By the time they got off the yacht, it was already past nine.
The rich kids had eaten and partied even longer afterward, and just about everyone had drunk a fair amount on board.
Jiang Zimu even more so—clutching his birthday gifts like he couldn’t bear to let go, he had to be helped off the boat by the crew.
Drivers from each household were waiting at the dock to safely ferry their young masters and ladies home.
Chen Wei and Old Gao, both bodyguards, had gotten to know each other thanks to their respective young masters.
The two stood chatting by the cars, both ex-military, bonding like long-lost brothers as they swapped stories from their days in service.
Among the group of drivers, their upright posture stood out the most. Everyone already knew Old Gao was Xie Huai’s personal bodyguard. Now they figured out who the other one belonged to—seeing the two boys walking side-by-side from the pier, they realized he was Qi Xu’s.
The young lords and ladies said their goodbyes. Zhang Xinping was especially reluctant, giving Xu Yichen and Jiang Zimu big bear hugs.
He didn’t dare hug Xie Huai or Qi Xu—he feared Xie Huai’s cold revenge, and that Qi Xu would just flip him over with a judo throw.
Xu Yichen had enough of Gao Wensen’s clinginess and shoved him into the car. “Alright, get going. No need to see you off.”
Qi Xu wasn’t heading back to the Shen family estate—he was going straight to the old house. His grandfather had already checked out of the hospital, fed up with the dull atmosphere, and had refused further visits from the Shen family.
Qi Xu simply said, “I’m off. See you next time.”
Then Xu Yichen did what Zhang Xinping didn’t dare—he threw his arms around Qi Xu.
“Brothers for life. I love cars.”
Qi Xu: “…”
He pushed him off. “You didn’t win enough tonight to even afford a car. You want me to buy it for you?”
Xu Yichen clutched his chest dramatically. “Come on, we’re tight! I mean, you didn’t come to my room to tuck me in because Xie Huai beat you to it!”
Qi Xu kept a straight face, playing along. “That’s one reason, yeah. Just give him a car for his birthday.”
Xu Yichen panicked. If Qi Xu really bought a car, he’d definitely get chewed out by Ah Huai.
He waved it off fast. “No, don’t! I was just joking.”
Qi Xu found it hilarious. “Alright, then I’ll let Huai-ge buy it for you.”
Xu Yichen squinted suspiciously. “Oh yeah? You get to decide that?”
Qi Xu pulled out a black card and spun it between his fingers. “I do now.”
Xu Yichen stared in shock—it was the black card, the unlimited one Xie Huai had put in the prize pool.
A real man knows when to bend.
“Bro Xu—” he drawled the words like a winding river, sending shivers down the spines of everyone nearby.
Qi Xu opened the car door and got in, locking Xu Yichen out. He rolled the window down and said,
“I’ll buy you a car—a toy one.”
Xu Yichen wasn’t picky. “Fine by me. Just make sure you use Ah Huai’s card.”
Qi Xu gave him an “OK” sign and waved at Xie Huai, who’d been watching them mess around the whole time.
“See you.”
The Porsche pulled out of the dock.
Xu Yichen turned to Xie Huai with a weird look. “You really went all out. I’ve known you this long and never even touched that card.”
Xie Huai opened the Cayenne’s door. “You don’t have your own cards? Why do you gotta touch mine?”
Xu Yichen looked deeply wounded. “You’ve changed, man. You feel like a stranger now.”
Xie Huai ignored him and signaled the Xu family driver to haul him into the car—he was clearly still pretty drunk.
On the last day of the National Day holiday, two good things happened to Qi Xu: he aced his written driving test with a perfect score, and after the test, he went to check out a few properties—and finally found one he really liked. He signed the contract on the spot.
The real estate manager hadn’t expected to land such a big deal on the last day of the holiday. He didn’t even have the contract ready and immediately called his staff to rush over with the deposit paperwork.
Smiling apologetically, he kept saying, “Sorry for the wait, Mr. Qi,” while urgently instructing someone to order flowers and set up celebratory fireworks.
Qi Xu, however, wasn’t in a rush. He didn’t push the manager. He simply stood alone in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the spacious apartment, gazing out at a stretch of open land in the distance.
Standing next to him, Li Kaixing lowered his voice and asked, “You’re settling on this one already? Not gonna look at a few more places?”
Qi Xu said, “Look ahead.”
Li Kaixing followed his line of sight and saw a patch of overgrown land. A few years ago, a developer had bought the land intending to build there, but something had gone wrong—nothing was ever constructed. Fortunately, they hadn’t even broken ground yet. If it had been a half-built project, it would’ve been a disaster for a lot of families.
“What about it? It’s just an empty lot.”
Qi Xu replied seriously, “Not empty. That’s golden land.”
In ten years, that area would become a new commercial hub—busy, prosperous, and full of opportunity. Property values in the area would skyrocket several times over.
Qi Xu’s previous place wasn’t in this district, but buying this unit wouldn’t be a loss. It was a long-term investment.
He’d sold his villa and swapped it for a luxury condo. From an investor’s point of view, that might seem like a downgrade, but Qi Xu was playing the long game—casting a wide net for a bigger catch later.
Li Kaixing instantly understood what Qi Xu meant. As someone from high society, Qi Xu clearly had access to insider information people like him would never hear.
“Wait—did you hear something? Should I buy one too… damn, who am I kidding, I don’t have the money.”
His job was already better than most people his age, but he’d only been working a few months and didn’t have much saved up.
Qi Xu glanced at him. “You could buy later. Wait a few years—the housing market’s too volatile right now. Better to wait until it stabilizes.”
Then he suddenly remembered something. “Oh yeah, how’d you even find this place? I thought listings here were rare.”
Li Kaixing explained, “A few days ago, Zhong Aiming and I were having dinner with a client. I overheard someone mentioning a friend who was selling a unit here. The owner had already moved abroad and left the whole sale in the hands of a real estate manager. The moment I heard it was a high-floor unit, I sobered right up—totally your vibe—so I got the contact info immediately.”
He laughed. “Didn’t think it’d actually work out. I guess I’m a real estate agent now, huh? So how much commission you giving me, Young Master Qi?”
Besides that patch of land outside, the unit checked every one of Qi Xu’s boxes—almost like it was made for him. It wasn’t too far from school either, about a half-hour drive—totally doable.
“I’ll treat you to a meal after the ownership transfer.”
After signing the deposit contract and wiring the money, Qi Xu noticed the real estate manager gearing up to set off the celebratory cannons. He said, “I’ll take the flowers, but skip the fireworks. Cleaning up after them’s a pain.”
Qi Xu wasn’t planning to renovate the place. Not that it wasn’t worth it, but he didn’t have much extra cash on hand. If he started a renovation project now, he’d end up poorer than when he lived back in Qi Family Village—and might even end up in debt.
Even though the deposit was paid, the handover would still take a bit of time. Qi Xu had classes to attend, so he handed over the follow-up paperwork to the company’s legal team.
Before heading back to school, he asked Li Kaixing to drop him off at the nearby mall.
Qi Xu had a clear goal in mind: he used Xie Huai’s black card to buy Xu Yichen a LEGO McLaren set—the kind marked “18+,” perfectly matching Xu Yichen’s maturity level.
When Li Kaixing saw Qi Xu pull out that legendary black card, he was stunned—his eyes locked onto it.
Mom, I’ve made it.
Qi Xu noticed the look in his eyes and said, “Pick something for yourself. Thanks for coming with me today.”
Li Kaixing didn’t hesitate and picked something he liked.
Qi Xu pulled out his phone to pay, but didn’t use Xie Huai’s card for that purchase.
After that, he stopped by a luxury brand store and bought a pair of earrings for Fang Qian, and a pair of limited-edition sneakers for Jiang Zimu—both using Xie Huai’s card.
After all, they’d spent big yesterday too. This was Qi Xu’s way of returning the favor using Xie Huai’s card. As for everyone else, Qi Xu didn’t know them well enough—he’d leave that to Xie Huai.
When it came time to split the prize pool, he’d just take a bit less. Fair enough.
Li Kaixing tagged along like a proper butler, carrying bags and watching it all unfold with awe. It was like seeing a scene straight out of a TV drama—real Young Master behavior.
Qi Xu took everything he bought for Xu Yichen and delivered it in person. Xu Yichen had just been complaining in the group chat that the seven-day break flew by in a blink, and was now back on campus, collapsed like a corpse.
When he got Qi Xu’s call, he immediately sprinted out of the dorm to the parking lot by the teaching building—cars weren’t allowed near the dorms.
As Xu Yichen approached, Qi Xu got out of the car, holding the stuff in his hands.
Xu Yichen curiously glanced at the man in the driver’s seat. It wasn’t Chen Wei—it was someone unfamiliar. And the car? Way too cheap-looking.
Qi Xu had no idea what Xu Yichen was thinking. He simply handed him the items in his hand. “Your sports car, Fang Qian’s, and Jiang Zimu’s. Mind passing them on for me?”
Xu Yichen took them one by one. “You’re quick to act. Used Ah Huai’s card, didn’t you? If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t accept these.”
Qi Xu laughed. “Yeah, it was his card.”
Xu Yichen caught sight of what looked like a bouquet in the back seat. He was terrible at hiding his curiosity and asked outright, “Who’s this?”
Qi Xu replied, “A friend of mine—also a business partner.”
Xu Yichen, seeing how calm Qi Xu was, finally brought up the rumors he’d been hearing lately.
“Someone in the circle’s been spreading stuff about your… orientation. It made its way to me. Want me to clear it up for you? Maybe find out who’s behind it?”
Qi Xu already knew who was behind it—either Shen Zeyu or someone from the Shen family. All Shens, all the same.
As for the rumors? He didn’t think much of them. Like the old man had once said, maybe he really did have a blurry sense of orientation.
But there was one thing he needed Xu Yichen to help clarify—with that megaphone of his.
“No need to clarify the orientation,” Qi Xu said calmly. “But do me a favor and spread the word about my criteria for choosing a partner.”
That one sentence packed too much information. Xu Yichen didn’t even have time to process what “no need to clarify” meant before Qi Xu continued:
“Quick, efficient, rarely makes mistakes. Though sometimes it does. But it churns things out nonstop and keeps the economy going.”
Xu Yichen blinked in confusion. “Wait… are you talking about a person?”
“No.” Qi Xu’s tone was perfectly serious. “My standard for a partner is… a money-printing machine.”
Xu Yichen: “…”
So gender didn’t matter—because apparently, his friend’s ideal partner wasn’t even human.
That was terrifying.
It reminded him of how, back when they were kids, Xie Huai once said he wanted a pet that worked like a radio.
Now both of the smartest people he knew had wires crossed somewhere.
Qi Xu patted his shoulder. “I’ll leave it to you then. Thanks.”
Xu Yichen was still dazed by the time Qi Xu left.
It was nearly 6 p.m. when Qi Xu got back to Q University—right in the middle of dinner rush hour. Food delivery guys were weaving through campus on scooters.
After parking, Qi Xu got out and closed the car door when Li Kaixing called after him, pointing to the bouquet in the back seat. “Young Master Qi, your flowers.”
Qi Xu replied, “Take them home.”
But Li Kaixing shook his head. “I’ve got to head out on a business trip to the next city tomorrow. No one’s home to take care of them. Might as well let you keep them in the dorm—you’ll get to enjoy them for a few more days.”
The real estate agent had been so thrilled after closing a major deal on the last day of the holiday that he went all-out, buying the biggest bouquet he could—stuffed with every kind of flower under the sun, centered around a dramatic spray of bright red roses.
Qi Xu brought the flowers back to the dorm, planning to trim them and split them into old water bottles—one or two stems on everyone’s desk. Make the most of them, get a few days’ worth of joy.
Students were all out and about grabbing dinner or picking up takeout, so Qi Xu walking back with a massive bouquet naturally turned heads.
Especially since he’d already become a minor celebrity in the freshman dorm area. Eyes followed him the whole way—and just as he reached his building, he ran into some girls from the neighboring dorm heading downstairs.
The reaction was loud and immediate.
“Wow, Xu-ge, who gave you red roses?!”
“Wait—you’re dating?! Congrats!”
“Ahh, you better be happy, Xu-ge!”
Qi Xu: “…”
He tried to explain: “I bought them myself.”
He had paid a deposit, the real estate agent sent the flowers—technically, that did make them self-purchased.
No one believed him. A chorus of “sure you did” followed him upstairs.
—
The moment he walked into his dorm room, Li Yan and Feng Zhenjie stood up at the same time, striking mock interview poses.
“Hello, this is Li-Feng Entertainment,” Li Yan said dramatically. “Mr. Qi, could you tell us who sent you those lovely flowers? Has your relationship status officially changed from single to taken?”
Qi Xu glanced across the room and noticed Xie Huai watching him too. His gaze was heavy, unreadable, holding a familiar tension that reminded Qi Xu of that moment back at the garden pool—when Xie Huai had looked down at him from above with eyes that saw too deep.
Their eyes locked, collided, and tried to pull each other in.
Qi Xu looked away first and closed the door behind him. “I bought them myself,” he said again.
Li Yan came over, still skeptical. “The girls next door were live-reporting in the class group chat—someone gave you flowers. And now you’re telling me you bought them yourself? You expect me to believe that?”
Qi Xu set the bouquet down on his desk and ruthlessly started dismantling the elaborate wrapping. Then he grabbed a few empty water bottles from around the room, filled them with water, and began arranging flowers—one vase per desk.
Li Yan and Feng Zhenjie were stunned.
“Xu-ge… what are you doing?”
“Flower arranging,” Qi Xu said matter-of-factly. “Also, take some over to the dorm next door. Everyone gets a share.”
Feng Zhenjie still wasn’t giving up. “Seriously, though—did you really buy them yourself?”
Qi Xu nodded. “Yeah. I was in a good mood today, so I bought myself some flowers.”
No sooner had he spoken than the dorm door was flung open—without a knock. Gao Wenjun stood in the doorway, eyes locked on Qi Xu like a cold-blooded reptile, hissing silently with that eerie, unsettling presence.
Qi Xu didn’t even look at him. He continued dividing the flowers calmly.
The next second, Xie Huai stood up and silently moved behind Qi Xu, cutting off that creepy gaze with his tall frame.
Li Yan, startled by Gao Wenjun’s abrupt entrance, quickly asked, “What’s wrong, class monitor? Something happen?”
Didn’t even knock.
Realizing he was overreacting, Gao Wenjun slipped back into his polished, diplomatic persona. “Sorry. I was in a rush. I just came to check in on everyone’s return status after the holiday.”
Li Yan, as dorm monitor, replied, “I already messaged you. All four of us are back.”
Gao Wenjun glanced around at their desks, noticing each one had a few flowers in water bottles. “Guess I missed that message with all the others. I’ll double-check later.”
Li Yan didn’t think much of it. He picked up the four makeshift flower vases on Qi Xu’s desk. “You heading to the dorm next door? Come with me. I’m bringing them some flowers. Xu-ge said, ‘If you see it, you get a share.’”
Gao Wenjun looked at the tall figure standing protectively behind Qi Xu. His eyes flickered with something dark before he smiled and asked, “Then do I get a share?”
Li Yan hesitated, a bit embarrassed, and turned to Qi Xu for help.
Qi Xu replied coolly, “Sorry, all given out. The rest are for me.”
The tension in the room was subtle, but unmistakable. Sensing the odd atmosphere, Li Yan kept a light tone as he pulled Gao Wenjun away to the next dorm, explaining the flower story along the way.
Worried Li Yan might fumble the explanation, Feng Zhenjie tagged along too.
Back in the now quieter dorm, Qi Xu tidied his desk, then handed back the black credit card.
“I used your card to buy gifts for Xu Yichen and the others,” he told Xie Huai. “So when the prize pool’s cashed out, deduct a bit from mine. Or don’t. Up to you.”
He then realized Xie Huai was still standing behind him, silent, a suffocating presence.
Qi Xu swiveled around in his chair, looked up at him, and teased, “What? I thought it was just a one-day usage deal. Getting attached already?”
It took a long moment before Xie Huai finally spoke.
“The flowers. What’s the story?”
But his gaze wasn’t on the flowers—it was locked on Qi Xu.
Qi Xu answered truthfully. “I found a place I like. Signed a deposit contract, and the realtor gave me the bouquet. No one else wanted it, so I brought it back. You’re not allergic, right? You weren’t when Fang Qian’s birthday gifts had flowers everywhere.”
Then, recalling Xie Huai’s sensitivity to allergens, he added, “If it bothers you, I can toss them—”
He stopped mid-sentence.
Xie Huai leaned in, eyes scanning his face for a moment, then gently brushed the skin under Qi Xu’s eye with the pad of his thumb, wiping away a speck of pollen.
The touch lingered, his finger pressing lightly against Qi Xu’s cheek, leaving a faint indentation.
And then he asked, quietly but firmly, “What exactly did Gao Wenjun say to you before break?”
Qi Xu glanced at the finger, noticed the trace of pollen, and rubbed his own cheek.
Then he smiled. “Seriously, Huai-ge? You’ve been dwelling on that all this time?”
Xie Huai said flatly, “The way he looks at you isn’t right.”
Qi Xu thought to himself, Well, neither is the way you’re looking at me right now.
But he didn’t say that out loud. After all, this was Xie Huai.
He explained, “That day, he said he liked me. Pretty sure Shen Zeyu overheard. I don’t know what he said to Gao after that, but soon after, Shen Jinrong saw me with Li Kaixing looking at apartments, assumed I liked men, and ran to tell Shen Zeyu. The whole thing blew up at the family dinner. Grandpa faked a hospital stay over it. The way all the events connected? Total chaos. Wild, really.”
He laughed as he said it—because honestly, it was just that absurd.
Xie Huai asked, “And your answer?”
Qi Xu, still smiling, replied with a question of his own: “Answer to what?”
Xie Huai pressed again. “Do you like men?”
Qi Xu hadn’t expected Xie Huai to care this much about his orientation. If someone else had asked, he could’ve easily said no.
But since it was Xie Huai… he didn’t want to give a definitive answer. Maybe because he wasn’t ready to, or maybe—because it mattered.
“Never liked one before,” he said.
He didn’t deny it outright. Saying he’d never liked one before left room—left the door open.
Just in case one day, he did.
Qi Xu nodded after speaking, clearly standing by his own decision.
Xie Huai didn’t seem the least bit surprised by Qi Xu’s answer. He returned to his seat and slipped the black card back into his wallet. “You like the house?”
The sudden shift in topic caught Qi Xu off guard. That phrasing—You like the house?—sounded way too suggestive, like Xie Huai was the one who got it for him.
“It’s alright. I’ll need to replace the furniture though, so it won’t be livable for a while.”
Just then, both of their phones buzzed in sync—Xu Yichen had tagged everyone in the group chat.
Xu Yichen:
My Xu-ge says his ideal partner is basically a money-printing machine. Gender doesn’t matter. As long as you’ve got deep pockets and fast hands, you’ve got a shot. So please stop speculating about his sexuality.
Qi Xu: “…”
He wanted to leave the group.
Xie Huai glanced at Qi Xu’s expression, which was the picture of despair, and asked, “Money-printing machines come in different genders?”
Qi Xu, ready to drag the whole world down with him, pulled Xie Huai into the mess. “Don’t be so hung up on gender—take you, for example. You’d be dazzling either way.”
Xie Huai: “…”
