Wen Yue patted Wen Ming on the back from behind. “All right. You’re too tense.”
“Mm.” Wen Ming relaxed his muscles and only then realized that he had been holding on to Lan Xi for far too long.
He couldn’t help saying, “If I don’t hold him… he’ll run.”
“Where exactly can he run?” Wen Yue frowned, glancing at Wen Ming’s arm, which was trembling faintly from being held stiff for so long. “Are you planning to tie him to your waistband?”
Wen Ming laughed awkwardly and let go.
True.
What was there to be afraid of?
That Wen Lan would suddenly go over, pull off someone’s high heels, and steal them?
Wen Lan had certainly done plenty of ridiculous things before, but even he had never been that outrageous.
Once Wen Ming finished convincing himself and released him, Lan Xi immediately strode several steps away.
Wen Ming’s gaze unconsciously followed him.
“This is a good opportunity to see what results we’ve gotten from this period—whether he can actually be taught or whether he’s hopeless.” Wen Yue watched Lan Xi’s back as he spoke.
Lan Xi had a very clear objective.
He went straight to the buffet table.
Guests were still arriving one after another, and hardly anyone had begun touching the food yet. That gave Lan Xi plenty of opportunity to choose whatever he wanted, like a little mouse that had fallen into a rice barrel.
Fu Hui was far too familiar with that expression.
He could even remember Lan Xi sitting at the dining table in the villa, chewing cherry tomatoes one after another… That faint little chewing sound seemed to bore straight into his ears.
Fu Hui suppressed the thought, turned his face away, and simply stopped looking.
But Luo Yi had absolutely no tact. It wasn’t easy for him to get Fu Hui to sit down and drink tea with him, so he deliberately wanted a few of his disappointing children to show their faces in front of Fu Hui as well.
Luo Yi first brought up his eldest son. “That chip project he invested in before made him some money. Speaking of that, we really have you to thank…”
Back then, the Luo family’s eldest son had only just earned his finance degree and was already impatient to accomplish something. He accompanied Luo Yi to a dinner and mentioned wanting to get involved in a certain project run by a certain group. The project was extremely hot at the time.
Fu Hui had been seated in the place of honor. When he heard this, he said nothing and merely frowned faintly.
Luo Yi immediately became alert and, when he returned home, made his son abandon the idea. Sure enough, only a few months later, no one could have imagined that such a massive conglomerate would suddenly collapse, followed by revelations of falsified financial reports, failed performance guarantees, and more…
Luo Yi thought to himself that he really couldn’t blame everyone for analyzing every sentence Fu Hui spoke, every movement he made, and even every microexpression.
Everyone in Jing City’s upper circles wanted to use Fu Hui to read the direction of the broader winds.
Business was like that.
Sometimes success had little to do with whether you were actually capable.
Catch the right wind, and even a pig could fly.
But how was an ordinary person supposed to know where that wind would come from?
After Luo Yi rambled on about his eldest son and finished expressing his gratitude, he noticed that Fu Hui had no desire to chat and moved on to talking about his daughter.
His daughter was twenty-three this year and very beautiful. Of course, Luo Yi couldn’t simply come out and say that, so he could only circle around the subject and subtly try to jog Fu Hui’s memory.
Fu Hui had met his daughter before.
Fu Hui suddenly lifted his cup and asked, “President Luo, what tea did you use?”
The rest of Luo Yi’s words jammed in his throat. Fu Hui loved tea, and Luo Yi was skilled at preparing it. That was precisely why he had managed to invite Fu Hui here.
How could someone who loved tea possibly fail to recognize what he was drinking?
Fu Hui simply thought he was talking too much.
“Lushan Yunwu,” Luo Yi said dryly.
Elio’s Notes: Lushan Yunwu (庐山云雾), literally “Lushan Cloud and Mist,” is a renowned green tea traditionally produced around Mount Lu in Jiangxi Province.
The two began drinking tea in silence. After a while, Luo Yi started becoming restless. It’s so quiet. Completely dead silent. Doesn’t Mr. Fu ever get bored living like this?
Unable to restrain himself, Luo Yi spoke again and began talking about his younger son.
He thought that even being scolded by Mr. Fu would be better than this oppressive silence.
“My younger son isn’t nearly as steady as his brother. He earned two degrees overseas and immediately became so full of himself he practically forgot his own surname…”
Fu Hui didn’t scold him.
He merely said, “He really isn’t very steady.”
Luo Yi froze for a moment. Hearing something strange in his tone, he hurriedly followed Fu Hui’s gaze and discovered his son wandering near the buffet table with an arm slung around a young man’s shoulders, completely forgetting that he was supposed to be the guest of honor at this banquet. All he cared about was playing around with someone else, having entirely forgotten about entertaining the guests.
Luo Jin, the Luo family’s younger son, currently had his arm hooked around Lan Xi’s neck.
He caught Lan Xi completely off guard and made him stumble, sending the cake on his plate falling onto his clothes with a splat.
Lan Xi expressionlessly turned his head and stared at this extremely irritating person.
Luo Jin remained completely oblivious. “What’s going on with you? They said you fell out with Cui Ji. You don’t contact the others anymore either.”
Cui Ji.
Sounds like the name of a shop selling roasted snacks.
Elio’s Notes: Cui Ji’s name is 崔纪 (Cuī Jì), which sounds exactly like 崔记, literally something like “Cui’s,” a very common old-fashioned naming pattern for shops. That is why Lan Xi thinks the name sounds like a roasted-nut or snack shop.
Lan Xi raised his face slightly and thought for a moment before remembering that this seemed to be the name of the Young Master Cui who had brought the police after him.
“Why aren’t you talking?” Luo Jin asked in confusion.
His gaze dropped and caught sight of Lan Xi’s collarbone, where a little cream had landed.
Lan Xi: “Get lost.”
The corners of his lips turned downward. “My cake.”
Luo Jin laughed. “What’s wrong? All the cake here belongs to my family. Eat as much as you want.”
After saying that, he brought Lan Xi a fresh plate.
But Lan Xi pursed his lips. “Don’t want this flavor.”
He pointed at another one. “That.”
Luo Jin immediately bent down to replace it for him, but the arm draped over Lan Xi never moved away.
By now, it wasn’t only Fu Hui who had noticed.
Wen Yue and Wen Ming were both staring at Luo Jin from a corner as well.
Luo Jin remained utterly unaware and even teased him. “Since when did you start liking this ridiculously sugary stuff?”
Lan Xi ignored him, but Luo Jin was perfectly happy talking by himself. “I saw you come in clinging to your second brother’s arm just now. I almost didn’t recognize you. Have you lost your mind? You’re actually sucking up to him now?”
“Looking at my elder brother makes me want to puke. Fuck, this is supposed to be my welcome-home banquet, but he’s acting like the star of the show. Everyone keeps running over there to cozy up to him!”
“He just made some money investing. They’re practically treating him like Warren Buffett now.”
“I nearly died of boredom overseas these past two years… Now that I’m back, I’m going to build something of my own and show them! I already found a project. What do you think? Want in? You’re almost graduating, but you haven’t even touched your family business. Your two brothers keep you locked out way too tightly. You can’t keep going like this!”
Lan Xi finished a piece of cake, tossed the plate into Luo Jin’s hands, and said, “No money.”
Luo Jin caught the plate reflexively.
Only afterward did he realize that he had somehow ended up looking like a circus performer.
Then he finally remembered to be shocked. “How could you have no money? Your fucking allowance is bigger than mine, isn’t it?”
Lan Xi: “One thousand and one yuan a day.”
“…” Luo Jin looked at him sympathetically. “Wen Yue and the others put you under sanctions? It’s fine, though. Didn’t your mother leave you an inheritance? I’m telling you, I investigated this project carefully. It’s guaranteed to make money!”
Lan Xi rolled his eyes and moved a step away. “You talk too much.”
Luo Jin choked, but his overwhelming urge to complain won out once again. He reached out to hook an arm around Lan Xi once more and said irritably, “You know my elder brother’s investment was originally going to lose money? He just got lucky. At some banquet, he happened to run into Mr. Fu. The moment he mentioned the project he was planning to invest in, Mr. Fu gave a little scoff. That was how he realized he shouldn’t invest and avoided losing money.”
“Otherwise he would’ve lost everything right down to his underwear.”
“And now my dad thinks he’s so dependable…”
“He just rode on Mr. Fu’s tailwind!”
Luo Jin was not an illegitimate son.
But he was the child of President Luo’s second wife, while his elder brother was the child of the first wife.
Luo Jin felt that he and Wen Lan were in similar circumstances and therefore natural kindred spirits.
All he wanted was to join forces with him.
Luo Jin kept chasing after Lan Xi over and over again, refusing to leave him alone.
Watching from behind, Wen Ming was already beginning to want to go over and punch him twice.
“What kind of friends does he make every single day?”
But before Wen Ming could go over, Luo Yi’s secretary arrived first. “Young Master, President Luo is looking for you.”
Luo Jin immediately shut his mouth and looked around. “Where’s my dad?”
The secretary then looked at Lan Xi. “Would Young Master Wen like to come over for some tea too?”
Lan Xi was irritated to death.
He isn’t even a seraph. Why should I waste my time?
“No.”
As though he had anticipated that answer, the secretary said, “Everything outside is cold food. Would Young Master Wen like something hot instead? We have roast leg of lamb, cheese-baked shrimp…”
Lan Xi couldn’t find anything to wipe his hands with, so he casually pulled the pocket square out of Luo Jin’s breast pocket, wiped his hands, and handed it back.
“Let’s go,” he said cheerfully.
Luo Jin: “…” He complained, “Bro, you got it dirty. Now my whole outfit is ruined.”
But after saying that, he followed anyway.
Lan Xi walked in front while Luo Jin trailed behind.
Anyone who didn’t know better would have assumed Lan Xi was the host of today’s banquet.
The secretary led them through several twists and turns until they reached an extremely private room. Although the room was still on the ground floor, several tiers of steps surrounded it and raised it considerably higher, while a ring of curved glass around it created an ideal viewing angle.
Anyone sitting inside could clearly see everything outside.
But people outside could not clearly see inside.
The moment Lan Xi entered, he spotted Fu Hui.
There was no helping it.
The golden aura around Fu Hui was far too intense.
It practically hurt the eyes.
Lan Xi tilted his head and looked at him curiously. “You called me?”
Luo Yi froze and hurriedly said, “Sit down. I saw you chatting with Luo Jin, so I had my secretary invite you over too.”
It really had been Luo Yi who told the secretary to bring him.
In Wen Yue’s eyes, people like Cui Ji and Luo Jin were Wen Lan’s good-for-nothing friends.
In Luo Yi’s eyes, Wen Lan was equally one of his son’s good-for-nothing friends. He wasn’t at all pleased that Luo Jin associated with Wen Lan, so he had simply decided to call Wen Lan over and indirectly warn him a little.
But when Luo Yi instructed the secretary, Fu Hui suddenly said, “He won’t come.”
Fu Hui paused.
Then added, “Unless you tell him there’s hot food here.”
Luo Yi had been baffled, but instinctively followed Fu Hui’s instructions anyway.
And now Lan Xi was here.
Luo Yi became even more confused.
He couldn’t resist discreetly letting his gaze drift from Lan Xi to Fu Hui.
Wen Lan… knows Mr. Fu?
Oh.
There did seem to be some vague rumor circulating that the Wen family’s youngest son had offended Mr. Fu…
Luo Yi had never really believed it before.
As far as he was concerned, a brat like Wen Lan probably didn’t even have the opportunity to meet Mr. Fu.
Luo Yi suppressed his thoughts and said to his son, “Why aren’t you greeting Mr. Fu?”
Luo Jin was startled.
This was the first time he had ever met Fu Hui.
In the past, his elder brother had always been the one accompanying their father to various banquets.
“Hello, Mr. Fu.” Unable to conceal his excitement, Luo Jin hurriedly greeted him.
He felt as though his opportunity had finally arrived.
But when he cautiously raised his head and met Fu Hui’s eyes, Luo Jin involuntarily shuddered.
Maybe this is just the presence of someone at the very top, Luo Jin muttered inwardly.
Fu Hui scrutinized him for a moment, then looked away.
“Wipe it.” Fu Hui handed Lan Xi a tissue.
Lan Xi looked confused. But I already wiped my hands. Mm, then… He took the tissue and wiped his mouth.
“Your chest,” Fu Hui corrected.
Lan Xi looked down.
Only then did he notice the cream on his chest.
A little strawberry sauce still clung to the white cream.
Lan Xi wiped it away with his finger and immediately put the finger into his own mouth.
Fu Hui: “…”
Then Lan Xi clearly saw a vein twitch in Fu Hui’s neck.
Seeing that, Lan Xi secretly pressed his lips together in smug satisfaction.
Beside them, Luo Jin held his forehead. “Oh my God. Are Wen Yue and the others starving you at home?” He took his pocket square and went over to wipe Lan Xi, using a little too much force and immediately rubbing the skin on Lan Xi’s chest red.
As he continued wiping, Luo Jin gradually became distracted. He even felt as though something had come over him. He couldn’t pull his gaze away and only found himself wanting to make that patch of skin even redder…
Until a tremendous force suddenly seized his wrist.
Fu Hui’s tall figure stood in front of him, his shadow falling over Luo Jin and swallowing him whole. Luo Jin shuddered uncontrollably again as he heard Fu Hui’s neither-cold-nor-warm voice. “Are you planning to scrub three layers of skin off him?”
Luo Jin abruptly came back to himself. “No…”
Fu Hui turned his gaze toward Lan Xi.
Lan Xi blinked at him with considerable innocence.
An indescribable anger suddenly surged inside Fu Hui.
The image of the “mute girl” overlapped once again with the young man standing before him.
The dissonance was extreme.
So was the confusion.
Fu Hui had to admit it.
An obedient, innocent, pure “mute” had been capable of satisfying some of his desire for control, as well as certain particular tastes of his.
He also admitted that he inevitably possessed some of the common failings of people accustomed to power.
He couldn’t stand seeing Lan Xi display toward other people the same manner he had once displayed in front of Fu Hui.
Fu Hui scrutinized himself coldly.
He was unwilling to let himself lose control like this over something unknown.
He quickly reached a conclusion.
As long as Lan Xi stopped appearing within his sight, the corresponding memories would no longer be activated and reinforced over and over again.
“You two can take your time talking.” Fu Hui turned to Luo Yi.
Luo Yi immediately realized Fu Hui was leaving. Of course he was reluctant to let him go, but the atmosphere had become so strange that Luo Yi didn’t dare stop him. He could only answer, “All right.”
Lan Xi wasn’t in any hurry anymore. Without even turning to look at Fu Hui, he sat down and ordered, “I want cheese-baked shrimp. Extra cheese.”
The food was beginning to be served.
Fu Hui walked two steps away, then stopped with something almost like a laugh.
He still found it intolerable.
If he never saw Lan Xi again afterward, then fine.
But right now, Lan Xi was directly beneath his nose.
He had already seen him.
For someone with Fu Hui’s personality, if there was something he could not tolerate for even a single second, then he absolutely would not force himself to endure it. He demanded absolute, complete control and satisfaction.
Fu Hui beckoned his bodyguard closer and murmured a few words into his ear.
Before long, the cheese-baked lobster Lan Xi had ordered arrived.
Luo Yi watched him pick up his knife and fork and, for a moment, completely forgot how he had planned to indirectly persuade his son to stay away from bad company.
While he was still distracted, the door opened.
Fu Hui walked back in.
Luo Yi stood in surprise. “Mr. Fu…”
Fu Hui ignored everyone.
He usually appeared perfectly calm in front of other people, largely because there were simply so few things capable of genuinely interesting him. Perhaps that was another common failing among people who possessed too much.
But at this moment, he stopped in front of Lan Xi and, with a distinctly domineering air, tied a silk scarf around Lan Xi’s neck.
The scarf completely covered Lan Xi’s neck, collarbones, and a small patch of exposed skin across his chest.
The room instantly became deathly quiet.
Even Luo Yi stopped breathing.
“Take your time eating.”
Fu Hui’s mood improved somewhat.
Lan Xi slowly raised his eyes and met Fu Hui’s gaze.
His own mood improved considerably too.
Suddenly, he had a new and absolutely brilliant idea!
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