Chapter 23 Part 1

Dawn broke, the wind rustling.

Faint light filtered through the uncovered glass window into the room. The man, covered only with a thin sheet over his waist and hips, lay prone on the snow-white large bed. His black hair was disheveled, and the hazy light enveloped his exposed pale skin like a thin mist.

His back muscles flowed beautifully. The spine line snaked downward like a ravine in a snowy plain, dipping to its deepest point at the small of his back in a sunken arc. The dimples indented, then rose along a slight curve where the hip line vanished into the white sheet.

If one ignored the red marks dotting his back, waist dimples, and inner thighs, this was undoubtedly an image worthy of aesthetic art.

007, who had just been forcibly logged off due to the Underage Protection System and emerged from the Little Black Room, beheld this utterly miserable scene.

Its gaze landed uncertainly on Shen Yu’s sheet-covered waist and hips. It blinked hesitantly. 【Host?】

It had guided hosts across so many divisions—Total Gong Division, Counterattack Division, Female Gong Division… without exception, all dominant tops. Could it be this time…?

Shen Yu’s head was buried in the pillow, his black hair messy, his neck snow-white with few marks.

A muffled voice emerged from the pillow. “One piece of good news, one piece of bad news…”

007: 【What?】

Shen Yu: 【The bad news is, my hand isn’t clean anymore.】

007: 【Ah?】

Shen Yu: 【The good news is, my foot is still clean!】

007’s gaze drifted to the arch of his foot, its sight sharpening.

…Who would’ve thought.

After some internal struggle, Shen Yu opened his eyes and slowly sat up in bed. The thin sheet slid off his body like satin, fully revealing the man’s beautiful form.

Yes, beautiful.

Beautiful was the only fitting word for this naked body. His pecs were full yet soft, his abs sharply defined, veins prominent, waist and abdomen taut, legs long. The muscle lines were smooth and fluid, brimming with explosive power and strength.

Not a trace of excess pigmentation marred his skin; even his knees held a faint pink hue. Everywhere was white or pink.

Even faint kiss marks evoked a shocking sense of abusive beauty.

007 sneaked a glance downward—good, intact. False alarm. Its host hadn’t been topped.

Cough. Even if he had been—

Well, 007 wouldn’t have minded!

Like hell it wouldn’t!

Shen Yu sighed with utter world-weariness.

007 puzzled: 【What’s wrong, Host?】

Yesterday’s pajamas were unwearable. Shen Yu surveyed the walk-in closet. Every garment was brand new, neatly arrayed in compartments, no tags—all custom pieces from Zhou Corporation’s private design studio.

He casually pulled out a black knit thick-thread sweater and slipped it on. It wasn’t his size, a touch loose.

But he and Zhou Jinsheng were of similar height, so it fit perfectly.

The thought of Zhou Jinsheng brought a flood of steamy, censored memories surging into his mind.

Shen Yu tugged on the sweater, grabbed a pair of pants, and bent to pull them on. His eyes narrowed. 【I… actually got off on a man? Does that mean I’m not straight?】

007 comforted: 【Eyes open or shut, lights on or off—it’s all the same anyway.】

Shen Yu: 【…That makes zero sense.】

007 fell silent.

Shen Yu finished changing and headed downstairs. Zhou Jinsheng was gone.

As expected. Late last night, Zhou Jinsheng had gotten a call and left. The man was clearly swamped, yet somehow found time to target Shen Corporation.

Breakfast on the table was a lavish spread. Zhou Jinsheng himself skipped it but loved nagging others to eat.

The servants moved quietly about their tasks. Shen Yu had no idea how the butler trained them—they walked without a sound, never spoke first, and barely replied even when asked. The entire Zhou Mansion felt deserted, as if Shen Yu were alone.

After breakfast, the butler reappeared with a thick stack of documents and placed them on the table.

Shen Yu grabbed them and skimmed. They looked like transfer agreements. He glanced up. “What’s this?”

The butler explained patiently. “Sir said these are supplementary agreements.”

Shen Yu picked up the files. He meant to read them carefully, but the text was dense—bilingual versions stacking into a hefty pile.

Eyes widening, he forced himself through one: a fund transfer contract, no issues.

The rest? Who knew. The first might be bait for traps ahead. But Shen Yu figured he had nothing Zhou Jinsheng could want, so what was there to fear?

With that, he convinced himself to skip the headache-inducing fine print. He snatched a pen and scribbled his flamboyant signature across the rest in quick strokes.

At his actions, the ever-mild-mannered butler’s eyes flickered with surprise.

Shen Yu signed the final one, shoved the stack over with a flourish, and grinned. “All done.”

“Very good.”

The butler smiled politely and accepted with both hands. His gaze swept the top sheet—and froze.

The top one, Shen Yu’s last signature, was an island transfer agreement.

Once the butler departed, Shen Yu rubbed his aching wrist, ambled to the window, and flopped onto the beige sofa in corpse pose.

No gadgets in sight, he opted to lie flat and bask in the sunlight streaming through the glass. He loved the sun and sunbathing. Tree shadows shifted with the light, and he sprawled like grass growing wild under its rays.

Commonly known as boredom-induced grass growth.

Shen Yu mulled his main storyline to kick off the next phase. 【How’s He Qian’s movie coming along?】

007 shook its head. 【007 only has near-field detection permissions.】

Lying there wasn’t getting anywhere. He dragged himself off the sofa, headed upstairs to the bedroom—now spotless, courtesy of the servants. He searched and found several cameras, even one in the bathroom.

They weren’t well hidden. Zhou Jinsheng clearly wasn’t trying to conceal them—or rather, it was an overt warning.

Shen Yu cursed inwardly and dismantled several along the way. At the last one, he paused and stared into the lens. “Zhou Jinsheng, I know you’re watching.”

His voice echoed in the empty room, unanswered.

After a moment, Shen Yu adjusted his position to ensure the viewer got a clear shot.

His tone turned businesslike. “Zhou Jinsheng, I need to head back to Shen Corporation.”

In the feed, the youth’s fan-like lashes lifted as he tilted his handsome, beautiful face toward the camera.

The gaze traveled downward. His black sweater gaped open at the collar, baring exquisite shoulder and neck lines. Pale pecs teased through the knit gaps with each breath, while satin-smooth black hair draped over deep-set eyes. He looked pure and obedient.

Zhou Jinsheng narrowed his eyes, his pen tapping the negotiation table at irregular intervals.

The already tense atmosphere plunged into silence, heightening everyone’s unease. No one dared speak.

Across from him, the scarred man with a vicious face scowled fiercely and slammed a gun on the table with a “Bang!” His voice chilled. “Zhou Jinsheng, don’t refuse the toast and insist on the forfeit. You dove into the muck yourself to take down Old Master Zhou—now you wanna play white knight? Stay the hell out of casino business—”

Zhou Jinsheng lowered his lashes. At his words, the pen paused, striking the desk with a clear “Thud!”

The entire space seemed to hit pause.

Tension peaked. Everyone present shrank like quails.

A sweet voice sounded in his earpiece.

“Anyway, the contract’s signed now. You… cough, anything still bothering you?”

Shen Yu’s soft tone made even him want to slap himself. He took a deep breath to steady his churning emotions and asked 007: 【Can I swear?】

007: 【No, anything too harsh gets auto-blocked by 007.】

【…Guess I’ve got nothing else to say.】

But the ploy worked wonders. Zhou Jinsheng surprisingly bought it. Soon, a knock sounded.

With 007’s help, Shen Yu swiftly dismantled the bedroom’s last camera. He tossed the device onto the cabinet and opened the door.

The elderly butler appeared once more, his face breaking into an amiable smile at the sight of Shen Yu.

Subtle scrutiny flickered in the butler’s eyes as he handed over an item.

“Mr. Zhou asked me to give this to you.”

Shen Yu glanced down. It was his phone.

A shiny new car key rested atop it.

Shen Yu accepted them.

The butler smiled. “Mr. Zhou said your curfew is ten at night. Don’t lose the key. Today, only this car’s plate number can get back onto Little Zhou Mountain.”

Shen Yu’s eyes turned. So Zhou Jinsheng wasn’t returning tonight?

The butler read his mind and offered a well-meaning reminder. “Things are chaotic outside lately. If possible, Mr. Shen, return to Zhou Mansion early.”

“Got it. Thanks.”

Shen Yu lowered his gaze and unlocked the phone.

The screen exploded with missed calls and texts.

He Qian had called over thirty times, bombarded with messages—he was genuinely worried about his sugar daddy’s fate.

Shen Yu called back. It connected instantly. “Little Shen CEO, is that you??” The voice brimmed with delight.

“It’s me. How’s the movie shoot?” Shen Yu cut to the chase, car key in hand as he headed to the garage. The silver-black sports car sat low to the ground, its color subdued but lines sleek and flashy—a true beauty on wheels.

Shen Yu’s eyes lit up. Men loved cars, and he was no exception.

He Qian, bursting with questions, got derailed and pivoted with a gleam. “I’ve got good news and bad news. Which first?”

The sports car’s handling was top-notch. Gripping the wheel, Shen Yu felt life had leveled up. He had little patience for chatting with those who’d never driven a luxury ride.

The silver-black sports car sped unimpeded out of Zhou Mansion, weaving through dense greenery as it descended Little Zhou Mountain.

Shen Yu chose wisely. “Good news first.”

“Good news is—the movie’s progressing great! Despite the online uproar, Yu Qi agreed to shoot and is signing the contract. Huai Shi confirmed too, and we pulled in a ton of investment. Little Shen CEO, we won’t have to scrape by tightening our belts anymore!”

【Task: Rescue Protagonist Gong He Qian’s Movie Crisis. Completion: 90%.】

With Shen Corporation’s funds flowing again and Huai Shi on board, issues should resolve smoothly. Why only 90%?

Shen Yu tapped the phone’s edge thoughtfully. “And the bad news?”

“Cough—”

He Qian paused. Beside him, Huai Shi winked frantically, urging with his eyes.

He Qian gripped the phone solemnly. “Huai Shi and I hit a plot snag. He wants me to add back a role I cut before, or he’ll pull his funding!”

Pull funding?

That wouldn’t do.

Shen Yu arched a brow. “What role? Will it affect the movie?”

He Qian hemmed and hawed. “Just… just the male lead’s first love. No impact. I cut it originally due to budget and no suitable actor.”

Shen Yu set navigation for the company, planning a Shen Corporation visit. “No impact and funds are fine now—add it.”

He Qian: “After paying Yu Qi’s fee, we’re short again…” And Yu Qi had jumped into this mess at half price; even He Qian’s thick skin balked at asking for another cut.

Shen Yu decisive: “Then don’t add it.”

He Qian stammered: “But…”

Shen Yu finally realized something was off. “What exactly is the matter? Can you stop saying half and hiding half?”

He Qian chuckled. “We racked our brains and realized this role was practically tailor-made for you, Little Shen CEO. Could you do a free cameo?”

“……”