“Hi! Surprised?”
Standing at the door was not a delivery person, but a woman with exquisite makeup.
“You… how did you get here?” Cheng Zhen’s voice trembled.
The woman covered her mouth and chuckled, “Did I arrive too soon?”
Standing before him was Cheng Zhen’s official girlfriend, the precious daughter of his boss and the woman who held the key to his entry into high society. She reached out and tugged at the belt of Cheng Zhen’s bathrobe, saying suggestively, “I was shopping nearby and came straight over when I saw your message.”
Cheng Zhen was still dazed. “What message?”
“Stop pretending. Isn’t the bath already drawn?” She pushed past him and walked inside, rolling her eyes with mock annoyance. “Look at how impatient you are. I thought you would be more composed than this.”
The man inside the bedroom heard the conversation and, sensing something was wrong, rushed to the door wearing only a jacket, his legs bare. “Damn it! What is going on?”
The woman, who had just begun changing her shoes, jumped back in shock, her eyes widening. “Cheng Zhen, who is he?”
“This… he is my junior.” Cheng Zhen stood between them, stuttering in a frantic attempt to cover his tracks.
“Junior? Where do you get so many juniors from?” the woman roared. “Are you Sun Wukong?”
“Cheng Zhen! What are you spouting nonsense for? You told me you broke up! You lied to me?” the man in the bedroom shouted back, refusing to back down.
Before the arguing could settle, the elevator dinged, shattering the sudden chaos. A man with bleached gold hair and tight jeans walked out, staring at his phone and muttering the room number, heading straight for Cheng Zhen with excitement. “Zhen-zhen, I am here! Wait… why? What is happening? Is this a party?”
Immediately after, the other elevator opened, and a girl in a short skirt and high boots with heavy smoky makeup sauntered out. Her eyes were fluttering, and as soon as she saw Cheng Zhen, she cooed, “Zhen-gege, I have missed you so much.”
The appearance of these two unexpected guests turned the already chaotic scene into a total disaster.
“Cheng Zhen, who are they! How could you do this to me?” the woman shrieked, her voice cracking as she lashed out.
Cheng Zhen was paralyzed by fear. He truly did not know these two people, and he had no idea why they were there. He wanted to defend himself, to explain, but he could not get a word in.
“Zhen-zhen, did you not ask me to come?”
“So you were a liar! You owe me for my first time, my second, and my third…”
“Dating both men and women, Zhen-ge, you are impressive!”
“Where did these bizarre freaks come from? Cheng Zhen, explain this to me right now!”
“Hey! This lady, who are you calling a freak? Take a look at yourself, how much are you charging per night?”
“You are the cheap one!”
“I have been with Cheng Zhen for over half a year. You are all just side pieces!”
“Who the hell is a side piece? Nobody is leaving until we get this sorted out!”
“Well, since we are all here, let us not waste time. Why do we not just all…”
“Go to hell! Cheng Zhen, I am going to kill you!”
The situation spiraled completely out of control, filled with shouting and insults. Cheng Zhen stood at the center of the storm; even with a thousand mouths, he could not explain his way out of this, especially since he had no ground to stand on. In the panic, he glanced at the messy room and a single thought crossed his mind: use the chaos to slip away.
He turned to sneak back into the bedroom to change and escape this dangerous situation. Unfortunately, the others were not to be trifled with. Before he could put on a shirt, someone grabbed his hair and dragged him back, and a rain of slaps and punches landed on his face and body. His muscular frame offered no protection; he scrambled around the floor, his slippers falling apart, his bathrobe flapping, his belt knot threatening to come undone, occasionally revealing things that should have remained private. His stylish hair was pulled into a tangled nest, and as he lay on the floor, there was no trace of his usual suave demeanor.
Shi Ye hugged the tablet and charger, pushed open the door, brushed off his pants, and stepped out of the balcony with calm composure. Passing through the chaos, he politely bowed his head to Cheng Zhen and said, “I came to pick up the tablet. You go ahead and handle your business; pay no attention to me.”
The corridor was crowded with neighbors eager to watch the spectacle. Shi Ye kindly helped disperse the crowd while explaining patiently, “Please go back to your homes, everyone. It is just a case of infidelity and catching a cheating spouse. There is nothing interesting to see here.”
After his explanation, the neighbors were even more convinced. They crowded around the doorway, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the situation inside.
At a night market BBQ stall, Yan Xi handed the skewers that had just arrived to the woman across from him. “Thank you, eat more.”
“What are you thanking me for? Thanking me for running over here to mooch a meal off you?” Sitting across from him was Lin Wei.
“Thank you for coming all this way to see me late at night,” Yan Xi said.
“By the way,” Lin Wei asked, chewing on a chicken wing, “you mentioned last time that a new intern had joined your shop?”
“Yes,” Yan Xi added beer to her glass. “His name is Ye Xiaobao. Have you not seen him at the company?”
“I think I saw the name on the HR list, but I have not met him,” Lin Wei pouted. “I do not understand the Personnel Department. They are just interns, yet they hide them away like they are precious treasures.”
Yan Xi agreed wholeheartedly. “Ever since the new CEO took office, I have not understood many of the company’s operations.”
Lin Wei shook her newly cut short hair. “Hey, why do you not bring your intern out to eat with us sometime?”
Yan Xi pulled his phone from his pocket. A message had just arrived. He opened it, and the content was concise: [Brother Yan, the matter is handled. I have the item.]
Yan Xi replied: [Was it smooth?]
[A minor setback, but it had little impact. Nothing worth mentioning.]
A weight that had been on his heart all night finally lifted. Yan Xi placed the phone on the table. “Never mind. At this hour, he is likely getting ready to shower and sleep. I should not disturb him.”
The mention of “showering” made Lin Wei smile teasingly. “Hey, I have not asked you yet. What does this little intern look like?”
Yan Xi described him truthfully: “His hair is very black, his eyes are very black, his nose bridge is quite high. Oh, right, he is tall too. He usually wears jeans and sneakers. I suppose he is quite good-looking.”
Lin Wei clapped her hands in admiration. “Great. Based on your description, if he gets lost one day, even the police will not be able to find him.”
Yan Xi gave a bitter laugh. “Please, stop giving the face-blind guy a hard time.”
After drinking a couple of sips of beer, Lin Wei continued to gossip. “You are gay, and you are living in the same room with a handsome young guy every day. Will you…”
“No!” Yan Xi said firmly. “He is a straight man.”
Lin Wei sighed, perhaps thinking of something. “I was straight once, too.”
“Eat some kimchi,” Yan Xi pushed the side dish toward her, abruptly changing the subject. “Is everything okay at the company recently?”
“Average, business as usual,” Lin Wei said, her brow relaxing slightly. “But President Shi has been elusive lately. He has not shown up for several days. I suppose that is what it means to be a wealthy heir. Once the novelty of running a business fades, he loses interest after a few days.”
Yan Xi was lost in thought. “He is that capricious?”
There was an alleyway near the apartment building, a back lane for the shops in the row. It was deserted and very quiet at night. At that moment, Shi Ye was leaning against the wall, holding two envelopes. The lighting in the alley was poor, but luckily there was a 24-hour convenience store nearby, and the colorful sign illuminated the space around their feet.
Standing before Shi Ye were the two actors who had not yet removed their makeup. The guy with the spiked hair rubbed his reddened palms and grinned. “Boss, if you have more work like this in the future, let us know.”
The girl with the smoky makeup winked at Shi Ye, her eyes shining. “The money does not matter, we just love acting and love watching a good show.”
Shi Ye leaned against the wall with one leg, shaking the envelopes he held in mid-air. “The money may not matter, but I hope you can control your tongues.”
The girl took the envelope and chuckled, mimicking the gesture of zipping her lips. “Do not worry, Boss. You were referred by Brother Qi, so we know the rules. We will not say a word.”
“Alright, go on then.” Shi Ye waved his hand to dismiss the two.
They turned and had not walked even three meters away when a familiar voice sounded from behind Shi Ye. “Xiao Ye? Why are you here?”
Yan Xi approached Shi Ye, his eyes showing a hint of surprise. As he spoke, his gaze naturally fell toward the depths of the alleyway, where two disheveled figures were walking away.
“Brother Yan, have you finished eating?” Shi Ye’s reaction was lightning fast. He immediately moved away from the wall and took a long stride to stand in front of Yan Xi, blocking his view with his height.
The sudden proximity of the male body put quite a bit of psychological pressure on Yan Xi. He instinctively took a step back and, as expected, felt no desire to look anywhere else.
“Did you not go back a long time ago? Why are you out again?”
“I could not sleep, so I came out to buy something.” Shi Ye lied on the spot, gesturing toward the only brightly lit shop in the alley.
Yan Xi followed his gesture, his gaze fixed on the shop. His expression shifted slightly, and when he looked back at Shi Ye, his eyes turned complicated.
Shi Ye: “?”
Yan Xi rubbed his brow with his finger and gave a clumsy laugh. “Young people have a lot of energy. I understand. Go ahead and buy what you need; I will head back first.”
With that, he turned and walked away, looking even more flustered than Shi Ye.
“Never mind, I will not buy it. I do not really need it,” Shi Ye said, quickening his pace to catch up to Yan Xi while pretending to glance back carelessly.
He saw the colorful light box hanging over the entrance to the shop in the depths of the alley, clearly printed with the words: 24-Hour Service, Self-Service Adult Supplies Store.
Yan Xi believed he had interrupted Shi Ye’s plans and advised him understandingly, “It is fine. Buy what you need; do not let it bother you.”
He paused, then added, “I sleep very soundly at night.”
Shi Ye made a final, desperate attempt: “Really, I do not need it anymore.”