HL 27

When Lu Yingjie got home, he found Xu Nanxiao sitting on the sofa, controller in hand, playing a game.

He set down his backpack and went over to join him.

“Ge, what are you playing?”

“A newly released fighting game,” Xu Nanxiao replied, his attention fixed on the screen.

“Count me in.” Lu Yingjie picked up another controller and sat down beside Xu Nanxiao, his arm accidentally brushing against him.

Lu Yingjie clearly felt Xu Nanxiao’s body go rigid. He let out an uncomfortable grunt from deep in his throat, then shifted aside, subtly putting distance between them.

Lu Yingjie could only smile bitterly at that.

Am I some kind of monster? It’s not like I’m going to eat you.

[Don’t waste your talent.]

Senior Mao Ke’s voice echoed in his mind at an inopportune moment.

What would his ge look like under hypnosis? The question suddenly popped into Lu Yingjie’s head.

Would he be as docile and obedient as the test subjects?

Would that sharp tongue stop refusing him and instead say things to please him? Would he nestle beside him like a puppet with no will of its own, only knowing how to obey orders?

Lu Yingjie fell silent, his throat bobbing slightly, his Adam’s apple quivering in the shadow cast by his jaw.

The truth was, Lu Yingjie wasn’t nearly as virtuous as he pretended to be.

He hadn’t hypnotized Xu Nanxiao not out of respect or morality, but purely out of fear.

Even though his success rate in experimental hypnosis was close to 100%, what if—just what if—he failed? What if Xu Nanxiao woke up mid-session? His ge would absolutely never forgive him.

Just the thought of them breaking apart made Lu Yingjie tremble, his nose stinging painfully.

He simply couldn’t bear the thought of his ge hating him.

Xu Nanxiao, completely unaware of Lu Yingjie’s inner turmoil, had his own plate full of problems.

That afternoon, the moment he arrived at the club, he could tell something was off.

The two ornamental vases at the entrance were shattered, and the cleaning lady was sweeping up the shards. The moment she saw Xu Nanxiao, she stopped what she was doing, approached him, and said, “Boss Wang said to come to his office as soon as you got here.”

Xu Nanxiao frowned, his heart instantly sinking.

He acknowledged her and headed straight for the office. Along the way, he noticed his colleagues glancing at him sideways, their expressions a mixture of anger and resentment that they dared not voice.

When he pushed open the door to Boss Wang’s office, the first thing he saw was the bandage on his head. It had been on for a while, and a trace of blood had already started to seep through.

Before Xu Nanxiao could even ask, Boss Wang said irritably, “Your enemy hit me with a liquor bottle! And he wrecked one of the club’s doors and two vases!”

Xu Nanxiao immediately realized he meant Old Liu.

“That bastard came again?!” A searing anger shot straight to his head. Xu Nanxiao shouted, his expression as if he wanted to tear the man apart.

Boss Wang immediately waved his hand, signaling him to drop the act. “What are you yelling at me for?! If you’ve got the guts, go kill that old man! Count how many times he’s been here now?! Every time he shows up, he causes chaos for everyone! Do we still run a club or not?!”

Boss Wang’s chest rose and fell slightly as he fought to contain his anger. “Xu Nanxiao, be fair—how have I treated you?! Any other boss would have kicked you out the first time this happened! Hell, no other boss would have hired a coach with a criminal record in the first place!!”

The words struck Xu Nanxiao’s heart like a sharp blade, then were cruelly yanked out. He clenched his jaw, the veins on his temples twitching faintly. His fists were balled so tight they ached, yet he couldn’t utter a single word of rebuttal.

He knew full well how many jobs Old Liu had ruined for him over the past three years. Boss Wang had put up with him for half a year—that was already more than generous.

“Xu Nanxiao, I genuinely admire you, so I’m giving you one last chance.” Boss Wang leaned all the way back in his chair, palm over his eyes, refusing to look at Xu Nanxiao. “I’ve opened a new kids’ boxing club in Shunyi. Go there and be a coach—that’ll keep you away from that madman. If anything happens again over there, pack your things and get the hell out!!!”

With that, a folder was slammed down at Xu Nanxiao’s feet.

When Xu Nanxiao left Boss Wang’s office, his face was dark as thunder.

Working at a kids’ boxing club meant teaching extracurricular classes to children. For a three-time Grand Slam boxing champion, it was nothing short of a disgrace to his career.

But Xu Nanxiao had no choice.

He was renting an apartment outside of school for Lu Yingjie, and the two of them had daily living expenses to cover. He needed money more than ever. If he missed even a single month’s payment, those loan sharks would show up at his door. He wasn’t afraid of a fight, but he didn’t want Lu Yingjie to see him in such a pathetic state.

Lost in thought, Xu Nanxiao walked on. As he passed a corner, he overheard his colleagues talking.

“Is Xu Nanxiao some kind of lifesaver for our boss? How is he still not fired?”

“Exactly. Just thinking about working with a murderer makes my skin crawl. I get why that old man’s crazy—if someone killed my son, I’d be even crazier.”

“You guys don’t know? Boss Wang used to be a fan of Xu Nanxiao. Went to every match, supported him live.”

“Holy shit, was Xu Nanxiao really that big back then? He had fans?”

“Are you even in the industry?! Asking if Xu Nanxiao was that good? He was China’s number one boxer! His fans could line up from here to Beijing!”

“What good does being number one back then do now?! He’s still washed up, working the same job as us. At his age, I doubt he could even beat the new young guys.”

“Exactly. He acts all high and mighty because of his past glory, strutting around with his nose in the air—what a fucking idiot.”

Before they’d even finished, they felt a bump on their shoulders and saw Xu Nanxiao brushing past them. They instantly cowered, staring at the floor in silence.

In the past, Xu Nanxiao would never have let such an insult slide. But this time, he just gritted his teeth and walked away quickly, saying nothing.

Because he couldn’t afford any more trouble right now.

Ying Yusheng had planned to pick Xu Nanxiao up at the boxing club for a game tonight, but Xu Nanxiao sent him a new address instead.

When Ying Yusheng arrived at the new location, he found it was actually a kids’ boxing training center.

The facility was on the third floor, with large glass panels separating the boxing areas so that the classes were clearly visible from the outside.

Xu Nanxiao was teaching children how to throw straight punches, hooks, and uppercuts. Even to an outsider like Ying Yusheng, it was obvious how fluid and beautiful Xu Nanxiao’s movements were.

His body constantly re-formed itself between offense and defense, muscles contracting and expanding beneath his fair skin like an unceasing tide ebbing and flowing along the shoreline.

But what did the kids know about that? They couldn’t even focus. Xu Nanxiao had to stop frequently to maintain order, even chasing after children who ran wild across the floor.

On the other hand, a few young mothers waiting to pick up their kids were utterly captivated by him.

After class ended, Xu Nanxiao came out carrying a sports duffel bag, barely concealing his frustration.

He looked up and saw Ying Yusheng smiling and waving at him. A flicker of embarrassment crossed his face. He walked over quickly, muttering, “I told you to wait downstairs—why did you come up?”

“I was curious about your… new job?” Ying Yusheng asked tentatively. “Why are you teaching kids instead of professional fighters? It’s such a waste.”

Xu Nanxiao’s face immediately fell. He walked ahead, leaving Ying Yusheng behind. “You think I want this?”

Ying Yusheng caught up with him. “What happened?”

Xu Nanxiao rubbed his brow. After a long pause, he finally forced out the words: “That Liu bastard came to the club again and smashed the glass and the vases. The boss sent me here to lie low, and said if it happens one more time, I’m out.”

Ying Yusheng froze for a moment, as if processing the information. Then his eyes curved with a smile. “Really?”

“…Are you happy about this?”

“How could I be happy?” Ying Yusheng denied it immediately. “I’m angry. Making a Grand Slam boxing champion teach kids is an insult. You might as well just quit.”

Xu Nanxiao thought for a moment with a dark expression, then let out a long sigh. “Forget it. Jobs are hard to find right now, and I still have to pay Lu Yingjie’s rent every month.”

“He’s doing much better—he can go back to school now. You could come stay with me again.” Ying Yusheng lowered his voice, coaxing slowly and deliberately. “It’d be better for you to separate from him sooner rather than later.”

The only response was Xu Nanxiao’s endless silence.

Finally, Xu Nanxiao waved his hand, signaling he didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “We’ll see.”

Ying Yusheng read the room and fell silent.

He thought to himself, Why won’t Xu Nanxiao give up?

With so much evidence right in front of him, why did Xu Nanxiao still cling to that minuscule possibility—the chance that Lu Yingjie wasn’t the hooded man?

Just how much did he favor Lu Yingjie before he’d be satisfied?

The feeling was like a lingering, damp low-grade fever. It kept Ying Yusheng’s mind clear, but every ounce of clarity pointed toward a venomous resentment. Resentment that Lu Yingjie was the lucky one Xu Nanxiao had chosen; and that he himself was barren soil that could only be fertilized by Lu Yingjie’s failure.

“What’s wrong with you?” Xu Nanxiao’s voice suddenly cut through his thoughts. He was looking at him with suspicion. “Your expression is terrifying.”

But Ying Yusheng just smiled gently. “Nothing. I just feel bad for you.”

“No need.” Xu Nanxiao was a little embarrassed, but still pretended not to care. “I don’t even feel that bad—why are you getting upset?”

Let it be, Xu Nanxiao thought. It can’t get any worse.

But as it turned out, he was being far too optimistic.

Not long after, on an ordinary day, Xu Nanxiao arrived at the training center early as usual to prepare for his class.

But as soon as he reached the entrance, he heard several parents whispering outside.

“Really? He used to be…”

“It’s all online… go search it yourself!”

“Why would the boss hire… a coach like that?”

“I don’t want my son… too dangerous…”

“Me neither…”

Just as they were talking, the parents suddenly noticed Xu Nanxiao’s arrival. They immediately averted their eyes guiltily, exchanged hurried goodbyes, and scattered like startled birds.

Xu Nanxiao felt a sense of foreboding.

Sure enough, during class, when he ordered a boy not to attack his classmates’ heads, the little troublemaker stared at him for a moment, then suddenly grinned. The boy flashed a gap-toothed smile and said excitedly, “Teacher Xu, my mom said you killed someone!”

The classroom erupted. The students buzzed with chatter.

“Quiet!” Xu Nanxiao shouted, putting on a brave front. He quietly clenched his fists and snapped, “What nonsense are you talking?”

The boy was defiant, but still young. Seeing Xu Nanxiao genuinely angry, he lost some of his arrogance.

He scuffed his toe against the ground and said, head down, “An uncle came to the training center yelling, saying you beat his son to death. My mom and the others all saw him. He also said if he doesn’t see you, he’ll come back in a few days.”

Shock exploded in his skull like a bomb. Xu Nanxiao felt a cold weight sink deep into his stomach.

Old Liu had found him here?

How was that possible? He’d only been here a week. How did Old Liu know?

Who told him?!

Xu Nanxiao suddenly felt drained of all strength. He even began to wonder if fate was simply inescapable—no matter where he ran, he’d eventually be swept back into its calculations.

Tormenting him until the very end.

Xu Nanxiao had had enough. He decided to settle things with that old bastard once and for all.

So for the next period, he staked out the training center every day. But Old Liu never showed up again—as if his only purpose had been to stir up trouble for Xu Nanxiao.

But the rumors spread rapidly among the students and their parents.

Eventually, a group of parents took the matter to Boss Wang. They demanded compensation or a waiver of their previous tuition fees.

Whether it was intentional homicide or an accident? No one knew—or cared. They just wanted to save some money and get something out of it.

To quell the situation, Boss Wang fired Xu Nanxiao.

At the time he needed money the most, he was out of a job.

“What’s wrong, Nanxiao? The steak not to your taste?” Across the table, Ying Yusheng asked with concern.

Xu Nanxiao set down his knife and fork, his voice low. “Not hungry.”

“Don’t be so down—it’s not like you.” Ying Yusheng said gently. “Think of it as taking a break. You can find a new job later.”

Xu Nanxiao snorted coldly at that, thinking to himself that this rich young master had no idea what real life was like.

How was he going to pay this month’s debts? How would he cover his and Lu Yingjie’s living expenses? Would those debt collectors show up at his door? What if someone he knew saw them…

No, I have to find a new job as soon as possible.

But in the current job market, for a 28-year-old former pro athlete with a criminal record—it was easier said than done.

“If all else fails, I’ll be a fitness trainer,” Xu Nanxiao said through gritted teeth.

Ying Yusheng watched Xu Nanxiao in silence, then suddenly took his hand, as if he’d made up his mind about something. “Let’s do it ourselves.”

“What?”

“Instead of working for someone else, why don’t we open our own club?” Ying Yusheng squeezed the webbing between Xu Nanxiao’s thumb and forefinger, as if playing with a piece of soft flesh. “You can move behind the scenes, and Old Liu won’t be able to find you.”

“Are you crazy?” Xu Nanxiao stared at him in disbelief, so shocked he even forgot to pull his hand back. “Where are we going to open a club? Venue, coaches, advertising—that all costs money!”

Ying Yusheng said calmly, “I have money. A lot of it.”