Chapter 19

Chapter 19

On the evening of November 20th, at a seaside restaurant in Nation G, a spectacular 50-meter display screen looped ads of the world's top male model, Guan Zhaoyi.

Upstairs, on the eighteenth-floor luxury dining level, Jiang Yao appeared unusually slight. He poured red wine for the two men in front of him and called over the manager to add two French courses to their order.

A violinist, dressed in an elegant tailcoat, launched into a graceful waltz. On the central dance floor, a pianist joined in harmony. The main lights dimmed, leaving only warm, intimate mood lighting by the windows and around the dance floor.

A pair of Caucasian lovers, swept up in the moment, suddenly rose and stepped onto the dance floor hand in hand. Jiang Yao watched intently, lifting his glass in tribute to the couple.

Kai'lier: "..."

Victor: "..."

The system whispered, "I'm getting weird vibes, aren’t you?"

"Don't you see?" Jiang Yao took a sip of wine. "Look, this floor is almost entirely set up with exquisite intimate two-tops, each spaced more than six feet apart for excellent privacy."

The lights in the atrium blazed like stage lights, while the surrounding area was just bright enough to illuminate the tables. Even the tables themselves weren’t large—if someone reached over during dinner, they could easily wipe a stray bit of food from the other’s lips.

The system: "Yes, it’s very quiet."

Jiang Yao: "Now, look at our two protagonists today."

Victor gave Kai'lier the once-over, while Kai'lier folded his arms and glanced out the window with a guarded posture. The atmosphere was almost painfully awkward.

Neither of them showed any intention of engaging in conversation.

"Wait, what?" A couple passing by Jiang Yao’s table stared at the trio in surprise.

The woman answered, "I guess they were having a little threesome."

—What’s going on?

—Looks like they’re having a threesome.

Kai'lier’s face went thunderous.

Victor warned the couple, "That's slander! I could sue you!"

Jiang Yao crinkled his eyes and gave a quiet laugh.

A waiter arrived with their food.

Jiang Yao had ordered the restaurant’s most famous Western dishes, while the French cuisine was chosen to suit Victor’s tastes.

Kai'lier took only one bite of his steak before pushing it aside.

Jiang Yao asked gently, "Not to your taste?"

Victor interjected, "It’s perfect. Thank you, little rabbit. I love this French dish."

Kai'lier drew a sharp breath and said, "The head chef is off today. I prefer his grilled steak. The butter is off too."

Jiang Yao picked up his own steak and sniffed it before nodding. "It might be the beef. Last night, I saw a news alert saying the hotel’s exclusive supplier changed. Probably a contract expiration and a switch to a new ranch."

Victor still bragged, "It’s delicious. The wine is outstanding too."

Finally, Kai'lier spoke his first words to Victor that evening: "This is our family’s vintage."

Victor moved the glass from his lips, spit the wine back into it, and raised his hand. "Waiter, bring my whiskey."

Kai'lier’s face turned stormier.

Jiang Yao: "..."

The system: "Uh… Host, can your plan still proceed?"

The whiskey arrived. Victor took two glasses from the waiter—one for himself and one for Jiang Yao—poured the new liquor, and said, "Drink up. I brought this from France."

Just as Jiang Yao reached for his glass, Kai'lier yanked it away. He sniffed it, quirked one corner of his mouth, and cast a disdainful glance at Victor. "You like industrial additives? I could mix you a ton for 100 euros."

Victor’s smile froze, a vein pulsing at his temple as he barely controlled his expression.

Even the AI system was nearly choking on the tension. "Host, stop this already! Ahhh! Why are people still staring?"

In the corner, hotel staff deliberately slowed their steps, sneaking looks as they passed.

Kai'lier flashed his phone, displaying Victor’s Wikipedia page. "Race car driver?"

Victor leaned back in his chair, tilting his chin up. "Yes, famous. What about it? What do you have to compete with me?" He then reached over, his calloused palm covering Jiang Yao’s hand, marking his territory to Kai'lier.

"If you’re not competing in the championship, why are you in Nation G?" Kai'lier glanced at Jiang Yao’s hand before returning his gaze to Victor’s smug face. "You got kicked off the team."

This was Victor’s trigger. He bristled. "It’s a one-race benching! I’ll be back for the next championship!"

Kai'lier wore a victor’s smile, set down his phone, and tapped the screen disdainfully with his finger. "Eternal. Second-place."

Jiang Yao sucked in a breath. "Mr. Kai'lier..."

"Fine, fine, fine." Victor was furious. He smashed his phone down on the table and pointed at Kai'lier. "What’s your name?"

Clearly intending to retaliate, Jiang Yao pressed his lips together to bite back a laugh.

Kai'lier: "You think I’m as stupid as you?"

"Fuck!" Victor snapped. The next second, he hauled Jiang Yao against him and kissed him fiercely, plundering his mouth.

The kiss was so sudden that Jiang Yao had no time to react, letting out a stifled protest. Victor paused, his rough movements instantly softening as he tightened his grip around Jiang Yao’s waist and kissed him thoroughly.

Jiang Yao arched his neck, struggling slightly. Victor was undeniably handsome, but his strength was overwhelming. When Jiang Yao opened his mouth to refuse, Victor’s gentle lips and tongue sealed him even tighter.

At that moment, the violinist seamlessly transitioned from a romantic piece to the climax of *Fool Again*.

Jiang Yao: "Tsk..."

He nearly laughed. The violinist was hilarious—this song was practically the anthem of cuckoldry in Western pop culture. Was he implying Kai'lier had been cuckolded?

Jiang Yao lifted his gaze to glance at the man sitting beside him. From this angle, he couldn’t see Kai'lier’s expression—only the tendons standing out on the back of his hand as he clenched his glass.

"Enough!" Kai'lier smashed his glass. The sharp shatter made the violinist freeze mid-note before he quickly bowed in apology and fled the scene.

A sharp pain stung Jiang Yao’s lip. Victor gently pushed him away and whispered in his ear, "You’re distracted, little rabbit. Damn it… I really want to fuck you right here."

Jiang Yao wiped his lip, smearing a faint streak of pink. "Victor, you bit my lip again."

The system: "Host, you really know how to fuel a battlefield. Do you have to make it worse?"

The consequences were obvious.

Jiang Yao was thrown onto the terrace, stumbling as his feet tangled together, staggering until he crashed against the glass railing. His waist hit the barrier, and as his upper body tilted backward, his peripheral vision caught the blur of luxury cars and neon-lit streets below!

The System shouted: "Host!"

His wrist was seized, and just as Jiang Yao steadied himself, he was pressed against the railing by Kai'lier’s approaching frame. Kai'lier: "Are you messing with me?"

Jiang Yao was clearly frightened, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his eyes wide and shining with unshed tears as he stared blankly at Kai'lier.

Kai'lier swallowed his harsh words, but his anger subsided for just a heartbeat before reigniting at the sight of Jiang Yao’s split lip.

The night breeze ruffled Jiang Yao’s hair, his lower lip bitten pale at the edges, trembling pitifully: "You’re angry... why?"

Kai'lier clenched his jaw, jabbing a finger toward the window: "Our date—why is there a third person?"

Victor stood with arms crossed behind the floor-to-ceiling window, twirling a rose between his fingers as he scrutinized Kai'lier outside.

Jiang Yao explained: "I promised Victor I’d introduce him to a suitable date."

Kai'lier pointed at himself incredulously: "Me?"

The man’s fury was nearing its peak, and Jiang Yao, not wanting to tempt fate, quickly clarified: "No! Kai'lier is my good friend. I—I don’t have many friends. At first, that was the plan, but... I don’t know why, from the moment I saw you, I couldn’t bring myself to..."

Kai'lier: "..."

Jiang Yao turned his face away, his tear-filled eyes reflecting the dazzling neon lights of G Country’s nightlife, bright as fireworks, shimmering in the night breeze.

"Couldn’t bear to? Why?" The grip on his wrist loosened unconsciously, Kai'lier unaware that his tone had softened slightly. The wind tangled his thoughts, making his words stumble: "My little butler, we’re friends. Why couldn’t you bear to part with a friend?"

Kai'lier’s heart pounded wildly as he devoured Jiang Yao with his gaze, aching to claim him right then and there. Who knew such an indirect confession could stir his desires more fiercely than any physical temptation?

"Would you really want to go on a date with Victor?" Jiang Yao turned back, looking at him in confusion.

Kai'lier: ".................."

The System howled with laughter: "HAHAHAHAHA! That's some logic! Host, as expected of you!"

"I’m asking why you couldn’t bear to part with me?!"

"Right... so, do you want to?"

Kai'lier: "Fuck!"

Jiang Yao snorted with laughter, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes with a curled finger. "Kai'lier! Hahaha! You’re so dumb... hahaha..."

It was the first time Kai'lier had seen Jiang Yao laugh so freely. In their few meetings before, Jiang Yao had been polished and precise like clockwork.

But now, he embodied four words perfectly: the vitality of youth!

A strand of the young man’s dark hair clung to his lips, and Kai'lier reached out to brush it away, accidentally brushing the cut at the corner of Jiang Yao’s mouth.

"Ouch..." Jiang Yao quickly turned his face away, his long, dark lashes fluttering. Unbeknownst to him, Kai'lier was battling the impulse to possess him and consume him whole.

Kai'lier stared intently at the smear of Jiang Yao’s blood on his fingertip.

The wind grew louder, carrying the salt-heavy ocean breeze—rain was coming.

Jiang Yao mumbled: "I don’t like Victor. I prefer... um... the subtle Eastern way of romance. But I promised him—either introduce him to a suitable partner... or... the second option, I’m really not confident about."

Judging by how Victor eyed Jiang Yao, Kai'lier was certain the man would never agree to date anyone Jiang Yao introduced. It was just a ploy to get closer to him.

"What’s the second thing?" From Jiang Yao’s words, Kai'lier gleaned three pieces of information.

One: This meticulous Eastern attendant preferred unconventional courtship.

Two: Handling Victor’s second problem could make him leave Jiang Yao alone.

"No! No, no! Kai'lier," Jiang Yao hurriedly refused. "It’s not an easy task. Victor is my friend—his issues shouldn’t trouble you!"

"Am I not your friend too?" Kai'lier narrowed his eyes, licking Jiang Yao's blood off his finger with dangerous intent. "Didn’t you say we clicked instantly, that you wanted us to be the best of friends?"

Jiang Yao faltered: "Yes... but..."

Kai'lier: "How much money does he want?"

"Oh..." Jiang Yao clasped his hands together, his face a mix of gratitude and guilt.

"Oh~" Jiang Yao mentally cheered.

"Dear Kai'lier, you’re truly too kind!"

"You’re my very, very best friend!"

"No! You’re practically my soulmate!"