Qiao Yan looked in the direction Cao Jingtong was pointing and nearly leaped out of his skin.
On the ring in the corner, the man wearing the bronze lion mask was launching a fierce assault on a heavy bag, his fists flying fast and brutal.
Sweat had completely soaked his black tank top, plastering it against his body and outlining crisp, solid muscle lines. With every punch, the muscles of his shoulders and back flexed into powerful, crisp arcs, his movements clean and efficient, carrying a ruthless intensity that looked ready to punch right through the bag.
Qiao Yan subconsciously shrunk his neck.
He had just been beaten up by thugs not long ago, and the bruises on his body hadn’t even fully healed. Seeing a scene like this now made his stomach churn with discomfort. The painful sensation of fists slamming into his own body seemed to rush back, leaving him with a faint, phantom ache.
“What do you think? Hot, right?” Cao Jingtong’s eyes sparkled. “That’s the legendary Lion! The No. 1 of the underground boxing ring! My idol!”
“Hot my foot,” Qiao Yan muttered stubbornly, burying his face deeper into his scarf. “Fighting so violently, he clearly isn’t anyone good.”
As he spoke, he wanted to retreat, his feet quietly shuffling backward.
Cao Jingtong grabbed him in a vice grip. “Don’t leave! We finally made it here, look around some more! Opportunities like this don’t happen every day.”
“I-I’m a bit cold,” Qiao Yan offered a flimsy excuse.
“Cold? The heating in here is blasting!” Cao Jingtong failed to catch his tension entirely, excitedly squeezing forward instead. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s get a closer look!”
Dragged forward by him, Qiao Yan’s heart drummed wildly. On the stage, the lion-masked man executed a sudden spinning sidekick, sending the heavy bag flying high into the air as the chains let out a piercing, grating screech.
Qiao Yan swallowed hard, his fingers quietly clutching Cao Jingtong’s sleeve.
Right at that moment, the man on the ring stopped. He ripped off his gloves, tossed them aside, and vaulted over the ropes with one hand supporting his weight, jumping down from the stage.
Cao Jingtong grew instantly ecstatic, dragging Qiao Yan along as he rushed over.
“Lion, I’m a fan of yours!” Cao Jingtong pulled out a pen and notebook he had prepared long ago from his pocket. “Could you give me an autograph?”
The eyes behind the mask flicked over him, the voice emerging from behind the bronze frame low, deep, and slightly muffled: “No.”
He didn’t even spare a second glance at the notebook Cao Jingtong held out, turning on his heel to leave.
Meanwhile, the moment He Yanzhou had jumped off the ring, Qiao Yan had relied entirely on pure survival instinct. With a sharp whoosh, he ducked behind a massive structural pillar nearby, poking out only a tiny fraction of his head to watch in terrified trepidation.
Too terrifying.
Up close, the width of those shoulders looked vast enough to completely swallow him whole. As the man walked, the lines of his arm and back muscles rippled beneath the soaked fabric, radiating an explosive, latent power.
Qiao Yan could easily picture how hard those hands would be when clenched into fists, and exactly how much it would hurt if they smashed into someone.
The memory of being pinned to the ground and beaten by those thugs that night flashed back into his mind. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to flee immediately.
He shrunk himself further behind the pillar, wishing he could turn into a slip of paper and paste himself flat against it.
He Yanzhou walked toward the locker room, just happening to pass near the pillar where Qiao Yan was hiding.
The footsteps were heavy and powerful, each strike of the heel feeling like a stomp on Qiao Yan’s frayed nerves. A shadow loomed over him once more. Qiao Yan held his breath, burying his head low, staring fixedly at the tips of his light-colored sneakers.
He could feel the other man’s overwhelming presence growing more intense alongside the heat radiating off his body, carrying the scent of sweat, leather, and a highly aggressive, masculine aura.
“Move.”
The deep voice was right next to him, sounding almost directly above his head.
Qiao Yan jolted violently from the fright. Like a startled rabbit, he bounced away, scrambling to take a massive step to the side. As a result, his heel caught the leg of a barstool, causing him to stumble wildly. Nearly crashing to the floor, he frantically grabbed the edge of the bar counter to steady himself.
He raised his panicked face, locking eyes directly with that cold, bronze lion mask.
The distance was incredibly close. Qiao Yan could clearly see the subtle scuffs on the mask, as well as the pair of eyes staring out through the eyeholes—deep, sharp, and retaining a wild, unspent ferocity from the workout.
He Yanzhou didn’t leave immediately. He lowered his gaze slightly, his eyes falling on Qiao Yan’s slightly pale face and his wide, watery eyes trembling with nerves. The youth’s slender neck looked blindingly white under the lights, rising and falling slightly with his rapid breaths.
“…”
Qiao Yan felt his scalp go numb under the scrutiny, unable to utter a single syllable.
Staring into Qiao Yan’s terrified eyes, He Yanzhou enunciated each word clearly: “You shouldn’t come to a place like this.”
“Huh?” Qiao Yan froze, subconsciously letting out a blank sound.
“A place like this,” He Yanzhou’s gaze swept over his overly exquisite face and his light-colored sweater, which was clearly expensive and soft in texture, “is not safe for you.”
What the hell is that supposed to mean?!
Who is this broken lion looking down on?
Qiao Yan opened his mouth, wanting to snap back that he hadn’t come alone, that he had Cao Jingtong with him, and that he was just looking. But under the weight of those eyes, his defensive words died in his throat.
He pursed his lips, his gaze shifting erratically, not daring to meet the eyes behind the mask, let alone argue.
He Yanzhou didn’t seem to expect an answer either. Having delivered his piece, he stayed no longer, turning his long legs and walking straight toward the locker room.
“Why did you run off?” Cao Jingtong finally tracked him down, his face a picture of immense regret. “What a wasted opportunity, that was Lion!”
“My stomach hurts,” Qiao Yan lied through his teeth. “I need to use the restroom.”
“For real?” Cao Jingtong looked at him suspiciously.
“For real!” Qiao Yan emphasized, clutching his stomach to add credibility. “I probably ate something bad tonight.”
Only then did Cao Jingtong believe him. “Alright, go on then. I’ll wait for you here.”
“No need to wait,” Qiao Yan said instantly. “I suddenly feel extremely unwell, I want to head back to the dorms first. You keep watching, I’m leaving.”
Without waiting for Cao Jingtong’s reaction, Qiao Yan spun around and headed for the exit, his pace so fast he might as well have been escaping a crime scene.
“Hey! Yanyan! Qiao Yan!”
Cao Jingtong shouted from behind, but Qiao Yan pretended to be completely deaf, pushing open the gym door and diving straight into the freezing night wind.
The outside world was infinitely quieter than the interior. Qiao Yan took a deep breath of the icy air, feeling like he had finally come back to life.
He wrapped his coat tightly around himself and walked along the alley, his mind still filled with the image of that lion. The sheer sense of oppression when those eyes behind the mask looked at him had been suffocating.
“So fierce for what,” Qiao Yan grumbled under his breath. “Big deal, knowing how to box.”
Despite his grumbles, his feet moved rapidly, desperate to leave the area at once.
Reaching the mouth of the alley, Qiao Yan was just about to hail a cab when his phone vibrated.
He pulled it out; it was a message on Moyu.
Yan: What are you doing?
Qiao Yan blinked. The lingering tension from moments ago dissipated quite a bit. Leaning against a lamppost, his fingers flew across the screen.
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Just got back from outside! Does daddy miss me?~
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: [Kitten dashing over.jpg]
Yan: Mm.
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Has daddy been busy today~ Did you think about Little Peach~
Yan: Just finished working out.
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Wow! Daddy is so disciplined! Are you tired after working out? You need to rest well!
Yan: Not tired.
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Then what does daddy look like when he works out? Curious!
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Daddy’s figure is so good, you must have like 80 abs!!! I want to see so bad, want to see!!!
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: [Drooling kitten.jpg]
After sending this, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but let his imagination wander. An old man like He Yanzhou probably did things like golf or equestrian sports for exercise?
In any case, he definitely wouldn’t look like that scary brute in the underground boxing ring.
Yan: Don’t overthink it, nothing special.
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Hmph, daddy is stingy, won’t even tell me~
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Then Little Peach will tell daddy instead. I saw someone just now who was super, super fierce. Scared me to death QAQ
Having sent that, Qiao Yan felt like he had found a dumpster for his grievances, continuing to type away furiously.
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Little Peach was terrified, my little heart is still going pit-a-pat right now
He followed this message with an emoji of a kitten clutching its chest.
Yan: You weren’t hurt, were you?
Yan: Scared?
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: I wasn’t hurt, but it was super terrifying! Daddy needs to comfort me! QAQ
Yan: How should I comfort you.
Qiao Yan’s eyes lit up—the opportunity had arrived!
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Daddy should tell me a story, a gentle story to coax Little Peach to sleep!
Yan: Don’t know how to tell stories.
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Then daddy should sing to me!
Yan: Can’t do that either.
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Then daddy should say something sweet! Say “Little Peach don’t be scared, I’m here”!
After sending it, Qiao Yan shuddered at his own cringeworthiness.
But to maintain the persona, he had to give it his all!
This time, Yan remained silent for a longer period.
Just as Qiao Yan thought it was a bust and prepared to switch strategies, Yan’s message arrived.
Yan: Don’t be scared.
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Daddy is the best!
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Little Peach isn’t scared anymore! Daddy’s single sentence cured me completely!
Yan: Mm.
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Why is daddy so good today~ Is it because you missed Little Peach too?
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: [Kitten covering its face in embarrassment.jpg]
Yan: Going to shower.
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Oh oh, then go quickly daddy! Get a good rest after your shower!
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Goodnight daddy! Make sure I’m in your dreams!
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: [Kitten tucking into bed for a big sleep.jpg]
Yan: Mm, goodnight.
Looking at the final two words, Qiao Yan’s mood inexplicably turned bright. The discomfort from being frightened by that lion had mostly dissolved. Though He Yanzhou was an old pervert, at least he still wore a civilized human skin, which was a hundred times better than that ferocious beast of a lion.
He shoved his phone back into his pocket and hailed a cab back to school.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day before Qiao Yan’s fake birthday.
In the afternoon, Qiao Yan was lounging in the dorm playing games when he suddenly received a call from an unknown number, stating there was a courier package that required his personal signature.
Baffled, Qiao Yan headed downstairs, only to find the courier holding a very premium-looking black velvet gift box.
“Are you Ms. Qiao? Please sign here.”
While he was signing, the courier shot him a highly skeptical look, clearly not expecting “Ms. Qiao” to be a grown man.
Qiao Yan signed his name, took the box, and returned to the dorm. The box wasn’t massive, but it carried significant weight. It bore no logo, save for an inconspicuous gold-stamped insignia in the corner, looking incredibly expensive.
He carefully opened the box. Resting on a black velvet cushion inside was a necklace.
Qiao Yan caught his breath.
The pendant featured a minimalist collar design, but it possessed an incredibly powerful sense of artistry. The center stone was a deep, mysterious black diamond, refracting a mesmerizing, brilliant luster under the dorm lights, surrounded by finely set white diamonds like stars crowding around the moon. The chain itself was platinum, polished to a flawlessly smooth finish.
Even though Qiao Yan had no expertise in jewelry, he could tell this necklace was worth an absolute fortune.
His hands shook slightly as he picked up his phone to take a few photos of the necklace, then jumped online to search for similar designs.
The results nearly knocked him off his chair.
“He’s Corporate President He Yanzhou Splurges 60 Million to Drop Gavel on Rare Black Diamond Necklace.”
The accompanying image was a candid shot from the auction floor. Though a bit blurry, it clearly captured He Yanzhou’s sharp, upright figure as he turned sideways to raise his paddle, along with the black diamond necklace displayed on the stage ahead of him. The article detailed the bidding process, mentioning the fierce back-and-forth between He Yanzhou and another businessman before the final hammer fell at sixty million yuan. The report specifically emphasized that the piece was the final masterpiece of a deceased master designer, one of its kind in the world.
Sixty. Million.
“Holy crap…” Qiao Yan murmured to himself, the corners of his mouth curving upward uncontrollably until he burst into outright laughter. “Hahahahaha! He Yanzhou, oh He Yanzhou, you old man are way too easy to reel in!”
He felt like an absolute genius. Forget being at the top of the Ningcheng campus beauty rankings; he was currently at the absolute top of the sugar daddy fishing leaderboard!
What Qiao Yunguang? What little green teas? In front of his Little Peach persona, they were all garbage!
He Yanzhou’s money was practically flooding into his pockets right now!
Ecstatic, Qiao Yan paced around the dorm a dozen times, itching to flaunt it on his WeChat Moments right away. He carefully lifted the necklace out and held it up against his neck in front of the mirror. The black diamond contrasted against his skin, making his neck look exceptionally pale, carrying a cold yet seductive beauty.
“Nice, seriously nice.” Qiao Yan looked left and right in the mirror, growing more satisfied the more he stared. The money was well spent; the old man’s aesthetic taste was definitely on point.
Right then, his phone rang. It was a message from Moyu.
Yan: Received the necklace?
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Received it, received it!!! Daddy!!! This necklace is too beautiful! I love it so much!!!
Yan: Glad you like it.
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Love it super, super much! Daddy treats me the best! Muah muah muah muah muah muah!
Yan: Are you wearing it?
As expected. The old man had dropped so much cash; wasn’t it exactly because he wanted to see a little return on his investment?
His Little Peach persona knew exactly how to show gratitude!
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Not yet~ Does daddy want to see?
Yan: Mm.
Qiao Yan carefully slipped into the dress, tying the silk ribbons behind his back to ensure every layer of lace sat perfectly. The deep blue hue made his bare neck and collarbones look strikingly pale. Then, he put on the necklace.
The icy platinum chain and the heavy black diamond pressed against his skin, sending a sudden shiver through him.
He walked over to the full-length mirror, adjusting the angle. The warm yellow bedside lamp only illuminated the zone from his neck down to his chest. The deep blue lace neckline, his cool white skin, and the brilliant black diamond formed a visually explosive contrast.
He kept his face out of frame, turning on a localized video recording instead.
In the lens, his slender fingers first gently stroked the icy chain of the necklace, then slid down along the metal, tracing past his collarbones as if by accident, finally coming to a rest on the radiant black diamond collar.
His fingers didn’t stop there. Instead, they began to slowly trace circles around the black diamond, his fingertips occasionally brushing against the hard facet of the stone, occasionally skimming past the delicate, sensitive skin just beneath the necklace with a feather-light touch. The deep blue lace trim shifted along with his subtle movements, gently scraping against his skin and inducing a faint itch.
He tilted his head slightly, elongating the line of his neck. The black diamond shifted accordingly, fracturing the light into hazy, broken shards. He deliberately kept his breathing light and slow, making the rise and fall of his chest beneath the black diamond significantly more pronounced, every tiny tremor laced with a silent invitation.
He even parted his lips slightly, exhaling a puff of warm breath toward the lens, his gaze hazy yet focused, as though he were truly looking at the person behind the screen.
A thirty-second video, every single frame meticulously engineered to push the pure, seductive atmosphere to its absolute peak.
Click send.
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: [Video]
Little Peach Bites Real Hard: Daddy~ The necklace is on. Does it look good?
The very next second after the successful transmission, a video call request popped up.
Caller: Yan.
That fast? Qiao Yan raised an eyebrow. It looked like the effect was spectacular. He cleared his throat, adjusted his voice changer, and pressed accept.
The screen lit up, but the opposite side remained wrapped in a pitch-black darkness that completely blocked out any view.
“Daddy?” Qiao Yan pitched his voice, making it sweet enough to drip honey, lacing it with shyness. “Did you finish watching?”
No response came from the earpiece immediately.
There was only the sound of breathing.
It was incredibly heavy and deep, rhythmic, carrying a highly distinct, suffocating sense of restraint. Every inhalation was sharp and deep, while the exhalations carried an aggregate, barely perceptible tremor.
The smile on Qiao Yan’s face froze instantly.
He brought the phone even closer to his ear, and the breathing sound was magnified several times over, accompanied by a chaotic, rustling noise.
Qiao Yan’s eyes widened violently, and his cheeks instantly burned hot.