BIAC CH 1

Chapter 1: He was certain he’d seen this person before—at Moonlight Bar.

It was late February, still lingering with the chill of early spring, just after Lunar New Year. From the floor-to-ceiling windows of the 28th-floor CEO’s office in the Guangsheng Group building, the view outside was nothing but a misty blur. All the buildings—near or far, tall or short, beautiful or ugly—were hidden in the gray haze. There was nothing poetic about it, no romantic, dreamy beauty like “flowers yet not flowers, mist yet not mist”^[1]—just another day when the PM2.5 pollution index had hit the red zone. The sky was dirty and dull.

Bored, Tang He shifted his gaze back inside the office, tuning in to the endless chatter of the stunning woman in front of him.

The beauty, Su An, was the CFO of Guangsheng Group, as well as Tang He’s special assistant. She was also his direct junior from their university days in the United States. When they had first met, Tang He had chased her with everything he had. After all, who wouldn’t be smitten by a living, breathing, dewy-eyed, red-lipped, fair-skinned Eastern beauty with a tiny waist and generous curves? A graceful lady is admired by all, whether they’re a gentleman or a toad!

But the more he got to know her, the more those rose-tinted fantasies were crushed by Su An’s cool, aloof demeanor. Tang He had been forced to ruthlessly smother the budding feelings of love under her penetrating, soul-piercing gaze. In the end, he’d been relegated to acting as her loyal flower guardian for years, driving away a whole crowd of admiring toads. As Tang He had once put it: “She’s like an eighty-year-old grandma trapped in the body of an eighteen-year-old girl. What a waste of good looks.”

It was hard to tell whether Su An was emotionally indifferent or just plain unresponsive. In all the years Tang He had known her, she’d never shown a hint of interest in anyone. It was as if her entire heart had been reserved solely for studying and working. Tang He genuinely admired Su An for her resilience under pressure, her sharp learning curve, and her high IQ. After considerable effort, he’d finally persuaded her to return to China to work for him. She had climbed swiftly from a personal assistant to his executive aide. Now, she was fully capable of standing on her own as Guangsheng Group’s Chief Financial Officer.

That said, Tang He often forgot her official title and continued to treat her like a special assistant. Su An never took offense. She was incredibly capable, quick-witted, and often able to redistribute tasks flawlessly after just a quick mental run-through. She truly understood the value of using the right people in the right roles.

At the moment, this misused CFO-turned-grandma stood in front of Tang He, meticulously reporting the current work progress. Several projects and investment cases were proceeding smoothly, which made CEO Tang both pleased and thoroughly uninterested. At last, Su An moved on to the final item—which, frankly, wasn’t something Tang He even needed to be informed about.

Guangsheng Group had recently invested in several real estate projects. During the routine January board meeting before the Lunar New Year, some of the senior board members had suggested launching a brand campaign to boost real estate sales. Tang He had scoffed at the idea. He didn’t think a corporation with Guangsheng’s market clout needed to bother with advertising. But not wanting to get entangled in a pointless debate over trivial matters, he had let Su An handle it.

Frankly, he didn’t care about it at all.

So now, as Su An updated him on the project’s status, he responded half-heartedly, not really listening.

Seeing Tang He’s disinterested expression, Su An felt thoroughly exasperated. She’d spent quite a while finalizing a collaboration with the chosen advertising firm, only to see her old friend sitting there idly without an ounce of urgency or enthusiasm. With a roll of her eyes, she snapped, “The director from the ad company wants to meet you.”

“Huh? Why?” Tang He frowned, rejecting the idea without even thinking. “I’m not meeting him.”

“I actually turned him down for you at first, but the director was very persistent. He insisted on meeting you in person to discuss his proposal face to face,” Su An stated calmly.

“Then just switch to someone else. There are tons of ad agencies out there—why does it have to be this one?” Tang He rubbed his aching temples, his voice tinged with irritation.

Having been in the business world for so long, he knew exactly what people were really after when they requested to meet him. Some wanted to build connections, others were fishing for opportunities. And those “opportunities” covered a wide range—everything from trying to gain access to confidential corporate info to coveting his personal bed. Whatever their intentions, he found them all exhausting.

And now, even some random ad director wanted to meet him? What did they think he was? An exhibit at the zoo? Some stray cat or dog on the street?

Su An handed him a folder. “But this agency really is the best choice right now. Just two or three months ago, they won the Gold Award for Advertising Creativity. They’re a hot commodity in the industry. Lots of companies are scrambling to work with them. We’re lucky our Guangsheng name still carries enough weight to get a spot in their schedule.”

“I also did some digging on the director. Turns out, it’s not personal—he insists on meeting with the top exec for every client he works with. He won’t proceed without a consensus from the highest level. That’s just how he operates. I even checked in with a few of his previous clients. He’s serious about his work, and people say he’s quite creative. Good reputation, too. Want to give it a shot?”

Tang He absentmindedly opened the folder. Inside was an introduction to First Dream Advertising Agency. One particular photo caught his eye. He pulled it out for a closer look.

“That’s him. Du Jianyou—the agency’s lead director and also its founder. He’s the one asking to meet you,” Su An said, glancing at the photo in his hand.

“Du Jianyou?” Tang He murmured the name softly, then suddenly made up his mind.

“All right. Go tell this Du Jianyou I’ll meet with him—but he’d better come prepared with a solid proposal. I don’t want my time wasted.”

Su An paused, surprised. “Okay, I’ll make the arrangements right away.”

She had been sure Tang He would flat-out refuse, so this sudden turnaround caught her completely off guard. Worried he might change his mind, she quickly left the president’s office, determined to lock in the meeting before the end of the day.

As she rushed out, Tang He picked up the photo again and studied it carefully.

He was sure—he’d seen this face before. This person… was someone he had met at Moonlight Bar.

---

Over two months ago—on Christmas Eve.

Tang He had just wrapped up a dinner meeting with a few executives to finalize a business partnership. After some food and drinks, with a pleasant buzz still in his system, he wasn’t quite ready to return to his empty apartment.

There was a bar not far ahead that he frequented. He decided to stop by—grab a drink, listen to some music, and kill a bit of time.

He called a couple of his old friends who worked at the hospital. One was stuck covering an ER shift, and the other was holed up at the office writing reports, offering moral support to the poor soul in the ER.

Tang He shook his head. Live in the moment, he thought.

Screw it—he dragged one of them out anyway.

He arranged to meet up with an old high school buddy, dismissed his driver, and strolled alone down the lively street. The trees along the sidewalks were strung with festive red and green Christmas lights. The whole city was lit up in dazzling color.

After entering the Moonlight Bar, as expected on Christmas Eve, every seat was taken—only a couple of spots remained at the bar. The booths were packed with groups of people, each at varying levels of wildness. Some were loud and rowdy, others flirted quietly, and a few were completely lost in the throes of passion, loving so deeply they had no regrets. But since it was still a semi-public space, things never got too out of hand. Of course, there were still those who couldn’t hold back—getting up and dragging each other straight to the nearby motel.

In a good mood, Tang He sat at the bar with a faint smile, his eyes half-closed as he watched the passing crowd—and the crowd watched him too.

In some business magazines, to make investors feel he was mature and dependable, Tang He publicly claimed to be nearly forty. In reality, he had just turned thirty-seven. His features were well-defined: thick brows, expressive eyes, a straight nose, and slightly full lips—handsome enough to turn heads. At 186 centimeters tall, with broad shoulders, a flat stomach, and long, well-proportioned legs, he wore a tailored suit that emphasized his stature. Unlike the greasy, worn-out look of many middle-aged businessmen, President Tang actually looked younger than his real age. Whether on magazine pages or inside a bar, he left a lasting impression.

At the moment, his suit jacket was casually draped over the back of his chair. His crisp shirt was unbuttoned to the second button—just enough to look sexy without going overboard. His sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, and he held a half-glass of whiskey in one hand. The relaxed, tipsy aura he exuded naturally drew many to strike up a conversation—both men and women.

When it came to women, Tang He had always been gentle and courteous. Women, after all, were meant to be treated with care. Even if a woman wasn’t his type, he wouldn’t hesitate to say a few sweet words just to keep things polite. He always upheld one guiding principle: never hurt a lady’s pride. If he happened to be interested, he didn’t hide his desire either—though that desire only ever extended to mutually agreeable physical arrangements. After all, everyone knew that relationships formed in places like this weren’t built on love. He usually kept one or two regular bed partners to maintain physical and mental balance. But that was the extent of it. Anything more emotional? He had no interest in that. He preferred relationships where gifts and money could take care of everything—clean and simple, with no complications.

So, whenever he sensed a bed partner wanting more than just a physical relationship, he would cut things off immediately. He was skilled at navigating social interactions, especially with women. Though some of the ones he’d let go weren’t exactly willing to give up on him so easily, they never made a fuss. He was generous and knew what each one liked. When someone handed him a glass of wine in greeting, it would’ve been rude not to accept it. And if he didn’t? Well, then he’d have to down a hefty penalty drink instead. President Tang’s nickname, “Tang Crocodile,” wasn’t just for show.

One of his competitors had once said:

“Tang He? He should change his name to Tang Crocodile. He’s cold-blooded, heartless, and ruthless—he’ll eat you alive without even spitting out your bones.”

Though Tang He had never killed or eaten anyone, he didn’t particularly mind the nickname. In his eyes, crocodiles were calm, cold-blooded, precise, and powerful hunters—very fitting qualities. The only downside, really, was that crocodiles were kind of ugly.

Just as Tang He was indulging in the thought that crocodiles were far too unattractive to be compared to him, another man came over, trying to buy him a drink. He frowned slightly and shook his head, indicating that he was waiting for someone. When it came to men, he wasn’t nearly as easygoing. Simply put, he had no interest in them.

It wasn’t that he was against same-sex relationships. He had studied abroad for many years and later worked at one of his family’s overseas branches. He was well aware of how open romantic culture was outside the country. He had gone from being shocked at first to eventually getting used to it. Some of his close friends were even openly gay or in same-sex relationships. So truly, he wasn’t homophobic.

That said, not being against it didn’t mean he was open to it himself—either emotionally or physically. He was certain he was still captivated by the curves of a woman’s body, their soft whispers, their smooth and delicate skin. As for men? None had ever managed to catch his eye.

Tang He had been waiting at the bar for nearly an hour. The person he was supposed to meet still hadn’t shown up, and the familiar singing voice he’d been hoping to hear hadn’t come on stage either. Could it be that the singer wasn’t performing tonight?

Every time he came here before, he had happened to hear that boy with the beautiful voice singing on stage. But he’d never bothered to check the singer’s name. Now that he wanted to ask, he didn’t even know where to start. He flagged down a passing server, briefly described the singer’s appearance and height, and asked, “Do you know his name? Is he performing tonight?”

The server smiled apologetically. “Sorry, sir. I just started working here this month, and I haven’t seen anyone who matches that description. But would you like me to ask someone else for you?”

Tang He shook his head and replied, “No, thank you.” Then he let it go.

He glanced again toward the entrance of the bar. Where the hell was Lin Yan?

He picked up his phone and dialed again. The moment the call connected, he snapped,
“Yan-zi, where the hell are you? Even if you were crawling, you should be here by now!”

“I’m already at the bar, sitting at the counter,” came Lin Yan’s usual cool voice through the receiver.

“…” Tang He looked left, looked right, and looked again at the bar he was sitting at—there was no way he’d miss that guy, even if he’d turned to ashes.

“Which bar counter are you at, exactly?” Tang He asked, forcing himself to be patient.

“Didn’t you say Nightcolor Bar?”

“…” Tang He felt utterly defeated.

“That bar doesn’t really seem like your type,” Lin Yan continued, still unaware of the mix-up. “I looked around and barely saw any girls. What, have you decided to turn over a new leaf or something?”

“Screw your leaf. It’s Moonlight—like the moon in the sky, not Nightlight!” Tang He was fuming.

“Ah? No wonder you haven’t shown up after all this time. So what now? Should I head over to you?”

Tang He let out a tired breath. “Forget it. It’s Christmas Eve. Just enjoy your time at Nightcolor. I’m exhausted. I’ll finish this drink and head home.”

Then he hung up the call, feeling absolutely wicked.

Nightcolor Bar wasn’t his type, sure—but it was totally Lin Yan’s.

Let that uptight, stoic bastard take a good look at his world tonight!

(To be continued…)