Normally, after every meal, Chen Zemian would find a place to lie down and rest.
But today, for some reason, Lu Zhuonian noticed him holding the computer for a while — and then he disappeared.
He didn’t return to the bedroom to sleep, nor did he continue lying on the sofa watching TV or playing games.
His cell phone was still tossed in the guest room, and his coat and shoes were there too. Since he hadn’t gone out, he could only still be somewhere in the villa.
Lu Zhuonian searched upstairs and downstairs, and finally found him in the gym.
Chen Zemian was hanging upside down with his knees hooked over a piece of fitness equipment, staring into space.
His white T-shirt had ridden up due to gravity, revealing a seductive, narrow waist — stretched even more slender by the upside-down position — taut with an indescribable strength.
Lu Zhuonian’s Adam’s apple moved slightly. He stood at the doorway, not entering.
Chen Zemian heard the footsteps and slowly focused his gaze. “Lu Zhuonian.”
“What’s wrong?”
Sensing something was off, Lu Zhuonian asked the question softly. When Chen Zemian didn’t respond, he rephrased it, “Hanging upside down like that — what are you practicing?”
Chen Zemian’s upside-down, bloodshot eyes were hazy and unfocused. “Heart training,” he muttered.
Lu Zhuonian, having never heard of such a thing, walked over. “Get down first.”
“No,” Chen Zemian said dejectedly. “I’ll fall to my death.”
The two of them, one upright and one inverted, were face to face in a rather awkward position, making conversation inconvenient.
Lu Zhuonian crouched halfway down to adjust the angle. “What’s wrong?” he asked again.
Chen Zemian went silent.
Lu Zhuonian softened his tone. “Can’t you tell me?”
From Chen Zemian’s perspective, Lu Zhuonian’s face was upside down too. He stared at him silently for a while, then suddenly said, “Your nostrils are heart-shaped.”
“…”
Lu Zhuonian looked at Chen Zemian’s reddened eyes and replied seriously, “Your eyes are as red as a rabbit’s. If you stay like this, you’ll get a brain hemorrhage and die.”
“Let me die,” Chen Zemian said.
Lu Zhuonian reached up and cupped his head. “Don’t die.”
Chen Zemian tilted back and sprang upright. Blood rushed back down, and dizziness struck instantly. Luckily, Lu Zhuonian caught him before he fell.
He watched Chen Zemian’s face go from red to pale and sighed. “You really have no accurate sense of your physical condition.”
“I used to be healthy,” Chen Zemian mumbled, rubbing his forehead.
Lu Zhuonian extended a hand. “Come down first.”
Holding onto Lu Zhuonian’s hand, Chen Zemian climbed down, bent his knees, sat on the floor, and buried his head in his arms.
Seeing his gloomy mood, Lu Zhuonian didn’t press further. He simply sat by quietly.
After a while, Chen Zemian finally spoke. “The new game version didn’t pass review.”
Lu Zhuonian recalled the game project Chen Zemian had mentioned before and the sketches he’d seen in his notebook. “Wasn’t it a military competition experience game with an anti-terrorism theme? Why didn’t it pass?”
Chen Zemian was surprised he remembered all that, word for word.
He slowly raised his head, his eyes clearer. “Your memory is too good.”
Lu Zhuonian smiled. “It’s a mobile game with real market potential. I listened carefully when you talked about it. I even did some research afterward. Logically, there shouldn’t be any issues getting it approved.”
“I thought so too,” Chen Zemian replied.
“So what went wrong?” Lu Zhuonian asked.
“A company wanted to buy the copyright cheap before approval. I refused. Supposedly, the cousin of their product manager’s second uncle has a connection at the Press and Publication Administration.”
Lu Zhuonian was silent for a few seconds. “Can such a distant connection really hold you back?”
“That’s what the studio told me.”
“And the reality?”
“In reality, they didn’t prepare the materials well enough, so they blamed it on that.”
Saying it aloud made Chen Zemian feel even worse. He buried his head deeper, only the back of his fluffy head visible. “If it were really external pressure, like someone with connections holding us up, that’d be easier to accept. But what do you do when your own team is incompetent?”
Lu Zhuonian reached out and rubbed his head. “Next time, don’t hire college students to save money. They’re great at screwing things up.”
Chen Zemian sighed. “But the group that worked on Re-conferring the Gods did a great job.”
“That’s exactly why a game company bought the entire studio,” Lu Zhuonian explained gently. “The original team was experienced. That kind of lineup is rare.”
Chen Zemian frowned. “Then… should I not have sold the studio?”
Lu Zhuonian broke it down. “Even if you kept it, they still would’ve been tied up managing Re-conferring the Gods. Unless you separated the game and studio, which wouldn’t help much. The underlying systems of your new game are different. Aside from some coding tasks, they wouldn’t contribute much.”
As Lu Zhuonian calmly analyzed the situation, Chen Zemian’s mood gradually settled.
In game development, failing to pass version review isn’t uncommon. Many hit games have gone through it. Materials can be resubmitted. It wasn’t a disaster — just part of the process.
The real reason he sold Re-conferring the Gods was because he didn’t want to handle all that admin. Professional teams make everything smoother. A patchwork team just doesn’t cut it.
His frustration had been brief. Normally, a bit of time alone would be enough for him to bounce back.
But then Lu Zhuonian came.
So his internal grievance meter went from 5 to 50.
Chen Zemian ruffled his hair irritably and tried to lift his spirits. “Forget it. I’ll organize the materials again tonight.”
“You don’t have to go out if you don’t want to,” Lu Zhuonian said.
“It’s fine. Half a day isn’t a big deal. It’s almost New Year’s anyway. Better to go out and have fun than mope at home.”
Lu Zhuonian nodded. “Okay. I’ll help you sort through the approval materials when we’re back.”
“That’s too much trouble for you,” Chen Zemian said, turning to him.
“When my hand was injured, did you think it was troublesome?” Lu Zhuonian asked gently.
Chen Zemian shook his head. “No. It was my duty as a friend.”
“It’s the same for me,” Lu Zhuonian said simply. “Helping each other — it’s what we do.”
“But you’re my boss,” Chen Zemian said quietly. “How could I make you work?”
Lu Zhuonian smiled. “You can give me orders. Try it.”
Somehow, that made Chen Zemian happy again. “Then I’ll be your boss.”
“You can be,” Lu Zhuonian said calmly.
*****
Usually, Chen Zemian drove the Mercedes-Benz van to events.
Though the Fengshen sports car was stylish, it only had two seats. You couldn’t hire a driver or stash a folding e-bike inside.
But today, Lu Zhuonian took the Fengshen — and insisted Chen Zemian sit in the passenger seat.
He even opened the door for him. “You’re the boss today.”
Chen Zemian wasn’t feeling so down anymore, and it was nice not having to drive.
Before getting in, he remembered to put on a sad face for two seconds. But before they’d even left the neighborhood, he was already happily scrolling short videos and forgot to keep pretending.
It wasn’t until traffic control allowed their car through that he noticed something was off.
“This doesn’t look like a small party,” he said, leaning against the window.
Lu Zhuonian mentioned a luxury brand. “They’re hosting a charity dinner.”
“Why are there so many people on the roadside?” Chen Zemian asked, puzzled.
“Fans of the brand ambassadors. They usually invite a few celebrities for show.”
Chen Zemian looked at the flashing posters outside. “These aren’t just celebrities. They’re all A-listers — how are they ‘celebrities’?”
“It’s the capital behind them,” Lu Zhuonian replied, parking. “If you want to be famous, I can support you too.”
Chen Zemian spotted reporters by the entrance. “Wow. No wonder you’re dressed so formally — and even prepped clothes for me.”
Lu Zhuonian parked the car. “Do you have a favorite celebrity?”
“I don’t really follow stars,” Chen Zemian admitted.
“Then let’s pick one we like,” Lu Zhuonian said, handing him a check. “Part of the proceeds go to charity.”
At events like this, stars act as walking advertisements. Every outfit and accessory is a new release. There’s no commission, but the audience’s response affects future endorsements and brand deals.
After all, only top-tier VIPs who spend tens of millions a year are invited. A star’s invitation to attend is a direct reflection of how the brand thinks the consumers see them.
Chen Zemian looked at the check and silently counted the zeros. Twice.
“…Spend all of it?”
Lu Zhuonian said, “Can you do it?”
It was Chen Zemian’s first time spending money like this. Suddenly, currency had shifted from being a rare, precious thing to just a string of numbers he was now expected to squander.
But he didn’t understand luxury goods. He didn’t know what to buy, and under the pressure of “you must spend it all,” he became visibly nervous.
“I don’t really understand luxury goods…”
He looked at Lu Zhuonian nervously. “This check comes from the Lu family’s remittance account. If I buy something that isn’t high-end or artistic, won’t that embarrass you?”
Lu Zhuonian leaned in slightly and unfastened Chen Zemian’s seatbelt. “If anyone dares to laugh at you, just curse them out. And if that’s not enough, send them to me.”
Chen Zemian’s eyes widened. “It’s not good to curse people out…”
“If you don’t curse them, are you going to hit them?” Lu Zhuonian turned to glance at the perfectly tailored suit Chen Zemian was wearing. “Is this suit going to limit your performance?”
Chen Zemian quickly clarified, “I wouldn’t hit anyone casually…”
Lu Zhuonian reached over and covered his mouth. “You promised Xiao Kesong last time you wouldn’t fight again, but then you went one-on-three. Better not make any more promises today.”
Chen Zemian looked a bit overwhelmed. He clutched the check in his hand and nodded slowly.
Lu Zhuonian added gently, “This isn’t a mission. I just brought you here to have fun. If you’re not used to events like this, we won’t come again next time.”
But instead of easing his nerves, Lu Zhuonian’s kindness made Chen Zemian’s heartbeat race faster. His ears burned hot. He couldn’t even explain where the discomfort came from — only that he was uncomfortable.
If he were wearing a cotton jacket, he could zip it up to his nose, throw on a hat, and hide inside until his heart calmed down.
Unfortunately, he was in a high-end suit, bound tight with no room to retreat.
In a moment of panic, he flung the car door open. As he stepped out, Lu Zhuonian caught his arm.
Lu Zhuonian handed him a cotton coat. “It’s cold out.”
Chen Zemian took the coat, but it didn’t make him feel any better. In fact, he felt more flustered.
Damn.
Could it be myocarditis from hanging upside down too long today? Did he overexert himself?
*****
Chen Zemian’s panic finally began to ease after entering the dinner venue.
Lu Zhuonian said he had to meet someone upstairs, so Chen wandered around by himself for a while — though his heart was still thumping hard enough to make him wonder if he was genuinely ill or had taken the wrong medicine.
He only began to feel normal again after running into Xiao Kesong.
Upon seeing him, Xiao Kesong immediately complimented, “You look great tonight! Did you notice I dyed my hair? Same black tea color as yours. Handsome, right?”
Chen Zemian finally found a distraction. “Not quite up to my standard.”
Xiao Kesong faked a gasp, then suggested mischievously, “You should dye it light rattan pink. Pink really tests your looks. If you can pull that off, I’ll admit you’re more handsome than me.”
Chen Zemian, ever his perfect match in shamelessness, said, “Sure. You dye yours green and I’ll dye mine pink. Deal?”
Xiao Kesong didn’t hesitate for even a second. “What’s there to be afraid of? I’ll do it after New Year!”
Chen Zemian raised an eyebrow. “Why after New Year?”
Xiao Kesong coughed. “Well… the whole family’s around then. If I show up with green hair, my dad’s face will turn greener than mine.”
Chen Zemian laughed. “Courage, my friend. I knew you dyed your hair black just to play it safe for the holidays.”
“I dare you to dye yours pink for New Year then,” Xiao Kesong grumbled.
“I’ll be in Hainan. No one knows me there. I’ll dye it every color of the rainbow if I want.”
That got Xiao Kesong interested. “You’re going to Hainan for vacation? Who with? How long? When are you coming back?”
“With Yan Luo. After the New Year, Liu Yuebo and Xue Duo might come too. Nothing’s set in stone yet — we’ll figure it out.”
He glanced at Kesong. “Why, want to join?”
Xiao Kesong checked his holiday schedule. “I’m free after the tenth day of the lunar month. If I come to Hainan, we should rent a cruise ship and spend three days and nights at sea!”
Chen Zemian wrinkled his nose. “A cruise? I was thinking more like… a yacht.”
“A yacht?” Xiao Kesong scoffed. “Too small. You can’t even turn around in one of those. It’s a cramped mess — you’d hate it.”
“Well, I’ve never even been on a yacht. To me, that’s already luxury.”
“Luxury?” Xiao Kesong waved dismissively. “Forget yachts. Even the rented cruise ships are basic. But — ” He suddenly pulled someone over. “Ye Chen here has a relative — big ship king down south. I’ll get him to arrange a real luxury liner. How’s that?”
Chen Zemian had heard of good people, but never a good boat. He couldn’t imagine how massive and magnificent it must be to earn Young Master Xiao’s approval.
But knowing Xiao Kesong, he could change plans eight hundred times before the tenth even arrives.
So Chen Zemian simply nodded and smiled. “We’ll talk then.”
Xiao Kesong wrapped an arm around him, chatting nonsense as people passed by.
When someone came up to greet them, Xiao Kesong did the introductions. Chen Zemian remembered a few names, forgot most, and just smiled politely.
“A real heavyweight showed up tonight,” Xiao Kesong whispered in his ear. “An old guy — former military commander. He came with his wife.”
“No wonder I saw several guards walking like SWAT officers,” Chen Zemian remarked.
“You noticed that?” Xiao Kesong looked impressed.
“Easy to recognize.” Then Chen Zemian asked, “What kind of background does this brand have to invite someone like that?”
“It’s the wife — they say she’s a major philanthropist,” Xiao Kesong explained. “I’ll introduce you if there’s a chance. Zhuonian’s already gone up to greet them.”
“And you didn’t go?”
“Uncle’s already there. Also, stay away from him.”
“Who?”
“My uncle. Did you know… he’s gay?”
Chen Zemian burst out laughing. “What, are you homophobic now?”
“You’re the one who’s homophobic!” Xiao Kesong whispered frantically. “He said you’re pretty and wants to ask you out. That’s bad news. Be careful.”
Chen Zemian shrugged. “He’s just messing with you. I’m a generation younger than him.”
“I told him that too! He probably won’t dare now — I threatened him. If he bothers you, I’m telling my mom — ”
Xiao Kesong had a habit of glancing around when gossiping — a habit that had saved him many times. It did again.
Before he could finish, he saw Xiao Qiwu standing just a few steps away under an arch, holding a champagne glass, smiling faintly.
He froze. “He’s here!”
Chen Zemian followed his gaze and spotted a young man — much younger than expected.
Maybe around thirty, with a straight nose, thin lips, and jade-sculpted features. His phoenix eyes gleamed with a languid charm. Two buttons of his shirt were undone, and he leaned against the arch, one leg bent, exuding a relaxed, aristocratic flair.
Xiao Qiwu raised an eyebrow, saying nothing. Just watching.
Since hiding would be too obvious, Xiao Kesong reluctantly dragged Chen Zemian over.
“Nephew,” Xiao Qiwu said in a lazy Beijing accent, “You didn’t even give me a chance to speak before gossiping about me. Is that proper?”
“Uncle, this is Chen Zemian.” Xiao Kesong didn’t bother with more pleasantries. “Zemian, this is my uncle.”
Chen Zemian nodded. “Uncle.”
Xiao Qiwu smiled. “You’re not from the Xiao family. No need to belittle yourself by copying him.”
Chen Zemian replied politely, “Then how would you prefer I address you?”
Xiao Qiwu’s eyes gleamed. “Just call me Sixteenth Brother.”
Kesong looked horrified. “No way! If he calls you brother, how can we still be brothers?”
“To each his own,” Xiao Qiwu said indifferently, then turned to Chen Zemian. “What do you think, Mr. Chen?”
Chen Zemian pondered. “I don’t think the Xiao family has that many brothers. Why are you Sixteenth?”
Xiao Qiwu: “…”
Xiao Kesong explained, “He’s actually the sixth. But his maternal grandfather’s family added a ‘ten’ to everyone’s rank to make the family sound more prosperous. So sixth became sixteenth. But our side doesn’t do that. Good thing he has no brothers, so I still get to call him uncle.”
Chen Zemian nodded. “I see.”
Xiao Qiwu let out a long sigh, tone tinged with melancholy. “Two families, two systems. It’s hard for someone like me. I’m the youngest of my maternal family, so no one ever calls me Sixteenth Brother.”
A subtle move — pretending to retreat while putting pressure on Chen Zemian. If he didn’t call him that, it’d sound like he didn’t care about his feelings.
Chen Zemian patted his shoulder comfortingly. “Don’t be sad. Even if no one calls you Sixteenth Brother, I’m sure plenty have called you Sixteenth something.”
Xiao Qiwu was truly a seasoned flirt. He didn’t miss a beat. “But I only want to hear you call me that. No one’s used it since I came back to Beijing.”
Chen Zemian considered for a moment, then said with a calm smile, “If you really like being called Sixteenth, I can call you Sixteenth Uncle.”
Xiao Qiwu laughed. “Okay, since you said that, it would be rude of me to insist. I really don’t know how many bad things Xiao Kesong said about me just now — you looked so scared you didn’t even dare call me ‘brother.’”
Chen Zemian replied calmly, “That’s not the case.”
When you’re out in public, you can call each other “brother” however you like. Chen Zemian didn’t insist on anything else — after all, Xiao Qiwu was from an older generation, and no matter what he called him, he wouldn’t suffer a loss. The reason he didn’t follow Xiao Qiwu’s lead and call him “brother” was mainly out of consideration for Xiao Kesong.
He and Xiao Kesong were as close as brothers. If he suddenly acknowledged Xiao Qiwu as an elder brother in front of him, wouldn’t that be a slap in the face to his own people?
Even after being turned down repeatedly, Xiao Qiwu wasn’t annoyed. He remained graceful and said, “Hearing is deceiving; seeing is believing. I just want to be friends with you, nothing more. Mr. Chen, don’t listen to slander or let preconceived notions lead you to wrongly accuse me.”
Chen Zemian smiled. “No, I believe you’re a good person.”
At that, Xiao Qiwu couldn’t help but smile. The corners of his lips curled slightly as he lightly repeated the words “good person” under his breath, tasting them twice as if savoring their meaning.
Then he raised a hand, stopped a waiter, and took two glasses of red wine from the tray.
A teasing glint flickered in his eyes, though there was also a rare hint of seriousness as he looked directly at Chen Zemian. “I toast to you for being a ‘good person.’ I hope you won’t disappoint me.”
Up until that moment, Chen Zemian had thought Xiao Qiwu was only here to tease Xiao Kesong.
But now, looking into his eyes, he felt unsure.
He really hoped this wasn’t a case of being liked by a gay man.
I’m straight!
This was the first time Chen Zemian had been openly flirted with by a man. He had no experience and was visibly uncertain.
Seeing the awkward pause, Xiao Kesong cleared his throat and said, “Uncle, he drove here. I’ll drink for him.”
Xiao Qiwu’s eyes darkened slightly, and his demeanor suddenly became sharp. He glanced at Xiao Kesong and said coolly, “Are you going to stop an elder from offering a toast?”
At those words, Xiao Kesong’s face stiffened, and he had no choice but to pull back his hand and fall silent.
Xiao Qiwu handed the wine glass to Chen Zemian and said with interest, “What, you won’t even share a glass of wine with me?”
It wasn’t a harsh question, and Xiao Qiwu wasn’t being forceful in handing over the glass. But still, Chen Zemian felt a subtle and distinct discomfort.
It was the feeling of being scrutinized, observed, tested — and violated, in a way.
In truth, drinking this glass of wine wouldn’t cause any real harm. But for some reason, it felt very, very stifling and unpleasant.
This wasn’t like drinking with a client or a boss at a business dinner.
As someone with a social background, Chen Zemian had drunk many toasts he didn’t want to drink before he ever crossed into this world. When he first arrived and worked as a lackey for various young masters, he had also gone along with many such drinks.
But none had ever been this hard to swallow.
And yet, if he rejected the offer over a single glass of wine, it would be hard to justify.
People would say he “doesn’t know what’s good for him,” that he “has no sense of tact,” or that he was “refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit.”
The three of them stood in silence for a moment. Xiao Qiwu was a notorious figure in the Xiao family, well-known for his scandals. Several onlookers had already begun glancing in their direction.
Chen Zemian frowned faintly, lifting his gaze toward Xiao Qiwu.
Anxious, Xiao Kesong blurted out, “Uncle!”
Xiao Qiwu’s voice remained even. “Xiao Kesong, don’t be rude.”
Before he could stop himself, Xiao Kesong stepped forward, ready to argue.
Chen Zemian gently tugged on his arm.
Xiao Qiwu pushed the wine glass forward again and added with mock playfulness, “You’ve already turned me down several times tonight. If you don’t drink this glass, that would really be too disrespectful.”
Faced with this, Chen Zemian didn’t want to make things worse for Xiao Kesong. He slowly lifted his hand to take the delicate wine glass from Xiao Qiwu.
At that moment, another hand reached out first and took the glass.
It was a slender, clean hand with well-defined joints. On the wrist bone was a faint burn mark that hadn’t fully faded.
It was Lu Zhuonian!
Chen Zemian turned around, startled.
“Boss Xiao,” Lu Zhuonian said, “I haven’t turned you down tonight.”
He stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Chen Zemian and locking eyes with Xiao Qiwu.
“This is someone I brought with me. Whether he drinks or not — that’s up to me.”
*****
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