Chapter 31

Baili Badao, the domineering CEO, had recently shared an intimate moment with his newly reconciled boyfriend on a private jet, resulting in a minor, insignificant squabble.

This intriguing man remained endlessly captivating, refusing to yield under any circumstances. Fortunately, Baili Badao was no ordinary man himself. He could indulge his boyfriend's affectionate provocations while simultaneously delivering sweet, merciless lessons.

After all, he never wanted such a drastic act as being blocked again.

The consequences of his disciplinary efforts were somewhat awkward. Chi Yi, originally stubborn, proud, and unyielding, had been rendered completely frozen and pliant by Baili Badao's relentless lesson.

Silently restoring the temperature, Baili Badao carried his dazed boyfriend out of the cabin. Outside, a chaotic scene unfolded: a group of people lay sprawled in disarray, while the insolent man and his subordinates remained pinned to the glass, their faces etched with despair. Four hands—two on each side of his neck—were crammed into his collar, the three men huddled together as if performing some bizarre ritual.

Graft No. 19's entire flower pressed against the glass, unmoving. Baili Badao frowned at the sight, glancing down at his boyfriend cradled in his arms. Once Chi Yi wakes up, he thought, I'll clarify my relationship with this grafted plant one last time, face to face.

Chen Zhuo froze mid-motion, draping a coat over Ouyang, who was smiling back at him. Ouyang, meanwhile, had one hand propped between his nose and brow in a gesture mimicking adjusting glasses, while the other gently pushed aside Chen Zhuo's coat. The scene radiated an air of amicable harmony.

The only one conscious was the Redhead sprawled on the nearby bed—the "third wheel" Baili Badao had mentally labeled him. Seeing Baili Badao emerge, the Redhead glared furiously. Ignoring him, Baili Badao gently laid his sleeping boyfriend on the other bed. He realized he'd been overthinking things; Chi Yi would never fall for such a naive kid.

But the old man standing beside him looked vaguely familiar...

Wang Youqian, a cold-resistant, quarterly-refreshing second-generation rich kid, had been awake for barely five minutes when everyone in the room—including his own father—was frozen solid. He himself was still strapped to the bed, utterly immobile. It was terrifying.

Then he saw the two enemies he'd been obsessing over.

The cold-hearted man from Building A didn't even spare him a glance, too busy tending to his unconscious lover. Xiao Wang scoffed. No wonder he never took off his down jacket back then. He can't stand the cold either.

A room full of useless wimps. When it comes to surviving extreme cold, Xiao Wang's the only one who counts.

Bored from lying still and with no one to talk to, Wang Youqian stubbornly glared at the man until he couldn't take it anymore. "Hey!" he called out.

When the man ignored him, Xiao Wang started rocking the bed to get his attention. Irritated, the man shot him a glare, and the violently shaking bed instantly froze in place, unable to make even the slightest noise.

"You... do you even know who I am?" Xiao Wang demanded.

When the man remained silent, Xiao Wang chuckled mockingly. "Of course you don't! That's right! Remember Old Wang Group Co., Ltd.? Well, I'm..."

The man's expression sharpened, his gaze shifting from Xiao Wang to his father's face. "Wang Youwei?"

Neither of them noticed the faint, peculiar sound emanating from the top of the nearby container.

The green rose branch stretched into a vine, its sharp thorns clinging to the glass as it climbed upward. The sudden temperature difference caused the container's lid to loosen momentarily, and half the vine immediately wedged itself into the gap. The thawing Snow Rose, exhilarated and cautious, gazed obsessively at the man, inching its way out through the newly formed opening.

Xiao Wang continued his tirade, cursing his two enemies. Baili Badao listened impassively, paying little attention to the insignificant Little Wang Clan. Yet the sight of the Redhead inexplicably stirred a surge of irritation within him.

He glared coldly at the man, as if compelled by some eerie force. The chains that had been dangling limply around him began to sway and rise. Straightening tautly, they aimed toward the Redhead, poised to strike.

Xiao Wang was still ranting, listing the troubles these two men had brought upon his family, when he suddenly froze, his gaze fixed on something beyond.

The moment the thorny green vine lunged toward him, the chains struck before his eyes. After a violent collision, the vine and chains intertwined, writhing in mid-air as they grappled. Redhead stared at the Snow Rose, which was on the verge of breaking free, his eyes gradually turning blank.

The liquid in the container had dulled the Snow Rose's movements, allowing the chains to easily overpower the vine. Baili Badao glanced coldly at it and manipulated the chains to push it back.

While entangled with the chains, the Snow Rose pressed itself against the glass, desperately trying to accelerate its ascent. Almost there—two steps... just two more steps, and I can break free from this container and reach that man!

Exhilarated, the Snow Rose wriggled toward the narrow gap at the top. Suddenly, a crushing weight slammed down on its stem, and the gap at the top of the container snapped shut again, sealing off the stem protruding from the glass from the flower head still inside. The stem went limp, its strength gone, and the chains dragged it down to the ground.

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading!