At the end of a deep alley where even sunlight struggled to reach, there stood a very simple wooden shack.
Inside, a dozen or so petty thugs were gathered, playing games and smoking. The room was thick with smoke, and the sounds of cursing and bickering rose and fell incessantly.
Outside the shack, two men were squatting. One had thick eyebrows, large eyes, a stocky build like a bear, and tattoos around his neck. The other was a familiar acquaintance of Ji Yue Nian—Long Qiang.
Long Qiang exhaled a plume of white smoke, his face full of worry. “Bro, do you really think this is okay? Usually, when we extort people, it’s just minor bruises. But this time, we actually broke someone’s bones.”
The tattooed man—Long Yi—lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled. As he moved, the tattoos on his left arm and cheek writhed like centipedes, looking rather menacing.
“Scared of what?”
He flicked the cigarette butt onto the ground carelessly, glanced briefly at the group of underage internet addicts inside, and said indifferently, “Besides, it wasn’t even us who laid a hand on him. If the cops get involved, we’re just accomplices, not the masterminds.”
“Police will probably show up soon. You don’t say a word, just go along with them. When you’re at the station, stick to the story that you were just watching and didn’t do anything.”
“As for those new recruits you brought from the internet cafe, they’re all minors. Even if they broke a leg, the worst they’ll get is a few weeks in juvenile detention. Back when I was fifteen, I stabbed someone to death, and I only served two and a half years.”
Long Yi snorted coldly, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes. “In the Federation’s eyes, kids like us are prime cattle and horses for the future. There’s no way they’ll sentence us to death.”
Long Qiang listened to Long Yi’s words. Though still a bit uneasy, he nodded.
At that moment, the sound of police sirens came from outside. Long Yi’s eyes sharpened, and he whispered to Long Qiang, “Remember what I said.”
Long Qiang took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, then stood still without moving.
Soon, a policeman and an auxiliary officer burst in. After seeing the scene inside and the two outside, they showed their IDs and took everyone away.
*****
That afternoon, at the Jiang family residence.
In his bedroom, Jiang Chi had just finished his homework. His fingers gently tapped on his phone screen, his heart filled with both anticipation and hesitation.
He looked forward to his parents officially meeting Qing Chan, like parents-in-law meeting their future daughter-in-law. This meeting would be like stepping one foot inside his own home.
But he was conflicted about what reason to use to invite her out. Qing Chan liked reliable, mature men. His reason had to be strong, domineering, and show boyfriend power!
He first typed, “Qing Chan, how about dinner this weekend? My parents want to meet you,” but felt it was too ordinary, so he deleted it and rewrote it.
“Baby, want to have a special dinner with me this weekend evening and meet my parents?” Yet that sounded a bit forced, so he bit his lip and deleted it again.
“Darling, are you free this weekend? Our whole family wants to go out for a meal.” No, that didn’t work either—it lacked the flavor of a strong man and felt greasy. Qing Chan wanted a reliable and steady man, not a boy still hiding behind his parents’ protection and not mature yet.
After thinking it over for a while, Jiang Chi put down his phone and took from the bookshelf the book 《The Perfect Boyfriend’s Self-Cultivation》, flipping to the section on romantic conversation techniques.
The densely packed words on the page reflected in the young boy’s deep blue eyes, as deep as the ocean, filled with a trace of contemplation, and a hint of expectation mixed with nervousness.
*****
At the hospital, room 306, the white light gave off a dim atmosphere—quiet and soft.
In the hospital room, filled faintly with the smell of disinfectant, two teenagers were focused, holding their phones as they fought an intense game.
“Clear the lane minions, hurry up! Hurry up!”
“Watch your positioning! Positioning! Don’t throw yourself away!”
“Baron! Baron! Let’s go! Let’s go get him!”
Ji Yue Nian’s face was full of excitement, shouting loudly nonstop.
After sending the underlings away, Ji Yue Nian naturally stayed behind to accompany Su Tian. After all, they were his subordinates, and he was a man who valued loyalty above all else!
Thanks to Ji Yue Nian’s brilliant command (trash-talking teammates and enemies alike) and Su Tian’s incredible last-hitting skills (stealing kills), they barely exerted themselves before the enemy’s morale collapsed, and they quit in frustration.
When the match ended, the two naturally gained another star.
Suddenly, Ji Yue Nian’s phone vibrated slightly. He first said, “Pause,” then turned slightly to shield the screen and switched accounts.
Jiang Chi: Woman, come to my house this weekend. This is a command from your boyfriend.
Ji Yue Nian: ???
What’s that pretty boy Jiang Chi going crazy for? Does he think he’s a CEO? And that message is just so childish!!
“Ji Ge, who are you chatting with? Sister-in-law?” Su Tian, sitting on the bed, asked.
“Just a normal friend,” Ji Yue Nian replied casually, then came up with some excuse to brush off Jiang Chi.
PUA Jiang Chi wasn’t important compared to taking care of his own subordinates.
After all, Jiang Chi was still an outsider.
“Come on, keep playing!”
“No classes this afternoon anyway.”
Saying that, the two of them held their phones and dove back into battle.
They played for quite a while until Su Tian’s phone suddenly received a call. After answering, his expression turned strange. He looked at Ji Yue Nian, hesitating as he said, “Ji Ge, my mom and the others are here. They have a bad temper. Maybe you should leave first.”
Before he finished speaking, there was a sudden knock at the door.
Ji Yue Nian got up to open it and saw a woman with light makeup and luxurious clothes standing outside. Behind her was a man in a black suit, head bowed, silent.
“Auntie,” Ji Yue Nian greeted politely.
“You’re the one who spoiled my son!”
Without warning, a slap landed across Ji Yue Nian’s face, stunning him instantly.
“Mom…” Su Tian on the bed opened his mouth, seeming to want to say something.
“Shut up!” The woman shouted angrily, then roughly grabbed Ji Yue Nian’s arm. Still dazed from the slap, Ji Yue Nian was pulled and staggered backward several steps.
The woman mercilessly dragged Ji Yue Nian outside, then suddenly threw him down. Ji Yue Nian fell to the ground in a sorry state as she shouted, “It’s people like you, you lowlife thug, who spoiled my son! Get out! Stay away from him!”
“Today, you break a leg following him; tomorrow, he could lose his life because of you!”
Ji Yue Nian staggered to his feet, looking at the furious woman with a grim expression. He said nothing in reply, only lightly dusted off the dirt on his clothes.
After saying those words, the woman took the man in the black suit and walked back into the hospital room.
With a bang, the door slammed shut.
Before the man in the black suit entered the room, he quietly spoke a single sentence to Ji Yue Nian.
By his lip movements, it was clearly—
Sorry.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.