The celebration banquet for the 80th birthday of Huolong, the head of the Ling clan, was far more extravagant than expected.  

Even though Jeong Taeui had thought he’d seen enough opulence in his time among the wealthy, he couldn’t help but feel slightly overwhelmed as he tilted his head back to gaze at the impossibly high ceiling, meticulously adorned with fluttering red silk ribbons. He took a sip of champagne with a dazed expression.  

If they had gone to the trouble of decorating a ceiling that looked to be more than a dozen meters high, there was no need to even mention the floor.

The grand hall was so spacious that a soccer match could easily be held inside, and every inch of it was lined with lavishly decorated tables laden with every delicacy imaginable from all over the world.  

But what truly stole the show were the guests seated at those tables. Political and business elites from around the world, the kind of people usually only seen in mass media, mingling as casually as neighborhood uncles and aunts.  

“Wow……. if someone tossed a bomb in here, it’d cause global chaos.”  

“Did you enjoy your life as an internationally wanted fugitive or something?”  

Kyle responded nonchalantly to Taeui’s muttered remark. Taeui shrugged and said: “No,”

“It’s just…… I can’t believe these people are all gathered in one place like this. Feels as risky as putting the president and vice president on the same plane.”  

“It wouldn’t be easy to throw a bomb in here. You saw what it was like on the way in.”  

Oh, he had seen it. The mercenaries sweeping the garden with brooms in hand, and the former special forces operatives now carrying trays of roasted suckling pig.  

Even if someone managed to slip past the intense security screening at the gates of this Ling clan estate, located in a secluded suburban area outside the city, the fact that even the servants doing menial tasks were all trained combatants meant that no ordinary terrorist group would stand a chance.  

“Truly……. this is on another level.”

Jeong Taeui let out a sigh, feeling as though he had just glimpsed the true nature of the Ling clan, which until now he had only ever heard about. Then, from the corner of his eye, he glanced at Kyle, who was calmly absorbed in his phone as if he were relaxing in his own home. As expected, for the head of a top-tier arms corporation, even this kind of overwhelming atmosphere didn’t seem to faze him… or rather, he wasn’t even aware of it at all, his attention completely elsewhere. From the way his fingers danced over the keypad, a sense of cheerfulness seemed to flow out.

“Great. We’re meeting at two tomorrow,” – Kyle said, finally putting his phone away. His face was alight with enthusiasm.  

Jeong Taeui replied casually: “I take it you heard back from Mr. Gable?”  

“Yeah. He said to come by his place at two. I got the address too—about forty minutes from our hotel.”  

The Ling clan was not only known for their staggering wealth, which allowed them to host such an extravagant 80th birthday celebration, but also for their private collection of cultural relics.The scale of it was said to rival that of the museums of many mid-sized cities.

One of the Ling clan vaults was packed with centuries-old books and documents, including a rare 42-volume anthology of pre-Ming dynasty poetry. And that was the very rare work Kyle had long yearned, more than anything, to behold…., even just once.

A while back, Kyle had reached out to an old colleague who had once worked for his company but was now employed by the Ling clan, Yuri Gable. When Kyle mentioned the anthology in passing, Gable, after a brief exchange with Xinlu standing nearby, casually offered: “If you want to see it, I can arrange for you to take a look.”

From the background, Xinlu’s muttered protest: “Uh, Mr. Gable, I think you meant: ‘If Mr. Yuri wants to see it, you can come and look’……. “, could faintly be heard. But Kyle, not about to let this stroke of luck slip away, ignored the objection entirely and immediately showered Gable with a hundred grateful thanks before the other man could reconsider.

Just around that time, an invitation to Ling Huolong’s 80th birthday banquet arrived. Originally, Kyle had planned to politely decline, as he was scheduled to attend an important international forum during the same period. But he abruptly changed his mind and immediately booked a flight to China.  

So, naturally, James attended the international forum in his stead – an event too crucial to miss – and James’s vacant role fell to Jeong Taeui.  

“HUH? I’m the attendant? ME?”  

Jeong Taeui, who had been lazily lounging in the living room sipping beer while flipping through classical literature, stared at James as if he’d gotten hit with a red bean paste stick in the middle of the night*.

(*아닌 밤중에 홍두깨: A Red Bean paste stick in the Night. This is a Korean idiom, with a meaning similar to ‘like a bolt from the blue’, expressing surprise.)

Kyle’s attendant? Sure, he’d occasionally helped James or Kyle with minor tasks here and there, and he had a rough idea of how the industry worked. But when it came to actually being someone’s attendant? He knew absolutely nothing about that.  

And besides, the Ling clan? Had they forgotten who was responsible for damaging the precious youngest son’s eye? Well, he knew personal grudges and professional collaborations were separate matters. He was aware that T&R and the Ling clan had already resumed normal business dealings. And he understood that sending an invitation likely meant they were willing to let bygones be bygones. But still…  

“Is it really okay for me to go to a place like that…?”

Jeong Taeui asked skeptically, shooting a sidelong glance at Ilay, who was seated across from him.  

Putting aside the fact that Jeong Taeui was the root cause of this guy destroying one of Ling Xinlu’s eyes, he had never once come face-to-face with Xinlu since the incident where Xinlu had tried to kidnap him.

If he were to go meet a man with whom he had an ‘old history(?)’, would this guy really be okay with it…?

“Go if you want to.”  

But to his surprise, Ilay responded readily. Without a hint of sarcasm, no trace of: ‘Haha, go ahead and see what happens’, in his tone.  

“If it’s Ling Huolong’s banquet, then I can’t go. I have to take care of business in Russia on that date. Give Ling Xinlu my regards and tell him I’m disappointed I can’t go with you.”

“……”  

‘Since when did this guy become so easygoing about letting me go?’ – Jeong Taeui rolled his eyes suspiciously and took a swig of his beer.  

Sure, it was unlikely that Xinlu would try to harm him now, and even if he did, Taeui was confident he could get away one way or another. Still, since it was the Xinlu who had taken a liking to Taeui and ‘tried to snatch him away’, he had expected this guy to forbid him from going. What was up with him?

Surprised by how casually Ilay told him to go and come back as if it were nothing, Taeui began to warm to the idea of stepping on Asian soil again after so long.

‘Maybe I could even pop over to Korea while I’m at it and visit home.’

“While you’re at it, give my regards to Gable too.”  

“Oh, yeah. It’ll be good to see Mr. Gable again. I heard a while back that he was working alongside Xinlu, but I didn’t realize he was still there. I’d heard he doesn’t usually stick around in one place for long, so the working conditions must be pretty good, huh?”  

The moment Taeui muttered this offhandedly, a brief silence fell over the living room. Simultaneous glances from Kyle, James, and Ilay flew his way. “Huh?” – He asked, looking at them in confusion.  

“You’re really behind on the news, aren’t you?”  

“Huh?”  

“Gable and Ling Xinlu have been lovers for quite some time now. Everyone who should know already does.”  

“…… WHUT?!?”  

Fortunately, he had just swallowed his beer, otherwise, he might have made a mess. Staring blankly with his mouth agape, Taeui caught Ilay’s faint, almost-smirk as he asked,  

“Why? Disappointed?”

“Ah……. Disappointed? As if! It’s not that—”  

Jeong Taeui, who had been stammering in fluster for a moment, blinked and let out a sigh.

“It’s just…, I never would’ve imagined that pairing. And the idea of Xinlu dating anyone normally for this long is hard to picture. That guy’s always had a… dangerous edge, you know?”  

“…….”  

Kyle and James simultaneously fell silent, their gazes fixed on Jeong Taeui. As soon as he’d said it, Taeui realized he had made a ‘pot calling the kettle black’ kind of remark and quietly avoided their eyes.

Perhaps taking pity on him, James smoothly changed the subject.  

“I ran into them briefly when they were in Frankfurt not long ago. They did seem very close. Excessively so.”  

“Excessively…….?”  

“Hmm, Ling Xinlu seemed like he’d be really tiring to deal with. I mean, he even poured all that wariness onto me when we’d only met briefly because of work. Well, anyway, since Yuri is living with him, I guess it must be manageable.”  

“After all, Xinlu isn’t the type to hesitate cutting someone off if they’re not worth it” – James added, glancing at Jeong Taeui.  

“So, Taeui, you’ll go with Kyle, right? There’s not much you need to do, just make sure this gentleman doesn’t cause any major trouble.”  

Taeui noticed James had slightly rephrased what he’d initially seemed about to say ‘This guy’ instead of ‘Kyle’ but he chose not to point it out. After a brief moment of consideration, he accepted the proposal.  

There didn’t seem to be any reason to refuse. It wasn’t as if Kyle was the type to cause trouble, other than messing up his schedule for an old book. He could also see what a banquet at a rich lord’s banquet was like, and see the faces of old acquaintances after a long time.

The last time Jeong Taeui and Ling Xinlu had parted ways, the circumstances had been far from pleasant. That memory occasionally surfaced like a small, stubborn thorn in his heart.  

‘What would it be like to see him again now? Would it be awkward? Would I feel nothing? Or, surprisingly, maybe I’d even be glad to see him.’

Taeui had traveled all this way with a restless, uncertain heart, unable to predict how Xinlu would react—or even how he himself would feel.  

……. But.  

He’d been foolish to assume he’d easily run into Xinlu just by showing up at the banquet.  

The venue was fifty times more extravagant than he’d imagined, teeming with countless celebrities and dignitaries. In such a crowded, illustrious gathering, someone like him – a mere stand-in secretary – had little chance of casually crossing paths with the prized young master of the Ling clan.  

Taeui’s gaze drifted toward a table set conspicuously apart at the front of the hall.  

At the center seat of the spacious table where the Ling clan’s immediate family was sitting, today’s main figure Ling Huolong sat, and on either side of him were his wife and the youngest son he is said to love the most.

The other sons were walking around the hall greeting people, partly to entertain the guests, but Ling Xinlu alone remained seated and unmoving next to his father, receiving well-wishers who approached them.  

Being the youngest and most handsome son, it would be easy to think he was kept at his father’s side like an ornament. Yet in recent years he had earned a reputation as a prodigy, turning every business he touched into a roaring success, and it was said that this only made Ling Huolong cherish him all the more.

Perhaps because of that, Ling Xinlu, even while attending to guests at his father’s side, was often seen glancing at his phone. For someone seated next to the guest of honor at the banquet, the fact that he still kept up with his messages suggested that he had a fair share of pressing, important matters to handle.

“At this rate, I don’t dare even think about going over to say hello.”

From a distance, Jeong Taeui muttered as he watched the Ling family’s table, and Kyle casually remarked: “Ling Xinlu?”  

“We’ll see him tomorrow, what’s the big deal? I told you we’re going to his house at two.”

“Oh. So Mr. Gable and Xinlu live together?”  

Both of them seemed like the type to value their personal space, no matter how close they were, but it looked like they were getting along even better than expected. Taeui shook his head in admiration, while Kyle fidgeted anxiously and muttered to himself.  

“I wish we could meet sooner……. Will I have enough time to see all the book……?”  

“All of them? Weren’t you just planning to take a look? You said it’s a 42-volume set. Even if you stayed up for nights on end, you wouldn’t have enough time to read it all. How do you expect to finish it in half a day? And besides, it’s written in classical Chinese, isn’t it?”  

“That’s why I’m going to take photos of each page and hire a translator.”  

“…….. Photos……. ? You’re going to take photos…… ? Of all 42 volumes, page by page……?”  

For a moment, Taeui was speechless and stumbled over his words, but Kyle nodded emphatically as if it were the most natural thing in the world: “Of course!”  

“What about copyright? Wait, no—is it even under copyright anymore given how old it is? But still, won’t you be violating the owner’s rights?”  

“I’m the only one looking at it, so what does it matter!”  

Taeui fell silent in the face of Kyle’s bold declaration. It was clear that logic and ethics weren’t going to sway him.  

‘Thank goodness James isn’t here to see this……’ – Taeui gave up early and brought up a more practical concern.  

“You said it’s 42 volumes right? So how on earth do you plan to take photos of all of them in one sitting?”

“That’s why I’m saying there isn’t enough time.  It’d be better if we could meet earlier, but Yuri said he can’t make it any sooner. Said he has something to do with Xinlu.”  

Taeui offered a half-hearted “That’s too bad” to the restless Kyle and turned his gaze back toward the distant table.  

Ling Xinlu sat like a statue beside his father, exchanging greetings with a constant stream of well-wishers. Whenever his father’s conversation with someone stretched on, he would occasionally look bored, pull out his phone from his pocket, and check it.  

Xinlu’s been checking his phone off and on since earlier. Maybe he has a lot of work-related messages? At his level, you’d think he wouldn’t need to handle contacts personally, but he seems to check it religiously every ten minutes or so.…… But then again, sometimes that expressionless face suddenly brightens up, and he starts typing eagerly on his phone, so maybe it’s not just work.  

Watching Xinlu’s face instantly revert to blankness whenever someone approached, Taeui took a sip of champagne.  

The banquet, which had started early in the evening, was now in its fifth or sixth hour. It felt like it should be winding down by now, but with so many rare and influential faces gathered in one place – all eager to get acquainted and exchange words – the atmosphere showed no signs of settling. It made sense, even the person sitting in the most remote corner of this hall was likely someone who would be treated as a VIP elsewhere, so no one would lose out by striking up a conversation in a place like this.

Glancing beside him, he noticed Kyle was already deep in discussion with a man who was said to be a high-ranking official from the U.S. Department of Defense.  

Looking at Kyle like this, you’d never guess he’s the same madman planning to photograph 42 volumes of someone else’s books in a few hours. I suppose you really can’t judge a person by their appearance.

He really wanted to slip away now and rest in a quiet hotel room, but since he came here in the role of an attendant, the option of leaving by himself first probably doesn’t exist.

‘……I need some fresh air.  ‘

To shake off his drowsiness and get a breath of air, Taeui rose from his seat and stepped outside the banquet hall.  

Considering how long it had taken by car just to get from the main gate to the building itself, he’d already guessed the estate was enormous, but he hadn’t expected a seemingly endless lake to spread out the moment he stepped through the banquet hall’s back door.  

“…….”  

It looked unmistakably artificial, but to have dug one this wide……, just how much money do they have? Taeui marveled anew as he sat down on a bench.

Sitting alone in the quiet garden, away from the bustling crowd inside, he finally felt like he could breathe again.  

It was a serene moonlit night.  

A round, white moon hung in the pitch-black, starless sky, its reflection perfectly mirrored in the still lake—a pair illuminating the darkness.  

“……Nice.”  

‘It would have been nice if he had seen this too.’

The thought of the man who should be in Russia right now crossed his mind, but Taeui quickly shook his head.

‘No, no—it’s wrong to even think of summoning that guy to a place like this.’

It was then that rustling footsteps and a low voice grew closer from around a corner of the building. It seemed to be only one person approaching, perhaps on a phone call.

“……Yeah, I’ll head in soon. I’ve pretty much greeted everyone I needed to, and Father should get some rest now. He’s held up well for an eighty-year-old.”

It was a familiar voice—one he’d recognize instantly, even after years apart.

Taeui instinctively turned his head toward the sound. Soon, the source of the voice rounded the corner and came into view.  

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll take him back to the main house and then head out. I’ll probably be leaving here within thirty minutes or so…… Ah, what do you mean? You’ve been saying you wanted to go home since earlier. Who’s the one sending all those texts and making people anxious?”  

Even though the voice and face were familiar, Taeui had to take a moment to confirm it was really the person he knew, because the voice sounded surprisingly warm and affectionate.  

Just then, their eyes met. Ling Xinlu paused mid-step and looked directly at Jeong Taeui.  

For a second, Taeui almost flustered, but there was no reason to feel awkward now. He raised a hand in a casual wave.  

“……Ah, no. Someone called me. Yeah, yeah. See you later, then. If you’re tired, go ahead and sleep.”  

After ending the call briefly, Xinlu lowered his phone. He stared at the darkened screen for a moment before looking up. A bright smile, the one Taeui knew well, though not as relaxed as his voice had been moments earlier, spread across his face.  

“Long time no see, Taei-hyung. I saw you earlier, but I couldn’t leave my father’s side with so many people coming nonstop to greet him.”  

“Yeah. That’s why I didn’t come over to say hello either.”  

It wasn’t like he was there in a personal capacity anyway, and he didn’t have the nerve to squeeze in among all those distinguished guests.  

“You look well. I’ve been hearing news that you’re doing fine, hyung.”

“You have?”

“Yes. To be precise, I heard that the crazy bastard is not dead yet and is living without much change in his personal relationships.”

Ling Xinlu shrugged lightly as he spoke.

‘Seems like he’s been keeping up with news about Ilay’ – Jeong Taeui thought.

“It’s good to see you’re doing well too. I heard you’ve been really busy lately.”  

Rumors about the young tiger of the Linga clan, who succeeded in everything he touched, had spread far and wide. People often said there was a reason the old tiger doted on him so much.  

“I noticed you kept checking your phone earlier. Between attending to your father and managing your work, you must be swamped.”  

“Ah, that… It’s because Mr. Gable kept messaging me.”  

“? Why, is something going on?”  

“No, does there have to be a reason to message someone?”  

Xinlu’s voice softened slightly, carrying a hint of fondness that lingered at the edges of his words. Taeui was taken aback.  

‘It wasn’t just once or twice—he’s messaging that often? Was Mr. Gable really the type to message constantly for no particular reason? That quiet, blunt man? ……Well, people do show unexpected sides of themselves when they’re in love, so……’

“I heard Mr. Gable is working with you now. Why didn’t he come with you?”  

“What would he do in a crowded place like this? There’s no point in showing his face in front of others for no reason.”  

This time, his tone carried a subtly defensive edge. ‘I heard he was your aide, so wouldn’t he have to show his face wherever you go?’ – Though puzzled again, Taeui decided not to press further.  

“Yeah, I guess even if we had met tonight, we wouldn’t have had much chance to talk. We’ll see each other properly tomorrow anyway.”  

As Taeui spoke casually, Xinlu suddenly stared intently at him. Unable to decipher the meaning behind that piercing gaze, Taeui blinked a few times before adding on.

“Ah, you know about that, right? We’ve been invited over tomorrow afternoon to see Mr. Gable. Kyle has some business with him.”  

‘Surely he must know, since they live together.’ – Taeui thought, but Xinlu simply nodded.  

“Yes, I heard. I wish I could be there too, but I have an unmissable appointment tomorrow afternoon. I probably won’t be back until evening.”  

“That’s fine, take your time. I’ll catch up properly with Mr. Gable—it’s been a while.”  

That piercing gaze returned. Feeling bewildered again under eyes that seemed to scrutinize every detail, Taeui brushed his face with his palm, wondering if something was on it. Then, Xinlu spoke abruptly.  

“Taei-hyung. You know Mr. Gable and I are dating, right?”  

Taeui stared blankly at Xinlu. What was this sudden, straightforward declaration supposed to mean?  

“……..Yeah. I heard.”  

“Right. Well, if it’s you, hyung……”  

Muttering in a doubtful tone, Xinlu’s gaze scanned Taeui piece by piece, as if mechanically appraising a person. He seemed to be calculating something, then suddenly broke into a faint smile.  

“I guess there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Worry……?”  

“Well, you know, in this world even things you’d never imagine can happen, and the more important something is, the more you have to question it again and handle it with care.”

“??”

Before Jeong Taeui could even begin to process what that meant, a voice called out for Ling Xinlu from a distance. It seemed a figure of importance on par with the guest of honor had been absent from the banquet for too long.  

“I should go. See you tomorrow, Taei-hyung. I’ll try to get back as early as I can.—Thank you for coming to celebrate my father’s birthday today.”  

Adding a polite farewell, Xinlu turned and walked in the direction the voice had come from, without a single glance back.

Watching his retreating back, Taeui slumped his shoulders and let out a sigh, whether of relief or something else, he wasn’t quite sure.  

It was a clean, composed demeanor, without even a speck of leftover emotion from the past. Only when the talk of that ‘crazy bastard’ came up did a trace of lingering menace flicker in his eyes. But aside from that, his manner was fresh. So fresh, in fact, that it almost felt as though it were nothing more than a thin layer of surface-level sociability.

It was the feeling of someone who had once been a friend but was now just…… an acquaintance.  

“…….”  

Taeui gazed into the dark space where Xinlu had disappeared, then turned his eyes away. The moon was still shimmering, held within the quiet and peaceful night lake.

Suddenly, a soft chuckle escaped him.  

That was a relief. Ling Xinlu seemed to be doing well.