Chapter 53

Three minutes later, Xie Huai glanced at his watch. Just before leaving, Qi Xu had told him he was heading to the restroom.

The KTV room was still buzzing with energy. Xie Huai scanned the space and quickly noticed that Gao Wenjun was also missing. Without another word, he stood up and stepped outside.

As soon as he exited the room, Shen Zeyu appeared from the opposite hallway, smiling. “Ah Huai, is it too loud in there? I can walk you back if you want.”

Xie Huai’s eyes swept the direction Shen Zeyu had come from. His voice was cold: “No need.”

Shen Zeyu seemed to pick up on the fact that Xie Huai was looking for someone. His smile deepened. “Honestly, I’m really glad you came to our class gathering. Seeing you again felt like we were back in senior year of high school, sharing meals in the cafeteria.”

Xie Huai looked at Shen Zeyu’s face. For a moment, Shen Zeyu thought he had triggered some shared nostalgia.

But then Xie Huai said, “Sorry, all I remember from senior year is competition prep. Nothing else was important to me.”

This was the real Xie Huai—detached, cold, and unapproachable. Back in school, every conversation Shen Zeyu ever had with him revolved around academics. Nothing personal.

He’d carefully maintained that relationship, always mindful of overstepping, inching closer little by little. And now, it all seemed on the verge of slipping away.

He had never once been invited to one of Xie Huai’s private gatherings. Never initiated a conversation unless it was school-related. He thought he was playing it smart, being considerate.

So why—why was Qi Xu the exception the moment he showed up?

Xie Huai walked past him, heading toward the nearby private rooms Shen Zeyu had just come from.

Suddenly, Shen Zeyu blocked his way, looking up at him with a wounded gaze. “I’ve been by your side all this time—why won’t you just look at me properly? We’ve known each other since we were kids. Why are you siding with Qi Xu? Just because he sees me as an enemy, you do too?”

Xie Huai frowned. His tone was ice cold: “You’re the one who made him your enemy. You really think he didn’t notice your little schemes? He just doesn’t care enough to bother with you. As for why I’m on his side—why would I need to explain that to you?”

A flicker of guilt flashed in Shen Zeyu’s eyes. But at this point, there was no turning back. He clenched his jaw and blurted out, “I like you. Qi Xu knows. He approached you to get back at me. He just wanted to keep you away from me. And now he’s succeeded.”

He couldn’t believe Qi Xu wasn’t holding a grudge—wasn’t angry at him for stealing eighteen years of his life, his birth parents, his older brother. For leaving him to suffer all those years in that backwater village.

Shen Zeyu knew Qi Xu must resent him. And now even his parents and older brother were favoring Qi Xu more and more. The revenge had been carried out—mission accomplished.

But Xie Huai calmly laid bare the truth: “He didn’t approach me on purpose. I was the one who sought him out. I was curious. I pursued him. I wanted to keep him by my side.”

His words were like a dagger, slashing through every lie Shen Zeyu had tried to cling to—and then salting the wound for good measure.

Shen Zeyu stared at him, stunned. In a daze, he asked, “So you’re saying… you like him?”

Xie Huai didn’t feel the need to share his feelings with anyone—not unless it was Qi Xu himself. Qi Xu didn’t even know yet. No one else deserved to.

Instead of answering, he asked, “Which room are they in?”

His silence said enough.

Shen Zeyu snapped, unraveling. “I don’t know. What, are you going crazy just because he’s alone with someone else? Who knows—maybe they’re already hooking up. Why don’t you just leave them be?”

Xie Huai’s gaze turned pitch-dark, and without another word, he brushed past Shen Zeyu and pulled out his phone to call Qi Xu.

No signal. The call didn’t go through.

—

Inside the KTV private room, Qi Xu took in the painfully pink “confession” decorations, and couldn’t help feeling exasperated.

He’d already made his stance crystal clear—and even called out Shen Zeyu’s tricks to his face. And yet the guy still had the nerve to drag him here.

Qi Xu had followed him in thinking there might be some cunning scheme—maybe he could get him to slip up and say something useful. His phone was already recording from inside his pocket. At this point, Qi Xu seriously suspected Gao Wenjun might have a split personality.

Gao Wenjun, on the other hand, was buzzing with anticipation. The fact that they were alone in this room now made his heart race with the wild hope that something would actually happen.

He walked over to the table, poured a glass of liquor, and handed it to Qi Xu with a casual air. “You came in here with me. That means you feel something too, right? Otherwise, why would you agree to be alone with me?”

Qi Xu didn’t bother to hide his disdain. “Gao Wenjun, I’ve already made it clear that I’m not interested. If you keep this up, I won’t hesitate to have you join Huang Chao in lockup.”

Gao Wenjun, unbothered by the warning, admitted everything. “You were the one who seduced me first. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have sent those messages. Go ahead and tell everyone—then at least it’ll be out that you’re gay.”

To Gao Wenjun, being gay was something shameful. He came from a small conservative town. Even though he’d made it to the capital through sheer academic effort, his thinking had long been shaped by the rigid views of his upbringing. He hated himself for his desires, but at the same time, he indulged in them. Why did he like men? Why did he only feel anything toward men?

To his parents and classmates, he was the golden boy—the top student, the role model. But beneath that perfect exterior, he was a mess. Before meeting Qi Xu, he never thought about dating men. He only wanted flings, one-night stands.

If Qi Xu agreed to be with him, maybe he’d be willing to settle down.

Qi Xu let out a small laugh, like he’d just heard the world’s dumbest joke. “And what if I am gay? So what? Let them talk. What’s there to be afraid of?”

Afraid?
That word hit Gao Wenjun hard.

Qi Xu’s light, unbothered tone stirred up something ugly inside him.

They were both from small towns. Why was he the one who turned out to be the rich heir who was switched at birth? Why wasn’t he just another nobody like Gao Wenjun? That way, they’d be equals. A perfect match.

“Turn yourself in, or I’ll call the cops. Pick one,” Qi Xu offered him the easy way out, still surprisingly reasonable. Going to the police himself would at least keep the whole thing quiet.

Gao Wenjun’s expression suddenly twisted. He knocked back the entire glass of liquor like it was some kind of bravery potion. “You’ve got no proof, Qi Xu. I do like you. That’s why I decorated this room like this. You like it, right? So just be with me.”

His eyes reddened, and the hunger on his face twisted into something predatory. He stepped toward Qi Xu. “I’ll make you feel so good.”

The smile faded completely from Qi Xu’s lips. He grabbed a microphone from the table and jabbed it into Gao Wenjun’s chest, shoving him backward onto the couch. Tilting his head slightly, he sneered: “Feel good? I’m the f***ing top, idiot. Save your energy for yourself.”

He wasn’t in the mood to waste more words. He turned to leave, only to find the door locked from the outside. He pulled out his phone to call Xie Huai, but Gao Wenjun suddenly lunged at him.

Qi Xu dodged cleanly, but his phone hit the wall and went dark—it had already glitched before, back in that alley behind the bar, and after one repair, it was apparently dead for good.

Looking at Gao Wenjun, Qi Xu’s amber eyes narrowed. In the pulsing, multicolored lights of the private karaoke room, they gleamed like cold glass. That look alone could send a chill down anyone’s spine.

But Gao Wenjun wasn’t in a state to notice. His entire body burned, his mind fogged, and all he could think about was claiming Qi Xu.

He ripped off his jacket, muscles tense, eyes glassy and wild.

That’s when Qi Xu realized something was wrong.

“…Did he drug himself?”

There had definitely been something in that drink.

Who drugs themselves?

It was absurd.

Even when sober, Gao Wenjun couldn’t beat him. Now, in his current state, where did he get the confidence?

To him, Qi Xu looked like a prize just waiting to be taken.

He charged forward again, hands outstretched.

Qi Xu didn’t even flinch. With one swift kick, he knocked him flat, stepped on his back, and upended the bucket of ice water and cubes right onto his head.

Cold water and ice spilled down, splashing onto Qi Xu’s shoes.

Gao Wenjun lay there, stunned, soaked, shivering. The combination of heat and ice left him frozen in place.

Qi Xu yanked the cord out of the karaoke machine and used it to tie Gao Wenjun’s arms behind his back. He didn’t even break a sweat—it was like tying up a sack of potatoes.

He crouched down beside him and even had the leisure to taunt: “You really think you’re the top? Who the hell gave you that idea?”

Gao Wenjun could only groan unintelligibly, his mouth barely forming words.

Qi Xu picked up his phone and pressed the button—nothing. Completely dead. Again.

There was no other way to contact the outside from this room. But he wasn’t worried. He sat calmly on the couch, waiting. Xie Huai should be here soon—it had already been five minutes. He’d probably called the police by now.

Before the dinner, they’d had a serious talk.

Xie Huai had handed him a thorough document—an analysis comparing the account that sent Huang Chao those anonymous messages to Gao Wenjun’s chat records in their class group.

The similarities in phrasing were uncanny.

Qi Xu hadn’t expected that level of detail. It was classic Xie Huai: methodical, factual, evidence-based.

Qi Xu hadn’t been surprised. “I did suspect him.”

Xie Huai had only said one thing: “But you didn’t tell me.”

Now, Qi Xu did: “I suspected him because he told me right off the bat he only wanted a hookup—friends with benefits. That’s not how someone confesses when they actually like you. But I wasn’t sure because he’s been putting on a damn good act lately.”

Xie Huai’s expression visibly darkened. Qi Xu bumped his hand with the edge of the document. “Look at you, getting all sulky again. What did I say that set you off this time?”

Qi Xu’s tone was like coaxing a child. In his eyes, Xie Huai was still pretty young anyway—not that he actually saw him as a kid, just… not far off.

Xie Huai caught the hand that was messing around and said in a low voice, “Can you tell me about this kind of thing the same day it happens?”

Qi Xu blinked. “You mean being confessed to?”

Xie Huai corrected him, voice even deeper: “That wasn’t a confession. That was harassment. He’s not worthy of liking you.”

Qi Xu gave an offhand “Oh”: “Fine, I’ll tell you next time.”

Of course, that analysis Xie Huai gave him wasn’t formal evidence, but it was enough to raise suspicion.

Qi Xu figured Gao Wenjun would make a move sooner or later. If he wanted to get close, the only chance would be during the joint class team-building event. On campus, he wouldn’t have the guts.

Xie Huai had told him not to go to that party, and definitely not to take risks.

But dangerous? Please. Qi Xu could take on six guys at once—what threat was one messed-up college boy?

He wasn’t worried that Gao Wenjun could actually do anything to him. What baffled him was how the guy thought drugging himself would help him overpower Qi Xu.

Did he not know those kinds of drugs made you weak as hell?

Then again, maybe it was his first time. No experience.

But drugging himself? That was insane. The only explanation left—he didn’t know the drink was laced.

When Qi Xu realized the door to the private room had been locked from the outside, he instantly knew Gao Wenjun wasn’t acting alone.

He didn’t have to wait long. Soon, a whole group burst in, led by Li Yan and that tall guy who’d been belting out Itch on the mic earlier—Fang Peining.

Xie Huai followed close behind, worry etched into his face as soon as he saw the scene inside. His eyes locked onto Qi Xu with obvious concern.

“Xu-ge—!” Li Yan roared.

That small body of his somehow carried enough volume to shake the room.

Qi Xu met Xie Huai’s eyes first thing, seeing the tight lines in his brows and the way he was trying to calm himself down with just his gaze.

Behind them, Chen Xiaohua was chewing out the staff. “I told you my friend was inside. Now look what happened! Your KTV’s gonna be held responsible!”

The employee was nearly in tears. “We’re a proper business, we don’t offer that kind of service! The key to the room just went missing—when we realized something was wrong, I immediately asked the manager for the backup.”

The police had come too—someone had called in a report about an illegal confinement inside the KTV.

As soon as the officers stepped into the room, their eyes landed on Gao Wenjun lying soaked on the floor, and then warily scanned over to Qi Xu, clearly suspecting him at first glance. Honestly, in that scene, it looked bad for anyone.

Until Qi Xu calmly stood and clarified, “Officer, this man tried something on me. I was defending myself.”

Everyone finally noticed who was on the floor. Gao Wenjun, shivering, sopping wet, hands bound behind his back.

Faces around the room showed pure shock. The class rep… him?

The cops hauled him up. He was still out of it, face flushed, barely conscious.

Qi Xu added, “You might want to take the wine on the table too. He was on some kind of stimulant.”

That shocked everyone again—whiplash from the chaos.

They’d all just been vibing, singing karaoke, and now this? If Xie Huai hadn’t suddenly said Qi Xu was missing, they might never have noticed in time.

No one expected something like this at a team-building night.

Both Qi Xu and Gao Wenjun ended up in the back of a police car. Xie Huai came along, lawyer in tow.

At the station, Qi Xu calmly gave his statement, answering everything. Meanwhile, Gao Wenjun was losing it in the next room. The officers had no choice but to send him to the hospital to get his stomach pumped, just to get him coherent.

When asked about any prior conflicts, Qi Xu plainly stated, “He kept sending me harassing messages. I already reported him once before.”

Thanks to the lawyer explaining everything clearly, Qi Xu only had to recount the events of that night and was allowed to leave.

Later, once Gao Wenjun sobered up, Qi Xu would need to come back to identify him.

Outside the station, Qi Xu saw Shen Fengkai and Xie Huai deep in conversation. Despite Xie Huai being newly an adult, he stood toe-to-toe with the 25-year-old Shen Fengkai—his presence absolutely holding its own.

Shen Fengkai rushed over, worry written all over his face as he looked Qi Xu up and down. “Are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital for a checkup?”

Qi Xu answered simply, “No.”

“Let’s go home,” Shen Fengkai said. “Mom and Dad are waiting.”

As Qi Xu passed by Xie Huai, he shoved a brand-new phone into his hands. Qi Xu couldn’t help but laugh—seriously? Was he that afraid they’d lose contact?

After getting in the car, Qi Xu swapped his old SIM card into the new phone, downloaded WeChat, and sent Xie Huai a message.

Mixed Signals:
You told Shen Fengkai to come get me?

The reply came instantly, like Xie Huai had been waiting the whole time.

X:
Shen Zeyu is likely involved in this. The Shen family is trying to cover for him.

Mixed Signals:
…
Cover? Let me guess—they’re hoping I’ll just shake hands and move on?

X:
The Shen couple care a lot about appearances. Now that you’re back, they’ll probably try to guilt-trip you—talk about protecting the family’s reputation and letting it go.

Mixed Signals:
I don’t want anything to do with them. I want to press charges.

X:
Get out of the car. I’m right behind you.

Mixed Signals:
…

Qi Xu rolled his eyes and called up to the driver, “Pull over for a second—I think I’m gonna puke.”

Shen Fengkai panicked and told the driver to stop. As soon as Qi Xu stepped out, he took off running.

“Qi Xu!” Shen Fengkai called after him, but he didn’t even slow down.

Qi Xu darted into the black Maybach that had pulled up behind them. The door slammed shut, and the car sped off before Shen Fengkai could do anything.

“Should we follow, sir?” the driver asked.

Shen Fengkai climbed back into the car, frowning. “Forget it. Take me home.”