Jiang Xun was forcibly dragged away by Chu Xingye.
"I'm warning you, stop hanging around my uncle, and don't try sucking up to him. It won't work."
His face tense, Chu Xingye said through gritted teeth, "Don't think pleasing my family will get you engaged to me."
Trailing a step behind, Jiang Xun looked at his profile and idly thought that Chu Xingye looked a little like his uncle. Apparently, there was some truth to the saying that nephews took after their maternal uncles.
"What did you say? I couldn't hear you."
Chu Xingye said, "Stop fucking playing dumb."
Jiang Xun felt wronged. He genuinely couldn't hear him clearly; the other man was speaking on his left, and his voice wasn't loud.
Mature men really are more charming. Chu Xingye ought to learn a thing or two from his uncle.
He glanced back toward Fu Yanli and Ye Jing. Ye Jing was still affectionately holding Fu Yanli's arm, and the two were talking to an elderly man with graying hair, oblivious to what was happening over here.
He looked away, losing interest.
Chu Xingye dumped Jiang Xun off to one side, then turned and strode away, afraid that Jiang Xun would follow him again.
These banquets really are no fun. Boring as hell.
Having met his KPI for the day, Jiang Xun had no desire to keep looking at Chu Xingye's sour face. He went to the buffet table for two servings of dessert, found a quiet corner, and sat down, eating while idly observing the banquet hall.
Jiang Zixing was popular and was gathered with several of his rich-kid friends, chatting and laughing.
Jiang Huaijin and Jiang Shiyuan were holding wineglasses and chatting merrily with their business associates.
Deng Shu had her own circle of friends, too.
Only Jiang Xun, the ignorant country bumpkin in everyone's eyes, seemed completely out of place in this circle.
Yet he remained perfectly at ease, because the person inside had already changed.
"Look at that bumpkin. He's eating like he starved to death in his last life. Probably never had anything decent to eat."
"How could someone like him compare to our Zixing? What a joke."
Not far away, several young people watched Jiang Xun sitting in the corner, eating dessert nonstop, and sneered disdainfully.
They were all Jiang Zixing's friends.
"Don't say that." Jiang Zixing looked troubled, guilt written across his face. "He suffered a lot before. I was the one who took his place."
"How is that your fault? You're innocent. He just had bad luck."
Someone said indignantly, "Exactly. How can that hick blame everything on you? We'll find a chance to teach him a lesson later."
"Exactly!"
They had long been sick of Jiang Xun. He had repeatedly bullied Zixing, taking advantage of his good temper, and had even caused Zixing to break his leg and miss a dance competition.
If Zixing hadn't stopped them, they would have taught that vicious bumpkin a lesson long ago.
Naturally, Jiang Xun heard none of this. After finishing both servings of dessert, he grew bored, got up, and headed toward the elevators.
This hotel also belonged to the Ji Group. There was a large garden on the top floor, and he figured he would take a walk to help digest his food.
The garden was quiet, filled with warm lighting and flourishing flowers and plants.
Jiang Xun let out a contented sigh, strolling along and admiring the greenery, only to suddenly hear voices up ahead.
He faintly caught the name "Ji Yuntian."
His interest immediately piqued, he headed toward the voices and hid behind a small rockery, peering ahead through a gap between the rocks.
Two young men were beside the fountain pool, one standing and the other sitting in a wheelchair.
Jiang Xun raised his eyebrows slightly. A wheelchair, paralyzed legs-that's probably the second male lead destined for prison, Ji Yuntian.
The two seemed to be facing off. The young man standing wore a suit and looked respectable enough, but his expression was scornful and arrogant as he looked down at Ji Yuntian in his wheelchair.
Ji Yuntian wore only a white shirt, his exposed skin looking sickly pale beneath the lights. He sat with his back to Jiang Xun.
Jiang Xun couldn't see Ji Yuntian's face, only his lowered head and a section of his nape that looked even paler against the ends of his black hair, making him seem weak and helpless.
They weren't far away, but with only his right ear functioning normally, Jiang Xun couldn't make out their conversation.
It didn't take a guess to know that the man was giving Ji Yuntian a hard time.
Even with his legs crippled, Ji Yuntian was still the Ji family's youngest son. Few people would dare bully him.
Except his older half brother, Ji Ming.
In the original novel, Ji Yuntian's mother was his father's second wife. His older brother, Ji Ming, had been born to the first wife, who had later died.
Ji Ming had always disliked his stepmother, and that dislike extended to his younger half brother, whom he had bullied since childhood.
After an accident left Ji Yuntian's legs paralyzed, Ji Ming became even more brazen.
That was precisely why Ji Yuntian's personality had grown increasingly twisted and dark.
Another poor little thing, Jiang Xun thought with a sigh, though he felt little sympathy and had no intention of stepping in to defend him.
According to the plot of the original novel, the original owner of this body had died because of Ji Yuntian's schemes.
Jiang Xun wasn't some saintly pushover with no bottom line. Not going over and shoving Ji Yuntian into the pool was already generous of him.
Anyone who helps him is a fucking idiot.
Ji Ming was still saying something with an air of superiority. Ji Yuntian kept his head lowered without speaking, his hands gripping the wheelchair's armrests so tightly that they turned white, veins standing out clearly on their backs. He looked as though he would simply endure whatever came his way.
Suddenly, Ji Ming took two steps forward, raised his foot, and viciously kicked the wheelchair over.
Ji Yuntian fell to the ground along with it, left in a miserable heap.
Tsk... poor little thing. Hidden behind the rockery, Jiang Xun watched the spectacle with relish.
Suddenly, an exceptionally crisp "ding" rang out in his mind.
Immediately afterward came an emotionless electronic voice:
Six-Six-Six: [Congratulations, host. Random mission triggered-help Ji Yuntian, who is being bullied by Ji Ming, and teach Ji Ming a lesson.] Six-Six-Six: [Mission success reward: five hundred points. Mission failure reward: one Lightning Five-Whip Combo package.]
Jiang Xun: "..."
Fuck.
There are random missions, too?
And what the hell is a Lightning Five-Whip Combo??
Six-Six-Six: [Mission begins. Countdown: fifteen minutes...]
Fuck.
Jiang Xun nearly ground his teeth to pieces, inwardly cursing that underhanded bastard hundreds of times.
Fine, I'll help. I'm a fucking idiot.
Beside the fountain pool, Ji Ming bent his knees and crouched in front of Ji Yuntian, watching him with interest.
"Dear little brother, stay right here and be good. After all, if everyone sees you looking like this, you'll disgrace our family."
Ji Ming smiled. "Your big brother is only doing this for your own good."
Ji Yuntian sat sprawled on the ground, his thin back faintly visible beneath the fabric of his shirt. His eyes were lowered, and he said nothing, his thick lashes concealing the emotions stirring in his eyes.
He remembered every single thing Ji Ming had done to him. One day, he would repay it all twofold.
Ji Yuntian's dark eyes were filled with malice.
Just then, Jiang Xun darted out from behind the rockery and strode over. Pointing an index finger at Ji Ming, he demanded fiercely, "You big dumbass, what do you think you're doing!"