Chapter 3

The next morning, Qiao Jin received another call from the gym coach.

“Qiao Jin-ge, it’s Dada,” the energetic coach said cheerfully but cautiously. “Can you come tonight?”

Qiao Jin thought for a second but didn’t confirm:
“I should be able to. I’ll try.”

“Great,” Dada laughed, then hesitated before asking,
“Did you go to another gym last night? You sounded like you were… working out.”

“I—”
Qiao Jin stalled, his eyes briefly shifting away from the computer screen.

Lu Pingzhang’s face flashed through his mind.

“No,” he said. “I was playing ball with a friend.”

Dada let out a sigh of relief.
“Okay, cool! I’ll be waiting for you tonight then!”

After hanging up, Qiao Jin rubbed his temples, then moved to massage his thighs.

The aftereffects of last night’s lack of restraint were finally kicking in—he could hardly sit still.

He had arrived at the office early, before most others. But when he passed through the open workspace on his way to the restroom, everyone looked up and turned to stare at him.

Qiao Jin knew exactly what they were looking at—the love bite standing out starkly on his neck.

There was no way to cover it up, and he wasn’t about to fool himself with some half-hearted attempt at hiding it.

Maybe it was the contrast between his refined, ascetic face and the unmistakable mark of intimacy that made it all the more eye-catching. Every nosy glance followed him back and forth like a spotlight.

Qiao Jin, for his part, was as composed as ever. The calm he projected, paired with the suggestive red mark, created a strange but oddly balanced contradiction.

In the clear light of day, the contrast was almost too much. If not for the company’s strict policies, the receptionists might’ve screamed out loud in unison.

—

During lunch break, Yu Feng knocked on the door to his office. Qiao Jin wasn’t sitting behind his desk—he stood at the window, gazing off into the distance.

At the sound, he turned, the corners of his lips lifting in a polite smile. “Something you need?”

Yu Feng opened his mouth, hesitated, then pointed at his own neck, eyes averted. “Um… right here…”

Qiao Jin, in a tone that wasn’t the least bit apologetic, said, “Sorry, got carried away… But we’re all adults here. I’m sure everyone understands.”

Yu Feng nodded quickly, ears flushed red. A little awkward, a little embarrassed, he muttered, “I thought you didn’t know.”

His innocent reaction must’ve amused Qiao Jin, because his eyes crinkled as he smiled. “That outfit looks good on you. Youth is such a gift.”

Yu Feng was wearing the same athletic wear from his interview. Tall and lean, his limbs moved with ease, and even his slightly long hair couldn’t contain the raw energy practically radiating off him.

Qiao Jin still hadn’t taken a seat. He held a steaming cup in his hands and stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, not having taken a sip.

Yu Feng worked up his courage. “About lunch…”

Qiao Jin had already promised his evening to the gym, so he politely declined. “Maybe another day… or this afternoon, if you don’t mind. I brought food from the cafeteria. We could eat together.”

“Really?” Yu Feng asked, surprised.

Qiao Jin nodded with a soft hum, walked over to the desk, glanced at the time, and slowly sat down. “Perfect timing. Lunch break. Have a seat.”

He opened his meal box, picked out a few dishes, and slid them toward Yu Feng, keeping only a small serving of blanched shredded potato and carrots for himself.

Yu Feng sat across from him. The large office desk between them made it feel like they lived in two entirely separate worlds.

“Qiao Jin-ge—can I call you that? Here, you should eat.” Yu Feng pushed most of the food back across. “I really admire you.”

“Me?” Qiao Jin chuckled and shook his head. He blocked Yu Feng’s attempt to return the food and handed him a pair of chopsticks. “I’m cutting carbs—sticking to veggies.”

Yu Feng thanked him and smiled too. “You’ve got such a great figure, you don’t need to cut anything. I went to a law and politics university. Every day I’d walk past those office buildings, seeing all the white-collar workers in tailored suits, wearing luxury watches, driving nice cars. They looked powerful, serious, like they could do anything… just like you.”

Qiao Jin listened with a faint smile, then said, “That serious and powerful look? Might just be road rage from the morning traffic.”

Yu Feng let out a snort of laughter.

Qiao Jin picked out a few more potatoes. “College is great—freedom and dreams.”

Yu Feng tilted his head, young and a little shy. “I don’t want to be one of those students others see as aimless. I want to become someone like you.”

Qiao Jin nodded as he listened, but didn’t respond further.

He ate with careful, precise movements—his composed manner reaching a quiet peak during this simple lunch.

“So I wanted to thank you properly.” Yu Feng stood up and bowed. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity—thank you for letting me chase that goal.”

Qiao Jin’s lower back ached. He had to brace against the table to stand up. “I’m thinking from the company’s perspective when making a hiring decision.”

He patted Yu Feng on the arm and joked, “You’re talented. Even the best talent scout needs a good horse to recognize, right?”

Yu Feng beamed, showing a full row of white teeth—but the moment his eyes landed again on the mark on Qiao Jin’s neck, the smile faltered slightly.

Qiao Jin sighed silently and sat back down, continuing to pick at his potatoes.

His mood had clearly dimmed. Yu Feng didn’t press him further, and the two ate the rest of lunch in silence.

Qiao Jin finished his potatoes before touching the carrot slices. When he finally set down his chopsticks, he picked up his cup again.

“You local?” he asked, turning the cup in his hand.

Yu Feng shook his head. “I got in through the exams.”

“You know Lu Pingzhang?” Qiao Jin asked again.

“No, just seen news about him. A business tycoon. Big name in finance.”

Qiao Jin paused for a second, then followed up, “Know anyone else with the surname Lu Pingzhang?”

Yu Feng thought about it, then hesitantly shook his head. “My college roommate was a Lu Pingzhang, but…”

He paused for a moment, looking a little sorrowful, and said softly, “This probably has nothing to do with him.”

Qiao Jin had only asked casually, not really expecting to dig up anything significant. He gently rubbed the rim of his cup, regaining his usual composure and restraint.

Seeing that Qiao Jin had stopped eating, Yu Feng picked up the pace and finished his meal quickly.

There were still ten minutes left before the lunch break ended when Qiao Jin received a message from Lu Pingzhang’s secretary:

Secretary: “Mr. Qiao Jin, are you busy?”

Qiao Jin: “Not at all.”

The secretary immediately called him.

Secretary: “Hello, Mr. Qiao Jin.”

Qiao Jin: “Hello, Secretary Yin.”

Secretary Yin spoke in his usual robotic, emotionless tone: “President Lu Pingzhang said the household is out of safety supplies. He asked me to go buy some. Do you have any preferences or suggestions?”

Qiao Jin glanced at Yu Feng, who was tidying up the lunch boxes, and replied calmly, “No.”

“Understood,” Secretary Yin said. “Then I’ll go with President Lu Pingzhang’s usual preferences.”

“Mm.” Qiao Jin paused, then asked, “Did President Lu Pingzhang specifically tell you to ask me?”

Secretary Yin spoke slightly faster than most people—probably a habit trained by Lu Pingzhang himself: “Yes. His exact words were, ‘We’re out of condoms. Pick up more, and ask Qiao Jin which brand he prefers.’”

Qiao Jin loosened his collar slightly. Yu Feng looked over; he waved a hand, signaling him to carry on.

Yu Feng hesitated for a moment, standing to the side without moving.

Qiao Jin subtly lowered the volume and said with a calm expression, “I… I’ll pick them myself. No need to trouble you.”

“Understood,” Secretary Yin replied without the slightest comment or doubt about his sudden change of mind. “If you need anything, feel free to call me anytime.”

After hanging up, Qiao Jin let out a quiet sigh.

Yu Feng cautiously asked, “Qiao Jin-ge, since this one didn’t count, can I still treat you to a meal sometime?”

Qiao Jin responded with that flawless, warm smile again. “Of course.”

November brought a quick drop in temperature, and darkness fell earlier each day.

Qiao Jin was working late as usual. If it weren’t for a call from an old friend, he might not have realized it was well past office hours.

“Come out and eat,” Fu Linxiao said on the phone. “You’re working overtime every day—what are you trying to prove?”

Qiao Jin checked the time. “…I’m supposed to go to the gym later.”

“We’ll eat first, then hit the gym together.” Fu Linxiao urged, “Hurry up, I’ll see you downstairs in five.”

Qiao Jin ended the call and looked out at the shimmering city lights through the window.

—All that brilliance was a man-made illusion of harmony, completely misaligned with his actual mood.

He sighed, pulled out some eye drops from his drawer, tilted his head back and blinked a few times, then closed his eyes to rest for two minutes before packing up and leaving.

Fu Linxiao honked from his car, yelling through the open window, “Hop in. You’re driving tonight. I’ll pick it up tomorrow.”

Qiao Jin got into the passenger seat, fastening his seatbelt as he said, “You drive yourself home. I’ll just call a cab to work in the morning.”

“Can’t. I feel like drinking tonight,” Fu Linxiao replied while staring at him.

Qiao Jin glanced over, saying nothing.

Fu Linxiao’s eyes shifted downward, locking onto the mark on his neck.

“Looks like you’ve been living well lately,” he commented.

Qiao Jin replied helplessly, “As if you’re not always doing well?”

Fu Linxiao laughed. The car merged onto the main road, creeping along in traffic. Qiao Jin, feeling a bit carsick, cracked the window to get some air.

Frustrated by the traffic, Fu Linxiao looked like he wanted to smoke but held back.

Qiao Jin saw through him instantly. “Go ahead. I don’t mind.”

“You earn 1.4 million a year,” Fu Linxiao said, glancing sideways at him, as if he could read Qiao Jin’s apathetic expression without even turning. “You don’t smoke, don’t drink, have zero shopping habits, and your only hobby is working overtime. Where does all your money go?”

Qiao Jin looked off into the distance with a soft smile, saying nothing. The streetlights cast half-shadows across his face, making his skin appear warm and smooth.

Most of the time, he was silent and tolerant, like nothing ever fazed him.

Fu Linxiao ended up skipping the cigarette and unwrapped a lollipop instead, popping it into his mouth. He handed another to Qiao Jin.

The two of them sat there, sucking on lollipops—totally mismatched with their suits and dress shirts, but somehow, it suited them.

“Has President Lu Pingzhang been coming home a lot lately?” Fu Linxiao asked, his words a bit muffled. “You don’t look too great.”

Qiao Jin kept the lollipop between his lips and said nothing, which counted as a silent confirmation.

Fu Linxiao thought for a moment. “Is he seeing anyone else?”

Qiao Jin shook his head. Afraid his friend might misinterpret, he cleared his throat—sickly sweet from the candy—and added, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Fu Linxiao didn’t seem surprised, as if he’d seen it all before. “You’ve never asked? Like where he goes when he’s not home, who he’s with, where he spends the night—any of that?”

“I never asked,” Qiao Jin said, clearly wanting to drop the topic. “How’s the new company? Not just a promotion—you got a raise too, right?”

Fu Linxiao didn’t push further. He grinned, full of confidence. “More responsibility too. The big boss’s son is parachuting in next month—no idea how much mess I’ll have to clean up.”

The car crawled forward a bit more. Qiao Jin glanced at his watch.

Fu Linxiao noticed too. “It’s already late. Don’t bother with the gym—missing one day won’t make your abs disappear.”

“I don’t know… I already told the coach I’d be there.”

“What’s the big deal?” Fu Linxiao shrugged. “Take me with you next time. I’ll sign up for a membership and make it up to him.”

Qiao Jin hesitated. “Alright… I’ll let him know.”

He scrolled to the unfamiliar number in his call history and typed out a message: Coach, sorry, something came up tonight. I won’t make it.

The reply came quickly: Got it, bro. Can you add me on WeChat? It’ll be easier to reach you there.

Qiao Jin: Sure.

A few seconds later, his phone pinged with a friend request notification—must’ve been the coach, adding him via his phone number.

He accepted, and the coach immediately sent a voice message: “Bro, then tomorrow night you’ve gotta come, alright? I’ll be waiting for you.”

Hearing his voice instantly triggered Qiao Jin’s reflexive memory of Lu Pingzhang from the night before.

That man was just as overbearing in bed as he was out of it—always needing to be in control.

Fu Linxiao chuckled from the side. “Sounds like a sunny type. How’s his body?”

“How would I know?” Qiao Jin replied blandly. “He wears clothes during the sessions.”

Fu Linxiao burst out laughing again. It took him a moment to recover before saying, “Send me his WeChat. I’ll hit him up when I’m ready to get a membership.”

They spent a long time stuck in traffic. By the time they arrived at the Hunan-style private kitchen restaurant, it was nearly 8 p.m.

Based on past patterns, Lu Pingzhang had already gone home two nights in a row. Tonight, he probably wouldn’t. But Qiao Jin didn’t dare count on that—there was never any predictable rhythm to the man.

It was best to be home before nine. Any later, and he might run into Lu Pingzhang just walking through the door.