Shen Ting suspecting that Chu Huainan had ulterior motives and was intentionally stalking him was actually truly wronging him.

For many years, Chu Huainan had consistently maintained a frequency of one psychological counseling session per week. During the period when his mother had just passed away when he was fourteen, this frequency had once increased to once a day.

Immense grief and extreme depression are inseparable twins. But as Chu Huainan, who needed to shoulder the future destiny of Yuannan, he was never permitted to escape.
He had to face his wounds with formidable mental fortitude. Aside from facing his mother's bloody death head-on, he had no other choice.

And the reason he appeared at the Mental Health Center today was because he received a sudden notice from his private psychologist. The neighbor upstairs from his private counseling room had just received a batch of office furniture that needed to be assembled on-site. The electric drills used for assembly generated a massive amount of noise. Therefore, that counseling room was temporarily unusable.

Although the counselor immediately apologized and stated that Chu Huainan could designate any other location and he would rush over immediately, the suddenness of the situation meant that even though he called the moment he got the news, it was still too late.

Chu Huainan turned his head to glance at the navigation screen in front of the driver; he was already near the building where the counseling room was located.

Fortunately, right across the street from this building was Jianghu City's Mental Health Center.
Chu Huainan had some ties with the Director of the center, surnamed Wang, so he borrowed a temporary room from the Mental Health Center.
...

After staring down at the person before him for a moment from a dominant height, Chu Huainan finally let go.
The young man, who had struck first but ended up being pinned against the wall by him instead, clearly had a flash of offended astonishment and fury in his eyes, but it only flickered past and vanished very quickly.

Before Chu Huainan even had time to closely examine those eyes that seemed to hide many secrets...
The owner of the eyes suddenly reached out. Two arms harboring explosive power wrapped around his neck like snakes. A clean voice drilled into his ear along with his breath. His eardrums vibrated, making his heart itch slightly along with it.

"I won't deny it, your face is very much to my appetite."
Unfortunately, the other party only whispered this single sentence into his ear before letting go and stepping back to a safe distance.

That body heat, which made one's entire body burn, retreated far too quickly. Chu Huainan couldn't help but feel a bit regretful.

The young man provocatively raised the corners of his eyes and smiled at him: "If you knew me, you would know that I am very promiscuous. I imagine you probably couldn't accept a partner who keeps their feet in several, or even dozens of boats at once, right?"

This young man threatening to "keep his feet in dozens of boats" had a faint sharpness about his eyes and brows, like an unsheathed sword. Yet his smile was always amorous, loose, and untamed. Chu Huainan saw a magnificently bizarre sense of contradiction in him.

Perhaps seeing that Chu Huainan wasn't replying, the youth suddenly added, "Since it's obvious we can't get together and part on good terms, it's better not to start at all. The head of the Chu family..." He chuckled lightly: "I can't afford to provoke you."

Chu Huainan's gaze traced the shape of the other's body from top to bottom. From his eyes to his lips, from his lips to his chin, and then along his chin down the slender neck where faint blue veins slightly protruded. Ultimately, his scrutinizing gaze stopped at the young man's tight, narrow waist.

Sure enough, no matter how detailed written documents are, they are inevitably one-sided. At the very least, the dossier didn't mention that this person's waist looked like it would feel incredibly good to the touch.

Even through the clothes, Chu Huainan could imagine that under any circumstance, as long as the owner of this body exerted force, those well-exercised, sharply defined muscle groups would ripple intensely along with it.
He was absolutely certain that this body harbored an energy that spoiled rich kids living decadent lives absolutely would not possess.

Under Chu Huainan's unblinking stare, the young man, feeling like he was being eyed as prey, took another slight step back. He spread his hands, shrugged, and said with feigned regret, "Besides, I don't really like beauties who are too proactive."

Yet the head of the Chu family—who was praised by Xu Kai as an unattainable high mountain flower—smiled faintly at him.
Chu Huainan raised the phone in his hand—which he had successfully pickpocketed during their earlier physical contact—and smiled flirtatiously: "How do you know you don't like it if you haven't tried?"

Shen Ting, despite his excellent upbringing, couldn't help but curse in his head.

Just now, they had been too close. He had been made dizzy by the other's bizarre, overwhelming heat, never expecting this despicable capitalist to double as a petty thief with sticky fingers!

Chu Huainan used the other's phone to dial his own number. Only after it rang three times did he hand the phone back.

Having played the thief for a rare moment, the capitalist didn't forget to educate others: "Sticking your phone in such a shallow pants pocket is a bad habit; you need to change it."

His delicate features, as refined as a traditional brush painting, were dyed with a thin layer of a smile.
He really does look suited to be a thief—the kind that specializes in stealing hearts.
...

"Hey? Brother Ci? What are you thinking about?"
In the span of a single short meal, this was already the third time Song Ci had spaced out.

Having talked lively for ages, Xu Kai felt he had wasted his breath again.
Even Huang Chenghao, sitting across from them, couldn't help but complain on Xu Kai's behalf: "Yeah, Brother Kai has been talking to you for ages and you haven't responded at all. What are you thinking about?"

Feeling ignored, and seeing someone back him up, Xu Kai gained even more energy. He complained with bitter distress: "Exactly, you're the one who organized this dinner! And as the host, you've barely said a few words from the start till now. You look like you've lost your soul! What's going on!"

"I—" Before the freshly fabricated excuse could leave his mouth, he was interrupted by a short knock on the door. A young waitress struggled toward them, carrying a massive bouquet of champagne roses.

This room was full of bros with dicks. Looking at that giant bouquet that the little girl could barely wrap her arms around, they all thought the flowers must have been delivered to the wrong room.

The waitress delivering the flowers also assumed the recipient would be a beautiful lady. Thus, she asked politely, "Excuse me, which one of you is Ms. Song Ci?"

"Song Ci? Ms.? Hahaha!" Thanks to Xu Kai, absolutely everyone present knew about Song Ci's "hidden affliction."
Hearing the previously "fuck the sky and fuck the earth" Song Ci being called a "Ms.", this group of spoiled rich kids with extremely low humor thresholds unanimously erupted into deafening, mocking laughter.

Song Ci's face instantly dropped...

The waitress immediately realized she had misspoken. Standing awkwardly in place, she stammered and asked again, "Excuse me, which one is Song Ci?" This time, she didn't dare casually add the word "Ms."

"Ms. Song Ci is right here!" Xu Kai, laughing so hard he was swaying side to side, pointed at Song Ci, whose handsome face had turned completely black beside him.

Terrified of getting scolded for her slip of the tongue, the waitress kept her head down, walked up to Song Ci, shoved the flowers into his hands, and fled the private room like she was escaping before receiving any further instructions.

Grinning broadly, Xu Kai pounced over and snatched the card off the flowers. As he opened it, he pinched his voice and said, "Miss Song Ci, let this humble servant see for you which pitiful, suicidal fool is so eager to send this to your eternally immortal—" Xu Kai's dramatic voice abruptly cut off, like a noodle suddenly sliced by a pasta machine.

Song Ci glanced at the opened card in his hand.
Written glaringly on the card was:
[You are the last rose on my barren land.]
The handwriting was just like the person—sharp, forceful, and bold.

Such a gorgeous short poem, paired with champagne roses whose meaning in the language of flowers is [I only love you]. One had to admit, the sender was a romantic-to-the-death genius.

Clearly, the card contained an intimate love poem, but Xu Kai looked as if he had just read a ghost story. His smile froze on his face, and his eyes bulged so wide they were about to fall out: "Holy shit! Brother Ci, you gotta explain this to your bro! Why is the signature Chu Huainan!"

For a moment, Song Ci was left utterly speechless. Unable to stop himself, he picked up the wine glass beside him and downed it.
Capitalists really are omnipotent. Did he plant a GPS on me or something? What the hell does he want?

"Don't just sit there drinking! What's the situation!"
"Chu Huainan? The Yuannan's Chu Huainan!?"
"What's the meaning of this? What did I miss?"

Amidst everyone's chaotic chatter, Song Ci rubbed his throbbing temples and casually spouted some bullshit: "Fantasy, fantasy, pure fantasy!"

"What fantasy? Since all the bros are here, you better explain this clearly right now!" Xu Kai shoved the card signed [Chu Huainan] back to Song Ci. With a sinister grin, he added: "Leniency for those who confess!"

Song Ci didn't take the card, but instead spun a freshly baked, still-piping-hot excuse: "Hey, I've always been the one sending flowers; I've never received them before. I bought these for myself! Happy now!"
Seeing Xu Kai looking half-skeptical, he slapped him hard on the back: "What? You wanna use private torture to interrogate me? I'm calling the police!"

Perhaps his credibility in this area was too good, or perhaps Chu Huainan's untouchable image was too deeply ingrained in everyone's minds. Relying on a bout of bantering, he easily got away with it.

The crowd unanimously booed, mockingly chattering about how Song Ci really must be "broken" if he had fallen so low as to rely on such innocent methods to "fantasize."

Xu Kai tossed the card back onto the table: "Fuck, you scared me." He laughed disdainfully: "You really have too much free time."

Helplessly accepting the contempt from this bunch of human scum, Shen Ting couldn't help but curse Chu Huainan again in his heart.

Xu Kai sat up straight, picked up the chopsticks he had tossed aside earlier, grabbed a piece of meat, and said while eating, "I knew it. Chu Huainan isn't blind, and besides, he's not even into this kind of thing."

Not blind? Not into this kind of thing?
Song Ci crossed his arms. His wrist still seemed to retain the scalding heat transmitted from the pads of that man's fingers. The man who had shackled him like iron was as domineering as a high-and-mighty monarch of a feudal dynasty.

He cast a cold glance at that love poem, instantly losing his appetite entirely.

After lunch, the massive group headed back to the "base camp" registered under Xu Kai's name, boisterously kicking off the spoiled rich kids' afternoon routine of loafing around waiting to die.

[And the reason a lie is a lie is because there will always come a day when it is exposed.]
Shen Ting had written this sentence in his essays back when he was a student. But he never expected the face-slapping to arrive so swiftly.

By evening, the second-generation heirs, having lived decadently all day, began seriously discussing where to eat dinner out of sheer boredom.
Song Ci had no intention of joining the discussion. Utterly bored, he held his phone, performing a flawless "Ge You Slouch" on the sofa.

Ultimately, Xu Kai made the final call, deciding to just order takeout to the house.

Less than ten minutes after placing the order, the doorbell rang.

"This is way too fucking fast!" Xu Kai muttered as he dragged his slippers toward the door.
Opening the front door, another massive bouquet of roses hit him right in the face. But this time it wasn't champagne-colored; it was a fiery, bright red symbolizing passionate love.

"Motherfucker! Again?"
Xu Kai couldn't help but roll his eyes dramatically. Turning his head, he roared at Song Ci, who seemed to have grown roots into the sofa: "Brother Ci, why did you buy roses again? Seriously, what's the point of you fantasizing about Chu Huainan all day long! It's 2020, blow-up dolls can be custom-made from pictures on demand now..."

Will this ever end?!
Song Ci shot up from the sofa with a whoosh. Stomping his slippers heavily, he marched toward the door, his face so black it looked as if the person delivering the roses had murdered his father.

Just as he reached the door, he saw Chu Huainan poke his handsome face—which was even more stunning than the flowers—out from behind the massive bouquet of vivid, dripping-wet roses, smiling brightly at him.

"He says you're fantasizing about me?" Chu Huainan asked with a gentle, laughing tone.

When the door first opened, that ostentatious bouquet of roses had completely obscured his face. Assuming the delivery person was just an errand boy, Xu Kai hadn't looked closely. Only now did he realize that the person holding the flowers outside the door was actually Chu Huainan himself.

"Revered Deity, I beg you! Just let this heavenly lightning tribulation strike me dead! Do not hurt him!"
The TV, which was currently broadcasting a Xianxia drama, delivered this highly fitting line.
"..."
Standing frozen in place, Xu Kai looked as if he had been struck by heavenly lightning ten thousand times.

Now, even Huang Chenghao, who was sitting on the sofa, was alarmed. But not daring to face the battlefield at the door directly, he craned his neck, waiting to eat melons online.

A forced smile squeezed onto Song Ci's face. He strode to the door, bent his arm, and casually draped it over Xu Kai's shoulder, laughing: "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding."

Shen Ting thought the stunt at noon was already the limit. He never imagined that Song Ci's script would include a scene where Chu Huainan personally made an appearance, catching him completely off guard!

Xu Kai and the room full of Song Ci's shady friends were all looking at him with extreme, suspicious scrutiny.
Shen Ting, wearing Song Ci's skin, was entirely unsuited to handling this kind of "romantic debt" scene. For a moment, his scalp tingled slightly.

Meanwhile, the initiator of this entire situation spoke in a relaxed tone, familiarly shoving the flowers in his hands into Shen Ting's arms. His gaze landed silently on Xu Kai's shoulder, where Shen Ting's arm was resting: "Did you receive the flowers I sent you at noon?"

Please do not use this tone with me. Including this time, we have only met a total of four times.

Shen Ting really wanted to smash this bouquet of roses into the capitalist's face. But as Song Ci—who had publicly declared his "appreciation" for him in front of Xu Kai—he was riding a tiger and found it hard to get off.
So, he curved his eyes and smiled with extreme "happiness": "Received them..."

"I'm here to pick you up for dinner." He spoke with absolute righteousness. His attitude was as natural as if they had made plans ages ago.

Just as Shen Ting was about to find a random excuse to refuse... Xu Kai, caught between him and Chu Huainan, suddenly came back to life: "I've looked up to your great name for a long time! President Chu! I am Xu Kai, our Song Ci's best bro!" As he spoke, he flatteringly extended his hand.

Our Song Ci?
The corners of Chu Huainan's mouth tightened slightly. His gaze landed lightly on the extended hand, but he showed no intention of shaking it.

The incredibly shrewd Xu Kai immediately withdrew his hand, lightly slapped his own mouth, and corrected himself: "Pah, pah, pah. What do I mean 'our Song Ci,' I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy! He is 'yours'! 'Your Song Ci'!"

Hearing this from the side, even the roots of Shen Ting's hair went numb.

Chu Huainan let out a noncommittal chuckle. As if to reward Xu Kai for his sycophancy, he gave him a slight nod, said "Nice to meet you," and then turned to look gently at Shen Ting—who was standing rigidly to the side, struggling to maintain a "Song Ci-style" smile. He asked, "Shall I wait for you downstairs first?"

"Don't do that! You don't need to go down first!" The proactive Xu Kai acted like an anxious eunuch rushing to deliver a concubine to the Emperor's bedchamber: "We have nothing else going on here anyway, Brother Ci can leave with you right now!"
Saying this, he shoved the still-frozen Shen Ting into Chu Huainan's arms, shooting him a look that said: I'm a good bro, right? We'll settle the score later.

It took a massive amount of effort for Shen Ting to suppress the urge to strangle Xu Kai to death. Using his superb acting skills, he winked at him and followed Chu Huainan away with the resolve of a warrior cutting off his own wrist.

"What the hell was that situation just now!" Over by the sofa, Huang Chenghao, who had followed the entire scene by peeking, asked Xu Kai with a face full of gossip.

Xu Kai rubbed his chin and pondered deeply for several minutes. Finally, using his pig brain—which had chaotic logic but excelled at making up stories based on pictures—he deduced the ultimate conclusion. With a profound expression, he said: "I think I know what's actually going on between Brother Ci and Chu Huainan."

"What's going on?" The whole room asked in unison, their eyes filled with the thirst for gossip.
"Chu Huainan is that lover who swung a knife at 'Little Song Ci'!"
"What?"
"Ah! Why are you guys so stupid!" Xu Kai—who hadn't even wiped his own ass clean yet but had the nerve to mock others for not bringing toilet paper to the bathroom—spoke with inexplicable confidence and certainty: "He's that wild horse who wanted to castrate Brother Ci with a knife I told you guys about a few days ago! The one who ruined Brother Ci so badly he 'can't stand up' anymore and has to see a psychologist! Remember?!"

Enlightened by Xu Kai, the crowd, led completely astray, erupted into knowing, raucous laughter.

Thus, the gossip upgraded once again, rapidly fermenting and spreading widely within their small circle. —The promiscuous Song Ci accidentally slept with Yuannan's ascetic helmsman, Chu Huainan. Forced by the other party's iron-fisted methods and a terrified 'little brother,' Song Ci was forced to rein in his promiscuous nature...

Meanwhile, the protagonist of this upgraded "impotence rumor" was currently sitting expressionlessly in Chu Huainan's car.

Chu Huainan had driven over himself. Before getting in, he extremely considerately opened the passenger door for him. Shen Ting took one look at the Yuannan helmsman smiling like a male fox spirit and, having no other choice, sat in the passenger seat.

Through the dark-tinted car windows, the bustling night scenery sped by, but Shen Ting's brain was spinning even faster than the car.

"Don't be shy." Chu Huainan had a smile playing on his lips. "Liking me isn't anything to be embarrassed about."

Yeah, I like you. The kind of like where I wish you'd vanish from the face of the earth.

"Fantasizing doesn't equal liking." Shen Ting stretched his arms, maintaining his Song Ci-esque nonchalance: "I like anyone who looks good."

"So you think I look good?" A low chuckle.

This side-character protagonist, who had forcefully inserted himself halfway through Song Ci's script, really knew how to add extra screen time for himself.

Shen Ting ground his back molars. After stretching his arms, he pressed his shoulders down and tilted his head left and right. The bones in his neck let out crisp cracks. —This was his warm-up routine before a fight.

Shen Ting, having already mentally prepared himself to beat up the capitalist, felt like a high monk whose demon-slaying abilities had been sealed away. His right hand, which could snap a thug's neck at any moment, was completely useless right now.

He had no choice but to silently adjust the length of his seatbelt. Following Song Ci's logic, he laughed: "You look like that. It's not like I'm blind."

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the corners of Chu Huainan's mouth hooking upwards. While keeping his eyes straight ahead on the road, this man didn't forget to drop a bombshell. Pressing his thin lips together, he suddenly said, "Song Ci, I looked into you."

Shen Ting's heart tightened. He turned his face and, pretending to be highly interested, gave an "Oh?"

The capitalist's peach-blossom eyes curved detestably: "I am your type. You have no reason to reject me."

Shen Ting turned his face away frankly: "Oh, what do we do then? I looked into you too."

"Did you?" Chu Huainan stared straight ahead. The blinking traffic lights reflected in his eyes, revealing no emotion.

There was a car ahead of them; the driver was probably a novice. The green light at the intersection clearly showed six or seven seconds left, yet the car dawdled, hesitating on whether to cross or not. The cars behind couldn't resist flashing their high beams at it. Only Chu Huainan followed behind with a good temper, neither rushed nor slow.

"And what did you find out?"

"Unlike me, you are an outstanding youth."

Chu Huainan liked the arc connecting the tip of his chin to the hollow of his collarbone when he turned his face slightly. When he swallowed, his rolling Adam's apple looked like a frightened little animal hiding beneath the skin.

Completely unaware he was being watched out of the corner of the other's eye, Shen Ting put on a look of feigned regret: "The key point is, you don't like men."
That beautiful, tempting arc disappeared as the other party turned his face toward him.
"My charm isn't that immense, is it? Just a few chance encounters, and President Chu is willing to disregard gender..."

In the very last second of the green light, that novice driver finally made a decision, slammed on the gas, ran the yellow light, and crossed.
The traffic light turned red the next second. Chu Huainan hit the brakes in time. Once the car came to a steady stop, he turned his body to face Shen Ting directly.

Under his unabashed, scorching stare, Shen Ting's eyelid twitched. But maintaining a frivolous smile on his face, he brazenly met his gaze without showing weakness.

Chu Huainan stared at him, as if judging whether his last sentence was a probe or a flirtation.

The atmosphere in the car abruptly tightened. Their gazes were like sharp blades crossing in close-quarters combat.

Just as Shen Ting was deliberating over what lines to deliver next...
Chu Huainan suddenly reached over. His scorching thumb rubbed forcefully against Shen Ting's lips with profound meaning. "You are different."
The fingers are connected to the heart; the touch of a thumb against the lips was actually more soul-stirring than many theatrical kisses.
Shen Ting could even feel that before the other's finger left, it maliciously scratched the pearl of his lip with the edge of the fingernail. That slightly itchy sensation set off a nuclear explosion in his mind.

Chu Huainan never played by the rules. Shen Ting had previously analyzed many reasons why he might have targeted Song Ci. But whether these reasons were Chu Huainan's true motives required him to verify them personally.

He rapidly gathered his emotions, which had been blown to pieces by the nuclear explosion, licked his lips, and asked: "Why me?"

"Because I like you." Chu Huainan answered with extreme sincerity, without a sliver of hesitation.

Shen Ting let out a noncommittal laugh.
Capitalists all possessed a mouth highly skilled at spouting nonsense.
...

Two people, each harboring their own ulterior motives, sat face-to-face in a brightly lit restaurant.
Song Ci's dossier indicated he loved eating mangoes.
Watching the young man sitting across from him keep his head down since the food was served, bored to death, poking at the mango shrimp salad on his plate with a fork, the corners of Chu Huainan's lips couldn't help but rise.

This restaurant clearly had private rooms, but the other party insisted on sitting in the main hall, claiming he wanted to look at the night view by the window. But Chu Huainan suspected he simply didn't want to be alone with him.

After Chu Huainan proposed "trying to date and see how it goes," the young man—who had been poking his salad for ages without eating a single bite—finally looked up: "Given your reputation for covering the sky with one hand, we need to set a three-point agreement."

Chu Huainan quite liked the sound of this "we." He nodded happily.

Seeing him agree, the youth put down his fork, pushed the utterly mutilated salad to the side, and continued: "Since you investigated me, you should know that I play wild and I'm not loyal. I'm telling you upfront: you initiated this. If we truly end up unhappy together in the future, we must part on good terms. You absolutely cannot use Yuannan's wealth and power to bully me."

Hearing this, Chu Huainan smiled. He really did want to bully someone, but he didn't need to rely on Yuannan. In the stairwell the other day, he had already done it. If this youth truly was the one he met four years ago... then in the future, he would probably be bullied even harder and far more often.

Shen Ting felt like he hadn't gotten this many goosebumps in his entire life combined.

Chu Huainan subtly glanced at the mango salad that had been banished to the cold palace and said with certainty: "There won't be any unhappiness between us."
He reached over, took away the mango salad Shen Ting hadn't touched a single bite of, and pushed the Caesar salad from his own front over: "Eat mine."
With a doting smile, he continued in an intimate tone: "Has anyone ever told you that discussing what happens after a breakup during the first meal of a date is bad luck?"

Shen Ting froze for a second, then immediately laughed along: "Couldn't tell you were so superstitious." Channeling Song Ci, he raised an eyebrow. His eyes misted with an unhideable, hedonistic wildness: "When it comes to dating the same sex, I have more experience than you do. But it's all just for a fleeting thrill. Two guys getting together and talking about forever—isn't that obviously unreliable, right?"
After speaking, he looked down at the salad Chu Huainan had swapped over. He didn't touch the fork; instead, he picked up the red wine glass next to him and raised it in a toast.

Chu Huainan didn't answer immediately. He gentlemanly clinked glasses with him before saying, "I don't think dating the same sex is unreliable."
He took a sip of wine and gave a highly ambiguous wink: "What's unreliable is the person, not the feelings."

This capitalist is absolutely detestable! Relying on his good looks to commit murder in broad daylight! The worst part was that his values were upright and his logic was clear.

Meeting his match, Shen Ting couldn't find a way to retort for a moment, so he had no choice but to change the subject.
"Actually, I've been wondering all day... why did you follow me?" He grinned smugly: "Although this young master is indeed a handsome talent—and in all fairness, quite likely to be yearned for—you are Chu Huainan. Setting aside your net worth with countless zeroes, just based on your looks alone, what kind of person couldn't you find—" Why must you shamelessly pester me?
That unspoken second half was Shen Ting's true, heartfelt sentiment.

After listening to this barrage of praise, Chu Huainan didn't reply. He merely looked at him with a smiling, affectionate gaze. Stared at like this, a chill ran down Shen Ting's spine. He couldn't tell if it was heart palpitations or just sheer cringiness.

This restaurant was great in every aspect, except that serving the food was slow. He was allergic to mangoes, so he couldn't eat the mango salad Chu Huainan ordered for him. But thinking that the Caesar salad in front of him had also been handed over by Chu Huainan, he lost his appetite even more, so he took another sip of wine instead.

Chu Huainan didn't answer. Instead, he reached out to call the waiter, urging the kitchen to serve the food faster. His gaze fell back onto Shen Ting's wine glass: "Jokes aside, don't drink so much on an empty stomach."

Shen Ting, who was used to tumbling through life amidst vicious and desperate thugs, wasn't quite accustomed to such meticulous care from an imaginary enemy. Furthermore, this imaginary enemy had deep, unfathomable thoughts. Such inexplicable, ultimate care only made one feel even more terrified.

He had memorized Chu Huainan's dossier by heart; creating common topics would actually be very easy. But for some reason, this man always made him feel a sense of extreme caution, like sitting under a dangerous, crumbling wall.
Sometimes, he even felt that the gaze directed at him revealed a hint of thirst. Beneath the warm, spring-breeze-like facade hid the cunning joy of a starving wolf spotting its prey. With his sharp intuition, Shen Ting instinctively sensed danger.

However, how can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's den? Intending to test him, he faked a grin and continued: "If I can't drink, then let's chat. Hey, did you fall in love with me at first sight the first time you saw me?"

Chu Huainan nodded, confessing honestly: "Yes."

Shen Ting spun his tale based on his words: "Actually, I noticed you on the plane too! Your eyebrows, eyes, nose, and mouth—they simply grew exactly according to my preferences."
Seeing the other's smile deepen, Shen Ting utilized his imagination and continued spouting bullshit: "I haven't been back in Jianghu for so many years, so I had never heard of your great name. As soon as I got back from the police station, I had someone look into you. I originally thought I could have a romantic affair with you. But later, when I found out you are Chu Huainan, I knew I couldn't afford to provoke you, so I didn't take any concrete action."

These lines truly didn't sound like human speech. Suppressing his nausea, Shen Ting finished speaking and subconsciously reached for his wine glass. But remembering Chu Huainan's suggestion about drinking less on an empty stomach, he withdrew his hand, interlacing his fingers and resting them on the table. "I might look heartless and thoughtless, but I know exactly how much I weigh. Who I can offend, and who I must keep at a respectful distance—I still have a good grasp on that."

He subtly glanced at Chu Huainan again, noticing that the other man had been staring continuously at his hands on the table. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, he unclasped his hands and adjusted his posture.

Resting his elbows on the table, his slender fingers interlaced under his chin again, he added: "Let alone my brother lying in a hospital right now, even during his most glorious times, he hugged Chu Zhensheng—who doesn't even have a voice in your Yuannan Group—like a massive, golden thigh."

This sentence contained a massive amount of information, yet Chu Huainan continued to listen to him with absolute focus. The only thing his eyes revealed was a hint of suggestion: You can hug me from now on. But he seemed completely unsurprised by the fact that Chu Zhensheng and Song Shi interacted frequently, a detail Shen Ting had intentionally revealed.

Shen Ting was somewhat disappointed, but he had to bite the bullet and finish his speech: "If you had told me on the plane that the feeling was mutual, I wouldn't have had to agonize so much."
He had spouted a whole basketful of cringy words, yet gained absolutely nothing. Pondering for a moment, he switched to a new strategy: "Alright, I've finished sharing my emotional journey. Now it's your turn. During our first meeting, what exactly did I do to you? To make you 'never forget' me to the point of personally stalking me?"

Shen Ting deliberately emphasized the words "never forget," and his tone was ambiguous and vague. To an outsider, the gaze shared between the two truly looked like "mutual affection."

Although... he didn't believe a single punctuation mark of Chu Huainan's claim that he proactively made a move because he "liked" him.

"I've seen you before."

Shen Ting immediately realized that Chu Huainan's "before" must refer to a time prior to their chance encounter on the plane. His heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained composed as he pressed: "When? Where?"

"Four or five years ago." Chu Huainan intentionally kept it vague: "I can't recall exactly where."

"Four or five years ago? I haven't been back in the country for six years. If we really did meet, it must have been in Australia or Vancouver."

The waiter approached with a tray, saying softly, "Sorry to interrupt. Serving your dishes."

The main courses finally arrived.

Chu Huainan picked up the light-colored serving chopsticks next to him and placed some hot food onto Shen Ting's plate, as Shen Ting had only drunk a few sips of wine since sitting down.
Shen Ting thanked him and continued asking: "And then?"

In the peach-blossom eyes before him, a sly, aggrieved look suddenly surfaced. He complained in a low voice: "Why do I feel like you're interrogating a prisoner."
Shen Ting: ...
If this truly were interrogating a prisoner, then Chu Huainan would belong to the category of the absolute hardest-to-interrogate crime syndicate bosses. This elegant, handsome man was an expert negotiator who would make even an outstanding criminal investigator with abundant interrogation experience feel ashamed of their own inferiority.

The two continued to chat, engaging in mutual deception for another ten minutes or so.

After Chu Huainan received a call from a private detective reporting on the investigation progress of the "Pedestrian Street Cop-Killing Case"...

Shen Ting suddenly left the table, using the excuse of going to the restroom.

When he returned, Chu Huainan was holding his wine glass, looking down at his phone.
As he sat down, Shen Ting caught a glimpse of the other's screen. He captured the keywords "Body-Dumping" and "Li Guangqiang." Thus, he guessed that this entrepreneur, who was exceptionally invested in the case investigation, was probably looking at news regarding the pedestrian street body-dumping case again.

As soon as Shen Ting sat down, before he even had time to speak, the phone in his pocket rang. This kid Chen Cong truly had excellent timing. Smiling, he answered, and with just a few sentences, successfully grabbed Chu Huainan's attention.

"Captain Chen! Why are you calling me amidst your busy schedule?"
"Doing great. I'm having dinner with a friend right now."
"Oh right, that body-dumping case that's been causing such a massive uproar these past few days—how's the investigation going?"
"Mm, mm, the Jiangning Road Pedestrian Street body-dumping case, yeah, yeah..."

Chu Huainan looked up. After listening to him say "yeah" for ages on his end of the phone, right before hanging up, Shen Ting specifically instructed the other party: "This case has some history with a friend of mine. If your detachment makes any new progress, don't forget to give your brother a call."

The other end likely gave a positive reply. On his end, Shen Ting smiled with the smooth slickness of someone used to navigating society, repeatedly expressing his thanks and making plans to grab a meal together another day.
After hanging up, he placed his phone—which he purposefully forgot to lock—onto the table. He ensured that from Chu Huainan's angle, the name "Chen Cong" in the call log was perfectly visible.

"Are you following the body-dumping case too?"

The big fish he had been baiting all night was finally willing to bite. Terrified of scaring him off, Shen Ting carefully measured his boundaries: "Yeah, a bro of mine is the Vice Captain of the CID. He's very reliable."
He reached out, acting exceptionally obedient and proactive, and poured a little more wine into Chu Huainan's glass. Lowering his voice mysteriously, he said: "I heard from him that the person who leaked the fingerprint info to the media is highly likely the killer!"

After pouring the wine, he gently set the decanter down on the table, his gaze falling back onto Chu Huainan's face: "This happened on your turf. Honestly, it's pretty unlucky. But you shouldn't worry too much. My bro said their detachment is already tracing the killer's identity by following the media lead. They'll probably crack the case very soon!"

Chu Huainan lowered his eyes and gave an "Mm."

"What does 'Mm' mean?" Shen Ting looked at him with feigned surprise, intentionally misinterpreting it: "Don't tell me you already knew this information?"

Feeling that the other was probing him, Chu Huainan frankly admitted: "I guessed it."

Guessed it? You're way too modest. Why don't you mention how you managed to use threats and bribery to get the sender's information from the magazine publisher before the police even could?

Aside from "omnipotent," Shen Ting couldn't find any other word to describe this seemingly benevolent capitalist for the moment.

And the omnipotent capitalist continued to drop bombshells, determined to shock people to death: "However, that media lead is probably a dead end."
"What do you mean?"
"I've already had someone look into it. When the leaker sent the emails, they were connected to a mobile network signal. They sent a total of two emails to that media outlet. The time interval was only three minutes, yet they switched between two different IPs."

Chu Huainan dropped the smile he had maintained all night, a rare hint of seriousness appearing between his brows: "When sending those two emails, the leaker must have deliberately chosen a location with a high density and flow of people. To switch IPs every three minutes, I'm guessing they chose a place like a subway station."

Shen Ting's brows furrowed. This was information the CID hadn't even grasped yet! Since Chu Huainan had so many clues related to the case, why didn't he call the police?

While speaking, Chu Huainan kept his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the young man before him, observing his reactions. That slight furrowing of the brows was entirely captured in his gaze.

But he didn't say anything about it. Continuing his analysis of the case, he said: "The SIM card used to connect to the network was an unregistered burner card. Even if the police manage to pull the subway platform surveillance footage using the IP addresses, there are so many people staring down at their phones these days. It would be extremely difficult to lock onto exactly which one was the leaker sending the email."

Shen Ting pondered for a moment, then asked him: "Then do you know that those internet rumors regarding your mother's cause of death are also being maliciously hyped up by someone with ulterior motives?"

This question poked right at Chu Huainan's sore spot; it was asked with a complete lack of tact.
Chu Huainan's expression grew even more solemn. Raising his eyes, he asked in return: "You seem to care a lot about this case?"

"I am caring about you." Operating under Song Ci's identity, Shen Ting acted lawlessly and righteously: "Since we're going to try dating—" He held his red wine glass, tilted it downward, and clinked the bowl of his glass against Chu Huainan's. "Your business is my business."

In the eyes of Chu Huainan, who paid great attention to table manners, clinking glasses in this manner was a gesture of submission. A numbing, itchy, and violent desire to conquer trembled from the tip of his tongue and rolled down his throat.

Chu Huainan secretly pinched the palm of his own hand. He suddenly felt thirsty. His iron heart, which had never been particularly enlightened regarding romance, grew restless. A craving surged forth—a desire that could only be relieved by using his lips and tongue to "devour" the person in front of him alive.

Shen Ting tipped his head back and downed the entire glass of wine. As if his emotions were catalyzed by the alcohol, he said loudly, sharing a common enmity: "That person spreading rumors really is a bastard! Even I have heard that your parents had a very good relationship. The idiot who could make up a story like that must be a poor soul with an unfortunate childhood! Destroyed by life, leading to a dark, twisted heart..."

Chu Huainan had seen the way he threw a tantrum on the plane, so he didn't doubt his ability to hurl abuse in public for a second.

The surrounding diners, disturbed by this sudden barrage of profanity, were already stealing glances at them out of the corners of their eyes. This restaurant, while perhaps not top-tier, was recognized by the bourgeois crowd as a rather classy dining spot.

The impassioned profanity mixed into the gentle background music was indeed ungraceful. The restaurant manager stood not far away looking troubled, but due to Chu Huainan's face, he was too embarrassed to come over and issue a reminder.

However, being defended like this, seeing the person before him righteously stick their neck out for him and viciously curse the unidentified rumor-monger, Chu Huainan couldn't help but want to laugh.

Seeing the other's expression warm up, Shen Ting immediately struck while the iron was hot. Patting his chest, he guaranteed: "Don't worry, I will definitely help you dig out the killer!"

Hearing this, Chu Huainan's smile grew even wider. Hooking the corner of his mouth upwards, even his roguishness looked incredibly elegant: "And how do you plan on helping?"

Feeling deeply underestimated, the young man before him bared his fangs and brandished his claws: "Don't look down on people! My intuition is always spot on! Whenever I watch suspense shows, if I step up to guess the killer, I'm right every single time!"

I'm honestly breaking a sweat for Little Ear; I feel like his 'vest' (secret identity) is already halfway off in front of the Capitalist.

I must be a beast for wanting to see the Capitalist bully Little Ear even more ruthlessly...

Continuing tomorrow at midnight~ Thank you, little angels, for your support! If you have anything to say, let's chat in the comments section!

Keep feet in several boats (脚踏几条船): A Chinese idiom meaning to two-time someone or have multiple romantic partners simultaneously.

High mountain flower (高岭之花): A Japanese/Chinese internet slang term describing someone who is breathtakingly beautiful/handsome, outstanding, but incredibly aloof and seemingly unreachable.

Ge You Slouch (葛优瘫): A famous Chinese internet meme based on actor Ge You slouching bonelessly on a sofa in a 90s sitcom, representing ultimate laziness and lethargy.

Heavenly lightning tribulation (天雷劫): A trope in Chinese Xianxia (cultivation) novels where a cultivator must survive being struck by lightning from the heavens to ascend to a higher realm.

Eat melons (吃瓜): Chinese internet slang for watching drama or gossip unfold as a spectator.

Riding a tiger and finding it hard to get off (骑虎难下): A Chinese idiom meaning to be in a difficult situation with no easy way out.

Sitting under a dangerous, crumbling wall (坐戒垂堂): A classical Chinese idiom meaning a wise person does not sit under a roof that is about to collapse; referring to avoiding obvious danger or remaining highly vigilant.

How can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's den (不入虎穴焉得虎子): A Chinese idiom meaning nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Sticking your neck out for someone / speaking from a sense of justice (仗义执言): To speak out boldly to uphold justice or defend someone.