Cheng Mingjiao had originally planned to schedule another detailed physical examination, but after returning alone to the large villa, all those symptoms completely disappeared.
Given that he had just had two vials of blood drawn, he decided not to put himself through any more trouble. He ordered a nourishing blood-building meal from a nearby hotel and moved his bedtime from 10:30 to 10:00.
At 10:01, His Majesty drifted off into a blissful slumber.
The next morning, he was woken by his alarm. When he checked his phone, he saw an invitation from Liang Xiao.
[Want to go camping at Lanlan Mountain this weekend?]
Lanlan Mountain was over two hours away from Phoenix City, with wild mountains and wild waters—not even a single five-star hotel in sight.
Cheng Mingjiao had no interest in roughing it and declined outright: Not going.
Liang Xiao, as if glued to his phone, replied instantly: Come on, it's just our family of three and Guo Fengnian. We haven't hung out in ages.
Cheng Mingjiao repeated two words: Not going.
Liang Xiao: Are you sure?
Cheng Mingjiao: Sure.
A few seconds later, Liang Xiao: Fine, then we won't go either.
Cheng Mingjiao slowly furrowed his brow.
He and Liang Xiao and Guo Fengnian had been close friends for years.
As an outstanding, steady, and exceptional success story, he had always known that his friends regarded him as their spiritual leader, wanting to do everything together with him. But seeing how clingy they were still annoyed him.
Fine.
He was always too lenient: I don't want to see outsiders.
Liang Xiao: We'll book the whole place.
Cheng Mingjiao: Acceptable.
Liang Xiao: I'll pick you up Saturday morning?
Cheng Mingjiao: No need, I have an assistant.
And so Zhang Xiyue was blessed with overtime.
Even though she knew that this kind of private gathering was a good opportunity to get closer to the male supporting character, sacrificing her weekend still made it hard for her to suppress her resentment.
Cheng Mingjiao, who had repeatedly reminded her not to be late, still hadn't come out. She sat alone in the car, head down, chatting in the "What Does His Majesty Want Now" group chat.
At this hour, everyone else was still asleep. Only Zhou Ce, who was resting in bed, was awake. Upon learning that she had to work today, he offered his sincere sympathy.
Zhou Ce: Hang in there, Xiyue. Get through these three months, and you'll succeed at anything you do afterward.
Zhang Xiyue stared at that message for a long time before asking: How do you usually deal with bad moods?
Zhou Ce: Curse at him a few times in the group, or check my bank balance.
Zhang Xiyue: …
Zhou Ce: You know, he pays way too much.
Zhang Xiyue: …
The chief assistant's base salary was 150,000, with a no-questions-asked expense allowance of 10,000. Overtime on weekdays was triple pay for under three hours, quintuple for over three hours, and on rest days it started at six times.
He really did pay a lot—the kind of "work a few more years and achieve financial freedom" a lot.
But it was useless for Zhang Xiyue.
To her, this world was never real, and the money in this world held little appeal.
As long as her basic needs were met and life was a bit more comfortable, that was enough for her now. As for the surplus, she didn't really care.
…The bonus she could bring back to the real world was a different story.
That was a real one hundred million. Even if she spent ten thousand a day, it would take over twenty years to burn through—and that wasn't even counting the massive returns that would keep generating while she spent.
She couldn't finish it. She simply couldn't finish it.
She would quit her job in the big city, return to her small county town, buy back the old house with a few hundred thousand, then split the rest among her friends—giving each a modest ten million—while keeping some for herself. They'd all lie flat together…
Cheng Mingjiao arrived late. Before he even got in the car, Zhang Xiyue poked her head out cheerfully: "Good morning, CEO Cheng! You look so handsome today!"
Cheng Mingjiao glanced down at himself. He had swapped his suit for a beige casual set, the soft fabric perfectly outlining his figure, and the two-centimeter-thick cushioned soles brought him to a full 191 centimeters.
He hadn't slicked his hair back today either; his bangs hung loosely over his brows, making him look handsome with a youthful air.
He really did look handsome—no wonder she couldn't contain herself and forgot her place, complimenting her boss in such a frivolous tone.
Cheng Mingjiao was about to graciously acknowledge it when Zhang Xiyue cheerfully pulled her head back inside.
She was in a good mood now and didn't want to hear His Majesty's nonsense.
The two set off late and didn't arrive at the Lanlan Mountain campsite until past ten in the morning.
Zhang Xiyue followed the navigation and drove into a remote parking lot. The moment the car came to a stop, Cheng Mingjiao got out.
"What a dump," he said with a look of disdain, already regretting his decision.
Zhang Xiyue's initial excitement had worn off, and her longing for rest surged back. Seeing his furrowed brow, she immediately prompted: "Want to head back?"
Go on.
Hurry up and say go back—we can still catch lunch and a nap.
Cheng Mingjiao slowly pressed his lips together, then after a long silence, said coolly: "Forget it."
With that, he turned and walked out.
Weekend retrieval failed. Zhang Xiyue followed.
A staff member along the way served as a guide, taking the initiative to lead them the moment they appeared.
The two followed behind, walking along a narrow winding path for ten minutes, making two or three turns before reaching the campsite.
Just as they appeared at the campsite entrance, a man with dyed yellow hair jumped out, enthusiastically spreading his arms wide toward Cheng Mingjiao.
The man: "Hug."
Cheng Mingjiao: "Scram."
The man: "Okay."
Zhang Xiyue: "…"
The man scrammed, then scrambled back, taking the initiative to strike up a conversation with Zhang Xiyue: "Hi, I'm Guo Fengnian, Mingjiao's friend."
"Hi, Zhang Xiyue."
Guo Fengnian grinned, about to speak when Cheng Mingjiao cut him off: "Don't call me Mingjiao, it's disgusting."
"Then what should I call you? Zhuangzhuang?" Guo Fengnian shot back.
Cheng Mingjiao stared at him expressionlessly.
Guo Fengnian immediately raised his hands in surrender: "Mingjiao, Cheng Mingjiao."
He'd originally wanted to make small talk with the new friend, but after being interrupted like that, Guo Fengnian forgot what he was going to say. He stayed quiet the whole way before remembering to ask: "Didn't you say you'd arrived ten minutes ago? Why did you only show up now?"
This was clearly directed at Cheng Mingjiao.
Cheng Mingjiao: "Went to park the car."
Guo Fengnian sucked in a cold breath: "You guys didn't park in Parking Lot No. 1, did you?"
Zhang Xiyue thought back—the parking lot they'd just been in did have a sign with a '1' on it.
"That's too far from the campsite, nobody usually goes there. Next time just drive straight to the campsite—you can park anywhere around here. When you head down the mountain, take the main road directly, no need to go through the parking lot," Guo Fengnian reminded them.
Zhang Xiyue glanced around, and sure enough, there were two luxury cars parked by the roadside.
Only two, at that.
Zhang Xiyue noticed that apart from the staff and those two cars, there was only their group here, and it dawned on her that today was a private booking.
Damn rich people.
Zhang Xiyue muttered inwardly, then nodded at Guo Fengnian.
Cheng Mingjiao, on the other hand, said bluntly: "There won't be a next time. I'm never coming to this godforsaken wilderness again."
"What won't happen again?" Liang Xiao emerged from a tent, catching the tail end of the conversation.
Guo Fengnian: "CEO Cheng says that after this camping trip ends, he's never coming back."
"Might not even make it to the end," Cheng Mingjiao said haughtily. "Maybe I'll leave in ten minutes, then ignore your calls for three days."
Guo Fengnian and Liang Xiao exchanged a look, then forcibly dragged him into the tent from both sides.
"Zhang Xiyue, are you just going to stand there?!" Cheng Mingjiao couldn't break free, venting his impotent rage at his employee.
Before Zhang Xiyue could say anything, Liang Xiao spoke up: "Have some shame, young master. It was one thing when you had Zhou Ce help you before, but Xiyue is a girl—you want her to fight for you?"
Cheng Mingjiao ignored him and kept giving orders to Zhang Xiyue: "Come quick, zap them! Electrocute them all!"
Zhang Xiyue: "…"
"What electrocute? She can generate electricity?" Guo Fengnian looked baffled.
Liang Xiao: "Even if she could, it wouldn't matter. Before she gets here, I'd knock you out cold."
Cheng Mingjiao finally shifted his gaze from Zhang Xiyue to Liang Xiao, using that handsome face of his to express contempt: "You?"
"What, you're the only one who works out?" Liang Xiao shot back.
Cheng Mingjiao: "I could punch you into the air with one hit."
Liang Xiao: "Before you even throw that punch, I'll jab the funny bone on your elbow first."
Guo Fengnian: "I'll jab the other arm."
Liang Xiao: "Break both your arms."
Guo Fengnian: "Cripple your martial arts."
Cheng Mingjiao: "…"
In the span of a verbal sparring match, the three disappeared into the tent.
The world fell silent.
Zhang Xiyue stood alone outside, at a loss for words.
"Don't worry about them, just enjoy yourself."
A cheerful voice came from behind. Zhang Xiyue turned around and met eyes with a plump girl with a low ponytail.
She paused, then looked down and saw the little girl she'd met a few days ago, clutching an old, worn teddy bear, hiding behind the girl with a curious look on her face.
"Hi, I'm Zhang Xiyue, Assistant Cheng's assistant," Zhang Xiyue introduced herself to the girl, then smiled and waved at the little girl. "Youyou, do you remember me?"
Liang Youyou nodded, then shyly hid away again.
The girl laughed heartily: "She really likes you. After meeting you at the hospital, she talked about you for ages."
"Yeah," Zhang Xiyue smiled too, eyes sparkling. "I know."
The girl comfortingly patted Liang Youyou, then proactively invited Zhang Xiyue: "I just brewed some fruit tea—want some?"
Having tea together on a first meeting made Zhang Xiyue a bit embarrassed.
She was about to decline when Cheng Mingjiao's irritated voice suddenly came from the tent: "Zhang Xiyue! Electrocute them!"
"…Let's go, let's go." Zhang Xiyue urged.
Five minutes later, Zhang Xiyue sat under a sun umbrella, gazing at the distant mountain peaks and gray mist, squinting her eyes in comfort.
"It looks like it's going to rain," she said.
The girl: "The forecast says rain tonight. Camping in the rain is really cozy, and our tents have good soundproofing, so it won't be too noisy."
The resentment of being forced into overtime had been completely offset by the beautiful scenery. In a great mood, Zhang Xiyue poured a cup of caffeine-free fruit tea for little Youyou.
Youyou had gotten over her shyness, chattering away like a little sparrow. Seeing her cup full, she didn't forget to push another small cup forward.
Zhang Xiyue poured another cup and solemnly presented it to the teddy bear.
Youyou was even happier seeing her friend being treated with such importance. She took a sip of her own tea first, then tapped the cup with her little bear, completing a small game of make-believe.
Zhang Xiyue set down the teapot and looked up to meet the woman's helpless gaze.
"She's been held twenty-four hours a day since she was born. Won't let anyone else take her." She mouthed silently.
Zhang Xiyue smiled and patted Youyou's head.
Children have their own world, and adults have their own socializing.
During their casual conversation, Zhang Xiyue learned that the woman's name was Wei Chengfang, Liang Xiao's wife. The two had married right after college graduation, and Youyou came a year later—an early-marriage success story in the eyes of their elders.
Cheng Mingjiao and Guo Fengnian were the same age, while Wei Chengfang and Liang Xiao were a few years older, but they'd all grown up together and been friends for many years.
Wei Chengfang was very talkative, and before she knew it, she'd shared quite a lot.
Zhang Xiyue listened while absentmindedly thinking—with Cheng Mingjiao's setup, he should at least be a devoted supporting male lead. How did he end up as a yandere with such limited screen time?
All you could say was that character determines fate.
She imagined Cheng Mingjiao being all tender and affectionate, and goosebumps rose on her skin. Then she thought about how he'd relentlessly pursue the female lead in the future…
If the emperor wants something, the emperor must have it.
If the emperor can't have it, the emperor will start causing trouble.
Well, that made much more sense.
Zhang Xiyue convinced herself, and the next second heard Wei Chengfang say that Guo Fengnian was a PhD candidate in engineering. She immediately looked up in surprise.
"Shocking, right? A lot of people are shocked," Wei Chengfang said calmly. "He may look stupid, brainless, and rebellious, but he really does have a good head on his shoulders."
Just as she finished speaking, Guo Fengnian crawled out of the tent.
"A Counterfeit might not be well-liked, but he's still the eldest son of the Chen family! Those bastards have some nerve!"
He cursed as he walked toward the camp entrance, his mop of yellow hair swaying.
Zhang Xiyue: "…"
What Counterfeit?
She looked toward the entrance in confusion. In the hazy air typical of an overcast day, a cold, pale young man stood there, one arm bent at an unnatural angle.
He was thin, as fragile as a sheet of paper, and against the backdrop of camp staff and mountain scenery, there was an indescribable air of loneliness about him.
Zhang Xiyue's heart stirred. She slowly stood up.
The next second, a healthy emperor appeared, blocking her view.
"Liang Xiao said that candy was given to you by Liang Youyou, not stolen." Cheng Mingjiao said coldly, exposing her lie.
Zhang Xiyue found him annoying. She leaned around him and looked at the young man again.
The Emperor: "?"