Chapter 21 Part 2

Who had ever seen his sacrifices?

Their relationship had always been unequal.

He’d only detached when he couldn’t resist.

The more he resisted, the more violent it got—violence of status, class, spirit. So he’d gone along with Zhou Jinsheng, with Young Master Zhou Da whom no one dared cross. Thus, when Old Master Zhou threatened him to leave Zhou Jinsheng, he’d done so without hesitation.

Shen Yu thought they’d settled the score. Abroad, he’d heard plenty about the Zhou Corporation and always feared Zhou Jinsheng. But as he’d tentatively shifted his forces back to Shangjing without interference—

Zhou Jinsheng had probably forgotten.

That’s why he’d returned to Shangjing, only for things to spiral wildly in the opposite direction.

But Zhou Jinsheng was right—this contract was indeed the most beneficial for him.

Shen Yu strode over and sat across from the man. Under Zhou Jinsheng’s silent scrutiny, he picked up the contract from the desk and examined it carefully, eyes lowered.

Zhou Jinsheng shifted his gaze—and paused.

Shen Yu’s bare feet pressed into the fluffy beige carpet, the arches slightly raised, conveying a sense of strength, perfectly proportioned.

Faint blue veins traced the smooth lines of his insteps, toes neatly aligned, nails trimmed clean.

A shadow surged in Zhou Jinsheng’s eyes.

The contract was meticulously detailed, with clear rights and obligations—not at all like a joke. The compensation for Party B was generous enough to tempt anyone.

If only the other party weren’t a man.

Shen Yu’s eyes burned with envy; he wished he could take this contract back to the real world: 【If only some rich lady had taken a liking to my young, beautiful body and kept me as a boy toy back then.】

007: 【Host’s body is young and beautiful, but with mobility issues. Data shows rich ladies are unlikely to choose Host for keeping.】

Fantasy shattered, Shen Yu took a critical hit and slowly typed a period: 【。】

007 stirred emotions: 【Besides, then Host wouldn’t have met 007.】

Shen Yu replied honestly with a jab: 【Thanks, but I wasn’t that eager to meet you.】

007: 【……】

Knowing that there was no avoiding it, Shen Yu sighed inwardly and looked toward Zhou Jinsheng. The man had a broad and upright figure, exceptionally handsome features, and a powerful aura. The way he leaned back on the sofa exuded an air of absolute ownership—he was clearly not the type to submit to anyone.

Zhou Jinsheng wouldn’t submit to others? Then who would?

The answer was self-evident.

Shen Yu suddenly felt a chill on his butt and inwardly cursed this godforsaken world three hundred rounds.

He couldn’t help but shift his body slightly to change his sitting position. Under Zhou Jinsheng’s gaze, which felt almost tangible, he carefully chose his words before speaking. “The contract period is one year?”

Zhou Jinsheng nodded, his thoughts unreadable.

Shen Yu took a deep breath, placed the contract back on the table, and said in a negotiating tone, “One year is too long. How about three months?”

Hearing Shen Yu push his luck, Zhou Jinsheng narrowed his eyes slightly. He slowly draped his arm over the back of the sofa, his fingers tapping the leather in a rhythmic pattern that gave off an oppressive pressure.

A moment later, the man curved his lips and looked at Shen Yu with a leisurely posture. His smile held no warmth. “Shen Yu, I don’t know if it’s because you’re overly confident or because I’ve been too accommodating, but you seem to have completely failed to grasp one key fact.”

Shen Yu’s eyelid twitched. “What?”

“You—” Zhou Jinsheng paused. The crystal lights cast down, illuminating his sharply defined face and accentuating his distinct features, making him seem even more unapproachable.

The man’s voice had matured considerably compared to years ago, like the finest red wine brewed by a master vintner—rich, magnetic, and deepened with time, yet equally heavy and forceful.

Each clear word struck the heart like a heavy hammer. It sounded like sarcasm, but it was merely a straightforward statement of fact.

“Have no right to choose.”

Shen Yu fell silent.

It seemed that whether eight years ago or now, the atmosphere between them always plunged into sudden silence unexpectedly. But it had never been as oppressively stagnant as this moment.

The antagonist from eight years ago had been much easier to deal with—less intimidating presence, shallower thoughts.

In the face of their confrontation, Assistant Song nearby kept his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, not daring to glance their way.

007 snapped its fingers and made a suggestion: 【Seduce him.】

This wasn’t eight years ago. Zhou Jinsheng now controlled the Zhou Corporation, wielding immense power and influence. How many people had tried to curry favor with him by sending all sorts of stunning beauties, both openly and covertly? What kind of beautiful men had Zhou Jinsheng not seen?

Shen Yu expressed deep doubt: 【Are you sure it’ll work?】

007 had guided plenty of hosts before. In the tone of someone with experience, it affirmed: 【Definitely.】

After inwardly greeting Zhou Jinsheng’s ancestors eighteen generations over, Shen Yu suddenly stood up, took a deep breath, and walked step by step toward Zhou Jinsheng.

His shadow blocked the crystal lights, carrying a faint fresh scent like a soft black veil that slowly draped over the man on the sofa.

Zhou Jinsheng’s eyes rolled upward, silently looking at Shen Yu who had suddenly drawn near.

He quickly identified the source of the fragrance—it was the scent of the shower gel the young man always used, soaked into his skin day after day, emanating a very faint soap fragrance.

The scent hadn’t changed.

Zhou Jinsheng’s heart stirred.

Shen Yu bent slightly at the waist, instantly closing the distance between them. The light peeled away from their bodies as their scorching breaths mingled in that moment.

Zhou Jinsheng’s fingers paused on the sofa back. Beneath his thin eyelids, his eyes shifted, quietly observing Shen Yu’s movements—

Until Shen Yu reached out. His arm brushed past Zhou Jinsheng’s cheek as he grabbed the hand resting on the sofa back.

Zhou Jinsheng wore the Authority Ring on his finger, symbolizing the Zhou Corporation’s authority. Forged from glory, family, and power, the metal didn’t warm with body heat, so Shen Yu’s hand felt both cold steel and warm skin at once.

Zhou Jinsheng looked at him with probing eyes.

But that gaze wasn’t friendly at all. If looks could kill, Shen Yu had no doubt he’d be deader than dead.

Assistant Song tensed his back, shrinking into himself like a quail. He held his breath, doing his utmost to minimize his presence.

Shen Yu steadied himself, recalling some unpleasant past memories. The sea surged in from all sides layer by layer, bringing a suffocating sensation once more.

But it wasn’t because of that—definitely not fear of mission failure. Shen Yu didn’t know how to describe this feeling; it was deeper and more unknown, as if once he did this, everything would spiral into an unpredictable abyss.

Shen Yu took a deep breath inwardly and finally couldn’t hold back: 【What next? Fuck, I have no experience!】

007 was puzzled: 【Didn’t you have experience last time?】

Shen Yu was going crazy: 【That was just stripping in front of a camera! I have zero experience with this kind of interactive contact, and won’t this ruin my character setting?】

007: 【So far, Host, you’ve been playing the original character’s role perfectly.】

But whether before or after binding the System, Shen Yu had never had any similar experiences. Now the arrow was nocked and drawn, Zhou Jinsheng’s hand was in his grasp, their eyes locked—only then did Shen Yu belatedly realize he had no idea how to maximize the effect.

007 finally caught on.

No wonder—Shen Yu had always been strong-willed. Though a typical action-oriented adventurer, he was always reliable, so 007 had assumed its Host could handle anything. This had even frustrated it somewhat, since the System’s duty was to assist the Host.

Now, reading the rare plea for help from its Host, 007 instantly felt a sense of mission. The whole world brightened.

With a serious expression, 007 reassured: 【Don’t worry, Host. My historical data includes materials from previous Hosts. One of them was a famous heart-stealer from the Counterattack Division. I’m transmitting the video materials to you now.】

The mental exchange happened in an instant.

After receiving the video materials, Shen Yu fell silent. Torn between “Will this really work?” and “Can I even do this?”, he finally steeled himself.

Shen Yu knelt on one knee to Zhou Jinsheng’s right, his knee in white sleep pants sinking into the black leather sofa, trapping Zhou Jinsheng within the range of his body like prey in a pen.

Shen Yu’s body completely blocked the light, his cool, mountain-spring face emerging in view.

The overhead light enveloped the young man entirely. He lowered his thin eyelids, his ink-black lashes casting shadows on his pale skin, his sidelong gaze spilling down like fireflies.

Zhou Jinsheng’s movements halted.

Too close.

In the narrow space between these two adult male bodies, every breath caused their muscles to rise and fall against each other.

“Zhou Jinsheng, just three months.”

Ignoring the danger around him, Shen Yu lowered his waist and pressed closer to Zhou Jinsheng once more. The collar of his sleep shirt fell open with the movement.

Shen Yu’s shoulders were broad, propping up the sides of his sleep shirt. The open center revealed a large expanse of smooth, flowing white collarbone and neck.

Following the pale skin downward, his full pectorals resembled two slices of milky bread—soft yet resilient—dotted with flushed pink, flowing into lean, powerful muscles that tapered inward before vanishing into the depths.

Zhou Jinsheng’s eyes darkened, like twin deep vortices—or more accurately, abyssal deadlands where no one could survive.

Shen Yu didn’t notice Zhou Jinsheng’s gaze.

If he had, he never would have been so bold.

Shen Yu reached out, his distinctively jointed fingers grabbing the end of Zhou Jinsheng’s tie and yanking the man toward him harshly.

A faint breeze stirred, followed by the clock chiming one after another.

Shen Yu lowered his gaze, his lashes distinct root by root, his voice captivating:

“For these three months, play however you want.”

“I’ll go along with it to the end.”