There was a certain type of person who stuck their neck out like this.
When they had no power, they preached about the rule of law and used morality to oppress you, acting all high and mighty. But once they gained power, they squeezed you for all you were worth, flaunting their newfound superiority.
Bo Chengyan glanced back.
His expression was icy cold. The elderly servant beside him bowed his head and murmured, “Chen Xiuwen.”
He was reminding him of her name.
The man understood. He shot a look in her direction.
“Get her out.”
The Second House Madam’s face flushed alternately red and green, but when she saw the family servants actually approaching, she could no longer hold onto her dignity.
She looked pleadingly toward the Main House, but Cheng Yun stood there with her arms crossed, a trace of disdain in her eyes.
“Go back to your own home.”
The Bo Family Old Mansion was vast, with several villas connected together, but only the main entrance was grand and spacious, with the best views.
By rights, it should have been the residence of the principal wife.
But ever since Bo Chengyan had taken over the family, no one could live in this area anymore. It had been his mother’s place.
Even that old man was kept in a haze of confusion in the rear residence.
If he disregarded even his own father, how could this woman have no sense of her place?
Cheng Yun lifted her gaze toward the staircase. The person in the other’s arms was invisible, hidden by a cascade of black, soft hair.
It was a young man.
Was he really not getting married?
She had only come to confirm one thing, and now that she knew the situation, there was no need to stay any longer.
“Disperse.”
The scattered members of the Bo Family wore varied expressions as they all headed out. The Second House Madam no longer felt quite so humiliated. Her high heels clacked loudly on the floor as she twisted her waist and left.
~~~
On the second floor, in the bedroom.
Qi Jing sat on the edge of the bed and glanced around the room, realizing it was different from the one he’d stayed in last time.
As if reading his mind, Bo Chengyan explained, “This is my room.”
It was still furnished in dark solid wood tones, giving a sense of calm tranquility. The man lowered his eyes as he gently wiped Qi Jing’s fingers.
His expression showed no change.
As if the scene downstairs had been nothing more than a clumsy farce.
There was a soft knock at the door.
It was the maid delivering food.
The tray held delicate pastries and a bowl of double-skin milk pudding.
The view outside the window was pleasant, and the young man no longer felt hot—perhaps because of the room itself.
The air conditioning wasn’t even set very low.
Yet it was still somewhat cool and shaded.
Qi Jing glanced back at the window behind him. There was still that tall phoenix tree, its leaves swaying gently in the breeze.
The room wasn’t particularly sunny; the tree even shaded part of the window.
“Open up.”
Qi Jing snapped back to attention and naturally took the spoon into his mouth. The sweet flavor spread across his tongue.
It didn’t feel overly delicate.
It was just being fed.
Bo Chengyan set the spoon down. Qi Jing grabbed his finger with one hand while reaching for a pastry with the other.
Everything on the tray was sweet and light, nothing greasy.
Just the sort of thing a child would love.
The trip had left him exhausted, after all.
“Take a bath soon, then sleep, alright?”
The tips of the young man’s hair curled slightly upward, like a doll’s—soft, but thick.
He tilted his head back to look at him. “Aren’t you hungry?”
Bo Chengyan replied with a simple sound.
“Mm.”
“Why are there more servants here than last time?”
There weren’t, really. It had always been like this.
Last time, they’d simply dismissed some to make him more comfortable.
Qi Jing didn’t have much appetite at night. Once he’d eaten enough, he set the food aside, his eyes full of curiosity.
“Don’t you like it?”
Bo Chengyan gently wiped his lips.
The young man shook his head. “No, it’s just… it feels so… feudal.”
Macau’s handover had come late. Bo Zhonglin had been a notorious playboy in his youth, keeping mistresses from his teens onward—well-documented facts.
To manage flexibly, the local government hadn’t delved too deeply into pre-handover family arrangements, leading to the current situation.
“Mm.”
Qi Jing was scooped up into Bo Chengyan’s arms, his waist encircled as they headed to the bathroom.
Time for a bath—and to change his bandages.
The sound of running water pattered intermittently, accompanied by a few muffled whimpers. When he was carried back, the young man’s eyes were red-rimmed.
His shirt was dampened a bit, and his wet fingers still clutched at the fabric.
Qi Jing didn’t really care much about Bo Family matters. When he was set on the bed, he was still a little reluctant to let go, reaching up to loop his arms around the other’s neck.
His eyelashes were damp.
“Aren’t you going to sleep with me?”
He was very clingy.
But the young man didn’t realize it himself; he was just asking.
“I’m going to take a bath.”
Qi Jing’s mind was a muddled mess; he’d forgotten. He slowly released his hold and tugged at the blanket on himself.
He watched obediently.
“Bye-bye.”
The night was quiet. The phoenix tree outside the window continued to sway gently; it had no flowers left, out of season.
The young man propped himself up on one arm to look at the view outside.
He slowly burrowed under the covers. His eyelids grew heavy. He wanted to wait, but his vision blurred.
With a soft thud, he tumbled into sleep.
He woke once during the night. Cool fingers slid under his sleepshirt, chilly against his skin. Qi Jing was lightly pulled backward.
He fell into the other’s embrace.
A feather-light kiss brushed his ear.
~~~
The next day.
Qi Jing woke to find himself being dressed. He stretched his arms, his voice hoarse.
“Good morning.”
His eyes were clear as he greeted him.
Bo Chengyan’s expression was mild and gentle. He reached out to help him up, but a pair of hands pressed against his chest—a sign of refusal.
“I’m fine. I can walk.”
Qi Jing wobbled as he gripped Bo Chengyan’s arm and stood steadily. He tilted his head back.
As if to say: See? I won’t fall.
—He’d still gone easy on him last night.
For a fleeting moment, that dark thought flashed through his mind.
Bo Chengyan’s throat bobbed.
He suppressed it.
“Mm.”
Bo Chengyan maintained his composed demeanor.
The warmth in his palm gradually faded.
Qi Jing took his hand and asked mildly, “Are you heading out to work? Should I stay home?”
It had become a habit.
His main task before had been school, so he never felt Bo Chengyan spent too little time with him. But now, with no classes…
It stood out more.
“No work. We’re going somewhere.”
The young man blinked, seemingly surprised.
[Heading out? Then no gaming.]
[Was gonna video call Jiang Xiuyuan.]
[And Huang Ze and the others…]
“…”
Young people in love were straightforward. They weren’t always clingy; sometimes they had their own things to do.
It came in waves.
Still, he made a transoceanic call first.
Then followed along.
Bo Chengyan clasped the young man’s slender wrist without a word.
He’d looked into Qi Jing’s friends—nothing but a few rich kids. One had left a strong impression.
That time in the karst cave, the smart wristband had been on that brat.
“Who?”
Qi Jing had been about to interlace their fingers, but his wrist was held instead. It worked this way too, but… it felt a bit like handcuffs.
“You mean Huang Ze? He’s a friend from high school. He wanted to stay in the country for school at first—his parents agreed.”
“Then, for some reason, they changed their minds and sent him to the UK.”
Bo Chengyan replied evenly, without a hint of emotion. “Probably for his own good.”
“Yeah.”
“I think so too.”
Qi Jing naturally assumed UK schools were all top-tier—with Oxford and Cambridge, after all. Huang Ze had never mentioned his own school, so it was probably similar.
But as they descended the stairs, they ran into a familiar face.
Shen Nanzhi looked like she’d been waiting a long time, the butler standing by. The woman glanced up at the second floor and froze.
They were holding hands.
Even interlocking at the wrist—a gesture of intimacy from one to the other.
It was blindingly obvious—blindingly obvious.
Shen Nanzhi averted her gaze, her face paling.
Qi Jing followed down the stairs. He tried to tug his wrist free, but Bo Chengyan smoothly unfurled his palm.
Fingers slipped between his.
Their hands clasped fully, ten fingers intertwined.
“You’ve had it rough these days.”
Shen Nanzhi pressed her lips together. “It’s fine.”
But she still frowned and asked, “Do we really have to hire that firm? The old master hasn’t—”
“Not for him.”
~~~
The car pulled up to the gate of a quiet courtyard.
Qi Jing sat in the car hugging 996. It had floated in through the window halfway, passing along some information.
【…It’s basically the plot where his father died. He’s family, after all, so it’ll affect him.】
【With you by his side, he seems pretty stable.】
Qi Jing didn’t have much real sense of it. From start to finish, he’d only met a few Bo Family members—like Shen Nanzhi earlier.
The Fifth House Madam…
The young man started calculating the timeline, but just then, Bo Chengyan said mildly,
“Is it still there?”
Qi Jing blinked.
The blue slime on his lap quivered.
Bo Chengyan waited idly, hearing no inner voice. The answer was obvious.
“Looks like it is.”
His tone was flat and matter-of-fact, devoid of emotion.
Qi Jing was about to say something when the car stopped.
The destination was a traditional Chinese-style building. People waited at the entrance, exuding a subtle air of pressure.
“Where is this place?”
Bo Chengyan had already stepped out and extended his hand.
But the young man didn’t take it. He just asked glumly.
The door was even an antique redwood style, complete with ornate knockers and rings, flanked by a pair of stone lions on either side, and people dressed in black clothes standing nearby.
Their faces all looked quite amiable.
But for some reason, Qi Jing felt deeply uneasy. He had no desire to get out, preferring to stay in the car and watch the people outside.
His gaze was full of confusion.
996 perched on the young man’s shoulder, blinking its beady eyes furiously as if testing whether the others could see it.
Bo Chengyan’s line of sight never wavered once. In a very gentle tone, he said, “They’re family guests. Shall we go say hello?”
Shen Nanzhi had never seen him act like this before. Perhaps it was jealousy, or perhaps simple reluctance. After all, before that person had appeared…
A woman could always find ways to rationalize things for herself.
The head of the Bo Family was surely aloof and distant—that was perfectly normal.
His reluctance to return to Macau stemmed from his busy schedule.
This man wasn’t married; he must have other plans in mind.
She could afford to wait.
But now…
Shen Nanzhi’s face was deathly pale, yet she couldn’t stop herself from glancing in that direction.
“Guests?” His voice still held a hint of youthful immaturity—he was young.
The boy’s skin was exceedingly fair. Yesterday, he had even been carried straight into the house, without needing to greet any of the Bo Family elders.
“Mm, Little Jing, come on down. We can’t keep others waiting too long; it would be rude.”
The man’s voice dropped even lower, though he never actually reached down with his hand.
Only then did Qi Jing relent. He extended his hand. “Sorry…”
His feet never even touched the ground.
Instead, he was swept up into strong arms. Shen Nanzhi froze in shock.
This was outside, in plain view.
No attempt to hide it?
Bo Chengyan strode forward toward them, explaining as he went, “Are you scared?”
“It’s nothing—just going to get you a little trinket.”
Qi Jing tried to twist around for a look back, since 996 had been dislodged in the process, but the soft flesh of his chin was gently pinched.
“Watch where you’re going.”
The tone turned sharp and commanding.
Qi Jing’s arms were looped around the man’s shoulders. In a muffled voice, he said, “I’m not walking…”
【Why watch the road?】
Perhaps sensing the boy’s genuine fear, the driver handed over an umbrella.
“It’s overcast today—better prepare for rain.”
The man was exceptionally perceptive.
Qi Jing had learned from the experience this time. He adjusted the umbrella handle upward a bit and buried himself glumly against the man’s shoulder.
