Wang Xiaojun was never superstitious, but after receiving Old Zhang's call, she seriously started to consider finding a Feng Shui master to read her fortune for the year.

Driver Old Zhang, who had been waiting at the airport all morning, didn't pick anyone up at the arrivals level. Instead, he received a call from Chu Huainan instructing him to reroute to the airport police station.

A major taxpayer and model citizen like Chu Huainan would normally have absolutely no reason to set foot in a police station.

The young head of the Yuannan Group had the troublemaking youth from the neighboring seat to thank for this unexpected day tour of the precinct.
—As the only witness willing to cooperate, Chu Huainan was required to assist the police in giving a statement.

Despite being in a police station and having his entire meeting schedule derailed, Chu Huainan was in a surprisingly good mood as he watched the chaotic noise unfold before him.

The young man causing the ruckus seemed completely unaware of the infamous "My dad is Li Gang" cliché of arrogant brats name-dropping powerful relatives.
He maintained his insufferably cocky attitude. Facing the police officers' questioning, he didn't even bother to take off his sunglasses: "My name is Song Ci, and my brother is Song Shi."

The highway outside the airport had recently been built by the local government with funding from the Yuannan Group.
Therefore, the local officers of the Yuannan Avenue precinct carefully arranged for Chu Huainan—the current head of Yuannan Group, who had been unexpectedly swept into this public disturbance—to sit on the only upholstered single sofa in the interrogation room.

While warmly exchanging pleasantries with the station chief, Chu Huainan didn't forget to keep an ear out for the youth's movements. Hearing his brief yet incredibly arrogant self-introduction, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Is that it? And so? he thought.
He practically wore Who the hell is Song Shi? on his face.

The two young officers taking Song Ci's statement, however, weren't as "ignorant" as Chu Huainan.
Hearing his words, they couldn't help but simultaneously grumble in their minds: No wonder he's so arrogant.

Aside from Chu Huainan, there probably wasn't a single person in the room who knew who Song Ci was; they merely treated him like a useless puddle of mud.
But there wasn't a single person who didn't know Song Shi of the Royal Tiandihui Club.

Song Shi was a resounding name in Jianghu City's nightlife and entertainment scene.
Looking back at Song Shi's life, his rise to power was quite legendary.
Over a decade ago, most entertainment venues in Jianghu City didn't even have the concept of a "private club." Yet the penniless Song Shi was the first to bring in foreign investment, building several luxurious, European-palace-style entertainment clubs right in the heart of the city.
He pioneered the use of private booths, VIP rooms, and exclusive membership services—features that have now become standard in Jianghu City's nightlife.
The entertainment clubs he single-handedly founded were the predecessors to today's Royal Tiandihui, now famous for its ultra-luxurious traditional Chinese aesthetics. This was the starting point of Song Shi's entertainment empire.

However, the police officers had always handled things impartially, focusing on the facts rather than the person.
At this moment, their attitude didn't change just because Song Ci dropped Song Shi's name.

Song Ci was somewhat surprised.
These two rookies actually didn't know how to read the room. Assuming they were simply newborn calves unafraid of tigers, he frowned slightly and raised his voice: "I can't be bothered talking to you. Where's the person in charge?"

Seeing this, the station chief sitting nearby gave Chu Huainan an apologetic nod. "I need to step over there for a moment."

"So it's Boss Song's younger brother." But the "person in charge" wasn't one to bow and scrape to the rich and powerful. He casually reminded him, "I heard Boss Song is currently hospitalized. Acting like this is going to make him worry."

Song Ci curled his lip dismissively. "He's a vegetable now, what the hell can he worry about?" Saying this, he crossed his arms and leaned frivolously against the wall. Then, he held out a hand to the young officer in front of him. "Hey, give me my phone back. I need to call my brother's secretary."

The young officer turned to look at the chief. Only after receiving a nod of approval did he hand the phone over.

After all the fuss, the final outcome was pretty much as expected.
Given that the troublemaker's attitude in admitting his mistake was "good" after making the phone call, and that it was his first offense...
Under the chief's instruction, the young officer gave him a verbal reprimand and swiftly issued an administrative penalty: a 1,000-yuan fine for disturbing public order.

The chief walked Chu Huainan all the way to the door, and the two shook hands with smiles.
"Take care, Mr. Chu. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Not at all." As Chu Huainan gave a polite reply, he caught sight out of the corner of his eye of Song Ci—who had been successfully "bailed out" of the station by his people—getting into a black commercial van.

On the way back, Chu Huainan didn't say a word.
Driver Old Zhang figured his boss was in a bad mood from the delayed schedule, so he kept secretly checking Chu Huainan's expression through the rearview mirror.
"Uncle Zhang, do you know who Song Shi is?"

Old Zhang had been with the Chu family since his twenties, driving for the Chu family patriarchs his whole life. He was an old-timer from the era of Chu Huainan's father, Chu Zhentang.br> A driver's job was naturally intimate work. Being able to serve two generations of patriarchs meant Old Zhang was Chu Zhentang's trusted confidant.

Old Zhang hadn't expected Chu Huainan to ask this. But he was always well-informed, so after a brief thought, he answered immediately, "Song Shi? I recall he's the boss of Royal Tiandihui."

Having gotten his answer, Chu Huainan said no more. He stared silently at the scenery flashing by the car window, falling deep into thought.

At that same moment, in the other vehicle, Song Ci was resting his chin on his hand, bored out of his mind watching the scenery outside.

He hadn't seen his brother's secretary, Lin Huo, in a long time. Their last meeting had probably been six years ago.

Calculating it, this was the sixth year since his brother had sent him away from Jianghu City.

Although Song Shi worked in the entertainment industry, his mindset was just like those old-fashioned Asian parents. Surprisingly, he held an almost superstitious belief that "knowledge changes your destiny."

Their parents had died early, and the two brothers had depended on each other for over a decade. Who knew that before Song Ci even came of age, his brother—twelve years his senior, who had always played the role of a father—would resolutely send him abroad, using the excuse: "You probably won't be able to test into a university domestically."

For the first four years, his brother threw him—a kid whose only response to "How are you?" was "I'm fine, thank you, and you?"—to Melbourne to do a foundation year and his undergraduate studies. For the latter two years, unable to stand staying in that giant rural expanse of Australia, Song Ci voluntarily rolled himself over to Vancouver.

Left to graze in the wild all these years with no one to manage him, he only managed to get his diplomas thanks to the libraries Song Shi donated to the schools. As for money, every request was met with unlimited funds. Naturally, Song Ci spent money like water, living a life of drunken extravagance. Being spoiled rotten was a given.

"How is my brother?" Song Ci broke the silence. Although he looked like a heartless person, blood was thicker than water; it was impossible for him not to worry at all.
"Mr. Song is in the hospital. His condition is quite stable."
"Stable?"
Song Ci squeezed out a cold sneer through his teeth. "The kind of stable where he never wakes up for the rest of his life?"

Secretary Lin, sitting in the passenger seat, didn't answer. He stared straight ahead unblinkingly. If someone didn't know better, they would think he was the one driving.

"What exactly happened? How did my brother get hurt?" Although the public story was that Song Shi had fallen into a coma due to a sudden stroke, Song Ci didn't believe a single punctuation mark of that official narrative.

Because their parents had died suddenly of acute illnesses when they were young, Song Shi had always cherished his life immensely. He had physicals twice a year and even had a specialized nutritionist for his three meals a day.
A stroke? Even if Song Ci himself had a stroke, he wouldn't believe that Song Shi—a man so afraid of death he even quit smoking—would fall prey to cardiovascular disease.

Lin Huo adjusted his seatbelt, acting like an oyster whose mouth couldn't be pried open.

Seeing him like this, an inexplicable rage instantly surged up in Song Ci. He lifted a leg and viciously kicked the back of the seat. "You're fucking lying to me again, aren't you! Hiding it?! Fine, if you're so capable, then fucking hide it from me for the rest of my life!"
A rare, complicated ripple of hesitation appeared on Lin Huo's face.

Song Ci was still cursing loudly. "You love keeping things from me so much! You don't tell me a fucking thing! Then why the fuck did you call me back now?! To prepare for his funeral?! Fuck you! Bastard! Song Shi! Song Shi, you are a fucking bastard!!"

Even hooligans have genuine feelings; they, too, are flesh and blood raised by parents. Song Ci's tears suddenly fell.

Lin Huo had been with Song Shi for over ten years; it was safe to say he had watched Song Ci grow up. Accustomed to having a heart of stone, even he couldn't help but feel a twinge of sorrow seeing Song Ci like this. Finally, he relented and spoke ambiguously, "It is highly likely that Mr. Song was the victim of foul play."

"Foul play?"
Song Ci forcefully wiped away his tears. "Who did he offend? To be struck so ruthlessly?"
"We don't know yet. We're still investigating."
"'Still investigating' means you don't know, huh? Useless trash!" Unlike his brother, who was slick and tactful with everyone, Song Ci scolded his subordinates whenever he felt like it: "Our Song family doesn't feed freeloaders! I'll give you a month—no! Two weeks at most! Find out which suicidal bastard dared to mess with us!"
Hearing himself alienated as part of "you freeloaders", Lin Huo looked at the spoiled ancestor in front of him—a boy with zero skills but a terrible temper—and couldn't help but frown.

Song Shi had recognized his talent and treated him as his right-hand man. Yet Song Shi only had this one younger brother. Therefore, no matter what kind of person Song Ci was, or whether he could actually shoulder the burden, Song Shi's massive empire would eventually fall into his hands.

The midsummer night lacked the scorching heat of the day.
Bright moonlight spilled across the floor through the crystal-clear glass, inevitably evoking a vague, archaic sense of sorrow.
The night breeze, carrying an inexplicable dampness, blew through the winding, endless hospital corridors, bringing a secluded, tranquil chill.

By the time Song Ci finished visiting Song Shi and walked out of the hospital, it was almost the early hours of the morning.

Lin Huo had business to attend to and couldn't accompany him home. Seeing that Song Ci was in a bad mood, he hesitated several times before handing him a car key: "Xu Kai and the others threw a welcome-back party for you at Tiandihui. Go and take your mind off things."

Song Ci was stunned. He hadn't expected Lin Huo to actively suggest he attend a party. His brother, Song Shi, had always hated him mingling with that crowd of bad-influence friends.

"Song Ci, you are an adult now. Starting tomorrow, you will temporarily take over your brother's work."

The faint glow of the moon reflected in Lin Huo's pupils, and his voice, carrying a hint of sternness, drilled into Song Ci's ears.

"Regarding what happened six years ago, I believe you have learned enough of a lesson. Mr. Song used to say that people of the Song family never stumble in the same place twice. The same goes for you, right?"

In a rare instance, Song Ci didn't talk back. No emotion could be read on his handsome face; he only nodded slightly.

Adorned with reinforced concrete and plexiglass, Jianghu City wandered between the nighttime silence of its office buildings and the roaring clamor of its bar streets, resembling a bizarre monster with half its face painted in makeup. The seductive night skillfully dragged the people who had exhausted themselves during the day down into an abyss of wild depravity that would last until dawn.

The exclusive VIP floor of Tiandihui wasn't blasting with deafening music as one might expect. Song Ci glanced at the directory and quickly found the private suite where Xu Kai and the others were.

Waiting at the entrance of the suite were seven or eight exquisitely made-up young people, both men and women. Seeing Song Ci approach, they bowed in unison as if they had known him for ages, greeting him respectfully and flatteringly, "Brother Ci."

Just like a well-trained young idol group.

It was good to be young; even their coquettish smiles held a seductive sweetness.

Song Ci fully enjoyed the attention. He casually pulled the closest girl into his arms and teased, "Nice figure."

The girl, casually complimented, was also well-versed in pandering.
Wrapping her arms naturally around Song Ci's neck, she whispered her thanks into his ear. At the same time, she didn't forget to shoot a look to her companions standing opposite her, signaling them to push open the suite doors for Song Ci from both sides.

Behind the doors was a short, diamond-mirrored tunnel. Combined with the lighting effects, it gave one the illusion of traveling through time.

Song Ci strode to the end and found another door. Pushing it open, he froze.

The suite before his eyes was at least a thousand square meters, and its entire decor was in an antique, traditional Chinese style.
Pavilions, covered corridors, gardens, an opera stage—it had everything. It was as if they had completely replicated the back halls and gardens of a royal prince's mansion.

Xu Kai was currently holding a young man dressed in a traditional opera costume. Taking a brief moment from his busy schedule, he looked up. "Song Ci! You're here!"
The young man dressed as an opera singer had his robes wide open. Hooking his arms around Xu Kai's neck, he smiled and demanded a kiss. The intricately crafted opera headdress that should have been worn on his head was casually tossed aside. The two rolled around in the corner of the opera stage, embracing each other with fiery passion.

A muscle twitched in Song Ci's face, but he forced out a playful smile. "I've been out there suffering for the past few years, and you grandsons have been enjoying yourselves for my share too!"

Xu Kai bit down hard on the pale neck of the young man clinging to him, then patted his ass, signaling him to move elsewhere. The young boy obediently climbed off him, not forgetting to thoughtfully straighten Xu Kai's wrinkled shirt before leaving.

Although the crowd in the suite wasn't exactly decent, they were all brothers who had partied with Song Ci for nearly a decade. Reuniting after a long separation, everyone seemed thrilled.

Hearing Song Ci's joke, Xu Kai reached out and slapped him on the shoulder. "Enjoy my ass! Without a bastard like you leading the charge, we couldn't come up with any new tricks. We've just been recycling the same old routines you got bored of years ago."

Song Ci subtly dodged Xu Kai's hand reaching for his shoulder, then naturally reached up to undo the top buttons of his collar.
Unaware that Song Ci had deliberately avoided him, Xu Kai grinned and gave a sweeping, inviting bow.
"Welcome, Brother Ci, to guide us. Take a look—did your brother throw a proper welcome-back party or what?"

Before Song Ci could speak, another guy—a blond with an afro who had just finished fooling around with a little lover—leaned in. "We picked all of these according to your tastes, Brother Ci! They are all pretty boys with red lips and white teeth!"

Song Ci couldn't help but let out a cold snort.
"Cliché. Boring." Suppressing the urge to beat the annoying Blonde Lion King in front of him to a pulp, he expressionlessly scanned the room.

They really were all pretty boys with their own unique charms. But in his eyes, they were all just wearing uniformly garish outfits, trying entirely too hard to be seductive and provocative.

In this perfectly sealed, soundproof room, there were about forty to fifty people. Besides the dozen or so shady friends Xu Kai had invited over to party, the rest were all exceptionally good-looking young boys wearing various ancient costumes.

Song Ci had arrived late, so the only ones free to greet him were Xu Kai and the blond guy who had already finished his business.
The others were temporarily too busy to pay him any attention. Some were paired up, others laughing together in groups of four or five; not a single one was acting properly.

Wearing a look of utter disgust, Song Ci crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. He seemed to genuinely find it boring to death, with absolutely no intention of joining the revelry.

Seeing that he truly wasn't in the mood, Xu Kai had a waiter bring him a drink.

His halftime break over, the blond guy was lured away again by a boy dressed as a young servant hooking his arm around his neck.

Song Ci and Xu Kai casually caught up on old times. Before he had even finished his drink, the star of the welcome-back party glanced down at his watch; it was already past 2 AM.

"I'm leaving," Song Ci yawned listlessly.
"You're leaving right after you got here?" Xu Kai stared at him in disbelief. "No way, man! Was the party I spent a month organizing really that boring? You haven't even made a move yet!"

"Yeah, it's pretty boring." For practically the whole night, Song Ci had only looked at Xu Kai's face, to the point of turning a completely blind eye to everyone and everything else.

He turned around and waved a hand over his shoulder, genuinely looking like he was about to leave.

Seeing that he was serious, Xu Kai was shocked and hurriedly chased after him.
It's a welcome-back party! If the main character being welcomed leaves, what the hell are we even welcoming?

He hastily followed Song Ci out the door, reached out to hook his arm around Song Ci's slender neck, and playfully hung his entire body weight onto him, barely managing to stall his departure.

Although Song Ci looked quite skinny, with just a backhand motion, he flipped Xu Kai—who was half a head taller than him—right off his body.
The next second, Xu Kai's face was brutally slammed into the mirrored wall of the diamond corridor.

Now, Xu Kai was completely dumbfounded. He never expected that after a few years apart, Song Ci would possess such fierce eyes and reflexes.

In the reflection of the corridor's multi-faceted mirrors, Song Ci saw his own face fractured into several pieces.
Every single one of those faces wore an expression of disgust so deep it looked murderous.

He suddenly realized he had lost his composure, and the grip of his hands involuntarily loosened a lot. "What's wrong? Does Young Master Xu feel so guilty that he plans to throw himself into my arms personally?"

Xu Kai finally recovered from his frozen state. He tried to struggle out of the grip on his shoulder but surprisingly couldn't break free.
So he could only stare carefully at Song Ci through the mirror for a long time before asking tentatively, "Bad mood?"

Xu Kai and Song Ci had been as close as brothers for many years. Even during the time when Song Ci was packed up and thrown to Australia by Song Shi to lay low because of that incident, Xu Kai would secretly fly out to see him from time to time.

In the past, they were tight enough to share a pair of pants and sleep with the same chicks.

But today's Song Ci made Xu Kai feel like he was looking at a stranger.

Song Ci let go, turned his face away, and took a deep breath before speaking. "I just went to the hospital to see my brother. The doctor said the chances of him waking up anytime soon are very low."

Xu Kai left his mouth hanging open, unable to find the right words to respond for a long while.

Fortunately, Song Ci didn't expect him to offer comfort anyway. He just continued on his own, "I'm really not in the mood today."

He smoothed out his emotions before finally turning his face back around.

"I know it's a buzzkill. Next time, it's my treat. We'll make up for it!"

Song Ci apologetically patted Xu Kai on the shoulder, threw in a flirtatious wink as a bonus, and then took off on his long legs, walking away without looking back.

Xu Kai: ...

Updated!~ I've been updating daily lately. Bookmarks and comments are super welcome! Begging for flowers!

Notice: The next update will be at 9:00 AM tomorrow.