Because of Lu Mingyang’s interruption, their conversation stopped at once.
When their eyes met again, Lu Jiu’s lips curved slightly downward before he turned away. His posture grew colder, his expression distant, his entire presence rejecting any form of connection.
Bai Yun watched him quietly. His face revealed nothing.
It was clear he had not wanted to ask that question. Otherwise, he would not be sitting there like this, closed off, as if even the thought of hearing the answer was unbearable.
Why?
Bai Yun tapped his pen again, thoughtful. He seemed to be studying the invisible weight that pressed down on Lu Jiu. What kept him from speaking freely? What stopped him from letting himself be understood?
The meeting dragged on for another hour and a half before it finally ended. Lu Jiu barely registered what was said after that. His thoughts remained tangled, scattered like loose threads that refused to come together.
All he noticed was Lu Mingyang standing up, shaking hands with Bai Yun, and leaving with the kind of self-satisfaction seen only in gamblers who believe they have won everything.
His father looked confident, too cheerful, walking as if the company shares would soar the next morning and he would become the wealthiest man in the country.
Lu Jiu ignored both of them and walked quickly toward the door. Behind him came Lu Mingyang’s sharp voice, half scolding, half offended. “Hey! How rude! You didn’t even say goodbye to Brother Yun!”
Lu Jiu’s face remained expressionless as he reached the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor.
“No need to see me off. I can handle it myself,” he said evenly.
Behind him, Lu Mingyang followed, still trying to appear polite.
When the elevator doors opened, Lu Mingyang hurried inside beside him. Just before the doors closed, Lu Jiu caught a glimpse of a pair of polished black shoes not far away. The legs above them were long, the suit tailored perfectly.
He did not look up.
“What’s with your attitude? Don’t you see Bai Yun watching you? Can’t you… ” Lu Mingyang began the moment the doors closed, his voice sharp with impatience.
“Has the remaining money been transferred yet?” Lu Jiu interrupted, voice flat and calm.
“What’s with your attitude!” Lu Mingyang snapped again.
Lu Jiu reached out to press the button for the top floor.
Lu Mingyang blocked his hand and forced a smile that barely hid his anger. “I’ll make sure it’s transferred right away,” he said between his teeth.
He only gave in because Bai Yun had been surprisingly cooperative. Thinking about their earlier conversation, Lu Mingyang felt pleased again.
“Although I don’t like your personality, you are at least useful,” he said. “If you can get Bai Yun to agree to this deal, I’ll promise you anything you want.”
Lu Jiu lifted his head and gave him a strange look.
Lu Mingyang misunderstood completely. “What’s that look for? You think I’m looking down on you? Don’t tell me you imagined Bai Yun would be forever with you? How childish. Truly naive.”
Lu Jiu laughed quietly, his expression mocking. He looked at his father the way one might look at a foolish child.
The lion had its fangs bared, and the prey thought it was petting a harmless kitten.
When they left the skyscraper, they went separate ways.
Lu Jiu called a car and leaned against the window while waiting. Inside his mind, 111 sighed heavily.
“Host, maybe you misunderstood your partner. Maybe he isn’t as emotionally detached as you think.”
Lu Jiu did not respond.
The small voice spoke again, softer this time. “Actually, I think you’ve misunderstood yourself.”
Lu Jiu watched the cars move past, the city lights sliding over his face.
“You could have solved things with your father more directly,” 111 said. “But you chose to come along anyway. You haven’t been thinking clearly these past few days.”
“Host? Are you listening?” the voice called again, anxious.
Lu Jiu spoke at last. “What happens if I fail the mission?”
The small system froze, stuttering. “W-what?”
“The task you gave me is to correct the course of my life, right? If I fail, what happens? Do I lose the right to return to my original world?”
“This isn’t failure yet!” 111 cried. “The problem between you and your partner can still be fixed! And the child you’re carrying.. ”
“I can choose to fail on purpose, can’t I?” Lu Jiu said softly.
The voice let out a horrified shriek. “No! Absolutely not! You can’t even think that way! If you fail on purpose, you really won’t go back! Forbidden! Not allowed!”
A faint, teasing smile touched Lu Jiu’s eyes. He could tell 111 had not asked anyone for permission before answering. The small system kept crying, its voice breaking in panic.
“Host, you must cherish life! How can you even talk about ending things early? Aren’t you afraid of dying?”
Lu Jiu leaned his chin on his hand. “I don’t want to die for no reason,” he said quietly. “But I never said I’m afraid of death.”
Compared to death, a life of endless struggle and constraint felt far more unbearable.
He closed his eyes and rested his head against the glass, the city fading into blurred streaks of light.
Night fell.
Bai Yun had just taken a seat at the bar when Ye Qin threw an arm around his shoulder. His voice was half teasing, half curious.
“Heard your parents called you home again? Your sister said this is the fifth time your birthday party turned into a matchmaking session.”
“You seem very close to my sister,” Bai Yun said with a smile. “Does her husband know?”
“Don’t start with me. You know how jealous your brother in law gets! I’m only your sister’s shadow,” he replied, laughing as he signaled the waiter for drinks.
“But seriously,” He continued, “what’s your plan with Jiu Jiu? Don’t you dare hurt him or I’ll make you regret it.”
Bai Yun leaned back and smiled, saying nothing.
The bar was crowded and loud. Music pulsed, lights flashed, and the air was thick with heat and laughter. Ye Qin had to shout to be heard but Bai Yun seemed lost in thought, not reacting at all.
When he leaned closer to repeat himself, he noticed his attention was elsewhere.
People danced under the colored lights. Even though it was early autumn and cold outside, the room was filled with warmth and motion.
Every gaze that turned toward their booth was met by the calm face of a man who seemed untouched by the noise around him.
Managing his parents’ expectations was one kind of difficulty, but this other person, this unpredictable one, was something else entirely.
That day, when Bai Yun returned home, he noticed that the flowers in the garden had been replaced. His mother was talented at many things, but gardening was not one of them.
He suddenly remembered a summer three years ago. The day after he came back to the country, he visited the Ye family. As soon as he entered the yard, he saw a boy crouched beside a flowerpot, holding a parasol to block the sun.
Sunlight touched the boy’s pale skin. When he noticed Bai Yun watching, he gave a small nod and looked away.
“I just watered them,” the boy said after a moment. “The sun’s too strong. Without shade, they’ll burn.”
Bai Yun looked up at the blazing sky. Why water flowers at noon?
The boy glared at him, defiant, as if to say, I did something stupid, so what?
Bai Yun laughed.
He remembered seeing the same boy half a year earlier, playing in the snow with a golden retriever, one person and one dog wrestling with pure joy.
He had not expected to remember him. But now he realized it had been that stubborn expression, that wild energy, that drew his attention.
When he asked Ye Qin about the boy later, he learned he had just turned eighteen. Still a teenager, but already sharp around the edges.
That reckless, untamed look reminded him of a young tiger discovering it was no longer a cub, ready to explore its territory, still clumsy but fierce.
At the time, Bai Yun had known the truth at once. This one would be impossible to tame.
Ye Qin’s voice brought him back. “What are you thinking about?”
Before he could answer, a young man appeared in front of them. Black eyes flickered in the dim light.
Ye Qin blinked in surprise. “You’re here too? With friends?”
Not far away, three students stood awkwardly, unsure whether to approach.
Ye Lin stepped forward, his voice trembling with anger. “Did you ask my brother to arrange this internship for me?” Even with the music pounding around them, Bai Yun heard every word.
He stayed silent. Ye Lin’s tone rose, emotional and raw. “Are you trying to keep me away from Lu Jiu?”
Bai Yun smiled slightly but said nothing.
The lack of response only made Ye Lin angrier. “I’m not like you,” he said. “I’ve known him for sixteen years.”
His voice broke. “I left him not because he changed but because I realized I liked him. I didn’t know he liked men too and I hated that about myself. If I had known earlier, we wouldn’t be like this now.”
He breathed heavily, uncertain whether he was speaking to Bai Yun or to himself.
“As long as he’s willing to talk, we can fix it. Even if we can’t be together, we can still be brothers.”
Ye Qin tugged at his sleeve, trying to stop him. “What are you talking about, kid?”
Ye Lin stood firm, waiting for Bai Yun’s reply.
The music stopped suddenly. The lights dimmed. The moment froze like a curtain falling.
Bai Yun straightened his sleeve. “Seems you’ve been talking to the wrong person,” he said.
Ye Lin went pale.
Bai Yun rose from his seat, his tone cool and clear. “But keep going. Words mean nothing. If you want him to listen, prove it.”
Ye Qin blinked in confusion. “What are you two even talking about?”
Bai Yun turned to her. “You still have that pony?”
“Yes,” He said slowly. “It was supposed to be for my sister, but she never rides. I said I’d give it to your wife when you get married. Why?”
“That one isn’t suitable for him,” Bai Yun said quietly.
“…What?” He asked, completely lost.
Observation was no longer enough. It was time for a different approach.
Bai Yun never feared changing the rules of his own game.
“When I have time, I’ll take him to your stables to choose a horse myself,” he said, patting Ye Qin’s shoulder before walking past a stunned Ye Lin and leaving.
Two days later, Shen Ke created a group chat with himself, Lu Jiu, and two others who had been with them at the vineyard.
Shen Ke: “Something happened! Big trouble in the Bo family!”
Shen Ke: “Brother Yun came out to the family! Heard he got beaten up!”
Short guy: “What?”
Another friend: “No way!”
Shen Ke: “Brother Jiu, did you see this? @Lu Jiu”
Lu Jiu was in class when the messages came. His heart skipped a beat.
What is this?
So sudden?
It must be a joke.
He stayed distracted for the rest of the day and didn’t calm down until he was lying in bed that night.
Could this have something to do with what he said that day?
He continued his usual routine between school, work, and home. Three days later, new messages appeared in the group.
Shen Ke: “It’s happening again! Big trouble again!”
Someone: “What now?”
Shen Ke: “After three days, Uncle Bai and Aunt Bai finally accepted that Brother Yun likes men, but they’re worried about his future. Apparently, he already has someone in mind, eight years younger and still in college. And yes, he got beaten again!”
The group exploded with reactions.
“What?!” “Only eight years? That’s not even much!” “When Brother Yun was in college, the other one was still a kid!” “So unfair! @Lu Jiu”
Lu Jiu stared at the messages, speechless.
A strange feeling settled in his chest.
That night, his father called him home. The Bai family arrived soon after, bringing their disobedient son with them.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
One tiny coffee. One very happy translator. ✦
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (1)Chapter 2 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (2)Chapter 3 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (3)Chapter 4 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (4)Chapter 5 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (5)Chapter 6 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (6)Chapter 7 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (7)Chapter 8 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (8)Chapter 9 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (9)Chapter 10 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (10)Chapter 11 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (11)Chapter 12 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (12)Chapter 13 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (13)Chapter 14 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s room (14)Chapter 15 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (15)Chapter 16 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (16)Chapter 17 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (17)Chapter 18 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (18)Chapter 19 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (19)Chapter 20 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (20)Chapter 21 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (21)Chapter 22 Part 1 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (22)Chapter 22 Part 2 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (22)Chapter 23 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (23)Chapter 24 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (24)Chapter 25 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (25)Chapter 26 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (26)Chapter 27 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (27)Chapter 28 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (28)Chapter 29 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (29)Chapter 30 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (30)Chapter 31 Part 1 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (31)Chapter 31 Part 2 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (31)Chapter 32 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (1)Chapter 33 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (2)Chapter 34 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (3)Chapter 35 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (4)Chapter 36 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (5)Chapter 37 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (6)Chapter 38 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (7)Chapter 39 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (8)Chapter 40 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (9)Chapter 41 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (10)Chapter 42 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (11)Chapter 43 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (12)Chapter 44 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (13)Chapter 45 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (14)Chapter 46 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (15)Chapter 47 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (16)Chapter 48 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (17)Chapter 49 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (18)Chapter 50 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (19)Chapter 51 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (20)Chapter 52 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (21)Chapter 53 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (22)Chapter 54 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (23)Chapter 55 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (24)Chapter 56 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (25)Chapter 57 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (26)Chapter 58 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (27)Chapter 59 · Hatching Baby Zombies (1)Chapter 60 · Hatching Baby Zombies (2)Chapter 61 · Hatching Baby Zombies (3)Chapter 62 · Hatching Baby Zombies (4)Chapter 63 · Hatching Baby Zombies (5)Chapter 64 · Hatching Baby Zombies (6)Chapter 65 · Hatching Baby Zombies (7)Chapter 66 · Hatching Baby Zombies (8)Chapter 67 · Hatching Baby Zombies (9)Chapter 68 · Hatching Baby Zombies (10)Chapter 69 · Hatching Baby Zombies (11)Chapter 70 · Hatching Baby Zombies (12)Chapter 71 · Hatching Baby Zombies (13)Chapter 72 · Hatching Baby Zombies (14)Chapter 73 · Hatching Baby Zombies (15)Chapter 74 · Hatching Baby Zombies (16)Chapter 75 · Hatching Baby Zombies (17)Chapter 76 · Hatching Baby Zombies (18)Chapter 77 · Hatching Baby Zombies (19)Chapter 78 · Hatching Baby Zombies (20)Chapter 79 · The Mermaid on the Shore (1)Chapter 80 · The Mermaid on the Shore (2)Chapter 81 · The Mermaid on the Shore (3)Chapter 82 · The Mermaid on the Shore (4)Chapter 83 · The Mermaid on the Shore (5)Chapter 84 · The Mermaid on the Shore (6)Chapter 85 · The Mermaid on the Shore (7)Chapter 86 · The Mermaid on the Shore (8)Chapter 87 · The Mermaid on the Shore (9)Chapter 88 · The Mermaid on the Shore (10)Chapter 89 · The Mermaid on the Shore (11)Chapter 90 · The Mermaid on the Shore (12)Chapter 91 · The Mermaid on the Shore (13)Chapter 92 · The Mermaid on the Shore (14)Chapter 93 · The Mermaid on the Shore (15)Chapter 94 · The Mermaid on the Shore (16)Chapter 95 · The Mermaid on the Shore (17)Chapter 96 Part 1 · The Mermaid on the Shore (18)Chapter 96 Part 2 · The Mermaid on the Shore (18)Chapter 97 · The Mermaid on the Shore (19)Chapter 98 · Give me a drop of blood (1)Chapter 99 · Give me a drop of blood (2)Chapter 100 · Give me a drop of blood (3)Chapter 101 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (4)Chapter 102 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (5)Chapter 103 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (6)Chapter 104 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (7)Chapter 105 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (8)Chapter 106 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (9)Chapter 107 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (10)Chapter 108 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (11)Chapter 109 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (12)Chapter 110 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (13)Chapter 111 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (14)Chapter 112 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (15)Chapter 113 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (16)Chapter 114 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (17)Chapter 115 · Extra 1: A Little Conversation After Drinking (1)Chapter 116 · Extra: A Little Conversation After Drinking (2)Chapter 117 · Extra: A Little Conversation After Drinking (3)