That night, neither of them brought up what happened again, as if they had a silent agreement. However, Yu Li noticed that a certain bodyguard was increasingly going shirtless at home these days. 

Whether he was working out or not, he seemed to prefer being half-naked. Even the sound of his breathing when he bent down close to Yu Li seemed deliberately practiced, making Yu Li’s ears burn every time.

“Peacock showing off,” Yu Li muttered with a hint of amusement, watching the man walk towards the gym.

It was Friday, and with no classes in the afternoon and a banquet to attend in the evening, Yu Li declined Xu An and the others’ invitation and returned to the villa early.

By the time Pei Yu arrived at the house, Yu Li had already changed and was lounging on the sofa, watching Lu Qing work out. The man was doing back exercises, his well-defined back muscles fully activated by the equipment, like a leopard ready to pounce, showcasing immense power with each push and pull.

Pei Yu glanced at the person in the gym, then quickly turned away, uninterested, and walked over to Yu Li. Before he could speak, a hand swiftly covered his mouth.

His eyes widened, and he stubbornly whispered, “Who exactly do you want to kiss?”

Yu Li was almost defeated by his persistence. “Why are you so curious? I was just saying it casually that day,” Yu Li mumbled.

Ever since he sent that WeChat message to Pei Yu, the guy had been pestering him all week, asking who he wanted to kiss, to the point where Yu Li was almost triggered.

Pei Yu didn’t believe him at all. “Don’t try to fool me. I know you too well. If you said something like that, it means you already have someone in mind. Who is it? Which vixen managed to seduce you—mmph mmph!”

The more he spoke, the more excited he got, and his voice almost got out of control again, only to be muffled by Yu Li’s hand once more.

“Calm down,” Yu Li glanced back at the person still working out, seeing no reaction, and then turned back to Pei Yu. “Stop guessing. Wait for me…”

Before he could finish, Pei Yu suddenly leaned in, lowering his voice, “Is it the male model guy?”

Yu Li: “…”

Seeing him at a loss for words, Pei Yu understood immediately and slapped his thigh in frustration, “I knew it was him! I knew you couldn’t resist a man like that!”

Since Pei Yu had guessed it, Yu Li didn’t deny it anymore, but he was curious, “How did you suddenly figure it out?”

Pei Yu chuckled, “When you covered my mouth just now, you looked back at him.”

“When I came in, you didn’t even look at me first; you were watching him the whole time.”

“And half of those chest muscle comics you have, I helped you buy through a proxy.”

Yu Li made a time-out gesture.

Pei Yu looked at the fresh, tender cabbage in front of him, then glanced at Lu Qing, who was sweating profusely, and couldn’t help but slap his thigh again, “Last time I came, he wasn’t wearing a shirt. This time, he’s still not wearing a shirt. He never wears a shirt at home, with his chest muscles bouncing around. No wonder you’re feeling spring fever.”

“Such a seductive vixen!”

The two in the living room continued their banter, unaware that the person in the gym had stopped his workout. The shiny marble floor reflected his gradually darkening face, and his sharp, narrow eyes flickered with intense jealousy.

Lu Qing released the equipment, clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms, and then left the gym with a cold expression, heading upstairs.

The slightly heavy footsteps caught the attention of the two in the living room. Pei Yu turned his head, muttering curiously, “He hasn’t been working out for long. Why did he suddenly leave?”

Watching the man’s departing figure, Yu Li lightly curled his lips and uttered a cryptic remark, “Maybe he’s regretting something.”

…

The entire afternoon, Lu Qing was unusually silent, even Pei Yu noticed something was off.

Upon arriving at Boming, while Lu Qing went to park the car, Pei Yu pulled Yu Li aside and asked, “What’s up with the male model guy? Could it be that he heard me call him a vixen this afternoon and got upset?”

“No, you’re overthinking it,” Yu Li reassured.

Pei Yu grumbled, “Really? Then why does he look so grumpy?”

“I don’t know,” Yu Li seemed to be in a good mood, with a smile on his lips, “Lu Qing is coming over. I’ll go talk to him for a bit and then come find you.”

With that, Yu Li walked over to Lu Qing and softly said, “Wait for me downstairs. If anything comes up, I’ll message you.”

After speaking, Yu Li turned to leave, but as soon as he took a step, he felt someone tugging at his arm.

He turned his head to see Lu Qing looking at him, hesitant to speak.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Li asked.

Lu Qing hesitated for a moment before finally letting go, “Nothing.”

…

He Yan had his own regular private room at Boming, and every time Yu Li went out with him, it was always at the end of the third floor, and this time was no exception.

To help his relative expand their network, He Yan invited quite a few people this time. As soon as the waiter opened the door, a bunch of people on the sofa immediately stood up to greet them.

“Yu Li, Pei Yu, you’re here! Come, come, have a seat!”

“We saved a spot on the double sofa just for you two. Finally, you’re here.”

He Yan, who was the most familiar with Yu Li, was the first to arrive, “Xiao Li, Xiao Yu, long time no see.”

Yu Li nodded at him, and after sitting on the innermost double sofa with Pei Yu, he curiously glanced around.

Did Boming change their aromatherapy? Why does the room smell different today?

“Xiao Li, Xiao Yu, let me introduce you.”

Before he could think further, He Yan pulled a slightly chubby man over to Yu Li.

The bright lights in the room cast a somewhat harsh glow on the man’s ingratiating face.

“This is my cousin, He Pingzhi. He’s had some success in business recently, and my dad asked me to bring him out to see the world. It’d be embarrassing if he didn’t know anyone at the banquet later.”

As soon as He Yan finished speaking, He Pingzhi smiled with squinted eyes and quickly stepped forward to shake hands with Yu Li.

He had done his homework before coming. Among all the young masters in the room, none were as precious as the young master Yu in front of him. If he could establish a connection with the Yu Corporation, his family’s business would have no worries in the future.

“Young Master Yu, hello, hello, I’m He Pingzhi. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m hosting tonight, so if you need anything, just let me know, and I’ll make sure you’re satisfied!”

Yu Li politely said hello, but as he looked at the hand extended towards him, his lips subtly turned downwards.

Seeing this, He Yan quickly pulled He Pingzhi’s hand back and smiled at Yu Li, “Xiao Li, you and Xiao Yu have fun. We’ll head back first.”

With that, he forcefully dragged He Pingzhi away, his expression turning sour as he whispered, “Didn’t I tell you that Yu Li doesn’t like physical contact? Why did you reach out?”

He Pingzhi sighed, defending himself, “I was just trying to be friendly.”

The young master has delicate skin; shaking hands wouldn’t hurt, would it?

He Yan glared at him warningly, and after receiving a string of assurances from He Pingzhi, he took a deep breath and sat down.

After Yu Li and the others sat down, the group chatted and exchanged pleasantries for a while. Before long, the door to the private room opened again.

Waiters carrying various drinks and food stood one by one in the empty space in front of the sofa.

He Pingzhi signaled to the tallest young man among them, who understood and walked over to Yu Li with a charming smile, “Young Master, what would you like to drink? I’ll pour it for you.”

The waiters here always provided one-on-one service, so Yu Li didn’t find anything unusual about the inquiry. After a moment of hesitation, he turned to Pei Yu, “I want to drink a little. If I get drunk, have Lu Qing come upstairs to pick me up.”

Pei Yu clicked his tongue twice at that, “You’re daring to drink. Aren’t you afraid your brother will find out?”

Yu Li pouted, “I’ve already drunk before. Besides, you just don’t tell my brother.”

“Fine, fine,” Pei Yu shrugged, “Go ahead and drink. Anyway, the male vixen is waiting for you downstairs, so I’m not worried.”

Satisfied, Yu Li turned back and chose one of the red wines.

The wine had been decanted in advance, and the deep red liquid was poured into a transparent goblet and handed to Yu Li, the rich aroma wafting up.

The first sip was acceptable to Yu Li.

But without the accompaniment of hotpot this time, he drank the wine much more slowly.

The waiter, after pouring the wine, didn’t leave but stood behind Yu Li, lowering his gaze to carefully observe the beautiful young master in front of him.

He Pingzhi had instructed him to take good care of the young master tonight, and if the opportunity allowed, to develop things further…

While he was pondering, the door to the private room opened once more.

One after another, a group of well-dressed, exquisitely made-up men and women entered the room. He Pingzhi stood up at the right moment, smiling, “Ladies and gentlemen, these are new arrivals, all clean. Pick whoever you like, and if none of them catch your eye, there are more to come.”

Many of the people here, despite their outward appearances, were notorious playboys in private. At He Pingzhi’s invitation, it wasn’t long before almost everyone had someone sitting beside them, except for the sofa where Yu Li and Pei Yu were seated.

He Pingzhi had been keeping an eye on Yu Li’s side, and seeing this, he bent over slightly and approached Yu Li, ingratiatingly asking, “Young Master Yu, Young Master Pei, is there no one here to your liking? Should I call in another batch for you to choose from?”

Yu Li took another sip of wine, his voice calm, “No need.”

Pei Yu also waved his hand, “I don’t need anyone either.”

He Pingzhi: “But…”

The waiter, observing Yu Li’s expression, quickly interjected, “Mr. He, I’m here to serve the young master, so there’s no need for anyone else.”

He Pingzhi glanced at him, then smiled at Yu Li, “In that case, I won’t disturb you. If you need anything, just let me know.”

Yu Li responded with a nonchalant nod.

With so many people in the room, it quickly became noisy. Yu Li’s gaze swept over those sitting beside the various young masters, laughing and chatting, and he regretted agreeing to He Yan’s invitation.

With this time wasted, he might as well have stayed home and had dinner with Lu Qing.

The man’s casual display of muscles was more entertaining than any male escort’s dance.

As time passed, Yu Li wondered what Lu Qing was doing downstairs. Judging by his demeanor that afternoon, he seemed quite troubled.

Lost in thought, Yu Li suddenly felt a lightness in his hand. Looking up, he saw the waiter taking his empty glass, about to pour a second round.

Yu Li intended to decline, but the wine was already in the glass, so he let it go.

“Young Master,” the waiter smiled brightly, placing the glass back in Yu Li’s hand, “You don’t seem to enjoy talking much. Is it because you don’t like this kind of setting?”

Yu Li took a sip of wine and replied, “It’s okay.”

Whether he liked it or not, he’d seen it countless times.

The young master’s response was hard to follow up on, so the waiter paused his smile and switched topics, “You look quite young, are you a student?”

Yu Li nodded, “Freshman.”

Freshman, just barely an adult.

The waiter probed, “Jiang University?”

After three consecutive questions, Yu Li was sure this person was trying to get close to him.

It’s common for waiters in such places to try and get close to guests, but Yu Li’s thoughts were preoccupied with Lu Qing’s mood, leaving him with little patience to continue the conversation.

He finished the last sip of his wine, didn’t answer the waiter’s question, and instead turned to pat Pei Yu on the shoulder, “You keep playing, I’m leaving.”

Pei Yu was puzzled, “It’s not even halfway through, why are you leaving suddenly?”

“There’s nothing interesting here, I’m going to find Lu Qing,” Yu Li said, “I feel a bit dizzy, better have him come up and get me.”

Pei Yu sighed at his demeanor, lamenting, “Lustful! Lustful!”

He couldn’t even bear to be away from his male vixen for a moment!

“I’m off,” Yu Li waved at Pei Yu, stood up, and headed for the door, calling out to He Yan as he went, “You guys carry on.”

Seeing him leave so abruptly, He Yan and He Pingzhi quickly stood up, “Why are you leaving so suddenly? It’s just getting started!”

With the golden goose about to leave, He Pingzhi panicked, instinctively wanting to stop him, but before he could take a step, He Yan pulled him back.

He had no choice but to signal the waiter, “Go see the young master off.”

The waiter understood and followed Yu Li out.

Yu Li was at the door, messaging Lu Qing, his steps a bit unsteady.

The waiter caught up just in time to see him swaying and quickly took large strides to Yu Li’s side, supporting his arm, “Young Master, be careful.”

Normally, Yu Li would avoid being touched, but this time he didn’t, underestimating the potency of those two glasses of wine. While sitting, he felt fine, but now that he was outside, he realized he could barely stand, his body inexplicably hot.

His brother was right; in such settings, it was best not to touch alcohol. Getting dizzy right after stepping out, a few more steps and he might not be able to stand at all.

Seeing Yu Li not resisting, the waiter felt more confident, raising his other hand slowly, “Young Master, let me escort you downstairs.”

Just as his hand was about to rest on Yu Li’s shoulder, a sudden set of footsteps echoed from the stairwell, drawing both their attention. A tall, muscular man was striding over, exuding an intimidating aura.

His brows were furrowed, his gaze heavy, as if he was about to start a fight.

The waiter’s first instinct was to think the man was here to cause trouble, feeling a bit apprehensive, wondering if he should call for help from the private room. But in the next moment, the man was upon them, his powerful arm raised high, and in the waiter’s terrified eyes—

He gently took the dizzy young master from the waiter’s grasp.

The waiter stammered, “You…”

The man glanced at the waiter, his gaze sweeping over the hand that had just held Yu Li’s arm, and said calmly, “You can go back.”

The waiter protested, “But…”

“Let’s go,” nestled in the familiar embrace, Yu Li finally felt at ease, handing over his entire weight. He clutched the man’s arm with one hand, rubbing his head with the other, mumbling, “So dizzy, so hot…”

Lu Qing ignored the waiter, holding Yu Li’s slender waist firmly, pressing him into his embrace, and softened his tone, “Why did you drink again?”

“I wanted to, so I did,” Yu Li leaned against Lu Qing as they walked, but he couldn’t move fast, so Lu Qing slowed his pace, and Yu Li simply turned in the man’s arms, raising his arms to wrap around his neck.

“Carry me.”

Looking at the flushed cheeks and dependent expression of the person in front of him, the jealousy that had been brewing all afternoon seemed to vanish in an instant.

With a large hand under his knees, Lu Qing scooped him up, striding towards the first floor of the club.

The parking area wasn’t far, and soon, the man had him securely placed in the passenger seat.

During the movement, the person below seemed to chuckle softly. Lu Qing looked down, momentarily stunned.

The alcohol had taken effect, and Yu Li’s lips curved slightly, his face flushed, his dreamy gaze fixed on the lower half of Lu Qing’s face.

To be precise, on his lips.

Lu Qing leaned in, his voice low, “What are you looking at?”

Yu Li smiled with his eyes, raising a hand to gently tap the man’s prominent nose, “Go drive.”

Lu Qing felt something was off with Yu Li’s state, but seeing the boy urging him, he suppressed his doubts and returned to the driver’s seat, starting the car.

The Maybach drove out of Boming, the road smooth and unobstructed, and soon they were back in the villa’s garage.

Throughout the drive, Yu Li’s heated gaze lingered on the man’s profile.

Lu Qing felt restless under the scrutiny, and just as he was about to ask the question again, Yu Li suddenly tilted his head towards him.

“Lu Qing. This afternoon, were you unhappy?”

Lu Qing’s hand on the steering wheel paused, and he turned to look at him.

Yu Li was watching him, his clear eyes filled with a playful glint, “Which of Xiao Yu’s words did you hear?”

Lu Qing’s voice was hoarse, “Xiao Li…”

Yu Li slowly climbed up from the passenger seat, his soft hand tracing down the man’s chest, inching towards his jawline, asking softly, “Do you know why Xiao Yu suddenly said those things to me today?”

Lu Qing felt his whole body heat up under his touch, the hand on his neck moving back and forth, each contact with his skin raising his temperature.

Yu Li seemed genuinely drunk, leaning against the seat, unable to exert much force, his upper body pressed tightly against Lu Qing, his breath, tinged with the scent of alcohol, brushing against the man’s ear, making the veins on his forehead throb.

Lu Qing realized once again that Yu Li’s state was vastly different from the last time he was drunk. But at this moment, with the person he had long desired so intimately close, he couldn’t bring himself to push him away.

His large hand quietly found the curve of Yu Li’s lower back, subtly pulling him closer.

Yu Li’s hand had reached the man’s jaw, slowly moving upward, “Last time, Xiao Yu asked me what kissing felt like…”

“I said,”

The soft pad of his finger brushed over the dry lips, and Lu Qing’s eyes turned completely red.

“I said, once I’ve kissed, I’ll tell him… ah—!”

The driver’s seat suddenly reclined towards the back, the unexpected change causing Yu Li to cry out in surprise. But before he could fall forward with the momentum, he felt a tightness at his waist, and a strong arm pulled him away from the passenger seat.

By the time he realized it, he was already sitting on a firm thigh.

“Who do you want to kiss?”

He heard the man’s voice, rough as if it had rolled through gravel.

Yu Li panted lightly, his whole body hot.

The alcohol had numbed his brain, leaving only the name “Lu Qing” in his dizzy mind.

So he slowly, inch by inch, leaned closer, his voice as light as a wisp of smoke.

“With you…”