EPISODE 9

Xie Guilan stiffened for a moment. Cen Wu's palm was very soft, still trembling, just like last night. It was as if he was afraid of something but had to stand straight and tall in this place.

Cen Wu pinched Xie Guilan's arm. The muscle tensed and felt hard when pinched, more reassuring than his mere presence.

If all else failed, he could always punch his way out.

"Isn't this the second young master?" Wang Yue squinted, as if just recognizing Cen Wu. He stubbed his cigarette in the ashtray and crushed it forcefully, then suddenly kicked the person next to him, pretending to be angry. "How come no one told me the second young master was here tonight?"

There were more than a dozen people in Wang Yue's private booth. Apart from those who had business collaborations with Wang Yue's company, the rest were lackeys fawning over him.

The one who was kicked was Wang Ling, Wang Yue's cousin. He hurriedly stood up to make room for Cen Wu, bowing obsequiously. "Second young master, please sit here."

"It's all my fault," Wang Yue personally poured Cen Wu a glass of wine. "I should have invited you over if I had known you were here."

Cen Wu didn't take the wine or sit down.

The dark purple lights in the bar created a hazy, sultry atmosphere, outlining a decadent abyss of indulgence. Cen Wu then noticed a boy kneeling in front of Wang Yue, his figure slim, his face buried low.

The boy wore a white shirt, which was now soaked with red wine, clinging to him in a disheveled and embarrassed state.

"Scram," Wang Yue frowned and scolded coldly.

The boy was startled and crawled to the side, kneeling, his palm scratched by glass shards, but he didn't dare to make a sound.

"Sorry to have embarrassed you, Second Young Master," Wang Yue leaned back on the sofa. "I brought someone over to hang out, but the server accidentally spilled the wine all over my friend. He should be held responsible for the damage."

"And he's scared my friend, shouldn't he be held responsible?"

Cen Wu bit his lip, his expression turning cold. Wang Yue was a troublesome person, arrogant and reckless because of his wealth. Even the former, more aggressive version of Cen Wu avoided Wang Yue.

Blue Night often featured male models, but even in such a business, they wouldn't be so bold in the private booths.

The boy looked no more than twenty years old. Cen Wu didn't recognize him but guessed he was a struggling actor. Wang Yue's family owned an entertainment company and often targeted newcomers in the artist management department.

Cen Wu's guess wasn't wrong. Wang Yue had caused trouble at the company and was scolded by his uncle. Feeling upset, he happened to see this small star in the artist management department and brought him over.

The boy was forced and unwilling, stiff and inexperienced. After being hugged a few times, Wang Yue's patience ran out, and he angrily forced the boy to kneel by the booth to "serve" him.

"Don't... don't let these people spoil the fun," Cen Wu took a deep breath, slowing his speech to avoid stuttering.

Then, putting on an annoyed cold face, he took a card and slapped it against Xie Guilan's chest, speaking in a humiliating tone. "Just now, Young Master Yue ordered something. Get... get the same again, can you understand?"

"... "

Xie Guilan paused. From initial confusion to now, he had become somewhat numb. Cen Wu was clearly in a protective stance towards him. Others might be deceived, but not him.

After all, no one had ever stood in front of him like this before. He could certainly tell the difference.

Even though he didn't know Cen Wu's true intentions.

The dazzling lights of the bar cast down, and Cen Wu's thick, deep eyelashes fluttered slightly, damp and curled. The tip of his nose and the corners of his eyes were slightly red, trying to look fierce.

For some reason, Xie Guilan didn't feel humiliated. His cold brows lifted slightly, while Cen Wu's hand, resting on his chest, trembled. His delicate, pale fingertips involuntarily curled, as if clutching at Xie Guilan's chest.

Xie Guilan: "..."

Cen Wu: "..."

Cen Wu’s eyes widened in shock!!!

Cen Wu suddenly realized what had happened, and his already pale face instantly flushed red with embarrassment, the shame burning his cheeks. His mind was spinning, and he could still feel the soft, firm texture lingering on his fingertips.

Help, he really didn’t mean to.

But, typical of the male lead, he already had a well-defined chest at just seventeen or eighteen.

Wang Yue frowned, confused.

Wang Yue suddenly felt like he was being ignored. The muscles in his face twitched as he coldly coughed, trying to reclaim the spotlight. His tone was unhappy, “Second Young Master, this isn’t just about the alcohol.”

There wasn’t any major conflict between Wang Yue and Xie Guilan. If anything, the only interaction they had was when Wang Yue ran into Xie Guilan at a banquet last year.

Unable to mingle much with the upper circles of Huai Jing, Wang Yue failed to recognize Xie Guilan as the illegitimate son of the Xie family. He didn’t realize Xie Guilan was the illegitimate son until later, which made the encounter even more embarrassing for him. Mistaking him for some younger generation of a wealthy family, Wang Yue took the initiative to greet him.

Unable to help but add his two cents, “Isn’t there still an illegitimate son in the Xie family? Why didn’t he come?”

“Illegitimate son?” Xie Guilan didn’t respond, but someone nearby sneered, “Why would someone like that even show up? It wouldn’t change anything anyway.”

Wang Yue was about to say more, but Xie Guilan, dressed in a black suit that accentuated his tall and slender figure, left the banquet hall without sparing him a glance.

At first, Wang Yue thought Xie Guilan was just some young master, and though he was annoyed, he didn’t pay too much attention to it. It wasn’t until later that he learned Xie Guilan was that illegitimate son.

What gave him the right to treat me like this?

Already feeling suppressed by the young masters of Huai Jing, to be coldly ignored by an illegitimate son was the last straw.

Though he didn’t harbor as deep a grudge as Xie Shangjing did against Xie Guilan, Wang Yue still made it a point to cause Xie Guilan trouble whenever he could.

Tonight was no different. Wang Yue gave a signal, and just as Xie Guilan came over to serve drinks, someone deliberately tripped him.

“Brother Yue… what do you plan to do?” Cen Wu asked.

Cen Wu wanted to calm things down. Just standing there without trembling was already an effort for him. He knew he wouldn’t win in a fight, and if money could solve the issue, he didn’t want to drag it out.

Wang Yue smirked, his gaze lewd, “The bottle I just ordered costs eight thousand. He should compensate me for it, shouldn’t he?”

“And… I haven’t calmed down yet. Since he scared my people, how about he goes with me to a private room, and I’ll let this slide?”

“Exactly,” Wang Ling quickly chimed in, his face full of contempt, pointing at Xie Guilan. “Do you even know how much that wine costs? How many nights of work do you think it’ll take to pay it off?!”

The rest of the people in the booth let out malicious laughter.

“You should be grateful to even serve Brother Yue. What’s wrong with you? Why don’t you just come with him like a good little servant?”

“Can’t even carry a tray properly, but I bet you know how to do other things, right? Looks like Dong Lingwei forgot to teach you some important lessons.”

Xie Guilan had endured too much humiliation before, but when the last insult hit, his face darkened with cold fury. His eyes were filled with an unconcealed darkness, and a heavy malevolence brewed in his black pupils.

Cen Wu couldn’t fathom why they acted this way. Wang Yue wasn’t exactly intimidating—just a bit chubby and about the same height as him. Did they not feel outmatched by the male lead?

He really wished he had that kind of confidence. If only he had a little, maybe he wouldn’t be so socially anxious.

“Brother Yue, listen, Shangjing entrusted this person to me for a few days. Could you do me a favor and let it go?”

Wang Yue hesitated. While his family was rich, the Cen family was powerful enough that he didn’t want to risk crossing them.

He had no idea what was up with Cen Wu tonight, why he was so hell-bent on protecting Xie Guilan and playing the role of a saint.

"Alright, if that's what you say, young master," he sneered, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Let him get down on his knees and take care of me with his mouth. Then we can forget this ever happened. How about it?"

...

What started as Wang Yue picking on Xie Guilan had now turned into a standoff between him and Cen Wu.

Everyone was on edge, unable to help but glance at Cen Wu. If it were them, they definitely wouldn't dare speak to him like that, but Wang Yue was rich, and most of the people present couldn't afford to offend him.

Xie Guilan also looked up at Cen Wu, his gaze lingering on the red mole on Cen Wu's snow-white ear before suddenly freezing.

Why was he looking at this useless guy?

Cen Wu remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "Fine."

A hint of smugness flickered across Wang Yue's face. Humiliating Xie Guilan was one thing, but having Cen Wu bow down to him made him feel an exhilarating rush, his entire body buzzing with pleasure.

Xie Guilan's Adam's apple bobbed. His pale, cold, and detached skin seemed to drain even more color. His hands clenched into tight fists at his sides, his eyes filling with a mix of hatred and despair.

Some people nearby couldn't bear it, thinking Xie Guilan was too unlucky to run into such tyrants, but who would dare to stop them? The rest were so excited they had already taken out their phones to record the scene.

But before Wang Yue's men could grab Xie Guilan, Cen Wu cut in, "Actually, I don’t think that’s enough."

Cen Wu had a striking, intense beauty. His long lashes framed eyes that glistened with a clear, almost hypnotic light, like an innocent bird caught in a snowstorm. Even though his fingers trembled, his shoulders remained upright, and all eyes in the bar involuntarily fell on him.

"What does the young master suggest, then?" Wang Yue asked, narrowing his eyes with interest.

"Shall I help you?" Cen Wu said.

Wang Yue was taken aback, and Xie Guilan also looked at Cen Wu in surprise. Chu Zijian, who had been lounging nearby, ready to enjoy the show, suddenly found himself in the hot seat. He almost exploded in rage. "What the hell is going on? Who does Xie Guilan think he is? And what about Wang Yue? Are they out of their minds?!"

"Young Master!" Chu Zijian stormed over, full of aggressive energy.

"Get out of the way," Cen Wu said.

Wang Yue had applied a lot of hair gel, and his hair glistened under the bar lights. Cen Wu wrinkled his nose in distaste, then turned to Xie Guilan, gently tapping his hand. "Give me your gloves."

Without asking questions, Xie Guilan handed them over. Cen Wu slowly slipped them on, deliberately.

Wang Yue's eyes widened as he watched Cen Wu's slender fingers slide into the gloves, his perfectly sculpted face making Wang Yue's nose tingle with anticipation.

Chu Zijian stood to the side, glaring at Wang Yue with his arms crossed.

In one swift motion, Cen Wu stepped forward, grabbed Wang Yue by the hair, and slammed his face into the ashtray. He held him there, pressing down hard, grinding his head into the ashes.

"Calm down now?" Cen Wu’s voice was ice-cold. "Calm down yet?"

He was giving Wang Yue a way out, but the man refused to take it. Even though Cen Wu was gay, he decided right then that he was starting to develop a deep-seated aversion to this world of male homosexuality.

The ashtray collided with Wang Yue’s nose, sending a sharp, searing pain straight to the top of his skull. Tears and snot instantly streamed down his face, blurring his vision.

The people around them were frozen in shock, watching the scene unfold with bated breath. Some felt a pang of sympathy for Xie Guilan, while others were too excited, already pulling out their phones to record the spectacle.

The incident happened out of nowhere, and the people around were too frightened to speak.

"Damn it!" Wang Yue struggled with all his might but couldn't break free. He was so weak from all the drinking and partying that he couldn’t even put up a fight. Caught off guard, he was pinned down by Cen Wu. Unable to get up, he could only mutter angrily through bloodied lips, "Cen Wu, are you trying to f*cking die?!""

Cen Wu finally let go when he got tired of holding him down. Wang Yue stumbled to his feet, blood all over his face, his eyes burning from the ash. He wiped his face roughly and lunged at Cen Wu, ready to throw a punch.

But before he could even open his eyes, Cen Wu grabbed a bottle and smashed it against his head with a loud bang.

Blood poured out.

Cen Wu flinched but, shaking, still raised the broken bottle toward Wang Yue’s bleeding head and demanded, "You calm down yet?"

……

The whole bar went dead quiet.

Wang Yue was indeed calm now, and a little fear crept in. Sure, arguing was one thing, but he almost started a fight with Cen Wu?!

If anything happened to Cen Wu, his family would be in serious trouble.

"Second Young Master, this..." Wang Yue was helped up by his cousin. Wiping the blood from his head, his voice trembling, he forced a smile and said, "This was all a misunderstanding, just a joke."

"I... I was just joking too," Cen Wu's lips twitched slightly, his voice carrying a fine tremble.

Xie Guilan: "..."

It felt off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

Wang Yue's head was buzzing from the impact, and he didn't notice that his opponent was also barely holding on. He swallowed the metallic taste in his mouth and said, "I don’t care. What’s there to care about?"

Did he dare to care?

There were still a dozen bottles on the table, and he only had one head. How many more times could Cen Wu hit him?

"The earlier wine was 8,000 yuan, right?" Cen Wu's vision was darkening, and he wasn't even sure what he was saying anymore. He turned to Xie Guilan, removed his gloves, and handed him a card, "Use Young Master Yue's name to open... open ten sets of Black Peach A Dragon Packages."

His hands were visibly shaking, and after several attempts, he still couldn't get the card into Xie Guilan's hand. He pressed his lips together, sniffled softly, and his lashes stuck together from moisture.

Xie Guilan’s eye twitched. Without thinking, he reached out and took the card, almost gripping Cen Wu’s pale, trembling hand.

"Don't be afraid," Cen Wu squeezed his palm again, his voice small and soft, trembling weakly, "Go and open them."

Ten sets of Black Peach A Dragon Packages would cost over 88,000 yuan, more than ten times the price of Wang Yue's bottle.

But Wang Yue's face darkened like the bottom of a pot. He realized he had been ignored again, and now that Cen Wu asked Xie Guilan to open the bottles, wouldn't Xie Guilan earn a commission from it?!

He had been humiliated all night, beaten to a bloody pulp, and Xie Guilan was about to earn an extra month's salary?!

Were these two teaming up to play him?!

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