Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Inside the van, cramped with people, Jiang Mo, his head covered by a black cloth, suddenly lunged sideways. The man, caught off guard by his swift awakening, was knocked off his seat, slammed against the van door, and cursed loudly.

Immediately, the person by the other door kicked Jiang Mo hard from behind. Jiang Mo stumbled forward but seized the opportunity, using his head to ram into the man he had just knocked down.

He succeeded.

But the man clenched his teeth and bore it, grabbing Jiang Mo’s head with both hands and pummeling him.

Once, twice: "Fuck! You little bastard!"

The man cursed angrily. Jiang Mo went still. A companion stopped the man and yanked Jiang Mo free: "Old Four, that’s enough! Keep this up and something bad will happen!"

Old Four continued to grumble.

Jiang Mo, feigning unconsciousness, caught the key phrase—it seemed they didn’t actually want to kill him. This trip must have another purpose. When he first woke up, his mind was hazy, and he only thought about escaping danger as quickly as possible, so he had lunged without thinking. After taking a beating for nothing, he finally cleared his head. Now, with his hands tied and outnumbered, relying on force alone would make escape difficult.

So he calmed down, pretending to have been knocked out by the blows, which could also lower their guard against him.

Enduring the pain all over his body, Jiang Mo leaned back against the seat and didn’t move again. Then he felt another heavy slap to his face. His head snapped to the side, and an iron taste of blood filled his mouth.

"Old Four!"

"Enough of this shit already!"

This time, it was the boss who spoke. Old Four reluctantly lowered his hand, grumbling, "That person didn’t say we couldn’t kill him."

The van fell silent.

Jiang Mo lost track of how much time had passed, but he felt the road getting bumpier. It seemed they had already left the city—the roads in the city weren’t this bad.

First, they weren’t trying to kill him. If they were after money, they wouldn’t have come after him. Since it wasn’t about money or murder, why had they captured him? And who was "that person" they mentioned? The detached way they referred to him suggested he wasn’t one of them—could he be the mastermind?

Jiang Mo thought it over and concluded that this was most likely related to Xiao Heng. First, Xiao Heng had the means. Second, he was helping Chen Xiu investigate the stalker. At the banquet, Chen Xiu had tried to fish for information from him, indicating he was already suspicious. So, it was entirely possible that Xiao Heng had hired people to deal with him.

The goal was probably—interrogation!

Under the black cloth, Jiang Mo’s wolf cub eyes shone brightly. If they were resorting to interrogation, it meant Xiao Heng had no evidence. As long as he denied everything...

Having figured this out, Jiang Mo felt slightly relieved. Now, he was caught in their trap, and all he could do was wait and adapt to the situation.

Xiao Heng probably wouldn’t keep him locked up for too long. After all, he was an employee of his company. If he went missing for too long, it would draw attention and affect the company.

While he was lost in thought, the van came to a stop.

His cheek was slapped a couple times, not too hard. Jiang Mo pretended to cough and wake up, then was roughly dragged out by the arm. The moment his feet hit the ground, he stumbled, almost falling.

Jiang Mo tried to widen his eyes. It was completely dark outside, with no light penetrating the cloth.

He heard the sound of chains scraping, was pulled forward, and then was shoved into a chair. Someone tied his legs to the chair’s legs.

"When is he coming?"

"Soon."

"If he weren’t paying so well, I wouldn’t take this shit job."

The four kidnappers made small talk, each with a cigarette in their mouth. Old Three slapped a mosquito biting his arm. The four stood leisurely by the open door, gazing at the moon.

It was as if they weren’t committing a crime but simply hanging out with buddies. But just staring at the moon was boring. Old Three glanced at the silent Jiang Mo: "He’s being cooperative."

Old Four snorted: "If he acts up again, I’ll beat him up some more."

He tossed his cigarette butt: "Gonna take a leak."

He swaggered away from the door toward the backyard, waving away the mosquitoes buzzing around him. This was an abandoned wood processing factory, desolate and surrounded by waist-high weeds. Grumbling in annoyance, he picked a spot, unbuckled, and started urinating.

He didn’t notice a tall, dark figure emerging from behind a stack of lumber to his side. The figure moved silently toward him, his face covered except for his dark, predatory eyes.

Chen Zui’s vision was perfectly fine, but he couldn’t conceal the ambition in his eyes, which gave off an intense pressure—not helpful for his work. So, he used eyeglasses to slightly obscure them, making himself seem like a good person.

Now, he stood behind Old Four.

Chen Zui raised his gloved hand, covering Old Four’s mouth from behind while delivering a powerful punch to his side. His enhanced physique moved with speed and strength, each blow feeling like it could rupture organs.

Old Four made muffled sounds, trying to kick backward in retaliation. But Chen Zui anticipated it, lifting his foot first and kicking hard on the back of Old Four’s knee.

A gruesome crunch echoed in the darkness—the sound of Old Four’s leg bone snapping under Chen Zui’s foot.

Old Four’s eyes bloodshot and dilated as he pitched forward, his height suddenly reduced. Chen Zui bent with him, moving fluidly.

The pain of the broken bone was almost fatal as Old Four hit the ground.

His agonized screams were completely stifled.

Chen Zui: "I’m protective of what’s mine."

His tone was flat, his expression calm as he wrenched Old Four’s jaw out of place, making the act seem especially cruel.

He shifted his hand from covering Old Four’s mouth to gripping his head, smashing it against the ground.

Once, twice...

Extremely violent.

With the third impact, when Old Four’s head lifted, it was covered in blood and some of his own urine.

His eyes were on the verge of losing focus.

Chen Zui released him, and Old Four’s head dropped limply to the ground. Chen Zui stood up, stepping on it and grinding his shoe into it. He lifted his mask, lit a cigarette, and began smoking.

He had originally planned to follow Jiang Mo only to the subway station, but he hadn’t expected him to be kidnapped along the way. At the time, he was driving in the normal lane, with trees from the green belt blocking his view, so by the time he noticed, Jiang Mo was already gone.

After that, he had Ao Tian metabolize the alcohol in his system, which took some time. Once his blood alcohol level hit zero, he sent the driver away and drove here himself.

Chen Zui exhaled smoke: "Thank you. Without you, the best system in the world, what would I do?"

Ao Tian: "(blushing) Oh, stop it! We work together. If you were an ordinary person, even if I knew the location, I wouldn’t be able to handle this alone, right? You’re amazing, host!"

The host-system relationship was very harmonious.

Old Four lost consciousness under his foot, though he wasn’t dead yet. Chen Zui flicked the cigarette away, put his mask back on, and walked confidently back.

Ao Tian: "Visual obfuscation activated. Audio masking activated."

Chen Zui: "That's incredible. I really want to know what other skills you have."

Ao Tian: "I've got lots of tricks. Just let me know what you need."

Chen Zui: "Thank you."

Ao Tian winced inwardly—this had cost it a thousand system points bought from the system store. But it really appreciated this quality in Chen Zui: he would say thank you. It had encountered several hosts before who took its help for granted, as if all its abilities belonged to them and it was simply supposed to work themselves to the bone for them—acting completely entitled.

But Chen Zui wasn’t like that. Chen Zui would praise it, would say thank you.

So it was eager to use its best hidden treasures on him, and if it lacked something, it would spend points to buy it!

Second Brother: "A piss taking this long?"

Chen Zui: "Good kidneys, hah—"

Second Brother laughed and cursed: "Fuck."

Chen Zui looked at the person tied to the chair. You know, it struck him that Jiang Mo would be perfect for bondage play—though this method of tying was pretty basic, since it limited what you could do.

You’d have to suspend him. His skin is pale, so you’d use bright red rope, wrapping it around his arms in coils, finally tying a neat bow on Little Mo.

Red satin ribbon.

Wrapped around his straight, fair legs—but the legs wouldn’t be bound, just left dangling high in the air.

—

—

As you manipulated him, his arms would ache from being swung around, forcing him to put all his weight on the only thing supporting him.

And the only support came from you.

Chen Zui walked slowly toward Jiang Mo.

Big Brother warned him: "Don’t cause trouble."

Fourth Brother: "Don’t worry, no trouble."

Just messing with him.

He curled his lip and stopped in front of Jiang Mo. Jiang Mo sensed his presence and tensed up, tilting his head back slightly. Chen Zui could imagine the expression on his face. He raised his hand—those slender fingers that had just been punching someone—and slowly trailed them along Jiang Mo’s jaw.

Jiang Mo shivered visibly, then jerked his head back, as if trying to put a whole galaxy between them.

But reality was cruel.

That finger hooked into Jiang Mo’s shirt collar. He’d really chosen the right outfit today. Chen Zui’s knuckles pressed against the shirt collar tight against his neck, edging inside a bit, resting on the goosebump-covered Adam’s apple.

Jiang Mo’s mind went blank. Had he run into another creep?

At this point, he was starting to wonder if he had some kind of "pervert-magnet" constitution. The thought that this was that so-called Fourth Brother made him disgusted, nauseous.

The finger lifted and tapped rhythmically a few times on his Adam’s apple. Then he felt Chen Zui lean in close. Jiang Mo turned his head away, not wanting even a breath from him.

Chen Zui didn’t mind. He had Ao Tian lift the spell blurring Jiang Mo's sight and hearing, and whispered in that familiar creepy voice: "This is Morse code."

The moment he heard that voice, Jiang Mo jerked his head around, almost brushing Chen Zui’s cheek through the cloth.

Why is that pervert here?

Is he really one of them?

So he was the one who hit me?

At this moment, Jiang Mo felt unexplainably hurt. Just moments ago, he had even thought for a second that these people were even worse than the Big Pervert, since the Big Pervert had at least never physically harmed him.

Now, looking back, he found himself ridiculous for having such trust in a pervert.

Chen Zui, unaware of Jiang Mo’s tangled thoughts, continued, “It translates to: I’m an ally.”

Jiang Mo gritted his teeth and muttered under his breath, “Pfft! Like you deserve that!”

Chen Zui: ...

*Ha—*

Chen Zui felt Jiang Mo didn’t get the situation. In these circumstances, he was the only one who could rescue him, yet Jiang Mo was treating him with such an attitude.

He grabbed Jiang Mo’s chin, his aggressive gaze seeming to see right through the blindfold and into Jiang Mo’s eyes. “You’re getting a bit too cocky, baby.”

Jiang Mo wasn’t good at arguing, and he felt it was pointless anyway.

Chen Zui said, “If you keep this attitude, I’ll shut you up with my mouth right in front of them.”

That sentence frightened Jiang Mo. In his mind, Chen Zui was already the worst scoundrel in the world, capable of anything.

Fuming, Jiang Mo nearly bit through his lip and raised his voice involuntarily, “You and they—”

Chen Zui covered his mouth. “Keep it down, baby. If they find out I’m not Fourth Brother, we’ll be fugitive lovers.”

Jiang Mo fell silent. What? He’s not Fourth Brother?

“You infiltrated?”

“Yes.”

“For you.”

It should have been a pick-up line, but the timing and identities were all wrong. Jiang Mo was like a block of wood—though not entirely normal, he wasn’t about to develop feelings for a pervert’s advances. Even his ears, which usually reddened without Chen Zui’s teasing, remained unresponsive.

Jiang Mo’s eyelashes lowered. So, if he exposed the Big Pervert, Chen Zui would be revealed. Xiao Heng, after all, was a legitimate businessman and probably wouldn’t take his life. He could use Xiao Heng’s men to capture the Big Pervert!

With three opponents left, the Big Pervert was bound to lose.

The idea took root in his mind, making him desperately want to expose the Big Pervert.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you out of here.”

Hearing the Big Pervert’s words, the racing thoughts in Jiang Mo’s mind settled slightly. But it was better to be safe than sorry. Even if Xiao Heng had no ill intentions, what if these outlaws acted impulsively? He still needed the Big Pervert’s protection…

This was probably the worst situation in the world.

Chen Zui’s hand reached under the black cloth covering Jiang Mo’s head, and his bare fingers pinched Jiang Mo’s cheek. Jiang Mo sucked in a breath.

“What? Did they hit you?”

Though Jiang Mo didn’t respond, Chen Zui’s hand shifted from pinching to gently stroking his cheek.

Jiang Mo shot a glare at the restless fingers and whispered, “I know your secret. If I shout, your identity will be exposed. If you agree to one thing, I’ll cooperate with you.”

Chen Zui couldn’t help but laugh. He realized Jiang Mo was becoming bolder about his identity—even tied to a chair, he dared to negotiate.

The other hand moved onto Jiang Mo's chest, accurately finding his plaything through the black shirt.

"Oh? What do you want me to agree to?"

Jiang Mo was so humiliated and furious that he wished he could take down this freak right now, but he bit back his anger and said, "You cannot contact or harass President Chen again."

Chen Zui squeezed hard.

Jiang Mo let out a muffled groan.

"Baby."

"Do you want me to praise you for being adorably stupid?"

"Old Four, someone's here."

Chen Zui released his hand, turned around, and stepped aside. Jiang Mo opened his mouth but then began a silent, private fury. He really had been foolish, but this freak was driving him insane. Even if there was just a sliver of possibility, he hoped he could have nothing to do with him ever again. If he couldn’t achieve that, he at least wanted to protect President Chen.

Chen Zui looked toward the door; the person who arrived was not Xiao Heng.

Ao Tian: "Xiao Heng's personal assistant, Zhang Yang."

Chen Zui thought it made sense—this remote location, dealing with these kinds of people—there was no reason for Xiao Heng to show up in person.

Zhang Yang stood coldly, giving a slight nod to the leader and his crew, then signaled to a bodyguard beside him.

The bodyguard opened the case in his hand, revealing it filled with cash. The leader and his crew immediately grinned widely.

When the leader reached out to take the case, the bodyguard yanked it away. The leader and his crew instantly changed expressions. Zhang Yang waved his hand, and a bodyguard walked toward Jiang Mo—it was time to inspect the goods.

The leader and his crew sneered.

Zhang Yang put on a mask.

The hood over his head was lifted, and as Jiang Mo regained his vision, he quickly scanned the room. Only four men in black suits were not masked; the other four looked shady. His gaze lingered on the tallest figure closest to him.

He must be the freak—still, his face couldn’t be seen.

Jiang Mo didn’t keep his eyes on Chen Zui for long before turning to Zhang Yang. He seemed to be the person in charge here, though his build didn’t match Xiao Heng’s.

Had he guessed wrong?

Chen Zui stared at Jiang Mo’s face, which was covered in large bruises, his eyes turning ice-cold, as if they could kill with a look.

Zhang Yang confirmed it was indeed Jiang Mo and then allowed the bodyguard to hand the money to the leader: "You can leave now."

His attitude was extremely cold.

The leader glared at him—if he were younger and less patient, he might have done something—but he simply waved his hand: "Let’s go."

Chen Zui also followed them out. Jiang Mo’s eyes followed him, his expression complex.

He saw Chen Zui swaggered cockily, bumping into Zhang Yang’s shoulder like a tough guy, nearly knocking him over, before leaving arrogantly.

Zhang Yang muttered, "Scum."

After the four of them left, Zhang Yang walked up to Jiang Mo: "You just need to answer one question, and I’ll let you go."

Jiang Mo stared at him.

Zhang Yang: "Were you the one tailing Chen Xiu?"

Jiang Mo breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he hadn’t guessed wrong—it was indeed about this matter. Chen Xiu had recently only latched onto Xiao Heng, so the person in front of him must be Xiao Heng’s underling.

"No," he answered firmly.

——

"Fuck, what an asshole, look at his arrogant attitude!"

"I wanna mess him up!"

"Since he’s so rich, why don’t we go back and kidnap him—"

These guys were truly hardcore criminals. Even Chen Zui felt like cheering this idea, so he raised his hand toward the third brother in front of him, and a knife slipped from his sleeve.

Blade in clean, blade out bloody.

The third brother had just let out a cry of pain when the second brother in front turned around. In the darkness, he thought the third brother was being supported by the fourth brother.

"What…"

Before he could finish, a gun was pressed between his eyebrows. The threat of death silenced him.

It wasn’t a real gun—it was a replica Chen Zui had bought after arriving in this world, but after his modifications, its lethality was nearly as lethal as a real gun. As a mercenary, this skill was essential.

It was also a habit from his mercenary days—he felt uncomfortable without a gun in hand.

The second brother’s pupils trembled. The third brother, holding his stomach, drew a knife and turned to stab Chen Zui. The leader, farthest away, quickly noticed the situation. After locking eyes with Chen Zui, he grabbed the money case and took off running.

The knife the third brother thrust was kicked hard by Chen Zui, changing direction and plunging into the second brother’s abdomen. Chen Zui moved his gun hand away from the second brother’s head, and in the darkness, a homemade bullet silently shot out, hitting the leader in the leg. The man stumbled forward and fell to the ground.

Ao Tian: "Whoa! So badass!"

It was the first time it had worked with a host with such impressive skills, but what excited it the most was Chen Zui’s cold, decisive moves—he acted without any hesitation. It absolutely blew the system away!

——

Zhang Yang scoffed in disbelief: "It seems you’re not being honest."

Jiang Mo: "I really didn’t do it."

Zhang Yang: "Search his phone."

Jiang Mo: !

A bodyguard stepped forward and dug into his pocket. Jiang Mo couldn’t move his hands or feet, so he had no way to resist. Besides, he wasn’t good with words, so he could only say dryly, "What you’re doing is illegal."

Zhang Yang: "If it wasn’t you, I’ll compensate you."

He said it casually, as if money could allow him to do anything.

The bodyguard took out the phone, moved behind Jiang Mo, grabbed his finger, and pressed it to unlock the phone with his fingerprint. He then handed the phone to Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang took one last look at Jiang Mo: "If you admit it now, I can still cut you a deal for confessing."

Jiang Mo remained silent.

Zhang Yang snorted. Just as he looked down at the phone, police sirens blared, making Zhang Yang jump and snap his head around to look outside. Even though his boss had his back covered, if he were caught red-handed by the police in this situation, there would be no way to cover it up.

Even the bodyguards were thrown for a loop.

Zhang Yang said urgently, "Check outside."

A bodyguard ran to the entrance and saw a police car parked not far away, with a tall man in a police uniform walking quickly toward them. He had no idea it was just a projection.

He came rushing back panicked: "It really is the police."

Zhang Yang glanced at Jiang Mo: "Let's go."

He grabbed the phone and tried to run but ended up bumping into Chen Zui at the door, which knocked him to the ground. The phone flew out of his hand. To them, Chen Zui still appeared to be one of the kidnappers.

Chen Zui said panicky, his voice trembling: "The police are here."

Zhang Yang didn't have time to worry about anything else now, not even the phone. He scrambled up from the ground and fled with the bodyguards.

Chen Zui picked up the phone and rushed over to Jiang Mo, quickly untying his legs and pulling him outside.

It had the feel of a desperate getaway.

Jiang Mo asked, confused, "Why are we running if the police are here?"

Chen Zui chuckled lightly: "Darling, it seems we aren’t exactly good people either."

Jiang Mo was instantly speechless.

He really wasn’t a law-abiding citizen.

Chen Zui led him to an abandoned factory building next door, pressing him against the tin wall. He looked over Jiang Mo’s bruised face—clearly, he had been beaten badly.

Under the cover of night, Chen Zui lifted his mask halfway and kissed Jiang Mo’s lips.

Jiang Mo hadn’t expected him to be in the mood for this under such circumstances. Furious, he bit Chen Zui’s tongue hard, filling both their mouths with the taste of blood.

Chen Zui licked his lips, ending the kiss: "Darling, your mouth tastes like another man’s professional dedication."

Jiang Mo: !

Memories of the lounge incident flashed through his mind.

It had been so long, and he had rinsed his mouth and drunk beverages—how could a single kiss reveal that?

This pervert really isn't human, is he?

Chen Zui’s tone turned dangerous: "It seems I need to punish you properly."

Jiang Mo had a bad feeling. The next second, he was turned around, his bruised face pressed against the tin wall, stinging slightly.

"You…"

The familiar feeling of exposure on his backside silenced him, followed by a sharp "smack"!

The slap was hard, making him frown in pain.

Chen Zui admired the ripple he’d created on Jiang Mo’s skin—truly exquisite—and without hesitation, delivered a second slap.

"You!"

"Go to hell!"

Jiang Mo didn’t know how to curse; he could only tell people to die.

The sound of police sirens still echoed in the distance. Chen Zui pressed close to Jiang Mo’s ear: "Isn’t it pathetic? The police are nearby, yet you can’t call for help."

After the third slap, Chen Zui grabbed a handful of flesh, so full it squeezed out between his fingers.

"You brought this on yourself by doing bad things. This is your punishment. From now on, no matter what happens, you won’t dare to seek help from the police. You’ll live in fear, trapped in deceit and lies."

Jiang Mo hadn’t expected to be lectured by a major pervert. Humiliated, he retorted, "You have no right to judge me."

"Fine."

"Then I’ll just have you directly."

Chen Zui’s words stunned Jiang Mo, then filled him with panic. He heard the sound of a zipper, deafeningly loud in this desolate place amidst the blaring sirens. His face turned pale, too shocked and terrified to speak.

Only his eyes expressed his fear.

Chen Zui kicked Jiang Mo’s feet together, forcing them tightly closed. At first, Jiang Mo didn’t understand his intention.

Until…

His head buzzed, making him dizzy. This guy actually used his legs…

——

——

He struggled fiercely, but with his hands tied and his head and waist pinned, there was nothing he could do.

At that moment, he truly wanted to cry for help, to call out to the nearby police—anything was better than being subjected to this outdoors by such a guy… But what if the police investigated and this guy spilled everything?

The news would surely reach President Chen’s ears.

He didn’t want that…

In that moment, he didn’t even realize that his first worry wasn’t about Chen Xiu finding out—it was about Chen Zui knowing.

The sound of wind rustling through the wild grass reminded them they were outside. The chirping of insects couldn’t cover the ferocity of someone, as if someone were applauding in the night.

Chen Zui danced on the edge of rules, doing everything he wanted and everything he could.

As a mercenary, he was truly a man of low morals.

The reality was even more thrilling than imagination!

Chen Zui narrowed his dangerous eyes, staring at the scene before him under the moonlight.

His handsome features twisted into a terrifying smile.

He whispered into Jiang Mo’s ear like a lover: "Darling, I’ll taste every part of you before Chen Xiu does."

He proved his words with malicious, hands-on action.

The tin wall seemed to dent under the force.

Threatened, Jiang Mo still clung to thoughts of his President Chen: "President Chen and I aren’t in the kind of relationship you think."

The response was a scornful laugh.

"You're not being obedient~"

A forceful slap landed, leaving a bright red handprint on the snow-white buttocks. The pain made Jiang Mo unable to hold back a scream, but he quickly covered his mouth, afraid of drawing attention.

Chen Zui: "Have the police car leave. Appreciate it."

Ao Tian: "Alright. Also, just a reminder, I’ve turned off the visual sensors."

Chen Zui: "You're the smartest."

Ao Tian: "*^_^*"

Listening to the fading siren, Jiang Mo didn’t know whether to feel relieved or utterly hopeless. All he knew was that he was getting hit in the most humiliating way, blow by blow.

Even as a grown man, he was pushed to the brink by the situation, his eyes reddening and tears gathering.

Men cry silently.

By the time Chen Zui noticed, Jiang Mo had been crying for a while. Chen Zui tried to turn Jiang Mo’s face toward him, but this time Jiang Mo absolutely refused to look over.

Furious, he yelled, "Mind your own business! Why care if I’m crying or not!"

He blinked hard, trying to hold back the tears. "Stop pretending you’re some kind of good person!"

Chen Zui could indeed only pretend to be good.

Kindness, compassion, gentleness—these were just unfamiliar words to him. As a mercenary, he didn’t need these; he needed cruelty, strength, coldness, and cunning.

So, "Mr. Chen" was nothing but a false mask.

The real him, Jiang Mo hadn’t seen yet.

On the other hand, Chen Zui felt that Jiang Mo needed to be pushed. If you didn’t push him, he’d always remain either detached or obedient. Without pushing him, how would you discover his many adorable sides?

Chen Zui had seen plenty of grown men cry. On missions, many would beg for mercy through tears, and he’d send them to their graves amidst their sobs.

But Jiang Mo’s tears were different. He whispered in Jiang Mo’s ear: "Baby, your crying only excites me more."

Jiang Mo: ……

Jiang Mo stopped crying.

Chen Zui didn’t continue either. Glancing at the red and swollen buttocks he’d slapped, he decided to let it go this time, considering Jiang Mo had been tied up today.

He helped Jiang Mo get dressed.

Tugging the rope binding Jiang Mo’s hands, he said, "Let’s go, I’ll take you home."

He walked ahead, their arms nearly straight from the pull. Jiang Mo, with reddened eyes from crying, followed reluctantly behind, staring at the back of Chen Zui’s head. He eyed the occasional sticks on the ground, itching to pick one up and hit him with it.

He tried to hook one with his foot but stumbled, almost falling, as he failed to keep up with Chen Zui’s pace.

In the end, Jiang Mo never found the opportunity.

When he got into the passenger seat, Jiang Mo’s expression changed. He scooted forward, only sitting on the edge of the seat.

It hurt.

Chen Zui noticed. Well, he had been too harsh.

Neither spoke during the ride back. It wasn’t until they reached the neighborhood entrance that Chen Zui untied the rope from Jiang Mo’s wrists, which had rubbed several patches of skin raw.

Coming from a mercenary background, Chen Zui had a high tolerance for injuries, but seeing those raw patches now made him somewhat uncomfortable.

"Do you have medicine at home?"

Jiang Mo had no intention of responding. Even though the other had technically saved him, he’d already paid more than enough.

"Give me your phone."

"You wouldn't be this cold to Chen Zui."

Jiang Mo turned his head, as if hearing something incomprehensible.

Chen Zui tossed the phone to him, his tone cold. "Get out."

Jiang Mo picked up the phone, hesitating whether to smash it against Chen Zui’s head. But the day’s events had left him utterly exhausted, and he couldn’t afford the consequences if he failed.

All he wanted now was to go home, take a shower, and wrap himself tightly in his blanket.

He got out of the car with the phone and walked away without looking back, cursing inwardly: *What a psycho.*

Chen Zui watched Jiang Mo’s retreating figure.

Ao Tian sensed his change in mood. "Host, what’s wrong?"

Chen Zui curled his lips. "Nothing."

He lit a cigarette, stepped on the gas, and drove off with a roaring engine.

—

Jiang Mo scrubbed himself until his skin turned bright red, almost peeling a layer off.

Exhausted, he emerged from the bathroom and sat listlessly on the edge of the bed, letting water droplets from his hair fall continuously.

He replayed the day in his mind.

Him and Mr. Chen—

Him and Xiao Heng’s people—

Him and that big pervert—

He felt like he couldn’t hold on much longer…

The big pervert was right. This was retribution for his misdeeds.

—

Chen Zui sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, taking in the city’s night view, and brought the glass in his hand to his lips.

It was strong liquor, almost burning his throat.

"Do you think the identity of 'Mr. Chen' is closer to me? Or is the identity of threatening Jiang Mo more like me?"

Ao Tian thought carefully. "Based on your previous identities, the one threatening Jiang Mo is closer to you."

Chen Zui suddenly laughed, though the smile seemed forced. He drank the alcohol as if it were water. Yeah, even the system knew which one was more like him.

Ao Tian: "Jiang Mo got bullied so much today, should you go and improve your rapport?"

Chen Zui: "Forget it."

Chen Zui: "...Not in the mood today."

——

"What? The police came?" Xiao Heng was so angry he smashed a cup. In his view, this should have been 100% success.

Yet it failed again.

How does Jiang Mo always get so lucky?

"Before the police arrived, didn’t you..." Xiao Heng thought for a moment, "...check his phone?"

Zhang Yang stood opposite him with his head lowered, completely devoid of the cold arrogance he showed when facing the boss and the others.

"Sorry, boss, there wasn't enough time."

Xiao Heng waved his hand impatiently. He had already steeled himself to go this far—should he just confront Jiang Mo directly?

——

As soon as Jiang Mo arrived at the company, he attracted attention, especially with the large bruise on his face.

Colleague Wang Liang: "What happened to you?"

"I accidentally fell on my way home last night." Jiang Mo glanced at Chen Xiu’s desk.

As soon as Chen Xiu arrived, he instinctively looked toward Jiang Mo, his jaw dropping at the sight of the bruise on Jiang Mo’s face. He already knew what Xiao Heng had done and felt really guilty toward Jiang Mo, though there was no concrete evidence.

During the lunch break, Jiang Mo was brewing coffee in the pantry when he turned around and saw Chen Xiu.

Chen Xiu forced a smile.

Jiang Mo wondered if Chen Xiu probably knew about what Xiao Heng had done to him.

Chen Xiu handed over a plastic bag: "This ointment is for bruises and swelling. I noticed you have a wound on your face."

Jiang Mo’s grip on his cup tightened. It was the same way Chen Xiu had shown kindness before, which had led Jiang Mo to fall hard and end up in this situation.

He knew none of this was Chen Xiu’s fault.

He had just finally realized how foolish he had been: "No thanks, I already bought some medicine. Thank you."

Jiang Mo nodded and walked right past Chen Xiu.

Chen Xiu watched his back as he walked away, feeling that Jiang Mo seemed different from before.

When Jiang Mo returned to his desk, he found a bag placed on it. He looked at Wang Liang.

Wang Liang said mysteriously: "It was sent from the secretary’s office."

Puzzled, Jiang Mo opened it. Inside was an ointment for bruises, along with a note.

"For the clumsy fool."

The handwriting was fluent, and at the end was a drawing of a cute little black cat.

It was obvious who had arranged for it to be sent. He stared at the ointment, a smile almost tugging at the corner of his mouth. At the very least, it showed that President Chen hadn’t started avoiding him or resenting him because of that incident. But someone like me getting too close to President Chen would only bring trouble.

He put the medicine in the same drawer where he had stored the burn ointment from last time.

Conference Room:

Chen Zui listened as Ao Tian reported that the favorability rating had increased to 52.

But what puzzled him was that his phone hadn’t rung. Given Jiang Mo’s personality, he would have sent a message to express his gratitude.

Even after the meeting ended, the text he was waiting for still hadn’t come.

At lunch with Xiao Heng and a few subordinates, Chen Zui frequently checked his phone.

Even Xiao Heng joked with him, asking if he was waiting for a message from his lover.

Chen Zui wondered whether Jiang Mo’s phone had broken last night.

So he decided to send a message: "Busy day, need Little Mo Mo to cheer me up."

The kitten was the excuse again.

This time, he received a reply: "Sorry, President Chen, I have to work late today."

Chen Zui stared at the message. Jiang Mo’s phone wasn’t broken—he was rejecting his suggestion to visit.

Hah—

He's getting bold.

After washing up, Jiang Mo sat alone on the sofa in a daze. Little Mo Mo lay on his lap, performing "paw blossoms," but it was essentially wasted on him.

His mood was like a tangled mess—Jiang Mo couldn’t make sense of anything.

Ao Tian: "Not going to work on favorability today either?"

Chen Zui flung his long legs onto the KTV room table, knocking over several empty bottles: "Not going