Lately, Shang Yichen had been clinging to vague hopes, thoughts like “Maybe Zhou Yi regrets leaving so easily,” or “Maybe he’s struggling over whether or not to contact me again.” He refused to believe that Zhou Yi would simply walk away from him, let alone be with another man.

But when reality hit, when the truth became undeniable, what Shang Yichen felt was not anger or embarrassment over being betrayed—it was jealousy and a heartache he could hardly put into words.

Why? He had spent days searching for Zhou Yi, barely eating or sleeping, only to find out that he was with someone else.

Why was Zhou Yi secretly with another man when he clearly had feelings for him?

Didn’t Zhou Yi love him? How could someone who had loved him so openly for three years—who had given up his dignity for him—suddenly be with another man?

Who could he possibly love besides Shang Yichen? Why choose someone else?

A flood of questions crashed through his mind, but there were no answers.

Shang Yichen, unable to accept the reality, was overwhelmed with confusion and disbelief. His face paled as he lowered his head in embarrassment, too ashamed to face what he had just seen.

Meng Rongze, who stood beside him, noticed his distress and frowned. “What the hell did you see? Why are you acting like this? Is he cheating on you?”

Shang Yichen didn’t respond. He barely felt the pain of the unburned cigarette butt pressing against his fingers. He just stared at the rising smoke, motionless, lost in his thoughts.

Meng Rongze, frustrated, shook his head, picked up the phone from the floor, and began flipping through it.

After quickly scanning through all the photos and videos, his reaction was the opposite of Shang Yichen’s. While Shang Yichen was sinking into despair, Meng Rongze looked disgusted and cursed, “Fuck, what the hell? Isn’t that the guy from the Liang family holding him? He really cheated on you behind your back. Damn, how did he get so bold? How did he manage to hook up with an Alpha like that?”

Meng Rongze continued, “No wonder you couldn’t find him. Someone like Liang Xianzhang can protect him with ease.”

He clicked his tongue in disdain. “But I never would’ve guessed it. He always acts like he’s madly in love with you, but turns out he’s a whore, flirting with people behind your back. All that kindness and love he showed you—could it have been fake? Was he just trying to get something out of you?”

Meng Rongze’s words struck a nerve in Shang Yichen’s heart, bringing to the surface fears he hadn’t dared to consider. What if all of Zhou Yi’s kindness and love had been fake? What if everything had been a lie?

The time they had spent together, the care and thoughtfulness Zhou Yi had shown him—all of it now seemed like it might have been meaningless.

Shang Yichen felt his heart breaking as he imagined all of that love and attention being given to someone else. The thought of Zhou Yi’s affection belonging to another man was unbearable.

Meng Rongze’s words didn’t comfort him—they only fueled the growing fear inside him. What if Zhou Yi hadn’t really loved him? What if everything he thought was real was just a lie? What should I do if that’s true?

Shang Yichen couldn’t accept it. He didn’t want to believe that Zhou Yi didn’t love him.

He raised his hands to cover his eyes, his throat tight with emotion. Between clenched teeth, he managed to mutter, “Stop talking…”

“Stop talking?!” Meng Rongze snapped. “You’re getting cuckolded and you don’t even care? He’s hooking up with someone else behind your back, and you’re acting like this? Maybe he’s been with many people—maybe he’s been with others before! Damn, what a piece of work!”

Meng Rongze continued insulting Zhou Yi in a bid to provoke Shang Yichen, but his words barely registered. Shang Yichen didn’t want to hear any more. He couldn’t bear it.

---

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Zhou Yi sat comfortably, sipping a drink with Liang Xianzhang. The newly delivered wine had a sweet, fruity taste, and Zhou Yi felt relaxed, though a little tipsy. Liang Xianzhang had already drunk more than half of the bottle, and by the time Zhou Yi began to feel the effects, he was humming lightly on a recliner in the backyard.

Noticing that Zhou Yi might catch a chill, Liang Xianzhang gently picked him up and carried him inside, laying him down on the soft sofa in the heated living room. Zhou Yi, already half asleep, seemed perfectly content as he settled into the cushions.

As Liang Xianzhang answered a phone call from his secretary, he glanced over at Zhou Yi, covering him with a blanket. Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, he asked, “Did they have a fight?”

“Yes, the people we have watching them said the argument was pretty intense,” the secretary replied. “I also heard something interesting. It seems the other party knows about your relationship with Mr. Zhou. The quarrel was partly about him.”

Liang Xianzhang repeated the secretary’s words slowly, then sneered. His voice was low, almost chilling. “He’s too slow to know…”

The secretary asked if they should send someone to warn him. Liang Xianzhang waved it off. “No need. Let him search. It won’t matter in the end.”

As he hung up, Liang Xianzhang looked back at Zhou Yi, still peacefully asleep on the sofa.

He had long recognized Shang Yichen’s feelings—he had likely loved Zhou Yi for some time but never truly understood or cherished him. Now that Shang Yichen had realized his mistake, it didn’t matter. Liang Xianzhang wasn’t going to give him a chance to get near Zhou Yi again.

His gaze darkened as he stood, walking upstairs to his closet. He opened a drawer on the top shelf, taking out a small velvet box before returning downstairs.

Zhou Yi was still asleep, looking serene. Liang Xianzhang knelt beside him, gently stroking his face, taking in the peaceful expression. With a soft smile, he leaned down and kissed Zhou Yi’s lips, chin, forehead, nose, and eyelids, savoring the moment.

Finally, he took the sapphire ring from the box, kissed Zhou Yi’s fingers, and gently slid the ring onto his ring finger, a symbol of the bond he was determined to build with him.