Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Lu Tingchao sensed trouble.

And it was profoundly bad.

But he dared not speak.

In the briefest of moments, Fei Yuncheng had already positioned himself at the opposite end of the Ferris wheel, gazing across at Lu Tingchao.

Fei Yuncheng’s attire suggested he had just come from an evening banquet, his sapphire cufflinks dazzling, gleaming under the moonlight.

The bodyguards by the cars were all tall and powerfully built, several clearly not local, their distinct grey-blue eyes giving off an eerily cold, snake-like aura when they looked at someone.

Night had fallen.

The gentle night breeze stirred the edges of Lu Tingchao’s unusually loose shirt.

Fei Xiuqi had, at some point, approached Lu Tingchao, gently encircling him with an arm, then lowering his head to whisper into Lu Tingchao’s ear—

The night breeze was cool,

But Fei Xiuqi’s breath was scorching hot.

“Chao Chao, this is Hong Kong.”

After the warm breath, Fei Xiuqi nipped Lu Tingchao’s earlobe.

The heat of his lips was tinged with a subtle coolness.

Lu Tingchao shivered in Fei Xiuqi’s embrace.

Then,

He heard Fei Xiuqi speak again: “Even the ferry terminals belong to Devin. Where do you expect me to take you to escape?”

Lu Tingchao froze abruptly. He instinctively looked up at Fei Yuncheng, but saw only a composed and gentle man, surrounded by a multitude of bodyguards.

Lu Tingchao suddenly recalled the many times he had been here—people around him had told him: “This belongs to Devin.”

“In Hong Kong, there’s nothing Devin can’t achieve.”

“All the gambling dens, the racecourses—whatever Devin desires, naturally becomes his.”

This was not Beicheng.

There was no Zhuang Ji, who had indulged his every whim since childhood, nor the boundless freedom where Lu Tingchao could have anything he wanted—

And Fei Yuncheng—would he, like Zhuang Ji, give him whatever he desired?

“You’ve been spoiled.”

Fei Xiuqi took Lu Tingchao’s hand, then lowered his head slightly to kiss the crown of Lu Tingchao’s head.

Immediately after, he chuckled softly.

“But it’s alright.”

Fei Xiuqi said, “Chao Chao, you’re bound to break eventually.”

Lu Tingchao’s fingertips were chilled by the night breeze.

He tried to pull away but couldn’t escape Fei Xiuqi’s grip; instead, his hand was held even tighter.

Fei Xiuqi led Lu Tingchao step by step forward, towards Fei Yuncheng: “In this family, you’ll have to get used to it, BB.”

—Fei Xiuqi hadn’t called him BB for a long time.

Lu Tingchao was pulled forward by Fei Xiuqi. He looked ahead along the dimly lit path in front of the Ferris wheel, trembling even more violently.

“No—!”

Lu Tingchao finally let out a desperate scream.

Unable to shake off Fei Xiuqi’s tight grip, he abruptly crouched down, like a wronged child who could only cry, curling himself into a small, helpless ball on the spot.

His sharp cries were muffled by his lowered head.

“I won’t go! I won’t go back—”

Lu Tingchao huddled into a ball, preventing Fei Xiuqi from moving forward. He repeatedly tried to break free from Fei Xiuqi’s hand, his thin, reedy voice growing increasingly helpless, “Let me go!”

His voice finally broke into a sob.

Lu Tingchao’s tears soaked through his thin shirt, drenching his collar.

He wailed like a toddler who had never faced life alone, filled with resentment, immaturity, and fragile vulnerability: “I was wrong, I don’t want to be in Hong Kong anymore, I won’t go back, I want to go home, I want to go home!!!”

Fei Xiuqi still didn’t release Lu Tingchao’s hand.

But similarly, he didn’t urge him either.

Time flowed silently in the brief stillness.

After what felt like an eternity,

The faint sound of Italian leather soles reached Lu Tingchao’s now acutely sensitive ears.

Then,

Fei Yuncheng crouched down gently, truly like a kind father, reaching out to pat Lu Tingchao’s trembling shoulders as he cried.

Fei Yuncheng’s voice was also gentle, like the night breeze whispering by a bedside: “But baby, you no longer have a home.”

Lu Tingchao’s crying stopped abruptly.

He seemed as if he’d been struck a sudden, heavy blow, stunned into stillness.

“You grew tired of Zhuang Ji, then annoyed with Mo Lingnan, so you seduced my youngest son and ran away from Beicheng.”

Fei Yuncheng gently extended his right hand, using his index finger to lift Lu Tingchao’s chin, wiping away the steady stream of tears on his face.

Those hands had endured much hardship, toil, and suffering, scraping painfully against Lu Tingchao’s delicate skin.

Fei Yuncheng said: “And then, Chao Chao, you chased pleasure without wanting to work for it, couldn't even manage simple work in the entertainment industry, lazy and comfort-seeking, just wanting to call me Daddy, trying to trick me into giving you a manor.”

Lu Tingchao flinched at the touch of the gun calluses on Fei Yuncheng’s hand, but in the next second, Fei Xiuqi pressed down on his shoulder.

“That's who you are.”

Fei Xiuqi's breath scorched against Lu Tingchao's ear, "You did every single thing yourself, BB, didn't you?"

Lu Tingchao stared blankly at Fei Yuncheng for a moment, then shook his head frantically: "No, no! I didn’t—"

A finger slid down from his tear-tracked cheek and pressed against Lu Tingchao's lips, which had turned pale and parched—soft and vulnerable.

And the next second.

That finger effortlessly pried apart Lu Tingchao's unresisting, delicate lips and invaded.

In an instant.

Lu Tingchao's beautiful eyes were beyond tears, filled only with terror and welling tears.

"You did, Chao Chao."

The invading finger ravaged mercilessly and stirred within unfamiliar territory.

Fei Yuncheng's tone, however, was leisurely and gentle, as if looking at his one true love, "Why run away? Baby, I gave you money, gave you an estate, gave you everything."

"Now, you're the wealthiest artist in the entire entertainment industry."

Fei Yuncheng gently tapped Lu Tingchao's tongue, seeming both puzzled and genuinely perplexed, "Even so, are you still unhappy, still unsatisfied? Baby."

Lu Tingchao collapsed onto the floor, legs curled to one side, his entire body unsteady, on the verge of falling.

It was then that Fei Xiuqi reached out from behind and steadied him.

A pair of strong hands from behind wrapped around Lu Tingchao's waist, pulling him tight.

Lu Tingchao could neither move forward nor retreat.

He instinctively looked up and, upon seeing Fei Yuncheng's almost peaceful and doting expression, felt an inexplicable, overwhelming dread—

like a small animal facing an apex predator.

"No…"

Lu Tingchao struggled to remove the intruding finger, but before he could even try, his free hands were bound behind him by Fei Xiuqi.

And in that very second.

Lu Tingchao suddenly understood the horror of being caught in their trap.

"No—Mmph… mmmph…"

Large, glistening tears fell once more from those beautiful eyes that had charmed countless men.

Lu Tingchao could barely utter a complete syllable, only shaking his head frantically, his pitiable appearance inviting pity.

From anger and earlier friction, blotchy red marks appeared on his originally soft, fair skin, like brands left upon it.

As if a cryptic, intimate brand.

Fei Yuncheng's gaze deepened slightly at that moment.

His throat moved, as if finally unable to restrain himself, and he used his index finger to lift Lu Tingchao's thin, fragile jaw, lowering his head to claim.

It was a kiss with no choice, inescapable and suffocating.

The faint blush on Lu Tingchao's face turned into a flushed with frantic pink; whether from extreme shame or fury enough to burn it all down—

his captivating face only grew more dazzling and alluring.

He couldn't break free, couldn't escape.

After what felt like an eternity, when Fei Yuncheng finally released him.

Lu Tingchao didn't even bother struggling to wipe the tears streaming down his face; he just lowered his eyes in a daze, whispering under his breath, "Save me…"

Perhaps all men possess a natural predatory instinct.

After those nearly pleading words were spoken in the unnervingly calm environment.

Both Fei Yuncheng and Fei Xiuqi froze momentarily.

Their gazes locked onto the person before them—

flushed eye corners, a neck already marked with various traces, ears, cheeks, tear-reddened eyes, falling tears, a trembling slender body, and slender fingers that suddenly stretched then curled…

Fei Xiuqi's gaze burned intensely; he glanced at the custom Rolls-Royce nearby and moved to lift Lu Tingchao.

But the next second.

As Fei Xiuqi leaned closest to Lu Tingchao and heard his whisper, he went completely still.

"Save Chao Chao… Zhuang Ji, save Chao Chao…"

Lu Tingchao lowered his eyes, speaking softly, cautiously, as if every word emerged from his throat, so faint they could disappear with a gust of wind.

And Lu Tingchao kept speaking, word by word, whispering timidly: "Zhuang Ji gege, save Chao Chao…"

This time.

Both men heard it clearly.

After a moment of shock, the first thing Fei Xiuqi thought wasn't to pick up Lu Tingchao, but to immediately turn his head and look at Fei Yuncheng.

And instantly.

Fei Xiuqi saw Fei Yuncheng's dark and dangerous expression.

—Or perhaps, this was Fei Yuncheng's real nature.

"Devin."

Fei Xiuqi paused for a second, then said, "Chao Chao is just scared, it probably has nothing to do with Zhuang Ji, we—"

But Fei Yuncheng smiled faintly: "Of course."

Before Fei Xiuqi could finish, Fei Yuncheng had already stood up.

Perhaps due to experiencing enough situations, Fei Yuncheng possessed a kind of arrogance and cruelty ingrained deep in his bones.

He slowly withdrew his violating finger, then very gently, very softly, as if affectionately, lightly tapped Lu Tingchao's cheek.

Leaving behind glistening wet trails.

"This is Hong Kong."

Fei Yuncheng straightened up. “What business does that kid from Beicheng have in this?”

A Zhi, standing nearby, handed him a handkerchief.

Fei Yuncheng leisurely wiped his hands, then glanced again at Lu Tingchao, who was being held in Fei Xiuqi’s arms.

Lu Tingchao remained huddled small, trembling in Fei Xiuqi’s embrace. Perhaps feeling that the man’s hold still wasn’t safe enough, he tried his best to make himself even smaller.

Fei Yuncheng took one of Lu Tingchao’s hands.

The hand was delicate and tender, clearly having never endured hardship or labor—pale and utterly vulnerable.

With utter gentleness, refinement, and deliberation, Fei Yuncheng kissed the back of Lu Tingchao’s hand.

“Chao Chao.”

Fei Yuncheng placed Lu Tingchao’s hand back into Fei Xiuqi’s hold. “Do you know what ‘Daddy’ means in Hong Kong’s entertainment industry?”

Lu Tingchao trembled all over, neither looking up nor responding to Fei Yuncheng.

Fei Yuncheng showed no sign of minding. “It’s Sugar Daddy.”

Lu Tingchao remained silent.

“It’s alright if you don’t understand.”

Fei Yuncheng’s gaze fixed on Lu Tingchao, his eyes dark and filled with barely restrained intensity.

He paused briefly, then leaned down again, bringing his lips close to Lu Tingchao’s ear.

In a voice only the two of them could hear, Fei Yuncheng said, “Chao Chao, don’t you realize? You’re a flower that’s been spoiled rotten.”

“You’re delicate, tender, unable to withstand wind or rain, incapable of enduring hardship—yet exceptionally beautiful.”

Fei Yuncheng continued, “But unfortunately, you’re also spoiled, selfish, fickle, pleasure-seeking, lazy, and utterly lacking in substance.”

Fei Yuncheng reached out, his slightly calloused fingers brushing against Lu Tingchao’s skin as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind Lu Tingchao’s ear. Softly, he murmured, “So you have to depend on a man, living only through the bed. Isn’t that right?”

Lu Tingchao flinched abruptly, trembling in Fei Xiuqi’s arms like a bird startled by a bowstring, shaking and utterly vulnerable.

Only when he realized Fei Yuncheng had straightened up and moved away did Lu Tingchao finally gather a shred of courage. Even his teeth chattered as he nervously dug his nails into his palm. “I… I could… find work… support myself…”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

This time, it wasn’t Fei Yuncheng who spoke.

Fei Xiuqi used his coat to wipe the cold sweat beading on Lu Tingchao’s forehead, shaking his head gently, whether comforting or mockingly. “What can you do, BB?”

Fei Xiuqi said, “Can you wait tables? Can you sing? Or act?”

He held Lu Tingchao firmly, effortlessly suppressing what little strength Lu Tingchao had left to struggle, and added, “You can’t do anything, BB. You can’t do anything at all.”

At this, Fei Xiuqi seemed to pause briefly.

Then, as if somewhat resigned, he looked down at Lu Tingchao with a faint smile. “But it’s alright, BB. You just need to know how to moan.”

Lu Tingchao stiffened in horror.

His wrist was held tightly by Fei Xiuqi—he couldn’t break free, couldn’t resist.

But after hearing those words, Lu Tingchao’s face turned deathly pale, as if he had just been pulled from icy water, his entire being radiating a bleak, lifeless despair.

“I…”

Lu Tingchao’s lips trembled as he tried to push Fei Xiuqi’s arm away. “Don’t…”

Fei Yuncheng stopped walking and said softly, “Be good, baby. Doudou is waiting for you.”

Lu Tingchao abruptly stopped all resistance.

As if remembering something, Fei Yuncheng turned back gently and said to Lu Tingchao, “Baby, Doudou must feel lonely going to kindergarten alone. Let’s have another child to keep Doudou company. How does that sound?”

Lu Tingchao shook his head frantically, his expression utterly defeated, his voice hoarse. “No!”

He struggled with all his might in Fei Xiuqi’s arms. “I don’t want to! Fei Yuncheng, you’re a pervert! You’re sick! I don’t want to! You—”

At that moment, Fei Yuncheng turned and took Lu Tingchao from Fei Xiuqi’s arms.

Compared to Fei Xiuqi, Fei Yuncheng held Lu Tingchao more easily.

He restrained all of Lu Tingchao’s struggles and led him into the middle car.

Just as Fei Xiuqi was about to get into the car, A Zhi directed him to another vehicle. “Young Master, have you forgotten Devin’s rule? For safety, you and he must never ride in the same car.”

Fei Xiuqi paused, instinctively glancing toward Lu Tingchao in the car—only to find that a partition had already been raised, blocking the interior.

A Zhi gestured again. “Young Master.”

Fei Xiuqi’s expression darkened, but he nodded and got into the car behind.

*

Lu Tingchao began to hate Hong Kong’s weather.

He hated its rainy days, its foggy days, and even its cloudless, sunny days.

He began to hate the glittering lights of Victoria Harbour at night, the constant blaring of horns and sirens from the port. He grew to dislike the bustling ferries and despised the sailboats entering and leaving the harbor.

Lu Tingchao started to loathe all the glitzy casinos in the city, the luxury shops on insanely expensive land, the racecourses only the wealthiest could afford, and the auctions accessible only to celebrities.

Sometimes, Lu Tingchao didn’t even understand why he felt such dislike.

He thought carefully—after all, he was living the kind of life he had always wanted.

He still had everything at his fingertips, still got whatever he desired. If he wanted east, no one would or could give him west.

Lu Tingchao began smoking frequently.

He didn’t dare smoke in front of Lu Doudou, afraid of setting a bad example. He already felt he had little left to teach Lu Doudou and didn’t want to corrupt the child further.

So Lu Tingchao only smoked when Lu Doudou was at kindergarten or after the child had fallen asleep at night.

At first, he smoked high-nicotine cigarettes.

Later, after Fei Yuncheng found out and repeated attempts to stop him failed, Fei Xiuqi brought him menthol cigarettes from abroad.

This type of cigarette had a very light taste with a strong minty aroma, making Lu Tingchao feel as if he were clear-headed for a moment.

He had a moment of clarity in this vast, maze-like Hong Kong city.

Perhaps due to his troubled past, all the servants of the Fei family seemed to have received strict orders to tightly monitor Lu Tingchao's communications. He could neither contact the outside world nor easily receive any news from it.

Only occasional snippets of news reached him from the outside world.

Lu Tingchao saw that Zhuang Ji had returned to Beicheng. His new movie had been released and was a box office success, gaining him a new wave of fans.

He also saw that Mo Lingnan's new company seemed to be thriving. Not only was its jewelry line transitioning into luxury branding, but its main new business ventures were also performing well, making it a rapidly growing domestic enterprise on the global stage.

Lu Tingchao's phone was filled with various games but had been specially outfitted by Fei Xiuqi to block any chat apps.

Time kept moving forward.

From winter to spring, and then from spring into summer.

Lu Doudou had grown a bit taller and, after an evaluation by his kindergarten teachers, was officially recognized as eligible to skip to a more advanced class.

During this time, Fei Yuncheng was abroad, busy with a financing project and was away from Hong Kong for about two weeks.

So Fei Xiuqi picked up Lu Tingchao from the Fei family's ancestral home and then took him to the kindergarten to fetch Lu Doudou.

Fei Xiuqi was still handsome and poised. His Mandarin was now excellent, with even the pronunciation of nasal sounds exceptionally accurate: "BB, where would you like to take Doudou to play today?"

Lu Tingchao hadn't smoked today and seemed listless. He lowered his eyes, rubbing Lu Doudou's hair: "I don't know. Anywhere fun?"

Fei Xiuqi reached out to straighten Lu Tingchao's collar and deftly fastened the button: "Are you tired? Let me carry him."

"No need."

Lu Tingchao rested his head on Lu Doudou's shoulder and lazily yawned. "Doudou, to celebrate your success for being such a smart kid, where should we go to play?"

Lu Doudou obediently placed his hands on Lu Tingchao's shoulders: "Chao Chao, are you unhappy?"

Lu Tingchao: "Ah..."

Lu Tingchao lifted his eyelids and shook his head: "No."

But Lu Doudou also shook his head: "Chao Chao, you haven't been happy for a long time."

Lu Tingchao: "..."

Lu Tingchao looked at Lu Doudou somewhat blankly, then reached out and pinched Lu Doudou's chubby cheek: "I'm not."

Just then, they reached a red light.

Fei Xiuqi stopped the car and turned his head: "Doudou, why do you think your daddy is unhappy?"

Lu Doudou glanced at Fei Xiuqi but didn't answer his question. Instead, he thought for a moment and said: "Brother A Qi, can we go to the small garden behind my school?"

Fei Xiuqi replied cheerfully: "Of course, but why do you want to go there, Doudou?"

Lu Doudou, nestled in Lu Tingchao's arms, answered seriously: "Because I made plans to meet a friend there."

"Okay, Doudou."

Fei Xiuqi turned the steering wheel at the next intersection and drove back toward the kindergarten with Lu Tingchao and Lu Doudou.

Lu Tingchao hadn't actually heard from Lu Doudou's kindergarten teachers about any special friends Doudou needed to meet outside—but never mind. Rather than going somewhere else to play, it was better to find a nearby spot.

He really wanted a cigarette.

Lu Tingchao felt he might be somewhat addicted to the menthol flavor, but he had to resist smoking in front of Lu Doudou. Fortunately, the mint bead cigarettes had a very mild scent, leaving almost no lingering odor after smoking.

The car quickly headed in the direction of Lu Doudou's kindergarten.

This kindergarten was originally chosen by Fei Yuncheng for Lu Doudou—the top-tier and most expensive elite kindergarten in all of Hong Kong. It offered various high-end programs, and the tuition could be described as exorbitant.

The kindergarten's location was also meticulously chosen, situated in Hong Kong's prime, bustling area where land was worth its weight in gold—truly an elite school.

Behind the school was a community park. Although called a community park, it was practically an open public area belonging to the kindergarten. The plants and vegetation were uniformly managed by the kindergarten, blending seamlessly with the school's aesthetic.

Fei Xiuqi parked the car by the roadside and glanced into the park: "Doudou, has your friend arrived? I don't see anyone."

Lu Doudou peeked out from Lu Tingchao's arms, first looking into the park, then calmly turning his gaze to the opposite side of the road.

A clear, slightly childish voice rang out: "Because she just got off the plane and is coming by car."

Fei Xiuqi: "...?"

Fei Xiuqi was taken aback.

But Lu Doudou stretched out his soft, tender arms and hugged Lu Tingchao: "Chao Chao, Sister Polina is back. Didn't you always tell me that it was because of her help that I came to be?"

Lu Tingchao was also stunned.

Lu Doudou had already hurriedly pushed open the car door and turned back to look at Lu Tingchao with hopeful eyes: "Chao Chao, you're always unhappy. After seeing Sister Polina, will you be a little happier?"