Chapter 18: Dog-Blood High Society
A beautiful morning began with 007’s chatter: 【Jiujiu, we’re about to reach ‘Key Plot Point 4’. This time, you have to be serious and complete it properly. No more messing around!】
A high-society banquet was an indispensable part of a dog-blood high society entertainment circle novel. The accumulated conflicts between the scum gong and the protagonist shou would erupt on this night.
The incomprehensible feelings between the protagonist gong and shou that Gu Xiu couldn’t figure out would also have a major breakthrough on this night.
Coincidentally, the contract between the protagonist shou and Gu Xiu was about to expire. When the time came, he would leave without a second thought, and Gu Xiu’s wife-chasing crematorium would officially begin.
007 introduced: 【The protagonist shou has never attended such a banquet, nor has he learned any banquet etiquette. You are to treat the protagonist shou with contempt at the banquet, watch coldly as he makes a fool of himself and is mocked by the cannon fodder… until he is splashed with red wine by the cannon fodder and leaves in sorrow. At this moment, the protagonist gong will descend from the heavens and send someone to take him to a room upstairs to change his clothes. The protagonist shou will change into a custom-made outfit fresh from the runway and return to the banquet with the protagonist gong, dazzlingly slapping the faces of all those who looked down on him!!】
【What goes around comes around. This time, it’s the scum gong’s turn to be fiercely jealous! He will look in disbelief at the little celebrity he once scorned, smiling sweetly as he holds Ninth Uncle’s arm…】
Gu Xiu: “…”
There were so many plot holes that they formed their own logic. How was that not reasonable in its own way?
Gu Xiu silently accepted it and went to prepare his formal attire in advance. According to the plot, he had to dress up like a proper gentleman to the greatest extent to arouse the protagonist shou’s inferiority complex. And the reason the scum gong was dressed up was—he had learned news about his childhood white moonlight.
Under 007’s instructions, Gu Xiu left the protagonist gong’s golden house and returned to the villa his parents had left him. As soon as he came back, he ran into his cousin Gu Chun, who had taken over his large suite and even taken out the photo he had hidden deep in a drawer.
Gu Xiu rushed up, his acting skills exploding, and shouted sternly, “Gu Chun! What have you done?!”
Gu Chun looked surprised, clearly not expecting his sudden arrival. But his stunned and panic were fleeting. Gu Xiu’s attention had already shifted from him. He anxiously picked up the photo that had fallen by the leg of the table, carefully blew away the dust, and put it in his pocket.
Gu Chun’s eyes darted around, sensing some gossip. “Who is that?”
Gu Xiu pretended to be fierce. “None of your business.”
“Hey, could that be someone you like?” Gu Chun didn’t retreat but advanced, pressing him step by step. “I see the date is from ten years ago. Is the background the National Opera House? There weren’t many handsome boys around ten who danced ballet, and even fewer who could perform there.”
Gu Xiu’s expression suddenly changed. The anger and resistance of having his secret exposed were swept away. He couldn’t help but look at Gu Chun curiously, eagerly hoping that his mouth would say more.
Gu Chun smiled confidently. “I’ve only heard of one… the young master of the Su family. He learned to dance abroad when he was young and was quite good. He came back to perform a few times. But after he grew up, he followed his family to study business management and never touched dancing again. Not many people know about this.”
Gu Xiu showed just the right amount of eagerness and curiosity. “…The Su family?”
In his mind, however, he had a different, weary tone: 【So dog-blood.】
007 cheered him on: 【The more dog-blood, the closer you are to getting off work!】
Gu Xiu immediately perked up.
After finishing this small plot point, he still had to go back to Lu Shichen’s villa and pretend that nothing had happened. He hadn’t told Lu Shichen about his outing today to avoid another fatherly lecture, such as how the people of the Gu family couldn’t be trusted.
What Gu Xiu didn’t know was that the plot had once again subtly derailed here. When Gu Chun saw his eager look, he thought he was going to the Lin family to ask for clarification, but it turned out he was… going back to Ninth Uncle’s house?
Gu Chun was almost driven mad with jealousy.
He really didn’t understand how that tiny bit of blood relationship could make the chairman of Huanya do so much for Gu Xiu. Not only did he let him live in his mansion, but he also appointed him as his personal assistant, coming and going with him every day, participating in all the major and minor affairs of the Huanya Group.
Even Gu Chun, who was considered an outsider, had heard of the undisguised preferential treatment, importance, and promotion.
Gu Xiu’s surname was not Lu, but Gu, just like him. The more Gu Chun thought about it, the more unbalanced he felt.
Today, he had accidentally discovered that Gu Xiu had been pining for a little boy for decades, and that he was very likely the young master of the Lin family who had a marriage contract! It was as if God was helping him. His heart pounded wildly, and he couldn’t wait to contact Lu Shichen’s secretary.
He didn’t have Lu Shichen’s private contact information, but he just gave his and Gu Xiu’s names. In a short while, the person on the other end of the phone was replaced by Lu Shichen himself.
“Um, Chairman Lu, there’s something I want to tell you…” Gu Chun suppressed his excitement, his breathing slightly rapid. “I found out that Gu Xiu has been secretly hiding a photo. It looks like the young master of the Su family, Su Yanli. Hey, unfortunately, he already has a fiancée… And look, doesn’t Young Master Su look a bit like that little celebrity he’s keeping?”
At this moment, Gu Xiu was choosing his clothes for the banquet, to show off for that Young Master Su. He was humming a little tune, with all sorts of formal wear piled on the floor, holding them up to his chest and comparing them back and forth.
Even a simple undershirt had to be carefully selected.
Lu Shichen’s eyes were dark and deep. He watched him silently, not saying a word for a long time.
It wasn’t until Gu Xiu’s peripheral vision caught sight of the man at the door in the mirror that he quickly turned around. The upturned corners of his mouth quickly fell, and he called out, “…Ninth Uncle?”
This instantaneous change in expression was all reflected in the man’s cold and grim gray eyes.
Lu Shichen couldn’t describe the feeling in his heart. Not long ago, he had been sulking because he had the same tie as Jiang Yuan Yao. Now, the situation in front of him told him that the guy he had been fighting with openly and secretly all this time was actually worthless in Gu Xiu’s heart.
Jiang Yuan Yao was just Su Yanli’s… substitute?
And now, Gu Xiu was showing a seriousness he had never seen before. The guy who was usually not interested in anything other than eating and sleeping was now uncharacteristically starting to dress himself up carefully… for one person.
Still holding on to a sliver of hope, unwilling to accept reality, Lu Shichen asked him, “What are you doing?”
“Ah, this…” Gu Xiu’s voice was light and cheerful, but it was like a heavy hammer hitting the man’s heart. “I’m thinking about what to wear to the charity gala on Saturday night. I can’t lose face for you, Ninth Uncle. What do you think of this one, Ninth Uncle?”
Gu Xiu was not a very ceremonial person, but seeing that he was about to get off work, his celebratory mood was also rising.
It was just that the Lu Shichen in front of him was as difficult to deal with as ever.
This person looked at him with a grim face for a long time before finally lowering his eyes, pushing up his glasses, and saying, “No need to choose. I’ll arrange it for you.”
Gu Xiu: “…Oh.”
Seeing Gu Xiu’s defeat, the increasingly bold 007 immediately jumped out and added fuel to the fire: 【Hahahaha, Jiujiu, why do I feel like you’re more like the one being kept in a golden house than the protagonist shou?】
【Tch.】 This time, Gu Xiu didn’t complain about being unlucky. He lifted his chin. 【It’s easier for me if he arranges it. It’ll definitely blind the whole room.】
Gu Xiu comfortably shirked his responsibility, took a shower early, and wrapped himself in a warm and comfortable quilt.
In the middle of the night, 007 was also drowsy, or rather, it had entered standby mode, turning off most of its functions to save energy.
It wasn’t until a heavy breathing sound was heard that 007 suddenly woke up. It looked over from Gu Xiu’s perspective in terror—a black shadow stood by the bed, tall and imposing. His usually immaculate slicked-back hair was loose and slightly messy, with black strands scattered on his three-dimensional brow bone, temples, and auricles.
He wasn’t wearing glasses. The shadows in his deep-set eye sockets were heavy, and one could vaguely see the sharp and prominent shape of his eyes. He was a superior who was used to giving orders, who was naturally authoritative. No one dared to disobey, and no one dared to defy.
The only source of light in the room was the cold moon outside the window. The color of his eyes was a little lighter than the night, emitting a cold light that was even colder than the moonlight.
【…Huh?】
The small silver ball of light slowly circled around this suddenly unfamiliar protagonist gong, hesitating.
Lu Shichen’s gaze shifted from the sleeping Gu Xiu and accurately fixed on a spot in the void.
007, who met his gaze, suddenly gasped: 【Hiss—】 What terrifying insight!
It held its non-existent breath and slipped back into Gu Xiu’s forehead, obediently hiding in the host’s sea of consciousness, not daring to run around anymore.
Only then did Lu Shichen move, reaching out his hand towards Gu Xiu on the bed—
A cool, woody scent wafted over.
Gu Xiu suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils slowly contracting. He blinked, then frowned, and seemed to tilt his head in confusion.
“Mm… Ninth Uncle?”
“The quilt slipped off,” Lu Shichen lowered his eyes, his face unchanging. He pinched a corner of the quilt and pulled it up.
“Oh…”
Gu Xiu was half-asleep and slow to react. He quickly released his two arms that were pressing down on the quilt, allowing him to pull the quilt up to the top, covering his neck completely.
He was still sleeping shirtless tonight. The quilt, being moved by someone else, slid across his bare skin, bringing a strange itching sensation. He was already mostly awake.
Lu Shichen tucked him in, then bent down, picked up the pajamas that had fallen on the floor, and put them back on the bed. “Remember to wear clothes to sleep next time. Be careful not to catch a cold.”
“Mm, okay.”
Gu Xiu’s voice was still a little hoarse from sleep, and even his nasal sounds sounded like he was acting spoiled.
Lu Shichen’s Adam’s apple slid. Half of his body was hidden in the thick darkness, and his eyes were also particularly gloomy. This made him look as if he had been split in two by the light and shadow, torn apart by an unspeakable contradiction.
In the end, he said nothing. He came in silence and left in silence, not forgetting to close the door for Gu Xiu.
Gu Xiu watched him leave, scratched his hair, and murmured in his mind: 【Although his occasional lectures are a bit annoying, Ninth Uncle is a really good person. He’s so concerned about me, his rival in love.】
But 007 was unusually quiet. The small silver ball of light that was always flying around was nowhere to be seen.
【…You’re asleep again? Fine. A data-brain sleeps more than I do.】
Sleepiness washed over him like a tide. Gu Xiu also closed his eyes and continued to enjoy the beautiful life after work in his dreams.
