CH 67

elvis couldn’t understand this kind of persistence, nor did he grasp the meaning of first love. he was used to seeking excitement through high-risk methods, and in the pleasure of drugs, alcohol, and self-harm, the dopamine release brought about by love, seemed like a drop in the ocean..

“so why don’t you—”

elvis subconsciously wanted to ask why he didn’t seek ashley’s help since that woman always had a way. however, before he could finish his sentence, he felt like he might be giving something away, so he stopped himself.

but qi yanbai had already caught the hint in that incomplete sentence. seeing elvis hesitating to continue, he couldn’t help but ask, “why don’t i do what?”

“nothing.”

elvis tossed the figurine in his hand into the air and caught it again. then he placed it back on his desk, fidgeting nervously, making sure the base stand fit perfectly into the shallow imprint on the desk’s light-colored surface.

“i just want to wish you success,” elvis shrugged with a mischievous grin. “stir things up a bit, but don’t let yourself get dumped, or you’ll become a homeless stray dog, and that would be too pitiful.”

“you can rest assured about that,” qi yanbai said. he was not the type to sit idly by and take ridicule. with a cold look, he lifted an eyebrow and said in a chilly tone, “if he dumps me, i’ll come back home and take you all down with me.”

elvis: “…”

qi yanbai’s statement was obviously nonsense—he had grown used to life outside and had already decided to stick with lu ye. he certainly wouldn’t run back to qi zhe, becoming a commodity that could only be used to extract his own inspiration and emotions every day.

however, elvis was currently experiencing a manic episode, and his entire brain was functioning at a high-frequency, single-threaded working state of chaos. he was genuinely frightened by qi yanbai’s utterly unbelievable “threat,” to the point that even when he left the training center in a daze, his mind was still echoing with “take you all down with me.”

as qi zhe’s son, elvis had inherited his emotional aspect quite well. he didn’t care who qi zhe’s attention was divided among or which child qi zhe liked better. however, he cared a lot about the money in the foundation.

being reckless required money, whether it was drug abuse or reckless driving. most of these high-risk activities that stimulated his dopamine release came with high financial costs. with numerous siblings, he had already struggled to secure his share. he really didn’t want to give up any portion of what he had gained, especially considering that qi zhe’s foundation capital had doubled this year.

the realization that “qi yanbai might recklessly choose to return home” brought elvis a great sense of crisis. his restless emotions surged once again, like a boiling pot, bubbling in his heart.

this fiery feeling made elvis very uncomfortable. he had already walked half a block away, but the thought of this possibility made him so anxious that he couldn’t help but turn back. he wanted to persuade qi yanbai more, not to think about going back home.

as evening approached, various training institutions on the street were gradually letting out their students. elvis walked against the flow of people back to the training center. just as he reached the entrance gate, the sudden ringing of his phone interrupted him.

rock music blared from his pocket, and elvis, annoyed, pulled out his phone and glanced at it. it was an entirely unfamiliar phone number.

he initially didn’t want to answer. however, the caller on the other end seemed persistent. once he hung up, the phone would immediately start ringing again, as if asserting its dominance.

elvis was annoyed and reluctantly answered the call with a displeased tone, “hello—”

“mr. elvis.”

a somewhat familiar male voice came through the phone, and elvis paused for a moment, only then remembering that he had given this temporary phone number to one particular stranger, aside from his close friends.

he subconsciously scanned the surroundings but couldn’t spot the face from his memory. instead, he saw a patrol car drive by from the street corner and stop precisely on the opposite side of the road.

“let me remind you,” perhaps elvis’s facial expression appeared overly menacing, raising concerns of “threatening public order.” therefore, the voice on the phone paused for a moment before continuing, “in china, causing trouble is also illegal. i suggest you cherish the freedom you got.”

with elvis’s limited chinese proficiency, he could only understand about a third of what was said, but he managed to piece together lu ye’s meaning from a few words.

elvis’s brain, in its manic cycle, had highly sensitive reactions. he glanced at the police car with its flashing lights not far away, then turned to look at the training center where students were coming out. suddenly, he understood something and instinctively ended the call.

his feet moved swiftly as he crossed the road, as if he were afraid that the attractive prey, lu ye, would slip through his fingers.

a taxi rushed past him dangerously close, leaving behind a powerful string of curses from the driver.

elvis paid no attention to the near-miss with the accident, running happily to the side of the police car. he bent down, tapped the car window twice, and called out, “officer lu…?”

the window on the driver’s side was quickly rolled down halfway, revealing lu ye’s face. his gaze was calm as he glanced at elvis.

lu ye always appeared sharp and focused while on duty and his expression made elvis’ hair stand on end, but strangely enough, this only heightened his excitement.

“i’ll do as you say,” elvis said with a grin. “but officer, can you join me for a drink?”

he said this without hesitation and leaned towards the car window, throwing a flirtatious look at lu ye.

“i want to talk to you about qi,” he continued.

when elvis mentioned qi yanbai, lu ye finally turned his head to look at him.

at this point, it was hard to believe that elvis and qi yanbai didn’t know each other. lu ye had thought about making direct contact with elvis before he returned to his home country, just to tip the balance that always seemed to be swaying in qi yanbai’s favor. however, he hadn’t planned on it yet, and now elvis had come to him voluntarily.

things given away for free could be either luck or a trap. lu ye didn’t immediately agree; instead, he studied elvis’s expression as if evaluating something.

“it might not be appropriate to discuss his matters with me,” lu ye replied with an ambiguous attitude, “privacy is a sensitive issue, and i have no right to pry.”

“good! very good! exceptionally good!” elvis eagerly interrupted him, ignoring the latter part of his response. “i know a lot about him. i can secretly tell you anything you want to know.”

“such as?” lu ye asked nonchalantly.

“anything.” elvis was afraid the opportunity he had in his hands would fly away, so he anxiously leaned closer to the car window and peered inside, enticing lu ye with persuasive tones, “officer, don’t you want to know everything about him? like his emotions, his past, and his secrets?”

“i can tell you everything,” elvis squinted, his tone elusive, “you can understand him, dig into him, control him—make him stand in front of you completely exposed, without any secrets from then on.”

curiosity and the desire to control are natural human traits, especially when it comes to someone they have grown fond of through daily interactions. the temptation to uncover secrets is powerful for anyone. elvis, understanding this, felt confident that lu ye wouldn’t miss this opportunity.

as expected, lu ye seemed convinced by elvis’s words. he hesitated for only a moment before retracting his gaze from elvis.

elvis instinctively withdrew his arm from the narrow opening of the car window. just before the window closed completely, he heard lu ye’s response.

“alright,” lu ye said.