Because of that bizarre kiss, the two of them didn’t speak again afterward.
Ye Nanqi slept at the edge of the bed. After the lights were turned off, the room became deathly quiet. Even their breathing could be heard clearly. He felt uncomfortable all over and let his thoughts wander in all directions. Only after a while did he remember the cocktail party scheduled for the following day.
According to Wen Chen, many prominent members of society would be attending. Naturally, this kind of cocktail party was an opportunity for many people to climb the social ladder and expand their connections… The Rongyu Group should be sending representatives as well.
Thinking of this, Ye Nanqi immediately forced himself to fall asleep as quickly as possible. He needed to be in his best condition. That was also his best form of protection.
While drifting between sleep and wakefulness, Ye Nanqi felt someone pull him away from the edge of the bed and move him toward the middle.
Perhaps because he had too much on his mind and had been thinking about too many things, Ye Mei, who hadn’t appeared in his dreams for a long time, visited him again that night.
She was wearing her favorite snow-white dress. Beautiful and pale, she looked like an elf. Sitting at the desk, she opened her diary and began writing.
“…I really need this role. It would let me earn more money. There’s still hope for Little Sister’s eyes… The investor hinted that I should accompany him to a drinking party in a few days. Brother Fang says the entertainment industry is filthy. If I could get close to someone from the Rongyu Group… But I don’t want to…”
“…”
“…”
“Shi Tiesheng once said, ‘When it comes to fate, don’t speak of fairness.’ Then where is the path to salvation for those who have suffered an unfortunate fate?”
“…So evil can be forgiven after all, and despicable behavior can even be permitted.”
“I think I’ve had a very, very long nightmare…”
“Now the nightmare is about to end.”
Ye Nanqi watched as Ye Mei put down her pen and slowly walked toward the window.
She opened it, and the wind rushed inside with a loud howl. Her frail body trembled slightly, but without the slightest hesitation, she climbed onto the windowsill.
She looked down at the ground below, seeming to hesitate once more. Then she crouched on the windowsill and gazed into the distance, lost in thought.
Her back looked so thin and fragile that even a gust of wind seemed capable of blowing her down.
Ye Nanqi felt cold all over, yet he couldn’t move. He struggled desperately, but he had no control over this dream.
After an unknown length of time, Ye Mei slowly turned her head and looked at him. Her expression was sorrowful and desolate. Tears streamed down her face as she said,
“Little Brother, I’m so cold…”
Ye Nanqi’s heart pounded wildly. He opened his mouth, but couldn’t utter a single word.
Big Sister…
Ye Nanqi’s eyes reddened too.
Please don’t go any further. Stop, okay?
But Ye Mei resolutely turned her head back. She stood up, stretched out her arms like a young eagle taking its first leap into the wind, and jumped.
Ye Nanqi jolted awake.
He gasped for breath, his forehead covered in cold sweat. His body trembled uncontrollably, his gaze vacant, and his face frighteningly pale. He was still trapped in the dream, unable to pull himself away.
It wasn’t until Shen Du knocked him on the head that he finally heard a familiar voice.
“What’s wrong? Gone stupid?”
Hearing Shen Du’s voice, Ye Nanqi abruptly fell back into reality. Only then did he sluggishly remember that Ye Mei had jumped to her death eight years ago.
She had been… dead for many years.
Shen Du knocked him on the head again.
“You were just strangling my neck and shouting ‘No!’ Did you have an erotic dream?”
Ye Nanqi finally came fully to his senses. He noticed that the sky was already beginning to brighten. After a moment, his usual composure returned. Narrowing his eyes, he said,
“I dreamed you were raping me, and I strangled you to death.”
With that, he got out of bed, intending to take a shower first.
Shen Du scoffed.
“If I wanted to rape you, I’d be better off finding a male prostitute.”
Ye Nanqi couldn’t be bothered to respond.
Shen Du made a thoughtful sound. Watching Ye Nanqi walk into the bathroom, he rubbed his chin.
Anyone who had seen Ye Nanqi’s expression when he woke up would have to be blind to think he’d been having some kind of erotic dream.
But… since Ye Nanqi didn’t want him to know, he would simply pretend he knew nothing.
After breakfast at the Shen family home, Ye Nanqi and Shen Du left with cheerful smiles, reassuring Shen’s mother. The moment they stepped outside, however, they tacitly went their separate ways.
The cocktail party began at six that evening.
Ye Nanqi first returned to Shen Du’s house, opened the combination-lock suitcase he’d brought with him, and took out the information he’d obtained from a private investigator a long time ago.
The Rongyu Group was a family-run conglomerate. Most of its shareholders were members of the family. With such a structure, the upper management was extremely complicated, and the group’s hiring requirements were also very strict.
Back then, Ye Nanqi had considered studying economics because it would have allowed him to get closer to people associated with the Rongyu Group more quickly.
Unfortunately, he was just an ordinary person. It was impossible for him to conceal his background flawlessly. As long as someone conducted even a cursory investigation, they would discover that he was Ye Mei’s younger brother.
Taking the roundabout route, following the same path Ye Mei had once taken, would eventually give him an opportunity to approach the Rongyu Group’s upper management.
Ye Nanqi stared at the documents in a daze for a while.
If he hadn’t unexpectedly married Shen Du, he would have already made arrangements to send his mother and younger sister abroad. After that, as long as he could get close to his enemies, he would have crawled his way toward them even if it meant risking his life.
Deep down, his heart was an endless, boundless wilderness shrouded in darkness. He had never been the warm sun his fans admired and longed for.
Coming back to his senses, Ye Nanqi turned the pages one by one.
These were the profiles of several young executives in the Rongyu Group.
Although there wasn’t much information.
Ye Mei had mentioned in her diary that one of the people who had forced himself on her was a young master from the Rongyu Group. He had a crescent-shaped birthmark on his thigh.
Even now, whenever Ye Nanqi recalled this, his body couldn’t help trembling. An inexplicable rage burned through his soul, nearly driving him insane, only for the cold reality to bring him back to his senses.
He truly didn’t dare think too deeply about it.
Why had Ye Mei known that the man had a birthmark on his thigh?
And when he considered this horrifying possibility, the words one of the people became even more chilling.
Even now, he didn’t dare think too deeply about what that person… or rather, those people, had done to Ye Mei.
She had always been so strong-willed…
Ye Nanqi’s hand trembled. The veins on the back of his hand bulged as he nearly tore apart these hard-won documents.
Unfortunately, the information was already incomplete. It certainly didn’t describe where any of the men had birthmarks.
How was he supposed to find out? Sleep with each of them one by one?
That had originally been his plan. He had been so desperate that he no longer cared about himself. All he wanted was an outcome in which they would all perish together.
But Shen Du had suddenly stuck his nose into things and ruined his plans.
Ye Nanqi remained silently in the house until the afternoon. Sitting rigidly in his chair, he repeatedly flipped through those few documents.
Even though he had memorized every detail long ago, he continued staring at them fruitlessly, hoping he might discover something he’d overlooked.
It wasn’t until Wen Chen called that the air in the house, which seemed to have remained motionless all day, finally began to flow again.
Ye Nanqi pulled himself away from his hatred, immediately put the documents away, and answered the call.
Wen Chen told him to stop by the company first to change clothes and get his makeup done.
Ye Nanqi gazed out the window at the withered trees. His face was completely expressionless, his gaze cold and vacant, yet his voice was gentle.
“Okay.”
By the time he arrived at the company, Ye Nanqi had already composed himself. He smiled slightly at the makeup artist, politely said, “Sorry to trouble you,” and sat down, letting her do her work.
Some entertainers always had one complaint or another while their makeup artists were working. Some even deliberately made things difficult for them.
Ye Nanqi, however, was extremely easygoing. He let the makeup artist make all the decisions. Whenever she spoke, he responded naturally and kept the conversation going. His temperament was so pleasant that he was well-liked wherever he went.
Only after his makeup was finished and they got into the car did Wen Chen speak.
“You’re already married. Could you stop flirting with other girls?”
Ye Nanqi asked, “Which one of your eyes saw me flirting?”
Wen Chen suddenly pinched his voice and imitated the girl from earlier.
“’Oh my, Nanqi, your skin is so good! How do you usually take care of it?’”
Then he changed his tone again.
“’Your skin is the good one. How can you compare a man with a girl?’”
Ye Nanqi: “…”
Wen Chen clicked his tongue.
“That girl’s face was practically red.”
After saying that, he reached out and pinched Ye Nanqi’s cheek.
“Your skin really is pretty good.”
“Pinch me one more time and I’ll tell your wife you’re sexually harassing me. Every bit of makeup on this face costs money. Even rubbing it off costs money.”
Wen Chen quickly withdrew his hand and said cheerfully,
“It’s great having a handsome artist. I even feel proud taking you out.”
Ye Nanqi gave him a faintly amused look and leaned lazily against the seat. There was an indescribable charm flowing through his features.
Wen Chen shuddered at the sight.
“It’s not even spring yet. Why are you already acting like you’re in heat?”
“This is the charm of someone preparing to outshine everyone else.” Ye Nanqi rolled his eyes at him, took out his phone, and played a little game to pass the time.
They arrived at the venue right on time, neither early nor late. It was exactly six o’clock.
This was the first time Ye Nanqi had attended such a large-scale cocktail party since becoming famous.
Waiters came and went, drinks flowed like water, and the guests were dressed in elegant, fashionable attire. Even the air seemed to carry an atmosphere of extravagance and indulgence.
Wen Chen wasn’t going inside. He watched Ye Nanqi leave, feeling a little nervous himself. He lowered his head and rapidly sent several messages to reassure Ye Nanqi, telling him to stay calm.
Feeling his phone vibrate, Ye Nanqi took it out and glanced at the screen, feeling somewhat speechless.
He hadn’t been nervous to begin with. But after Wen Chen’s antics, he was starting to feel nervous too.
His target was someone from the Rongyu Group. He casually picked up a glass of champagne, took a sip, and began surveying the surroundings.
Many people from different circles had attended tonight. Ye Nanqi even spotted several familiar faces with whom he’d acted in previous productions.
The cocktail party was already underway. Guests mingled over drinks, and Ye Nanqi moved effortlessly through the crowd, greeting people as he went.
Some people recognized Ye Nanqi and approached him to chat. He smoothly dismissed them with a few casual remarks, never making it obvious that he was trying to get away.
After making a round of the venue without seeing anyone he was looking for, Ye Nanqi felt a little frustrated. Just as he was about to find a quiet corner to rest, someone suddenly called out to him.
The person who stopped Ye Nanqi was a former costar from one of his earlier dramas. Ye Nanqi had become famous through that production, but his former costar had remained stuck in the same place.
The old costar, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, was holding the arm of a man. Smiling warmly, he greeted Ye Nanqi.
“Long time no see. I didn’t expect you to be here tonight too.”
Ye Nanqi politely nodded to him. But when his gaze shifted to the face of the man beside him, he instantly felt blood rushing to his head.
His former costar hadn’t noticed anything unusual. He enthusiastically introduced them.
“This is Young Master Xue from the Rongyu Group. Young Master Xue, this is my former costar. Haha, he’s been quite popular lately. You might have heard of him.”
The man standing beside him was none other than one of the people listed in Ye Nanqi’s documents.
The Rongyu Group was a family-run conglomerate, so naturally, it had all sorts of branches and relatives.
This man was rather special. He was an illegitimate son from one of those branches.
An illegitimate son was nothing unusual. The Xue family probably had enough illegitimate children scattered outside to form an entire team and go dungeon-crawling together.
The important point was that he’d actually been brought back into the family and raised there. When he grew up, he even appeared openly and legitimately in the Xue family’s company.
This openly acknowledged illegitimate son of the Xue family had a handsome face and a naturally flirtatious air. At first glance, he was clearly an experienced womanizer who spent much of his time among lovers.
He looked Ye Nanqi up and down with a strange expression. Only after finishing his assessment did he curl his lips into a smile, squeeze the waist of the person in his arms, and speak in a tone that was neither quite a smile nor quite a sneer.
“No, I haven’t heard of him.”