President Shen, who had earned the achievement of being kicked by Celebrity Ye four times, went to make breakfast while nursing his internal injuries.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t angry at all. But the moment he looked at Ye Nanqi’s face, he swallowed his anger back down. Shen’s mother had once said that her son had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Now that the sharp tongue had been put aside, all that remained was a piece of tender tofu.
Ye Nanqi had no idea that Shen Du’s attitude toward him had changed. Worried that his own attitude had been too poor and that Shen Du might change his mind at the last minute, he couldn’t help reminding him again during breakfast.
“Don’t forget, okay?”
His expression and manner were somewhat nervous, like a child.
Shen Du looked at the grain of rice stuck to the corner of his lips and didn’t know what to say.
“……”
How on earth had he been so blind before as to think Ye Nanqi was really some seductive, shameless flirt?
After breakfast, the two went about their own business.
Ye Nanqi finished compiling all the information on the list. After giving it some thought, he sent a copy to Xue Xiangyu.
Xue Xiangyu replied very quickly. For once, he was unusually serious, saying that he would keep an eye on the information about the people on the list and find someone to investigate where they were now.
At the end, he added a meaningful remark:
“If they can’t be found, then either they’re dead or they’re living a fate worse than death.”
A chill ran down Ye Nanqi’s back.
Since he had already begun making contact with members of the Xue family, there was no telling what might happen in the future. Ye Nanqi consciously asked Wen Chen to turn down some of his work. While everyone else was swamped with work at the end of the year, he was relatively free.
When he met Wen Chen and listened to his schedule, Ye Nanqi pointed at the day after Christmas.
“Let’s skip this one.”
The day after Christmas was the birthday celebration for the Xue family patriarch.
Wen Chen glanced at it and clicked his tongue. “This program has pretty good ratings. Why have you been rejecting this and that lately? Don’t be so willful. I’ll tell you something quietly: Jiang Yuanyu will be there too.”
Wen Chen’s attempt at temptation failed. Ye Nanqi smiled, but his tone remained firm.
“I have something more important to do.”
They had worked together for several years, and Ye Nanqi rarely acted irresponsibly. Wen Chen pondered his words for a moment before frowning.
“How important?”
Ye Nanqi paused at the question.
For the past few years, he’d been living with hatred and guilt. On countless sleepless nights, even breathing had felt difficult. Revenge really was the most important thing in his heart.
Meeting Wen Chen’s gaze, he said each word deliberately.
“If I had to put it into words, probably more important than my own life.”
Ye Nanqi’s gaze was so serious that Wen Chen couldn’t help raising his hand and giving him a smack on the head.
“Stop throwing your life around like that. We still have to work hard together to win ourselves a little golden statue. All you ever talk about is selling a kidney, and you never eat properly either. Tsk, you didn’t skip breakfast again today, did you?”
“…” Ye Nanqi fell silent for a moment. “I ate.”
Wen Chen was astonished. “Have you changed your ways?”
Ye Nanqi’s lips curled into something that wasn’t quite a smile.
“My lover has been ordered to supervise my meals.”
Wen Chen happily applauded. “A model lover! When you two have a baby, I’ll give you a huge red envelope.”
Ye Nanqi clicked his tongue. “I’ll give you a huge red envelope too when you have one.”
There weren’t many days left until Christmas. The streets were filled with festive cheer, and cheerful Christmas songs could be heard everywhere.
After parting with Wen Chen, Ye Nanqi wandered aimlessly around the streets for a while. He discovered that the young paparazzo was still following him.
Ye Nanqi made a soft sound of acknowledgment. His car was parked outside a pet shop. Ye Mei had once been very fond of these fluffy little animals. As he thought about it, he recalled Ye Mei from many years ago, the very person he had hated so much back then, standing in the freezing snow with nowhere to take shelter.
He fell silent for a while before getting out of the car to buy gifts for his family. Just as he was about to pay, he noticed the young paparazzo crouching outside, secretly raising his camera.
Finding it rather amusing, Ye Nanqi casually picked up another pair of fluffy gloves and paid for everything together.
When the young paparazzo saw Ye Nanqi coming out, he prepared to retreat. But Ye Nanqi was faster. In just a few steps, he walked over and tossed the gloves into the young man’s arms before returning to his car with the gifts.
The young paparazzo froze for a moment, then widened his eyes and hurried over to the car. Ye Nanqi lowered the window. Before the young man could say anything, he took out a hat and plopped it onto his head.
“Go home and celebrate the New Year, kid.”
“…” The young paparazzo looked conflicted. “Why are you like this?!”
Ye Nanqi smiled. “Oh? Are you going to expose me? You’re welcome to.”
With that, he rolled up the window and drove away.
The young paparazzo stood frozen in place.
The Shen family was a family of scholars. By Shen Du’s generation, things were still relatively relaxed, but the other family members retained a certain sense of superiority and looked down on foreign holidays, seeing no reason to celebrate them.
This year, however, was different from previous years. The two young men, neither of whom had any intention of celebrating, were instead summoned back to the Shen residence.
When they arrived, the housekeeper was bringing out a large platter filled entirely with washed apples.
Ye Nanqi’s mother had gone to keep Ye Wan company and wasn’t coming over today. Ye Nanqi thought to himself that after this New Year, he should send the two of them abroad.
He had come up with the excuse long ago: there were better medical treatment options overseas, and perhaps one day Ye Wan might even be able to stand again and regain her sight. As for his mother, leaving her alone overseas would be too lonely, so she could go along and keep Ye Wan company.
“Nanqi, what are you thinking about? You’re so lost in thought.”
Shen’s mother’s cheerful voice interrupted Ye Nanqi’s reverie. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and replied, “I was thinking about my work plans for next year.”
“Young people shouldn’t get too absorbed in work either.” Shen’s mother affectionately stroked Ye Nanqi’s head. “I know you have dreams, but pushing yourself too hard isn’t good.”
Shen’s father, who was watching the financial news channel, interjected, “Nanqi is simply good at planning. It’s rare to see a young person like him with such foresight. That’s a good thing.”
Shen’s mother turned her head unhappily and began bickering with her husband.
Ignored by his own parents, Shen Du watched the three of them enjoying themselves. He picked up an apple and began crunching away at it miserably, wondering whether he’d really been adopted.
After finishing their apples on schedule, the two went upstairs. Shen Du stared at Ye Nanqi walking ahead of him, instinctively sensing that something wasn’t quite right with his state of mind.
Once they entered the room, Shen Du thought for a moment before saying, “You were lying to my mother just now, weren’t you? Talking about work plans? Haven’t you turned down a whole bunch of engagements?”
Ye Nanqi looked at him strangely. “How do you know?”
“…” Shen Du calmly shifted the blame. “Zhao Sheng wanted to know how your work was progressing, so he asked me to keep an eye on it.”
As if.
After learning the truth, Zhao Sheng had laughed himself half to death. Only after laughing did his missing brain cells finally grow back. It was only then that he belatedly realized his good friend had gotten married without telling him. His temper flared, and he stopped speaking to Shen Du.
Ye Nanqi had recently heard so many far-fetched excuses like this that he reluctantly accepted it. He nodded and gave a faint, ambiguous smile.
“That’s right. I wasn’t thinking about work plans.”
Shen Du tentatively probed him. “I heard from Aunt Ye that your older sister’s death anniversary is coming up in a little while?”
Ye Nanqi’s long, lowered eyelashes trembled. This time, he didn’t sensitively avoid the subject and simply nodded.
Shen Du pressed on. “Your older sister entered the entertainment industry back then too. You…”
Ye Nanqi interrupted him, narrowing his eyes.
“What exactly are you trying to ask?”
Shen Du met his gaze with an indifferent expression. “Aunt Ye told me a few things. I’m a little curious about your older sister. It’s been so many years that my memories of her have become rather vague.”
Ye Nanqi’s guard remained firmly in place. He smiled faintly.
“If your memories have already become vague, there’s no need to bring them back. She was just an ordinary person. There was nothing particularly special about her. President Shen doesn’t need to trouble himself with remembering her.”
Shen Du was so frustrated that his teeth practically itched.
Why was he so guarded and sensitive?
And Shen Du couldn’t exactly ask him directly. He could already predict that if he openly questioned Ye Nanqi about Ye Mei, Ye Nanqi would most likely distance himself from him.
Ye Nanqi felt that Shen Du had been getting increasingly strange lately. He studied him suspiciously for a couple of moments before suddenly thinking of something. His expression tightened.
“Shen Du, have you been secretly investigating me?”
Shen Du played dumb, using the same old trick again.
“Why would I investigate you? Do I have nothing better to do?”
Ye Nanqi sneered. “I think you really do have nothing better to do. Answer my question directly.”
Shen Du remained unhurried. “Let’s put aside whether I investigated you or not. Why are you so nervous? Do you have some secret you don’t want anyone to know?”
For no apparent reason, Ye Nanqi felt a little angry and somewhat flustered.
He didn’t want anyone to pity him, especially someone who might be Shen Du.
The two stared silently at each other for a while. Shen Du thought to himself that Ye Nanqi really didn’t want anyone to know.
So he smiled and replied, “No.”
Ye Nanqi still harbored suspicions, but he couldn’t force Shen Du to say anything. Feeling thoroughly displeased, he climbed into bed and lay down right in the middle, squeezing Shen Du toward the edge.
He warned, “When you wake up tomorrow morning, if you’re still holding me, I’ll cripple you.”
Shen Du: “…”
Shen Du really wanted to remind this unreasonable Celebrity Ye that practically every time, Ye Nanqi was the one who crawled over to him, clung to him, and refused to let go. Whenever Shen Du tried to push him away, he’d even make aggrieved little noises.
However, Ye Nanqi turned over without mercy, leaving him only the back of his head.
Shen Du swallowed his words and sighed inwardly once more.
He really was a little tyrant.
There were many activities scheduled for Christmas Day. Ye Nanqi got up early and was pleased to discover that this time, he hadn’t ended up sleeping in Shen Du’s arms.
After hurriedly eating breakfast, he said goodbye to the two elders of the Shen family. He firmly declined their suggestion that Shen Du drive him to the company and left on his own.
As soon as he arrived at the company, Wen Chen dragged him off to get his makeup done and change into a formal outfit. Before he could even say a word, he was pulled into a car.
Wen Chen looked serious, holding several documents and rattling off instructions at lightning speed.
Ye Nanqi already knew all these things. Wen Chen was simply worried and wanted to go over them once more.
Listening to him speak so quickly, Ye Nanqi silently thought that Wen Chen would make a very suitable friend for Zhao Sheng, who did whatever he pleased.
A nag and a chatterbox. They were simply a perfect match.
All morning, Ye Nanqi was either in the car, at a recording venue, at a fan meeting, or attending some other event.
It was only when Wen Chen remembered that Ye Nanqi’s Weibo had gone untouched for ages that he asked him to post a selfie and send his fans a holiday greeting.
The fans, who had finally seen an update from Ye Nanqi, were overjoyed. Comments flooded in one after another, but Ye Nanqi had no time to read them.
Wen Chen had apparently decided to make him pay for all the free time he’d enjoyed recently by cramming all his postponed work into a single day. Ye Nanqi was so busy that his head was spinning.
Just when he finally managed to sit down and catch his breath, his phone suddenly rang again.
Ye Nanqi rubbed his temples and wearily took out his phone to look at it.
Meanwhile, Wen Chen was grumbling unhappily.
“It’s almost been a year. Is that old man seriously still holding a grudge? So what if you rejected him? We’ve been talking about hiring a new assistant for ages, and he still hasn’t found anyone. That rotten old man. Does he not feel the slightest bit guilty about preying on young pretty boys?”
He continued muttering to himself, but when he saw Ye Nanqi’s expression suddenly change dramatically, he stopped.
“What’s wrong?” Wen Chen had never seen him make such an expression before and was startled.
Ye Nanqi’s hand trembled slightly. His lips parted and closed several times. He shut his eyes, and when he spoke again, his voice had turned low and solemn.
“Brother Wen, I need to ask you for a favor.”
“Huh? What? What exactly happened?”
“…Help me cancel tonight’s events.”
Wen Chen nearly bit his tongue.
“What? Are you crazy? How am I supposed to explain this to the organizers?”
Ye Nanqi pressed his lips together, stood up, and bowed to Wen Chen.
“I’m sorry. I’ll explain everything when I get back.”
With that, he hurried out, not even bothering to put on his coat.
Wen Chen couldn’t stop him. By the time he ran outside, Ye Nanqi had already driven away.
“…Damn it. You little brat!”
Wen Chen gritted his teeth but didn’t look for a car to chase after him.
After all, he had an even bigger mess to deal with.
While driving, Ye Nanqi called the police.
“Hello, there’s been a kidnapping in the East District of A City. The kidnappers are transporting the victim toward the outskirts of the city. The license plate number is…”
The police dispatcher was still trying to process what he was hearing when Ye Nanqi had already efficiently provided all the details and hung up.
Almost on instinct, he then sent Shen Du a text message.
The content was almost identical to the one the private investigator had sent him.
【Jiang Yuanyu has been kidnapped. Heading toward the eastern outskirts of the city.】