Secretary Wei’s expression had calmed down by now, with only a lingering flush of moisture in his eyes from the earlier excitement.
He said earnestly, “Don’t worry, I’ll work hard and create more value for the company.”
Liu Yireng, still seated in the chair on one side, and the old butler on the other, sipped their water while listening to the idle chatter. They were getting on in years, and years of overwork had taken a toll on their stomachs, so they could no longer drink the tea that was meant to keep them alert.
Liu Duanhe glanced at his watch and said, “It’s getting late, Grandfather. You two should rest early.”
Although he currently lived at school, the old estate certainly had a room reserved for him, cleaned daily.
Seeing Liu Duanhe rise, the old butler said warmly to Secretary Wei, “It’s late, Xiao Wei. Why not stay the night in the guest room? The rooms are cleaned every day, so it’s very convenient, and it’ll be closer to the office for work tomorrow.”
Secretary Wei adjusted his glasses and declined politely, “I’ll pass. I still have some personal matters to take care of.”
The old butler smiled genially and asked, “In a hurry to get back to your girlfriend, are you?”
Liu Duanhe also looked over, an amused expression on his face.
He lowered his eyes and shook his head. “No, I don’t have a partner.”
The old butler patted his shoulder and said regretfully, “Well, maybe you think your career is more important right now, buried in work as you are. But finding someone to walk through life with, two people supporting each other, that’s still something wonderful.”
After they stepped out the door, Liu Duanhe said, “Travel expenses for the way back and tonight’s overtime pay will follow the usual policy, triple overtime, and transportation costs reimbursed.”
He was about to leave when the ringtone of Liu Duanhe’s phone sounded from his pocket, and Secretary Wei couldn’t help but pause mid-step.
It was visible to the naked eye that Liu Duanhe’s expression shifted, but without a moment’s hesitation, he answered the call.
The light overhead, bright as daylight, illuminated his distinguished figure and features down to the finest detail, with that unfamiliar coat draped over his arm.
He made no attempt to pry into Young Master Liu’s personal relationships or intimate connections. Guided by the servants along the way, he exited the main gate and hailed a ride-hailing car home. One advantage of not living in a manor built in some remote location like in the TV dramas was that getting a car was very convenient.
When the driver arrived at the gate, the surprise and envy in his eyes made Secretary Wei feel inexplicably restless.
He could only close his eyes and let his mind go blank.
Meanwhile, Liu Duanhe was taken aback by the unexpected call from Feng Xingyun. All the contacts in his phone were saved by full name, treated equally for ease of communication, and his decent memory was more than enough to keep track of everyone’s face, name, and interactions.
A faint sound of breathing came through the line. Liu Duanhe waited patiently for a moment, but Feng Xingyun remained silent, with noisy background chatter audible.
Switching the phone to his dominant hand and pressing it to his ear, he began walking, saying as he went, “You’re still out there at a gathering with them?”
A breathy “Mm” came through the receiver.
Hearing him finally speak, Liu Duanhe’s expression relaxed, and he continued, “Have you been drinking?”
Feng Xingyun denied it. “No. They drank, I didn’t.”
In truth, they had tried to get Feng Xingyun to drink, but under his cold, piercing stare, the teammates who had been bold enough to step forward quickly backed down.
Noticing that Feng Xingyun had been scowling all night, no one dared or cared to sit near him. Only Zhao Yi spent the whole meal probing him with side comments, annoying him to no end, leaving him no peace of mind. Then, almost on a whim, he called Liu Duanhe from the KTV.
Liu Duanhe couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh, a strange and inexplicable feeling stirring within him. “Then why did you call me?”
“Is there something you need from me?”
Feng Xingyun countered, “Can’t I call you if there’s nothing?”
He couldn’t help but laugh again. “But everyone who calls me usually wants something from me, they all come with goals and intentions.”
Although Liu Duanhe came across as gentle and approachable on the surface, his temperament and family background had already filtered out most of the people who could get close to him. A perfect disguise didn’t exist, just like the aloofness and pride in his bones, no matter how soft he tried to be, it would show eventually. Besides, Liu Duanhe also felt the weariness of wanting to take off the mask.
Feng Xingyun seemed to have moved to a quieter spot, his voice suddenly clear. “I don’t want anything from you. Just treat tonight’s call as me being crazy.”
Liu Duanhe’s voice carried an unmistakable, heartfelt smile. “Are you trying to see me?”
“Right now, this very moment.”
Feng Xingyun thought he must have misheard. He replayed the words carefully and realized it wasn’t his imagination. A flood of questions rose in his mind, did friends say such ambiguous things to each other?
Well, sure, he wasn’t one to socialize much, but he’d spent over a decade in group settings. Among the close friends he’d seen at school, some really did say such sappy things, even sappier, things like “I miss you so much” were not off the table.
He gritted his teeth, forcibly ignoring his discomfort, and deflected, “They’re playing a game right now, truth or dare. It’s pretty lively. Seems fun.”
Liu Duanhe said deliberately, “But I’m not very familiar with your teammates.”
“Didn’t you chat with them quite well this afternoon?” Feng Xingyun leaned against the wall outside the private room, looking weary, still cold, but that coldness suited his deep, handsome face perfectly, lending it a hint of mocking arrogance that warned strangers to keep their distance. One glance was enough to tell he wasn’t someone to mess with.
Liu Duanhe instantly guessed that they must have mentioned him during dinner, and Feng Xingyun was clearly bothered by it.
Somehow, Liu Duanhe recalled what the old man had said tonight, and his heart stirred. He had already reached the door of his room.
“Bored?”
Because the overall layout couldn’t be drastically altered, the rooms in the old mansion were undoubtedly smaller than Liu Duanhe’s other residences, due to the need to concentrate energy.
However, Liu Duanhe only had requirements for cleanliness; he didn’t care about anything else.
After a moment’s consideration, he turned around and walked back out.
Feng Xingyun’s deep, magnetic voice came through the phone, “Not really.”
The documents that needed his personal signature these past few days had all been handled tonight, and he had also seen his grandfather. Liu Duanhe could now be said to be free of all burdens.
“Send me the address, I’ll come pick you up. I remember you like watching racing, there happens to be an exhibition race at Wutong Mountain tonight. Want to go? Just the two of us.”
He only found out about the race a few days ago when someone approached him for tickets. It was a club contracted and operated by a subsidiary of the group, and it had even been founded by his grandfather over a decade ago. Their results were indeed quite good now, their racing team had nearly won the Chinese Grand Prix championship last year.
Liu Duanhe himself had no interest in such extreme, somewhat dangerous racing activities. He completely lacked the common rich-kid temperament of seeking thrills and courting death.
Anything dangerous was something he would never touch unless absolutely necessary.
Feng Xingyun was silent for a moment, taking a while to recover his ability to speak. “Alright, I’ll wait for you at the entrance.”
Liu Duanhe hung up the phone.
As for the truth-or-dare games they had originally mentioned, Feng Xingyun had completely forgotten about them. It was only when Liu Duanhe brought up sports cars that Feng Xingyun remembered the one he had ordered, the message from yesterday said it would arrive in a few days.
Originally, he and Liu Duanhe could be said to have disliked each other, with a poor relationship. When he had helped Liu Duanhe out of goodwill and taken him to the hospital, he could accept payment with a clear conscience. But now that they were friends, a thank-you gift felt awkward. Returning it would embarrass both sides and hurt their feelings.
Compared to him, someone who currently only collected dividends from the company, Liu Duanhe was well-known in their circle for his capability and extensive connections. He had been brought to the company by his grandfather to learn from an early age, had started handling company affairs a few years ago, and had completed several major projects in succession. The cash flow he could command must be quite substantial.
Even the housekeeper could directly produce a card with millions on it, truly lavish. Feng Xingyun felt no envy or jealousy toward such a “model child,” only genuine admiration.
Throughout his life, he had never praised anyone, but Liu Duanhe was indeed the most perfect person he had seen at first sight. That initial good impression had later been shattered, and now it was being rebuilt.
After thinking it over, Feng Xingyun decided to give a gift of equivalent value in return. He didn’t know what Liu Duanhe liked, but Liu Duanhe had remembered his favorite dishes and preferences even when they were rivals. He didn’t want the sentiment to be unbalanced.
After sending the KTV address, Feng Xingyun straightened his bent long legs, pushed himself up, and turned to walk back toward the private room.
Based on Feng Xingyun’s estimate, the KTV was one they had found nearby, not far from the school. But Liu Duanhe wasn’t at school, so it probably wasn’t a coincidence that he was nearby. Even if it wasn’t rush hour and there were fewer cars, it would still take at least ten-plus minutes.
Inside the private room, everyone was going wild, loud and rowdy. The moment he entered, the smell of alcohol and bursts of laughter flooded his ears. Above, the European-style chandelier blazed with brilliant light.
Zhao Yi hadn’t joined the main group. He sat alone on a nearby sofa, hugging a liquor bottle and giggling foolishly, his face bright red.
Feng Xingyun had returned to the private room for two reasons: one, to tell them he was leaving so they wouldn’t look for him, and two, to grab his bag, his jacket was still with Liu Duanhe.
He had only remembered when he got out of the car.
Zhao Yi was sitting on the sofa next to where Feng Xingyun’s bag was. Still conscious, he noticed Feng Xingyun’s movement to grab the bag and shouted, “You’re leaving?”
Because of his voice, everyone around looked over, surprised and also relieved, including the few tables playing games.
Feng Xingyun hadn’t opened the bag, so he simply lifted it by the strap and slung it over his shoulder. “I still have something to take care of. I’ll head out first. You all keep having fun, enjoy yourselves. Just don’t stay out too late and miss the dorm curfew.”
He gave a few reminders, fulfilling his duty as captain, and walked out amid their farewells.
When they reached the first floor, Feng Xingyun settled the bill for the private room directly at the front desk. Seeing how some of them were either drunk from too much alcohol or flushed with excitement, he seriously doubted whether they would remember to pay before leaving.
Searching through his bag, Liu Duanhe picked a Bentley that was moderately priced, neither too flashy nor too cheap, steady and unlikely to cause any mistakes. The driver also needed a personal life, and sometimes he would drive himself for business. Naturally, the cars he drove himself were a fixed few, ones that only he had ever driven.