Chapter 37#
The return journey went quickly.
They left Zhouling, passed through the small town and winding mountain roads, and finally merged onto the highway heading to Fanzhou.
On the road, Ji Chengyi and Nie Xu each received phone calls, both concerning the Zhu family.
Ji Yang was not on the same path as them.
When they reached downtown Fanzhou, he got out of the car.
Peng Jiaying had driven over to pick him up.
Ji Chengyi was displeased: “Hasn’t it already been said? Grandfather told you to come back too.”
“Third Brother, I was just hitching a ride. I never agreed to any of this from the very beginning.” Ji Yang, supported by Peng Jiaying, stood by the car door and said: “Besides, did you forget? Before going to Zhouling, I was already kicked out of the house by Ji Changshou. The first branch only has you, the Young President of the Ji Corporation — there’s no good-for-nothing like me on record.”
Ji Chengyi: “Dad was just saying that in anger. You don’t have to take it so seriously, do you?”
“If it was said in anger, then I’m under no obligation to just accept it, right?” Ji Yang smiled and said: “As for whether Zhu Guangsheng is right or wrong in all this, Third Brother, you should know better than I do. I’ll leave it to you to explain. If Second Aunt makes a fuss over her brother’s injuries, she can find a lawyer and sue me — after all, I’m a victim too. If it weren’t for Brother Xu at the time, the one lying in a hospital bed right now would be me.”
The topic now involved Nie Xu, so Ji Chengyi glanced toward the front of the car.
He frowned and spoke: “Nie Xu, since Grandfather instructed you to return, you’re just going to let him leave like this?”
The passenger-side window slid down. Through his sunglasses, Nie Xu’s eyes met Ji Yang’s outside the car.
“The instructions did not include a mandate to forcibly take him.”
Cars came and went on the road.
Yet along the wide boulevard on either side, there were hardly any pedestrians.
Leaning his weight on Old Peng, Ji Yang felt a daze — the slight differences he’d detected in Nie Xu during those two days in Zhouling seemed like an illusion. Now that they were back in Fanzhou, that cold, hard sense of boundaries had returned. Whether directed at him or at Ji Chengyi, the protagonist.
Since Nie Xu didn’t listen to Ji Chengyi, it wasn’t Ji Yang’s fault for tagging along either.
Ji Yang said to Ji Chengyi: “Third Brother, you heard him. The Ji family is in troubled waters right now. Grandfather hasn’t revoked his status as my bodyguard and assistant. Regardless of whose orders he’s currently carrying out, at least on paper, he’s still my man. If you want him to arrest someone, you’d need the authority to order it.”
The dark clouds in Ji Chengyi’s eyes pressed lower.
Ji Yang simply ignored him — after all, in Zhouling, they’d already torn things wide open in the open.
He wanted to frame him, and he was supposed to stand there and cooperate?
Not even if this was the person Nie Xu would eventually fall in love with. Not to mention, Ji Yang hadn’t spotted any signs of that happening.
Ji Yang reminded Peng Jiaying.
“Shall we go? Didn’t you say President Huang is already waiting?”
“Right, right.” Old Peng helped him into his own car while nagging: “What happened to your leg? You went to Zhouling for two days and it ended up like this?”
Ji Yang: “I didn’t want it either. It just so happened that things lined up.”
It lined up that Ji Yansong was dead-set on dealing with the Zhu family. It lined up with the predicament in Zhouling. And it just so happened that the You family was right there.
If You Li hadn’t brought Nie Xu over because of his seasickness, if he hadn’t stayed at the You family’s home, if he hadn’t gotten to know Uncle Mai through You Li’s father — or even more, if someone had been pressuring him out of greed to do all of this — the agricultural livestream in Zhouling wouldn’t have happened.
One could only say that everything’s timing had been just right.
Old Peng helped him into the car and said: “Thank goodness for that livestream. You don’t know how anxious President Huang was — he called me over a dozen times a day to push.”
“Really that dramatic?” Ji Yang asked.
Peng Jiaying adjusted his glasses: “You didn’t follow the aftermath, so you wouldn’t know. Your name is still trending on the real-time hot search today. President Huang sees great personal value in you — he’s terrified you’ll get too full of yourself and back out at the last minute.”
Ji Yang had, in fact, followed the aftermath: “Plenty of people were cursing me too. Calling it a scripted publicity stunt, and saying I watched the Ji family’s fortunes decline and used the agricultural livestream to whitewash their image.” Even saying it himself, he found it distasteful: “Am I blind? Whitewashing for the Ji family?”
Peng Jiaying was amused into a laugh, then continued: “I’m still looking for houses for you. If you want to buy one, it won’t be processed that quickly. Since you’re not going back to the Ji family, how about we check out a hotel after signing the contract with President Huang?”
Ji Yang nodded: “Sure.”
Peng Jiaying didn’t offer any comforting words. He was fairly aware of Ji Yang’s situation by now.
It wasn’t that the Ji family absolutely couldn’t tolerate him — it was that Peng Jiaying could see Ji Yang no longer wanted to stay.
As the Ji family’s problems surfaced one by one, Ji Yang had been away on a business trip, and just then, Zhouling — a key hub — had run into its own shipping and local issues. With the heat this high, it was entirely possible the Ji family would want to use him as a target.
Peng Jiaying thought of the man in the car from earlier and said to Ji Yang: “I heard Qiao Qiao and the others say that in Zhouling, we had Assistant Nie to thank for arranging your accommodations. Should we treat him to a meal?”
Ji Yang: “Treat him to a meal?”
The concept had never even crossed his mind.
Peng Jiaying nodded: “Sure. Even though their profession is a special one, I think treating them to a meal should be fine, right? It’s not like we’d be asking for any classified information.” He continued: “Actually, ever since I got President Qi’s business card, I’ve been wanting a chance to connect with some of Jianyuan’s higher-ups. But I later discovered this group is extraordinarily mysterious — I don’t even know what their boss’s surname is.”
Ji Yang said quietly: “…His surname is Nie.”
“Which Nie?” Peng Jiaying asked.
Ji Yang thought to himself that Nie wasn’t exactly a common surname. As a disowned young master of a wealthy family with zero social roots, how many people surnamed Nie could he possibly know?
But he’d blurted out the truth, and no one thought along those lines.
Ji Yang: “I heard it from someone else. I’m not sure. Let’s see when’s a good time for the meal later — he’s probably very busy.”
“That’s true.” Peng Jiaying didn’t press the matter: “Lately, the Ji family patriarch has been showing his face frequently. For a bodyguard of Assistant Nie’s caliber, he’s probably required to stay by the side of the core important figures twenty-four hours a day.”
At this moment, the Ji family’s motorcade was traveling in the opposite direction from Ji Yang and the others.
Ji Chengyi brought up the topic of Zhouling on his own initiative.
Addressing Nie Xu: “When you face Grandfather, you can tell him exactly what happened last night.”
Nie Xu’s hand rested on the car window: “For example?”
“For example, that I was the one who colluded with Zhu Guangsheng to frame Ji Yang. Or that it was my incompetence that caused the situation to spiral out of control.”
Nie Xu didn’t turn his head, simply saying in a level tone: “The Old Master will make his own judgment. This is not something I should interfere with.”
“Is it that you shouldn’t, or that you don’t want to?” Ji Chengyi asked, then leaned forward to press: “I hope it’s that you don’t want to — I hope there’s still room left between us. Even though I’m well aware that you, I, and Lu Li — we can never go back to how things were.”
Jiang Lei sat in the driver’s seat as though sitting on pins and needles.
His gaze kept flicking to Nie Xu.
He knew roughly what had happened back then.
The very first mission after Nie Xu and Lu Li were selected by the Ji family was to safely bring back the kidnapped illegitimate child of the Ji family’s first branch.
At that time, the Xilemen syndicate in Fanzhou was extremely powerful.
And their methods were ruthless.
A ransom of thirty million, spanning an entire vast rainforest.
Tracking, coordination, support — Lu Li nearly lost his life mid-operation. In the end, it was Nie Xu who safely brought both of them out.
To this day, very few people in the Ji family knew about this matter.
Jiang Lei had once believed that Nie Xu felt something different toward the Ji family’s Third Young Master, after all, the person had been saved by his own hands. Given Third Young Master’s background, it really had been beyond his own choosing. But thinking about it now, it was actually no different.
Even now, with the Third Young Master being this proactive, Nie Xu merely replied: “Bringing the Third Young Master out safely was only one of the conditions for formally entering the Ji family’s service. As for leaving room — Lu Li won’t let Zhu Guangsheng bite you. He’s always operated this way all these years because of the debt he owes you. It has nothing to do with me from beginning to end.”
Ji Chengyi lowered his eyelids and fell silent.
But his hand, silently gripping the edge of the seat, betrayed the turmoil in his heart.
“It’s different now,” he murmured, dazed. “I should have known long ago.”
But this vague, rambling remark received no response.
The seating arrangement in the car, front to back, was clearly delineated — like the boundaries of rank and hierarchy in a clan like the Ji family, always drawn so distinctly.
On Ji Yang’s side, he and President Huang had booked a private room at a very upscale restaurant.
By the time he and Peng Jiaying arrived, there were more people inside than expected.
This President Huang Kai was extremely enthusiastic, rising from his seat immediately and greeting them at the door: “Young Master Yang, Young Master Peng — finally! Come, come, please take your seats.”
When he saw Ji Yang sitting in a wheelchair, he let out a “Yo” — “What happened here?”
Ji Yang launched straight into his spiel without missing a beat: “It’s nothing. To reach a cooperation with President Huang, let alone standing up after consecutive livestreams — even if I lost the use of this leg entirely, it would have been worth it.”
Peng Jiaying, standing behind him, coughed and muttered under his breath: “You really know how to make things awkward.”
President Huang was stunned for a moment, then quickly said: “You’ve worked so hard — truly hard on this trip. Come, come — everyone here today is one of our Xianshi’s own up-and-coming livestream hosts. This dinner is purely for fun, so please don’t hold back.”
The moment President Huang said this, all seven or eight people seated around the large round table rose to their feet one after another.
President Huang urged: “Be proactive, everyone. Learn from the Fourth Young Master.”
One glance told Ji Yang everything — this wasn’t about learning; these were drinking companions.
And all of them were men.
From delicate pretty boys to muscular bodybuilders — it was impressive that Huang Kai had collected every type.
Seeing the situation unfolding, Ji Yang quickly said: “President Huang, let’s just eat. Let’s skip this part of the routine.”
Peng Jiaying chimed in at just the right moment: “The Fourth Young Master’s leg hasn’t healed yet.”
Huang Kai looked embarrassed for a moment.
He glanced around the private room, then waved and signaled everyone to sit back down.
Ji Yang took his seat next to Huang Kai. Huang poured him a cup of tea and said: “Fourth Young Master, don’t take offense — this is a legitimate business partnership, and business is business.”
“I don’t mind,” Ji Yang said.
It wasn’t as if he hadn’t been through worse. When he first entered this industry, he’d seen far messier situations.
President Huang looked a bit sheepish and said with a smile: “Honestly, Fourth Young Master, these boys used to work at my wife’s family’s club. Business hasn’t been good lately, so I thought I’d find them a proper way to earn a living.”
Ji Yang had just brought his teacup to his lips and nearly choked.
He looked around at the group again and sighed inwardly: so they really were just male escorts.
He then recalled Ji Chengyi’s earlier warning, that President Huang had connections to some local power — the Xilemen syndicate.
Ji Yang set down his cup and asked slowly, with some hesitation: “This line of work isn’t doing well either?”
“Don’t get the wrong idea, Fourth Young Master — strictly accompanying for drinks isn’t illegal,” Huang Kai hastily explained. “I’ve heard about what you did to Wei Qiming — sending him to prison and all. I wouldn’t bring any troublemakers here.”
He pulled over the person on his right: “This one here, Xiao Yue — don’t let his young age fool you. He’s had a hard life.”
The familiar, formulaic introduction. Ji Yang glanced at the boyish, somewhat shy-looking young man and even wondered if he was a minor.
Ji Yang politely declined, and throughout the entire meal, aside from eating, he only asked about contract details. Fortunately, the people Huang Kai brought had decent manners and didn’t do anything unnecessary.
Dinner ended, and the contract was signed by nine o’clock.
Ji Yang decided to find a hotel nearby.
A five-star one — for him, whose mobility was currently impaired, the all-around service would be very accommodating.
Ji Yang checked into Room 2807 on the twenty-eighth floor without a hitch. He booked it for a month.
After sending Peng Jiaying into the elevator, Ji Yang suddenly realized — he hadn’t gone back, and the entire evening, the Ji family hadn’t sent a single message or caused any trouble on his end.
He pulled out his phone, originally intending to call Ji Mingyue with a voice call to ask around. After a second of hesitation, he selected “NX” from his contacts list.
He hadn’t expected Nie Xu to answer.
But after just two rings, the other end actually picked up.
Ji Yang momentarily said nothing.
Two seconds passed on the other end. “Speak.”
“Me,” Ji Yang identified himself first, then asked: “Are you busy?”
Nie Xu: “Just finished.”
Ji Yang heard what sounded like Nie Xu stepping from an enclosed space out into the open.
Ji Yang: “Nothing’s up. I just wanted to ask — is there any progress on the Zhu Guangsheng matter tonight?”
At this moment, in the rear garage of the Ji family’s main building, Nie Xu raised his hand to stop the guards stationed outside. He glanced back at the staircase leading down to the basement second floor, then spoke: “The Second Madam brought some people to make a scene. The Old Master ordered them dealt with and dumped back at the Zhu family’s doorstep.”
Ji Yang caught a trace of disgust beneath that calm tone: “Dealt with?”
“Taught them a lesson,” Nie Xu said.
Ji Yang: “…You did it yourself?”
Nie Xu: “Not to that extent. No need.”
Ji Yang gave a dry “Oh.”
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
Right at that moment.
“Young Master Master Four.”
At the hotel room door, the person standing with his head down made Ji Yang startle: “Xiao Yue? Did President Huang send you?”
“No, no!” The other man waved his hands hurriedly, then looked up: “It was my own idea. I… I…”
Ji Yang watched him and felt impatient.
He said directly: “Looking to me won’t help. We’re the same kind — nothing will come of it.”
The young man called Xiao Yue looked up in shock, his face flushing red from his ears down to his neck.
“I didn’t come for that,” he said.
Ji Yang sat in his wheelchair and turned his head to study him.
He suddenly asked: “Xiao Yue is your stage name, isn’t it?”
The other man gave a soft “Mm.” “My real name is Lin Yue.”
“Want to get out of this life?” Ji Yang rested his chin on his hand and threw out another line.
The disappointment in the young man’s eyes gave way to a brief flash of light upon hearing this. He said: “Young Master Four, from the very first moment I saw you, I felt you were different from those show-off rich kids. I really want to seize this opportunity — could you sign me under ‘Yi Yuan’s’ label?”
Ji Yang asked him: “Did President Huang force you?”
Lin Yue shook his head. Something seemed to trigger a fearful memory: “Someone wants to keep me. I don’t want to. I…”
Sitting in the hotel corridor, Ji Yang felt for a moment that the world truly had a way of turning in cycles.
He even suspected that the other man thought he was different because he himself had once nearly ended up in the same trade — hoodwinked into it.
It was just a pity. He admired anyone who desperately fought for their own fate, but he wasn’t a savior.
Ji Yang shook his head: “I don’t know who you’ve offended. President Huang probably brought you here thinking I have the Ji family behind me and could protect you. But I’m sorry to say very regretfully — I can’t help with this. Please go. Sorry.”
As he spoke, he reached past Lin Yue to swipe his room card.
Lin Yue grew frantic.
He moved to block the door.
“Young Master Four.” He pleaded.
Just as Ji Yang’s motion halted, several hotel security guards rushed down the other end of the corridor.
“What are you doing?! We received a report — someone here is harassing guests!” The guards looked fierce as they pointed at Lin Yue: “Was it you?! How did you even get up here?!”
Lin Yue’s face drained of white. Ji Yang intervened: “It’s fine. Just take him out and let it go.”
Lin Yue glanced at him, a final glimmer of hope still in his eyes, but he no longer resisted. Following the guards, he looked back at every step.
As Ji Yang swiped the door open again, he noticed the call was still connected.
“You reported me?” Ji Yang asked.
Nie Xu’s voice came through coolly: “The Old Master isn’t pursuing the fact that you didn’t come back — because he was going to target the Zhu family regardless. But his tolerance absolutely does not extend to the Ji family’s Fourth Young Master publicly soliciting male escorts at a hotel.”
Ji Yang: “How is it public? Only you knew about it!”
Nie Xu: “I thought you were going to help him.”
“Am I some kind of saint? Forcing prostitutes into the trade, then persuading them to reform — I don’t have those kinds of hobbies,” Ji Yang said. Whatever cooperation he had with President Huang was one thing — he had no desire to get tangled in any forces or complicated relationships behind him. Ji Yang added: “I also don’t want to invite trouble. ‘Yi Yuan’ just started — what if someone crushes it?”
Nie Xu said: “I agreed to let you operate under Jianyuan’s name. If you really do get crushed, that’s Jianyuan’s responsibility.”
That remark truly put Ji Yang’s mind at ease.
Wasn’t this a golden thigh wrapped in flesh?
“I’m holding you to that,” Ji Yang said with a smile.
He walked into the room and turned on the light.
The warm yellow glow of the hotel room spread across everything.
Ji Yang suddenly thought again of the topic of male escorts — back when he’d just transmigrated into this book and everything was a struggle, he’d actually considered that this profession wasn’t the worst option.
Ji Yang spoke softly to the phone: “Brother. If one day I’m forced to work the streets, would that also be your responsibility?”
There were a few seconds of silence on the other end.
Nie Xu: “That means you don’t want to live anymore.”
Ji Yang: “…”
Truly a dog.