Chapter 7

The fluorescent lights in the police station’s lobby shone brightly, reflecting off the polished floor.

Seeing the tall, handsome man walk through the door, the officer on duty stood up and went over to greet him.

“Mr. Nie? It’s you.”

“Officer Wu.” Nie Xu nodded at him. They had dealt with each other more than once before.

Nie Xu swept his gaze across the entire lobby. Apart from a married couple arguing and a young pickpocket who kept getting arrested, released, and brought back in for another scolding, he couldn’t see the person he was looking for.

“Still in the interview room,” Officer Wu said.

As he led the way, he lowered his voice. “This time, the situation is a little different from before.”

“The other party refuses to settle?” Nie Xu asked.

Officer Wu shook his head.

Mr. Nie was rather well-known at their police station. Last year, he had also come to the station to pick up a certain wealthy young master when he happened to run into a particularly vicious murder case in their jurisdiction.

The incident had happened suddenly, and the personnel being dispatched from the city bureau were still on their way. This Mr. Nie had leaped straight down from the second floor, rescued the hostage, and subdued the criminal.

His agility and terrifying combat ability had shocked the city officials who were there at the time.

Only afterward did they learn that he had an entire team of subordinates on the level of mercenaries. No wonder he was so formidable.

Even someone like him, however, couldn’t escape having to deal with the difficult young masters of wealthy families.

Officer Wu spoke as they walked, his feelings a complicated mixture of admiration and sympathy. “This isn’t really a complicated matter. People get drunk and fight all the time. We handle cases like this regularly. The problem this time is that the person who did the hitting insists he was just drunk and lost control. He refuses to admit anyone put him up to it. As for the victim, he says he won’t press charges. Originally, that person… you know, that Young Master Ji, could’ve walked away without any trouble. But then he suddenly changed his story and said he wanted to sue the victim for long-term emotional and psychological manipulation, as well as involvement in various illegal underground activities.”

What a night shift. Well, this was certainly a new one.

They had just arrived at the interview room.

Nie Xu took off his sunglasses and stopped outside the door.

Through the window, he could clearly see three people sitting opposite two police officers.

One was standing with his head hanging in dejection. Another had his head wrapped in gauze. And then there was the last one.

Because of his limited mobility, he had been given special consideration and placed in a chair that had been brought in specifically for him. He was sitting backward in it, with both arms resting across the backrest and his chin propped on his arms. A thin line of blood from a cut caused by flying glass shards was still visible on his face.

Officer Wu continued, “It’s not surprising to see this young master in a police station, but his behavior and the way he speaks are completely different from before. He answers every question and behaves so obediently it’s almost unbelievable. Take the female officer on duty tonight, for example. After just one night, she’s practically looking at him like he’s her own son who’d been psychologically manipulated by someone.”

Officer Wu muttered, “I never thought rich people could fall into a trap involving this kind of psychological abuse. I wonder if it’s real or not.”

Nie Xu neither confirmed nor denied the suspicion.

When he received the notification that morning and recalled those eyes in the rain, that moment of hesitation had been enough for him to call Jiang Lei down.

As it turned out, he now owed Ji Yang a favor.

But before those feelings had time to develop, he had been busy dealing with the unexpected situation. Less than twenty-four hours later, he learned that the other man had ended up in the police station again after drinking and getting into a fight.

Leaving aside the question of how Ji Yang had obtained the information in the first place—

The speed with which he’d reverted to his old ways was enough to make anyone irritated and restless.

Inside the interview room.

Ji Yang was getting a little bored.

There were large bloodstains on the collar of Wei Qiming’s jacket. He was still trying to explain himself to the police.

“This really is a misunderstanding, Officer. We’ve known each other for so long, and we’re on good terms. Isn’t it perfectly normal for our chat history to show me expressing concern for him?”

The officer opposite him slid a phone across the table and tapped the screen. “You repeatedly use phrases like ‘I’m doing this for your own good,’ ‘I’m just worried about you,’ and ‘You can’t go on like this.’ There’s also something else you need to explain. On multiple occasions, you hinted that you wanted Mr. Ji to bring out his older half-brother, and that you could help teach him a lesson. What exactly did you mean by ‘teach him a lesson’?”

That question finally made Wei Qiming’s expression change on the spot.

From the side, Ji Yang added in a faint voice, “The kind of lesson that would get you arrested in an anti-prostitution crackdown.”

“Don’t speak,” the officer reminded him.

Ji Yang smiled obediently. “All right, Officer.”

Wei Qiming forced himself to remain calm. “Xiao Yang was always saying that he and that illegitimate son didn’t get along. I thought he was getting a little too emotional about it, so I just went along with what he said out of concern for him.”

No wonder he was a master of psychological manipulation.

Ji Yang watched with appreciation as the tension beneath Wei Qiming’s mask became increasingly apparent. He wasn’t in a hurry.

Although this man wasn’t part of the main CP, he stuck around for quite a long time.

In the novel, readers had treated Wei Qiming’s manipulation of “Ji Yang,” his use of Ji Yang as a stepping stone, and his later vicious betrayal after he had gotten everything he wanted—which drove “Ji Yang” into a complete psychological breakdown—as satisfying plot points. From Ji Yang’s current perspective, it was like swallowing a fly. Nothing but disgusting.

Now that Wei Qiming was desperately trying to prove his innocence, the role reversal gave Ji Yang a pleasant sense of relief.

He was a rather vindictive person.

And that included grudges belonging to the original owner.

So, just as the police returned Wei Qiming’s phone and he had only just breathed a sigh of relief, Ji Yang leisurely opened a locally saved audio clip.

It had been extracted from a video recorded at an entertainment venue.

The volume had to be turned up to hear it clearly.

“Someone as stupid as Ji Yang believes anything you tell him… And ten or eight men, too… He actually thinks I’d be willing to hand Ji Chengyi over to other people to play with. That one’s not easy to get your hands on…”

With every additional sentence played, Wei Qiming’s face turned another shade greener.

Ji Yang smiled at him. “Brother Wei, this took me a lot of effort to find. Surely you recognize your own voice?”

Wei Qiming stared at him. “Shouldn’t the real issue be that you wanted revenge and planned to find a bunch of men for your own brother?”

Just then, someone knocked on the interview room door.

Ji Yang looked at the figure standing in the backlight, and his mind briefly went blank.

Then he pointed at Wei Qiming and said to the person at the door, “He was the one who lost his temper first.”

He added, “Fine, I admit I wasn’t exactly a good person either, but I never actually went through with anything, right?”

That wasn’t a lie.

While gathering information, Ji Yang had noticed that aside from his past mistreatment of Nie Xu, the original owner hadn’t actually participated in much. Otherwise, Ji Yang wouldn’t have dared to let someone smash a bottle over Wei Qiming’s head at the bar and still be sitting here so comfortably now.

Peng Jiaying, who had been standing off to the side like a wooden post the entire time, never quite understanding what was going on, finally seemed to come back to his senses.

He must have remembered his verbal agreement with Ji Yang.

Almost instinctively, he took Ji Yang’s side.

Seeing Ji Yang suddenly change his attitude, Peng Jiaying leaned in behind him and whispered, “Shouldn’t you be explaining that to the police?”

Ji Yang: “…”

I was afraid of getting revenge on me! If someone overheard you saying you wanted to find ten or eight men for the person they genuinely liked, you’d have to be out of your mind to provoke them like that!

Nie Xu stepped into the room at that moment and shook hands with the officers one by one, exchanging a few polite greetings.

Peng Jiaying muttered, “Even the police are being so courteous to him… His presence really is intimidating. Who exactly is he?”

Ji Yang murmured, “The master of my fate. The King of Hell coming to claim my life.”

Peng Jiaying adjusted his glasses and whispered, “…Did you really commit a crime?”

Ji Yang nudged him with his elbow. “Watch what you say. I, your young master, obey the law and am a model citizen.”

“Obey the law?”

Ji Yang had no idea when Nie Xu had come over, but he was now standing right beside him, looking down at him with an expression that gave nothing away.

Peng Jiaying had a good sense of self-preservation. He immediately took two steps backward, once again distancing himself from the center of trouble.

For some reason, Ji Yang felt that there was an emotion behind the way Nie Xu was looking at him.

Had something happened to Jiang Lei after all?

Was Nie Xu angry because Ji Yang had tried to find men for Ji Chengyi?

Whatever.

He had more important things to worry about.

“You came at just the right time.” Ji Yang curved his eyes into a smile, ignoring the question.

As he spoke, he reached out to lift the hem of Nie Xu’s shirt.

He was caught by the wrist before he could get anywhere.

He tried with his other hand, but that didn’t work either.

Then everyone in the interview room witnessed the young master’s arms being crossed and raised above his head in the blink of an eye. His own person who had come to bail him out restrained him with one hand, leaving him tilted sideways and hanging helplessly, completely unable to move.

Ji Yang gave up trying to maintain his dignity in this prisoner-like pose.

Noticing Nie Xu’s arm, he settled for pointing it out instead. “Officer, look at the injuries on him. They’re evidence too.”

“Injuries?” The officer glanced at the exposed, already scabbed-over marks on Nie Xu’s forearm and frowned. “What about them?”

Ji Yang smiled sheepishly. “I did that.”

The officer: “…”

Ji Yang immediately pointed at Wei Qiming. “But he taught me how.”

Wei Qiming’s expression grew even worse.

Ji Yang’s arms were starting to ache. Fine, hold me. Go ahead, squeeze as hard as you like.

He simply leaned forward, allowing himself to hang completely from Nie Xu’s grip. Then, resting his head comfortably against his own arms, he continued, “The whips that caused those injuries were specially supplied by Brother Wei. They have a group chat that’s been active for years. It’s full of rich second-generation heirs, and quite a few young men and women have probably fallen victim to them. Wei Qiming supplies them with the instruments and locations they use for their amusement.”

The officers’ expressions immediately turned serious.

Wei Qiming abruptly exclaimed, “Xiao Yang, that was just an ordinary group chat! You were in it too, weren’t you?”

Ji Yang sneered.

That group chat had been created specifically to gang up on “Ji Yang.”

Everyone flattered him to his face while secretly egging him on, waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

By the time Ji Yang’s upper body was nearly pressed against Nie Xu’s waist, he noticed the hand restraining him had loosened. He straightened up, rubbed his wrists, and looked up at the man.

Since he’s ultimately someone else’s, I should probably keep him happy.

His gaze stayed on Nie Xu, but he addressed the police. “Officer, my Third Brother is the very picture of a gentle, well-mannered man. His abilities and character are both first-rate. I don’t like him, and out of jealousy, I’ve done plenty of wrong things in the past. But I can’t keep making the same mistakes. I’m willing to provide the group chat information, pictures, videos, and other evidence. Please make sure you investigate this thoroughly.”

The officers were professionals, after all. They quickly sensed that this matter was far from simple.

But how difficult would the investigation be? It involved one of Fanzhou’s most prominent wealthy families.

The officers instinctively looked toward Mr. Nie.

Noticing their gaze, Ji Yang assumed they needed his cooperation, so he confidently declared, “He’s willing.”

Didn’t the novel say that Nie Xu showed an extraordinary degree of indulgence when it came to anything related to Ji Chengyi?

Ji Yang had already gone this far with his request.

And sure enough.

Nie Xu nodded at the officers. “Just follow the proper procedures. If you need anything, let me know.”

There was something a little strange about those words, Ji Yang thought.

\*

By the time they left the police station, it was already one in the morning.

Another day had passed.

Ji Yang stood on one foot, leaning against the car Nie Xu had driven over.

Not far away, Peng Jiaying was still so drunk he could barely tell which way was up. His colleagues had worked together to stuff him into a taxi that had pulled up by the roadside. Even as they did so, he was still shouting something about “keeping your word.”

There were hardly any pedestrians on the road, making the night seem even quieter.

The nights in Jinzhou had been like this, too.

The company he’d signed with back then had been right by the roadside. The talent manager who had signed him could have given Peng Jiaying a run for his money.

When drunk, the man would grab him and shout in the middle of the street.

“With a face like yours, you can definitely make your brother a fortune!”

“I’m going to make it big!”

“I’m going to shove every bastard who looks down on me into a septic tank!”

Back then, they hadn’t had any money. There had been something almost cheerfully impoverished about their antics.

This was one thing Ji Yang had going for him: he adapted easily and stayed optimistic.

When you had no money, you found a way to live without it. Now that he had two million a month in spending money, even if he failed again, surely he wouldn’t end up standing on the curb with Peng Jiaying, drinking in the cold night air?

“Xiao Yang.”

Wei Qiming stood about two meters away. He tugged awkwardly at his collar and gave Ji Yang a smile that was difficult to interpret.

“You really gave me a huge surprise tonight.”

“No need to thank me.” Ji Yang rolled his eyes. “I promised you a big gift. I hope you won’t be too busy dealing with the police investigation from now on.”

Wei Qiming took two steps forward.

“Why can’t you just behave?” he murmured, almost as if speaking to himself.

His eyes fixed on the cut on Ji Yang’s cheek, and he raised a hand as though to touch it.

Ji Yang couldn’t even be bothered to dodge.

Looking at the last person to emerge from the police station, he said to Wei Qiming, “I’d advise you to put your claws away. Do you believe he could rip your arm off if I called out?”

Wei Qiming withdrew his hand and touched the gauze on his own forehead.

He sneered. “Ji Chengyi won’t give up trying to win him over so easily. The two of them at least have that childhood bond, the kind forged when one saved the other’s life. Given everything you’ve done over the past two years, you really think keeping someone like that by your side means you’ve won?”

Ji Yang was sick to death of him.

He gave Wei Qiming a fake smile.

“Realized you can’t use me anymore, so now you’re trying to piss me off to death?”

Wei Qiming shook his head. “I just suddenly realized that you’re a lot more interesting than your Third Brother. I was blind before.”

What a lunatic.

“Brother Xu!” Ji Yang suddenly raised his voice. “Come here! Help! There’s a pervert over here!”

Wei Qiming’s face darkened like the bottom of a cooking pot. He clearly hadn’t expected Ji Yang to pull a stunt like this.

He pulled his collar up, didn’t dare look back, and hurried away with his head lowered.

“Coward,” Ji Yang cursed.

It felt as though he’d finally cursed out the resentment that had belonged to the original owner, too.

Nie Xu was standing behind him.

Ji Yang didn’t care that Nie Xu had heard everything. He asked, “All done?”

“Mm.” Nie Xu walked over, glanced in the direction Wei Qiming had gone, then looked away. “Why were you shouting?”

“Oh.” Ji Yang suddenly wrapped his arms around himself. “I’m too attractive. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to protect my chastity.”

Nie Xu glanced at him, seeming somewhat speechless. He reached past him, opened the rear passenger door, and ignored him completely.

Ji Yang tilted his head to look at the man. Remembering the question he’d been waiting all day to get an answer to, he asked, “Jiang Lei’s okay, right?”

Nie Xu’s movements paused briefly.

With one hand holding the car door, he turned his head and met Ji Yang’s eyes.

“He’s fine,” Nie Xu said.

Ji Yang patted his own chest. “That’s good.”

That’s one less chance of him getting his legs broken.

“What do you want?” Nie Xu asked again.

Ji Yang was taken aback. “I love someone, and that love extends to the people around him. I ask for nothing in return.”

Then he leaned toward Nie Xu. “Well? Are you touched?”