“I’m telling you, this copy is specially saved for you. That big celebrity you like is in the news again today… but this time, it’s not exactly good. Some say he’s been kept by the investor of his current drama—that it’s some kind of backstage rule—but no one knows if it’s true…”
Old Lin’s words from the newsstand still lingered in Bo Rui’s mind as he thought about the matter.
When he reached a fork in the road, he hesitated for a moment. Normally, he wasn’t in a hurry and would take the main roads with better lighting. But today, he was too eager to get home and see how the news reported it. Glancing at the pitch-dark alley, he decided to take that path.
The alley was very dark, with old, broken streetlamps on both sides. Rumor had it that this area was a neglected zone in the city, which was why it had never been repaired.
The main road was different. That stretch was leased by a certain boss, and every night it was brightly lit until dawn. Bo Rui usually preferred that route, but cutting through this alley was actually much faster—it was a straight path that would take him directly to his apartment complex.
Bo Rui walked with long strides. Although he was from the south, he grew up in the northeast, and perhaps due to some quirk of fate, he had grown into a one-meter-eight giant, with legs almost entirely comprising his lower body. Each step he took looked almost like jogging.
The alley was quiet, and Bo Rui, lost in thought, wasn’t paying much attention to where he was stepping. Soon, he was almost out of the alley.
“Hmph!” A muffled grunt sounded, and Bo Rui finally felt that something was under his foot. Had he stepped on someone?
After walking a bit, there was enough light to make out shapes. Bo Rui looked down and found a man curled up in a corner—he had just stepped on the man’s calf.
The man was also tall; judging by his long legs, he had to be over six feet. Yet somehow, he was lying in this dark alley.
Bo Rui thought for a moment. He had been walking quickly and wasn’t sure if he had hurt the man. He knew he was heavy-handed.
“Hey, buddy, are you okay?” Bo Rui squatted down, gently patting the man’s face and calling out.
“Ouch…” The man’s voice was slurred with alcohol. No wonder he was here—he was drunk.
Bo Rui exhaled in relief. It seemed this was just a drunk who had passed out here.
After a moment, Bo Rui glanced ahead. There was faint light visible now, and it was only a few minutes’ walk to his apartment. He decided to carry the man home to check for injuries. If he was fine, he could send him back in the morning.
He bent down and lifted the limp man.
Huh? Bo Rui was surprised. Despite the man’s tall, broad frame, he was astonishingly light—lifting him felt no different than picking up a cat.
Well, lighter was better—easier to carry home. Bo Rui hoisted him onto his back and headed home.
His apartment wasn’t a commercial building; it was one of the oldest resettlement complexes for local residents. His family owned a four-bedroom unit—the largest in the complex.
But now, he lived alone, and the huge apartment felt emptily vast.
After greeting the doorman, Old Li, Bo Rui explained he was bringing home a drunk colleague to rest. Li nodded and didn’t ask questions, just logged it and let him in.
Once inside, Bo Rui turned on the lights and finally noticed the man he’d carried was dressed impeccably in a suit. No wonder Old Li hadn’t questioned him.
Bo Rui relaxed; someone so neatly dressed probably wasn’t a shady character. He would check for injuries, let him rest, and send him off in the morning.
Setting the drunk man on the sofa, Bo Rui was thankful that his furniture was solid rosewood rather than soft couches, so the smell of alcohol wouldn’t linger.
He set his belongings aside, squatted down, and prepared to check if he had stepped on the man.
Yu Junqing vaguely felt someone undressing him. Although his mind was muddled, he remembered attending a company-arranged party today and nearly being sent to some corpulent “boss”’s bed by his manager.
Could it…? Yu Junqing jerked awake and kicked forcefully.
“Hmm?” Bo Rui had just pulled down the man’s trousers when the kick came. Surprised but alert, he blocked it with his hands.
Yu Junqing’s foot missed, and a cold sweat broke out. The alcohol sobered him a little. Opening his eyes, he noticed something was wrong.
This wasn’t a hotel suite—it looked like someone’s home.
“You awake?” Bo Rui asked, then bent down to check his legs for injury.
Yu Junqing realized the “boss” he kicked was actually a taller man, though he hadn’t seen his face clearly. The man calmly examined his legs and said,
“You’re fine. You passed out drunk in the alley. I thought I might have stepped on you, so I brought you home. If you can walk, go back yourself. If not, stay the night. I’ll take you back in the morning.”
Yu Junqing froze. His face showed faint confusion; he was too drunk to fully understand.
Bo Rui saw the familiar yet innocent expression on this celebrity’s face and felt the flicker of irritation at his idol’s recklessness vanish instantly.
He was a businessman and understood that some things were beyond one’s control. Seeing the man’s pale, smooth legs and recalling Old Lin’s gossip, he could guess what had likely happened.
Seeing the real person he admired, Bo Rui felt delighted.
He figured no one had noticed the man’s presence—the alley was dark, and he had carried him home discreetly. With strict management at his building, the papers couldn’t write nonsense. He just had to return him early in the morning to avoid trouble.
“You steady on your feet? If so, go wash up. I’ll get you some sleepwear—it’s about your size. You can wear what I have in my closet. Tomorrow morning, I’ll take you out before anyone notices.” Bo Rui said as he carried him to the bathroom.
The smell wasn’t too strong, but the alley had never been cleaned. Combined with alcohol, it was unpleasant.
Yu Junqing’s mind was still fuzzy and hadn’t grasped what Bo Rui meant. He was placed in the bathroom.
Estimating that Yu Junqing wasn’t fully conscious, Bo Rui decided he probably wouldn’t wash himself. So he stripped him and placed him in the bathtub. Luckily, the tub had a timed heater, so the water was warm. Perfect.
Yu Junqing soaked in the hot water, his mind becoming mush. He leaned against the tub, dozing.
Bo Rui didn’t wait—he covered his eyes with a small towel and washed his hair with the showerhead. The previous stench vanished, replaced by Bo Rui’s familiar shampoo scent.
Satisfied, Bo Rui removed the towel from his eyes, lifted him out, scrubbed him with a bath sponge, rinsed, and made him completely clean.
He left Yu Junqing in the tub and began his own shower.
Normally, he would have gone for a massage, but not today. He grabbed soap and scrubbed energetically.
Unnoticed, Yu Junqing, who had been dozing, opened his eyes slightly.
Being handled like a child by this rugged, masculine man was humiliating, but he quietly pretended to be drunk. He secretly peeked.
The man who rescued him matched his guess: a rough, manly, yet handsome type with a well-built body—eight-pack abs, strong and athletic, clearly trained naturally, not with protein supplements. Yu Junqing silently admired him: a kind, upright, and rugged man.
The bath sponge burned his skin, but a warm feeling spread through him.
Thankfully, not all hope in the world was lost.