PHM chapter 13

When Su Zhixiang left, he was already a little drunk. He stood at the entrance of the small villa to bid the two farewell, his speech slightly slurred.

“No need to see me out. I’m not drunk, I’m fine. How could I get drunk from this little bit of alcohol?”

“Your driver is waiting at the gate.”

“Why would I need a driver? I can see… see perfectly fine.”

He was clearly swaying as he walked, yet still insisted on putting up a brave front.

There was a low stone step in the garden. As Su Zhixiang walked past it, Pei Yuxing mercilessly let go of his hand. A moment later, there was a thud—the sound of a body hitting the ground.

“Pei Yuxing, you f—”

The rest of his words died under Pei Yuxing’s icy gaze.

Su Zhixiang sobered up instantly.

Pei Yuxing: “Drive?”

Su Zhixiang gave an awkward laugh. “I was joking with you. Don’t be so impossible to tease.”

Seeing that his friend’s expression remained unchanged, he could only turn to Yan Xi for help, trying to ease the awkwardness. “Now that you’re married, you shouldn’t have such a bad temper. Learn from Xiao Yan. He definitely wouldn’t abandon me halfway.”

“Right, Xiao Yan?”

“Mm.” Yan Xi looked at him kindly, his tone gentle. “I’d call the traffic police.”

His expression clearly showed that he wasn’t joking.

Su Zhixiang: “…………”

He had clearly stepped on a landmine. He could only get up on his own.

Only after watching the driver take him away did Pei Yuxing turn around and head back with Yan Xi.

Licheng was especially beautiful at night. It was summer, and looking up, one could see a sky full of stars—a sight impossible to see in Jincheng.

Yan Xi wanted to sit outside for a while.

Pei Yuxing naturally accompanied him, taking his hand and leading him toward the garden.

It was pitch-black, with ground lights casting faint shadows along the stone path. Yan Xi let Pei Yuxing guide him forward, and they soon arrived at a bench.

The two squeezed together in silence, surrounded by a warm, peaceful stillness.

Yan Xi unconsciously began playing with the ring on the man’s finger, turning it around and around.

It was the ring he wore for him.

The thought inexplicably made him happy, and he wrapped his entire hand around the man’s ring finger.

Pei Yuxing seemed to glance at him. Yan Xi noticed, but didn’t turn his head.

Until that gaze grew increasingly intense, no longer able to be hidden.

He looked back and found Pei Yuxing’s expression calm, his gaze deep and composed.

Unable to resist, Yan Xi leaned forward and kissed him lightly, receiving a gentle response.

He knew the man wasn’t actually as calm as he appeared, but Pei Yuxing would never make any overly intense moves. Yan Xi enjoyed being indulged like this.

His first intimate moment with Pei Yuxing had actually happened before they confirmed their relationship. He had simply drunk a little, gathered his courage, and acted on impulse.

At the time, he had been restless and uncertain, still unable to fully believe that the man really liked him.

NEVER’s path to stardom had been difficult, and Brother Feng had always handled drinking with investors on their behalf. But that day, he happened to be caught up with an investor who wouldn’t let them leave.

Brother Feng needed something from the investor. Seeing that the negotiations were already more than halfway done, he didn’t dare offend him, so he brought Yan Xi along and quietly sent him a message: Go along with it, but don’t actually drink too much.

Yet Yan Xi still ended up drinking several glasses.

As the team’s leader, Yan Xi naturally wouldn’t refuse anything that could benefit the group. Although he had a poor tolerance for alcohol, he still accepted the glass handed over by the investor.

His mind was already tangled, yet he still had to force himself to stay focused and listen to what the other party was saying. Whenever he couldn’t hold on any longer, his thoughts would drift away. He looked serious on the outside, but was already exhausted.

But he still couldn’t leave.

His half-drunk, half-sober appearance excited the investor, who leaned closer and began talking about where they should continue drinking afterward, his gaze sticky and suggestive.

Brother Feng was already regretting it, but could only keep smiling.

“There’s a performance tomorrow, so I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you.”

The investor stared at Yan Xi without blinking. “What do you think, Xiao Yan? We can still discuss the collaboration. There are also several endorsements coming up, and I think you’d be a good fit. Why don’t we discuss them privately?”

Yan Xi looked up at him and coldly uttered two words: “Not going.”

His tone was still polite enough, but his refusal was unwavering.

The investor’s expression immediately darkened, his voice dragging out. “About the collaboration you’re negotiating this time, I don’t think you people are showing enough sincerity.”

He then seemed to have suddenly found his rhythm and began boasting about his achievements in the entertainment industry and how many artists he had worked closely with. Even a certain diva would politely call him “Brother” when she saw him.

“I may not be much, but I’ve worked with Pei Yuxing, the Film Emperor Pei, once before. We aren’t exactly close, but we’ve had some business dealings.”

Yan Xi’s mind was completely muddled. He only caught the three familiar words: “Pei Yuxing.”

“Yes.” The investor straightened his back, as though basking in reflected glory. “Surely I don’t need to tell you about Film Emperor Pei’s position in the industry. An opportunity to get to know someone like him is rare and hard to come by.”

He then gave a deliberately mysterious smile, deep laugh lines creasing at the corners of his mouth. “What happens next is up to you.”

He leaned extremely close, and the thick scent of his cologne suddenly rushed into Yan Xi’s nose. Yan Xi frowned deeply, ignored the man’s expression, and stood up, rushing toward the restroom.

He vomited up all the alcohol he had drunk, his stomach cramping and burning like fire. He dry-heaved several times, until there was nothing left to throw up.

He leaned against the wall for quite a while, waiting until the stabbing pain in his head subsided somewhat before leaving.

He leaned over the sink and splashed his face several times. In the mirror, the young man’s damp hair dripped with water, his cheeks flushed from the alcohol, even his lips unusually red.

Yan Xi squeezed his eyes shut and repeatedly rinsed his mouth with tap water to wash away the taste. Fortunately, he carried some mouthwash with him, so he wouldn’t have to look too miserable outside.

His mind was still relatively clear, but his body had little resistance to alcohol and felt limp and weak.

He didn’t dare go back like this, so he braced both hands against the sink and rested.

“Are you okay?”

A concerned voice came from beside him. Yan Xi turned his head, and his confused eyes slowly widened.

The man was much taller than him. Yan Xi had to tilt his head up to meet his eyes.

“Teacher Pei?”

After seeing his condition clearly, Pei Yuxing’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. He placed a hand against Yan Xi’s forehead.

“How much did you drink?”

“Not much. I’m fine.” The warmth against his forehead made Yan Xi pause. He asked, “Why are you here?”

“I have an investment in this hotel. I came to take a look.” Pei Yuxing switched to the back of his hand to check the temperature of Yan Xi’s cheek and asked gently, “Why did you come here to drink?”

Yan Xi stared blankly at him, not avoiding the overly intimate gesture, only feeling a little guilty.

The man’s tone wasn’t exactly displeased, and their relationship wasn’t close enough to warrant this kind of concern. Logically, he shouldn’t feel this way.

But thinking about why he had gotten drunk still made him a little embarrassed, so Yan Xi answered honestly, “I was discussing something with an investor…”

Before he could finish explaining, a shrill voice came from outside.

“Xiao Yan, have you made up your mind? If you have, come with me now. I’ve already booked a room—”

The man took a few steps forward, but every word caught in his throat.

A man stood beside the young man, tall and broad-shouldered with a lean waist, exuding a restrained, masculine presence.

He was supporting Yan Xi by the arm, his eyes lowered as he stared at him, his silent possessiveness unmistakable.

Hearing the voice, the man turned his head toward them. His expression was indifferent, his gaze cold enough to make one’s heart tremble.

The investor had drunk quite a bit. Although the alcohol had gone to his head, he wasn’t completely out of it. Besides, he had just used this very person as something to boast about. How could he possibly fail to recognize him?

It was Pei Yuxing.

He froze instantly.

For a moment, he didn’t know whether he felt more embarrassed or more excited.

After all, someone of this stature wasn’t someone he would normally have the chance to meet.

Pei Yuxing had a very powerful background.

The investor’s eyes darted between the two before he finally forced himself forward.

“Teacher Pei, hello. I’m Dong Shuncheng from Wanhe Entertainment. I’ve worked with one of the artists under your company on an advertisement before—”

He eagerly held out his business card.

“Perhaps you still remember me.”

Pei Yuxing didn’t even let his gaze linger on it.

“Sorry, I don’t remember.”

The investor awkwardly withdrew his hand. “Yes, yes. You’re incredibly busy. How could a few seconds of screen time possibly be worth your attention?”

He glanced at Yan Xi again. Seeing that the alcohol had already gotten to him, with his brows tightly furrowed and his eyes closed, he smiled and said, “Our artist has had a little too much to drink. I’ll have the driver take him back. I’m terribly sorry for disturbing you.”

With that, he stepped forward and tried to pull Yan Xi over, but he didn’t even manage to touch him.

Pei Yuxing pulled him into his arms, turning slightly to keep the two from making contact.

The investor’s hand remained awkwardly suspended in the air, and he looked confused.

The man’s gaze was still relatively calm, yet it sent a chill down his spine.

“Yan Xi is my friend. There’s no need to trouble yourself.”

Investor: “……”

He was mortified.

Thinking about how he had just been bragging in front of this person, never imagining that they already knew each other—and that Film Emperor Pei himself had called him a “friend”—made it even worse.

His smile immediately became impossible to maintain, yet he still forced himself to keep it up. He didn’t even need a mirror to know how ridiculous he looked.

Yan Xi’s head was splitting with pain. The person supporting him felt familiar and reassuring. He half-opened his eyes and saw a refined jawline.

He subconsciously called out, “Pei Yuxing, I feel awful.”

Alcohol gave him courage. He didn’t even call him “Teacher” anymore.

The man said nothing, merely comforting him, “I’ll take you back.”

“Let me rest for a while.” Yan Xi’s legs felt weak. He tried to push him away so he could brace himself against the sink. “I’ll be fine after I rest for a bit.”

But he couldn’t push him away. Pei Yuxing was as steady as a mountain, his gaze on Yan Xi impossible to decipher.

Yan Xi suddenly thought of his grandfather, Yan Peili.

The old man usually had a thunderous temper, but when he was truly displeased, he would instead become frighteningly quiet. His gaze toward his younger relatives was like a sharp sword, instantly making all the noisy grandchildren behave themselves.

Was he angry?

The next second, Pei Yuxing released him and crouched down in front of him.

It took Yan Xi a long moment to react. His lips parted slightly, but he couldn’t say a word.

Pei Yuxing turned his head toward him.

“Get on.”

His body reacted before his mind did. By the time Yan Xi came back to his senses, Pei Yuxing was already standing with him on his back.

The shock sobered him up halfway, and he didn’t even know where to put his hands and feet.

“Pei… Pei Yuxing…”

The man worked out year-round, his strong arms effortlessly supporting Yan Xi. He even reminded him gently, “Hold on tight. Don’t fall.”

Yan Xi was mortified. His breathing became ragged and hurried, leaving him completely at a loss.

Right in front of him was the man’s short, neat black hair, and beneath it, half of his neck hidden by the collar.

There was nowhere for his eyes to rest.

In the end, he simply closed his eyes and wrapped his arms tightly around him.

He couldn’t see the man’s expression, but the corners of his lips lifted ever so slightly.

The investor was already completely petrified, his entire face pale as paper, his fingertips trembling unconsciously.

It wasn’t until a tall shadow appeared before him that he realized Pei Yuxing had already walked up to him.

The investor instinctively raised his head to look at him, like someone gazing up at a mountain.

He thought Pei Yuxing would warn or threaten him. Perhaps he might even send someone to beat him up to vent his anger.

Yet the other man merely remained indifferent, looking completely unconcerned as he nodded politely at him.

“Excuse me.”

Author’s Note:

Why bother dealing with a minor nuisance when taking care of your partner is more important?

You can read the full completed story here with instant full access. ✨