In the study room, Fu Mingchuan finished an entire pack of cigarettes, still unable to figure out when exactly You Wen had changed so much.
He carefully recalled the moments after they reunited—seeing You Wen at home, then later when they slept together, and the times he pulled You Wen back into his life.
The first time they had sex at home, You Wen had been sick. Thinking back, You Wen had always been resisting, and it wasn’t out of some playful pretense. He simply didn’t want it.
It wasn’t that You Wen didn’t want to sleep with him—it was that he didn’t want him.
You Wen didn’t want Fu Mingchuan.
Since they got back together, You Wen never called him. He never initiated chats on social media either.
He no longer smiled as much, no longer shared any funny stories from his day.
He didn’t mention Fu Mingchuan to anyone and avoided all topics related to him.
There was no desire to share, no communication, no joy.
Maybe You Wen still loved him, but the reason he hadn’t left was that he felt like he owed him money.
You Wen thought that by helping him pay off his debts, he was essentially being kept like a lover.
That’s why he went along with him in bed.
That’s why he accommodated him in their daily life.
That’s why, even though he didn’t like it, he stayed.
Closing his eyes, Fu Mingchuan stubbed out the last cigarette and sat in the darkness for a long time.
By the time he returned to the bedroom, the sky had already brightened. You Wen was curled up on his side of the bed, fast asleep. Fu Mingchuan sat at the edge of the bed, watching him for a while before softly calling his name.
You Wen stirred, mumbling, “What time is it? Is it time for work?”
Even though he knew You Wen didn’t like it, Fu Mingchuan gently stroked his cheek, his voice soft and soothing, “No, not yet.”
Hearing that, You Wen closed his eyes again.
Fu Mingchuan continued in a low voice, “Naonao, I have a business trip today. I won’t be back tonight.”
You Wen blinked groggily at him and after a long pause murmured, “Alright. Be safe.”
As You Wen started to doze off again, Fu Mingchuan wanted to reach out and touch him once more, but held back. He didn’t wait for the usual clingy embrace or the string of questions about when he’d return. Instead, he said, “I’ll be gone for a week.”
You Wen’s eyes slowly cleared as he tried to sit up, but Fu Mingchuan gently pressed him back down. “Sleep a little longer, it’s still early.”
But You Wen sat up anyway, and when he noticed Fu Mingchuan staring at him, it seemed he understood what Fu Mingchuan wanted. He knelt and hugged him, burying his face in his chest. “Come back soon.”
He said what Fu Mingchuan wanted to hear.
Fu Mingchuan’s emotions were tangled. He patted You Wen’s back and asked, “Do you want me to come back a few days earlier?”
You Wen hesitated, caught off guard as usual by such questions, then replied, “I wish you wouldn’t go.”
Fu Mingchuan could feel the insincerity in his words. He tightened his hold on You Wen, his heart heavy like a thousand-pound weight pressing down on it. “I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
After holding him for a while, Fu Mingchuan finally let go and stood up. He quietly told You Wen to go back to sleep, he even offered to call the school and excuse him from morning classes if he didn’t feel like going.
But You Wen didn’t want to go back to bed. Instead, he got up and followed Fu Mingchuan around. “Were you mad last night?”
Fu Mingchuan had been about to leave but stopped at those words. He turned to look at You Wen, listening as he explained, “I wasn’t feeling well at the time.”
You Wen’s tone was hesitant. Things between him and Fu Mingchuan had always been fine in bed, but last night, Fu Mingchuan had seemed genuinely upset. Looking into Fu Mingchuan ’s eyes, You Wen said, “How about we make it up when you come back?”
He didn’t know if it was just his imagination, but after he said that, Fu Mingchuan’s entire demeanor grew much colder, much like when they had first gotten together—back then, no matter what You Wen did, Fu Mingchuan seemed disinterested. Saying even one extra word felt wrong, breathing too loudly felt like a mistake, leaving You Wen unsure of what to do.
When Fu Mingchuan was leaving, he stopped only at the door and told You Wen to go back inside.
Once the door was closed, You Wen stood by it for a while. It wasn’t until his dog, Tiao Tiao, came up and nudged him that he snapped out of his daze.
The housekeeper had already prepared breakfast. Perhaps because You Wen was easier to talk to, she was more relaxed as she asked, “What’s going on with Mr. Fu today? He didn’t seem very happy this morning.”
You Wen smiled and replied, “Really? I didn’t notice.”
The housekeeper chuckled, “Maybe I was mistaken.”
Fu Mingchuan had said he’d be gone for a week, but even after that time passed, he still hadn’t returned. He didn’t reach out to You Wen, and You Wen didn’t contact him either. They no longer felt like a couple living under the same roof but more like familiar strangers.
One day, Zhou Hui invited You Wen to the horse track. You Wen used to own a horse there, but after his family’s troubles, he’d sold it. The idea of seeing his old horse again piqued his interest, but he didn’t expect to run into people he used to hang out with at the horse track.
These people were all sharp and perceptive, but they maintained a friendly facade. They invited You Wen to dinner that evening, and though he wanted to refuse, he couldn’t, so he went with Zhou Hui.
When the group left the horse track, each of them rode off on motorcycles, except for Zhou Hui and You Wen, who drove.
It wasn’t until they arrived at the club’s entrance that You Wen realized this was the same club where he had gone to dinner the first time he met Fu Mingchuan at the horse track.
Zhou Hui slung an arm over You Wen’s shoulder and whispered, “If those jerks say anything rude later, just ignore them. We’ll eat for a bit and then leave.”
You Wen reassured him, “It’s fine.”
Since the others had arrived on motorcycles, they were already in the private room. Zhou Hui and You Wen walked through the lobby and got into the elevator. Just as the doors were about to close, a hand blocked them. A moment later, You Wen saw Ruan Jing step inside.
The person who stopped the elevator politely gestured for Ruan Jing to go in first. Ruan Jing had a youthful, handsome face, neither too slick like a businessman nor pretentiously mature. Instead, he carried himself with a natural elegance that made You Wen unable to look away.
With that same graceful demeanor, Ruan Jing greeted Zhou Hui upon seeing him, “What a coincidence, Young Master Zhou.”
Zhou Hui looked a bit awkward as he glanced at You Wen, then returned the greeting, “Brother Ruan, long time no see.”
After just a brief exchange of pleasantries, the conversation ended. Standing behind them, You Wen observed Ruan Jing’s back and realized he was much taller than him. It made sense why he never looked out of place when standing next to Fu Mingchuan.
Ruan Jing and the person beside him were discussing some recent hedge fund issues, a topic You Wen didn’t understand. Ruan Jing spoke with expertise, and soon recommended a fund based on the other person’s needs.
However, it seemed the other person wanted to invest directly under Ruan Jing’s guidance. Though Ruan Jing didn’t outright refuse, he didn’t agree either. Just as the elevator was about to stop, Ruan Jing suddenly turned to You Wen and asked, “Do you know me?”
You Wen hadn’t expected Ruan Jing to speak to him, and he struggled to find an explanation for how he knew him. His mouth acted faster than his mind, blurting out, “I know Fu Mingchuan.”
He thought this might make things awkward, but Ruan Jing merely raised an eyebrow with subtle meaning. His narrow eyes studied You Wen, his expression calm and composed. “Ah, so we’re rivals.”
With just one sentence, Ruan Jing had perfectly summed up their relationship. There was no tension or disdain in his voice, just a simple acknowledgment, as if he were formally telling You Wen, “I’m here to take Fu Mingchuan from you.”
Despite his pride, Ruan Jing didn’t come across as unlikable at all.
After Ruan Jing left, Zhou Hui immediately complained, “Why’d you engage with him? He’s ruthless. Even my brother is afraid of him. You’d better don’t get involved with him.”
When they finally entered the private room, the group started teasing You Wen, saying it had been too long since he last joined them, and that he should punish himself with three shots of alcohol. Without protest, You Wen downed the drinks. During the meal, no one brought up his family’s troubles, as if they had never happened. They all acted like they were still close friends.
Especially Ren Fan, who was unusually warm toward You Wen, as if he hadn’t been the one ignoring You Wen’s calls back then.
Back then, You Wen had gone through desperate times, reaching out for help from everyone, but receiving none.
Midway through the meal, Ren Fan suddenly apologized, “I’m sorry for avoiding you back then. But at the time, Fu Mingchuan’s attitude was so obvious that no one dared to draw attention. So…”
You Wen simply replied, “It’s fine. It’s all in the past now.”
Ren Fan sighed in relief and said, “Actually, I’ve got a friend who’s been wanting to meet you. He’s loaded and a good guy. He’ll be here soon, so I’ll introduce you.”
Just as he finished speaking, the door to the private room opened. The waiter led in a tall, skinny man with an average appearance. Ren Fan quickly went up to greet him. When You Wen turned to glance at the newcomer, he noticed that the man was staring straight at him.
Zhou Hui had no idea what was happening and casually greeted the newcomer until he saw Ren Fan seat the man next to You Wen, who then awkwardly tried to strike up a conversation with him.
You Wen, having had a few drinks, had become very quiet. He even listened attentively to the man for a while before abruptly standing up and saying, “I’m going home.”
Seeing the man’s face change, Zhou Hui quickly got up as well, supporting You Wen as he explained, “He’s drunk. I’ll take him home.”
As they left the club, You Wen mumbled, “He’s so ugly, and he still thinks he can pursue me,” sounding genuinely aggrieved.
Zhou Hui, noticing that You Wen was a bit tipsy, also began to complain, “Ren Fan must be out of his mind, bringing just anyone to meet you.”
You Wen stopped by the car and said, “It’s not like I’m anyone important. Let him bring whoever he wants.”
Zhou Hui opened the door for him, “What do you mean you’re not important? You’re still with Fu Mingchuan, after all. Maybe Ren Fan’s just behind on the news and doesn’t know.”
You Wen sat down, and Zhou Hui closed the door for him. Leaning his forehead against the window, You Wen thought to himself, it wasn’t Ren Fan who was behind on the news—Fu Mingchuan had simply never mentioned him to anyone.
Shifting his position, You Wen tried to rest his head on his elbow by the window. When he looked up, he was surprised to see Ruan Jing sitting in the driver’s seat of the car next to theirs.
What a coincidence.
Zhou Hui was still fussing over something, and You Wen watched as Ruan Jing gave him a slight nod.
A few seconds later, Ren Fan appeared again. Zhou Hui saw him and had no choice but to greet him, “Ren Fan, what are you doing?”
Ren Fan, with an unwittingly fawning attitude, replied, “Just dropping something off for Brother Jing.” He handed a bag through the car window to Ruan Jing, saying, “Brother Jing, if you hear anything from President Fu, let me know.”
Ruan Jing smiled faintly, “Sure, I’ll send you a message if I hear anything.”
Ren Fan’s gratitude was practically written all over his face. Zhou Hui exchanged a quick goodbye with both men before leading You Wen away. During the short walk from the small courtyard to the main road, Zhou Hui glanced at You Wen five times.
With his arm resting on the window, You Wen leaned his head on it and said, “My head feels a bit dizzy.”
Zhou Hui wondered if You Wen hadn’t caught what Ren Fan had said, or maybe he had heard but hadn’t figured out which “President Fu” was being referred to.
Zhou Hui said, “I’ll stop and get you some hangover medicine.”
You Wen stayed quiet until Zhou Hui had bought the medicine and returned to the car. Then, in a muffled voice, You Wen said, “Can I stay at your place tonight?”
So, he had heard—and he had figured it out.
Zhou Hui immediately agreed and took You Wen back to his “own” villa. But as soon as they entered the house, they were met with the sight of Zhou Huai, who seemed momentarily surprised to see them. His surprise deepened when he realized who Zhou Hui had brought home.
Zhou Hui greeted Zhou Huai and tried to take You Wen upstairs. Zhou Huai offered to prepare a guest room, but Zhou Hui declined, “No need. He’ll sleep with me.”
After thinking it over, Zhou Huai agreed.
Still, he felt like something was off. Cautiously, he pulled out his phone and snapped a quick photo of them just as they walked in, though he had originally intended to capture Zhou Hui. Then he sent the photo to Assistant Chen with a message:
Zhou Huai: Assistant Chen, please inform Mr. Fu that You Wen is staying at my place tonight.
