Translated by Eve
Edited by Kara
The stilted building was simple, unadorned, and nature-themed. In order to keep its decor uniform, the booths were only separated by bamboo curtains. Although they separated the two spaces, they only blocked one’s view. They didn’t block voices.
Song Xuanhe’s expression stiffened. What had he said just now?He had spoken without much thought for the sake of giving Qian Ping a half-hearted answer. He couldn’t remember his own exact words. But, what he did remember very clearly was his biggest lie—”I like him too much.”
When Xiao Yuanmu and Wei Chen appeared in front of them, there was no expression on Song Xuanhe’s face.
Qian Ping was able to tell that Wei Chen was one of the two people in front of him at once. Although he hadn’t come back for a long time, they had played together in the compound when they had been young. Therefore, he recognized the other at once. He gave the other a frank smile and stood up. “I didn’t expect this, ah. I was just talking about you with Song Er, and you just happened to be here!”
Wei Chen also recognized Qian Ping. He smiled. “I heard that Uncle Qian will be transferring back soon. Congratulations.”
“Sit, sit, sit, let’s sit together.” Qian Ping’s smile grew bigger. He pulled Wei Chen over to his side.
Song Xuanhe had already gotten over his embarrassment at having been caught red-handed. He acted nonchalantly, telling Xiao Yuanmu, “Sit.”
Only after Xiao Yuanmu sat down did Qian Ping notice him. He looked at Song Xuanhe inquisitively before saying hesitantly, “Is this Xiao Yuanmu?”“Yes.” Song Xuanhe pretended not to feel Xiao Yuanmu’s eyes on him and calmly introduced them. “Here’s the person you’ve wanted to see all this time.”
Qian Ping’s gaze shifted over to Xiao Yuanmu’s face again, sizing the other up. He then concluded, “He’s really good-looking.”
Song Xuanhe’s hand that was holding a crab claw paused in the air. He looked up to see Qian Ping look away, seemingly uninterested. The other was instead excitedly talking about the medical robots project with Wei Chen.
Song Xuanhe didn’t know why, but he kind of wanted to laugh, seeing Qian Ping so uninterested. He then reflected on himself.
Xiao Yuanmu was really, really good-looking. He was so good-looking that he didn’t even seem real. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that he was so good-looking that it shook one to one’s core. However, as a designer, he had been so astonished that he had forgotten that, no matter how perfect and attractive someone was, they would not be able to obtain acknowledgement from every single person in the world.
Everyone had their own tastes. Even between people of different races, cities, cultures, or customs, everyone had a different aesthetic sense.
This was the first lesson Song Xuanhe had been given in his first year of university. His teacher had told him that all beauty was worthy of being respected. However, beauty of all forms should be explored with established approaches. Beauty must be discovered from within. However, as a designer who had enjoyed a bit of fame, the moment Song Xuanhe had cast eyes on Xiao Yuanmu, he had forgotten what he had learned in his first lesson.
The book had said that Xiao Yuanmu was handsome and outstanding, that his appearance was flawless. And according to Song Xuanhe’s aesthetic sense, Xiao Yuanmu was exactly that. Therefore, he had thought that everyone felt the same as he did.
That misconception was probably because this world felt surreal to him, and he had overly relied on the novel in his brain.
Was Xiao Yuanmu a perfect existence in other people’s eyes?
Qian Ping’s attitude today had suddenly startled him awake and made him realize that no, he wasn’t.
At this moment, he realized that only Xiao Yuanmu had felt real to him. Meanwhile, the rest of the world hadn’t.
Xiao Yuanmu was real and so was the rest of this world. It was more real than he had previously thought. The people here were the same as the people back in his own world. They had all grown up in different households, come into contact with different people—they each had their own thoughts and sense of beauty. They were the same as him and Xiao Yuanmu. They were made of flesh and blood. They were independent, living entities.
When he thought of this, he felt like the accumulated sense of loss and his perception that this world wasn’t real had instantly vanished. Now, when he gazed out the window and took in the view of the lake, everything seemed brighter and more colourful.
Xiao Yuanmu had silently been observing Song Xuanhe’s expression this whole time. He had seen the other lower his eyes pensively while Qian Ping had been speaking. The other’s lips had been slightly pursed as if he was blaming himself for something. But a few seconds later, Song Xuanhe raised his head and looked out the window. His eyes were now slightly curved, a tell-tale sign that he was in a good mood. It seemed like he had realized something as if everything had suddenly become clear to him.
At this moment, Song Xuanhe turned to face him. It was the first time Xiao Yuanmu had seen Song Xuanhe look so calm. Before, whenever their eyes had met, it had been like he would always see something hidden in the depths of the other’s eyes. It had made him want to painstakingly investigate it, to slowly dig out the other’s true thoughts.
But right now, the other’s eyes held a smile. His eyes were bright as if they held starlight. They were dazzling and clear, the bottom of them visible for once. It made him want to reach out and grab hold of the light in Song Xuanhe’s eyes. He wanted these eyes to only reflect him, to only see him for the rest of their lives.
Xiao Yuanmu’s gaze changed slightly. His lips that had held a nearly imperceptible smile pulled into a straight line. He wanted to look away. However, he didn’t know if it was because of the memories from before his rebirth, but it was like something was controlling his body, making it so that he couldn’t move as he wanted.
Regardless, Song Xuanhe only glanced at him for a second. Soon after, he turned to look at Qian Ping and Wei Chen sitting in front of them with the same expression. The smile on his face became even more sincere when his eyes laid on them.
Xiao Yuanmu then heard Song Xuanhe say to Qian Ping, “If you want to participate in the Wei Family’s project, my uncle has data. I can ask him for you.”
Qian Ping was overjoyed. Wei Chen turned to look at him in surprise. At once, Xiao Yuanmu’s expression sank.
“Even if it’s you asking for your uncle’s data, it’ll still be a lot of work. Are you sure you want to give it to Qian Ping?”
Wei Chen was the first to speak. The surprise had left his face, but his tone carried a hint of doubt.
Although he hadn’t interacted much with Song Xuanhe, from the few times they had met, he could tell that the second young master of the Song Family, Song Xuanhe, was not domineering and brainless like the rumours had said. In contrast, while he seemed willful and languid, he was also extremely intelligent. He had his own principles when it came to interacting with others or handling business. It was just that, although he seemed friendly, he was rather indifferent on the inside. He wasn’t easy to get close to.
From what Wei Chen knew, Song Xuanhe wasn’t particularly close to Qian Ping either. He was closer to Lu Chao than Qian Ping, and it had been rumoured that Song Xuanhe had thrown Lu Chao into a pool. Why was he suddenly willing to help Qian Ping get data? He hadn’t even said such a thing to Zhou Nan, with whom he had a better relationship.
Qian Ping had already calmed down from his initial joy. When he was young, his relationship with Song Xuanhe had been good. However, they rarely hung out post-junior high, especially after he had left the Capital. They couldn’t be considered close. He couldn’t think of a reason for why Song Xuanhe would offer to help him get data from Professor Li.
If he wasn’t so aware of his own worth, he would have wondered if Song Xuanhe had some intentions towards him.
Since Song Xuanhe would never have those kinds of intentions towards him, he could not take Song Xuanhe up on his offer as he’d never be able to pay the other back. Therefore, Qian Ping smiled and said, “Song Er, I know that you’re a good friend, but you don’t have to ask your uncle for his data. If your dad were to find out, wouldn’t your dad break your legs?”
The Song Family’s matters had been a popular topic recently. Qian Ping naturally knew about the issues in the Song Family. Furthermore, he used to be on very good terms with Song Xuanhe when they were kids. He knew how Song Guochao treated Song Xuanhe as well as what the Li Family’s stance on the matter was.
Song Xuanhe saw him as a friend, so Qian Ping would not let the other get screwed over.
When he heard Qian Ping say this, Song Xuanhe planted his chin on one hand and said, “Alright, alright, I’m just going to ask. Do you think that I’m going to let my uncle drain me of my blood or something? You’re acting like you’re going to owe me a huge favour. Regardless of whether he gives me the information, remember to make a reservation for a private room at the Delicacy Pavilion.”
Qian Ping’s eyes lit up. He smiled brightly. “What’s one meal? As long as you help me ask, as long as your uncle agrees on parting with his data, I’ll treat you to as much as you want. Even if he doesn’t, I can still treat you to a few meals.”
Wei Chen knew that Song Xuanhe genuinely wanted to help Qian Ping when he heard the other speak like this. He just hadn’t expected that Song Xuanhe and Qian Ping’s relationship was this good. Song Xuanhe must truly see Qian Ping as his friend if he was willing to do this for him. Not even Zhou Nan had ever received this kind of treatment before.
When he thought of this, Wei Chen subconsciously glanced at Xiao Yuanmu’s expression. As expected, the other’s eyes were frosty.
Wei Chen laughed inwardly. Earlier, he had felt hard-pressed because of the sum of money that Xiao Yuanmu had demanded in return for his cooperation. However, because of the other’s avant-garde thinking and absolute skill, he had had no choice but to suck it up and sign the agreement. But now, the gloom had completely cleared. He felt completely refreshed.
Outsiders said that Song Xuanhe had used his authority to force Xiao Yuanmu to be his lover. However, to Wei Chen, Song Xuanhe didn’t seem to like Xiao Yuanmu all that much. In contrast, the man who outsiders said was forced by Song Xuanhe actually got jealous when he saw Song Xuanhe smile at other people.
As to what the truth of it all was, Wei Chen would only trust what he could see with his own two eyes.
Song Xuanhe didn’t notice Xiao Yuanmu’s expression at all. Actually, even if he had been paying attention, he probably wouldn’t have noticed it. After all, Xiao Yuanmu’s ability to hide his emotions had already been perfected even before his rebirth. To Song Xuanhe, aside from an occasional smile, Xiao Yuanmu only ever had one expression.
Qian Ping had just helped him come to a huge realization. All of a sudden, he felt a huge wave of inspiration to design. Therefore, Song Xuanhe was naturally not going to be stingy when it came to something that he could do just by saying a few words.
Moreover, it was just as he had said, he’d only ask. If his cheaply-obtained uncle didn’t agree, he wouldn’t plead on Qian Ping’s behalf.
Qian Ping was ecstatic and extremely grateful. However, just then, he recalled the issue he had been puzzled over but had forgotten upon Wei Chen’s arrival. His gaze flickered between Song Xuanhe and Xiao Yuanmu as he asked, “Does Mr. Xiao know Wei Chen? Why were the two of you dining together?”
Xiao Yuanmu’s gaze fell on Qian Ping. He rescinded the dark light in his eyes and said in a dull tone, “I know him. We were discussing something.”
“What?” Qian Ping beamed.
Seeing Xiao Yuanmu’s calm but dark eyes, Wei Chen’s heart stopped. He wanted to cover Qian Ping’s mouth. He had known that this fellow was bad at reading people. But now, he realized that it wasn’t his eyes that were bad but rather his brain.
Meanwhile, Qian Ping didn’t know that Wei Chen was inwardly roasting him. When he saw that Xiao Yuanmu wasn’t speaking, he turned to Song Xuanhe instead. “Song Er, didn’t you say that you two had had a fight? Now that you’ve seen each other again, you shouldn’t let this cold war continue.”
The smile on Song Xuanhe’s face froze. Suddenly, he wanted to take his words back. If he had known that Qian Ping would be such a meddler, he would have quietly watched as Wei Chen rejected him. He wouldn’t have said anything extra.
However, he had already said it out loud. He couldn’t take it back now.
Xiao Yuanmu had overheard Song Xuanhe claim earlier that they had a fight. Even if Qian Ping hadn’t mentioned it, Xiao Yuanmu would have probably mulled over it. Furthermore, with someone like Xiao Yuanmu, who thought deeply and a lot, it was better to just clear things up right away.
Song Xuanhe weighed the pros and cons for a few seconds before speaking. He didn’t bat an eye. “I was just teasing you. We didn’t fight. I just didn’t feel like calling him.”
Qian Ping furrowed his brows and said in a disapproving tone, “It’s normal for couples to fight. Didn’t you just say that you haven’t seen each other in more than ten days? Go back with Mr. Xiao later. How can you make up if you don’t see each other?”
Seeing the darkness finally dissipate from Xiao Yuanmu’s eyes, Wei Chen almost wanted to clap and praise Qian Ping. He finally understood why they said: “Fortune favours fools.” Qian Ping was bad at taking hints, but he seemed to have been able to say something that Xiao Yuanmu wanted to hear.
“Who said that we haven’t seen each other?” Song Xuanhe wanted to stuff Qian Ping’s mouth. However, he kept a smile on his face. “How could we not see each other, given that we work at the same company? Besides, there’s been too much going on at home. I can’t leave right now. The crabs haven’t been eaten yet. Eat quickly. Don’t waste them.”
When he heard Song Xuanhe say this, Qian Ping recalled the current situation with the Song Family. He nodded understandingly. He then shifted the topic to the Song Family. “Is Auntie all right?”
Qian Ping finally let go of the matter between Song Xuanhe and Xiao Yuanmu. Song Xuanhe, thus, sighed in relief. There was a bit of excitement in his tone when he replied. “She’s fine. The one who’s in trouble is Song Guochao.”
Wei Chen’s interest was also piqued. He asked, “I heard that Mr. Song’s authority was stripped away by Old Mr. Song. They say that he’s been doing nothing but reading newspapers all day in his office. Is that true?”
Song Xuanhe couldn’t suppress his laugh. “Zhou Nan told you that, didn’t he?”
The corner of Wei Chen’s lips rose. It was a silent admission.
“He doesn’t miss any gossip.” Song Xuanhe didn’t care. He smiled. “Then, did you know that, not only has Song Guochao lost his position, but also his shares of the company currently make up less than 1%? He can’t even sit in on board meetings anymore.”
Qian Ping’s eyes widened. Shocked, he said, “I thought that Uncle Song and Auntie had twenty percent of the shares together. Was that false?”
“No, it was real.” Song Xuanhe didn’t feel much towards the Song Family or Song Group, but the transfer of the shares was still a Song Group secret. It wasn’t appropriate to tell outsiders this information. Therefore, he just smiled and said, “Grandpa took it back.”
Wei Chen laughed at this. “All over a woman.”
“It was his first love,” Song Xuanhe said in an indifferent tone.
Rather than avoid talking about it, he wanted outsiders to know that the relationship between himself and Song Guochao was terrible. This would be more beneficial for him later on. Furthermore, he didn’t like Song Guochao. The disdain in his voice when he mentioned the other was real.
“But, that woman also isn’t very smart.” Qian Ping shook his head. “Where’d she get the confidence to go to the Song Family? Did Uncle Song not watch over her?”
When Qian Ping had been young, he had realized that Song Guochao didn’t care about Song Xuanhe. At home, he had heard his parents privately criticize Song Guochao. His impression of the older man had never been good. However, because he was friends with Song Xuanhe, he hadn’t been able to speak badly of the other’s elders. But now that he saw that Song Xuanhe was completely cold towards Song Guochao, he allowed some righteous indignation to bleed into his tone.
Song Xuanhe curled his lips into a smile. He didn’t respond. However, Qian Ping thought that it was because the other was upset. Therefore, he changed the topic. “Actually, there was one more reason why I came back.”
Before anyone asked, Qian Ping said, “The Deere-Barlow cruise ship is stopping at the Southern sea port in Lan City. Did you guys know that the Deere-Barlow auction that happens once every ten years will be held there? I came back for this.”
Lan City was Jiang Province’s capital city. It was a flourishing seaside city. It wasn’t far from the actual Capital. It would only take four or five hours to drive there. Via plane, it would take less than an hour.
Qian Ping looked like he was looking forward to it. His tone was full of longing. He went on about the previous Deere-Barlow auctions. He didn’t notice the other people’s expressions at all.
When he heard the name of this cruise ship, Song Xuanhe felt like it sounded a bit familiar. He then heard the System say：【This is a scene in the plot. It’s not super important, but you must still follow it. You have to ensure that the wealthy merchant takes a fancy to Xiao Yuanmu on this cruise. Later on, that wealthy merchant will have Xiao Yuanmu constantly on his mind. That will lead to the important scene of him asking you for Xiao Yuanmu.】
Song Xuanhe’s eyes shook before he cast his gaze downwards：【It was there that the wealthy merchant first saw Xiao Yuanmu?】
【The book didn’t say, so I’m not too sure. 】The System said：【At that time, you just have to take Xiao Yuanmu onto the ship. You don’t have to bother with anything else.】
Song Xuanhe didn’t reply. He kept his eyes down, lost in thought.
Because he didn’t look up, he didn’t notice the frosty expression that suddenly appeared on Xiao Yuanmu’s face. The only person who wasn’t interested in the auction was Wei Chen as he already knew about it. However, he noticed the expressions of the two people in front of him.
The Deere-Barlow cruise ship…did it have some sort of special meaning for Song Xuanhe and Xiao Yuanmu?
Wei Chen raised a brow. Suddenly, he felt intrigued. Since it was like this, then he’d also go and enjoy the show.
After Qian Ping finished talking about the cruise ship, although it was clear he wanted to talk about it more, he noticed that the other three people didn’t seem to have been listening to him. He sipped some tea to moisten his throat. They all looked lost in thought. Who knew what they were all thinking about?
He couldn’t help but ask, “Are you guys going to go?”
“Yes.” Wei Chen was the first to reply. “I heard that they have great finds at the auction. I obviously have to go check it out.”
Qian Ping’s gaze fell onto Song Xuanhe. Song Xuanhe had already come back to himself. He smiled faintly. “I’ll probably also go.”
“Let’s go together,” Qian Ping said with a smile, “I heard that a new casino opened up in that city as well. They have a few race horses too. We can go earlier and have some fun.”
Song Xuanhe didn’t comment. He only smiled.
Wei Chen cast an unobtrusive glance at the indifferent Xiao Yuanmu and then at Song Xuanhe, who looked like he didn’t have any thoughts on his mind. He simply smiled quietly.
“Bring Mr. Xiao with you. Oh right,” Qian Ping asked, “How old are you, Xiao Yuanmu?”
Xiao Yuanmu looked away and replied, “Twenty-two.”
“What month were you born in?”
“January.”
Qian Ping went “Ah” and smiled. “You’re older than Song Er by half a year. You’re also older than me. I’ll call you Xiao ge.”
Wei Chen watched Xiao Yuanmu’s expression. He had thought that the other wouldn’t agree. However, what he hadn’t expected was that the other would nod indifferently, expression unchanging. He was basically agreeing to being called this by Qian Ping.
After deciding how he would address Xiao Yuanmu, Qian Ping smiled at Song Xuanhe. “Bring Xiao ge along when the time comes. We can only board the cruise ship at night. Let’s go riding during the day. We can also watch horse races. It seems interesting.”
Putting aside his rotten luck at gambling, even if he wouldn’t lose, Song Xuanhe didn’t want to do this with Xiao Yuanmu.
There had been a passage in the book that Song Xuanhe remembered clearly. Shortly after Xiao Yuanmu had returned to the Xiao Family, before his position had become stable, someone had invited him out to a horse-racing track. That person had known that Xiao Yuanmu had grown up in an orphanage and had never ridden before. Therefore, he had purposely invited him out to make things difficult for him and ridicule him. He hadn’t expected Xiao Yuanmu to learn so quickly. The fierce horse that person had purposely given Xiao Yuanmu had been tamed by him after the other took it for just two rounds.
However, when that person had mentioned them racing, Xiao Yuanmu had purposely pretended to be unfamiliar with it. In the end, the other person had promised that nothing would happen, and that if something did, Xiao Yuanmu wouldn’t be responsible. Thus, Xiao Yuanmu had pretended to reluctantly agree.
In the end, that person was kicked by Xiao Yuanmu’s horse. Two ribs and one leg were broken. It was a permanent injury. Even after spending half a year in the hospital, his leg never healed fully.
It had been that person who had suggested horse racing, and he had been the one to say that Xiao Yuanmu wouldn’t have to take responsibility. Furthermore, everyone present had thought it had been an accident. Therefore, Xiao Yuanmu hadn’t had to take any responsibility for him. Outsiders all thought that the man had just been unlucky.
Although Xiao Yuanmu’s actions had become even more ruthless and undisguised later on, and people had already begun to suspect that this had not been an accident, by that time, Xiao Yuanmu had already solidified his position as the Xiao Family’s Head. No one dared to mention that incident anymore. Even if they had a conjecture, they couldn’t do anything but swallow it down. Furthermore, there had been no evidence.
Song Xuanhe obviously wasn’t stupid enough to race with Xiao Yuanmu. However, he was afraid that Xiao Yuanmu would let his horse break his bones if he was unhappy. After all, he knew that as long as Xiao Yuanmu wanted to do something, he would do it cleanly, leaving no traces behind.
It was precisely because of this that he didn’t want to go to a horse-racing track with Xiao Yuanmu. Even if he hadn’t truly offended Xiao Yuanmu yet, that scene still made him feel adverse.
Therefore, Song Xuanhe declined. “I don’t like horse racing. Go by yourself. I’ll meet you at the cruise ship.”
When Qian Ping heard this, although he was disappointed, he didn’t think too much about it. Therefore, he just nodded and dropped the topic.
The crabs on the table had already been finished. The drinks and pastries that the waiters had brought over had also been slowly consumed. After talking so much, Qian Ping also felt like it was time to go.
He, thus, smiled and said, “Let’s stop here today. I have to go see my grandpa still. Let’s meet up again next time.”
Wei Chen and the other two naturally had no objections. However, after leaving the stilted building, Song Xuanhe felt awkward, because Wei Chen and Qian Ping had both left on their own. Now, he was alone with Xiao Yuanmu.
Although he didn’t want to take Xiao Yuanmu back—with his character settings, he could also just leave like that without caring—when he looked at Xiao Yuanmu, whose calm gaze had been permanently on him, he couldn’t tell the other to go home on his own.
The two of them stood outside of the car. In the end, it was Xiao Yuanmu who spoke first. He said in a cool voice, “Did you not want to see me because you cried and called me ‘Daddy’ that day?”
The author say something to say:
Xiao Yuanmu: I really like it. Call me that a few more times.
Song Xuanhe: I’ll show you who should be the one getting called Daddy!
……
Song Xuanhe: Daddy.
Eve: XYM…careful, your jealousy is showing just a little too much hahaha. And that mini theatre at the end in the author’s note. RIP Xuanhe.
