Chapter 114: Is This Melon Ripe?

Chapter 114: Is This Love Real?

In the desolate racetrack,

Qiu Yuelun drove his beloved car in endless laps, revving the engine to its max, flooring the pedal like his life was on the line.

It seemed that only racing could blow off his pent-up frustration and heartbreak.

...

—I'm sorry, I can't accept your confession.

—In the future? No, not even then.

—As for why... I came to find you precisely to make this clear—because I'm off the market. To be precise, I'm married.

—Qiu Yuelun, I got married. I got married half a year ago.

—This isn’t public knowledge, so it's understandable that you thought I was single. I'm sorry, but I have to reject you.

—And I hope you won’t waste your time on me. I love my husband very much.

—If you can’t accept staying friends, then unfriend me on WeChat and forget about me.

—That’s all I wanted to say. Please don’t act impulsively or do anything irrational. There are plenty of fish in the sea, and I wish you find your soulmate in the future.

—Goodbye...

...

The one meant for him...

You are the one meant for me. Why can’t I have you?

There will never be another boy as good as you in this world.

At that moment in the car, Qiu Yuelun desperately wanted to say these words, but in the end, he remained silent, watching numbly as the guy finished speaking and walked away indifferently.

In his pocket was the little figurine he’d carved that day. On his way back, he furiously chucked it into the river.

Qiu Yuelun stood by the riverbank, letting the wind batter him for a long time, almost dissolving into the night.

He didn’t know how to describe his emotions.

He didn’t know whether to be shocked that Jian Ye was already married or to mourn losing any chance to pursue him.

Jian Ye had told him not to act impulsively, and of course, he wouldn’t let this break him.

After staring into the wind for an hour or two, Qiu Yuelun drove back to Z City in the dead of night and headed straight to the racetrack he knew best.

His racing car was his ride-or-die, and the racetrack was like home to him.

When he arrived, the place was still crowded with young night racers, but Qiu Yuelun rented out the whole track.

He just wanted to drive in solitary silence, without thinking about anything else.

He wanted to clear his head—wish it could vanish into the void.

His first brush with love had crashed and burned. Before he could even get a bite, it had been ripped away from him.

Qiu Yuelun didn’t blame Jian Ye; he only resented fate for not letting him meet Jian Ye sooner.

Jian Ye had first been emotionally manipulated and abandoned by the scumbag Yu Wei, then used as a political marriage pawn by his family, marrying into a wealthy family at a young age.

Regarding Jian Ye’s identity, Jian Ye had laid everything out for him in the car.

It was an open and honest conversation—Jian Ye was still considerate toward him, perhaps unwilling to let him misunderstand even a little.

If Jian Ye hadn’t personally said how much he loved his husband, Qiu Yuelun might've still clung to hope.

The emotion in Jian Ye’s eyes didn’t seem like a lie—his husband was one lucky bastard.

Qiu Yuelun seethed with envy while also thinking…

If he ever caught that man mistreating or abandoning Jian Ye, he would steal him away no matter what it took.

Those who didn’t cherish Jian Ye had it coming.

Qiu Yuelun would never allow anyone to lay a finger on Jian Ye.

He didn’t delete Jian Ye’s WeChat—he just couldn't bring himself to, nor did he want things to end between them this way.

Though trying to remain friends after rejection was torture, being cut off completely would be even more painful.

Between the two options, Qiu Yuelun chose the former.

……

Lanfeng Bay.

On the sofa, Yi Siyu looked down at the boy applying medicine to his arm, his eyes soft with affection.

After rubbing medicated oil onto Yi Siyu’s bruised arm, Jian Ye looked up and saw the man’s smug look.

Annoyed, he said, “You’re injured, yet you’re still smiling. Next time, you're on your own.”

“Baby, don’t be angry. There won’t be a next time,” Yi Siyu crooned.

On the way back, Yi Siyu had already explained everything to Jian Ye.

Unexpectedly, some of that fight was an act.

There was a reason Qin Fei had recommended the program crew to that restaurant—he’d privately gotten word that the enemies he was targeting were also there.

He had deliberately appeared to be spotted by them in secret.

And he had intentionally put on that show with Yi Siyu for the cameras.

The identity of the Third Young Master Yi was big news in their world, making it easy for those people to find out who had quarreled with Qin Fei.

Jian Ye, unaware of the scheme, had played peacemaker—perfectly becoming part of Qin Fei’s plan.

Flirting with Third Young Master Yi’s wife—Yi Siyu’s furious retaliation—the all-out war between Yi Group and Qin Group.

This reasoning was totally believable. Regardless of the rumors that Third Young Master Yi didn’t love his wife, in elite marriages, whether there was affection or not, Qin Fei flirting with his wife was a fucking insult to the Yi family.

As wealthy families from different regions, they never crossed paths before—but who asked Qin Fei to expand his business to Yunjing?

And deliberately set up Qin Group’s Yunjing headquarters smack dab across from Yi Group’s? Wasn’t that an in-your-face challenge?

Any outsider would think the same.

Now that he’d figured it out, Jian Ye kept quiet.

He was just pissed they’d made a deal behind his back without even a heads-up.

He was a decent actor—if they’d clued him in, he wouldn’t have screwed it up. In fact, he might have performed even more intensely and convincingly.

Jian Ye could already imagine the headlines the media would use once this incident blew up:

"Explosive Drama! Two Men Throw Down in Restaurant Over a Boy—Love Triangle Gone Wild?"

"Temptation Strikes! Jian Ye Sparks Brawl Between Two CEOs!"

"Love Rivals Go Nuclear IRL! Drama So Intense It Ends in Tears!"

"The New ‘Da Ji’ of Social Media? How Much Chaos Will Rookie Jian Ye Cause?"

Jian Ye was no stranger to going viral. When it came to the affairs of big shots, he chose not to get involved.

Besides, Special Assistant Xu had his Weibo covered. Finals and winter break were around the corner—perfect for staying in.

Let the internet buzz—he’d tune it out, chill at home, cook, game, and binge movies.

And sneak in some cuddles with his hubby. Life was good.

If the big shots needed a pawn, he was game.

"You went straight for his face—got some beef with him? Young Master Qin’s pretty face got messed up," Jian Ye remarked.

"Blood sells the act. He’s got people watching his back," Yi Siyu said, ruffling Jian Ye’s hair.

"Why does the Qin family have so many enemies?" Jian Ye asked.

"Their ancestors’ mess, dumped on the kids to fix," Yi Siyu replied, indicating that the tangled mess couldn’t be explained in just a few words.

Every businessman’s shady—the Qins just went harder.

Money talks—but screw up, and people get hurt.

It’s about who’s got morals and who’s a snake.

By Qin Fei’s generation, their methods were clearly less extreme than their ancestors’.

After dealing with him, Yi Siyu figured Qin Fei wasn’t that kind of scumbag.

He played dirty when needed, but he wasn’t without honor.

For a capital powerhouse like the Qin Group, a Qin-Yi alliance could mean big wins for both.

But first, they’d fake a feud to sell Qin Fei’s plan.

Yi Siyu wasn’t doing this for free.

He and Jian Ye were square—the Yi family’s debt was paid.

Now Qin Fei needed him, so the Qins owed the Yis one.

Favors trump cash these days. A word from a family head moves mountains.

...

As expected.

Some lowlifes in the shadows bit the bait, seizing this opportunity to drag Qin Group through the mud.

The surveillance footage was also leaked online.

Sources immediately doxxed the identities of the two men involved in the fight.

Qin Fei, the president of Qin Group, and Yi Group's Third Young Master Yi, Yi Siyu.

The whistleblower’s report claimed that both men were thirsting over the young master of the Jian family, leading to a heated argument that escalated into a physical altercation.

First-wave gossipers were stunned.

"Isn’t this Jian Ye? The young master of the Jian family? Wait what??"

"Jian Ye is from the Jian family of Yunjing… that Jian family?"

"The wealthy Jian family? No fucking way!"

"Asking for a friend… is this scoop legit?"

The more they rabbit-holed, the more unsettling the revelations became.

"No wonder Jian Ye’s lifestyle looks so luxurious."

"No wonder he could book Yixianju—that’s a members-only spot for young masters of wealthy families!"

"I thought he was just a big fish, somewhat impressive, but turns out he’s the OG baller! This is next-level shit!"

"Those still dreaming of becoming Jian Ye’s sister-in-law, girl, give it up! That’s real old money!"

"Wait, Qin Fei, the president of Qin Group—isn't that the sugar daddy who awarded Jian Ye that day?"

"Damn! Dude's simping for Jian Ye!"

"Hand me my laptop, and I’ll write a 100k-word fanfic! He chased after the show’s investment just for Jian Ye! President Qin, I can't even!"

"The other guy in the fight is so handsome too. If no one’s paying attention to him, I’ll take him!"

"Bitch please! That’s the Third Young Master of the Yi Group. Word on the street he’s got a terrible temper."

"I have a distant cousin who’s a trust fund baby. She told me Third Young Master Yi is already married???"

"So is Jian Ye the side piece?"

"Hey, Anon, stop spreading baseless rumors! Clearly, these two men are the ones chasing Jian Ye. How is this victim-blaming?"

"Still, there's smoke where there's fire. I don’t buy that Jian Ye had nothing to do with this."

"Marriages in these one-percenter crowds are just for show—all about family interests, zero real feelings. Maybe Jian Ye is Third Young Master Yi’s true love?"

"What does a single video prove? There’s no audio."

"OMG! Audio’s out now! Someone just leaked a recording from the restroom!"

"Go listen, it’s straight fire!"

The audio has been processed, but the key phrases are clearly audible.

- "Would you like to be with me?"

- "After I destroy the Yi family, you divorce him, and I'll marry you."

- "Did Mr. Qin just say he wants to destroy whose family? Our family?"

- "Darling!"

Netizens: !!!

The silence is deafening.

"Author's Note"

Netizens: Who the hell is she calling husband?! (This crowd is messed up!)