The large floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room were bright and spotless. The morning sunlight streamed through the glass, spilling golden hues onto the floor. The young man’s hair was still slightly damp, and a drop of water trembled before falling, sliding down his neck and disappearing into the depths of his collar.
“Ugh.”
He let out a muffled sound as if chilled by the sensation. His body shivered slightly, and his fingers reflexively scratched his collarbone, leaving two faint red marks.
This… didn’t look so good!
The two men quickly looked away at the same time. After two or three seconds, they returned to their original positions, pretending nothing had happened.
The young man himself remained oblivious. He sat down casually, opened his bowl of porridge, and took a small sip.
The greens balanced out the richness of the meat, and the rice was soft, flavorful, and delicious.
“Big brother.” The curly-haired man called out sweetly, tugging at the young man’s clothes with dissatisfaction, and said sarcastically, “This outfit is so ugly, so old-fashioned. How about I buy you some new clothes later?”
The young man glared at him. “Are you saying my taste is bad?”
Chu Zizhe: “…” Damn, why can’t I control my mouth?
“I took a closer look; the style is simple and elegant, the fabric soft. Actually… it’s, it’s pretty nice.” The curly-haired man reluctantly praised the rival’s belongings. “It’s just a bit too big and doesn’t quite suit you, so maybe we—” should change it.
Before he could finish his sentence, he noticed the young man’s expression becoming increasingly displeased.
Chu Zizhe panicked like a little puppy whose neck had been grabbed. He looked up at the young man with innocent green eyes and promptly shut up.
However…
If he wants to pick a fight, there’s always an excuse.
“Are you mocking me?”
“???”
Xia Yan stared at him. “Do you think I’m shorter than Zhao Wenxiu, not as fit as him?”
“I didn’t mean that.” Chu Zizhe hurriedly spoke up, saying many flattering things until the young man’s expression softened. He quietly breathed a sigh of relief and dared not make any more comments, obediently returning to his porridge.
Zhao Wenxiu, meanwhile, was mentally overloaded, his brain processing too much at once.
Everything had already been settled by the time he snapped out of it.
Seeing the curly-haired man shut down by the green tea persona of the young man, Zhao Wenxiu felt a smug sense of satisfaction and couldn’t help but smile slightly.
After thinking for a long time, the man started a conversation with some small talk. “You took a shower?”
“Yeah.” The young man swallowed a mouthful of porridge, licking the rice grains from his lips with his tongue. “I couldn’t stand the smell of alcohol on me. How much was this outfit? I’ll transfer the money to you via WeChat.”
“The clothes aren’t worth much, but…”
“But?”
The man put on a hesitant expression and sighed deeply under the young man’s curious gaze, then blatantly lied, “…These clothes were a birthday gift from my mother.”
“…”
Xia Yan’s hand trembled, and his mind began to collapse.
No way! What a coincidence!
“My parents live abroad most of the time, and they rarely come back to the country. This time, they personally gave me these clothes.” Zhao Wenxiu emphasized the word “personally.” “It’s a very precious gift.”
“…”
“But since you’ve worn them, there’s nothing I can do.”
Xia Yan lost his appetite, and even when Zhao Wenxiu called him “Yanyan,” he didn’t protest.
He really wanted to remove the clothes immediately and return them, but due to his character setting, he had to put on a calm face. “Oh, I’ll get them dry-cleaned and return them to you.”
“You’re quite busy with work. Wouldn’t it be too much trouble for you to personally make the trip?”
Xia Yan: “???” When did he say he would personally bring them back?
This protagonist gong… is acting a bit strange.
The young man’s gaze fell on Zhao Wenxiu’s face. His handsome features, the calm and cold demeanor, those steady and composed eyes… nothing seemed to have changed. Was he overthinking it?
Deliberately making him go through extra trouble… Xia Yan blinked, then suddenly had a revelation.
[I get it.]
System: [What?]
[Zhao Wenxiu is getting back at me. He’s intentionally putting me through this as payback.] Xia Yan analyzed to System 999. [The plot said that the protagonist gong felt sorry for the protagonist shou for being mistreated. Maybe he’s already fallen for him but doesn’t dare confess because of my presence.]
[That makes sense.]
This time… he’s avenging his beloved!
Xia Yan outwardly displayed an impatient attitude, reluctantly agreeing to Zhao Wenxiu’s request. However, in his heart, he was already planning to bring Tu Xi along when he returned the clothes, creating an opportunity for the two to meet.
—That is if Tu Xi was still willing to see him by then.
Unaware of what lay ahead, Zhao Wenxiu, eagerly anticipating a chance for a one-on-one meeting, quietly revealed a satisfied smile.
Strangely enough, although the task of being hated by the entire internet had been completed, and the ambiguous videos between him and Zhao Wenxiu were circulating everywhere, the cheating task remained untouched, as if it were completely stuck.
[System, is there really no bug in Task 3?]
System 999 also found it odd. [I’ll check again.]
Three minutes later.
[The higher-ups replied that there was no bug. The reason it hasn’t been completed yet is probably because…] The system’s cold, mechanical voice carried a hint of confusion. **[Tu Xi still believes in you.]
Xia Yan silently drank another sip of porridge, feeling immensely troubled inside.
Is there something wrong with Tu Xi’s brain?
—
Zhao Wenxiu waited until the young man finished his breakfast before bringing up the matter online.
“Have you been on Weibo today?”
Xia Yan nodded. He was sitting on the sofa, hugging a soft pillow. His body leaned slightly, causing his collar to naturally slide down to the right, revealing a small portion of his shoulder.
The internet was filled with curses, with countless people opposing him demanding he leave the entertainment industry.
But the young man didn’t care at all about others’ opinions. He lived in his own world, watching as countless people became infatuated with him, only to feel heartbreak and despair.
He was reckless and flamboyant, with an air of arrogance mixed with laziness.
It was… intoxicating.
Zhao Wenxiu rubbed his temples. The more this situation unfolded, the more he wanted to protect and let him remain forever innocent and willful. Just the thought of Xia Yan leaving the entertainment industry in disgrace inevitably brought a sense of disappointment and frustration, like a precious gem being left in the dust.
He must be going mad.
Zhao Wenxiu chuckled self-deprecatingly, then took out his laptop from the study and placed the official announcement he had drafted in front of the young man. “Take a look. If there’s anything you’re unhappy with, I can revise it.”
The young man leaned forward, his fingers moving the mouse.
The soft white light reflected on his face, casting a slight shadow beneath his thick, curled lashes.
His expression remained indifferent, with a hint of boredom.
It was as if the document before him wasn’t the key to his overnight redemption but just a dull work file.
The short one-thousand-word statement was sincere and concise, cleverly twisting the narrative. It turned Zhao Wenxiu’s attempt to use the young man for his own ends, helping his younger brother get over a hopeless love, into a tale of a wealthy heir deeply infatuated with a small celebrity, throwing away a billion dollars but still failing to win his heart.
The version of Xia Yan in the draft was portrayed as kind, passionate, and indifferent to wealth.
In short… completely different from the role he was currently playing!
Xia Yan appeared calm, but internally, he was panicking.
What’s going on with you, protagonist gong? Should we schedule an appointment with a neurologist for you and the protagonist shou? Shake your heads a bit and see if there’s water sloshing around in there.
The atmosphere was heavy with silence.
Zhao Wenxiu asked, “What do you think? Anything that needs adding?”
“I think it’s no good at all.” The young man irritably pursed his lips, tossing the mouse onto the coffee table with a light thud. The mouse rolled twice before falling to the spotless floor. He whipped his head around and demanded, “Why do we need to explain anything to them? If they don’t want to see me, they can just disconnect their internet and electricity.”
“Or better yet…” He curled his lips into a cold smile and casually suggested, “They could gouge out their eyes. That way, they wouldn’t see anything.”
The curly-haired man nodded frantically in agreement, eager to stir up more trouble. “Exactly! What could Xia Yan possibly have done wrong?”
Xia Yan gave him a look of approval.
The curly-haired man’s eyes lit up, finally finding a way to gain favor. He then showered the young man with flattery, insisting that anyone who didn’t like Xia Yan was just blind.
One praised, and the other listened. The two interacted in harmony.
Zhao Wenxiu rubbed his temples in frustration. He felt he had finally found the reason behind Xia Yan’s personality—no one had the heart to tell him when he was wrong.
He had always lived in a world where everyone adored him. If the moon’s light wasn’t bright enough, it must be because there weren’t enough stars to highlight its beauty.
All of his wrongdoings could be forgiven, so there was naturally no such thing as a mistake for him. No matter what he did, it had to be someone else’s fault if something went wrong.
If Zhao Wenxiu were more unscrupulous, he could easily follow the curly-haired man’s lead and unconditionally support Xia Yan’s actions. But spoiling a child is the same as harming them. Xia Yan had been in the entertainment industry for three years and hadn’t given up, which meant he genuinely liked being an actor.
Quitting now would be easy—a single Weibo post, a dropped call, and some compensation money, and it would all be over.
But what if Xia Yan regretted it later?
Trying to make a comeback in the industry wouldn’t be so simple. The infamy would follow him, and people would whisper behind his back.
Zhao Wenxiu couldn’t stand the thought of that.
He silently picked up the mouse, carefully reviewed the document again to ensure nothing was missing, and then spoke as calmly as possible. “If there are no issues, I’ll post this on Weibo later. Make sure you share it.”
“???”
The young man’s face visibly darkened. “Zhao Wenxiu, don’t meddle in my affairs.”
“If you don’t want to share it, then let your manager handle it… No, forget it. I’ll call your manager and discuss today’s events. You don’t need to worry about anything—just rest.”
“I said I don’t want your interference.” Xia Yan seemed infuriated, taking quick steps toward the laptop and grabbing it tightly, preventing him from operating it.
Zhao Wenxiu crossed his arms. “Do you want to smash it?”
“…”
“If smashing it will help you vent your anger, go ahead.” The man remained calm. “I’ve backed up everything on the computer, including the announcement.”
Xia Yan’s mouth twitched, internally donning a mask of despair.
Please, just let him fall!
