Chapter 1 White Shirt and Long Legs

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches, making the car stuffy and irritating even with the air conditioning on. Of course, the air conditioning in this old car might have been broken long ago.

Patrick Peabody wiped the sweat off his forehead, thinking that this kind of weather was not suitable for going out at all. If he had known he would have to wait in this godforsaken place for so long, he would have come out later.

The imposing iron gate finally opened slowly, and Patrick craned his neck to look outside... it wasn''t the person he was waiting for?

The clean white shirt was already a style from several years ago, and the ordinary black casual pants made the other person''s legs look straight and long. Patrick couldn''t help but take a few more glances.

The man tilted his head back to look at the sky above. The glaring sunlight didn''t seem to bother him at all, and his chest heaved as he took deep breaths, almost greedily.

It seemed that this was also a ''troubled youth'' who had just been released. His longing for freedom made him feel that this heat wave... this glaring light was all a ''gift'' from life?

Patrick shook his head slightly and was about to look away when he saw the ''youth'' lower his head. This lowering of the head caused their eyes to meet.

Samuel Drexel?

Patrick''s body reacted before his brain did. He rushed over without even closing the car door.

He stood in front of the ''youth,'' breathing heavily. For a moment, the only sounds were the cicadas in the trees and his own breathing echoing in the empty road.

Whether it was from running too fast or the heat, Patrick could only focus on breathing and couldn''t speak.

He stared intently at the ''youth''... no, the man in front of him.

Seven years, seven years without seeing each other. The boy who was not yet an adult back then had already grown into a handsome and masculine man.

How wonderful.

In a daze, Patrick saw... the bright sunlight, the clean and fresh campus, a group of top students walking and chatting... Samuel was among them.

How wonderful, truly wonderful, he was still here.

Patrick thought he would never have the chance to see this person again in his lifetime. He never expected... looking at the heavy iron gate behind Samuel, Patrick frowned slightly.

Could it be that he suddenly disappeared back then because he was locked up here?

Why? He was a top student at that prestigious high school, a prodigy who was guaranteed admission to a top university in the country.

Obviously, this was not the time or place to ask these questions. He looked at Samuel, and Samuel looked back at him, with confusion and puzzlement in his eyes.

Before either of them could speak, the iron gate behind them slowly opened again, and they both turned to look.

Paul Walker came out quickly, making a neck-twisting motion and muttering, "Finally out of this hellhole."

"Paul, over here." Patrick waved to Paul, but his peripheral vision remained fixed on Samuel, afraid that the man would disappear from his sight again.

Samuel withdrew his gaze, the confusion in his eyes dissipating. It seemed he had misunderstood; the man in front of him was not here to pick him up.

As Samuel took a step forward, Patrick blocked his way. "It''s nearly an hour''s drive to the city, and you can''t get a cab or a bus here. If you don''t mind, you can ride with me."

Samuel was about to leave, and Patrick, not caring about being abrupt or rude, just wanted to find a way to keep him.

Paul, who had walked over, looked displeased. "Patrick, do you know this guy? So, are you here to pick me up or him?"

Samuel glanced at Paul and then ignored Patrick, continuing to walk away. Patrick, not caring about anything else, grabbed his arm somewhat forcefully and said, "Get in my car."

"Let go." Samuel was displeased at being suddenly grabbed.

But that displeasure quickly dissipated. Seven years of isolated life had long since worn away his rebelliousness. All his rebellious teenage years had been spent under discipline and suppression; he had long since lost his temper.

"I won''t let go. I said get in my car." Patrick softened his voice, almost pleading, but if you listened carefully, you could hear the domineering tone that brooked no refusal.

Samue was directly amused by anger, he had never seen such a person before, doing good deeds in such a ''forceful'' way, yet somewhat pitiable.

After seven years of not being cared for, his heart suddenly softened, and a smile spread across his lips, "Alright, let go."

Patrick let out a breath he had been holding, and as he let go, he remembered Paul.

He turned around with a different expression... a lavish smile piled on his face, both roguish and cheeky, "What are you saying, Paul? Of course, I''m here to pick you up. Paul is loyal and magnanimous, surely he thinks the more friends, the more paths... meeting each other is fate, let''s go since it''s on the way..."

He was tall and strong, with long arms and legs, and with a pull and push on Paul''s arm, he ''invited'' Paul into the back seat.

He quickly turned around, and fortunately, Samue had no intention of going back on his word, following behind him quite consciously, which made Patrick very pleased.

When he smiled again, there was a touch of genuine warmth. He reached out and put his arm around Samue''s shoulder, pulling him into his embrace, "Buddy, sorry to have you sit in the front seat, my big brother doesn''t like to sit with others."

This preserved Paul''s dignity and successfully kept Samue by his side, showing his smooth and slick way of handling things.

Patrick personally opened the car door for Samue and even thoughtfully fastened his seatbelt, giving Samue a fawning smile where Paul couldn''t see.

Samue looked puzzled, wondering if this guy had any ulterior motives towards him.

As Patrick walked around the front of the car, he felt like he was floating, everything was too unreal... too dreamy. He had seen Samue, the real, living Samue, how incredibly... lucky.

The weather didn''t seem so hot anymore, his whole body felt light and cool, even Paul looked more pleasing to the eye.

Paul... his boss in the underworld, though calling it the underworld isn''t accurate. In these times of anti-crime and anti-prostitution, society is clean, and there''s no more mafia, just a bunch of hooligans and petty thugs.

But there was still a leader, and Paul was their leader. Three years ago, in a fight, Paul ''accidentally'' stood up for Patrick and ended up stabbing someone, landing him in jail.

He had been locked up for three years, and during those three years, Patrick had done nothing but think about how to repay this favor. He hated owing people, especially someone like Paul.

Picking him up from prison was the first step in ''repaying the favor,'' but he hadn''t expected the surprise of Samue.

So, it goes to show that one should know how to be grateful, and even the heavens will favor you.

Patrick was in a great mood, the air smelled sweet, and he kept sneaking glances at Samue while driving.

He had gotten thinner, more handsome, less sunny, and more composed. The once youthful boy had turned into a mature and steady man.

Yet, there was still a glimmer of wisdom in his brows, the kind that made him stand out in a crowd with just one look.

How wonderful.

Patrick''s mind was a bit blank, just these two words over and over, unable to come up with anything else. But besides these two words, he didn''t know what else to use to describe their reunion.

Please forgive his limited vocabulary as a poor student.

Seven years, how many seven years are there in a lifetime? In seven years, he had never met anyone like Samue, someone who could capture his heart and soul with just one look.

While Patrick was observing Samue, Samue was also looking at him.

A typical playboy look, black short-sleeved shirt paired with black sunglasses... both roguish and handsome, with long canines and deep dimples when he smiled, his whole face devoid of any malice, only the smoothness and shrewdness of someone worldly.

The only place that seemed sharp was his eyes, clearly smiling but with an imperceptible coldness and aloofness, making him seem out of place with everything around him.

Smooth and worldly, full of schemes, every word he said might not be true, everything he showed was what he wanted you to see, definitely not the real him.

Samue rarely used the word ''definitely.'' For someone like him, besides being meticulous, the greatest advantage was caution, never letting anyone catch a flaw in his words.

Paul called Patrick for the third time, his voice filled with impatience: "Hey, Patrick, are you ignoring me now that you''ve grown wings?"

Paul was so furious that he couldn''t care less about the people around him and loudly questioned.

"Ah... no, no, no, Paul, you misunderstood. I was just thinking whether to take you for a sauna to get rid of bad luck first or to take you to a welcome dinner with the guys."

Paul''s expression softened a bit upon hearing this, a lewd glint flashing in his gloomy eyes: "We can eat anytime. Take me for a sauna first. You remember my preferences, right? Get a few hot girls over. I''ve been pent up for years and I''m about to explode."

"Ha... I remember, I remember. No problem, I guarantee you''ll be satisfied." Patrick discreetly observed Samue''s expression, afraid he might show disgust or revulsion.

In his mind, the white-shirted, long-legged school heartthrob was always a noble and elegant presence, even after going through such places. How could these worldly filths taint his ears and eyes?

Patrick drove quickly, wanting to get rid of Paul as soon as possible and be with Samue...

Although he hadn''t figured out how to interact with him, how to talk to him, or how to make him accept him, as long as they could be together, nothing else mattered.

Samue didn''t know that he had been targeted so quickly after regaining his freedom.

He looked at the increasingly bustling streets, which seemed unfamiliar as if they weren''t the place he had lived for over a decade. His eyes were drawn to the new high-rise buildings and the passing crowds, not paying attention to what Paul and Patrick were saying.

"Excuse me..."

"Buddy, wait a minute. I''ll take my big brother inside first and then come back to you." Patrick hurriedly asked Paul to get out of the car.

The leisure club, which combined entertainment, wasn''t far from where they came from. Patrick planned everything nearby and made all the arrangements over the phone.

The main goal was to get rid of Paul as soon as possible. It might sound a bit heartless, but it couldn''t stop his true feelings.

Samue''s presence made him overjoyed and restless, always wanting to do something but afraid his rashness would scare him away. He was cautious and nervous while also having to consider Paul''s feelings.

He really used all his thoughts from the past twenty years.