The man glanced at him twice without saying anything, then turned away with an impassive expression. His gaze settled on the two men cuddling behind him, and his brows drew together slightly.
"Is this how you treat guests as the Meng Family's eldest young master?"
The man's deep, resonant voice carried a hint of authority, and Meng Zimu visibly panicked.
"S-second Uncle, what brings you here?"
Meng Zhiyuan saw that he still had his arm around the young man in his embrace, and his expression grew even more displeased.
Meng Zimu knew how strict his second uncle had always been. Although marriage between men was now legal, this sort of behavior was still unseemly.
After hesitating for a few seconds, he soothed the person in his arms and let go.
"If I hadn't come, would you have dragged the Meng Family's reputation through the mud?"
The man's voice wasn't loud, but no one present dared make a sound.
Everyone in B City's upper-class circles knew how powerful the Meng Family was. Its head, Meng Zhiyuan, was particularly ruthless. Though he now appeared stern and reserved, he had been the one leading the charge when the Meng Family built its fortune from nothing.
He had only been in his teens back then.
"Second Uncle, that bitch was causing trouble and hurt A Yun. I'll have him thrown out right away so he won't offend your eyes."
A flicker of resentment crossed Meng Zimu's eyes, but he outwardly played the perfectly respectful nephew, obeying Meng Zhiyuan's every word. Then he turned his disgusted gaze on Jiang Ze, who had been watching the show from the sidelines.
Jiang Ze inwardly scoffed at his words.
[Meng Zimu really takes bullying the weak and fearing the strong to a whole new level. He acts so respectful toward his second uncle, but who knows how many ways he's imagined killing him.]
Meng Zhiyuan, who had just stepped past Jiang Ze, suddenly paused before continuing unhurriedly toward Meng Zimu as though nothing had happened.
"The Meng Family has always treated its guests courteously. Mind your manners. Clean up your own mess. Everyone, disperse."
That last remark was clearly directed at the surrounding spectators. With Meng Zhiyuan having spoken, none of them dared say anything else, and they slunk away.
Looking at the gloating Jiang Ze beside him, Meng Zimu was so furious he could barely keep his expression under control. Just as he was about to speak, the person in his arms tugged gently at him.
"Zimu, I'm fine. This wasn't little brother Jiang Ze's fault. Don't put Second Uncle in a difficult position. Let's go back."
Looking at Meng Zhiyuan's tall figure before him, Shen Yun wore a complicated expression, and determination flashed through his eyes.
Before anyone could make it out clearly, he resumed his fragile, delicate demeanor, his voice carrying an almost imperceptible hint of grievance.
Seeing how understanding he was, Meng Zimu hated Jiang Ze even more, but he didn't dare act rashly in front of his second uncle. He shot Jiang Ze a vicious glare before escorting Shen Yun away.
Jiang Ze felt delighted to see them finally leave.
Even his pale face began to regain some color, and he couldn't resist another inward rant.
[Those two assholes finally left. A grown man acting all fragile, like he can't even take care of himself-has he no shame? They really are a match made in heaven.]
He was just about to slip home unnoticed to change his clothes when he looked up and found those deep eyes fixed on him again.
Honestly, having the villainous big shot stare at him like that was pretty stressful.
[Holy crap, why is the big bad staring at me? All I did was say I liked him. Is he going to settle the score now?]
The air around Meng Zhiyuan turned cold, and a trace of startled suspicion flashed through his eyes, but he shifted his gaze away without revealing anything.
He had confirmed it again. He really could hear this person's thoughts.
The young man before him looked somewhat bedraggled. His soaking clothes clung to his slender frame, and his delicate face had gone pale from the cold.
"You're Jiang Ze?"
Jiang Ze hadn't expected the villainous big shot to address him and answered a beat late.
[So this is the ruthless ultimate villain who turns into a deranged monster later in the story? Yeah, that presence really is pretty intimidating.]
Meng Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow. Turns into a monster? Villain?
"Mu Qing, take him upstairs to change."
The muscular man standing silently nearby acknowledged the order and approached Jiang Ze, radiating the pressure of someone who would haul him away if he refused to walk.
Despite Meng Zhiyuan's icy demeanor, Jiang Ze thought he was pretty nice. All that indignation he had felt on the man's behalf while reading the novel hadn't been wasted.
He followed the burly man upstairs, remembering to murmur a thank-you as he passed Meng Zhiyuan.
[This is my first meeting with the big shot. For the sake of my happiness for the rest of my life, I need to make a good impression!]
Meng Zhiyuan heard that thought just as Jiang Ze thanked him and turned away.
"..." Didn't he say Meng Zimu wasn't even one ten-thousandth as good as me? And now it turns out this is our first meeting?
There were too many inexplicable things about this young man. Meng Zhiyuan's expression darkened, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
He disliked having anything beyond his control around him. After lingering downstairs for a while, he headed upstairs as well.
"Are these Meng Zimu's clothes? I'm not wearing them. I'd rather go naked!"
Meng Zhiyuan had just reached the upper floor when those words came from the study. The voice still had the clear brightness of youth, with a hint of sulkiness that somehow sounded aggrieved.
"What's going on?"
Mu Qing scratched his head, looking helpless despite his honest face. "This is Young Master Meng's villa. His clothes were all I could find, but Young Master Jiang refuses to wear them."
Meng Zhiyuan looked at the young man beside him, who was still wearing his half-dried clothes. He had been cold for so long that even the tip of his nose had turned red.
"Ah... achoo!"
Unable to hold back a sneeze, Jiang Ze rubbed his itchy nose. He looked up to find the man's cold gaze on him and shrank back.
"What? Don't you like Meng Zimu?"
Meeting the man's cool, slightly suspicious gaze, Jiang Ze's eyes reddened, and his voice suddenly turned aggrieved.
"I don't like that scumbag!"
The young man blurted it out reflexively, then blushed and stole a glance at the stern-faced man before speaking softly.
"Second Uncle, you heard what I said earlier... I don't like him, and I don't want to wear his clothes. I want to wear yours..."
His voice grew quieter toward the end, becoming almost inaudible, and his face turned bright red.
[Heh, I knew the big bad liked the White Lotus type. How could he resist me like this?]
Hearing the kid's unrestrained thoughts while watching him sneak shy glances at him, Meng Zhiyuan felt his temples throb.
"Mu Qing, I keep a spare set of clothes in the inner room of the study. Give those to him for now. And you have no real connection to my nephew, so don't call me Second Uncle."
With that, he went into the outer room of the study without looking at Jiang Ze.
Surprise appeared on Mu Qing's honest face. His boss had always been a clean freak and had never let anyone wear his clothes. Why was he making an exception this time?
Without dwelling on it, he quickly found Jiang Ze a shirt and a pair of trousers belonging to Meng Zhiyuan, then withdrew.
Jiang Ze hadn't expected Meng Zhiyuan to be so accommodating and automatically ignored his final remark.
The villainous big shot had power, looks, and a great body... He was at least ten thousand times better than that Meng Zimu. Shen Yun really was blind.
But didn't the book say he was cold, ruthless, and a clean freak?
He doesn't seem like that at all. Not only did he reassure me, he even agreed to let me wear his clothes.
Does he really go for the White Lotus type? No wonder he ended up falling at that little fake-innocent bottom's denim-clad feet.
Jiang Ze shook his head regretfully and heaved a theatrical sigh. Taking the towel prepared beside him, he dried himself off before starting to change.
A big shot really was a big shot. With that cold, ascetic face, even his clothes carried a faint incense scent that smelled wonderfully pleasant.
Jiang Ze furtively sniffed them like a creep before swiftly putting them on.
"Ding! Congratulations, host, on your outstanding display of simp behavior. Since you're still in the beginner stage, your points have been doubled. You've earned 10 points!"
The system's voice jolted Jiang Ze alert, and his expression turned slightly guilty. "Ahem, I know I'm a good actor."
The system saw through him but said nothing. Seeing that its host seemed to be getting the hang of things, even its mechanical voice grew lighter.
"There's no need to worry too much, host. Go forth and simp without fear! This system will always be your loyal support! Remember, all this simping is for your future sexual happiness!"
Jiang Ze didn't want to listen to the system's brainwashing. Even simps have dignity! Even simping needs boundaries!
He impatiently told it to disappear, straightened the somewhat oversized sleeves, and finally opened the door and walked out.
The study was a suite. He had been changing in the inner room, and when he opened the door, he saw Meng Zhiyuan reading in the outer room.
The man wore gold-rimmed glasses, a silver chain draping gently beside his eyes. His well-defined fingers held a book with enough force for faint veins to rise on the back of his hand.
[Oh my god, that refined-scoundrel look with all that restraint is making my knees weak!]
Jiang Ze screamed wildly inside. He had already rather admired this character in the novel, and now that a fictional man had become real and stood right before him, who wouldn't be excited?
"Second... no, Uncle Zhiyuan, thank you for the clothes."
The young man's voice was soft and sweet. A faint blush colored his fair, delicate face, and his small hands awkwardly clutched the sides of his shirt hem, as though he were embarrassed.
"..."
Meng Zhiyuan's fingers tightened around the book. If that noisy inner voice hadn't been bothering him, he really might have believed this act.
Rubbing his temple, he gestured for the young man to sit on the nearby sofa. He needed to probe his background further.
"You said you liked me? Since when?"
The man's sharp eyes settled on the young man. His calm voice was deep and his tone rather cold, but the words themselves made Jiang Ze's lightly flushed face grow even redder.
[Oh my god, the big shot looks so aloof. Why does he like being this direct?]
Meng Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow as he watched Jiang Ze clutch his shirt hem, looking too shy and timid to speak.
Of course, it would have been more convincing without his rather noisy thoughts.
Jiang Ze sensed that he seemed suspicious. He had only made up a lie on the spot in response to Meng Zimu, and it wouldn't stand up to scrutiny.
He immediately pouted, and his eyes began to redden.
"Wah... I... I was still young then. I only saw you once from a distance, but your extraordinary beauty captivated me and became deeply etched in my mind. But I knew I wasn't worthy of you, so I only dared keep those feelings hidden in my heart..."
[Yes! Unrequited love and silent devotion persona, nailed it! I'm just that good! Look how surprised he is. He really does fall for this stuff!]
Meng Zhiyuan narrowed his eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Go on. Keep making things up.
Before you continue