Chapter 2

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The most terrifying moment is when the air suddenly falls silent.

Xi Shi was blinded by desire, and in a feverish moment, he came up with this reckless plan—but he didn't regret it at all.

After all, this man was exactly to his taste. As that scumbag Shao Xun had said, missing out would be a lifelong regret.

He was only twenty-one. After the marriage with Shao Xun fell through, any new alliance would be at least a year or more away.

In the meantime, keeping a man on the side for fun wasn’t excessive.

He could break it off whenever he wanted, so it wouldn’t be like toying with someone’s feelings.

As for the allowance, the man was boarding at his uncle’s place, where the uncle ensured he maintained the dignity befitting a young master of the Xi family, though he wouldn’t give him too much money.

Fortunately, there was a warm ten-million check in his pocket.

Coincidentally, the man needed money, and he had a sudden fortune; what could be more serendipitous than that?

Using a scumbag’s wallet to keep a man on the side—how thrilling.

Only, this man didn’t look like the type to sell himself for money.

But now that he knew the man was short on cash, any weakness could be slowly exploited.

Upon hearing Xi Shi’s proposal, the man showed no trace of humiliation.

On the contrary, he seemed intrigued, a flicker of interest crossing his usually impassive face.

“So, how much are you planning to pay to keep me?”

Xi Shi, already thrilled at the thought the man might storm off in anger, quickly thought on his feet and offered a staggering figure that would be hard to refuse.

“Five hundred thousand a month. How about that?”

Since it wasn’t his own money, he didn’t mind splurging.

The man raised an eyebrow.

“Am I really worth that much?”

Xi Shi gave him a flirtatious smile. “Well, I may not be a paragon of beauty, but I’m not bad either. You won’t lose out.”

The man’s gaze swept over Xi Shi’s delicate features.

Saying “not bad” was clearly modest.

Before him stood a man with a face enviable even by women, sparkling, alluring eyes, a pure and clear aura—a stunning beauty brimming with spirit. No telling how many men and women had fallen at his well-tailored feet.

The man nodded approvingly. “I’m in.”

Xi Shi’s delight deepened.

There was hope! There was hope!

But rather than pressing the man for an immediate answer, Xi Shi beckoned him with a curl of his finger.

The man squinted slightly before moving to the car window.

Xi Shi slipped something into the breast pocket of the man’s shirt, tapped it twice, and said meaningfully, “Nine o’clock tonight at the Fenghesi Hotel. Give the name Mr. Xi. Don’t disappoint me.”

With that, Xi Shi rolled up the window, leaving no room for an instant refusal.

Though he appeared seasoned and confident, as soon as the window closed, he slumped back.

He released his grip on the steering wheel, which was soaked with the sweat from his palms.

His heart pounded like a drum, thumping incessantly.

Xi Shi exhaled deeply and couldn’t help but smile.

He had always played by the rules until now, but doing something this crazy felt exhilarating.

He just didn’t know if the man would come.

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If he didn’t, no matter—he already knew where the man worked. If the man accepted, that was Plan A; if not, Plan B would kick in.

—

Meanwhile, the man watched Xi Shi’s car leave the site, then took out the item Xi Shi had slipped into his pocket and couldn’t help but chuckle.

It was a solid gold leaf, heavy and weighty.

On its shiny golden surface were four characters: “I’ll support you.”

He took out his phone again and saw a message in the chat window: “The other party has recalled a message.”

Below it was a new message:

“Sorry, Mr. Huo, my bad! Sent to the wrong person!”

The man skimmed past this ridiculous misunderstanding and turned to walk inside.

Just as he reached the entrance, a group of workers wearing safety helmets approached.

The leader, in a white helmet, said, “Mr. Huo, as soon as we heard your car broke down, we sent people to pick you up. Didn’t expect to pick up an empty car—turns out you came on foot.”

The man responded with a faint “Hmm” and entered the site amid the crowd.

Unfortunately, Xi Shi didn’t see this.

He drove straight to the Fenghesi Hotel.

This was a first for Xi Shi—a big girl stepping onto the bridal sedan for the first time.

He recalled how the playboys he knew boasted about their conquests and immediately booked the penthouse suite on the top floor.

After a shower, he sat by the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the beautiful view and opened WeChat, which he hadn’t checked all afternoon.

Predictably, messages flooded in like a tide.

The liveliest was a group chat called “High Couture and Watermelon.”

This group was a gathering place for the playboys of Jiang City, aptly named for the endless juicy gossip it produced, even more exciting than entertainment headlines.

Xi Shi had been lurking there for almost two years, consuming gossip, and had finally become a producer of it himself.

[This gentleman looks familiar—he looks so much like your fiancé @WhyNotShootForTheStars]

“WhyNotShootForTheStars” was Xi Shi’s WeChat name; the message came with several pictures.

The first showed Shao Xun holding a huge bouquet of red roses, smiling at a handsome young man.

The second showed the man holding the bouquet Shao Xun had just carried, while Shao Xun reached out to stroke his head, eyes brimming with undeniable affection.

The third showed Shao Xun pulling the man’s suitcase, walking side by side through the airport.

The three photos were unbearably sweet, so perfect that even passerby dogs would bark “match made in heaven.”

[That’s not just “looks like,” that’s the real deal! This man is Wang Yang, Shao Xun’s first love.]

[Didn’t Wang Yang say he wouldn’t come back? It’s only been three years, and now he’s back?]

[Isn’t Shao Xun and Xi Shi’s wedding supposed to be at the end of the month? The invitation was even sent out. What’s going on?]

[(Covering mouth laughing) Just an old flame from three years ago. How can he compare to our Yanjing’s number one beauty, Xi Shi’s new flame? @WhyNotShootForTheStars, what do you say?]

[@WhyNotShootForTheStars stop lurking and come out with the air of the real queen! Tell everyone you’re doing fine and the wedding is on as planned.]

The Xi family’s status didn’t compare to the Shao family’s.

Xi Shi was orphaned, relying on his uncle’s influence and the engagement to Shao Xun.

Shao Xun was handsome and popular, so when their engagement was announced, many envied them.

Now seeing Shao Xun with another man, many were gleefully waiting to see Xi Shi humiliated.

Xi Shi dared not imagine how many would mock him when the engagement was officially called off.

Such an irresponsible scumbag deserved to be boiled alive!

Xi Shi was not one to suffer in silence; he was upset and refused to let Shao Xun have it easy.

He scrolled down to the latest message and saw another photo.

[Wow! Spotted the two male leads of the gossip dining at Silver for a candlelit dinner!]

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Xi Shi zoomed in on the candid photo—it was indeed Shao Xun and the man from the earlier pictures dining together.

The candlelight flickered as they chatted happily.

Silver was a famous French restaurant in Yanjing, a popular spot for couples.

This photo practically confirmed their rekindled romance, sending the group chat into a frenzy.

Many tagged Xi Shi, urging him to catch them in the act.

Xi Shi closed the group chat, skipping past some friends’ genuine or schadenfreude-filled greetings, and opened another conversation.

[Wake up, time to make money.]

The reply came almost instantly.

[I’m like a carp leaping straight into your presence, puppy eyes pleading: Money! Money!]

Shen Jin’s reply made Xi Shi smile.

Holding down the talk button, Xi Shi laid out his request and sent photos of Shao Xun and Wang Yang from the chat for identification.

The reply came: [No problem, leave it to me. I’ll handle it perfectly!]

Xi Shi waited eagerly for the show to begin.

Half an hour later, the person who posted the Silver dinner photos sent another message in the group.

[OMG, OMG, I just witnessed a performance that shocked my worldview about Shao Xun and Wang Yang! Haha, watch the video I’m sending!]

After a short delay, the video uploaded.

Xi Shi clicked it open to see a muscular man dressed in a flamboyant cropped vest and tight leather pants, carrying a feminine handbag.

He spoke with exaggerated hand gestures, both effeminate and flamboyant, painfully eye-catching.

He was standing boldly in front of Shao Xun and Wang Yang’s table, pointing at Shao Xun and yelling.

“You heartless bastard! Yesterday you were whispering sweet nothings to me in bed, and today you’re dining with this man. Didn’t you say you only like my type? What happened to men who are plain and boring?”

Shao Xun looked bewildered. “Bro, who are you? You’ve got the wrong guy.”

“You, you, you, Shao Xun, you scumbag! How many times have you slept with me, and now you pretend you don’t know me? If you don’t know me, your ass sure does!”

The crowd watching the scene gasped softly at the explosive statement.

Shao Xun’s face turned green. “Don’t talk nonsense. I don’t know you. Watch out, I’ll sue you for defamation.”

“Go ahead and sue! Better let the whole world know you slept with me and then denied it.”

Shao Xun trembled with anger. “You... you...”

“Speechless, right? Scumbag. I’m done with you. Hmph!”

The man stomped twice, made a flamboyant “hmph,” covered his eyes, and ran off, crying like a spoiled child.

Shao Xun was furious. “Don’t go! Explain yourself! I really don’t know you! Hey!”

The man ran swiftly, twisting his waist, and Shao Xun chased a few steps but couldn’t catch him.

He clicked his tongue and turned back to Wang Yang, explaining he didn’t know the man.

Xi Shi laughed so hard he rolled on the bed.

He just wanted someone to disgust Shao Xun a little, but the man took his job seriously—playing the role vividly, and even claiming to have slept with Shao Xun, which was hilariously absurd.

Silver’s seating was semi-open, so the entire restaurant had witnessed the farce.

He could only imagine how socially mortifying that was for Shao Xun.

Just as Xi Shi was laughing heartily at Shao Xun’s misfortune, the doorbell rang twice: “Ding dong, ding dong.”

Xi Shi froze.

He had instructed the hotel staff not to disturb him unless it was the very handsome gentleman he was expecting, so as not to disappoint him by thinking it was someone else.

So, whoever was ringing now was most likely that gentleman!