When Wu Yan saw the message from Pei Jin, a subtle arc curved at the corner of his mouth, and his slender fingers tapped away on the screen.
Wu Yan: Okay then, I’ll be waiting in bed for Brother to come.
Staring at the successfully sent message, he saw the “Typing…” status on the other side. He chuckled, a hint of playfulness flashing in his eyes.
Pei Jin had said he would visit in the evening, but he actually arrived just as twilight began to fall. Outside the window, a crimson sunset painted the horizon, looking like spilled rouge, magnificent and enchanting. At that moment, Wu Yan was lying in bed idly scrolling through videos. Hearing footsteps outside, he quickly stuffed his phone under his pillow and closed his eyes to feign sleep.
He had already given instructions: if Pei Jin came, lead him directly into the bedroom.
The door hinges turned with a soft creak. As the door pushed open, Wu Yan, lying quietly on the bed, acted as if he had just woken up, fluttering his eyelids open. Pei Jin entered wearing a dark trench coat, which made him look even more cool and handsome.
Pei Jin’s gaze fell on Wu Yan’s slightly pale face, and a trace of imperceptible regret flashed in his eyes. He walked to the bedside and asked softly, “Are you feeling better now?”
Seeing the man’s silhouette, Wu Yan’s bleary eyes instantly lit up. Moreover, he spotted the gift box in Pei Jin’s hand. “Brother, I feel so much better just seeing you. Is that a gift for me?”
As he spoke, he reached out to grab it, but in his haste, half of his body leaned out over the edge of the bed. Seeing him about to fall, Pei Jin acted quickly, catching the youth’s arm with a slight frown.
How could a young master like Wu Yan, who had been pampered since childhood, be so easily delighted by a mere gift?
“Brother, you’ve arrived just in time. I was about to take my medicine, but I have no strength. Won’t you feed me, please?”
Supported by Pei Jin, Wu Yan sat back on the bed. Leaning against the headboard, he watched the man place the gift on the nightstand. He reached out and tugged on Pei Jin’s hand, swaying it gently with a purely coquettish tone.
This was the first time Pei Jin had seen Wu Yan’s medicine. Looking at the pills on the tray, he froze for a second before picking up the pre-sorted doses and holding them to the youth’s lips.
Wu Yan carefully extended the tip of his tongue to take the pills, inevitably licking the man’s fingertip in the process. Pei Jin felt a warm, fleeting itch on his finger. He pretended nothing had happened and picked up the water cup to help him drink.
After taking the medicine, Wu Yan suddenly leaned in and planted a soft kiss on the man’s cheek. He then quickly dove back under the covers, hiding the lower half of his face and leaving only his captivating eyes visible.
His muffled voice drifted out: “Brother, that’s your reward.”
Pei Jin’s face showed no emotional fluctuation, but his hand hanging at his side unconsciously tightened. He looked away, coughed twice, and said, “I won’t disturb your rest. I’m leaving.”
Hearing this, Wu Yan quickly sat up and grabbed Pei Jin’s sleeve. He blinked his lashes, his voice sounding pitiful. “Then Brother, you’ll come to see me tomorrow, right?”
Pei Jin was silent. He spoke truthfully: “I’ll come if I have time.”
Watching the man’s retreating back, Wu Yan’s expression was no longer as shy as it had been. He threw off the covers and got out of the warm bed. Looking at the gift on the nightstand packaged like some sort of health supplement he had no desire to open it, appearing far less surprised than he had a moment ago.
He threw on a robe and hurried to the window. His room had the best view in the villa; he watched the car parked at the gate drive away, contemplating their interactions over the last two days.
His fever had just subsided, only to return shortly after.
Having been ill for two consecutive days, Wu Yan was kept at home by his mother to recover. Finding no chance to seek out Pei Jin, he could only send him messages every day.
When Luo Xia showed up two days in a row to deliver items instead of Pei Jin, Wu Yan’s patience began to wear thin. Even as he tried to reassure himself that the man was just busy with work, he saw a gossip report about Pei Jin eating at a restaurant with someone else. Wu Yan could no longer sit still.
During these days, Wu Nanachu was away on business, leaving only Wu Yan and his mother at home.
Wrapped in a thick wool blanket on the sofa, Wu Yan shook his mother’s hand with a wheedling tone. “Mama, I’m almost all better. Please let me go out.”
Looking at his still pale face, his mother patted his hand. “Your health isn’t fully restored yet. I have to leave for a business trip this afternoon. You must stay home and be obedient. Call me if anything happens.”
“Okay, I know,” Wu Yan answered vaguely, already planning to leave the moment his mother departed.
After accompanying her for lunch, Wu Yan finally found a gap to head out. He looked at Xu Yike, who had been assigned to monitor him, and frowned with irritation, though he suppressed it on the surface.
What do I have to do to make Xu Yike truly stand on my side?
That afternoon, in a remote alleyway of Yuyang City.
The flickering streetlights cast long, wavering shadows. Messy power lines crisscrossed above, and the air was stagnant. A bitter wind howled.
Wu Yan stepped out of a black car and made his way into a low-roofed shanty. Several bodyguards in black followed him inside. The room was cramped, a simple bed and cabinet with clutter piled in the corners.
The man inside saw him and wiped a chair clean for him to sit. “Young Master Wu, please sit.” The man had a shifty, rat-like appearance and bowed obsequiously, his face full of flattery.
Wu Yan didn’t move. He looked at the man with cold indifference. After a moment, he spoke: “Where are the items?”
The man hurried to pull a file from his pocket and handed it to a bodyguard. Wu Yan signaled the guard to check them; once confirmed, he pushed a suitcase toward the man. “Count it yourself,” he said softly.
The man’s name was Yang San. He was quick-handed and good at disguising himself. He had done many things for the original Wu Yan, mostly targeting the protagonist. Wu Yan hadn’t intended to meet him in person, but he realized he had to follow the plot’s development, or else some unknown force would obstruct his plans.
As expected, some things were unavoidable, so he came to meet the man—though Yang San’s appetite was surprisingly large.
“Young Master Wu doesn’t lack this bit of money, so I don’t need to count. But regarding Young Master Jiang… he has offered quite a high price to find me…” Yang San trailed off, his greed unconcealed.
Wu Yan sneered. “How do you think he found you?”
Yang San froze, as if just realizing the implication. He immediately dropped to the concrete floor, begging for mercy. “Young Master Wu, I don’t know him, it’s my fault…”
Watching Yang San’s rambling pleas, Wu Yan raised his foot and kicked him. Though the force wasn’t great, Yang San tumbled backward onto the floor. His voice was cold: “Stupid. You’ve exposed your tracks and still want to ask me for more money.”
Yang San trembled uncontrollably a primal, physical fear. Given Wu Yan’s status, if he wanted the man dead, he only had to snap his fingers and plenty of people would step up to do it.
“Give me a chance to make up for it, Young Master Wu! I won’t disappoint you!” he scrambled to make a guarantee.
Wu Yan withdrew his foot with disgust. He signaled to a subordinate, who stepped forward and kicked the man back down just as he was trying to stand up.
“Do you think I don’t know about the things you’ve been doing behind my back?” Seeing Yang San about to speak again, his irritation grew. “Get out.”
Seeing Wu Yan’s foul mood, Yang San knew he was truly angry. He scrambled away, dragging the suitcase and stumbling out the door. He completely forgot that this was his own home and Wu Yan was the visitor.
After leaving the shanty, Wu Yan didn’t go home. Instead, he went to a tea house near the film city. Qingfeng Tea House had a prime location; despite the busy streets around it, few people visited on weekdays.
Curling white smoke drifted through the air, carrying a light scent of bamboo. The receptionist was a graceful girl who looked surprised to see Wu Yan. “Is the gentleman alone?” she asked sweetly.
Wu Yan’s gaze lingered on her before shifting to Xu Yike, who was standing nearby. He nodded, then shook his head. “Him too.”
Wu Yan had sent Xu Yike to buy desserts earlier, so the assistant hadn’t seen where the youth had been. His expression was complex as he walked to Wu Yan’s side.
Inside the quiet room, an incense meant to soothe the nerves was burning. Wu Yan sat on a cushion, leaning against a soft pillow. He toyed with a clear tea cup, the liquid within rippling with his movements. He looked at Xu Yike, who was standing still.
“Young Master?” Xu Yike asked, confused.
Wu Yan didn’t respond immediately. He took a sip of tea before speaking: “What kind of spell did you cast on my parents? I wanted to fire you, yet they refused to agree.”
“Young Master, the Master and Madam are generous. I have been with the Wu family for five years,” Xu Yike replied.
The tea cup met the table with a dull thud. Wu Yan turned and signaled for the man to sit. Xu Yike hesitated for a few seconds before sitting opposite him.
“Xu Yike, what do you think of my personality?” Wu Yan asked.
Xu Yike hadn’t expected the question. In his mind, most of the words he associated with Wu Yan were negative. Therefore, he remained silent.
Wu Yan pushed a cup of tea toward him, his tone airy. “I want to ask you for a favor.”
“What?” Xu Yike asked instead of taking the tea.
“Tell me more about Brother Pei,” Wu Yan said concisely. “Aren’t you two quite close? Even if I don’t like you, my parents treat you well. You know my parents like him very much and want us to be together.”
So that’s what it is…
A complex look flashed in Xu Yike’s eyes. He felt hesitant. In his heart, his first priority was the couple who took him in, and the second was Pei Jin, who had helped him. As for Wu Yan… it was complicated.
“I won’t live long anyway. Can’t you just follow my lead for a while?”
Perhaps seeing the man’s resolve waver, Wu Yan pushed the desserts he had sent him to buy back toward Xu Yike. “Just tell me.”
Xu Yike met Wu Yan’s expectant gaze. After a long pause, he finally nodded. As he spoke, Wu Yan listened intently. The original novel didn’t record everything in detail, and there were many nuances he had to discover for himself. Xu Yike seemed to be soft-hearted; if he treated the man a bit better, he could learn more about Pei Jin. It was a win-win.
He pulled out his phone and seriously noted down keywords in a memo, seemingly oblivious to the look of surprise in Xu Yike’s eyes.
After sitting in the tea room for two hours, Wu Yan didn’t feel bored. Seeing it was dark, he prepared to go home, satisfied. But just as he stepped out of the room, he saw several people walking toward him.
Wu Yan frowned as he recognized the person in the center.
“Oh, isn’t this Young Master Wu? I heard you were sick. Doesn’t look that serious if you can still come out to play.” The leader was wearing a leather jacket, his defiant face full of provocation. With his shiny silver ear accessories, he looked quite the chuunibyou.
Wu Yan couldn’t be bothered to talk to him. He turned to leave through the other staircase. But the man didn’t give him the chance, striding forward to block his path.
Why is this cannon fodder always running into trouble… Wu Yan grumbled internally. He looked at the man, his tone devoid of emotion. “And who are you?”