Han Dai froze for a moment, his heart sinking. With a sallow complexion, he stammered, “Yes. I will.”
Sheng Tingzhou did not make things difficult for him, cutting straight to the point: “What did you come to me for?”
Han Dai felt too embarrassed to blurt it out directly with others present. Gao Yanjing was sitting nearby and had caught Han Dai’s subtle cues, but he didn’t move. Though everyone belonged to the same social circle, they didn’t actually hang out together all that often; friendships varied in depth. Han Dai and Sheng Tingzhou didn’t have much interaction, relying entirely on the residual goodwill between their fathers’ generation.
Seeing that Han Dai was hesitant to speak, Sheng Tingzhou said, “Yanjing is one of us.”
With Sheng Tingzhou’s reassurance, Han Dai had no choice but to nod and accept Gao Yanjing’s presence. After psyching himself up for a long time, he finally said, “Well, my family has run into some trouble recently. I heard you just acquired Lingrui, and I was wondering if I could borrow some money from you.”
Acquiring Lingrui and borrowing money from him were two entirely different matters. Han Dai’s words made no sense together; there was no need to bring up the acquisition of Lingrui as a stepping stone. Furthermore, when someone resorted to borrowing money from an acquaintance with whom they shared a shallow relationship, it usually meant they had no one left to turn to and their personal credit was completely shot.
Gao Yanjing almost burst out laughing. Staring excitedly at Han Dai, he said, “Surely it’s not that bad, Young Master Han? How could losing a bit of money bring you to this point? Your Han family is wealthy; even if you gambled your entire life away, you wouldn’t empty the coffers. Stop joking around.”
“I’m not joking,” Han Dai said, clenching his fists. “Our family hasn’t been what it used to be for a long time. Besides that…”
Besides, Lingrui had already collapsed, and all the shady investments put into it had gone down the drain.
Han Dai pressed his lips together. “Anyway, things are really difficult right now. My father is still hospitalized, and I know I messed up this time. I will never touch gambling again!”
“You’ve only learned not to gamble?” Sheng Tingzhou asked quietly, ignoring his fierce tone.
Han Dai awkwardly muttered, “And I won’t let myself be blinded by lust anymore.”
Hearing something interesting, Gao Yanjing narrowed his eyes and looked Han Dai up and down.
“How much do you need?” Sheng Tingzhou didn’t outright reject him.
Han Dai hesitatingly named a figure: “Forty.”
“Xiao Quan,” Sheng Tingzhou called his assistant over and instructed Han Dai, “Transfer forty to Young Master Han. Put it on my private account; keep it quiet.”
Han Dai immediately stood up. “Thank you, Tingzhou! Thank you! You just saved my life!”
Sheng Tingzhou smiled. “Go ahead.”
In a rush and too afraid to delay, Han Dai immediately followed the assistant out.
Gao Yanjing crossed his legs and stared at the eager retreating figure of the man who had just snatched his meat. “You just handed it over like that? You should know that those forty could easily go down the drain.”
“I never expected to get it back the moment I gave it out,” Sheng Tingzhou lit a cigar. “If I believed a gambler’s word, my family fortune would have been wiped out long ago.”
Gao Yanjing didn’t understand. “Then why did you give it to him?”
Sheng Tingzhou watched He Siyang’s retreating figure. “We’re all friends.”
When he said those words, a murky, heavy emotion settled in his eyes, impossible to read through, but it certainly wasn’t as simple as he made it sound. Based on Gao Yanjing’s understanding of Sheng Tingzhou, the man never did a losing business and was ruthless enough; free lunches simply didn’t happen with him. Gao Yanjing felt a twinge of worry for Han Dai, but he kept his mouth shut.
He Siyang took a few more swings and still missed every time. Plagued by his poor performance, he walked back dejectedly and noticed that Sheng Tingzhou and Gao Yanjing were the only ones left. “Did that jerk leave?”
Sheng Tingzhou didn’t answer and instead asked, “Is there really such irreconcilable hatred between you two?”
He Siyang replied, “If you knew what he’s done, you’d feel the same way.”
Sheng Tingzhou stared at He Siyang with deep, contemplative eyes.
“What do you think?”
Suddenly, a commotion from outside broke the quiet.
Sheng Tingzhou, Gao Yanjing, and the others followed the source of the noise. Not far across the course, a group of four or five people strolled together, chatting and laughing as they trod across the lawn. Among them, a figure in white laughed with a seductive, infectious charm. The sunlight happened to be hitting just right, casting a golden halo over his bright smile and graceful figure, making everything else in the surroundings fade into a dull background. Everyone’s attention involuntarily gravitated toward that elegant, pristine white.
“Shao Yiqing?” He Siyang was the first to recognize him. He bounced up from his chair and took a couple of steps forward to get a clearer look and confirm he hadn’t mistaken him. He completely failed to notice that Sheng Tingzhou had stopped smoking for a long time; the tip of his cigar still burned with a red ember, but his gaze was fixed straight ahead.
Unmoving for a long time.
“Shao Yiqing?” Gao Yanjing said. “Is that the Omega who ruined a family with a single sentence at the gambling table?”
He Siyang ignored him, not out of intentional rudeness, but simply because his attention was entirely locked on the scene, completely missing the voice behind him.
That brilliant smile was far too eye-catching. Sheng Tingzhou’s cigar was left neglected in the breeze, while a nearby waiter, noticing everyone’s gaze, scurried anxiously toward the other side.
He Siyang hurried over as well.
Deng Su followed closely behind Shao Yiqing.
In the span of just a few dozen minutes, he had witnessed how his boss managed a seamless back-and-forth dance with Yi Tao, where every word, gesture, and look served as a textbook example of maintaining enthusiasm and grace without crossing any boundaries. Several times, Yi Tao tried to get handsy, but Shao Yiqing neutralized every attempt with flawless timing, making it feel entirely natural rather than deliberate.
Shao Yiqing simply had the knack for turning awkwardness into second nature. Perhaps it was due to his extensive experience in the romantic arena, or perhaps it was a natural gift for this line of work. Interacting with Shao Yiqing left Yi Tao with only one impression: you could go deep, but you couldn’t go too deep. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but the man felt simultaneously warm and aloof.
The accompanying waiter was introducing the area to Yi Tao, though the latter could barely hear a word: “Mr. Yi, over here is the spot with the absolute best view in our East Village. You can see the layout of our entire course.”
In the middle of the waiter’s enthusiastic introduction, she spotted her colleague running over in a panic and challenged, “What’s going on?”
The waiter looked bewildered, while Shao Yiqing and the others looked over in equal confusion.
The incoming waiter blurted out, “Didn’t you know there are VIP guests in this section today?”
The first waiter turned pale with embarrassment, casting a panicked look toward the other side.
After delivering the reprimand, the first waiter turned to address the group: “I’宁 terribly sorry, gentlemen. There are guests booked in this section. There must have been a mix-up with our scheduling information. I’m so sorry, you cannot tour this area right now.”
“Yiqing.” He Siyang trotted over from the side, cutting the waiter off. The two staff members stared at each other in blank dismay, freezing in their tracks.
Shao Yiqing looked over. “Oh, it’s you.”
He Siyang glanced at the people around Shao Yiqing. “Bringing friends out to play?”
Shao Yiqing introduced them: “My distinguished guests. Apologies if we interrupted your good time.”
He Siyang looked back over with a smile. “Not at all, just a few friends relaxing. You haven’t met Tingzhou yet, have you? Let me introduce you.”
Shao Yiqing looked toward where He Siyang indicated, spotting several figures sizing them up.
“Let’s go,” He Siyang invited warmly, leaving no room for refusal. “Let’s all get acquainted so we won’t be strangers at future events around Xiangjiang.”
For Shao Yiqing, the more people, the better.
The best way to fend off sexual harassment was to have a third party present to restrict the other person’s movements. He agreed. Although Yi Tao didn’t want to, he didn’t refuse outwardly either.
The group followed He Siyang to another lounge area.
Sheng Tingzhou watched him bring the group over without stopping them, and Gao Yanjing felt the same. Gao Yanjing’s motives differed from Sheng Tingzhou’s; he simply wanted to catch a glimpse of this notorious Omega. Having only seen him from a distance earlier, he hadn’t gotten a clear look and wanted to see what the Omega actually looked like.
He wasn’t disappointed. As someone usually immune to Omegas, he experienced a brief flutter in his chest. The Omega was truly special, or rather, Shao Yiqing didn’t look like an Omega at all. He looked like an outrageously seductive Alpha, because his gaze carried an aggressive edge identical to an Alpha’s, yet layered with an even more alluring charm.
“Damn,” Gao Yanjing muttered under his breath. “So hot.”
As Shao Yiqing and the others drew closer, Gao Yanjing stood up. Shao Yiqing offered him a polite smile, then locked eyes with Sheng Tingzhou, whose expression was indifferent yet carried a gaze that spoke volumes.
Sheng Tingzhou was dressed differently than that night; this casual outfit exuded youthful, sunny energy that perfectly tempered the wild sharpness of his bone structure, even bringing back echoes of his student days. It would have been better if his expression carried a bit less penetrating intensity. Resting his cigar-holding hand on the rattan chair, he stared straight at Shao Yiqing. Shao Yiqing had seen the eyes of tigers and leopards before; their resting state and the way they looked at prey were entirely different.
And this couldn’t be just any ordinary prey. It had to be a plump, choice target worthy of such a profound gaze.
“Let me introduce everyone. The ultimate beauty of Xiangjiang, President Shao Yiqing of Jiachuang, and his friends,” He Siyang said with inexplicable excitement. “Yiqing, this is Gao Yanjing. He does security work and has recently dabbled in pharmaceuticals, with plenty of talent under his belt. Just give a shout if you ever need anything.”
Shao Yiqing said, “Our family’s main business is also pharmaceuticals. We might actually need to lean on this connection.”
“You flatter me,” Gao Yanjing smiled warmly. “My small-time operations can’t compare to President Shao’s family enterprise.”
“It has nothing to do with me. I don’t know the first thing about it; my older brother handles all of that,” Shao Yiqing said smoothly, sweet-talking everyone. “I truly admire anyone who can master this industry.”
Gao Yanjing repeated that he was flattered.
He genuinely didn’t dare accept the praise.
No one dared to challenge the Shao family of the capital.
He Siyang chimed in, “His business certainly can’t compare to yours. He’s just messing around.”
Then, he continued, “Now, let me formally introduce you to our newly returned high-achieving prodigy and boss, Sheng Tingzhou. You’ve probably heard of him. The recent storm over Lingrui was orchestrated entirely by our Boss Sheng. His very first venture upon returning to the country was taking down Xiangjiang’s largest leading enterprise. That track record is undisputed.”
He Siyang’s tone carried an inexplicable pride, as if he and Sheng Tingzhou had swapped identities.
What he didn’t know was that these two individuals needed no extra introduction. They had already left deep, unforgettable impressions on each other.
“President Sheng,” Shao Yiqing said with an easygoing tone. “Pleasure to meet you.”
He didn’t say long time no see, clearly unwilling to dredge up their previous, less-than-pleasant encounter.
Sheng Tingzhou shared the same thought. Neither of them wasted breath on awkward or ambiguous topics, treating it as a first meeting as Sheng Tingzhou replied with two words: “Pleasure to meet you.”
After a round of tedious, polite introductions, both sides understood the purpose of today’s gathering. To liven up the atmosphere, He Siyang proposed a group match.
“I have no objections,” Gao Yanjing said.
“Yiqing knows how to play, right?” He Siyang asked. “If you don’t know, I can teach you.”
Shao Yiqing said, “I have a passing familiarity.”
He Siyang said, “It doesn’t matter if you don’t. We have a master here. Tingzhou is an absolute pro at this.”
Shao Yiqing smiled. “Then it’s my honor.”
With that, the group stepped up, eager to flex their skills. Sheng Tingzhou had originally planned to leave after this round, but nobody could have predicted who he would run into.
He reluctantly joined in.
As the host of this section, He Siyang took good care of the guests by letting Shao Yiqing tee off first. Shao Yiqing handed the right over to Yi Tao, who didn’t decline and successfully delivered a clean opening drive, prompting cheers of “Great shot” from the onlookers.
It was a straight, textbook swing that showed real skill.
The rest of the standard shots were completed sequentially according to the teeing order. Sheng Tingzhou went last. Because the others had limited skill and took a long time preparing their swings, he had ample time to observe. The standard shots ranged from good to bad, making it hard to gauge actual proficiency. Shao Yiqing went right after He Siyang, and every poor shot he made was met with encouragement from He Siyang.
It gave off the distinct vibe of a young couple whispering sweet nothings to coax each other.
Sheng Tingzhou watched He Siyang’s sycophantic display for a moment before turning his gaze to Shao Yiqing. The man was dressed impeccably today, entirely different from his attire that night; this seemed to be his usual style. Looking back now, the outfit from that evening felt deliberate.
Was it? Or wasn’t it? Only Shao Yiqing himself knew.
“Don’t get discouraged, golf is just like that. I’m not that great at it either,” He Siyang followed Shao Yiqing’s ball and encouraged, “It’s fine, try again.”
He Siyang’s enthusiasm was so transparent that even Gao Yanjing picked up on it, whispering to Sheng Tingzhou, “Does he like Shao Yiqing?”
Sheng Tingzhou lifted the brim of his cap and watched as He Siyang bent down to give Shao Yiqing pointers, running back and forth.
He didn’t answer.
Another round later, it was Sheng Tingzhou’s turn. He had originally intended to ease up on the ball since his lead was already so large and it wouldn’t be very friendly to the guests, but his casual swing possessed too much accuracy; it cleared the water hazard and landed precisely in the hole.
“Holy shit, an eagle,” Gao Yanjing exclaimed. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Sheng Tingzhou said, “That shot was pure luck.”
He Siyang was startled as well. Shao Yiqing looked at where the ball landed, realizing that He Siyang hadn’t been exaggerating when he called him a golf master.
“Cool, right?” He Siyang asked Shao Yiqing.
“Very cool,” Shao Yiqing admitted without hesitation.
“Want to learn?” He Siyang offered confidently, before waiting for an answer. “Come here.”
He led Shao Yiqing straight toward Sheng Tingzhou.
“Tingzhou, teach Yiqing how to do that shot you just made,” He Siyang said. “He wants to learn.”
Sheng Tingzhou raised his gaze. His expression wasn’t particularly friendly, and goodness knows where He Siyang got the confidence to ask him to teach someone else; he had never taught a soul on this course.
Shao Yiqing caught the look in Sheng Tingzhou’s eyes and was about to say never mind when Sheng Tingzhou unexpectedly spoke: “Want to learn?”
He directed the question straight at Shao Yiqing.
Unable to refuse politely, Shao Yiqing cleverly deflected: “Is President Sheng willing to teach?”
He tossed the question right back.
Sheng Tingzhou walked over to a spotting mark and said in a low voice, “Stand here.”
He Siyang clapped his hands, genuinely surprised that Sheng Tingzhou was being so accommodating. Having a whole speech prepared that he no longer needed, he gave Shao Yiqing’s arm a nudge. “Go on.”
Shao Yiqing slowly walked over.
Sheng Tingzhou handed him the club, and Shao Yiqing mimicked his posture to get into position.
Standing beside him, Sheng Tingzhou extended both arms, effortlessly enveloping the other man in his embrace. From an outside perspective, it looked as though Sheng Tingzhou was hugging Shao Yiqing, and in truth, their relationship wasn’t all that innocent either. Sheng Tingzhou slid his hand past Shao Yiqing’s slender waist and gripped the back of his hands on the club.
Shao Yiqing’s fingertips trembled slightly.
“When you went back that day, did your boyfriend get angry?” Sheng Tingzhou asked near Shao Yiqing’s ear.
Shao Yiqing didn’t miss a beat: “How could he not? He even hit me. It hurts so much.”
Sheng Tingzhou held Shao Yiqing’s hands as the club swung back and forth beneath their palms, his warm breath ghosting against the back of Shao Yiqing’s ear as he listened to the man’s blatant fabrications. “I told you, you deserve better.”
He was practically spelling it out, implying that Xu Mingfu wasn’t good enough for him.
Shao Yiqing smiled. He tilted his head slightly, the ends of his hair brushing against Sheng Tingzhou’s neck. Just as the club swung forward with a powerful arc, he replied, “But I just like him.”
Amidst the rustling wind, Xiao Songhe’s low-toned question from that day echoed in his mind.
Sheng Tingzhou did not deny it.
He did not deny that from the very first moment they met, this magnificent beauty from Xiangjiang had reawakened a sexual impulse that had lain dormant within him for a long time.