So this was how he looked in Hua Jian's eyes

Qi Fanling was unusually happy today. She said it was because her uncle had stayed home with her that morning.

Bo Lin-the man unaffected by Shu Yao's protagonist halo. Perhaps he was one of the few men among the original novel's characters who wasn't gay.

"Then today really is a happy day."

"Yes! My uncle is super amazing." As though something had occurred to her, Qi Fanling looked timidly at Hua Jian. "Mr. Hua, could you draw a picture of my uncle today, too?"

She loved the drawing Mr. Hua had given her last time.

Hua Jian paused, then said, "Of course, but I've only met your uncle once."

Qi Fanling looked troubled. "Does that mean you can't draw him? But you'd only met me once last time, too, and you drew that picture for me. It was super pretty!"

Hua Jian considered for a moment, then smiled. "How about this? We'll draw your uncle a picture just like yours, Miss Fanling."

Qi Fanling's eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly.

Hua Jian picked up his pencil, thinking of the Bo Lin he had seen at the bar that night.

An immaculate suit, leather shoes, crossed legs, rather slender ankles, firm thighs.

A long, fair hand rested bare against his thigh, a cigarette pinched between his fingertips, while his other hand rested lazily against his chin.

His jaw was finely sculpted and sharp, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, his nose high and straight. His narrow eyes were half-lidded, a sliver of the overhead light falling into his pupils...

Hua Jian was completely absorbed in his drawing. He hadn't expected to remember that man in such detail after only a brief glance that night.

He even remembered the lock of hair that had fallen over his forehead and brushed the corner of his eye.

Qi Fanling's boredom gave way to amazement.

Her adorable eyes opened wide as she marveled at the increasingly lifelike image of her uncle on the paper.

Her alien teacher was so, so, so amazing.

Suddenly, there was a faint sound behind her. She turned nervously and put a finger to her lips. "Shh."

When she saw who it was, she blurted out in surprise, "Uncle?"

Hua Jian hadn't noticed someone arrive behind him. He was drawing the man's Adam's apple.

He remembered setting that cocktail on the table and looking up to speak to Bo Lin. The first thing he had seen was Bo Lin's Adam's apple bobbing rapidly.

He was a little puzzled. Bo Lin hadn't been drinking anything then, so what had he been swallowing?

The thought flitted through his mind, and that moving Adam's apple soon appeared in the drawing.

Holding Qi Fanling's hand, Bo Lin stood quietly behind Hua Jian.

The young man was focused and engrossed. Bo Lin's gaze passed over his slender fingers before settling on the drawing.

So that was his expression that night.

Carefree, mysterious, languid, and a little dangerous.

The boy's thoughts were quite serious today. Gone was his usual boisterousness; his tone was steady, his emotions calm.

Only now did Bo Lin learn that this was how he looked in Hua Jian's eyes.

The man in the drawing looked listless. The carefully rendered corners of his eyes and shadows along his neck betrayed the artist's partiality.

Bo Lin lifted his eyelids slightly, his gaze returning to Hua Jian's well-defined hands. As his fingers exerted pressure, his veins showed faintly beneath his skin...

Tsk, this guy actually looks pretty handsome like this. The type girls like.

Or did I just imagine him as too handsome?

The chatter broke Bo Lin's train of thought. His expression unreadable, he said mildly, "Mr. Hua."

The artist's arm jerked violently. Then he turned and stared at Bo Lin in horror, screaming inwardly, Holy shit, he scared me to death! When did he get here?

A flicker of amusement crossed Bo Lin's eyes. "Sorry, Mr. Hua. I seem to have startled you."

Hua Jian forced the corners of his mouth upward. "It's fine."

Bo Lin raised his chin toward the drawing. "Are you drawing me, Mr. Hua?"

"Yes, Uncle! I asked Mr. Hua to draw you." Little Fanling hastily let go of Bo Lin's hand and moved closer to Hua Jian, exclaiming, "Mr. Hua, you're amazing! You made Uncle look so handsome!"

Hua Jian took a deep breath, barely managing to calm his pounding heart. "Thank you for the compliment, Miss Fanling."

Only then did Bo Lin realize that he really seemed to have frightened him.

At that moment, Hua Jian seemed to recover, muttering inwardly, Tsk, if I'd known he was going to scare me like that, I would've made him uglier.

Bo Lin easily picked up the displeasure toward him in those thoughts and couldn't help letting out a chuckle.

"Young master, a lady named Song Chengxin is here to see you. She says she has an appointment."

Housekeeper Chen's voice broke the strange atmosphere in the corridor. Only then did Bo Lin remember that he had stayed home today to meet Song Chengxin.

"Please ask her to wait in the tea room. I'll be right there."

"Yes, young master."

Listening to the footsteps behind him, Hua Jian pondered the name Song Chengxin.

But after thinking for a while, he still couldn't place it... Forget it. She probably wasn't important.

The man in the drawing before him was calm and restrained, seemingly harmless.

Yet the Bo Lin portrayed by the author was a hidden powerhouse of uncertain allegiance.

Though exceptionally gifted in business, he was ruthless and unsparing in his methods.

Back then, less than half a month after the Xie Family began working with Shen Ling, disaster struck. The Xie Family's accounts were frozen, and almost all their liquid assets were locked up.

Xie Zhiwei approached Lu Zexi, hoping he would help tide them over. Lu Zexi readily agreed, but the money never arrived.

Later, after the Xie Family went bankrupt, Lu Zexi happened to mention it at a class reunion.

Bo Lin had stopped him. Lu Zexi's classmates had sighed over it, saying it was lucky Bo Lin had been there, or Lu Zexi's money would have gone down the drain...

"Mr. Hua, are you feeling sick? You look so pale."

The little girl's worried voice sounded beside him. Hua Jian immediately came back to his senses and checked the time. "I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you, but we've finished today's drawing, so class is over."

Qi Fanling had other lessons afterward, so Hua Jian soon said goodbye to Butler Chen.

Only after he had slowly walked out of the villa did he remember something.

He had washed the clothes he had borrowed from Bo Lin last time and brought them back, handing them to Butler Chen.

He should have thanked Bo Lin again when they met just now.

Honk, honk!

A car horn sounded behind him, and Hua Jian immediately stepped aside.

"Mr. Hua, get in."

"President Bo?"

"Yes. I'm heading back to the office. Get in, and the driver can give you a ride."

Thinking of the long walk ahead, Hua Jian didn't hesitate any further.

The car was very quiet. A sweet fragrance greeted Hua Jian as he climbed in, making him twitch his nose.

It wasn't cloying. It was probably the perfume worn by the woman in the front passenger seat.

Hua Jian and Bo Lin had nothing to talk about. One looked at his phone, while the other read reports.

The woman in the front passenger seat, however, repeatedly glanced "accidentally" at the rearview mirror, then "accidentally" let her gaze settle on Hua Jian.

Looking over once more, Song Chengxin again marveled at how good-looking this handsome young man was. The next second, she met Bo Lin's indifferent gaze.

Song Chengxin's heart jolted, and she withdrew her gaze almost in panic.

Hua Jian didn't notice their strange interaction. He was checking WeChat.

Xue Pan was looking for him.

The liquid Xue Pan had given Hua Jian last time had left him wary of the man ever since.

A sophomore from out of town, yet he could buy something illegal like that in the Imperial Capital. His background certainly wasn't ordinary.

So what exactly did Xue Pan want with him?

It seemed urgent. Before Hua Jian could decide whether to reply, a call came through.

After a brief hesitation, he answered.

"Hello, Hua Jian? Are you on campus?" Xue Pan sounded so nervous that Hua Jian grew nervous, too.

"No. Do you need something?"

"Fuck, I'm in a bit of trouble. Could you lend me some money?"

"Lend you money?"

Xue Pan seemed to realize how unreasonable his request was, since he barely knew Hua Jian.

If not for their interaction in the classroom that day, Xue Pan would never have turned to him in desperation.

"Sorry..."

"You should be. I don't have any money to lend you."

I'm fucking working part-time at a bar, tutoring, and livestreaming, wearing myself out like a dog just to save money! At least once the Xie Family goes bankrupt, I'll be able to help Xie Zhiwei out so he doesn't starve to death. I'm fucking miserable enough already, and you're asking me for money!

The boy beside him was loud and furious inside his head.

Bo Lin turned slightly to look at him. Hua Jian had his back to him, his shoulders hunched as he covered his phone's microphone. He looked rather comical.

Meanwhile, Xue Pan was left speechless by the blunt rejection. After a two-second pause, he said quietly, "Sorry for bothering you."

The disconnected tone soon sounded over the phone.

The car was moving quickly. Not long after hanging up, Hua Jian spotted a subway station.

Hua Jian looked at Bo Lin and said, "Mr. Bo, just drop me off by the road up ahead. I can take the subway back."

Bo Lin acknowledged him. "All right. Tian, pull over up ahead."

Tian answered, switching on the turn signal and slowing down to stop by the roadside.

As Hua Jian got out, he wanted to thank Bo Lin, but saw that his attention had returned to the documents in his hands.

He looked entirely unreceptive to small talk.

Forget it.

The black car sped away, and Hua Jian turned toward the subway station.

Ding.

Hua Jian stopped in his tracks. A WeChat message had arrived on his phone.

Xue Pan: [Image].

Hua Jian had a bad feeling. His tall frame stood like a pillar at the subway entrance, and everyone passing by turned to glance at him.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally opened Xue Pan's WeChat message.

Tsk, tsk. What rotten luck.

In the photo, Xue Pan was huddled in a corner, his face battered and bruised. There was a message underneath.

Xue Pan: Your friend took my stuff without paying. He said he gave it to you. I'll give you one hour. Bring 10,000 yuan to XX Bar on Fubao Street. If you're late, I'll come find you at Imperial University.

At that, Hua Jian finally couldn't hold back his curses. "Fuck you, Xue Pan! You made twenty thousand off me for one bottle? You fucking deserved that beating! Why didn't they beat you to death, you bastard!"