Based on the speaker's words, Li Qianqian immediately guessed that the newcomer was Qi Zechuan—one of her ex-husband’s brothers, the Young Master Qi who had no interest in the Qi family business and had chosen to become a doctor instead.
"This isn't about snatching. At Huangchao, the male models go to the highest bidder."
"If our manager hadn't assumed Brother Zechuan wasn't coming tonight, do you really think you could have booked him with those few pennies of yours?" the man standing next to Qi Zechuan, dressed in a garish red outfit and wearing several earrings, sneered.
He then shifted his gaze to the person behind Li Qianqian and growled, "What are you staring at, you bastard? Get over here! It’s only been two days—have you already forgotten who you’re supposed to be pleasing?"
"The manager told me to accompany Sister Qianqian," Gu Shinian said, his fingertips twitching, but his feet remained firmly planted where they were.
"Heh~" Qi Zechuan let out an ambiguous laugh. With an intrigued curl of his lips, he looked at Li Qianqian and took a step toward her. Each step felt like it was treading on someone’s heart, making those around him tremble.
He finally stopped just a meter away from Li Qianqian. "Sister-in-law, what do you think? Are you planning to protect him?"
"He is an artist under my management. If there were any misunderstandings between you two before, I will apologize on his behalf."
Li Qianqian calmly stepped in front of Gu Shinian to shield him, her clear, black-and-white eyes showing no sign of backing down. She had called it a "misunderstanding" rather than an "offense," her every word revealing her partiality and trust toward that "bastard."
A cold glint flashed in Qi Zechuan’s eyes, and the smile on his lips widened. "Li Qianqian, you want to protect him? Do you know who he is? You’re Yunli’s wife, so you could commit many mistakes and I would cover for you, but you shouldn't be standing on the side of a bastard."
*As if.*
Li Qianqian didn't believe for a second that Qi Zechuan had such kind intentions. In fact, if she made a mistake, he would likely be the first to embellish the story and whisper it into the old matriarch's ear.
Standing with her back straight and her lovely face resolute, she stood in the warm yellow light, her words ringing clear and firm: "He had no say in his own birth. As long as he hasn't violated any laws or morals, as his manager, it is only right that I protect him."
A faint tickle of emotion stirred in Gu Shinian’s chest. He instinctively looked up at Li Qianqian, but he could only see the back of her head. He couldn't describe how he felt in that moment.
"Good. Very spirited," Qi Zechuan remarked, arching a brow and clapping his hands lightly in mockery. He recalled how, only last week, Li Qianqian’s eyes had been glued to him, filled with flirtatious longing. To think that in the blink of an eye, she was arguing with him for the sake of a bastard—how fickle she was.
He leaned down, lowering his voice until it was a whisper only the two of them could hear. "Don’t forget, you still have things of yours in my possession."
"Undergarments."
Li Qianqian felt as if she’d been struck by lightning. She had thought there was only the one piece that had been returned previously. The original book only stated that the original host, eager to find a new crutch, had used a multi-pronged approach: hiding her brother-in-law’s shirts at home while harassing her ex-husband's three brothers. She had sent intimate apparel to Qi Zechuan, revealing photos to Qin Muyang, and lewd messages to Jiang Liubai.
But the book hadn't specified the quantity. Thankfully, the original host hadn't burned all her bridges; the items sent were brand new, and the accounts used for the messages were also new. She could still deny it.
"Is my name on them?" Li Qianqian asked. "Don't try to pin that on me."
"You can choose not to admit it—" Qi Zechuan laughed, crushing the smoldering cigarette butt in his hand. His tone was laden with threats as he intentionally drew out the end of his sentence. "But, Sister-in-law, it’s dark and windy here. It wouldn't be unusual for the security cameras to be broken. If something were to happen, nobody would ever know."
Hearing this, Gu Shinian’s heart sank. He knew all too well how unhinged Qi Zechuan could be. The Qi family would shield him, and even though Li Qianqian had been unkind to him in the past, she was just a fragile woman, and she had changed so much today.
Gu Shinian stopped hiding and stepped out from behind Li Qianqian. "I’ll go with you. Our business has nothing to do with her. Let her go."
"I wasn't planning on doing anything to her, but the more you say that, the less I want to grant your wish. I hate it when people tell me what to do—especially you. So, she’s not leaving here easily today."
Qi Zechuan sneered, brushing the cigarette ash off his clothes in disgust before tossing the extinguished butt onto the ground. "Sister-in-law, I'll give you a choice: your hand, or his. Only one pair can remain."
At these words, the underlings present dared not make a sound, but the man in the garish outfit couldn't hold back. He kept gesturing at Qi Zechuan—this was a crime! He couldn't cover for his brother if he actually did this! If Qi Zechuan got in trouble with his family over a bastard, it wouldn't be worth it.
Qin Muyang gripped Qi Zechuan’s shoulder tightly, trying to stop his outburst. "Brother Zechuan, calm down!"
"I know what I’m doing," Qi Zechuan said, brushing the hand off his shoulder.
Li Qianqian raised her eyelids and spoke. "I’m not choosing. Whether it’s my hand or Gu Shinian’s, it’s not up to you to decide."
"You’re too naive. Do you think you’ll be safe just because you refuse to choose?" Qi Zechuan sneered, his thin lips uttering cold words.
Gu Shinian had been listening from the side. He knew this was something he couldn't escape. His hands slowly tightened into fists, and his dry lips moved. "Let her go, and I’ll agree to your demands. She’s only in the way if she stays here."
"Oh, look, the bastard is playing the hero. Do you know who she is? You think she’d ever actually want you?" Qin Muyang, annoyed by the way Gu Shinian kept defending Li Qianqian, snapped. Even if he himself didn't care for Li Qianqian, a lowly illegitimate son had no right to act this way. Thinking of the photos saved on his phone, he felt a surge of agitation.
Gu Shinian bowed his head in silence. He wasn't playing the hero; he just didn't want to drag her down any further.
"Do it. I know you always carry a blade," Qi Zechuan urged impatiently.
Gu Shinian gripped the razor blade. The pain in his palm stirred his sense of injustice. The night wind, once refreshing, now felt bone-chillingly cold. He stiffly pulled his hand from his pocket.
Suddenly, Li Qianqian’s voice came from nearby. "Hello, 110? Yes, someone here is threatening and intimidating me. That’s right, at 306 Houli Street, right next to Huangchao."
Qin Muyang turned his head and saw Li Qianqian holding her phone to her ear. "?"
He whispered in a voice barely audible, "What the hell? You’re actually calling the police? Are you insane? Hang up!"
"Yes, the ringleaders are named Qi Zechuan and Qin Muyang. They are threatening my friend into self-mutilation. Please come as quickly as you can. There are no security cameras here, and we are very afraid."
Li Qianqian ignored them completely. After hanging up, she began typing on her phone. Once finished, she grabbed Gu Shinian’s arm.
She looked up into Qi Zechuan’s pitch-black eyes. "I also sent a message to the eldest brother. If anything happens to me here today, do you think you’ll be able to answer to the Fu family?"
"Li Qianqian, you really are full of surprises," Qi Zechuan said with a grim smile, his entire demeanor like a venomous snake coiled and ready to strike in the darkness.