Chapter 47

Assistant Liu's exact words were that the master invited by the program team had arrived, and that Ji Han should come over to explain the situation.

When did he ever invite Ji Han for Master Ke?

Ke Xingzhou was also a bit confused, but after thinking for a moment, he realized there was something he wanted to ask: "About your online romance with Mo Lili..."

"..." Ji Han's smile disappeared.

Nie Chen, however, had a faint smile at the corners of his lips.

After some questioning, Ke Xingzhou learned that Ji Han and Mo Lili had indeed never exchanged names or addresses before, but they had made an agreement.

That is, Ji Han would eventually become the pillar of the management company, moving into the apartment prepared for top artists. As for Mo Lili, she would definitely get into her dream military academy and come to the capital to start a new life.

They might never meet, and could even forget each other's existence, but—

【One day, we will cross paths at the peak!】

Ji Han looked at the thick stack of chat logs printed by the police, and awkwardly dug his toes into the ground as he flipped through to find that one specific message. He felt numb all over.

The Taoist priests were also feeling awkward.

A group of middle-aged and elderly people had finally downloaded the correct livestream platform on their phones. When they entered Mo Dachun's livestream room, they saw the couple so scared they couldn't take care of themselves, and fell silent all at once.

Daoist Li turned to the head of Qingyun Temple with a confused expression: "Fellow Daoist, has the underworld developed to this point now? Can ghosts just appear in front of the living like this?"

The head of Qingyun Temple: "..."

He tightened his grip on the ritual tool and fell into silence for a long time before squeezing out a response: "I suppose... so."

Even though he had lived so many years, his hair and beard had turned white, he had never heard of this kind of thing from the ghostly officials.

—So it can happen like this?

The head of Qingyun Temple became dazed again.

Thinking back to how, over the years, he had been proud of being able to meet the ghostly officials and exchange a few words, even turning it into a feature of Qingyun Temple and promoting it in the Taoist community within the country, his face couldn't help but heat up.

The others, however, didn't understand why the head of Qingyun Temple was blushing.

They only knew that Qingyun Temple had maintained a long and friendly relationship with the local ghost officials. During ritual exchanges, the head of Qingyun Temple had even provided them with many policy updates from the underworld, helping them out a great deal.Since the head of Qingyun Temple said so, it seems like there's really no problem... right?

The Taoist priests, watching Mo Lili in the livestream room, were not scared at all. On the contrary, they found it exciting, wondering in their hearts if she could do more special effects for the online viewers.

To be honest, some of the Taoist priests had initially suspected Ke Xingzhou and his obscure temple, which shared the same name as a local tourism check-in spot set up by the local Cultural and Tourism Bureau.

Even though Ke Xingzhou’s Taoist skills were unexpectedly powerful and his knowledge much broader than theirs, his way of doing things—

Who would let a vengeful ghost come to their door like that?

The more they thought about it, the more uneasy they felt, especially since Daoist Li had just mentioned the “Nine-Headed Dragon,” and those practitioners of evil paths had rapidly gained power.

This Xianyao Sect couldn’t be an evil sect, could it?

Just as their concerns began to rise, the head of Qingyun Temple’s words eased their worries.

The Taoist priests now looked at the screen where Mo Lili was scaring people, and a sudden sense of sadness rose in their hearts.

It turned out they really were out of touch with the times...

Fortunately, before letting Mo Lili go, Ke Xingzhou had cleared her obsession. Mo Lili herself treasured this hard-earned opportunity. After causing a ruckus in Mo Dachun's livestream room, she obediently returned to the program team.

Not long after, two police officers received a call saying that Mo Dachun and his wife had voluntarily turned themselves in, so they both stood up to leave.

Xiang Ting had come because of this matter, and now that it was resolved, he naturally had to leave as well.

Before leaving, however, he took a long look at Ke Xingzhou, his remaining eye showing a somewhat complex expression.

Ke Xingzhou was stunned by his gaze.

Earlier, when there were too many people, he hadn't paid much attention. Now, he realized he couldn’t quite figure out Xiang Ting.

Unlike Nie Chen, whose path was obstructed by the heavy golden light of virtue, Ke Xingzhou could see part of Xiang Ting's life trajectory. When he briefly scanned it earlier, he hadn’t noticed anything odd, but now that he took a closer look, he found that the images were very rough, and the key points were blurry.

Xiang Ting’s future was shrouded in a fog, indistinct and unclear.

Besides Nie Chen, was there really someone else who could make his third eye fail?

While he was stunned, the Taoist priests in the room turned off the livestream, and one of them explained the situation to Ji Han.

Ji Han finally understood what had happened, looking at Mo Lili who had emerged from the phone. He felt both embarrassed and frightened, and after a long pause, managed to squeeze out a "Thank you."

He nervously shifted his gaze and asked Ke Xingzhou, "So... does this mean the issue is resolved?"

The head of Qingyun Temple finally snapped out of his daze, his gaze paused briefly on Ke Xingzhou, then silently turned away.

Hearing this, he studied Ji Han’s face and shook his head. "It can only be considered half resolved."

"H-how do you mean?"

"The issue with Mo Lili is resolved. She... is now considered a good ghost, and won’t affect you," the head of Qingyun Temple stammered as he mentioned Mo Lili, pausing before continuing, "But why she came to you after her death is still undetermined."

Ji Han was confused. "Isn’t it because of our previous agreement?"

The head of Qingyun Temple shook his head."Your agreement only mentioned the goals each of you needed to accomplish, but it never mentioned meeting. Logically, her obsession with you is not as deep as her obsession with the school, so she shouldn't have come to find you while she was unconscious after death."

Ji Han: "......"

He forced a dry smile, feeling a bit awkward, not daring to say that at the time, he actually wanted to meet Mo Lili.

Just think about it, a girl who had been by his side during his life's low point, encouraging each other, and was herself very active and excellent—it's hard not to feel anything, right?

However, he thought Mo Lili was a girl around his age, so he was only slightly shaken. Later, when he found out she was still in elementary school, that spark was instantly extinguished.

What he didn't expect was that after he left without saying goodbye, the next time they met, it was already across two worlds.

Ji Han felt a bit sentimental, then he heard the head of Qingyun Temple continue, "We suspect that someone may have tampered with you."

"What!" Ji Han immediately bristled, "What tampering?"

The head of Qingyun Temple stroked his beard, "It's still unclear for now. Think carefully, have you received anything of unknown origin recently, or picked up any money or items?"

There is a kind of evil path in folk practices that transfers someone's luck to another person by gifting or picking up items.

However, it's easy to guess that those who use such practices wouldn't casually throw away their good fortune. Most of the time, this evil technique is used to transfer misfortune or even death. Some believers, who accidentally invite evil forces into their homes, are deceived into giving up their luck, which is then taken away by the evil force and transferred to others.

Considering Ji Han's profession, the head of Qingyun Temple thought for a moment and reminded him, "Also, think about the people around you. Has anyone suddenly had good luck?"

Ji Han’s mind raced as he recalled everyone who had come close to him since the incident started, but he came up empty.

He shook his head, "No. I'm a public figure, how could I randomly pick up things? Gifts from fans and brands are always sent to the company, and I rarely accept gifts. Most of the time, I give them away. As for good luck, there’s always someone in this industry experiencing it..."

As he spoke, he suddenly paused.

The head of Qingyun Temple immediately asked, "What is it? Did you remember something?"

Ji Han hesitated and nodded, "...I didn't pick up anything, but I did pick up a person."

Everyone: "......"

Faced with the strange looks from everyone, he quickly explained, "It's not what you think! I didn't go to any strange places! That day, I just had a short break after finishing my schedule, so I went back to the apartment. But some artist, I don’t know if they went to the wrong floor or what, got drunk and passed out at my door. I saw they had an apartment access card, and they seemed to be from our company, so I brought them inside to let them sleep in the guest room for the night... The next morning, before I woke up, they left on their own!"

Later, he told his manager about it, and the manager checked the security footage. The person was indeed from their company, so he didn't think much of it.

Now, recalling it suddenly, it was because the head of Qingyun Temple's words reminded him of something else.

"This month, didn’t I get blasted online? Many of the endorsements I had were canceled. One time, I even arrived at the studio for a brand shoot, but suddenly got notified that I was being replaced. I was really confused, so I stayed alone in the stairwell for a while."

In just those few minutes, he overheard something even worse.

Some staff passing by the door were gossiping about him. At first, they said they didn't know which big shot he had offended, and how no one had been able to protect him. Later, they started talking about the person who replaced him.

"—It was the person I brought back that day!" Ji Han said, "Originally, his route was similar to mine. The company was planning to have him transition, but that day when I saw his look, it was exactly the same as mine. Later, things got worse, all my work was canceled, and most of it ended up on his plate."

Even Ji Han's fans, after unfollowing him, many of them switched to supporting him.

Ji Han sighed deeply as he thought about this.Originally, this kind of thing was due to his own bad luck, unable to clear his name after being slandered, and others taking the opportunity to rise up, which he could understand. But the person who did this was someone he had taken in.

He had taken him in for one night, right? Otherwise, in Beijing's winter, with temperatures below minus ten degrees, a drunk lying outside would either freeze to death or be severely frostbitten.

But after the person woke up, not only did they show no gratitude, but whenever they met him afterward, they acted indifferent. Later, they almost completely took over his work, which made Ji Han very upset.

Although some jobs required a high level of popularity and that person couldn't just take them, this incident still made Ji Han feel the harshness of the entertainment industry.

Once he disappeared, a thousand others like him would immediately climb over his body, drowning him in everyone's memory.

However, Ji Han's mention of this person wasn't just because they took over most of his work, but because of something else that happened later—

His manager, Wu Jie, had always taken good care of him. After taking him on, she never managed other artists. During this recent scandal, the company started disbanding his team, but Wu Jie never gave up on him.

That day, when Wu Jie found out that the company wasn't even managing the online public opinion, acting as if they didn't care whether he lived or died, she took him to the company to demand an explanation. But she returned empty-handed, and the company told her to give up on Ji Han and take on the male artist who replaced him.

Wu Jie was furious, and her voice broke through the office door: “Why should I take care of this trash? Did someone put a spell on him? How is he even comparable to our Ji Han? No ability, full of scandals, what’s his private moral character like? If the company supports him, they’re just digging their own grave!”

“Wu Jie is harsh with her words, but her judgment is even harsher. She says that someone who can’t rise to fame will never rise, and even if they’re a small flame, it will soon burn out,” Ji Han paused. “But this time she was wrong. That person not only became famous but extremely famous. In just the month that I was in trouble, as miserable as I was, he became more popular than ever…”

Upon hearing this, the Taoist priests’ expressions changed.

The lower one’s fortune, the higher the fortune of the other party—this clearly meant the other person borrowed his luck!

The Qingyun Taoist’s expression immediately changed: “After he went to your home, did he leave or take anything?”

Ji Han shook his head.

He had been so busy with work that he had no time to stay at home. Cleaning and other chores were handled by the company’s cleaners, and he hadn’t even explored all the rooms in his apartment.

After the incident, he had even less of a mood to notice what was added or removed from the house. He spent every day in the master bedroom, his mind consumed only with thoughts of life and death.

He really didn’t know if that person had tampered with his place.

“There’s no use dwelling on this,” Nie Chen suddenly spoke. “I remember a kind of witchcraft. As long as someone has their hair and nails, they can cast it.”

The Taoist priests nodded slightly: “Indeed, this is possible.”

Who would pay attention to how many hairs they shed each day, or whether they’ve lost any? If the other person really used such a method, it would be nearly impossible to defend against.

Nie Chen continued: “But this kind of witchcraft should have limitations, right? Like, it can’t be performed too far from the caster, or something else?”

This was within the scope of Li Daoist’s expertise.

He straightened his expression and nodded slightly: “That’s right. Now that Ji Han’s suspicion has been cleared and his fortune has risen again, he definitely won’t let this go. There’s a chance they might try the same trick again.”

Ji Han’s face changed drastically: “Again?! Then, what should I do?”

This witchcraft sounded terrifying, it could take anyone's life at will. The problem was, hair was something people lost every moment of every day. He couldn’t possibly collect every single strand to dispose of it himself!

But if he didn’t guard against the other person, would he have to keep letting them steal his fortune that should belong to him?

Nie Chen glanced at Assistant Liu, who immediately understood and stepped forward: “Mr. Ji Han was frightened while in our program. Here’s the deal, Taoists, our commission ends here for now. Please accompany Mr. Ji for a trip. All expenses will be fully covered by Wanli Group.”

Li Daoist was taken aback.They indeed came today because of Mr. Nie's invitation, but the main reason was to clarify the truth of the case. However, now that things have come to an end, and the police no longer need their help, they have plenty of free time.

Since Mr. Nie said they no longer need to assist, they decided to visit Ji Han's house, but it didn’t seem to be a big deal.

After exchanging glances with the other Taoist priests, Daoist Li nodded in agreement, "Let’s go take a look then."

A group of people quickly took their leave. Daoist Li walked at the back, hesitated for a moment, then turned back to find Ke Xingzhou.

"Ke Daoist, this year’s Taoist Association exchange meeting will be hosted by our Changsheng Temple. The event is scheduled after the New Year. I wonder if you... have time to attend?"

Changsheng Temple?

Ke Xingzhou recalled Daoist Qian from earlier: "Didn’t you say you weren’t willing to invite small temples?"

When he had asked Daoist Qian earlier, Daoist Qian had awkwardly changed the topic.

Daoist Li: "??"

His expression darkened as he thought, which bastard is tarnishing our temple’s reputation? He definitely needs to investigate when he returns.

But on the surface, he replied sincerely, "That’s not true. The domestic Taoist Association has always welcomed all temples for exchange, allowing everyone to share their knowledge is always better than staying isolated."

However, some smaller temples often miss the meeting due to lack of funds.

He had invited Ke Xingzhou because he was local, highly skilled, and had a unique background.

Ke Xingzhou thought of his master, who had been unreachable for a long time, and after some consideration, nodded in agreement, "I will attend if I have time."

Daoist Li: "..."

Daoist Li couldn't help but feel a bit dazed.

Since becoming the president of the Taoist Association, how many years had it been since anyone casually responded to his invitation like this? However, Ke Xingzhou’s strength was truly above his, and in Taoist circles, seniority was based on skill, so there was no fault in how Ke Xingzhou treated him.

Looking at Ke Xingzhou’s fair, handsome face, Daoist Li grew increasingly uneasy and stiffly exchanged a few polite words before leaving.

Mo Lili habitually followed Ji Han out, and Assistant Liu saw them off and arranged transportation for the Taoist priests, so he didn’t return immediately.

Ke Xingzhou snapped out of it and realized that only he and Nie Chen were left in the room.

He froze instantly.

The kiss from earlier, with no clear beginning or end, still lingered in his mind. There had been so much going on earlier, and he had managed to avoid thinking about it, but now, he made sure to sit at a distance from Nie Chen to avoid any awkwardness.

After seeing Ji Han and the others off, Ke Xingzhou turned around, but Nie Chen was already standing behind him without him noticing.

He jumped in surprise, "What are you going to do now?"

Nie Chen paused.

His gaze was deep and intense, his grey-green eyes shrouded in shadow due to the backlight, staring intently at Ke Xingzhou.

The man was tall with long legs, and his muscular build, even hidden beneath a shirt, vest, and trousers, still exuded a powerful presence.Especially Nie Chen’s gaze, Ke Xingzhou was very familiar with it. The intense stare made Ke Xingzhou’s heart race, his legs grew weak, and his lips, which had already cooled, seemed to feel the sensation of being ruthlessly pressed and ground down again.

Nie Chen suddenly took a step forward and reached out towards him.

"...Nie Chen!" Ke Xingzhou couldn’t help but swallow.

However, the expected touch didn’t come. Instead, he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder as a coat was draped over him.

Nie Chen came close but stopped just a half-arm's length away, watching him with a smile: "Hmm?"

Ke Xingzhou: "..."

His face instantly turned bright red. His normally pale, indifferent complexion became lively, and his eyes seemed to glisten with moisture.

In Nie Chen’s eyes, Ke Xingzhou’s current appearance was reflected. His voice was low and gentle as he pointed to the corner of the room: “This won’t work, there’s a camera. I’ll take you home.”

With that, he reached for Ke Xingzhou’s hand.

Ke Xingzhou immediately recoiled, flustered: “Not even going home!”

What a joke! They had broken up three years ago! He had long since gotten used to living alone, and besides, he was the one who initiated the breakup. How could something like a kiss...

Nie Chen’s eyes slowly filled with amusement, and Ke Xingzhou froze.

Wait, what was he just thinking about?!

Nie Chen moved past him and turned the handle to the door behind him: "I’m just taking you home."

Ke Xingzhou opened his mouth to refuse, but Nie Chen spoke again: “It’s too late, and Xie An and An Heguang left already. I told them to head back first.”

Ke Xingzhou: "..."

He finally understood, Nie Chen had planned everything step by step. Getting rid of the Taoist priests was the final part of his plan.

At this hour, it would be difficult to get a cab around the base.

Not to mention, there was still the issue of the water tank at the Ke family home.

"..." Ke Xingzhou hesitated, when suddenly the door behind him was slammed with a "bang." He only had time to see Nie Chen frown, and the next moment, he felt his body tighten, surrounded by the man’s cool, refreshing aura.

Nie Chen protected his head, and the sudden frantic pounding of his heart echoed against Ke Xingzhou's forehead. For a moment, he couldn’t tell if it was because of the sudden noise from behind or something else. His heartbeat felt like a drum, and gradually, he couldn't distinguish whether it was Nie Chen’s heartbeat or his own.

Until Xie An’s voice came from outside: "Bro! Are you in there? I thought you were done with the meeting, I came to take you home!"

He pushed open the door and entered directly.

"..."

Ke Xingzhou, like being electrocuted, quickly pulled away from Nie Chen’s embrace and turned around, only to meet Xie An’s confused eyes.

Xie An glanced at Ke Xingzhou, then at Nie Chen, as if sensing something was off: "…Bro? What’s going on with you and Mr. Nie…?"

Ke Xingzhou’s eyelid twitched violently. For a moment, he even forgot he knew metaphysics, and felt like he had lost the courage to look Xie An in the eye.

Just as he was about to explain, Xie An finished the sentence: "Why’s your face so red? Did the heating in the room get turned up too high?"Ke Xingzhou: "..."

He was guilty.

He actually thought that a naive person could figure out his relationship with Nie Chen.

But Ke Xingzhou was really feeling guilty. When he saw Xie An trying to squeeze into the room to check the heating temperature, he quickly changed the subject: "Didn't you leave already?"

Xie An immediately shifted his attention: "Oh, right. Assistant Liu told us that you guys would take quite some time, so if we couldn’t wait, we should go home first, and that Nie Chen would send you back later. But since I brought you out, I’m definitely going to take you back home! It would be so rude otherwise!"

With that, he secretly glanced at Nie Chen.

Besides, he didn’t want his brother to be alone with Mr. Nie.

Earlier, it was because he didn’t keep an eye on things that Nie Chen had managed to squeeze into the friendship between him and his brother. The two of them had developed so quickly that they were now sneaking around and whispering behind his back. But that won’t happen again!

He would stick to his brother every day and see how Mr. Nie could steal his brother away!

Nie Chen: "..."

Nie Chen gave Xie An a dark glance, then lowered his eyes to look at Ke Xingzhou’s red ears for a moment, his fingers subconsciously rubbing them.

It seemed that Ke Xingzhou’s body heat was still lingering there.

When they went outside, they realized that not only Xie An hadn’t left, but also An Heguang and Ke Yuanbai were still there.

They each had their reasons. An Heguang didn’t want to go back home, since no one was usually around anyway.

In reality, after hearing that Xie An had been to Ke Xingzhou’s house, his childish competitive spirit suddenly flared up. He insisted on being the second person to visit Ke Xingzhou’s home.

—Ke Yuanbai didn’t count!

Ke Yuanbai’s reason was simpler: he couldn’t get a taxi. Besides, he was also picked up by Xie An. Although Xie An didn’t particularly like him, he wouldn’t leave him to take a taxi home alone.

The Xie family’s upbringing didn’t allow such rudeness!

The three of them looked at Ke Xingzhou with varying expressions, each of them gazing at him with some degree of expectation. After a while, their eyes all shifted toward Nie Chen.

They had already been escorted to the parking lot, so why hadn’t Mr. Nie left yet?

Except for that naive Xie An, both An Heguang and Ke Yuanbai were quite afraid of Nie Chen. One was because he had heard Nie Chen’s name all the time at home. Facing Nie Chen felt like facing the "perfect child" from someone else's family. That deeply ingrained fear couldn’t be erased.

The other was simply because he thought Nie Chen was moody.

Earlier, they were speaking just fine, but then suddenly he turned cold and unrecognizable, faster than flipping a book!

But, come to think of it, Xie An seemed to have a pretty good impression of Mr. Nie.

Ke Yuanbai couldn’t help but fall into deep thought.

Could it be... his own problem?Under the three people's suggestive gazes, Nie Chen remained motionless.

He seemed to have lost all sense of insight in that moment, standing quietly next to Ke Xingzhou, staring at the few cars in front of him with a calm expression.

The three: "......???"

What does Mr. Nie mean by this?

The three of them exchanged confused glances, unsure of what was happening. Only Ke Xingzhou knew that once Nie Chen made a decision, it was final, and he was determined to take him home today.

Seeing the bewildered expressions of Xie An and the others, Ke Xingzhou felt a mix of emotions. He had to admit that he was somewhat moved, but—

"Five people, three cars. How do we sit?"

"..." The smiles on their faces froze.

In the end, Ke Xingzhou still got into Nie Chen's car.

There was no other choice. Both Xie An and An Heguang were young guys, and they either had four-seater family sedans or sports cars, each with fewer seats.

Nie Chen was different. He made a phone call to Assistant Liu, who arranged for a six-seat van.

Assistant Liu also sent a driver along with it.

Xie An marveled at how powerful the assistant of a top-tier financial group was. By the time he realized what had happened, he found himself inexplicably sitting in the front passenger seat.

His brother and Mr. Nie were seated in the back, while An Heguang and Ke Yuanbai sat in the two middle seats. From where Xie An sat, he could barely see his brother’s head.

Xie An: "???"

Why was he sitting so far away from his brother?

By this point, it was too late to switch seats. With Nie Chen’s calm "Drive," Xie An could only sit up straight and buckle his seatbelt, obediently staying in the front passenger seat as the driver kindly reminded him.

Ke Xingzhou: "..."

Ke Xingzhou also sat up straight.

It wasn’t for any particular reason—there was a child’s car seat in the back that couldn’t be removed because the lock was stuck, and the taller guys, adjusting their seats, found that even the taller Nie Chen couldn’t fit comfortably. He had to sit in the middle row.

Because of that, Ke Xingzhou ended up in the corner, closer to the car door.

It wasn’t really a big deal, just a bit cramped, something he could endure.

But the car kept swaying, and his leg kept brushing against Nie Chen’s without warning.

Nie Chen lowered his eyes, as if resting, occasionally joining in on the conversation with the young people in front. But Ke Xingzhou could clearly feel that the other’s body temperature was rising.

Noticing his discomfort, a hot palm quickly pressed against his lower back.

The broad, warm hand slipped under his coat, only separated by a thin layer of fabric. It gently rubbed, easing the fatigue from sitting for too long.

Ke Xingzhou felt his own body temperature rise as well.Xie An in the front seat kept nervously staring at the rearview mirror, afraid that the two of them would somehow deepen their friendship without him knowing. But as he watched, he started to sense something was wrong.

His brother and Mr. Nie hadn't been communicating much, but why was his brother’s face getting redder and redder?

He was always direct, so thinking this, he simply asked, "Brother, are you feeling unwell? Why is your face so red?"

The conversation in the car came to a sudden halt, and everyone turned to look over. Meanwhile, Nie Chen's hand was still resting on the back of his seat, and their body temperatures were constantly interacting.

Xie An clearly noticed this too: "Mr. Nie, your hand..."

Ke Xingzhou: "........."

He never expected Xie An to suddenly notice this. His scalp tightened, and he had the sudden feeling of being caught doing something inappropriate in public, his face turning even redder.

It was strange to see someone who was usually calm and laid-back showing such an expression. Xie An and the others’ eyes grew more suspicious, and they looked toward the place where Nie Chen's arm was resting.

Ke Xingzhou's mind went blank, and his breathing stopped. He opened his mouth but couldn’t find any words to explain the current situation.

Under the increasingly wary gaze of the three people in the front seat, Nie Chen suddenly spoke.

He naturally raised his leg, placed his other hand on Ke Yuanbai’s seat, and leaned back: "Sorry, I didn’t sit properly."

The others immediately looked relieved.

"It’s like this when you sit in the middle. When I used to visit my hometown with my mom during the New Year, I would sit in the middle, and once my dad slammed on the brakes, I almost flew straight into the front windshield!" An Heguang reminisced, "How about you switch with me? I have more experience and I’m used to it."

Nie Chen glanced at him, noticing his repeated glances at Ke Xingzhou, and calmly refused: "No need. Safety is more important."

The driver, who had initially slowed down intending to stop and let the BOSS and the young idol swap seats, immediately tensed and quickly pressed the accelerator.

Xie An: "???"

He blinked, still confused.

Since it was night driving, the driver had dimmed the car’s lights. Because he was sitting in the front, he couldn’t see the situation in the back and didn’t know what posture Mr. Nie and his brother were in.

But the driver sent by Assistant Liu had excellent driving skills. There hadn’t been any sharp turns along the way, so why couldn’t Mr. Nie sit still?

—It must be because of too much desk work, his lumbar spine couldn’t handle it anymore!

Xie An thought he had figured it out and eagerly sent a message to Ke Xingzhou to share this major discovery.

The others suddenly noticed the screen in the back seat lighting up and instinctively looked over. Nie Chen’s gaze fell on the screen, where an unread notification showed the message that had just arrived.

【Xie Xiaoan: Brother! Mr. Nie's back seems to be hurting...】

Nie Chen: "..."

Ke Xingzhou: "..."

Ke Xingzhou only felt that the pressure on his lower back suddenly increased, and the area being massaged was no longer limited to his lower spine. The large hand spread out and covered his entire lower back, almost gripping his waist.

The conversation in the front seat shifted back to heated discussions about childhood misfortunes, and this time, no one noticed that Ke Xingzhou in the back seat suddenly inhaled sharply, almost letting out a soft gasp.Ke Xingzhou jumped in shock, quickly pressing down on Nie Chen’s hand, which was moving erratically, and gave him a glare.

However, they were so familiar with each other that Nie Chen’s previous move had directly pinched his sensitive spot. Ke Xingzhou now had a glimmer in his eyes, and even when glaring, there was no deterrent effect.

Nie Chen’s gaze darkened.

It seemed like he hadn’t heard the sharp intake of breath from the front left.

An Heguang looked at Ke Yuanbai, who had suddenly gone silent, and asked curiously: "What’s wrong? Are you cold?"

Ke Yuanbai: "........."

—

Ke Family.

The courtyard still looked messy like it had in the evening when they left. The large incense, imprinted with the name of Xie’s company, was still standing in the incense burner, but the water tank on the other side of the fountain was missing.

Ke Xingzhou furrowed his brows, a serious expression flashing across his face.

The others were confused, but Nie Chen didn’t hesitate, quickly following him toward the house. At the same time, he bit his own index finger, skillfully pulling out a few blank talisman papers from Ke Xingzhou’s left pocket.

As they neared the door, they indeed heard the butler crying loudly inside:

"Sir! Sir, please listen to me..."

The two exchanged a glance, their shared suspicion causing them to tense up. In one swift motion, they kicked the door open—

They saw Ke Zhengye bent over with his bare torso, trying to move the water tank, which was two sizes bigger than his own, up the stairs.

Startled by the loud bang of the door, the water tank had yet to leave the ground when Ke Zhengye suddenly straightened up, then let out a scream that sounded like slaughtering a pig: "My back! My back, my back is hurt!!"

Ke Xingzhou: "……"

Nie Chen: "……"