episode 38
"You mean Brother Lin? He's alright, we've known each other since we were studying abroad."
The living room lights were off. Huo Liang sat on the dimly lit sofa, staring at the line of text for a long time. He then scrolled through He Xun's WeChat Moments and stalked him for a while before making a phone call with a playful expression.
The other party seemed very busy; the crisp ringtone of the phone rang for a full twenty seconds before it was answered.
The first thing I heard on the other end of the phone was a chaotic cacophony of voices, from both men and women.
A few seconds later, the man's hoarse voice rang out: "What is it?"
"Hey, what time is it, Brother Ling? Already playing around again?" Huo Liang couldn't help but tease him. At this moment, his face showed no trace of the haggard and distressed look he had in front of outsiders. "Aren't you afraid of kidney deficiency?"
Chen Guangling spat out a curse: "Stop talking nonsense, get to the point, don't delay me from doing my job!"
Huo Liang chuckled and, without wasting any more words, said succinctly, "I've recently set my sights on a new fat sheep."
"Oh?" Chen Guangling finally became interested. He took a few steps away, blocking out the noise, and asked in a more serious tone, "Do you have any photos?"
Huo Liang picked out a few photos that He Xun had posted on his WeChat Moments and sent them to him.
Chen Guangling zoomed in on the photo, and after seeing the other person's face clearly, his breath hitched. When he spoke again, his tone was somewhat excited. He was clearly stimulated by the handsome face of this unknown young man. He said, "He looks pretty good, but I wonder what it's like to actually do it."
“Brother Ling has a sharp eye; he’s even more handsome in person than in photos.” Huo Liang recalled the captivating face of He Xun during their conversation that day, then paused, his rationality returning slightly, “But don’t get any ideas about him; he’s no ordinary person.”
"You want to recruit him?"
"Otherwise what? Do you think I'd call you in the middle of the night for no reason than to listen to you perform a live sex act?"
"Damn, I thought you were going to give him to me to play with and then sell him off."
"Aren't all those people around you enough for you to mess with?" Huo Liang scoffed, adjusting his posture. "Anyway, from what I've observed, he has quite a background, and of course, the key point is that he's rich."
Of course, you can't sell to rich people; you have to win them over and bleed them money.
"you--"
Before Chen Guangling could finish speaking, a boy approached him and called out "Brother Chen" in a coquettish tone. Soon after, a soft, ambiguous rustling sound came through the receiver.
Huo Liang's throat tightened suddenly. He cursed Chen Guangling under his breath, thinking how shameless he was. He cleared his throat and quickly asked, "What do you think?"
Chen Guangling's voice was low and hoarse: "Can't you be a little more composed? Wasn't He Lianmeng's lesson enough for you? If you hadn't been so careless back then, how could she have found out, leading to this mess—"
"Damn it!" Huo Liang ran his fingers through his hair and interrupted him impatiently, "Don't fucking bring up the past. Anyway, she can't cause any trouble now!"
Sensing the annoyance in his tone, Chen Guangling snorted coldly, finally dropping the subject of that unpleasant matter, and instead said, "Anyway, don't just try to recruit anyone. Have you figured out what kind of person he is? Who is he from? Does he like men or women? What does his family do? What are their estimated assets? How old is he? Does he have any siblings? Do you know all of these things?"
Upon hearing this, Huo Liang was speechless for a moment.
Chen Guangling's words made sense, and he thought to himself that he had really been blinded by that person's beauty and money.
"...That's true, I'll observe for a while longer."
Although he said he would observe further, Huo Liang's desire to bring He Xun into the group remained unchanged.
Men, especially those from the upper class, aren't they all the same? Others might not know, but as a man, how could he not know? When the time comes, he'll shove the guy into his arms, force-feed him drugs, and what rationality will he have in bed? Besides, the guy is so rich, he can make huge profits with just a little effort, and he's young. If they don't take him on, who will?
Thinking this, Chen Guangling spoke again.
"I saw your video. Is that little thing that came out your eldest daughter? She's a real beauty... No wonder that bitch He Lianmeng was so stressed. Find some time to have her checked."
The man's tone was lewd, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue; you could almost feel the venom oozing from its skin through the receiver.
Huo Liang curled his lips into a smile, his eyes darkening further: "You'll get your share."
*
He Xun wasn't entirely at ease about using Mo Shilin's identity to create a persona for himself; he'd consider it compensation if he let the other person kiss him a little longer next time they kissed.
But Mo Shilin was a very clever man. He could tell from the occasional guilty and complicated look in He Xun's eyes that his little male servant was definitely hiding something from him again.
But he didn't expose him, almost indulgently playing dumb, and also enjoyed the unique guilt and exposure that He Xun felt towards him.
As long as He Xun doesn't commit murder, arson, or fall in love with someone else, he'll do whatever he wants.
"Would you like coffee or tea? I'll get it for you."
He Xun pushed open the study door, his voice at this moment was incredibly tender compared to his usual aloofness and indifference.
Mo Shilin was reviewing work emails when he heard this. He looked up slightly and saw his young male servant standing respectfully in front of him, dressed in a neat black and white male servant uniform. His expression was docile, and his long, slender, light pink fingers were interlaced. His movements and posture gave people an indescribable sense of sensuality, which easily aroused his dark thoughts of wanting to do whatever he wanted to him.
Who could resist doing something naughty when faced with that face?
Mo Shilin didn't reply immediately. He looked down and reviewed another email, adding annotations on the keyboard before closing the webpage. He then beckoned to He Xun, signaling him to come closer.
He Xun took a few steps forward, but the next second his body suddenly sank and he was thrown forward violently. "Ah!"
He exclaimed in surprise.
Mo Shilin suddenly grabbed the black bow choker around his neck, his expression playful.
He Xun was forced to bend over, his hands gripping the table tightly, his fingers turning blue and white from the force. He looked up, his brows furrowed, and his voice was strained: "What are you doing?"
"I don't want to drink either of these, I want to drink yours."
Because he had just returned from outside, Mo Shilin was still wearing a black suit with the buttons undone. His high nose bridge was perched on a pair of black-rimmed glasses, making him look lazy and sexy. His slender fingers hooked around He Xun's choker and caressed it, as if he were simulating a sexual position. With such a handsome face, yet he uttered such straightforward dirty talk, it made him seem particularly wicked.
He Xun's face flushed red, and he slapped that handsome face away in an annoyance: "Drink your own!"
Mo Shilin let go of his choker, then took his hand, and placed him on the desk. "Mine can't compare to yours." He then buried his face in his neck and sighed in a low voice, "After we have a baby, you can give me some."
The time, the place, and the clothes.
Anyone who didn't know better would think the two of them were acting out some kind of BL (Boys' Love) comic.
He Xun's ears turned red, and she covered his mouth with her hand: "Don't say it anymore, or we won't be able to broadcast it."
"..." Mo Shilin raised an eyebrow, his lips pressed against his palm, a hint of regret in his voice, "Alright."
"Besides, I'm a man, so even if you get me pregnant, I still can't have children."
He Xun meant to dispel this absurd idea by saying that even if the two of them did have sex, he wouldn't get pregnant, and his body would be even less likely to produce vaginal fluid.
But to Mo Shilin, it was a different story. "Playing with Jin Qu?" What was the difference between this and flirting with him?!
He seriously suspected that He Xun hadn't come in to care about his health, but rather to drain him dry.
Fortunately, it was broad daylight and there were still work documents on the table, so his self-control wouldn't completely fail him. He took a deep breath, rubbed He Xun's lower back, then released him, turned his head away, and calmly said, "Bring me a glass of ice water, please."
He Xun: "......"
*
After leaving the study, He Xun immediately returned to his room.
After all, he had important things to do, and it wouldn't be right for him to keep wasting time on Mo Shilin's good looks.
Just as Huo Liang's side was starting to make some progress, He Lianmeng's side couldn't be overlooked either.
Just these few days, Mo Shilin was going to Singapore to attend an awards ceremony at his alma mater, so He Xun was extremely relaxed at the villa.
He then began to collect information about He Lianmeng.
He Lianmeng was born into a well-off family. Both her parents were white-collar workers in offices. While other girls her age were still growing strangely due to puberty, she had already blossomed into a beautiful young woman with bright eyes, white teeth, long flowing hair, and a charming appearance.
Naturally, because of her pretty face, she was selected by a director to shoot a shampoo commercial when she was in middle school, and then became famous overnight.
She was beautiful and intelligent. She studied and acted at the same time, and finally got into the drama academy's acting department with the top score in her major. Her career then reached its peak.
With her fresh temperament, outstanding figure, and distinctive features, He Lianmeng was quickly selected by a famous domestic director to play the female lead in the popular IP romance drama "Love in a Dream". She then became a sensation across mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong because of this role, receiving numerous advertising endorsements and variety show appearances.
He Lianmeng's agency seized the opportunity to arrange for her to star in several well-received TV dramas and even have a minor role in a movie by a well-known director. In the same year, she won several awards that are considered prestigious in the industry.
Compared to most people in the industry, He Lianmeng's acting career has been smooth sailing. She should have had a bright future and reached even greater heights, but unexpectedly, Huo Liang suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
The two met at a charity gala. At that time, Huo Liang was still an unknown actor. Despite the opposition of her relatives and friends, He Lianmeng quickly fell in love with him and started dating Huo Liang without any concealment. Even when faced with questions from the media, He Lianmeng glared at the reporters in order to protect Huo Liang.
This behavior was naturally detrimental to He Lianmeng, who was still maintaining a "pure and innocent" image at the time, and the relationship caused a huge uproar in the entire entertainment industry.
He Lianmeng's fans accused her of lacking ambition, and her endorsements dropped one after another due to her relationship. The breach of contract fees were staggeringly high, and she had a major falling out with her agency, which lasted for several years before she was able to extricate herself from the legal battle.
Shortly after terminating her contract with her agency, He Lianmeng became pregnant, bringing her acting career to a standstill. After marrying Huo Liang, she settled down at home to become a housewife.
Seven or eight years have passed in the blink of an eye, and He Lianmeng has gradually disappeared from the public eye, thus the once-renowned "Jade Girl" has fallen.
Aside from her loyal fans, no one searches for her name anymore, and her TV drama appearances on Wikipedia are still from a long time ago.
However, Huo Liang's career flourished with age, bringing him both a good reputation and financial success.
In fact, it's not just Huo Liang; male actors in the industry generally have a longer "flowering period" than female actors.
It wasn't until this year, when He Lianmeng, who had already retired from the entertainment industry, participated in a parent-child variety show thanks to Huo Liang's fame, that she regained public attention and sparked a wave of archaeological research. The phrase "How beautiful was He Lianmeng when she was young" even topped the trending search lists on various websites.
She just didn't want her husband to expose such serious negative news right after the show ended.
He Lianmeng had already suffered a lot of inexplicable criticism and malice because of her out-of-shape figure, and now it's out of control.
The first to be affected were Huo Liang's fans, who felt that such a woman was not good enough for their "brother"—even though Huo Liang was nearly forty, he would always be their "brother."
They shouted, glared, and cursed, brazenly launching a coordinated act of violence online under the guise of justice and compassion.
A man photoshopped a black and white portrait of He Lianmeng and insulted her by calling her a "bitch," repeatedly pushing the hashtag "He Lianmeng a streetwalker" to the top of the trending searches.
Men use her dirty jokes in all sorts of obscene groups.
Those selling the videos tirelessly send all sorts of random links under the banner of "He Lianmeng's cheating video" in the comments section of various marketing accounts, and many people are asking for them in the comments.
This is a nationwide carnival.
Even the above-mentioned actions are considered mild; the most serious incident was that He Lianmeng's current address was doxxed and posted online.
Her eldest daughter, Tao Tao, was also revealed online to be in which class she attended kindergarten.
Some unscrupulous media outlets, seeking sensationalism, went directly to Tao Tao's kindergarten and, under the guise of seeking the truth, conducted interviews with malicious intent: "Did you know that your mother cheated on you and ran off with another man?"
It's fair to say that He Xun was able to find He Lianmeng's current address without lifting a finger, thanks in no small part to these heartless people.
He found this extremely ironic, believing it to be worthy of being listed first in the anthology of black humor and hellish jokes.
Two o'clock in the afternoon.
After greeting Aunt Mu, He Xun put on a baseball cap, slung his camera bag over his shoulder, and went out with his hands in his pockets.
He Lianmeng's current address is in a remote suburb, inaccessible by bus. He had to transfer halfway and then flag down a taxi after getting off the bus.
After more than an hour, He Xun finally arrived at his destination.
Nature's temperament is beyond the control of weather forecasts. In the morning, the sky was clear and blue, but in the afternoon, dark clouds covered the sky, and rain fell on the whole city, making the buildings look like they were soaking in a dark fish tank.
Before getting off the bus, amidst the whirring of the windshield wipers, the driver kindly reminded He Xun that it was difficult to hail a taxi in this area, and that there was a small hotel nearby. He suggested that if necessary, he could stay there for the night and walk to the station the next morning.
He Xun felt this made sense. After thanking the driver, he got out of the car. The rain had lessened a bit, and he braved the drizzle to walk into the old neighborhood, which looked extremely dilapidated from the outside.
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