"Have you seen where Chengli is lately? Or is he currently with you?" Yanlan's voice crackled through the phone, sounding strained and breathless.
"No, he's not here. Have you tried calling him?" Qixian asked, his brow furrowing as he felt the first stirrings of unease.
"I've tried a dozen times, but he isn't answering. He even left his daughter at my office without a word," Yanlan said, her voice rising an octave as her worry became palpable.
"When was the last time you actually saw him?" Qixian pressed, his voice dropping into a serious, focused tone.
"Yesterday afternoon. He mentioned he might be late because he was going to be buried in work for tomorrow's gala," Yanlan explained, the panic starting to bleed into her words. "But this isn't like him, Qixian."
"I'll try to get a hold of him myself. Don't spiral just yet," Qixian reassured her.
"Yes, please... thank you," Yanlan whispered before hanging up.
The moment the line went dead, Qixian scrolled frantically through his contacts until he found Chengli's number. He tapped the call button, pacing the floor as he listened to the rhythmic, agonizing rings. He tried once, then twice, but both went to voicemail.
"Damn it! He's missed two calls now—what the hell is going on with him?" Qixian muttered to himself, his fingers trembling slightly with a mix of frustration and genuine fear as he hit redial for the third time.
On the fifth ring, the line finally clicked open.
"Finally! You answered! Where have you been? Your sister is worried sick!" Qixian snapped, his scolding fueled by relief.
But the voice that replied wasn't Chengli's. A cold, bitter laugh echoed from the other side of the line, sending a chill straight down Qixian's spine. "Finally. I've been waiting quite a long time for this, little brother."
"Jin Rou," Qixian said, his voice dropping to a dangerously low growl. "What did you do to him?!" he yelled, the force of his voice echoing off the walls.
"Ouch. My ears are going to ring for an hour if you keep screaming like that," Jin Rou replied smoothly, his tone dripping with mock annoyance.
"Stop playing games! Where is he?" Qixian shouted again.
"Don't be so impatient, little brother. It's unbecoming," Jin Rou chided.
Qixian's knuckles turned white as he clenched his fist. "What do you want from me?"
"Simple. At the gala tomorrow, you will announce that every rumor about me is a lie. You'll tell the world you didn't run away from home, and then," Jin Rou paused for dramatic effect, "you will publicly break your engagement with the Gu family's son."
"If you want to clear your name so badly, why don't you do it yourself? Are you really that pathetic and afraid?" Qixian mocked, his voice dripping with venom.
"Say that one more time and I might just break your precious secretary's arm. Wouldn't that be a fun little spectacle for the gala?" Jin Rou's voice turned ice-cold. "Now... are we going to do this my way, or the hard way?"
Qixian closed his eyes, his chest heaving. "Fine. I'll do it. Just don't lay a finger on my secretary."
"Wonderful. You have my word," Jin Rou said with the smug satisfaction of a man who had already won. The line went dead.
"What happened? Is everything okay?" Haoran asked, stepping out of the clinic and noticing Qixian's pale face.
"I have an urgent matter to attend to," Qixian said, shoving his phone into his pocket. "I'm going to have to leave for a few days."
"Another urgent matter? Man, I'm going to be so lonely," Haoran said, his shoulders slumping. "Yichen and Sihan are busy today and won't even be back tomorrow because they have to attend that big high-society gala..."
"Yeah... I'm sorry," Qixian murmured, his mind racing a mile a minute. "But I promise I'll be back as soon as I can."
"I suppose that's a promise, then!" Haoran said, forcing a small smile.
Qixian nodded, but his thoughts were a chaotic mess. 'I completely forgot Yichen would be there too. Sihan already knows the truth, so that's fine, but Yichen... YICHEN... he's my PARTNER. There's no way I can stay hidden from him for long especially knowing what his secondary gender is! This is going to be a complete disaster...'
_______________
The following evening, the air at the gala was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and the suffocating weight of expectation.
"I'm glad to see you actually showed up, and just moments before the ceremony is set to begin," Jin Rou drawled, leaning against a marble pillar with a look of cold amusement. "For a second there, I thought you were actually going to let your little secretary die for your pride."
"I'm afraid I had no choice but to come," Qixian mocked, his voice dripping with a casual disdain that masked his inner tension. "After all, losing him would be quite the inconvenience for you too, wouldn't it? Who else would you have to bully?"
"His life is mine to decide, little brother. You are clearly at my mercy, yet you still have the audacity to speak to me like that?" Jin Rou's eyes narrowed as he began to walk toward the main hall, his footsteps echoing. "Aren't you even a little afraid that I'll follow through and kill him?"
"You wouldn't." Qixian challenged, stepping into Jin Rou's personal space without flinching. "Because if you do, you'll lose the only leverage you have. And you have no idea what I would do to your precious, fragile reputation if I truly had nothing left to lose."
"You—" Jin Rou spun around, his face contorting with a sudden flash of rage.
"Get out of my way. You're blocking my path," Qixian interrupted coldly. He didn't wait for a response, stepping forward and intentionally slamming his shoulder into Jin Rou's as he pushed past him.
Jin Rou's fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles turning white. He turned back to snap a retort, but Qixian had already disappeared into the grand ballroom where the gala was taking place.
"The Zhou family has arrived!" a herald announced, the voice booming over the chatter of the high-society crowd.
"I honestly thought you wouldn't have the nerve to show your face," Qixian's father said, appearing at his side as they began to navigate the room.
"There was quite a crowd here already, wasn't there, Father? I wouldn't want to disappoint your audience," Qixian said flatly, his eyes scanning the room.
"I am welcoming you back, for heaven's sake! Don't make me scold you in front of everyone!" his father hissed in a harsh whisper.
"Oh, right. I almost forgot," Qixian drawled, his gaze lingering on the glittering chandeliers. "Your reputation matters above all else. Even above your own son."
"Qixian, watch your tone in public! Try to act a bit more like your older brother for once!" his mother whispered sharply, her eyes darting around to ensure no one was listening to their family spat.
"Then don't talk to me," Qixian replied shortly. His mother opened her mouth to continue the lecture, but her voice was drowned out by the next grand announcement as they moved toward their assigned seats.
"The Gu family has arrived!"
Qixian's breath hitched as a familiar figure entered the room. "He's... remarkably handsome," Qixian murmured, his eyes locking onto the man across the room.
"So, your eyes have found your fiancé that quickly? Even with him wearing a mask?" his father commented, a smug, knowing tone creeping into his voice. "Blood speaks, doesn't it, my son?"
"You really are a mood killer, aren't you, Father?" Qixian glared at him, his heart beginning to race.
"Don't pretend you don't like what you see," his father shrugged, completely ignoring his son's irritation.
Qixian quickly looked away, his mind spinning. 'I have to avoid him for as long as possible, but it's futile. As an Enigma, he'll definitely sense my presence sooner or later. Damn it.' "I don't really like it when other people decide how my life should look, Father," Qixian added sharply, his eyes fixed on the floor to avoid meeting Yichen's distant gaze.