12. Encounter on Chunhe Road (2)

As Meng Baichuan followed the server through the glass-mirrored corridor, a door of one of the private rooms happened to open, and a long line of hostesses came out in single file. Meng Baichuan improvised, saying, “Bring me all the good-looking people later. I need to see if this place is worth it.”

The server respectfully smiled at him and replied, “Of course, sir.”

Meng Baichuan was about to say a few more words to enhance his persona when suddenly, behind the glamorous girls and guys, he caught sight of a slender figure.

Meng Baichuan realized that the private room over there didn’t just finish selecting companions; they had brought in an entire football team. The gathering was breaking up.

The private room seemed to have consumed quite a lot of alcohol, as the young masters and princesses wore pleasing smiles on their faces, trying to attract attention as they surrounded the last two individuals to come out.

In that passing moment, Meng Baichuan clearly recognized the person in the elegant suit, who stood out amidst the ambiguous atmosphere of the club.

Wasn’t that the spouse of the clan leader?!

Meng Baichuan had seen Yan Ling from a distance when he went to find Qiu Rong before, and he couldn’t possibly mistake his appearance and demeanor.

“Ding—”

Yan Ling and the man next to him, wearing a hat and a mask, stepped into the elevator.

As Meng Baichuan watched the elevator doors close, he suddenly woke up from his daze and let out an uncontrollable “What the f*ck.”

At that moment, his mind was filled with countless thoughts.

The spouse of the clan leader should be on a flight from City S to City A at this very moment, yet here he was in Chunhe Road, inside this exclusive invitation-only club that engaged in special activities.

The grasslands seemed to beckon to the clan leader.

It seemed that their clan leader was about to check into the Sheep Village.

To speak or not to speak became a century-old dilemma.

The elevator in the club led down to the parking lot, and Qiu Rong’s car was parked right in front of the elevator doors. As long as Yan Ling went downstairs, Qiu Rong didn’t need to activate any “spouse radar.” He could lock onto Yan Ling in a split second.

However, CEOs always had dedicated cars for transportation. Who knows, maybe their driver was waiting at the elevator entrance?

The line of sight was blocked, but there might still be a glimmer of hope.

But unfaithful love had no future.

Meng Baichuan told himself that he couldn’t let Yan Ling indulge in lies just because he was worried about the clan leader being excessively heartbroken.

In just a few seconds, Meng Baichuan thought about a lot, yet very little.

Thousands of words ultimately converged into one sentence.

Meng Baichuan spoke heavily into his Bluetooth earpiece, “Boss, I saw Mr. Yan upstairs.”

Opportunities never gave a chance for unexpected events to unfold.

The short sentence reverberated through the confined space of the car. Ruan Sijia had just stopped turning the pages, and Qiu Rong’s brain had yet to translate Mandarin into Mandarin when the numbers on the nearby electronic screen rapidly jumped, approaching -1.

Finally comprehending the underlying meaning behind Meng Baichuan’s words, Qiu Rong’s brain, with a “ding,” realized that the CEO, who should have been thousands of miles away in the sky, appeared slowly in front of him as the elevator doors opened.

Yan Ling didn’t notice his own SUV or the scorching gaze from Qiu Rong inside the SUV. Instead, he saw the fisherman-hat-wearing person next to him sneak a glance in Qiu Rong’s direction.

With limited visibility through his partially covered eyes under the brim of his hat, Luo Haoxuan sensed someone staring in their direction. Thinking it was a paparazzo or entertainment reporter, he cautiously glanced around but didn’t see any dark cameras. Instead, he saw a familiar license plate.

“Mr. Yan, take a look. Isn’t that your car?” Luo Haoxuan called out to Yan Ling, and he turned his gaze back to the SUV. As he raised his head, his eyes met with Qiu Rong inside the car.

Luo Haoxuan: “…”

An abrupt chill ran down his neck.

If looks could kill, Luo Haoxuan was certain he would have died a thousand deaths on the spot.

Qiu Rong got out of the car, and the door closed with a muffled sound behind him.

Yan Ling also turned around.

In this eerie moment, in this peculiar place.

The two husbands stood at a distance, not too close, silently gazing at each other.

The singer entertaining the members had delayed them for a while, so when Qiu Rong and his group arrived at the club, it was already 8 p.m.

But regardless of the time, Yan Ling should not have been here.

Qiu Rong considered the possibility of Yan Ling having a twin brother, but from the curvature of his curled hair to the size and style of his shoes, every detail was incredibly familiar to him.

The ventilation system in the underground parking lot hummed, and Qiu Rong spoke first, his voice dry, “Weren’t you supposed to be on a business trip?”

If one ignored the sudden halt of his pounding heart, Yan Ling appeared composed and calm overall.

“It is a business trip,” he nodded, showing no signs of guilt. He even smiled, “My flight was rescheduled, and as soon as I landed, I had something to attend to. I originally planned to finish up and go straight home, thought I’d give you a little surprise.”

Yan Ling walked toward Qiu Rong.

In the presence of his little boyfriend, he automatically put on a facade of gentleness and elegance.

Qiu Rong looked at the exclusive elevator of the club next to them, his voice becoming heavy, “What business brings you here?”

Yan Ling followed his gaze, his eyebrow slightly raised, and squinted his eyes gently.

Why did Qiu Rong seem to know that this club provided special services?

Suppressing his doubts, Yan Ling answered Qiu Rong’s question first, “One of the company’s artists frequents this place and ignores their manager’s calls, so I had to come personally to find them.”

Luo Haoxuan, who was originally standing by and watching the show, “…”

He was just minding his own business, enjoying the spectacle, and suddenly he got pushed out by the Crown Prince to take the blame. Luo Haoxuan inwardly cursed and helplessly took off his mask. He smiled at Qiu Rong and then put it back on, muttering, “It’s me.”

As Yan Ling turned around, Qiu Rong’s attention was fully focused on Yan Ling, and he didn’t investigate further who the person next to him was.

Seeing Luo Haoxuan’s face, Qiu Rong’s tense emotions eased slightly.

Luo Haoxuan was an artist of New Moon, a multi-talented individual involved in both music and acting. He was also a wealthy second-generation figure and entering the entertainment industry was merely for fun. However, he made some waves along the way and had now become a well-known superstar.

When Qiu Rong first saw Yan Ling at the Rongsheng Elevator entrance, Luo Haoxuan was also present.

Although Luo Haoxuan was signed to New Moon, he also held shares in the company and had a friendship with Yan Ling.

“Don’t misunderstand, I came to prevent him from going astray,” Yan Ling approached and reached out to touch the back of Qiu Rong’s neck, using his thumb to gently rub behind his ear, saying, “I’m sorry, I should have informed you before coming to a place like this.”

Qiu Rong held the hand that Yan Ling placed on his neck and pressed his cheek against the cool palm.

The Chairman’s soft words successfully made Qiu Rong abandon his thoughts. Holding Yan Ling’s hand, he looked at Luo Haoxuan, silently questioning the authenticity of Yan Ling’s explanation.

Yan Ling, still wearing a gentle and apologetic expression, cast a sharp glare at Luo Haoxuan.

 Luo Haoxuan: “…”

Luo Haoxuan looked up at the sky, “Oh, right, right.”

Luo Haoxuan: “I was foolishly led astray by something.”

He shouldn’t have been fooled by Yan Ling with a bag of blood to find any clues.

Money was spent in large quantities, and on top of that, they were being forced to eat dog food.

“Crack!”

A muffled sound interrupted the various thoughts of the three individuals. Luo Haoxuan looked up and within his limited field of vision, he caught sight of a young man standing by the passenger door of the SUV.

Ruan Sijia didn’t even care about picking up the fallen Roman History book from the ground. He stared intently at Luo Haoxuan, his voice trembling as he asked, “Did you really come to this kind of place willingly?”

The Crown Prince was still standing by, smiling kindly. For the sake of the Prince’s family happiness, Luo Haoxuan took the blame to the end and nodded, “Yes.”

Ruan Sijia’s hand trembled at his side, his eyes reddening, and he murmured in disbelief, “…Did I really collapse?”

Caught between his personal image and the Prince’s family happiness, Luo Haoxuan chose a compromise.

“Well, recently I took on a new role in a drama where the character needs to go undercover in such places to assist the police in solving cases. I came here to gather firsthand information and learn on-site.” Luo Haoxuan couldn’t stay outside for too long due to his identity. The group returned to the car to talk, and Luo Haoxuan continued, “Mr. Yan misunderstood me.”

Luo Haoxuan, who always treated his fans with patience and care, said, “This book seems expensive. If you don’t mind, you can leave me your address, and I’ll compensate you with a new copy.”

More concerned about his house than the Roman History book, Ruan Sijia said, “You just said you were foolishly led astray…”

“Yes, I was foolishly led astray. I shouldn’t have secretly entered prohibited places. Faced with such heinous illegal activities, I should have reported them in a timely manner and become a law-abiding citizen. Mr. Yan’s teachings were right. I’ve decided to report this club tomorrow,” Luo Haoxuan emphasized while lifting up Yan Ling’s great image. 

“…,” Yan Ling remained silent.

Luo Haoxuan found his fans endearing, while Yan Ling wondered why Qiu Rong appeared in the Chunhe Road parking lot with another guy.

Moreover, it was evident that these two individuals were also targeting the Night Banquet Club.

Yan Ling turned to Qiu Rong and asked, “Before anything else, who is this guy in the backseat? And why did you come here at this hour?”

Qiu Rong: “…”

The delicate balance between offense and defense shifted subtly. The relaxed atmosphere that lasted only a few seconds tightened once again, and no one noticed that the club’s exclusive elevator quietly ascended.

Just like Yan Ling’s quick reaction speed, he promptly shifted the blame to Luo Haoxuan when facing Qiu Rong’s question.

Qiu Rong’s response to Yan Ling’s inquiry was also swift, although his performance was inevitably influenced by the former. Countless reasons flashed through Qiu Rong’s mind, but he could only grasp four words—going astray.

When answering his lover’s question, there was an invisible time limit. Hesitate for one more second, and the one being questioned would be defeated.

Qiu Rong suppressed the aggression he unintentionally revealed earlier and presented himself as a calm and enthusiastic senior. He calmly said, “The guy in the backseat is my junior from the same school. He suspected that his roommate was being deceived, so he asked me to come and persuade him.”

“I happened to have free time, and since you weren’t at home, I agreed.”

When lying to their lovers, both Qiu Rong and Yan Ling involuntarily adopted a softer stance, hoping to blind their partner’s eyes with love.

Tonight, the accumulation of lies placed the trust between Qiu Rong and Yan Ling on shaky ground.

An invisible competition unfolded inside the car.

It was at this moment that Meng Baichuan stepped out of the elevator.

After mentioning that he had seen Mr. Yan, Meng Baichuan’s call with Qiu Rong was abruptly cut off.

He stayed upstairs alone, pondering back and forth, still feeling uneasy. What if a fight broke out downstairs? Ruan Sijia wouldn’t be enough to handle it.

After hesitating for a while, Meng Baichuan decided to come down and take a look.

The clan leader’s car was still parked in its original spot.

Inside the car, four pairs of eyes stared at him in unison.

Meng Baichuan: “…”

It seemed like he had come down at the wrong time.

“Is this your classmate?” Yan Ling asked inside the car.

Ruan Sijia nervously pinched the wrinkled corner of the Roman History book and nodded, “Y-yes, he is.”

Yan Ling rolled down the window and waved at him.

Meng Baichuan, torn between staying and leaving, quickly exchanged glances with Qiu Rong and hesitantly approached.

Yan Ling recognized Meng Baichuan as the person who had just brushed past him in the corridor. He spoke gently, “Classmate, do you know that the special services offered by this club are illegal?”

Meng Baichuan was at a loss and could only nod, “Y-yes, I know.”

Yan Ling asked him, “Then why did you still come here to spend money?”

Meng Baichuan: “…”

Meng Baichuan felt like crying without tears.

Which script should he follow now? Even if his acting range was wide, he couldn’t deny himself the freedom to improvise.

Before Meng Baichuan could be questioned to death by Yan Ling, Qiu Rong broke the deadlock, saying, “Classmate, it was Ruan Sijia who asked me to persuade you not to go astray.”

“You’re still young, you mustn’t waste your precious youth in a place like this.”

Meng Baichuan: “…”

Meng Baichuan tried his best to play along, “Y-yes, senior… You’re right, I was temporarily led astray…”

…

For some reason, the air suddenly became quiet.

Silence became the theme of the night.

Author’s note:

Meng Baichuan: Can someone save me…

*Silence is the theme of tonight (from “Saying Goodbye to Cambridge Again” by Xu Zhimo)

Whether or not these lies are believed depends on how deeply two people love each other (/smoke).

You ask ~ how deeply ~ do I love you,

How much ~ of my love ~ do I give to you,

(suddenly starts singing)