Man Mingzhi was halfway through her bowl of porridge when she looked up and saw Kong Wenyu coming down the stairs. Her hand holding the ladle paused slightly.
He didn’t look like he was heading to the dining room. Instead, he cut through the main hall—clearly on his way out.
“Where are you going?” she called from a distance. “Not eating?”
Without stopping, Kong Wenyu waved a hand. “Eating out.”
“With who?” she asked. But seeing he had no intention of answering and just kept moving, she added quickly, “Let Haiming go with you.”
“Okay,” Kong Wenyu replied perfunctorily, pulling out his phone and sending Nie Jun a message: Where are you?
Nie Jun replied almost instantly: Right outside the gate, under the big tree to the right.
So fast. Kong Wenyu’s gaze followed the described route, but he didn’t spot anything suspicious.
Haiming, meanwhile, was nearby, admiring the garden and seemingly trying to decide which flower to pick.
Kong Wenyu called out, “Get the car ready.”
Haiming immediately put the flower down and jogged off toward the garage. He knew things had been tense lately, so he pulled out a rarely-used SUV—something low-key.
Kong Wenyu got in, and Haiming asked, “Where to?”
“Just out,” Kong Wenyu said. “No need for anyone else to follow.”
Haiming frowned a little. ‘Just out’? Doesn’t everything require going out?
As the SUV slowly rolled toward the gate, Kong Wenyu looked out the window. “Stop under that tree.”
Haiming didn’t get why, but he followed instructions and parked.
“Get out,” Kong Wenyu said without moving from his seat.
Haiming glanced around the car—just the two of them. He couldn’t mean me, could he? But Kong Wenyu’s tone left no room for questions.
Haiming hesitated, then pushed open the door and stepped out.
Almost immediately, Nie Jun appeared from around the side of the car and reached out to hold the driver’s door, which hadn’t been shut yet.
“?” Haiming blinked in surprise. “Wait, weren’t you—?”
He quickly turned to look at Kong Wenyu in the backseat, who sat there calmly, unfazed.
“When did you get back?” Haiming lowered his voice, watching Kong Wenyu’s expression carefully.
“Just now,” Nie Jun replied quietly. “I’ll explain later.”
He gave Haiming a quick, apologetic glance before closing the car door behind him.
“Let’s go,” Kong Wenyu said.
The private kitchen Nie Jun had picked was tucked deep in a narrow alley. The car couldn’t make it all the way in, but there was a small lot nearby for parking.
Each room in the restaurant was decorated with fresh seasonal flowers. Knowing Kong Wenyu was sensitive to strong scents, Nie Jun had reserved a room without lilies or anything too fragrant.
Once seated, Kong Wenyu glanced around at the roses in the room. “You haven’t been back long. How’d you even find this place?”
“Someone recommended it,” Nie Jun said from across the table.
“Who?”
If he gave a name, it might lead to a misunderstanding. But dodging would just make Kong Wenyu ask again. Playing it safe, Nie Jun said, “I don’t really remember.”
Kong Wenyu gave him a long look.
Nie Jun added quickly, “I just thought it was nice not having to pick dishes.”
Kong Wenyu continued scanning the room, then gave a small nod. “It’s pretty good.”
Nie Jun let out a small sigh of relief, resting a hand on the edge of the table. After a moment’s thought, he asked, “Do you think Haiming will tell your mom he saw me?”
“She probably will,” Kong Wenyu said. “Haiming was hand-picked by my mom—there are things he won’t go out of his way to hide from her.”
Nie Jun fell silent.
Kong Wenyu gave a small laugh and rested his hand on the table, brushing up against Nie Jun’s. “What are you afraid of? I’m here.”
Nie Jun turned his hand over and held his, gently rubbing it.
He ran warm—unlike Kong Wenyu, whose skin was always a little cool to the touch. Holding his hand felt like wrapping your palm around a freshly wrung-out warm towel.
Luckily, the room temperature was set low. It was surprisingly comfortable.
“If she gives you trouble again, no matter what she asks for, just agree to it first. Tell me later—I’ll take care of it,” Kong Wenyu said. “Got it?”
“Got it.” Nie Jun smiled faintly. “But I don’t want you two to keep fighting.”
Kong Wenyu smiled too. After a beat, he said, “Fighting’s not so bad. She actually responds to it. If not, she’d be spending her time flipping through photo albums again.”
A waiter came in with food. Nie Jun let go of his hand. When the waiter left, he reached out again—but Kong Wenyu looked down at their hands and asked, “What’s this mean?”
“It’s just… not a good look,” Nie Jun said. “What if someone takes a photo?”
“They’ve seen worse,” Kong Wenyu replied, glancing at the corners of the private room, then at the closed door. A decorative screen even blocked the line of sight between the table and the entrance. “For all we know, drunk customers have hooked up in here before. There’s a service button by the door to call cleaning staff.”
Nie Jun looked and, sure enough, saw a red button by the door.
“Fresh roses on hand,” Kong Wenyu added. “You could grab a couple and gift them on the way out.”
Nie Jun looked at him, his hand still resting on Kong Wenyu’s. “…That’s not what I meant.”
“No?” Kong Wenyu gave a little smile with an unreadable tone.
“No,” Nie Jun said, eyes turning away. He picked up his chopsticks and offered food across the table. “Let’s eat first.”
“What a pity,” Kong Wenyu said with a grin. He picked up his own chopsticks and took a bite of the bamboo shoots. Nie Jun waited for his verdict.
“Not bad,” Kong Wenyu said, then urged, “Go on, eat.”
Nie Jun had never eaten at the same table as him before. Most of the time, he stood behind Kong Wenyu or by the door. Even at home, he’d bring the tray up, wait for Kong Wenyu to finish, and carry it back down.
They were both used to that routine.
“I could tell early on,” Kong Wenyu said. “Your clothes always look good, your toiletries are high-end—no way you’d mess up food.”
He smiled again, then concluded, “If you find places like this again, keep bringing me.”
Nie Jun looked at him. “Okay.”
Kong Wenyu had a few more bites, then drank a ladle of soup. “You really don’t want to give it a try? I think this place is great—might even be safer than my house.”
Nie Jun took a second to swallow his soup before replying, “Next time, I’ll take you somewhere else to try.”
“How about the car?” Kong Wenyu asked. “If there’s nowhere suitable…”
Outdoors was out of the question—getting caught on camera would be a nightmare. And it couldn’t be at the Kong house either—Man Mingzhi had a sharp eye. It’s not like he could drive a car into his bedroom.
“I’ll take you next time.”
Kong Wenyu didn’t even know why he was so obsessed with this. Something about Nie Jun made him want to be close—maybe it was that faint scent of soap on his skin that was impossibly magnetic. Just the thought of undressing Nie Jun—and figuring out how to undress him—was an endless source of interest.
“Hurry up,” Kong Wenyu urged, “this week—can’t wait much longer.”
Nie Jun’s meal had been a rollercoaster, and after a brief pause, he said, “I’ll… go check on the food.”
He stood and left in a hurry. Only once the private room door clicked shut did he finally cut off Kong Wenyu’s gaze.
Outside, Nie Jun pulled a cigarette from his pocket, just about to light it when he saw Fu Xi walk in from the entrance with a tall, casually dressed man. A server was leading them toward a private room. Fu Xi glanced around, caught sight of Nie Jun, and froze for a moment.
He patted his companion on the shoulder, then walked over with a smirk, giving Nie Jun a quick once-over. “My guy—you look even better. You here to eat, or is Wenyu?”
Nie Jun pulled the cigarette from his lips, about to reply that Kong Wenyu wasn’t there, but Fu Xi had already knocked twice on the private room door. After politely pausing a couple of seconds, he pushed it open and went inside.
At the sound, Kong Wenyu looked up, just about to call out “Jun-ge”—but instead saw Fu Xi walk in with a cheeky grin and wink at him.
Nie Jun followed quickly behind and stood quietly at the door.
Fu Xi glanced at him, then looked back to Kong Wenyu.
Two sets of tableware, and the dishes had clearly been touched. Fu Xi raised a brow. “Who were you supposed to meet? Got stood up?”
Kong Wenyu leaned back in his chair, gaze shifting past Fu Xi to look at Nie Jun.
Nie Jun slowly shook his head.
Fu Xi dragged over a chair and sat beside him. “Seriously, with everything going on, you’re still bold enough to show up here?”
Kong Wenyu picked up his glass of warm water. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Try being more careful,” Fu Xi said. “Breaking off two engagements in a row, and now getting papped sneaking around with someone else—your reputation’s gonna be mud.”
Kong Wenyu kept drinking his water, clearly unconcerned.
His attitude made Fu Xi sigh. “You’re nowhere near as sharp as Sister Qingqing. She’s all business now. When she decided to act against her own big brother, she didn’t hesitate. After getting flamed by the media twice, they’re scared of her now—no one dares report on the Ao family without second thoughts.”
It had been a while since Kong Wenyu had seen Ao Qingqing. He put down his glass. “So, what happened?”
Fu Xi gave Nie Jun a brief glance, but since Kong Wenyu didn’t say anything, he turned back and lowered his voice. “First, she kidnapped Ao Yongwang and took control of the new brand and factory. Then their parents tried to force her into marriage. She got pissed and kidnapped Ao Yongwang again.”
Kong Wenyu gave a light laugh. “Just like that? And what were his bodyguards doing—napping?”
“They live in the same house,” Fu Xi said. “She charged into his bedroom early in the morning. Before he was even fully awake—hand over the mouth, sedative shot—and boom, gone.”
He leaned closer, clearly about to share something juicier, but then the door knocked again. A server came in to deliver another dish.
Fu Xi paused his gossip, leaning back in his chair until the server left, then leaned toward Kong Wenyu again. “When Ao Yongwang woke up, he was still in his pajamas. Qingqing asked if he wanted to go overseas. He’d just taken over the family business—of course he said no. The doctor nearby didn’t say a word—just walked up and gave him an IV push, then straight into electroshock therapy.”
Kong Wenyu and Nie Jun both turned their heads in unison to look at him.
“Guess what?” Fu Xi slapped the table. “The next day, Ao Yongwang woke up, Qingqing asked, ‘Do you remember who I am?’ He nodded and said her name. The doctor didn’t even hesitate—zapped him again. Second time he woke up, she asked again, and this time he shook his head. That same day, she brought their parents over, had the doctor give a diagnosis right in front of them: retrograde and anterograde amnesia.”
Amnesia might be a cliché in novels, but in real life, it could seriously impact someone’s relationships, career, and mental health.
Fu Xi reached for water, glancing at the glass near his hand.
Kong Wenyu said, “I’ve already eaten. If you’re hungry, go back to your room and finish your meal.”
“I’m not done talking yet,” Fu Xi turned back to him, eyes gleaming. “Word is, part of the reason Ao Qingqing acted so ruthlessly was because she was afraid Ao Yongwang would get in touch with you. Your reputation’s already shaky—if you started siding with him, she’d be completely isolated.”
“So she went all in and cut off any future threats.” Fu Xi clicked his tongue in admiration. “Good thing you didn’t marry her. That woman’s heart is ice cold.”
“You talk like you saw it all yourself.”
“Heard it from someone. It’s legit. After all that, Ao Qingqing basically became an only child in everything but name. With Ao Yongwang like this, the family had no one else to turn to. Rather than keep fighting, the parents decided to cut their losses and back her. I heard they gave her a beating first, then a big chunk of investment money, and introduced her to some serious connections.”
Kong Wenyu didn’t reply, just fell into a thoughtful silence.
Fu Xi added, “Don’t dismiss it—rumors usually come from truth and are juicier than the truth. The details are all there. Has to be real.”
Just then, a knock came at the door. A server peeked in, but didn’t enter. “Excuse me, is Mr. Fu here? The guests in the Lavender Room are requesting you return as soon as possible.”
“I’ll be right there,” Fu Xi replied, standing up almost instinctively.
Kong Wenyu asked, “Who is it?”
“My brother,” Fu Xi answered vaguely, waving his hand. “I’m off. Don’t forget the yacht party you promised me.”
Kong Wenyu nodded, raising his hand in return. “Wait until the weather clears over there.”
Once Fu Xi had left, the room returned to just the two of them. The ambiguous air from before settled back in.
Kong Wenyu tapped his finger on the table. “Sit.”
Nie Jun hesitated for a moment, then sat down across from him.
“Eat,” Kong Wenyu added.
He might’ve been a little upset—his face hinted at it.
“What’s wrong?” Nie Jun asked.
“Why are you hiding it?” Kong Wenyu said, setting down his chopsticks in annoyance. “Is it that embarrassing to be seen having dinner with me? You were like this this morning, and now again.”
“Your mom was right. I was too impulsive before,” Nie Jun said softly. “We can take it slow. As long as it doesn’t cause trouble for you, I’m fine with it.”
Kong Wenyu opened his mouth but didn’t speak.
Nie Jun reached out, gently rubbing his hand. “I know you’re someone who takes responsibility. You mean what you say. As long as I have a place in your heart, that’s enough for me.”
Kong Wenyu said nothing.
Nie Jun picked up some food and held it near his mouth.
After a few seconds, Kong Wenyu finally opened up and took a bite.
Nie Jun smiled reassuringly. “Let’s eat first, or we’ll be late for the concert.”
Kong Wenyu watched him swallow the food in his mouth and pick up his chopsticks again. “I told you, we can handle this. Don’t back down.”
Nie Jun gave a faint smile.
Kong Wenyu’s tone turned firm. “Just wait—when we get home tonight, I’ll deal with Ms. Man once and for all, and you’ll see.”
Leave a Reply