“Yan Ye, know what Master Xue likes about you? It’s that you’re simple. Whether someone’s human or a dog, you can tell at a glance without even needing to guess.”
That was the last thing Xue Bao Tian threw out before getting off the train.
Yan Ye knew he had truly angered him this time, so he didn’t dare say much. He obediently followed behind him all the way to the bus stop sign before finally grabbing the man’s wrist.
Carrying obvious apology in his tone, Yan Ye sounded almost humble.
“My car’s parked nearby. You can use it from now on. Today, just give me a ride back to the company, Master Xue.”
Xue Bao Tian narrowed his eyes at Yan Ye for a moment before crooking a finger for the keys. He held them up and glanced at them lazily.
“A G-Wagon? A little beneath me, but usable.” He tilted his chin. “Where’d you park it?”
After Yan Ye pointed it out, Xue Bao Tian casually ordered, “Wait here for me. I’ll drive it over to pick you up.”
After taking two steps, he suddenly turned back.
“It’s kinda cold today.”
Yan Ye pulled up the hood of his hoodie and settled it over his head, then removed his own coat and draped it over Xue Bao Tian’s shoulders.
Xue Bao Tian’s icy fingertips lightly scraped beneath Yan Ye’s jaw. Like a hooligan, he lifted a brow flirtatiously as thanks.
Five minutes later, a black Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV roared over at full speed—only to fly right past Yan Ye without the slightest hesitation, disappearing into the distance.
All that remained was the fleeting image of Xue Bao Tian’s cold side profile behind the wheel, along with the choking dust kicked up by the powerful vehicle.
After eating a mouthful of dirt, Yan Ye’s lips slowly curved upward.
Watching the speeding vehicle, he smiled with gentle indulgence.
It was exactly as he’d expected. Until Xue Bao Tian vented his anger completely, there was no way he’d get a pleasant expression out of him.
He truly had gone too far earlier, so he didn’t feel wronged at all.
Rubbing his arm through the thin fabric of his shirt, Yan Ye raised a hand to hail a taxi.
He wanted to coax Xue Bao Tian, but didn’t know how.
After pondering for a long while inside the taxi, he finally sought help from the girl at the company front desk.
Before long, she sent him a whole pile of cute pleading stickers along with various apology messages.
After carefully selecting one, Yan Ye picked a picture of a cat burying its face on the floor and sent it to Xue Bao Tian. He also changed the “dear” in the sample text to “Master Xue.”
His finger hovered over the final words—“love you”—for a very long time.
In the end, he still deleted them.
The message notification sounded just as the traffic light turned red.
Xue Bao Tian pulled out his phone and glanced at it. At first, he sneered.
But the more he read, the more irritated he became.
For some reason, it felt like the idiot son he personally raised had gone out and embarrassed himself again.
Xue Bao Tian clicked his tongue gloomily.
“Fuck. With emotional intelligence like this, will he even find someone in the future?”
He tossed the phone onto the passenger seat.
The still-lit screen clearly displayed several lines:
Master Xue, I was wrong. Your generous heart can hold a whole ship, so please tolerate my broken little boat too.
You’re the master and I’m Sun Wu Kong, so please stop chanting the tightening spell.
Master Xue, I was really wrong. Please smile again.
The yellow light flashed and turned green.
Xue Bao Tian shifted gears and accelerated while muttering under his breath:
“No college student’s life, but somehow caught the college student disease.”
After driving back to his temporary residence, Xue Bao Tian proactively contacted Slicked-Back Hair and paid the first installment of interest.
But before he could even catch his breath, a sinister voice came through the phone.
“Crown Prince, you’ve dragged this out too long. The second payment deadline’s almost here.”
“It’s not here yet, is it?” Xue Bao Tian knew politeness was useless, so he snapped back freely. “Second Brother Bai can count the days left on his fingers. If that’s not enough, take off your shoes and use your toes too. Count slowly. I’ve got things to do, hanging up.”
After ending the call, Xue Bao Tian bit down on a cigarette and brooded.
The debt to Wang Quan was massive, the interest terrifying. With compound interest piling up, every payment would only become larger and larger.
Yan Ye’s money wouldn’t last long.
And there was still no clue where Wei Hua had gone.
It was like being shoved into a dead-end alley—no exit, no retreat, nothing but despair.
“Worst comes to worst, we all die together.”
The man sprawled on the sofa let out a cold snort.
“Only problem is that bastard Wei Hua would get off too easy.”
He visited Father Xue at the hospital. Seeing the burly bodyguard standing solemnly outside the room finally eased his mind slightly.
After comforting his sister a few more times, he left the hospital.
By the time he returned to the borrowed apartment, night had already fallen.
He tightened his coat around himself, cursing his past self for loving flashy fashion too much.
All his winter clothes were thin.
Good for looking cool, useless for warmth.
As for Zhang Chi’s clothes, he hated wearing them. They were huge, loose, and carried that damn beast smell.
Just thinking about it irritated him.
He climbed the stairs. By the third floor, warmth gradually seeped into his body. The cold clinging to him collided with the heated air in the stairwell, making Xue Bao Tian shiver.
The apartment he was borrowing sat on the fourth floor.
At the landing between the third and fourth floors, he pulled out his keys while climbing the stairs with his head lowered.
There were thirteen steps in a flight. Xue Bao Tian had counted them before out of boredom.
But this time, he stopped on the tenth.
The first thing he saw was a pair of shoes.
Black sneakers. Cheap brand. Not new.
And strangely familiar.
Above them were jeans and a dirt-yellow padded jacket.
Then came an all-too-familiar face.
A few hours ago, Yanyue Security’s impeccably dressed general manager now looked once again like a construction worker with only a few coins in his pocket.
Yan Ye stood in front of the apartment door and softly called:
“Two Hundred.”
Xue Bao Tian climbed the remaining steps and looked Yan Ye up and down.
“So General Manager Yan only owns one decent outfit? Or do you just enjoy being a ninja turtle—changing shells every day?”
Using the key, he lifted Yan Ye’s chin slightly.
“Stretch your neck out a bit more. Makes you look even more like one.”
Yan Ye’s gaze remained glued to Xue Bao Tian as he answered honestly:
“In winter, I really only have that one coat for going out. But whenever I’m not working, I dress like this. I’m used to it. It’s comfortable.”
Xue Bao Tian merely smiled without comment.
He walked past Yan Ye, unlocked the door, and shoved the man behind him before entering.
“Stay outside. I’m borrowing this place. I don’t have the right to bring people back.”
Yan Ye obediently stayed outside, only the tips of his shoes crossing the threshold. He merely glanced lightly inside without probing further.
Xue Bao Tian tossed Yan Ye’s coat back out from inside the apartment. Then he pulled out a cigarette and headed into the kitchen to dig up a cup of instant noodles, pouring hot water into it.
Fan Xiao’s flamboyant solo photo sat inside a picture frame. Xue Bao Tian flipped the frame facedown atop the noodles, trapping both the rising steam and delicious smell beneath it.
After finishing all this, Xue Bao Tian walked back to Yan Ye.
One stood inside the doorway, the other outside.
Only inches apart.
He tossed over the lighter. Yan Ye caught it skillfully and flicked up a flame before him.
Bending slightly to light his cigarette, Xue Bao Tian’s lowered eyes blurred behind the drifting smoke. Leaning lazily against the doorframe, he glanced at the coat hanging over Yan Ye’s arm.
“So General Manager Yan only owns one winter outfit? Saving money for what?”
“Saving it for my future partner.”
Xue Bao Tian laughed around the cigarette.
“Sorry, looks like I’m the one using it now. I already said I’m borrowing it and I’ll pay you back later. Won’t interfere with you showing off for your future lover.”
He waved a hand and started closing the door.
“Coat’s returned. Safe travels.”
Yan Ye’s large palm suddenly pressed against the door.
“I didn’t come here for the coat.”
“Then what did you come for?”
“I want you to move in with me.”
The hand lifting the cigarette suddenly paused.
Ash dropped onto his fingertips.
Xue Bao Tian stayed silent for a moment before flicking the ash away and curling his lips into a smile.
“Right. Since I’m using General Manager Yan’s money, I should let you sleep with me.” He smiled coldly. “Calling me over every time is inconvenient. Easier to just bring me home so you can do whatever you want whenever you want.”
He handed the mostly smoked cigarette to Yan Ye.
“Hold this for me a second. I’m gonna eat some noodles. Once I’m done, I’ll go with you.”
Yan Ye took the cigarette awkwardly between his fingers and gently advised:
“The noodles aren’t ready yet. Let them soak another two minutes.”
Xue Bao Tian lifted the picture frame, instantly releasing the rich noodle aroma. Carrying the bowl over to Yan Ye, he continued staring at him across the narrow threshold.
Seeing the noodles were too hot and nearly burned Xue Bao Tian’s lips, Yan Ye set his coat down on the entryway chair. Ignoring Xue Bao Tian’s displeased expression, he held the cigarette between his fingers while taking the noodle bowl.
He lifted a mouthful of noodles, stretched them out to cool for a moment, then brought them toward Xue Bao Tian’s lips.
Seeing him only glare without eating, Yan Ye’s expression softened further.
“Master Xue, it’s not what you think. I want you to move in with me not because it’d be convenient for… that.”
Since someone was serving him, Xue Bao Tian naturally wouldn’t make life hard for himself. He leaned forward slightly and ate the noodles before taking back the cigarette.
“Then tell me why.” His lazy drawl carried unmistakable coldness.
“First, Wang Quan’s in that line of business. People like him don’t keep promises. And that money isn’t even entirely his, so the pressure on him probably isn’t any smaller than yours.” Another bite of noodles was brought to Xue Bao Tian’s mouth. “Which means there’s no predicting what he might do. Besides, Wang Quan isn’t your only creditor. It’s almost New Year’s, so everyone’s aggressively collecting debts right now. You already know all that.”
After Xue Bao Tian swallowed the noodles, Yan Ye continued:
“So if you live with me and stay close to me publicly, your creditors will naturally become more cautious.”
After another bite, Xue Bao Tian asked:
“That’s the first reason. What’s the second?”
Holding the fork in one hand, Yan Ye used his free thumb to gently wipe the corner of Xue Bao Tian’s lips.
“And there’s another reason. I can’t understand some of Yanyue Security’s files and accounts very well. You know I don’t have anyone to ask for help, so I was hoping Master Xue could teach me. You’re good at this sort of thing. If you stay by my side, I can ask you questions anytime.”
That genuinely surprised Xue Bao Tian.
Yan Ye had always seemed easygoing and lacking ambition. Even when his stepmother tricked and cheated him, he never appeared especially angry.
Yet now he wanted to learn business management.
Who knew what thoughts he was harboring?
After another bite of noodles, Xue Bao Tian finally asked:
“So who actually runs Yanyue Security right now?”
Yan Ye lightly tapped the floor with his foot, causing the stairwell motion-sensor light to flare back on. The sharpness in his eyes became crystal clear beneath the illumination.
“My cousin Sheng Yu. He’s my stepmother’s sister’s son. Thirty-one this year—ten years older than me. He’s already been vice president for seven years, and for the past two years, Yanyue’s operations have basically all been handled by him.”
Those people were deeply rooted and firmly entrenched.
Yan Ye, on the other hand, stood alone and was still considered an outsider.
Xue Bao Tian immediately sensed trouble.
He pushed away the noodles and took another drag of his cigarette before studying Yan Ye’s expression.
“You want to fight for control?”
Yan Ye finished the remaining noodles in a few bites. Only after swallowing did he answer honestly:
“A little.”
“I thought you didn’t care much about material things.” Xue Bao Tian suddenly remembered Yan Ye’s earlier words. “For your future lover?”
“Not entirely.”
Yan Ye tossed the empty noodle bowl into the trash bag by the stairwell and stood once more before Xue Bao Tian.
“I used to think that having enough food, enough to eat well, and a steady paycheck was already happiness. But recently I realized something.” His voice deepened slightly. “Only by holding power yourself can you truly protect the people you want to protect.”
The motion-sensor light in the stairwell went dark again.
Smoke drifted from beside Xue Bao Tian’s lips, blurring his features until they looked unreal.
Only after the bitter scent of smoke nearly faded did his voice emerge again from the dimness.
“Protect who? Me?”
He smiled faintly.
“Remember what you once said? That you didn’t love me, I didn’t love you, and even if you had the ability, you still wouldn’t help me?”
Without warning, fingers intertwined with his.
A sudden tug pulled Xue Bao Tian across the threshold and into Yan Ye’s arms.
The man’s low complaint carried a trace of laughter, his voice rippling warmly beside Xue Bao Tian’s ear.
“Two Hundred, you only remember what you want to remember. Last night I also said that when I rushed to Chuanqi County to save you, I didn’t even think. Why don’t you remember that part?”
“Move in with me, okay?” Yan Ye continued persuading him. “You’ll have to put up with some inconvenience. You’ll stay by my side as my personal assistant and come and go with me publicly. That’ll minimize the danger around you as much as possible. I’ll also send another person to protect your father, so you don’t need to worry about safety. We’ll look for Wei Hua together. My abilities are limited right now, so there’s only so much I can do. But two people searching together is still better than one alone.”
Warm embraces weren’t suitable for thinking.
Xue Bao Tian pushed Yan Ye away, stood in the dim stairwell, and took a few irritated drags from his cigarette.
A few breaths later, he crushed out the cigarette and brushed back the hair over his forehead.
“I’ll go pack my things. You… wait a bit.”
Yan Ye grabbed his hand.
“My place already has everything. I’ll come back with you another day to pack.”
After locking the door, Xue Bao Tian walked ahead.
His thoughts were chaotic, and he subconsciously reached for another cigarette again.
One hand shielded the lighter as he lowered his head to light it. He took a few irritated drags before suddenly realizing something felt wrong.
“I’ve fucking realized that every single time, I end up doing exactly what you want. No matter how things go, the final result always works out in your favor.”
The gentle voice came from behind him.
“Master Xue flatters me. It’s just that Master Xue and I happened to think alike.”
“I genuinely pity whoever dates you in the future. You’re a damn pirate ship—once someone boards, there’s no getting off safely.”
Xue Bao Tian paused to think.
“Oh right. What kind of person did you say you wanted before?”
Footsteps followed closely behind him.
“I never had a specific type before. But after meeting you…” Yan Ye’s voice carried quiet amusement. “Now I just want someone quieter.”
Xue Bao Tian stopped and turned around to stare at him.
“Fuck!”
He laughed around the cigarette.
“I think you’d be perfect with a myna bird.”
Author’s Notes: The scene where Xue Bao Tian uses Fan Xiao’s photo frame to cover the noodles is a reference to one of the male leads from my other novel Four-Faced Buddha. Xue Bao Tian and Yan Ye are the side couple from Four-Faced Buddha.
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