Chapter 79: N. A Narrow Encounter

Su Hui couldn’t help but laugh out loud. He then pursed his lips, tilting his head slightly. “It’s alright, just medium-level perverted.”

“Is that so?” Ning Yixiao raised his eyebrows. “Su Hui, I really underestimated you.”

Su Hui raised both hands to his eyes, forming circles like a pair of binoculars. “Then open your eyes wide and watch me.”

Bella’s voice sounded from behind them. Su Hui lowered his hands and turned around to see her walking over, a glass of champagne in each hand, grumbling, “These high heels are actually so comfortable. I could literally run a marathon in them.”

She looked up and caught sight of Ning Yixiao standing to the side, which clearly caught her off guard. After all, at high-society events like this, prominent business figures usually prioritized mingling with other tech moguls and billionaires rather than hanging around chatting with Su Hui.

Bella had no idea the two had quietly gotten back together, so she couldn’t help but wonder—Could there be a spark between them again?

“I didn’t know you were coming, Shaw, so I only grabbed two glasses,” Bella said, completely unreserved. “Go get one yourself.”

Ning Yixiao had no intention of leaving just yet. “No need. I don’t feel like drinking right now.”

Su Hui momentarily forgot that Bella was still in the dark about their rekindled relationship, so he spoke to Ning Yixiao very naturally. “Does attending this event help boost exposure for your new product? The red carpet is being livestreamed, right?”

Ning Yixiao nodded. “The streaming platform happens to be our partner. If users purchase our product, they can actually use AR technology to watch the red carpet broadcast.”

Su Hui immediately showered him with praise again. “That’s so cool. Doesn’t that make it feel completely immersive?”

“It’s decent.”

“Will it be livestreamed all night?”

Bella took a sip of her champagne and shook her head. “Only the red carpet. Once everyone goes inside, it becomes a private party. Later on, there will be celebrity performances, a charity auction, and an exhibition of vintage fashion and high-end jewelry. It’s actually quite interesting; you’ll definitely love it, Eddy.”

While they were chatting, a few reporters approached to interview them. Ning Yixiao stepped back slightly to give them space, only to be promptly cornered and surrounded by a crowd of business journalists himself, separating the three of them.

Having grown up in elite social circles, Bella handled the reporters with practiced ease. What surprised her, however, was that Su Hui didn’t show a single hint of nervousness in front of the cameras either. He was remarkably articulate, expressive with subtle hand gestures, and answered every question flawlessly.

He was a completely different person from how he acted during his depressive phases.

“So, will Eddy’s upcoming work focus more on the fashion industry or the fine arts domain?”

Su Hui smiled and replied, “For the next six months, my primary focus will be entirely on my solo exhibition. It’s the project I’ve poured the most time and energy into so far, and it holds profound meaning for me.”

Reporter: “We are incredibly excited to see your solo installation art exhibition. Is it convenient to reveal the official dates?”

“It’s tentatively set for May,” Su Hui said, shrugging his shoulders playfully. “Though it might be delayed a bit, depending on whether I can beat the deadline. After all, I suffer from an incredibly severe case of procrastination.”

Bella stood beside him, nodding vigorously. “I can personally vouch for that.”

“I really must thank my curator, Keisha, for constantly breathing down my neck. She deserves a ‘Best Curator’ award,” Su Hui laughed, turning to look at the empty space to his right and gesturing the shape of a person with his hands. “Please photoshop her in later during post-production.”

“Hahaha!”

Once the reporters moved on, Bella leaned in close to Su Hui’s ear and whispered, “Eddy, are you in a manic phase right now?”

Su Hui lowered his head to whisper back, “Is it that obvious?”

Bella nodded. “But it’s absolutely perfect for handling an environment like this! When we met up a few days ago, I felt you were in a pretty neutral, normal state. You seem way more high-energy today.”

Su Hui reflected on it for a moment. “My hypomania always turns me into a bit of a social butterfly; the bigger the crowd, the more hyperactive I get. I still remember going to a summer camp in high school. There were so many people, and during roll call, I wandered off to chat with the students from the class next door. We were having such a blast that my homeroom teacher was looking all over the place for me.”

Bella laughed. “Did you go look for friends you already knew?”

Su Hui shook his head. “That’s the terrifying part—I didn’t know a single one of them.”

“Hahaha, they must have thought you were incredibly fun.” Bella was thoroughly amused.

Su Hui let out a helpless laugh. Turning his head, he noticed Ning Yixiao standing a short distance away, currently undergoing a formal interview.

Ning Yixiao’s everyday style leaned toward the relaxed side—usually knit sweaters, button-downs, and long overcoats. Lately, he had become even more casual, favoring hoodies. It was exceedingly rare to see him like today, dressed in a impeccably tailored formal suit with intricate craftsmanship. The entire ensemble exuded the aura of an aristocratic gentleman.

He also seemed to be wearing contact lenses today.

The most intense, striking feature of Ning Yixiao’s face was his eyes. Usually, wearing his silver-framed glasses softened his sharp edges and gave him a scholarly look, but once he took them off, his gaze turned incredibly piercing and formidable.

“Shaw really is exceptionally handsome,” Bella couldn’t help but admire. “Look at those legs. He could easily walk a high-fashion runway, but it’s a pity no one can afford his rates.”

Su Hui smiled. “You could always try to extend an offer.”

“No need, I already know exactly what he’d say even with my eyes closed.” Bella began to mimic Ning Yixiao’s signature poker face. “‘Do you honestly think I have that much free time on my hands?'”

Su Hui burst out laughing instantly.

“Spot on, right?” Bella looked rather proud of herself.

“Extremely spot on.”

As the two of them laughed together, Ning Yixiao happened to finish his interview and walked over. Seeing Su Hui laughing so radiantly, he asked, “What’s so funny?”

The smile on Su Hui’s face subsided slightly. Catching Bella’s meaningful look, he shook his head. “Nothing.”

“You can’t tell me?”

“Absolutely not,” Bella said, looping her arm through Su Hui’s. “This is a secret between Eddy and me.”

Ning Yixiao’s gaze dropped to her hand resting on Su Hui’s arm, then flicked to Su Hui. Without uttering a single word, the corners of his lips quirked upward in a faint, knowing smile.

Su Hui caught the look clearly, and his heart skipped a beat for no discernible reason.

Even though Ning Yixiao hadn’t said a word, the underlying tension was palpable.

The three of them stepped up the grand stairs, turning right into the main ballroom. The greeters standing at the entrance handed each of them a pair of one-piece, transparent smart glasses. Finding them novel, Bella slipped them on immediately and turned to face Su Hui.

“Do I look like a female secret agent in a cyberpunk movie?”

Su Hui smiled. “Secret agents don’t wear diamond-encrusted gowns of this caliber when they’re out on a mission.”

He accepted a pair of glasses from the greeter as well. The design was fascinating; rather than traditional glasses, it resembled a sleek, ultra-minimalist arc of transparent glass. The clasps at both ends fit snugly right over the ears. The moment he put them on, a silver ring of light illuminated around the rims of the lenses, and digital loading text began scrolling across his field of vision.

Smart glasses? Su Hui looked toward Ning Yixiao.

“This is also a new product,” Ning Yixiao said, picking up his own pair. “We prepared a pair for every single guest tonight. It features full AR interaction and live-streaming capabilities.”

Bella was ecstatic. “My mom mentioned that they invited virtual idols to perform tonight. Watching it through these will be incredible.”

Su Hui found the experience completely novel as well. Before long, a stream of statistics appeared in his vision. The top-right corner displayed the guest number 224, while the left side showcased his own real-time vital data, such as body temperature and current heart rate.

“What’s your number?” Ning Yixiao asked.

Su Hui looked at him. “224. What about you?”

“228.” Ning Yixiao’s lips curved upward.

What a striking coincidence.

If you added 1 to Su Hui’s number, it equaled 225—Ning Yixiao’s birthday (February 25th). And Ning Yixiao’s number happened to map perfectly to Su Hui’s birthday, August 28th (228).

Su Hui loved these subtle, unspoken synchronicities.

“By the way,” Su Hui took off the glasses and turned to Ning Yixiao. “Did Jingming not make it?”

Bella was curious too. “I sent him an invite. With so many beautiful women around tonight, there’s no way he’d willingly miss out.”

“He’ll be arriving a bit later,” Ning Yixiao said. “There was a minor accident on his way here; apparently he got rear-ended.”

“Is he alright?” Su Hui asked with concern.

Ning Yixiao looked at him playfully. “Are you asking about the man or his car?”

“Both, obviously!” Bella cut in. “He didn’t drive that Pagani Zonda again, did he? That kind of hypercar shouldn’t even be out on regular roads.”

“The good news: it wasn’t that one, so it’s not as expensive,” Ning Yixiao remarked dryly. “The bad news: he’s completely unharmed and is swapping to another vehicle to head over right now.”

Su Hui smiled. Switching over to quiet Mandarin, he whispered, “Once Jingming gets here, I’m going to tell him you were talking trash behind his back.”

Ning Yixiao switched to Mandarin as well, his expression completely cool and collected. “Professor Su seems to be in an exceptionally splendid mood today. It’s a good thing I came, otherwise it would have been a terrible pity.”

Su Hui suppressed a smile. “A pity for what? Missing a chance to mock Jingming?”

Ning Yixiao’s voice dropped into a low, direct murmur. “Missing a chance to see you smile.”

Hearing those words, Su Hui’s pulse quickened dramatically.

“What are you two whispering about over there?” Bella asked curiously.

Both of them shook their heads in perfect unison.

“Nothing.”

Just then, a well-built man who looked like a fitness trainer walked over toward them, clad in a sharp blue suit. He greeted them enthusiastically, directing most of his attention toward Ning Yixiao.

Ning Yixiao responded with polite warmth and introduced the two beside him. “This is Andy, the CEO of Edge.” He then introduced Bella and Su Hui to Andy.

“Pleasure to meet you both,” Andy said with a broad smile. “If you don’t mind, I need to borrow Shaw for a bit. We need to meet a few corporate partners over there.”

Ning Yixiao glanced at Su Hui, exchanging a brief look before stepping away for the time being.

“Perfect. Shall we go look at the vintage fashion exhibition? There are a few archival pieces I absolutely adore, and they’ve even displayed the original hand-drawn design sketches.”

Su Hui was highly interested in design elements as well, so he accompanied Bella over to the display.

The circular gallery hall was lined with exquisite fashion displays interspersed with iconic historical high-jewelry pieces. Every single item was breathtakingly beautiful. Su Hui studied them meticulously, completely captivated by the original sketches.

“Look at this gown. I actually met the designer when I was a little girl,” Bella recalled, looking nostalgic. “He was already in his late seventies back then, but he dressed so incredibly stylishly. Chatting with him made me realize that being a fashion designer was the coolest thing ever, so I resolved to enter this line of work. My mom was always fully supportive of me.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Su Hui couldn’t help but sigh wistfully.

“Did your family not support you?” Bella asked out of curiosity.

Su Hui shook his head. Looking back on those years now, the bitter resentment had faded, leaving behind only a trace of melancholy.

He let out a self-deprecating smile. “Not at all. Back then, I wasn’t even allowed to choose the clothes I wanted to wear to our own internal family banquets.”

Bella had never experienced that kind of restrictive upbringing, but she could deeply empathize with his plight. “I think I suddenly understand why you love piercings so much. It must have been your own form of rebellion.”

“Perhaps.” Su Hui wasn’t entirely certain himself.

As they made their way halfway across the hall, a staff member called out to Bella, stating that her mother had an urgent matter to discuss with her. Bella excused herself temporarily, leaving Su Hui to wander alone.

Left to his own devices, Su Hui continued reviewing the exhibits. His attention was soon arrested by a striking piece of jewelry positioned near the exit corridor. It was an immensely opulent tiara, featuring a gold arched frame encrusted with pristine pearls and brilliant diamonds, crowned with a captivating sapphire at its peak.

He rarely studied jewelry, but the intricate gold engravings on this tiara fascinated him, prompting him to step closer for a thorough look.

“That is an Austrian tiara.”

A strange voice materialized beside him. Su Hui turned his head to find a tall Caucasian man with brown hair and green eyes. He looked faintly familiar.

The man smiled, extending a hand. “We meet again. Though from the looks of it, you don’t seem to recall who I am.”

Su Hui shook his hand lightly. “You are…”

“The lounge bar over at Hudson Yards last time, remember?”

Only then did Su Hui realize that this was William—the man who had given him his contact information at the bar.

“Oh, it’s you. What a coincidence.”

He couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. The napkin with the contact details had long been misplaced somewhere, and forgetting him felt rather discourteous.

“It really is a coincidence,” William smiled, his gaze settling on the diamond face chain adorning Su Hui’s features. “Our company’s jewelry complements you beautifully.”

Su Hui was startled. “This piece was sponsored by your company?”

William nodded. “If I had known the pieces were being loaned to you, I would have personally requested the blue diamond necklace from our archives. It would have looked even more stunning.”

“Thank you…” Su Hui offered a polite, somewhat guarded smile, subtly creating a bit of physical distance between them.

William politely reminded him, “The venue provided smart glasses to all the guests tonight. They have a high-definition zoom function; if you put them on, the intricate details of the exhibits become much clearer.”

Su Hui followed the suggestion, but the moment he slipped them on, he felt an acute wave of awkwardness.

Here he was, wearing his boyfriend’s tech company’s smart glasses, standing next to a man who had previously hit on him, looking at a historic tiara together.

No matter how he looked at it, the situation felt entirely bizarre.

“Hey, isn’t that Su Hui over there?”

As fate would have it, Jingming’s unmistakable, booming voice echoed from behind them. Su Hui whipped his head around to see Jingming clad in a vibrant red suit, grinning widely as he waved.

“Good evening!”

Jingming advanced toward him with large strides. Su Hui glanced past his shoulder and saw Ning Yixiao following unhurriedly behind, looking entirely nonchalant.

“So this is where you hid yourself. Where’s Bella?” Jingming slung an arm around Su Hui’s shoulder with familiar warmth. “Ning Yixiao told me she was supposed to be hanging out with you.”

“She had a minor matter to attend to and went to look for her mother.”

William, standing to the side, smiled like a proper gentleman. “Is this the person you mentioned earlier?”

“Earlier?” Jingming had an incredibly short memory for faces and completely failed to recognize that this was the very man who had approached Su Hui at the bar. He blinked his large eyes blankly at Su Hui.

Realizing William had completely misread the situation, Su Hui immediately shook his head. “No, this is my friend, Luka.”

William smiled and handed over a sleek business card. “Pleasure to meet you.”

Ning Yixiao walked over, his posture commanding. “How lively.”

He had deliberately spoken in Mandarin.

Su Hui gently nudged Jingming’s arm away and instinctively took a step back, positioning himself right beside Ning Yixiao.

An icy, unapproachable aura emanated from Ning Yixiao, his features devoid of any warmth—looking exactly like the rigid poker face Bella had mimicked earlier.

Su Hui inquired in a low voice, “Are you done speaking with those corporate partners?”

“Mm,” Ning Yixiao replied tersely.

A waiter happened to pass by carrying a tray laden with champagne flutes, asking if they required any refreshments. As Jingming went to pocket the business card, his hand accidentally clipped the edge of the tray. The waiter lost his balance for a split second, causing the champagne glasses to tilt. One of the flutes overturned completely, spilling the golden liquid directly down the back of Su Hui’s outfit.

“Oh no, oh no!” Jingming looked ready to drop to his knees in apology. “I am so sorry! My hands are completely useless tonight.”

The waiter panicked as well. “I am deeply sorry, sir! I will fetch some napkins immediately.”

“It’s alright, don’t worry about it.”

Su Hui turned around to inspect the damage, but before he could do anything, William offered a crisp pocket handkerchief.

“Use this to wipe it down first,” he offered. “It’s brand new.”

Su Hui glanced at the handkerchief and politely declined. “No need, it’ll only ruin it. My stylist actually prepared an alternate outfit for me to wear during dinner anyway. I’ll just head over to the dressing room ahead of schedule to change out of this.”

With that, Su Hui turned his head, darting a swift, loaded glance at Ning Yixiao without saying a word, before turning on his heel to walk toward the private dressing suites.

Jingming watched him leave, completely dazed by that parting glance Su Hui had just delivered. That single look carried an almost intoxicating, alluring hook.

Sure enough, Ning Yixiao immediately stepped away as well. “Excuse me.”

Once again left entirely alone, Jingming realized he was perpetually stuck cleaning up the wreckage left behind by his brother’s romantic rivals.

“Wow, this tiara really is something. Quite massive, huh?”

The dressing rooms were actually beautifully furnished private suites. Su Hui located his designated room and stepped inside. The stylist wasn’t present, so he picked out the alternate change of clothes himself and walked into the inner chamber to change.

Before long, a soft knock rattled against the inner door.

“Who is it?”

Through the thick wooden panel, the familiar voice floated back to him.

“Me.”

Ning Yixiao stood outside waiting for a few seconds until he heard the click of the lock sliding open. The door parted slightly, revealing a small gap. Su Hui poked his head out, unable to contain the bright smile threatening to break across his features, though he still feigned a stern expression. “Who permitted you to come in here?”

The diamond face chain had already been removed from his features. He had swapped into a crisp black button-down shirt, but the buttons remained entirely undone.

Ning Yixiao cast his gaze downward to look at him, offering no verbal reply. He simply shoved the door open firmly, stepping inside with absolute authority. Seeing that Su Hui had only just slipped into the shirt—leaving a pair of long, pale legs completely exposed beneath the wide hem—he closed the door behind him with his back hand, smoothly clicking the lock into place.

Su Hui’s palms began to sweat. Sure enough, in the very next second, Ning Yixiao caught him securely by the waist, driving him backward until his back slammed against the solid wall, capturing his lips in a fierce kiss.

Su Hui tilted his face up, completely defenseless as he surrendered to the searing, deep invasion. Ning Yixiao gripped his chin with an unyielding hold, forcing his teeth apart to twine their tongues together. His movements were intensely aggressive, bordering on feral, even biting down lightly on Su Hui’s lips.

The texture of the leather gloves pressing against his skin was freezing cold, contrast completely against the wet, scorching heat of the kiss. The sudden onslaught left Su Hui’s mind entirely blank. Unable to catch his breath, he let out a muffled, helpless whimper, his fingers clutching tightly at the fabric of Ning Yixiao’s jacket.

“Mmh…”

Right at the moment he felt completely breathless, Ning Yixiao finally released him. He pressed a few lingering, tender kisses against Su Hui’s flushed, glistening lips before seizing both of his wrists. With a swift movement, he spun Su Hui around, forcing him to face the wall. Gathering both of Su Hui’s hands into a single, iron grip with one hand, he reached up with his free hand to unfasten his own silk tie, swiftly binding it around Su Hui’s wrists.

“Ning Yixiao… what are you doing…” Su Hui gasped out, his chest heaving.

“Be good. I’ll untie you in a moment,” Ning Yixiao murmured, bracing Su Hui by the shoulders to turn him around until his back rested flush against the wall once more.

“The dinner banquet is about to begin shortly.”

Ning Yixiao’s expression remained entirely blank, his tone cool and indifferent. “Then let it be late.”

This was a statement that should have been entirely impossible coming from a man whose strict sense of punctuality usually overrode everything else.

His gaze swept down from top to bottom, scrutinizing Su Hui’s frame before finally locking onto the upper thigh.

“You’re even wearing shirt stays.”

Ning Yixiao lowered his head. The tips of his leather-clad fingers hooked beneath the elastic black thigh strap fastened around Su Hui’s leg.

It seemed he had interrupted him mid-process; only one side had been successfully secured.

A wave of intense embarrassment washed over Su Hui. He stammered an explanation, “Bella gave them to me… she said it keeps the hem of the shirt secured so it doesn’t bunch up…”

“Are they effective?” Ning Yixiao hitched the hem of the shirt higher. His other hand searched along the thigh strap, tugging at one of the dangling elastic clips. His fingers brushed against Su Hui’s bare skin with deliberate friction before he snapped the metal clamp at the end of the strap firmly onto the edge of the shirt hem.

The black fabric tautened instantly under the tension.

The sensation was incredibly ticklish, but with his hands securely bound, Su Hui couldn’t squirm away. “I can do it myself…”

“Your hands are completely tied up. How exactly do you plan to do it yourself?”

Ning Yixiao gave the fastened strap a sharp tug, pulling it outward before letting it snap back. The slender black band bounced against Su Hui’s pale thigh, emitting an intimately sharp sound.

If he repeated it a few more times, it would undoubtedly leave a flush of red marks.

“Su Hui, let me help you get dressed.”