The severe ordeal Tao Wei endured did not cause many physical injuries, but it deeply humiliated him..
Although the Tao family tried their best to keep a lid on it, secrets have a way of leaking out. Within just a few days, the entire circle of second-generation elites in Suman knew the ‘glorious’ tale of how the Tao family’s eldest grandson had his pants pulled down, was strung up in a grove of trees, and got pricked with needles.
Naturally, no one could resist letting their imagination run wild with such sensational news.
Consequently, various versions of the incident began to circulate.
In the most common version, ‘pricked with needles’ was merely a euphemism; the truth was that Tao Wei had been sodomized.
Others claimed Tao Wei had gathered a group in the woods to do drugs. High out of his mind, he stripped naked and climbed a tree, only to get stuck and nearly trigger a call to the city fire department.
Some said he was engaging in BDSM, but his partner got carried away; by the time he was rescued, his backside looked like a pair of pincushions.
Then there was the most outlandish version—one that combined elements of all the others and even came with its own soundtrack.
It claimed that Tao Wei had taken a drug called ‘Golden Rhapsody’ and, in his high, hung himself from a tree to play ‘Italian Chandelier’ while loudly singing the national anthem of the Republic of Suman.
Pei Jiangchen: “…”
“You made that bit up, didn’t you?” Pei Jiangchen glanced at Lian Yi, who was sitting at the other end of the sofa, picking at his toes while reading a comic book. “Of all the songs you could have picked—why the hell did you have to go and desecrate the national anthem?”
“Tao Wei was the one who desecrated the anthem; what does that have to do with me?” Lian Yi put on a righteous air and began singing a verse from the song: “Brave soldiers, aim your bayonets at the bullseye. Neither gale nor giant wave can stop your advance! Ah—charge! Charge…”
Pei Jiangchen grabbed a plum, shoved it into Lian Yi’s mouth, and pinned him down on the sofa to give him a good thrashing.
The Lian family dominated the largest retail market in Suman and shared a long history of power and money dealings with the Pei family; the two clans were essentially family friends.
Pei Jiangchen and Lian Yi had maintained a subtle friendship since childhood—they were close confidants, yet there was a slight, inherent distinction in status and hierarchy between them.
Lian Yi was the life of the party among Pei Jiangchen’s friends, always full of quirky, offbeat ideas. His merchant like tact and humility allowed him to get along harmoniously with Pei Jiangchen—who carried the haughty air of a political dynasty—striking a perfect balance of neither servility nor arrogance.
As long as the bond between the Pei and Lian families remained unbroken, the two of them could likely rest easy knowing they would be lifelong friends.
“Alright, let’s talk business.” Lian Yi wriggled free from Pei Jiangchen’s grasp. “You really didn’t do it?”
Pei Jiangchen lounged lazily into the sofa. “If it had really been me, Tao Wei wouldn’t be out in the countryside feeding pigs right now; he’d be banging his head against the walls of a rehab center.”
At first, Pei Jiangchen had assumed Tao Wei simply wanted to beat Wen Shuyu up; it wasn’t until his second uncle summoned them both to the family estate for questioning that he learned of the existence of ‘Golden Rhapsody’ in the affair.
“Why didn’t that needle land right in Tao Wei’s asshole?” Pei Jiangchen smiled, his eyes cold, the malice in his words undisguised.
Lian Yi clicked his tongue and remarked with a sour note, “You really treat that little lackey of yours well.”
“What kind of jealousy is this?” Pei Jiangchen gave Lian Yi a light kick. “He’s going to be my chief administrator one day. I have to look out for him now so that, in the future, he’ll be fiercely loyal in guarding the household for me.”
“So, you’ve set your sights on him?” Lian Yi asked.
Pei Jiangchen remained silent, turning his gaze toward the view outside the floor to ceiling window.
Pei family security guards and domestic staff were busy loading vehicles. Wen Shuyu stood beside a stack of suitcases, a tablet in hand, methodically directing the loading process.
Dressed in a white shirt and black trousers with his hair cut in a neat, short style, Wen Shuyu looked much the same as when they had first met—save for the fact that his clothes were no longer uniforms, but high-end luxury brands.
The brilliant autumn sun pierced the clear blue sky, casting its light upon the young man’s lean, upright figure; the glow slid down his shoulders and back, tracing a graceful curve at his lower waist.
He remained understated and low key, blending quietly into the crowd. He never seemed to seek the spotlight, content instead to remain a steady shadow behind Pei Jiangchen.
It was only when one truly observed him that the composure and competence he exuded became captivating—a sight that was, in itself, a pleasure to behold.