11

 The bar lights reflected on the man's deep and indifferent face, half-lit and half-dim, making it difficult to see clearly. However, what could not be ignored was that it was a superior face that made people hesitate to approach.

Tan Yue frowned and stared for two seconds, suddenly realizing why the man looked familiar.

He had encountered this man in the stairwell when he brought food to Song Yu today. He

was dressed more casually then and had a cane with him.

But his aura had not changed at all.

He hadn't noticed at the time, but now he thought that such a wealthy and powerful person would not have entered the old apartment without any other purpose.

Moreover, Song Yu did not answer his first call.

The timing also matched.

Tan Yue's face froze, and his originally excited expression instantly froze. He barely managed to maintain his tone: "And who are you? Do you know Song Yu?"

The manager, who witnessed this large-scale Shura field, wanted to remind his boss's friend that the person opposite him was a suitor who came to see Song Yu every now and then, and a big shot who could not be offended.

He thought the boss would offer a warning, but when his gaze shifted to Shen Yize, the other man narrowed his eyes, revealing a look of schadenfreude.

And it wasn't just simple schadenfreude; it also contained a hint of… incomprehensible emotion.

Sensing the subtle relationship between the three, the supervisor silently withdrew.

Shang Linchu glanced at him indifferently, seemingly not taking this young rival seriously: “Same status as you.”

“Except, not as thick-skinned as you, and doesn't pretend to be your boyfriend.”

Tan Yue's face instantly fell.

The man opposite him was of superior appearance, attire, and manner of speaking, his tone casual, but anyone with eyes could hear the provocation.

Moreover, he seemed to know everything about Tan Yue's relationship with Song Yu.

This uneasy feeling of being the enemy in the open while he remained in the shadows made Tan Yue's heart churn; he desperately wanted to grab the man by the collar and demand an explanation for his relationship with Song Yu, accusing him of being a shameless old man trying to seduce a young woman.

But doing so would only make him appear incompetent.

A moment later, Tan Yue took a sip of wine, a faint smile playing on his lips, a cold glint in his eyes: "Is that so? Even if what you're saying is true, it's only something you gave him. Have you ever received anything from him?"

Shang Linchu remained unmoved, his gaze sweeping over the red string Tan Yue had been boasting about repeatedly.

Tan Yue noticed his gaze and continued, "You're getting old, so stay home and don't go out drinking like young people."

Shang Linchu could naturally hear the sarcasm in his words. Thinking of how the other man had dragged Song Yu into a hotel, a chill crept onto his already indifferent face.

He had been away on a business trip for several days, and upon returning to the villa, his sister had pulled him into her room. He overheard her talking about these trivial matters, but unexpectedly heard Song Yu's voice. A

soft, gentle voice, like someone who had just been bullied.

Then, the voice of another young man asserting his dominance over Song Yu appeared.

On a whim, he saved the recording to his phone, and spent the entire afternoon listening to Song Yu's words on repeat. The more he listened, the less he could concentrate.

So preoccupied was he, he planned to just pop into the bar and leave without a word, but he ran into Tan Yue.

Old grudges and new ones

swirled in the dimly lit corner.

Shang Linchu's gaze involuntarily fell on Shen Yize beside Tan Yue.

This man was also in the photo submitted by his informant—Shen Yize had dined alone with Song Yu and had even confronted him directly.

Back then, he had seen in Shen Yize's eyes a possessive, obsessive desire similar to his own, even more intense.

However, Tan Yue, who seemed to have a good relationship with him, appeared unaware of this.

Shang Linchu withdrew his gaze,

silently calculating how to reap the benefits.

*

Meanwhile, while Song Yu was slacking off as usual, a progress bar suddenly sounded in his head.

The reason was that the main characters had met.

After being stagnant for so long, it suddenly increased by 8%. Song Yu was overjoyed and decided to reward himself with a meal tomorrow.

009: [Host, this is out of character.]

Song Yu thought for a moment: [I'll treat Brother Zhao to an extra meal tomorrow!] 009

was very supportive, praising the host's intelligence.

Song Yu narrowed his eyes; the progress bar had risen to 75%, meaning the main characters had begun to interact, and his plot points were dwindling.

009 refreshed the main task for the next step.

[The creditor has found your runaway brother and wants one of his hands to repay the debt. You quit your job and become the creditor's slave, hoping he'll spare your brother's life.]

[The creditor is making things difficult for you. You remember the wealthy main character you once deceived and want to borrow money from him to get through this difficult time. Your appearance will be the catalyst for the main characters' romance, after which they open their hearts to each other. Meanwhile, you're implicated by your brother and run away to another city.]

"..."

Song Yu's newly cheerful expression drooped again.

But the creditor was the main character! Thinking of Shang Linchu's strange hobbies, Song Yu felt a chill run down his spine. He went to the bathroom to wash the wine stains off his hands while pondering how to cleverly avoid the creditor to complete the task.

Crying last time had been somewhat effective.

But he couldn't cry every day.

Besides, he hated crying in front of others.

Having experienced such extreme highs and lows in such a short time, the boy was a little confused, and he focused on washing his hands.

The water was running fast, turning his slender white fingers a pale pink. Just as Song Yu finished washing and was about to leave, a familiar voice came from the corridor outside.

"He used to come here often? He even brought gifts? He's really shameless, knowing he shouldn't accept them, yet he still comes every day." Song

Yu froze.

That was... Tan Yue's voice.

The progress bar had just advanced because of the protagonist's encounter with the main character, and now the main character appeared here just a few minutes later.

Did they meet at the bar?

"The bar still needs to do business. If he wants to come, I can't stop him." Shen Yize's voice was indifferent. "Does Song Yu know you're here?"

"He doesn't know. Brother, don't tell him I've been here. I just came to check on him and didn't want to disturb his work."

The two footsteps grew closer. For some reason, Song Yu felt that meeting them now would be awkward, so he hid in a corner stall.

Soon, the two entered the restroom.

Song Yu hid inside, inexplicably nervous, his breathing becoming short. Afraid of being discovered, he slightly parted his lips.

His fair neck was tilted back, as if he were asking for a kiss.

Someone turned on the tap.

Apart from the sound of running water, everything was quiet. Just when Song Yu thought the two of them would leave like this, Shen Yize suddenly spoke up: "But Song Yu has always told me that he has a girlfriend."

"Hmm?" Tan Yue was slightly surprised, then smiled and said, "He's probably just teasing you. He's always... always... liked me quite a bit."

The boy lowered his voice noticeably in the second half of his sentence, sounding embarrassed.

"Really?" Shen Yize smiled faintly.

Song Yu, hiding inside, felt awkward listening to their conversation.

Then something even more awkward happened—

"He let you kiss him?"

Song Yu's shoulders trembled, her cheeks burning instantly.

Shen Yize…why would he ask such a question?

Tan Yue also looked surprised.

He and Shen Yize were close; the other man always seemed easygoing but didn't care about anyone, and never pried into other people's private affairs.

Perhaps Song Yu was his employee.

After all, Shen Yize had been very focused on the bar's business lately.

Tan Yue didn't think much of it, unconsciously ignoring the strange feeling rising within him, and joked, "I won't tell you about that."

"Brother, if you're curious, you can try dating someone."

"Really?" Shen Yize looked in the mirror, staring at his dark, heavy eyes.

"I'll try."

The two finally left.

After coming out, Song Yu washed her face to cool it down.

Now Shen Yize knew that the whole "girlfriend" thing was fake. Although the lie didn't have any consequences, it was still a lie.

He wondered what Shen Yize would think of him as an employee.

On the bright side, though, he'd resign soon and wouldn't have any further contact with Shen Yize.

Song Yu stopped thinking about it. The bar closed early, and he'd just returned to the changing room to change and was about to leave when the manager suddenly came in, holding a half-empty bottle of red wine.

"Xiao Yu, the boss opened a bottle for everyone, and there's only one glass left. I'll pour it for you."

Song Yu was about to say no, but the manager had already poured the red wine into a stemmed glass and handed it to him.

"You don't need to drive home, do you?" the manager whispered. "This red wine is expensive; we only get to drink it when the boss treats us. I specially saved some for you."

Song Yu didn't refuse.

In his mind, red wine and ordinary wine were no different; they were both fruit wines.

Fruit wines were all beverages.

Song Yu took the glass, listening to the manager chat about the day's gossip while sipping. It was a little spicy at first, but it tasted quite good in the end, and he finished it in one go.

The boy was quite drunk; his cheeks and earlobes were burning, and his expression was somewhat dazed. The foreman, fearing he'd pass out, simply called a car to take him home.

Sitting in the car, Song Yu felt his face burning, but his mind was still quite clear.

Once home, he didn't waste any time, quickly taking a shower while no one was queuing for the bathroom.

Only after lying down completely did the effects of the alcohol kick in.

Song Yu felt drowsy, his eyelids seemingly glued together, and he quickly fell into a deep sleep.

But his sleep wasn't very restful.

He wasn't sure if he was dreaming, but he felt someone disturbing him. Song Yu tried to open his eyes, but the alcohol clouded his senses, and he could only unconsciously mumble softly. The one

disturbing him was a man, his voice gentle, whispering in his ear.

The sound tickled and tingled in his ear, burning Song Yu uncomfortably. He couldn't hear what the other person was saying at all. To stop the other person from disturbing his sleep, he hummed twice and rubbed his face against the other person's palm,

like a kitten trying to please its owner.

However, those soft lips gradually turned red. The cupid's bowels swelled, then were firmly pinched by a pair of long, bony fingers,

rubbing back and forth.

*

The next day at noon.

Song Yu woke up sobbing, telling 009 that her head was spinning and her mouth hurt.

009, fully aware of what had happened, couldn't bring itself to say anything. First, it would be blocked by the powerful fragmented data; second, even if it did, it would frighten its host even more.

It had been terrified when it was blocked last night.

Usually so unassuming, it turned out to be so monstrous.

Soon, 009 administered medication to Song Yu, but only a small amount, relieving 80% of the pain: [Host, using too much painkiller like this is bad; your body will become increasingly sensitive and delicate.]

Her mouth was still a little numb, and Song Yu nodded, her eyelids drooping.

Not only was her mouth sore and numb, but her skin was also sticky, as if she had sweated a lot in the middle of the night.

She would never drink red wine like a beverage again…

Song Yu remembered the downsides of drinking and stopped complaining. He got out of bed, only then noticing something embarrassing.

Taking off his underwear, he saw the wrinkled and stiff fabric in the middle, and the boy's cheeks flushed.

Drinking can cause this…

but he didn't remember anything like it.

Song Yu immediately took it off and went barefoot to the closet to get clean ones.

He only found two pairs.

Had he forgotten to put them away again?

Song Yu's doubts deepened.

His underwear was the ordinary white cotton kind, which became a bit see-through after wearing it for a while; this was a good opportunity to buy a few more pairs.

Thinking about buying new ones, Song Yu threw the old pair into the trash can.

He glanced inside again.

No wonder it wasn't comfortable.

The whole pair was dirty.

Song Yu's ears burned, and he awkwardly looked away.

When he came out of the bathroom after showering, Song Yu ran into Zhao Ran. The other man was carrying a suitcase, so he must have just returned.

The man was unusually wearing a shirt.

Having spent so much time on construction sites, his body was naturally strong and muscular without any training. Combined with his height, his chest bulged out in a shirt, making his features even more masculine.

Song Yu sincerely complimented, "Brother Zhao, you look so handsome in a shirt."

Zhao Ran looked embarrassed, his face flushed, and he casually scratched his hair, "I have to dress formally when I'm having dinner with some bosses."

Song Yu didn't dry his hair, but used a towel to wipe the water droplets rolling down his neck, looking up at him, "Is the boss going to give you an important position?"

"Not really an important position, but he's taking me along to contract a project."

Zhao Ran spoke modestly. A while ago, a boss noticed his hard work and reliability, and intended to take him out to discuss business. They actually closed the deal, and he received a share of the profits.

His savings had reached six figures.

After the death of his only relative, Zhao Ran had always felt a lack of motivation to live. He just lived one day at a time, as long as he didn't bother others.

Now he had the motivation to work hard and earn money.

However, he didn't think this amount of money could support Song Yu.

He needed to work even harder.

Zhao Ran hadn't seen Song Yu for several days. The other woman had rosy lips, white teeth, and radiant skin, looking quite well, so Zhao Ran was relieved.

However, weren't her lips a little too red?

And that small patch on her upper lip that usually looked... bigger.

Zhao Ran felt hot instantly and didn't dare look again, stammering, "I...I...I don't have to go on business trips anymore. My boss gave me a big paycheck. What do you want to eat?"

Song Yu's eyes lit up: "I'll treat you, Brother Zhao."

"You can treat me next time. But I need to take a shower, I just got off the car."

Zhao Ran himself didn't care; when he ate with his coworkers, everyone was sweating profusely.

But Song Yu smelled so good and was so clean that he felt embarrassed to stand next to him if he wasn't clean.

Speaking of showering, Song Yu suddenly remembered that he had bought Zhao Ran two pieces of clothing to thank him for taking care of him.

Zhao Ran looked flattered.

"You can wear them after you shower." Song Yu had 009 measure the size before buying them. "I've already showered."

Song Yu had actually...washed his clothes.

The man stood there dumbfounded, unable to say a word, just staring at Song Yu.

Having been kissed so many times by men from these different worlds, Song Yu was now terrified of being stared at with such intense gazes. Even though he knew Zhao Ran wasn't interested in him, just genuinely kind, he couldn't help feeling scared.

"...Brother Zhao?"

Zhao Ran snapped out of his daze, awkwardly averting his gaze.

Song Yu went back to his room and took the two pieces of clothing he'd bought down from the hanger. Both were ordinary styles, but of good quality, and not cheap.

However, compared to the air conditioning and meals he usually got from Zhao Ran, it was nothing.

Zhao Ran took the clothes from the boy, smelling a faint scent of laundry detergent.

He was going crazy.

Song Yu had given him clothes and even washed them for him. Zhao Ran

's heart pounded: "I...I'll wear them properly!"

Song Yu was startled by the sudden increase in his voice, then smiled at him.

Taking the clothes, Zhao Ran turned and went back to his room. Seeing Song Yu following him out, he asked疑惑地问道, "What's wrong?"

"I have to go downstairs."

"Hmm?"

Song Yu completely trusted Zhao Ran, so he told him about not being able to find his underwear.

The man's expression instantly turned serious.

It wasn't that he thought too badly of people; in his village, a beautiful widow's underwear used to go missing every day, and it was later discovered that someone had stolen it.

Song Yu was unsuspecting and pretty, so perhaps someone had sneaked into her room.

But these were just guesses.

It wouldn't be good if he said it out loud and scared Song Yu.

After confirming with Song Yu that he hadn't lost the key or given it to anyone else, Zhao Ran released the suitcase: "It's sunny outside, and you just showered; you'll sweat again if you go downstairs. I'll go look for it."

Song Yu wanted to say something, but Zhao Ran had already turned and gone downstairs, leaving only his tall and broad back.

He thought about the other man's question again.

Recently, it seemed that only Shang Linchu and Tan Yue had come to his room.

Shang Linchu… he probably wouldn't have secretly taken his underwear, would he? Even if he did, he would have taken it in front of him, and there would be nothing he could do about it.

Tan Yue didn't seem like it.

But only the other man was likely.

However, Song Yu didn't plan to ask him.

The plot had finally progressed to this point, and it was best if he and the protagonist had no further contact.

*

Half an hour later, Zhao Ran came up and said he hadn't found it.

Song Yu also felt the chances of finding it were slim: "Maybe it was blown away by the wind, or maybe it was thrown away as trash."

To help him find his underwear, Zhao Ran had been outside for half an hour in the middle of the day wearing a heat-absorbing shirt, covered in sweat, and his skin had become even darker from the sun.

Song Yu urged him to take a shower, but Zhao Ran didn't rush. He turned on the air conditioner in his room and went downstairs again to pack up the food.

The midday sun was too strong; if Song Yu went out in the sun, his skin would probably get burned.

Song Yu was used to being taken care of and naturally accepted everything, without feeling that what the other person had done for him went beyond the proper distance between neighbors.

The silly rabbit thought he had met a good person, unaware that while this person was indeed kind and considerate, every night he was thinking about how to mess with him.

Of course, he only dared to think about it.

After thinking about it, Zhao Ran himself felt very guilty.

The two had lunch together and spent a leisurely afternoon. Song Yu kept his phone on silent while watching a movie, not replying to anyone's messages.

Around six o'clock, Zhao Ran, seeing that the sun wasn't so harsh, called Song Yu downstairs to buy fruit together.

Song Yu went back to his room to change his shoes, and when he came out, he noticed Zhao Ran had brought an umbrella.

He glanced at the other's dark skin, thinking it was probably for UV protection, and silently swallowed his words.

However, after they went downstairs, Song Yu realized Zhao Ran had brought the umbrella for him once he felt the sun above his head.

Being shielded from the sun was indeed much more comfortable.

Perhaps not wanting the other to think he was being delicate, Song Yu even moved into the umbrella very quietly.

But Zhao Ran noticed.

In some ways, this seemingly carefree man was actually very perceptive.

Song Yu's little gestures reminded him of the cat they had at home when he was a child.

It would lick its fur and act affectionately in front of you, seeming extremely dependent, but then it wouldn't like being touched.

When you ignored it, it would snuggle up to you again.

This back and forth would continue until you were itching to hug it tightly and pet it all over before it would stop.

Zhao Ran withdrew his gaze, staring at his new clothes.

The faint scent of laundry detergent mingled with the fragrance of the person beside him, intoxicating him and stirring a restless feeling within him.

A subtle sensation spread to his limbs.

Zhao Ran felt he might have become a little greedy.

They hadn't walked far when they were blocked.

Song Yu looked up, his gaze inch upwards until it landed on Tan Yue's face, which clearly showed impatience and looked like he was demanding payment.

Looking at the man holding the umbrella for the boy, Tan Yue scoffed softly,

feeling incredibly annoyed.

Why was Song Yu surrounded by men one after another?

Tan Yue felt a strong sense of crisis and, too lazy to give Zhao Ran another glance, changed his expression when looking at Song Yu: "I sent you so many messages, why didn't you reply? Didn't we say we'd have dinner together today?"

The familiar tone of the other man made Zhao Ran look disappointed.

He moved slightly to the side, but the umbrella remained over Song Yu's head.

Song Yu replied dismissively, "I've been very busy these past few days."

Tan Yue immediately recognized this as an excuse Song Yu was using to avoid seeing him.

He'd only been pursuing her for a few days, and she was already tired of him before he'd even won him over?

Tan Yue felt a surge of anxiety and uncertainty. He stepped forward with a cold expression and grabbed Song Yu's hand: "Let's talk."

Song Yu struggled a few times, but the other person didn't budge.

It seemed he wouldn't let go

unless she agreed. Maybe she should just blame him for losing her underwear… Tan Yue definitely wouldn't be able to stand this humiliation, and then he wouldn't come looking for her again, allowing her to properly develop her relationship with the main character.

Song Yu looked at Zhao Ran: "Brother Zhao, go buy some, don't wait for me."

Tan Yue's sour face softened a bit.

The two arrived at a secluded, shady spot in the neighborhood. Song Yu didn't waste any words, immediately saying she never wanted to eat with him again, and then questioned him about whether he had stolen her underwear.

Tan Yue was taken aback for a moment, then quickly asked, "You lost your underwear?"

Song Yu suppressed her shame: "I've lost several pairs!"

Tan Yue frowned: "Have you looked for them all?"

Song Yu retorted: "Do you think I'm that stupid?"

"…" Tan Yue immediately made a couple of soothing remarks. But losing underwear is no joke. His expression turned serious: "So who did you give your keys to? Or did you not lock the door properly?"

"No, everything's fine." Song Yu only gave a key to Zhao Ran, who was out of town for the past few days and wasn't that kind of person.

Tan Yue lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, his expression gradually becoming serious.

He stared at Song Yu's face, thinking that he might have encountered an underwear thief.

Thinking that Song Yu might be in danger, he immediately said, "Don't stay here anymore. Looking like that, why would you live in such a dangerous place? My sister has a spare room recently, otherwise you—"

Afraid of being led astray, Song Yu immediately interrupted, "My door is always locked properly. You've been the only one coming recently."

He insisted that Tan Yue took it, making Tan Yue hurriedly defend himself, "Why would I steal those things? I'm not a pervert!"

"Besides, I even have your worn underwear."

Song Yu: "?"

Tan Yue only realized what he meant after speaking, awkwardly changing his tune, "N-no…"

"I just… just thought it smelled a little nice, so I put it by the bedside and smelled it occasionally. I didn't do anything else."

Song Yu originally just wanted to make trouble and shift the blame onto Tan Yue, but he ended up fabricating this! He was both angry and ashamed, and the thought of the other smelling it for so many days made his eyelids tremble with embarrassment.

"You must have done other things too!"

Tan Yue then guiltily looked away.

Song Yu's eyes widened.

His breathing quickened, and he didn't even know what he was cursing at. Finally, he frowned, gave the other person a fierce look, and told them not to come talk to him before turning and leaving.

Tan Yue didn't dare follow.

He scratched his hair in frustration, looking somewhat disheveled.

He had done something wrong, but those clothes were all handed to him by Song Yu himself. He certainly wouldn't steal underwear.

Could it have been that old man?

*

Song Yu's cheeks were burning with anger. He had just turned the corner to go back to the apartment building when he saw Zhao Ran still standing there. He

hadn't moved an inch.

He was stunned for a moment, then ran up to him.

When the man saw him, his previously droopy face immediately brightened.

"Xiao Yu..."

Song Yu had run there, and his words were slightly out of breath, sounding a little panting: "Why didn't you go back?"

Zhao Ran took out a wet wipe from his pocket, tore it open, and handed it to him: "You're sweating."

Song Yu took it.

He stared at the man, suddenly thinking of the big dog that his neighbor had when he was a child.

A very obedient dog that would wait for him no matter how long it took, and would be overjoyed as soon as it saw him.

Song Yu's mood improved a bit.

In the following days, Tan Yue didn't come looking for him, and the progress bar occasionally approached 1%, slowly increasing.

There was no movement from Shang Lin Chu; it seemed he hadn't found his brother either.

During this period before the plot unfolded, Song Yu lived quite comfortably.

Zhao Ran even specially asked him to cut various fruits so he could eat them during his work breaks.

The man prepared a lot of fruit, as well as some seaweed rice rolls. Song Yu couldn't finish them all by himself and, fearing they would spoil, shared them with his supervisor and colleagues.

The supervisor, knowing Song Yu couldn't cook, asked if he was dating.

Song Yu shook his head: "My neighbor made these."

What neighbor delivers fruit every day, and cuts them so neatly?

Everyone knew what was going on.

Perhaps because he was too comfortable, Song Yu didn't take the lost underwear incident seriously. Until that evening, when he returned home, standing at the door, before even taking out his keys, someone covered his mouth from behind.

"Mmm—"

The other person didn't use much force, but Song Yu couldn't break free no matter what he did. He trembled violently, unable to muster any strength, and finally opened his mouth and bit the other person's hand.

But the other person seemed completely unaffected by the pain, even letting out a soft chuckle.

Song Yu's legs went weak with fear, and he couldn't even bite down, his drool soaking the other person's fingers.

He lay there with his mouth agape, falling downwards, but the other person caught him around the waist. In the end, he was almost entirely supported by the person behind him.

The next moment, he felt something cover his eyes.

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