Don't Bait Me Anymore! - Chapter 1

Hai City, Ecstasy Nightclub.

Dim, hazy lights, deafening music, and a swaying, writhing crowd.

It was like a grand, self-indulgent escape from the rest of the world.

In a booth closest to the dance floor, Sheng Yan smoothly rebuffed his eleventh suitor of the night.

With a practiced snap of his fingers, he summoned a waiter. “A Piña Colada for my companion here, please. Thank you.”

The waiter bowed respectfully and left, returning quickly with a tray bearing a pale, creamy cocktail a Piña Colada, also known as “Coconut Grove Breeze.”

This low-alcohol, easy-drinking cocktail was the “sweet girl” of the cocktail world.

The waiter placed the drink directly in front of a doll-faced boy beside Sheng Yan.

The boy didn’t immediately reach for the drink. Instead, he blinked at Sheng Yan, his large eyes filled with surprise and infatuation.

But in the next instant, Sheng Yan took the drink and offered it to the boy. His smile remained unchanged, but his words shattered the boy’s delight. “You’re cute. A Piña Colada suits you perfectly. Pity I prefer strong liquor.”

The implication was clear: You’re not my type.

The rejection was polite yet firm.

The boy with the baby face understood Sheng Yan’s meaning, and his face immediately fell.

But Sheng Yan had already turned away, pulling a cigarette from his pack and bringing it to his lips.

He bit down, lit it, and took a slow drag.

In the swirling smoke, his profile appeared both captivating and ruthless.

The boy bit his lower lip. Despite his reluctance, he had no choice but to accept the drink and leave.

No sooner had he walked away than someone slung an arm over Sheng Yan’s left shoulder.

Assuming it was another come-on, Sheng Yan slowly exhaled a plume of smoke before turning around. But a familiar, teasing voice called out from behind: “Tsk tsk, so cold, Boss Sheng.”

Sheng Yan whipped around to face the man’s teasing grin. “Yan Han, half an hour late,” he said sharply. “You’re only getting away with this because it’s me. Anyone else would be furious.”

Yan Han, who looked nothing like his name, lounged casually into the soft sofa opposite Sheng Yan. “I only dared to be late because I knew you wouldn’t mind, right?” he retorted brazenly.

Sheng Yan couldn’t be bothered to respond. With a slender finger holding his cigarette, he tapped the glass on the table and said curtly, “One drink as punishment.”

Yan Han glanced down and exclaimed dramatically, “Wow! Limited edition Louis XIII… Boss Sheng, are you punishing me or rewarding me?”

To a young master from a prominent family like Yan Han, this nearly 200,000 yuan bottle of cognac was nothing special. He was simply unaccustomed to such extravagance.

Sheng Yan indulged his theatrics, asking, “Are you going to drink it or not?”

“Of course!” Yan Han answered without hesitation, pouring himself a full glass—no ice, no water.

After clinking glasses with Sheng Yan, he downed the entire glass in one gulp.

Sheng Yan drained most of his own glass in a single swig.

The fruity and floral notes of the cognac instantly filled their mouths.

Setting down his glass with a soft clink against the table, Yan Han dropped his flippant demeanor. After studying Sheng Yan for a moment, he concluded, “You’re acting strange.”

Sheng Yan remained lazily reclined on the plush sofa, his long legs crossed over the corner of the low coffee table.

Unlike the formal suits he usually wore to the office, the black trousers he wore now were adorned with metal chains of varying lengths, making him look even more casual.

His expression was equally relaxed, and he casually raised an eyebrow at Yan Han. “What’s wrong with me?”

“Boss Sheng, who’s usually obsessed with work, not only left early today to meet me for some fun but also opened this ridiculously expensive wine…” Yan Han clicked his tongue dramatically. “Isn’t that abnormal?”

A 200,000 yuan bottle of wine was nothing to Sheng Yan now, but Yan Han knew he wouldn’t drink something so expensive without a reason.

After all, Sheng Yan’s parents were a doctor and a teacher, and Sheng Yan himself was a true self-made rich first-generation entrepreneur.

Eight years ago, while still in college, he had founded his own jewelry brand. Starting from a small studio, it had grown into an internationally recognized top-tier brand. Over those eight years, Sheng Yan had undoubtedly poured immense effort into this venture.

As a result, while his daily expenses were higher than those of ordinary families, they weren’t excessively extravagant.

Sheng Yan would occasionally drink wine like this, but usually only for special occasions or celebrations.

Not like today.

Hearing Yan Han’s question, Sheng Yan didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he mimicked Yan Han’s “tsk” and threw the question back: “What’s so unusual about that? Can’t I just suddenly decide to change my mind?”

The dance floor was right next to them, the music thundering so loud that Yan Han unconsciously raised his voice: “Change your mind about what? Living in the moment, huh? Haha!”

His tone was clearly joking, as if he didn’t really believe Sheng Yan would say that.

Yet after a two-second silence, Sheng Yan actually smiled and nodded: “Exactly. Living in the moment. After all, career is precious, but happiness is priceless, isn’t it?”

Though his tone remained casual, a hint of seriousness flickered in his eyes. Yan Han paused, then dropped his teasing expression and asked cautiously: “Holy shit, Sheng Yan, don’t scare me… Did something suddenly happen to you?”

The career-obsessed guy suddenly giving up? That’s terrifying.

Sheng Yan smirked.

As expected of a long-time friend, his question hit the mark.

He had indeed received a shock today a rather significant one.

After arriving at the office this morning, Sheng Yan, as usual, started his workday on an empty stomach after downing a cup of iced Americano.

Even though his father was the hospital director, Sheng Yan knew perfectly well that skipping breakfast was bad for his health. Yet he’d never managed to develop the habit of eating breakfast since becoming an adult.

He simply had no appetite early in the morning and felt that a moderate sense of hunger actually helped him stay more alert.

His work was too demanding; he needed to remain sharp at all times.

Fortunately, he’d never experienced any major problems. Occasional bouts of hypoglycemia were easily relieved by eating a piece of dark chocolate.

So when he first felt his vision darken this morning, Sheng Yan didn’t think much of it. He expertly pulled open his drawer and took out a bar of dark chocolate.

Even as he unwrapped it, his eyes remained fixed on the work documents on his computer screen.

But the next second, an unprecedented and more severe hypoglycemic reaction suddenly overwhelmed him.

His wrists went limp, his fingers trembled, and the half-unwrapped chocolate slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor.

Yet even at that moment, Sheng Yan maintained enough clarity.

Instead of immediately bending down to pick it up, he reached for the drawer again, trying to grab another bar to eat first.

The moment Sheng Yan’s fingertips brushed the drawer handle, an unexpected, heavy blow struck the back of his head. He was sent hurtling forward with irresistible force!

His forehead collided with the desk with a dull thud, but Sheng Yan felt no pain. His consciousness plunged into a dark abyss.

Yet soon, a bizarre sensation arose.

He felt his soul being forcibly ripped from his body, floating in the void!

Deep within his consciousness, a faint whisper emerged, revealing an utterly unbelievable truth.

That strange voice told him.

The world he lived in was actually just the setting of a major male lead novel.

The center of this world’s consciousness was the Male Lead himself. Naturally, his life was as if blessed with cheat codes, making him a true prodigy favored by the heavens.

Perhaps because the whisper was too rapid, or Sheng Yan’s mind was too muddled, he retained none of the information about the Male Lead. The only thing he clearly remembered was that he was merely a cannon fodder character in the book.

His intelligence had been forcibly lowered, as if under a curse, compelling him to engage in petty business wars with the Male Lead. The outcome was inevitable: not only did his jewelry company, the result of years of effort, go bankrupt, but he ultimately jumped from the top of the company building, unable to bear the consequences!

The most bizarre part was that when the whispering in his ear reached this point, Sheng Yan actually felt a distinct, overwhelming sense of weightlessness and a near-death palpitation—an experience he had never before encountered.

Sheng Yan woke up on his own. His first action was to contact his assistant to reschedule his appointments and make an urgent appointment for a cardiac check-up nearby, even though he had undergone a full physical just last month, which had revealed no health issues.

The results were as expected: no problems.

But the matter didn’t end there.

After returning to the office from the hospital, Sheng Yan quickly discovered the problem.

He couldn’t work.

Within two minutes of starting any task, that distinct palpitation would engulf him. Yet the moment he stopped to do anything else, everything returned to normal.

In short, as long as he didn’t work, everything was fine.

It was as if some unseen force were guiding him, preventing him from working.

Yet Sheng Yan was an absolute materialist, utterly dismissive of metaphysics. If he had to explain it, it was likely as the doctor had suggested: his body was sounding an alarm.

Perhaps he truly needed to slow down, relax, and try a different lifestyle.

His mother had often urged him to do the same, even encouraging him to pursue a relationship if he met someone he liked. But Sheng Yan had always been career-driven and had never actually met anyone he liked, which had kept him single until now.

But things were different now. What if, as I learned during my coma, I end up with nothing in my career and die without ever having been in a relationship? Wouldn’t that be a waste of the good looks my parents gave me?

The moment this thought struck him, Sheng Yan felt as if his body and mind had become lighter.

He had always been a spontaneous doer, whether it was when he founded his personal brand eight years ago or when he decided to let loose now.

And so, this evening’s date came about.

Yet all this introspection had happened in the blink of an eye.

Seeing Yan Han’s rare serious expression, Sheng Yan snapped back to attention and grinned mischievously. “Relax, don’t be tense. Don’t ask. If you ask, I’ll just say I suddenly entered heat.”

With that, Sheng Yan rose gracefully and went to the restroom, leaving the young master Yan standing there, utterly bewildered.

“Brother Yi? Brother Yi? You’ve been in here for over half an hour, not saying a word or taking a drink. What are you thinking about?”

At a corner of the bar, far from the dance floor, two college students sat side-by-side.

The one who asked the question had an unremarkable, average face. His companion, however, was the opposite.

The overhead lights accentuated the already striking, angular features of his handsome face, outlining his perfect profile. He wore a simple white shirt that seemed out of place in the nightclub, buttoned all the way to the top. Yet even so, his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs made his superior physique undeniable.

From the moment he sat down, gazes had been lingering on him without interruption.

Still, few dared to approach him.

Not that they wouldn’t have liked to, but his aura, so devoid of any youthful awkwardness, so clearly repelling everyone, was too obvious. One glance was enough to make it clear: any attempt at conversation would end in rejection.

Just like now, when Gu Zhiyi’s expression remained unchanged at his roommate’s question. His usual cold face and programmed tone replied, “Nothing. I’m just analyzing this bar’s business model and potential for growth.”

The average-faced roommate froze, as if he’d been choked.

If anyone else had said that, the word “strong” would have slipped out of his lips!

After all, they had no assignments and no group projects today. They were purely there to relax. Who in their right mind would be thinking about that in this situation?

But it was precisely Gu Zhiyi who said it, this genius who had aced the science entrance exam to get into S University’s top-tier School of Management. Since then, he’d maintained perfect grades in every course, been the undisputed backbone of every group project, and led his team to win a prestigious business competition in their freshman year, subsequently dominating every subsequent competition. This overachieving, this cheater Gu Zhiyi…

The guy swallowed the “strong” that had been on the tip of his tongue, managing only to stammer, “Really?”

He’s really been thinking about this this whole time?

Gu Zhiyi didn’t answer immediately.

His gaze swept casually over his roommate’s existential crisis-stricken face before settling on the distant, surging dance floor.

Of course it’s a lie, Gu Zhiyi thought to himself.

“Mom should apologize. For the past twenty years… I’ve been too selfish, forcing you to live in the path I laid out for you. In reality, you should be the one to decide whether things are worth doing.”

His mother’s parting words echoed in his ears again, and Gu Zhiyi frowned slightly, a shadow flickering in his eyes.

“No, Brother Yi, you’re really still thinking about this?” His roommate shook his head, still finding it hard to believe. He glanced at Gu Zhiyi’s indifferent profile, then pointed to the dance floor in his line of sight, his tone becoming almost coaxing. “In this setting… the steamy crowd, the passionate music… don’t you want a fling? Don’t you want to experience that so-called love at first sight—the thrill, the racing heart, the boiling blood?”

Gu Zhiyi scoffed, unashamed of his contempt for the description. “To be frank, I’ve never really understood products of hormonal surges.”

Sounds like rutting animals, he thought.

His roommate was left speechless again.

Just as he was about to resignedly launch into a discussion with his “abnormal” roommate about “the business model and growth potential of bars like this,” he looked up and witnessed an sudden turn of events.

A strikingly handsome man passed by Brother Yi, only to be stumbled into by a drunken, burly man nearby. As the handsome man teetered on the verge of falling, he instinctively grabbed the nearest thing for support.

Gu Zhiyi’s arm.

This barely kept him balanced, preventing a humiliating fall.

The man instinctively flinched back.

Having been roommates with Gu Zhiyi for two years, he knew all too well how much Gu Zhiyi detested physical contact, especially with strangers in a place like a nightclub.

Even though Gu Zhiyi was wearing a long-sleeved shirt.

Gu Zhiyi’s first reaction was indeed irritation.

He already disliked such contact, and to make matters worse, the hand gripping his arm was noticeably colder than his own body temperature. Moreover, the fingers, whether damp with alcohol or water, left a clear, damp sensation that seeped through the fabric of his shirt and onto his skin.

This clammy, chilling sensation was deeply unpleasant.

Gu Zhiyi frowned and whipped his head around to look back.

But the moment his eyes met the person before him, his gaze suddenly sharpened.

The figure had already withdrawn their hand from Gu Zhiyi’s arm. They stood with their head bowed low, the upper half of their face hidden in shadow. Only their slender jawline, illuminated by the light, revealed a smooth curve, and their long neck flowed into the collar of their courtly shirt. The delicate Adam’s apple, half-visible in the interplay of light and shadow, and skin so pale it nearly dazzled the eye.

Gu Zhiyi didn’t even realize it himself, but his Adam’s apple gave an involuntary ripple.

The irritation from the sudden touch had largely vanished without him noticing, and Gu Zhiyi, barely maintaining his usual composure, was about to speak.

But just then, the overhead light abruptly shifted, perfectly illuminating the face before him.

Those were eyes that could haunt you after a single glance.

Slightly elongated with upturned corners, they held a hazy, intoxicating allure, the epitome of peach-shaped eyes.

And at that moment, the eyes curved slightly upward, gazing at him like a crescent moon holding a hint of a smile.

Light shimmered and flowed in the depths of his eyes, like waves stirred by a siren’s breath.

Gu Zhiyi involuntarily held his breath, his heart rate accelerating wildly.

His gaze, also against his will, drifted downward.

Beneath those alluring peach-shaped eyes, on the side of his nose, was a small beauty mark.

It inexplicably stirred a two-part desire within him.

Gu Zhiyi’s mind grew feverish, his blood began to boil.

All the reactions he had scorned just two minutes ago now returned to him like a swift and vicious boomerang, striking him squarely.

A buzzing filled his ears, and Gu Zhiyi’s usually orderly mind felt as if it had been maliciously emptied.

I’m done for, he thought, standing frozen in place, utterly bewildered. What… what was I trying to say just now?

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