Zhu Xingyuan was a person of action—whatever he wanted to do, he would do immediately. When Wei Xicheng took on this character, he also brought some of the original character’s habits along with him.
Early the next morning, Wei Xicheng stood on the campus of Jingdu University. He didn’t go to class but instead headed straight toward the principal’s office.
The honorary principal of Jingdu University was a close friend of the Zhu family patriarch. Zhu Xingyuan had been deeply loved by the patriarch since childhood, and the old man had introduced him to many of his old friends.
Though Zhu Xingyuan acted like a little rascal in private, in front of these elderly gentlemen, he was extremely well-behaved. Even though the old men were aware of his small misdeeds, they often turned a blind eye, and sometimes even helped him cover them up.
Later, when the Zhu family faced trouble, these elderly gentlemen did their best to help. Unfortunately, their efforts were no match for the “protagonist’s halo.”
Wei Xicheng stood at the door, knocked twice casually, then stepped right in.
“Grandpa Lu, I came to see you. They said you were waiting for someone here.”
When the people inside saw the boy at the door, he had already turned around, saying, “Your guest has arrived, I’ll come back later!”
“Xingyuan, come in. It’s nothing important,” Lu Bosong laughed as he set down his teacup, then turned to the young man sitting on the sofa, impeccably dressed in a suit, saying, “This is a good time to introduce you both.”
Obediently, Wei Xicheng turned back, a trace of reluctance on his face. However, when he saw Qi Xiuyuan sitting there, he lowered his head and greeted him properly, “Hello, Uncle Qi.”
Qi Xiuyuan acknowledged him with a simple “Mm,” but his expression wasn’t too pleasant. He had been just about to make an offer to the young man when he was interrupted, and now he couldn’t bring it up again.
Lu Bosong looked at Zhu Xingyuan with a smile. He knew exactly what was on Qi Xiuyuan’s mind. Though he leaned towards the Zhu family, his position made it awkward to interrupt so openly. Now, with Zhu Xingyuan showing up at just the right moment, Lu found the boy even more pleasing—handsome, well-mannered, and adorable.
He pulled Zhu Xingyuan over to sit down and addressed the man sitting on the other side, Sheng Huasen, “Huasen, this is Xingyuan, the boy I told you about. Zhu Laotou’s grandson.”
“Hello, I’m Sheng Huasen.”
“Sheng Huasen from Shengshi Group in Country M?!”
Looking at the hand stretched out before him, with its particularly long and clean fingers, Wei Xicheng immediately felt a sense of goodwill. Besides, he was here to annoy Qi Xiuyuan anyway.
Without hesitation, he reached out to shake Sheng Huasen’s hand, scooting a little closer to him, and gazed up earnestly, saying, “Hello, hello. My name is Zhu Xingyuan, from the phrase ‘Hua Xing Qiu Yue, Yuan Ting Shan Li.'”
He acted like a little sycophant, but managed to strike just the right balance—expressing his admiration and respect without coming across as overbearing or obnoxious.
Wei Xicheng figured his performance was flawless, enough to make this big boss remember him while irritating Uncle Qi a little. But before he could even glance at Qi Xiuyuan’s face to savor the reaction, Sheng Huasen abruptly withdrew his hand.
The man who had been all smiles a moment ago suddenly shot up, his brows furrowing so tightly they could crush a mosquito.
Wei Xicheng quickly pulled back his arm, pretending as though nothing had happened, though he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Qi Xiuyuan could barely conceal his delight.
Feeling annoyed, Wei Xicheng thought to himself: Based on his analysis of Sheng Huasen, his behavior shouldn’t have crossed any lines or caused offense. He was confident about that. So, what exactly was going on here? What had triggered this reaction?
Lu Bosong was still somewhat taken aback by Sheng Huasen’s sudden outburst. He had known him for years and had never seen him act like this before.
Realizing his overreaction, Sheng Huasen rubbed his temple with a finger and turned to Lu Bosong and Wei Xicheng, apologizing, “I’m sorry, I just remembered something important. I lost my composure.”
After thinking for a moment, he turned to Wei Xicheng, who was now fiddling with his fingers, and added, “It wasn’t directed at you. I apologize.”
Wei Xicheng rolled his eyes silently and said nothing.
Lu Bosong assumed Sheng Huasen simply didn’t like Zhu Xingyuan and was making up an excuse, so he didn’t push further, smiling as he tried to smooth things over.
“If it’s something important, then you should—”
“It’s rare that I get to visit you, so I’ll stay a bit longer. It’s not something that needs to be dealt with immediately.”
Sheng Huasen calmly sat back down, lifting the cup of tea that he hadn’t yet sipped.
Lu Bosong patted Wei Xicheng on the head, still smiling. Not that important? You nearly gave the kid a heart attack with that sudden move!
Wei Xicheng took a small sip of water, then turned to ask Qi Xiuyuan, “Uncle Qi, what brings you to see Grandpa Lu?”
Qi Xiuyuan glanced at Sheng Huasen, who remained composed, and let out a couple of dry chuckles, “Oh, nothing much, just dropping by to check in…”
Sheng Huasen was now completely uninterested in the conversations around him. He had long forgotten about the offer he was about to extend to Qi Xiuyuan. Instead, his mind was spinning with confusion. Why had he felt that electric shock, that strange and exhilarating sensation, when he shook Zhu Xingyuan’s hand? It had sent a shiver through his whole body.
For a moment, all his usual composure and logic had vanished, replaced by an intense, primal urge deep within him—he wanted this person.
Thankfully, at the last second, he managed to suppress the impulse and pulled his hand away. The feeling disappeared, but what remained was a profound sense of loss.
This kind of emotion was seriously clouding his judgment and ability to think clearly, and that wasn’t a good sign.
Sheng Huasen lifted his eyes to glance at the boy, who was obliviously buttering up to Lu Bosong. It seemed this strange reaction only affected him. As for why… well, that would require some thorough investigation.
Zhu Xingyuan…
Wei Xicheng sensed Sheng Huasen’s gaze on him, and, annoyed, he turned his head to present the man with the back of his head. So frustrating, dealing with a protagonist who wouldn’t follow the script!
Despite his outward behavior, Wei Xicheng was fully aware of what was going on. If Sheng Huasen hadn’t left yet, it meant he had already taken note of the half-spoken offer Qi Xiuyuan had mentioned earlier.
The Zhu family’s business was a tempting prize, and Sheng Huasen, being a businessman, had no reason to refuse a deal that would be so favorable to him.
So, it looked like he couldn’t stop the cooperation just yet. With a sigh, Wei Xicheng realized he’d have to continue interacting with Sheng Huasen. He had initially thought he could block this deal from going through.
Even though Sheng Huasen had been rudely ignored, he wasn’t angry. In fact, he found himself oddly intrigued, thinking back to that moment of contact. He wanted to shake hands again, just to experience that sensation one more time.
Now, as he watched Zhu Xingyuan sighing and downing more water, Sheng Huasen couldn’t help but think he might have hurt the boy’s pride.
“Old Lu said you’re a student in the finance department.”
Sheng Huasen wasn’t very skilled at making small talk. Most of his conversations with Old Lu revolved around politics, history, and economic trends.
Now, his random remark left everyone in the room a bit puzzled.
Old Lu was confused. Had he ever told Sheng Huasen about that?
Qi Xiuyuan’s eyes shifted back and forth between Sheng Huasen and Wei Xicheng, narrowing slightly as if coming to some decision.
Wei Xicheng, though, simply nodded.
“As an apology, if you have any questions about your studies, you can come to my company and ask me.”
These words came out of Sheng Huasen’s mouth, and his thin lips pressed together in a calm expression.
Old Lu, no longer concerned about when he had mentioned anything about the boy’s major, quickly chimed in, “That’s a great opportunity for you! Young people should learn from successful mentors. If Huasen is offering to teach you, you should take advantage.”
It was no small offer. Anyone would jump at the chance to intern at Shengshi Group, let alone be personally taught by its head.
Wei Xicheng glanced at Old Lu, and his expression said, “Well, since the old man already agreed, I guess I have no choice.”
The original Zhu Xingyuan had actually looked up to Sheng Huasen, knowing a great deal about him from magazines and news about his rise in the business world. Sheng Huasen was ambitious and capable, and Zhu Xingyuan had even idolized him—until Sheng Huasen bought out his family’s company before they ever had a chance to meet.
How tragic.
Wei Xicheng clicked his tongue. This was likely the reason the original host willingly made a trade with the system. Every parallel world seemed to be manipulated by someone, forced to follow a predetermined “script.” Even if the original host wouldn’t have done such things, he would still be compelled by the rules. If it weren’t for the original host abandoning that life, Wei Xicheng wouldn’t have been forced to take on the task and suffer.
Luckily, there was no more task now.
“Then I’ll contact you in a week,” Sheng Huasen said.
Huh???
Wei Xicheng had zoned out for a moment and didn’t quite catch what Sheng Huasen had said. His confused expression somehow lightened Sheng Huasen’s mood, which had been clouded by his earlier loss of control.
“What’s your phone number?” Sheng Huasen fixed his gaze on Zhu Xingyuan.
Zhu Xingyuan had very beautiful eyes; when they were open, they were bright, and the light shone in them, as if they sparkled with starlight.
This time, Wei Xicheng didn’t hesitate to share his contact information with Sheng Huasen, also including various social media accounts.
A melodious ringtone sounded and then hung up; Sheng Huasen nodded at his phone. “This is my contact information.”
“Okay.” Wei Xicheng’s demeanor changed to a casual indifference, leaning back on the sofa with his eyelids lowered, silent, as if the person who had anxiously poured out his contact information just moments ago was someone else entirely.
Sheng Huasen glanced at him, stood up, and said to Lu Bosong, “Old Lu, I’ll head back now. I just got back to the country, and there are many things waiting to be handled.”
“Ah, you go ahead, and be careful on the road,” Lu Bosong waved his hand and stood up with Qi Xiuyuan to see him off.
Only Wei Xicheng remained seated on the sofa, appearing disinterested.
At the moment Sheng Huasen was about to leave, he casually turned his head back and saw the young man, who had been sitting quietly, now stretching his neck to look this way.
The face that had long been devoid of smiles couldn’t help but curve into a grin the moment he turned away, but no one saw it.
Suddenly caught in the act, Wei Xicheng felt a bit embarrassed.
He was just observing how someone with Sheng Huasen’s personality and persona would act.
When he was still a student in the drama department, his teacher had once patted him on the shoulder and said that his performances were perfect, but they always lacked a certain flair. Once he found that feeling, he would no longer be the “most promising” new star actor but would conservatively be estimated as the “most capable” actor in the last decade.
Although Wei Xicheng had scoffed at that back then, believing that his acting was unrivaled, as he traversed more worlds, he realized that his acting wasn’t flawless.
What the teacher described as perfection was, in fact, overestimating him. Only when he immersed himself in a role and viewed the people and events around him through the character’s perspective did he discover how completely different that was from performing with a dry script in the classroom.
It’s just a pity that he always lacked a bit of understanding when it came to the unique creature known as a domineering president.
So every time he encountered a domineering president in the worlds he traversed, he couldn’t help but observe.
However, the domineering presidents he had encountered in the past all seemed to lack the overwhelming presence of Sheng Huasen.
Wei Xicheng quietly labeled Sheng Huasen in his mind as his first research target.
