Chapter One

When Li Zekun returned from England, it was mid-August in China, the hottest time in Beijing. The moment before he got off the plane, he still had the chill and dampness from London that hadn't dissipated after ten hours of flying. The next moment, he was completely drenched by the sweltering heat rising up like steam from a hot pot.

The ones coming to pick him up at the airport were his closest buddies that he had been playing with since childhood. Some acquaintances who tried to cozy up to him for the sake of networking had disappeared as early as four years ago when his father had sent him abroad. Li Zekun was naive when he was younger, easily swayed by all sorts of tempting offers and flattery. However, after experiencing the most poignant setback in his life, he finally understood that superficial and cheap things like material wealth and excessive pleasure were ultimately meaningless.

Song Yu grinned and waved at Li Zekun from the waiting area, shouting loudly from afar, "Kun, over here, over here!"

Li Zekun walked over in big steps and gave his friend a tight hug: "Good, you've been living pretty well these past few years, your appearance hasn't changed a bit."

Song Yu shook his head and said, "Forget it. I'm too old for this. I can't even hang out at nightclubs anymore. The only thing I have left from my wild days are my thermos and goji berries - they've replaced the partying and fireworks of the past."

Li Zekun teased, "Indeed, it's time for some maintenance. I forgot that four years have passed and you're already a man in his thirties."

Song Yu hooked his back with a smile and said, "You're enough, pretending to be young when you're only two years younger than me?"

While speaking, he looked at Li Zekun's head and said, "Isn't it said that taking a shower in hard water in England will make your hair fall out? Your hair seems to have strong vitality."

"Will it lead to death if you don't be sharp-tongued?" Li Zekun pounded on Song Yu's heart, "I reckon that when you're gone, my hair will still be just fine."

Song Yu clutched his chest in a fake manner, pretending to be in pain. After he had enough of the act, he remembered that there was someone waiting outside. He put his arm around Li Zekun's shoulder and said, "Alright, your temper is still as bad as it was before. Let's go. Young Master Yanxue is waiting for us in the car, and we'll give you a welcoming reception tonight."

As they exited the airport terminal, a surge of hot air hit Li Zekun in the face, causing his thin shirt to quickly become damp with sweat.

"Damn it, the weather today is like being possessed by an evil spirit. How is it this su...so hot this year?" Song Yu's brain was quicker than his mouth as he chewed up and swallowed the word summer(Xia) that was about to slip out of his throat.

Li Zekun didn't really notice anything wrong. He just furrowed his brow due to the heat and unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt, saying, "Hasn't every summer been this hot?"

Song Yu didn't respond for a while, because their relationship was so close that there were many things they couldn't discuss with each other.

During the time when Cheng Xia passed away, Li Zekun almost couldn't make it through. Even though the bone marrow transplant surgery was successful, Li Zekun couldn't understand why he was gone in just a few hours. Li Zekun began by just crying, sobbing like a child, and his wails could be heard across the hallway despite being such a grown man. Afterward, he stopped crying and felt that the doctors were all quacks who were recklessly endangering people's lives. He went crazy and needed to be restrained by seven or eight people when he tried to assault the doctors. Later, a video of Li Zekun attacking doctors in the hospital was leaked, and he was almost beaten by his father and was sent overseas without fully healing his injuries.

For a long time after that, Li Zekun would lose his composure every time he heard the character 'Xia'. Over time, the name of his deceased lover became a taboo word that could not be spoken by anyone in public.

Thinking back to the past, Song Yu couldn't help but feel melancholic, but he quickly adjusted his mood and smiled, saying, "It's cool in the car. Let me clarify beforehand, bro, since we haven't seen each other in such a long time, you have to patiently accompany us for a few days. You've always been the laziest one among us since childhood."

Li Zekun smiled without speaking and followed Song Yu into the car. The car they got into was a Mercedes-Benz G65 newly provided by Yang Yanxue. At least a few big guys could sit comfortably in it.

"Oh, Kun, you have become more refined in the past few years you've been away.", Yang Yanxue said as he turned around from the driver's seat to look at Li Zekun. He took off his black sunglasses perched on his nose bridge and greeted him with a smile, "Have you missed us?"

Li Zekun laughed and cursed: "Stop bothering me with useless things. If I didn't miss you guys, I wouldn't even come home but hang out with you guys outside."

Song Yu responded without even thinking as he followed along with this sentence: "Yes, yes, yes. Kun is the most affectionate one. These past few years abroad, he must have been missing us day and night."

The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds, and in an instant, the atmosphere quieted down. There was actually nothing wrong with Song Yu's words, but after they were spoken, there seemed to be a hint of ambiguity in his tone.

Li Zekun's deep affection has been observed by everyone since four years ago, but in recent years, everyone knows who he has been thinking of day and night.

Yang Yanxue started the car and slyly changed the subject, saying, "Tan's new club just opened recently, let's all go there tonight to show our support."

Li Zekun didn't feel disappointed. After nodding his head, he wearily closed his eyes and said, "I don't care where we go. Just drive steadily and let me rest for a while. I haven't slept all night."

Li Zekun didn't even realize that he had fallen asleep, and even had some vague dreams. Fragmented scenes, like one afternoon, there was thick stew cooking in the kitchen, and the TV in the living room was playing the distinctive lion roar of Tom and Jerry. A person sat obediently with their back to him on the sofa in front of the TV. The dream felt so real, as if all Li Zekun had to do was call out that person's name, and he would quickly turn his gaze into him with a smile and ask, "Kun, what do you want?"

Li Zekun suddenly shuddered, awakening in an instant. He furrowed his brows and wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead, and found that the car had already stopped.

Song Yu didn't ask him anything and spoke slowly, "Looks like you're really tired, slept all the way. Alright, come and have something to eat to recharge yourself. Let's save our energy for a fun night."

When Li Zekun got off the car, his legs were a little weak. Yang Yanxue helped him: "There's no place like home compared to overseas. Look at how they mistreated Kunkun, he looks exhausted and worn out."

"Go away, when I'm done sleeping, I'll teach you what it means to be cautious with your words and actions." Li Zekun pushed him aside and laughed, "You don't know how free it is overseas, away from a father who controls everything at home. It's pure bliss."

Song Yu hooked his arm around his shoulder and walked him into the restaurant, saying, "Haha, it's great, Kun. We'll wait for you to introduce some playmates later."

Yang Yanxue just smiled without saying a word and took a few steps ahead to open the door to the private room for them.

The people in the private room have almost all arrived, whether they have a particularly close relationship or just a familiar face. There's a group of people calling him either Kun or Young Master Li, and it's really lively. Those people were called by Song Yu, after all, and with Li Zekun being away for so long, the welcoming banquet upon his return can't be too shabby.

After casually greeting them, Li Zekun found an empty seat for himself and the awkwardly vacant main seat that was left for him.

Everyone knows about Li Zekun's temperament - he doesn't like to socialize and drink with people he doesn't know. As a result, nobody forced themselves to awkwardly join him. Li Zekun also didn't make any effort to blend in, his gaze vacant as he drifted off into his phone.

His phone was very old, still an iPhone4 from four years ago, with a dusty plug and a worn-out sunshine doll hanging from it. Li Zekun's emotions were hidden behind his slightly lowered eyelashes, but there was clearly a hint of fatigue and pain on his face.

Throughout the entire dinner, Li Zekun was not in a good state. Or, it could be said that he had not been in a good state for a long time now. He had been through days of loneliness and confusion for far too long, to the point where the outer wall of his heart had become so thick that it was impenetrable to knives and guns.