Delicate dishes were served one after another, making them look so appetizing that Wei Xicheng couldn’t help but crave them, though inwardly he was in agony.
He had just adjusted his body’s data over the past two days, refining his senses, so he couldn’t afford any further changes, which now posed a big problem.
From a distance, he eyed the little red chilies in the dish, his mouth involuntarily watering as if he could already taste the flavor. Luckily, Sheng Huasen didn’t like spicy food either, so there were some lighter dishes.
Noticing the odd expression on Wei Xicheng’s face, Sheng Huasen sensed something was wrong. “Don’t like it?”
“It’s fine, I’ll give it a try.” Wei Xicheng picked up a small piece of beef and put it in his mouth. His face instantly turned red, and he couldn’t close his mouth. With his tongue awkwardly sticking out, he mumbled, “Tasty.”
It was tasty, but way too spicy.
Sheng Huasen handed him the yogurt and pressed down on his hand. The smoothness of his young skin sent a sudden jolt through him, and he quickly let go. “Stop eating.”
He had already noticed that this little guy couldn’t handle spicy food at all.
Wei Xicheng panted, looking at the mapo tofu, twice-cooked pork, spicy fish, and husband-wife lung slices. These dishes without spice lacked flavor, but the spicy ones were too much for him to handle. Sichuan cuisine was his pain.
Sheng Huasen’s gaze deepened as the clueless young cub, with his flushed face, kept sticking out his tender little tongue, unwittingly tempting the lion, trying his best to show just how delicious he was.
“This one’s good,” Wei Xicheng said, picking up the yogurt and taking a sip, giving up on the obviously spicy dishes, and started commenting on the few that Sheng Huasen had ordered.
His voice interrupted Sheng Huasen’s thoughts. Sheng Huasen shook his head slightly, wondering what kind of nonsense he was just thinking.
This meal has brought them closer, and Wei Xicheng wiped his mouth with satisfaction.
“Do you know Qi Yilin?”
Sheng Huasen felt the name sounded familiar but wasn’t anyone particularly important.
“I don’t know.”
“That’s good.” Wei Xicheng put down the napkin, stood up from the table, and pulled out his chair.
“What’s good?” Sheng Huasen frowned. “I’ll see you off.”
Without answering his question, Wei Xicheng walked straight over to Sheng Huasen and gave him a friendly pat on his perfectly tailored suit.
“Thanks for the treat today. I’ll return the favor next time.”
“Alright.”
Seeing that Wei Xicheng wasn’t planning to leave immediately, Sheng Huasen relaxed his frown and, realizing his own odd behavior, quickly masked it, saying, “I’ll call the driver to take you back.”
————————————
Just as Wei Xicheng had said, Shengshi’s efficiency was astonishing. Within a few days, news about Shengshi Group entering the domestic market spread everywhere.
Even those unfamiliar with Shengshi were shocked by this company that dominated all the financial headlines. The local business giants were well-known, but this newly arrived company had the strength to directly compete with the three leading firms, winning a government contract right out of the gate. Its power was undeniable.
Shengshi’s industrial chain covered various sectors, interconnected and mutually reinforcing. Economists began to predict a restructuring of the domestic upper economic echelon, seeing it as a showdown between the established giants and this new force. They called this significant upheaval in the financial sector as the “Shengshi Event.”
Sitting in his office, Sheng Huasen couldn’t put his thoughts on documents in front of him.
His mind drifted back to a few days ago, after his meal at Fulouzhai. Once again, he had left the company executives waiting for a meeting. This unexpected move had surprised everyone, as it was the first time a meeting had been postponed from noon all the way to the evening. After all, Sheng Huasen was known for being extremely punctual with his time.
After sending off Zhu Xingyuan, Sheng Huasen wasn’t in the mood for the meeting, so he decided to make a video call to an old friend overseas.
Eric, a famous psychologist from the U.S., was an expert on human personality and behavior. After hearing Sheng Huasen’s explanation, the man in his fifties chuckled and tapped his desk.
“My dear Sheng, I can’t believe you’re experiencing this. But I must say, it’s not a serious problem—perhaps your little prey is just too tempting. You should consider falling in love. Yes, even if it was your first meeting, oh, you know there’s a saying in your country, ‘love at first sight.’ This doesn’t qualify as a major psychological issue.”
When Sheng Huasen seriously described the physiological reaction he felt, as if being electrocuted, the annoying old man on the other side laughed even louder, making Sheng Huasen want to hang up the phone immediately.
“Electrocuted? It’s true that people can experience such physiological reactions when excited,” Eric paused for a moment to think, “Was it very intense? Then maybe there are other reasons, but I assume you don’t have any feelings of disgust toward that person, do you?”
“If that’s the case, and you’re sure that the other party won’t cause you any real harm, why not try getting closer to them? Maybe you’ll find the answer…”
Sheng Huasen signed his name on the document, recalling the feeling from their first handshake. He was sure it wasn’t his imagination.
Though the intense physical reaction hadn’t occurred again, every time he saw Zhu Xingyuan, he couldn’t help but want to get closer. There was something special about him.
*Knock, knock.*
“Come in.” Sheng Huasen rubbed his brow. Recently, this bizarre situation had been occupying too much of his energy.
“Hey, it’s me.” Wei Xicheng poked his head through the door, noticing the man in the office looking a little tired. “Busy right now?”
“Not really, come in and have a seat. You’ll have to wait a little while.” Sheng Huasen’s gaze landed on the man in front of him—or rather, the young boy full of youthful energy. He had followed Eric’s advice and didn’t reject further contact with the boy.
He would never run away from small problems. That wasn’t his style.
“Alright.” Wei Xicheng closed the door and found the book he hadn’t finished reading on the shelf. He obediently sat on the couch, waiting for the busy man.
Today was the day Qi Yilin was making his first public appearance, and Wei Xicheng had invited Sheng Huasen to attend the banquet together.
Over the past few days, he had been in frequent contact with Sheng Huasen, and their relationship had become more comfortable. Wei Xicheng was satisfied with this dynamic. If they continued like this, it wouldn’t be long before he could learn the essence of being a “tycoon.” Plus, throughout their interactions, he could sense that Sheng Huasen had no ill intentions toward him.
There was no denying that Sheng Huasen, a winner in life, was an incredibly charming man. No matter what you talked about, as long as he was willing, he could have a conversation with you that made you feel completely at ease.
Given that, Wei Xicheng was happy to be friends with him—especially since this friend was not only his “learning target” but also Qi Yilin’s “golden finger.”
Wei Xicheng had initially thought that his relationship with Sheng Huasen would determine whether Sheng Huasen would help Qi’s company acquire Zhu’s. This would allow him to avoid dealing with Qi’s two brothers while still protecting Qi’s company. But unexpectedly, a few days ago, he saw the energy bar on his system interface. It was pitifully low, and wouldn’t even support his next time-travel.
With the system’s permissions now open, he easily found out how to obtain more energy.
The first way was just like before—completing tasks and supporting the “Heaven’s Chosen” to gain energy.
The second way was the complete opposite—suppressing the “Heaven’s Chosen” to acquire energy.
Giving up on time travel wasn’t an option. He had just gained his freedom and could now freely interpret roles in multiple real worlds. There was no way he would give that up easily.
Wei Xicheng didn’t hesitate for even a second before discarding the first option. He wasn’t particularly kind-hearted, and his relationship with the system was purely transactional, but since he had taken over the original owner’s body, he couldn’t bring himself to do something that despicable.
Since he was destined to go against the “Heaven’s Chosen,” he was curious to see just how far this “Heaven’s Chosen” could go without cannon fodder’s support and the golden finger’s protection.
In the quiet office, the sound of pages turning was quite distinct. Wei Xicheng was immersed in his own little world, unaware that every one of his movements was being observed by the man who seemed so busy.
He looked so good while reading seriously, Sheng Huasen thought to himself.
He recalled the day they first met—the same person, but back then, he was more aggressive. His mind replayed the scenes they had shared together afterward.
One memory in particular stood out: Zhu Xingyuan’s flushed face and hazy expression.
Suddenly, Sheng Huasen snapped out of it.
It wasn’t a hallucination. His brows furrowed with frustration. As long as Zhu Xingyuan was around, he couldn’t focus on his work at all. His whole mind would be fixated on the person sitting on the couch.
It was a strange feeling—one of desire yet unfulfilled. This sensation was unfamiliar and very abrupt. Sheng Huasen, a staunch atheist, found himself wondering if someone had cast some sort of psychological spell on him.
After every interaction with Zhu Xingyuan, Sheng Huasen would document what they did together and his internal thoughts, sending it all to Eric for review.
Eric, that guy, was a professional psychologist, but he never missed a chance to mock Sheng Huasen while offering suggestions.
This left Sheng Huasen in a perpetually bad mood. Later, he noticed that in the reports he sent to Eric, the descriptions of Zhu Xingyuan were gradually decreasing, while his own internal monologues were becoming more prominent.
These changes were so noticeable that even he could tell.
Sheng Huasen sighed, clicked the pen cap back in place, and straightened his tie.
“All done?” Wei Xicheng, who had unknowingly walked over to his side, stared at the piles of documents on the desk in amazement. “So much every time I come.”
“You’ll get used to it.” Sheng Huasen put on his coat. “Let’s go.”1— Author’s note: Updated every morning at 9:00~ Any updates at other times are just edits! Dear readers, I hope you take note~ PS: Maybe love comes too fast, like a tornado, but there’s always a reason for it. If you like it, please hit the favorite button! Leave a paw print if you have time! Hehe!
