The moment Liang Yan received Qiao Qi’s “family” reply, he knew she’d gone to see Maiya. Thinking of Maiya inevitably led him to think of Liang Xumo.

And thinking of Liang Xumo brought a whole lot of other things to mind too.

Liang Yan leaned back on the sofa; the hotel’s heating was running strong, warm light spilling down from overhead, his expression soft, though his eyes remained heavy with thought.

After a long while, he finally picked up his phone and dialed a number offhand.

“Black A. Waiting for you.”

—

Black A was Shanghai’s largest bar, and also the one with the best discretion and the highest price point.

If a public figure needed somewhere appropriate to go, Black A was without question the place.

The first floor wrapped the dance floor with booths on three sides, while the second floor offered a wider view and slightly better privacy in its semi-open booths.

In a corner on the second floor sat a man in a thick-knit black turtleneck sweater, a black baseball cap on his head, his sharp, slender chin tucked into his collar, only a stretch of his high, straight nose visible between the cap’s brim and his collar.

The disco ball spun, occasional streaks of colorful light sweeping across his face, illuminating his sharply defined, flirtatious eyes.

The moment Zhou Jiaye walked in, he spotted Young Master Liang holding a cigarette in one hand, his other arm braced against the railing, looking down at the crowd below; he gave a scoffing laugh and reached up to shrug off his own trench coat.

Though Zhou Jiaye was only a few months older than Liang Yan, he appeared far more mature from the outside.

That was probably down to the Zhou family’s generations-long military heritage.

Though by the time it reached Zhou Jiaye, that heritage had thinned to little more than a surface veneer — Zhou Jiaye had never served in the military; when he’d first reported this decision to Old Master Zhou, his reasoning had been: The country’s at peace now, no need for a useless bum like me.

Old Master Zhou hadn’t made things difficult for him — he’d simply kicked him straight into Shaolin Temple.

Though Zhou Jiaye appeared more mature than Liang Yan on the surface, when it came to sheer troublemaking, he hadn’t done any fewer questionable things — both were notoriously spoiled young masters, and even Shaolin’s grand halls couldn’t contain him.

Still, being a Zhou, he had genuine ability; however wild and reckless he’d been in his youth, the family had eventually pinned him down long enough to finish a university degree.

Nowadays, he was, in fact, a reasonably accomplished elite lawyer.

…He just didn’t look particularly lawyer-like.

Years after graduating Shaolin, Lawyer Zhou still kept his traditional buzz cut; at this moment, he had a cigarette tucked behind one ear, and combined with his naturally deep-set eyes, high nose bridge, and stern features, this already thuggish habit made him look even harder to mess with.

Hearing him approach, Liang Yan tilted his head slightly, his gaze sliding out from under the cap’s brim to land on Zhou Jiaye’s face; he curled his lip mockingly, “Which mountain bandit den did you crawl down from?”

Zhou Jiaye plopped down beside him, tugged at his pants, and stretched his legs out, “Mount Emei.”

Liang Yan pointed his cigarette at him, “You called your wife the Nun of Extinction. Got it on record.”

Zhou Jiaye laughed it off, unbothered; he plucked the cigarette from behind his ear and stuck it between his lips, then leaned back with an easy, expansive posture, tilting his chin at Liang Yan, asking with a slur, “What’s got the big star suddenly finding time to come amuse himself with me?”

Liang Yan didn’t bother with small talk. “Any movement on the company’s end?”

“Nope.” Zhou Jiaye’s smile faded, his tone growing reasonably serious. “Asked my second uncle. Nothing much going on for now, it’s just…”

He wasn’t being deliberately cagey, but Liang Yan still shot him a sideways glance, “Spit it out already.”

Zhou Jiaye said, “Liang Xumo started from the ground floor back in the day, worked her way up step by step. More than half the company’s people are hers now.”

Liang Yan said nothing.

Back when Liang Xumo had insisted on starting from the bottom, he’d been the first to object — because entry-level work was exhausting.

But his parents had thought it was wonderful that Liang Xumo had this mindset — not afraid of hardship, not afraid of exhaustion, that was exactly the kind of spirit the Liang family still had left.

Not afraid of hardship. Not afraid of exhaustion.

Liang Yan curled his lip in an unreadable smile.

He had no idea how his parents would feel if they ever learned the truth.

…Probably very disappointed.

Seeing him fall silent, Zhou Jiaye grew a little worried — but between brothers, expressing concern too directly felt awkward — so instead he casually kicked at Liang Yan’s leg, tilting his chin up, his concern coming out extremely brash.

“What, planning to retire from the industry and go inherit the family fortune?”

“Not quite ready to retire yet.”

Zhou Jiaye said, “You’ve basically made it, are you really planning to go for a grand slam?”

“No,” Liang Yan stretched lazily. “Chasing my wife.”

Zhou Jiaye, long since accustomed to this man’s nonsense, said, “Right, chase her down and then go inherit the fortune, is that it?”

“More or less,” Liang Yan said. “Have to marry her, after all.”

“Marry my ass,” Zhou Jiaye cursed, standing up. “Come on, let big bro take you fishing.”

Liang Yan grabbed his phone and shoved it toward his face, recording as he spoke: “Sister-in-law! I couldn’t stop him! I really couldn’t stop him!”

Zhou Jiaye cursed and laughed, reaching over to snatch the phone away.

Liang Yan chased after him, wrapping an arm around Zhou Jiaye’s neck, “Give it back, my wife’s waiting on me.”

Zhou Jiaye stuffed the phone in his pocket, “There’s a mermaid waiting for you on the dance floor.”

Liang Yan: “No way. I’m keeping myself pure for my wife.”

“Young Master Liang, you’re overthinking this. I’m just taking you fishing, not asking you to eat the fish.”

Liang Yan: “…Get lost!”

—

The Cipher began production on the day of Start of Winter; on the second day of shooting, the crew didn’t even have time to hold a proper wrap-up dinner before everyone rushed off to appear on a variety show.

Qiao Qi hadn’t slept well the night before; once in the car, she grabbed a jacket and threw it over her head. With everything gone dark, she quickly drifted off.

So when Liang Yan got in the car, he found an unidentifiable lump slumped haphazardly by the window, fast asleep.

“?”

Liang Yan, one leg already up in the car, withdrew it, turning to his assistant, brows furrowed, tone unpleasant, “Who is this? Doesn’t know this is my car? Tired of living?”

Before his assistant could get a word out, a hand slowly, laboriously emerged from within the jacket-covered lump by the window. The hand slowly pulled the jacket off, revealing a head.

She looked expressionless, so drowsy she only had one eye open, and turned to look at Liang Yan.

The moment his eyes met her groggy, dazed black ones, Liang Yan’s furrowed brow smoothed out without him meaning it to.

His heart, uncontrollably, gave a little lurch.

“…Oh, it’s Teacher Qiao.”

Qiao Qi, too drowsy for her tongue to cooperate, had no energy to hold him accountable, mumbling instead, “Just borrowing your car for a bit, thanks.”

With that, she pulled the jacket back over her head and went right back to sleep.

Seeing Liang Yan hesitating outside the car, reluctant to get in, his assistant assumed he wanted privacy today and suggested, “Should we… switch to a different car?”

Liang Yan said flatly, “Switch cars? Might as well swap me out instead!”

Assistant: “…No need, no need.”

Liang Yan glanced at the actors gradually approaching from behind, and simply got in the car without further ceremony, shutting the door.

The window rolled down halfway. “Bring some hot water.”

The assistant agreed and headed off with the thermos, but halfway there Liang Yan called out again; he hurried back, “What is it?”

Before rolling up the window, Liang Yan said, “No one else is allowed in this car.”

The assistant said “Okay okay okay okay” repeatedly, but as he turned to leave, something suddenly clicked, and his steps faltered, slowing halfway.

— Why weren’t any more people allowed in the car? Didn’t that mean the only person in there was…

Belatedly grasping the implication, the assistant sucked in a sharp breath, the cold air hitting his lungs and instantly sharpening his focus.

A few seconds later, the assistant pulled out his phone and texted his girlfriend: Don’t fall for my boss anymore. Love me properly instead. My boss’s heart already belongs to someone else.

—

The car drove smoothly, the heating inside running strong.

While driving, the assistant couldn’t help glancing at the rearview mirror repeatedly. In the mirror, Boss Liang wasn’t sitting loose and relaxed as usual, but had his spine held unusually straight, both shoulders held rare and firm.

Looking more closely, one could just make out, beside the shoulder partially covered by a jacket, a few strands of dark hair.

The assistant didn’t need to look any further; he immediately deduced, with total certainty, that Qiao Qi’s head was currently resting on Liang Yan’s shoulder.

He couldn’t help but reflect: Parents, teachers, doctors, even the Prime Minister of the nation itself couldn’t easily change a person’s habits — but a wife could.

Truly, the essence of humanity is double standards.

The double-standard Liang Yan himself didn’t feel tired right now, just… unbearably restrained.

Because beneath the jacket, Qiao Qi had been slowly, slowly turning her face toward his neck.

Consequently, her hot breath now landed, entirely unobstructed, right against the side of his neck.

Perhaps feeling a little stifled, Liang Yan could feel her breathing growing heavier.

And hotter, too.

Liang Yan’s hands and feet felt as though they’d caught fire.

Every nerve tingling.

His heart, already harboring feelings meant for no one but her, beat faster and harder still.

Then the car suddenly braked; his whole body lurched forward involuntarily, the weight on his shoulder vanishing along with it.

With quick reflexes, Liang Yan caught Qiao Qi’s waist. Still deeply asleep, she had no time to react, and by the time she opened her eyes, she’d already half-fallen into Liang Yan’s embrace.

For a moment she had no idea where she was, bracing herself upright, her expression utterly bewildered.

The dazed look on her face was so obvious, and with the jacket still perched on her head, she looked even more comical.

Caught completely off guard by how adorable this state made her look, Liang Yan tried and failed to suppress the curve tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Stunned?”

He’d been silent a while, and in the dry cabin air, his voice inevitably came out low and hoarse.

An unmistakable magnetism threaded through every syllable.

Still not fully conscious, Qiao Qi felt that voice sweep across her earlobe, and her ears instantly flushed a deep shade of red.

“Huh?” She blinked, dazed, blinking again and again, “Where is this? Why am I here?”

Liang Yan, one hand still braced at Qiao Qi’s waist, leaned back against the seat at this, lips curling upward, his flirtatious eyes taking on a rascally glint.

“Deep in the mountains, about to sell you off as somebody’s wife.”

Qiao Qi froze.

That seemed to be what finally snapped her fully awake.

The moment Liang Yan saw a flicker of clarity cross her eyes, he knew she was half-conscious now — but before he could say anything else, in a blur, a soft palm landed squarely on his face.

— Once fully awake, Qiao Qi immediately understood Liang Yan was teasing her with his usual smart mouth, so without a hint of politeness, she raised her hand and clapped it over his face.

“Pah!”

Liang Yan: “…”

He slowly raised his other hand, catching hold of her slender, soft wrist.

His fingertips unconsciously rubbed lightly against it a couple of times, his train of thought briefly derailing — why was it so soft?

Then he let go, looking into Qiao Qi’s dark, bright eyes, “‘Kick down the ladder after crossing the bridge’ — that’s you, exactly.”

Qiao Qi glared, “What bridge did I cross, what ladder did I kick down?” She struggled a little, “Let go of me!”

“No!” Liang Yan said.

With that, his grip suddenly tightened; Qiao Qi, caught off guard, her already unsteady upper body lost all resistance and tumbled fully into Liang Yan’s chest.

The motion was so abrupt that her lips accidentally brushed against Liang Yan’s chin.

Both of them froze in surprise.

Qiao Qi hadn’t seen this coming at all — in her entire life, aside from filming, she’d barely had any physical closeness with a man, especially not one who held a certain weight in her heart the way Liang Yan did.

So after a few seconds of stunned silence, Qiao Qi’s face flushed deep red.

Rarely at a loss for words, she stammered, “You…!”

After several “you”s, she finally managed, “Don’t you know men and women shouldn’t touch so casually?!”

Liang Yan had been momentarily stunned too, but that line of hers instantly pushed back the faint flicker of embarrassment he’d been feeling.

Unable to help himself, he let out a laugh and, with shameless flair, raised an eyebrow, “Seems to me you’re the one who took advantage of me.”

“Besides, weren’t you the one leaning on my shoulder to sleep just now? Why weren’t you worried about ‘men and women shouldn’t touch’ back then?”

Qiao Qi, choked by this, shot back with weak conviction, “I… when did I ever lean on your shoulder to sleep? I was clearly leaning against the window!”

“Is your window at home that soft and firm?” Liang Yan shot back.

Qiao Qi: “…”

Just then, the driver up front spoke up, struggling, “B-boss… we’re here.”

Qiao Qi suddenly remembered there was a third person present besides the two of them; she froze for only a moment before gritting out, “Liang Yan!”

Like a cat startled into puffing up.

Baring teeth and claws, but utterly without menace.

This was Liang Yan’s first time seeing Qiao Qi like this — probably because she wasn’t fully awake yet, her reactions and movements all a half-beat slow, genuinely resembling a little kitten.

He couldn’t resist teasing her further, “I mean, really, is this how you are? Use my jacket, then hit me the moment you wake up? And now you’re going to smear my reputation too? Teacher Qiao, are you trying to get me to marry you out of obligation?”

Qiao Qi: “…”

How had she never realized before how shameless Liang Yan actually was?!

Wait, no.

He’d always been this shameless!

It was just the first time he’d been this shameless toward her as “Liang Yan”!

The assistant, equally convinced Liang Yan was shameless: “…”

Listen to this man!

The nerve!

The scene… the assistant accidentally caught a glimpse in the rearview mirror, just one glimpse, and immediately looked away.

The scene was too much to bear!

So the assistant instantly pulled the key from the ignition, pushed open the car door, and fled.

The car door slammed shut with a “bang—”, letting in a gust of cold wind along with it.

The cold wind poured down over her head, and Qiao Qi’s mind cleared completely.

The instant Liang Yan met her eyes, he knew she was now fully, entirely awake.

A fully awake Qiao Qi… Liang Yan paused first, then slowly released the hand still gripping Qiao Qi’s wrist.

He cleared his throat, feigning nonchalance, “Ahem, just kidding around with Teacher Qiao, that’s all. So, um, we’re here, shall we head down?”

Qiao Qi, now entirely free of drowsiness, all traces of sleepiness gone, stared at Liang Yan’s guilty face and repeated his earlier words, word for word.

“Slept with you?”

Liang Yan: “…”

“Took advantage of you?”

Liang Yan: “…”

“Marry you out of obligation?”

Liang Yan, watching Qiao Qi’s expression darkening, sensed things were going badly, and floundered, “…It was a joke.”

Qiao Qi gave a cold “Oh,” “So marriage is something Teacher Liang can joke about, then.”

Liang Yan: “That’s not—”

“So did Teacher Liang get his girlfriend’s consent before casually offering me his hand in marriage?” Qiao Qi’s single line shut down every word Liang Yan had left.

Liang Yan: “…”

Qiao Qi gave another cold laugh, then decisively pushed open the door and got out.

Slamming the door on her way out.

A resounding “bang—”

Liang Yan flinched from the shock, closing his eyes, tongue pressed against his cheek.

Well.

He’d blown it.

Author’s Note: Added extra content to the previous chapter.

Saw the comments.

If you have thoughts, share them, after-sales service included.

Being a working professional, I really can’t guarantee the exact update time, I can only try to post before midnight.

As for taking time off — I’ve only taken two days off this month.

I really haven’t just randomly stopped updating over a disagreement, you can tell from the update history.

…And even when I’ve missed a day, I’ve made it up the next day.

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