You're all guts-guts come to life

Wasn't Xu Ming here to watch Li Yi make a fool of himself?

Why was he opening the door for him so respectfully?

And what was with Li Yi's attitude?

Could Xu Ming and Song Tianyi have arrived to pick him up at just the wrong moment and missed the security guards giving him trouble?

Honestly, why hadn't Xu Ming and Song Tianyi known to let the guards give Li Yi a harder time before letting him in?

"You're here." Zhou Xuanze coughed awkwardly and gently pushed away Lu Junjia, who was leaning against him.

"Little brother, why are you so late? Did your taxi get stuck in traffic?" Lu Junjia smiled faintly. "If only you'd told me earlier. I could have sent our family driver to pick you up."

"Does your driver also work part-time as a traffic cop?" Li Yi asked with a serious expression.

"What?" Lu Junjia looked bewildered.

"If he's not a traffic cop, what difference does it make whether it's a private car or a taxi when there's traffic?" Li Yi looked at him as though he were an idiot. "Or can your family's car fly?"

"..."

"Pfft." Song Tianyi tried to suppress his smile, but he couldn't hold it in, and a laugh escaped through his teeth.

Everyone in the room wore a different expression. Lu Junjia's looked particularly ugly.

"Tianyi, you sneaked off to get a bottle of the good stuff!" Zhou Xuanze stood up to break the awkwardness and walked toward the server. "Isn't this the Rémy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl from Starlight Bar's private collection?

You rascal, this bottle supposedly costs over a million.

You're actually being generous enough to open it for us. That makes it worth our while coming all this way especially to celebrate your birthday."

"This isn't..."

"Mr. Li here beside me ordered this bottle." The server was very conscientious and got the words out first.

"You ordered it?" Zhou Xuanze looked at Li Yi doubtfully.

"If you're not deaf, yes, I ordered it." Li Yi lazily raised his eyes to look at him.

"How could Li Yi afford wine that costs over a million!" Li Xu immediately said. "Don't tell me that job of yours..."

As expected of someone who hung around with Xu Ming, their minds worked in much the same way.

"What kind of work are you doing?" Zhou Xuanze's expression changed. "Li Yi, if you dare cheat on me, I'll..."

"Stop running your mouth at me. We've already broken up." Li Yi shoved Zhou Xuanze aside and settled comfortably onto the sofa, casually crossing one leg over the other. He gestured to the server. "Open it."

"Right away." The server immediately came over with the tray, opened the bottle swiftly and professionally, and poured Li Yi a glass.

Hidden in the dim lighting, Lu Junjia glared at Li Yi, his fingers digging hard into the leather sofa. That damned Li Yi hadn't embarrassed himself and had even become the center of attention.

Hadn't he just ordered a bottle that cost over a million?

What was there to be so smug about!

"What are you staring at?" Li Yi raised his glass and smiled at everyone. "Don't you want to try this million-plus bottle?"

Faced with such an enormous temptation, they stopped talking crap and hurried to sit down.

Li Yi wasn't going anywhere, anyway. They could try the million-plus bottle first.

Intent on getting something for nothing, they obediently waited for the server to pour their drinks.

"This really is excellent! Rich on the palate, with fruity and spicy notes gradually unfolding in the throat. The finish just goes on and on!" Song Tianyi marveled, holding his glass and sniffing it carefully. "The aroma is unique, too. This has really been an eye-opener today."

When he finished, he turned to Li Yi. "I really like this birthday present. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Li Yi thought, I'm not the one you should thank. It's the sucker beside you.

"There's another gathering later tonight-extreme racing. Why don't you come along?" Song Tianyi invited him enthusiastically.

"No, I've been at work all day. I don't want to stay up late," Li Yi politely declined.

"It's pretty thrilling. It's a shame you won't come," Song Tianyi said, a little disappointed.

Li Yi had no desire to join in. Tonight would indeed be thrilling-thrilling enough to turn into an armed brawl. He had finally been reborn and didn't want to die young.

"Hmph. No guts," Li Xu sneered from the side.

"You're all guts-guts come to life. Satisfied?" Li Yi couldn't even be bothered to look at him.

The server left after pouring the drinks, leaving only their group in the room.

Li Xu was extremely annoyed by Li Yi's retort. His sharp eyes caught the packaging on the table, and he immediately said, "Oh, Li Yi, you really have struck it rich. Casually giving away Harry Winston."

As he spoke, he bent down and snatched up the gift bag, saying smugly, "Let's see what present you brought."

"Sure, go ahead." Li Yi's eyes were clear, and a smile slowly spread across his lips.

"Hmph, I will." Li Xu quickly pulled out the little box inside and immediately spotted the logo. "This is a Cartier box?"

"Hahaha..." He suddenly burst into unrestrained laughter. "Li Yi, don't tell me you couldn't afford luxury goods, so you stole a few luxury-brand boxes to show off."

"Little brother, how could you do that?" Lu Junjia slipped into his act and immediately chimed in. "If you really couldn't afford a present, you could have come to me.

Stealing luxury-brand packaging like this... it's really rather embarrassing."

"And here I thought you were loaded." Xu Ming took a sip. "Ordered such an expensive bottle that you had nothing left for a present, huh?"

"How humiliating!" Those were the only words Zhou Xuanze said, his face dark.

"Well, maybe we shouldn't look at the present. Expensive or not, it's the thought that counts." For the sake of the wine, Song Tianyi wanted to help Li Yi out.

"I want to see exactly what's in this box!" Li Xu dodged Song Tianyi's hand.

Under everyone's expectant gazes, he clicked the box open.

A foul stench spread out as the box opened.

"What is this! Why does it stink so much?" A round brown lump rolled onto Li Xu's hand. In disgust, he threw both the lump and the box onto the table.

"Urgh... get it away." Lu Junjia covered his mouth. "Get it away, now. Urgh..."

He already had PTSD from cat poop. Smelling it, or even hearing the words "cat poop," made his stomach physically spasm.

"Junjia!" Li Xu ran over and held Lu Junjia's shoulders in concern. "What's wrong?"

The hand Li Xu had just touched cat poop with was resting on Lu Junjia's shoulder. Smelling it at such close range, Lu Junjia couldn't hold back anymore and vomited all over Li Xu.

"Urgh..." Li Xu shoved Lu Junjia away, dry-heaving at the stench of the vomit.

"Do you like the present?" Li Yi had long since picked up the remaining wine and was standing at the door.

The room was contaminated. He no longer wanted to stay.

"You bastard! You planned all of this!" Li Xu charged over to hit him.

"You're the one who insisted on snatching it to look." Li Yi lashed out with a kick, catching Li Xu in the crotch. "Oh dear, so tiny I couldn't even feel it."