Chapter 7 - The Jealous Enigma
The meteor streaked across the velvet darkness of the night, its fleeting brilliance illuminating the two figures standing beneath the vast canopy of stars. It felt as though the five-year chasm of estrangement and misunderstanding had been condensed into a single, discardable interval, easily excised from the timeline of their lives. The silver chain, surreptitiously taken by Jin Yan half a decade ago, had finally returned to Zhou Shu’s wrist. While people spoke of things returning to their rightful owners, the phrase failed to capture the profound, quiet surge of joy that came with recovering something once thought lost forever.
Later that night, Zhou Shu lay in bed, his fingers tracing the cool metal links of the bracelet. After a moment of silent contemplation, he reached over to his nightstand and unbuckled his favorite luxury watch—a permanent fixture of his wardrobe—setting it aside.
Just before sleep could claim him, his phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number.
【Ge, add me back.】
Zhou Shu stared at the screen for a beat, his expression unreadable. He typed a cold, two-word reply: 【In your dreams.】
The person on the other end seemed to be hovering over the screen, responding almost instantly.
【I’m begging you. Please.】
Zhou Shu looked at the message and sighed, though the corners of his lips betrayed him, curving upward in a faint, involuntary arc. Tonight, Jin Yan seemed to have regressed to the way he was before his differentiation—spoiled, clingy, and constantly, albeit unintentionally, provocative. His eyes had been so bright; every time he looked at Zhou Shu, they sparkled with the intensity of that leaping meteor. That particular light had vanished the moment Jin Yan differentiated into an Enigma, and seeing it again after all these years made Zhou Shu’s heart hammer against his ribs with a long-forgotten rhythm.
With a resigned click, he opened his social app and tapped the screen. On Jin Yan’s phone, a notification immediately popped up: *“Zhou Shu has accepted your friend request.”*
【Ge, are you leaving tomorrow?】
【Yes.】
【Where to?】
【Yuncheng.】
【When will you be back?】
【I don’t know. It might be a long time.】
【Then I’ll come find you.】
【...】
【Cry.gif. Gege doesn’t want me anymore.】
Zhou Shu stared at the screen for a long time before pressing his palm to his forehead. The sudden image of his alternate personality, Zhou Duo, flashed through his mind, and he felt a wave of heat creep up his neck.
【Ge?】
【I’ll only be in Yuncheng for a day, then I’m heading back to the capital.】
【Then I’ll find you in the capital.】
【...We’ll see.】
Jin Yan stared at his phone, his heart feeling as though it were being kneaded by a gentle hand. No matter how cold or indifferent Zhou Shu pretended to be, he was still the same brother who had once cherished him above all else. Jin Yan understood that the seeds of karma had already been sown; they were both playing a game of feigned ignorance, hiding their true intentions behind a thin veil of civility. Yet, he knew he couldn't rush. They had been apart for five years, and now there was the complication of Zhou Duo to consider.
*I’ve been your younger brother for twenty-three years,* Jin Yan thought. *I can wait a few more days.*
The next morning, as the first grey light of dawn touched the horizon, Xiao Zhang was already waiting at the door with the car. Zhou Shu emerged wearing a casual jacket paired with hip-hop style trousers—a youthful look that shaved years off his appearance.
Zhu Lili, who had been yawning in the passenger seat, caught sight of the figure approaching the window and bolted upright.
"Brother Shu, what is this?" she asked, her eyes wide with disbelief as he climbed into the back seat. "Since when did you change your style? Aren't you usually the 'suit-and-tie, refined beast' type?"
"Watch your vocabulary, Miss Zhu," Zhou Shu replied with a cold snort, fastening his seatbelt and adjusting his sleeves.
"You watch *your* vocabulary!" Zhu Lili suddenly shrieked, causing Xiao Zhang to cover his ears. She leaned over the seat, grabbing Zhou Shu’s arm and shoving his sleeve up. "Where’s your three-million-yuan watch? Was it stolen?"
Ever since Zhou Shu bought that watch, it had been the "Empress" of his accessory collection, rarely leaving his wrist unless a specific shoot required it. He had always claimed that things you fall in love with at first sight share a fated bond, and thus shouldn't be discarded lightly.
Before Zhou Shu could answer, she gasped again. "What is this?" She reached out to tug at the chain on his wrist, only for Zhou Shu to swat her hand away without mercy.
"You can't afford to replace it if you break it."
Zhu Lili huffed but kept her eyes glued to his wrist. Zhou Shu pulled his sleeve down, covering half of his palm.
"Zhou Shu..." Zhu Lili said after a moment of silence, reaching a conclusion. "It’s one thing to wear a dog chain on your wrist, but are you not even wearing your own clothes now?"
Zhou Shu hadn't expected to be seen through so quickly. His gaze flickered with a hint of unnatural tension. "Stop talking nonsense. Xiao Zhang, drive."
After a long pause, he added quietly, "And it’s a cat chain."
Zhu Lili narrowed her eyes, a wicked, knowing smirk playing on her lips. "It seems someone is finally seeing the light."
Zhou Shu thought back to the previous night—the way Jin Yan had draped the jacket over his shoulders and the way his pinky had hooked into the chain. He felt his face grow warm again. Refusing to give Zhu Lili the satisfaction of a response, he closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.
Whenever he returned home to Haicheng, Zhou Shu’s life was exceptionally peaceful. His travel arrangements were kept strictly confidential, and he rarely had to deal with fans at the airport. However, that peace ended the moment he touched down in any other city. The instant he stepped into the terminal, a cacophony of cheers and the blinding strobe of camera flashes surged toward him like a tidal wave.
Zhou Shu disliked the noise, but he couldn't bring himself to hate the people. He knew it was their way of showing affection, and he wasn't ungrateful. He simply preferred not to be disturbed. His cold, silent exterior had earned him a reputation as a "cool, straight Alpha," a persona some fans adored and others used as ammunition to claim he was arrogant.
These two factions—the devoted and the hostile—often blurred into a single, chaotic mass, much like the crowd currently clogging the Yuncheng airport. They screamed his name, interspersed with occasional shouts for "Chu Xun," his famous character. Zhou Shu didn't bother trying to distinguish between them. A year ago, someone had approached him with a smile, asking for a hug, only to dump a bowl of cold rice over his head. He assumed things had only gotten worse since then. His solution was simple: treat everyone with the same icy indifference. It was efficient and saved him the mental energy.
The airport was a bottleneck of humanity. Bodyguards flanked him, pushing toward the waiting van just a few yards away. Suddenly, an aluminum can flew from the right. Zhou Shu instinctively raised his arm to block it. The can hit the floor with a dull thud, followed by the sharp hiss of pressurized soda spraying across the tiles.
Screams erupted from the crowd. The bodyguards quickly formed a tight perimeter around him.
"Brother Shu, are you okay?" Zhu Lili rushed over in her high heels, grabbing his arm to check for injuries. She cast a gaze toward the crowd that was as sharp as a whetted ice blade. Pointing in one direction, she barked at the security team, "Grab her and take her to the station!"
She then stomped her ten-centimeter heel directly into the discarded can, the thin metal piercing with a crunch. She flicked her foot to dislodge the crushed aluminum, picked it up, and shielded Zhou Shu as they made their final break for the exit. As they passed a trash can, she tossed the mangled metal inside.
The moment the van door slid shut, the chaos was finally muffled.
"Unbelievable!" Zhu Lili fumed, kicking off her heels. "My limited editions! The heel is ruined because of that stupid can!"
Xiao Zhang, who had been prepared to be moved by her bravery, felt a metaphorical row of dots appear over his head.
Zhou Shu let out a cold chuckle and pulled out his e-cigarette. "That’s what you get for trying to look cool."
"Do you have a shred of conscience?" Zhu Lili glared at him, pulling a pair of diamond-encrusted heels from her bag. "I was protecting my 'boyfriend,' wasn't I?"
She emphasized the word "boyfriend" with deliberate weight. It worked; Zhou Shu looked visibly repulsed. "Shut up."
"Boyfriend, don't forget to go to the counter and pay for these shoes when we get back to the capital," she teased, her expression radiating charm.
"I suggest you take a sedative to clear your head," Zhou Shu muttered, closing his eyes.
"Sigh, I wonder how the reports will read today," Xiao Zhang mused as he drove, still a bit shaken. "Who was that girl? People are getting bolder. Is this a case of unrequited love turned sour?"
Zhu Lili adjusted her clothes. "Doesn't feel like it. Probably someone who genuinely hates him."
"An anti-fan?" Xiao Zhang asked.
"That’s a hard question to answer," Zhu Lili replied. "The definition of a 'fan' is getting harder to pin down these days. Luckily, Brother Shu doesn't care."
They arrived at the venue through a secure back entrance. In the dressing room, Zhou Shu rolled up his sleeve to find a red, swollen bruise where the can had struck. He instructed the stylist to pick an outfit with a jacket. When asked what happened, he simply shook his head and remained silent.
Just as his hair and makeup were finished, there was a knock at the door, and it swung open immediately.
"Duan Xingyi?" Zhou Shu opened his eyes to see his co-star standing there, breathless. "Why are you running?"
Duan Xingyi panted for a moment before turning to the stylist. "Could you give us a moment? I need to speak with Zhou Shu."
Once the room was clear, Duan Xingyi looked at Zhou Shu’s arm. The jacket wasn't on yet, leaving the angry red mark exposed. He reached out as if to touch it, but Zhou Shu instinctively flinched away.
"I'm sorry..." Duan Xingyi’s eyes were filled with genuine remorse. "I heard about what happened at the airport. That girl... she was one of my fans."
He said the word "fan" with a grimace, as if it tasted bitter.
Zhou Shu realized the situation, but he wasn't particularly surprised. His expression softened. "You didn't throw the can. You don't need to feel guilty."
"I..." Duan Xingyi frowned, an unreadable emotion flickering in his eyes.
"Go get your styling done. I'm finished, I'll wait for you outside," Zhou Shu said, picking up his jacket.
"Zhou Shu..." Duan Xingyi impulsively grabbed his arm before quickly letting go. "I'm truly sorry. I never wanted you to get hurt."
Zhou Shu paused, then patted Duan Xingyi on the shoulder. "It’s fine. I don't care about it, and I certainly won't hold it against you."
He walked out, leaving Duan Xingyi staring at his own hand, looking utterly lost.
The fan meeting was a grand affair. The leads were all present, and the host was witty, keeping the atmosphere light. Zhou Shu had planned to just coast through, sing a song, and call it a day, but a surprise game segment was added. He was snapped out of his daze by the thunderous chanting of the crowd: "Zhou Shu! Duan Xingyi!"
"What?" Zhou Shu leaned toward Duan Xingyi to ask what was happening.
Duan Xingyi looked at Zhou Shu’s confused face and let out a genuine, warm laugh. This brief, natural interaction sent the audience into a frenzy. The livestream chat exploded.
【OMG!!! My CP is real!!!】
【The sugar is falling! They’re feeding us!】
【I told you! Look at that interaction—there’s no way they’re just colleagues!】
【Your Majesty, please paint the rouge for me one more time...】
【Duan Xingyi’s smile is so indulgent! He only has stars in his eyes when he looks at his 'wife'!】
*Wife?*
*Wife, my ass.*
At that moment, back in Haicheng, a certain someone was staring deathly at his phone screen, ignoring the fact that he was on his way to a law firm. A curse word, entirely unbefitting his composed exterior, echoed in his mind.
Gou Feifei, sitting in the back, shifted uncomfortably. He could smell the scent of a brewing storm in the air. When he saw the "driver," Jiang Rong, start rubbing his temples to soothe a headache, he finally leaned forward.
"Brother, dial it back a bit, or we’re going to cause a pile-up."
It took a long moment for the icy pressure in the car to dissipate. Gou Feifei clutched his chest. "Scared me to death. I almost died in Haicheng. I haven't even caught Julia yet; I can't go out like this."
"Get the contract signed today. We’ll start the renovations next week and reopen as soon as possible," Jin Yan said, locking his phone. He instantly reverted to his professional, steady persona, sliding on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses that made him look exceptionally cold and disciplined.
Gou Feifei had a general idea of the history between Jin Yan and Zhou Shu. Since Jin Yan hadn't bothered to hide the livestream or his reaction, Gou Feifei was busy admiring his senior’s resilience when a phone was suddenly thrust into his face.
"Give me Julia’s number."
Gou Feifei blinked twice, staring at Jin Yan. Under the weight of his boss’s gaze, he surrendered the digits.
Jin Yan saved the contact and immediately opened a travel app to book a flight to Yuncheng.
"I’m flying to Yuncheng tonight. I’ll be back as soon as I can. If the meeting goes well, lunch is on me. Pick wherever you want."
Gou Feifei choked on his own breath. He hadn't realized that as an Enigma, Jin Yan’s possessiveness was just as top-tier as his pheromones. They weren't even "together" yet, and he was already flying across the country to stake a claim.
"Wow! Brother Jin is the best! What should we eat?" Jiang Rong cheered from the driver's seat, oblivious to the tension. "Goofy, what do you want?"
Gou Feifei snapped out of his thoughts and glanced sideways at Jin Yan with a smirk. "How about... Vinegar-Soaked Enigma?"
Jiang Rong: "?"
The "vinegar-soaked" Enigma in question had no time for their banter. He was too busy grappling with his own thoughts from the night before, feeling the sting of regret.
*I admit it.*
*I’m panicking.*
*I regret everything.*
*I’ve been your brother for twenty-three years, but I can’t do it anymore.*
*Right now, all I want to be is your husband.*
