Chapter 27: Gossip Goes Live Part 1

The Recognition Banquet proceeded smoothly under everyone’s concerted efforts, following Luo Shang’s wishes and Su Mingyao’s prior instructions to the letter.

With Su Bingyao watching over him, no one dared bother Luo Shang anymore. Sitting idly in his wheelchair, he soon grew bored.

The gazes of those around him—discreet as they imagined them to be—were all plain as day to Luo Shang. He didn’t mind most people, but a few were staring far too openly.

[Mom and Dad, Big Bro, plus Su Mingyao and Shen Changqing—these folks are eyeing me the most.]

The moment Luo Shang’s heart voice rang out, those named awkwardly averted their gazes.

Li Qingshu paused in her small talk with the other ladies. Su Tiancheng pretended to be swamped checking messages on his phone. Su Bingyao grabbed his wine glass and went off to toast the guests. Su Mingyao slipped away, claiming he needed the restroom, and didn’t reappear for a good while. As for Shen Changqing, he threw himself into schmoozing with the young heirs, smoothly inserting himself into a nearby circle. The group there twitched at the corners of their eyes: We’d been standing right next to you forever, Young Master Shen—you ignored us completely before, and now you suddenly join in?

[That’s normal enough. Your parents are fretting over you, your big bro’s looking out for you, Su Mingyao’s stepped into your shoes so naturally he’s keeping an eye on things, and Shen Changqing’s your fiancé in this world—glancing your way a few times isn’t too much… Hold on. Shen Changqing’s your fiancé in this world?]

The system paused for a beat, then repeated the last part, as if genuinely taken aback by the revelation.

[Uh, does Ke Yanjin know about that?]

[He’s the fiancé for now, but not in a few months.] Luo Shang replied. [Ke Yanjin doesn’t know the details of what I’m up to—he just knows I’m back to sort out Fate Line business.]

[So you’re two-timing right now,] the system observed.

Overhearing the system’s remark via Luo Shang’s heart voice, Li Qingshu faltered mid-sentence. She only snapped back when the other lady shot her a startled look, mumbling apologies even as undisguised shock flickered in her eyes.

Su Shang had found himself a boyfriend somewhere in the Reincarnation Space? And she was only learning about it now!

Li Qingshu had always been the controlling type. Her gut reaction was indignation: Don’t you remember you have a fiancé? How dare you go get a boyfriend! But a split second later, reality hit her—she no longer had the authority to lord it over Su Shang. He wasn’t someone she could rein in anymore.

Hold it together. Deep breaths. If Su Shang doesn’t bring it up, just pretend you never heard. He didn’t even tell us he’s dating someone… A bitter pang twisted in Li Qingshu’s chest.

Su Tiancheng mulled it over thoughtfully. A boyfriend, eh… Was the guy’s boyfriend another survivor grinding it out in the Reincarnation Space like him? That had to be where they met—no word of any boyfriends before this. And with a fiancé in the picture, what was this? Just fooling around?

But according to Su Shang’s heart voice, Shen Changqing wouldn’t be his fiancé in a few months. Why not? Did Su Shang dislike him and want out of the engagement?

Marriage was no trifling matter, especially a union between families like theirs. If he wanted to end it… well, he could. Su Tiancheng would make it happen, even if it meant risking bad blood with the Shen Family—as long as that’s what Su Shang wanted.

Li Qingshu wasn’t the only one itching to give herself a good slap. What had possessed her over a decade ago to arrange that engagement for him? If she’d pushed it onto Su Bingyao instead, none of this mess would exist!

Unaware that Li Qingshu was mentally shoving the engagement his way, Su Bingyao had his own worries: Was Su Shang’s boyfriend even human?

Of course—if Su Shang himself wasn’t quite human anymore, who knew what kind of creature his boyfriend might be? Something even more depraved and horrifying? A chill ran down Su Bingyao’s spine.

Su Mingyao knew Su Shang had no interest in Shen Changqing anymore and would break off the engagement if he stuck to the plot. Still, hearing Su Shang confirm it outright—that Shen Changqing wouldn’t be his fiancé in a few months—eased a knot in his chest.

After all, in his last life, he’d been married to Shen Changqing for years. There were feelings there, however faint.

Only back then, it had been him wresting Shen Changqing’s affections away from Su Shang—and winning. This time around, Su Shang was the one tossing him aside, no longer interested, practically gifting him over.

The thought left Su Mingyao with a tangle of emotions.

It made him feel like some kind of trash heap…

Wait—you have a boyfriend? Another boyfriend?!

Shen Changqing’s reaction hit harder than anyone else’s. The others took it in stride, but he was Su Shang’s actual fiancé.

Even before Su Shang had mutated into that monstrosity, Shen Changqing had wanted out of the engagement. He truly felt nothing for him.

But upon suddenly hearing this news, Shen Changqing was still filled with rage. He felt a green hat sprouting on his head, lush with verdant plants.

Our engagement hasn’t been annulled yet—I’m still your fiancé!

Originally, he had wanted to show his stance by being the first to abandon Su Shang. In the original plot, it was he who proposed breaking off the engagement, which had left him quite satisfied. He believed he held the upper hand in this clash. But now it seemed Su Shang had played a far more cunning game. The man had long since found himself a new boyfriend.

And from what that bizarre thing called the System had said, it even regarded that boyfriend as Su Shang’s official partner—the main consort—completely ignoring Shen Changqing, who had arrived first.

In his fury, Shen Changqing fumed for a moment. He wasn’t made of cotton, nor was he one to be trifled with easily. Unfortunately, the one he had provoked wasn’t cotton either, but something harder than iron—an unyielding slab of stainless steel. If he dared to kick back, the other side would crush him into mincemeat without hesitation.

What more was there for him to say in such a situation?

Better to say nothing at all!

Even if he held his tongue, Shen Changqing remained seething. This was a direct challenge to his masculine charms. What was so great about this new boyfriend of Su Shang’s? Where exactly did he outshine Shen Changqing?

Su Mingyao watched Shen Changqing’s outrage and increasingly felt like he was here to pick up trash.

Especially since, in this life, Su Shang wouldn’t let him off the hook so easily. He couldn’t even satisfy Su Shang’s desire to follow the plot… Thinking of this, Su Mingyao felt a twinge of exhaustion.

[If you’re going to morally condemn me for this, I suppose I could break up with one of them,] Luo Shang said.

[I can tell Ke Yanjin right now that I want to break up with him—and say it was your suggestion,] his Heart Voice carried a tone of delight.

[Please don’t do that!!] The System practically shrieked, startling everyone who could hear Luo Shang’s Heart Voice. They all felt as if their eardrums were about to burst.

Yet Luo Shang’s expression remained utterly calm, as if that glass-shattering scream hadn’t happened to him at all, but somewhere entirely irrelevant.

He truly was Superman now… Everyone thought to themselves. They had all been affected for at least an instant, their minds buzzing.

[I wasn’t morally condemning you. Though by the rules of your Native World, this might be considered immoral, in the Reincarnation Space, it’s nothing—perfectly normal behavior.]

Across the Myriad Worlds, any species could become a Player, and reproductive forms varied wildly between species. What ordinary folk saw as moral depravity might simply be another species’ natural way of life.

Having two boyfriends at once? That was nothing. With Luo Shang’s status, he could open a harem if he wanted, and countless men, women, and even non-human species would scramble to get close, seeking his protection. A mere scrap from a Senior Player like him was enough to benefit low-level Players endlessly. There were never short on people eager to latch onto his thigh.

Take the Peaches of Immortality in his hand, for instance. Eating one granted a lifespan equal to Heaven’s—binding one’s natural lifespan to that of their world. It was the ultimate life-extending treasure, hard currency in any trading hub.

[Please don’t joke around,] the System pleaded.

[I didn’t encourage you to break up with him! Whatever you do, don’t split with him!]

Ke Yanjin’s personality? Put in the best light, he was a master strategist, calculating every angle with flawless precision.

In the worst light, he was petty, nitpicking, grudge-holding, and vengeful to the extreme.

[You know what kind of being he is. If he finds out you even said something like wanting to break up because of me, he’ll rip out my core code and soak it in Abyss Magma for thousands of years!] The System said urgently.

Shen Changqing: ?!

Just for words like that, the culprit would be dunked in that ominously sounding Abyss Magma for millennia? Then what about him, as Su Shang’s actual fiancé? How would he die??

He swiftly shelved his lingering resentment toward Luo Shang for finding a boyfriend despite their engagement. He didn’t dare harbor any more ill will toward that boyfriend either. All he could think now was to hurry up and annul that engagement.

This urgency wasn’t born of disdain for Su Shang anymore—it was purely for the sake of his own life, health, and safety.

He really should have realized it sooner. Su Shang wasn’t even human. How could his boyfriend be anything easy to deal with?

If he didn’t break off the engagement soon, he wouldn’t sleep a wink at night. He was afraid that boyfriend might get impulsive and come kill him—and Su Shang definitely wouldn’t avenge him. Hell, standing by and laughing would be the best he could hope for!

[Yeah, I was just kidding earlier,] Luo Shang said, his smile unchanged.

[What is Shen Changqing even? Does he deserve to make me break up with Ke Yanjin?]

Although the core of that statement was essentially cursing him out and calling him some kind of freak, which left Shen Changqing a bit annoyed, he was still deeply relieved that Su Shang truly didn’t like him.