Chapter 22: Dog-Blood High Society
Is… is he talking about jerking off?
Gu Xiu could only play dumb.
He opened his bright, flawless black eyes and, very slowly, let out a sound: “…Huh?”
Saying such explicit words once when his head was hot was enough. Lu Shichen had been an elder to the young man in front of him for over twenty years. Not long ago, he had even received the evaluation: “Ninth Uncle is like a father to me.”
His throat bobbed. He quickly took off his jacket and covered his legs, remaining silent for a long time.
Gu Xiu smiled as if nothing had happened. “Then I’ll go back first, Ninth Uncle.”
Then he calmly opened the door, walked through the corridor, and opened the door to his own room.
The sound of the door closing suddenly opened a floodgate in his body. Blood rushed to his head, and his ears were so hot they felt like they were about to bleed.
He had clearly heard every word and seen the abnormality in Lu Shichen’s lower body. His heart was pounding in his chest, yet he still asked 007 in disbelief: 【What the fuck did he say!?】
【…Huh?】 007’s voice was filled with confusion. 【I was just triggered into ‘Host Privacy Protection Mode’ and was forced to shut down! What happened, Jiujiu??】
Gu Xiu: 【…】
This thing is really useless. It’s probably only good for popping pimples.
Gu Xiu was annoyed and could only reply sullenly, 【Nothing.】
Gu Xiu couldn’t sleep.
Just then, a new message came in on his phone, from his nameless, unfortunate boss.
A7993344: 【You there? Let’s have a video call tonight. You don’t have to show your face.】
Gu Xiu looked troubled and said to 007: 【Why do I smell a hint of harassment again?】
007’s IQ suddenly came online: 【Again?】
Gu Xiu: “…”
It was reasonable to have a video call with his sugar daddy, but Gu Xiu just felt it wasn’t appropriate. It was fine to sell harmless photos for money, but once he started a video call, it would really feel like being kept or having a contract relationship.
Gu Xiu frowned and considered for a moment.
Gugujiu: 【Boss, I was about to rest. How about this, I’ll start a live stream now?】
Gugujiu: 【Although it’s a public live stream, in my heart, it’s just for you, boss～～^ – ^】
The small silver ball of light stuck to his phone screen and sighed, 【What a scum man’s words, Jiujiu.】
Gu Xiu took his phone away and immediately gave the round, ball-shaped 007 a flick on the head: 【Hehe, you taught me well.】
007 was happy: 【Hehe, I told you we were soulmates!】
Gu Xiu stopped bickering with the stupid system. He tidied up a bit. The boss replied with an “Okay.” He let out a big sigh of relief and immediately started the live stream.
His loyal fans rushed into the live stream, filling the screen with comments to greet him.
Gu Xiu’s double standards were clear. He only cared about one question: “Is the top contributor boss here?”
His partiality caused a wave of complaints in the live stream. Gu Xiu was too lazy to reply to those insignificant questions.
It wasn’t until the top contributor made a grand entrance.
“Alright, the boss is here,” Gu Xiu finally said, his voice tinged with a faint joy. “I’ve been eating too many snacks lately. I’m not sleepy yet, so let’s do some exercise.”
He had already shown off most of the things in the mansion. Lu Shichen was at home tonight, so he planned to just stream in his own room and not go out to show off.
Live-streaming a workout required a long-distance shot. To avoid accidentally showing his face, he deliberately wore a mask, covering most of his face. A baseball cap pressed down on his bangs, half-covering his exquisite eyes.
Even so, the superiority of his facial contours, his three-dimensional brow bone, and his straight nose were still on full display.
The fans in the live stream were very excited.
【Wow, I knew Teacher Gu was a handsome guy!!!】
【Don’t speak too soon. If he’s really handsome, why would he wear a hat and mask??】
【If he doesn’t cover his face to protect his privacy, with Teacher Gu’s wealth, he’d probably get robbed when he goes out, 233】
【Even if he doesn’t get robbed, he’ll be kidnapped by me [/shy]】
【Teacher Gu has a great figure. You can tell he works out often】
The heating in the house was on high, so Gu Xiu was just wearing a loose white short-sleeved shirt. The beautiful muscle lines and winding blue veins on his forearms were all exposed. Learning from Lu Shichen’s lesson, he wore a pair of black sweatpants, strictly protecting his privacy.
There was no professional fitness equipment in the room. Gu Xiu took two dumbbells, rolled up his pant legs a little, and got into position on the carpet by the bed.
Fitness was one of his few healthy hobbies in the boring main god space.
Every time he went to a small world for a mission, a new body would be generated from his own original data. The better his own foundation, the more at ease he would be in the life-and-death struggles in the small world.
This dog-blood modern world was peaceful and comfortable. That was why he ate and slept every day, making up for the lack of enjoyment in the past, and his basic exercise training had also been neglected.
Tonight, he was training his upper body, focusing on his chest. He lay down on the carpet, lifted his waist and hips, so that the part below his back was in a straight diagonal line, suspended in the air. He did dumbbell bench presses with his arms, doing a glute bridge bench press.
“Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, and your toes must point forward, otherwise you’ll hurt your knees. Use your glutes to lift your hips… that is, your crotch,” Gu Xiu said, gesturing on his own body, explaining the key points of the movement one by one. “Your hips must be in a straight line with your body. You can check in a mirror or have a friend or family member supervise you. Pay attention to your waist too, don’t let it sag.”
“This exercise can train both your chest and glutes. It’s a great exercise for both men and women, whether for fitness or shaping. I’ll do three more sets. You guys watch carefully.”
Gu Xiu rattled on to his phone, not having the time to look at the comments. After he finished speaking, he left and eagerly continued his workout.
The viewers in the live stream were full of question marks.
【??? He seems to really want to teach us how to work out】
【Jiujiu, do you really think we want to watch a workout?】
【He could have made a living with his looks, but he chose to show off his wealth and attract hatred】
【He could have made a living by selling his body, but he chose to teach me how to work out…】
【I’m not saying this to be mean, but Teacher Gu is rich, handsome, has a great figure, and is kind enough to let his distant relative live in his mansion. Where can you find such a good man?】
【I’m not going to beat around the bush. I’ll call him husband first!】
【Doing a night workout with my husband, so happy～～】
【Hey, why isn’t the top contributor sending gifts today?】
The top contributor was quiet. Only his sparkling golden ID was still hanging at the top of the viewer list, indicating that he was still online.
He was also busy, doing another kind of exercise, training his hands. It wasn’t as intense as Gu Xiu’s workout, but he was also covered in hot sweat, his heart rate soaring, with no time to send gifts or comments.
Gu Xiu quickly finished the remaining three sets of glute bridge bench presses and walked towards the live-stream camera, panting. His exposed arms were flushed, and his white T-shirt was soaked with hot sweat. His heaving chest was filled with blood, faintly visible under the translucent white thin cloth.
Because he was wearing a mask and a baseball cap, the heat that couldn’t be dissipated was hazy in his eyes. His wet black hair was in strands, and his bright black eyes were like they had been washed with water. His eyelashes were distinct, with tiny water droplets at the tips.
His slender neck was also covered in sweat. His Adam’s apple, with a light brown mole, bobbed up and down. He lowered his head and looked at the lively comments, but he only cared about one person. “Boss, you’re still watching, right?”
It was as if this public live stream was just a private video chat between the two of them.
Lu Shichen let out a low hum. His steamy glasses slipped down, and his usually indifferent and cold face became debauched and lustful.
Gu Xiu’s breathing after the workout was heavy, as if it were blowing in the man’s ear. This made his voice sound like he was trying to please, and even more like he was craving.
“Boss… what else do you want to see me train?”
Lu Shichen took two pieces of paper to wipe his fingers, his Adam’s apple bobbed, and his crotch became hot again.
Just by listening to that voice, he could get so excited he couldn’t control himself.
How could the thousands of viewers in the live stream be any better?
【Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh】
【Teacher Gu is so hot… a man after a workout, who understands?】
【Applying to do a two-person workout with Teacher Gu】
【The top contributor isn’t even talking anymore, hahahaha】
【You must be having the time of your life, bro】
Lu Shichen was really having the time of his life, and now he really couldn’t speak.
The evil fire that had just started was immediately doused with a basin of ice water. He shivered, and his rationality returned to his brain.
He took out his phone and sent a message to the management of Huanya TV.
—This was by no means an abuse of public power for private gain, but a protection of his “nephew’s” personal safety. He thought selflessly.
Gu Xiu was still waiting for the top contributor’s order.
Since the other party didn’t ask, he couldn’t be bothered either and continued with the next exercise according to his training plan.
But this time when he came back and looked—
A few large words came into view: The live stream has been closed due to violations.
Gu Xiu frowned. He thought it was a network failure and was about to restart the live stream.
A pop-up window appeared.
Live Stream Ban Notice
Reason for ban: Malicious and vulgar attention-seeking behavior
He understood this. In short: obscene.
But him? He was a perfectly straight man, and he wasn’t even wearing gray pants. What did he do? He just worked out?
“…”
The live stream “Gugujiu’s Rich Life” was tragically banned.
Tens of thousands of streamers broadcast every day. This was a trivial matter. Who knew that this live stream was banned just when the fans were at the peak of their excitement. Out of the blue, you’re telling me the live stream is gone?
Gugujiu had no other public social media accounts. The fans were eagerly waiting, but he didn’t start a new stream. They could only go to Weibo to search for keywords and ask others. The search index in just a few minutes was astonishing, directly pushing the unknown “Gugujiu” to the top of the trending list.
Clueless passersby were attracted by this term, thinking it was some cute bird news.
But what they got were a few live stream screenshots, which deeply interpreted the true meaning of “teasing”: no face, no waist, no singing or dancing, just a serious workout.
But every drop of sweat that slid down his neck screamed the word “sexy.”
【I want all the information on this little brother in five minutes!】
【What a perfect body proportion… what a perfect mole…】
【A male bodhisattva working out without wearing gray pants is like eating dumplings without dipping them in vinegar】
【Working out with clothes on, what do you take your family for??】
【Why can’t I find the live stream???】
【The live stream was banned and hasn’t been restored yet… ahhhhhh】
【@HuanyaTV@HuanyaTV Our Jiujiu is just showing off his wealth peacefully @HuanyaTV@HuanyaTV There are so many real teasers, why aren’t you doing anything??】
…
Jiang Yuan Yao was immersed in the sadness of his contract about to expire. He hadn’t been able to eat or think properly for several days.
When he was 18 and still naive, he was lucky enough to be spotted by Gu Xiu during a poster shoot. He then filmed his first movie, working with a famous director and veteran actors, and entered the entertainment industry with a very high starting point, receiving all sorts of high-quality resources.
Gu Xiu had protected his innocent heart, but he had also made him arrogant. Let alone the kind of black-and-red hype that deliberately attracted attention, all marketing tactics were low-class in his eyes.
Until, he realized that Gu Xiu would really abandon him.
He was not yet 20, a sophomore at the drama academy. His manager wanted to create a “high EQ, warm little brother” persona for him and had prepared several blog posts to be regularly placed on the trending list, like an advertising marketing method, repeatedly emphasizing to leave an impression on netizens.
For this small matter, Jiang Yuan Yao had argued with his manager for a month. It was only after meeting with Gu Xiu a few days ago that he finally relented and agreed to the persona marketing.
In the dead of night, he was scrolling through his phone and saw that the trending topic had brought him a new batch of fans. But he was not interested in this. He looked through the trending list and was suddenly attracted by a strange term.
Gugujiu? The pronunciation is quite similar to Gu Xiu.
He clicked on it as if possessed.
Staring at the somewhat familiar photos, his pupils trembled in shock.
This…
Is this Gu Xiu?
The overall body proportion and temperament were like Gu Xiu’s. He zoomed in on the photo and found a small, indelible black dot on his throat. It turned out to be a mole.
Does Gu Xiu have a mole on his neck? He frowned and thought for a moment. The recently transformed, unforgettably handsome Gu Xiu seemed to have one.
This was actually Gu Xiu’s live stream!
His heart immediately pounded with excitement. Due to the expiring contract, the current Gu Xiu didn’t even bother to be perfunctory. He didn’t reply to any of his coquettish and fawning greetings. Afraid of being blocked by Gu Xiu, he no longer dared to bombard him with text messages and phone calls like before, and could only silently scroll through his Moments, which hadn’t been updated in ages.
【Spread the word! Teacher Gu is back! [Web link]】
【I’ve shared a live stream. Come and interact with the streamer with me! Click [Web link] to have an intimate exchange with them～】
The next day, a few netizens’ Weibo posts were pushed to him through big data. He swallowed, and his fingertips trembled as he clicked on the link.
Due to being on the trending list, “Gugujiu’s” account had attracted unprecedented attention. The number of viewers in the live stream had risen to five digits, and there were all sorts of people. The comments were also varied and conflicting.
【U1S1, I think the streamer has opened up a new form of fitness teasing. Sweating in clothes is more… than not wearing them. It makes sense that he was banned】
【The real soft sq isn’t banned, but our little streamer with no background is? [Question mark]】
【The ones that should be banned aren’t, and the ones that shouldn’t be are banned randomly…】
【Wuwuwuwu, Jiujiu, a day without you is like three autumns. Are we going to continue our workout today? [/shy]】
“Uh…” Gu Xiu had been banned for a day and a night. Although he didn’t want to work, he couldn’t be banned again. So he said, “No workout. Mm… the boss isn’t here either? Let’s not bother today. Let’s play some games together.”
Jiang Yuan Yao keenly caught the keyword and quickly sent a comment with a side account: 【Who is the boss???】
Enthusiastic fans replied to him in a flurry: 【The boss is the top contributor! That number ID!】
Even though the other party was not online at the moment, he still held a strong presence at the top of the streamer’s fan list.
“One, two, three, four, five…” Jiang Yuan Yao stared at the screen, counting for a long time before he could figure it out. “I’m dizzy. Who is this? He donated a million?”
The last time he had seen such a crazy amount was at least from a top-tier artist with seven-digit Weibo followers, whose fans had crowdfunded. And even among those top-tier artists who earned money like water, there were very few rich female/male fans who could spend so lavishly.
How could Gu Xiu…
Jiang Yuan Yao pouted. He wanted to send a comment and a donation several times, but he held back. There were so many people in the live stream, Gu Xiu would definitely not notice him. Even if he sent a few luxury gifts, it would not be enough compared to the top contributor, and he would be embarrassed on the leaderboard.
He struggled and struggled, and finally sighed. He just silently followed and quietly left the live stream.
Then he sent a message to his manager: 【Sis, try whatever good methods you have. Live-stream sales, hype, anything is fine! I just want to become famous right now!!】
Gu Xiu was unaware that he had aroused the protagonist shou’s strong fighting spirit and career ambition.
Seeing that the pampered wife script was about to be rewritten into a big male lead script, Gu Xiu still diligently followed the plot, racking his brains to think of ways to “please” Lu Shichen so that Jiang Yuan Yao could have another audition.
It’s hard to be a scum gong these days!
This weekend, Lu Shichen went to the company to work overtime, while Gu Xiu was at home studying cooking. Excluding the impossible option of jerking off, he planned to try different ways to “move” the unyielding and iron-walled Chairman Lu.
Gu Xiu was busy while browsing short videos. He happened to come across Jiang Yuan Yao’s new interview video, which was even on the hot index list of Huanya TV, with over a million likes.
In the video, Jiang Yuan Yao was youthful, obedient, and handsome. He sat upright and looked very likable.
He also answered questions very modestly, without any of the airs of a popular star.
The host asked, “Why did you choose to become an actor?”
Jiang Yuan Yao: “I didn’t choose it. The most important person in my life gave me this opportunity.”
“When you’re not filming, what are your hobbies?”
Jiang Yuan Yao: “I’ve been really into watching live streams lately… As for what kind of live streams, it’s not very convenient to disclose.”
“What are your future career plans or goals?”
Jiang Yuan Yao: “I hope to film more. I want to try all kinds of opportunities and challenges and work hard to become someone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with that person.”
“Is there anything you want to say to him?”
Jiang Yuan Yao pursed his lips. After a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence very lightly, “I will definitely not let you down in the future.”
“…”
The more Gu Xiu listened, the more he felt that something was wrong. He frowned.
“…He’s probably not talking about me, right?” he murmured to himself in self-deception, putting his phone aside, out of sight, out of mind.
Before the screen automatically turned off, the image on his phone was transmitted to another person’s computer through the surveillance camera in the kitchen.
At first, Lu Shichen just wanted to see if Gu Xiu had run off to mess around with some shady people again. But he saw that he was fiddling with something in the kitchen, and he had been watching until now.
The surveillance had a recording function. He vaguely heard Jiang Yuan Yao’s voice, and now he could clearly see the handsome young man on the phone screen.
To confirm, he opened his own phone and saw that annoying name on the hot topic list at a glance.
Although he didn’t mention any names, it was clear to anyone with eyes. In the short ten-minute interview, he had been talking about Gu Xiu for eight minutes, his words sincere and moving.
At six in the evening, Gu Xiu sent a message.
【Ninth Uncle, what time will you be home?】
Lu Shichen glanced at the young man resting against the island in the surveillance, was silent for a long time, turned off his phone, and then couldn’t help but turn it back on to reply: 【I have to work overtime. Don’t wait for me.】
Gu Xiu: 【Alright…】
The string of ellipses seemed to have a hint of regret, but this was most likely Lu Shichen’s wishful thinking.
He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He took out a document from the drawer, a paternity test report. He had found hair from his maternal uncle and his wife among their belongings and used it to do a paternity test with Gu Xiu.
The conclusion was a simple line: No blood relationship.
If he were to send this report to the Gu family, he didn’t know what kind of storm it would cause. The Gu family relatives, who were already like a pack of wolves surrounding him, would definitely not let go of the rich inheritance left by Gu Xiu’s parents.
And Gu Xiu, he would definitely be the first to not be able to accept it. Never mind the inheritance, there was a difficult emotional hurdle to overcome. The parents who had doted on him so much were not related to him by blood. He was just a thief who had stolen someone else’s identity, someone else’s parents, and had a humble and lowly background.
The current Gu Xiu was still as heartless as the piece of rotten mud in his memory. But for no reason, he always felt that the current Gu Xiu had an extra layer of disguise. Under that seemingly worldly appearance, there was a sincere, warm, and sentimental heart.
This could be seen from his attitude towards Jiang Yuan Yao.
Although he was still a heartless little bastard to him.
Really, the more he thought about it, the angrier he got.
Lu Shichen pushed the drawer hard and hid the paternity test report.
The current Gu Xiu could still act willfully with him because of their blood relationship. When his identity was exposed, Gu Xiu would have nothing overnight. Let’s see how he would still be so flirtatious everywhere. The one who could protect him, the one he could rely on for the rest of his life…
There was only himself.
A crazy possessiveness grew like weeds, wanting to tightly bind a certain person in his vines and branches, weaving a tight cage to prevent anyone from approaching or touching.
Click.
Lu Shichen turned on the chandelier in the living room.
“…Mmm?”
In the silent living room, there was a rustling sound.
A fluffy black head popped out from the sofa.
Gu Xiu was half-asleep. His monolids lifted into a narrow fold, and his hazy, sleepy eyes looked a little deeper than usual.
After a long while, he focused on the man at the door.
“You’re back?”
His voice also had a half-asleep hoarseness, a drowsy and lazy tone, like a kitten’s paw scratching the soft flesh of one’s heart.
To be fair, Lu Shichen had lived to be almost thirty and had never experienced the feeling of having a family member wait for him when he came home late.
So he was stunned and didn’t go forward for a long time.
Gu Xiu didn’t blame him for working overtime and coming home late. He scratched his hair while looking for a clock and murmured, “What time is it?”
“The food is all cold…” Gu Xiu let out a long yawn, clicked his tongue, and closed his eyes again. “You can heat it up yourself.”
As the last word fell, Lu Shichen’s held breath finally returned to normal.
He went to the dining room first. There was a table of colorful dishes, with two sets of clean bowls and chopsticks by the side, untouched.
Lu Shichen reached out and touched the bowls and plates. The cold touch made him suddenly sober and calm, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings.
Gu Xiu saw him as a father-like family member. He was naturally reluctant to part with this dependence and flattery.
But what he wanted was more than that.
The nature of a businessman, so greedy.
Under the main course soup bowl, a small corner of paper was exposed.
Lu Shichen’s gaze paused, and he pulled out the note.
The unrealistic expectation that had just risen was extinguished by a basin of cold, realistic water.
—Ninth Uncle, can you give Yaoyao another audition chance?
A beam of light happened to reflect on his glasses, but he seemed not to notice the glare. He stood motionless, the cold white light as if it were an eraser, erasing the emotions behind the lenses.
After a long while, he closed his pale knuckles.
He crumpled the note, then unfolded it, tore it into pieces, and threw it into the trash can before he was satisfied.
Gu Xiu on the sofa had already fallen back asleep, and the blanket on him had slipped half onto the carpet.
Lu Shichen carefully walked around it, came to his pillow, and silently and slowly knelt down.
Under the man’s close and careful scrutiny, the sleeping young man was not disturbed. His brow was still relaxed, and his eyes were tightly closed.
Gu Xiu always had the heating on high, and his cheeks were flushed with two faint red patches from sleep.
Lu Shichen’s gaze roamed from his eyes to the small mole on his neck, then moved up to his rosy and dry lips.
Tracing them with his eyes was still not enough.
As if he were being roasted by the scorching sun, Lu Shichen felt every taste bud on his tongue screaming for water. The more he swallowed, the drier his throat became.
It wasn’t until the string of rationality was stretched to its limit that he suddenly broke free from his restraints and leaned forward, little by little, until his breath touched Gu Xiu’s breath, a nutty taste. Finally, his lips gently landed on Gu Xiu’s lips, a richer nutty taste.
A stolen kiss, as cautious as a dragonfly touching the water, a touch and then a separation.
After successfully stealing a kiss, he became even thirstier. He licked his dry and almost chapped lips and asked in a hoarse, low voice, “What’s so good about that guy?”
