Chapter 2
The Dragon Boat Festival had just passed, and the weather was really heating up.
At three in the afternoon, the sun was blazing, but there was a breeze. Yan Shiqiu’s clothes, which had been drenched earlier, had dried halfway. They weren’t as see-through anymore, so he ditched the bath towel he had wrapped around himself.
Holding a memory card, he headed back into the villa and went straight upstairs.
Standing outside the study, he knocked three times before pushing the door open and walking in.
Ji Yunnian had already changed into a new outfit. A well-tailored black suit fit snugly on his frame, making him look even more striking—so much so that it was hard to ignore him.
He was lounging on the sofa, long legs crossed, one arm draped lazily over the sofa’s armrest while the other held a book. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a golden glow on him, making him look like he belonged in a piece of art.
When Ji Yunnian looked up, his gaze flickered with a hint of surprise.
Yan Shiqiu shut the door behind him, walked over to the single-seater sofa opposite Ji Yunnian, and sat down. He raised an eyebrow. “Is there really a need to look so shocked?”
“You actually knocked.” Ji Yunnian scoffed.
Yan Shiqiu: “……”
Damn, was “he” really that rude?
“Changed now, changed now. From now on, I’m going to be a polite and well-mannered good boy.” As he spoke, he straightened his back, gave a bright smile, placed both hands on his knees, and sat up all proper and obedient-looking.
Ji Yunnian let out a dry laugh, clearly unconvinced.
But he didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he got straight to the point. “Cut the crap. Speak.”
Yan Shiqiu met his gaze and, after a brief pause, said seriously, “First off, let me apologize. I’m sorry. What happened today will never happen again.”
Ji Yunnian leaned back against the sofa, his long fingers interlocked over his abdomen.
“Too fake. What’s this, a new trick?”
“I’m serious.”
Yan Shiqiu repeated himself, this time with even more sincerity. “I’m really sorry.”
Ji Yunnian studied him for a few seconds before looking away. His tone was indifferent. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but let me remind you—messing with the Ji family isn’t something you can afford.”
Yan Shiqiu nodded and continued, “That’s why I’m not here to mess with you.”
He handed the memory card over to Ji Yunnian. “This is my sincerity.”
Ji Yunnian didn’t take it. “What is it?”
“The camera’s memory card. It has all the photos I just secretly took of you.”
Ji Yunnian narrowed his eyes and stared at him for three full seconds before finally accepting it. He stood up, walked to the desk, inserted the memory card into the reader, and opened his laptop.
Frowning, he skimmed through the photos and videos. Then, without hesitation, he pulled the card out and went back to the sofa. He looked at Yan Shiqiu. “Keep going.”
“The person who had me do this is Ye Peiyuan, the head of the Ye family.” Yan Shiqiu laid everything out without hesitation, even throwing in some spoilers while he was at it. “He just took over the Ye Corporation, but a lot of the higher-ups are unhappy with him parachuting in. They don’t respect him and are giving him a hard time. Meanwhile, the project your Ji family has its eyes on is something the Ye family also wants. He needs to secure that project to solidify his position in the company, and you guys are the biggest competition.”
“He was still looking for a way in, but then you happened to return to the country. So he decided to use you.”
“You’re the second young master of the Ji family, but also a public figure with a massive fanbase. If a scandal broke out about you, it could directly impact the Ji Corporation.”
After a brief pause, he added, “Also, he really hates you.”
Ji Yunnian wasn’t surprised at all after hearing this. “Figured it was him.”
His lack of reaction left Yan Shiqiu feeling a little deflated, like his dramatic reveal had lost all its impact. “You knew?”
“Didn’t realize at first, but I guessed later. You’ve been sticking to Ye Peiyuan like glue recently, acting like you’re head over heels for him. If it wasn’t him, who else could make you pull something like this?”
Ji Yunnian adjusted his sitting position, placing his feet back on the ground, making his legs look even longer. “Besides, you just mentioned my family. That means this isn’t just some personal vendetta. A simple process of elimination makes it easy to figure out.”
Yan Shiqiu thought about it. Yeah, fair. It wasn’t exactly hard to guess who was behind this. If Ji Yunnian couldn’t even figure that out, he might as well quit being the main character.
Still, he wasn’t going to let it go that easily.
“Yeah, yeah, makes sense. But also, I’m broke, and your Ji family is worth, what, eight billion? If someone throws that much money at me, you think I’d say no?”
Ji Yunnian lifted an eyelid lazily. “That makes it even easier. Who can just throw around eight billion like it’s nothing? That kind of money isn’t something anyone can casually pull out. The only ones who could do that and know you are either my family or Ye Peiyuan.”
Yan Shiqiu: “……”
Defeated.
Yan Shiqiu: “I’ve said everything I needed to say. Can we just drop this now? From now on, we’ll stay out of each other’s way. I swear I’ll keep my distance.”
Ji Yunnian was silent for a moment before saying, “I just don’t get it.”
Yan Shiqiu was confused. “What?”
“Why you suddenly turned your back on Ye Peiyuan.” Ji Yunnian’s eyes were deep and unreadable as he stared at him.
Yan Shiqiu could tell that Ji Yunnian didn’t trust him. Not even after he handed over the memory card.
But it made sense. Just a moment ago, he had been all over him, kissing him and trying to rip his clothes off. And now, he was suddenly claiming to have reformed? No one would buy that.
Still, Yan Shiqiu had to defend himself. After all, he’d been given a second chance at life, and he wasn’t about to waste it. He had no desire to end up dying some tragic, pitiful death in the wilderness.
“Because I want to be a good person.” he said seriously. “Before, I must have had water in my brain—wasn’t thinking straight. But just now, I fought poison with poison, drained all that murky water out, and now I’m finally clear-headed.”
Ji Yunnian folded his arms and gave him a skeptical look.
Yan Shiqiu met his gaze, blinked a couple of times, then suddenly lifted his hands to frame his chin, making a ‘flower’ pose. “Eyes are the windows to the soul. Look at my sincere eyes—do I look like I’m lying? Everything I just said comes straight from the heart.”
Ji Yunnian didn’t respond. He just stared at Yan Shiqiu for a long moment before looking away. “You better mean it.”
Yan Shiqiu dropped his hands. “I do.”
He continued: “Alright then. The memory card is yours now—deal with it however you want.” He paused for a moment: “I assume you don’t want footage of you forcing a kiss on me getting out, right?”
Catching the implication in his tone, Ji Yunnian, without saying a word grabbed a pair of scissors and, without hesitation, cut the memory card into several pieces. “No need for mind games. Keeping this thing around for even one more second makes me sick.”
Yan Shiqiu grinned. “Then we’re on the same page.”
“That’s that. I’m leaving. See you never.”
“Wait.” Ji Yunnian called him back, locking eyes with him. “That was the only copy of the photos, right?”
Yan Shiqiu nodded. “Yeah. Just that one.”
After wrapping up their conversation, Yan Shiqiu left the study. He didn’t stick around at the party either. Instead, he washed his face in the restroom, then walked out of the villa.
But the moment he stepped outside, regret hit him like a truck.
The book never mentioned this—this damn villa was built on a freaking mountain! And the road here? No taxis, no buses!
Walking under the scorching afternoon sun for over half an hour, Yan Shiqiu’s once-dry clothes were now drenched in sweat again. His head was starting to feel dizzy from the heat.
Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. He trudged to a shady spot, pulled his legs up, and sat down on the ground, resting his chin on his knees.
The sun wasn’t beating down on him anymore, and the breeze felt nice, but his head just kept spinning.
He started feeling cold, his body instinctively curling in on itself.
Reaching for his phone, he thought about calling someone to pick him up. But as he scrolled through his contacts, he realized—he didn’t recognize a single name.
Right.
In the book, “he” was just a disposable villain, barely mentioned. Every time he showed up, it was just to move the plot along for the real main characters. Of course, there weren’t any detailed descriptions of his social circle.
Other protagonists who transmigrated into novels always had cheat codes—some kind of golden finger that made them invincible. But where the hell was his?
…Oh right. He wasn’t the protagonist.
Staring at his phone screen, Yan Shiqiu sighed.
Brushing the dust off his clothes, he stood up, walked to the edge of the road, and squinted down the mountain path. After a quick mental calculation… he made his decision.
He turned around and went back the way he came.
By the time he reached the villa gates again, he was completely drained.
His head felt heavy, his limbs weak, and he was dragging his feet, not even paying attention to where he was going. Then—bam! He walked straight into someone.
He rubbed his forehead and mumbled, “Sorry.”
His voice was weak and listless.
“Shiqiu?” A smooth, pleasant voice sounded above him, carrying a trace of surprise. There was no hostility in it—just a hint of familiarity, even affection. Yan Shiqiu looked up in a daze.
The man in front of him wore thin, gold-rimmed glasses. The top button of his dress shirt was undone, revealing an elegant collarbone. A camel-colored trench coat was draped over his arm. Just standing there, he had an effortless, magnetic presence.
He was handsome—not the kind that was striking at first glance, but the kind that grew on you the longer you looked. Coupled with his composed and refined demeanor, he was the type who only became more attractive over time.
Next to him stood a woman in an evening gown. She was beautiful, tall, and had an incredible figure. She was also looking at him.
“Are you feeling unwell?” The man spoke again, his tone gentle, with a hint of concern in his gaze.
Yan Shiqiu couldn’t immediately place him, so he didn’t answer right away.
“Wen Chen, what are you doing here?” A voice called out from not far away. It was Ji Yunnian, his tone filled with genuine surprise. He strode over, his expression lighting up.
Hearing Ji Yunnian’s address, Yan Shiqiu finally put a name to the face.
Wen Chen.
Another one of the book’s protagonists.
Well, no wonder he looked so damn attractive.
Yan Shiqiu gave Wen Chen another once-over, feeling like his first impression of the man was pretty decent.
“Bai Xi invited me.” Wen Chen replied.
Ji Yunnian stopped in front of him and greeted the woman beside Wen Chen. “Bai Xi-jie.”
The name rang a bell. Yan Shiqiu quickly combed through his memory of the book’s plot and finally remembered who she was.
Bai Xi was the host of tonight’s party and the owner of this villa. She was also Wen Chen’s college friend and, on top of that, the cousin of Ji Yunnian’s sister-in-law.
Before he could process this any further, he heard Wen Chen’s voice again. “Are you sick?” He was asking him.
Now that Yan Shiqiu knew who the man was, he let down his guard and croaked out, “Probably.”
Wen Chen frowned and placed the back of his hand against Yan Shiqiu’s forehead.
“You’re burning up.”
He pulled his hand back and turned to Bai Xi. “Is there a doctor here?”
Bai Xi shook her head. “No. And I don’t usually stay here. I only come over for vacations, parties, or events like this, so I don’t keep any medicine stocked either.”
Wen Chen said, “Then I’ll take Shiqiu straight to the hospital.”
Bai Xi hesitated for a second, then pressed her lips together. “Hold on, Wen Chen. My sister’s about to arrive. She’s really tight on time—she has a flight at eight tonight. I’ll arrange for someone to send Yan Shiqiu to the hospital instead, okay?”
“Uh…” Yan Shiqiu started to say something but was cut off.
“Ge.” he called Wen Chen ‘cousin,’ his voice hoarse, “No need to trouble yourself. Just lend me your car, I’ll drive myself there. Bai Xi-jie has more important things to handle. I’ll be fine.”
“No way.” Wen Chen shut that down immediately. His tone was firm. “You’re burning up. How are you going to drive like this? Do you have a death wish?”
Then, as if suddenly thinking of something, he turned to Ji Yunnian. “Yunnian, do you have time? Can you take Shiqiu to the hospital for me?”
Yan Shiqiu’s mouth twitched, and he quickly waved his hands. “Ge, really, that’s not—”
“Let’s do that.” Bai Xi interrupted, turning to Ji Yunnian. “Yunnian, can you help? You know how urgent my sister’s matter is. We need to take care of it right away.”
Ji Yunnian: “……”
Yan Shiqiu: “……”
Ji Yunnian finally spared Yan Shiqiu a glance. His cheeks were flushed an unnatural red, but his lips were bloodlessly pale—he really did look sick.
Their eyes met, and Yan Shiqiu forced a weak smile.
Ji Yunnian was silent for a few seconds before nodding. “Alright.”
Discover more from Yamie tls
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
