To be honest, if it weren’t for the rumors about Pei Yusheng liking Wen Chuming, He Xiu wouldn’t have jumped to the conclusion that Qi Ji might be attracted to men.
Very few people knew the details of Pei Yusheng and Wen Chuming, and He Xiu only had a glimpse because of his position—it was confidential, not idle gossip. In his youth, He Xiu liked rumors and melodramatic songs, but after being hit by his fiancée’s actions and the relentless village gossip, he changed. When he re-enlisted and steadily rose through the ranks, he ended up overseeing and controlling the spread of such rumors.
That was when he first got wind of Wen Chuming.
Wen Chuming’s situation was unusual. He enlisted at nineteen, served three years in the Shenjian Special Forces with outstanding performance, and later, to carry out a top-secret mission, was faked dead and went into hiding. The mission’s secrecy was so strict that only his superior officers and the head of the unit knew; not even his parents were informed, to avoid leaks and protect the operative.
Naturally, Pei Yusheng, as the Shenjian team leader at the time, was kept in the dark.
A year and a half later, Wen Chuming’s mission ended, and he was reassigned to the B City military district, under He Xiu’s command. That’s why Wen Chuming accompanied He Xiu when he came to S City for a meeting.
Only after reviewing Wen Chuming’s files did He Xiu come across some of the rumors linking him to the former Shenjian team leader, and he was responsible for managing the information.
The rumors were half-true, half-false, hard to verify. He Xiu only knew that news of Wen Chuming’s faked death had shocked the Shenjian unit, especially Pei Yusheng.
When they recovered Wen Chuming’s body, Pei Yusheng hadn’t slept for three days straight; only his teammates forcibly dragged him away. After confirming Wen Chuming’s death, he didn’t rest but led the operation to destroy the criminal responsible for harming him, ridding the region of a long-standing scourge.
The mission’s success was significant, even prompting an official cooperation agreement between neighboring countries, but Pei Yusheng’s state deteriorated rapidly. After the commendation ceremony, he submitted his retirement, ignoring pleas to stay. The impact of Wen Chuming’s case on him was clear.
If it were just these facts, He Xiu wouldn’t have suspected Pei Yusheng had feelings for Wen Chuming—anyone would assume deep comradeship. What raised his concern were events after Wen Chuming’s transfer to B City.
As Wen Chuming’s direct superior, He Xiu received reports from military doctors: psychological tests indicated Wen Chuming had homosexual tendencies. Before He Xiu could discuss this with him, he discovered a lead suggesting someone intended to expose Wen Chuming’s true identity—and the trail even implicated Pei Yusheng’s father.
Alongside unprocessed information prior to Wen Chuming’s transfer, ambiguous rumors began surfacing. Some suggested the original Shenjian captain and vice-captain had an unclear relationship.
Supposedly, Pei’s family learned of this and was furious, arranging Wen Chuming’s faked death to sever their contact. But Pei Yusheng’s choice to retire surprised everyone. Investigating leaks linked to Pei’s father, it seemed his father, unwilling to see his son fall into despair, subtly revealed that Wen Chuming was alive.
The rumors hadn’t spread, but they were detailed enough that, if public, the fallout for two elite officers would be severe. He Xiu suppressed the information at the source.
Still, He Xiu worried about Pei Yusheng’s father. Although not in the military, he was influential in B City, and with a brother serving as lieutenant general, He Xiu had no authority if action was taken. Fortunately, Pei’s brother intervened and ordered all traces erased, so the matter was never publicly mentioned.
He Xiu had never met Pei Yusheng before today; at noon, he saw his name and face for the first time. Judging by Pei’s reaction, he likely hadn’t known about Wen Chuming’s faked death. Their unexpected encounter left He Xiu unsettled, and he sent updates to Pei’s brother, who only instructed him to report further developments.
So when He Xiu speculated that Qi Ji might like Pei Yusheng, he felt uneasy. He genuinely couldn’t support a romantic interest between Qi Ji—someone he regarded as a little brother—and such a powerful figure. Even if the rumors weren’t verified, the possibility was enough to alarm him.
If it were a naïve person like Qi Ji without counterintelligence experience, they could end up constantly monitored, to ensure they posed no threat to the Pei family.
The real concern was Qi Ji. He Xiu had no prejudice against same-sex attraction, but he sincerely didn’t want his little brother to walk such a difficult path. He only wanted him to find stability and happiness. He also knew that for Qi Ji to act so noticeably, the feelings were unlikely to be fleeting.
With such conflicting emotions, He Xiu arranged to meet Qi Ji at noon the next day, intending to clarify the situation. But before he could even ask, Qi Ji brought up Pei Yusheng on his own.
“Xiu… I have a question for you.”
He Xiu immediately sensed Qi Ji’s nervousness—beyond the apology in the alley last night, he rarely saw him this anxious. It was Pei Yusheng who unsettled him.
“You know… about Pei Zong and Mr. Wen?”
He Xiu paused his stirring of his tea. “Why are you suddenly asking this?”
Qi Ji hesitated, then briefly explained Pei Yusheng’s insomnia and how he had been taking care of him, summarizing it for He Xiu.
The more He Xiu heard, the heavier his heart felt. He had a strange sensation, as if the brother he had just reclaimed might be taken away again.
He also noted the timing: Pei Yusheng’s first sleepless breakdown coincided with Wen Chuming’s faked death. Roughly twenty days of no sleep, destroying the criminal’s nest, attending the commendation ceremony, and submitting retirement—this pattern lined up perfectly with the onset of Pei Yusheng’s insomnia.
Even more striking, Wen Chuming enlisted at nineteen—exactly Qi Ji’s age when he interned at Yuntu. The resemblance was uncanny.
He Xiu shivered. Had he been later, Pei Yusheng might have shifted his attention to Qi Ji. For second-generation elites, He Xiu never trusted their romantic discipline.
Realizing this, he felt he had to explain Pei Yusheng and Wen Chuming’s story to Qi Ji. He avoided sensitive details, keeping it simple. Watching Qi Ji’s expressions, he saw the sadness he couldn’t hide, and realized he could no longer convince himself that Qi Ji hadn’t been touched by Pei Yusheng.
Although reluctant, He Xiu knew the truth had to be told: the path of same-sex attraction was fraught, and Pei Yusheng wasn’t an ideal secret crush.
After hearing He Xiu, Qi Ji stared blankly at the strawberry cake he had barely touched.
After a quiet moment, He Xiu suggested, “Qi Qi, don’t continue the part-time job with Pei Zong for now, okay? If you want extra money, help at the club last night—there are soldiers I used to lead who can assist you.”
Qi Ji pressed his dry lips together, silent. He Xiu continued, “Or just pause the part-time work; your internship is busy, and next semester is graduation projects. Focus on that first.”
After hesitation, Qi Ji nodded slowly. “Okay… I’ll think about it.” He forced a small smile. “Thanks, bro.”
He Xiu ruffled his hair. “Don’t be polite with me.”
He Xiu had afternoon arrangements, so Qi Ji was escorted home. A new assignment at the company luckily kept him distracted. His cravings flared, but work kept him occupied until seven, when he left.
Planning to linger at the office, Qi Ji was stopped by Li Anbei, who invited him to dinner with friends. Qi Ji agreed, not wanting to be alone.
But stepping out, Qi Ji froze.
There it was—the familiar black Mercedes G, Pei Yusheng’s car.
And stepping out wasn’t Pei Yusheng…
It was Wen Chuming.
“Qi… Qi Qi?”
Qi Ji stood dazed for a few seconds, hearing only Li Anbei’s voice.
“What’s wrong, Qi Qi? Let’s go.” Li Anbei frowned, following his gaze.
“Wait… isn’t that Pei Zong’s car?”
Before Li Anbei could turn, Qi Ji’s quick, soft voice sounded behind him.
“Sorry, senior. I just remembered my brother has plans tonight. I’ll head back first—let’s reschedule dinner.”
Though disappointed, Li Anbei said, “No problem. Important things first, you should go.”
Qi Ji bolted away.
The piercing wind cut through him, numbing his hands and feet. He raced to a convenience store and bought a pack of cigarettes.
Lighting one, his fingers trembled. Each inhale was desperate, like a parched person sucking their own blood, or someone dangling over an abyss clutching a rough rope as it scraped against skin. The harsh smoke nearly brought tears to his eyes, dulling the unbearable pain slightly.
By the time he finished, the pack was crushed beyond recognition. Smoking was prohibited in the store, so he returned to Rose Villa alone.
The mansion was dark and empty.
Biting down on the half-smoked cigarette, Qi Ji accepted the truth. It had come to this. The original person affecting Pei Yusheng’s sleep had returned.
A timely reminder, he thought—not to indulge in delusions.
After finishing the pack, coughing, he returned to the master bedroom. The winter cold had stiffened him completely; the mansion’s artificial warmth was useless.
His gaze landed on a slightly open wardrobe, revealing a plush pajama—a hint of tempting warmth.
Yet Qi Ji didn’t approach.
The person who requested those clothes be treated as workwear wasn’t around; he had no right to overstep.
He lowered his eyes to the empty phone screen, still no message from Pei Yusheng.
Leaning against the bed, he slowly crouched, knees drawn to the hard floor. Something brushed against his arm.
He turned: the long tail of a cat plush.
He stared at it briefly before looking away, picking up his phone to dial a familiar number.
Even resigning required a call.
He tried to steady his frozen fingers, but the moment the call connected, a mechanical voice cut in:
“Sorry, the number you dialed is currently in use…”
Pei Yusheng had already hung up on him.