Chapter 30 Ricardo

Chapter 30 Ricardo

Upon hearing this, Xu Qiting fell silent for a while.

"It's definitely a smokescreen," Xu Qiting believed he understood Xu Huaiting. "He knows we would be watching him, so he did this to make it hard for us to guess his true intentions."

"Let's wait and see; he's bound to make another move."

...

It was the first time Ye Man had received so many things, so many that after sending gifts to everyone he had pre-planned on his list, there were still plenty left.

At first, he eagerly examined and played with the items Xu Huaiting had given him. But as more items kept coming, he started to feel overwhelmed.

He felt dizzy, his heart racing, blood rushing to his face, and he was so overwhelmed he could barely speak.

The system, seeing him like this, found it unbearable: "Is this really all it takes? Can't you keep it together?"

Remaining calm in the face of favor or disgrace, smiling serenely... that just wasn't Ye Man.

When the system scolded him, he made a pitiful face: "But he gave me presents."

When Ye Man received the Imperial Green, he subtly tugged at Chi Jue's sleeve. Though he didn't say a word, his expression spoke volumes.

—He didn't know if he should accept it.

Like a kid getting red envelopes from relatives during the New Year.

He wanted it but was scared of getting scolded.

Usually, in situations like this, you'd ask your family.

The thought crossed his mind, and Chi Jue's heart softened a bit more when Ye Man tugged at him.

"If you like it, take it, and don't forget to thank Mr. Xu."

With Chi Jue's approval, Ye Man felt more at ease and dutifully said, "Thank you, Mr. Xu."

Xu Huaiting responded with apparent calmness, and Ye Man thought it was over, but it was only the beginning.

Luckily, aside from the Imperial Green, the other items weren't too pricey.

After all, it was a charity auction, not the kind of event where bids casually reach tens or hundreds of millions. Most bids were in the hundreds of thousands, maybe hitting a million at most, just to make a statement.

Otherwise, Chi Jue would've grabbed his brother and bolted right then and there. Ye Man couldn't tell the difference; to him, they were all sky-high numbers that made his heart ache, but Chi Jue could. If Xu Huaiting was really willing to spend that much, he must have bigger plans, so naturally, he had to get his brother out of there.

Ye Man returned to the hotel, still a bit excited.

He spread the items out on the bed, lying there as he touched each one, murmuring about who should get what.

At first, the system thought he had never seen such good things before, suddenly dazzled by the display, hence his excitement.

Once Ye Man had cooled down and relaxed, lying on the bed, he softly asked, "Brother Tong, did he give me these things just to make me happy?"

"Of course?" What else?

Regardless of the ultimate purpose, isn't the act of giving gifts meant to make the recipient happy?

Ye Man pursed his lips modestly, with a smile on his face, "Then I am very happy."

The thought of someone wanting to make him happy was what delighted him the most.

It took the system a while to grasp the meaning of his words.

Ye Man was thinking about getting a bigger treasure box once he got back, as his previous small box couldn’t hold so many things.

After lying down briefly, he sprang up and found his phone in the clutter.

He held the phone and carefully sent a message to Xu Huaiting.

Using accessibility mode slowed his typing since he relied on voice prompts. A short message took him about ten minutes to send, though he’d likely speed up with practice.

After leaving Longde, Xu Huaiting headed straight to the Zhonghai office to review some accounting matters.

In the middle of it, his phone chimed.

"Mr. Xu, do you have a moment? I’d like to video call and update you on something."

After reviewing most of the documents, Xu Huaiting passed the rest to Secretary Chen.

He stood up, found a quiet corner, and casually returned the video call.

The phone rang for a bit before it was picked up.

Once answered, the camera wobbled, briefly showing the ceiling and bed before steadying.

Xu Huaiting waited patiently for the camera to stabilize, then saw him clearly.

Ye Man wore dark blue silk pajamas, his pale skin accentuated by the deep color.

He was slender, his clothes loose, with faint light barely outlining his waist.

He knelt on the bed, a bit shy but oddly obedient as he 'looked' toward him.

Ye Man smiled, "Good evening, Mr. Xu."

Xu Huaiting’s fingers twitched, as if craving a cigarette, but he resisted.

Ye Man recalled he wanted to regift some items but felt he should ask the giver first.

He thought it best to discuss this face-to-face, so he opted for a video call.

Worried Xu Huaiting might be upset, Ye Man softened his tone to explain, "I’m not dismissing the gifts, but I can’t use so much myself, and the people I want to give them to matter a lot to me. If it bothers you, Mr. Xu, I’ll just..."

Xu Huaiting stayed silent for a moment, listening.

Before Ye Man grew anxious, Xu Huaiting replied, "I’m fine with it—they’re yours to decide." After a pause, he added, "Is that enough? If not, we can get more."

His tone lifted slightly.

Ye Man quickly said, "It’s enough, it’s enough! There’s already so much!"

He was a bit happy, his whole demeanor seemed to be leaping with joy.

As if infected by his mood, Xu Huaiting couldn’t help but smile as well.

"I’ve been tied up the last couple of days, dealing with some stuff. I’ll have some free time in a few days."

Ye Man wasn’t sure why he mentioned that, so he just nodded blankly.

Suddenly, he remembered that there was also a big shot on his gift list.

This was a real headache.

Everything he had was bought by Mr. Xu, so he couldn’t exactly give them back to Mr. Xu.

"Mr. Xu, is there anything you’re into? I’d like to get you something too, but I’m not sure what you’d like."

Ye Man fidgeted with the hem of his shirt.

"Last time, at Auntie Li's place, thank you, and also today..."

The usually smooth-talking little liar suddenly stumbled over his words.

Ye Man could lie with ease, but speaking his mind directly to someone felt like torture.

Mr. Xu watched him squirm for a bit, his face turning redder by the second, and then he let out a soft chuckle, leaving Ye Man blushing from his neck to his ears.

"There’s actually something I’ve been wanting."

Ye Man leaned forward, relieved: "What is it?"

"Just call me Ricardo."

"Ri...cardo?"

"Yeah, say it again."

"Ricardo?"

"Xiao Man."

"Get some rest, I’ll see you in a few days."

The last line had a coaxing tone, so tender it was almost unreal.

...

After hanging up the phone, Ye Man blinked his eyes.

After zoning out for a moment, he hugged his phone and fell onto the bed.

His arm covered his face.

Hiding his flushed face.

Not very clear.

A little weird.

But he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

"Brother Tong, the big shot is really nice," he said earnestly.

System:「。」

"Are you even going to listen to my story or what!"

...

Secretary Chen handled his work firmly and efficiently.

Turning around, he saw his boss, who had left work mid-task, stroll in with a smile.

When Xu Huaiting kept a straight face, people said he looked like a ferocious beast; when he smiled slightly, it was like a beast scheming something wicked.

For the first time today, Secretary Chen noticed waves of tenderness in those light gray eyes.

Like a breeze over spring water, rippling in gentle circles.

The smile at the corner of his mouth finally reached his eyes, giving him a deeply romantic air.

He gave off the vibe of someone who’d hold a rose in his teeth, pin someone to the wall, and dramatically recite love poems.

Still a beast, though.

Spring had arrived, the season for all things...

Secretary Chen’s exhausted mind involuntarily conjured a deep male voiceover.

For the first time in years, he truly sensed the awakening of the other half of his bloodline.

"Sir, you…"

Xu Huaiting glanced at him, the corner of his mouth quirking up: "How did you know he called me Ricardo?"

Secretary Chen: "..."

What, does the name Ricardo unlock his main personality or something?

Does calling him that make him stop acting human?

Thinking about how exhausted he was from work, while his boss looked like he could work another century without breaking a sweat, was especially grating.

Xu Huaiting: "I’m ready to keep working."

Secretary Chen: "..." I’m done.

...

After the break, Ye Man still had a task to complete.

He needed to cozy up to Meng Yao during the meeting, only to get rejected.

But Meng Yao didn’t show up.

Ye Man was stunned: "How could he not show up?"

Without the lead, how was he supposed to pull this off alone?

System: "I checked—he’s been grounded by his mom."

"Apparently, someone reported him for trying to force himself on Chi Jue, so his mom locked him up, giving him a taste of maternal tough love."

Ye Man gulped: "Did he… get beaten?"

"."

"Moreover, Xu Huaiting has already arrived, and he has 'eagerly' taken care of all the tasks Meng Yao was supposed to handle."

What excuse does Meng Yao have to go to Zhonghai now? He doesn’t even have the pretense of a business trip.

Ye Man instantly burst into tears without a second thought: "Brother Tong, I’m innocent! This time it really isn’t my fault!"

It’s Meng Yao who’s to blame!

The system sighed deeply.

It must be said, when Ye Man cries with all his heart, it’s really hard to continue scolding him.

"Let’s not sweat the small stuff for now," the system said wearily, "but the momentum of the plot is still intact. Although there are some discrepancies in the details, the key plot points will remain the same. He will surely show up on the final day, and when that happens, you just have to hit the most critical plot point."

"Dose him, let Chi Jue find out, and cut all ties with him."

After saying this, the system itself felt uneasy.

Looking at the red-eyed, obediently nodding little blind man in front of him, saying okay.

He couldn’t help but speak up: "If it’s too much of a hassle, just drop it."

Then he gave himself a slap.

For some reason, he decided to test the waters by slapping himself first.