The pain in Qin Yuanyuan's eyes vanished in a flash, because the next moment he witnessed the person he loved drawing close into the embrace of his partner. The two exchanged a tender gaze, sharing a gentle and blissful smile.
Once upon a time, Qin Yuanyuan had hoped Lin Xi would look at him that way.
Yet even in his past life until the moment he died, that day never came.
Reborn into this life, Qin Yuanyuan knew from the very beginning that no matter how forcefully he tried to take Lin Xi by coercion, the person ultimately staying by Lin Xi's side would certainly not be him.
It could never have been him.
"Fu Chen, sometimes I really think someone ought to beat you to death on a fighting ring."
Qin Yuanyuan parted his thin lips slightly, the words he spoke sharp and grating.
Lin Xi immediately gripped Fu Chen's arm. When he looked at Qin Yuanyuan again, while initially startled by Qin Yuanyuan's striking handsome appearance, hearing him curse Fu Chen caused Lin Xi's mild demeanor to turn frosty instantly.
He even took a step to the side, blocking in front of Fu Chen.
Despite such a slender frame, he managed to adopt a posture protecting Fu Chen.
Qin Yuanyuan was so consumed by jealousy that he wanted to pounce forward and beat Fu Chen up viciously.
He believed that if he threw punches, Fu Chen certainly wouldn't fight back.
Even if beaten into a pulp, he probably still wouldn't retaliate.
Qin Yuanyuan gave a cold smile, walked toward the window, and sat down on a sofa chair.
Lin Xi watched Qin Yuanyuan with guarded vigilance for a moment. From Fu Chen, he already knew that Qin Yuanyuan's status and background were different from theirs.
He could also deduce that if Qin Yuanyuan wished, he could use his own methods, much like Xie Fengbei, to forcefully take him away by sheer dominance.
Yet on that small island, Qin Yuanyuan had helped him.
He was in love with him, yet he had also helped them.
Lin Xi let go of Fu Chen's hand and walked up to Qin Yuanyuan.
There weren't many people in the coffee shop at this hour. There was another employee on duty, but knowing Qin Yuanyuan had an appointment today, that staff member had been asked to come in as well.
Right now, the other worker was attending to customers.
As for Qin Yuanyuan's table, Lin Xi certainly wouldn't let anyone else serve him.
"Young Master Qin, what would you like to drink?"
Lin Xi picked up the menu, about to hand it to Qin Yuanyuan.
Without even glancing at the menu, Qin Yuanyuan curved the corners of his lips: "Plain water will do."
Coming to a coffee shop just to drink plain water—no matter how one looked at it, this sounded like Qin Yuanyuan was in a rather foul mood.
Lin Xi pressed his lips together slightly.
Every single subtle expression on his face was seen clearly by Qin Yuanyuan.
Qin Yuanyuan knew Lin Xi inside out, knowing everything about this person.
His affection for Lin Xi had initially begun with Lin Xi's face.
Through a period of living under the same roof day in and day out, he gradually grew to love Lin Xi as a whole person.
Including Lin Xi's aversion, repulsion, and coldness toward him, as well as Lin Xi's hatred—Qin Yuanyuan loved those just as much.
Qin Yuanyuan loved everything about Lin Xi.
It wasn't as if he hadn't asked himself why it had to be Lin Xi, given that there were people prettier than him, and he had slept with many men and women.
Why did it have to be Lin Xi?
Even knowing he had once been manipulated by the plot, that kind of emotion might have been controlled at the start.
Yet later on, his racing heart and deep love had nothing to do with the plot anymore.
Perhaps it was because, having had everything since childhood, there was nothing he couldn't obtain.
Whatever he wanted, he could get.
There was never any unfulfilled desire.
Lin Xi had become the one and only person he could never manage to control.
An emotion mixed with desire like this might no longer be so pure, but so what?
Aside from Lin Xi, he felt no such emotions for anyone else.
This feeling of heartache whenever he saw Lin Xi or thought of him—Qin Yuanyuan figured there must be someone who understood it completely.
That person who was in love with him.
The two of them were far too alike.
Having possessed so much, they had suddenly stumbled upon someone they couldn't get; remaining unmoved was practically impossible.
His love for Lin Xi, to a certain extent, was probably identical to Xie Fengbei's love for him.
A chuckle suddenly rose in the depths of Qin Yuanyuan's heart.
Still, there were slight differences.
At least in the past, after he had slept with Lin Xi for so long, Lin Xi never carried his child.
Yet he was different; he had only slept with Xie Fengbei for a single week before conceiving the other man's child.
Xie Fengbei was far luckier than him.
"Just plain water; I'm feeling a bit unwell lately."
As Fu Chen walked over with a look that seemed to suspect Qin Yuanyuan was doing this on purpose, Qin Yuanyuan offered a gentle smile.
Possessing captivating peach-blossom eyes, this smile caused even Lin Xi, who had a partner, to feel a jolt in his heart.
"You go pour it, I'll take care of things here."
Fu Chen sat down directly opposite Qin Yuanyuan, standing guard over him and sending Lin Xi off to fetch the water so that Lin Xi wouldn't be left alone with Qin Yuanyuan if he walked away.
Qin Yuanyuan had helped them back then, a massive debt of gratitude that both he and Lin Xi firmly engraved in their hearts.
However, the fact that Qin Yuanyuan fancied Lin Xi remained unalterable.
In Fu Chen's eyes, compared to someone like Xie Fengbei who had forced his way into taking Lin Xi by coercion, Qin Yuanyuan was actually far more dangerous.
Even though Qin Yuanyuan hadn't taken any action, Fu Chen simply couldn't underestimate him.
"There's no need to watch me this closely. If I wanted to make a move on Lin Xi, keeping an eye on me won't help."
"I know Young Master Qin wouldn't."
Seeing Fu Chen's resolute and confident expression, Qin Yuanyuan felt a flash of ruthlessness: With you saying it like that, I actually really want to give it a try.
"I know Young Master Qin likes Lin Xi, and you wouldn't want to see him suffer."
That day on the island—especially at the end when he carried Lin Xi onto the helicopter—the sorrow that had shown in Qin Yuanyuan's expression was something Fu Chen remembered quite clearly even now.
Qin Yuanyuan's love for Lin Xi was no less than his own.
He could do anything for Lin Xi, and Qin Yuanyuan was the exact same.
"I just hate this about you."
Leaning back against the sofa, Qin Yuanyuan gazed at Fu Chen with the undisguised hatred of a romantic rival.
"Thank you, Young Master Qin."
Changing the subject, Fu Chen offered his thanks with utmost sincerity.
Being thanked brought Qin Yuanyuan not a shred of happiness.
"I don't want your thanks."
"I saved Lin Xi solely because of him, and it has nothing to do with you."
Even if Fu Chen hadn't come looking for him, once he found out later, he would have rushed out immediately to save Lin Xi all the same.
"I know, but I'm still very grateful."
Lin Xi returned quickly, carrying a cup of boiled water.
Carrying the water over to the window, Lin Xi placed the cup down in front of Qin Yuanyuan, whereupon Fu Chen reached out, wrapped an arm around Lin Xi's waist, and pulled him over.
Lin Xi sat down beside Fu Chen.
Fu Chen's broad, powerful hand rested on Lin Xi's waist right before Qin Yuanyuan's eyes.
Staring at Fu Chen's hand, a cruel thought popped into Qin Yuanyuan's mind: he wanted to snap Fu Chen's arm in half.
"Young Master Qin, I'd actually wanted to meet with you much earlier, but some unexpected matters came up back home, so Fu Chen and I made a trip back."
"I'm truly sorry for only asking you out now."
Qin Yuanyuan merely pressed his lips together lightly, waiting for Lin Xi to continue.
"Thank you for extending a helping hand back on the island. If not for your timely assistance, I suppose I might not be sitting here so relaxed right now."
"Thank you."
The way Lin Xi expressed his gratitude sounded similar to Fu Chen's.
Yet it was also vastly different.
With his head lowered, he thanked Qin Yuanyuan from the bottom of his heart.
"Later on, I heard from Fu Chen that you stayed on the island for about an additional week. That person... did he give you a hard time?"
Hearing Lin Xi's concern for him—in his past life, when a knife had pierced straight through his abdomen, Lin Xi had never worn such a worried expression.
In this life, he had merely stepped in to help him once, and he was already worrying over him like this.
Lin Xi's concerned gaze made it seem as though he truly regarded Qin Yuanyuan as a good person.
He didn't want to be this good person.
In front of Lin Xi, he didn't want to be a good person at all.
"Because you left, I slept with him in your place."
"If that's what you wanted to ask, now you know."
Lin Xi froze abruptly, and Fu Chen suddenly tightened his grip around his waist.
From Fu Chen's perspective, he felt that Qin Yuanyuan was lying.
Turning his head, Fu Chen wanted to tell Lin Xi not to believe Qin Yuanyuan's words so easily.
Given Qin Yuanyuan's background and status, the chances of Xie Fengbei managing to sleep with him were practically nil.
Nor would Qin Yuanyuan ever willingly let himself lie under someone else.
Yet before Fu Chen could speak, Lin Xi's eyes filled entirely with self-reproach and apology.
"I'm sorry."
"It's my fault. From the very beginning, it was entirely my fault for misplacing my trust in someone, dragging Young Master Qin into this and causing you to suffer."
"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do? Just say the word, and I'll do whatever it is."
"Break up with Fu Chen."
"Anything except that."
Without a moment's hesitation, Lin Xi gave his answer.
"But that's the only thing I want."
Lin Xi bit his lower lip. He always had this little habit; whenever he felt distressed, he liked to bite his lip.
In his past life, seeing this, Qin Yuanyuan would have reached out to stop him from biting himself.
In this life, such a task would never fall to Qin Yuanyuan again.
Because Fu Chen was here.
"Don't bite yourself."
Deeply distressed, Fu Chen grasped Lin Xi's hand and even pinched his chin to keep him from continuing to bite his lip.
Across from them, Qin Yuanyuan furrowed his brows and looked away, picking up his water glass to take a couple of sips.
Even though it was just plain water, because it had been poured for him by Lin Xi...
It felt as though he could taste a trace of sweetness within it.
However, this hint of sweetness slowly turned bitter once Qin Yuanyuan raised his head again.
"Just a little joke."
"Lin Xi, I do like you."
Faced with Qin Yuanyuan's sudden confession, Lin Xi stared at him blankly.
Because of his striking appearance, many people liked him.
Yet there weren't many who confessed as directly as Qin Yuanyuan.
The crucial point was that Qin Yuanyuan's looks and temperament were both far too extraordinary.
At that moment, Lin Xi thought to himself that if the person being confessed to here were someone else—regardless of whether they were male or female—they probably would have fallen for it immediately and accepted Qin Yuanyuan on the spot.
"Thank you, Young Master Qin. Being liked by you must be an honor for many people."
"It's my honor as well, but as you can see, I already have a partner."
"Fu Chen and I love each other, and for the rest of our lives, we will only ever love one another."
"Even if one of you dies?"
Qin Yuanyuan narrowed his eyes, his hand dropping down from the table to press gently against the right side of his abdomen.
Right now, that area was smooth, bearing no trace of the wound where a knife had once stabbed through.
"Yes. If something happens to Fu Chen, I will follow him."
"Lin Xi."
Fu Chen spoke in a deep voice, cutting off whatever else Lin Xi was about to say.
They would both live to a ripe old age; nothing would happen to either of them.
"Right, I said the wrong thing. I'm sorry."
The young couple were both people who spoke their minds and refused to bottle anything up inside.
As they looked at each other, a gentle love flowed between them.
Qin Yuanyuan felt that he really shouldn't have come today; whatever needed to be said could easily have been handled over the phone.
He was simply asking for punishment.
"Are there any other matters?"
Since both of them had expressed their thanks, Qin Yuanyuan figured it was time for him to leave.
Resting his fingers on the water glass, he felt the lingering warmth radiating from the cup's surface.
Seeing Lin Xi and Fu Chen so affectionate once more only made him clearer on a single fact.
His love for Lin Xi—that profound love—was time to come to an end.
If he didn't end it, he would only be torturing himself.
He was carrying a child himself; he was an expectant father, someone about to become a dad.
It was time to put a full stop to that past romance of unfulfilled desires.
"There is one matter."
It wasn't Lin Xi speaking, but Fu Chen.
Qin Yuanyuan looked toward Fu Chen, truly detesting this man who had won the person he wanted.
If possible, he hoped Fu Chen would play mute in front of him.
"What matter?"
Because Lin Xi was present, Qin Yuanyuan was willing to hear Fu Chen out.
"I'd like to ask Young Master Qin to pull some strings."
"What strings?"
Asking him to pull strings for Fu Chen piqued Qin Yuanyuan's curiosity.
"With Xie Fengbei."
"With him? What do you want to do?"
Qin Yuanyuan placed both hands flat on the table, exchanging a glance with Lin Xi on the side, whose expression carried a trace of worry.
"I want to have a fight with him."
"You want to fight Xie Fengbei?"
"Is this some kind of sick joke? Do you want to eat meals behind bars?"
Fighting Xie Fengbei could only lead to one outcome for Fu Chen.
"That's why I want Young Master Qin to bridge the gap—not just any casual street fight, but a proper match in a fighting ring."
Hearing the mention of a fighting ring, Qin Yuanyuan finally understood what was going on.
Given that Fu Chen was someone who participated in underground boxing matches, he wanted to face Xie Fengbei in the ring.
"If you went to find him yourself, he probably wouldn't see you. Coming to me is indeed your best choice."
"But how do you know I'd be willing to cross Xie Fengbei for your sake again?"
Was offending him once not enough, so you want a second time?
Qin Yuanyuan sneered: "Fu Chen, you really know how to push your luck."
"Lin Xi, taking a boyfriend who is so fond of fighting and brawling—I don't think staying with him is safe for you."
"When he ends up covered in blood one day, won't you cry your eyes out?"
In every word, Qin Yuanyuan was trying to drive a wedge between Lin Xi and Fu Chen.
"I know he has a sense of proportion in whatever he does."
"And besides, he's doing this for me."
"I would have thought that given your personality, you'd try to stop him."
"I did think about stopping him, but this is what Fu Chen wants to do. I know what's in his heart—he wants to protect me, and this is the method available to him."
Exchanging blows with Xie Fengbei in a ring was Fu Chen's way of protecting him.
Qin Yuanyuan let out a scoff.
He drew a heavy breath.
"I've actually sparred with Xie Fengbei before. His combat skills are quite impressive, Fu Chen; you might not necessarily win against him."
Losing to Xie Fengbei in a fighting ring would be rather humiliating.
"I won't lose."
With Lin Xi watching, he would absolutely not lose.
"Fine, I'll pull these strings for you."
If they really ended up fighting, Qin Yuanyuan didn't care what happened to Xie Fengbei, but if Xie Fengbei could help him land a few extra punches on Fu Chen, Qin Yuanyuan would be more than happy to see it.
After all, he couldn't throw punches himself; if he hit someone, Lin Xi would hate him.
He didn't want to be hated by Lin Xi again.
Hated in his past life was enough; in this lifetime, he might as well just play the role of the good guy in Lin Xi's eyes.
The matter was settled just like that. Fu Chen had reason to believe that as long as Qin Yuanyuan stepped in, it would definitely happen.
All he and Lin Xi had to do was quietly wait.
Qin Yuanyuan drank down all the water in the cup—the water Lin Xi had poured, not a single drop could be left.
After finishing, Qin Yuanyuan claimed he had too much work to do and left first.
Lin Xi and Fu Chen escorted Qin Yuanyuan outside the coffee shop. Once Qin Yuanyuan got into his car and fastened his seatbelt, he glanced back outside: a pair of same-sex lovers were standing hand in hand on the curbside.
Too glaring.
Qin Yuanyuan started the engine and drove off rapidly.
Regarding the matter of connecting them, Qin Yuanyuan made a phone call to Xie Fengbei that afternoon.
That man was fond of him, and having failed to invite him out on multiple occasions, had even shown up right in front of Qin Yuanyuan.
Qin Yuanyuan had every reason to believe that no matter how coldly he rejected him, Xie Fengbei would show up again next time.
He had no intention of going out of his way to restrict Xie Fengbei; their capabilities were on par, and whatever he possessed, Xie Fengbei had as well.
Restricting Xie Fengbei wasn't an easy task to begin with.
Besides, up to now, Xie Fengbei still possessed a shred of restraint—at least the things he did didn't amount to anything that disgusted Qin Yuanyuan.
That being the case, Qin Yuanyuan simply turned a blind eye, letting Xie Fengbei chase him however he pleased.
Qin Yuanyuan took a completely laissez-faire attitude.
On that foundation, taking the initiative to make an appointment with Xie Fengbei was even less of a big deal.
Besides, just as he had told Fang Chen and the others back then, if Xie Fengbei wanted to play with him, fine.
He could afford to play.
As for Xie Fengbei, if he wanted to play, and ended up empty-handed by the end of it, he would only have himself to blame.
Sitting in his office, Qin Yuanyuan dialed Xie Fengbei's number. Xie Fengbei seemed busy and didn't answer the call.
Qin Yuanyuan switched to sending a text message, setting up a dinner appointment at a restaurant for that evening.
When Xie Fengbei finally saw Qin Yuanyuan's missed call and text message, he almost thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.
Looking closely at the restaurant address, it was a somewhat familiar place.
Though he hadn't been there often, he still remembered it.
Qin Yuanyuan hadn't specified what the matter was in the text, but Xie Fengbei was certain it wouldn't be as simple as just eating a meal.
From that moment on, Xie Fengbei was absent-minded, wishing only for time to pass faster.
Faster still.
As night finally fell, Xie Fengbei left his company and hurried toward the restaurant.
Upon arrival, a waiter led Xie Fengbei upstairs to a private dining room.
The moment the door to the private room opened, Xie Fengbei's gaze darkened. He had assumed Qin Yuanyuan would be alone, but there was someone else present.
An unfamiliar face, yet the hand Qin Yuanyuan had wrapped around the person's waist clearly indicated this was Qin Yuanyuan's newly found little lover.
As Xie Fengbei walked in, the waiter closed the door behind him.
The other person was a young boy who looked quite decent, but sitting next to Qin Yuanyuan, he simply couldn't compare, completely overshadowed by Qin Yuanyuan's peerless face.
"Xiao Bei, sit."
Qin Yuanyuan used the exact same address as the one from that birthday banquet.
A fierce jolt went through Xie Fengbei's heart as he pulled out an empty chair and sat down.
"Let me introduce you. This is President Xie; Bluetai Enterprise is in his hands."
"Bluetai?"
The young man was astonished, his round eyes widening even further.
"President Xie also holds a lot of real estate in his hands. If there are any cheap houses around recently, President Xie can recommend some."
"I want to buy a set for Xiao'an."
"Young Master Qin? I—I have a place to live."
Hearing Qin Yuanyuan say he wanted to buy him a house, Xiao'an was flattered and hurriedly shook his head in refusal.
He had only been with Qin Yuanyuan for a few days, yet Qin Yuanyuan had already given him numerous things. The few times they had met added up to millions in gifts, and now he wanted to buy a house—Xiao'an didn't dare accept it.
Following Qin Yuanyuan without even having shared his bed, yet taking so much, made him feel afraid.
"How much is a house worth? If you make me happy, never mind a house, I can give you whatever you want."
Qin Yuanyuan pinched Xiao'an's chin.
Seated nearby, Xie Fengbei watched Qin Yuanyuan and his lover display such intimacy. While his expression remained devoid of ripples, in his heart he had already marked this person named Xiao'an as a thorn in his side.
"You didn't ask me here just for this meal. What's the matter?"
Did he bring him here just to watch him and his lover act all lovey-dovey?
Xie Fengbei briefly entertained the thought that this was meant to make him give up his pursuit of Qin Yuanyuan, but Xie Fengbei wasn't someone who would be shaken off so easily.
"No, it's something else."
"Someone asked me to pull some strings for him. He wants to spar with you in a fighting ring."
If it had been earlier, Xie Fengbei wouldn't have known who it was, but the mention of a fighting ring made it clear to him.
"You're helping him again?"
"Haven't you helped enough?"
"How could it ever be enough? After all, the person he likes is also the person I like."
Qin Yuanyuan locked his gaze onto Xie Fengbei without a single blink, sharp as a lethal weapon.
"Fine, alright."
"But I have a condition."
"What condition?"
"You have to be at the scene."
"Naturally. Even if you didn't say it, I'd go. After all, I still enjoy watching fights."
"I'll set the time."
"Whenever you like, just notify me the day it starts."
"Good."
Xie Fengbei nodded.
Fu Chen wanted to fight him—was it for Lin Xi's sake?
One didn't need to guess to know that was the reason.
Xie Fengbei had never set foot in a fighting ring; he had never had any interest in such brawling. But if Qin Yuanyuan was going to be there, he suddenly had an interest.
Giving Qin Yuanyuan a chance to see just how strong his actual capabilities were—a free opportunity like that shouldn't be wasted.
As for Fu Chen, he was merely a stepping stone.
Qin Yuanyuan was not someone who could be swayed by power and status; Xie Fengbei had always been well aware of that.
In the past he could throw money and authority around, but none of that worked on Qin Yuanyuan. He had no other choice except to offer up his own sincere heart.
And he was willing to offer his genuine heart through any means necessary.
Staring intently at Qin Yuanyuan, Xie Fengbei made no effort to conceal his desire for possession, even with Qin Yuanyuan holding his lover.
Xiao'an soon sensed the atmosphere. When he looked over at Xie Fengbei, Xie Fengbei's cold, piercing gaze merely glanced past him indifferently before returning to Qin Yuanyuan.
Xiao'an felt the room's heating was set too low and began to feel a chill. Qin Yuanyuan picked up the remote control and turned the temperature up by a few degrees.
As the dishes were served, Xiao'an found the food completely tasteless, feeling as though every movement he made caused discomfort throughout his entire body.
As time went on, it even felt as though the air in the room was congealing.
Xiao'an wanted to say something to Qin Yuanyuan, but seeing Qin Yuanyuan's gentle smile, he swallowed the words back down.
After the meal, while it was still early, Qin Yuanyuan casually brought up: "If you're not busy, how about another drink together?"
It was meant as mere polite convention, but Xie Fengbei actually tagged along.
With Qin Yuanyuan having his arm around Xiao'an in front and Xie Fengbei following behind, Xiao'an felt as though needles were pricking his back; he even wanted to tell Qin Yuanyuan to stop holding him.
Yet Qin Yuanyuan didn't loosen his grip. Xiao'an got into Qin Yuanyuan's sports car, and the vehicle sped away.
Xie Fengbei followed right behind in his own car.
The three of them went to a club. There was a bathroom inside the private room, but wanting to catch his breath, Xiao'an stepped outside to use the restroom.
Walking out of the room, Xiao'an took a couple of heavy breaths.
Inside the room, only Qin Yuanyuan and Xie Fengbei were left.
Qin Yuanyuan picked up a grape to eat, but after consuming barely a couple, he felt a bit unwell and suffered a bout of dry heaving.
Xie Fengbei hurried to Qin Yuanyuan's side, grabbed his arm, and gently stroked his back.
"Drink some water."
Xie Fengbei held the glass to Qin Yuanyuan's lips. Glancing at him sideways, Qin Yuanyuan took a sip from the spot where Xie Fengbei had offered it.
"Feeling better?"
Why was Qin Yuanyuan dry-heaving? It had been like this when he visited his place last time—what was going on with his body?
"You can let go now."
Discovering that Xie Fengbei was still holding onto him, Qin Yuanyuan spoke in a calm voice.
Xie Fengbei exerted sudden strength in his fingers, tightening his grip on Qin Yuanyuan's arm.
"I don't feel like fighting right now."
Slowly loosening his grip, Xie Fengbei lowered his gaze to stare at the sloshing water in his hand. Suddenly, he raised the cup and pressed his lips against the exact spot where Qin Yuanyuan had drunk, looking for all the world like he was sharing an indirect kiss with Qin Yuanyuan.
"If you want to kiss me, you can just say so."
Going about it this way made him look truly pathetic.
"Would you agree?"
He'd probably get slapped across the face instead.
"Depends on my mood."
"Is your mood good right now?"
"Not bad."
Xie Fengbei pressed his lips into a tight line. The next moment, he grabbed Qin Yuanyuan's shoulders, pushed him back against the sofa, and—meeting Qin Yuanyuan's peach-blossom eyes brimming with a charming smile—Xie Fengbei kissed him.