Le Youyuan had just called someone to tow away his car, feeling both heartbroken over his new car and cursing Yin Mingzhen for being inhumane. He had taken only a few steps back when he saw his snatched treasure, Shi Qing, returning angrily.
"Shi Xiaoqing!!!"
Le Youyuan was overjoyed and rushed over, circling around Shi Qing like an excited dog, his face filled with anger: "Darling, why did you come back?"
Shi Qing grabbed his arm and said, "I have nowhere else to go, take me home."
"Sure, sure!"
Le Youyuan's expression could be described as if he had just seen a huge pie fall from the sky, and he couldn't stop smiling.
Initially, when he found out that Yin Mingzhen had left the base, he had wicked intentions of luring Shi Qing to his side, making him his partner, and embarrassing Yin Mingzhen. He had planned everything, starting with a financial strategy. Hearing that Shi Qing was a young kid who probably hadn't seen much of the world, he thought he could easily win him over with some gifts.
But when he saw Shi Qing for the first time, Le Youyuan was completely mesmerized. His plans were thrown out the window, and he desperately wanted to shower Shi Qing with everything he had to win his favor.
He was initially heartbroken when he thought Shi Qing had been taken by that jerk Yin Mingzhen. However, that sadness quickly turned to ecstasy when he saw Shi Qing return.
Le Youyuan was ecstatic, saying, "I'll take you home right away, build an amusement park for you, and even a racing track. You like playing games, right? I'll create a huge game room just for you, and..."
His excited voice stopped abruptly when he saw Yin Mingzhen, who was following Shi Qing with an icy expression.
Even though he had not been physically harmed, he felt a sudden, nerve-wracking pain somewhere.
Just by seeing Le Youyuan's stiff expression, Shi Qing knew who was following them. Yin Mingzhen had been with them the whole way.
On the way, Yin Mingzhen had tried to explain, but the young man just covered his ears and refused to listen. In fact, even if Shi Qing had listened, Yin Mingzhen couldn't explain it all. It was true that he had initially persuaded Shi Qing to stay as his partner, and later he had tried to push him towards Cheng Jun.
Yin Mingzhen didn't understand it before, but after he realized his own feelings, he couldn't bear the thought of Shi Qing not liking him and being with someone else. He felt a simple, painful sensation in his heart, realizing how wrong he had been.
Shi Qing didn't want to listen to his explanations, nor did he want to go back with him. If Yin Mingzhen wanted, he could have forcibly taken the young man home. Although Shi Qing would be no match for a human hero in a fight, Yin Mingzhen couldn't bring himself to be harsh with him. So he silently followed behind Shi Qing and Le Youyuan.
Shi Qing was currently emotionally unstable and worried that something might happen on the way. He was the one escorting Shi Qing, so Le Youyuan was too afraid to approach him.
Seeing Shi Qing still holding onto his arm with an indifferent expression, Le Youyuan's sweat began to form. He cautiously looked behind Shi Qing and gestured to remind him, "Shi Xiaoqing, look behind you."
"No need to worry about him," the young man huffed, holding onto Le Youyuan's arm even tighter. "I'm not afraid of him. Let's go!"
Le Youyuan thought to himself, "My dear, you're not afraid of him, but I am!"
Seeing that Shi Qing wasn't moving, the young man curiously raised his eyes, his clear silver-gray eyes full of doubt. "Why aren't we moving?"
Le Youyuan felt a sense of relief when he saw Shi Qing's innocent face up close. He had an urge to show off in front of Yin Mingzhen. As he walked with his arm around the beautiful young man, he thought to himself, "Who cares what they think? Haven't they seen a handsome man with a fierce protector?"
Le Youyuan gradually abandoned his timid steps and even used his usual extravagant and carefree tone. He raised his voice and asked the young man, "Darling, can I put my hand on your waist?"
Shi Qing replied, "Sure, go ahead."
Le Youyuan: "Hehehehe, happy, happy."
He extended his hand toward the young man's slender waist, feeling a burning sensation pass by his hand.
"What's this?" Le Youyuan wondered. He raised his hand in front of his eyes and watched as the ring on his middle finger turned into black mist and disappeared. It seemed that if the owner of the black mist wanted, his finger could disappear along with it.
Le Youyuan: "..."
He stiffly turned his head and met Yin Mingzhen's gaze. Yin Mingzhen had a small black mist floating in his palm.
Le Youyuan: "..."
The young man, who was walking beside him, was oblivious and asked curiously, "What's wrong? Didn't you want to put your hand on my waist?"
"No, no, it's too hot to touch your waist," Le Youyuan quickly replied, retracting his arm from Shi Qing's grip with a smile. "Sweetheart, let's not hold hands anymore; it's too hot."
"Okay," Shi Qing agreed, releasing his hand without any fuss.
Le Youyuan let out a sigh of relief and discreetly glanced back, only to see Yin Mingzhen silently trailing behind like a ghost, which infuriated him.
He wasn't afraid of Yin Mingzhen. No, it was about showing respect to Shi Qing! Respect!
After all, Shi Qing had chosen to come back home with him, and Yin Mingzhen couldn't just barge in.
Just wait, even if he couldn't beat Yin Mingzhen physically, he had plenty of skills to win Shi Qing's heart. Shi Qing would definitely choose to be with him!
Yin Mingzhen, General Yin, had brought the young man from outside back home with Le Youyuan. This news quickly spread throughout the entire base.
When Cheng Jun found out about it, he was the first to come over, his head hanging low in apology. The young and handsome man looked so guilty that he seemed on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry, Boss. I left Shi Qing alone for just an hour, and that Le Youyuan appeared out of nowhere and lured him away. I've been trying to bring him back these past few days, but Shi Qing enjoys being with him. I can't persuade him to come back, so I just followed them wherever they went..."
"It's okay," Yin Mingzhen said with a calm tone, his eyes deep. "I've investigated it. Le Youyuan deliberately caused a scene to distract you. Even if you hadn't fallen for it, he had other tricks up his sleeve."
When Cheng Jun heard that Le Youyuan had come prepared, he first felt shocked but then gritted his teeth. "He definitely did it on purpose! Boss, he has never liked you. This time, he must be trying to deceive Shi Qing and go against you. You must bring Shi Qing back!"
Cheng Jun didn't dare to utter a word about the grandiose claims of personally bringing Shi Qing back to redeem himself. Facing Le Youyuan was one thing, but when faced with a pleading young man who refused to go back and was even coquettishly affectionate, Cheng Jun was powerless.
He had always liked Shi Qing, so how could he resist?
But Boss Yin would definitely succeed!
Yin Mingzhen glanced at Cheng Jun, who was brimming with confidence and looking up to him for approval, then waved him away.
Boss couldn't do it. Boss wasn't capable of it.
Shi Qing was now clearly upset with him. No matter how much he apologized or followed him, Shi Qing refused to forgive him. Shi Qing even intentionally displayed affection with Le Youyuan every day, right in front of him, as if trying to make him jealous.
Yin Mingzhen could still keep up a semblance of composure on the surface, but he was suffering inside.
What could be worse in the world than realizing you had fallen for someone, only to anger them the moment before, forcing them to ignore you and act friendly with someone else right before your eyes?
Yin Mingzhen had maintained the image of a stoic, straight-laced military officer for nearly thirty years. He couldn't even fathom how to win back Shi Qing's favor. The only response he could think of was to act as a bodyguard, shadowing them wherever they went.
But no matter how straight he stood, Shi Qing wouldn't spare him a glance.
Yin Mingzhen let out a sigh. He was suffering.
And he knew Le Youyuan was suffering even more.
Ever since Shi Qing moved in, Le Youyuan faced Yin Mingzhen's hostile gaze every day. Before going to bed, he worried that Yin Mingzhen might lose control and do something that would prevent him from seeing the sun the next day.
Even though they lived under the same roof, Le Youyuan didn't dare to enter Shi Qing's room. The last time he tried to enter, the floorboard under his feet had developed a gaping hole.
Seeing but not being able to touch, was there anything more torturous?
Le Youyuan couldn't hold it in and, after having a few drinks at the gathering of second-generation elites, he poured out his grievances.
Hearing his story, the group of second-generation elites, who had just moments ago condemned Yin Mingzhen's lack of ethics, became indignant and began to condemn him.
Le Youyuan felt warmed by their words and stood on the table, raising his glass. "Is there anyone among you who can give me advice? Brothers, I'll be grateful for the rest of my life!"
The second-generation elites, who had just been chastising him, fell silent. This was Yin Mingzhen they were talking about, who dared provoke him?
Even when they had parties before, they only dared to do it after confirming that Yin Mingzhen was "dead." This living person was now inside the base, and if they angered him, one move could make them disappear into thin air. Facing the silent Le Youyuan in the quiet room, someone sighed, "Forget it." They were all a bunch of opportunistic friends.
Le Youyuan left on his own and was outside, drinking a bottle of liquor to vent his frustration. A sneaky young guy approached him. "Brother Le, I have a trick for you." Seeing Le Youyuan's interest, he grinned and handed him a packet of medicine. "This is a drug extracted from mutated plants. Anyone who takes it will feel uncomfortable all over and can't help but desire certain things. If you give this drug to that kid, he'll want it badly and will do whatever you want."
Le Youyuan glanced at the medicine, a smile forming on his face, and signaled the guy to come closer. The young man happily approached. But in the next second, he received a punch to his face. "You damn animal! I'm not that low! Get lost!!" The guy was dazed for several seconds after the punch, then saw Le Youyuan furious and about to kick him. He quickly covered his face and scrambled away.
Le Youyuan's face wore an expression of satisfaction as he watched the guy flee. He joyfully fanned the flames of discord, "Darling, don't trust him. This old man is really wicked."
The protector under Yin Mingzhen's command urgently contacted him. The man who had just finished deploying the next step of the battle plan frowned, "Are you sure you've tested it?"
"I'm sure," the psychic replied confidently. "We've checked all the food around Shi Qing, including Le Youyuan's. There was a reaction to the substance in the bottle of wine that Le Youyuan brought back today, indicating the presence of poison."
The man, who had been sitting calmly, suddenly stood up. Before anyone could react, he had disappeared from their sight. At Le Youyuan's villa, he was just about to open the bottle of red wine he had brought from the bar, with Shi Qing sitting under a blanket watching TV. Seeing him about to drink, Shi Qing glanced over and said, "I want some too."
"You're not of legal drinking age. Don't drink. When you're older, I'll take you out for fun," Le Youyuan said. He then looked strangely at the cork. "Why does this wine look like it's been opened? It's not new, is it?" He decided to ignore it and grabbed a wine glass to pour. He swirled it around a bit and was about to take a sip when the door was kicked open.
Le Youyuan, frozen in the middle of raising the glass to his lips, met the gaze of the man. Shi Qing, still sitting on the sofa, wasn't surprised, but his tone wasn't friendly. "What are you doing here!"
Yin Mingzhen, seeing that Le Youyuan was the only one with a wine glass in hand, questioned him, "Did you drink it?"
Le Youyuan stammered, "No."
He had realized that Yin Mingzhen wasn't here to harm him, and he even dared to raise his chin arrogantly, "Hey, General Yin, your entrance was a bit tricky. Let me guess, you were monitoring Shi Xiaoqing, right? You rushed over here in such a hurry to ask me if I had been drinking, fearing that I might misbehave after drinking?"
Yin Mingzhen's gaze remained cold as he continued to look at Le Youyuan. Shi Qing, however, was undeterred. He lifted the blanket, stepped barefoot onto the floor, and walked menacingly toward the man. He was a head shorter than Yin Mingzhen, so despite his fierce approach, he had to tilt his head up to look angry, like an angry little penguin. "You were monitoring me!!"
Yin Mingzhen had just coldly denied monitoring, but when he met Shi Qing's angry gaze, he couldn't help but panic, "No."
"You suddenly came here for what?" Shi Qing raised his neck, feeling a bit tired from tilting it for so long, and then continued to grumble in a stern voice, "Why are you standing so tall? Is it fun for you to see me look up at you?"
The man sat on the sofa, level with Shi Qing, and didn't say a word. Shi Qing stared at him, and Yin Mingzhen turned his gaze away from Le Youyuan to meet the suspicious look of Shi Qing. Shi Qing had just been angry, but now he hesitated and said, "I'm so capable; it's normal for you to miss me."
"So, you really weren't monitoring me?"
Yin Mingzhen, nearly greedy, looked at the triumphant young man in front of him and replied without hesitation, "Really wasn't."
"Humph."
Le Youyuan, who was watching the situation, was not happy. "Don't believe him, babe. This old man is really wicked."
"I understand now..."
Yin Mingzhen's body was tense. Oh no, he had just assured Shi Qing that he wasn't monitoring him, and now, how would he explain it? But...
Le Youyuan chimed in, "Did you put poison in the wine because you couldn't stand Shi Xiaoqing living with me? Is there poison in this wine?"
The teenage drama king recalled the palace dramas he had seen before and felt like he was onto something. After all, in the past, there had been power struggles in the base that resulted in one side being poisoned to death. "I knew it! That's why I saw the bottle had been opened before. Shi Xiaoqing, look! This old man is so wicked!"
Yin Mingzhen remained silent and sat on the sofa, allowing Shi Qing to confront him. Shi Qing was angry at first, but when he saw the man's tears, he hesitated and muttered, "You lied to me again!"
The hero's brain was blank when he met Shi Qing's teary eyes. On the other side, Le Youyuan was still holding his wine glass and taunting, "Even if I take this wine for analysis, the truth will come out. Since there's no poison, Shi Xiaoqing, you wait for me to bring back the evidence, it won't take long!"
With that, he picked up the wine glass and was about to leave. However, before he could take a step, the man suddenly reached out and snatched the glass from his hand.
Le Youyuan huffed, "What's the use of grabbing it? The more you do this, the more it shows that you're guilty! Shi Xiaoqing, you wait for me to bring back the evidence!"
Shi Qing watched the situation, and Yin Mingzhen's mind was racing. He couldn't allow Shi Qing to misunderstand him. The next second, Yin Mingzhen raised the glass to his lips and started drinking it.
Gulp, gulp.
He took several sips until the glass of wine with the added poison was empty. After finishing, he handed the glass back to the dumbfounded Le Youyuan.
In a low and steady voice, the human hero said, "I've proven it, no poison."
Author's Note: I felt like something was off with the ending, so I rewrote it. Thanks to my friends for helping me review the text multiple times. Thank you, friends!! This work is provided by 思兔网 (Si Tu Wang) for online reading.
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