A strange, deathly silence filled the air.
Lin Ruohuai felt incredibly guilty, but then he remembered that Xie Yusheng only told him to act like a wooden doll; he never said anything about dealing with others. That was an extra condition, so it counted as commission. Charging more was only right.
The ice in his glass was finished, and his psychological preparation was complete. Lin Ruohuai spoke with righteous conviction, though his voice was a bit small: “I deserve this.”
Xie Yusheng remained expressionless: “How much?”
“Fifty thousand, let’s say. Transfer the money and I’ll go.”
Xie Yusheng agreed casually. It seemed that to a young master like him, fifty thousand yuan was about the same as five yuan. Lin Ruohuai wasn’t jealous at all.
After finishing their business, Xie Yusheng showed no intention of leaving. Instead, he took sip after sip of water, seemingly thinking he’d leave once the glass was empty. Lin Ruohuai took the chance to gather more information: “Brother, what’s the deal between you and Shen Qingyi? Did you guys have a fight?”
Xie Yusheng’s face darkened visibly: “Grown-up business. Kids shouldn’t ask.”
Lin Ruohuai muttered under his breath: “You’re only a few months older than me.”
“Anyway, mind your business,” Xie Yusheng’s expression soured even further.
Lin Ruohuai recalled why he had chosen this book in the first place it was some kind of “rivals-to-lovers” bittersweet story. It had managed to reach 500,000 words without ending purely because the protagonists refused to open their mouths and communicate, much like the “dead-to-the-world” attitude the Protagonist Gong was displaying right now.
The water was finished. As Xie Yusheng prepared to leave, his sharp gaze flickered toward the two boys behind Lin Ruohuai: “Did they bully you?”
The two boys didn’t dare leave. They watched the back of Lin Ruohuai’s round head with fear and panic. They heard him say: “No.”
Lin Ruohuai turned his head and smiled at them: “You guys didn’t bully me, right?”
The two of them nodded frantically like pugs, looking extremely loyal and grateful.
Xie Yusheng let out a snort, ruffled Lin Ruohuai’s hair forcefully, and left.
Lin Ruohuai didn’t mind. He saw the man out the door, then turned back to see the two boys looking at him with flushed faces. They stuttered for a long time without saying a word. Finally, unable to take it anymore, the two boys shouldered their backpacks and scrambled out the door as if in a race.
Lin Ruohuai looked at the scene thoughtfully. The original owner’s personality seemed difficult to get along with; he probably offended many people back when he had money. Wouldn’t next week’s banquet be a “Hongmen Banquet” (a trap)?
Just as he put his mask back on, Xie Yusheng’s transfer arrived. Lin Ruohuai very smoothly transferred money to his colleague. The colleague was so moved he nearly cried, saying he’d treat Lin Ruohuai to dinner next time.
Earning a thousand yuan in half an hour was more than three days’ worth of hours combined. Lin Ruohuai waved it off, telling him not to worry about it.
This month, Lin Ruohuai ended his part-time life and became unemployed. According to the information left by the original owner, he was a Chinese Literature major unemployed upon graduation.
The original owner’s job requirements were simple: social security, weekends off, 9-to-5, and close to home.
A government job would have fit the original owner perfectly, but unfortunately, the family disaster during his junior year had left him exhausted and overwhelmed. Living a stable, 9-to-5 life had become a luxury.
The original owner was the original owner, and he was himself. Lin Ruohuai now had this better job from Xie Yusheng, so he didn’t think about anything else. He had other goals—things that couldn’t be solved by exams. Besides that, he remembered a major turning point.
His role was a “tool” to advance the protagonists’ relationship. He wouldn’t have any melodramatic subplots, so he would be “offline” for a period of time. If he remembered correctly, he would be sent to “forced labor” to take care of Shen Qi.
Therefore, in the context of the whole book, Shen Qi was a supporting character, but in Lin Ruohuai’s own world, Shen Qi was the protagonist.
Regardless, everything was a novel experience for him—like the food in this world. After eating too much street food over the last few days, Lin Ruohuai’s stomach was acting up. He felt bloated and uncomfortable all day, and cutting out junk food didn’t help.
He had to go to a small clinic to buy medicine. When the designer’s assistant called, he was frowning, drinking a disgusting herbal concoction while answering the phone. He gagged with every sentence he spoke, leaving the little assistant feeling quite helpless.
“Mr. Lin, Young Master Xie has scheduled a fitting for you tomorrow at 2:00 PM.”
“I got it.. ugh.”
In a place like a high-end banquet, one’s outfit was the first impression. Xie Yusheng had high standards for this, so a weakened Lin Ruohuai went to the appointment.
The designer brought out a black-and-grey suit for him. Cufflinks, tie clip everything was included. Clothes make the man; his temperament shifted instantly, transforming from a down-and-out commoner into a dignified young master.
The “young master” had a good build and fair skin. His features were bright and striking. The lines of his eyelids extended and tilted slightly at the ends. His eyelashes were long enough to balance things on. His pupils were a rare light brown, almost amber, and when he smiled, he looked vivid and full of life.
After the fitting, Lin Ruohuai sat somewhat weakly in the reception hall waiting for the clothes to be packed. There, he bumped into someone.
“Isn’t this Young Master Lin? Long time no see. How can you afford to come to a place like this? You should save your money if you’re broke.” The newcomer’s tone was hostile.
Lin Ruohuai puffed out his cheeks slightly; his stomach was still bloated and he was too uncomfortable to bother with him. In the other man’s eyes, this looked like acting “above it all.” The man scoffed, muttered “stop pretending,” and was led inside by an assistant.
Lin Ruohuai heard the rustle of activity and inadvertently caught the assistant say “Mr. Shen.” His eyelids flickered as he looked over. It was the man who had mocked him earlier. So his last name was Shen he wondered if he was related to Shen Qi.
Lost in thought, he didn’t look away in time. He unexpectedly locked eyes with “Mr. Shen,” who had just walked out. Shen Heyu froze for a second, then roared like he was baring claws and fangs: “What the hell are you looking at? Are you peeping at me?”
Lin Ruohuai slowly lowered his eyes, muttering: “Who’s looking at you?”
Shen Heyu caught it: “You were looking at me! I can check the surveillance!”
“And then what? Have me arrested?” Lin Ruohuai actually looked at him this time, glaring. “Well, you’ve been staring at me since you walked in. I charge for that—300 yuan a minute.”
Shen Heyu was suddenly choked up. He cursed “Psycho!” and then intentionally refused to leave, blocking the doorway.
At that moment, the assistant finished packing and asked Lin Ruohuai to pay the remaining balance. For Lin Ruohuai, this was a bolt from the blue. His pupils shook Xie Yusheng hadn’t paid the full amount. The bill showed a balance of 58,000 yuan. Lin Ruohuai sincerely tried to negotiate with them, asking if Xie Yusheng could pay later. The young lady just smiled silently.
Shen Heyu gloated: “Do you even have the money?”
He looked smug, as if saying beg me and I might pay for you. Lin Ruohuai glanced at him, gave a “you’re so annoying” smile, and fluently pulled out his card to pay. With a beep, the payment went through successfully. He grabbed the bag and left.
Shen Heyu followed him out, unwilling to let it go, rambling behind him: “Do you have a car? I can give you a lift. I bought mine in full!”
He gritted his teeth on those last few words to emphasize them.
Lin Ruohuai found this person annoying. Knowing this was a debt owed by the original owner, he swallowed his anger: “I have a car. It’s more expensive than yours.”
Shen Heyu gave a contemptuous laugh, thinking it was impossible. He chased for two more steps, only to watch Lin Ruohuai enter the subway entrance.
Lin Ruohuai tossed back a light comment: “Can your car really be more expensive than a subway train?”
Shen Heyu was furious.
“Mr. Shen, the information is all here. Everything was handled according to your instructions, down to the smallest detail.”
In a quiet, heavy study, Assistant Lin spoke respectfully to the eldest young master of the Shen family.
The man sitting behind the desk was the current Chairman of the Shen Group, who lived in seclusion. His name was Shen Qi.
He sat in a wheelchair, his posture composed. He wore a crisp light-grey shirt, buttoned tightly just below his Adam’s apple. His sleeves were fastened around his wrists, neither too loose nor too tight. His thin lips were slightly pursed—meticulous in every way.
His emotionless face had a somewhat pale complexion. His eyes were dark and deep, his eyelashes long. He was handsome in a very cold, aloof, and eccentric way.
His long, bony fingers pinched a corner of the documents. Assistant Lin waited quietly by his side. Shen Qi flipped through a few pages casually, seemingly uninterested.
When acquiring the Lin Group, they had investigated internal relationships. Lin Ruohuai was naturally one of them, but at the time, he was just a college student with a pitifully small number of shares he couldn’t even control. He was essentially “wealthy but powerless.” The impression of him was faint, almost non-existent.
This was Xie Yusheng’s current boyfriend. Xiao Yi (Shen Qingyi) had been distracted and emotionally unstable lately because of this. Later, knowing that Lin Ruohuai and Xie Yusheng already had an engagement agreement made him even more miserable, but to keep their parents from worrying, he was forcing himself to endure. All of this was clear to Shen Qi.
The data was exhaustive. It included why Lin Ruohuai was disciplined in high school, how many classes he failed in college, and even photos and information about people he hired to attend classes for him.
The change appeared a month and a half ago. Lin Ruohuai began doing many bizarre things.
He went to the wetland park and rode the carousel nineteen times, the roller coaster three times (vomited), the spinning coffee cups three times (also vomited), and visited a haunted house once he was so scared his hat flew off. He sat by the lake with a sad face, lost in thought.
Shen Qi’s tone was flat, carrying a trace of coldness: “Next time, no need to print out the photos of him vomiting.”
Assistant Lin bowed: “Yes, sir.”
Helping an old lady across the street; chatting and playing chess with an old man; going to the plaza in the middle of the night to skateboard and gloriously falling flat on his face. In the photo, Lin Ruohuai was belly-up like a cat.
Assistant Lin was surprised, terrified, and shocked to hear a faint, soft snort of laughter. But he didn’t dare look up to confirm it.
Lin Ruohuai had been hustled into buying a three-session swimming pass. The first time he went, he accidentally entered the deep end and almost drowned. Luckily, someone saved him. He put the remaining two sessions on Xianyu (a second-hand app) at a low price, and they sold out instantly.
At a food street, he ate too many grilled sausages because they were delicious. That same night, he ordered sixty yuan worth of BBQ skewers for a late-night snack. As a result, he ended up in a small clinic with gastroenteritis. While getting an injection, there were tears in the corners of his eyes, and his eyelids drooped as he begged the nurse to be gentle with the needle.
There were two photos attached. In one, he was curled up alone in a corner asleep. Though the image was still, Shen Qi could sense a “pitiful” vibe from it. And even after the injection, he wasn’t fully recovered.
The data ended there. Shen Qi’s brow didn’t unknit; instead, he flipped back to the first page, looking at Lin Ruohuai’s stiff, standard ID photo, lost in thought.
Then he flipped back to the last page he had missed a long string of recent photos of Lin Ruohuai. They were all selfies. His lips were rosy, his skin appeared delicate to the point of being translucent under the sun, his silhouette was soft, and his features were bright and beautiful. The whole person looked like a piece of crystalline jade.
The next photo: he had tiger teeth when he smiled and dimples in his cheeks.
Shen Qi stared. He flipped back to the ID photo on the first page and thought it looked very average. Then he flipped back to the photos on the last page. His expression softened as he stared for a long time, as if his eyes were glued to the images.
His mood swung back and forth. He wondered if Lin Ruohuai had been “possessed.” There was a sense of vividness, like a fish leaping out of the water.
There was a knock at the door, followed by a cold, gentle call: “Brother, it’s Xiao Yi.”
Shen Qi casually tossed the papers on the desk and gave a slight nod. Assistant Lin received the signal and went to open the door.
Shen Qingyi entered carrying a bouquet of lilies. He walked practicedly to the vase in the corner to change them, then misted them with water. “Are you getting used to staying here?”
This wasn’t where Shen Qi usually lived; it was the top floor of a hotel. The entire floor was Shen Qi’s personal space. With the anniversary banquet coming up in a few days, Shen Qi had come out early to stay here temporarily.
Shen Qingyi received no response but was used to it. His lowered eyes were shrouded in a faint layer of sorrow, like light blocked by curtains, leaving the room dim and hazy.
A second later, quite abruptly, Shen Qi said: “Stinks.”
Shen Qingyi: “?”
“Stinks so much I can’t open my eyes. Throw them away.”
Shen Qingyi: “Didn’t you not hate lilies before?”
“I hate them now.”
Shen Qingyi’s gaze landed on the exquisite, custom-made wheelchair. Ever since his surgery, his brother had closed himself off. He didn’t like the sun, he didn’t like crowded places, and he was extremely picky about things or people he didn’t like. Other than that, he was the same as before—still temperamental.
“Brother, actually, you don’t have to accompany me to the Xie anniversary. I can handle it myself.”
Shen Qi’s eyes were half-closed, his tone cold: “It’s no trouble.”
The two brothers one standing, one sitting were in front of the window, which was covered by a deep grey blackout curtain with no pattern at all.
Shen Qingyi didn’t talk much, but Shen Qi talked even less, making it seem like Shen Qingyi was the talkative one.
Shen Qi suddenly said: “Give me a cigarette.”
“The doctor said you should smoke less.” Despite saying that, Shen Qingyi checked the time and still brought one over to him.
Space for smoking couldn’t be sealed. Shen Qingyi pulled the curtains and opened the window. Sunlight spilled in, filling the room with light.
Shen Qingyi suddenly saw something: “Brother, did you investigate Lin Ruohuai?”
Still, there was no response. Amidst the curling smoke, Shen Qi opened his eyes and suddenly felt that the sunlight outside the window was very piercing.