told his little lover about their marriage alliance? Jiang Yao couldn’t imagine Duan Zhuxian being foolish enough to divulge such a significant matter.

After chatting for a while, the group started playing cards. Since they had to drive later, they couldn’t play for drinks, so the loser had to give up a personal item.

Wang Yan, who was terrible at cards, had already surrendered his lighter, ring, and cufflinks. When he had nothing left to lose, he patted He Luo’s butt. “Baby, go sing and dance for everyone.”

The whole table fell silent at his words.

He Luo, equally stunned, turned red and then pale.

Jiang Yao, not playing this round, watched coldly with his legs crossed.

Despite being a glamorous idol in public, being treated like a plaything by his patron was humiliating. Jiang Yao wondered how He Luo’s fans would react if they knew.

Jiang Yao didn’t know much about the unspoken rules of keeping

someone as a lover, but if Duan Zhuxian behaved like this, he would lose respect for him.

He Luo quietly said, “Brother, I have a sore throat. I’m not feeling well.”

Wang Yan looked troubled. “What can we do then? We can’t have your brother giving up his clothes.”

Someone noticed Zhang Sheng. “How about your teammate helps out?”

Zhang Sheng had been watching with schadenfreude, but now that he was called out, he couldn’t refuse. Reluctantly, he sang a popular short video love song, singing passionately during the chorus, though mostly off-key.

When the song ended, the onlookers gave a smattering of applause.

One of them asked, “I remember Young Master Jiang has a good ear for music. How about a critique?”

Jiang Yao crossed his arms and glanced at Zhang Sheng, his tone nonchalant. “If this level can debut, no wonder they say the entertainment industry here is doomed.”

The questioner was taken aback.

Zhang Sheng’s face turned red instantly, and he quickly said, “I’m sorry, I must have gotten too emotional while singing, and it embarrassed you, Young Master Jiang.”

Jiang Yao coldly replied, “Apologizing to me is pointless. If you really want to apologize, go say it to those few remaining fans of yours.”

His harsh words left the others stunned, especially those who were close to Jiang Yao.

Although Jiang Yao was a second-generation rich kid, he was considered the most mild-mannered and well-educated among them. It was rare to see him angry, so they couldn’t understand what Zhang Sheng had done to provoke him.

Zhang Sheng lowered his head. His lips trembling, not daring to look at Jiang Yao, looking like he was being bullied by someone in power.

He Luo quickly tried to smooth things over. “Ah Sheng had plans last night. Maybe he played too hard and didn’t get enough rest.”

A playboy nearby raised his eyebrows and, with a suggestive tone dripping with insinuation, said, “Could it be that he got tired from playing in bed?”

Zhang Sheng’s face turned even redder, as if the insinuation had hit home.

These rich playboys thrived on this kind of reaction, immediately zeroing in like flies on rotten meat, and the conversation took a raunchy turn.

Jiang Yao stood up and walked outside for some fresh air, fearing that if he heard something he shouldn’t, he wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to beat Duan Zhuxian to a pulp.

The distant blue sky and white clouds, along with the scent of sweet osmanthus on the breeze, soothed some of his agitation. Jiang Yao lit a cigarette and had just taken a couple of drags when someone joined him.

“I heard you and my brother used to have a pretty bad relationship.”

Jiang Yao turned his head to look at Duan Feiyi. “Who did you hear that from, Duan Zhuxian?”

“No,” Duan Feiyi shrugged. “My brother never mentioned you. Before your marriage, I didn’t even know you existed.”

Jiang Yao lowered his eyes, flicking the ash from his cigarette. “You went to high school abroad. It’s normal that you didn’t know me.”

Duan Feiyi gave a meaningful smile. “When I say ‘never mentioned,’ I mean it literally. I know the people he cares about, like his childhood friend Fu Yang and his friend abroad, Gu Heng.”

At this point, he slowed his speech, staring intently at Jiang Yao’s face, as if observing something.

“And, for example, I know he’s always had someone he likes.”

Jiang Yao responded with a nonchalant “Oh.”

Duan Feiyi looked surprised. “You don’t mind?”

Jiang Yao exhaled a smoke ring and glanced sidelong at Duan Feiyi. “Little brother, do you know what a business marriage is?”

A flicker of disappointment crossed Duan Feiyi’s eyes, but he covered it with a laugh. “No wonder people nowadays prefer to marry men. Only men truly understand men. We’re born with our needs. Who doesn’t make mistakes? Those so-called faithful lovers are either pretending or suppressing their nature. In reality, everyone wants to have a bit of fun on the side.”

Jiang Yao caught the underlying meaning of Duan Feiyi’s words. It seemed this kid was hinting at Duan Zhuxian and Zhang Sheng.

Either Duan Feiyi knew some insider information because he was friends with Li Ruizhi, or he had told Li Ruizhi in the first place.

Regardless of the sequence, what was clear was that Duan Feiyi had come to sow discord on purpose.

With someone significant in his heart and another in his bed, Jiang Yao could tolerate Duan Zhuxian’s infidelity to some extent. But having others rub it in his face was unbearable.

Duan Zhuxian certainly knew how to make his life miserable.

Jiang Yao’s head throbbed, but he didn’t show it on his face. Instead, he asked Duan Feiyi with a hint of amusement, “You speak so bitterly. Have you been hurt by a scumbag before?”

Duan Feiyi opened his mouth but suddenly found himself at a loss for words.

If he outright denied it, it would somehow feel like he was admitting that having such thoughts made him no different from the scumbags he was referring to.

By the time he worked out the logic, he had already missed the perfect moment to respond.

Watching Duan Feiyi struggle as if his brain’s CPU was about to overheat, Jiang Yao concluded that Duan Zhuxian’s younger brother wasn’t particularly bright.

Jiang Yao stubbed out his cigarette and turned to go back inside.

Unwilling to give up, Duan Feiyi called out to Jiang Yao’s retreating figure, “My brother has a cold heart, even though he pretends to be a good guy on the outside. Be careful not to provoke him. Being magnanimous might be the best way.”

*

At 3 PM, Jiang Yao changed into his racing suit and wasn’t too surprised to see Zhang Sheng also in a racing suit, standing next to a yellow sports car.

When he had looked up Zhang Sheng’s information yesterday, he had noted that his hobby was listed as “racing.”

The sky was clear, with no clouds in sight, making for excellent visibility. As the race began, the engines roared, and ten cars took off simultaneously, diving into a storm of thunderous speed.

Jiang Yao’s red supercar was the most eye-catching. He deliberately started a beat slower, then began overtaking one car after another, as if playing a whimsical cat-and-mouse game. His audacity made it seem like he was racing through an empty wilderness. As he took the curves, his movements were as smooth as flowing wind and clouds.

The spectators were thrilled, shouting Jiang Yao’s name in excitement.

However, on the second curve, the red supercar seemed to encounter some trouble.

Two cars, as if coordinated, simultaneously attempted to flank him from both sides, inching closer and closer. Despite receiving several warnings, they appeared to disregard the race rules, conspiring to sabotage him. Though this wasn’t an official race, their blatant behavior was excessive.

The drivers of these two cars were friends of Li Ruizhi.

Jiang Yao’s racing skills were honed under a professional champion racer, so he didn’t take this petty scheming seriously.

Calmly maneuvering the steering wheel, he smirked under his helmet. Using the terrain to his advantage, he accelerated and easily shook off the two tailing cars.

After several laps, only a yellow sports car remained on his tail.

Jiang Yao was a bit surprised. Zhang Sheng, who seemed so frail, turned out to have decent driving skills.

Initially, Jiang Yao had just wanted to enjoy himself and vent some excess emotions, without caring much about winning or losing. But now, with his brows slightly furrowed, he took the competition seriously.

Zhang Sheng continued to lag slightly behind, trying various techniques but unable to catch up. With half a lap to go, the outcome seemed decided.

Just as Jiang Yao was about to sprint to the finish line, he suddenly sensed something was wrong. The next second, the yellow car in the inner lane veered off the track, as if desperate to win, and swerved aggressively towards him.

Fortunately, Jiang Yao anticipated the move and accelerated at the last moment, but Zhang Sheng’s car still managed to clip the rear of his car just as he crossed the finish line.

As the cars came to a stop, a large crowd gathered around. Jiang Yao got out of his car, and removed his helmet. His sweat-soaked hair clung to his pale skin, making him look particularly unapproachable.

Zhang Sheng, seemingly just coming back to his senses from the intense competition, was breathing heavily as he slowly exited his car. Jiang Yao immediately grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the car hood.

“Are you trying to mess with me? If you want to die, don’t do it in front of me. No one’s going to clean up your mess!”

Others joined in, loudly accusing Zhang Sheng. “You can’t just crash into someone because you can’t outdrive them!”

Jiang Yao’s long, slender fingers gripped like a vise. Zhang Sheng’s legs went weak, and he opened his mouth, trying to come up with an excuse. He stammered but couldn’t form a complete sentence.

Everyone present could see how deliberate his actions were.

Amidst the commotion, someone asked, “Young Master Jiang, how do you want to handle this?”

Jiang Yao released Zhang Sheng and gave him two choices. “Pay up. Cover the repair costs and compensation for my distress, or I will call the police.”

Hearing this, Zhang Sheng’s face turned pale, and he instinctively looked towards Duan Feiyi.

Following Zhang Sheng’s gaze, Jiang Yao saw Duan Feiyi standing there leisurely, seemingly verifying the details of the accident, acting as if he didn’t even know Zhang Sheng.

Jiang Yao’s car was a limited edition, and with the so-called mental distress added, the compensation could be substantial. Zhang Sheng, being a minor celebrity, likely couldn’t come up with that much money.

As for calling the police, it would be handing a weapon to public opinion, a risky move for someone in the entertainment industry.

A blonde bystander, looking to stir the pot, chimed in, “Let bygones be bygones, Young Master Jiang. How about letting it go?”

Jiang Yao narrowed his eyes at him. “If you’re so generous, why not pay for him?”

The blonde chuckled awkwardly. “He already has someone. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to step in.”

This remark reminded everyone of Zhang Sheng’s rumored mysterious benefactor.

Someone suggested, “If you can’t handle it, why not call your big shot to sort it out?”

Zhang Sheng immediately shook his head. “That’s not a good idea.”

“What’s so bad about it? You’ve already been trending because of him. He wouldn’t leave you hanging, would he?”

Those egging him on were friends of Li Ruizhi, aware that Li Ruizhi had been humiliated by Jiang Yao. They wanted to see Jiang Yao face a tough challenge and were curious about who had such peculiar tastes to sponsor someone as troublesome as Zhang Sheng.

Most of the people present were far from saints. The thrill from the high-speed race hadn’t yet worn off, and now they found a new source of amusement under the guise of upholding justice. They weren’t about to let Zhang Sheng off easily.

Feeling uncomfortable with sweat clinging to his body, Jiang Yao asked a friend to keep an eye on Zhang Sheng and ensure he didn’t run off while he went to shower and change clothes. When he came out, he saw Zhang Sheng standing nearby, talking to Duan Feiyi, seemingly pleading about something. Both of their expressions were tense.

“I shouldn’t have invited you today,” his friend said, handing Jiang Yao a bottle of water. “It looks like Zhang Sheng is really planning to call someone. If that rumored big shot actually shows up, what are you going to do?”

Jiang Yao unscrewed the cap, downed the water in one go, and tossed the bottle aside. “He won’t come.”

“You know him?” His friend’s eyes lit up with curiosity as he leaned in for gossip. “Who is it?”

Jiang Yao shot him a look that was hard to describe but definitely not friendly.

His friend closed his mouth, deciding not to press his luck.

Jiang Yao wanted to see how Zhang Sheng planned to evade punishment, so he leaned against the fence by the track, pulling out a lighter and a cigarette.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out nearby.

“He’s here, he’s here!”

“Holy shit, am I seeing things? How can it be him?”

Jiang Yao paused in lighting his cigarette, his gaze dropping slightly before moving forward. In his field of vision appeared a pair of familiar black leather shoes.

His heart skipped a beat, and he lifted his eyes. From a distance, he met Duan Zhuxian’s slightly cold face.