Jiang Xun gazed blankly at Chu Xingye with his innocent puppy-dog eyes.
"Brother Xingye, what are you talking about? I couldn't like you more. Why would I spread rumors about you?"
"I'd never bad-mouth anyone behind their back. That would be awful."
With both hands in his pockets, Chu Xingye looked down at the boy, who was considerably shorter than him, and sneered. "Then who was spreading rumors about Ji Yuntian just now?"
Jiang Xun shook his head, his eyes brimming with innocence. "Those weren't rumors. Everything I said was true. You can look into it if you don't believe me."
Jiang Xun's expression and tone were so convincing that Chu Xingye suddenly wasn't quite so sure anymore. He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked suspiciously, "He really locked you up and let snakes bite you?"
"He did." A flicker of panic crossed Jiang Xun's eyes, and this time, it wasn't an act. "I... I was terrified."
Seeing Jiang Xun looking so pitiful, Chu Xingye's expression shifted several times, and he cursed inwardly. Fuck, why was he acting all delicate and helpless in front of me? Had he even looked in a mirror?
Chu Xingye left, cursing under his breath.
He even forgot what he'd come there for.
Ji Yuntian, huh? He always looked so sickly, but he was actually twisted enough to do something like that. And he'd bullied Little Black Egg...
Fuck, what did Jiang Xun getting bullied have to do with me?
Chu Xingye grew even angrier. It was all that wheelchair-bound invalid's fault. Sooner or later, he'd settle the score with him!
Watching Chu Xingye walk away, Jiang Xun was genuinely bewildered this time. Were both of them really this easy to fool?
He sighed inwardly. Crouching Dragon and Young Phoenix. What a pair.
Six-Six-Six: [Ding-random drop of 300 points deposited into the Host's account. Points balance: 301.]
Jiang Xun finally felt somewhat consoled. It seemed he'd made some progress with his mission. He'd doubled his KPI for the day.
A few days later, everyone in City A's upper circles knew one thing.
Ji Yuntian, the Ji Family's wheelchair-bound young son, was actually a psychologically warped pervert. He looked gentle and harmless on the surface, but beneath that lay a sinister disposition and ruthless methods. He even enjoyed abusing small animals.
Jiang Xun heard about it too. Of course, he hadn't been the one to spread it.
Now that walking criminal case's public image had completely collapsed.
He just wondered who had been spreading those rumors behind the scenes.
Leaning back against the sofa as he played a game, Chu Xingye said without looking up, "Who knows?"
He kept his deeds and credit to himself.
Jiang Xun scooted over and leaned toward him. "Brother Xingye, what game are you playing? Teach me."
A faint fragrance drifted into Chu Xingye's nose. He knitted his brows and immediately shifted away.
Why was he wearing perfume at home this late at night? He was definitely trying to seduce me. And leaning in so close, too. What a schemer.
Chu Xingye glanced at Jiang Xun out of the corner of his eye and suddenly realized that Little Black Egg's skin seemed less dark than before. His profile was even kind of good-looking?
Without warning, he tossed his phone aside and shot to his feet, glaring at Jiang Xun. "Come any closer and I'll kill myself right in front of you."
"Do you have to keep clinging to me? Aren't you tired of it?"
Jiang Xun seemed startled by Chu Xingye's sudden outburst. Only after a long moment did he lift his eyes to look at him. His lashes trembled, then his gaze dropped again in dejection.
The curses Chu Xingye had been about to unleash caught in his throat. After a pause, he said stiffly, "Quit acting pitiful. That doesn't work on me."
The fingerprint lock clicked open, and Fu Yanli stepped inside, having just returned from the office.
He changed his shoes and had barely walked in when he noticed the scene in the living room.
"Brother Xingye..."
Jiang Xun hung his head low, fiddling with his fingers, looking utterly pitiful.
Chu Xingye's brow twitched, and he suddenly felt a little guilty.
"You know I've never had a boyfriend, not even when I was little."
"..." Chu Xingye's guilt evaporated.
Who the hell had a boyfriend when they were little?!
As Chu Xingye was on the verge of a breakdown, he suddenly spotted his uncle standing nearby. He immediately spread his arms and rushed over.
"Uncle, you're finally home! Save me!"
A second before his nephew could fling himself into his arms, Fu Yanli stepped aside, leaving Chu Xingye hugging empty air.
"Finished your homework?"
"Uncle, I don't have any homework."
Fu Yanli shot him a look, and Chu Xingye immediately wilted, trudging toward his room with his head hanging.
Jiang Xun poured a glass of water, rose, and eagerly brought it over to Fu Yanli, looking obedient and considerate. "Uncle, thank you for working so hard. Have some water first."
Fu Yanli took the glass and gave him an impassive glance. His thin lips parted. "Finished your homework?"
"..."
Jiang Xun trudged back to his room with his head hanging too.
At ten that night, Chu Xingye slipped out of his room and knocked on his uncle's door.
Fresh from the shower, Fu Yanli stood in the doorway with moisture still clinging to him, looking at his nephew with his handsome brows slightly furrowed.
"Uncle, can I come in and talk?"
Fu Yanli turned and walked inside. Chu Xingye immediately followed him in and locked the door.
The uncle and nephew sat angled toward each other on the sofa. Fu Yanli had just lifted his glass and taken a sip of water when he saw his nephew propping up his chin miserably. "Uncle, what am I supposed to do? Little Black Egg likes me way too much."
"You're so capable. You must have a way to help me get rid of him. Please help me, Uncle."
Fu Yanli regarded his nephew calmly, idly rubbing his fingertips against the side of the glass. "You don't like Jiang Xun?"
His gaze was calm, yet so sharp it seemed to pierce straight into the heart.
Chu Xingye shook his head without a second thought. "Of course I don't like him. Who'd like someone like Jiang Xun? If I ever fall for him, I'll jump out the window!"
Fu Yanli set down his glass. "Mm. You can leave."
Chu Xingye said, "Huh? Uncle, you haven't told me what I should do!"
Fu Yanli said, "Figure it out yourself."
Chu Xingye said, "..."
Over the weekend, Jiang Xun continued working part-time at the café with Lin Jian.
Neither Ji Yuntian nor Chu Xingye showed up this time, but he did run into someone unexpected.
Jiang Zixing.
The moment Jiang Zixing stepped through the doorway and saw Jiang Xun in his staff uniform, surprise and panic flashed across his face. He had been about to turn around and leave, but Jiang Xun spotted him.
"Little brother, what brings you here?"
Jiang Zixing had no choice but to walk inside. He pressed his lips into a smile. "Our eldest brother mentioned you were working part-time here, so I thought I'd come take a look."
Jiang Xun gave him a faint, knowing smile. "Is that so?"
If he remembered correctly, Fu Yanli's Zhongyu Group was nearby, only a hundred or two hundred meters away.
"Yes. You haven't been home in half a month, and Mom and Dad really miss you."
"Mm, I'll go back tomorrow." Jiang Xun walked over and invited him in. "Have a seat. What would you like to drink? My treat."
Jiang Zixing could only sit down. He smiled and said, "Anything's fine. Thanks, Second Brother."
He'd only intended to try his luck outside the Zhongyu Group building and see whether he could run into Fu Yanli.
But after waiting ages without seeing him, he'd gotten thirsty and picked a random café. Who could have known...