Under the deep night, neon lights pierced the sky in a riot of colors, an illusory splendor. While waiting at a red light, Liu Duanhe glanced at the navigation; about twenty more minutes to go.
The car window slid down slowly, and a gust of cold wind quickly filled the entire space inside, carrying the vibrant energy of the bustling city.
The traffic light changed, and Liu Duanhe started the car, his expression relaxing. How long had it been since he’d been alone in quiet solitude, without any guard up, probing and deciphering everyone’s thoughts?
Perhaps the night stirred emotions, and Liu Duanhe found himself in a rare moment of relaxed reflection, even feeling a fleeting impulse to throw all caution to the wind.
But the next second, the thought vanished. A mask worn too long becomes part of your flesh and blood; even if he wanted to take it off now, he’d feel uneasy and out of place.
By the time he reached the address Feng Xingyun had given him, it was already 8:30 PM, neither early nor late.
After parking, Liu Duanhe texted Feng Xingyun to ask which private room he was in, expecting him to be waiting inside.
But to his surprise, as soon as Liu Duanhe entered the lobby, he saw the young man lounging on the sofa, looking utterly bored.
He was still wearing the same tank top from when they’d parted, showing off smooth, well-defined muscles, with a crossbody bag slung over his shoulder. He looked full of energy, unbothered by the cold.
Liu Duanhe couldn’t help but frown. The weather at this time of year had big temperature swings, making it easy to catch a cold.
But then he remembered that Feng Xingyun probably didn’t have a jacket, after all, he’d lent his own to him before they parted that afternoon.
A flicker of unease, and a faint trace of guilt, stirred in Liu Duanhe’s chest.
“Feng Xingyun.” The lobby was bustling with people, so he kept his voice low as he called out.
Feng Xingyun, who had been lost in thought, turned his head, spotted him, and immediately stood up, walking over.
But then he saw Liu Duanhe suddenly undo the jeweled cufflinks on his jacket and shrug it off. Feng Xingyun’s brows knit together, puzzled about what he was doing.
In Liu Duanhe’s view, taking care of one’s boyfriend was what a qualified partner should do. Sure, in their circles, the second and third-generation heirs changed partners like they changed clothes.
But for someone respectable in society’s eyes, a stable relationship was far more likely to win favor. Take his father and mother, for example, no matter how cold they were to each other in private, in public they were the picture of a devoted couple, deeply in love.
Regardless of everything else, on that point, he wholeheartedly agreed.
Tucking the cufflinks into his pocket, Liu Duanhe explained, “Your jacket went to the cleaners. It’s windy outside, wear mine for now. You mind?”
Feng Xingyun certainly didn’t mind. He raised a hand to rub his nose and took the jacket from Liu Duanhe. Fortunately, Liu Duanhe had grabbed a relaxed-fit blazer on his way out, about one and a half to two sizes larger than a tailored fit.
The jacket carried a faint, clean scent, and the fabric still held body warmth, like a gentle embrace. His heart inexplicably fluttered.
Liu Duanhe gave him a once-over and commented, “Not bad. It’s become a custom fit now.”
That was a rather restrained assessment. In truth, Feng Xingyun’s muscles had completely filled out the blazer, even his chest straining against it, a “suit thug” vibe with a hint of something dangerously alluring.
Fortunately, his muscles weren’t the exaggerated kind pumped up by gym protein powder; they were just right in the average person’s eyes. One might even call him a “bodhisattva in human form.”
Feng Xingyun raised his arms, testing the range of motion.
“Yeah.”
After all, they were only a few centimeters apart in height, and the jacket was a loose fit to begin with.
Even though Feng Xingyun didn’t feel cold, putting on the jacket did warm him up instantly.
He asked Liu Duanhe, “But now you’re only wearing a shirt on top.”
Liu Duanhe gave a sly smile. “I’ve got two spare outfits in my car.”
Feng Xingyun couldn’t help the corner of his mouth curling up. “Alright, then let’s head out now, are we still on time?”
But Liu Duanhe first glanced toward the upstairs direction, then looked back at him. “Aren’t your teammates still up there? Don’t I need to go say hi?”
His eyes sparkled like stars under the lights, bright with amusement.
Feng Xingyun shook his head. “Most of them are way too hyped up right now. You’d get scared if you went up.”
That was ridiculous. Liu Duanhe figured he wasn’t the type to be frightened by a bunch of drunkards, especially not Feng Xingyun’s own teammates.
“Did they drink a lot?”
Feng Xingyun nodded.
Liu Duanhe glanced upstairs again but didn’t insist. “Still, if they really drank that much, they shouldn’t drive home, especially with women in the group.”
After a moment’s thought, he walked over to the front desk.
The staff member on duty had already noticed the two of them. After all, in real life, you rarely encountered such top-tier handsome men, both towering in height. Especially the one who came in later, he was even better-looking than male celebrities in the entertainment industry. Absolutely divine.
His features were deep and striking, phoenix eyes tilting upward, with a warm, jade-like temperament, devastatingly handsome. He carried an air of excessive refinement, and even in a loose casual blazer, he looked dignified rather than rakish.
When she noticed them looking toward the front desk, saying something, and then walking over, she immediately tensed up.
By the time she was practically boiling with nerves, Liu Duanhe was already standing in front of her, while another handsome guy who looked like trouble stood nearby with his hands in his pockets, watching from a distance.
The front desk staff member used the most perfectly enunciated accent of her life. “Hello, is there anything I can help you with?” Strangely enough, she wasn’t just nervous, she also felt an inexplicable awkwardness. Maybe it was because the person in front of her looked so polished, or rather, looked like he cost a fortune, which made her feel utterly outclassed.
Although mobile payments were convenient, Liu Duanhe always preferred to be thorough in his affairs, so he carried a wallet with cash on him.
He explained politely, “My friends are having a dinner gathering in a private room. Since there are both men and women, I’m worried about their safety getting back to school. I’d like to ask you to help me.”
Liu Duanhe considered the travel time and the dormitory curfew. “Around 9:40, if they haven’t come down yet, could you please go call them and arrange for them to return to school in groups, one car per group? That would be great. Ideally, each car should have someone relatively sober.”
As he spoke, he took out his wallet and pulled out a stack of hundred-yuan bills. “Of course, this won’t be for free. I’ll pay you for your trouble.”
The front desk staff member was about to refuse, after all, no matter how handsome he was, she wasn’t about to work for free, and this sounded like a hassle.
Fortunately, Liu Duanhe was quick with his wallet, or she would have been hesitating between taking the money and taking the money.
Liu Duanhe knew there would be quite a few people, so he directly counted out five thousand yuan, roughly a hundred per person.
That was about the same as her monthly take-home salary. Now the front desk staff member thought Liu Duanhe was practically a money-giving deity. What was just helping send off a bunch of college students? She could do that for a hundred people a day!
Suddenly, she wasn’t nervous or awkward anymore. Her eyes were practically gleaming, and she was even a little excited. She immediately agreed, “Don’t worry! If you’re concerned, sir, we can add each other as contacts. I’ll take photos of each person and send them to you for review!”
Liu Duanhe let out a soft laugh. “That won’t be necessary. I trust you. But has anyone ever told you you’re really adorable?”
The staff member’s face turned as red as a tomato. Liu Duanhe pulled out another stack of cash and placed it on the counter. “Hardworking people deserve rewards.”
For Liu Duanhe, this amount of money meant nothing, but it could add to someone’s happiness and keep them cheerful for a long time. The meaning and emotional value it represented shot up significantly, and Liu Duanhe felt it was well worth it.
The simplest joy in life comes from the emotions brought by good relationships, when others are happy, you’re happy too.
Whenever Liu Duanhe noticed his mood sinking too low, he would choose to invest in a few charity projects. It was his way of redistributing wealth and giving back to society.
After saying that, he picked up his phone and sent a message to Feng Xingyun asking for the private room number. He raised his hand and waved it to get Feng Xingyun’s attention, then tapped his phone screen.
Feng Xingyun straightened up and pulled out his phone from his bag.
To prevent the staff member from misremembering the room number, Liu Duanhe asked her for a piece of tissue and a pen, writing the private room number down on it.
After stepping outside, Liu Duanhe still had a smile on his face, looking to be in a great mood.
Feng Xingyun deliberately said, “Why are you so concerned about them?”
Liu Duanhe’s smile didn’t waver. His phoenix eyes glanced sideways at him, and he said calmly, “They’re all classmates. Just a little consideration. Besides, there might be some future subordinates of mine in there.”
To him, spending a few thousand yuan that he wouldn’t even bother picking up off the ground to win the goodwill of dozens of people was just a casual move. Money wasn’t valuable, people were the most valuable asset.
Feng Xingyun’s heart sank. “Alright.”
Liu Duanhe took a few more steps, then added, “They’re also your teammates. Since you, as the captain, left early, of course I have to take responsibility to the end.”
Feng Xingyun looked up, watching his retreating figure. His eyes were deep in color, almost pitch black, and when he stared intently at someone, there was an indescribable, predatory darkness and ferocity about him.
His thoughts never wore a mask, but outward ferocity was mostly meaningless, it only made people wary of you at first glance. The most dangerous moments were the ordinary ones, and the most brutal killers were often the most unassuming people.
No matter how a snarling honey badger pretended to be strong, it could never defeat tigers and wolves.
Liu Duanhe didn’t stop or turn around, even though the gaze on his back was so sharp it was almost impossible to ignore.
He pressed the key fob of his Bentley, and the car lights lit up in the distance.
They remained silent all the way to the car. Liu Duanhe let out a sigh, turned around, and said helplessly, “With that look of yours, anyone would think you want to fight me.”
Feng Xingyun didn’t dodge or avoid it. He raised an eyebrow and played along with the joke. “How do you know I don’t?”
“Unless you’re insane.” Liu Duanhe said without any politeness.
Actually, Feng Xingyun didn’t remember what he had just been thinking about, it was all jumbled up. He only felt an indescribable joy in his heart, the happiness of having made a good friend who truly cared about him.
“Could it be that I look like someone with a good temper?” Feng Xingyun pressed on, though he himself didn’t know what kind of answer he was hoping for.