Four years ago, Beijing.
Under the flashing, dazzling lights of the PUB, the air was thick with the heavy smell of smoke and alcohol. Stimulated by booze and marijuana, the crowd’s emotions were whipped into one climax after another. Handsome men and beautiful women bounced energetically to the explosive music, bodies grinding against each other. Young faces were filled with intoxication. It was a scene straight out of a hedonistic hell.
Hou Yu squeezed back out of the crowd, drenched in sweat, and plopped down into a chair. “Fuck, that was awesome! So damn good!”
“You’re already a grown man and you still love jumping around like that. Look at you—completely polluted by bourgeois decadence,” Han Yue said lazily, flicking ash from his cigarette. “If Commander Hou saw this, he’d skin you alive.”
Hou Yu waved his hand indifferently. “The old man’s mind went rigid ages ago! Tell me, what’s the most valuable thing in this day and age?”
The group of princelings nearby burst into laughter. “Science and technology are the primary productive forces! Hahaha…”
“Wrong! Life is short—carpe diem[1]Make the most of the present moment rather than worrying too much about the future. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2509821_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2509821_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); is what’s most valuable.” Hou Yu waved dismissively, then put on a mysterious expression. “Second Young Master Han has been stuck in the army for too long, so he probably doesn’t know that this PUB just brought in a fresh batch of tender kids. All high schoolers. Tsk tsk…”
“High schoolers?” Someone nearby laughed. “Aren’t college students the trend these days?”
“Pei Zhi, you’re so outdated. These days you’ve got to play with whatever’s fresh!” Hou Yu turned and beckoned. The lobby manager immediately walked over with a flattering smile. “Young Master Hou, what can I do for you?”
“Those new tender little scallions you just hired—pick out a few good ones and send them up to keep Second Young Master Han company.” Hou Yu winked at Han Yue with a sleazy look. “Our Han Second Young Master has a huge background. I’m warning you in advance: don’t send any low-quality trash to fool him! Otherwise, be careful—this gentleman might tear your whole place down!”
“I wouldn’t dare! I wouldn’t dare!” The lobby manager quickly bowed and retreated with a smile. Before long, he led several boys and girls in high school uniforms over. All of them were heavily made up with thick, glittering eyeshadow. The girls’ uniform collars were deliberately pulled extremely low, and their skirts were hiked up high, revealing long stretches of fair thighs as they swayed their hips and twisted their waists.
Pei Zhi grinned at the sight. “Whoa, uniform fetish?”
“Our Boss Pei actually knows some trendy new terms? Impressive.” Hou Yu turned and patted Han Yue’s shoulder. “Today’s your welcome-back party. We’ll all yield to you. You pick first.”
Everyone around nodded, letting Han Yue choose first. Among this group of princelings, Han Yue had the strongest background and had lived up to it. He had trained in martial arts with bodyguards since childhood, joined the army right after turning eighteen, and spent a full ten years climbing the ranks through grit and sweat. Even before his father fully stepped back, he had already taken over. Nowadays, when people mentioned the Han family’s second son, quite a few old cadres would give him a big thumbs-up.
Han Yue smiled. “Since Young Master Hou is treating today, I won’t hold back.” He casually pulled over a long-haired girl in a short skirt who was playing the innocent-student look, then pointed at a delicate, fair-skinned boy. “Come light a cigarette for me.”
The boy was very quick-witted. He immediately took out a Yunyan cigarette, lit it in his own mouth, then bent down and offered it to Han Yue’s lips. The girl also twisted her waist, poured a glass of wine, and fed it to him mouth-to-mouth in a coquettish voice.
Han Yue accepted everything without refusal, enjoying the soft warmth and fragrance in his arms, when Pei Zhi suddenly asked, “Han Er, is the military industrial project in Nujiang finished? Are you staying in Beijing after coming back this time?”
Han Yue swallowed a mouthful of wine. “Yeah, I’ll stay home for a while first. Why?”
“I just suddenly thought—if you’re staying in Beijing long-term, that precious baby of yours at home is going to have a rough time. He’ll have to service you every single night… hahaha!”
Han Yue just smiled without saying anything. Hou Yu couldn’t help leaning over curiously. “What precious baby? How come I haven’t heard about this?”
“Why the hell would you need to know about Han Second Young Master’s people!”
“I’m just curious! How come I’ve never heard that Han Yue has a confidante in Beijing?”
Pei Zhi winked. “Not a confidante. It’s a guy with a dick—one of the engineers at the Metallurgical Research Institute. It’s been about two years now, but he keeps a very low profile and doesn’t go out much.”
“Whoa, an intellectual! How did he end up with a military ruffian like Han Yue?”
“You’ll have to ask Han Yue about that.”
Han Yue had been leaning back with his eyes closed, enjoying the girl’s massage. At those words, he opened his eyes with an innocent expression. “What’s there to ask? He’s an outsider with no friends or connections. If it weren’t for me, how could he have gotten the title of engineer?”
Pei Zhi burst out laughing. “Keep pretending, you big-tailed wolf! Who was it that showed up with a gun, blocked him inside his house, and wouldn’t let him leave? Who handcuffed him for two whole days and nights? And who later threatened him that if he didn’t submit, his whole family would be in trouble?”
Hou Yu was shocked. “Second Young Master Han actually did that kind of thing?”
“Absolutely. You know what Han Er said at the time? ‘If you don’t fucking open your mouth, I’ll issue you a death certificate. From then on you’ll have no family, no job, and no household registration—you’ll be a dead man with no identity!’ That line did the trick. Ordinary people can’t withstand Han Er’s methods.”
Han Yue said calmly, “I really do like him.”
“You really fucking like tormenting him. Last time you came back to Beijing for half a month’s leave, he went to the hospital three times.” Pei Zhi patted Hou Yu. “Hear that? This is how he bullies and dominates. Learn from it.”
Hou Yu laughed. “That doesn’t make sense. Our Second Young Master Han is tall, handsome, capable, rich, and has an incredible background. Why is the guy always so unwilling? Is that engineer some kind of heavenly immortal?”
Pei Zhi grinned. “If you’re curious, why don’t we ask our Second Young Master Han to open his golden mouth and summon his precious baby out to meet everyone?”
“Forget it.” Han Yue waved his hand dismissively. “With that temper of his, he’d just kill the mood if he came. Better not.”
Hou Yu was the type who would stir up trouble even when there was none. His mischievous nature had been fully ignited. He immediately begged Han Yue to call the guy over, and even roped in several friends to join the commotion. Some who had only recently entered the circle, some who usually couldn’t get a word in, and some lower-status ones who just went along with the flow all started cheering and making noise together. Han Yue couldn’t refuse them all, so while taking out his phone he smiled and said, “Fine, I’ll make a call and see if he’s free.”
The call connected quickly. Han Yue tilted his head slightly and said, “Hey, Chu Ci? It’s me, Han Yue. A few friends are drinking at the usual place. Come over right now and say hello to them.”
The table immediately quieted down. Even the host kids didn’t dare make noise. A few curious ones leaned in closer, deliberately trying to catch any words from the other end of the phone.
Hou Yu was sitting closest. After a moment of silence on the line, two words came through: “Not going.”
Whether it was because the nightclub was too loud or some psychological effect, Hou Yu felt that the voice sounded strangely distinctive—particularly… cold and indifferent.
It was a very pleasant voice, yet it had the power to instantly douse everyone’s excitement with ice water.
Han Yue’s expression didn’t change, but his voice deepened. “You haven’t gotten off work yet?”
“…I have.”
“Where are you?”
“On my way home.”
“Turn around right now. You have half an hour. Don’t refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit.[2]If you refuse a reasonable offer or a chance to cooperate, you’ll end up facing harsher consequences. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2509821_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2509821_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });” Han Yue paused, then added impatiently, “Don’t drive that piece of junk. Take the Mercedes.”
The other side remained silent, then immediately hung up.
The boy beside Han Yue covered his mouth and let out a soft laugh. “Who is that? Such a big temper.”
The girl on the other side shot him a fierce glare, and the boy instantly shut his mouth.
Hou Yu poured a glass of wine and asked, “He just hung up like that? Han Er, do you think he’ll come?”
“He will.” Han Yue exhaled a leisurely puff of smoke and flicked the ash from his cigarette. “—He’s afraid of drinking the forfeit.”
Sure enough, about fifty minutes later, a young man in his twenties wearing a lab technician’s white coat appeared at the entrance of the nightclub. After scanning the chaotic, writhing crowd on the dance floor, he parted the high-spirited revelers and slowly walked toward Han Yue’s table.
From the moment he stood at the nightclub entrance, Han Yue’s eyes had locked onto him. Following Han Yue’s gaze, several others also turned to look toward the door.
The young man’s attire and demeanor were markedly different from everyone else’s—almost out of place. He had probably come straight from work; he hadn’t even taken off his white lab coat, though it was unbuttoned. Underneath was a light blue fine-striped shirt paired with iron-gray dress pants, making him look slim and upright.
The steady way he walked made his legs appear exceptionally straight and long. Hou Yu stared at him the whole time until he reached Han Yue’s table, only then noticing how handsome the man’s face was. His features were refined and upright, without the slightest trace of coquettishness common in places like this. Instead, he gave off a cold, steady, elegant, and dignified impression.
Hou Yu unconsciously toned down his initial teasing thoughts. He figured this must be the scholarly aura of an intellectual—it made people want to quiet down, talk properly, and have a real conversation with him.
Han Yue lounged lazily on the sofa, staring at Chu Ci for a full ten-plus seconds before asking, “When I landed and called you, why didn’t you pick up?”
Chu Ci replied flatly, “Phones aren’t allowed in the lab.”
“And why didn’t you pick up later?”
“I was in a meeting.”
Han Yue laughed. He hooked his foot affectionately around Chu Ci’s calf. Though he was smiling, his words were anything but pleasant: “Looks like you’re itching for a beating again.”
Seeing the two of them about to clash, Pei Zhi quickly coughed to smooth things over. “Han Er, you haven’t introduced him yet. Come on, Engineer Chu, this is Hou Yu. He’s treating us tonight. Hou Yu, come say hello—this is Chu Ci.”
Hou Yu smiled and extended his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Chu Ci glanced at Hou Yu. His eyes were very bright but completely devoid of warmth. Hou Yu’s smile stiffened slightly before Chu Ci reached out and gave him a lukewarm handshake.
Perhaps because of his lab work, his hand wasn’t as fair and delicate as his face; it was covered in calluses of various sizes and felt somewhat cool to the touch. As Hou Yu sat and observed him, he could see the collar of Chu Ci’s shirt peeking out from under the white coat, revealing a prominent collarbone and a small, sunken hollow at the base of his neck.
Hou Yu thought to himself that Pei Zhi was fucking right—this really was uniform temptation. Such a cold person wearing a white lab coat, looking so refined and ascetic, yet it ignited a flame in the lower abdomen that burned straight toward the heart.
“You were told to get here in half an hour, but you dragged it out to fifty minutes. Did stalling make you feel good?” Han Yue snorted with a laugh, then pulled Chu Ci down to sit beside him. He poured a glass of wine. “Everyone’s here tonight. Have a drink with them and say hello.”
Chu Ci pushed the glass away and said indifferently, “I don’t drink.”
As soon as he said that, several princelings who had been eager to interact suddenly stood there awkwardly.
Pei Zhi quickly intervened again, “Han Yue, if Engineer Chu doesn’t drink, then forget it. If you get drunk later, won’t he have to drive you home? Just let him wet his lips.”
Han Yue laughed and patted Chu Ci’s face. “Did you hear that? Someone’s pleading for you.”
Chu Ci remained silent.
Pei Zhi gave an awkward smile and turned away, pretending not to notice. Before joining the army, Han Yue had always been hot-tempered and irritable. After years in the military, he had picked up some soldierly roughness. Most people didn’t dare provoke him. He had had several previous bed partners who were showered with money and luxury, but they all eventually couldn’t stand Second Young Master Han’s tyrannical temper and left crying. The only one who stayed was Chu Ci—because Chu Ci couldn’t leave. From the very beginning, he had been forced to stay.
Those words from Pei Zhi might not mean much now, but tonight when they got home, they would become Han Yue’s excuse to trouble Chu Ci.
Although Chu Ci had never given Han Yue any good looks, Han Yue kept a very tight leash on him. He usually didn’t show it outwardly, but inside he was prone to jealousy and anger.
“You came all the way here and won’t even touch a glass of wine. Who do you think you’re giving attitude to? …And you say you don’t drink? Do you think I’m a three-year-old?” Han Yue smiled as he gripped Chu Ci’s chin with great force, his fingernails turning pale from the pressure. “Then again, since you’re sitting here, give me some face. Even if you don’t drink, you’re going to drink it for me!”
Chu Ci frowned and said in a low voice, “Don’t go crazy in front of people.”
Han Yue laughed loudly, suddenly tilted his head back and downed the entire glass in one gulp. Then he pressed Chu Ci against the sofa backrest and forced the alcohol into his mouth mouth-to-mouth! Chu Ci struggled violently for a moment, but he couldn’t match Han Yue’s strength. During the struggle, his shirt came untucked from his belt, revealing a small patch of bare side waist.
Even under the dim lights of the nightclub, the muscles on his lower back looked firm and lean, seemingly full of warm elasticity. His narrow waistline curved beautifully into the belt—neither too muscular nor too thin. It made people want to place their hands on that curve and slowly slide them downward into his pants.
Hou Yu’s gaze couldn’t help but fall on that exposed stretch of waist. He knew many others around them were also staring. If those gazes could become tangible, they probably would have torn strips of flesh from Chu Ci’s waist.
Han Yue held him down and kissed him for a while until Chu Ci was gasping for air, then finally released him. He straightened up with a faint, cold smile.
Chu Ci took several sharp breaths. The alcohol made him cough violently. His face looked miserable, one button on his collar had been ripped off, revealing a small patch of chest below the collarbone. His hair was messed up. Whether from the spicy burn of the alcohol or lack of breath, there was a reddish watery glint in his eyes that reminded Han Yue of how he looked when he was begging and moaning in bed.
“I’ll deal with you properly when we get home tonight,” Han Yue whispered with a low laugh beside Chu Ci’s ear.
Chu Ci shoved him away hard and walked straight out without looking back. Before he could take more than a few steps, Han Yue leaped over the sofa, grabbed his arm like an iron clamp, and demanded, “Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“If you dare walk out now, I’ll break your legs!”
Chu Ci violently shook off Han Yue’s grip and strode toward the door. Han Yue instantly flared up. He kicked him down, grabbed his arm, and started dragging him toward the stairs of the nightclub.
The nightclub had excellent soundproofing between floors. Upstairs were private rooms—once the door was closed, anything could happen. Chu Ci had a bad feeling. He struggled fiercely without making a sound, but he couldn’t stop the enraged Han Yue from dragging him upstairs.
Pei Zhi, Hou Yu, and the others saw that the situation was turning ugly. They hurriedly rushed forward, some pulling, some trying to persuade: “Han Er, calm down!” “Let him go! Stop dragging him!” “Calm down, calm down! Talk nicely!”
Hou Yu had just helped Chu Ci up and, together with Pei Zhi and the others, positioned themselves between the two men when his phone suddenly rang in his pocket.
The nightclub had just switched to an even more explosive song, making the noise deafening. Hou Yu was momentarily stunned before realizing it was his own phone. The number was from his family home.
“Hello? Hello?” Hou Yu quickly gestured for Han Yue and the others to be quiet, then shouted into the phone, “Who is it?”
No one knew what was said on the other end, but Hou Yu’s expression changed drastically. “Are you serious?!”
Pei Zhi couldn’t help asking, “What’s wrong?”
Hou Yu waved his hand with a livid face, signaling him to shut up, then spoke into the phone again, “Alright, I got it. I’ll head back right away. Keep that kid in the police station for now, and make sure to tell him not to say anything stupid! Damn it!”
Hou Yu hung up the phone and cursed angrily, “Fuck his mother! My cousin got drunk, drove, and killed someone!”
Everyone around sucked in a sharp breath. Pei Zhi asked, “Who did he hit?”
“I don’t know, apparently some migrant worker’s kid. That idiot cousin of mine tried to drive away after hitting him. When the police stopped him, he even told them to have the police chief go find my dad!” Hou Yu sighed in frustration, hating that iron couldn’t turn into steel.[3]Being frustrated or disappointed that someone fails to live up to their potential despite having high hopes for them. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2509821_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2509821_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); “Now it’s blown up big time—reporters are already there. How could that kid be so fucking stupid?!”
Pei Zhi clapped his hands. “You should go ask Han Er for advice. A couple years ago, Han Er’s older brother also got into a drunk driving incident, and then…”
Han Yue cut Pei Zhi off: “I was in the army at the time; it was all handled by my brother’s friends. If you ask me, you should hurry to the police station right now. First shut your cousin’s mouth, then deal with everything else later.”
With this incident, Hou Yu was no longer in the mood to stay. He hastily said goodbye to them and rushed off to the police station.
Since Hou Yu was the host of the night, once he left, the others didn’t feel like continuing either. Soon, people left in small groups. The high schoolers who had been serving drinks looked a bit disappointed, pouting, but fortunately the princelings were all generous and gave them hefty tips when settling the bill.
Chu Ci kept staring in the direction Hou Yu had left, seemingly lost in thought. From Han Yue’s angle, he could see Chu Ci’s handsome profile, calm and deep like an ancient pool.
“What are you thinking about?”
Chu Ci withdrew his gaze and replied indifferently, “Nothing.”
Han Yue let out a low chuckle and asked, “Go home, or stay here?”
For a split second, Chu Ci’s body seemed to stiffen, every muscle tensing up. It took him quite a while to slowly relax. His face looked somewhat strained and embarrassed as he answered:
“…Go home.”
References[+]