Chapter 23: Looking Down on Who?!

Chapter 23: Looking Down on Who?!

The mood at the dinner table turned awkward for a moment.

Secretary Fan was so shocked he forgot about the sourness, while Wang Hen wore a look of terror mixed with secret excitement. The assistant was rebelling; clearly, he's no lightweight!

Jing Yi was also embarrassed.

His leg cramped, making standing up uncomfortable, but remaining seated was even more awkward and uncomfortable.

Jing Yi’s eyes darted around anxiously, and in the silence, he calmly stretched out his chopsticks, reaching across the entire table to pick a slice of tender bamboo from Wang Hen’s plate, then sat back down with the same calm demeanor.

"Phew, good thing I thought of using chopsticks to ease the tension, otherwise the atmosphere would be even worse, right? (Whew, patting my chest)"

Li Wenzhao: “……”

The atmosphere was already pretty bad.

The young butler was surprisingly dense.

So clueless and jumpy, clearly someone who hasn't faced much office politics, he was the type you just couldn’t help but want to bully.

At that moment, two waiters entered the private room carrying trays. Li Wenzhao arched an eyebrow. "Jing Yi."

Jing Yi swiveled his head sharply.

"What now?!"

Li Wenzhao gave a gentle order: "The lobster that just arrived looks good. Peel one."

Jing Yi: “……”

【%“#@%∞＊&^%@€】

Li Wenzhao: “……”

Though he couldn’t make out what Jing Yi was grumbling, it sounded pretty nasty.

Jing Yi grumbled resentfully in his heart, but his body obediently moved to bring the lobster over. Seeing their eager looks, he generously shared some with them.

"One for Mr. Li, one for me. One for Secretary Fan, another for me. One for Mr. Wang, yet another for me."

"I’m really too clever."

Li Wenzhao, with his eyes lowered, chuckled softly. "When did you start skimming off the top?"

Clatter.

Wang Hen’s chopsticks clattered nervously against his bowl. “……”

Jing Yi turned his head and, without missing a beat, started spouting nonsense. "Mr. Li, this is clearly distribution according to labor."

"I’m the one working the most in this entire room. You’re all just sitting there eating without moving, while I’ve already peeled two lobsters and haven’t had a single bite. Shouldn’t I get a couple more lobsters to make up for it?"

"Come on, Mr. Li isn’t that stingy, right?"

Li Wenzhao: “……”

The atmosphere lightened a little. Li Wenzhao didn’t seem to be angry. Wang Hen wiped the sweat from his forehead and quickly steered the conversation away from the topic of skimming off the top, forcing a dry laugh. "Looks like Assistant Jing loves lobster. No worries, I’ll ask the kitchen for two more servings."

Jing Yi's eyes lit up with eagerness immediately.

Worried about how to gain favor, Wang Hen quickly added two more servings of Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish and Lion's Head Meatballs when he saw Jing Yi's interest.

As soon as the dishes were served, Jing Yi's eyes lit up.

Wang Hen smiled, glad that he hadn't misinterpreted. The CEO's capable assistant was actually someone who couldn’t resist good food. This was good news. He wasn't afraid of people being hard to approach; he was only afraid of people who were relentless. As long as he found a crack, wouldn't it be easy to handle this Assistant Jing?

After finishing the meal, it was already 7 PM. Wang Hen personally escorted Li Wenzhao and Jing Yi to the hotel where they would rest.

Li Wenzhao’s room was on the 23rd floor, while Jing Yi and Secretary Fan were staying on the 15th. They first took Li Wenzhao upstairs before heading back down. On the elevator ride down, Wang Hen couldn’t help but inch closer to Jing Yi, trying to build a connection.

"Assistant Jing, did you enjoy the meal tonight?"

Jing Yi nodded. "Yes, thank you for your generous hospitality, Mr. Wang."

Especially those big lobsters—if he wasn’t worried about keeping up appearances, he would’ve packed a couple to snack on later.

"Oh, don’t mention it," Wang Hen said politely. "As long as you gentlemen ate and drank well, it's my fortune, even if it costs me a lot."

Jing Yi suddenly shifted his gaze.

He noticed that Mr. Wang was standing a bit too close for comfort.

"?"

"What’s this all about?"

"In pure love BL stories, is everyone purely in love throughout the entire text? Can't be, right? It wasn't mentioned in the original story."

Wang Hen chuckled lightly. "It’s our first meeting, so I hope you’ll look out for me, Assistant Jing."

Before Jing Yi could understand what he meant, he suddenly felt something hard in his palm. "???"

When he looked down, he saw it was a bank card.

"Just a little something, I hope you’ll accept it, Assistant Jing," Wang Hen said.

Jing Yi understood at once.

He was being bribed—right in front of Secretary Fan.

Jing Yi turned his head to remind him. "Mr. Wang, Secretary Fan is still here. Isn’t this inappropriate?"

Wang Hen didn’t really consider Secretary Fan much of a threat. He had planted a spy in the headquarters, and according to the information relayed by the spy, Secretary Fan had fallen out of favor and had been almost completely sidelined by Li Wenzhao from the core business. Now, at headquarters, he was just a high-level errand runner.

"With your position, why would a lowly secretary like him dare to gossip about you, Assistant Jing? This is just a small token of appreciation. I hope you can put in a good word for me in front of Mr. Li," Wang Hen said solicitously.

Pushed to the corner of the elevator, Fan Ming adjusted his glasses. A gleam flashed across the lenses.

Curious, Jing Yi asked, "How much is in there?"

Wang Hen made a peace sign. "Two million."

Jing Yi: "..." A sharp intake of breath.

He slightly turned his head, giving Secretary Fan a quick glance.

"Secretary Fan, Secretary Fan, there's a big bug here! Catch him! Send him to Warden Li!"

"This is all part of the prison's performance metrics!"

Secretary Fan pushed his glasses and nodded slightly, indicating he understood.

Feeling reassured, Jing Yi turned to chat with someone, "There’s so much."

Wang Hen winked suggestively and pushed the bank card towards Jing Yi. "Assistant Jing, able people should take on more responsibilities. This money is something you deserve."

Jing Yi casually flipped the card between his fingers and asked, "Does the branch company president get to embezzle a lot of money? Over the years, you must have made quite a fortune, Mr. Wang?"

Wang Hen: "..."

This young man, how can he be both so polite and so tactless? Was this really a topic for discussing in the elevator?

Just as the elevator reached its destination, Wang Hen quickly reached out to hold the elevator door open and slipped the bank card into Jing Yi's pocket. "Assistant Jing, after you. The night is heavy with dew. A surprise supper has been prepared for you in your room. Please enjoy it at your leisure."

Looking puzzled, Jing Yi stepped out of the elevator. "You even prepared a late-night snack for me?"

Wang Hen, with a sly smile, closed the elevator door in front of Jing Yi's bewildered gaze and slowly went downstairs.

Jing Yi turned to Secretary Fan. "Secretary Fan, what does he mean?"

Secretary Fan pushed his glasses. "There should be something else in your room that he left as a bribe."

Jing Yi asked, "Then why didn't he bribe you?"

Even though there were three of them, Wang Hen acted as if Secretary Fan wasn't even there.

Secretary Fan explained, "Recently, it seems you are more capable of pleasing Mr. Li than I am."

Jing Yi: "..."

Is that so?

Lately, Li Wenzhao has been treating him like a workhorse.

Jing Yi shivered and patted Secretary Fan. "It's late at night—why are you telling ghost stories?"

Secretary Fan: "..."

He lowered his eyes and softly said, "I’m being serious. Don’t you see? Since you came along, Mr. Li has been smiling a lot more. With the busy affairs of the Li Corporation, I haven't seen him smile so happily in a long time."

Jing Yi whipped his head around, his sharp eyes glaring fiercely.

Fan Ming stopped in his tracks. "?"

"Secretary Fan," Jing Yi said seriously, "That’s not your line. Don’t steal the scene."

Who steals lines meant for the butler?

And besides, that’s a famous line meant for the leading lady. Why are you throwing it my way?

Secretary Fan: "..."

Jing Yi shuffled over to the room door. He called out to Fan Ming, "Secretary Fan, you should come in with me just in case Mr. Wang has bribed me with a room full of cash."

Fan Ming didn’t even think about it. "Don't worry, Mr. Li can handle it."

Jing Yi looked troubled. "I'm afraid I can't."

Fan Ming gave him a puzzled look. "...??"

Jing Yi slightly widened his eyes. "I'm afraid I won't be able to resist such a huge temptation. You should come in with me. The diligent and dedicated Secretary Fan is my moral compass!"

Fan Ming, feeling both amused and exasperated, finally agreed. "...Fine."

Jing Yi swiped the room card and opened the door. As the card slid into the slot, the room instantly lit up. Jing Yi froze for a second when he saw what was inside.

At the foot of the large bed, two shirtless, muscular men stood up smiling, revealing well-defined muscles on their shoulders and waists. Their bronze-colored skin, broad shoulders, narrow waists, and washboard abs looked like they could double as laundry boards.

Slam!

Jing Yi slammed the door shut.

He backed up too quickly and even stepped on Secretary Fan's foot.

"Ouch! What’s in there?" Secretary Fan clutched his leg and hopped in place. "Ouch... Ouch..."

Jing Yi's eyes darted around. "Nothing much."

Secretary Fan didn’t believe him. "If it were really nothing, why would you act so strangely?"

Could it really be a room full of cash?

"...It's not that," Jing Yi carefully chose his words. "There are two guys with washboard abs in the room."

Secretary Fan felt like he had just been on a roller coaster ride, nearly thrown off by Jing Yi's sudden twist. "Wash... board abs?"

"Yes, it's fine. I'm sure there's no money in there. You should go rest, Secretary Fan."

Fan Ming gave him a suspicious look.

After a moment of thought—or maybe none at all—he waved and left.

Jing Yi didn’t dare enter the room and paced anxiously outside the door. After a moment, he took out his phone.

[Uncle Jing]: Boss! I’ve spotted trouble downstairs. Can we meet up?

He figured Li Wenzhao wouldn’t reply this late, but to his surprise, his phone vibrated just two seconds later.

[Li]: Come up.

The message was followed by a room number.

After seeing the room number, Jing Yi blinked suspiciously. Wait, why isn’t he on the 23rd floor like usual?

With his mind racing, Jing Yi hurried up to the top floor and knocked on the door.

Li Wenzhao opened the door, still in his sharp suit.

"I’m glad you’re still awake. I just—" Jing Yi stopped mid-sentence when he heard a faint sob.

"???"

Jing Yi carefully poked his head in and saw two frail-looking boys sitting on the floor behind Li Wenzhao, crying softly. Their eyes and noses were red, looking pitifully miserable.

Hiss—

Jing Yi's gaze at Li Wenzhao changed completely.

"Wait, I didn't expect you to be this kind of Li Wenzhao! Need two at once—"

"Jing Yi!" Li Wenzhao quickly cut him off before he could finish his thought. "These people were sent by Wang Hen."

Jing Yi only knew of Mr. Wang and wasn't familiar with Wang Hen, taking a few seconds to connect the two names. He widened his eyes in shock. "There were two in my room as well!"

Li Wenzhao suddenly looked up, his eyes inexplicably turning cold. "There were two in your room as well?"

"Yes," Jing Yi said. "But they're a bit different from the ones in your room."

Li Wenzhao furrowed his brows even deeper. "How are they different?"

"They look like they can fight," Jing Yi observed objectively, glancing at the men on the floor. "They seem like trained fighters. I even suspected if they were sent by Wang Hen to secretly... you know, take me down."

"..." Li Wenzhao asked, "How can you tell they can fight?"

Did the young butler get beaten up in the room?

Jing Yi explained, "They weren’t wearing any clothes, and their muscles were bulging."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Jing Yi looked at the two men on the floor, then thought about the situation in his own room, and realized something. "Mr. Li, I understand now."

Li Wenzhao asked, "What do you understand?"

"Mr. Wang looks down on you!" Jing Yi said seriously. "He only sent these young boys to secretly... you know, take you down. Unlike the two in my room, who look like they could tear someone apart."

"Wow, lucky I ran away fast."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Li Wenzhao had no intention of exposing Wang Hen's scheme. It was fine if the young butler was a bit naive. At least he had a pure heart and wasn't scheming to harm others. No one in the Li family could bully him if he stayed naive forever.

Li Wenzhao brought Jing Yi into the room, asked about his situation, and then had the two young men leave.

The two young men, looking pitifully miserable, were wrapped in loose robes. As they got up from the floor, they revealed a pair of straight, long legs. The robes slipped off their rounded shoulders, exposing the sheer innerwear underneath.

Jing Yi's eyes narrowed alertly.

...Who sends assassins in tank tops to take someone out?

Unprofessional.

A few seconds later, it finally clicked, and Jing Yi widened his eyes in realization——

"Oh my God, I can't believe this! I'm the one who's being looked down upon!!! Wang Hen has such terrible taste! What did I ever do to deserve this? What was he thinking?!!"

Jing Yi immediately turned to report, "Mr. Li, I'm reporting this. Mr. Wang offered me a bribe."

Li Wenzhao wasn't surprised at all. "Did he?"

Jing Yi nodded. "Yes, apparently two million."

Li Wenzhao's gaze flickered. "That much? It seems Mr. Wang values you quite a lot."

Jing Yi: "..."

"He doesn't really value me! He just sent two muscle guys! If he really valued me, he would have sent two sweet little boys instead! I could make them peel lobsters for me at night, and I'd get to experience the evil face of capitalism!"

As soon as he thought this, Jing Yi noticed a soft chuckle from above.

Jing Yi hurriedly offered the bank card, but Li Wenzhao pushed it back. "Keep it."

Jing Yi: "Ah?"

"If Wang Hen makes any moves, report to me immediately," Li Wenzhao explained. "This is your well-deserved reward."

Jing Yi's eyes lit up immediately.

"No sweat, no sweat! Wow, so much money, and it's all mine! With this, my savings will hit 2.5 million! Hahaha..."

Jing Yi happily put the bank card away but suddenly remembered something. "Eldest young master, am I turning into a traitor?"

"..." Li Wenzhao was momentarily speechless. "Traitors are only those who do bad things. Are you?"

Jing Yi thought carefully and then relaxed. "No, I'm not."

Li Wenzhao hummed in response.

Jing Yi angrily: "Eldest young master, then let's secretly team up and go undercover, know our enemies inside and out, and give him what he deserves!"

Li Wenzhao gave him a sideways glance. "..."

Remembering what he had said at the dinner just now, Jing Yi quickly controlled his words and cautiously said, "It's different, eldest young master. Your 'fruit' and his 'fruit' aren't the same thing."

Li Wenzhao let out a cold laugh.

Jing Yi, sweating profusely, hurriedly added, "Wang Hen is getting what he deserves, but you're generous and kind, an outstandingly good person!"

"..."

Li Wenzhao's face darkened.

Jing Yi immediately shut up.

"Okay, I won't say anything more."