Yun Qi experienced, in this subtle moment, exactly what Duan Xingge must have felt so often. It turned out that being a public figure and seeing strangers online commenting on one’s life with such unearned certainty felt exactly like this.
However, before Yun Qi could continue scrolling, his diligent secretary sent another message. Yun Qi glanced at it; a client wanted to invite him to dinner that evening.
It had been quite a long time, and Yun Qi had to dig through the memories of his past life for a moment before he retrieved information about this client: Mu Jinrong, the boss of Jinxi Jewelry. Jinxi Jewelry wasn’t exactly a massive brand; they focused primarily on retail, and their jewelry designs weren’t particularly famous. Yun Qi recalled that in his previous life, he had rejected this client and declined the dinner invitation.
But the cruise ship used for the second season of the dating show seemed to have been sponsored by Jinxi Jewelry; they had put in significant effort to raise their profile. Since he couldn’t get any information about the culprit from the live stream recordings, starting from the perspective of the sponsors might prove to be a viable path.
After weighing his options for a long time, Yun Qi broke from his past choices and decided to accept the dinner invitation. He tapped a reply to his secretary: “That’s fine. Send me the location.”
Originally, Yun Qi was just asking as a matter of routine, but a moment later, his secretary sent a location that was all too familiar: “Mr. Mu said the reservation is at Longqing International; I’ve sent you the specific details.”
The name hit Yun Qi with a sense of déjà vu that didn’t fully dissipate until he stood at the hotel entrance. True to its name, Longqing International was a fusion of Chinese and Western styles. The exterior was predominantly traditional Chinese, complete with pavilions and kiosks, while the interior was Western-style and opulent, truly “glittering with gold and jade.”
It was only when Yun Qi pushed open the doors to the private room and saw that the hall reserved was exactly the same as the one from that fateful night years ago that the reality truly sank in.
“President Yun.” Mu Jinrong, the boss of Jinxi Jewelry, stood up the moment he saw Yun Qi, smiling as he came forward to greet him. “I’m Mu Jinrong. You can just call me Old Mu. It is truly an honor to meet you.”
“Not at all.” Yun Qi composed his thoughts, shook his hand, and exchanged pleasantries. “By rights, I should call you Uncle Mu. You can just call me Yun Qi.”
“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare.” Mu Jinrong’s smile became even more sincere. He walked to the seat and specifically pulled the chair out for Yun Qi. “However, everyone hasn’t arrived yet. I must ask President Yun to wait a little longer. My apologies, my apologies.”
“It’s no matter.” Yun Qi had never been one for small talk and didn’t ask who the tardy guests were. After he and his staff were seated, Mu Jinrong started a conversation to avoid an awkward silence: “My daughter has been watching that variety show you’re participating in lately.”
Yun Qi paused, suddenly understanding how actors or writers feel when their work is mentioned in public. Mu Jinrong, oblivious to Yun Qi’s reaction, continued enthusiastically, “Although I’m old and don’t watch those things, my daughter says half the people at her university now know Yueyun Jewelry. Your company’s already significant popularity has suddenly soared even higher. As they say, in this industry, it really takes people like you and”
Mu Jinrong nearly tripped over his own tongue halfway through his sentence. Realizing he had almost said something he shouldn’t have, he stopped abruptly and scrambled to correct himself. “…It really takes young people like you with vision! Not like old stubborn fools like us, who have worked for so many years without making any name for ourselves.”
Yun Qi knew exactly who the person Mu Jinrong had almost named was, but he didn’t call him out on it. He continued chatting, though his mind drifted to the real reason he had participated in the dating show in the first place.
Given Yun Qi’s personality, he likely would never have participated in a dating variety show in his life. However, Duan Xingge whom he hadn’t been in contact with for two years—had suddenly sought him out before the show began. He had played the victim, claiming he had signed a contract for the show but couldn’t attend due to business issues at his company. If he breached the contract, the fines would be the least of his worries; he feared the entire internet would curse him for being a diva, damaging his reputation and dragging down his newly listed company, Xingyun, and potentially even tarnishing Yun Qi’s own name.
The two hadn’t seen each other for years, and they hadn’t talked privately. Yun Qi couldn’t understand how Duan Xingge skipping a dating show would ruin his own reputation. But the brat’s rhetoric was as exquisite as ever, rambling on for ages until Yun Qi had a headache. Yun Qi hadn’t wanted to deal with him, but Duan Xingge had been persistent. Finally, seeing him act so piteous and being unable to escape his pestering, Yun Qi had agreed.
Little did he know that on the first day of filming, he would run into Duan Xingge himself—the very person who “couldn’t make it.” Yun Qi, realizing he had been tricked, had turned cold as ice under the lenses and blacklisted all of Duan Xingge’s contact information that very night. The audience, unaware of the deception, only saw Yun Qi’s hostility whenever Duan Xingge was near, leading them to believe the two were feuding over a lover. A certain insider, knowing the truth, had commented: “I’ve never heard of two people who broke up but couldn’t bring themselves to delete each other’s numbers. You guys really play the ‘complicated’ game.”
Mu Jinrong, noticing Yun Qi seemed distracted, immediately changed the subject: “Sigh, speaking of this place, it’s beautiful for dining, but it’s far too winding. I see you’re quite familiar with it, President Yun; have you been here before?”
Yun Qi regained his composure. “I’ve been here once or twice.”
“No wonder,” Mu Jinrong laughed. “I usually eat over at Rongxi Hall; I haven’t really been here before. I almost made a fool of myself when booking the table, but luckily someone helped me reserve it.”
The man was clearly keeping a secret, refusing to say who the “someone” was. Yun Qi was sensible enough not to ask. More importantly, this familiar private room reminded him of everything that had happened there the last time.
Yun Qi couldn’t hold his liquor, so he rarely attended such banquets; therefore, he remembered every single one he attended vividly.
Back then, the giants of the domestic jewelry industry were the Yun and Jin families. After the first-generation leader of the Yun family, Yun Chonghua, passed away, the family business fell to his eldest daughter, Yun Mingyue. Lingyun Jewelry was formally renamed Mingyun Jewelry at that time, with the “Ming” in Mingyun belonging to Yun Mingyue.
But less than ten years later, Yun Mingyue—who had been crushing Jinsheng Jewelry—died mysteriously at a jewelry exhibition. The Yun family business was then fully taken over by her husband, Wen Fenglin. Wen Fenglin knew nothing about jewelry, yet he used his position as a son-in-law to take control of the company, aggressively changing many things that shouldn’t have been touched. Strangely, he was the only one who didn’t change the company name, which remained “Mingyun.”
It became clear that Yun Mingyue’s death was tied to Wen Fenglin, and the moment he took over, he began cozying up to the Jin family. Senior staff left in droves, leading to the company’s first major period of instability. But before long, as if cursed, just as Wen Fenglin had managed to suppress the remaining dissent, he suffered a stroke and was left paralyzed in bed.
When Yun Qi finally took over the company, the Yun family was already on the decline. To make matters worse, everyone knew that when Yun Mingyue was alive, the Yun family had generously helped their nanny raise her son. The boy, surnamed Duan, had been childhood sweethearts with Yun Qi, calling him “Brother” every day. But now, with the Yun family beset by internal and external troubles, news broke that Duan Xingge had severed ties with him.
At that time, Duan Xingge had just “run away from home,” and everyone in the industry was waiting to see the Yun family’s downfall. The people from Jinsheng Jewelry invited Yun Qi to drink, but they also called the then-rookie Duan Xingge, deliberately seating him beside Yun Qi, clearly aiming to treat their “fraternal feud” as entertainment literally rubbing Yun Qi’s face in the dirt.
At the table, they all knew Yun Qi couldn’t drink, yet they laughingly urged him on. Yun Qi frowned, ignoring them. But they escalated their tactics. As Yun Qi’s face grew darker, his secretary tried to stand up to drink for him, but Jin Ming, flicking his cigarette, laughed: “Young lady, there’s no place for you to speak at this table.”
The secretary, fresh out of graduate school and new to Yun Qi’s team, was capable but had never faced such a situation. She hesitated, her face burning with humiliation, but she endured the injustice: “President Jin, President Yun really cannot drink…”
“If he can’t drink, find someone to do it for him,” the Jin people laughed. “We brought so many hosts for drinks tonight; President Yun should pick one.”
Others roared with laughter. Yun Qi gripped his glass tightly, staring at them for a long while before suddenly smiling. It was a faint smile, but Jin Ming, sitting directly across from him, suddenly stopped laughing, his eyes fixated on him.
Yun Qi stood up with his glass. Jin Ming snapped out of it, thinking he was yielding. “Young President Yun is truly worthy of being Mingyue’s son; not only are you beautiful, but you’re also so sensible.”
Yun Qi was about to erupt when a hand suddenly reached over and took the glass from his hand. Yun Qi blinked, turning to look at Duan Xingge, who had lost his smile.
“President Yun can’t drink; I’ll drink this cup for him.” Duan Xingge finished the sentence, ignored the surprised looks, raised his glass, tilted his head back, and downed the liquor, then poured himself another. “It’s taken ages to finish this wine brought by President Jin, so it must be our fault as hosts for not being engaging enough. I’ll punish myself with a cup.”
Duan Xingge had openly accepted their mockery, leaving them without a graceful way out. Yun Qi frowned, trying to say something, but Duan Xingge naturally pressed his shoulders, forcing him into his seat, and poured him a new drink: “President Yun can’t drink, but let’s have it here to keep the table steady.”
Someone chuckled: “Looks like the rumors were fake; I see these brothers are… what’s that word? Oh right, they’re like husband and wife.”
The group roared, but Jin Ming wasn’t amused. “If you can’t use fancy words, keep your trap shut. Where in the world do these baseless rumors come from?” Jin Ming said acidly. “This is the new era; back in the day, actors were considered bottom-tier…”
“Farmers, artisans, merchants, and scholars.” Yun Qi slammed his glass on the table, cutting him off coldly. “If that’s the case, how are those present any better than the ‘bottom-tier’?”
The atmosphere froze. Yun Qi was so angry he had even insulted himself, but Duan Xingge didn’t seem annoyed. Instead, he took the glass and smiled. “That’s not what President Yun meant.” To “apologize” for Yun Qi, he went around the table, proactively toasting everyone.
The others, perhaps enjoying the pleasure of bullying a junior, and thinking that Duan Xingge had to drink a cup for every one of theirs, didn’t guard themselves. They drank whatever Duan Xingge poured. Unexpectedly, after one round and two bottles of liquor, Duan Xingge looked completely sober. He then used the excuse of his own company’s upcoming IPO to ask the bosses for their support, going around the table again.
By the time the drinking session officially ended, Duan Xingge had gone around God knows how many times, single-handedly drinking everyone under the table. The Jin family, represented by Jin Ming, was so dead drunk they had to be dragged back to their rooms.
Yun Qi’s new secretary, having witnessed this scene, was left speechless. When she turned to ask Yun Qi about something, she found their President and the handsome man who had just out-drank the entire room were gone.
When Yun Qi found Duan Xingge, the latter was washing his face by the sink. The bangs on his forehead were slicked back, exposing a smooth brow and a look of mature handsomeness that felt strangely foreign to Yun Qi. Duan Xingge paused the water when he saw Yun Qi in the mirror.
Yun Qi looked at the face wet with water, thinking back to the events at the dinner table, and suddenly realized the child who used to fight others over trivial things had indeed grown up. For a moment, a piece of his heart seemed to sink, feeling both soft and sour, but he remained sharp-tongued: “So, you run away from home, you debut as an actor… in the end, doing so much useless work—why bother? I really don’t know what you’re trying to gain…”
As he spoke, he took a disposable towel from the dispenser and walked up, intending to hand it to Duan Xingge. Before he could finish, Duan Xingge turned around without warning, his arm exerting sudden force as he grabbed Yun Qi’s tie and pinned him against the wall.
Yun Qi: “…!”
His words were cut off; he hadn’t been prepared, and his eyes widened in shock. Duan Xingge had rolled up his sleeves to wash his hands, and from Yun Qi’s angle, he could clearly see the straining muscles on the younger man’s forearms. He pinned Yun Qi’s waist, leaned in, and kissed his neck lightly. He didn’t smile like he had before; instead, he looked dangerous and inexplicably dark. A faint scent of alcohol wafted in his ears, and Yun Qi’s pupils contracted, his skin crawling.
“What do you think I’m trying to gain?” Duan Xingge leaned in, kissing his cheek, and moved to unbutton his glove, grinding against the sliver of wrist exposed underneath. “President Yun?”
Yun Qi snapped out of it, trying to push him away with force, only to find the kid felt like a mountain—immovable.
“Brother pities me?” Duan Xingge was doing shameful things with his hands while acting piteous with his words, even changing how he addressed him. “Then you should pity me more… Brother, I’m so tired. I don’t like coffee, I don’t like waking up early… Since you pity me, Brother, won’t you take me home?”
“If you want to go back, no one is stopping you.” Yun Qi wiped the corner of his mouth, enduring his trembling voice as he spoke coldly. “Get up. You’re drunk.”
“I’ve been playing the host for so long; it would be strange if I weren’t drunk.” Duan Xingge didn’t care about the others’ attitudes at all, instead throwing out a question: “Does Brother want Jinsheng to die?”
Yun Qi saw that the man wasn’t in a right state of mind, but he couldn’t put his finger on what was wrong. “Walls have ears.” Yun Qi frowned, warning him. “Whether or not I want him dead is one thing; you, on the other hand, seem to have a death wish.”
“Brother is worried about me?” Duan Xingge scoffed. “I originally intended to let that bastard live a few more days, but he actually dared to look at you like that today. I really want to gouge his eyes out…”
There was no mistaking the chill in his words, but as he finished, his tone shifted, suddenly becoming gentle as he tugged on Yun Qi’s tie. “I know Brother wants him dead… kiss me once, and I’ll make him and his company vanish together. How about that?”
A normal person hearing this would feel a chill; the danger in Duan Xingge’s words was hair-raising. But Yun Qi wasn’t a normal person. He only felt that he was in danger, and sneered, “Big talk. Come back when you’ve actually done it, and then you can ask for a reward.”
With that, he turned and walked away, projecting the cool composure of a superior. Yun Qi would never admit he had fled in a panic, but the fact that he had left his tie in the other man’s hands betrayed his true nature. Duan Xingge stood in place, hooked the tie in his hand, and smiled—a predatory, triumphant smile.
A week after that dinner, Xingyun company officially listed on the stock market. Less than a month later, Jinsheng Group’s tax evasion was suddenly exposed by their own finance department in an act of mutual destruction, followed by news of human sacrifices being buried at the site of their flagship store’s foundation. The situation spiraled out of control. Jin Ming committed suicide to avoid punishment, and the other executives dispersed shortly thereafter. Since then, Xingyun had gone from strength to strength. Today, in the jewelry industry, there was only Mingyun and Xingyun; the Jinsheng Jewelry brand no longer existed.
At this moment, the memory seemed to merge with reality as the door to the private room was pushed open from the outside. Yun Qi looked up inadvertently, meeting the gaze of the newcomer head-on. He froze, eyes widening, heart tightening with a pain that made it hard to distinguish reality from memory.
Mu Jinrong joked, looking at the newcomer, “President Duan has finally arrived? You’re the last one here; if President Yun punishes you with a drink later, I won’t be able to help you.”
After entering, Duan Xingge took a long, deep look at Yun Qi. That gaze felt as if an entire lifetime had passed, filled with unspeakable emotions in its darkness. But before Yun Qi could see clearly, Duan Xingge immediately returned to normal. Hearing Mu Jinrong’s words, he chuckled, pulled out a chair, and sat down naturally. “It was in this very hall years ago that I drank two jin of alcohol for President Yun. Let’s just consider that as having already paid today’s penalty.”
“Oh, is that so?” Mu Jinrong blinked, then laughed. “I was just saying that President Yun’s favor is valuable; no wonder I couldn’t invite President Duan before. But I have to be fair one thing is one thing. That two jin was for back then; today’s penalty must still be paid.”
“Easily said.” Duan Xingge curled his lips and looked at Yun Qi. “However, I’ve had a cold these past two days and am taking medicine; I’m afraid I can’t drink. Why don’t… I trouble President Yun to change to some other penalty?”