When the call cut off and the busy tone replaced the line, only then did Gu Ye slowly realize just how absurd everything was.
Just now, he had actually been bluffed by Song Shiyi.
Gu Ye’s face sank instantly, the color darkening like a stormcloud, and his grip on the phone tightened unconsciously, the plastic creaking faintly under the strain.
But then he remembered that the banquet was still going on. He forced himself to smooth out his expression, letting no trace of that fleeting shame show.
For the sake of a counterfeit like that, to lose his composure, wouldn’t that be far too cheap of him?
With that thought, he tugged at the front of his tie, straightened it neatly, then turned and beckoned a nearby waiter over. His tone was flat and commanding:
“Go wait at the door. If a young man comes, bring him in.”
The waiter blinked. “Could you describe what he looks like?”
Gu Ye’s brow furrowed. He didn’t have a single photo of Song Shiyi saved on his phone.
After a moment of hesitation, he simply pulled up a group photo from Song Jiaxin’s birthday, gesturing impatiently. “Looks a bit like him, but not as good-looking.”
The waiter gave the photo a glance, silently cursing in his heart at how strange that description was.
Still, he didn’t dare question further, he just nodded and left.
“Yo, what’s this? Got your little lover coming over?” Zhou Shu, one of Gu Ye’s so-called friends, slung an arm casually over his shoulder, grinning.
The second the topic was out, the crowd of hangers-on burst into jeers and whistles.
“So you’re finally letting us see him?”
After all, everyone already knew Gu Ye was keeping a little lover tucked away somewhere but none of them had ever actually seen him in person.
“I heard that the one you’ve hidden away is none other than the Song family’s newly-returned young master?”
The Song family taking back a child was something many in the circle had heard about, though the details were kept vague. Most assumed, in whispers, that he was an illegitimate son.
“Just for fun.”
Gu Ye chuckled lightly, neither confirming nor denying. His gaze slid sideways, eyes glinting with a deliberate malice.
“He’s just an illegitimate bastard not fit for the spotlight. Do you really think I’d treat it seriously?”
Faces in the group shifted subtly at that, some amusement, some discomfort. A few glanced, not so subtly, at another present, the one the jab had also brushed against.
Gu Shuli, the other illegitimate son of the Gu family.
Yet Gu Shuli seemed utterly unbothered. His features were delicate, almost childlike, with a baby-faced innocence.
He smiled sweetly, as though he hadn’t even noticed the barbed insult.
“Since Big Brother puts it that way, now I really do want to see what that young master looks like.”
Gu Ye sneered, disdain flickering openly across his face at his brother’s eagerness to climb up the pole.
Still, with the Gu family patriarch present at the banquet tonight, he restrained himself. Best not to make too much of a scene for now.
Though Gu Ye’s prestige loomed large at the moment, nothing was ever certain until the end. Zhou Shu, unwilling to offend either side, smoothly shifted the topic.
“I’ve actually seen that little lover of his before.”
“Eh? What does he look like?” someone asked eagerly.
Zhou Shu stroked his chin, his tone drawling, teasing. “A little beauty. But no matter how you tease him, he’s just a soft little white rabbit who won’t bite back.”
“Tch.”
A chorus of disappointed sighs rose from the group. They had been hoping for some spectacle, but if the boy was really just a timid pushover, there wouldn’t be much to see.
“Still, isn’t it strange? He’s been brought back for so long now, and not a single banquet has been held to make his presence known. Looks like the Song family isn’t paying him any mind at all.”
“Exactly. If they won’t even go through the motions, then what difference is there from just giving him a new place to live?”
At that moment, a sudden clap of thunder rolled across the night sky. Zhou Shu glanced toward the doors.
“What the hell? In the middle of the night, pouring rain outside, and he has to come now of all times?”
Gu Ye only gave a cold, dismissive laugh.
Zhou Shu muttered, half-joking, half-chiding, “You really don’t know how to treat delicate things gently. Once in a while, maybe try being considerate.”
But he didn’t push it further.
…
Meanwhile, outside the hall.
The waiter stood at the entrance, glancing out every so often.
The rain wasn’t heavy, but it was steady, falling like a curtain of silver threads that blurred the view. He couldn’t tell how much time had passed before, finally, he saw a vague silhouette approaching through the downpour.
The figure walked slowly, step by step, without even carrying an umbrella. Only when he reached the eaves did the waiter see his face clearly.
Young. Still carrying the look of a boy.
Startled, the waiter rushed forward but the youth seemed to mistake his intent as blocking the way. His voice was hoarse, as though worn from the cold rain.
“I’m here for Gu Ye. He’s inside, isn’t he?”
As he spoke, his eyes lifted, black and white, clear and sharp and fixed on the waiter with a cool indifference that made his heart jolt.
From the half-open grand doors spilled a flood of warm golden light, gilding the boy’s damp profile, tracing down the stark lines of his cheek and jaw, down to the pale skin of his throat.
“…Yes.”
For a moment, all the dazzling silhouettes of wealth and glamour the waiter had ever seen in this world of vanity faded to nothing. His mind went blank as he dumbly nodded.
By the time the boy had already stepped inside, the waiter came back to himself shaken, and thinking incredulously: Not as good-looking? These rich men really must be blind.
Inside the banquet hall, Song Shiyi instantly felt the weight of countless gazes falling on him.
Of course, it was only natural. His appearance right now was utterly disheveled.
He had stood in the rain for too long. Now, under the sudden warmth and brightness, a wave of disorientation swept over him.
He stumbled, bracing himself against a nearby table. Only then did his body finally catch up, sending sharp warnings, black spots danced before his eyes, his head throbbed painfully, his legs trembled weakly beneath him.
Yes, he remembered. The original host had severe hypoglycemia.
Song Shiyi reached for a small cake on the table, leaning against the wall as he slowly crouched down.
He ate it in small, careful bites, forcing himself to swallow, replenishing what little sugar he could.
He was still chewing when a sharp kick struck his knee.
Startled, he looked up, straight into Gu Ye’s expressionless face.
“You’re here, so why didn’t you come find me? Do you think you’re too important to move first?”
To be fair, as the designated male lead of this story, Gu Ye did have the looks and presence. He was tall, broad-shouldered, his features sharp and striking with a predatory allure.
The air around him radiated the kind of polish only true wealth and power could buy.
But one glance was enough to see through the elegance, to the arrogance festering beneath.
Especially in the way he treated the original host:
An arm twisted until it broke.
Locked away in a damp, pitch-black basement.
Forced into signing an organ transplant agreement.
Verdict: a criminal in all but name.
Song Shiyi didn’t answer immediately. His brow furrowed slightly as he concentrated on forcing down the last bite of cake.
First eat. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have the strength to put on a show.
Gu Ye sneered at that sickly pale face. He had seen this kind of act far too many times in his life.
From his father, from countless others, people throwing themselves at him with weakness, with pitiful eyes, debasing themselves in hopes of mercy.
Pathetic.
His A-Xin would never stoop to such revolting tricks. His A-Xin was always proud, always lifted his chin high.
The thought filled him with disgust, draining away what little patience remained. With one ruthless yank, he dragged Song Shiyi up from the ground, his grip iron-tight, his expression icy and merciless.
“At this point, do you really think making that kind of face will save you? The pain you’ve inflicted on A-Xin! I’ll return it to you tenfold.”
The commotion drew every pair of eyes in the room.
“Hey, Aye, cool your temper! Talk it out,” Zhou Shu hissed, pushing forward and lowering his voice, warning him that they were at a public event and everyone was watching.
But Gu Ye was unruffled. Tonight, the banquet hall was filled with the glittering elite of high society.
And Gu Ye’s sole purpose for being here was clear to drag Song Shiyi’s secrets into the light of day, to let everyone present see the so-called new “young master of the Song family”for the shameless fraud he really was in private.
But when he turned his words on Song Shiyi,he was met with nothing but a steady, unwavering gaze.
Those jet-black eyes reflected him plainly, devoid of any emotion, no panic, no shame,only a simple, mirror-like calm.
Something inside Gu Ye shifted.
An odd, indefinable sensation pricked at him.
Because Song Shiyi had never looked at him like this before.
Still, whatever that feeling was, it was far too insignificant to make him hesitate.
The words he had been preparing to spit out rose hot and fast to his lips. He would expose him here and now But before he could speak,
Song Shiyi’s voice cut cleanly through the air.
“I already know. To you, I’m nothing more than a substitute.”
“You only…”
The ache that had been buried in his chestsuddenly surged upward, nearly choking him, but Song Shiyi forced it down with an almost cruel calmness.
Even so, the rims of his eyes flushed red, betraying him.
“…you only think I resemble him, don’t you?”
“So what.”
Gu Ye released his grip with a casual flick of his wrist, not caring that the other man nearly staggered from the sudden force. His tone was flat, dismissive, laced with disdain.
“Looking a little like him, that’s your blessing.”
He had expected something earth-shattering to be thrown at him, but in the end, it was nothing more than pitiful sentimentality.
How disappointing.
Did Song Shiyi really think that making a scene out of this would bring him any advantage?
Gu Ye, dripping with condescension, stood tall as if ready to pass judgment.
His every glance was full of lofty pity, the kind bestowed upon someone already defeated.
“Of course. Just as I thought—”
But Song Shiyi’s lips curved into a cold, self-mocking smile, “You weren’t wrong. After all, you only ever treated me as the substitute for my father—Song Gucheng.”
Wait.
The scorn frozen on Gu Ye’s face drained in an instant. For the first time, his expression was utterly blank, his eyes widening with unguarded shock.
Even Zhou Shu, standing silently at his side, lost all ability to control his face. His mind spun, unable to process the sheer explosiveness of the revelation.
And as those words hung in the air,the crowd who had been gleefully watching the drama all sucked in a sharp breath in perfect unison.
What kind of bombshell was this?!
Could they really be allowed to hear such a scandal… for free?
Gu Ye lunged.
“What madness are you spouting?” he snapped, so flustered that he couldn’t hide the feelings he’d never dared say aloud.
Words tumbled out of him: “The person I like is clearly—”
Crash!
Song Shiyi pulled the long white tablecloth that covered the banquet table in one hard sweep. Plates and glasses that had been arranged on it slid and toppled and shattered against the floor in a violent, glittering cascade.
The sound drowned out whatever final sentence Gu Ye tried to force out.
Wasn’t he fond of playing the substitute game?
Fine! Now he would watch the grandest substitute act of all.
If there were a ranking of the novel’s most absurd characters, Song Shiyi thought Gu Ye could easily top Song Jiaxin.
He simply couldn’t understand what kind of substitute the idiot CEO wanted: the substitute of a white moonlight beloved? or the substitute of a man who had murdered his father?
With a mouth full of insults — “fake,” “imposter,” “not worth a strand of his hair” — Gu Ye tried to make himself grander by trampling on the substitute.
The more he demeaned the substitute, the more noble his supposed love seemed. Yet he never had the courage to confess. Instead he preyed on someone from a lower standard.
The suffocating resentment Song Shiyi had kept inside reached its peak when he looked at Gu Ye’s face.
Dealing with a pure fool like him calmly was useless, all it earned was contempt: “A substitute is nothing but a substitute.” People like Gu Ye deserved to be slapped.
“Gu Ye! You’re a beast!” Song Shiyi drew a breath and roared until his voice cracked, determined that anyone who’d been distracted would miss nothing.
“You actually used me as a substitute for my father—”
He didn’t stop. He snatched the tray of glasses from a nearby waiter and hurled every wine glass, liquid sloshing, smashing down onto Gu Ye.
“Scum!” he spat, then seized a stool and smashed it toward him, giving no room for defense.
“Bastard!” he screamed.
“For your domestic violence! For scattering my mother’s ashes! For the kidney you took!”
For a time the only sounds in the grand, formerly elegant banquet were breaking glass, splintering wood, and Gu Ye’s clumsy, panicked retreat.
The refined soirée fell dead silent, replaced only by stunned shock.
This was so satisfying! First hitting White moon with wine bottom and the scum with everything possible! 😂😂Who? And what might be next weapon??
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
One coffee for the translator. One less excuse for them to disappear. 😌
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · He’s in the BookChapter 2 · You Like playing Stand-in, Right?Chapter 3 · This Kind of person is just asking for troubleChapter 4 · Is it so Bloody?Chapter 5 · Let’s Rot togetherChapter 7 · Illegitimate SonChapter 8 · Unfaithful husbandChapter 9 · MemoriesChapter 10 · Silence before stormChapter 11 · Hunt beginsChapter 12 · Nightmare I rememberChapter 13 · Why do they ride on their own heads?Chapter 14 · I forgive myselfChapter 15 · Can you take me in tonight since I’m homeless?Chapter 16 · Mr. Qin, do you like me?Chapter 17 · If you like it, you can have itChapter 18 · Gu Ye, it’s obvious that you also pursue these thingsChapter 19 · If you still can’t let go of Gu Ye, why not give it a try with me?Chapter 20 · He actually made him bow down to that bastard.Chapter 21 · Ruining someone’s future is simply unforgivableChapter 22 · God can’t possibly favor someone like youChapter 23 · UrnChapter 24 · May they die a horrible deathChapter 25 · If you’re broke, stop showing off.Chapter 26 · Kneel before me, begging for mercy.Chapter 27 · The plan succeededChapter 28 Part 1 · This time, the victim is Gu Ye Part 1Chapter 28 Part 2 · This time, the victim is Gu YeChapter 29 · This time, I’ll make full use of youChapter 30 · Educating about the existence of lawsChapter 31 · So who is he now?Chapter 32 · I want to destroy this fake spacetime.Chapter 33 · So, I was himChapter 34 · They’re all crazy, just let me have my wayChapter 35 · I will punish them in the right way.Chapter 36 · I’m already a lunaticChapter 37 · Can you stay by Qin Huai’s side for my sake?Chapter 38 · I’ll grant your requestChapter 39 · Not a pitiful littleChapter 40 · They Both should dieChapter 41 · I want to destroy the empire that Song Gucheng builtChapter 42 · Do you hate me too?Chapter 43 · No one should feel goodChapter 44 · He’ll definitely be the winner in the end!Chapter 45 · Acting is really tiringChapter 46 · I wanted that bastard to disappearChapter 47 · Ready made scapegoatChapter 48 · He’s willing to save themChapter 49 · I’ve come to catch up with youChapter 50 · You stole someone else’s placeChapter 51 · Shiyi, why won’t you save me…Chapter 52 · To make a good life is more importantChapter 53 · Even if you really cheated on me, it doesn’t matterChapter 54 · Finally, I can say goodbye to you completelyChapter 55 · Angel sent by heaven to save himChapter 56 · CEO Gu is a very affectionate personChapter 57 · If you love him, go to jail for himChapter 58 · His most beloved son wanted to kill himChapter 59 · Take good care of our dear fatherChapter 60 · Take back everything that truly belongs to meChapter 61 · He knew that Gu Ye would not let him downChapter 62 · The Song family’s shares must absolutely not be transferred to Song ShiyiChapter 63 · I am no one’s thingChapter 64 · He always knew what kind of person Song Qingwen was.Chapter 65 · FinalChapter 66 · Extra