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After Loren finished speaking, Xie Jianwei glanced at Lu Li.

Lu Li’s expression remained unchanged, appearing to treat it purely as a joke.

Loren, however, grew even more spirited. He teased Xie Jianwei, “If you don’t want to call him father, could it be you want to call him darling?”

Xie Jianwei was speechless.

Yan Ke went, “Hahaha, hic!”

Loren added with a mischievous grin, “Come on, there are no outsiders here. Let’s hear you call him that. If your dad is pleased, he might just grant permission!”

Xie Jianwei felt that Loren in this dream was truly ready to soar into the heavens.

Lu Li finally spoke up, “Stop teasing him.”

Loren said, “He said it himself, that he doesn’t look like your son.”

Lu Li tossed out an impassive remark, “He never looked like one to begin with.”

The “not looking like” in Loren’s and Xie Jianwei’s minds referred to their relationship, but in Lu Li’s words, it was far more literal, referring purely to physical appearance.

Loren huffed, “In any case, I would never spoil a ‘son’ to the point of…”

“Loren!” Lu Li barked a low reprimand.

Loren had no choice but to shut his mouth. He looked toward Xie Jianwei, his azure eyes brimming with the unspoken message: Uncle can only help you this far, keep at it, dear nephew.

Xie Jianwei was snapped out of character so fast he felt like hitting someone.

Fortunately, Lu Li was in a state of inner turmoil himself and didn’t notice his expression.

Lu Li’s heart felt bitter, so bitter that his mouth was filled with an astringent taste, as though the wine he had just drunk wasn’t an ’82 Lafite, but freshly squeezed bitter melon juice that made his throat ache.

Even Loren could see through his feelings, yet Xie Jianwei remained completely oblivious.

Lu Li didn’t even want to hear jokes.

When Loren teased Xie Jianwei, what would Xie Jianwei say in response?

Would he say that he only saw his father as a father? Or that while they weren’t father and son, they could never be lovers either? Or perhaps, playing along with Loren’s joke, would he crack a few jokes of his own?

In any case, none of those responses were what he wanted to hear.

Because he knew Xie Jianwei’s heart too well, he knew he would never get the answer he craved from him.

Xie Jianwei indulged in a moment of melancholy.

He didn’t dare say too much. Loren joking around was one thing, but if he were to suddenly blurt out, “Ah, Father, I love you,” he would probably open his eyes the very next second to make breakfast, and find himself with two more Big Lis to deal with.

During the latter half of the banquet, a pretty girl came over to invite Xie Jianwei onto the dance floor. Xie Jianwei didn’t want to go; he only wanted to sit beside Lu Li. However, according to his character persona, such a gathering was where he thrived like a fish in water, and sitting motionless would break character too severely.

Thus, the Military Advisor had no choice but to reluctantly step down and fool around.

Lu Li glanced at him from time to time. Watching him smile carelessly with young ladies made his chest ache with misery.

He wouldn’t hold a banquet for his next birthday. To hell with dances; what bloody business did a bunch of mobsters have dancing anyway?

Still, Xie Jianwei danced exquisitely.

The mob boss had his own built-in filter, blocking out the woman beside him to look solely at his precious son. As he watched, Xie Jianwei’s slender neck, lean waist, and firm, perky rear sent his blood surging upward.

Loren was still babbling away beside him, “Youth is truly wonderful. I’m getting old, lacking the energy to chase girls, and only want to find someone caring to settle down with.”

Lu Li swept a glance over him, offering the playboy a dry sneer.

The playboy Loren, who had claimed he wanted to settle down just a second earlier, lit up the next second, “Hey, that kid looks pretty good, let me go check him out.”

Lu Li remained speechless.

A playboy reforming his ways? Not unless the universe exploded.

Regardless of whether it was the young one (Xie Jianwei) or the older one (Loren)!

Throughout what was supposed to be a fine birthday, the boss wore a perpetually dark expression.

Unfortunately, nobody dared approach him. Given the dramatic scene that had played out earlier today, it was only natural for Lu Li to be in a foul mood, and no one wanted to invite bad luck upon themselves.

Consequently, the solitary boss looked even more pitiable.

Yan Ke couldn’t bear the sight, “It’s truly lonely at the top for the Lord Marshal.”

Xie Jianwei had no words.

Finding a moment to sneak a glance at him, his heart ached for him as well.

He had to maintain the act right now, but he would properly coax him tonight.

With the big boss displeased and unwilling to leave, the banquet guests didn’t dare revel too wildly either.

Once the event wound down, the crowd dispersed one after another. The youth dancing with Xie Jianwei had delicate, handsome features and boldly asked Xie Jianwei out, “Young Master, tonight, could we…”

Xie Jianwei winked at him, saying regretfully, “Today is Father’s birthday, I have to keep him company.”

Though the youth looked tender, he was an experienced player, “Um, I’m open to a threesome.”

Xie Jianwei chuckled, “Should I go ask Father?”

Lu Li was already standing behind him, his face darkening further upon hearing those words, “Go home.”

Right as Xie Jianwei was about to bring up the threesome, Lu Li glared at the youth, who immediately stammered, “I won’t disturb Sir and the Young Master then.”

“Ah…” Xie Jianwei seemed rather disappointed.

Lu Li scooped him up around the waist, stepped into the elevator, and pressed the button for the top floor.

Suppressing a laugh, Xie Jianwei felt a pang of affection seeing his tightly clenched jaw. Shifting slightly upward, he kissed his chin.

Lu Li didn’t budge.

Finding it amusing, Xie Jianwei gave it another kiss.

Lu Li stared dead ahead without expression.

What could he do? This falsely upright Lu Li was ridiculously adorable!

Xie Jianwei never imagined he would see such a day. Right there inside the elevator, he began tugging at Lu Li’s clothes.

Lu Li finally spoke in a raspy voice, “Wait until we get to the room.”

Xie Jianwei said, “There is no one else anyway, let’s just do it in the elevator…”

A buzz echoed through Lu Li’s head. Reason and desire clashed like warring nations, fighting tooth and nail.

Xie Jianwei slipped down from his arms, purring provocatively, “Today is Father’s birthday, let me serve you, alright?”

Lu Li was struck silent.

And so, Big Li was served.

From the elevator all the way into the bedroom, heaven only knew what an absurd night it turned out to be.

Fortunately, this hotel was Lu Li’s private estate, and the entire top floor and elevator were reserved exclusively for his personal use, so being a little reckless didn’t seem to matter.

The next day, Xie Jianwei had zero desire to get out of bed.

Lu Li patted his backside, “Get up and eat.”

Xie Jianwei mumbled, “Don’t want to.”

Seeing most of that delicate face buried beneath the quilt, with playful curls of hair peeking out, Lu Li found him breathtakingly lovely. His heart softened completely, and he kneaded his waist, “Who was the one boasting last night about going three hundred rounds?”

Xie Jianwei groaned softly under his touch, mumbling incoherently, “Let me sleep a bit.”

Lu Li massaged him with measured pressure, teasing him, “You weren’t even asked to exert yourself, why are you this exhausted?”

Xie Jianwei cracked an eye open, looking at him lazily, “Drained kidneys.”

The corners of Lu Li’s lips tilted upward.

Xie Jianwei remarked shamelessly, “You came three times, while I came six or seven times, how could that be the same?”

Lu Li could no longer hold back his smile, “Youth is truly great.”

Just as Xie Jianwei was about to feel smug, Lu Li added another blow, “Your endurance is just lacking.”

Xie Jianwei was rendered speechless.

He turned over and ignored him.

Lu Li felt he must be sick; even looking at the back of Xie Jianwei’s head seemed captivating, so charming his heart itched.

Leaning close, he pressed a kiss against his back.

Xie Jianwei recoiled as if stung, gasping in shock, “We cannot do it anymore!”

Lu Li’s eyes filled with amusement, “We won’t.”

Xie Jianwei didn’t believe him.

Lu Li coaxed him, “Just a kiss.”

With that, he leaned down and pressed against his lips.

It was truly a tender, sweet kiss. Their breaths intertwined, gently tangled with one another, savoring the sweetness radiating from the tips of their tongues.

Like an affectionate pair of newlyweds.

Yes, like.

When the kiss concluded, Lu Li’s expression dimmed considerably.

Xie Jianwei caught the change keenly, and he could essentially deduce what was on his mind.

Nine times out of ten, he was agonizing over his unrequited love again.

What a ridiculous so-called unrequited love.

Did such blissful unrequited love exist anywhere in this world?

Whatever, the sick patient called the shots, and Military Advisor Xie’s husband-pampering spoke for itself.

If Big Li wanted to wallow in unrequited longing, let him be.

Watching from the sidelines, Yan Ke shivered, feeling that the Military Advisor was growing more darkly cunning by the day, though telling himself it had to be an illusion!

Xie Jianwei had also prepared a special gift for Lu Li.

The gifts on the surface had been arranged by his assistant. Although Lu Li kept them carefully stored, anyone could tell they were generic templates suitable for anyone’s birthday.

Knowing that Xie Jianwei had reserved another gift, Lu Li asked, “Where is the gift?”

Xie Jianwei had been too caught up in intimacy last night to present it before midnight.

Rolling out of bed, he said, “Wait a moment.”

As he stood up, he nearly collapsed, his legs trembling as if they didn’t belong to him.

Honestly, thank goodness this was a dream; pulling this off in reality would probably wreck his body!

Then again, interstellar humans possessed vastly superior constitutions compared to ancient Earth, so if they really did it…

Xie Jianwei paused in thought. Well, it wasn’t as if they hadn’t done so before.

It was just that the next day, Xie Jianwei had been so furious he ignored Lu Li for an entire day.

In all fairness, it wasn’t that he was frigid in reality, but rather the gap in physical constitution was too immense. An SSS-rank constitution was simply inhuman; with a waist moving like a motor, who could take that?

Xie Jianwei’s wandering thoughts didn’t delay him from retrieving the gift.

“Found it.” Xie Jianwei drew a neatly folded slip of paper from his pocket.

Lu Li was quite curious, “What is it?”

Xie Jianwei smiled warmly, “Open it and see.”

Full of suspicion, Lu Li unfolded the slip of paper, which contained only a single line of text.

The handwriting was elegant and handsome, just like its owner.

However, the content seemed quite out of place.

Meal vouchers, remaining uses: 76,650.

Lu Li was stunned for a long while.

Xie Jianwei asked, “How is it? Sincere enough?”

Lu Li looked somewhat lost, “Meal vouchers?”

Xie Jianwei explained, “Meals cooked by my own hands, which you can redeem. Mm…” He glanced at the note before continuing, “seventy-six thousand six hundred and fifty times!”

Lu Li’s mental math was startling, “Seventy years?”

Xie Jianwei smiled, “Yes, for the rest of our lives.”

Lu Li’s body went taut in an instant. His Adam’s apple bobbed, his eyes flooded with disbelief.

Xie Jianwei tilted his head up to look at him, “Does Father like such a gift?”

The word ‘Father’ pulled Lu Li back to reality, cooling much of the fiery fervor filling his chest. He tried his best to stay calm, telling himself not to overthink, that there was no need to overthink. Even so, he still asked softly, “For the rest of our lives, you will…” He wanted to say accompany, yet didn’t dare utter it.

Xie Jianwei didn’t dare provoke him too intensely either, replying tactfully, “I will never betray you.”

Never betray… did that mean never leaving?

Yet what could staying by his side represent?

Could walking through life as father and son ever be the same as lovers?

Soon, however, Lu Li reflected that regardless of the identity, if he could walk alongside him until the end of life, he would be delighted and deeply contented.

Lu Li smiled faintly, “This is the finest gift I have ever received.”

Xie Jianwei knew he had arrived at his own interpretation again; in any case, he wouldn’t view this gift as a confession of love.

Xie Jianwei pecked him on the lips, whispering, “That’s good then.”

He had placed his entire heart right into his palm. If Lu Li still found fault with it, he would truly deserve a beating.

Xie Jianwei actually wished he could drop everything and revolve solely around Lu Li. Unfortunately, his duties in this dream world were heavy. Work was a minor issue, but his flock of lovers was large enough to make one’s scalp tingle.

Maintaining them barely kept him from exhaustion.

Particularly when two troublesome matters arose.

The first involved one of Xie Jianwei’s mature female lovers.

Young Master Xie swung both ways, and was rumored to prefer women slightly more.

Nothing could be done about it, as Big Li steadfastly believed he was straight.

Following his itinerary, Xie Jianwei methodically visited his lovers. Today, by schedule, he was supposed to visit this elder sister.

Her name was Bai Mei, and she was exceptionally fair and alluring, with the highlight being her ample bust. Rumor had it that if her breasts entered a contest, they would easily take first place.

Yan Ke was deeply intrigued by her, so excited upon hearing they were meeting her today that he wished he could take the field in the Military Advisor’s place.

Xie Jianwei mulled it over and felt he ought to grant Yan Ke some perks. After wandering through so many dreams with him, Yan Ke had certainly earned his keep.

Thus, he decided to let Yan Ke feast his eyes.

Of course, only through clothing.

Unexpectedly, Yan Ke truly did get an eyeful, and an unclothed one at that.

What happened? Xie Jianwei, as the party involved, had the most authority to explain.

He had intended to surprise his mistress, only to be slapped in the face with a surprise of his own.

The moment he stepped into the apartment, he felt something was off: a pair of men’s shoes sat in the entryway. At this moment, Eldest Young Master Xie lacked sufficient experience with such matters and didn’t realize it right away. Once he stepped further inside and heard gasps and moans, he understood most of it.

Had Xie Jianwei come alone, he would have let them be and quietly slipped away.

However, he had a fiercely loyal little assistant beside him.

The little assistant blew his top, “That slut dares to have an affair inside the apartment Young Master gave her!”

Xie Jianwei wanted very much to forgive her, but evidently his assistant disagreed.

Dashing forward in a flash, he shoved the door open with a bang, stopping just short of shouting to catch the adulterers.

And so, Yan Ke laid eyes on those pale, voluptuous breasts that could make anyone dizzy.

Meanwhile, Xie Jianwei was reluctantly treated to a live performance.

The adulterous pair on the bed were struck with mutual horror. The woman shrieked while the man gasped, yanking the quilt over themselves until they were bundled up like two rice dumplings.

Xie Jianwei had originally planned to leave, but taking a look at the man’s face, he froze.

Yan Ke hadn’t noticed the abnormality yet, still mourning that the voluptuous view had bounced away in under ten seconds, feeling deeply crestfallen.

The little assistant raised his foot to kick the adulterer, “You scoundrel, how dare you touch the Young Master’s woman!”

With complex emotions, Xie Jianwei looked at the adulterer and asked, “What is your name?”

The adulterer answered in a squeaky voice, “Yan… Yan Ke.”

Sister Bai Mei proved quite loyal, “Young Master, it’s my fault, I seduced him! Please don’t kill him!”

Xie Jianwei thought to himself that he wouldn’t, certainly wouldn’t; how could he bear to execute his fine doctor?

Yan Ke finally snapped back to reality, rendered utterly speechless.

Xie Jianwei said, “It seems your perks this time are even better than Admiral Loren’s.”

Yan Ke was on the verge of tears, “My Lord, that isn’t me, really not me! I would never be audacious enough to cuckold you, ahhh!”

Xie Jianwei noted leisurely, “Fortunately, Lu Li isn’t a woman.”

Yan Ke was silent.

“Oh no,” Xie Jianwei continued faintly, “we should rejoice that Lu Li doesn’t have a pair of large breasts.”

Yan Ke wailed out loud, crying until his eyes were swollen.

Xie Jianwei had originally intended to turn and leave, but catching sight of Classmate Yan Ke, he decided to sit down and have a chat.

He said, “Put your clothes on first, I will wait outside.”

Yan Ke and Bai Mei got dressed while trembling all over, their minds filled with thoughts of Eldest Young Master Xie’s ruthlessness. It was notorious far and wide that Young Master Xie killed without batting an eye, and rumors said he had executed traitors with his own hands when he was barely a teenager.

Now that they had been caught…

Yan Ke glanced at Bai Mei’s chest and suddenly steadied his nerve. He told Bai Mei, “In a moment, tell him I forced myself on you!”

Bai Mei was speechless.

Yan Ke thought to himself that even if he died, he couldn’t let such wonderful treasures lose their vitality. So he kissed them once, showing the resolve of a hero severing his own wrist, “I’ll take the fall for this. Sister Mei, you must live on well!” Those words seemed addressed less to Bai Mei and more to her bosom.

Waiting outside the room, Xie Jianwei heard every word clearly.

Yan Ke laughed awkwardly in his head, “My Lord, look, I’m quite manly, right?”

Xie Jianwei said, “You?”

Yan Ke corrected himself hurriedly, “Pah, I mean Yan Ke! I’m just a single dog admiring beauty!”

Xie Jianwei was amused by him, “Always lacking seriousness.”

Yan Ke and Bai Mei stepped out, and Xie Jianwei surveyed them with calm composure.

The two were terrified to the point of not daring to lift their heads.

“No need to be so terrified, it’s not like I’m going to eat you alive,” Xie Jianwei said with a gentle smile. Yet that only made Bai Mei and Yan Ke tremble even harder.

Terrified as he was, Yan Ke actually stepped forward. “Young Master, this isn’t on her. It’s because I saw Bai Mei grew… um… she’s so pretty, and I lost my head for a moment and forced myself on her! She’s just a woman, she couldn’t fight back, so she could only…”

Xie Jianwei cut him off directly, asking Bai Mei, “Is that true?”

Sister Mei was quite the tough woman herself, blurting out without hesitation, “It wasn’t rape. It was consensual.”

Xie Jianwei couldn’t hold it back and burst into laughter.

His laugh left everyone dumbfounded.

The little assistant felt immense heartache. My poor Young Master, he must be laughing out of sheer fury! How heartbroken must he be!

Yan Ke was deeply shocked. Truly a ruthless character, still talking and laughing cheerfully even with a bright green hat on his head.

Bai Mei was very smart. She realized both her life and Yan Ke’s were spared, because Xie Jianwei simply didn’t care. He didn’t care about her, so naturally he didn’t care whether she had an affair or not.

Sure enough, Xie Jianwei said magnanimously, “It’s no big deal. If you two hit it off, then by all means continue. I was the one who accidentally interrupted you.” As he spoke, he glanced at Yan Ke. “You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

In this kind of situation, if someone got caught at the wrong moment, the fright could render a man impotent for life.

Yan Ke thought he was hearing things.

Xie Jianwei added, “I never had just Mei-mei anyway. If we really calculate it, I fool around outside every day, while Mei-mei only cheated once. What is there to be angry about?”

Bai Mei thought, Is that really how accounts are settled, my great Young Master?

Yet Young Master Xie insisted on settling accounts this way, and none of them had any say in the matter.

What had seemed like an impending storm ended up passing with barely a whisper, and the matter dissolved into nothing.

Afterward, Bai Mei took inventory of the assets she had received as a lover and offered to return them to Xie Jianwei, considering herself an incompetent mistress.

Xie Jianwei was not short on cash, sending someone to reply, “Consider it compensation for your hard work. Keep it well.”

Looking at this villa worth millions, Bai Mei sincerely felt she had found an exceptionally generous sugar daddy.

Did Yan Ke and Bai Mei stay together afterward? Not necessarily. They were merely playing around, with no real feelings involved.

This incident stirred up quite a commotion for a while, eventually reaching Lu Li’s ears.

Lu Li told him, “Don’t indulge your subordinates too much.”

Xie Jianwei replied, “It’s fine. I was getting a bit tired of her anyway.”

That lazy, offhand remark struck Lu Li right in the heart once again.

Growing tired of someone just like that, would he soon grow tired of him too?

Thinking of the meal vouchers tucked against his chest, Lu Li felt considerably reassured. There were still 76,650 uses left. If he never used them, wouldn’t they carry forward indefinitely? Extending from seventy years to seven hundred years was entirely possible.

Xie Jianwei had no idea his vouchers had backfired. He had intended to showcase his culinary skills and bring warmth to Lu Li, but who could have guessed Lu Li would stubbornly refuse to let him cook?

Once he figured out his train of thought, Xie Jianwei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Had he known, he would have written the count as 76,650 multiplied by infinity.

After the Bai Mei and Yan Ke fiasco, another incident took place that made Xie Jianwei want to disband his circle of lovers even more.

Even though he had set the terms clearly with them, telling them that as a young master with plenty of lovers he could never be devoted to anyone, and that they should take the money without overthinking, there were still stubborn fools. Jealousy drove some mad, leading one to track down another lover and engage in a ferocious fistfight.

Xie Jianwei felt he couldn’t leave it unattended, so he stepped in to mediate.

Lover A shouted, “Young Master was supposed to come to my place today! It was this little tramp who bewitched you and wouldn’t let you go!”

Lover B retorted, “Don’t blame others just because you lack charm yourself!”

Lover A had a fiery temper. “I lack charm? I’ll beat you until you cry for your daddy today!”

Lover B refused to back down. “Come on then! Whoever begs for mercy is a grandson!”

“Damn you, I’m definitely going to be your grandfather today!”

Xie Jianwei was rendered speechless.

Yan Ke commented, “They looked so delicate, who knew they could throw hands like that?”

Clearing his throat, Xie Jianwei said, “Alright, that’s enough, stop fighting.”

Both lovers snapped their heads toward him. “Stay out of this, Young Master! This is personal between him and me!”

Xie Jianwei could only stand there in silence.

Later, he really did stay out of it. The two ended up finding mutual sympathy through the fight, realizing they were both in love with a heartless scumbag. Weeping together, they became close confidantes instead, and came to Xie Jianwei hand-in-hand to break things off.

Xie Jianwei wondered what else he could do besides grant their wish.

Why keep a flock of lovers in the first place? Wasn’t it exhausting? Utterly exhausting!

Mentally drained, Xie Jianwei grew increasingly eager to disband the entire group.

He just needed a convenient pretext.

Right at that moment, Lu Yan texted him, “Are you free tonight?”

An idea sparked in Xie Jianwei’s mind. He could craft a new persona for himself and use it to disband his lovers once and for all.

What better excuse was there than finding true love and turning over a new leaf?

Only…

Yan Ke said, “I can already foresee the Lord Marshal’s heart bleeding.”

Xie Jianwei said, “Mine is bleeding too.”

Yan Ke sighed, “There’s no other way. You can’t exactly say you fell in love with your own father, so the playboy reformed to become fiercely devoted.”

Indeed, they couldn’t. If they did that, Lu Li’s heart bleeding would be the least of their worries.

Furthermore, Xie Jianwei had another thought.

He still hadn’t figured out where Lu Yan came from, but as long as he wasn’t Lu Li, he was a suspicious character.

If he was created by “it” to stir up trouble, he had to be dealt with to draw “it” out.

If he was a knot born from Lu Li’s subconscious, he needed to be resolved even more.

From every angle, dealing with him was necessary.

And the best way to handle him was to make Lu Li despise him.

How could Lu Li despise him? Simple, as long as Xie Jianwei “liked” him.

Killing two birds with one stone, why not?

Xie Jianwei accepted Lu Yan’s invitation.

Lu Yan was a very gentle man who operated dozens of chain hotels, counting as quite a prominent wealthy bachelor in City S.

Xie Jianwei had no interest in his status, only displaying fondness for his character.

Lu Yan was witty, humorous, and thoroughly gentlemanly, frequently carrying a gentle smile and behaving with impeccable elegance.

He differed from all of Xie Jianwei’s lovers because he was not dependent on him. Their dynamic was equal, and Lu Yan clearly harbored genuine romantic affection for Xie Jianwei.

After several meals together, Xie Jianwei shifted his focus onto him.

To make the performance convincing, he deliberately avoided meeting Lu Li, wholeheartedly playing at dating Lu Yan.

After being busy for a few days, Lu Li asked his subordinate, “What has he been up to lately?”

The subordinate hesitated.

Lu Li narrowed his eyes. “Did he take in someone new again?”

The subordinate shook his head. “No…”

“Then what is it?”

Weighing his words carefully, the subordinate ventured, “Recently, the Young Master… has basically dismissed all his lovers.”

“All dismissed?” Lu Li’s heart skipped a beat, a sudden warmth radiating against his chest where Xie Jianwei’s meal vouchers rested.

The subordinate added, “The Young Master has been seeing that man named Lu Yan very frequently.”

Lu Yan? Hearing that name sent a chill through Lu Li’s entire body. The spot that had felt warm just a moment ago now felt pierced by an icicle, agonizingly cold.

“He dismissed all his lovers because of Lu Yan?”

The voice was so low and menacing that the subordinate shuddered.

Believing that to be the case yet not daring to state it outright, the subordinate stammered, “Not necessarily… after all, the Young Master has not been intimate with Lu Yan so far.”

Those words drove another dagger into Lu Li.

Xie Jianwei never invested his heart; whenever someone caught his fancy, he would pull them into bed on day one.

For reasons unknown, he had zero restraint regarding sex and could do it casually, yet he absolutely refused to do it with someone he loved.

Perhaps because the person he truly loved was someone he could never have, with whom intimacy was forever forbidden. Thus, he severed sex from love. Sleeping together was easy, but it simultaneously meant he would never love that person.

That was why Lu Li tolerated him keeping a flock of lovers, knowing Xie Jianwei never cared for them.

Yet now…

He had known Lu Yan for so long, and Lu Yan clearly matched his taste, yet they hadn’t crossed that line.

What did that imply?

Did he love Lu Yan? Or did he love Lu Yan the brother?

Whichever it was, the thought brought excruciating agony to Lu Li.

When the subordinate left, his back was drenched in sweat. As trusted confidants, they knew the boss’s feelings, yet could never fathom his mind. If he loved him so deeply, why never speak up?

They didn’t understand because they were ignorant of Lu Li and Xie Jianwei’s past, unaware of Xie Rou and Lu Yan’s existence.

Xie Jianwei spent a whole month successfully disbanding his entire circle of lovers. Honestly speaking, he was in high spirits, and Lu Yan looked much more pleasant to his eyes.

At least he had helped him resolve a major annoyance.

Lately, Lu Yan had grown increasingly affectionate. During a dinner date with Xie Jianwei, their wine-tasting spirits ran high, and Lu Yan brought out some fine vintage bottles, coaxing Xie Jianwei into drinking quite a bit.

By the time dinner finished, it was nearly ten o’clock. Lu Yan offered, “Let me take you home.”

Xie Jianwei agreed, “Alright.”

Lu Yan did not drive either, sitting in the back seat with Xie Jianwei. Watching the young man’s flushed cheeks, his throat grew dry.

So breathtaking. Xie Jianwei was the most striking person he had ever seen.

Not an effeminate beauty, but an indescribable charm: seemingly standing amidst the clouds yet lounging with careless insolence, radiating vicious danger yet carrying refined poise. Such contrasts collided into intoxicating beauty.

Lu Yan felt he had fallen hopelessly in love.

Reaching their destination, Xie Jianwei opened the car door to step out. Lu Yan followed him, calling out softly, “A-Wei…”

Xie Jianwei smiled at him. “Would you like to come up for a drink?”

Lu Yan’s heart pounded furiously. “May I?”

“Why not?”

Swallowing hard, Lu Yan replied, “Then… excuse the intrusion.”

Just as he moved to follow Xie Jianwei inside, he looked up and caught sight of the man standing by the doorway.

No lights were on inside the house. The streetlights outside cast only a dim, yellowish glow that stopped short before the man’s feet.

The aura radiating around him was so pitch-black it seemed capable of devouring light itself.

Lu Yan recognized him.

The formidable man who had emerged from the underworld, gradually seizing control over half of Country Z.

Lu Li’s voice was very calm. “Hand him over to me.”

Lu Yan hesitated.

Xie Jianwei had known Lu Li was here all along. Seeing him, his eyes curved into crescents as he smiled, “Father, why are you here?”

For the first time, Lu Li found himself detesting that title.

Lu Yan was not an insider in their circle, completely oblivious to the true nature of Lu Li and Xie Jianwei’s relationship.

Hearing Xie Jianwei call him that brought an obvious sigh of relief, and he greeted somewhat awkwardly, “Hello, Mr. Lu.”

He truly took Lu Li for Xie Jianwei’s adoptive father.

Fire surged in Lu Li’s chest as he said with a frosty expression, “Is there anything else?”

Lu Yan said, “I am very sorry, I let A-Wei drink too much.”

That intimate name made jealousy flare in Lu Li’s chest, his tone sharpening, “If there is nothing else, please see yourself out.”

Lu Yan had intended to head upstairs, but with Lu Li present, he naturally couldn’t. Gazing reluctantly at Xie Jianwei, he murmured, “I’ll take my leave then.”

Xie Jianwei shook his head drowsily, “Let’s meet again another day.”

Lu Yan smiled, “Alright.”

The second Lu Yan turned away, Lu Li pulled Xie Jianwei into a fierce kiss.

Xie Jianwei let out a deliberate groan, pretending to push Lu Li away.

Already displeased, Lu Li grew even angrier, assuming Xie Jianwei was terrified of being seen by Lu Yan.

Consequently, he kissed him with even greater force.

Xie Jianwei was actually hoping Lu Yan would notice, so he struggled even more dramatically.

The commotion was loud enough that Lu Yan glanced back from the distance.

However, the dim lighting allowed him only to see two figures tangled together, vaguely appearing as though they were kissing.

How could that be possible?

Xie Jianwei called Lu Li his father, so how could they be kissing?

Lu Yan suffered a bout of blindness and drove off.

Xie Jianwei had risked an aching backside to provoke Lu Li, only for Lu Yan to miss the whole picture, leaving him somewhat exasperated.

Back inside the house, Lu Li took him until he wept and pleaded for mercy.

Lu Li demanded, “Who am I?”

Xie Jianwei’s voice was entirely hoarse, “Lu… Lu…”

Recalling that Lu Yan’s surname was also Lu, the jar of vinegar shattered completely. The more force Lu Li applied, the less capable Xie Jianwei was of forming a complete sentence. That relentless pounding rhythm turned Xie Jianwei’s mind into a hazy mess, nearly making him forget his character persona and almost blurting out “Xiao Li.”

After a night of relentless torment, Xie Jianwei slept until the afternoon of the next day.

Lu Li had not left, staying beside Xie Jianwei to work. Just then, Xie Jianwei’s phone chimed with a notification.

Lu Li glanced at it.

Lu Yan wrote, “A-Wei, shall we go to Bernard for lunch?”

Taking Xie Jianwei’s phone, Lu Li texted back, “Come pick me up.”

Lu Yan replied at lightning speed, “Sounds great!”

Calculating the time, Lu Li finished handling his documents and returned to the bedroom.

Xie Jianwei had just woken up, rubbing his temples.

Lu Li asked, “Do you want to take a shower?”

Xie Jianwei mumbled, “Don’t want to move,” his voice as soft as a newborn kitten.

Lu Li said, “I’ll carry you.”

Delighted, Xie Jianwei wrapped his arms around his neck.

Lu Li washed him attentively, yet his hands kept teasing him while cleaning his backside.

Xie Jianwei initially wanted to claim he was too tired.

Yet Lu Li made his heart itch, so he blinked and whispered, “Care for some fast food?”

Lu Li replied with utter solemnity, “Filling you up won’t be an issue, but I make no guarantees about how fast it will be.”

The two fooled around in the downstairs bathroom, Lu Li driving Xie Jianwei to cry out repeatedly.

The front door downstairs had been left open deliberately. Thinking Xie Jianwei had unlocked it for him, Lu Yan walked inside with eager anticipation, only to hear a wanton moan that turned his knees weak, followed by a familiar yet strange whisper, “I can’t take it… hurry, give it to me.”

Lu Li commanded, “Say my name.”

Xie Jianwei gasped, “Ngh… Lu Li…”

__

Author’s Note:

Lu Yan: I must be the most pitiful lackey in history, but what can I do when the boss is so foolish?

“It”: …I have a string of curses I really want to unleash!