TL Note: (5/6)
Lu Zhuonian used his actions to show Xiao Kesong that nothing is impossible in this world.
Seeing that his relationship with Lu Zhuonian had been exposed, Chen Zemian closed his eyes as if accepting his fate.
Xiao Kesong stared blankly at the scene unfolding in front of him. His mind went blank, and his pupils gradually dilated.
Lu Zhuonian didn’t kiss deeply—he merely brushed Chen Zemian’s lips to declare his claim. Then he pulled him into his arms, turned, and asked Xiao Kesong, “We’re just kissing. Do you have a problem with that?”
Xiao Kesong’s thoughts stalled completely. He looked at Lu Zhuonian, then at Chen Zemian, as if questioning them—or maybe even questioning himself. “When did you two… do this? Why didn’t I know?”
Lu Zhuonian was ruthless. “We’re in a consensual relationship. Do we still need your permission?”
Xiao Kesong felt like his brain had exploded. Six words echoed in his ears on repeat:
We’re in a consensual relationship. We’re in a consensual relationship. Consensual relationship. Relationship. Relationship.
“I don’t agree!”
He suddenly snapped back and shouted, “I don’t agree! You two aren’t suited!”
Lu Zhuonian responded calmly, “But Chen Zemian agrees.”
Xiao Kesong looked at Chen Zemian. “You agreed?”
Under Xiao Kesong’s questioning, Chen Zemian nodded.
Xiao Kesong raised his hand and pointed at Lu Zhuonian. “Do you know that he—”
“This isn’t the place to talk,” Ye Chen stepped forward, covering Xiao Kesong’s mouth and whispering, “The car crash was serious. Zhuonian and the others need to go to the hospital for a check-up. The rest can wait.”
Though shocked and heartbroken, Xiao Kesong knew how to prioritize. He temporarily reined in his emotional collapse and helped escort the two to the hospital with Ye Chen.
He didn’t cause any more trouble, but he hadn’t given up either. From the hospital ride through the examination, he continuously used his eyes to glare daggers at Lu Zhuonian and vented his disapproval through dramatic sighs and restless fidgeting.
Too much!
By the time they left the hospital, it was already late.
Despite the severity of the car crash, both Chen Zemian and Lu Zhuonian sustained only minor injuries—no fractures or internal damage.
Once again, Chen Zemian couldn’t help but marvel at Lu Zhuonian’s extraordinary luck.
The biggest victim of this accident was, without a doubt, Xiao Kesong—who had witnessed Lu Zhuonian forcefully kissing Chen Zemian.
At the hospital, his dazed behavior was so concerning that the doctor assumed he had been in the crash.
Xiao Kesong was furious. Furious that Lu Zhuonian had “abducted” Chen Zemian. Furious that Chen Zemian had hidden it from him. But most of all, furious that Ye Chen had known and said nothing.
In a fit of anger, he blocked all three of them and unilaterally declared their friendship over.
Ye Chen was no stranger to Xiao Kesong’s blacklist. He shrugged it off and still personally drove Lu Zhuonian and the others home after the check-up.
Xiao Kesong dragged Chen Zemian to sit in the back seat. As soon as he got in, he pulled up the partition and demanded, “How did Lu Zhuonian trick you?”
Ye Chen’s voice floated from the front, deadpan. “You know that partition isn’t soundproof, right?”
Xiao Kesong snapped, “If it’s not, then so be it! If he dared to do this, he shouldn’t be afraid of my questions!”
Lu Zhuonian remained unfazed and even added fuel to the fire. “I was afraid you wouldn’t ask.”
Xiao Kesong had never met someone so arrogant. His chest heaved in fury; he was on the verge of passing out.
Ye Chen calmly pulled down the partition and handed back a paper bag, practiced and composed. “Don’t hold your breath. Breathe into this.”
Lu Zhuonian asked politely, “Do you need to go back to the hospital?”
Xiao Kesong: “!!!”
Chen Zemian exclaimed, “Lu Zhuonian! Don’t provoke him!”
Lu Zhuonian, hearing Chen Zemian call him out, fell silent.
Ye Chen’s shoulders shook faintly with suppressed laughter. He pursed his lips and drove onto the main road with an expressionless face.
Lu Zhuonian glanced sideways. “Are you laughing?”
Ye Chen’s voice betrayed a smile. “No.”
Lu Zhuonian didn’t press further. He closed his eyes, leaning against the passenger seat, and listened as Xiao Kesong and Chen Zemian whispered in the back.
Xiao Kesong: “Do you know that Lu Zhuonian is sick?”
Chen Zemian: “I know.”
Xiao Kesong was incredulous. “Then why are you still dating him?”
Chen Zemian regretted not wearing a hoodie—he had nowhere to hide from Xiao Kesong’s interrogation and could only mutter vaguely, “It doesn’t affect our relationship.”
Xiao Kesong blurted out, “How could it not? He’ll play you to death.”
Chen Zemian’s face turned crimson. “Xiao Kesong! What are you talking about?”
Seeing Chen Zemian’s sudden embarrassment, a sliver of hope sparked in Xiao Kesong’s eyes. He grabbed his shoulders. “So you’ve only kissed? You haven’t done anything else, right?”
Chen Zemian: “…”
Xiao Kesong aggressively pulled down the partition, intent on warning Lu Zhuonian not to go any further.
Lu Zhuonian turned his head slightly, face calm. “What?”
Xiao Kesong instantly wilted, his voice dropping eight notches. Unable to confront Lu Zhuonian directly, he redirected his fury to Ye Chen. “Stop the car! I want to talk to Chen Zemian privately!”
Ye Chen looked at Lu Zhuonian.
Lu Zhuonian made the decision. “Let’s go to my place. The house was just renovated—you can see Chen Zemian’s new home.”
Ye Chen clearly didn’t want to go. “Can’t you just get out and chat while I smoke?”
Lu Zhuonian replied, “No. Chen Zemian has asthma.”
Ye Chen asked, “Then you’re not smoking anymore?”
Lu Zhuonian hummed an affirmation. “No.”
In the past, when his sexual urges were at their worst, Lu Zhuonian would occasionally use nicotine to stimulate his nervous system and suppress the negative effects of his condition.
Now, he didn’t need nicotine—he had a substitute. The implication was obvious.
Everyone else in the car understood this tacitly. Only Xiao Kesong remained blissfully ignorant, thinking that Lu Zhuonian quitting smoking for Chen Zemian’s asthma was commendable.
Little did he know, every time Lu Zhuonian wanted a cigarette, he would pull Chen Zemian in and do exactly what Xiao Kesong feared most.
Over and over again.
Until the craving subsided.
And his addiction was sated.
*****
Chen Zemian’s half of the villa and Lu Zhuonian’s half just happened to be joined together as a whole.
It’s called a duplex, but in reality, it’s more like a townhouse. A single villa is divided into two halves—left and right—primarily for better sales. The layout of the two sides differs slightly, and the division isn’t strictly vertical.
The house was beautifully decorated, but Xiao Kesong was in no mood to appreciate it.
He rushed straight to the master bedroom, his speed and momentum comparable to a crackdown on pornography and illegal publications.
Chen Zemian: “…”
Xiao Kesong checked the bathroom, wardrobe, and bedside. After confirming that only Chen Zemian had been living there, he was slightly relieved.
Fortunately, nothing seemed to have happened.
Xiao Kesong turned and asked, “How long have you two been together?”
Chen Zemian replied using a montage-like logic. “I just confessed today.”
Xiao Kesong exclaimed, “You’re still confessing?! Are you insane?!”
Chen Zemian was shocked to the point of tinnitus. He covered his ears. “Lower your voice!”
Xiao Kesong paced around the room. “How can you be hugging and kissing right after confessing? Have some restraint!”
Chen Zemian couldn’t exactly say they’d been kissing and hugging even before confessing, so he patiently explained, “Kesong, Lu Shao has liked me for a long time. He’s serious—and so am I.”
“You’re no match for Lu Zhuonian’s cunning,” Xiao Kesong insisted. “If he has an episode, don’t give in. Let him take his medicine. Don’t do anything for him just because you’re softhearted.”
Chen Zemian: “Oh.”
Xiao Kesong fidgeted. “You two haven’t… done it yet, right?”
Chen Zemian: “…”
“Forget it. You’re possessed. Still protecting him at a time like this.” Xiao Kesong suddenly stood up. “I won’t ask you anymore. I’ll ask Lu Zhuonian directly.”
Chen Zemian felt like he’d been pardoned. Based on the principle of “better him than me,” he encouraged Xiao Kesong to go make trouble for Lu Zhuonian.
He opened a hidden door and gestured politely. “Please, this way.”
Xiao Kesong collapsed instantly. Staring at the door, his vision darkened again and again. “There’s a connecting door between your two bedrooms?!”
Chen Zemian simply pushed Xiao Kesong through and shut the door from behind.
Xiao Kesong tried the door twice, but it wouldn’t open. He could only swallow his rage and prepare to confront Lu Zhuonian.
In the living room, Lu Zhuonian was calmly playing chess with Ye Chen.
His moves were precise and deliberate.
Chess reflects character. After just two moves, Xiao Kesong felt certain that Chen Zemian wasn’t Lu Zhuonian’s match and must have been played like a pawn.
Anxious like an ant on a hot pan, Xiao Kesong fumed, not knowing where to vent his anger. He couldn’t think of a solution. Though the three of them had been friends since childhood, Lu Zhuonian had a strong personality and a controlling nature—no one could change his decisions once made.
And with Lu Zhuonian’s background, if he didn’t want the powerless Chen Zemian, he could easily find someone from another wealthy family. There’d be plenty of people lining up to send their prettiest children to him.
Force wasn’t an option.
The Xiao family was already in chaos, and Xiao Kesong had no real authority. It was unrealistic to try to take someone from Lu Zhuonian’s hands. If there was any chance of winning, it would be through Ye Chen.
But Ye Chen and Lu Zhuonian were both foxes with hidden motives. They looked dignified on the surface but were full of schemes underneath. They were the same kind of cunning devil roaming the world.
If Lu Zhuonian really intended to go after Chen Zemian, Ye Chen would absolutely be the one fanning the flames from the sidelines.
Though Ye Chen rarely spoke, every word either stirred the pot or added fuel to the fire.
After thinking long and hard, Xiao Kesong realized—he had no backup.
Lu Zhuonian sat there relaxed, composed, showing no guilt at all.
Xiao Kesong pulled up a chair and sat next to him.
Lu Zhuonian glanced over.
Xiao Kesong chose his words carefully and decided to play the emotional card. “Zhuonian, we’re friends, right?”
Lu Zhuonian just wanted him gone.
It was already early morning, and he still hadn’t gotten to hear Chen Zemian’s confession properly.
He leaned back in his chair. “Just say what you want to say.”
“I was the one who brought Chen Zemian into our circle.” Xiao Kesong paused for a few seconds, wanting to say more but hesitating. “Status matters most among second-gen elites. He has no power or backing. He’s good-looking, yes, but I entrusted him to you because I thought you were above superficial beauty. I was cautious about everything… except this.”
Lu Zhuonian didn’t speak, his gaze cold and unreadable.
Xiao Kesong choked, swallowing back the words “a thief under your own roof,” and changed them to, “I never expected my home would be robbed.”
Lu Zhuonian dropped his chess piece with a dissatisfied click. “He and I are both willing. That’s not called stealing.”
Xiao Kesong tried again, sincerely, “You’re Lu Zhuonian—who would dare say no to you? Chen Zemian has no family or protection. He worked hard to get where he is. He can’t handle your whims and doesn’t have the means to play love games with you. If you’re just playing around, choose someone else. Why him?”
His words were heartfelt and earnest.
If Lu Zhuonian were simply playing, even a heartless man might pause hearing such sincerity from a friend.
The desire to protect someone can make a person grow up fast. Xiao Kesong was thinking clearer than he ever had, carefully balancing reason and emotion to find a point no one could refute.
Even Ye Chen looked up in slight surprise, putting down his chess piece.
Xiao Kesong looked to him for help, and for the first time, worry creased his usually carefree face.
Ye Chen frowned slightly and turned to Lu Zhuonian.
Lu Zhuonian replied, calmly, “I’m serious.”
Xiao Kesong was stunned by that one word.
Lu Zhuonian sighed. “Kesong, I’ve never liked anyone this much before. I’m not asking for your help—but can you stop making trouble?”
For the first time in his life, Xiao Kesong heard the proud and independent Lu Zhuonian speak in such a helpless tone. He was stunned, like a balloon with the air let out, and couldn’t find any argument.
Chen Zemian was his friend—and so was Lu Zhuonian.
It was too hard to pick a side.
The living room fell into a heavy silence.
Lu Zhuonian checked his watch and asked calmly, “Anything else?”
Xiao Kesong asked hopefully, “Can’t you just like someone else?”
Lu Zhuonian replied with polite finality, “Sorry. I can’t.”
*****
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Author: LazyHermitGal
A Lazy Hermit Gal wondering in the void and falling into the translation abyss.
