Nie Jun asked, “What do you need me to do?”
Kong Wenyu paused, his brows tightening slightly.
Nie Jun’s voice remained steady. “I’m fine with it—whether as your bodyguard or as your lover. Just tell me what you need me to do.”
Moments like this always made Kong Wenyu wonder—what exactly was Nie Jun’s purpose in coming to the Kong family, in coming to him?
If it was for money, that was understandable. But if it was only for money, his acting skills were too good—he should be in the film industry. Kong Wenyu could easily make him famous.
His scrutinizing gaze felt almost penetrating. After a long moment, Kong Wenyu finally withdrew his eyes. “There’s nothing you need to do.”
He lowered his head, looking at the four dishes and one soup, and the steaming bowl of rice. “For now, just don’t let my second aunt find out. The Kong family has plenty of ‘eyes.’ If I need something, I’ll come to you.”
For the first time, a flicker of emotion appeared in Nie Jun’s eyes. He gave a low “Mm” from his nose.
Kong Wenyu glanced up at him. Nie Jun still hadn’t taken a single bite. He ordered, “Finish your meal.”
After dinner, Hai Ming came to pick him up. Kong Wenyu stood at the entrance of the apartment building while Nie Jun stayed one step behind him. The old community lights flickered on, casting the dense locust leaves above into clouds of green haze.
At some point, the rain had stopped. Occasionally, people passed by on the narrow path, and voices could be faintly heard in the distance.
Hai Ming got out of the car and froze for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Nie Jun before settling on Kong Wenyu.
Kong Wenyu glanced toward the vehicle. Shola, thrilled, pushed open the car door that hadn’t been fully closed and bolted toward them like a streak.
It was a large dog, barreling happily toward Kong Wenyu. When it got close, it leapt up. Kong Wenyu caught it, taking two steps back before regaining his balance.
Nie Jun quickly steadied him with a hand on his back, preventing him from falling.
Kong Wenyu turned his head to glance at him, and only then did Shola seem to notice the stranger. The dog bared its teeth and barked once.
Kong Wenyu patted its head. “Shola, quiet.”
Shola clung to Kong Wenyu—it had been raised by him since it was a pup. While playful with familiar people, it was fierce toward strangers. Its large size made its barking particularly intimidating.
But perhaps because Nie Jun carried Kong Wenyu’s scent, Shola seemed confused, circling him a few times without continuing to bark.
Nie Jun pulled his gaze away from the dog and looked back at Kong Wenyu.
Kong Wenyu extended his hand toward Hai Ming. “Checkbook.”
Hai Ming paused, then went to the car and returned with a checkbook.
Kong Wenyu tore out a check, signed it, and held it between his long index and middle fingers, handing it to Nie Jun.
“Fill in the amount yourself.”
Nie Jun didn’t move, his eyes deep and unreadable as he looked at him.
Kong Wenyu flicked his wrist slightly, signaling him to take it.
The paper made a faint rustling sound in the air. Nie Jun still didn’t move, and Kong Wenyu’s face began to show irritation.
Shola nudged Kong Wenyu’s leg but was gently blocked away.
The dog became restless, pacing around Kong Wenyu once, then circling Nie Jun.
Kong Wenyu’s lips curved downward slightly. Without further discussion, he shoved the check into Nie Jun’s hand, took his cane, and slowly made his way into the car.
Several times as Nie Jun followed behind, he instinctively reached out to help, but Kong Wenyu ignored him each time.
Hai Ming closed the car door for him, walked around to the other side, and gave Nie Jun a call me gesture before getting in.
Nie Jun stood silently, staring at the car, but all he could see was the heavy, dark-tinted window glass.
The old apartment complex gradually faded behind them. Kong Wenyu stared out the window, watching the street vendors recede in the distance.
It was the hour when the night market came alive—crowds bustling, voices overlapping, and cars inching forward slowly through the chaos.
Hai Ming glanced at Kong Wenyu’s reflection in the car window. He seemed to be in a better mood—at least better than at noon.
When they’d come earlier, Kong Wenyu had been dressed casually in a light knit sweater and dress pants. Now, all of that had been changed.
He wore a black windbreaker—the kind Nie Jun often wore. His pants were light gray sweatpants, the cuffs loosely rolled up twice, clearly not his size.
Hai Ming didn’t ask about the new clothes. Instead, he reported, “The butler called. Your second aunt went by the house this evening. She didn’t wait for you to return. She had dinner and left.”
Kong Wenyu didn’t react, just kept quietly watching the scenery outside.
“Secretary Ling said they couldn’t reach you,” Hai Ming continued, “and the Ao family called—they want to have dinner with you tomorrow.”
Kong Wenyu gave no response. Instead, he reached into one pocket, then the other, feeling around.
The driver thought he was looking for something and switched on the interior light.
Kong Wenyu lowered his head, glanced down, sighed, and leaned back in his seat.
“Did you lose something?” Hai Ming asked.
Kong Wenyu had actually left his phone on the storage shelf by Nie Jun’s door, but he didn’t mention it. “It’s fine.”
The car drove out of the crowded night market, and within three minutes of cruising down a wide, open road, they arrived at the Kong family residence.
Kong Wenyu stepped out with a cold expression. The butler was waiting by the door. “You’re back, sir. Dinner is already prepared.”
Kong Wenyu shot him a look, face expressionless. “Is there still food for me?”
The butler froze for a moment. “The kitchen kept the dishes warm for you, ready for whenever you returned.”
“Oh,” Kong Wenyu’s lips curved slightly. “I assume they’re not leftovers from someone else, are they?”
“Of course not,” the butler replied quickly, then hesitated before explaining carefully, “Miss came by earlier in the evening. When she couldn’t wait any longer and it was already dinner time, I took the liberty of asking the kitchen to make some of her favorite dishes. She left after eating.”
“You took the liberty?” Kong Wenyu’s eyes narrowed. “Who gave you that right?”
“I’ve told you before—no matter who comes to see me, if I haven’t given permission, no one is to be entertained or kept here.” His anger was overt, in both his tone and his expression, leaving no doubt to anyone watching. “Tell me—does this household listen to you now, or to me?”
The living room fell utterly silent. The butler wrung his hands nervously, hardly daring to breathe. “But Miss isn’t married yet, so she’s still technically a member of the Kong family…”
“I know you watched my second aunt grow up, and it’s natural that you’re attached to her.” Kong Wenyu let out a sharp laugh. “In that case, starting today, you can go be her butler.”
The butler immediately admitted fault, breaking into a sweat.
But Kong Wenyu’s face was cold as ice, and no one dared to intervene.
In that tense silence, a faint sound came from the doorway. Someone, clearly lacking all sense of timing, had chosen this exact moment to enter and witness the scene.
Kong Wenyu’s patience snapped. “Get out.”
Nie Jun, dressed all in black and holding Kong Wenyu’s forgotten phone, froze at the doorway, hand braced on the frame.
Kong Wenyu looked at him for several seconds, then turned his eyes away, still seething. “Everyone out.”
From the butler to the servants, they all lowered their heads and hurriedly retreated. Even Hai Ming hesitated for a moment before turning to leave.
Nie Jun stood by the door, clearly wanting to say something. But Kong Wenyu treated him no differently: “You too. Get out.”
…That same afternoon, he’d been calling out hoarsely in bed. Now, the moment he was off it, he acted as if he didn’t even know him.
Hai Ming tugged at Nie Jun’s sleeve, leading him away. Nie Jun didn’t say anything—he walked down the steps silently.
At the security office, Hai Ming sighed, sat down at the table, and lit a cigarette. Nie Jun waved off the offer of one before asking, “What happened? Why is he this angry?”
“I should be the one asking you that,” Hai Ming said, frowning as he looked Nie Jun up and down. “What exactly did you two talk about this afternoon? How could it take that long?”
Nie Jun said nothing. Kong Wenyu’s phone was still in his pocket, buzzing twice with incoming calls. He neither answered nor declined them, letting them time out on their own.
“I’m not trying to pry,” Hai Ming continued. “But as someone in charge of the security team, I need to be prepared for any sudden issues. You get what I mean, right?”
Nie Jun was silent for a moment, then finally nodded.
Hai Ming was the first to speak. “To show good faith, each of us shares something.”
Without waiting for Nie Jun to agree, he went on readily, “I’ll go first. Mr. Kong died of a heart attack—you already know that.”
Nie Jun looked at him. Hai Ming’s eyes flicked toward the duty room door, then out to the empty courtyard. “The night Mr. Kong collapsed, Madam wasn’t home—she was attending a charity gala. That gala was organized by the second aunt. From then on, their relationship kept deteriorating.”
Nie Jun’s brow slowly furrowed.
Hai Ming continued, “Madam fell seriously ill afterward, and she’s still recovering. Today, when we went over, she and the boss had another fight. After that, his mood was terrible. You just showed up at the wrong time—getting yelled at is normal. Don’t take it personally.”
Nie Jun stared out the window silently. Hai Ming reminded him, “Your turn.”
After a pause, Nie Jun finally came up with something. “I used to be a mercenary.”
Hai Ming blinked. “Huh?”
Nie Jun’s fingers curled slightly, brushing against Kong Wenyu’s phone in his pocket, as if touching the man’s cheek instead. “I’ve done protection work. I’ve also… staged car accidents. If needed, I can help.”
Hai Ming studied him skeptically, then quickly decided to believe him.
His looks and demeanor were just too steady. Wherever he was, people naturally felt safe.
Hai Ming hadn’t gotten the intel he’d really wanted, so he kept talking. “I’ll give you another one. The boss’s bad relationship with Madam isn’t just because of that incident. When he was younger, he was really rebellious. She wanted to groom him for business or politics, but he loved the arts—he played the violin, loved concerts. Neither side would back down. Plus, she had a nephew from her own family, Yu Jiaduo, who was into stock trading since childhood. The constant comparison made things worse.”
Not that Yu Jiaduo was any kind of good guy, Nie Jun thought.
Now it was his turn again. There was no way he was going to reveal anything about Kong Wenyu.
While he was still thinking what to say, Hai Ming pressed, “What exactly did the boss want to discuss with you?”
Nie Jun pressed his lips together without answering. Seeing his hesitation, Hai Ming guessed, “Does it have something to do with the second aunt?”
Nie Jun glanced at him. Hai Ming’s eyes widened. “Wait—you just said you were a mercenary. Don’t tell me he asked you to tail her, so he could…”
Nie Jun quickly raised a hand. “No. It’s just that… I was the one who hit the wolf.”
Hai Ming sucked in a sharp breath. “What??”
“That’s a pretty big secret,” Nie Jun said firmly. “Only three people know about it.”
“Which three?”
“You, me,” he paused, “and the boss.”
Hai Ming stared at him for several seconds, clearly thinking this must have been something Kong Wenyu had arranged. He gave a short nod. “Fine. I’ll pretend I don’t know anything about it.”
“I’ve got an even bigger secret,” Hai Ming said.
But before he could spill it, the duty room’s landline rang.
Hai Ming answered immediately, voice turning formal. “Security office, Hai Ming speaking.”
Kong Wenyu’s cold voice came through the line: “Where’s Nie Jun?”
“He’s right here,” Hai Ming glanced at Nie Jun standing nearby. “Do you need him to—”
“Send him up,” Kong Wenyu interrupted, then hung up.
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