TW: r*pe (I’m not sure if this is considered r*pe or if this constitutes a TW as there is really just one line but putting this here just to be safe)
That night, Qi Feng had many confusing dreams.
He dreamed of himself as a young child, practicing calligraphy with his father, when a strong young man sneaked into the Qi residence and waited for him under the sweet-scented osmanthus tree outside.
He dreamed of his family’s downfall, and how he was sent to the Yong’an Music Hall at the age of nine. When he tried to escape, the steward beat him so badly that he was covered in bruises.
He dreamed of the general who used to protect him when he was young, but now fiercely held him down in a dark, enclosed space, with nothing but the sound of his own panicked breathing.
He also dreamed of the night his mother died, which was also a stormy night. After graduating from high school, he sat silently in the cold hospital corridor, crying all night…
The chaotic dreams made it difficult for him to distinguish what was real and what wasn’t. All he knew was that he slept very poorly and woke up in pain.
When he woke up, Qi Feng found himself lying on a strange bed. Looking around at the strange furniture, he suddenly realized that he had transmigrated into another Qi Feng’s body from the Yong’an Music Hall in the capital city, and had even met another Pei Yan.
He wasn’t wearing any clothes, but the marks and pain on his body clearly told him what had happened with Pei Yan last night.
“Pei Yan.”
Qi Feng gritted his teeth and called out the name, his emotions unclear.
There was no one in the room, and his backpack was placed on the low cabinet next to the bed. The clock next to the backpack showed today’s date: August 26, 2022, 11:45.
In his time, it should have been more than a thousand years later.
Ignoring his discomfort, he found his clothes from last night. The shirt and pants were both wrinkled, and still smelled of smoke and alcohol from the nightclub. They were not clothes he could wear outside.
Just as he was struggling with what to do, he noticed a new set of clothes neatly stacked on the bedside table: a white shirt and light blue jeans. There was also an unopened package of underwear.
It was left for him by Pei Yan. Qi Feng didn’t hesitate and reached out to grab the clothes, putting it on somewhat awkwardly. The clothes were a few sizes too big for his body, but it didn’t affect the overall effect1meaning it did not look awkward.
He buttoned his shirt all the way up to cover up all the embarrassing marks on his body. After confirming several times that his attire could maintain his dignity and etiquette, he packed up his wrinkled clothes into his backpack and opened the bedroom door to walk out.
As he walked down the wide, well-lit hallway, Qi Feng saw a man sitting on the sofa in the living room playing with his phone.
It wasn’t Pei Yan.
He paused, took a step back, and asked warily, “Who are you? Where is Pei Yan?”
The man on the sofa looked up at the sound of his voice and said, “Oh, you’re awake?”
Then he paused for a moment.
It was Pei Yan’s friend, Song Zhe, who had come to stay with him after losing millions due to poor investments and was kicked out by his family. When he heard that Pei Yan had brought a man back from the nightclub in the morning, he wondered, “What kind of man could make Pei Yan lose control?”
Now, seeing the boy in front of him, he thought he was really… beautiful.
Even though he was a boy, Song Zhe thought of this adjective. He was tall and slender, with fair skin. His features looked more gentle than a boy’s yet sharper than a girl’s. Standing there so lightly, he had an indescribable charm and allure.
Song Zhe cleared his throat and stood up, saying, “Pei Yan instructed me to help you settle down. So, tell me, what do you need?”
Qi Feng: “Settle down?”
Song Zhe sneered, with a warning in his tone: “Since you already know Pei-ge’s name, you should understand who he is. It’s just one night, and if you’re smart, you should know your own worth…”
“Is this Pei Yan’s intention?” Qi Feng interrupted Song Zhe’s words, feeling a chill in his heart.
Song Zhe hesitated.
He saw the coldness in the boy’s black pupils, and the tone and temperament of his speech seemed different from the imagined nightclub boy.
And then, when he saw the mole under the boy’s tightly pursed lips, he suddenly realized.
No wonder.
Pei Yan had a crush on a boy in high school who had a mole on the corner of his lips.
For many years, Pei Yan had been single, probably because he had been thinking about that boy.
Now, he had actually found someone who looked similar to bring home.
Song Zhe couldn’t help but feel emotional about Pei Yan’s deep love.
However, the person in front of him was just a substitute, and he could never replace the person from back then.
Moreover, when Pei Yan’s father found out that his son liked men that year, he almost broke Pei Yan’s legs.
If he knew that Pei Yan had brought a man back from the nightclub to sleep with, he would probably beat him half to death and kick him out of the house.
To ensure the safety of his brother’s life, Song Zhe decided to “settle” the matter.
“Do you still need to ask? Did Pei-ge go to the nightclub to find you as his boyfriend?”
As Song Zhe spoke, he handed the prepared envelope to Qi Feng without hesitation. In his smile, there was a deeper threat and warning, “Pei-ge’s offer is higher than most people’s. Accept it while it’s good. Don’t speak recklessly outside. If this matter spreads, you won’t be able to bear the consequences.”
Holding the envelope, Qi Feng felt desolate in his heart.
In the music hall, just like the noble sons, Pei Yan called Qi Feng by his flower name2Stage name; The term “flower name” refers to a nickname given to a musician who plays in a music hall. It is usually derived from a flower that represents their personality or appearance. to play music for him, rewarded him, and gave him gifts.
Since he became a musician, Pei Yan was no longer the elder brother of the Pei family who accompanied him to read and ride horses when he was young.
But his benefactor.
He couldn’t help feeling absurd.
The uneasiness of reincarnation, the reunion of fate with familiar faces, and the discomfort of his body had all turned into a meaningless smile.
Qi Feng raised the envelope and asked, “Got it. Can I go now?”
His faintly cold smile was full of ridicule.
Song Zhe wanted to confirm if he was being mocked, staring at his eyes absentmindedly and hesitating, “How about…you leave your phone number? Maybe Pei-ge will still look for you.”
“No need.”
Qi Feng opened the heavy door neatly and left Pei Yan’s house.
“Hey, what’s your name…”.
Before Song Zhe could speak, the heavy door closed as the boy left.
The room fell silent, but all Song Zhe could think of were the boy’s cold and obscure peach blossom eyes that were both charming and intoxicating, unable to be dispelled.
“He’s gone,” Song Zhe muttered to himself, “If only I had asked for his name first…”
—–
The serious and quiet conference room was filled with the top management of Donghai Investment.
A bespectacled employee quietly nudged the man next to him who was looking at his phone, and whispered, “Mr. Pei? The chairman is asking for your opinion on last quarter’s financial report.”
Pei Yan put down his phone and looked around the conference room to see everyone’s gaze fixated on him.
Even his father, Pei Junhai, looked at him sternly.
He calmly stood up from his seat, his tall stature towering over everyone’s faces, and confidently began to express his thoughts.
He had looked at the financial report yesterday and had understood the company’s financial situation well enough. Even if he had zoned out during the meeting, he could still correctly identify the financial issues and provide his own ideas.
A few minutes later, the 24-year-old young and handsome man finished speaking and received the approving looks and applause of the company’s top executives.
Pei Junhai put away his prepared scolding and slowly warned his son sternly, “Pei Yan, as the company’s vice president, you should focus on listening to everyone’s opinions during meetings.”
“Yes, father,” Pei Yan calmly sat down, but his hand, hidden under the conference table, picked up his phone again.
No one knew that, despite his seemingly composed demeanor, he had been restless the entire morning.
This feeling was like the anxious and restless wait in the long corridor after learning that his mother was critically ill that year.
What’s even more troublesome was that his heartache recurred.
The inexplicable emotion and the dull pain in his chest were intertwined, tearing at him and causing him to breathe heavily.
He was just a boy looking for someone to rely on at the nightclub, but why did he keep thinking of him?
Pei Yan covered his chest and thought irritably: it was probably because he went too far that he felt so uneasy and worried.
He remembered that the boy was confused because of the drugs, and he could not restrain himself, especially when he heard the boy crying and shouting something about “Jun3Qi Feng was calling out “General”, which is “Jiangjun”, which sounds like a name lol.” He became even angrier and lost control.
“You are in my car and you are not allowed to call other men’s names.”
He had said this sentence countless times, and each time he felt inexplicably angry and fierce. When he finally carried the person home, he found that the boy was completely wet, pale, and weak, with his hands and feet hanging limply in his arms. If he had no breath, he would have thought the boy was dead.
Pei Yan regretfully put down his phone. Why hadn’t Song Zhe contacted him yet? Could something have happened to him? Yes, he didn’t even know the name of that poor boy. It was ridiculous!
In the solemn conference room, Pei Yan’s phone suddenly rang at the wrong time. When he saw Song Zhe’s name, his heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he quickly opened the message.
Song Zhe: [Pei-ge, I settled your problem. How do you plan to thank me?]
Pei Yan immediately replied: [How is he?]
Song Zhe: [He’s gone. I gave him money and warned him not to bother you again. Don’t worry, Uncle Pei won’t find out about this. Hehe.]
Gone…he’s gone?!
When Pei Yan saw those two words, his mind went blank and a dull pain seared through his chest. It felt like he was trying to hold onto something important, but it slipped away like a handful of sand, leaving him empty-handed. It was a strange and yet familiar feeling of powerlessness. Even if he screamed his heart out, the only response he would get was the desolate loneliness of the void.
He trembled as he frantically typed a series of hurried messages:
[You bastard!]
[Why did you let him go?!]
[Where did he go?]
[What’s his name?]
Song Zhe: [I don’t know. What’s wrong? Wasn’t this arrangement good enough?]
“You idiot!”
Pei Yan cursed under his breath, but his heart was in a state of panic he had never experienced before. This panic made him uncontrollably eager to find the boy from last night as soon as possible.
He stood up abruptly and the heavy mahogany chair scraped loudly against the floor, causing everyone in the conference room to look at him.
“Sorry, I have to go and handle something.”
Pei Yan said in a subdued voice, ignoring the frown on his father’s face, grabbing his phone and leaving the conference room quickly.
As he reached the door, he stumbled accidentally, his body swaying as he hurried away.
If you like my translation, a cup of coffee is very much appreciated. I will post a bonus chapter for every five kofis received. Thank you!
