Chapter 54: Forcing the Ox to Drink Water*

Chapter 54: Forcing the Ox to Drink Water*

(*Note: This idiom implies forcing someone to do something against their will.)

A few days passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for the Huo family's birthday banquet.

The banquet was held on a weekend. Li Mingzhi had to go out of town for a work gig, leaving the three Li brothers taking a break from work and staying home.

On this relaxed day without work, both Li Wenzhao and Li Xu were particularly laid-back, while only the Third Young Master, Li Ting, was fidgety and restless.

Jing Yi sat in the corner holding Tangyuan (a pet/object), quietly watching Li Ting's antics unfold.

"Second Brother," Li Ting finally couldn't hold back and spoke up, "Aren't you going out to meet Miss Xie today?"

Li Xu leisurely sipped his coffee, "She's back home with her family. I don't want to intrude."

Hearing this, Li Ting pursed his lips slightly.

Since the banquet was to be held in the evening, if Li Xu stayed home all day, wouldn't their plans be blown when they headed out later?

Li Ting: "Then you're not working overtime today either?"

"No," Li Xu flipped through the book in his hands, casually replying, "I've been working too much overtime recently. Today, I just want to relax."

Li Ting quickly suggested, "Then why don't you go upstairs and crash?"

"..." Li Xu looked up, speechless, "Third Brother, I want to relax, not hibernate. Reading at home is fine."

Li Ting: "..."

"Giggle giggle giggle... Third Young Master is pulling out all the stops to keep Second Brother out of the loop, hahaha."

Li Xu was momentarily stunned, his playful and probing gaze falling on Li Ting.

Li Ting: "..."

Oh no, he forgot that the young butler's thoughts couldn't be blocked.

The living room was quiet. Under his second brother's gaze, Li Ting felt his scalp tingle, praying that Jing Butler, the big leaky spoon, wouldn't spill any more truths, when he heard—

"But with Third Young Master's background and status, he actually loves crashing other people's birthday banquets just to gossip. What a weird hobby!"

"And he doesn't want me to tell Second Brother. To clear out the riff-raff, Third Young Master is hopping around like a big grasshopper, giggle giggle."

Li Ting: "You..."

Li Xu slammed the book down, cutting off Li Ting's unfinished words. Li Xu slightly turned his face, "Aunt Fang."

A kind-looking middle-aged aunt came over, wiping her hands, "Yes, Second Young Master, what can I do for you?"

Li Xu: "Did Eldest Young Master specify any preferences for dinner?"

"No," Aunt Fang replied honestly, "Eldest Young Master is attending the Huo family's birthday banquet tonight and said he won't be eating at home."

Li Ting's heart sank: "..." It's over.

"Third Young Master, you're done for."

Li Xu chuckled lightly without much emotion, "Got it, you can go back to your work." After Aunt Fang left, Li Xu slowly turned his gaze to Li Ting's guilty face, "I didn't know there was a birthday banquet."

Jing Yi gasped and hugged the kitten in his arms tightly.

"Third Young Master has been caught. I support Second Brother in restoring brotherly discipline and teaching Third Young Master a lesson from head to toe. Hmm... if only Second Young Master could read minds as well."

"I really want to remind him about the last date when Third Young Master openly rambled about how his and Miss Xie's future might end up in tragedy and police investigations."

Li Xu's face grew darker and darker: "..."

Li Ting was sweating profusely and shot a fierce glare at Jing Yi, "Second Brother, I didn't mean it like that."

Li Xu just sneered, "I think you meant exactly that."

After saying that, Second Young Master got up and left. Li Ting hurriedly chased after him.

Jing Yi, cradling the soundly sleeping kitten, was completely baffled.

·

In the evening, the three Li brothers all dressed in formal attire and came downstairs, each more handsome than the last, embodying their reputation as exceptional figures.

Especially Li Wenzhao, whose seemingly low-key black fabric was actually adorned with fine diamonds at the cuffs and collar, shimmering brilliantly as he moved.

Jing Yi had always had a thing for shiny stuff since he was a kid. He gently brushed the sparkle on Li Wenzhao's cuff, "Eldest Young Master, you look really good in this."

Seeing the anticipation and longing in his eyes, Li Wenzhao didn't hesitate, "I'll have Fan Ming order a set in your size."

Not far away, Li Xu and Li Ting instantly turned their heads to look over.

Jing Yi immediately let go and stepped back, "No, no, I'm too skinny. Wearing it might make me look like a shiny eel."

"Flickering in the night."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

His gaze swept over Jing Yi's noticeably rounder chin, "It's been a while since you last weighed yourself, hasn't it?"

What nonsense. Jing Yi tilted his head at a 45-degree angle, gazing melancholically at the sky, "In this life, I dare to love and hate, but I dare not step on a scale."

Li Wenzhao raised an eyebrow: "..."

Li Ting disdainfully turned his face away. Stupid Jing Butler, a little good-for-nothing who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun. He actually thought he had caught a hint of some affair just now. Tsk.

Li Ting lazily swung his car keys and walked out. Li Xu stood at the entrance, his gaze falling on his eldest brother and Jing Yi, who were standing close together, the young butler's face full of trust and dependence towards the eldest young master.

The premonition in Li Xu's heart grew stronger. He spoke up, "Eldest Brother, you and Jing Butler..."

"Hmm? What?" Li Wenzhao looked at Li Xu.

His gaze was ordinary, his expression and attitude as calm and indifferent as usual. Yet Li Xu felt as if he had lost his words in an instant. He was overthinking it. Their proud and meticulous eldest brother, how could he be swayed by a mere butler? His eldest brother wasn't the type to be impulsive with emotions.

"Nothing." Li Xu gently withdrew his gaze, "It's getting late. Let's go."

·

·

The Huo family's birthday banquet was held at their own villa, inviting many of the city's elite. The garden party under the night sky was exceptionally magnificent.

On the third floor of the villa, Huo Cenxin was dressed to the nines in a long, deep blue evening gown that accentuated her beautiful figure. Her face was meticulously made up, and she looked as if she had a ten-level beauty filter on.

She pursed her lips in the mirror, applied lip gloss, and asked, "Has Li Wenzhao arrived yet?"

The female assistant accompanying her glanced down from the balcony, "Not yet, Miss."

Huo Cenxin was slightly disappointed. After touching up her lip makeup, she gracefully stood up, but a hint of worry showed on her brow. "Will the reporters Father hired be able to manage the situation discreetly?"

The assistant replied calmly, "Don’t worry, Miss. Those two are from the entertainment industry and have followed many celebrities. They know how to handle things discreetly."

Huo Cenxin touched up her voluminous curls. "That’s good. I don’t want Li Wenzhao to notice any clues that might affect our marital relationship."

The assistant nodded, "Understood."

At that moment, a high-end car slid past the entrance of the Huo family mansion. The assistant quickly turned around, "Miss, they’re here."

"Good," Huo Cenxin said, "Go ahead with the plan."

·

An hour later, Jing Yi followed Li Wenzhao into the Huo family mansion.

Li Xu and Li Ting, disliking the socializing that came with being around Li Wenzhao, went off to enjoy themselves as soon as they entered. However, if Jing Yi had paid a bit more attention, he would have noticed that the two brothers weren’t too far from him.

It was another lively high-end banquet. Jing Yi looked around curiously, "Wow, Secretary Fan is here too."

Li Wenzhao glanced sideways at him, "You seem quite interested in Secretary Fan."

"You greet him first thing every day at the company, slip away to chat with him even during work hours, and spot him in a crowd instantly. Is he as popular as money?"

Li Wenzhao’s tone was calm and natural, betraying no emotion, but Jing Yi could keenly detect a hint of jealousy.

He cautiously moved closer, lowering his voice beside Li Wenzhao, "I just want to know how far he and Secretary Zou have gotten."

Jing Yi carefully looked around; no one was approaching for the moment. Blushing, he whispered to Li Wenzhao, "And... the main wife shouldn’t be jealous. As long as we don’t break up, they’ll always be just concubines."

"Giggle giggle giggle"

Li Wenzhao: "..."

He was both angry and amused, wanting to grab the young butler and give him a good pinch. But before he could act, Jing Yi dashed off into the distance amidst the chatter.

"Eldest young master, I’ll go test the food for poison first. I suspect the delicious dishes prepared by the Huo family might be of questionable quality!"

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Running off with that lame excuse.

"Secretary Fan," Jing Yi approached nearby, greeting Fan Ming warmly, "Why are you here too?"

Fan Ming stood inconspicuously in the corner, "Mr. Li asked me to come."

Jing Yi was slightly taken aback, immediately speculating, "Has the eldest young master prepared a counterattack plan?"

"Not exactly. The eldest young master said..." Fan Ming paused for two seconds, his expression turning cold, mimicking Li Wenzhao’s tone, "The gifts have been given, so he invited me to bring a couple more people to eat our share back."

Jing Yi blinked, "How many people did you bring?"

Fan Ming’s expression stiffened unnaturally, "Just one."

Jing Yi: "?"

He tilted his head and saw Zou Ting sitting behind Fan Ming, serenely savoring the banquet delicacies.

"Secretary Zou?"

Zou Ting also noticed Jing Yi, smiled slightly, and walked over to Fan Ming. Despite his refined demeanor, he was actually half a head taller than Fan Ming. "Assistant Jing, long time no see. You can just call me Zou Ting from now on. I've left the Shen Group and am no longer a secretary."

Jing Yi's smile widened. "So you're the 'family member' Secretary Fan tagged along with this time."

"When did I ever say..." Fan Ming paused. "Wait, Jing Butler, what do you mean by 'tagged along'? You're misusing words again."

Jing Yi suppressed his excitement. "Secretary Fan, are you more concerned about 'tagged along' than 'family member'?"

"Eureka! I’ve found the key point!"

Secretary Fan: "..."

Zou Ting chuckled and naturally helped Fan Ming out of the awkward situation. "Long time no see, Assistant Jing. There's dinner over there. Would you like to join us?"

At the mention of food, Jing Yi’s eyes lit up. "Absolutely!"

The banquet was held in the evening, right at dinner time. The Huo family had thoughtfully prepared a sumptuous feast in the side hall for the guests.

Just as Jing Yi sat down, ready to feast, the chair opposite him was suddenly pulled out. Li Ting sat down with a smile that hinted at settling accounts later, his gaze fixed directly on Jing Yi.

Jing Yi swallowed hard.

"Oh no, what did I do to upset Third Young Master now?"

"Third Young Master," Fan Ming greeted respectfully upon seeing Li Ting, and sat down next to Jing Yi with Zou Ting.

It was a large table that could easily accommodate ten people. Jing Yi estimated the distance—he was separated from the inexplicably appearing Li Ting by the entire length of the table.

At least three meters. This distance gave Jing Yi a sense of reckless confidence. He sat quietly, not immediately seeking Li Wenzhao's protection.

"Third Young Master, please go ahead," Fan Ming broke the awkward silence.

Li Ting chuckled and picked up his chopsticks. Jing Yi straightened his back, his eyes fixed on the taco pie in front of him.

"So beautiful, it looks delicious."

Jing Yi swallowed unconsciously, pursed his lips, and reached out with his chopsticks. The next second, he grabbed a handful of air...

The exquisitely arranged taco pie was swiftly whisked away.

Who did that?! Just one second later, and I would’ve had it!

He looked up as if the sky had fallen, only to see Li Ting leisurely letting go of the table. The taco pie he had been eyeing was now gone, along with the plate.

Jing Yi: "..."

Jing Yi: "!!!"

"My fists are clenching!"

"Big glutton, why are your hands so fast!"

Taking advantage of the fact that Li Ting couldn't hear him, Jing Yi silently fumed at Li Ting for a full two minutes.

Li Ting: "..."

With a playful expression, he curled his lips, satisfied as he watched Jing Butler's hair bristle.

Compared to the overt and covert conflicts between Li Ting and Jing Yi, the atmosphere between Fan Ming and Zou Ting was much more peaceful. These two seemed oblivious to the tension between Jing Yi and Li Ting, quietly eating and chatting now and then to break the monotony of the dinner.

"...So, the civil service exam results will be out next month. Are you nervous?" Fan Ming asked.

"Not nervous," Zou Ting replied calmly. "I have a good idea of my score. Passing won't be difficult."

Fan Ming, recalling the questions he had struggled with and the scoldings he had endured, felt a pang of imbalance. He turned to seek some comfort, only to see Jing Yi also looking indignant. "Jing Butler, is it... the Huo family's cutlery that's bothering you?"

Jing Yi finally released the chopsticks he had been gripping tightly. "No."

Zou Ting also looked over. "Assistant Jing, I never asked—do you have any plans to take the civil service exam? I can recommend some materials and even give you a complete exam prep package."

Jing Yi smiled slightly. "Thank you, but I don't need it."

Zou Ting chuckled softly. "It seems Assistant Jing has a clear plan for his future."

"Mm," Jing Yi leaned on the dining table, suddenly elevating the topic. "I just want to work harder."

Zou Ting's eyes lit up slightly. "What's motivating your work ethic?"

Jing Yi glanced at Li Ting and said gloomily, "The missing taco pie."

He spoke word by word, "If I work harder, no one will dare mess with me during meals."

"Let alone snatch food from me... hmph."

Zou Ting: "..."

Li Ting: "..."

Tsk tsk, Jing Butler, always aiming low.

Jing Yi, still fuming, picked up his chopsticks, about to grab some food, when someone gently ruffled his head. "Jing Yi, come with me."

Hearing this, Jing Yi put down his chopsticks. "Is Huo Cenxin here?"

Li Wenzhao nodded.

Jing Yi immediately dropped his chopsticks and followed. Food was nothing compared to dealing with the immediate trouble.

Behind them, Li Ting glanced at the corner where Li Xu was chatting happily with friends, smiled smugly, and got up to follow.

Li Wenzhao had already paid his respects to the Huo family patriarch, offering his congratulations. The patriarch seemed pleased and invited Li Wenzhao to take a commemorative photo with the family and join them for dinner.

Uncertain of their intentions, Li Wenzhao excused himself, first bringing along his young butler, the human lie detector.

"Wenzhao is back," the Huo patriarch said with a smile. "...And who is this?"

Li Wenzhao: "My assistant."

"Oh, it's only been a short while, and we're already on a first-name basis?"

The Huo patriarch, in good spirits and ignoring the outsiders, chuckled and took his granddaughter's hand, leading her to Li Wenzhao. "Haha, you young folks have plenty to talk about. I'm old and a bit tired, so I won't interfere. Cenxin, take good care of Wenzhao."

Huo Cenxin, blushing shyly, nodded. Even the strong-willed woman couldn't help but sound a bit coquettish. "Got it, Grandpa."

"Ugh~"

Jing Yi shivered at the deliberately exaggerated tone of Huo Cenxin.

"Wenzhao."

At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind. Jing Yi had met the elderly Mr. Xie once before. The old man, with his white hair and beard, walked over with a cane, his eyes still sharp and lively. "I knew I'd find you here."

Seeing Mr. Xie, Huo Cenxin's face turned pale, and she instinctively looked at her grandfather. The old man of the Huo family signaled her not to panic and stepped forward to greet him. "Old Xie, you're here too."

"I received the invitation," Mr. Xie said with a smile. "For your 70th birthday, how could I miss it?"

"Come, this way. I'll personally take care of you tonight."

Mr. Xie shook his head with a smile, then looked at Li Wenzhao and Huo Cenxin, his expression cooling. "So, have you and the Huo family come to an agreement?"

Li Wenzhao was taken aback. "What?"

Jing Yi also leaned in, curious. What was going on?

The old man of the Huo family's expression changed, and Huo Cenxin grew visibly anxious.

Mr. Xie chuckled lightly, but his voice boomed like a bell in Jing Yi's ears. "Two hours ago, rumors spread that the eldest daughter of the Huo family and the head of the Li family are engaged, soon to be married next month."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Jing Yi: "..."

"Outrageous! Who dares spread such rumors about our eldest young master? Trying to force a bull to drink water!"

Huo Cenxin's face turned completely pale.

Jing Yi glanced at her and muttered, "Oh, so the rumor-monger is right here with us."

Li Wenzhao's initial anger was quickly diffused by the young butler's sharp remarks, and he couldn't help but feel a bit amused.

The sarcasm was spot-on, but unfortunately, the internal thoughts were only within the Li family. Otherwise, it would have been quite a sight to see Huo Cenxin's expression upon hearing these words.

The hidden conspiracy suddenly came to light, catching the old man of the Huo family and Huo Cenxin off guard. Seeing Li Wenzhao's changed expression, they quickly fell silent and moved the conversation to the lounge.

"Wenzhao," the old man of the Huo family frowned, his face full of worry. "This matter... it's not that we wanted to deceive you. It's just that our Huo family is also in a tough spot."

Li Wenzhao remained calm and composed, neither responding nor engaging, leaving the old man's grievances to fall flat.

The old man of the Huo family: "...??"

What kind of development was this? Normally, shouldn't someone at least respond to the poor old man's words?

Despite being in a warm room, the old man of the Huo family felt like a fish out of water, flailing helplessly.

Meanwhile, Jing Yi was busy communicating with Li Wenzhao through their internal thoughts.

"He's so awkward because you're ignoring him, hahaha."

Li Wenzhao raised an eyebrow. "What else are they saying?"

Jing Yi glanced at the grandfather and granddaughter, who were exchanging meaningful looks, and listened carefully for a moment before pursing his lips. "They're plotting how to make a fool out of you."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

The young butler's words were rough but not unreasonable, after all, the Huo family's schemes were practically being shoved in his face.

Taking advantage of his being tied up at the banquet and unable to pay attention to outside news, they seized the opportunity to spread the news of the alliance between the two families. By the time he found out, this farcical engagement party would already be widely known. Could he really go door to door explaining?

As the young butler said, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

"Wenzhao," Huo Cenxin spoke softly, her demeanor as a delicate woman fully displayed, "I'm sorry, we really didn't want this, but we had no choice..."

The Huo family elder sighed deeply, "Wenzhao, you don't know, our Huo family is on the brink of disaster."

For the next ten minutes, Jing Yi and Li Wenzhao silently listened as the old and young of the Huo family, using the same tone and the same excuses, tearfully lamented their family's misfortune, leading to Huo Cenxin being forced into marriage by a crime boss, leaving them no choice but to resort to this plan, using Li Wenzhao's reputation to cover up the matter.

"We didn't want this either..." Huo Cenxin spoke with genuine distress, "But we really had no choice. They said I have to marry next month, I don't want to, Wenzhao, I really don't want to... please help me."

Both spoke with heartfelt pain, and if Jing Yi couldn't read minds, he might have believed their web of lies.

"Hmph, as long as we don't clarify today, the engagement between Cenxin and Li Wenzhao will be publicly acknowledged. If the Li family wants to back out later, we can still accuse him of jilting her!"

"We're in such a pitiful state, personally begging you to agree to the engagement, we're old acquaintances after all, the Huo family has a good reputation inside and out, I don't believe you can refuse... I've said it before, what I desire, I obtain, and that includes men."

Jing Yi: "..."

"Eldest young master, I'm a bit speechless, I don't even want to translate or comment, afraid to pollute your ears."

Li Wenzhao raised an eyebrow slightly.

Jing Yi: "Between defaming others and defaming you, they opted to betray you, and they think you should be compassionate and shoulder the blame they're trying to pin on you."

Hmph, don't push it!

Li Wenzhao: "..."

This translation has a bit of personal grudge in it.

"Wenzhao..." Huo Cenxin spoke cautiously, her eyes filled with hope, "Have you agreed?"

The Huo family elder also showed a pleased expression.

Li Wenzhao remained calm, as if he had just listened to a not very interesting chaotic comedy, without even the interest to comment, as calm as a statue.

The old and young of the Huo family were directly stunned.

After a moment, Li Wenzhao spoke softly, "So..."

The old and young's eyes lit up.

Jing Yi: "?"

"So...?"

Li Wenzhao: "Do you need me to call the police for you? Forced marriage is illegal."

Huo elder: "..."

Huo Cenxin: "..."

Jing Yi: "Hahahahahaha"

Our eldest young master is truly a law-abiding model citizen!

The next second, Li Wenzhao took out his phone and, in front of both of them, instructed Fan Ming to withdraw the news. Huo Cenxin's face turned pale with anger: "Do you really have to completely destroy our Huo family?"

A hint of annoyance flashed in Li Wenzhao's eyes: "Miss Huo, we're not related or close. The hardships of your Huo family are not my doing. If I wanted to destroy you, my methods would never be so crude."

Huo Cenxin pursed her lips: "What do you want to do?"

Jing Yi frowned impatiently: "I hate people like this the most. They seek help in the guise of victims, and if the one they ask for help can't assist, they end up hating them with gritted teeth."

"As the saying goes, 'Kindness breeds enmity.' Not a single word from our ancestors is spoken in vain."

Li Wenzhao nodded slightly in agreement: "Today is Elder Huo's birthday banquet. I don’t mean to cause any trouble. If you continue to act covertly, I will retaliate."

After saying this, Li Wenzhao left with a parting remark, taking Jing Yi with him as they exited.

Jing Yi glanced suspiciously at the two behind him, his brows tightly furrowed.

"That’s weird."

Li Wenzhao slowed his pace slightly: "What's strange?"

Jing Yi explained: "They made such a big show of inviting you and hosting this banquet, yet their tricks are so small-time?"

Li Wenzhao chuckled softly: "With you here, no trick can stay hidden."

Jing Yi was taken aback, then nodded with bright eyes: "Yeah!"

The birthday banquet had lost its meaning, and Li Wenzhao had no interest in staying any longer. Li Ting and Li Xu were nowhere to be found. Looking at the excited young man beside him, Li Wenzhao's heart softened suddenly: "You didn’t get much to eat at dinner, did you? Let me take you out to eat."

Jing Yi was delighted, then quickly realized: "What about Second Brother and Third Young Master?"

"They’re grown-ups. They’ll be fine."

Jing Yi immediately switched sides: "Let's go, let's go."

Li Wenzhao took him away from the Huo family, and by the time they finished dinner, it was already ten at night.

The night was deep, and the two returned to their private residence in the city center. The garden in the complex was quiet and shadowy, with the occasional croak of frogs by the lotus pond.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Jing Yi noticed the emergency lights in the hallway were on. "Is there a power outage?"

Li Wenzhao opened the door to find the house pitch dark and cold as an icebox without heating. He checked around: "No one has lived here for a while. The wiring’s a bit outdated. Go in first, and I'll have someone come to fix it."

Jing Yi nodded repeatedly in agreement.

He hadn't spent much time in this place and wasn't familiar with the layout. As soon as he entered, he tripped over something unknown. Before he could speak, his cool fingers were gently wrapped in a warm hand. "Did you bump into something?"

"No, I just kicked something," Jing Yi replied. His heart started racing again, and he silently allowed Li Wenzhao to lead him forward.

"I'll take you back first."

Jing Yi couldn't see anything; the darkness concealed everything, leaving only the pleasant warmth at his fingertips. His cheeks burned, and he couldn't help but let his thoughts wander.

He found Li Wenzhao, striding confidently in the dark, incredibly charming.

Such a charming and handsome man, and he had somehow managed to "pick him up." He really hit the jackpot!

No wonder Huo Cenxin was willing to throw away her dignity as a woman to try and claim him.

If he had power and influence, he would also want to tie Li Wenzhao up and take him home by force, hahaha...

"I caught all of that."

Jing Yi's laughter abruptly cut off—"What?!"

He looked up, wide-eyed, staring into the darkness in front of him, instinctively taking a step back. His knees went weak, and he collapsed onto the soft bed.

So they’d already made it to the room...

It was so dark he couldn’t even see his hand in front of his face. Jing Yi couldn’t tell where Li Wenzhao was. The darkness fueled his boldness, and Jing Yi felt braver than the biting cold outside. Perched on the edge of the bed, he turned his face away, his voice a mix of shyness and boldness as he said, "You're my boyfriend."

"Isn’t it normal for me to think you’re handsome..."

A low chuckle came from the darkness, and Li Wenzhao seemed to move closer. "Why weren’t your risqué thoughts filtered out? Is this some kind of bias?"

Jing Yi swallowed hard, speaking slowly, "You, a cheap knockoff, how dare you claim your features are better than my official, authentic version?"

Li Wenzhao laughed.

Jing Yi waited for a while, hearing no movement. "You... aren’t you going to call someone to fix the wiring?"

"No hurry," came a voice from the darkness. "How about a goodnight kiss?"

His mind went blank—

As Li Wenzhao’s words sank in, Jing Yi’s face burned with embarrassment.

He stayed silent, the quiet stretching between them in the dark.

Li Wenzhao seemed to understand his tacit consent, and Jing Yi felt a familiar presence slowly approaching.

"Beep beep beep beep—"

As the rapid beeping filled the air, Jing Yi clutched the bedsheet, his lips meeting something soft in the dark.