Two days later, Kong Wenyu invited Fu Xi to go horseback riding, and Fu Xi agreed without hesitation.
After a full lap around the course, they slowed down, enjoying the sun and breeze as they rode side by side.
“Do you have any of those types of movies?” Fu Xi asked, wearing a sun hat and all white athletic gear, casually trotting along on horseback. “You know, the kind you don’t need internet for.”
Kong Wenyu was on his usual favorite horse. He raised an eyebrow. “What kind of movies?”
“You know—those kinds,” Fu Xi said, grinning. “With plot, preferably.”
Kong Wenyu gave him a look. “There are some DVDs at home. Pick one yourself.”
“No no,” Fu Xi insisted. “I want downloadable ones. You send me the file so I can just tap and play on my phone.”
“Don’t have any,” Kong Wenyu replied. “Why?”
“To watch, obviously,” Fu Xi said, annoyed. “My family’s nuts. They cut off the Wi-Fi every night after ten. Who the hell watches that kind of stuff in broad daylight?”
Kong Wenyu clicked his tongue and waved toward the distance. “Hai Ming.”
Hai Ming had been walking with Nie Jun not too far behind. They’d been chatting quietly. Hearing the call, Hai Ming picked up his pace and jogged over.
Kong Wenyu tilted his chin. “Hook him up.”
Fu Xi grinned and rode over to Hai Ming’s side. “Captain Hai, got any X-rated videos on your phone you can send me?”
Hai Ming blinked. Fu Xi added, “Come on, I bet you do. You look like the kind of guy with a top-tier stash. Share a couple with me?”
Hai Ming laughed, unbothered. “I’ll check when I get back. I’ll send you some.”
Fu Xi was more than satisfied. “Appreciate it.”
Kong Wenyu waved Hai Ming away, then lifted his gaze to Nie Jun in the distance.
Something crossed his mind. He called out, “Nie Jun.”
Nie Jun walked over quickly. Kong Wenyu asked him, “Got any porn on your phone?”
Nie Jun looked up at him, his eyebrows twitching slightly.
“Well? Do you?” Kong Wenyu pressed, a smirk playing on his lips. “Come on, I bet you do.”
Nie Jun stood silently. He neither confirmed nor denied.
Kong Wenyu swung his long leg over and dismounted, walking over to stand beside him. “Let’s see your phone.”
Fu Xi was still nearby. Nie Jun didn’t want to make a scene in front of others, so he fished out his phone and unlocked it.
The sunlight was too bright to see the screen clearly, so Kong Wenyu leaned in close. “Can’t see a thing. Turn the brightness up.”
A clean, dewy scent—uniquely fresh and crisp—washed over Nie Jun. He held his breath and turned the brightness all the way up.
Just as the photo album opened, Kong Wenyu stopped his hand and took the phone. “I’m confiscating this for now.”
Fu Xi, who had always been curious about Nie Jun, hadn’t had the chance to see him “in action.” He took the opportunity to look a little longer and eagerly said to Kong Wenyu, “Send me a few too. I want to study his taste.”
Nie Jun was still waiting to get his phone back, but Kong Wenyu had already stood up and slipped it into the inside pocket of his jacket.
He swung back onto his horse, nudging it forward as he said, “You only get to make demands once the job’s done.”
“Ugh,” Fu Xi straightened up immediately. “Early May is packed with big events. The venues we looked at are all booked by people with either higher status than us or old family ties. The only two that are even slightly less prominent are still notable names—one’s a wedding, the other’s a baby’s hundred-day banquet. Which one do you think I should mess with?”
The phone in Kong Wenyu’s pocket bumped into his elbow, and he adjusted its position.
“If I were the legitimate eldest son, I might have a shot,” Fu Xi muttered through gritted teeth. “But I’m not. Even though the Fu family formally acknowledged me, they still shipped me off overseas for four years without a word. If Grandpa hadn’t gotten sick this year, I wouldn’t even have made it back.”
Kong Wenyu thought for a moment. “Would your older brother be able to pull some strings?”
Fu Xi shuddered. “He could—but he doesn’t listen to anyone.”
“Not even you?” Kong Wenyu asked. “Didn’t he push back against everyone else to get you back here?”
Fu Xi grew irritated. “I’d rather sleep with some old dude than go begging him for help.”
Kong Wenyu chuckled softly.
Fu Xi waited a moment, then asked, “How serious is this?”
Kong Wenyu gave it some thought. “Best-case scenario? I get engaged to Miss Long, my second aunt announces it publicly, the Long family sides with me, I make it into the shareholders’ meeting, and my aunt’s ties with the Ao family fall apart.”
Fu Xi opened his mouth, glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then lowered his voice. “That… actually doesn’t sound half bad.”
“Mm.”
“There might still be some halls available in the next city over. Could we do it there?”
“What do you think?” Kong Wenyu grinned. “Send out invitations, asking everyone to join us in the next city for my engagement party.”
“I…” Fu Xi bit his lip. “Let me think. I’ll get back to you.”
“Don’t stress too much,” Kong Wenyu said lightly, eyes on the skyline in the distance. “If it doesn’t work out, no big deal.”
They rode a couple more laps side by side before dismounting to shower and change.
Afterward, Kong Wenyu waited a bit for Fu Xi, who emerged slowly, towel-drying his hair while reaching for his backpack.
“If I get kicked out of the house,” Fu Xi said, “you’ll take me in, right?”
Kong Wenyu was in a good mood today; everything he said had a touch of amusement. “Nope. I’ll drop you off at the recycling center.”
Back in middle school, Fu Xi often stayed at the Kong family home for entire summers. Kong Wenyu even gave him a private room and his own key.
Fu Xi clicked his tongue. “Fine. Screw it. Let’s just get it done.”
As they were leaving the riding club, Miss Long’s call came through.
They were supposed to go for tea later, with still about half an hour to go.
Barely two minutes passed before Hai Ming called to say they’d already arrived at Xinyi Teahouse.
So Nie Jun stepped up as the driver and took Kong Wenyu along.
Private rooms at Xinyi Teahouse were notoriously hard to book, especially in the afternoon—too many people with nothing better to do.
When they arrived, Longzhu was already standing out front, looking around.
Nie Jun finally saw the much-talked-about Miss Long. She had a soft, full figure and carried herself with graceful poise, matching the gentle image he’d pictured in his mind.
The moment Kong Wenyu showed up, Longzhu came up right away and linked her arm through his.
Kong Wenyu glanced sideways at Nie Jun. Seeing he didn’t react, he casually shrugged out of his coat to free his arm.
The two of them walked into the teahouse. Halfway there, they ran into someone they knew, who greeted them in a snarky tone:
“Well, well, if it isn’t Little Miss Longzhu. Got so much free time these days you’re out here sipping tea?”
Arguments broke out daily at Xinyi Teahouse. It was nothing unusual.
They usually wrapped up before the boss even had to step in.
“Big sis,” Longzhu snapped right back, ignoring any pause where one should’ve gone. “Don’t tell me you don’t understand how humans operate. Only livestock enjoy slaving away at work.”
The other woman had just opened her mouth to say “You—” when Longzhu cut her off again:
“I just saw something slither toward me—thought it was a snake that turned into a spirit. Turns out it was you, sis.”
Mimicking the other woman’s swaying walk, Longzhu grabbed Kong Wenyu’s arm again. “Let’s go. Don’t mind her. Her uncle’s company just went public—now even the chickens and dogs think they’ve made it big.”
Nie Jun followed behind them, thinking this Miss Long wasn’t bad at all. If Kong Wenyu ever needed backup to argue with his family, she’d win for sure.
Once the two were inside the private room, Nie Jun reached out to shut the door. But right before it closed, Kong Wenyu called out,
“Leave it open.”
So Nie Jun opened the door back up slightly, leaving it just ajar.
Hai Ming came back from the front desk with something in hand. He winked at Nie Jun and slipped inside the private room before coming back out again.
The two of them stood watch on either side of the door. Hai Ming whispered,
“Miss Long waited half an hour.”
Nie Jun replied, “Got held up by something,” but in his heart, he added another point to Longzhu’s score—she wasn’t spoiled or demanding. That was good.
Hai Ming glanced out the window.
“Did you check the forecast? It’s supposed to rain tonight.”
Nie Jun looked out too. Just hours ago the sky had been perfectly clear, but now it was starting to turn gloomy.
This morning’s forecast mentioned light rain, but looking at it now, it didn’t quite seem like it.
Just then, the private room next door opened. Ao Yongwang walked out, head down, lighting a cigarette.
He spotted Hai Ming, paused for a second, then looked toward the door that was left slightly ajar.
“Kong Wenyu’s in there?” he asked.
Hai Ming smiled politely.
“Here for tea too, Mr. Ao?”
“Who’s he in there with? Business or pleasure?”
Hai Ming smiled and said, “Looks like it’s going to rain. Don’t forget your umbrella, Mr. Ao.”
Ao Yongwang gave him a sideways glance, then looked him over from head to toe.
“You got something wrong with your ears,” he tapped his temple, “or is your brain the issue? You seriously can’t understand what I just asked you?”
He bit down on his cigarette and reached out to push open the door, but Nie Jun stepped in and blocked him.
He didn’t say a word, just stared him down coldly.
That irritated Ao Yongwang even more than Hai Ming had. He exploded, “F*ck, you got a death wish—”
Before he could finish, the private room door was pulled halfway open. Kong Wenyu appeared in the doorway, looking at them icily.
“What’s going on?”
It was like someone had tossed a block of ice into boiling water—everything simmered down in an instant.
Ao Yongwang exhaled a mouthful of smoke, then glanced inside through the narrow gap in the door.
“Out on a date?”
Kong Wenyu stared back coolly. He’d already heard the commotion outside, but hadn’t intended to intervene.
“Brother Yongwang, you came for tea too?” Longzhu stepped out, wrapped around Kong Wenyu’s arm, standing by his side.
Ao Yongwang shot her a look.
“Tea’s boring. Let’s grab some drinks instead—join us?”
Before Kong Wenyu could answer, Longzhu giggled and covered her mouth playfully.
“Drinking’s even more boring. We’re on a date, so we’ll pass~”
“Come on,” Ao Yongwang said, locking eyes with Kong Wenyu. “We’ll talk a little business—something you care about.”
Kong Wenyu held his gaze for a few seconds, then stepped aside to clear the doorway.
“Come in and talk.”
“Great.” Ao Yongwang went back to grab a bottle of wine and walked into the private room.
From outside the door, Nie Jun saw Kong Wenyu sit back down in his chair, his wrist resting lazily on the edge of the table.
“Talk.”
Ao Yongwang poured him a glass, slid it over, and lined up a few more empty glasses in front of him.
“Drink first.”
Longzhu sat quietly beside Kong Wenyu now, silently observing the whole scene.
“Talk first,” Kong Wenyu said, unmoving.
“Alright, I’ll talk first. If you want to keep hearing, take a drink.” Ao Yongwang tapped the table. “All this maneuvering you’re doing—it’s just so you don’t have to marry Ao Qingqing. Am I right?”
Kong Wenyu let out a short laugh, offering no confirmation or denial. He didn’t touch the glass.
“I’ll handle the Ao Qingqing issue. I’ll talk to Second Aunt myself,” Ao Yongwang said. “You just announce publicly that I’m your new business partner. In return, I’ll help push Second Aunt to marry that driver.”
Kong Wenyu asked calmly,
“And why do you think you can actually pull that off?”
“So you agree it’s a win-win, don’t you?” Ao Yongwang nudged the glass closer. “I’ve met the guy—he’s just a regular nobody. Instead of waiting around for Second Aunt to compromise, why not try a different route?”
Kong Wenyu was silent for a moment. Then he picked up the nearest glass and knocked it back in one go.
From outside, Nie Jun lowered his gaze. In his mind, he decided: Longzhu’s not it.
Sure, she was sweet and gentle, but when it came down to a critical moment, she didn’t step in to shield Kong Wenyu from drinking. In that sense, she couldn’t compare to Miss Ao.
If only there were someone who could be both soft and brave… He wondered, among all the prominent families in the city, was there any girl truly worthy of him?
“I have something to say too,” Kong Wenyu said, glancing down at the row of full glasses.
“If it weren’t for Second Aunt,” he lifted his eyes, “our relationship might have been a lot smoother.”
“I never actually planned to replace you as my partner.”
Ao Yongwang’s eyes lit up, clearly wanting him to continue.
Kong Wenyu gestured for him to drink.
Ao Yongwang lifted a glass and drank it in one go, then set it down with a solid thud on the table.
The next day when he got home, the living room was nothing like its usual quiet state. The light pouring in felt almost too bright—only then did Kong Wenyu realize that all the sheer curtains blocking the view had been taken down.
Man Mingzhi was sitting on the couch, drinking tea with a book in her hand.
Kong Wenyu stood by the door and watched her for a moment, until she spoke up on her own:
“I moved out of the care facility. Starting today, I’m living at home.”
Kong Wenyu didn’t show much reaction. “Then I’ll move out.”
“Suit yourself,” Man Mingzhi replied. “I’m not going back to that place.”
“Refusing treatment doesn’t make the problem go away,” he said, walking over and taking the seat across from her on the sofa.
“I’m not sick,” Man Mingzhi said calmly.
Kong Wenyu curled his lip but didn’t argue.
Kong Wenyu said, “You call her ‘Second Aunt’ because your sister does, and your sister calls her that based on my side of the family. So how come now you’re acting like you’re the blood nephew?”
Ao Yongwang pressed his lips together and didn’t respond. After a moment, he said, “Now that you and Qingqing are married, we’re family. I really do hope—”
“Spare me the crap,” Kong Wenyu cut him off. “Let’s talk business. The partner deal is whatever. But that driver—what are you planning to do about him?”
Ao Yongwang didn’t get annoyed at the sharp words. He simply gestured toward the wine.
Kong Wenyu picked up a glass and drank it down.
After he finished and set the glass down, Ao Yongwang said,
“There are two options.
First—make him an offer. Push him until he proposes to your… I mean, to your second aunt. If he refuses, they break up.
Second—take his family hostage. He can have them back when he gets married. If he stalls, send him one of their fingers every day.”
Kong Wenyu lowered his hand and felt his phone in his pants pocket.
It was Nie Jun’s—someone had just sent a message. The phone buzzed once, short and cold.
It reminded him, inexplicably, of the look in Nie Jun’s eyes.
He ran his fingers along the shape of the phone, then let out a slow, deliberate tsk.
“You really are a piece of work.”
Ao Yongwang chuckled lowly. “Pick one.”
Kong Wenyu turned his head and met Nie Jun’s eyes across the room.
Nie Jun gave a subtle shake of his head.
Kong Wenyu smiled faintly, then let go of the phone and said to Ao Yongwang,
“I’ll think about it. I’ll give you an answer tomorrow.”
“Alright,” Ao Yongwang replied. “Even though your reliability is questionable, I’ve always seen you as my own brother-in-law.”
That earned a quiet laugh from Kong Wenyu. He kneaded the spot between his brows and rested one arm casually on the back of the chair.
“Even though you’ve got the moral compass of a sewer rat, move at a snail’s pace, and talk like sandpaper, I’m still willing to spare a few minutes to consider your brilliant plan.
Now get lost.”
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