“I should have known.”
“I already knew!”
“Damn it!”
Jin Yi let out a triple lament, looking utterly tormented.
He’d sensed it during the last dinner!
This Fan Qing wasn’t simple—he was far from simple!
So… why did he go out of his way to post that Weibo, QAQ?
“Now… Second Young Master shouldn’t be able to refuse my… small request, right?”
Fan Qing tossed two fish pellets into the pond, and a few koi flopped over, gobbling them up foolishly.
Jin Yi now felt like he was the fish.
He wanted to cry but had no tears.
“小 assistant—no, big brother, I mean—shouldn’t you just give me a hand here? This… this thing is basically impossible!”
“Not started yet, and Second Young Master is already giving up?”
Fan Qing smiled broadly, but from head to toe his expression screamed no refusal, no negotiation.
Jin Yi slumped into the pavilion.
“It’s not that I lack ambition—it’s just that you and Nie Luo already have a rumored relationship. He’s the type who hates seeing gossip about himself. The last dinner was all to clear that up. Now you’re asking me to privately set up a meeting? Come on, it’s obviously not going to work!”
He stole a glance at Fan Qing, keeping one thought to himself.
The last time they’d left, he’d noticed… Nie Luo did seem to have some feeling toward Fan Qing.
But it wasn’t the kind of thing he imagined—it was more…
fear?
Even Jin Yi himself felt this idea was ridiculous.
But he couldn’t help thinking it.
Really, it did look like that!
The way Nie Luo had fled that day—so clearly in panic!
Impossible to succeed?
Fan Qing slowly revealed a smile, so unnerving that Jin Yi shivered.
“Second Young Master, want to make a bet?”
Fan Qing’s voice was soft, but full of unshakable confidence.
“…A bet?”
No way… could it be that this guy actually had a thing for Nie Luo?
And wanted to become Nie Luo’s boyfriend???
In one year?
Jin Yi quickly shook his head.
“Impossible. That’s Nie Luo—we saw him run away last time. No way this succeeds. Even if it could, it couldn’t happen within a year!”
Fan Qing looked at him and laughed.
“Since you think it’s impossible… why not bet on it?”
Huh?
Jin Yi froze, then realization dawned.
Right! If he really thinks it’s impossible, then why not make the bet?
This is a sure win… right?
Old Nie?
Jin Yi stared at Nie Luo’s face, dazed.
“…You called me out just so you could use my face to stare?”
Nie Luo had been tolerating this guy for a long time.
If it weren’t for the hassle with the agent, he’d never have agreed to meet him for a drink.
“Ah? Oh, no.”
Jin Yi snapped back to reality and noticed Nie Luo’s expression looked… strangely guilty.
Then he realized something.
Fan Qing was right—if he actually succeeded in winning over Nie Luo, it would be entirely Fan Qing’s achievement. Nie Luo would have no one to blame but himself.
He hadn’t caused any trouble for Nie Luo.
And, if Nie Luo really got caught up in it, Jin Yi, as the matchmaker, might even owe Fan Qing a gift!
…Wait?
Wait, wait, wait…?
Jin Yi slowly typed a question mark.
Something felt off.
He was supposed to help create a meeting opportunity for these two, and after Fan Qing succeeded, he’d still have to reward Fan Qing?
He had personally agreed to give Fan Qing this kind of benefit? That’s… unfair to him!
Before Jin Yi could think it through, Nie Luo, who had been drinking a fair bit, rubbed his brow and stood up.
He pulled a black mask over his face, thought for a moment, then brushed his hair so it hung in front of his eyes before finally getting up.
“I’m going to the bathroom.”
“Ah? Oh.”
Jin Yi remained lost in his tangled logic.
Outside the private room, Nie Luo tried to avoid the crowd as much as possible.
The place Jin Yi had arranged obviously wasn’t some random spot. It offered decent privacy for clients.
But at Nie Luo’s level, even the best privacy is basically useless.
He was already irritated by the recent mess with his agent… and then there was Jing Yuan…
Nie Luo’s steps faltered slightly.
He looked at the figure walking ahead and frowned.
Speak of the devil…
What was Jing Yuan doing here?
The thought barely crossed his mind before Nie Luo’s black pupils, half-hidden by damp strands of hair, widened sharply.
Instinctively, his gaze swept the area, and in one motion, his long legs carried him straight into the bathroom.
Meanwhile, not far away, Jing Yuan suddenly turned his head back, his face full of shock.
“What’s wrong?”
The man accompanying him asked with genuine curiosity.
Jing Yuan didn’t respond immediately.
The manager nearby leaned in, lowering his voice.
“What are you looking at? Mr. Zhuo’s asking you something!”
Jing Yuan snapped back to attention and hurriedly looked at the man in front of him—a striking figure with delicate features, golden hair, and piercing blue eyes.
“Sorry, Mr. Zhuo, I think I just saw someone I know and lost my composure for a moment.”
Zhuo’s eyes scanned him like a machine, making Jing Yuan’s scalp tingle, before he finally let out a light laugh.
“Well, you two must be very close, huh? Otherwise, why would you ignore someone as beautiful as me to look at your friend?”
There was a strong sense of narcissism in his tone, as if it were obvious and natural that all attention should be on him.
But no one found it strange—his appearance was as remarkable as his confidence.
Jing Yuan felt cold sweat pouring down his back.
Crap!
How could he have forgotten? Mr. Zhuo not only loves compliments about his looks, but he hates being ignored even more.
Suppressing the rising panic, Jing Yuan forced a polite smile and began praising Zhuo’s appearance using all the carefully chosen words he’d practiced.
Gradually, Zhuo’s expression brightened, and both Jing Yuan and the manager let out a small sigh of relief.
But…
Jing Yuan couldn’t help sneaking a glance toward the direction he had seen earlier. He thought for a moment, but maintained a calm, obedient smile as he pushed open the door for Zhuo.
Once inside, hiding behind Zhuo, Jing Yuan quickly pulled out his phone and sent a message.
Fortunately, he had prepared for situations like this in advance.
Though it wasn’t originally meant for dealing with Nie Luo, it worked perfectly since Nie Luo had stumbled into his plan.
Thinking this, Jing Yuan swiftly sent the text.
Not long after, his phone buzzed lightly.
He glanced down and felt a wave of relief.
Good!
It worked!
Now he just needed to find the right time to slip away…
Just then, Jin Yi, who had come out to make a call, paused mid-step.
“…Wait, didn’t I see the guy you mentioned before? The one who had bad intentions?”
Fang Qing, who was adjusting his hair in front of the mirror, froze.
“Who are you talking about?”
“Uh… you know, that little star behind the scenes. I forgot his name.”
Jing Yuan?
How was he here too?
Fang Qing’s chest tightened. He quickly threw on the motorcycle jacket that had been lying on the bed and slipped on a few knuckle rings that radiated raw power and animalistic aggression.
“Are you sure? Where’s Nie Luo now?”
“He said he went to the restroom…”
Jin Yi muttered, then snapped back to attention.
“Wait, why are you so concerned about this little star? Isn’t your target Old Nie?”
Could Fang Qing be playing both sides?
No, that doesn’t make sense—didn’t he dislike that guy?
“Forget the restroom—watch Jing Yuan. Don’t let him get near Nie Luo. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
Fang Qing grabbed a new pair of sunglasses from behind the door, dashed downstairs, and in one fluid motion mounted a black motorcycle that was as sleek as a shadow and as fierce as a tiger.
“Go, and don’t forget our bet.”
“Wait, the bet didn’t require me to go this far…”
Jin Yi hadn’t finished protesting when the roar of the engine erupted through the line.
…Hmm?
That sound is familiar…
He recalled his past memories with motorcycles in a flash.
Damn!
That’s the wildest bike he’s ever ridden before.
Although not expensive, it’s notoriously difficult to handle because of its design, and few dare to ride it.
Yet Fang Qing was controlling it effortlessly.
Jin Yi muttered to himself, eyes wide.
“Crap… Nie Luo, that kid’s really in trouble now, isn’t he?”