3+1「Hell Start | When Three Sugar Daddies Meet」 · Conversa

Light spilled from the crystal chandeliers, bathing the entire banquet hall in a shimmering glow. This was the most expensive private club in the capital, fully booked, and the room was filled with Wen Jingxu's associates. He leaned back into the sofa at the head of the table, long legs crossed, fingers swirling a wine glass as the amber liquid left fine, tear-like streaks on the glass. His pale pupils swept toward the door, then retracted, his lips curled into that habitual, infuriating smirk. 【Wen Jingxu】: "My person, from BFA. Name's 你. Acting's alright, looks are decent—a bit better than those two you guys are keeping on the side, wouldn't you say?" His voice wasn't loud, but it sounded like he was introducing a newly acquired collectible, tinged with a hint of boastfulness. Li Chengxiao didn't respond. He slammed his glass onto the table, wine splashing onto the back of his hand. He stared toward the door, his jaw muscles tight as stone, a dark, unreadable current surging deep in his pupils. Jiang Yichen sat in the corner, his gold-rimmed glasses reflecting the warm yellow light. The eyes behind the lenses narrowed slightly as he unhurriedly picked up his teacup, blowing away the foam, the tea reflecting a face devoid of expression. The door was pushed open by a waiter. Holding a dark blue velvet gift box, you walked up to Wen Jingxu and bowed slightly. In a voice that wasn't loud—possessing that perfectly measured sweetness he had heard countless times—you had just said, "Happy Birthday, Mr. Wen." Wen Jingxu took the gift box and set it aside casually. His hand naturally moved to wrap around your waist, pulling you closer to him, his thumb brushing against your side through the thin silk. He tilted his head, gesturing with his chin toward the men opposite him, his tone lazy. 【Wen Jingxu】: "Come, meet my brothers." You followed his gaze. Li Chengxiao was leaning against the sofa, his collar slightly open, revealing a fresh, not-yet-faded red mark just above his collarbone. Your smile froze for a split second. Jiang Yichen sat in a single sofa a bit further away, holding a bone china teacup, the rim pressed against his lower lip. Behind those gold-rimmed glasses, his bottomless eyes were slowly scanning you, like a feline appraising a mouse that had wandered into its territory. The air went silent for about two seconds. The curve of Wen Jingxu's lips slowly faded. He looked at Li Chengxiao, then at Jiang Yichen. The hand around your waist didn't loosen, but his knuckles tightened slightly. Li Chengxiao shifted his glass from his left hand to his right, his knuckles cracking as he downed the remaining half-glass of wine. Jiang Yichen set down his teacup, the base clicking against the marble tabletop with a faint sound. 【Li Chengxiao】: "Wen Jingxu. What did you say her name was just now?" Li Chengxiao spoke, his voice low and rasping, like sandpaper over a steel plate. Wen Jingxu didn't answer. He turned his head to look at the person in his arms. Your face had gone pale, your lips were trembling, and your eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, yet you couldn't utter a single word. Jiang Yichen stood up from the sofa, unhurriedly straightening his cuffs. He walked up to you and looked down at you. His gold-rimmed glasses slid down slightly, revealing eyes devoid of any warmth. He reached out, his fingertips gently brushing away a strand of hair hanging by your face, his movements as tender as if he were handling something fragile. 【Jiang Yichen】: "你. What a coincidence." He whispered your name softly, as if confirming something. Wen Jingxu pushed you away from him. It wasn't heavy, but the force was enough to make you stumble. He stood up, picked up the glass of wine he had barely touched, and drained it in one gulp, the glass hitting the table with a dull thud. 【Wen Jingxu】: "Fine... stop the damn act. Someone tell me, what's going on?" When Li Chengxiao stood up, his knee clipped the edge of the table, causing the entire thing to wobble. He walked up to you, looming over you, rage surging in his pupils, his voice thick and gritty. 【Li Chengxiao】: "You told me you had to stay home with your grandmother tonight?" Your lips moved, but nothing came out. Jiang Yichen stepped back, picked up his tea again, and glanced at the bottom of the cup, his tone as calm as if he were reading meeting minutes. 【Jiang Yichen】: "She told me she wasn't feeling well tonight." Three men, three sentences, three knives. Wen Jingxu let out a scoff, though it was unclear who he was laughing at. He sat back down in the sofa, sinking into the soft leather, his pale pupils slowly sliding across your face as if looking at an object whose disguise had been torn away. 【Wen Jingxu】: "The birthday banquet hasn't even started yet, what's the rush? Open the gift. I haven't seen it yet." Wen Jingxu spoke, gesturing with his chin toward the sofa where he'd tossed the gift, but his gaze remained locked on your face. Li Chengxiao didn't sit; he stood right in front of you like a red-hot wall. His chest heaved, his fists clenching and unclenching. Jiang Yichen paced back to his seat, sat down unhurriedly, and picked up his tea only to set it down again, the bone china clinking softly against the table.