Chapter 59

Upon reaching the second floor, Xia Xiqing spotted a restroom around the corner. Perhaps due to the summer heat, he felt stiflingly warm and decided to splash some water on his face.

But the moment he closed the door, something felt off.

The nausea had largely subsided, yet now his entire body burned.

Leaning against the bathroom door, he took a deep breath to steady himself before approaching the sink. He cupped his hands under the cold water and splashed it onto his face. In the mirror, his neck was flushed red. A fire burned within him, his mouth parched and dry, his temples throbbing. He looked down at his hands—his fingertips were trembling.

He’d been drugged.

Though he refused to believe it, calmly analyzing these symptoms confirmed he’d been set up.

Back when he was abroad, those rich kids hitting the nightclubs always carried these sleazy substances—some pills, some liquids. The weaker ones just caused blackouts, but the stronger ones? Who knew what they’d do. No matter how reckless Xia Xiqing was, he’d never stooped to using such things. His looks alone drew crowds of people flocking to him—he’d never needed them.

But he never imagined this kind of stuff would one day be slipped into his own drink.

Damn it.

His legs began to buckle. Xia Xiqing braced himself against the sink, his chest burning with anxiety, sweat already beading on his temples. He remembered that cigar from earlier.

It must have been slipped into the cigar.

He struggled to stay upright, but his legs grew weaker, useless as scrap metal. His first thought was of Zhou Ziheng. His hand fumbled in his suit pocket, finally pulling out his phone—no signal.

Fuck. Xia Xiqing’s back was soaked through. The drug’s true effect was kicking in. His throat grew hoarse, the strange fire threatening to melt him from the inside out.

Everything felt wrong.

Ruan Xiao. Find Ruan Xiao.

Xia Xiqing gripped the sink tightly, struggling to pull himself up. He dragged his heavy feet to the door and opened it. He took only a few steps before a dull ache shot through the back of his neck. He felt two people forcefully hoisting him up, but everything before his eyes was blurred.

The last second before he lost consciousness.

The name that flashed through his mind was Zhou Ziheng’s.

He was going mad.

When Zhao Ke and Ruan Xiao came downstairs, they saw Xia Xiqing enter the restroom. Unable to follow him inside, the two waited outside, chatting idly. Unexpectedly, they witnessed two men in black suits carrying Xia Xiqing straight toward the elevator.

“Holy shit, aren’t the Zhongs going to do anything?” Zhao Ke rushed forward, but the elevator doors closed before he could reach them. He cursed under his breath, dialed Zhou Ziheng’s number, and started running down the stairs. Ruan Xiao kicked off her high heels, clutched them in her hand, and followed barefoot.

“The Zhongs won’t interfere with Wei Min. They’ve got a real estate project in the works together.”

“Damn it, damn it, damn it! Pick up the phone, bro!” Zhao Ke was sweating bullets, dialing three times before Zhou Ziheng finally answered.

“My brother Ziheng, you finally picked up! Where the hell are you right now?!”

“Driving. Almost at the Zhong residence.” Zhou Ziheng’s tone was unpleasant. Zhao Ke didn’t pick up on it at all, nor did he wonder how he’d gotten there so quickly. He frantically recounted what he’d just witnessed: “Xia Xiqing was carried away by two men for some reason. He passed out. I clearly saw him walk into the restroom just fine. Then all of a sudden…“ As he spoke, Zhao Ke arrived. Being part of the same circle, he’d encountered these playful types before. ”Hey, he couldn’t have been drugged, could he…”

He slammed the accelerator to the floor.

“Block him off.”

Zhou Ziheng practically gritted out the last words. Zhao Ke had never seen this childhood friend, who’d always radiated positivity, act like this. Regardless, with Zhou Ziheng in such a panic, he couldn’t just stand by.

“Zhao Ke, I had my driver keep watch downstairs,” Ruan Xiao frowned. “They’ve already gotten into the car.” She lowered her head and forwarded the photo the driver had sent her to Zhou Ziheng.

“I told him to follow the car. Did you drive here?”

Zhao Ke instantly understood Ruan Xiao’s meaning. Grabbing her wrist, he rushed downstairs to retrieve the car. “We’re going after that vehicle. Have the driver keep the navigation on.” Recalling Zhou Ziheng’s tone earlier, he felt a chill of dread. “I’m afraid Zhou Ziheng might lose control and do something reckless.”

Ruan Xiao didn’t believe Zhou Ziheng was that kind of person. “How could he? Ziheng…”

Zhao Ke started the engine. “You don’t know him.” Noticing Ruan Xiao hadn’t fastened her seatbelt, he leaned over without a word and buckled it for her. Then he took off his suit jacket and handed it to her. “Do you know what happens when someone standing on the moral high ground hits rock bottom?”

“Right now, I’m scared he might show up with a sniper rifle.”

After tracking the GPS for five minutes, Zhao Ke finally located Wei Min’s car. He’d been sharing the location with Zhou Ziheng the whole time. It was already 11 PM, and the only vehicle on the road was Wei Min’s flashy red supercar.

“What do we do now?”

Ruan Xiao analyzed calmly, “Either we intercept him now, or we follow him to the end.” She glanced at Zhao Ke. “You’re in a tricky spot, right? If something goes wrong, Director Zhao might…”

“Damn it. These rich brats are the worst.” Zhao Ke muttered under his breath, then remembered Ruan Xiao beside him. “Sorry, I get carried away when I’m stressed. I’m just venting.”

“It’s fine. I’m annoyed too.”

Just then, a black car approached head-on down the road. It looked familiar. Before Zhao Ke could process what was happening, the car suddenly drifted sideways, slamming straight into the path of the speeding red supercar ahead. The supercar slammed on its brakes in shock.

“Holy shit.” Zhao Ke slammed on his brakes too, staring blankly. “Zhou Ziheng’s here.”

His hunch was spot on. Zhao Ke watched as a figure stepped out of the black car, clad in a black tailcoat suit, seemingly carrying a stick. The force with which he slammed the door made the entire vehicle shake violently.

That silhouette could only belong to Zhou Ziheng.

He felt like he was hallucinating, sensing a fiery aura radiating from Zhou Ziheng.

Zhou Ziheng planted his foot on the hood of the red supercar, his gaze fierce as he stared at the people inside.

“Open the door.”

Wei Min, still cursing the black car driver as an idiot from the driver’s seat, never imagined Zhou Ziheng would emerge. His imposing presence terrified him.

He knew Zhou Ziheng’s background was untouchable, but what the hell did that have to do with him? They were just co-hosting a TV show—did he actually take it seriously?

“What the hell are you doing?” Wei Min forced himself to stay calm. “If you want to make the crime reports, go find someone else. Don’t fucking mess with me!”

Zhou Ziheng remained expressionless, raising his right hand to point the baseball bat at the windshield in front of Wei Min.

“Open the door.”

“You don’t understand a fucking word…”

Before he could finish, a thunderous crash echoed as Zhou Ziheng smashed the windshield to smithereens with the bat. Shards flew everywhere, embedding into Zhou Ziheng’s arm. Still expressionless, he walked coldly to the door, swung his arm, smashed the driver’s side window, reached in, grabbed Wei Min by the collar, and yanked his head out the window. Wei Min’s neck was mere inches from the glass shards. Zhou Ziheng could have easily flicked the shards into his throat with a flick of his wrist.

He’s gone mad. This man is absolutely insane.

Zhao Ke was startled by the scene. This wasn’t the Zhou Ziheng he knew. Frantically unbuckling his seatbelt, he jumped out of the car. Before slamming the door shut, he warned Ruan Xiao, “Don’t get out. Wait in the car for me.” Then he sprinted toward the commotion.

Wei Min was a coward at heart. He dared not struggle with a madman—his life came first.

He pressed a button, unlocking all the doors.

“I unlocked them. Unlocked them. You can let go of me now.”

Zhou Ziheng released his grip and moved to the backseat. The fire burning in his chest made his heart pound like a madman. Seeing Xia Xiqing collapsed in the backseat, his shirt torn open, the last shred of his sanity seemed to burn away.

“Ziheng,” Zhao Ke rushed over, spotting Xia Xiqing sprawled in the backseat. “Get him out of here fast. If we linger on the road, we’ll get caught on camera. I’ll handle interrogating this bastard for you.”

He lowered his voice. “It’s a sensitive time right now. Don’t cause any trouble.”

Zhou Ziheng shot him a look that made Zhao Ke’s skin crawl. He began to doubt whether letting Zhou take Xia away was wise, but Zhou’s expression suggested he’d kill anyone who tried to move him.

Zhou Ziheng shed his coat, bent down, and lifted Xia Xiqing from the car, draping the jacket over him to cover his exposed chest.

“Find out exactly what kind of drug it is.”

With that chilling demand, Zhou Ziheng hoisted the unconscious Xia Xiqing into the black Lexus.

The streetlight illuminated Zhou Ziheng’s face as he lifted Xia Xiqing out. He noticed an abnormal flush spreading from his neck down to his chest—yet Xia Xiqing barely reeked of alcohol.

His scorching heat radiated through the thin white shirt, searing into Zhou Ziheng’s skin.

Seeing Xia Xiqing like this, Zhou Ziheng truly wanted to beat Wei Min to death right then and there. To hell with human life or morality.

He just wanted to kill him.

Kill everyone who dared to covet him. Zhou Ziheng closed the door and slid into the driver’s seat. He felt his hands trembling—not just from rage, but also fear and regret.

If he hadn’t arrived in time, if Zhao Ke hadn’t been at the banquet today…

He dared not imagine what might have happened.

He’d never driven this fast in his life. His entire being felt like a firecracker with the fuse burned down to the last inch, teetering on the brink of exploding into nothingness.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Zhou Ziheng answered and heard Zhao Ke’s voice.

“Ziheng, I just found out. That drug is foreign. I checked—it’s banned in the U.S. It’s extremely potent. It’s not just unconsciousness. It can…” He suddenly fell silent, and Zhou Ziheng understood perfectly.

“Is it harmful to the body?” Zhou Ziheng didn’t notice his own voice trembling.

“There are aftereffects. It could lead to further comas. And—” Zhao Ke was furious—“And that scumbag put it in a cigar. Inhaling it makes it take effect faster than swallowing it. He originally meant it for someone else, but when he saw Xia Xiqing, he got twisted ideas and…”

Zhou Ziheng couldn’t bear to listen anymore and reached to hang up, but Zhao Ke continued, “Ziheng, there’s no antidote for this drug. It’s specifically designed for straight men with no prior sexual experience. You… you should find someone to help him…”

These words alone were already unbearably embarrassing to utter. Zhao Ke, hiding from Ruan Xiao, lowered his voice, his eyelids twitching. But before he could finish, Zhou Ziheng hung up.

What kind of situation was this?

As the car pulled into the garage, Xia Xiqing finally snapped out of his dull haze. His vision was blurred, everything in his field of sight doubled. He turned his head weakly and saw Zhou Ziheng’s profile.

Zhou Ziheng…

The moment he spoke, his voice was wrong—hoarse and sticky, completely beyond his control.

Zhou Ziheng stopped the car, grasped Xia Xiqing’s hand, then anxiously touched his forehead.

It really was him. It really was Zhou Ziheng.

Xia Xiqing exhaled in relief, but soon, the last shred of his sanity made him want to flee. He didn’t care if anyone else saw him in this utterly undignified state—he just couldn’t bear for Zhou Ziheng to see him like this.

Seeing Xia Xiqing turn his face away, his ears flushed an unnatural red, Zhou Ziheng got out of the car and decisively lifted Xia Xiqing out.

“You… let go of me…”

Zhou Ziheng pretended not to hear a word, striding purposefully toward the elevator. Xia Xiqing struggled to appear composed, his nearly spent strength pushing against Zhou Ziheng’s chest. “Let go…”

The elevator was narrow and silent, amplifying Xia Xiqing’s ragged breaths. Zhou Ziheng’s embrace was saturated with his scent. The faint cologne he usually wore fermented into an intoxicating fragrance at that moment, tightening like an impenetrable net that ensnared Xia Xiqing. Only those unspeakable desires seeped through the mesh, like sticky honey.

And he had nowhere to run.

His eyes burned painfully as he watched Zhou Ziheng prepare to carry him back to his own home. That dull knife slicing through his reason plunged to its deepest point, and Xia Xiqing’s voice was almost pleading.

“I need to go back to my own home…” His hands clutched desperately at Zhou Ziheng’s shirt over his chest, his voice trembling. “I… I was drugged… Let me go…”

“I know.” Zhou Ziheng opened his front door, saying nothing more, and carried him to the sofa.

He understood Zhao Ke had spoken those words for his own good. He hadn’t been entirely without thoughts of taking things further with Xia Xiqing, but certainly not like this.

Yet if it were as Zhao Ke described—merely imagining that scene—Zhou Ziheng felt he’d lose his mind, shatter completely. He’d bottled up too much darkness; the daily torment of potentially losing Xia Xiqing at any moment consumed him. Each time Xia Xiqing drew near, kissed him, it felt like a dagger piercing his heart, stabbing it over and over.

Xia Xiqing’s forehead glistened with fine beads of sweat. His lips were parched and crimson, parted slightly. He seemed unwilling to look at Zhou Ziheng, shielding his eyes with the back of his hand as his chest heaved violently.

Zhou Ziheng retrieved ice water from the refrigerator, unscrewed the cap, and held it to his lips. “Drink some water.”

Extremely parched, Xia Xiqing turned his face, his scorching hands grasping Zhou Ziheng’s wrist. Ice-cold water spilled from the corner of his mouth, soaking the white shirt at his collarbone. Zhou Ziheng recognized it instantly—the very shirt Xia Xiqing had worn when they first met.

He drained the bottle quickly. Xia Xiqing’s symptoms hadn’t improved much, but he regained a little strength. He tried to sit up from the sofa, yet the medicine’s effects were too potent. His hands barely pushed him up before he slid off the edge, tumbling into Zhou Ziheng’s arms as the man crouched before the sofa. His lips pressed against Zhou Ziheng’s neck.

Zhou Ziheng flinched reflexively, his body jerking violently as he tried to push Xia Xiqing away. But he had no strength left. He felt like he was going mad, like he was dying.

“Let go of me… Zhou Ziheng…” Xia Xiqing felt two selves tearing at each other inside his body.

One had become a devotee of desire, while the other feared Zhou Ziheng would witness his final, ugly collapse.

“It’s okay, Xiqing.” Zhou Ziheng kissed the top of his head, holding him tightly. “I’ll figure something out. It’ll be fine.”

The two halves stood at opposite ends of a saw, gripping the handles tightly, battling for control of this body, waging a brutal tug-of-war within Xia Xiqing’s heart.

“I’m so hot…” Xia Xiqing’s voice, thick with heat, breathed onto Zhou Ziheng’s chest. As time passed, the side consumed by desire seemed to gain absolute dominance. Xia Xiqing was on the verge of losing consciousness.

Zhou Ziheng could feel the person in his arms, a twisted, burning body like a deformed, trapped beast, emitting whimpers that made concentration impossible—fragile and exposed. From indistinct murmurs, the name Zhou Ziheng gradually emerged.

Xia Xiqing licked and kissed Zhou Ziheng’s neck, reckless and unrestrained, tracing from the side of his throat to his jawline before finally sealing his lips with a satisfied sigh.

“Xiqing… Xiqing…” Zhou Ziheng pulled him away, rising almost ruthlessly to his feet, attempting to lift Xia Xiqing. “I’ll take you to shower. You’re not lucid right now.”

The drug’s effects peaked. Xia Xiqing had completely lost his mind. Like a snake nearly melted by heat, he curled limply on the floor, struggling to reach out and clench Zhou Ziheng’s pant leg.

“Ziheng… can you…”

“No.” Zhou Ziheng’s voice was resolute, though it was unclear who he was refusing—the mind-clouded Xia Xiqing before him, or the despicable part of himself that desperately craved to take advantage of the situation.

Hearing those two words, Xia Xiqing released his grip and collapsed onto his back, half-closing his eyes to stare at the ceiling. his ragged breaths already preventing him from forming a complete sentence. He truly wanted to speak to him with that usual careless, even mocking tone, but now he could only manage broken words, as pathetic and ugly as a starving man with no appetite.

“Then I… I’ll find someone else… I never… I never… wanted to see you…”

Anyone can see my most rotten side. But not you.

You’ve seen too much. You’re too good.

“I’m going…” Xia Xiqing reached into his pants pocket, as if searching for his phone.

Zhou Ziheng finally snapped. He grabbed Xia Xiqing by the collar, his eyes bloodshot, each word forced out through gritted teeth.

“You dare.”

“Xia Xiqing, I told you—if you dare go to someone else, I’ll kill you.” Zhou Ziheng could no longer control his trembling hands. His mind was filled only with Xia Xiqing’s earlier words. “You only have me. Do you see that? Whether you want to see it or not, you only have me!”

He no longer knew what he was saying. Those vile, vicious genes seemed to explode from his bloodstream, completely overtaking his body.

“What do I have to do with you…” Xia Xiqing’s eyes were red too, his throat constricted until he could barely breathe. “Zhou Ziheng… what do we have to do with each other?”

The dagger was finally about to slice out his heart.

“What am I to you…” Xia Xiqing’s entire body throbbed with pain. “Didn’t we start out just playing around… Now I…” His brow furrowed tightly as the fire consumed him. “I’ve had enough of you… Let me go…”

Just playing around…

“Impossible.”

“Xia Xiqing, in this lifetime, you only have me. You only have me.”

I love you so much I dare not come near you.

“Look at me.” Zhou Ziheng gripped his jaw fiercely. “No matter what you think our relationship is, you belong to me, Zhou Ziheng.”

Hearing this, Xia Xiqing gave a weak yet cruel laugh. “Hah, is that so…”

The last shards of his faltering morality shattered under that laugh. Zhou Ziheng kissed Xia Xiqing like a madman, a beast thirsting for its prey’s blood. He tore at everything instinctively, wanting to devour him piece by piece, to merge him completely into himself.

Xia Xiqing possessed no strength to resist. His bones, already scorched to the point of charring, nearly shattered into powder within Zhou Ziheng’s embrace.

This was perfect. He wished he could melt into Zhou Ziheng’s skin, into his blood, so there would be no more struggle, no more resistance from either of them.

Their hot, wet lips and tongues tangled, attempting to draw out Xia Xiqing’s very soul, yet the drug’s hold kept him suspended mid-air. Each of Zhou Ziheng’s advances carried fierce vengeance, a surging tide of passion threatening to drown him. In every fleeting moment of respite, Xia Xiqing trembled, his voice hoarse as he whispered Zhou Ziheng’s name, his breath hot and heavy with desire.

“Ziheng… Ziheng…” His hands grasped weakly at Zhou Ziheng’s chest, yearning to touch his warm skin, yet his fingertips held no strength. This tantalizing grasp was agonizing. Zhou Ziheng frowned, kissing him while capturing his restless hands and pressing them firmly against his waist.

“Hold me,” he murmured hoarsely, lowering his head to kiss Xia Xiqing’s neck. Each touch felt like kissing fire.

He stood now on the edge between heaven and hell.

Jump down. Die in each other’s arms.