Mind Games on Danmei AI Translations

Chapter 5

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 5#

Young wealthy heirs like Zeng Zhanpeng always loved to play and seek excitement.

The shooting range couldn’t completely drain his energy; after returning to the city, he clamored to go somewhere for a drink.

Yan Zishu thought for a moment. There was a bar street over on Tianxin Road. Although its atmosphere was different from Lan Kwai Fong, it was equally dazzling and popular among young people. People of all complexions gathered there, and it was usually very lively.

Chapter 6

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 6#

Alcohol leads people astray.

That was what Yan Zishu thought.

“Are you angry?” Fu Jinchi asked, pulling the car to a stop beneath the apartment building.

“Not at all. Thank you for driving me home, Mr. Fu.” Yan Zishu unclicked his seatbelt, his head still swimming.

If he had any right to be angry, it would be at his own weakness — or perhaps at himself for flying into embarrassed rage over having exposed that weakness.

Chapter 7

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 7#

The exhibition hall manager came running at the news, apologizing profusely for the accident.

The empty frames lay scattered across the floor. Ji Chen stood meekly to one side, looking as though he wished the ground would swallow him up.

For the moment, though, no one had much attention to spare for the culprit — everyone’s concern was directed at Yan Zishu’s hand.

Helen arrived and whisked Zeng Peirong off to the nearest shopping mall to buy her a replacement skirt. Meanwhile, Fu Weishan proceeded with the original plan, leading Zeng Chuyi through to the back offices. Zeng Zhanpeng shot several glances in Yan Zishu’s direction before ultimately following his father.

Chapter 8

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 8#

Yan Zishu never let a message go unanswered. He first replied to the easiest one: “The wound is not serious, thank you for your concern, Mr. Fu.” Then, to Fu Weishan’s lover: “Okay, I will inform Mr. Fu.”

In Yan Zishu’s phone contacts, there was a special category for the men and women Fu Weishan had slept with.

Therefore, it took him a moment to place her. This one, named Yuan Mu, was a female star who debuted from a talent show. Her family had some background, not quite a wealthy family, but with a strong desire to climb the social ladder. She had a sweet appearance, a round face, and big eyes, somewhat resembling Ji Chen.

Chapter 9

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 9#

— CEO Fu Weishan appeared to have taken a liking to an intern.

Helen, the head of the secretarial office — a capable and thoroughly professional woman — shared the same gossipy curiosity as everyone else. But when people began speculating amongst themselves about the nature of Ji Chen and Fu Weishan’s relationship, she stepped in decisively to put a stop to it.

Her authority, however, only extended as far as keeping Ben and the others from gossiping outside the department. She could hardly stop every last employee from talking.

Chapter 10

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 10#

While they were talking, the internal office line rang. Without releasing the back of the chair, Fu Jinchi stretched his long arm sideways and picked it up, making a series of noncommittal sounds — impossible to tell whether it was urgent or not — and ended with a cool: “Wait.”

Yan Zishu stood promptly. “You have things to attend to — I’ll get out of your way.”

This time Fu Jinchi made no move to stop him, but before he left, he pressed an invitation card into his hands — for the opening of a new hotel. “Would you pass this along to my brother?”

Chapter 11

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 11#

“About the same as before.” Yan Zishu gave an answer that committed to nothing.

“Then could you help me check — does he have time to come this weekend? Our school has a performance, and I did give him those tickets.”

“The drama society production? You gave them to him already, right.”

“Yes, that one — you remember!” Ji Chen lit up.

“Of course I remember. I’ll confirm with CEO Fu when he’s back.”

Chapter 12

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 12#

After a brief negotiation, the situation resolved into something simple: Ji Chen had a gambling addict for a father — and like every gambler, he lost nine times out of ten.

Owing money around the neighborhood, having people come to collect — his life was an endless loop of these two things.

Today happened to be a debt-collection day.

Fortunately, the two tattooed men who had been barking orders at Ji Chen’s father took one look at Yan Zishu and shifted immediately into courteous, ingratiating mode.

Chapter 13

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 13#

Yuan Mu? Trending?

Yan Zishu hadn’t heard yet.

But once he hung up, he found that the person he’d assigned to keep watch had also just forwarded him the relevant material — arriving at almost the same moment.

Fu Jinchi’s intelligence network was, it had to be said, impressively fast.

A minor celebrity like Yuan Mu, the kind propped up entirely by money and manufactured traffic, was in practice barely visible. Nine out of ten of her trending appearances were paid for: showcasing her figure at the gym, looking gorgeous while running errands barefaced — pure, meaningless hype. On the rare occasion something trended on its own, it was usually an unflattering exposé.

Chapter 14

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 14#

From the moment Yan Zishu arrived, Fu Jinchi had been far too occupied with his hosting duties for them to exchange so much as a private word.

After a while, Fu Jinchi delivered a brief speech — a few rounds of ceremonial remarks, a snip of the red ribbon — and then personally led his guests inside for a tour.

The hotel was laid out in the manner of a manor, continuing the aesthetic of the old colonial-style building: quiet, graceful water corridors and pavilions, copper railings and a decorative splash pool outside, floral wallpapers and vintage tiles within.

Chapter 15

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 15#

Yan Zishu set the fruit basket he’d bought at the hospital entrance on the bedside table. “I heard about the child. I’m sorry.”

Yuan Mu’s face was a sallow yellow. She glared at him coldly. “You don’t need to come in here crying crocodile tears. You must be barely holding back the smile right now.”

Indeed — not only Fu Jinchi, but most people would have assumed that Yuan Mu losing the child was Fu Weishan’s doing.

Chapter 16

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 16#

As the person theoretically nursing a secret infatuation with Fu Weishan, this should have been exactly the result Yan Zishu wanted.

Nonetheless, he made a token gesture of dissuasion. “I think you should give it more thought. Forgive me for being direct, but your family circumstances don’t appear to be particularly comfortable. You said yourself before that you couldn’t afford to lose this job—”

That landed predictably wrong. Ji Chen stiffened as though he’d been insulted. “Don’t worry — I’ll still repay the money!”

Chapter 17

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 17#

Ji Chen looked up with surprise, as if searching the guest’s face and bearing for some trace of a humble origin. He found none.

The handsome face, the exceptional clothes — however you looked at him, this was someone who had been born in Rome.

But the guest moved on from his own story: “So who is it in there that you’re hiding from? A teacher or a classmate, it can’t be.”

Chapter 18

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 18#

But once a seed of suspicion has been quietly buried, even if it lies dormant for a time, you can never be entirely certain it will never take root. It needs no sunlight, no rain — only a mouth willing to invert the truth.

Yan Zishu understood this perfectly well, and was under no illusion about what Fu Jinchi was playing at.

He was simply using whatever came to hand — significant matters and trivial ones alike — to chip away, piece by piece, at the trust between Fu Weishan and his “capable subordinate.”

Chapter 19

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 19#

Fu Jinchi sat for half an hour in a bar booth that had no one coming to fill it, and understood that he had been played.

More precisely: he had known it before he arrived.

Why would someone like Ben invite him out for drinks, out of nowhere?

This was a form of wordless protest. Or perhaps a complaint.

Directed at one chief assistant who had been played first.

Chapter 20

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 20#

Zhang Yan came up to the floor, spotted Yan Zishu, and launched into his customary and somewhat painful greeting: “Well, if it isn’t Director Yan!”

Yan Zishu had long since stopped bothering to correct him. He addressed the actual matter: “Here for the partnership documents? I was just about to have someone send them down.”

Zhang Yan turned, and at that moment Ji Chen came trotting over, collided squarely with him, let out a startled yelp, and sent the papers in his arms flying across the floor.

Chapter 21

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 21#

According to plan, they were to meet with Qu Jianmin, the project lead from Dongyun Bank’s side, within the week — to finalize the broad framework of the partnership and confirm several key contractual terms, with a letter of intent to be signed on the spot.

In practice, these details had already been worked through in multiple rounds of negotiation and passed through legal review on both sides. Under normal circumstances, there should have been no significant points of contention remaining.

Chapter 22

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 22#

When Yan Zishu returned to the private room, their unhurried client had still not arrived — still stuck in traffic, as it turned out.

Zhang Yan caught sight of the thick stack of papers in his hands and produced a knowing smile. “I was wondering what was taking Director Yan so long — you went to find a print shop?”

Yan Zishu said: “What would I need a print shop for? A document got left in the car — I just remembered and went down to the car park to fetch it.”

Chapter 23

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 23#

Fu Jinchi coughed for a good while before stopping — then laughed. “What makes you think I’d have anything on him?”

Yan Zishu leaned back against the sofa and regarded him quietly, eyes as still as water catching the light — like a lake scattered with moonlight.

He returned an equally inscrutable smile. “Didn’t you just say you wanted to see them all suffer?”

It had been an impulsive question, in truth — arising spontaneously from that line about unfortunate that it still hasn’t come true. Li Chang’an might have the Li surname, but there was Fu blood in his veins. Close enough.

Chapter 24

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 24#

“The common saying is that Guanyin has thirty-three manifestations. The Virtuous King Guanyin is considered supremely virtuous — symbolizing both blessings and prosperity — though the emphasis tends to be on guiding descendants toward success in their careers and official advancement. Since this is a birthday gift for an elder in the family, a better choice might be the Medicine-Giving Guanyin, also called the Joy-Bestowing Guanyin — the name carries the meaning of ‘granting joy to all sentient beings,’ with protective power for the health and longevity of the elderly, a wish that good health may last as long as the southern mountains. It conveys a child’s devotion more fittingly…”

Chapter 25

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 25#

“Fair warning — I don’t have condoms or anything else in the apartment.” Before they went upstairs, Yan Zishu said this in a perfectly matter-of-fact tone, hands in his pockets. “If needed, bring your own.”

There was no particular politeness to his manner now, no formal address — the conventions of a social occasion and those of a business one were not the same.

As it turned out, Fu Jinchi had indeed come prepared. He seemed rather pleased about it. Two low, unhurried syllables, delivered in that warm, dark voice:

Chapter 26

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 26#

This time, Fu Jinchi finally managed to shoo a fully conscious Yan Zishu into the bathroom to shower properly, and stood watch until he came out with his hair blown dry.

Yan Zishu would never have guessed, going by appearances alone, that Fu Jinchi could be such a fussy person.

Not only that: by the time he emerged, a pot of century egg and lean pork congee had finished cooking on a timer in the kitchen, and was sitting on the table at exactly the right temperature to eat.

Chapter 27

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 27#

If Fu Jinchi really wanted to force Yan Zishu to come out, he had his ways.

For instance, he reciprocated by throwing an address at Yan Zishu and threatening with all seriousness that if he didn’t come, he would tell Fu Weishan about their relationship. Yan Zishu smiled and replied with two words: “Childish.”

Closing the app, these chat records vanished without a trace.

However, Yan Zishu still went out.

Chapter 28

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 28#

Such a dreadful thing, encountering it is a calamity for anyone.

Ji Chen went from being baffled to losing his wits. His instinctive reaction was to go on the forum to clarify, but he was stopped by a phone call from “Black-rimmed glasses,” who said it would only make things worse: “Don’t provide new material for gossip. The most important thing is to delete it quickly.”

“Black-rimmed glasses” helped contact the forum administrator, but the administrator saw the message with a delay and only locked the thread and banned the account at this time.

Chapter 29

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 29#

To explain the cause, it wasn’t complicated and could be clarified in two minutes: it was still triggered by the intern recruitment incident.

Although the anonymous post by Yang Baoshan was deleted within a short time due to suspected rumors, afterward, students still individually posted several “thunder-avoidance” threads about Yinghan Group, reminding other students to carefully consider this company when job hunting.

Compliant with the board rules, the forum administrators did not interfere.

Chapter 30

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 30#

“This year’s Mid-Autumn Festival happens to be on a Sunday. If you want to stay overnight at the old residence, you need to…”

“I won’t stay overnight. I’ll come back the same day. It doesn’t matter if it’s a bit late.”

“Okay, understood.” Yan Zishu drove Fu Weishan to meet a client.

Since he started leading projects, the frequency of him acting as Fu Weishan’s driver and arranging his schedule had decreased accordingly. Helen could handle these daily tasks very well. But after all, he was still the chief assistant, and sometimes traveling with the president was inevitable.

Chapter 31

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 31#

Leveraging the advantages of the secretariat, Yan Zishu, within his authority, inquired about some of the issues to be voted on at the upcoming shareholders’ meeting.

Among them, besides “recommending Fu Jinchi to join the board of directors,” as for the others, although many were still in draft form, to experienced people, it was somewhat possible to analyze changes favorable to Third Uncle Fu from them, but which Fu Weishan would probably find hard to agree to.

Chapter 32

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 32#

The preparation progress of Yinghan Group’s autumn auction moved forward bit by bit, and amidst the busyness, most of it was done.

It was another overtime night. Before Yan Zishu reached the secretariat, he heard Fu Xiaoyu shouting from afar on the phone with someone: “You definitely can’t guess who sent this whatever pastel interlocking branch vase, that old man from the Ma’s Chamber of Commerce! Guess the starting price? Can’t tell, damn, look at him usually dressing like an old farmer on TV, this time he just fucking…”

Chapter 33

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 33#

Pitiable?

Not in the least.

In truth, Yan Zishu had not been entirely without a sense of what consequences he might have to face.

After all, according to the plot, anyone who dared to go after the protagonist’s love interest rarely came out of it well.

A lawsuit was fine — Fu Xiaoyu was a young master, and Yinghan Group’s legal team was not there to collect a paycheck without earning it. The more pressing problem, if he tried to take action himself, was a practical one he had to confront: in this world, if he got himself into trouble, there was no immediate family who could engage a lawyer on his behalf.

Chapter 34

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 34#

What did it mean for two people to define themselves as lovers?

When Yan Zishu had agreed, he hadn’t had a great deal of time to think through the question.

Afterward, he tried. Only there were probably as many definitions as there were people. A bed partner already satisfied the need for physical contact; a lover seemed to imply something more — a rigorous and close mutual entanglement — yet lacked the reasonable and appropriate weight of a formal name.

Chapter 35

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 35#

Third Uncle Fu turned to his beloved nephew: “Why are you sitting out here? Is Weishan not in?”

Yan Zishu glanced immediately at Fu Jinchi. Fu Jinchi glanced back at him, producing a perfectly mild and untroubled smile. “I’m not sure — I only just ran into Director Yan here and got to talking.”

Fu Jinchi then turned to Yan Zishu: “Is CEO Fu in his office right now?” — putting a deliberate emphasis on the question.

Chapter 36

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 36Fu Jinchi, as usual, tidied up the room. He picked up the book Yan Zishu had discarded from the floor and glanced at the cover.#

It was a very old collection of science fiction novels, bearing a library label, nothing particularly interesting.

Yan Zishu’s apartment didn’t have a separate study. To facilitate the owner’s use, the bookshelf and desk were arranged in the master bedroom.

Yan Zishu had seriously warned him that all locked drawers here were off-limits, and if any signs of prying were found, he would call the police.

Chapter 37

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 37#

Although Fu Jinchi had been granted a favor by Fu Weishan and allowed into the board of directors, at present he only held the title of “director.”

Compared to him, the other directors all held formal positions within the company.

For instance, the former director who had stepped down still firmly occupied the position of Chief Financial Officer, a role he had held for many years—his influence was on a completely different level.

Chapter 38

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 38#

Yan Zishu’s chest gave a small, involuntary lurch. He pulled his wrist away entirely. “All this talk of dying and living — don’t go tempting fate.”

In truth, he genuinely didn’t know what became of Fu Jinchi in the end. He himself would die; as for the villain — the villain’s fate was unresolved.

Though Fu Jinchi had once said something about disasters lasting a thousand years. Perhaps he would go on causing trouble for a long time yet.

Chapter 39

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 39#

Although Fu Jinchi’s theory that everything has its price sounded like a cup of toxic motivational soup — cynical, mercenary — even toxic soup wasn’t without a grain of truth. At the very least, Fu Weishan had, in fact, gone to meet a potential match.

No one had offered him a hundred billion. But there had been something in it for him.

When Third Uncle had casually raised the subject of marriage at the shareholders’ meeting, it had sounded like nothing more than the rambling of a muddled old man.

Chapter 40

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 40#

Yan Zishu had always been clear that while he seemed to know the future, he did not have a god’s-eye view.

He was merely a butterfly on a set trajectory that had caught a glimpse of fate, entangled in a spider’s web.

Most of the time, he was just blindly doing his own thing and didn’t involve himself in the details of other people’s lives. For example, he knew Fu Xiaoyu was a dandy, but he didn’t care how many new girlfriends he had changed. Or he knew Fu Weishan went on a blind date, but who knew if he talked about food or the weather with Miss Zhu. Now he discovered that he also didn’t know when Fu Jinchi and Ji Chen got entangled together.

Chapter 41

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 41#

The scene in front of him sketched itself in Yan Zishu’s mind as an irregular polygon, drawn in a thoroughly melodramatic style.

An absolute mess.

The next sequence of events proceeded accordingly: Ji Chen threw a silent sulk, turned and made to storm off without actually erupting. Fu Weishan, ever protective of appearances, could stomach a private scene — but a public spectacle in front of Secretary Zhu was as good as a slap across his own face, and whatever guilt he’d momentarily felt curdled into indignant fury.

Chapter 42

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 42#

At lunch time, Yan Zishu went to the cafeteria. As usual, many people greeted him along the way: “Director Yan.” “Assistant Yan.”

Yan Zishu responded to each one. He had just put down his tray when Fu Jinchi sat opposite him: “Eat together?”

Yan Zishu smiled, said “Hmm,” and did not refuse.

In the company, in public, the two didn’t communicate much and finished a lunch in silence.

Chapter 43

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 43#

The cemetery was located on a hill by the sea. The winter wind blew from the sea, piercingly cold.

The cemetery administrator stood beside him, bowing and scraping, apologizing profusely.

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry, Mr. Fu. Look at this, it wasn’t here when I patrolled a few days ago. I don’t know which grandson did it. Damn, what kind of people are these? Such poor quality. We will definitely find a way to clean it up for you, but the photo…”

Chapter 44

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 44#

Yan Zishu knew very little about Fu Jinchi’s past — except that it had, in all likelihood, not been particularly kind to him.

In the plot he had received, the villain’s backstory was conveyed only through suggestion, never laid out directly.

Still, something like his mother’s grave was dug up — anyone hearing that would find it deeply unsettling.

Yan Zishu drew an almost imperceptible quiet breath, and felt, despite himself, a chill of alarm on Fu Jinchi’s behalf.

Chapter 45

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 45#

Fu Jinchi swallowed down the turmoil of rage and fear behind his composure, pulled the person close, and turned to leave.

Yan Zishu hung on him like a ragdoll, stumbling with every step. For ease, Fu Jinchi simply picked him up.

Fu Xiaoyu came back to himself. “You — you didn’t even say—”

“Get out of my sight.” The words came out cold and flat. He had a sick person to deal with. This wasn’t the moment for reckoning.

Chapter 46

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 46#

Fu Jinchi’s private physician had written a sick leave record, so Yan Zishu settled in and stayed for two days.

His reaction to the drug had been severe — he would wake for a spell, then sleep again, and by the time he opened his eyes for what felt like the fifth or sixth time, the light outside the windows had darkened again.

In the corner, a vintage record player was turning: How many men have lost themselves for a woman’s face… how many birds who once shared a branch have parted on the wind… life is brief — why torment yourself with love… when the one you love is gone, who is there left to hear your complaint…

Chapter 47

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 47#

A heart bobs up and down, unable to make up its mind which path leads to the best outcome.

Fu Jinchi drove Yan Zishu back to his apartment. Pedestrians were scarce on the road, and streetlights retreated rapidly. Approaching the destination, Fu Jinchi remembered something: “By the way, if anyone asks you about Li Chang’an recently… just say you don’t know anything.”

That was easy enough; Yan Zishu truly didn’t know. However, he frowned: “Did something happen to Vice President Li?”

Chapter 48

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 48#

On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the company was still one day away from the holiday, but most employees who could take leave had already gone home.

Yan Zishu heard Fu Weishan summon him in the inner room of the CEO’s office and went in to ask for instructions.

Fu Weishan thought for a moment: “When returning to the old residence for the New Year, Ji Chen will come along too. Take him to tidy up.”

Chapter 49

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 49#

Yan Zishu found an unoccupied bathroom, washed his hands, and had barely dried them and stepped back out when he ran into the same attendant as before.

The attendant said quietly: “Third Master Fu would like you to come up.”

He processed this for a moment, offered his thanks, and accepted. He followed the spiral staircase up to the second floor, to Third Uncle’s room.

The suite Third Uncle had claimed with such triumphant satisfaction was, in practice, a large set of rooms — comparable in area to an ordinary family’s entire apartment, and the most imposing space in the entire ancestral estate. Yan Zishu knocked and entered. Third Uncle was in the study, and gestured for him to sit with benevolent warmth.

Chapter 50

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 50#

Yan Zishu turned his face and let his tone go light. “Doesn’t living like this wear you out?”

Fu Jinchi said only: “It does. What can you do about it.”

Yan Zishu asked: “Have you ever thought about putting everything down and walking away?”

Fu Jinchi didn’t answer. He appeared to find the question tedious.

Yan Zishu continued: “You don’t like coming back to the family estate. You don’t enjoy dealing with these people. You’re an adult — you could simply choose not to come back, never see any of them again. You have your own business, you’re doing well, you’re perfectly capable of a good life. You could even leave this city entirely and go somewhere else entirely if you wanted…”

Chapter 51

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 51#

Yan Zishu looked at the television screen, avoiding Fu Jinchi’s eyes directly. Fu Jinchi had said his eyes were different when he lied.

But beyond that, he was confident there were no other significant flaws in the performance.

He had missed Fu Jinchi’s expression in that moment, but even if he had seen it, he wouldn’t have changed his mind.

What came next was in the hands of whatever governed such things.

Chapter 52

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 52#

“Suspension — how easily you say it!” The rage surging in Fu Weishan was already reaching its crest. “The nerve you have! You treacherous—”

Yan Zishu said nothing. He tilted his head slightly; something heavy whistled past his ear and struck the floor with a tremendous crack. A stapler. Fu Weishan’s face had gone the color of iron, veins standing out on his forehead, looking as though he wanted to tear someone apart with his bare hands.

Chapter 53

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 53#

Whether a man’s words could be trusted was still open to debate. What was not open to debate was that Fu Jinchi’s performances were never to be taken at face value.

Yan Zishu had made one miscalculation, and it was forgetting this.

If a mutual attraction could be a passing game, why not a rupture and a breakup?

Fu Jinchi had never truly considered letting go of the things he wanted.

Chapter 54

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 54#

In truth, it had all been an excuse.

When Yan Zishu said no, Fu Jinchi accepted the refusal with only a note of regret. Nothing more.

That was the end of it. No landlord materializing afterward to say she was evicting him regardless of what he thought.

If Yan Zishu had been the protagonist of some melodrama, there might really have been a string of misfortunes driving him to the street, until in a cold rainstorm someone appeared and extended a rescuing hand. But Yan Zishu was not that kind of person. He was a cannon fodder character of no great importance — things wouldn’t go very smoothly, but heaven probably wasn’t going to focus its full attention on persecuting him before the story reached its end.

Chapter 55

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 55#

Whether it was Fu Jinchi’s own choices in clothes or in life — whether they suited him or not — was not for outsiders to comment on.

Yan Zishu thought: he was that outsider now. Correction — he had always been an outsider.

All of it was fine, really. He made a circuit of the preview exhibition hall. This year’s spring auction was, as Ben had described, superficially passable but riddled with small problems when you looked closer.

Chapter 56

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 56#

Yan Zishu pressed a shirt crisp and straight, polished his shoes to a shine, and prepared everything needed for work, just as he had done on countless days and nights before. There was no longer anything to worry about stepping on underfoot — a small dog’s sudden appearance in his path. As though his world had reverted to its natural state: full of cold, complicated paperwork, emails, and reporting decks, rather than leisurely walks across a lawn or reading children’s books aloud in a shop.

Chapter 57

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 57#

When fate approached a turning point, it probably felt something like riding a roller coaster. The ascent was slow, laborious, the creeping pace making it hard to stay alert. Then, once the peak was cleared, the plunge came without negotiation — the danger exposed all at once, and the car still had to complete its arc by inertia, throwing every passenger through the full weight of the drop, leaving everyone dizzy and weightless, screaming in waves.

Chapter 58

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 58#

In the blink of an eye, Fu Weishan had been in custody for nearly two weeks.

Every morning in the secretarial office, the usual exchange had been replaced by: “So CEO Fu still can’t get out?”

The answer was always the same deflated refrain: “Not yet — the lawyers still haven’t heard anything.”

Fu Weishan had probably known, when he was taken away, roughly what he was facing — but had almost certainly not anticipated he’d be there this long. A gold-tier legal team was working hard to secure his release, but the tangle of relationships involved meant the process had been anything but smooth.

Chapter 59

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 59#

Yan Zishu surrendered his phone, his glasses, and his wallet without resistance and made no attempt to fight back.

There was a gun visible at the waistband of the man in front of him. Against that, fists were not going to be very useful.

When in a position of weakness, Yan Zishu also knew how to write the wise adapt to circumstances.

As for who would be walking around illegally armed in this day and age — in his assessment, there was only one candidate: the old loyalists Fu Weishan’s mother had left behind.

Chapter 60

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 60#

Before seeing it with his own eyes, in the past two days, what Yan Zishu imagined the most was the scene when Wen Biao came to negotiate with Fu Jinchi and the others. After much thought, lacking experience, he could only infinitely approach the scenes of “negotiations” in movies.

But for a few minutes each day, he also found it incredible. Could he really see Fu Jinchi again at such a time?

Chapter 61

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 61#

The rain began to fall again, first pattering on the deck. In an instant, it poured down like a torrential downpour, covering the line of sight like a curtain, stinging people’s eyes so they couldn’t open them. Between the sea and the sky, it was dark and dim, and the wind howled terrifyingly.

When the explosion occurred, the first shot actually missed.

Black Bear initially tried to aim at Fu Jinchi. Across a distance, his accuracy might not have been enough, but at this moment, he couldn’t care about how many people would be accidentally injured. He just wanted to drag one person down with him. But suddenly, a hand reached out from nowhere, grabbed his collar, and dragged him back.

Chapter 62

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 62#

In fact, for the first month after Yan Zishu fell into the sea and went missing, Fu Jinchi kept his eyes open almost all night long.

He couldn’t say if it was insomnia, but as soon as he closed his eyes, it was all thick blood color. It seemed that he could still smell the overwhelming rust in his nasal cavity, which made him unable to bear it and crawl up after lying down for a while. Others said they smelled nothing.

Chapter 63

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 63#

For people in Hong Kong, Shigu Island, which is far from the main island, is equivalent to a back garden for stealing a moment of leisure, and the scenery has always been impeccable.

In the morning, Yan Zishu went for a walk on the beach. A thin milky white mist rose on the sea surface, misty and fantastical, like a dream. The beach was also white, and the coastline on both sides extended infinitely to the left and right in silence. At this moment, not even a shadow could be seen, and at first glance, it was uninhabited.

Chapter 64

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 64#

The monastery Zeng Peirong mentioned was the St. John’s Monastery standing halfway up the mountain, which has a history of more than a hundred years.

Hong Kong has many mountains, and many buildings are built against the mountains like this, magnificent enough. The only fly in the ointment is that climbing up is extremely physically demanding. The sanatorium where Yan Zishu lived was at the foot of the mountain, separated by a distance. He walked slowly up the small path.

Chapter 65

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 65#

Whether the problem is big or not, it seems Yan Zishu has no way to deal with it, so he simply pretends there is no problem.

Zeng Zhanpeng swore that he was really loyal enough and didn’t reveal anything intentionally; he just ran into the other party while on a business trip to Dongcheng.

It was Fu Jinchi who had been paranoid and nitpicking words, and it seemed he had also gotten wind of it from elsewhere.

Chapter 66

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 66#

Occasionally, people passed by on the flat seaside main road. A young couple rode a tandem bicycle rented from the ferry pier for a joyride. When passing the bench, they turned their heads curiously to glance at them, perhaps thinking they were an open same-sex couple.

“I should be the one asking you, Fu Jinchi, what exactly do you want to do? Do you still want to sleep with me? Sorry, your timing is wrong; we can’t do it for now. Whatever adult games you want to play, we can’t play them either. It would be faster for you to find someone new.”

Chapter 67

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 67#

Lily, a high-EQ professional woman, skilled in communication, and proficient in the social tactic of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

“How about this one?” Yan Zishu actually pointed to the oldest one who looked kind and benevolent.

“Vice president, his resume is quite impressive,” Lily said. “But I don’t know if he still sees outpatients. It might require a special appointment.”

“Actually, rich people are more or less a bit problematic. What, ah, we rich people also have rich people’s troubles, you poor people can’t understand.”

Chapter 68

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 68#

In Yan Zishu’s mental portrait of Fu Jinchi, the man was charming and volatile, cunning beyond his years, inscrutable, and vindictive to the last degree — any number of words, favorable and unfavorable, could apply to him. Relentless was not one Yan Zishu had ever thought to reach for.

Perhaps also: shameless.

The whole situation struck him as deeply surreal.

And Fu Jinchi himself had the air of someone who had decided he had nothing left to lose.

Chapter 69

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 69#

That night, Fu Jinchi actually didn’t say much. He just listened the whole time. In the end, Yan Zishu began to yawn, so he was pressed back down by him to lie down again. Fu Jinchi kissed his forehead: “Don’t say anymore, go to sleep first, don’t stay up late.”

After speaking, he also lay down.

The sound of the wind seemed to be mixed with the lingering charm of the Halloween carnival. In the second half of the night, Yan Zishu slept very well.

Chapter 70

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 70#

After some bargaining, and under Yan Zishu’s urging, the first thing Fu Jinchi did was to issue instructions to the person currently taking care of the dog, telling them to change “William” to “Weilian”, to at least make it sound slightly more tactful.

In Yan Zishu’s words, at least it saves the trouble of someone calling out later, and not knowing if the dog should go over or if he should answer.

Chapter 71

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 71#

“Let’s not, it’s getting a bit late.” Yan Zishu felt lazy and a bit reluctant, “And it’ll be very cold when we come back.”

“Watching the sunset is best right now. You’ve lived on the island for so long, you haven’t even seen it, right?” Fu Jinchi put his arm around him and urged, “Let’s go, while it’s still the tail end of autumn. It won’t be as beautiful once winter starts.”

Chapter 72

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 72#

Upon returning to the sanatorium, they met Mr. Ding at the entrance again. Seeing the “cousins”, Mr. Ding asked with concern what had happened to Yan Zishu’s foot, then told him to remember to ask the nurse for a cold compress, but didn’t say much else.

Yan Zishu felt a bit embarrassed and asked Fu Jinchi to put him down. Fu Jinchi pretended not to hear.

After being placed on the bed, Yan Zishu bent one leg and rolled up his trouser leg. Fu Jinchi had just found the common medicine for bruises from the room’s first aid kit when his phone rang again. Yan Zishu signaled to him with his hand, and Fu Jinchi handed the medicine to him, saying “Don’t let it touch water”.

Chapter 73

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 73#

The end-of-year festive atmosphere in Hong Kong was always elaborate. Unlike the mainland, Christmas here was a genuine holiday for local residents.

Yan Zishu hadn’t grown up observing it, but there was an old saying about adapting to local customs. Having been here long enough, he’d found himself mildly infected by the holiday spirit — the commercial streets had strung up little lights a full month in advance, and it was difficult to be entirely immune to it.

Chapter 74

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 74#

Ding Hongbo was momentarily at a loss for words. Yan Zishu had already turned and continued in the direction of the sanatorium.

Their destinations were different — he was heading back to rest, while Ding Hongbo still had to return to the barbecue.

Not the same road.

The slender figure moved further away, the back of his shirt and his trouser legs caught by the wind. There was something distinctly solitary about the sight. Ding Hongbo stood with a furrowed brow, unsure how he’d ended up saying so much, and vaguely feeling that the man looked as thin as a sheet of paper — like he might be swept into the sea at any moment.

Chapter 75

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 75#

Apparently so.

Fu Jinchi’s eyes shifted. He turned over, pulled Yan Zishu in, and pressed half his face into the pillow. “Stay with me a while. Sleep.”

He had traveled through the night — a red-eye flight to the island, the tabloid stuffed in his pocket, then straight onto the earliest ferry to Stone Drum Island without stopping. Only now that he’d seen Yan Zishu did the tightness in his chest release. Tiredness moved in immediately. The red threads in his eyes were faint but visible.

Chapter 76

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 76#

“The interim president at Yinghan has been held by Third Uncle’s faction, both sides are trying to reshuffle — but that Fu Jiale, do you remember him, the heavyset one, he’s really not much of an improvement over Fu Weishan. Looking at the current situation…”

Fu Jinchi had claimed Yan Zishu’s recliner by the floor-to-ceiling window, and pulled Yan Zishu down to sit on his lap. When Yan Zishu tried to get up, Fu Jinchi wouldn’t let him — holding on the way you might hold a cat to keep it from slipping off: “Don’t you want to hear how your old company is doing?”

Chapter 77

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 77#

In the end, of course, no agreement was reached, but no refusal was made either. It was simply put aside to be discussed later.

Yan Zishu temporarily ended the topic with the all-purpose phrase, “Let’s go eat first.”

Fu Jinchi slowly put on his suit jacket, which he had newly found in the wardrobe. The thicker coat he had worn when he arrived was taken off the hanger, patted, unfolded, and put on Yan Zishu.

Chapter 78

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 78#

“Aren’t you just stirring up trouble for the sake of it?” Yan Zishu smiled faintly, glancing sideways at Fu Jinchi. “She was just going with the flow. Whether she said she didn’t bring it or whatever, finding an excuse to refuse would have been enough. Are we really going now? Is it fun, Mr. Fu?”

“Go, why not?” Fu Jinchi smiled lazily, showing no remorse, and rested one arm on the back of the sofa behind Yan Zishu’s head. “As long as someone sincerely invites me, even if it’s a Hongmen Banquet (a trap), there’s no reason not to go.”

Chapter 79

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 79#

A group of reckless teenagers rode skateboards through the crowd, causing a flurry of exclamations and scolding.

Fu Jinchi glanced at them and made Yan Zishu walk on the inner side of the sidewalk: “This way.”

As a result, they still couldn’t avoid it. A little boy carrying a football in a net bag ran very fast. With blond hair and blue eyes, straight calves, and the name of an international school printed on his sportswear, he rushed over and bumped into Yan Zishu with a bang.

Chapter 80

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 80#

“Dare not” - this phrasing is just… dare not what? Dare not let her fiancé eat with other men?

It just so happened that Fu Jinchi’s low-level acting skills, which didn’t even require using his brain, managed to hit the spot with that little girl Lisa every time.

Whether Ding Hongbo was gay or straight, that was exactly what she was sensitive about.

Of course, what Fu Jinchi did was also quite boring.

Chapter 81

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 81#

During the gap in the afternoon, the driver had already made a run back. Other arrangements had been made for most of what they’d bought during the day to be delivered to the Stone Drum Island sanatorium — they didn’t need to worry about it themselves. Yan Zishu took the opportunity to mock Fu Jinchi as a capitalist of the worst kind.

“Which makes you what?” Fu Jinchi asked.

Chapter 82

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 82#

Fu Jinchi was in no rush to introduce Yan Zishu to his acquaintances in Hong Kong. Perhaps the timing felt rushed, or perhaps it simply didn’t seem necessary yet.

Yan Zishu didn’t mind either way. He wanted to understand this man because he wanted to love him — but he saw no reason to rush toward a complete picture all at once.

He had always known that Fu Jinchi’s social world was complicated. His contact list contained people of genuine character worth knowing, like the Zeng siblings, and naturally also plenty of the entitled, pleasure-seeking variety whose company would not always be pleasant.

Chapter 83

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 83#

Yan Zishu stepped away to take the call. Fu Jinchi watched his back until he had crossed well onto the beach and was out of easy earshot.

He looked away, and picked up a fresh skewer of chicken wings to put on the grill.

By the time they were nearly done, the twin girls had drifted back over, noses working like small dogs. Fu Jinchi beckoned. They had seen Yan Zishu sitting beside him earlier; in their understanding, this was a pretty adult associated with a safe one, so he counted as approachable. Each of the twins received a honey-glazed wing. They seized their prizes and ran. Still no sign of Yan Zishu.

Chapter 84

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 84#

What Yan Zishu found strange was that Fu Jinchi was usually jealous of Ding Hongbo without any provocation whatsoever — so why was he the one bringing the man up?

“Apparently there’s been quite a scene at the Crown Hotel this morning.” Fu Jinchi sat in a chair, playing idly with the game pieces he’d just put away. He had stepped out briefly and come back, and now had his phone face-down on the table. “Two families gathering for an engagement ceremony. The bride-to-be arrived, the guests arrived — the groom-to-be just never appeared. Nobody knows where he is. Everyone is currently looking.”

Chapter 85

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:43:55 +0000

Chapter 85#

Someone was saying something up ahead. Fu Jinchi sat on the bench, leaning back, and probably had a dream.

Because he saw himself as a child.

In the dream, he was perhaps four or five years old, sitting eagerly at the table. His mother had prepared a big meal and placed it on the dining table, covered with plates, but the aroma still wafted out. It was already very late, and he was hungry, but he understood that it wasn’t time to eat yet.