Chapter 6: The Eccentric Mastermind

"Still tight-lipped, are you?" The young man wiped his crew cut, tossed aside the leather whip, and amidst the middle-aged man's wailing, the six-foot-tall brute began to punch and kick him as if he were nothing more than a sandbag.

He stopped only when the man who had been sitting silently on the sofa spoke up: "Did you bring the electric baton?"

"?"

Gu Lingyi perked up the moment she heard that. Wasn't this the "perverted big shot" they had been gossiping about downstairs? Bondage, whipping, electric shocks, kicking, violence... he had it all.

And this was it? The level of sadism didn't even compare to her pet; that creature could disembowel someone with a single swipe of its paw. Thinking of her cat, Gu Lingyi shifted her gaze to the top of the man's head, where a lock of white hair was particularly conspicuous.

Fu Linyuan’s eyes flickered, a ring of pale gold washing over his pupils before vanishing just as quickly. His Adam's apple bobbed; the surging instinct within him was almost impossible to suppress. His long, well-defined fingers left distinct indentations on the leather armrest of the sofa.

After a while, the movement in the room ceased. Fu Linyuan rose right on cue, his tall frame casting a long shadow. His voice was low and raspy. "Take him down."

Fu San obeyed, dragging the man away.

Back in his room, the air was thick with the aroma of wine. Fu Linyuan didn't turn on the lights, heading straight for the solid wood table. The bottle and glasses were in their original spots, appearing flawless at first glance—though it would have been more perfect had the small cup not been upside down.

Fu Linyuan picked up the bottle and gave it a shake, his expression freezing. There had been at least half a bottle left before he went out. Now, he tilted it upside down, waiting a long time before a single drop of liquor slid down the neck.

"..."

Fu Linyuan glanced toward the empty balcony and let out a soft, low chuckle.

Outside, Gu Lingyi had agilely slipped downstairs, showing not a hint of intoxication. She sat on the railing, legs dangling inward, hands resting casually at her sides, looking up to admire the hazy moonlight.

A moment later, a commotion arose inside, and the curtains before her slowly parted. Gu Lingyi looked over curiously, only to meet a pair of anxious, terrified eyes. Qin Xiao called out loudly, "Gu Lingyi!"

"Hm?" Gu Lingyi tilted her head, looking blank.

"What are you doing!" Qin Xiao moved forward cautiously, whispering in a soothing tone, "Brother Qi won."

"Oh." Gu Lingyi nodded. That was expected; as the male lead, he would win at everything.

"Come down..." Qin Xiao took a few more steps, closing the distance to less than two paces. "Just come down, we can talk once you're down."

Qin Xiao added, "Don't do anything stupid!"

Gu Lingyi’s bright, watery eyes narrowed slightly, and she nonchalantly appraised the man standing before her, his entire body tense. As a member of the male lead’s entourage, Qin Xiao possessed top-tier looks and a great physique. With his slightly curly chestnut hair, handsome features, and sharp, phoenix-like eyes, he was striking. At this moment, his thin lips were slightly parted, and the arms hanging at his sides were tensed, revealing faint, underlying muscle lines.

He was nervous.

Gu Lingyi lowered her eyes, remaining motionless. A long time passed, and just as Qin Xiao thought he could finally breathe a sigh of relief, the figure sitting on the railing suddenly swayed dramatically, accompanied by a vocal sound effect: "Boom—"

"Ah—"

The man’s uniquely low-pitched exclamation took a few turns at the end. Qin Xiao truly felt his heart skip a beat.

"Hahahaha..." A silver-bell-like laugh rang out under the moonlight. Gu Lingyi’s charming peach-blossom eyes curved into crescent moons.

Qin Xiao couldn't even bring himself to be angry. His chest heaved as he stared blankly at the radiant girl. He had seen Gu Lingyi plenty of times—back when they were racing, they would see each other every few days. Even after the team disbanded, he still saw her around Huo Qi often. But why did the girl in front of him feel like someone he was meeting for the first time?

Qin Xiao regained his composure, a surge of annoyance at being toyed with bubbling up. He turned his head away awkwardly and let out a low "hmph."

When Huo Qi arrived at the balcony, he saw Gu Lingyi smiling radiantly at Qin Xiao. Meanwhile, his brother, who had grown up with him, was avoiding her gaze, his ears flushed red.

An inexplicable irritation flared in Huo Qi’s heart. He glared coldly at Gu Lingyi, who was still swinging her legs leisurely, and said in a harsh tone, "What kind of game are you playing now!"

Feeling that wasn't enough, he added with contempt, "Look at you! What a sight!"

Gu Lingyi stopped laughing. The eyes that had been rippling with water a second ago turned suddenly icy when they landed on Huo Qi. She slid off the railing, slipped into her slippers, and walked into the room. "Is it over? Can we go now?"

Back inside, she realized most of the people had left; only Yu Liang remained, sitting alone on the sofa.

Huo Qi followed her inside, his brow furrowed. "Gu Lingyi!"

Qin Xiao and Yu Liang looked at Huo Qi simultaneously, but only Gu Lingyi remained unfazed as she walked to the sofa to put on her coat, grabbing her phone to check the time.

Nearly four o'clock. She looked weary, a trace of impatience showing. "Anything else, Young Master Huo?"

Huo Qi choked, his throat feeling dry. He tried to find a trace of pretense on Gu Lingyi’s face, but she looked genuinely annoyed. How could that be? This was Gu Lingyi—the Gu Lingyi who was devoted to him!

Huo Qi’s thoughts were in chaos, but a moment later, he regained his clarity. He became convinced the woman in front of him was acting just to get his attention.

After a long pause, Huo Qi snorted coldly, as if granting a favor. "I'll let it slide for today. The family recognition banquet hasn't been held yet; it wouldn't look good to the Gu family if I sent you away now."

He wasn't in any rush to teach her a lesson on behalf of Gu Yanyue.

Hearing this, the other three wore varied expressions. Gu Lingyi barely suppressed the urge to spit out the insults on the tip of her tongue. As an individual, did Huo Qi think he could just send her away whenever he pleased? Did he think he was God? Even the original host shouldn't have been pushed around like this!

*Idiot.*

Gu Lingyi rolled her eyes to herself and strode toward the door of the private room, standing there without a word. Qin Xiao noticed her intent and, seeing that Huo Qi didn't respond, stepped forward to open the door.

After a scattered sound of footsteps, the room returned to silence.

Upstairs, the exquisitely crafted iron railing had been deformed by external force; under the hazy moonlight, the indentations of fingers were clearly visible.

The elevator was mirrored on all sides. Huo Qi caught Gu Lingyi’s gaze through the reflection. "How did you get here?"

"Hm?" Gu Lingyi lowered her eyes to the illuminated '-1' button, nonchalantly pressing the '1' button above it—a silent answer.

"It's hard to get a taxi around here," Qin Xiao interjected from behind. "You..."

Before he could finish, Huo Qi interrupted him, pressing the button for the first floor off without a word.

Gu Lingyi: "..."

She had come by taxi, so naturally, she intended to return by taxi. The '1' button lit up again, only to be extinguished by a slender finger once more.

The two remained at a stalemate. Qin Xiao and Yu Liang exchanged glances, both seeing disbelief in each other's eyes. Huo Qi had always been the most steady and rational among them since they were children; when had he ever acted so childishly?

They reached the first floor quickly. The button didn't light up, but the doors opened anyway, as someone was waiting outside. Just as Gu Lingyi was about to step out of the elevator, her wrist was grabbed. Huo Qi’s tone was devoid of emotion, as if he were performing a routine chore: "I'll drive you back."