In the empty house, there was only a fox guarding the home alone.
Pets could only wait in the house for their owners to return, amusing themselves or sitting in lonely boredom—how pitiful.
Qin Suixi decided to buy a pet toy on his way home.
Just one wall away, the one defined as “pitiful,” Ning Qi’an, was brazenly hogging the sofa, biting the remote control to turn on the TV, and switching to a channel that interested him—Animal World.
It was featuring Arctic foxes.
He had noticed it back when Qin Suixi was searching for a movie. Even though the movie was good, he was a fox, after all; foxes naturally had to watch foxes.
There was still more than half a glass of water left in the cup on the coffee table. Ning Qi’an was a bit thirsty. He automatically ignored the bowl of water on the balcony and, not caring that the glass had been used by Qin Suixi, licked the water directly from the cup.
The balcony was too cold; he didn’t want to go out just for a drink.
The footage on the TV tightly followed a snow-white Arctic fox, and Ning Qi’an felt a surge of excitement.
Look at that smooth fur, that sturdy body, those agile hunting moves—at first glance, he knew it was his dream fox!
Ning Qi’an had fallen in love at first sight with the white fox on the TV.
He knew about the Arctic; it was a cold place very far away. However, money could solve any problem. Once he finished his boss’s task, he would go to the Arctic and find her!
The fox, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, revealed an anthropomorphic, lovesick smile. As his tail wagged from side to side, he knocked over an upright cushion next to him, while the male narrator on the TV continued to explain.
“This is a male Arctic fox inhabiting the Arctic tundra. It has just left the protection of its parents…”
Male?!
Ning Qi’an’s expression stiffened.
Crack—
It was the sound of a heart shattering. Because the fox he had fallen in love with at first sight was a male—and there was no happy ending between males.
What does it feel like to be heartbroken right after falling in love?
Ning Qi’an wore a mournful face, unable to accept that his crush had ended before it even began. In a fit of pique, he switched the channel.
To hell with Animal World for deceiving his feelings!
The screen flickered. This time, it wasn’t Animal World, but a newly released serialized TV drama. Ning Qi’an looked at the title and had a vague impression of it; Luo Haitang had watched it a few times during breaks and even recommended it to him.
Destiny brought them together; Ning Qi’an couldn’t be bothered to look for a movie. With one claw, he decided to watch it briefly.
Speaking of which, his phone was still back at Fuxin Residential District and hadn’t been brought out. He wondered how the other spirits were doing.
It just so happened that Qin Suixi was going on a business trip for two days. He would take advantage of these two days to go back and get his phone, and go out for a stroll himself, as long as he returned before Secretary Chen came over.
Having arranged his plans for the next two days, Ning Qi’an’s depressed mood from the heartbreak brightened up a bit.
This business trip came at just the right time.
“Brother Qin, long time no see. Let me toast you.”
Qin Suixi half-raised his glass to clink it against that of a yellow-haired guy beside him. The iridescent lights surged in like a tide, cutting the private room into pieces of bizarre, kaleidoscopic shards.
In the dimly lit environment, the color of the liquid in the glass was indistinguishable. After the three others—with blue, purple, and gold hair—came up to clink glasses as well, Qin Suixi narrowed his eyes slightly and downed the drink.
“Xi,” someone draped an arm over Qin Suixi’s shoulder. A handsome young man clinked his empty glass against Qin Suixi’s, saying, “There are no outsiders here, why are you acting so cold and aloof?”
Ren Xing laughed, “Do we brothers not already know your true nature?”
Qin Suixi said expressionlessly, “Must not slacken.”
He was afraid that if he relaxed, the “unfeeling, iron-faced” mental technique he had been practicing diligently for a month would be ruined. At that point, his domineering-CEO father, who had some issues, would say he didn’t have a serious bone in his body.
Why must a domineering CEO be cold and overbearing?
Qin Suixi didn’t understand.
Ren Xing was deflated and said, “Is this a mandatory requirement for being the heir to the Qin family? It’s a good thing my father and brother don’t have such ambitions; I wouldn’t want my family members to turn into ice-crushed zombies like you lot who are half-crazy and half-ill.”
Qin Suixi: “Flattered.”
He fully agreed with Ren Xing’s assessment.
And he decided that once he gained control over the entire Tianqin Group, he would kick his dad out of the seat of economic power and become a fiery, passionate CEO.
Ren Xing wasn’t aware of Qin Suixi’s grand plan. He lightly kicked the yellow-haired guy who had toasted Qin Suixi first and asked: “How’s it going with that Miss Lin you’ve been chasing lately?”
When the yellow-haired guy heard this, he grew excited. He scratched his head and said in distress: “Xixi and I have long been mutually in love. Last time, she even brought me to meet her parents, but the moment her dad saw me, he told me to get lost and even threw my gifts away.”
Ren Xing’s gaze swept over his head: “Perhaps changing your hair color would fix it.”
The yellow-haired guy slapped his thigh and said, “I also think it’s the hair color. Don’t the older generation all like that kind of festive color? Tomorrow, I’ll dye this thing red; it’ll definitely be likable.”
Qin Suixi couldn’t hold it in and coughed.
An unteachable boy; this guy definitely won’t even be able to step through the door.
Ren Xing raised his glass in the air, speechless: “…Good luck.”
The yellow-haired guy replied: “I’ll take your word for it, Brother Xing.”
The four of them—yellow, blue, purple, and gold—were shaking dice and playing games in the room with their dazzling hair, making the two black-haired ones look completely out of place.
Refusing their invitation, Ren Xing suddenly turned his head toward the lyrics playing on the TV across from them and said: “Hey, the manager of Zuiyue heard you were here and specifically asked if you wanted a few young boys to keep you company.”
Qin Suixi frowned and said, “No.”
It was true that he liked men, but he couldn’t just mess around with any man.
To be honest, up until now, he hadn’t met anyone who made his heart flutter.
Intimate things should only be done in intimate relationships—that was Qin Suixi’s stance.
Ren Xing had long known this answer. He snapped his fingers and said, “Then how about I order a few young girls to dance?”
Seeing that Qin Suixi was still frowning after he finished speaking, he laughed and persuaded: “I’ve hand-picked them. They are all innocent and sensible girls who only came to do this because they had financial difficulties at home. You have to give people a chance to earn money, after all.”
Hearing this, Qin Suixi finally relented: “That’s fine.”
“Alright then.” Ren Xing made a call. Before long, three young girls wearing thick coats knocked on the door. The purple-haired guy who had been playing Ludo was startled when he opened the door, turned his head and asked: “Who ordered people?”
Ren Xing raised his hand: “Me. Let them in.”
The purple-haired guy said “Oh” and replied, “Whoever enters last, close the door.”
Then he ran back to his Ludo game.
What a joke; he only needed one last piece to win, and those other flashy-haired guys would all have to lose.
The three pretty young girls looked blankly at the four people playing Ludo in the corner, then looked at the two powerful figures on the sofa, and instantly understood who they were there to serve.
The girls took a deep breath. Just as they were about to take off their thick coats, Ren Xing stopped them, saying, “Keep them on, keep them on. Just dance a few dances for us to see.”
They knew how to dance, but what should they dance to?
The three looked at each other, and finally, one of them, who looked slightly older, asked: “What dance would the guests like to see?”
Ren Xing threw the question to Qin Suixi: “What dance?”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the enclosed room.
The eyes of the three girls all darted toward Qin Suixi.
Qin Suixi half-raised his eyelids to look at them. Even though the lights were dim, the girls still felt his powerful aura and indifferent gaze, as if their existence to him was merely a few fine grains of dust.
Even their thick coats couldn’t hide their heartbeats, which were about to leap out of their chests, until the man’s thin lips parted slightly: “Do you know Gangnam Style?”
The three: Huh?
What the heck? Gangnam Style? Is that the one I’m thinking of?
At the same time, a burst of wild laughter suddenly broke out from the four playing Ludo on the other side, overlapping with the laughter here. Combining both sides, it felt like they had entered an insane asylum.
Ren Xing laughed until he doubled over, panting: “Gangnam Style… I can’t believe you actually thought of that. You don’t happen to only know that one dance, do you?”
Qin Suixi remained silent for a moment, then nodded.
Ren Xing gave a thumbs-up: “That’s so cool, it has to be you.”
He waved his finger and said: “Just dance that. And play Little Apple afterward.”
“The ones over there… the Rainbow Squad,” Ren Xing arbitrarily made up a team name, “one of you go pick the song.”
The blue-haired guy from the Rainbow Squad conscientiously went to select the song that had become a nationwide sensation. The purple-haired guy perfectly won this game of Ludo. He smiled widely and opened his WeChat payment code. The other three colored-haired guys scanned the code and paid reluctantly.
Too profitable. Just one outing, and he cleared three thousand yuan.
The purple-haired guy was overjoyed and stubbornly refused the invitation to play another round.
Thus, by the time that familiar music came out of the speakers, the guests were all seated on the sofa.
Are they seriously going to dance to this?
Three pairs of beautiful eyes were filled with confusion and disbelief.
Are the tastes of the guests in this room really this bizarre? The manager had hinted to them before they came to be “proactive,” but now…
They couldn’t be proactive at all because there was a generation gap between them.
The man on the screen had already started moving. Under the gaze of six pairs of eyes, the three girls stiffened their smiles and braved themselves to dance a style that didn’t fit the clothes they were wearing.
This is so socially mortifying. Has the world finally gone crazy?
When the dance ended, the Rainbow Squad gave a very appreciative round of applause.
The girls: Thank you very much.
Soon, the next demonic tune followed closely behind.
“I planted a seed, and finally it grew fruit…”
The girls danced mechanically, their long hair flying, their high heels tapping rhythmically on the floor. Ren Xing’s laughter didn’t stop; Qin Suixi appeared to be drinking, but in fact, not a single drop of wine in his glass had decreased. The smile at the corner of his lips had been held for several minutes, hidden behind the cup.
Just as the singing and dancing reached its climax, the door was knocked on once again.
The blond guy went to open it. Outside was a slender boy.
He thought it was Ren Xing who had ordered another boy to dance, so without asking anything, he let him in.
The boy’s initially timid expression froze the moment he saw the three women in the middle of the room looking like they had lost the will to live. In his ears was a tune so familiar it felt like it had been carved into his DNA. He widened his eyes slightly and couldn’t help but take a step back.
“No, I’m sorry, I walked into the wrong room.”
That shouldn’t be possible, he thought. That person’s taste would never be this strange. It must be the wrong room.
The boy denied it in his heart.
Before leaving, the boy turned around to see who was being so crazy, but as soon as he turned his head, he saw the handsome man drinking in the main seat and shrank back from the step he had just taken.
Damn, it really is Young Master Qin. He hadn’t walked into the wrong room.
He had seen Young Master Qin before; he would never forget that exceptionally handsome face.
The blond guy looked at him strangely and said: “Didn’t you walk into the wrong room? Why haven’t you left yet?”
The boy bit his lip and said: “I didn’t walk into the wrong room. It’s here.”
The ambient lights at the top of the room wove a net of light and shadow, as if pulling people into a dreamlike state between reality and illusion.
The man in the wine-red shirt sitting in the middle of the black leather sofa was holding a thin glass stem and swirling it, his posture lazy and casual. There seemed to be a smile on the corner of his mouth, but the light was too dim to see clearly. This hazy, mysterious temperament made him even more attractive.
No one cared about the extra person in the room. The music continued, the dancers swayed their bodies, and the boy automatically ignored that demonic music, his eyes tightly fixed on Qin Suixi.
If he could catch the eye of the heir to the Tianqin Group, he wouldn’t have to worry about his future.
Success and prosperity all depended on tonight.
The boy pressed his lips together. Believing that his looks weren’t bad, and having accidentally overheard the manager’s words, he had some ideas in his heart and had come over secretly behind people’s backs.
Qin Suixi was gay—this was something he had admitted himself.
The boy exhaled, put on a pure smile he had practiced countless times in front of the mirror, and walked forward slowly.
A figure suddenly appeared in the corner of his vision. Qin Suixi looked over subconsciously.
It was a man.
A man who looked very awkward pouting his lips.
Qin Suixi turned his head and said: “A little brat you ordered?”
Ren Xing’s lips still held a silly smile. His gaze reluctantly tore itself away from the miserable-looking girls, and he asked “Ah” in confusion.
Qin Suixi repeated the question. Ren Xing finally sobered up. He looked at the extra person and said: “No. If you don’t want him, why would I order him?”
After saying that, he frowned, then gloated: “Don’t tell me this is another person delusional about climbing into your bed? Tsk, I said you shouldn’t have told that daughter of so-and-so that you liked men back then. As a result, now, hee hee, everyone who comes looking for you is a man.”
Ren Xing thought the name “Qin Suixi” was truly well-chosen—it could be used to call him, and could also express his own laughter. It was just a pity that “Xi Xi” didn’t look very happy.
Hee hee (Qin Suixi) gripped his wine glass tightly, expressionless.
That daughter of the Su family back then was obviously spoiled by her family. The moment she saw Qin Suixi at the banquet, she unreasonably declared that she had fallen in love with him at first sight. When pestered by her until he was extremely annoyed, Qin Suixi, in order to get rid of her, stated his sexual orientation directly. He walked away handsomely right after, but by the next day, the entire circle knew he liked men.
After that, every time he went out to play, someone would take it upon themselves to order two boys for him.
Qin Suixi would never touch them. It wasn’t that he was disgusted by them, he just felt that an obsession and impulse toward mere skin and appearance was an act of infidelity toward love, regardless of whether one was single or not.
But this couldn’t stop some people from having greed, fantasizing about climbing up the social ladder to become a phoenix… no, a dragon.
The boy wasn’t deaf; he heard the mocking “tsk” from Ren Xing and felt a sense of retreat, but it was quickly replaced by another emotion.
What if? What if Young Master Qin just happens to like his type? He hasn’t kicked him out yet—isn’t this a form of tacit permission?
People like to gamble on the slim chance; that’s why there are so many gamblers in this world.
The boy knelt by Qin Suixi’s feet. As he lowered his cheeks carefully, just as he was about to touch Qin Suixi’s thigh, his movement was blocked by a cold object.
It was the bottom of a wine glass.
The circular base of the glass caught the boy’s chin. Qin Suixi looked down at the person kneeling by his legs, his expression cold and indifferent.
From the boy’s perspective, he could just make out the man’s firm, smooth jawline and thin, indifferent lips. Up close, he smelled a low-key, pleasant woody scent. Together with the smell of alcohol in the surroundings, it entered his nostrils gently yet forcefully, traveling straight to his brain through the nasal cavity and scrambling his senses into a mess.
“Young Master Qin… do you remember me?”
His heartbeat accelerated gradually. In the boy’s eyes, there was only Qin Suixi.
Qin Suixi used the bottom of the wine glass to lift the boy’s chin and said: “Get up. Don’t kneel.”
What era is this? Why are you still obsessed with that feudal nonsense?
The boy stood up in a daze, looking at Qin Suixi’s face. After a long while, he came back to his senses, and a light burst into his eyes.
He… did he take a fancy to him?
Barely managing to tidy up his excitement, the boy tried hard to widen his eyes, put on a fragile and innocent expression, and called out in a pinched voice: “Young Master Qin…”