The group of rowdy friends arrived two days later, just as evening was falling.
Off-road vehicles with blaring speakers roared into the hotel driveway, drawing stares from everyone nearby. This eccentric bunch had driven themselves from the airport in high-profile style.
They hopped out of the cars one by one, wearing loud, flashy vacation shirts and oversized sunglasses. Their voices arrived before they did: “Zhen-ge! We’re here to see you and your sweetheart—”
Yao Zhen stepped forward and gave each of them a playful kick. “Stop disturbing the peace. If you scare away my guests, you’re paying for it.”
The group scoffed. “Please~”
They spotted Liang Jiming standing behind Yao Zhen and checked him out, nudging Yao Zhen with their elbows and winking suggestively. One of them even let out a flirtatious whistle toward Liang Jiming.
Before they arrived, Yao Zhen had specifically warned them not to say anything stupid in front of Liang Jiming or blow his cover. The group had agreed; except for Zhao Zihua, none of them knew Liang Jiming anyway. They just thought Yao Zhen was having a bit of fun with a handsome face and were happy to play along.
Now that they saw him in person, their faces were full of mischief.
Top-tier, they thought. A completely different type of top-tier than we imagined. No wonder the Young Master was hooked. They hadn’t realized his taste was so “unique.”
Yao Zhen saw the lewd grins on their faces and knew they were up to no good. He couldn’t be bothered with them.
Liang Jiming remained expressionless. He turned to Yao Zhen and said, “You guys chat. I’m going back to the room.”
Yao Zhen was a bit annoyed. “Why are you going back?”
Liang Jiming glanced at him and said, “Young Master, have fun yourself. I’m going up.”
Yao Zhen pouted. Before he could say anything else, Liang Jiming turned and walked inside.
As soon as he was gone, someone started mocking Yao Zhen in a high-pitched, whiny voice, imitating his pout: “Why are you going back~?”
The group burst into laughter.
Yao Zhen shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked the guy again, but the group didn’t care. They began chattering away, full of opinions.
“Nice one, Zhen-ge! You really picked this one up? With quality that high, no wonder he’s your ‘heart and soul’!”
“So this is your type? You should’ve said so sooner, I would’ve introduced you to people long ago~”
“Forget it, your usual crowd can’t hold a candle to this top-tier specimen. Don’t insult our Zhen-ge.”
“This new toy of Zhen-ge’s is pretty good, though he looks like he’s got a temper. Didn’t even give our Zhen-ge face—needs a bit more ‘training,’ doesn’t he?”
Yao Zhen cursed, “Piss off. Every single one of you, keep your mouths shut. Don’t go talking nonsense in front of him. If you ruin my fun, I’ll kill you.”
The crowd of playboys laughed and promised they wouldn’t. This was way too much fun to spoil; exposing the truth would ruin the show.
Zhao Zihua craned his neck to watch Liang Jiming’s receding figure, then looked at the arrogant, smug Yao Zhen in front of him, feeling a bit speechless. In his memory, Lawyer Liang was a formidable man, navigating through a pack of “old foxes” with ease. If he actually became Shen Zhijie’s son-in-law, his future would be limitless.
Now, not only was he caught in some melodramatic amnesia, but he was being played for a fool by Yao Zhen. It was truly… something. But Zhao Zihua wanted to see the drama unfold, too. Sorry, Liang.
The playboys hadn’t come alone; they brought a flock of beautiful girls who climbed out of the trailing cars to greet Yao Zhen. The young master gave a casual nod, showing zero interest. Though he loved a good time, his heart belonged solely to Shen Jinghe. He couldn’t care less about these girls. Besides, he was a “married” man now; if he didn’t behave and his “wife” ran off, what would be the point?
……..
As night fell, Yao Zhen took the group down to the beach for a barbecue party. With a live band and roaring music, the playboys were soon high on the atmosphere. Having been “imprisoned” on this island for over two months, Yao Zhen finally felt alive again. He was devouring grilled meat and booze, nodding his head to the band’s passionate performance. This was the life.
Upstairs, Liang Jiming had been reading in his room. He’d picked up some books—all in foreign languages—while wandering a bookstore near the hotel yesterday. Yao Zhen had been incredibly dismissive when he saw them, asking, “Can you even read that?”
Liang Jiming had worried about that too, considering the young master claimed he only had a high school education. But when he opened them, he found he had no trouble reading English at all. It flowed perfectly.
However, he couldn’t settle down now. The rowdy music from outside kept drifting in, irritating his nerves. He set the book down, walked to the balcony, and looked out.
The beach was lively. With the typhoon completely gone, the area was decorated with fairy lights. The band was performing, and a crowd had gathered to watch. Under a long stretch of beach umbrellas, the young heirs and their companions were drinking and feasting. From this distance, they were just a blur of moving shadows.
Yao Zhen was likely right in the middle of it.
Liang Jiming narrowed his eyes at the blurry figures for a moment. He still couldn’t understand why his pre-amnesia self would fall for a man—especially an unlearned, hedonistic young master who cared for nothing but pleasure. Unfortunately, his blank memory offered no answers.
His phone buzzed. A message from Yao Zhen: [Come down and have some BBQ and drinks with us.]
Liang Jiming glanced at it and replied: [No.]
Yao Zhen: [Get down here.]
When there was no further reply from the other side, Yao Zhen let out a sharp “tch.”
A fellow playboy leaned over, caught a glimpse of the exchange, and began to needle him. “Zhen-ge, you’re losing your touch. Your ‘sweetheart’ really doesn’t give you any face. He’s playing hard to get when you ask him to come down and keep you company? Just dump him already.”
“Exactly!” another chimed in, his speech slurred as he blustered. “I say, Zhen-ge, are you serious this time or just playing? Never heard you say you liked guys before. Especially—” the guy gestured crudely toward his own arm muscles, “—one that sturdy. Can you even handle him?”
The crude double entendre triggered another wave of raucous laughter. Yao Zhen, already tipsy, flushed deep red. “What are you talking about! Get lost!”
“Zhen-ge’s actually blushing, haha~” The laughter grew louder.
One particularly daring soul asked, “Seriously though, who’s top and who’s bottom? He’s your ‘sweetheart,’ but have you actually managed to get him into bed? What’s that guy’s deal anyway?”
“Scram, all of you! Stop prying!” Yao Zhen wasn’t truly furious, but he was definitely piqued. “What do you idiots know?”
“Oh~~” The group replied in mock-theatrical chorus, laughing hysterically. They clearly didn’t believe a word of it.
“Talk is cheap,” Zhao Zihua teased, hooking an arm around Yao Zhen’s neck. “Such an disobedient sweetheart… it’s really embarrassing for you. If you can’t even get him out of the room, just forget it.”
“Maybe it’s just unrequited love? You’re trying to trick him since his brain is scrambled, but he’s totally ignoring you!”
“Can’t be helped. Our Zhen-ge is a pure-hearted virgin after all; he can’t handle someone that fierce, ah-ha~”
As the taunts grew sharper, Yao Zhen felt his face burning. The alcohol made him lightheaded and reckless. “You just wait…” Under their watchful eyes and whistles, he pulled out his phone and started a voice call.
It rang a few times before connecting.
“Baby?” Yao Zhen’s voice went up an octave, laced with drunken affection and forced intimacy. “What are you doing? Come down here. Right now.”
There was a two-second silence on the other end. Then Liang Jiming’s calm, level voice came through, startlingly clear against the background noise: “Have you been drinking?”
“Just a little,” Yao Zhen mumbled, his tone turning into a pouty whine. “It’s fine. Just come down. Come on, babyy~” He dragged out the last word like a spoiled child. “If you don’t come, I’m going to be really angry.”
Ten minutes later, Liang Jiming appeared.
Unlike the “peacocking” heirs in their loud shirts, he wore a simple white shirt and linen trousers. Yet his aura was so commanding that even the girls in the group couldn’t help but steal glances. Feeling he had regained his “face,” Yao Zhen patted the seat next to him and shoved skewers and beer toward him.
Liang Jiming held the skewers but didn’t eat; he did, however, take a sip of the beer. Yao Zhen introduced his friends with a grin; Liang Jiming simply gave them a cool, detached nod.
The group: “…”
They hadn’t realized it before, but Yao Zhen had really found himself a “flower on a high mountain.” Despite his amnesia, Liang Jiming’s presence was far more intimidating than theirs. Sensing he wasn’t someone to mess with, the playboys cracked a few jokes and then tactfully shifted the conversation away from him.
Liang Jiming had no interest in talking. He sat quietly, listening to Yao Zhen brag and banter with the others. To him, they were just a bunch of trust-fund babies whose world revolved around hedonism. If he were his old self, his evaluation would likely have been: A waste of oxygen.
As the night grew darker, Liang Jiming set down his empty beer can. He turned to Yao Zhen. “Are we going up?”
The young master was reluctant. “What’s the rush? It’s still early…”
Liang Jiming stood up. “I’m heading up first. You keep playing. Stay safe.” He turned and headed for the elevator. Just as the doors were closing, Yao Zhen burst in, complaining, “Why are you running off so fast?”
Liang Jiming pressed the door-close button again. “Wasn’t it ‘still early’?”
Yao Zhen bumped his shoulder playfully. “I’m done playing with them. I only want to play with you.”
What’s a bunch of local hicks compared to an amnesiac fun-toy?
Liang Jiming ignored him, watching the floor numbers climb.
“What are you thinking about?” Yao Zhen asked.
As the elevator doors opened, Liang Jiming replied, “I’m wondering what exactly I liked about you before.”
Yao Zhen: “???”
Liang Jiming had already stepped out.
“Hey!” The young master snapped out of it and shouted. Liang Jiming turned. Yao Zhen rushed up to him. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Liang Jiming said nonchalantly, “Exactly what I said.”
Yao Zhen demanded, “You were acting all impatient with my friends just now. Do you look down on them? Do you look down on me? Do you think we’re just useless people who only know how to party?”
Liang Jiming: “…” You said it, not me.
He didn’t speak, but his eyes said it all. Yao Zhen exploded. This time, he was genuinely furious. Even before the amnesia, this bastard always wore his contempt for him on his face. Yao Zhen was an heir born with a silver spoon, always the center of attention. No one—except this man named Liang—dared to look down on him like that!
“You’ve gone too far! I’m breaking up with you! We’re through!”
With that, the young master turned and bolted. Liang Jiming was stunned. He reached out instinctively but failed to catch him. Yao Zhen had already charged back into the elevator and slammed the doors shut.
As the elevator descended, Liang Jiming awkwardly withdrew his hand from mid-air. Since he was the “lover,” was he supposed to go and coax him back?
…But he didn’t seem to know how to coax anyone.