Serve Me

Seeing Xu Duwan clench his fists tightly to control his emotions, Cheng Zong hesitated and decided not to say what was on his mind.

Shen Mingjin had left, and Xu Duwan no longer had the mood to stay at the construction site. He wandered around for a while, barely pretending to inspect things, then left as well.

As soon as he got into his car, he tore off his usual cold and indifferent mask and quickly sent a message to the private group chat of rich young heirs he belonged to.

Even though his mind was overflowing with emotions, his pale fingertips hesitated over the keyboard, deleting and rewriting, until finally, he only managed to send a single message:

"I... ran into Shen Mingjin today."

The group was always active, and the reply came almost instantly:

[Lin Zechen]: Shen Mingjin? The guy you secretly liked for years?

Xu Duwan's face immediately darkened when he saw those words. Just as he was about to respond, his closest friend in the group jumped in:

[Jiang Ruoling]: What 'guy you secretly liked'? That bastard is just a scumbag! Our Duwan got tricked—his heart, his body, and even his money were all taken! If I ever catch that jerk, I'll beat him until his face is unrecognizable!

Xu Duwan gritted his teeth in frustration and sent back a simple but firm reply:

"Shut up."

The group chat wanted to gossip more, but seeing how tight-lipped Xu Duwan was, only replying with a single word, they held back.

Still, they couldn't help but let their imaginations run wild.

Everyone knew Xu Duwan's story—how he was the real heir of the Xu family but was swapped at birth in a dramatic case of mistaken identity.

The mistress who had an affair with Xu Gengshui gave birth on the same day as Xu Duwan's mother. She secretly had the babies switched, making her own child the heir while throwing Xu Duwan into the hands of human traffickers. Then, she waited for Xu Duwan's real mother to fall ill and pass away before taking her place as the Xu family's official wife.

If Xu Gengshui hadn't discovered the truth years later and brought Xu Duwan back, he might have spent the rest of his life struggling as a nameless worker in a foreign country.

So how did someone as proud and high-status as Xu Duwan get completely deceived by a man?

"Alright, the past is the past. Tonight, let's drink and forget that scumbag."

Jiang Ruoling's message snapped Xu Duwan out of his thoughts. He looked down at his phone screen for a moment, then hesitated before tapping his fingertip and replying with a simple:

"Okay."

Almost ten years had passed.

It was time to let go of Shen Mingjin.

Xu Duwan sent Jiang Ruoling's location to his driver, then said,

"Uncle Li, take me here tonight."

Three-legged toads might be rare, but four-legged men? Xu Duwan refused to believe he couldn't find someone better than Shen Mingjin in this vast world.

His face heated up in frustration as he thought angrily:

Ten years. Tonight, he was going to forget Shen Mingjin.

—

The car pulled up in front of a bar with a glowing blue neon sign.

Inside, the bar was brightly lit. Rows of transparent bottles reflected colorful lights, shifting with the rhythm of the bass. The music pounded through the air, shaking the walls and vibrating through Xu Duwan's chest.

He wasn't used to places like this. As the bar's manager led him toward a private booth, he almost wanted to cover his ears.

"Duwan, over here!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Jiang Ruoling paused mid-drink, excitedly straightening up and waving like a monkey let loose from its cage.

"Over here!"

Xu Duwan shot him a cold look. "Call me that again, and I'll kill you."

Jiang Ruoling immediately backed down. "Fine, fine. No more nicknames."

He patted the seat next to him. "Come on, drink up."

Xu Duwan sat down, but after a moment, he started shifting away, trying to put distance between himself and the men and women draping themselves over Jiang Ruoling.

Jiang Ruoling narrowed his eyes as he watched Xu Duwan sitting there, lips pressed together, brows furrowed.

He looked like a demon caught in a spider's web. Or a widow mourning a dead husband. Either way, he was ridiculously attractive.

"Come on, don't just sit there like a statue. You're scaring everyone away."

Jiang Ruoling stretched lazily, running a hand over the young man kneeling at his feet, pouring his drink. He smirked.

"I heard the boss just got in some fresh 'goods.' Want to take a look?"

Xu Duwan knew exactly what "goods" he was referring to.

He frowned. It was disgusting.

But the people around him were already getting excited. He didn't want to seem too out of place.

And besides…

Tonight's goal was to forget Shen Mingjin.

So after a long hesitation, he finally exhaled, closed his eyes, and forced out five words:

"Fine... just to take a look."

Just look. He wouldn't touch.

Jiang Ruoling grinned knowingly and clapped his hands.

At the entrance, the manager immediately straightened up and turned to the newcomers, his tone sharp and commanding:

"Listen up! The guests inside are VIPs. Serve them well. Understood?"

At the very back of the lineup, Shen Mingjin stood there, completely lost.

He had been shoved into this last-minute. He hadn't even received proper training. The manager had simply tossed him a uniform and pushed him into line.

Shen Mingjin had no idea what he was supposed to do. But after his earlier conversation with Xu Duwan, he knew it was best to keep his mouth shut.

So, he followed the others into the room, his head low.

Inside, he saw people kneeling at the feet of the rich guests, pouring drinks, allowing hands to roam freely over them.

His brows furrowed.

Was this… really how they sold alcohol here?

Maybe he should leave.

"Hey, you in the back! Why are you looking down? Lift your head!"

A loud, harsh voice shattered his thoughts.

Jiang Ruoling was irritated. It was rare to see such a shy newcomer.

When Shen Mingjin flinched and lowered his head even more, Jiang Ruoling got impatient.

"I said, lift your head!"

The other rich kids turned their attention to the last person in line.

Shen Mingjin hesitated.

He was only wearing a plain white shirt, but if he turned around, they'd see that the back was almost completely open. His pale, smooth skin was on full display, glowing under the dim lights.

The guests' eyes lit up.

Even though Xu Duwan wasn't interested in any of them, his gaze unintentionally landed on Shen Mingjin.

Something about that figure felt… familiar.

"You. Lift your head."

Shen Mingjin froze.

After a few seconds of hesitation, he clenched his jaw.

Money was money.

Slowly, under the bright, indulgent lights, he lifted his head.

And the moment his face was revealed, the entire room erupted.

"Holy sh*t—"

"Incredible..."

"Why didn't the boss tell me he had someone like this?!"

Under the golden glow, Shen Mingjin's face was breathtaking. His lashes were dark as raven feathers, his lips a delicate shade of red, his skin pure and flawless.

For a moment, everyone was stunned.

Except for Xu Duwan.

His face turned black as coal.

It really was Shen Mingjin.

Of all the people in the world…

"What are you doing here?" Xu Duwan forced his voice to stay steady. "Are you that desperate to see me?"

Shen Mingjin blinked, genuinely confused. "I'm here to make money."

Xu Duwan let out a cold laugh.

"You want money?"

He pulled out a thick stack of cash and slapped it onto the table.

Leaning back lazily, he smirked and pointed to his knee.

"Then serve me."