“Is now really the best time to be discussing this?” Xiaokai could see Hu Yongzhu moving in and out of the guests at the party, intermittently mingling but largely keeping to himself, his child, and his wife. He had the temptation then—to just surge forward, bare his chest to Hu Yongzhu and his family, expose himself and Hu Yongzhu at once. That would cause an upheaval, for sure. He could just picture it—the horrified faces—Sun Yue, Liu Baiyan, Hu Yongzhu, Hu Yongzhu’s family, Liu Xingyu. It felt like a nightmare. It felt like a dream come true. He could release it all at once and then maybe, finally, he could sleep afterward.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’re avoiding everyone,” Sun Yue said quietly, drawing Xiaokai out of his fantasy. Xiaokai scoffed.

“Don’t worry, Muqin.” He spits out the last word like it’s poison. “I won’t cause you any unsavory problems. It isn’t like I self-isolated the last time.”

Sun Yue looked at him for a while. He didn’t look back at her, so he couldn’t tell what kind of expression she was making, but he had a guess: it was probably the same face she always made when Xiaokai brought up what happened when he was sixteen, all tight around the eyes and lips pressed together.

“The appointment was fine,” Xiaokai said. “I already left you what you want in your office.”

“I also want to know how the appointment went.”

“I already said it was fine. Do you really think I should go into detail right now? You should be entertaining your guests before one of them wanders over and overhears whatever you’re trying to pry out of me.”

Sun Yue made a noise of affirmation. Out of the corner of his eye, Xiaokai saw her hand lift up, reach toward him—

“Don’t touch me,” he said, and her hand stopped.

“Xiaokai—”

“I’m going to the bathroom.” He put his wine glass down on the small table beside him. “Please excuse me.”

“I DIDN’T KNOW Liu Baiyan had an event today,” Bai Xue said as greeting as soon as Xiaokai opened the door. “If you had told me, we could have moved the date.”

“I didn’t want to be there anyway,” said Xiaokai. He opened the door wider and stepped aside so Bai Xue could come in. “It’s all people trying to one-up each other. Liu Baiyan just throws his parties to flaunt his wealth and remind everyone who’s in charge.”

There was a little smile on Bai Xue’s face. “You were always different from them, Xiaokai.”

“You don’t show up to those things either,” Xiaokai pointed out, closing the door once Bai Xue was inside and turning the lock. When Bai Xue didn’t answer, he turned. “I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t know anything about you.”