Chen Zemian felt a little bored.
He tossed the tablet aside and glanced at his phone again.
Forget it, it’s boring to stay at home. It’s better to go to the shooting range. The shooting range has more entertainment facilities than home — guns, crossbows, claw machines, milk tea shakers, and Yan Luo to play with.
Oh, Yan Luo.
Today is the Little New Year, and Chen Zemian has no family to celebrate with, so he considers it better to spend the holiday alone. After all, Yan Luo has no family either — he must be alone too. Besides, there’s nothing else to do. He’s free anyway, so why not head to the shooting range and find Yan Luo to celebrate the Little New Year together?
With that decision made, Chen Zemian got out of bed and changed his clothes. Just as he was about to leave, he happened to meet Wang Shun and his men delivering the air purifier.
Wang Shun instructed the movers to set the purifier inside the house, then glanced at Chen Zemian and asked casually, “Mr. Chen, are you going out?”
Chen Zemian had previously told these bodyguards that he didn’t need to be addressed as “Mr. Chen,” but they had insisted that it was Lu Zhuonian’s order, so he simply went along with it.
“Yes, I’m heading to the shooting range,” Chen Zemian replied, putting on his coat. He also took out his mask and slipped it on. “It’s boring at home.”
Wang Shun nodded, quickly finished debugging the purifier, and left swiftly, heading back to Lu’s house to report.
Chen Zemian then drove to Niujie. He bought a variety of snacks and ordered dozens of cups of milk tea, which he sent ahead to the shooting range, inviting his colleagues to join him.
When the milk tea arrived, it came faster than Chen Zemian expected, and as soon as he stepped out of his car, he was warmly welcomed by his colleagues.
Although Chen Zemian’s position still officially remained that of an ordinary employee, in the eyes of everyone at the shooting range, he was no different from a second-in-command or even a confidant of the big boss.
Everyone knew that Chen Zemian drove Lu Zhuonian’s sports car, and they observed Lu Zhuonian’s attitude towards him. Naturally, they knew how to treat him — nothing too careless, out of respect.
After all, Yan Luo was still a teenager, naive about the adult world’s twists and turns. Seeing Chen Zemian arrive, he was simply happy. No longer writing test papers, he just wanted to play.
Chen Zemian, in the eyes of children, was practically a king. His profession made him particularly knowledgeable about new and popular trends, and he shared many common topics with young people. His tender face and lack of airs made him approachable — he loved to cause trouble, but he also knew how to care for others without leaving a trace.
Over the past few months, he had completely won over sixteen-year-old Yan Luo, becoming like a younger brother to him.
In Yan Luo’s imagination, family should be like Chen Zemian — someone reliable, someone who could make him feel safe even in the darkest times. As long as Chen Zemian was there, worries and fears seemed to evaporate. His unconditional favoritism and love could cover all the haze, wind, and rain.
During the first days of the international competition, Lu Zhuonian had been detained at the Lu residence and couldn’t leave. Meanwhile, the Yan family, jealous of Lu’s hosting of the event, came to the shooting range to stir trouble. They even accused Lu of daring to host a star like Yan Luo.
With Lu Zhuonian absent, the staff at the shooting range didn’t dare to stand up for Chen Zemian. Instead, he fought alone to protect Yan Luo, scolding the Yan family’s second uncle fiercely — almost causing him to have a heart attack.
Yan Luo often chuckles when recalling that scene.
“What are you laughing at?” Chen Zemian heated a donkey roll in the microwave, inserted a spoon, and pushed it toward Yan Luo. “Is your birthday coming soon?”
Yan Luo raised his eyes. “Yes,” he replied softly.
Chen Zemian sat beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “What kind of gift do you want? Tell me.”
Yan Luo pursed his lips, hesitating. “Nothing I want. My birthday is on the 15th. Can you come?”
Chen Zemian had planned to go to Hainan before the New Year, so he hesitated. He probably wouldn’t be able to return by the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar.
But Yan Luo immediately added, “It doesn’t matter if you can’t come. The fifteenth is a day to be spent with my family. I’ll celebrate my birthday on the Gregorian calendar instead — this Friday. Can you come?”
Looking at Yan Luo, Chen Zemian nodded softly.
A child with an introverted personality could ask him twice in a row, “Can you come?” — it was clear that he genuinely wanted to celebrate his birthday with him.
Chen Zemian couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Yan Luo alone in Beijing for the New Year. The shooting range was closed from the New Year’s Day to the third day of the lunar month, leaving him empty and lonely for several days.
Feeling a pang of sympathy, he said, “I’m planning to go to Hainan soon. Why don’t you come with me?” He pulled out his phone to book a ticket. “It’s just one more ticket. Otherwise, it’s so boring to go alone.”
Yan Luo, surprised, realized what Chen Zemian meant. Slowly, his eyes widened. “Will you take me with you?”
Chen Zemian nodded. “Do you want to go?”
Of course, Yan Luo wanted to — but he hesitated. After a long moment of internal struggle, he shook his head. “Let’s not go. It’s too expensive to travel to Hainan during the Spring Festival.”
To his surprise, a serious young master of the Yan family actually thought a trip to Hainan was costly.
Chen Zemian felt even more distressed. He wrapped an arm around Yan Luo’s shoulders and said softly, “Hey, don’t refuse. Just think of it as accompanying me to play. Do you know how much it costs to find a travel companion?”
Yan Luo tilted his head in curiosity. “What’s a travel companion?”
Chen Zemian explained patiently, “It means when I arrive somewhere, I need someone to accompany me to sightseeing spots, eat with me, carry my bag, run errands, and queue for me.”
“Are you talking about a guide?” Yan Luo asked, blinking. “How much does that usually cost?”
Chen Zemian deliberately inflated the figure — “One or two thousand yuan a day, and during the Spring Festival, it’ll triple. The cheapest ones are three or four thousand.”
Yan Luo gasped, clearly shocked. “So expensive!”
Chen Zemian continued, pretending to be serious, “Yes, it’s costly. But I’m worried about running into unprofessional guides who take you to souvenir shops and refuse to let you leave unless you buy something. Some even try to cheat or force you to buy.”
“Really?” Yan Luo’s eyes widened. “They hit people too? Isn’t that illegal?”
Chen Zemian pulled out his phone and showed him some news articles. “There are plenty of such cases. Just look for yourself.”
Yan Luo glanced quickly, but didn’t linger — he knew how complicated things could be. Deep down, he understood that in this world, ‘a strong dragon can’t suppress a local snake,’ and he trusted that Chen Zemian wouldn’t lead him astray.
“Then maybe I shouldn’t find a guide,” he decided.
Chen Zemian tilted his head and asked softly, “Will you come with me?”
Yan Luo nodded firmly. “Yes.”
He used his quick fingers to book a plane ticket for Yan Luo. “I heard you’ve fought in black boxing?”
Yan Luo nodded again. “Yes.”
Chen Zemian sent the ticket details. “Then you have to protect me when we travel.”
Yan Luo responded without hesitation, “Yes, I will!”
*****
At four o’clock in the afternoon, Shen Qingwan arrived at the shooting range once again, bringing small cakes.
This time, she finally met Chen Zemian in person.
“You’re here,” she said, surprised. She set down the cake and quickly took off her guqin, which was heavy in her arms. “Oh, it’s so heavy.”
Chen Zemian pulled a chair over for her. “I told you not to be so polite. Why come here on such a big holiday?”
Shen Qingwan rubbed her shoulders and explained, “It’s not for you. The cake is for Yan Luo. We have a concert on his birthday, but he can’t come, so we sent the cake early to celebrate.”
Yan Luo took the guqin from her hand and carefully found a stable spot to place it. “Is there a performance today?”
Shen Qingwan, still without makeup, sat down and started to put on her makeup. “I’m going to work later.”
Chen Zemian asked, “At Fanlou?”
“Yes,” she replied. “At the nightclub at 8 o’clock. Don’t worry, no one will bother me anymore.”
Shen Qingwan patted her chest confidently. “Everyone knows I have a backer. No one dares to mess with me.”
Chen Zemian smiled. “That’s good. If anyone gives you trouble, just report Mr. Lu’s name. He’s aware of everything and won’t say a word.”
Shen Qingwan smirked. “Don’t you know that the most popular young master in the rich circle is named Chen?”
“Your last name is Chen?” Chen Zemian was startled, then asked uncertainly, “Me?”
Shen Qingwan curled her eyelashes and said with a smile, “Of course. You’re the mysterious nobleman beside the prince of the Lu family. Even Young Master Lu gave up his beloved car and his left hand for you. Someone even saw you scolding Young Master Lu.”
Chen Zemian was confused. “When did I scold Young Master Lu? Don’t talk nonsense! Why am I suddenly so mysterious?”
Shen Qingwan shrugged. “Everyone says so. Some even checked your background but couldn’t find anything. They all think you’re incredible.”
Chen Zemian snapped, “They didn’t find anything because I don’t have a background!”
Shen Qingwan put down her eyelash curler, smiling. “It’s mainly because of Young Master Lu’s attitude toward you. He’s never angry with you, but you’re always yelling at him.”
Chen Zemian was startled, feeling wronged. He tried to find an excuse, turning to Yan Luo. “Tell me, whenever I yelled at Master Lu, I was being very attentive and flattering, right?”
Yan Luo hesitated. “Uh…”
Chen Zemian, confused, asked, “?”
Shen Qingwan gave a teasing smile, brushing her eyelashes. “Children don’t lie.”
Chen Zemian, trying to defend himself, said, “Okay, maybe my voice is a little loud sometimes. But overall, I’m quite flattering, right, Yan Luo?”
Yan Luo hesitated for a moment before replying honestly, “But when you try to flatter, it’s always fake. You can tell at a glance that you’re not sincere.”
Shen Qingwan burst into laughter, her hand shaking as she applied mascara.
“…”
Chen Zemian clenched his teeth. “I also have moments when I’m sincere!”
Yan Luo nodded. “Yes, especially when you’re yelling. Sometimes I’m afraid you’ll hit Master Lu.”
Chen Zemian firmly denied ever hitting Lu Zhuonian.
“It’s just a friendly fight between good brothers,” he said, punching Yan Luo’s shoulder twice to demonstrate. “Like that.”
Yan Luo grimaced and silently said, “It hurts when you hit someone.”
“…”
Chen Zemian threw Yan Luo’s phone to him. “Go play your game.”
Shen Qingwan’s makeup was now in the final stage. She applied lipstick while mentioning, “Oh, by the way, there’s a very popular game lately. Have you played it?”
Chen Zemian, preparing for his second game, immediately became interested. When he heard about a new popular game among college students, his professional curiosity was piqued. “What game?”
Shen Qingwan put down her lipstick and pressed her lips with a powder puff. “‘Re-Conferring the Gods,’ a card-drawing game. I bought several gift packs just to draw Ao Bing.”
Chen Zemian: “…”
Yan Luo glanced at Chen Zemian and, noticing he didn’t clarify that the game was developed by him, said nothing.
They all knew that starting a business was easy, but maintaining it was hard. The development and launch of a game was only the beginning. Whether it could sustain long-term popularity depended on ongoing operation, maintenance, and marketing. Without capital support, Chen Zemian couldn’t focus all his energy on one game. Selling “Re-Conferring the Gods” to a large company would be the best option.
Although the game had already been sold, Chen Zemian still felt a strange thrill whenever he heard others praise it as “very popular.” That sense of achievement lingered, and he couldn’t help but smile.
He turned to Shen Qingwan and asked, “What is your customer ID?”
Shen Qingwan thought Chen Zemian was also playing, so she opened the game and quickly looked it up, then recited a string of numbers.
When signing the copyright transfer agreement with the large company, Chen Zemian had deliberately left a few public beta accounts for users to access. During the development process, he had bound a public beta account with Ao Bing to Shen Qingwan’s customer ID and merged the data.
“You should log out and log in again,” Chen Zemian advised. “Now, Ao Bing should appear.”
Shen Qingwan operated the game doubtfully, then opened the background interface and froze in shock.
Not only did she see Ao Bing, the Star Lord of Gai, in her game’s mission atlas, but she also discovered several SSR Star Lords — extremely rare and difficult to draw!
Her eyes widened as she looked at Chen Zemian in disbelief. “How did you do that? Can’t we just send each other fragments? I can only send one a day… and I don’t even have your friend!”
Chen Zemian remained calm. “It’s not a gift. I funded a public beta account for you.”
Shen Qingwan’s confusion deepened. “Why do you have a public beta account? I heard from others that during the public beta, data could be retained, and a public beta account was hard to come by!”
With a mysterious smile, Chen Zemian explained, “The game’s copyright was still under my name during the public beta. So, I wanted to — ” he paused, “ — open as many accounts as you want.”
Shen Qingwan repeated, stunned, “The copyright of the game… is in your name?”
Yan Luo nodded confidently, even though he was deliberately disguising it. Nevertheless, a hint of pride crept into his tone. “My brother developed the game Re-Conferring the Gods.”
Chen Zemian spoke modestly. “It’s gone now. It’s been sold, sold.”
Shen Qingwan was momentarily stunned, and instinctively blurted out a classic swear word to express her sigh. “Fuck.”
Chen Zemian was even more surprised to hear Shen Qingwan curse, as he didn’t realize she knew he had developed the game.
At this moment, she suddenly realized she had revealed too much of her own nature. Her eyes widened, and she hurriedly raised her hand to cover her mouth.
Chen Zemian couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Sometimes I swear too. Young Master Lu isn’t here, so no one cares.”
Shen Qingwan then resumed her makeup routine, skillfully tying her hair into an elegant, ancient-style bun and pinning it with a hairpin. She picked up two hairpins and examined them, debating silently. After a long moment, she finally asked Chen Zemian, “Which one looks better?”
Chen Zemian observed carefully and replied, “The one with the long tassels.”
Following his advice, Shen Qingwan pinned the long-tasseled hairpin in place, then put on earrings and pasted a flower ornament on her forehead. She felt she was absolutely beautiful. While packing her makeup bag, she hummed softly.
Chen Zemian, unfamiliar with the intricacies of female makeup, couldn’t quite understand her process. However, when she started to pack her bag, he knew she had finished.
She looked at herself in the mirror and asked, “How is it? Does it look good?”
Yan Luo, always honest and straightforward, gave his opinion. “It looks good, but it makes me look a little old.”
Shen Qingwan was taken aback. “…”
“Children’s words are not taboo,” Chen Zemian quickly covered Yan Luo’s mouth and added with a chuckle, “He means you look better without makeup.”
Shen Qingwan’s face darkened with a mix of resentment and amusement. “Is there really a difference?”
Chen Zemian, unaware that he had said the wrong thing, looked innocent and blank.
She ignored him and sat down to open her guitar case. Since it was still early, she simply changed the two loose strings. After replacing them, she calmed herself and plucked the strings a few times to test the sound. Then, she asked cheerfully, “I’ll play a song for you. What do you want to hear?”
Chen Zemian was surprised. “Really?”
Shen Qingwan couldn’t help but laugh. “Is it necessary to be so surprised? You’ve already given me the public beta account. What’s wrong with me playing a song for you?”
Of course, Chen Zemian was surprised — after all, this treatment was only reserved for the protagonist in a novel.
Shen Qingwan began to pluck the strings with a delicate wrist, and the melody flowed gracefully, perfectly balanced with light and dark tones, meaningful and elegant.
“Liang Xiao Yin,” she announced softly.
“Liang Xiao Yin”?
Chen Zemian hesitated. “I haven’t heard of it, but the name sounds quite advanced.”
He sat upright. “Wow, wow, wow — so elegant.”
Just as Shen Qingwan was about to start playing, Chen Zemian’s teasing made her burst into laughter. Her hands faltered, and the sound of her playing became chaotic. “Can you stop teasing me?” she exclaimed, still laughing.
Chen Zemian raised his hand in a gesture of apology, signaling her to proceed.
The piano’s melody lingered, flowing smoothly with a gentle, yet profound tone. It was elegant — too elegant, perhaps.
Chen Zemian, rarely sitting so upright, felt a little tired after a while. He leaned back on the table and continued to listen, closing his eyes as the music soared higher and higher. He wanted to be immersed in the moment, but suddenly, his consciousness drifted away, caught in a strange haze.
Songs without lyrics often had a hypnotic quality, and this moment was no exception.
When Shen Qingwan saw Chen Zemian dozing off, she was not angry but rather found the scene amusing. After playing “Liang Xiao Yin,” she plucked the strings again and switched to a calmer, more peaceful tune — “Shi Tan Zhang.”
Gradually, Chen Zemian fell into a deeper sleep.
When Lu Zhuonian followed the sound of the piano and entered the room, he saw this scene.
Shen Qingwan was playing the piano, Yan Luo was eating cake, and Chen Zemian was sound asleep.
Lu Zhuonian’s expression was inscrutable.
What do you mean, boring? Isn’t this life quite colorful?
When Shen Qingwan saw Lu Zhuonian, she simply smiled and nodded in greeting. Without stopping her playing, she seamlessly switched to a new tune — “Pheasant Morning Flying.”
Chen Zemian, even in sleep, was more alert than when awake. When he heard footsteps, he opened his eyes.
The room was bathed in the glow of the sunset, filling the space with warm, golden light.
The gentle, elegant sound of the guqin seemed to echo in his ears. Lu Zhuonian, walking against the light, looked calm and composed. Chen Zemian, lying on the table, felt dizzy — whether it was a dream or reality, he couldn’t tell.
Lu Zhuonian casually draped his coat over Chen Zemian’s shoulders. “I’m not complaining that life’s boring,” he said softly, “I think your life is quite interesting.”
As the soft cashmere coat settled over him, Chen Zemian caught the faint scent of Lu Zhuonian’s usual perfume, mixed with a subtle hint of tea — an intoxicating aroma that complemented the guqin’s music perfectly.
He smiled lazily and said nothing.
In fact, Lu Zhuonian even took a small bag of tea from his coat pocket. “People playing the piano for you, and you just sleep here,” he remarked.
“Sing when you’re in the mood,” Chen Zemian said, sniffing the air, “and sleep when you’re tired. This tea smells so familiar — haven’t we drunk it before?”
Lu Zhuonian sat down beside him, pouring a cup of tea. “Yes, I got the Dahongpao from my father.”
Chen Zemian tilted his head to watch Lu Zhuonian brew the tea. After a moment of silent observation, he finally remembered to ask, “Hey, why are you here? Isn’t today a holiday?”
Lu Zhuonian responded casually, “Dinner is at 8 o’clock tonight. I have nothing to do, so I came out for a walk.”
He poured hot water into the teapot, and white mist began to swirl around. The priceless Dahongpao, worth thousands of yuan per gram, floated gently within the clear water, the tea’s vibrant color blurred into a beautiful, misty hue.
The fragrance of the tea drifted with the vapor, filling the room with a calming aroma.
Chen Zemian looked at the expanding tea leaves, and suddenly a thought crossed his mind.
“Are you here to see me?” he asked softly, lifting his gaze. “Because Wang Shun and I said life was boring, so you came to keep me company.”
Lu Zhuonian’s tone was light but unwavering. “Yes. If I had known someone was with you, I wouldn’t have come. The road is full of cars, and it’s so congested.”
Chen Zemian lowered his voice, explaining quietly, “I just came to see Yan Luo. I didn’t expect Shen Qingwan to come too.”
Lu Zhuonian pushed the cup of tea toward him and only said three words. “Who cares.”
Chen Zemian suppressed a chuckle, replying, “If you don’t care, don’t speak like Lin Daiyu.”
Lu Zhuonian shot a cold glance at Chen Zemian.
Chen Zemian pinched his throat and said softly, “If I’d known she was coming, I wouldn’t have come.”
Lu Zhuonian said nothing, only watching him with a piercing gaze.
Meanwhile, Yan Luo silently turned the pages of his book, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Lu Zhuonian’s gaze darkened slightly. His tone grew colder, tinged with a threat. “Chen Zemian.”
The corners of Chen Zemian’s mouth curled up, unbothered.
Lu Zhuonian withdrew his gaze and reached for Chen Zemian’s coat, preparing to leave.
But Chen Zemian quickly reached out, grabbing Lu Zhuonian’s sleeve and shaking it gently. “Don’t go. I was wrong. Stay a little longer. I’ll take you home in the evening.”
Lu Zhuonian paused, then looked down at Chen Zemian and asked softly, “Where are you going now?”
Chen Zemian was stunned for half a second before answering, “Home.”
Lu Zhuonian glanced at Shen Qingwan. “Not going to Fanlou?”
Chen Zemian was confused. “Why should I go to Fanlou?”
Lu Zhuonian explained matter-of-factly, “Today is the Little New Year. Fanlou has an event starting at 8 o’clock.”
Chen Zemian smiled. “You know I don’t like to join the fun. I only went there before to accompany Xiao Shao.”
Lu Zhuonian’s expression softened slightly. “If he asks you to go out again, ask first who it’s for.”
Chen Zemian asked, “What’s wrong?”
Lu Zhuonian casually mentioned, “Xiao Qiwu has returned to Beijing.”
Curious, Chen Zemian asked, “Who is Xiao Qiwu?”
Yan Luo, having heard the name before, explained, “He’s Xiao Shao’s uncle — a very mysterious person.”
Chen Zemian was intrigued. “How mysterious?”
Yan Luo listed several anomalies. “He’s been abroad for many years. Nobody knows what he does, but he’s extremely rich. He’s not married, and he rarely appears in public. Only during Chinese New Year does he come back, and he has a bad relationship with the other elders. Rumor has it he set fire to the Xiao family ancestral hall, but his influence is significant.”
This character seemed loaded with special abilities. If it were a novel, he would be a major recurring figure. Yet, in the original book, he rarely appeared.
Chen Zemian read the name twice, feeling unfamiliar. He hesitated, then asked bluntly, “Do you have a grudge against him?”
Lu Zhuonian shook his head. “No.”
Chen Zemian then asked, “Then why don’t you let me play with him?”
Lu Zhuonian’s voice was slow and measured. “Xiao Qiwu is gay. He likes handsome boys.”
Chen Zemian was puzzled. “If he likes him, he likes him. What does that have to do with me?”
Lu Zhuonian’s tone was neither light nor heavy, making it hard to discern whether he was joking or serious. “I’m afraid he’ll fall in love with you.”
*****
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