Night fell over Xijing Bay. The streetlights along the path cast a warm yellow glow, illuminating the patches of unmelted snow.
In the spacious front yard of the glasshouse, the rich aroma of cumin drifted through the air, making mouths water.
But Ming Qi’s mind was still stuck on that sentence—“they’re drinking alcohol, what does that have to do with us?”
He held a freshly squeezed pear juice and stared at Yu Qinzhou’s back. The shock and admiration in his eyes were so obvious that even Meng She leaned over and whispered, “Why are you looking at Mr. Yu like that?”
Ming Qi turned his head and noticed the square glass cup in Meng She’s hand, the liquid inside gently swaying. The aroma was strong but not harsh—so enticing that even someone like him, who rarely drank, felt a bit tempted.
He pulled his gaze back from Yu Qinzhou and answered seriously, “I’m admiring how Mr. Yu truly is a qualified and excellent businessman.”
Every casual sentence he said seemed to hide a trap. One wrong step and you’d fall straight in, unable to climb out.
Even though Meng She didn’t fully understand how Ming Qi arrived at that conclusion, he still nodded. “Obviously. Otherwise he wouldn’t be able to afford a villa in Xijing Bay.”
As Meng She spoke, Min Zhengyue was walking past behind him with a tray of freshly grilled skewers from Cen Jing. He paused and corrected, “That’s not right. My brother doesn’t need to spend money to buy it.”
Ming Qi and Meng She both turned to look at him.
Min Zhengyue continued, “Isn’t this a property developed by Yu Corporation Real Estate?”
Ming Qi only knew that Wanghe Mountain was a Yu family development project, but he didn’t expect Xijing Bay to be as well. Still, he wasn’t particularly surprised—after all, Yu Corporation was famously wealthy.
On the other hand, Meng She’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He belatedly asked, “The ‘Yu’ in Mr. Yu and the ‘Yu’ in Yu Corporation… are they the same?”
Now it was Ming Qi and Min Zhengyue’s turn to look at him.
Min Zhengyue asked in surprise, “You didn’t know?”
Meng She thought: How would I know?
At the time, when they were eating at the Chinese restaurant, he and Yu Qinzhou had chatted quite a bit. Yu Qinzhou had been extremely modest, only saying his family did business and ran a company, with subordinates handling things for him, which allowed him to casually drive a Cullinan and take orders. Who would have thought that “company” was actually Yu Corporation, and those “subordinates” were elite figures who could shake entire industries if taken out individually?
Meng She pulled Ming Qi aside and whispered, “So what’s Mr. Yu’s full name?”
Ming Qi replied, “Yu Qinzhou.”
Meng She: “……”
He looked at Ming Qi with the same kind of admiration that Ming Qi had just shown toward Yu Qinzhou.
He gave a thumbs-up and praised him: “You’re seriously amazing. Not only did you take a ride-hailing car and end up in a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, but the driver turned out to be the boss of Yu Corporation. This is the kind of plot I wouldn’t even dare dream about.”
Ming Qi: “……”
Feeling a little guilty, he took a sip of juice and didn’t know what to say for a moment, so he quickly changed the subject. “Drink. Drink.”
Meng She took a big gulp of alcohol, then suddenly realized what he was drinking wasn’t alcohol at all—it was money. What kind of wine could possibly be sitting in Yu Qinzhou’s wine cellar? Obviously nothing ordinary.
Following the trail of light cast by the streetlamps, Meng She’s gaze landed on the man who had just pushed open the doors of the main hall. He couldn’t help but recall the online evaluations about Yu Qinzhou.
The Yu family’s takeover had caused a huge stir a month ago. Although it didn’t dominate headlines the way entertainment gossip did, anyone paying attention could still pick up on it. Especially since several of Meng She’s high school classmates worked in investment and had shared plenty of reports related to Yu Qinzhou.
Just… there were no photos.
And most of the comments described Yu Qinzhou as ruthless at a young age, even merciless toward his own biological father.
So Meng She’s only impression of Yu Qinzhou had always been: “not someone to mess with.”
But after interacting with him a few times, he realized reality was completely different from the rumors.
He sighed. “As expected, rumors are unreliable. Seeing is believing. Mr. Yu is actually very nice—so approachable. And he even chases celebrities.”
Ming Qi had just taken a sip of pear juice and looked slightly puzzled. “Mr. Yu chases celebrities?”
Meng She nodded. “He chases you.”
Then he clinked his glass against Ming Qi’s juice. “Congratulations to our Qi-Zai for gaining an insanely powerful fan!”
After saying that, Meng She went off to share the same revelation with Min Zhengyue. Yu Qinzhou walked over to Ming Qi’s side, holding a glass of pear juice identical to his. He casually asked, “What were you talking about?”
Ming Qi pointed at himself, his long fingers elegant under the light. His expression looked soft and slightly hazy in the warm glow.
“Meng-ge said you’re my fan.”
Yu Qinzhou looked at him for a moment. The young man’s lips were curved with amusement, clearly not taking Meng She’s words seriously.
So Yu Qinzhou replied in a slow, calm voice, “Yes. Did you only just realize that, Mr. Ming?”
Ming Qi froze slightly.
Wasn’t that just a polite joke?
“Of course not. It seems Mr. Ming’s self-awareness still needs improvement. Your outstanding acting in Undercover combined with your strong personal charm—it wouldn’t be difficult for me to be attracted.”
Yu Qinzhou’s praise came so directly that the back of Ming Qi’s neck turned faintly red.
He awkwardly pinched his burning ear and softly protested, “I just thought Mr. Yu didn’t seem like someone who would chase celebrities.”
“Mm. I didn’t before,” Yu Qinzhou said lightly. “Now I do. I’m chasing you.”
Even though Ming Qi knew there was no deeper meaning behind those words, his heart still gave a sharp, uncontrollable jolt. A sense of panic and fluster spread through him.
Heat rushed up again like a tide, covering the fading warmth in waves, surging through every nerve and making his blood feel hot once more.
He quickly pressed the cool glass of pear juice against his face, trying to cool down.
It didn’t help much.
Especially when Yu Qinzhou’s hand suddenly touched his other cheek.
“Mr. Ming, your face is red enough to start steaming.”
Ming Qi: “……”
It really felt like steam was about to come out.
A little embarrassed and annoyed, he shoved the glass into Yu Qinzhou’s hand and quickly walked toward the main house bathroom. Cold water ran over his hands and splashed across his face. The chill finally suppressed the embarrassment completely.
He exhaled and looked at himself in the mirror.
Then he thought of Yu Qinzhou’s calm, elegant expression when he said, “I didn’t before. Now I do. I’m chasing you.”
It felt unreal.
Maybe the lighting was just too dim. Maybe he had misseen it.
When Ming Qi returned to the glasshouse front yard again, Meng She and Min Zhengyue were sitting at the stone table. Both of their faces were slightly flushed—whether from alcohol or excitement was hard to tell.
Yu Qinzhou was leaning to one side, seemingly sticking to their agreement. He occasionally took a sip of pear juice and didn’t look dissatisfied at all.
Ming Qi’s gaze quietly lingered on his profile for a moment before he awkwardly walked over to Meng She’s side.
Just as he arrived, he heard Min Zhengyue speaking quickly.
“Film queen Cui You’er has an identical twin sister. All her famous fight scenes were actually done by her sister.”
Meng She: “!”
Ming Qi: “!”
Meng She almost knocked over his glass in shock. “Are you serious? But didn’t Cui You’er win the Golden Crane Award for that martial arts film? She got it because of those amazing fight scenes!”
“I’ve got proof,” Min Zhengyue said, pulling out his phone.
He showed a photo taken in a dressing room. Through a glass window, two identical figures were sitting across from each other. One of them had a faint scar stretching from the corner of her eye to her temple.
Meng She slapped the table. “No wonder in that variety show, sometimes she had the scar and sometimes she didn’t. Her fans even said it was just makeup covering it during breaks!”
After dropping a bombshell-level piece of gossip, Min Zhengyue raised an eyebrow at Meng She with a smile. “Meng-ge, your turn.”
Meng She immediately said, “Le Si Yan tried to fight for a role last time but failed, and when he tried to ‘offer himself’ afterward, he got thrown out.”
Ming Qi already knew about that incident.
But still—
He looked confused. “So what exactly are you guys playing?”
Meng She eagerly explained, “We’re taking turns sharing entertainment industry gossip. Whoever gets stuck loses, and the loser drinks.”
He pointed at the glasses on the table.
Meng She and Min Zhengyue’s glasses were lined up together, both filled to the same level—clearly not a small amount.
Ming Qi’s expression turned complicated.
Completely unaware that he was about to walk into a trap, Meng She confidently patted his chest. “Don’t worry, Qi-Zai. I’m definitely not the one drinking tonight. I’m not getting drunk! I’ve been in the entertainment industry for years—how could I possibly know less than Min Shao?”
Ming Qi: “……”
Or rather—maybe, possibly, truly—Min Zhengyue really did know more than him.
After all, one was a young heir of a wealthy family as his main job, and a part-time gossip king as his side hustle.
Ming Qi pulled over a small stool and sat down, resting his chin on his hands while watching the two of them, ready to step in and help Meng She if necessary. But just as he was focusing, a skewer suddenly drifted into his line of sight. His gaze followed it and landed on Yu Qinzhou’s long, elegant fingers.
He turned his head and heard Yu Qinzhou say, “Why bother with them? This game will only last one round at most. Even if someone loses, it’s just a single cup.”
“One cup won’t get you drunk?” Ming Qi asked.
“My brother can drink two bottles of this without getting drunk,” Min Zhengyue chimed in, taking the opportunity to praise his brother’s alcohol tolerance. After thinking for a moment, he quickly added, “But my brother doesn’t drink much, and he has good drinking manners. Don’t worry, Qi-ge.”
Meng She squeezed over as well. “Why does ‘not drinking much’ and ‘good manners’ make you feel reassured, Qi-zai?”
Ming Qi: “……”
Min Zhengyue: “……”
Of course it was because that meant a harmonious married life.
But that couldn’t be said out loud.
Min Zhengyue frantically brainstormed and explained very seriously, “Because Qi-ge is going to live in Xijing Bay. If my brother gets drunk and acts crazy, what if he suddenly has a brain glitch and goes to be a private stalker, sneaking into Qi-ge’s bed in the middle of the night?”
Meng She imagined the horrifying scene, then carefully studied Yu Qinzhou’s face and shook his head. “Mr. Yu doesn’t look like that kind of person.”
Not necessarily.
Min Zhengyue thought to himself. Meng She was still too naive—blinded by Yu Qinzhou’s refined, noble, elite gentleman exterior.
He was very good at taking advantage of situations.
Even if he wasn’t drunk, he would probably pretend to be just to gain benefits.
As Min Zhengyue thought this, his eyes accidentally met Yu Qinzhou’s.
Looking into those deep, sharp eyes, the alcohol in his brain suddenly sobered up. He gave a stiff “hehe” smile and quickly looked away, urging Meng She to continue the game.
Meng She rolled up his sleeves, determined to beat Min Zhengyue, while Ming Qi, having been distracted, no longer worried about that half cup of alcohol.
He took a skewer from Yu Qinzhou’s hand and ate it. “Is it good?”
Ming Qi nodded.
So Yu Qinzhou simply sat on the stone bench, occasionally feeding him skewers. Ming Qi listened to Meng She and Min Zhengyue wildly spilling entertainment gossip and idly thought—
He really should livestream this. The traffic would probably break records.
After finishing the skewers, he volunteered to go get more. At the grill, Cen Jing—the all-purpose butler—was skillfully flipping skewers and sprinkling seasoning. Noticing Ming Qi, he smiled and asked gently, “Does Mr. Ming like the taste?”
That was already the second time someone had asked him.
Ming Qi nodded as he had with Yu Qinzhou and added, “It’s very good. I like it.”
Cen Jing’s smile deepened slightly. “Looks like Mr. Yu really does have talent in cooking.”
…Mr. Yu?
Ming Qi looked at him questioningly.
Cen Jing shrugged. “All the skewers you just ate were grilled by Mr. Yu.”
Then he asked, “Would you like to try grilling some yourself, Mr. Ming?”
Ming Qi glanced at Yu Qinzhou in the distance, then at the flickering fire of the grill. Suddenly, his fingers itched.
He took the half-grilled skewers from Cen Jing. After thinking, he asked, “What does Mr. Yu like to eat?”
Cen Jing thought for a moment. Yu Qinzhou didn’t really have strong food preferences—his appetite was light, and his meals were usually nutrition-focused.
So he smiled and said, “Anything that comes from Mr. Ming’s hands, he probably likes.”
When Ming Qi returned with the newly grilled skewers, his expression was slightly hesitant.
His grilling skills were nowhere near as good as Yu Qinzhou’s or Cen Jing’s. There were a lot of ingredients on the grill, and he got flustered—accidentally burning a piece.
He secretly cut off the burnt part.
If you ignored it, then it didn’t count as burnt.
But the appearance was still… questionable.
He placed his skewers next to Cen Jing’s and pushed the plate forward with feigned calmness. “Eat.”
Then he lowered his head to check his phone, while his peripheral vision stayed locked on Yu Qinzhou’s hand.
It moved.
Just to pick up a cup.
Put it down.
Moved again.
This time, Yu Qinzhou finally reached toward the plate.
On the left were Cen Jing’s skewers.
On the right were Ming Qi’s.
Ming Qi felt that if Yu Qinzhou had even slightly decent eyesight, he would pick the left side.
But reality proved otherwise.
Yu Qinzhou picked up a skewer from the right—one of the grilled vegetables Ming Qi made—and took a bite. Almost immediately, he felt a gaze burning into him.
He looked up. “How is it?”
The familiar question made Yu Qinzhou pause slightly. His eyes shifted to the plate, then toward the figure who had just been standing nervously by the grill.
A faint smile curved his lips.
Under Ming Qi’s tense stare, he said slowly, “A little strange.”
Strange?
Did he add too much cumin? Or forget the salt?
Countless thoughts flashed through Ming Qi’s mind. Just as he was about to give up on his “small gesture of goodwill,” Yu Qinzhou suddenly chuckled.
“No more teasing you. Mr. Ming, you should trust your idol status in the eyes of your fan.”
Ming Qi’s ears turned red. “So it’s just fan bias?”
“Of course not,” Yu Qinzhou said. “Full marks, plus fan bias. Congratulations, Mr. Ming—you got the highest score.”
As if to prove it wasn’t empty praise, he picked up another skewer.
And when Min Zhengyue tried to reach over—
Yu Qinzhou slapped his hand away without hesitation.
Meeting Min Zhengyue’s confused gaze, Yu Qinzhou replied succinctly, “Eat something else.”
Min Zhengyue looked completely baffled by his cousin’s sudden possessiveness over food.
He stretched his neck to take another look at the plate and tentatively reached for the skewers on the left side. This time, Yu Qinzhou did not stop him.
Rubbing his slightly reddened hand where he had been swatted earlier, Min Zhengyue bit into a flavorful skewer and thought—
The ones on the right are so ugly I wouldn’t even eat them if they were fed to me.
Hmph.
He grabbed another handful from the left and tossed some to Meng She. “Meng-ge, eat more. Best if we eat my brother broke.”
Yu Qinzhou glanced at him. “That would still count as your ability.”
He ignored Min Zhengyue after that and leisurely finished all the skewers Ming Qi had grilled. By the time he was done, the game between Meng She and Min Zhengyue had finally ended.
Meng She stared silently at Min Zhengyue for a full two minutes before finally accepting defeat.
“Min Shao,” he asked, “do you have connections in the entertainment industry?”
Min Zhengyue looked smug. “Quite a few.”
Behind him was a whole network of paparazzi capable of climbing trees and digging holes.
Damn it—he had been careless!
Meng She reluctantly downed more than half a glass of liquor. The alcohol burned as it went down his throat, making him hiss softly. “It’s kind of spicy.”
But after a moment, a unique aftertaste emerged. “Actually… it’s pretty good.”
Min Zhengyue immediately felt a sense of camaraderie. “Right? Want to continue? I can go steal a better bottle from my brother’s wine cellar.”
Meng She was tempted, but still firmly shook his head.
Min Zhengyue looked a little regretful but didn’t push it. “Alright then, let’s split what’s left.”
There wasn’t much remaining in the bottle anyway—just a thin layer. Poured out, it was barely half a finger’s height.
Meng She drank slowly, alternating with skewers. By the time he was full and satisfied, he stood up to stretch—and immediately stumbled.
“Damn!”
He steadied himself on the table and turned toward Ming Qi, who seemed to have noticed something.
After a pause, he asked, “If I say I just lost my balance, do you believe me?”
Ming Qi stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly asked, “Meng-ge, what’s the password to your ICBC card?”
Meng She: “867255.”
Ming Qi: “……”