At night, Tao Nian, who had added the bar owner’s contact information, sent a message with both good news and bad news.

[Nian Nian]: Which one do you want to hear first?

[Gulu Gulu]: Tell me both; I can handle it.

[Nian Nian]: Good news, your intuition was right; bad news, Bo Xiangzhou went there that day to the bar to catch his cousin skipping classes and drinking.

[Nian Nian]: The owner said, at that time, Bo Xiangzhou’s assistant came to get him, and they left through the back door, so no crowd noticed.

Tao Nian’s head ached.

[Nian Nian]: Darling, why did you even try to flirt with him? Calling him handsome, why didn’t you just kiss him directly?

[Gulu Gulu]: I need that kind of courage.

[Nian Nian]: He probably didn’t recognize your voice, and even if he did, he wouldn’t think much of it. He meets so many people every day he can’t keep track, so he wouldn’t dwell on someone he just met once. Don’t worry about it.

Trusting his strategist completely, An Xun put this matter aside and focused on thinking up reasons to avoid going to work in the future.

·

The sky looked gloomy as if it would rain, and An Xun didn’t feel like going out, but he had promised Bo Xiangzhou to show up at An Xin’s birthday party. Bo Xiangzhou, worried that An Xun might be overshadowed by others, had put extra effort into his outfit—even if he wasn’t the most commanding presence there, he’d surely be the most eye-catching.

He took Uncle Lin along with a few bodyguards. Upon his appearance, he immediately became the center of attention.

The An family’s display was not small this time, supposedly under the pretense that Bo Xiangzhou would attend. When people who originally wanted to decline the invitation heard Bo Xiangzhou’s big name, they reconsidered, harboring ulterior motives.

They closely watched behind An Xun, hoping the next person to appear would be Bo Xiangzhou, but Uncle Lin simply closed the car door, and the vehicle quickly drove away, disappearing from sight.

Their faces showed disbelief, their anger simmering, but they didn’t show it outwardly, maintaining harmony as they approached An Xun to greet him warmly.

They would have settled even for Bo Xiangzhou’s wife—pillow talk was more substantial than flattering words.

An Xun, bearing the high expectations Bo Xiangzhou had placed on him, conversed smoothly with them.

In the distance, the real star of the night’s banquet gritted his teeth with irritation. The two from the An family held a significant grudge against him, and in front of everyone, they couldn’t say much—just bombarded him with nice words.

Talking until dry-mouthed, Chen’s mother affectionately hooked An Xun’s arm, but he skillfully dodged, patting the fabric she had touched as if it were dirtied. The guests clearly saw his high-end suit remained impeccably clean.

An Xun stirred the pot, “Aunt Chen, aren’t you going to accompany your son?”

His tone sounded casual, but only a few from the An family knew he was being sharp and prickly.

He bluntly exposed the real relationship, making the guests reconsider their stance—An Xun and they were not on good terms.

Chen’s mother gritted her teeth, trying to drag An Xun down. “Xun Xun, didn’t you say President Bo would come? Where is he?”

“I didn’t say that.”

He indeed hadn’t said; he had just vaguely agreed, the specifics of which were debatable.

Good manners prevented the guests from showing displeasure; they faked smiles, their disdain for the An family profound.

He found a place to sit, sensing a dangerous aura soon after—it was Liu Tang, who shouldn’t have been there, looking at him like an enemy.

An Xun wondered, but Liu Tang had already moved past him towards An Xin, warmly embracing him as if they were old friends who had been close for decades.

How did they become friends?

An Xun was very aware that before his marriage into the Bo family, An Xin and Liu Tang had never interacted.

Could they have met at his wedding?

It was highly likely; at the wedding, both displayed jealous faces, their eyes nearly wishing they could devour him alive. Remembering him as a common enemy, they probably started chatting and naturally got to know each other better from badmouthing him frequently.

Liu Tang’s arrival made things difficult; An Xun had planned to give the An family a severe face-slapping at the banquet and leave gracefully at the end. Now, with the troublesome Liu Tang present, things became more complicated.

Undoubtedly, Liu Tang was siding with the An family. No wonder Chen Xiang praised Liu Tang to the skies over the phone last time—they had formed a connection.

If so, Liu Tang probably also knew his true temperament by now.

Caught with a damning secret by an enemy, An Xun was troubled. If the other party told Bo Xiangzhou, would Bo Xiangzhou believe him or Liu Tang?

Or perhaps neither, setting aside his important tasks to investigate him instead.

He couldn’t withstand an investigation!

An Xun mentally cursed every ancestor of the An family and Liu Tang.

He had come with a strong revenge motive, but Liu Tang’s appearance disrupted his plans. Uncle Lin might see him through rose-colored glasses, but he would describe tonight’s events in detail to Bo Xiangzhou.

Some things Uncle Lin might not notice, but once they reached Bo Xiangzhou’s ears, it would be different.

Just in case, An Xun put aside his vengeful thoughts and chose a quiet spot to stay. He wasn’t good at socializing, responding with a few polite words to anyone who greeted him. He picked a few differently flavored cupcakes, nibbling them while watching An Xin passionately give a speech on stage.

It wasn’t an 18th birthday, so why make such a fuss over a simple birthday party?

An Xun scoffed at the thought.

Halfway through the banquet, Liu Tang, who had been watching him closely, made a move. Probably intimidated by the presence of Uncle Lin, his words were not as sharp as in private.

Liu Tang, holding a champagne glass reflecting the beautiful gold color under the light, said amiably, “Shall we hang out together? I admit I was a bit harsh on you before, but I’ve changed. I think it’s not worth hurting our own kind over one alpha.”

Yeah, right.

An Xun replied, “No need; I prefer being alone.”

“It’s not good to be alone; it’s more fun with a few people.” Liu Tang nudged him with his elbow, suddenly asking, “Do you drink?”

Liu Tang’s smile was bright and meaningful; An Xun once again marveled at how accurate his instincts were. “No.”

The An family fools, for the sake of an outsider, to trip him up, had let out their little secrets. The An family’s wealth all depended on his acting skills! If he slipped up, what could the An family possibly gain? Liu Tang didn’t care about the Liu family’s business, so could the An family really rely on the Liu family for help without the Bo family?

He guessed it was Chen Xiang and An Xin acting on their own again; old man An Zhi Cheng is always cautious with everyone.

Liu Tang sipped lightly, saying, “Really not drinking? I heard you can hold your liquor.”

“You heard wrong, didn’t you see at the wedding? I only had a few drinks and was so drunk I couldn’t walk and had to lean on my husband. Going upstairs later, I was totally out of it, thanks to my husband carrying me.” An Xun’s face flushed with embarrassment, but to irritate the other party, he endured it. “My husband even told me to drink less the next day.”

An Xun looked shy, his expression telling others they had done everything.

Unaware of the secrets, Liu Tang scoffed, his grip tightening on the glass, his tone cooling several degrees. “Is that so? Maybe I did hear wrong then?”

He sat next to An Xun, resting a hand on his shoulder, glancing at the upright Uncle Lin, speaking in a voice only for the two of them, “Shall we play for a while? An Xin said you usually hang out at bars when you’re free; it must be boring being here alone.”

Who the hell hangs out at bars! He’s always working seriously!

A black pot clanged down on his head, his tone thick with threat. An Xun mouthed back, Let’s go then!

He and Liu Tang walked arm in arm, looking harmonious as if they were schoolkids carrying backpacks home together, An Xun smiling sweetly, instructing Uncle Lin, “He said aunt prepared a gift for me upstairs; please check it out; no need for you to come along; I’ll be right down.”

Uncle Lin was uneasy, but An Xun obviously didn’t share his concerns.

He and Liu Tang stuck together, sneaking a pinch on Liu Tang at a deserted corner.

Liu Tang fumed, stepping on his foot in retaliation. An Xun quickly dodged to the side; Liu Tang’s foot missed and scraped against his trouser leg.

The black trouser leg bore a half-black footprint; the fabric of the tailored suit was smooth, soft, and not dirt-resistant, with a slight stain requiring hand washing and not easy to clean off.

An Xun patted for half a minute, shaking off a bit of dust, Liu Tang standing aside, mocking him. An Xun forced a smile, briskly pushing open An Xin’s door.

The room’s style was warm, An Xin’s favorite warm yellow, with light curtains swaying. An Xin sat on a small sofa holding a piece of cake and several drinks he disliked on the coffee table, waving warmly as they entered.

A chill rose from his feet up his spine—definitely a trap!

An Xin picked up a bottle of cherry-flavored fruit drink, unscrewing the cap and handing it to him. “Brother, I bought this especially for you; you used to drink it often.”

He took it, not acting rashly until he figured out what these two were plotting.

“Thank you.” An Xun maintained his facial expression, taking a small sip along with An Xin’s words, tasting awful.

An Xin, disbelieving, “Brother, how do you find this flavor?”

“Not bad, do you want to try a sip?” An Xun eagerly pushed the drink back.

An Xin waved off, sitting back, saying twice, “No need.”

Suddenly, he coyly touched his earlobe, sweetly saying, “Brother, I feel you’re a bit cold towards me tonight; did I do something wrong? Before you got married, we always got along well, talked about everything, and you even told me about the alphas you liked at school.”

An Xun: “?”

An Xun awkwardly laughed, “What are you talking about?”

Liu Tang caught his look, chiming in, “Really? Does Brother Xiangzhou know about this?”

An Xin played along, “Brother, you still like this alpha?”

Each word stepped on An Xun’s sore spots; previously, he would have kicked out, but tonight, with so many uncertainties, he could only restrain himself, trying his best to act obedient, as if he were in front of Bo Xiangzhou.