Xia Zhile forgot how he got out of there—from taking the elevator down to getting home and lying in his own bed, he was in a completely out-of-body, dazed state.
Staring at the ceiling all night, wide-eyed, he finally remembered.
He had run away in panic.
He hadn’t said a word. He couldn’t accept what he’d just seen, and he didn’t dare ask questions, fearing answers he couldn’t bear. So he turned and fled, utterly humiliated.
“Last night, what happened to him?” Gu Fei asked on the phone.
Though he didn’t say Xia Zhile’s full name, Lin Hening replied as if reading his mind: “Self-inflicted shame, basically.”
Gu Fei chuckled, confidently teasing, “Not as tall as me, not as strong as me, not as gentle or considerate as me, not as well-behaved or sensible, not as skillful or virtuous—so he ran away in shame?”
Lin Hening choked on his toothpaste water: “Gu Fei!”
Gu Fei shrugged. “Am I wrong?”
No, no, every word hit the mark, undeniable and true, evidence clear as day.
Lin Hening wasn’t afraid of his boasting: “It’s a total knockout—who wouldn’t surrender?”
“Coming over to my place tonight?”
“Yeah.”
Lin Hening stopped by Xinghua Restaurant after work and drank the bone broth Gu Fei had simmered for over six hours.
Gu Fei said he had a dinner to attend tomorrow night. Lin Hening nodded, sipping his soup and casually asking why.
Gu Fei answered, “It’s my dad’s birthday.”
Then added, “Biological dad.”
Lin Hening instantly recalled this—the last time he accidentally overheard a conversation between father and son, Gu Fei’s lips had formed the words “birthday” clearly.
Leaving Gu Fei’s shop, Lin Hening got a call from Jian Xiaoxi saying they’d just closed another case, and the whole team was celebrating at Meizu Bar, inviting him to join.
Lin Hening thought he probably wouldn’t get to bed on time anyway, so he decided to stop by for some fun. But halfway there, Jian Xiaoxi called back—new case, everyone needed to get to the scene.
Lin Hening said, “Let’s reschedule, I’ll treat next time.”
Jian Xiaoxi was surprised: “Wow, you inviting us to Meizu? What’s the big surprise?”
Lin Hening said mysteriously, “Stay tuned!”
He turned his car back toward home, but as he drove, he noticed a taxi had been following him for quite a while.
Testing the situation, Lin Hening waited until the last seconds of the traffic light and then made a sharp turn. The taxi driver was caught off guard but still followed him, ignoring the risks of speeding and breaking traffic laws.
Being tailgated again?!
Lin Hening’s nerves went taut. The taxi slowed down along with his Bentley and eventually pulled over to the side of the main street.
Since there were frequent police patrols on this main road, Lin Hening wasn’t too worried. When the person in the taxi got out, Lin felt like giving them a piece of his mind.
“Hey, Hening.” Xia Zhile walked up to the Bentley and knocked on the window.
Without thinking, Lin Hening blurted, “Are you crazy?”
Xia Zhile asked, “Got time to grab a drink?”
“No.” Lin Hening said, about to roll up the window.
Xia Zhile resorted to the old tactic, pressing five fingers against the glass like a sacrificial offering. “Hening, I have something to ask you.”
Third time’s the charm. Lin Hening thought if Xia tried once more, he couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t do something irresponsible for the sake of medical ethics.
“Lin Hening,” Xia Zhile’s face turned serious, “how long have you and Gu Fei been together?”
Lin Hening was baffled: “What’s that got to do with you?”
Xia Zhile kept going: “Are you living together?”
Lin Hening calmly said, “Let go.”
Xia Zhile pressed harder: “Have you slept together?”
Lin Hening slammed the window up and quickly pulled his hand back.
Turns out, Doctor Xia really did cherish his “tools for eating,” after all!
Just as Lin Hening was about to hit the gas, Xia Zhile shouted hoarsely, “You don’t love yourself!”
Gas pedal turned to brake.
What the heck?
Where did this feudal remnant come from?
Lin Hening stuck his head out the window and caught sight of Xia Zhile biting his lip, looking both hurt and furious—an oddly comical expression.
Suddenly, it made sense. Since they’d dated for two years without sleeping together, Xia cared a lot about that.
Lin Hening fought back a laugh and asked, “Have you slept with An Nian?”
Xia Zhile didn’t answer, but instead happily stomped to the side of the car, eyes blazing as he stared at Lin Hening. “Does that bother you?”
Bother me? Not at all!
Lin Hening rolled his eyes so hard they nearly went to the back of his head, but Doctor Xia was oblivious.
“Hening, I… I don’t mind.”
Lin Hening blinked.
Huh?
“Even if you’ve done that thing with Gu Fei, it’s okay. Just a fling, I get it.”
Huh?!?
“I broke up with An Nian. No lie. We cut ties cleanly and completely. I’ll give you time—I’m waiting for you.”
Huhhhh???
Lin Hening was stunned, speechless. He’d seen countless drama queens and weirdos before, but none quite like this familiar stranger. He looked at Xia Zhile like an alien specimen.
“Xia Zhile, you need to see a neurologist. No joke.”
“You have serious delusions, and those brain orgasms you get anytime and anywhere—going crazy isn’t scary, but disturbing others? That’s just lack of public decency.”
Xia Zhile got insulted and scolded, but instead of getting mad, he felt sorry for Lin Hening. He couldn’t believe it and pressed: “Lin Hening, do you really want to be with someone like Gu Fei?”
Lin Hening laughed bitterly, “What kind of person is Gu Fei?”
Before Xia could answer, Lin Hening said firmly, “He’s reliable and trustworthy, obedient and loyal. He cooks me amazing meals every day, like a full Manchu banquet—I love it.”
Xia Zhile choked on his words, his face as red as a pig’s liver, no darkness could hide it.
The Bentley started up and drove off.
Xia Zhile kicked a utility pole furiously, venting his anger. The pole didn’t budge, but his toes hurt.
What right did a poor guy who drove a van and cooked have?!
Xia Zhile couldn’t swallow his anger, so he flagged down a taxi and headed straight to the Apricot Blossom Restaurant.
“Welcome—wait, why is it you?” Zhou Zhou rolled his eyes.
Xia Zhile wanted to glare back but then thought about their respective positions. There was really no need to stoop to his level. “I’m not here to eat. Tell your boss to come out.”
Zhou Zhou shouted upstairs.
When Gu Fei came downstairs, Xia Zhile was sitting by the window, legs crossed casually, his expression half-disinterested.
“I need to talk to you.”
Gu Fei sat opposite him. “About what?”
A faint sneer curled at Xia Zhile’s lips. “I never thought some people could be this shameless. Don’t you have any self-awareness? Do you think you deserve Lin Hening?”
Gu Fei: “???”
Of course, he knew Xia Zhile came looking for trouble. But he expected some sort of buildup, some preamble—not just an all-out verbal assault right from the start.
And honestly…
The words barely hurt him at all. The ridiculousness was actually quite entertaining.
Xia Zhile’s eyes sharpened with a cold edge. “Look at yourself—running a small restaurant, can’t even afford a new car, broke as hell. Someone like you hanging around Lin Hening will only make his friends laugh at him and embarrass him in front of his relatives. For Lin Hening’s sake, if you really like him, you should leave him alone. Don’t hold him back!”
From afar, Zhou Zhou listened in stunned silence.
The fat guy was in awe. Incredible, unbelievable—what kind of creature was this?
Gu Fei closed his eyes, sighed deeply, still puzzled. “Yeah, I never thought Doctor Xia could be this shameless either. Don’t you have any self-awareness, ex-boyfriend? Cheating, backstabbing Lin Hening—do you deserve him?”
Xia Zhile’s face turned pale.
Gu Fei spoke earnestly, “Take a good look at yourself. You’re all show and no substance. Stay away from Hening. Of course, I’m doing this for his own good—trying to talk some sense into you. Your existence won’t affect Hening at all. His family and friends will just pity him for having bad taste in people, and laugh at you as a ridiculous clown.”
“You—!” Xia Zhile almost spat blood in anger.
So arrogant. Way too arrogant!
Who did he think he was, talking to him like that? What was his status? And what was Xia Zhile’s?
Xia Zhile couldn’t sleep all night.
The next day, he got up with dark circles under his eyes and accidentally glanced at the calendar.
Damn it!
It was the director’s birthday!!
That was an upper-class event—not a place for him to show off like a cosplay panda to grab attention.
In a hurry, Xia Zhile applied a face mask, then went to a professional salon to get himself groomed from head to toe.
Looking at his polished, refined reflection—shining even brighter than a celebrity—Xia Zhile felt confused and uncertain.
Deep down, he was proud and defiant, despising bootlickers who kissed up to leaders.
But now he realized, to get ahead, you had to flatter the boss.
Besides, the director already liked him and had publicly praised him as a promising young talent.
If he made an effort to show his presence and get close to the director, it wouldn’t be long before he “ruled the department with an iron fist.”
The department chief was old and ready to retire.
