Chapter 7: The Arrogant and Domineering Fake Young Master 07

Sunlight filtered through the gauze curtains, spilling softly along the edge of the bed and filling the room with warmth. Li Ye opened his eyes slowly, gave himself a moment to adjust, then used the remote to open the curtains. Beyond the glass, the sky was clean and clear, stretching endless and blue.

A fine weekend, indeed.

009’s eager voice piped up. “Host, you’re awake!”

Li Ye shuffled into his slippers, hair sticking up every which way from sleep.

009 waited patiently until its host had finished washing up before saying, “Host, you were right. After you left yesterday, Wang Shao really did go after Shen Ji!”

Li Ye made a casual “oh” and headed downstairs toward the kitchen.

009 had been holding it in all night, ready to report—but the host looked utterly unconcerned. It couldn’t help itself. “Host, aren’t you even curious what happened?”

Li Ye paused, then said mildly, “Wang Shao kicked a steel plate, didn’t he.”

009 was genuinely impressed.

How was the host so certain Wang Shao would go after Shen Ji? And that he’d know the outcome, too?

Wang Shao had brought several men to ambush Shen Ji! When 009 had gone to watch, its heart had been in its throat, terrified the Child of the Plane would actually get beaten to death…

Because this scene wasn’t in the book at all! Unwritten plot was always the biggest variable!

“And besides…” Li Ye’s expression was gentle. “With you keeping an eye out, I’m not worried.”

009 instantly felt like it had been injected with adrenaline. The host trusted it this much! It suddenly felt like a very useful system indeed!

Li Ye opened the fridge and looked inside. There were premade sandwiches. He heated one up, ate a simple breakfast, then drifted back upstairs.

009 asked curiously, “Host, why are you going back up?”

Li Ye shrugged. “Nap.”

009: “…”

…

Shen Ji sat in the classroom, distracted, glancing at his phone every so often.

These past few days, Li Ye summoned him constantly. No matter what he was doing—in class, eating—if he didn’t reply right away or show up immediately, the young man would fly into a rage. He was mercurial, temperamental, and had no shortage of ways to make life difficult.

Shen Ji had been walking on eggshells lately.

He hadn’t been physically harmed, but being ordered around, being humiliated like that… it did leave him feeling raw. The one mercy was that Li Ye paid whenever he was in a good mood. Over the past few days, the money had come in several installments. Combined with what he’d earned working and borrowed, he was close to covering the surgery costs.

Once he had it… he wouldn’t have to be at anyone’s mercy anymore.

And beyond selling his dignity for money, there was something else—something vague—that made Shen Ji uneasy on some instinctive level. He wanted to end this arrangement as soon as possible.

Gu Yu sat at the back of the classroom, frowning at Shen Ji.

Lately he was always late, always leaving early, always asking for leave—none of which he’d ever done before. Something was clearly wrong. She’d tentatively asked him a few times, but Shen Ji had shut her down every time, and that left her uneasy.

As class monitor, she felt it was her responsibility to look out for her classmates’ difficulties.

When class ended, Gu Yu quickened her pace and caught up with Shen Ji on the path outside the academic building. She looked at him squarely. “Are you really sure nothing’s wrong?”

Shen Ji said nothing.

He’d been deliberately avoiding Gu Yu lately, but it seemed he couldn’t dodge her after all. If Li Ye found out Gu Yu had been talking to him, who knew what fresh trouble that would bring? Shen Ji paused at the thought…

Since when had he started associating even a single conversation with Gu Yu with that person?

Shen Ji pushed the thought aside and looked at Gu Yu. He truly didn’t know what to say.

Gu Yu couldn’t control Li Ye. If he told her the truth, it would only make her blame herself, then go pick another fight with Li Ye, complicating everything further. And most importantly, some things… Shen Ji simply couldn’t bring himself to say aloud.

“I’m… fine,” he said slowly.

Gu Yu didn’t believe him at all and pressed further.

But then Shen Ji’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it. A message from Li Ye: “Come to Dazzling Blue Bar.”

He looked up at Gu Yu. “I have to go.”

…

Li Ye had passed a rather pleasant weekend—sleeping in, shopping with He Yaxin, eating out.

After all, He Yaxin was Xu Zhaochen’s biggest backer. Xu Zhaochen was always the good son around his mother.

After giving Shen Ji two days off, Li Ye started summoning him again.

Eight times out of ten that he was out raising hell, he’d call Shen Ji along.

009 watched its host make trouble for Shen Ji and couldn’t help but marvel—the host was really cut out to be a villain.

In the original book, Xu Zhaochen often had Shen Ji beaten, but Shen Ji never so much as changed expression under a beating. He was unmoved by Xu Zhaochen’s humiliations too—silent and stubborn as a rock, which often drove Xu Zhaochen into a humiliated rage, escalating the bullying.

But the host, though he seemed to do so little—just lofty, idle toying, a few light mocking words—could actually make Shen Ji’s expression shift, could leave him visibly flustered… From that angle, the host was on a whole different level from Xu Zhaochen.

He’d definitely offended Shen Ji beyond all forgiveness now.

And judging by the host’s leisurely, comfortable air lately, if you had to pick one word for it, it’d probably be… enjoying himself?

So much so that even 009 felt a little sorry for the Child of the Plane.

That day, Li Ye was drinking at the bar with his hangers-on, idly turning his glass. Xu Zhaochen’s persona was that of a playboy scion—he couldn’t cut these people off just yet. Teasing Shen Ji had become his only source of entertainment.

At that thought, Li Ye sent Shen Ji another message. He wondered idly—a model student like Shen Ji, had he ever even been to a bar?

Li Ye sat in the center of the group. His looks were striking and drew plenty of people who wanted to chat him up, but one look at the crowd around him and they all backed off. Clearly not people to mess with.

Wang Shao sat beside Li Ye and signaled a few underlings to sit on the outer ring, blocking off any interruptions.

Li Ye lounged against the sofa, legs crossed, looking down at the glass in his hand. The clear liquor refracted brilliant color under the neon lights, flecks of mint-green lime floating within. He took a small sip. The bartender here was skilled.

Shen Ji looked up at the bar’s sign to confirm he had the right place, then walked in.

The moment he stepped inside, a wall of noise hit him. The dim space reeked of alcohol, men and women writhing against each other… Shen Ji frowned in discomfort.

He threaded through the crowd, carefully avoiding physical contact with anyone.

One sweep of his gaze—

And he spotted Li Ye in a booth.

Shen Ji walked over.

Li Ye tilted his chin slightly, indicating the seat beside him.

On one side of Li Ye sat Wang Shao, on the other another underling. Ever since Shen Ji had shown his ruthless side, these lackeys had been wary of him—they kept their distance now. A seat opened up automatically.

Shen Ji walked over, expression calm, and sat. His sharp profile in the shadows looked deeper, more severe.

Li Ye’s gaze flicked to the drinks on the table—several untouched glasses. He’d ordered them for Shen Ji. “Drink.”

Shen Ji looked at the glasses and pressed his lips together, hesitating.

Li Ye said coolly, “You don’t drink?”

It wasn’t that Shen Ji couldn’t drink—he just didn’t like to. And he was afraid of losing control.

But after these past days, he’d come to understand Li Ye’s temperament. If he didn’t drink, there’d be some other method waiting for him. Better to just drink.

A flicker of struggle passed through Shen Ji’s eyes. He picked up the glass and drained it.

He didn’t recognize the liquor. It looked bright and colorful, like gorgeous gemstones and colored glass—beautiful, tempting. But it burned going down. He pressed a fist to his lips, forcing the cough back down, and only a muffled sound escaped.

A soft, pleased laugh sounded beside him.

Shen Ji glanced at the person next to him. His eyes darkened. His throat bobbed.

The young man looked like he’d been amused, and he was lovely when he smiled—just like that beautiful, tempting liquor. It looked wonderful. But the moment you touched it, it was like molten lava laced with poison, scalding you to the bone.

Shen Ji looked away.

He didn’t like drinking.

For someone like him, just living was hard enough—there was no room for indulgence. Alcohol offered only temporary numbness, nothing more. But now, Shen Ji suddenly thought…

Maybe it was better to be drunk.

Three glasses went down in a row. Shen Ji’s throat burned, and this time he couldn’t hold back the cough.

But his mind, unfortunately, stayed perfectly clear. He saw Li Ye lean in abruptly, one hand tilting his chin up. Deep in those dark pupils was a teasing smile, and his tone was cool. “Useless.”

Wang Shao’s expression had been sour ever since Shen Ji arrived. Now he finally couldn’t take it anymore. He shot to his feet and walked out.

Outside the bar, it was quiet.

Wang Shao pulled out a cigarette, but his hands were unsteady with anger and the lighter wouldn’t catch. His eyes were full of malice.

A sharp-eyed underling followed him out, carefully lit it for him, and asked, “Brother Shao, you’re not going back in?”

Wang Shao snapped, “What would I go back in for?”

As long as Shen Ji was there, Li Ye’s attention was all on him. He couldn’t see anyone else—probably hadn’t even noticed Wang Shao had left. Going back would just be asking for humiliation.

The underling didn’t like Shen Ji either, but he didn’t dare provoke him. He could only grumble, “Who knows what Young Master Xu is thinking, keeping that guy around. At this rate, Brother Shao, I’m afraid even you’ll be pushed down the ranks…”

Halfway through, he caught Wang Shao’s expression and shut up in terror.

Wang Shao stared at him darkly. “Young Master Xu is just playing with him. What do you know?”

The underling hurried to agree. “Exactly, exactly. Young Master Xu messes with him all day, never gives him a kind word—he’s definitely just playing around. Young Master Xu’s most trusted person has always been you, Brother Shao. What is that guy compared to you?”

Only then did Wang Shao’s expression ease a little. “Get lost. Stop bothering me.”

The underling bobbed and scraped and ran off.

Wang Shao drew a deep breath and let out a cold laugh.

He couldn’t do anything to Shen Ji himself—but that didn’t mean others couldn’t. Wasn’t Gu Yu awfully concerned about Shen Ji, terrified he’d get bullied?

If she knew about Shen Ji’s “predicament,” she wouldn’t just stand by, would she?

…

Shen Ji’s breath caught instantly. The alcohol had set his body burning—his abdomen felt like it held a fire.

The young man’s fingertips were cool, lightly scratching along his jaw, like teasing a cat or a dog. It was a frivolous gesture, and yet Shen Ji couldn’t help leaning in, wanting more…

It shouldn’t be like this.

Shen Ji drew a deep breath, lips pressed white. He abruptly turned his head away from Li Ye’s hand.

Li Ye chuckled softly.

His gaze rested on Shen Ji’s restrained profile, and he didn’t push further. He draped an arm along the back of the sofa, thoughtful. Shen Ji held his liquor well—better than he’d expected.

Shen Ji wasn’t looking at Li Ye anymore, but he could feel his presence. In the thick, suffocating space, a cool, sweet scent drifted faintly—impossible to ignore.

Shen Ji suddenly remembered that absurd dream again.

He was quite certain he didn’t like men—certainly couldn’t like this one. As a man, Shen Ji knew desire wasn’t necessarily tied to love. But even so, he didn’t want to admit that his dreams were full of this person. Didn’t want to accept that he could be so easily stirred, so easily sunk into baseless, twisted desire.

It was wrong.

Shen Ji suddenly wanted very much to leave. He looked at the remaining drinks, gritted his teeth, and picked up another.

He downed the last two glasses.

Shen Ji fought to steady his breathing, voice hoarse and strained. “Can I go now?”

Li Ye raised an eyebrow.

Before he could answer—

A startled female voice rang out.

“Shen Ji, you really are here!”

Gu Yu stood before them, barely concealed fury in her eyes. So her friend had been telling the truth!

She’d tried to question Shen Ji today without success and had been about to head home when a friend gossiped that she’d heard Shen Ji had been hanging around Xu Zhaochen lately—that someone had seen Xu Zhaochen threatening and bullying him. Did Gu Yu know anything about it?

Uneasy, Gu Yu had admitted she’d asked Shen Ji and he’d denied it. But her friend said that with Shen Ji’s temperament, he’d never say a word even if something were wrong—she should go see for herself. Then she gave Gu Yu the bar’s address, saying someone had just spotted Shen Ji there.

Remembering how Shen Ji had rushed off earlier, Gu Yu had come half-believing—and if Xu Zhaochen really was still giving Shen Ji trouble, this time she was going to tell his parents!

She hadn’t expected to actually find Shen Ji at a bar with Xu Zhaochen.

Gu Yu was furious. Clearly Xu Zhaochen hadn’t taken her words seriously at all. He was worse than she’d imagined—completely beyond saving!

Shen Ji hadn’t expected Gu Yu to show up. His expression stiffened.

Gu Yu took in his appearance and the glasses in front of him. He’d clearly been forced to drink! She rounded on Li Ye. “What is Shen Ji doing with you?”

Li Ye had been calm throughout. He didn’t even stand. Instead, he slung an arm around Shen Ji’s shoulders and gave Gu Yu a faint, curling smile. “We’re good friends. What’s wrong with having a drink together?”

He turned to Shen Ji, dark eyes deep, tone loaded with meaning. “Isn’t that right?”

Shen Ji was caught off guard by the arm around him—everything he wanted to escape descended on him all at once. When the young man turned his head, his lips nearly brushed Shen Ji’s cheek. Those full, shapely lips parted slightly, and Shen Ji could smell the lime-mint on his breath. The soft words landed by his ear like a feather brushing past, everything moving in slow motion, a faint tingling crawling up his spine… Shen Ji’s mind went blank for a moment.

But Gu Yu didn’t believe Li Ye for a second. How could Li Ye and Shen Ji possibly be friends? She said directly to Shen Ji, “You don’t have to be afraid of his threats.”

Gu Yu’s words snapped Shen Ji back.

Shen Ji looked at Li Ye.

The young man gazed back at him, eyes curved, smiling brightly. The fingers resting on his shoulder were pale and slender, the cool touch seeping through the thin fabric of his shirt. Those dark eyes held a kind of gravity that left him unable to break free.

Shen Ji’s throat bobbed. His lower belly tightened. After a long silence, he lowered his eyes and said hoarsely, “Yes.”

Li Ye smiled in satisfaction and turned to Gu Yu with a shrug. “Seems you lack a little trust in me.”

Gu Yu froze.

She’d been so sure Shen Ji was being threatened—a model student like him would never run around with Xu Zhaochen. But Shen Ji hadn’t denied Xu Zhaochen’s words… And the two of them really didn’t seem to be under any coercion.

Had she really misjudged the situation?

If Shen Ji was fine, then she’d wrongly accused Xu Zhaochen, and that left her feeling awkward…

Just as Gu Yu was caught between staying and leaving—

Li Ye raised an eyebrow at her, tone flippant. “Since you’re here, stay for a drink?”

Gu Yu’s face went cold. She turned and walked off. She really still couldn’t stand this guy.

Li Ye watched her retreating figure until he was sure she wouldn’t come back—then he abruptly let go of Shen Ji. His expression was one of disgust, as if he’d touched something filthy. “At least you know your place,” he said coolly.

Shen Ji stared at the person before him.

He’d always known exactly what Li Ye was. He’d never harbored any illusions, so he couldn’t be disappointed. What he truly hated was himself—right now, in this moment.

He knew this person was like poison. That getting close meant flesh rotting and bone eroding. And yet, beyond his control…

He was still bewitched.

The noise made his head buzz. The face before him was starting to blur. Shen Ji endured the discomfort, forced himself up with what strength he had, and said hoarsely, word by word, “Can I. Go. Now?”

He saw Li Ye nod. He let out a breath, turned, and headed for the door, his steps a little hurried.

Li Ye sat there and watched Shen Ji leave.

One step. Two. Three…

Thud.

Shen Ji’s body hit the floor hard. It drew looks from the bystanders—even Li Ye’s underlings jumped.

Only Li Ye remained calm and indifferent, looking down at Shen Ji.

Drinking that much and lasting this long was already beyond what he’d expected. Li Ye stood and walked over.

An underling asked tentatively, “What should we… do with him?”

Li Ye’s gaze skimmed Shen Ji’s profile. A face that striking—if he just left him here, someone would scoop him up for sure. He let out a soft laugh. “Find a hotel and dump him in a room.”

Consider it one of the few mercies he’d show the Child of the Plane.