Lu Lianning’s throat tightened instantly. He reached out to pull Li Yan up, but he didn’t budge. Li Yan was still picking up the scattered pieces of glass with his hands. Taking a deep breath, Lu Lianning softened his voice. “Don’t pick them up. There’s a spare. Just let it be.”
He repeated himself twice before Li Yan gradually lowered his guard, allowing Lu Lianning to pull him up and help him back onto the bed.
Stepping out of the room, Lu Lianning asked the butler for a spare nightlight.
The butler had heard the sound of something breaking inside and couldn’t help but glance over a couple of times as Lu Lianning emerged.
Lu Lianning rubbed his brow, murmuring, “Quite the skill you’ve developed.”
That night, neither of them spoke a word. Li Yan lay with his back to Lu Lianning, the warm orange glow of the nightlight illuminating just the top of his head. Lu Lianning reached out and wrapped his arm around Li Yan’s waist, pulling him closer.
Li Yan resisted for just a moment, and just as Lu Lianning was about to lose his temper, he adjusted his position and lay still again.
The threats and reprimands caught in Lu Lianning’s throat were swallowed back down, his expression changing several times in quick succession.
The next day, when Li Yan tried to leave the house, he found the gate locked.
He glanced back at the butler, who was trimming the flowers in the courtyard. The butler lowered his head, avoiding Li Yan’s gaze.
In that instant, Li Yan understood—Lu Lianning had truly forbidden him from leaving.
A pang of regret hit him for having argued with Lu Lianning the day before. He wished he had obediently admitted his fault.
He changed his clothes and pulled the covers over his head, sleeping through the entire morning. But in the afternoon, he found himself unable to sleep no matter what. He searched for Chonk to play with, but the cat was nowhere to be found.
When Lu Lianning returned that evening, Li Yan’s attitude toward admitting his mistake was exemplary. He complied with every request in bed. Eventually, he asked if he could go out the next day, but Lu Lianning remained unyielding.
A week passed like this. Then, one evening, Lu Lianning suddenly returned and told him to change clothes, saying he was taking him out.
Li Yan looked at the clothes Lu Lianning had chosen for him—a formal, high-quality suit clearly intended for an important occasion.
Lu Lianning had never brought him along to such events over the years.
As a mere plaything, Li Yan thought, perhaps Lu Lianning didn’t consider him presentable.
Seeing Li Yan standing there in a daze, Lu Lianning couldn’t help but urge, “Change your clothes. Didn’t you say you were bored at home? Now I’m taking you out, and you’re still reluctant?”
Li Yan had never been in a position to argue with Lu Lianning. So, he quickly changed clothes, followed him downstairs, and climbed into the spacious black Bentley.
They drove for about forty minutes before arriving at their destination.
It was a winery.
On the surface, it looked understated, marked by a sign made of deadwood. However, upon entering, one would find it surprisingly large. Since no cars were allowed inside, the driver headed to the underground garage while Li Yan followed closely behind Lu Lianning.
After a few steps, Lu Lianning was clearly displeased and pulled him aside. “Are you my bodyguard?”
He reached out and took Li Yan’s hand to prevent him from trailing behind.
They walked for over ten minutes before reaching the central venue of the banquet. Li Yan noticed several guests showing their invitation cards to a waiter, indicating that only those with invitations could enter.
Yet, for some reason, Lu Lianning didn’t need one; he simply led Li Yan straight inside.
Once inside, the room was bright as day. Nearly all the prominent figures from every sector of City A were present, along with a few celebrities frequently seen on TV.
With such a grand gathering, Li Yan wondered who could be hosting the banquet.
Noticing Li Yan’s wandering gaze, Lu Lianning called out to him and guided him to a long table in the corner. “Eat something, and don’t run around. I’ll come find you in a while.”
Li Yan nodded. “Okay, got it.”
Li Yan felt particularly uncomfortable in such an environment. Feeling out of place, he grabbed two small pastries, intending to find an inconspicuous corner to sit and eat. After all, he was genuinely a bit hungry.
Just as he lowered his head and took a couple of steps, he nearly bumped into someone. The person exclaimed in surprise, and Li Yan quickly steadied the tray with the pastries, worried they might slip off and stain the other person’s clothes.
As he was about to apologize, the person called out his name.
“Li Yan?!” Du Lin sounded surprised. “What are you doing here? I almost didn’t recognize you! Where have you been these past few days! Lin Sheng has been looking all over for you!”
Li Yan forced a strained smile. “I’ve been at home lately, not feeling well.”
Du Lin looked displeased. “But you can’t just do this. You should at least give a heads-up if you’re skipping work. Lin Sheng found that job for you out of kindness.”
Li Yan repeatedly apologized, asking Du Lin to convey his regrets to Lin Sheng the next time they met.
Du Lin eyed him suspiciously. “You’re already here. Why don’t you tell him yourself?”
“Li Yan!” Just then, their conversation was interrupted by a voice filled with amusement.
Li Yan turned to see Qi Zhen smiling with his eyes narrowed, raising his glass in greeting. Lu Lianning stood beside him, his expression cold.
Qi Zhen and Lu Lianning pretty much grew up together—they were close friends and business partners. In Li Yan’s opinion, however, Qi Zhen was Lu Lianning’s shady friend, distinctly different from him.
Qi Zhen greeted everyone with a warm smile, treating them as if they were his closest friends. Yet deep down, he shared the same values as Lu Lianning—only he was more hypocritical.
Du Lin’s expression turned odd. “How do you know him?”
As they approached, Li Yan feared things would get more awkward, so he quickly apologized to Du Lin before taking the initiative to walk over.
As Li Yan came closer, Qi Zhen smiled again. “Mr. Li, it’s been a while.”
There wasn’t the slightest bit of respect in Qi Zhen’s eyes. He used to call Li Yan “Xiao Li,”1Xiao as in “little.” It is used for younger people to show familiarity. but ever since Li Yan got involved with Lu Lianning, Qi Zhen had switched to “Mr. Li.” Each time he used this teasing tone, it left Li Yan feeling humiliated.
But he dared not provoke Qi Zhen, especially with Lu Lianning right there.
Lu Lianning pulled him closer, his brows slightly furrowed. “Didn’t I tell you to wait for me here? Why are you running around?”
Qi Zhen chimed in, “Exactly, exactly! You’re making it hard for our Ah Ning to find you.”
For all these years, only Qi Zhen had the audacity to call Lu Lianning “Ah Ning.”
Once, a boy who was fooling around with Lu Lianning had heard Qi Zhen call him that and tried to imitate it, only to get his face slapped swollen.
Li Yan’s eyelids drooped slightly. “I just went to get some cake.”
Lu Lianning’s eyes flicked to the tray Li Yan had been holding and then back to his face. He urged, “If you want to eat, then eat quickly.”
At that moment, Li Yan heard Qi Zhen stifle a laugh.
Feeling the weight of Lu Lianning’s gaze, he lowered his head further and finished the cake bite by bite.
Lu Lianning watched him with growing impatience. Finally, he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and, with a rough touch, wiped the cream from the corner of Li Yan’s mouth, muttering, “So troublesome.”
As soon as Li Yan set the tray down, Lu Lianning took his hand and led him toward the back door of the banquet hall. When they stepped outside, the lighting dimmed, though it wasn’t completely dark.
Small lights were strung along the grapevine-covered passageway, resembling fireflies scattered across the trellis.
Li Yan suddenly felt nervous. Sensing his tension, Lu Lianning moved his hand to Li Yan’s back, leaned in slightly, and said, “There are lights up ahead.”
Most guests were in the banquet hall, leaving this area relatively empty. Although Li Yan couldn’t see anyone, he could hear flirtatious laughter echoing from deeper within.
Lu Lianning continued to lead him further in. Li Yan gripped his hand tightly and turned to ask, “What are we doing here?”
Lu Lianning answered with his actions. He stopped and pulled the hem of Li Yan’s shirt free from his pants.
Li Yan froze for a moment, quickly realizing what was happening, but he couldn’t resist Lu Lianning’s strength. Pressed against a square post of the trellis, he pushed against Lu Lianning’s chest, panic coursing through him. This spot wasn’t deep enough; anyone coming through the back door could easily see them.
His voice was urgent. “Don’t do this, Lu Lianning. Can’t we go back and do it…” But Lu Lianning’s hand was already inside his pants.
Li Yan’s waist softened, and he let out a muffled groan as Lu Lianning held his waist. He struggled weakly, his movements showing reluctance. “Let’s go back. Or maybe we can do it in the car later…” His voice faded to a whisper.
But Lu Lianning didn’t stop. As if annoyed by his protests, he kissed him.
Their lips collided, and Lu Lianning’s tongue invaded his mouth. Li Yan couldn’t close his mouth, his head pressed against the trellis, chest heaving wildly. “Mmn…”
Only when Li Yan’s breath became uneven did Lu Lianning pull back slightly, allowing him a moment to catch his breath.
With Lu Lianning’s thigh wedged between Li Yan’s legs, Li Yan’s body went limp, beginning to slide down, only to be held in place by Lu Lianning’s leg.
Lu Lianning gripped his shoulder and gently bit the blocker patch on the back of Li Yan’s neck, pulling it halfway off.
A wave of high-tier Alpha pheromones spread through the grape trellis.
–
At the center of the banquet, Lin Sheng had just finished his speech as the star of the party and stepped off the stage when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
Qi Zhen’s smiling face appeared in front of him. “Are you a friend of Li Yan’s? He’s here at your birthday party too. There were so many people around that he felt a bit shy. He said he’d wait for you in the back garden and prepared a birthday gift for you.”
Lin Sheng studied Qi Zhen’s face, masked by a smile. He maintained a calm expression and replied softly, “Are you his friend?”
Qi Zhen asserted, “Of course! We’ve known each other for years!”
“Oh? He never really mentioned you.” Lin Sheng’s lips curved as he turned and headed toward the back.
Qi Zhen was unfazed by Lin Sheng’s unfriendly remark. In fact, his eyes sparkled with excitement, as if eager to witness a spectacle.
Lin Sheng had already heard from Du Lin before taking the stage that Li Yan had been seen. However, he hadn’t found any trace of him after searching around.
The person who had vanished without a word for over half a month.
As Lin Sheng neared the grape trellis, he spotted two figures entwined together from afar. The air was filled with a faint orange scent, the same fragrance that had been released when Du Lin tore off Li Yan’s blocker patch.
Lin Sheng looked at the two figures in the distance and immediately understood what this “gift” truly was.
At that moment, Li Yan sensed footsteps. He jerked his head in that direction and saw Lin Sheng staring straight at him in the dim light.
The heat Lu Lianning had stirred up instantly turned cold. Li Yan stared blankly at Lin Sheng, knowing he had a panoramic view of his disgraceful appearance.
Lu Lianning quickly noticed Li Yan’s strangeness and followed his gaze. Realizing that he had achieved his goal, he loosened his grip on Li Yan.
Only then did Li Yan comprehend what was happening. No wonder Lu Lianning had suddenly decided to bring him out tonight.
So, this was the reason.
“Is it enough?” Li Yan’s voice came out hoarse.
Lu Lianning frowned. Having accomplished his aim, he had no intention of forcing Li Yan to go any further here. He slowly stepped back, allowing Li Yan space to gather himself.
Li Yan struggled to pull up his loose pants and attempted to button his shirt, but his hands shook, making it impossible to fasten it after several tries.
Watching him struggle, Lu Lianning grabbed his hands to help. The words “So foolish” were on the tip of his tongue but faded when he felt how cold Li Yan’s hands were.
“Why are you so cold?” Lu Lianning asked, draping Li Yan’s jacket over his shoulders.
Throughout this process, Li Yan remained motionless, like a puppet at his mercy.
Lu Lianning lifted Li Yan’s face, seeing his eyes filled with humiliation, sadness, and resentment all at once.
It had been a long time since he’d witnessed such emotions on Li Yan’s face.
And this time, it was because of that man named Lin Sheng.
Lu Lianning’s expression darkened. After adjusting Li Yan’s clothes, he took his hand and led him outside.
To his surprise, Lin Sheng was still there, not having left.
They walked past him, and Lu Lianning’s tone was icy as he warned, “For Lin Zhe’s sake, I’m letting you go this time. Don’t overestimate yourself by getting close to Li Yan again. This is the last time.”
But just as Lu Lianning pulled Li Yan toward the back entrance of the banquet hall, Lin Sheng suddenly spoke up. “This won’t be the last time.”
Lu Lianning whipped around. “What did you say?”
Lin Sheng met his gaze with calm yet unmistakably provocative eyes. “I said, this won’t be the last time.”
Lu Lianning abruptly let go of Li Yan, ready to throw a punch, but Li Yan quickly wrapped his arms around Lu Lianning’s waist from behind, murmuring, “Let’s go home, Lu Lianning.”
Lu Lianning was seething with rage, his eyes seemingly wanting to stab Lin Sheng until he became a sieve—this reckless intruder who had popped up out of nowhere.
Tonight’s banquet was hosted by the Lin family to celebrate Lin Sheng’s birthday and introduce him to everyone after his time abroad.
No matter how impulsive and irrational Lu Lianning was, he knew this wasn’t the place to make a scene.
In the end, he just sneered, “Fine, then go ahead and try.”
Li Yan and Lu Lianning returned to the car, neither speaking during the drive.
After more than twenty minutes, Lu Lianning finally broke the silence with a stiff tone. “Are you throwing a tantrum?”
“All because of that goddamn Lin Sheng?” He grew more dissatisfied with every word. “What right do you have to be angry? Besides, I didn’t go all the way, did I?”
Li Yan continued to stare out the window, showing only the back of his head.
Suddenly, he turned to Lu Lianning, as if calming down. “You’re right. I don’t have the right. You just don’t want me to feel better. After all, I owe you, don’t I? I deserve this.”
Lu Lianning felt irritation boiling inside him, and Li Yan’s response felt suffocating. Finally, he ground out through clenched teeth, “At least you know you owe me.”
Translator’s note:
“Chonk” was the best name I could come up with for the cat. The Chinese name would literally mean “Fat Kitty.” If someone has better suggestions, I can change the name 😅
Also, the next chapter starts the flashback.
