As Bai Haoran and Lei Jie stepped through the door, a chilling atmosphere filled the living room, almost making them involuntarily shiver.
They exchanged puzzled glances, and then looked around, only to see Long Yang holding a bottle of liquor, pouring it down his throat while tugging at his clothes.
Their expressions instantly turned incredulous; after all these years as brothers, it was the first time they had seen their boss, Long Yang, in such a dispirited and uncontrollable state—drowning his sorrows in alcohol. But what could have caused this?
Bai Haoran raised an eyebrow and was the first to speak up. "Long, is 'Longmen Society' on the verge of collapse, or is the world ending? Why do you look like someone just betrayed you?"
Long Yang seemed not to hear him and continued to drink, his face growing even colder.
"Hey! Where's Sunny?" Lei Jie, standing next to Bai Haoran, asked, scanning the living room with sharp eyes. "Why don't I see her? Long, weren't you supposed to surprise her by picking her up from the clothing store downstairs?" His expression was one of confusion.
"Right! I didn't even notice until you mentioned it," Bai Haoran added, his eyes flicking around. "Long, where's the sunshine girl? She wouldn't have run off to her room to escape the cold, would she?" He couldn't help but tease.
Long Yang's expression darkened further as he hugged the bottle and growled, "Can you both shut up for once?" What were these two incessant chatterboxes doing here, being so annoying?
"What on earth happened? How come you've turned into this after just a short while?" Bai Haoran asked, undeterred, crossing his arms and fixating on Long Yang's cold face, ignoring the displeasure and murderous glare in his eyes.
"Shut up!" Long Yang glared at them and shouted, "Quit bothering me and get the hell out!"
The three of them stared at each other for a while.
"Fine! If you don't want us to bother you, we won't," Bai Haoran said nonchalantly. "Come on, Lei Jie, since we're not welcome here, let's go find Sunny to chat. It might be more fun, don't you think?" He said this casually, appearing relaxed.
Lei Jie looked at Long Yang and then back at Bai Haoran. He finally understood Bai Haoran's intentions and nodded, "Of course, Sunny will definitely welcome us more than this guy." He was clearly referring to Long Yang.
"Alright!" Bai Haoran smiled triumphantly, putting an arm around Lei Jie's shoulder. "Let's head to the sunshine girl's room."
"Stop! You're not allowed to go," Long Yang warned darkly. "If you dare go, just see what happens."
Bai Haoran raised an eyebrow, "Hmph! What's there to be afraid of? Let's go show you just what we're capable of!" He provoked, pulling Lei Jie towards Sunny's room.
Damn it! Being a brother really wasn't easy. If he didn't take this opportunity to let Long Yang vent some emotions, with his personality and drinking capacity, he could drink all day without getting drunk. What if he ended up with alcohol poisoning?
Sure enough, Long Yang let out a furious roar and charged forward, and the three of them began to tussle like Spanish bullfighters…
The next day, Sunny woke up, deliberately taking her time washing her face and getting dressed, trying to avoid thinking about having breakfast face-to-face with Long Yang.
After she entered her room yesterday, she leaned against the door, feeling utterly drained. She didn't even go out when Bai Haoran called her for dinner, claiming she wasn't feeling well. Thus, she hardly slept that night, her mind replaying scene after scene until she was exhausted enough to finally drift off.
Sunny couldn't understand why Long Yang had suddenly become so domineering. During their time together, aside from knowing he was a big shot internationally, she also saw him as a ruthless and unyielding figure in business.
However, he had never directed that side of himself towards her. Sunny realized that, although she had been angry yesterday, the fearless person she usually was found herself starting to fear his coldness.
She didn't know how she had managed to walk back to her room so calmly and courageously in front of him yesterday.
When Sunny walked into the dining room, Long Yang, Bai Haoran, and Lei Jie were already sitting at the table, casually sipping coffee and reading newspapers, clearly waiting for her to make an appearance.
Sunny quietly said "Good morning" and slipped into her seat.
Long Yang looked at her, his focused gaze scanning her small face. He noticed the dark circles under her eyes but said nothing.
Lei Jie stood up and went to the fridge, pouring a glass of milk for Sunny. "How about some toast with ham and eggs this morning, Sunny?" Having spent these days with her, he knew she had a great appetite.
"No, I just want milk, thank you." She lowered her head and said softly.
Bai Haoran huffed in dissatisfaction, "At least eat a slice of toast! Sunshine." This was the first time he had seen her so quiet since he met her. Damn it! He really wasn't used to it.
"No!" Sunny firmly declined. She had no appetite today.
"Sunny."
"What's up?" She casually took a sip of her milk, not paying much attention.
"Aren't you going to lift your head and look at us?" Bai Haoran teased.
"No." As if to prove her point, Sunny raised her head and was momentarily stunned.
She stared in surprise at the three battered faces before her. The milk in her mouth nearly erupted like a fountain as she choked out a laugh.
Finally, she revealed the first smile of the morning, wondering why she hadn't noticed this when she walked out of her room.
"What happened to you guys?" Sunny asked, struggling to contain her laughter. "You didn't get caught in the elevator door, or did you fall out of bed last night and end up with those faces, did you?" She teased them, finally unable to hold back her laughter, leaning against the table.
Bai Haoran shot Long Yang a fierce glare, then turned to Sunny and said sourly, "I'm really glad you find our injuries amusing. But the truth is far from what you think; if we really want to trace this back, it's all because of you messing with us."
"Me?" Sunny widened her eyes in surprise. "What does this have to do with me?" she asked incredulously.
"Ah! If it were just being caught in the elevator door or falling out of bed, we would have chalked it up to bad luck! But…" Hearing Sunny's laughter again, Bai Haoran's complaint deepened. "The reason we look this way is due to a giant black vinegar barrel! We can't help but feel wronged." He dramatically lamented.
Sunny was almost breathless with laughter. Just when she managed to control herself, she looked up again and saw the tragic, innocent expressions on his and Lei Jie's faces, which made her laugh even harder, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes.
"Is it really that funny?" Bai Haoran pouted.
"Oh! I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to laugh so loudly," Sunny said, struggling to catch her breath.
"I can see that," Bai Haoran replied with an exasperated expression. "Well, I'll take it as a lesson learned. From now on, you can provoke anyone, but never anger a drunken person! Goodness, they're vicious!"
Thinking back to yesterday's battle, it had been quite intense. The three of them had fought for a full two hours before they finally collapsed, exhausted. Honestly, aside from their days in the underworld, they hadn't had such a carefree and spirited fight in ages.
"Do you need me to help you apply some ointment?" Sunny asked, wiping her eyes, trying to regain her composure. Although it was a bit late to make amends, it at least showed her goodwill.
"No, it's fine; we've already done that." Bai Haoran suddenly pretended to look fearful. "And even if we hadn't, we wouldn't dare ask you to help us, for fear that someone will get jealous again. I'm not sure if we'd survive another round!" He spoke cautiously.
"Yeah! We've already taken care of each other all night; if we keep at it, we might end up peeling off a layer of skin," Lei Jie chimed in, hinting at something deeper. "Besides, you should be paying attention to the one who didn't get any help last night," he joked, his gaze landing directly on Long Yang, who was staring at Sunny.
Seeing this, Bai Haoran and Lei Jie exchanged knowing glances and smiled at each other.
"Uh… Long, Lei Jie and I are full now, so you can take your time eating with Sunny," Bai Haoran said with a sly grin. "Remember! The slower you eat, the better!" He urged, deliberately casting a mischievous glance back at them.
After they left, the dining room fell into a sudden silence.
After a while, Long Yang broke the silence and approached Sunny, pulling her up gently.
"Are you still mad?" he asked softly, his expression complicated.
Sunny shook her head and remained silent.
"Forgive me, Sunny; I know I acted poorly yesterday." Although it was his first time apologizing to someone, it wasn't as hard as he imagined.
Even though Sunny felt a bit wronged and upset, seeing his melancholic, handsome face made her temper cool down.
"It's over now, so it's fine. I don't remember much after sleeping, but…" She paused, hands on her hips, brows slightly furrowed. "Why were you so angry yesterday? Was it just because I made a friend?" This was something that had bothered her all night; she needed to understand.
Long Yang pondered for a while, thoughtfully gazing at Sunny. Then, as if he had made up his mind, he suddenly asked, "Do you… like me?" He decided he needed to clarify this, wanting to ensure that Sunny understood his feelings, so he wouldn't be anxious about it anymore.
Sunny was taken aback. What was this about? What did this have to do with her question? She felt annoyed and utterly confused.
"Well?" Long Yang looked at her anxiously. Oddly enough, he, who was usually confident with women, felt uncertain and uneasy for the first time.
"I've never thought about that," Sunny replied seriously. She only knew that ever since she had started seeing him, her heart would inexplicably race whenever she caught sight of him. Was that what liking someone felt like?
Long Yang stared intently at Sunny's small, beautiful face, watching as her brow furrowed and her lip was lightly bitten in thought. His heart swelled with tenderness for her.
She was so young, so delicate, so pure. Every taut nerve in his body screamed for her, especially her soft, pink lips that looked so inviting, just waiting for him to lean down and touch.
Long Yang licked his lips, finally unable to resist temptation as he pressed his lips against her rosy mouth.
Sunny was startled at first, but her heart began to race as she looked up with wide, sparkling eyes at Long Yang, who was leaning over her and kissing her lips.
Long Yang didn't close his eyes; instead, his gaze deepened, as if two flames were burning within the darkness of his eyes, casting a hypnotic light towards her.
Sunny felt a bit unsteady, her hands instinctively resting on his broad shoulders, warmth spreading throughout her body. Under the stirring of his lips and tongue, she felt weightless. The intense joy was so comfortable and intoxicating that it completely stole her reason, plunging her into confusion.
It wasn't until Long Yang shifted his focus, kissing down to her pure neck and pressing against her shell-like earlobe, that Sunny finally managed to adjust her rapid breathing, burying her flushed face against his solid chest to gasp for air.
"Is this what a kiss feels like?" Sunny asked, lifting her face, feeling her cheeks burning as if she had a fever.
"Mm!" Long Yang gazed steadily at the girl blushing in his arms, unable to resist leaning down to peck her lips again. "Do you like it?"
"Uh…" Sunny's face was so red she couldn't find her words. This was her first kiss, and she realized, aside from spending all her time in the lab, she had never known that intimacy between a man and woman could be so overwhelming. "I guess you've kissed a lot of people, right?" she asked curiously.
"What do you think?" Long Yang replied with a smile that had a mischievous edge, kissing her red lips again, feeling an insatiable thirst rising within him.
"Definitely!" Sunny wrinkled her nose, feeling a mix of emotions. Dislike! Just the thought of him being intimate with women other than her made her heart twist uncomfortably.
Long Yang shrugged with a smile, neither confirming nor denying her words.
"Then can I kiss others too?" Sunny shot back at him defiantly.
"You dare!" Long Yang's expression changed dramatically, and he shouted. This felt like a thunderclap to him; his body felt simultaneously fiery and frozen.
He possessively held Sunny's face still, preventing her from turning away, and gritted his teeth, forcing the words out one by one. "You better rid yourself of that thought! If you dare to let another man kiss you, I swear I'll kill him. Do you hear me?" Long Yang's face was dark, filled with a chilling coldness.
Sunny was his! Ever since he recognized her as the treasure he had been waiting for, she would be his for life. Anyone who dared to touch Sunny would pay dearly.
Sunny was taken aback by his strong reaction, staring at him in shock. She couldn't help but reach out to touch his pale face. "Long Yang, you…"
Before she could finish her sentence, Long Yang pulled her into his embrace, kissing her fiercely, claiming her completely, as if to announce to the world that this lovely girl belonged to him.
Sunny tried to struggle against his possessiveness and unreasonable behavior, but the deeper kiss that followed made her lose her senses entirely, forgetting everything.
Long Yang kissed his beloved passionately, pouring out his boundless love through every fervent kiss, gradually becoming wild, enveloping them in a world only they could share, surrounded by searing flames that melted them together.
"Thank goodness! Our bruises weren't in vain," Bai Haoran, hiding behind the door, struggled to suppress his laughter, trying not to let it escape.
Goodness! He never expected that their leader, the head of "Dragon Gate," could be as jealous as any woman. Bai Haoran couldn't help but feel impressed and humbled by him; if he didn't take the opportunity to tease him later, life would be so dull!
"Looks like we should be discreet today and keep our distance so we don't get in their way," Lei Jie joked, his eyes still fixed on the couple lost in their passionate moment.
Hearing this, Bai Haoran grinned mischievously. "Well, I have a suggestion."
"What suggestion?" Lei Jie turned to him.
"Didn't those two voluptuous secretaries of Manager Chen invite us to visit them? Don't you want to go?" Bai Haoran said with a suggestive smile.
"Forget it! How could I possibly forget?" Lei Jie rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath. "If you want to go, be my guest! I don't want to be stuck in a situation where I can't breathe between those two huge… distractions."
Bai Haoran chuckled in agreement. Just thinking about those voluptuous women made him shiver. God! He really doubted whether they had seen a man in centuries; otherwise, how could they be so shamelessly clingy the moment they saw him and Lei Jie?
Though neither of them was averse to female company, the way those women seemed eager to devour them was a bit terrifying! Not every man was attracted to such overwhelming femininity. After all, he wasn't a naive child or a mindless man stuck in a phase that required maternal nurturing.
Watching the passionate scene unfold before them, Bai Haoran and Lei Jie sighed and fell into contemplation.
"Long, the people from Minglun Investigation Company have come," Lei Jie said seriously, handing a freshly poured glass of whiskey to Long Yang while he sipped vodka himself.
Long Yang's expression sharpened, and he coldly asked, "How? Who orchestrated it?"
"It was Fang Yongsheng, the chairman of Qing Sheng Group," Lei Jie stated. "Years ago, he colluded with the gang leader Jiang Kunhong to tamper with your stepfather's car in order to seize a multimillion-dollar land development project. He promised Jiang that he would give him 40% of the profits from that project as a reward."
"Hmph!" Bai Haoran scoffed, lazily putting his feet down from the table. "What a despicable and shameless scoundrel."
"Long, I've heard that Fang Yongsheng is currently facing financial difficulties and is desperate enough to rejoin forces with the treacherous Jiang Kunhong to smuggle a large shipment of heroin from Thailand, planning to sell it domestically for huge profits. Do you think we should…" Lei Jie looked at him meaningfully.
"Call the headquarters in Canada immediately. Tell the Samsung team to get their gear and come over quickly. Also, inform Minglun Investigation Company to halt their investigation; I'll handle the rest personally," Long Yang ordered swiftly, the gentle lines of his face turning rigid, revealing the true aura of the leader of "Dragon Gate."
"Great!" Bai Haoran snapped his fingers. "It's about time we had something to do after all this waiting." He was excited, as this moment had been what he had been anticipating for days.
"This matter must be kept confidential. Sunny must not know," Long Yang instructed coolly.
"Why not?" Lei Jie asked, confused.
Long Yang cast a faint glance at him. "Given what you've learned about Sunny these days, do I really need to explain?" A hint of a smile played at the corner of his mouth.
"Of course not!" Bai Haoran laughed. "If Sunny finds out about this, with her extreme curiosity, she'll definitely insist on getting involved, and that would be troublesome." He had accurately grasped her nature.
"Exactly! But that's not the reason I don't want her to know," Long Yang said thoughtfully, looking at them. "The main reason is that I don't want Sunny to get involved in this dangerous matter. I don't want to take that risk." His tone was firm, with an undeniable authority.
"What are you guys talking about? What kind of risk? Can I know too?" a curious voice interrupted their conversation.
"Sunny!"
"Sunshine!"
Long Yang, Bai Haoran, and Lei Jie almost sprayed their drinks, their expressions filled with surprise. How did this little troublemaker keep appearing out of nowhere? Anyone who wasn't in good health would surely be scared into illness by her.
"What's going on?" she asked curiously, noticing the strange expressions on their faces.
Suddenly, Sunny's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that they had discovered her contacting the computer mainframe from the twenty-third century with the wrist controller while hiding in the room?
"There's nothing! It's nothing at all," Lei Jie replied casually. "You're probably overthinking it."
"Is that so?" Sunny looked skeptical.
"Why would we lie to you?" Bai Haoran said with a smile, but upon seeing the doubtful look on her face, he raised an eyebrow. "What? Should we bring out proof to clear our names?"
"Then why does it look like you all have done something guilty?" Sunny asked, laughing mischievously but feeling reassured. "You're not hiding something from me, are you?" She wore a sly grin. Since she hadn't been discovered, she felt free to tease them.
Long Yang found her both amusing and exasperating; he could only describe her with one phrase: she was uncontainable!
"Sunny, come here." He beckoned her from the doorway.
Sunny ignored the strange looks from Bai Haoran and Lei Jie, and obediently snuggled into Long Yang's warm embrace.
"Oh my, how affectionate!" Bai Haoran shook his head, clicking his tongue and laughing suggestively.
Lei Jie laughed too, but not quite as exaggeratedly.
Sunny felt embarrassed for a moment, playfully glaring at Bai Haoran. "Bai Haoran, put away your lecherous gaze! Stop laughing like a crazy old fox." She knew exactly what the glint in his eyes meant; he could dream of teasing her in the next life!
"Haha! An old fox?!" Bai Haoran burst into laughter. "Impressive! You actually guessed it right. How did you know my nickname is 'Silver Fox'?"
"Really?" Sunny's eyes widened. "What about Lei Jie?" She turned to him.
"Thunder Lion," Lei Jie said with a calm smile.
"How come I only found out today that you both have nicknames?" Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, then she turned to Long Yang excitedly. "What about you? You must have a nickname too, right?"
Long Yang shook his head with a smile. "No, I'm the only one without one." His soft breath brushed against her ear.
Thinking about their intimate kiss this morning, Sunny's cheeks flushed, and she felt a surge of warmth.
"Why don't you have one?" she asked, her face turning even redder.
"That's because his surname is the best title for him," Bai Haoran chimed in with a grin.
"Surname?" Sunny didn't quite understand at first.
"Yes, 'Long' is the title people use to refer to him," Bai Haoran explained simply.
Sunny nodded in realization. "Good thing 'Long' refers to a highly esteemed creature." She made a funny face and laughed at Long Yang, "At least it's much better than that lowly, unranked old fox who doesn't even make the zodiac! Don't you think so?" She directed the last part toward the dramatically rolling-eyed Bai Haoran, then couldn't help but laugh as she leaned into Long Yang.
Long Yang found her utterly charming. "Alright, Sunny, stop being mischievous! Do you want to hear some good news?" He shifted the topic to catch her attention.
Sunny's eyes brightened with excitement. "What good news?"
Long Yang smiled, teasing her. "Tomorrow, you'll get to meet the Samsung team you've been wanting to see."
"The Samsung team?!" Sunny's eyes widened, and she swallowed in delight. "You're not lying to me, are you?"
Long Yang was both amused and exasperated; she was the first to dare question his words, truly courageous!
"Don't you want to meet them?" he raised an eyebrow, his intense gaze fixed on her.
"Of course I want to!" Sunny replied without hesitation, nearly bursting into a squeal.
"Ugh! Lei Jie, I think we need to reflect on ourselves," Bai Haoran suddenly sighed dramatically.
"What do you mean?" Lei Jie was confused, wondering what scheme Bai Haoran was up to this time.
"Ugh—" Bai Haoran sighed again. "I never thought that in Sunny's eyes, our popularity is actually overshadowed by three strangers she hasn't even met. Don't you think that's quite sad for us?" He wore a forlorn expression.
"Yeah! Hearing you say that, I totally agree," Lei Jie nodded sympathetically, joining in the act of feigned heartbreak.
Long Yang and Sunny couldn't help but burst into laughter, and soon Bai Haoran and Lei Jie joined in, filling the room with uncontrollable laughter...