Chapter 50 The Vicious Fake Young Master Meets a Miserable End, Star...
Just as Lin Siyi was about to pronounce Lin Suxing's name, the cold-eyed waiter quietly slipped past the last few guests and precisely arrived at Lin Suxing's side on the side of the stage.
Zhao Gan stood in the shadows not far away, his heart pounding in his chest. He stared intently at the waiter named Xiao Cui, hoping he would pull out a weapon from under the tray and create chaos that would ruin the night.
However, what happened the next second made Zhao Gan's pupils shrink sharply.
Xiao Cui's hand did indeed deftly pull something out from the bottom of the tray, but it wasn't the expected blade or pistol; instead, it was a folded, pure white card with delicate gold thread embroidered on the edges.
He bowed slightly and, with impeccable respect, handed the card to Lin Suxing with both hands.
Lin Suxing seemed to be taken aback for a moment, but his good manners made him subconsciously take the card. He even gave Xiao Cui a polite nod and a slightly confused smile.
No attack! No chaos! Nothing happened!
Zhao Gan's mind went blank; shock and immense confusion overwhelmed him like a bucket of ice water.
"What's going on? That good-for-nothing Lin Ke can't even handle this last little thing? Or did Cui betray us at the last minute?!" A sense of foreboding instantly gripped him.
Just as he was stunned and frozen in place by this completely unexpected turn of events, a seemingly slender but exceptionally strong hand silently reached out from behind him, precisely and swiftly covering his mouth and nose. At the same time, another hand gripped his arm joint as he tried to resist, using a skillful force to drag him backward!
Before Zhao Gan could even utter a cry of surprise, he was dragged away from the crowd by an irresistible force and quickly disappeared into a dimly lit corridor leading to the logistics area at the side and rear of the banquet hall.
Zhao Gan struggled fiercely, but the other party's technique was terrifyingly professional, completely suppressing his resistance.
Immediately afterwards, he was slammed to the ground. Before he could get up, several cable ties were quickly and tightly bound to his wrists and ankles, and a rough wad of cloth was stuffed into his mouth.
"Waaaaah!!!" Zhao Gan was both shocked and furious. Veins bulged on his forehead, and he mumbled curses, his eyes filled with the rage of being offended. He was the young master of the Zhao family, a guest of this banquet—who dared to treat him like this?!
The tool shed door opened again, and a tall, aloof figure stood against the light, slowly walking in.
The indoor incandescent light snapped on, and the blinding light made Zhao Gan instinctively squint. When he saw who it was, his blood almost froze instantly.
It was Li Xinian.
His expression was indifferent, as if frozen in frost, his gray-blue eyes devoid of warmth as he looked down at Zhao Gan, who was bound like a dumpling and looked utterly wretched.
"Surprised?" Li Xinian's voice was eerily calm, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself. "Surprised that Xiao Cui didn't attack Su Xing as you expected?"
Zhao Gan's eyes widened in shock, as if struck by lightning! How could Li Xinian know?! How could he know so much?! Xiao Cui is Lin Ke's man, and he contacted Xiao Cui through extremely secretive channels... Could it be...?
Just then, another figure entered the tool room; it was Lin Siyi, who had just been preparing to speak on stage.
The gentle smile that had been on his face was gone, replaced by a cold, all-knowing mockery.
He looked at Zhao Gan, who lay on the ground like a trapped beast, and said in a calm but deadly tone: "No need to guess, Zhao Gan. From the moment Lin Ke was sent to the sanatorium, all his communications, including every phone call he made and every message he sent, have been under our surveillance."
Zhao Gan's struggles stopped instantly, his pupils constricted due to extreme fear, and his whole body went cold in an instant!
Lin Siyi continued slowly and deliberately, "So, from the moment you received his first call for help, we knew everything about your dirty deal. As for Xiao Cui..."
A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. "After receiving that stupid phone call from Lin Ke, we already 'talked' with him. He's smart; he knows what to choose."
The truth struck Zhao Gan like a heavy hammer.
His supposedly secret plan had been exposed to the enemy from the very beginning! He was like a clown, with every step of his plan under someone else's control!
Overwhelmed by immense fear and a sense of defeat, he collapsed to the ground, too weak to even whimper, only trembling in despair.
Under the lights, the seemingly slender but swift "waiter" who had just subdued Zhao Gan began searching him with practiced ease.
The wallet, car keys, and the custom-made luxury phone were quickly found and placed on the nearby workbench.
Li Xinian's gaze swept over the items, finally settling on the cell phone.
"Buzzing..."
Zhao Gan's phone screen suddenly lit up, accompanied by a rapid vibration. Two words clearly appeared on the screen: [Lin Ke].
Li Xinian stopped in his tracks, a cold sneer flashing in his gray-blue eyes.
Without the slightest hesitation, the man handed the still-vibrating phone to Lin Siyi beside him.
Lin Siyi took the phone, looked at the name on the screen, and his eyes turned completely cold. He pressed the answer button and turned on speakerphone.
The moment the call connected, Lin Ke's hysterical, urgent, and vicious voice came from the other end, so shrill it almost pierced eardrums:
"Zhao Gan! How did it go?! Did it succeed?! Did Xiao Cui get his hands on it?! Is Lin Suxing dead or not?! Speak up! Is he dead or not?!"
This series of questions, filled with curses and murderous intent, echoed clearly through the narrow tool shed like the filthiest venom.
Bound to the ground, Zhao Gan closed his eyes in despair. He knew it was all over.
The last trace of pity that Lin Siyi felt out of blood ties and who had originally intended to leave him a way out was completely wiped out by the overwhelming and nauseating malice in her heart.
He held the phone, his knuckles slightly white, but when he spoke, his voice was a low, cold, and steady tone: "Lin Ke."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a terrified scream: "...Brother Siyi?! It's you?! Where's Zhao Gan?!"
"How I ended up here is not important." Lin Siyi's tone was flat, yet it carried a heavy sense of pressure. "What is important is that I heard your plan with my own ears. I originally thought you were just foolish, and out of consideration for our years of friendship, I was going to send you abroad to save face and ensure your family could have some peace."
His voice remained calm, but every word was chilling: "But now, I see clearly that you are not only stupid, but also evil to the core. Hiring someone to commit murder, breaking the law, and intending to harm my family. Lin Ke, you are truly beyond redemption."
"No! No! Brother, let me explain! It was Zhao Gan who acted on his own! I never asked him to do anything illegal! I know I was wrong! Please give me another chance!" Lin Ke's voice was choked with sobs and utter panic as she pleaded incoherently.
"The opportunity is gone." Lin Siyi interrupted him, her words resolute and leaving no room for negotiation. "From the moment you had this thought, there has been no turning back between us. You should stay in that sanatorium and reflect on your sins. That will be your final resting place."
Lin Siyi delivered the final blow, her voice clear and cold: "Just now, I officially announced to everyone at the banquet that Lin Suxing is my Lin family bloodline and my own younger brother."
Upon hearing this, Lin Ke fell silent for a moment.
His pale face was a mixture of shock, pain, and other complex emotions, making his already unattractive features instantly grotesque and inhuman.
"..." Silence fell on the other end of the phone, followed by a broken howl like that of a wild beast, then the ear-piercing noise of a phone being smashed and things being destroyed, mixed with Lin Ke's completely disordered, incoherent curses and cries...
His spirit collapsed the moment his identity was completely stripped away.
"Ward 734 urgently needs support! Sedatives! Manpower, immediately!"
"Let me go! Let me go!" Lin Ke struggled violently and tried to injure the medical staff, but was immediately pinned to the bed, injected with a sedative, and plunged into darkness.
Lin Siyi listened to the chaos on the other end of the line without expression. After a moment, she hung up the phone and handed it back to Li Xinian.
"Clean it up." He glanced at Zhao Gan on the ground and ordered the bodyguard, his voice still devoid of emotion.
The bodyguard bowed respectfully: "Yes."
Li Xinian gave Zhao Gan a final, indifferent glance, as if he were looking at a piece of trash, before turning and leaving the tool shed with Lin Siyi. The heavy door closed again, completely locking Zhao Gan and his shattered conspiracy in this darkness and despair.
***
As the banquet drew to a close, guests began to depart.
"Okay, see you on the variety show tomorrow. After get off work, we'll go eat at that Japanese restaurant together." Meng Huaiwen said goodbye to Lin Suxing and naturally walked to Wang Shunduo, who was about to give instructions to his assistant. His tall figure leaned slightly towards Wang Shunduo.
“Brother Shunduo,” he said in a low voice, with an unmistakable expectation, “Don’t go back tonight, stay here with me? It’s only a ten-minute drive from Suxing’s house. It’s already so late, you can get some rest earlier if you stay at my place.”
The young man's dazzling blond hair, slightly disheveled, added a touch of untamed sexiness, yet his expression carried the childlike innocence that only appeared when he was with close friends.
Wang Shunduo was looking down at his phone emails when he heard this and looked up.
The gaze behind the gold-rimmed glasses calmly fell on Meng Huaiwen's handsome face, which was filled with expectation. The lenses reflected light slightly, obscuring the fleeting emotion in his eyes.
He hesitated for a moment, then nodded to his assistant, who immediately understood and stepped aside.
"Okay, I'll use your study to handle some things later." Wang Shunduo put away his phone and replied simply, his tone calm but his slightly relaxed shoulder line revealed his agreement.
Meng Huaiwen's face instantly broke into an undisguised, radiant smile, brimming with triumphant satisfaction: "No problem."
***
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows that cover the entire wall, the distant city lights stretch out like an inverted galaxy, echoing the sparse stars against the deep blue sky.
The interior, however, seemed to be a tranquil world of its own, with a suspended linear chandelier above the desk casting a cool white halo that precisely enveloped the wide black walnut wood desk surface.
The walls are painted with a warm, light gray artistic paint, and the floor is covered with a thick, dark gray wool carpet.
On the corner of the table stands a classic Tia table lamp with an amber glass base and a milky white marble lampshade, emitting a softer and warmer auxiliary light. The two types of light intertwine in the air, outlining rich layers of light and shadow.
Wang Shunduo had already taken a shower and changed into a dark blue silk bathrobe. The bathrobe was loosely tied, and the neckline was slightly open, revealing a small patch of his fair and firm chest and the clear lines of his collarbone.
A few strands of the man's damp black hair fell casually across his forehead, softening his usual sharpness and giving him a more relaxed, homely air.
He sat behind his desk, several documents spread out in front of him, his laptop screen lit up, displaying large electronic files with data tables, his slender fingers occasionally tapping on the keyboard. These were clearly internal documents involving trade secrets, but he seemed completely unsuspecting of the person who entered his study.
"How much longer? You're such a busy person."
Meng Huaiwen walked in yawning, rubbed his eyes, and walked behind Wang Shunduo, naturally placing his hands on the other's shoulders, which were clad in a silk bathrobe.
Through the smooth fabric, he could feel the slightly taut muscle lines beneath his palm. He began to massage gently, his technique not exactly professional, but full of care and affection.
At this moment, the tall young man was also only wearing a white cotton bathrobe, with the collar of the bathrobe wide open, vaguely revealing the outline of his strong chest muscles and a deep collarbone.
He casually tousled his wet blond hair back, a few unruly strands falling across his full forehead, water droplets sliding down his neck and disappearing into the skin beneath his bathrobe.
Wang Shunduo's body stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed under the just-right force, even leaning back and transferring more weight to the person behind him.
"You go to sleep first, I need to finish this work." Wang Shunduo didn't turn around, his gaze still fixed on the data on the screen, his voice lower and softer than usual due to his relaxed state.
"I'll wait for you." Meng Huaiwen leaned down, his chin almost touching the top of Wang Shunduo's head, his warm breath brushing against his hair and earlobe, his voice filled with laughter, "You go about your business, I'll keep you company."
Feeling the warm breath behind his ear and the close proximity of his breath, Wang Shunduo finally looked away from the complicated reports. The impatience he had felt from working late into the night vanished in the gentle massage from his beloved.
The quiet and cozy study brought back a thought that had been weighing on his mind.
Wang Shunduo's gaze wandered casually, and his tone sounded like a nonchalant, offhand question, but the concern he held was hard to conceal:
"I heard you officially started working at Galaxy Entertainment last week?" He was referring to a business under the Meng family.
Meng Huaiwen paused almost imperceptibly during the massage, then resumed his normal movements, laughing lightly, "Hmm, my mom and sister took turns insisting that I go and gain some experience. I couldn't avoid it, so I went. Anyway, it's just looking at documents, attending meetings, and learning a few things to pass the time."
He spoke of it casually, as if it were just a trivial task.
Wang Shunduo remained silent for a moment, then finally raised his hand and gently placed it on the back of Meng Huaiwen's hand, which was moving on his shoulder, stopping him from doing so.
He turned his chair around, raised his head, and looked straight into Meng Huaiwen's amber eyes, which were always smiling, with a calm yet penetrating gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses.
“Huaiwen,” he called his name, his voice lower than before, “we’ve spent three nights together this week.” He paused, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the skin on the back of Meng Huaiwen’s hand, “yet you never mentioned it to me.”
Meng Huaiwen's smile froze slightly, his eyes flickered, and his lips parted as if he wanted to explain, but under Wang Shunduo's obviously disappointed gaze, he suddenly couldn't utter those perfunctory words.
He pursed his lips, his tall and robust figure appearing somewhat helpless in front of Wang Shunduo.
Wang Shunduo looked at him, a hint of self-mockery flashing in his almond-shaped eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses: "...Never mind, I shouldn't have asked you to tell me everything."
His attention to Meng Huaiwen has always been meticulous, down to the smallest detail.
On his very first day at Xinghe Entertainment, when Meng Huaiwen began taking over operations, he received word of the situation.
But after waiting for two weeks, Wang Shunduo still hadn't received any news from the other party about starting to get involved in the family business.
Wang Shunduo knew that everyone has privacy, and that two close people do not need to tell each other everything. However, despite Meng Huaiwen's deliberate concealment, he still couldn't reconcile his feelings and began to feel sad.
“Brother, I…” Meng Huaiwen was interrupted by Wang Shunduo before he could finish speaking. Wang Shunduo’s tone carried a concern that Meng Huaiwen himself was not fully aware of, as well as a willingness to support him: “It’s okay, you don’t need to apologize to me. I just wanted to say that if you feel uncomfortable or the pressure is too much, you can come to my side first. Start as my special assistant, or go to a relatively relaxed department where you’ll be more familiar with the environment, and I can take care of you. You don’t have to push yourself too hard from the beginning.”
Hearing Wang Shunduo's words of concern, Meng Huaiwen felt a lump in his throat.
Wang Shunduo rarely blamed him, and this somewhat persistent questioning probably stemmed from his concern that he might not be able to adapt to the company environment in a short time.
These words were like a key, gently prying open Meng Huaiwen's tightly guarded and concealed heart.
He lowered his head, and a few strands of dazzling blond hair fell across his forehead, obscuring part of his expression.
When he looked up again, the deliberately relaxed look in his eyes was gone, replaced by a complex mix of guilt, frustration, and eventual relief.
“I wasn’t forced.” Meng Huaiwen’s voice lowered, carrying an unusual somber tone. “I wanted to learn it myself.”
He took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind, and looked at Wang Shunduo again, his eyes filled with sincerity: "It's because of you, Brother Shunduo."
“We’ve been spending a lot of time together lately, and I see you handling so many complicated things every day—phone calls, meetings, documents… Sometimes you’re busy until very late, with a terrible headache, but you still have to keep going.” His tone was full of concern. “And what about me? I just stand by and watch, unable to do anything. Sometimes when you try to explain simple, basic concepts to me, I still don’t understand at all. Not only can I not help, but I also take up your time and cause you trouble…”
His voice trailed off as he spoke, filled with deep self-reproach: "That time you had a headache, but you still had to endure the discomfort while patiently explaining the merger and acquisition process to me... I was thinking to myself, Meng Huaiwen, you're really useless."
"So you went to Xinghe because you wanted to..." Wang Shunduo seemed to understand something, and his eyes behind his glasses flickered slightly.
“Yes.” Meng Huaiwen nodded vigorously, his eyes becoming firm. “I don’t want to be a burden that requires you to take care of me all the time. I want to become capable of handling things, I want to truly learn something, and I want to one day… stand tall and proud beside you, and even be able to share some of your burdens, even if it’s just a little bit.”
"Seeing you in pain and exhausted, I feel so sorry for you, but I can't do anything to help you. I really... feel terrible."
Wang Shunduo listened quietly, and the slight unease he felt at being kept in the dark vanished instantly, replaced by an indescribable tenderness and emotion.
Meng Huaiwen was not a thoughtful or overthinking person; otherwise, he would not have remained oblivious to Wang Shunduo's intentions for so long.
But for him, Meng Huaiwen became unusually sentimental.
Wang Shunduo reached out and gently grasped Meng Huaiwen's fingers, which were slightly curled up due to nervousness.
"Silly girl," he said softly, his tone filled with helpless affection, "you've never been a burden."
Meng Huaiwen gripped his hand tightly in return, as if he had grabbed a piece of driftwood. A look of relief mixed with a hint of grievance appeared on his handsome face: "Then... then you won't think I'm stupid now and don't understand anything, will you?"
"No." Wang Shunduo answered without hesitation. He raised his other hand and gently brushed away the blond hair that fell across Meng Huaiwen's forehead. His movements were gentle. "If there's anything you don't understand in the future, you can ask me anytime. But," he said, his tone slightly lower and more serious, "you're not allowed to hide it from me anymore and overthink things on your own, okay?"
Meng Huaiwen nodded vigorously, his face instantly brightening from gloom to cheerfulness, his smile returning to its radiant glow: "I promise it won't happen again!"
Looking into Wang Shunduo's gentle gaze behind his glasses and feeling the warmth of his hand, Meng Huaiwen felt his heart overflowing. All his previous anxiety and self-doubt were soothed and smoothed out by this understanding and acceptance.
He thought to himself that in order to truly be worthy of standing beside this person, he must make a name for himself in Xinghe.
Wang Shunduo turned to the side, raised his hand, and patted Meng Huaiwen's head again: "...I didn't expect you to think of these things."
With his inner knot untied, Meng Huaiwen felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his heart, and he felt relaxed and bright all over.
He looked at Wang Shunduo, who was still sitting upright at his desk, his gaze returning to the computer screen, seemingly preparing to continue handling official business. The feeling of dependence and desire to get closer to him grew wildly in his heart like vines.
He went around to the back of the large chair, and instead of just standing and massaging as before, he leaned down and gently but firmly wrapped his arms around Wang Shunduo's shoulders and chest from behind.
“Brother Shunduo…” He gently rested his chin on Wang Shunduo’s neck, his warm breath mixed with the refreshing scent of shower gel, brushing against the other’s sensitive earlobe and side of his neck.
His voice was low and heavy, with a sweet, honey-like nasal tone, "Stop looking... It's late, let's deal with this tomorrow, okay? Let's go to sleep..."
As he spoke, his strong, muscular chest pressed tightly against Wang Shunduo's slender yet not thin back, through their soft bathrobes.
The scorching body heat transmitted through the fabric, and the steady and powerful heartbeat in his chest, felt like a silent electric current, suddenly surging through Wang Shunduo's limbs and bones.
Wang Shunduo's fingers froze as he typed, and his whole body trembled slightly.
He could clearly feel every line of the body behind him, its vibrant life force and undisguised intimacy and dependence, like the strongest liquor, instantly shattering his usual calm and self-control.
A strong, almost bursting thrill seized him; his heartbeat went out of control in an instant, pounding wildly in his chest, and his ears uncontrollably burned.
He should have gotten up immediately, pulled the "culprit" that was causing his emotions to fluctuate so wildly into his arms, and kissed those pale lips he had long coveted until the other begged for mercy...
They never stop.
This unfamiliar, surging impulse made Wang Shunduo feel a little flustered. He subconsciously wanted to push away this overly intense temptation and maintain his usual composure.
The man took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound calm and even slightly aloof:
"Stop fooling around... Huaiwen, go and rest first." He raised his hand and gently patted the arm wrapped around his chest, signaling him to let go. "I'll take care of this and then..."
However, Meng Huaiwen did not let go. Instead, as if his rejection had provoked some kind of rebellious psychology, he hummed softly, tightened his arms, and hugged Wang Shunduo even tighter, almost embedding him more deeply into his embrace.
He turned his head to the side, his soft lips brushing lightly against Wang Shunduo's neck, his breath hot.
"I don't... I just want to wait for you."
His sensitive, soft skin was gently brushed, the force as light as a feather, yet it felt like a blazing fire that completely shattered Wang Shunduo's faltering self-control.
Wang Shunduo closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He didn't want to express his love verbally, fearing that Meng Huaiwen would avoid him because of it.
But this time, it was Meng Huaiwen who forced him.
-----------------------
Author's Note: [Flattery] I think this couple would be delicious no matter who they are. [Hugs]
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