The Sweet, Innocent Charmer Has No Hidden Agenda

(The first half is told from the top's point of view.)

On the day the Jian family, a powerful academic dynasty in the South District, was wiped out, Qi Fei brought Jian Nian home after reporters had surrounded him. He became the only lifeline Jian Nian could cling to.

The boy once hailed as a genius had fallen into the dirt. Soaked by the rain, his pale, beautiful face had lost its former pride, leaving only a haze of sorrow.

Watching his old rival's miserable state, Qi Fei remained unmoved. He tapped the tabletop, thinking only about how to swoop in for the biggest profit, while also using Jian Nian to find the person he was looking for.

After all, without his backing, Jian Nian was destined to be a discarded pawn, not even worthy of meeting his eyes. He could keep him around when he was in a good mood, then dump him like a stock when he wasn't.

Qi Fei took all this for granted. He never imagined that he would be the first one thrown away.

In public, Jian Nian looked innocent and wan. In private, his eyes glittered with cunning and mischief. He schemed and maneuvered, borrowed power from his allies, and played his hand with dazzling skill.

He used Qi Fei's money and connections, then ended up in Qi Fei's older brother's bed.

The rising star of the North District gritted his teeth. He'd made his move first. Even if they were going to play games, they should be played in his bed.

==

The young master of the Jian family had enjoyed eighteen years of smooth sailing. Still in high school, he had already entered his dean father's laboratory, and was sure to follow in his father's footsteps. His future was bright.

But no one knew that Jian Nian had been raised abroad as an illegitimate child since childhood, brought back home to donate blood to his older brother, and dragged into the lab by his father to work like a beast of burden.

People thought Jian Nian was a flower raised in a greenhouse, lofty and untouchable. The moment the Jian family fell, the internet was flooded with claims that the good life of the young master Jian was over. Only Jian Nian, crawling out of a car covered in blood, knew this was what rebirth looked like.

The night Qi Fei took him in, Jian Nian caught the familiar scent of a scheme. He knew Qi Fei wanted something from him. With profit above all, there was no reason not to use Second Young Master Qi's resources. Give him a ladder, and he would climb.

It wasn't until that man took complete control of his research project and became the biggest financial backer behind him, then cornered him outside the lab to threaten and tempt him, that Jian Nian realized what Qi Fei wanted might be Jian Nian himself.

Someone saw the priceless biologist cornered by a big shot known throughout the Fifth District, their familiarity and intimacy plain to see. Only Jian Nian heard Qi Fei whisper seductively, "Work with me properly."

Jian Nian raised an eyebrow, his gaze glinting as he asked in a low, lilting voice, "Is this a partnership, or are you keeping me?"

The tycoon, who always got his way, finally couldn't keep up the act. He forced the words out through clenched teeth: "Call it keeping you or call it a partnership, just don't go looking for my brother."

Theme: If you like someone, go for it.