Chapter 35: Brown Eyes (9)

“I won’t be back for dinner today.” Shen Qiuxun threw on a jacket, ready to head out. After last night’s events, he needed to get away and clear his head.

Inside the room, Fu Mingchuan, dressed in a pink apron like the perfect househusband, was clearing the table. He looked up toward the door, his expression uneasy. “May I ask… was there something about my cooking that didn’t suit your taste?”

“No. A friend’s treating me to a meal.” Ignoring the rich display of emotion on Fu Mingchuan’s face, Shen Qiuxun shut the door with a cold click.

Silence descended after the door closed.

Fu Mingchuan carried the dishes to the kitchen counter, and his expression suddenly turned dark. A friend?

That male friend who came to find Shen Qiuxun at his home last time?

Treating him to a meal? What an excellent scheme.

He couldn’t help imagining the scene: the two of them sitting across from each other, sharing a dinner. That bastard’s eyes wouldn’t leave Shen Qiuxun for a second… and he hadn’t even seen for himself what Shen Qiuxun looked like while eating.

Fu Mingchuan’s hand reached up to his own eyes. His normally gentle, refined features twisted with a savage fury. He jabbed a knuckle into his eye socket, wishing he could just dig out those useless things.

The sound of a rice bowl overturning behind him snapped him out of it. Fu Mingchuan set down the dish, slowly turning around.

“Meow.”

It was Shen Qiuxun’s cat.

He let out a breath. The violence in his face dissipated in an instant, his brows softening into gentleness once more. No matter what, he was the one in Shen Qiuxun’s home now, wasn’t he?

After finishing his morning tasks, Shen Qiuxun met up with Xian Zeyang at the station.

Xian Zeyang was dressed in a sleek, shiny black leather jacket, his hair meticulously styled. His shock of bleached-blonde hair stuck up like a tidal wave. Silver accessories and leather shoes completed the extremely trendy look.

Shen Qiuxun, meanwhile, wore his usual, unchanging ensemble: black T-shirt and cargo pants. Not a single extra decoration. He’d turned countless heads on his way over.

Xian Zeyang rubbed his hands together and pulled a pair of black-frame glasses from his pocket—a very dull, bookish style. He offered them with both hands.

“Brother Shen, wear these.”

“?” Shen Qiuxun gave him a puzzled look.

“It’s, uh… for eye protection.” Xian Zeyang felt his heart flutter whenever he felt the other man’s gaze on him. Brother Shen should really cover up his face a bit, to avoid trouble when they went out.

Shen Qiuxun had never been to the Upper City District. He took the glasses and put them on. No prescription, very light, not too uncomfortable.

But…

Xian Zeyang eyed his face with hesitation. The effect hadn’t dimmed his beauty at all. If anything, the studious, easy-to-bully air he now exuded was somehow even more captivating. What the hell?

Two trains ran to the Upper City District daily. Rent was high there, beyond the reach of many, so they had to sacrifice commute time and rent in the Lower City District instead. The fare was cheap. Passing through a lush stretch of greenery, the view suddenly opened up to a completely different world of towering skyscrapers and bustling prosperity.

The two of them sat side by side.

“Brother Shen, want a snack? I’ve got chips and crackers.”

“Brother Shen, want some water?”

“Brother Shen, when we’re walking later, try not to play with your Lightbrain the whole time.”

“Brother Shen…”

“Shut up.”

Xian Zeyang zipped his bag and shut his mouth, chastened.

Through the window glass, Shen Qiuxun gazed at the various aerial tracks and Flying Vehicles moving across the sky. Being among it all felt like being inside a gigantic, futuristic Holographic Game.

Xian Zeyang noticed the look of surprise and curiosity in his eyes. His heart softened instantly, bubbling over with just how adorable he found him.

He badly wanted to seize this precious time alone with him. His mouth opened and closed several times, but in the end, he found that just sitting there quietly together, being able to look at Brother Shen, wasn’t so bad after all.

Time flew. Xian Zeyang arrived at his stop first.

“Brother Shen, I get off at the next one. You remember to get off at Blue River Corridor Station. Don’t get it wrong. Call me if you need anything.”

Shen Qiuxun nodded.

Xian Zeyang stepped off the train, looking back with every step, until the train was completely out of sight, his gaze still lingering. He really was a little worried.

The closer they got to the City Center, the more vividly the dazzling glamour of the Upper City District played out. The carriage also grew emptier.

‘Could you really not just give me a rich-guy identity for a bit?’

[Not within permissions.]

‘Next time, give me an official badge, okay?’

[You’re already thinking about next time???]

‘Just a joke.’

He arrived at the destination. Shen Qiuxun opened his Lightbrain and followed the navigation to the hotel offering the buffet. He adjusted his glasses, marveling at the technological advancement of the Upper City District. The journey was uneventful. He arrived at the hotel, presented his Meal Voucher, and was led by a uniformed server to a table in the dining area.

Shen Qiuxun chose a seat in the corner.

It wasn’t a mealtime, so the dining room wasn’t crowded. On his way up, every guest he’d seen had been in suits and ties or dripping with old money.

He wondered how Xian Zeyang had managed to get this Meal Voucher. He should get one himself.

There was a short wait for the food to arrive. Shen Qiuxun opened his Lightbrain to browse the daily news. A report on the clinical trials of a newly developed Pheromone Serum caught his eye. He tapped it, and the first photo showed a red corporate logo that looked very familiar.

Seville Biotech Group.

‘Didn’t I see that logo at the hotel entrance too?’

[Seems like it.]

‘Is this hotel under the Seville Group?’

[The five tallest buildings you saw after you got off the train—all part of Seville.]

‘?’ Shen Qiuxun’s expression soured instantly.

[Actually…]

‘I hate rich guys.’

[.]

The dishes began arriving, one after another. A feast for the senses.

Braised Pork Belly with Osmanthus, Honeycomb Tripe, Steamed Phoenix Claws, Jellyfish Salad, Red Rice Rolls, Diced Chicken with Chilies…

In his heart, Shen Qiuxun kowtowed to Xian Zeyang.

Behind the screen panel diagonally behind him, two men were chatting. Shen Qiuxun ate his phoenix claws and listened in on the gossip.

“Do you think ‘The One’ will attend the Blue River Charity Banquet tomorrow?”

“It’s confirmed that the Eldest Young Master Xiang will be there. What about Young Master Jiang?”

“No solid info. I heard he went off to some remote little planet with The One recently. My boss tried every connection to find out their itinerary, but got nothing.”

“A nephew of mine works at a research lab that just had a breakthrough. He’s hoping for some luck at tomorrow’s Blue River Charity Banquet, maybe run into Eldest Young Master Xiang and get an introduction.”

“It’s strange, you know. The One has eyes and ears everywhere… how can he not find a single person after all this time?”

“Shh…” The man’s voice dropped. “You have a death wish? Remember that young guy from Shengdi Communications? He took a risky, unconventional approach. Pretended he knew news about that person, managed to get The One’s attention. In the end? Got nothing out of it, and then the guy just… vanished.”

“You think maybe this person is fake? Maybe The One is using the search as an excuse to expand his sphere of influence?”

Shen Qiuxun listened to their riddles but, until the very end, couldn’t figure out who “The One” was supposed to be.

He finished his first round of dishes and ordered a second. While waiting, a man suddenly sat down opposite him.

He had deep-set features and a strong jawline, with peach-blossom eyes that overflowed with flirtatious charm. A flashy golden necklace with a wheel-shaped pendant hung around his neck. The most striking feature was his head of fiery red hair, sticking up like a blaze.

When Fang Jingyue passed through the VIP passage, his gaze happened to fall on that corner, on the outsider who was clearly from the Lower City District, decked out in flea-market clothes, completely out of place with the hotel’s ambiance.

He found himself stopping without thinking.

The hotel’s buffet area followed a modern minimalist style, heavy on metal and glass. The decor emphasized cold, metallic lines to create a sleek, avant-garde atmosphere. The VIP passage reached the main dining area via a spiral staircase built against a massive, vertical wine cabinet.

Fang Jingyue had passed by this spot many times, had seen plenty of low-class social climbers, all dolled up and striking poses in the main hall, trying to hook a wealthy partner. He’d always dismissed them. But today… this one was perfectly to his taste.

Clean. Cool. Serene.

Like a pearl hidden within a shell, just waiting to be discovered.

When he formally sat down in front of him, it felt as though Cupid’s arrow had hit him square in the heart.

“Hello.”

Shen Qiuxun silently glanced at the sea of empty seats around them and gave the man a flat look.

Fang Jingyue leaned back in his chair and gave a rakish smile. “What’s your name?”

“Zhang San.” Shen Qiuxun popped a shrimp dumpling into his mouth, his cheeks puffing up adorably like a little squirrel.

“?” Fang Jingyue paused. He thought such a great beauty would have a better name than that.

It never crossed his mind that the beauty in front of him was lying through his teeth.

“How old are you? Ever been in a relationship?”

“Thirty. Had seven.”

“?” Fang Jingyue’s expression turned a little complicated. He scrutinized the beauty from head to toe and found… he was even more stunning.

How could he be so pale?

In the interstellar age, technology had skyrocketed, and human lifespans had nearly doubled. Thirty was the prime of life.

As for having seven relationships… wasn’t that perfectly normal for a great beauty? He only blamed himself for not having met him sooner!

“I have a banquet tomorrow. Would the beauty do me the honor of accompanying me?” Fang Jingyue flicked his hair, casually revealing the wristwatch worth tens of millions.

“?” Shen Qiuxun was demolishing a plate of taro-paste and pork-floss rolls at rapid speed. He looked at the red-haired man, baffled as to his goal. A banquet? Could it be the Blue River Charity Banquet those two guys were talking about?

“Not going.”

Fang Jingyue knew that beauties always had a bit of pride. “It’s okay, love has no need for inferiority. I will prepare everything for you.”

He had just laid it out clearly. The beauty must understand what he meant now: this was permission for the beauty to pursue him!

Pursue him. Seduce him. Sleep with him. Demand to marry him. Have his babies!

Fang Jingyue recognized the man as a Beta. A slight shame. But no matter, love would overcome all.

Shen Qiuxun finished off yet another bowl of mango pomelo sago. Feeling a bit full, he capped off the meal by ordering a fruit platter and lemon water.

This time, the server was far more deferential, giving a standard smile as he took the third menu slip away.

“Put his meal on my tab.” Fang Jingyue shifted to a different angle, one that better highlighted his chiseled jawline, and told the server with a flourish.

The server smiled and looked down at him. “Young Master Fang, hello. This gentleman used a free coupon redemption.”

“Free?” Fang Jingyue glanced at the sparse array of dishes on the table and rapped his knuckles on the tabletop. “Bring all your signature dishes for this young master here. I’m paying.”

“Right away.”

“Wait.” Shen Qiuxun was methodically wiping his mouth, the gesture somehow carrying an aloof and alluring grace. “I’m full.”

His eyes, pure black and so clean they seemed to contain no impurity at all, looked straight at him. Like a piece of black jade, washed for millennia beneath a thin sheet of ice, the contrast of stark white and deep black the only thing in them.

Young Master Fang had never seen beauty so simply perfect… yet so utterly devastating.

“Th-then…” He swallowed hard.