Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Faced with the darkness before him, Li Jingtang was flooded with memories of losing his freedom, of being unable to see light or speak.

He instinctively stepped backward, lacking the courage to enter that darkness.

Squinting, he thought he saw a figure gradually approaching him in the gloom. His heart slowly tightened, and his fists clenched at his sides.

As the figure drew closer, he recognized the face.

It's Chen Zui!

Without a second thought, Li Jingtang threw a punch. Even knowing he was outmatched, he was never one to admit defeat.

To his surprise, the punch actually landed. The other person even cried out in pain—though the sound didn't quite register as right.

Li Jingtang furrowed his brow, his raised fist still poised defensively.

Someone turned on the lights. The sudden brightness dispelled the darkness. After a few seconds for his eyes to adjust, Li Jingtang saw many people emerging from various parts of the house. Most were familiar faces, people he usually socialized with.

Their expressions were subtle and complex as they looked at him.

"You almost fractured my cheekbone," a voice complained.

Li Jingtang looked toward the speaker, his eyes widening in surprise. Standing before him wasn't Chen Zui, but Gu Beichen.

Gu Beichen clutched his bruised face, looking up at Li Jingtang, who seemed utterly disoriented. Though angry about the punch, considering it was Li Jingtang's birthday, he could only chalk it up to bad luck.

Having a good brother like Li Jingtang—his family must have accumulated serious good karma.

He lowered his hand and told those inquiring about his condition, "I'm fine."

Then, to Li Jingtang, who was still out of it, he added, "I wanted to give you a birthday surprise. You certainly surprised me."

Li Jingtang: A birthday surprise?

Seeing the celebratory decorations, he belatedly realized it was his birthday. With everything that had happened recently, he had completely forgotten.

Gu Beichen waved a hand, and the others began singing and throwing streamers.

"Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~"

Li Jingtang forced a smile, acknowledging everyone’s well-wishes. He walked over to Gu Beichen.

"Sorry."

"That car you wanted? It's yours."

Between good brothers, sincerity mattered more than excessive apologies. Gu Beichen had coveted that supercar for a long time. Hearing this, his face no longer seemed to hurt. He extended his hand: "Keys."

"Didn’t bring them. Come to my place tomorrow and drive it away yourself."

"I’ll come tonight."

Hearing "tonight" made Li Jingtang think of a certain elusive individual who kept appearing at his house. "Don’t come to my place tonight."

If he mistook someone else for Chen Zui in the dark again...

Gu Beichen had no idea what his good brother had been through, assuming he had found a lover and prying for details.

Li Jingtang brushed him off without much enthusiasm. One after another, people approached to toast him and wish him a happy birthday. Frustrated, he drank glass after glass.

He wasn’t particularly fond of birthdays. His parents had an arranged marriage, devoid of any real affection. His birth was merely a duty fulfilled.

As a product of a loveless union, his birthday was simply a large social obligation.

Since he took over the company, his parents had openly embraced an open marriage, living separately with their respective lovers and their "love children" across the globe.

Even today, he hadn’t received a birthday wish from either of them.

Li Jingtang took the glass and drained it in one gulp.

He stood up and said to Gu Beichen, "I'm leaving."

As his good brother, Gu Beichen knew what weighed on him. This was a hurdle he couldn't overcome. He didn't stop him, only arranged for a driver to take him home.

Li Jingtang sat in the back seat, staring blankly out the window.

His phone buzzed.

He glanced at it.

Chen Zui: "Happy birthday."

He stared at those two words, a complicated emotion swirling in his heart. How did he know?

Chen Zui: "I prepared a birthday gift for you. Want to come over?"

This is a trap.

That was the first thought that popped into Li Jingtang’s head. What kind of gift could Chen Zui possibly prepare? The trap wasn’t even disguised—just a straightforward invitation to jump in.

If he jumped, he’d be an idiot.

Chen Zui: "Waiting for you at home. You know where I live."

Li Jingtang stared at the messages. What was this? Did he really think he would go?

What a lunatic.

Li Jingtang went home. The staff, who had left earlier, had turned on all the lights in the villa as requested. He had drunk too much and had a headache. After washing up, he just wanted to sleep.

But he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

Chen Zui’s texts were like bait tempting a fish. He couldn’t help wondering what the other had prepared. But he knew it was his birthday...

He pulled a pillow into his arms. Chen Zui must really like him, right?

He recalled the story Chen Mo had told him. Was Chen Zui treating him this way because he didn’t know how to express affection?

And he’d wished him a happy birthday.

Ao Tian: "Favorability +1%. Now at 13%."

Ao Tian: "If we beat him up, will it jump straight to 70%?"

Ao Tian was even a bit eager—he’d never met an M before.

Chen Zui was playing Go by himself, a white jade piece held between his slender fingers as he pondered where to place the next move. He didn’t believe Li Jingtang was the kind of M Ao Tian described.

A piece was placed.

Winning or losing is essentially a psychological battle.

He picked up a black stone. Li Jingtang’s affection points weren’t rising much—just inching up slowly. Perhaps this would be a long-term battle.

The doorbell rang.

Chen Zui set down the black stone. The game was settled. As the sole player holding the pieces, he was destined to be the winner.

Li Jingtang stood outside the villa. On a whim, he’d come. He wanted to see what Chen Zui had prepared.

Soon, someone emerged from the villa. From the way he was dressed, he could tell it was Chen Mo.

"You actually came! Big Brother said you would, but I didn’t believe it." Chen Mo’s voice carried ahead of him. Dressed in a white down jacket, he looked like a large penguin.

The door opened.

Li Jingtang hesitated for a moment before stepping inside.

Chen Mo said, "Let’s head inside."

Li Jingtang nodded and followed Chen Mo toward the villa. The snow in the yard had been cleared neatly, and a silly-looking snowman stood there. Twinkling fairy lights hung on the wall, radiating warmth.

Just before entering, Li Jingtang felt a bit nervous. Chen Zui was inside this house. This was their first meeting since the hotel. By all rights, he ought to kill the other man, but for the sake of that "Happy Birthday" wish, he could postpone the killing for one day.

Holding his breath, Li Jingtang stepped into the villa. The warm yellow lights felt cozy on the winter night. The villa felt a bit empty, and he didn’t see anyone else around.

Chen Mo said, "Big Brother said you might not want to see him, so he’s not home."

Li Jingtang: "..."

A flicker of disappointment surfaced in his heart. Chen Zui wasn’t home.

His expression didn’t completely hide his feelings, and Chen Mo noticed. Chen Mo hung his head and asked, "Are you unhappy that it’s just me?"

In Li Jingtang’s eyes, Chen Zui was a man to be confronted, while Chen Mo was just a big boy who needed looking after.

He gave Chen Mo’s head a gentle pat. "No, I’m happy it’s just you."

Though Chen Mo was wearing a mask, Li Jingtang could still sense his smile through the glasses. He was quite easy to please.

"Today is your birthday. I made a cake for you." Chen Zui walked to the kitchen and brought out a beautiful cake, placing it on the island counter.

"It didn’t turn out very well. I hope you don’t mind," Chen Zui said, sounding nervous.

Li Jingtang was truly surprised. "You made this yourself?"

Chen Zui nodded.

Li Jingtang had received many precious birthday gifts over the years, but none had made him as happy as this homemade cake.

"Did your brother tell you today is my birthday?"

Li Jingtang wasn’t quite sure what prompted him to ask that question.

Beneath the mask, Chen Zui’s lips curved into a smile.

"Yeah."

"Big Brother told me."

"This is the gift Big Brother prepared for you."

Chen Zui took out a beautifully wrapped box and handed it to Li Jingtang.

Li Jingtang didn’t open it immediately. After all, Chen Zui was unpredictable, and he was afraid it might contain something embarrassing or shocking.

Li Jingtang said, "Let’s eat the cake first."

"Okay," Chen Zui replied. "I’ll light the candles and turn off the lights. For birthdays, we should sing—"

"Don’t turn off the lights!"

Li Jingtang cut him off urgently.

Chen Zui studied him, unsure. "Are you afraid of the dark?"

Li Jingtang originally wasn’t afraid of the dark—or rather, the old Li Jingtang was fearless. He didn’t want to admit it.

"No, it’s fine. Turn the lights off then."

Chen Zui hesitated for a moment, then returned to the island counter. His eyes behind the glasses crinkled into a smile. "Actually, I’m afraid of the dark. Let’s not turn off the lights."

He started inserting the candles. "We can still see the candles without turning off the lights."

Li Jingtang understood that Chen Zui was being considerate. The two brothers’ personalities were really different—the younger one so gentle and well-behaved, the older one so...

If this were his younger brother, he would spoil him rotten.

Chen Zui looked up. The candles were now lit. "Blow out the candles and make a wish."

Li Jingtang obediently put his hands together, closed his eyes, and made a wish: *I hope I can fuck Chen Zui once, until he loses control!*

Li Jingtang opened his eyes, blew out the candles, and was delighted with his wish. He took the knife Chen Zui handed him and started cutting the cake. "When’s your birthday?"

"My birthday is next week."

"Oh, that’s soon. Got any birthday wishes?"

Chen Zui fell silent for a while, glancing at Li Jingtang several times. His hesitant glances made Li Jingtang find it both amusing and endearing. He grew curious about Chen Zui’s birthday wish.

Li Jingtang urged, "Go on."

Chen Zui played with his fingers. "I hope you and Big Brother can clear up your misunderstandings and get along well."

Li Jingtang: "..." This guy’s brother complex is really serious.

"Actually, Big Brother is pretty pitiful."

Li Jingtang almost laughed. What’s so pitiful about him?

"Big Brother really wanted to celebrate your birthday with you but was too scared to..."

"And a couple of days ago, after he came back, he locked himself in his room for days. I don’t know what happened, but I heard him muttering things like ‘I’m sorry, I lost control...’"

Chen Zui let out a sigh.

Li Jingtang listened to his words. "He actually said that?"

Chen Zui looked at him: "Do you know what happened to Big Brother?"

Li Jingtang, his mouth twitched, some repressed scenes that he didn’t want to recall flashing through his mind: "I don't know."

Chen Zui: "Big Brother always bears everything alone and never tells me. I know he has been struggling."

Li Jingtang didn’t question why their conversation kept circling back to Chen Zui, but the guy, who had originally seemed like a total bastard in his mind, now seemed a bit more vulnerable.

"Is his mental illness very severe?"

"Big Brother once attempted suicide..."

Li Jingtang was shocked!

—

On the way back, Li Jingtang picked up his phone and put it down again, repeating this several times before finally sending a message.

Dressed in a cream-colored high-neck sweater and black-framed glasses, still in his Chen Mo persona, Chen Zui looked at his phone.

Li Jingtang: "Where are you?"

Chen Zui pushed up his glasses, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. The gesture clashed with his Chen Mo disguise, appearing eerie and terrifying, as if he were wearing a false shell.

"Was the cake good?"

"I’m asking you, where are you?"

"I’m trapped."

Li Jingtang: ?

He couldn’t make sense of what Chen Zui was saying.

Chen Zui: "It’s so dark all around, I can’t get out. Li Jingtang, can you come stay with me?"

A chill ran down Li Jingtang's spine: "What are you talking about? Where exactly are you?"

"Was the cake good?"

"Was the cake good?"

"Was the cake good?"

"Was the cake good?"

Identical messages from Chen Zui kept frantically flooding Li Jingtang’s phone screen, making him almost dizzy from the words. The phone pinged incessantly, the screen constantly refreshing with new messages.

Li Jingtang’s pupils gradually lost focus, and at some point, he lost consciousness.

His grip loosened, and the fallen phone screen lit up with:

"Was the cake good?"

"Was the cake good?"

"Was the cake good?"

After the barrage of messages, it finally went quiet, then another message popped up.

"You’re here with me now."

—

Li Jingtang’s eyes jerked awake, and he was met with boundless, impenetrable darkness.