Chapter 003: Substitute x Overbearing CEO x White Moonlight (3)

Chapter 003: Substitute x Overbearing CEO x White Moonlight (3)

Shen Xi and Cheng Junfeng met in university; both majored in finance. After graduation, Cheng Junfeng started taking over the family business, while Shen Xi went to work at a nearby securities firm.

The financial district in Lujiazui was quite compact, so their companies were close enough that they occasionally ran into each other during lunchtime coffee breaks.

After the engagement party, Cheng Junfeng directly took Yan Chun back to his residence and had the servants clear away everything related to Shen Xi.

He did not intend to linger on that person any longer. Just a substitute, nothing more.

Despite this thought, for several days after, Cheng Junfeng found himself subconsciously looking around during work, expecting that person to seek an opportunity to "bump into" him.

Soon, his subordinate sent detailed reports with photos.

"September 21st: Shen Xi and his parents visited Auntie Fat's farm in Chongming Island. They picked strawberries for two hours and fished for one hour but caught no fish. They had dinner there."

"September 25th: Shen Xi and his parents flew to Beijing. No visitors. They went to Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant. After four days of sightseeing, they took a high-speed train to Tianjin and ate at Goubuli Baozi and a beachside food stall."

"October 7th: Shen Xi accompanied his parents to a vegetable market in Pudong and haggled with vendors several times."

Cheng Junfeng closed his phone expressionlessly.

Yan Chun walked out of the bathroom with wet hair and said softly, "Junfeng, I feel like you've been... unhappy these past few days."

"How could that be?" Cheng Junfeng got up and kissed him, reassuringly saying, "Meeting you again is the most satisfying thing in my life."

As he spoke, his phone vibrated twice.

[Construction Bank: Your card ending in 0068 has been debited 480,000 yuan. Balance: 0 yuan.]

"What are you looking at?"

"When we broke up, I gave him a card with half a million yuan," Cheng Junfeng said. "He's withdrawn it all."

Yan Chun fell silent for a moment. "How could it be like this? Doesn't he even want to pretend anymore?"

"Junfeng, you know my character," Yan Chun said, resting his head on Cheng Junfeng's shoulder. "I wouldn’t spend a single penny of yours."

Cheng Junfeng turned his head, looking at him. At this moment, he felt a strange resemblance between him and Shen Xi.

Every time that person accepted his gifts, he would secretly work overtime and then buy something similar as a return gift.

Whenever he smiled, it seemed as if he lived carefree, never having experienced hardship.

Cheng Junfeng was momentarily speechless, questioning himself why he was seeking Shen Xi through Yan Chun.

But the other person had moved on cleanly and decisively. A few days ago, they were still lovers, but now they were strangers.

He felt resentful.

"No matter what," Yan Chun said, "he did take care of you for three years. I'm grateful to him."

Cheng Junfeng snapped back to reality and gently stroked his face.

"Who could be as considerate as you?"

"Let’s invite him for dinner when we have time. I didn’t get to thank him properly last time."

Cheng Junfeng agreed without hesitation.

Yan Chun looked at him and smiled, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

At the mention of seeing that person, you instantly agreed without hesitation?

Cheng Junfeng, do you really want to see him that much?

Their reunion should have been fraught with difficulties and obstacles, facing family misunderstandings and fierce opposition from the middleman.

Now everything was going too smoothly, making it feel unreal.

Yan Chun did not feel happy.

On the contrary, his provocations and attempts to trip Shen Xi up had all been easily defused, leaving him feeling a hundred kinds of resentment.

Meeting again, Shen Xi, let’s see how you fare without your elders' support!

Without delay, Cheng Junfeng called Shen Xi in front of him.

It wasn’t long before the call was answered.

The man cleared his throat, his voice low.

"It’s me."

"Oh." The sound of TV commercials and the crackling of sunflower seeds came through the phone. "What’s up?"

"I told you last time that we have nothing to do with each other anymore," Cheng Junfeng emphasized coldly. "But Xiao Chun is kind-hearted and wants to thank you in person for taking care of me all these years. Let’s meet for dinner tomorrow."

"No thanks," Shen Xi said. "My mom made some braised pig trotters. I’m staying home to eat them."

"..."

Yan Chun took the phone and said pleasantly, "Shen Xi, it’s me. I’m really sorry."

"Because of some misunderstandings, Junfeng and I were apart for a long time. Thanks to you for being by his side."

"Junfeng means more to me than just half a million yuan. If possible, I’d use all my wealth to thank you."

Cheng Junfeng’s expression softened slightly, and he affectionately kissed his forehead.

"Please, do me a favor and let's set a time to have dinner, okay?"

The line was silent for a moment.

Yan Chun wore a 'just as I thought' smile.

"Mom—" Shen Xi shouted: "Are you and Dad going to Auntie's place on Friday and not coming back for dinner—"

"Yeah! That's right!"

"I'm free on Friday," Shen Xi quickly said. "Anytime in the afternoon or evening works."

"Alright, then," Yan Chun agreed. "See you then."

"Oh, right," Shen Xi remembered something. "Can... can I bring a friend along?"

"Is it a new boyfriend already?" Yan Chun half-joked, observing Cheng Junfeng's reaction. "Of course, bring them along. I'll reserve a spot at Huangyue Ji. See you at seven in the evening."

Cheng Junfeng showed no reaction and returned to reviewing documents on his computer after hanging up the call.

Yan Chun lightly clicked his tongue, paused for a moment, and said with a smile: "If he brings another wealthy socialite, Junfeng, will you be jealous?"

"Boring tricks." Cheng Junfeng said coldly. "I won't even give them a second glance."

After Keding hung up the phone, he continued filling out various refund and resale orders.

Taobao models don't need luxury bags for socializing; many of those flashy but impractical gifts from that man should be sold off sooner rather than later.

Similarly, the expensive gifts Shen Xi worked hard to buy, like a Cartier ring costing thirty to forty thousand yuan, or a Greenwater Ghost that doesn't stand out among many Rolexes, could all be resold to help cover household expenses.

Pay off the mortgage, take Shen Xi's mother for some beauty treatments, buy a massage chair for the house—what can't be done?

Don't waste a single penny on scumbags.

The system had just finished eavesdropping and felt a tough battle was coming.

"Host, this white moonlight is about to step on your head. This is a feast of treachery!"

"He will definitely flatter you a bit and then show off his victory. What are you going to do?"

Before Keding could speak, the system dutifully started recommending candidates.

"How about I help you contact a few superstars, CEOs, scientists, and we'll bring them along to crush his spirit!"

"Over the years, Shen Xi has met quite a few people through Cheng Junfeng. With some effort, his connections should be enough!"

"Oh no, I don't plan to bring a fake boyfriend," Keding said. "And I'm straight, I just enjoy reading BL novels."

System: "...I find that hard to believe."

"Which person are you bringing, then?"

"It's not which one," Keding said slowly as he opened the alumni group in WeChat. "It's which ones."

Friday, 7 PM, at Huangyue Restaurant.

Yan Chun sat on the side of the private room, allowing Cheng Junfeng to gently sniff his wrist.

"I really like this, the amber scent."

Yan Chun blushed. "Stop it, they're almost here."

The door to the private room knocked, and Yan Chun raised his voice to say, "Come in."

Cheng Junfeng still held his wrist, watching the door without letting go.

Shen Xi wore a fresh and clean white T-shirt, with jeans that made his legs look straight and long.

"We're here. This is my friend, Xiao Fang." He moved aside to let the guest enter. "President Cheng probably met him before, during the alumni event."

A short, unassuming young man walked in, looking overwhelmed by the luxurious decor, nervously greeting them.

Yan Chun's smile became even gentler.

One bumpkin brought another?

Thought he had hooked up with some rich guy, turns out it's just this.

Shen Xi looked back and waved. "Come in, President Cheng is already here!"

As he spoke, four or five people filed in, all similarly dressed in plain clothes, their smiles shy, greeting President Cheng together.

Yan Chun's smile faded as he stood up. "Who are they?"

"They're all outstanding students from poor backgrounds. During the school anniversary, they were volunteers, and I happened to add one of them on WeChat."

Shen Xi sat down with them, his expression grateful. "You're so kind, I'm truly touched. So I wanted you to meet these children from the mountains."

"Even though there are now government student loans, living expenses and miscellaneous costs can still be challenging with campus part-time jobs paying fifteen yuan an hour."

"Yan Chun, you came to me because you wanted to do something good, right?"

Yan Chun was stunned, nodding mechanically. "Of course... yes."

Cheng Junfeng had already seen through the situation, secretly surprised by Shen Xi's cunning mind, yet also seeing it from a different perspective, slightly frowning.

Yan Chun, did you really invite him again just to thank him?

Shen Xi generously handed the menu to the students, who gasped at the dishes and their prices, not daring to order anything.

—even the cucumber salad starts at eighty-eight yuan. What kind of restaurant is this? It’s way too expensive!

"Today, I’m not being fair, treating President Cheng and Brother Chun to a good meal," Shen Xi said with a smile. "Regarding the scholarship, I won’t force it; it depends on your thoughts. I’m already very satisfied that I could bring my juniors here for a nice meal today."

"Small matter." Cheng Junfeng said indifferently: "Order whatever you like; I’ll pay."

The poor kids still didn’t dare to speak up, which made Keding feel secretly heartbroken.

When he and his parents went out for their birthdays, even ordering a small stir-fry that cost a dozen yuan was something they hesitated over.

But today was different. When it came to taking advantage of capitalism, one shouldn’t hesitate!

"Then let me do it." Shen Xi took the menu enthusiastically and ordered whatever caught his eye.

"One serving of Qionghua pigeon soup per person, a plate of crispy roast suckling pig, hmm... steamed East Star grouper, glass shrimp balls, hmm? What does 'zhu zhu bao' mean?"

"The word isn’t read as 'pig,' it’s read as 'zhe zhe bao,'" Yan Chun said with a light smile. "Mr. Shen, you’ve never been to such a place or eaten at a tea restaurant before?"

"My parents were workers; going out to eat was difficult," Shen Xi admitted honestly. "So, is zhe zhe bao tasty?"

Yan Chun was about to tease him further, but Cheng Junfeng cut in: "Waiter, order one of what he mentioned."

Hearing this, he felt a pang of sympathy.

Putting only five hundred thousand on that card was too little.

Now that Shen Xi was willing to show his impoverished state, the distance between them seemed to grow wider.

Yan Chun sensed something was off and grabbed Cheng Junfeng’s wrist.

The latter continued looking at Shen Xi.

Order, tonight he would order whatever Shen Xi wanted.

The system suddenly beeped while Keding was focused on reciting the dishes: "Defense Break Value increased by five!"

Keding was taken aback: "Huh?"

He looked at Cheng Junfeng, then at the grinning juniors, not quite understanding the situation.

"Another serving of Shiping tofu with a slight spice!"