Chapter Seventeen

After drinking, Zhou drove You Yi home. Halfway there, Zhou suddenly remembered to tell You Yi that Xiao Yu Yi had called an hour ago.

You Yi, who had been slumped drunkenly against the bed, nearly jumped up in excitement upon hearing Zhou’s words. He cursed at Zhou, then swiftly returned the call.

Watching his boss’s nervous expression in the rearview mirror, Zhou sighed silently. His boss would never recover from this marriage.

Thinking about himself, Zhou felt rather pleased.

“I didn’t have my phone, and Zhou only just told me now,” You Yi said quickly. “Xiao Yu, where are you? I’ll come pick you up.”

“No need, I’m having tea with some friends. I’ll take a cab home later.”

“Oh, friends… uh…” You Yi tried hard to keep his tone natural. “Which friends?”

“Wen Ming.”

You Yi said nothing, but his hand nearly crushed the phone in his palm.

That man again!

“Fatty, don’t overthink it. I’ll explain everything when I get home tonight.”

“I’m not… not overthinking. Just come home early, okay?”

“Mm, and don’t forget to feed Tang Yuan when you get back.”

“Alright.” After a pause, You Yi said softly, “Xiao Yu, you’re my wife.”

“Fatty, are you starting to imagine things?”

“No, just… come home early. I’ll be waiting for you.”

“Okay, that’s all. I’m hanging up.”

As soon as the call ended, You Yi slumped in the back seat like a deflated ball, eyes closed, one hand covering his forehead, clearly upset.

Unable to resist, Zhou asked, “Boss, what did Xiao say to make you so annoyed?”

Without opening his eyes, You Yi replied, “He said he’s having tea with his old flame.”

“Damn! Boss, you’re really putting up with that?”

Riled up by Zhou’s exclamation, You Yi shouted, “What else can I do if I don’t put up with it? Kill that Wen guy?” After yelling, You Yi turned to look out the window, muttering to himself for comfort, “Xiao Yu didn’t hide anything from me. Just for that, I have to act magnanimous.”

“Man, Boss, I really admire you,” Zhou said earnestly. “If I saw Xiao You meeting someone behind my back, I’d… Oh, shit!”

You Yi was puzzled by Zhou’s sudden change in tone, just about to ask, when Zhou slammed on the brakes. The car screeched to a halt by the roadside.

Zhou’s expression turned fierce, quickly unbuckling his seatbelt. “Boss, wait here for a moment.”

Seeing Zhou’s murderous look, You Yi asked in confusion, “Where are you going?”

Grinding his teeth, Zhou spat, “To catch them red-handed!”

Zhou jumped out and sprinted across the street. Through the car window, You Yi instantly understood Zhou’s agitation.

Across the road, Zhou’s lover Xiao You was walking side by side with another young man, both wearing the blue-and-white school uniforms of V University.

Even though You Yi had only met Xiao You once and his memory wasn’t great, he recognized him at a glance.

You Yi couldn’t quite describe Zhou’s chosen boy. He wasn’t the delicate type, but looked mature, with a clean and handsome face, and always carried a hint of melancholy and gloom in his eyes, as if he bore the weight of society’s darkness. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

He wasn’t the most attractive Zhou had ever seen, but he was the only one Zhou clung to and refused to let go.

Sometimes, You Yi couldn’t understand what made Zhou so fixated, clinging to this rabbit and never loosening his jaws.

And yet, Zhou had the nerve to act superior and lecture him from time to time.

Zhou hurried up behind the pair, who sensed someone approaching and started to turn. Before they could react, Zhou kicked the boy beside Xiao You, sending him sprawling onto a snowbank.

Seeing Zhou’s murderous face, Xiao You turned pale. “Zhou… Zhou!”

Zhou ignored him, striding toward the young man struggling to stand in the snow, rubbing his fists and growling, “Last time wasn’t lesson enough, huh? Daring to come after him again. Are you tired of living?”

He kicked the boy in the stomach, knocking him back into the snow just as he tried to get up.

Suddenly, Xiao You rushed over, hugging Zhou’s waist from behind and shouting at the man on the ground, “Senior, run! He… he’s my brother, he’s crazy! Run!”

The senior hesitated, then turned and fled.

As the figure receded, Zhou grew even angrier. Unable to pry Xiao You’s hands from his waist, he grabbed Xiao You by the collar and threw him over his shoulder onto the ground.

Zhou tried to chase after the senior, but Xiao You hugged his leg and cried, “Zhou, it’s not what you think, really not! Calm down! Calm down!”

Knowing it was too late to chase, Zhou squatted and roughly yanked Xiao You up, slapping him hard. “You’ve got some nerve. Back just a few days and you’ve forgotten everything I told you.”

Xiao You wiped the blood from his mouth, head bowed. “I was just walking the same way as him, nothing more.”

“Same way? Anyone can see that bastard likes you.”

After a pause, Xiao You whispered, “Sorry. I’ll stay far away from him from now on.”

That apology seemed to work. Zhou’s face softened considerably. He said in a low voice, “I’ll deal with you when we get home.”

Zhou dragged Xiao You toward his car, but from a distance he saw that the spot where he’d parked was empty.

“Damn it! Where’s my car?”

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You Yi wished he was dreaming right now. No—even in a dream, he wouldn’t want to see anyone from his family.

Especially his eldest brother, You Hanze.

Because no one could defy his orders. Even as his own younger brother, if he said “come home,” there was basically no choice.

Since arriving in V City six years ago to live freely, You Yi had never considered returning. Raised by a foster father who lived on the fringes, even after returning to his real family, he couldn’t shake his rebellious streak. Used to big meals and an unfettered life, no matter how he tried to act sophisticated, he could never match those at the top of society, meticulously groomed from hair to hem.

Soon after the car set out, You Yi grew impatient. “How much longer? Can we be done before ten-thirty?”

Driving was a blond, blue-eyed foreigner, You Hanze’s assistant and chauffeur. You Yi had met him before, so he wasn’t a stranger.

“We’re almost there, Second Young Master. Please wait a moment.”

(YawnBro: There are three couples in this story, kisses! If you pick the wrong ship, I won’t take responsibility~)