Lai Li arrived at the new racetrack of the Flying Cat Club. Under the blue sky and white clouds, Jing Deyu wore a flashy yellow-and-black racing suit and leaned against the black sports car that Jiang Qiujun had given to Lai Li, looking extremely flamboyant. Beside him stood the even more ostentatious Huo Peacock.
They had all brought companions. Huo Fei’s preference remained the same as always: pretty young boys with slim waists and long legs. Jing Deyu had brought a muscular man who appeared to be about the same height as Lai Li.
Huo Fei tossed over a bottle of soda. “The lone bachelor finally shows up.”
Lai Li caught it with one hand and walked toward the route map spread out on the car’s hood.
“Let me introduce him—Bao Song, a stunt actor.” Jing Deyu never learned his lesson. “Why didn’t you bring Little Song along? Then we’d all be paired up.”
Huo Fei grew alert. “Who’s Little Song?”
“My college roommate.” Jing Deyu chuckled and described Lai Li’s unusual attitude. “Not only did he help defuse a situation, but he even lent the guy fifty thousand yuan. Don’t you think he’s into Little Song?”
Huo Fei furrowed his brows, feeling a faint sense of dissatisfaction. “No way. You, falling for some broke nobody? What kind of cheesy idol drama plot is that…”
Lai Li quickly scanned the route map without lifting his head, launching a precise strike. “With a brain like yours, you should just give up on fighting for the family inheritance. Surrender to your sister early, or she’ll sell you off to some mining site next door sooner or later.”
“No personal attacks!” Jing Deyu rolled his eyes, utterly baffled. “Then tell me, why did you help him?”
“Help?” Lai Li lifted his eyelids, a flicker of depth flashing in his eyes. “Just giving him a chance to get close and piss me off.”
Jing Deyu grinned sleazily. “And then you pull off some domineering young master forced love trope?”
“…Idiot.” Lai Li hurled the soda bottle at him. “Don’t think bringing someone along will stop me from beating your ass.”
Jing Deyu caught it with both hands, popped it open, and took a swig. “My bad. What the hell is Song Zichu anyway? How could he possibly be worthy of our Young Master Lai? He’d have to be at least as hot as Dai Linxuan—”
Lai Li snapped his head up, his cold, piercing gaze stabbing like a thorn.
“—hot.” Jing Deyu jumped in fright. “Whoa, just kidding! I meant he’d have to be as good-looking as your brother to catch your eye.”
Huo Fei wrapped an arm around his companion’s waist and said ambiguously, “Exactly! He’d have to be on the same level as your brother for me to willingly concede defeat.”
“Only contestants get to talk about winning or losing.” Lai Li checked the time impatiently. “Are we going or not?”
“…Fuck.” Huo Fei laughed in anger. “My car’s still in maintenance! It’ll be delivered soon.”
Lai Li glanced at Jing Deyu. “Yours too?”
“Oh my god!” Jing Deyu exclaimed in admiration. “I don’t have a cloning jutsu. Getting your car here was already a miracle, okay?”
Lai Li asked, “What about the car you parked at the club?”
“Don’t you know him yet?” Huo Fei chuckled. “He just wants to drive your car!”
Jiang Qiujun didn’t understand the tastes of these rich playboys, so the car had been procured by her assistant as a gift. Its design and performance perfectly matched Lai Li’s perfectionism, every curve exuding elegant flair.
Unfortunately, racetracks were prone to scrapes and bumps. One mishap, and it became “flawed” in Lai Li’s eyes, destined for discard.
Lai Li narrowed his eyes toward the undulating track in the distance. “Anyone else here today?”
“There shouldn’t be. This new route isn’t open yet—I pulled strings for an internal test run slot.” Huo Fei pulled out a pair of binoculars from somewhere and suddenly gasped.
Lai Li seemed to read his mind. “He Shuxin.”
“It’s his car.” Huo Fei’s scalp tingled. “If I’d known he was here today, I definitely would’ve…”
“Definitely what?” Lai Li smiled amiably. “Do I need to steer clear of him?”
Huo Fei could only gripe inwardly: Damn right. I’m afraid you two won’t steer clear and end up causing a murder.
They still didn’t know exactly what reverse scale He Shuxin had touched to get beaten into the hospital, especially with the nasty rumors recently circulating from his side—
Jing Deyu had a bad premonition. “How about we switch routes…”
Lai Li said nothing, didn’t even put on a helmet, and directly pulled open the door to slide inside.
“…Yeah.” Jing Deyu hastily tossed a word to Bao Song. “Wait here for me!”
Just then, He Shuxin’s group finished their lap. A line of flashy, expensive supercars sped past the nearest bend, kicking up a cloud of dust with deafening roars as they raced into the distance.
Jing Deyu jammed his helmet on and barely made it into the passenger seat before the door locked. “Calm down! —Fuck!”
The door had just shut when the nimble black sports car shot forward, chasing the group ahead.
He Shuxin spotted them in his rearview mirror. His speed slowed noticeably, then surged ahead—he clearly wasn’t sure what Lai Li wanted chasing him and felt a bit spooked.
Jing Deyu’s heart rate skyrocketed as he gripped the handle tightly. “You haven’t tested this route yet! Ancestor, slow down!”
Lai Li ignored him and floored the accelerator.
Jing Deyu said in terror, “There’s a big turn ahead! Turn! Slow down!!”
The tires screeched against the pavement. Jing Deyu squeezed his eyes shut, even imagining the pretty sparks flying—
Fortunately, the car merely tilted for an instant before the tires hugged the ground again.
Jing Deyu groaned in despair, “Anyway, think it through. He Shuxin’s just one life, but there are two on this car! If something happens to me, my mom and sister will definitely go after your brother! Then the public will say if he hadn’t spoiled you so much, this wouldn’t have happened. Do you want your brother taking the blame because of you!?”
The speedometer needle eased back a bit. Seeing that mentioning Dai Linxuan worked, Jing Deyu pressed on. “He Shuxin is He Chengze’s son, after all! You don’t want to give your brother a heart attack either, right!!”
Lai Li’s knee dropped, and the speedometer needle whipped to the max.
“Oh no.” In the adrenaline rush, Jing Deyu calmed down instead, idly sighing to himself, Done for. Looks like I stepped on a landmine by accident.
After three minutes of pursuit, they reached the most perilous section: a slanted hillside to the left, a dozen-meter cliff wall to the right. One slip, and it was game over.
As he closed in, Lai Li slowed down instead, like a hunter confident of victory, leisurely tailing his prey.
He Shuxin panicked more than Jing Deyu and cursed over the built-in channel. “That psycho Lai Li! Hurry and cover my rear!”
But his fair-weather friends weren’t suicidal bodyguards. Terrified by Lai Li’s squeezes, they feared tumbling off the cliff and scattered one by one.
Lai Li floored it through the gap, tailing He Shuxin’s car so closely the distance shrank to less than ten inches. Just as collision seemed imminent, he yanked the wheel left. The cars behind erupted in curses and slammed on their brakes.
“Lai Li, fuck your mom!”
The five or six pricey sports cars screeched to a halt, sustaining varying degrees of damage amid a symphony of crashes.
Lai Li’s face remained calm, though madness brewed in his eyes. He used the slope to force his way into the inner lane, herding He Shuxin toward the cliff edge while relentlessly closing the gap—
“This fucking lunatic is insane! Send him to a psych ward, fuck!” He Shuxin bellowed from the driver’s seat, his heart in his throat, barely daring to breathe. If Lai Li pushed any harder, he’d plunge off the cliff car and all!
Too close, stuck on the outer lane—He Shuxin couldn’t accelerate to pass. He gritted his teeth, steeled himself, and prepared to swerve left into Lai Li’s car for a desperate counter.
But Lai Li suddenly overtook Jing Deyu’s ashen face, glanced through the window at him, and with his right hand gloved in black freeing the wheel, flipped him the bird.
“…” He Shuxin watched wide-eyed as Lai Li floored it and sped away.
Lai Li’s casual voice came over the open channel. “Not scared shitless, are you? Just messing with you.”
He Shuxin glanced down, realizing he’d been played. He pounded the wheel in rage. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”
Jing Deyu, equally relieved to have survived, looked pallid and wheezed, “—He Shuxin didn’t piss himself, but I might.”
Riding shotgun was worlds apart from driving.
Jing Deyu took deep breaths and glanced sideways. Lai Li’s jawline tensed sharply, his dark pupils emotionless. Then his black hair swayed slightly, brushing his pursed red lips.
Damn, he’s hot.
Lai Li stared straight ahead. “I don’t like men.”
Jing Deyu’s rose-tinted glasses shattered. “I’m not a masochist! Only a dog would like you.”
Lai Li slowly turned his head. “Say that again.”
“Eyes on the road!” Jing Deyu panicked anew. “Anyone who likes you must have great taste! Great taste!”
Lai Li withdrew his gaze and drove back to the start. Huo Fei and the other two were still waiting.
Huo Fei peered through the binoculars. “Are those guys still breathing? Should I call an ambulance…”
Jing Deyu shoved open the passenger door, stumbled a few steps, then bent over and puked.
Bao Song quickly supported him and shot Lai Li a subtle glare. “You okay? Want some water?”
“Yeah.” Jing Deyu propped one hand on his knee, waving the other. “They’re all alive, but the cars are totaled.”
Huo Fei relaxed upon hearing they were alive. “How bad’s the damage?”
Jing Deyu shook his head. “Not too bad. Lai Li knew what he was doing… Urp!”
Huo Fei said sympathetically, “Let’s head inside and play something else.”
Back in the lounge, Jing Deyu’s color had improved slightly.
He couldn’t figure it out. “Why’d you suddenly fall out with He Shuxin? The last time something like this happened was because Huo Fei was fantasizing about how thrilling you’d be… Fuck! Don’t tell me He Shuxin was fantasizing about you too!?”
Lai Li cracked open an ice-cold soda and downed half expressionlessly.
Huo Fei sighed. “In that case, you went pretty easy on me back then. At least you didn’t send me to the hospital…”
Jing Deyu suddenly had an epiphany and widened his eyes. “It’s not you he was fantasizing about—it’s your b—”
Lai Li shot him a razor-sharp glare. Jing Deyu barely swallowed the “brother,” murmuring in shock, “Talk about balls of steel.”
Huo Fei caught the implication and gave a thumbs-up in awe. “Badass. What a wild thought.”
From either a straight or gay perspective, Dai Linxuan was a near-perfect lover. But perfection meant unreality—admirable from afar, yet few dared to profane it up close.
A trace of malice crept into Lai Li’s features. He tilted his head back, chugging the rest of the soda to suppress the urge to go back and ram He Shuxin off the road.
Fearing another outburst, Jing Deyu changed the subject. “The paint on the left side’s all scratched up. Sell it to me at eighty percent?”
Lai Li swapped cars like clothes; any scrape meant discard. Jing Deyu happily took them off his hands—kept the ones he liked, rented out the rest.
Lai Li, usually quick to agree, stayed silent this time. His eyes drooped slightly at the corners as he stared at the floor, lost in thought.
After a moment, he looked up. “What’s the fastest way to drop out of school?”
Jing Deyu and Huo Fei had graduated long ago and were stunned by the sudden topic shift. Bao Song, however, chimed in. “Get a depression diagnosis. They’ll send you home to recuperate in minutes.”
Lai Li pondered. “Thanks.”
Bao Song: “…You’re welcome.”
Lai Li asked, “Any psychologist recommendations?”
Everyone exclaimed in unison. “You’re serious?”
At the other end of the club.
He Xunzhang polished his cue tip and eyed the two remaining balls on the table. “What do you mean your skills are rusty? Trying to fool me?”
A server approached and whispered in his ear.
He Xunzhang frowned subtly, glanced at Dai Linxuan without a change in expression, and told the server, “It’s nothing. Let them handle it themselves.”
Dai Linxuan bent down, his waist subtly arching under the black shirt. With a crisp crack*, he pocketed the final black ball precisely.
He straightened, rested the cue against the side, picked up his red wine from the table, and swirled it. “What happened?”
“My brother’s at the racetrack and bumped into some people.” He Xunzhang deliberately omitted Lai Li’s name and shrugged. “No big deal.”
Dai Linxuan paused, then asked casually, “Everyone okay?”
“They’re fine, just totaled a few cars.” He Xunzhang beckoned to a guy nearby. “Wen Yi, why so far away? Come play a few rounds with your Big Brother Dai.”
Dai Linxuan took a quick glance at the message during a lull. After catching sight of the words “racing, forced stop, people fine,” he pocketed his phone and lifted his eyelids slightly. “Didn’t you say Wen Hai and the others were coming too?”
“I just messaged to hurry them along. They said there’s a traffic jam on the road.” He Xunzhang said with a grin. “Use this time to teach my little brother? He’s always wanted to learn billiards, but his studies have been too demanding—no time for it.”
This guy named Wen Yi was He Xunzhang’s cousin. His parents had sent him over during his high school break for He Xunzhang to show him around for a few days and help him relax.
He shyly called out, “Big Brother Dai.”
Dai Linxuan acknowledged him with a sound and turned to He Xunzhang. “Wouldn’t it be the same if you taught him?”
“You’re still better at it. I haven’t won a single game since you got here.” He Xunzhang handed the cue stick to Wen Yi. “The kid’s a bit slow on the uptake—probably not as quick as your little brother. Bear with him.”
“Kid?” Dai Linxuan gave Wen Yi a quick once-over and said casually, “He’s not that young anymore.”
He Xunzhang noticed the scrutiny and raised an eyebrow. “He’s got two months until he’s an adult. Compared to our age, isn’t he basically a kid? Or are you treating Little Chestnut like a grown-up?”
Dai Linxuan laughed. “Little Chestnut grows a bit more, and he’ll be taller than me. Of course he’s an adult.”
He Xunzhang’s heart stirred; he was just about to say something when he spotted several people walking in through the entrance of the billiards hall. One of them was none other than that certain “adult” who was nearly as tall as Dai Linxuan.
He Xunzhang pinched the bridge of his nose. Next time he went out, he really needed to check the almanac. Talk about speaking of the devil—should’ve just booked a private billiards room.
“What’re we playing? I can’t do snooker.” Huo Fei had his arm slung around the neck of a pretty young guy as he walked in, glancing around at the people nearby. “Eh, isn’t that your brother? And He Shuxin’s brother too…”
Lai Li acted like he’d only just noticed them. He pivoted on his toes and headed toward Dai Linxuan, though his gaze locked onto Wen Yi.
He smiled. “Bro, what a coincidence.”
Dai Linxuan felt a slight headache coming on.
