Chapter 41

Mi Zhao was stunned.

Then he quickly grasped the key point in Yan Qinting’s words.

“Wait! Two hundred thousand?” Mi Zhao frowned. “He gave the Club President two hundred thousand? Wasn’t it twenty thousand?”

Yan Qinting rubbed his forehead. “It was two hundred thousand. Didn’t the Club President show you the text message on his phone?”

After saying this, Yan Qinting suddenly remembered—only after Mi Zhao and that person left did their Club President finally snap out of his petrified state and pass his phone around for everyone to see.

For the next few minutes, the whole room boiled over with excitement.

Afraid that Mi Zhao wouldn’t believe him, Yan Qinting got up, grabbed his phone from the bed, and after a few swipes, pulled up an image and held it out to Mi Zhao.

Mi Zhao looked closely and immediately furrowed his brows.

“I suggest you pay closer attention. Either you misunderstood, or he deliberately hid something from you.” In fact, Yan Qinting believed it was both. Maybe that man was just playing around with Mi Zhao, saying things that were deliberately misleading or even feigning hardship to make Mi Zhao misunderstand.

After all, one was a young university student from a prestigious school, and the other was an older man with limited mobility. It was clear who was taking advantage of whom.

Some words had been sitting in Yan Qinting’s stomach all night, but when he caught sight of the part of Mi Zhao’s neck that was tightly covered, he couldn’t bring himself to be too blunt.

“Think it over carefully.”

With that, Yan Qinting climbed back into bed.

Mi Zhao sat quietly at his desk for a long while, then slowly got up to grab his pajamas and head to the shower.

—

Lately, Li Yan’s life had been like ice and fire—ice-cold because of Mi Zhao’s betrayal, yet burning hot because of Li Sipei inviting him to meet.

Originally, he planned to confront Mi Zhao on the first day back from break, but after a video call with Li Tianqing, he changed his mind.

When Li Tianqing found out that Li Sipei had invited her son to meet, she was overjoyed—her face practically stretched into a smile. She repeatedly reminded Li Yan to take this seriously. After hanging up, she immediately transferred him five hundred thousand.

Holding his phone, Li Yan grinned from ear to ear, instantly throwing his plan to confront Mi Zhao out the window.

To make a good impression on his uncle during their Saturday meeting, Li Yan hit the gym for five days straight.

Saturday morning arrived in the blink of an eye. After breakfast at home, Li Yan was sent off to the garage by Li Kejian and Li Tianqing.

The couple’s faces were full of satisfaction, looking at Li Yan with pride and admiration like never before.

Li Kejian handed his car keys to his son, patted him on the shoulder, and said, “When you see your uncle, make sure to behave well. It’s better to say less than to say the wrong thing.”

Li Yan used to look down on his uncle for relying on his mother and living a comfortable life. He always felt that if Madam Li were his mother, he would have accomplished far more than his little uncle.

But now, basking in his uncle’s influence and receiving his parents’ praise, he suddenly felt a deep sense of pride.

For a fleeting moment, he saw things clearly.

His uncle was simply his uncle—just like Madam Li, someone their entire branch of the family could admire but never surpass.

Who was he to compare himself to his uncle? Just being remembered by him was already an incredible stroke of luck.

Li Yan’s meeting with his uncle was set at a private dining club.

This private restaurant had only a handful of locations nationwide, operated on a strict membership basis, and required reservations in advance. Originally, Li Sipei had casually opened the place to suit his own tastes and entertain friends, but it accidentally became a sensation. Now, countless people in elite circles were willing to pay exorbitant sums just to get a membership.

With Li Yan’s status, he normally wouldn’t even be able to step foot inside.

After handing his car over to the valet, he followed the server through a traditional Chinese courtyard with rock gardens and flowing water. Even the air here seemed fresher than outside.

He couldn’t help but wonder why his uncle wanted to meet him.

Li Yan’s heart raced with both nervousness and excitement as he speculated.

He was already in his third year of university, and unless something unexpected happened, he would have to start looking for an internship next year.

Originally, he had planned to go abroad for graduate school, but his parents had a more strategic approach. They advised him to work in the country for a while first, build a good relationship with either Pei Yu or his uncle, and then go abroad later. Otherwise, by the time he returned, his younger cousins might have already secured their positions.

Could it be that his uncle wanted to discuss his internship?

After all, during the memorial, he had subtly mentioned his third-year status to Pei Yu.

Li Yan’s thoughts ran wild as he walked. Each time he came up with a new possibility, his heartbeat quickened.

His uncle was truly amazing—first, giving him two hundred and ten thousand yuan as birthday gift and now inviting him to meet one-on-one. None of his younger cousins had ever received such treatment. Of course, it was also thanks to his mother persistently calling to invite his uncle.

How could he have ever misjudged his uncle so badly before?

He felt a wave of regret and guilt. If given the chance, he would definitely apologize properly to his uncle.

Just as his emotions were surging, he suddenly caught a familiar tall figure in the corner of his eye. His expression froze, and his steps halted.

“Mi Zhao?”

Looking closely—it really was Mi Zhao.

That posture, that outfit—he’d recognize them anywhere, even if Mi Zhao turned to dust.

But what was Mi Zhao doing here?

Li Yan didn’t believe that the son of an out-of-town construction contractor like Mi Zhao could be a member of this private dining club. Plus, Mi Zhao had never mentioned this place before. The only possibility was that, like himself, Mi Zhao had come here to meet someone.

But who?

A person’s name immediately popped into Li Yan’s mind—the one who had donated two hundred thousand to the Publicity Club and had briefly become a legend among its members.

In an instant, the anger he had suppressed for an entire week flared up like an uncontrollable fire.

His rationality burned away, and he even forgot where he was supposed to go or what he was supposed to do. His feet moved on their own, taking him straight toward Mi Zhao.

Mi Zhao was on the phone, his voice coming through in broken fragments.

“Huangying Pavilion? Let me find it…”

“You don’t have to come out… If I can’t find it, I’ll ask a waiter.”

“Alright… wait for me…”

“Mi Zhao!” Li Yan roared. If he had turned to look at his reflection in the glass wall beside him, he would have seen his own bloodshot eyes and twisted expression, like a beast ready to devour its prey. Even the waiter leading the way was so frightened that his face turned deathly pale.

But Li Yan couldn’t care less.

Breathing heavily, he charged toward Mi Zhao and reached out to grab his wrist. But Mi Zhao, reacting swiftly, dodged him with ease.

Li Yan had been waiting to confront Mi Zhao for a long time.

He had been dying to ask him for a long time.

He had held back for an entire week, and if he kept enduring it any longer, he’d feel like the world’s biggest fool.

“Got you today, didn’t I? You came here to meet that bastard, didn’t you?”

A clear look of disgust flickered in Mi Zhao’s eyes. The way he looked at Li Yan was as if he were staring at something dirty. The wary and defensive expression on his face stabbed straight into Li Yan’s heart like a needle.

It hurt so much that Li Yan flinched.

The thought that Mi Zhao had dumped him for that man made his emotions spiral out of control.

Three months!

Mi Zhao and that man had already been together for three months!

Then what was he?

Back during summer vacation, when he and Mi Zhao video-called each other every day, had Mi Zhao been cuddling up with that man at the same time?

“Are you insane?” Mi Zhao had no idea what Li Yan was talking about. He just thought Li Yan had completely lost it. “Get lost! Stop bothering me!”

With that, Mi Zhao turned to leave.

But how could Li Yan let him go?

“Answer me!” Li Yan’s veins bulged at his temples, his entire body radiating an intimidating aura. His gaze was fixed on Mi Zhao like a predator locking onto its prey. “You’ve been with that man for three months? We’ve only been broken up for a month! You broke up with me just so you could be with him, didn’t you? Lin Qiuzu was just an excuse to make yourself look justified.”

Mi Zhao was momentarily stunned before realization dawned on him. Then, he let out a sneering laugh, his eyes filled not with amusement but with pure mockery.

“Li Yan, you’re really something else when it comes to making excuses for yourself.”

He didn’t want to waste words on Li Yan. But he was also worried that Li Yan would make a scene in front of Li Sipei, so he forced himself to say a few words patiently.

“I’ll only say this once. First, I never did anything to betray you while we were together. Second, from now on, stay as far away from me as possible. If you bother me again, I’ll expose all your dirty secrets at school.”

Li Yan’s face twisted in fury, his eyes burning with resentment as he glared at Mi Zhao.

In return, Mi Zhao flashed him a bright smile, dimples appearing on his cheeks. “You know I always keep my word.”

Li Yan didn’t speak for a long moment.

Mi Zhao couldn’t be bothered to look at him any longer and lifted his foot to walk away.

But before he could take a step, Li Yan suddenly lunged forward like a madman, rushing ahead of him and finding Huangying Pavilion first.

The private room still featured the same rock gardens and flowing water, requiring a walk down a cobblestone path before reaching the dining area. A waiter stood outside, preparing to serve the next dish. Seeing Li Yan storming in with such hostility, the waiter quickly stepped forward. “Sir, you—”

Li Yan shoved the waiter aside and kicked the door open.

He was going to see for himself just what kind of man had dared to steal his boyfriend!

As he barged into the inner chamber, a figure seated in a wheelchair came into view.

The man was dressed in simple black-and-white attire, holding a cup of tea in his hand. Upon hearing the commotion, he turned his head and looked toward the entrance.

A familiar face.

“…”

For a full thirty seconds, Li Yan’s brain completely shut down. Then his pupils shrank in shock.

“Un-Uncle?!”

Before he could fully process the situation, Mi Zhao also rushed in.

Seeing Li Yan nearly collapse to the ground in disbelief, a rush of anger surged through Mi Zhao’s veins.

Without hesitation, he kicked Li Yan squarely in the backside.

Li Yan yelped in pain and scrambled forward on all fours.

But Mi Zhao wasn’t done. He grabbed Li Yan by the back of his collar and started dragging him out.

His fury clouded his rationality. At that moment, he wasn’t even thinking—he was just acting on pure instinct. Despite Li Yan being over 185 cm (6’1) tall and weighing more than 63kg (140lbs), Mi Zhao managed to drag him effortlessly across the floor.

The two waiters outside watched in stunned silence. They wanted to intervene, but the sheer force of Mi Zhao’s strength left them too afraid to act.

Until—

“Mi Zhao,” came a calm voice.

The storm of rage on Mi Zhao’s face instantly dissipated. He stopped dragging Li Yan and turned toward the source of the voice with an expression that had shifted from a thunderstorm to merely cloudy skies.

He even blinked. “Huh?”

That face-changing speed was unreal…

Li Sipei calmly placed his teacup down, interlocking his fingers as he rested them on his lap. He cast a brief, indifferent glance at the disheveled and humiliated Li Yan, whose clothes had been dragged up halfway.

“Let him go.”

Mi Zhao hesitated, but his body instinctively obeyed. Without a second thought, he released his grip on Li Yan’s collar.

Without support, Li Yan immediately crashed to the ground with a loud thud, grimacing in pain.