Being a Male "Innocent Angel" Was No Easy Job!

Meng Zhiyuan said nothing, quietly watching him finish his performance before finally speaking.

"Is that why you stayed by Meng Zimu's side every day? To use him as a stand-in?"

Before Jiang Ze could answer, the system's mechanical voice abruptly rang out.

"Ding-dong! Congratulations, host! You have earned 10 points. Since you are in the beginner phase, your points are doubled!"

What? Even that earned me points?

Hearing the young man's sudden thought, Meng Zhiyuan's eyes flickered with confusion. What points?

Before he could think further, Jiang Ze recovered and launched into another performance.

"Boo-hoo, I... I just developed feelings I shouldn't have. Ever since I caught a glimpse of you at that banquet, Uncle Zhiyuan, I couldn't forget you. Then... then Meng Zimu asked me to be a stand-in for his one true love. He looked a little like you, so I couldn't help staying. Boo-hoo..."

"I know I'm not good enough for you. I... I promise I'll restrain myself from now on and stop showing up to bother you!"

The young man wept prettily, his delicate, fair little face flushed red.

Whew, thank goodness I have some acting skills. Playing an innocent angel really isn't easy. They say women are made of water, but a male White Lotus certainly gives them a run for their money!

Meng Zhiyuan was speechless. Didn't you say this was your first time meeting me?

Meng Zhiyuan removed his glasses and rubbed his brow, feeling a headache coming on. Had this kid watched too many movies? Why was he so theatrical? Not a truthful word came out of his mouth. Listening to his thoughts was far more useful.

"Stop crying. You're a grown man. Have some dignity!"

The villain's commanding presence, honed by years in power, was undeniably formidable. One stern sentence stopped Jiang Ze's sobbing, though he still stared wide-eyed and let out a tearful hiccup.

What's going on? Why is this different from before? Is my delicate, innocent young man act not working anymore?

"I've always disliked men who cry and whine, especially that frail young man beside Meng Zimu today. How can the future head of the Meng Family choose a partner with that sort of temperament?"

His tone was rather cold, and he gave Jiang Ze a pointed look.

Ha. You say that now, but later you'll fall so desperately in love with Shen Yun that you'll even fight your nephew over him, only to become the laughingstock of all of B City.

Once again, Meng Zhiyuan heard Jiang Ze think about him falling out with his nephew over a man, even fighting over his affections. And that man was the very person he had seen in Meng Zimu's arms today.

Disbelief filled him, and his expression darkened further.

"Go wash your face, then come back and speak to me properly."

Seeing the man's hard, expressionless face, Jiang Ze could tell the big boss was in a bad mood.

Not daring to disobey, he obediently nodded and hurried off to wash his face.

Meng Zhiyuan rested his loosely folded hands on the desk, tapping its surface with his slender fingers. These past few incidents had given him a preliminary understanding of the situation.

He couldn't hear Jiang Ze's thoughts at all times. They had to be in the same space, with nothing obstructing the view between them.

For instance, once Jiang Ze left the study, he couldn't hear anything from his mind. As soon as he opened the door and came in, his thoughts would automatically appear in Meng Zhiyuan's head.

Even with something so unbelievable, Meng Zhiyuan had only been startled at first. After hearing it a few more times, he was already growing used to it.

What mattered most was that the contents of Jiang Ze's thoughts shocked him every time.

Though he doubted Jiang Ze's identity and motives, what he said demanded attention, whether it was true or false.

While he was thinking, Jiang Ze pushed the door open and entered. Having just washed his face, he had casually swept his rather long bangs upward, revealing a smooth forehead and finely shaped features.

After learning that he was a stand-in for Meng Zimu's one true love, the body's original owner had worked hard to imitate that man in every way, hoping the scumbag top would spare him a few more glances.

Not only had he adopted Shen Yun's student-like style of dress, but he had also worn innocent-looking makeup every day.

But the original owner had striking features, so the look had been terribly incongruous and only made Meng Zimu dislike him more.

Now that he had washed away the makeup and a soul with a different personality occupied his body, he looked altogether fresher, bringing out the stunning features he had possessed all along.

Meng Zhiyuan gave him a surprised glance too, then raised an eyebrow when he sat ramrod straight on the sofa.

This villain seems awfully moody. I'd better behave. No wonder he goes off the deep end later and does all sorts of things to the beloved bottom. Sigh, too bad that scumbag top Meng Zimu eventually ruins him and leaves him to die horribly.

Meng Zhiyuan frowned at what he heard. With yet another mention of his nephew Meng Zimu, he couldn't help taking the matter seriously, though none of it showed on his face.

"My nephew Meng Zimu has always been mild-mannered. You made quite a scene at the birthday celebration. Was there some misunderstanding?"

No sooner had he finished than he clearly saw the young man roll his eyes without even bothering to hide it. Then, seemingly realizing that was inappropriate, Jiang Ze hurriedly restored his obedient expression.

This villain is still putting in a good word for his precious nephew. He must not know his darling nephew was involved in his mother's death. Oh, wait, it was probably the whole family. His nephew's parents are no saints either!

Even Meng Zhiyuan's usually composed expression cracked slightly at those words.

His gaze grew deep and dark, and a chill settled in his heart. So Mother's death really was connected to my older brother?

"Once Meng Zimu saw his one true love had returned, he wanted to get rid of me as quickly as possible. What did it matter to him whether there was a misunderstanding?"

Hadn't the original owner suffered a miserable fate because of him in the end?

The thought infuriated Jiang Ze. He was exasperated with the original owner's spinelessness. Now that he was here, he certainly couldn't live so pathetically.

Two-legged toads might be hard to find, but three-legged men were everywhere, let alone men better than that scumbag top. Wasn't there one right in front of him with a first-rate personality and looks?

As he thought, he stole a glance at the big boss's handsome face.

"Yes, he certainly needs discipline. I'll make him stay home and reflect for the next couple of days. Once he comes to his senses, he'll apologize to you."

Hearing the man's calm voice, Jiang Ze stared at him in disbelief. What was going on? His attitude had changed far too quickly. A moment ago he had been defending his nephew, and now he had practically sentenced him to death.

Men's hearts really were impossible to fathom.

The man then led Jiang Ze through a conversation that wandered from one subject to another. Finally, he called Mu Qing over and told him to arrange a car to take Jiang Ze back to the Jiang Family home.

"System, system, are you there? Why does this villain seem so strange? Wasn't he supposed to be cold and taciturn? He actually seems pretty talkative."

On the ride back, Jiang Ze recalled the deep, rather complicated look the man had given him just before he left. It had left him thoroughly baffled.

That was why he had called the system, hoping to ask whether his arrival had changed the plot.

"Ding! Host, this book's plot is still following its original course! This is a good thing! When a man is willing to chat with you, it means he likes you. Suck up to him a little more, and the points will be yours for the taking!"

The system sounded cheerful, seemingly convinced that points would soon come pouring in and its performance would rank among the best of all systems.

Jiang Ze silently rolled his eyes and ignored its unrealistic fantasies.

From what he had seen, the villain was unpredictable. That would make his later descent into darkness even harder to control. Besides, to earn points, Jiang Ze would have to keep hanging around him.

While he was thinking, the car reached the gates of the Jiang Family home. The driver opened the door for him, reported to his employer, and left.

Looking at the elegant villa before him, Jiang Ze recalled what the original owner had experienced in this house. The more he remembered, the colder his expression became, anger rising inside him. He really had escaped one danger only to walk straight into another.

In the book, Meng Zimu had ordered people to throw the original owner out of the banquet and beat him viciously. He had dragged his injured body back to the Jiang Family home, but this family was no better.

When he was three, his father, Jiang Zhengming, had brought his mistress home. She had been holding a four-year-old boy in her arms.

Anyone with eyes could tell that Jiang Zhengming had long been keeping another woman behind Jiang Ze's mother's back. He had cheated on her and even fathered an illegitimate son a year older than Jiang Ze.

Jiang Ze's mother had been utterly shocked, unable to accept that the husband who had always doted on her was actually such a man. Overwhelmed by distress, she had fallen ill and died of grief within a few months, leaving Jiang Ze behind as a small child.

That turn of events had played right into Jiang Zhengming's hands.

After Jiang Ze's mother died, Jiang Zhengming immediately brought his mistress home and held a grand wedding. At the time, the affair had provided excellent gossip in B City's social circles.

Once Jiang Ze had a stepmother, his life became a living hell. His stepmother, Gu Rou, was vicious and hated him to the bone. She would deny him food at the slightest excuse and frequently beat and berate him.

His father was even more of a beast. Not only did he turn a blind eye to her behavior, but sometimes, after drinking, he would beat Jiang Ze viciously himself.

In the book, the original owner had dragged his injured body home today, only to have the misfortune of encountering Jiang Zhengming returning from a business dinner. Unaware that his son was already hurt, Jiang Zhengming had beaten him as usual, ultimately leaving both his legs disabled.

After sobering up, Jiang Zhengming had felt no remorse. Instead, he had told everyone that Jiang Ze had accidentally fallen down the stairs. Gu Rou had naturally been happy to go along with it, and with the whole family telling the same story, no one had suspected a thing.

In the end, unable to endure his disability and the family's treatment any longer, Jiang Ze had taken his own life, filled with bitterness.

"Seriously? Even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cubs. Is the original owner really Jiang Zhengming's biological son? This makes me so angry it hurts!"

"Ding! Jiang Ze is indeed Jiang Zhengming's biological son. Officially verified by the system!"

The system's answer only made Jiang Ze angrier. He used facial recognition to enter the villa, and sure enough, the moment he walked into the living room, he saw a drunken middle-aged man sitting on the sofa.

The man had slicked-back hair and a rumpled suit, his bulging belly protruding as he sat there reeking of alcohol. Who else could it be but his dear father, Jiang Zhengming, who was worse than an animal?

Seeing him enter, Jiang Zhengming's drunken face turned vicious.

At the business dinner earlier, he had heard that the son that bitch had borne him had caused a scene at the Meng Family banquet, utterly humiliating him. Now that he saw Jiang Ze return, his fury surged.

"You little bastard! You offended the Meng Family! Instead of staying by Young Master Meng's side, kneeling and begging his forgiveness, you actually had the nerve to come home!"

As he spoke, he grabbed an ashtray from the coffee table and hurled it at Jiang Ze.

Jiang Ze dodged it with a slight tilt of his head.

In his previous life, he had held a black belt in taekwondo and had also trained in boxing and sanda. Though this body was far too frail, dealing with a middle-aged man was still child's play.

"System, do you have anything that can make someone hallucinate?"

"Ding! Host, I have everything you can imagine, and plenty you can't. You can buy it with points, but items that far exceed this world's limits cannot be used, or they could cause the world to collapse. What you're asking for is allowed, though. It costs 50 points~"

Jiang Ze's mouth twitched. "Can I buy it on credit?" he asked helplessly. After all that hard work, he only had twenty points in total.

"Ding! Given your excellent performance and your beginner status, this system will provide a complimentary beginner gift pack. You may redeem three items from the system shop, but each must cost no more than 100 points~"

Reasonably satisfied with that answer, Jiang Ze immediately had the system redeem a hallucinogenic potion.

"Can you make him see me as his other son, starting from when I came through the door?"

The child Jiang Zhengming's mistress had brought with her had been spoiled rotten by the pair of them. Arrogant and domineering, he indulged in drinking, gambling, and prostitutes. Surely a few violent tendencies wouldn't be surprising?

A cold light flashed in Jiang Ze's eyes. Cracking his knuckles, he looked at the man still raging impotently before him, and a malicious smile curled his lips.