TCFGBH Chapter 27

In the era of big data, it’s easy to uncover someone’s background.

Especially for this group of second-generation heirs who haven’t even tried to hide it—heirs of Huixin Zhai, inheritors of Youxuan Media, and the chief executive of Fengguang Machinery… from advanced research to meeting basic needs, every industry is covered.

Oh! And don’t forget the already well-rounded Zhao family.

Each of them is at the top of their respective industries, wealthy, attractive, and fit—belonging to the top 1% of society. But somehow, despite being this extraordinary group of people, they wouldn’t even dare to dream of pursuing Xia Yan?

How is it possible that they’re all acting like a bunch of humble, lovestruck followers?

【My god, I could never have imagined that a group of people like this would all be in love with one person.】

【Now I want to see Xia Yan in person.】

【One of the second-generation heirs said they’ve already reported it to the police, so it’s confirmed that Xia Yan was slandered. Whoever has a grudge against him must have had inside access to film what happened on Love Island. There’s really only one suspect.】

Fang Xihua.

A man who had been targeting Xia Yan from the very beginning.

Fang Xihua’s fans were quick to defend him, urging everyone to be cautious with their words to avoid a second wave of online attacks. They even posted a photo of Xia Yan and Fang Xihua six months ago to prove their relationship was fine.

The netizens, who had just been tricked into cursing out Xia Yan, were now busy deleting their comments. They were too embarrassed to continue criticizing him in case they were wrong again and ended up looking stupid.

Fang Xihua had been closely monitoring the situation online, and upon seeing this, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But when he came across the news of a second-generation heir reporting the incident to the police, his anxiety returned.

After hesitating for a long time, he opened a group chat and messaged a wealthy second-generation heir who had once sent him gifts: [Brother Xing, are you there? (Cat peeking emoji.)]

Xing Zheng replied quickly: [?]

[Did you see today’s Weibo news?]

[I did.]

Xing Zheng always responded concisely, and Fang Xihua was used to it by now. Unbothered, he continued: [The person spreading those rumors is so evil. Brother Xia has been scolded for so long because of them.]

[…] Xing Zheng replied with six dots. [You’re older than Yan Yan and still dare to call him ‘Brother’?]

“F*ck, idiot,” Fang Xihua muttered under his breath, but his fingers carefully sent a ‘crying cat’ emoji.

Xing Zheng: [If you have something to say, say it.]

[I heard the Zhao family reported it to the police. Any leads yet?]

[Does this involve you?]

[Yan Yan and I have always been good friends. Of course, I’m worried about him.]

[You think you’re worthy of calling him Yan Yan?]

“…”

Fang Xihua took a deep breath, veins popping on his forehead. What the hell is this? Brother Xia is off-limits, and now Yan Yan is too? Should he call him Xia Yan instead? That would make it sound so distant, so what would be the point of trying to get information?

“Dammit, no wonder you can’t win him over.”

Back then, among Xia Yan’s many suitors, Xing Zheng was the most devoted. He was practically at Xia Yan’s beck and call, even dragging himself out of bed in the freezing cold at 3 a.m. to deliver a midnight snack.

Using his status as Xia Yan’s “best” friend, Fang Xihua had managed to squeeze over ten million yuan in gifts out of this wealthy heir.

Unfortunately for him, Xia Yan had eventually sternly rejected Xing Zheng and refused to attend any parties where Xing was present. The other wealthy heirs all looked up to Xia Yan, so naturally, they began to exclude Xing Zheng.

—Of course, the parties Xia Yan didn’t attend still welcomed Xing Zheng.

Because of this precedent, the wealthy heirs, despite being desperate to get close to Xia Yan, held back, too afraid to confess for fear of following in Xing Zheng’s footsteps.

Fang Xihua only dared to approach Xing Zheng now because Xing had been excluded from Xia Yan’s inner circle and was no longer in the loop about their current situation.

[It was just a moment of panic. I misspoke.] Fang Xihua gritted his teeth and apologized.

[Afraid your dirty secrets will be exposed?]

?

Fang Xihua’s heart sank, but he still had to play dumb and act innocent.

[You were brave enough to slander Yan Yan before, and now you’re scared?]

[I didn’t. Brother Xing, what are you talking about? I don’t understand. Xia Yan and I have always been good friends. Is there some misunderstanding?]

[Stop pretending. You’ve always been jealous of Yan Yan. Do you think we didn’t notice?] Xing Zheng continued: [No one else would have slandered him. Do you really think your money is enough to keep the hired trolls from selling you out?]

[You used Xia Yan as an excuse to scam us out of a lot of money before. Out of respect for him, we didn’t bother to hold you accountable.]

That “him” was clearly referring to Xia Yan.

Fang Xihua clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm, and red blood began seeping under his nails. He wanted to smash his phone and scream for Xing Zheng to stop.

But in reality, he was as stiff as a statue, not daring even to blink.

The messages kept coming.

[And now you dare to turn around and slander Yan Yan? Get ready for a lawsuit. Millions of yuan—enough to keep you in jail for a decade.]

[This must be a misunderstanding.] Fang Xihua’s hands trembled as he typed.

[Fang Xihua, do you love Xia Yan?]

These few words felt like a curse, freezing the man in place.

[You’re jealous of him, but you also love him. You want to drag him down to your level, thinking that way, you can possess him. But even if Xia Yan became a beggar, he’s still not someone you can desire.]

[Your so-called love makes me sick.]

When Fang Xihua tried to send another message, he realized he had been blocked.

His hand fell limply, and the phone slipped from his fingers, crashing to the ground with a loud thud. The screen shattered, tiny shards of glass scattering across the floor, reflecting his life as it plunged into darkness.

Who wouldn’t love Xia Yan?

Even trash has the right to love someone.

However, his love for him couldn’t outweigh his obsession with money, power, and status. That tug of war led him to steal Xia Yan’s resources while deliberately flaunting himself in front of him.
Now… it’s all over.

No! Xia Yan, he could still beg Xia Yan. As long as Xia Yan was willing to forgive him, these people would naturally let him off the hook.

–

Xia Yan stared at the online commentary, feeling completely numb.

In his heart, he silently screamed, “…” Hey! Open your eyes and look closely; I just took intimate photos with a man! Why aren’t you bashing me for that?

The focus of the netizens began to shift.

Even the trending topics changed tone.

#Drinking and flirting but still a good boy#

#Pretending to be a playboy#

#Yanyan’s wife has sacrificed too much pretending to be the top#

#Wife spreading ambiguous photos to get hubby’s attention#

“…”

Xia Yan didn’t want to click on the trending topics anymore.

He was afraid he’d get so mad that he’d have a heart attack.

“Brother, are people online criticizing you?”

Although there was space on the couch, Curly refused to sit there. Instead, he, standing at 1.86 meters tall, sat pitifully on the floor, resting his head against the edge of the sofa, only five or six centimeters away from the young man’s legs, like a large dog begging for a hug.

His warm breath brushed against Xia Yan’s skin as he dodged slightly, feeling uncomfortable.

He shook his head, sulking. “No.”

Curly misinterpreted his meaning, his eyes lighting up. “Does that mean everyone is blessing us? They must have good taste—after all, you and I are a match made in heaven.”

“…What kind of messed-up morals are you talking about?”

Xia Yan glanced at him, grabbed a handful of Chu Zizhe’s fluffy curls with one hand, and casually tugged them aside. “Move! Don’t get so close to me.”

It was actually a very insulting gesture.

But the man wasn’t angry at all. Instead, he obediently followed the direction of the force. When the young man let go, he suddenly opened his mouth and bit the youth’s delicate middle finger.

The warmth of his mouth, with its humid heat, lightly brushed against the soft skin, and the tiger teeth grazed gently.

The youth visibly trembled.

Xia Yan quickly withdrew his finger, sticky threads lingering on the tip. His face flushed red, unsure if it was from embarrassment or anger, and his voice became unsteady.

“What are you doing?”

Curly smiled innocently. “Your finger is so pale. I couldn’t resist.”

“But you still shouldn’t—”

“Ah! My head hurts.” Chu Zizhe suddenly clutched his head. Out of the young man’s sight, he tugged his hair forcefully. A small tuft of hair lay in his palm when he released his hand. “You’re so strong. Am I going to go bald?”

“Ah…”

“I’m only nineteen. If I go bald, no one will want to marry me in the future. Boohoo.” The man rubbed his eyes and started fake-crying.

He cried so beautifully, with tears falling one by one, leaving trails on his fair face, making him look pitiful.

Xia Yan initially felt that he hadn’t used much strength, but seeing this, he couldn’t help but doubt himself. Had he accidentally used too much force without realizing it?

The incident where the man had sucked his finger was momentarily forgotten.

The other’s words led him along and began to comfort him. “You won’t. You have so much hair. Losing this little bit won’t make you bald.”

“Really?” Curly cupped his face. “But what if I do?”

“You won’t.”

Curly seemed to ignore his words. “But if I do, will you be my wife…?” Noticing the young man frowning, he quickly corrected himself. “Will you be my husband and let me be your wife?”

He didn’t care about such superficial titles.

Xia Yan rolled his eyes. “I have a boyfriend.”

Chu Zizhe, sounding entirely justified, replied, “Then just dump him.”

“…”

The youth realized that he was just being unreasonable. He laughed softly, brushing his fingers against the man’s face and smearing the sticky silver strands onto it. “Are you trying to tell me what to do?”

“Brother.”

“Shh!” He lifted the man’s chin. “I like quiet, obedient boys.”

Curly blinked and puckered his lips, falling silent, but his tongue sneakily darted out, trying to lick the young man’s thumb.

Xia Yan immediately let go. “…I can’t win against you. I give up.”

“Sorry to interrupt your flirting.” Zhao Wenxiu walked out of the study at some point, his fingers tapping twice against the wall. Though he smiled, there was no warmth in his eyes. “It’s getting late. Shouldn’t this little boy be heading home? Otherwise, your parents might come looking for you.”