Chapter 8 The So-Called Reunion

Chapter 8 The So-Called Reunion

Back in his middle school days, Xiao Han had played a game called The Sims. His greatest joy was devising all sorts of bizarre ways to kill off his created character.

Dying from burning, starvation, or swimming until exhaustion in a pool were all too ordinary. Dying from holding in urine, being stung by flies, scared by ghosts, or crushed by a meteorite were the real thrills.

But Xiao Han had never imagined that one day he would laugh himself to death...

So when he woke up from his daze again, a strong sense of anger and helplessness spread through his heart. He felt like the character he had created in the game, manipulated by some twisted player, doomed to die in some bizarre way whenever the plot deviated from its intended path.

The most frustrating part was that he had already decided to follow the script in his previous life, so how did he still end up dead?

Xiao Han sat up in bed with a stern face—damn it, another bed. Why does he always wake up in a bed after each time travel?

The room was spacious, decorated in a modern and luxurious style, with soft carpets covering the entire floor. The black and white color scheme exuded a strong personal style, far from a cozy bedroom, instead radiating a serious and cold vibe.

Xiao Han glanced around casually and spotted a framed photo on the bedside table. In it, a man who looked just like him was embracing another young man, their expressions affectionate. But the photo had clearly been cut in half and then taped back together.

The young man looked vaguely familiar. Xiao Han squinted and thought for a moment—wasn't this Liang Chenli, his long-time crush from the first life's substitute script?

It seemed this guy had been cast once more as "his" former lover.

Just as Xiao Han was contemplating the new plot of this life, an ill-timed knock came at the door: "Young Master, breakfast is ready."

"...Got it." Xiao Han had to put down the photo frame, freshen up, and walked out in his loungewear. Standing at the door was a bespectacled middle-aged man, the loyal steward who had served the Xiao family for years. Since Xiao Han's father died, he had devotedly helped Xiao Han seize control of the family's power, eventually successfully ousting the underworld boss in X City, enabling the Xiao family to ascend to power.

This uncle—wasn't he the middle-aged Xian Fu? Damn it!

Xiao Han calmly took his seat at the dining table, watching Steward Xian Fu meticulously serve plates of breakfast, thinking that this was truly a reunion of the "original cast." It's like shooting a TV drama.

No matter how the story background shifts, the relationships between the characters always stay the same. The plot always revolves around me liking you, you not liking me, and then when I stop liking you, you start liking me. It's the same old story with a fresh coat of paint, as most scripts in the world are like this.

If in the previous two time travels Xiao Han couldn't help but gripe, now he had fully seen through it and remained composed. At the moment, he was only thinking about two things: one, how to truly break free from the script's control, and two, about Wen Muyan.

He would bet his cucumber that guy was definitely not the original from the first life. He was likely someone who had traveled from the previous life.

However, these were just his speculations. To know for sure, he would have to meet Wen, the cannon fodder.

"Young Master, Young Master Zhuo Fan is still making a fuss, saying he will continue his hunger strike if he doesn't see you." Seeing that Xiao Han had almost finished eating, Xian Fu immediately stepped forward and whispered.

Xiao Han couldn't help but rub his temples. Now, just hearing the name Zhuo Fan made him depressed. He sneered, "Then let him starve. Does he still think he's the underworld prince? Give him glucose and nutrient solutions."

"Yes, Young Master." Xian Fu answered respectfully and methodically. Probably if Xiao Han ordered him to kill Zhuo Fan, he would do it without blinking.

"Xian Fu, go and investigate a man named Wen Muyan for me. The more detailed, the better." Xiao Han wiped his mouth, knowing the script wouldn't stop him from doing extra things. "This person should have a close relationship with Zhuo Fan."

"Understood, Young Master." Although Xian Fu was a bit surprised, he didn't show it, being quite experienced.

For now, he didn't need to see Zhuo Fan, because according to the plot, he needed to go somewhere else.

"Prepare the car. I'm going to Nanshan Public Cemetery."

It was late autumn, and the already gloomy sky appropriately started drizzling.

There were few people visiting Nanshan Public Cemetery. Two black cars slowly drove along the winding mountain road and stopped in front of the luxurious cemetery area. Four bodyguards in black suits quickly got out of the cars, one of them opening an umbrella and holding it over the head of the person getting out of the back seat of the second car.

Xiao Han got out of the car, his wide sunglasses covering half of his face, leaving only his tightly pursed lips, thin and cold.

He held a bunch of white chrysanthemums in his arms, took the umbrella from the bodyguard, and indifferently ordered, "Wait here."

"Yes," the four replied in unison, with only two remaining steadfastly at the pathway entrance.

After passing a dozen graves, Xiao Han halted at the innermost one. The area around the tombstone was spotless, as this section of the cemetery was regularly tended by dedicated staff.

The owner of this tombstone was none other than Liang Chenli, with the inscription reading: Erected by his beloved, Xiao Han.

Xiao Han laid the flowers down and murmured, "Chenli, back then, Zhuo Fan, out of jealousy, deliberately leaked your information, leading to your death at the hands of the police. I will avenge you tenfold. I’ve already brought down the Zhuo family. With the Zhuo family patriarch gone, no one is left to back Zhuo Fan. I’ve secretly imprisoned him. How do you want me to deal with him?"

"Ha, back then, the Zhuo family controlled everything, yet their sole heir got tangled up with me. It was only because I wasn’t strong enough to protect you. After you left, I pretended to accept Zhuo Fan, deceiving him while secretly setting a trap. Now, I’ve finally succeeded in taking over, crushing the Zhuo family. It’s just a shame you can’t see all this..."

As he spoke, Xiao Han slowly took off his sunglasses, revealing a cold, icy profile. In the dreary autumn rain, his solitary figure looked so desolate and forlorn.

He slipped the sunglasses into his trench coat pocket and pulled out a small clump of purple-white from the other pocket.

It was an onion.

Still holding an umbrella, Xiao Han found it awkward. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then awkwardly tucked the umbrella handle under his neck with his shoulder, squatting in a strange posture in front of the tomb as he began to peel the onion, tears streaming down his face: "Chenli, how could you leave me alone? Our only photo together was ruined by Zhuo Fan. Although it’s been pieced back together, the scars are still there..."

"I feel like your face is fading, but I don’t want to forget you..."

"No matter how I get revenge on Zhuo Fan, you won’t come back. What’s the point of all this..."

Only when Xiao Han’s eyes were swollen from crying did he finally ease up: "If I’d known peeling onions was this painful, I might as well have bought eye drops. Poor Comrade Liang Chenli, as a total extra, you had no presence in the first life, and in this one, you don’t even get a scene. Compared to the cannon fodder male leads 123 who keep making their presence known, the cannon fodder female lead is just crap, flushed away after being dropped."

He stood up quickly, putting on his sunglasses to hide his rabbit-red eyes, and reappeared in front of the bodyguards with the cool, suave image of a gang leader, then sped off in a cloud of dust.

By the time he got back to the villa after handling some important matters, it was completely dark.

Xiao Han handed his rain-soaked coat to the maid, loosening his tie as he frowned and asked, "How’s Zhuo Fan?"

The steward adjusted his glasses and replied somewhat helplessly, "Young Master Zhuo Fan has been demanding to see you, making a fuss all day. We gave him a sedative in the afternoon, and he's been asleep since. Young Master, the bath is ready. Will you be dining in the dining room?"

"Bring it to Zhuo Fan's room," Xiao Han said, his brow still furrowed, as he walked expressionlessly into the bathroom to bathe.

He soaked in the tub for a long time but couldn't wash away the impending annoyance of seeing that bothersome person. Finally, he stepped out with a cold face, dripping wet and barefoot, heading towards Zhuo Fan's room.

The room was lit by a soft, dim orange floor lamp. It's said that orange light in the bedroom can easily arouse desires, but Xiao Han thought this was pure nonsense.

On the bed lay a sleeping man, pale and frowning tightly in his sleep, clearly not resting peacefully.

Xiao Han stood by the bed, staring expressionlessly at the familiar face for a while, then suddenly felt an urge to take off his shoe and slap it across that face!

But when he reached for his bare foot, he realized he wasn't wearing any shoes.

So Xiao Han slumped into the single sofa beside him, drooping his eyelids and continuing to stare at Zhuo Fan as the script demanded. Damn it, if he kept this up, he'd go cross-eyed.

Fortunately, the script didn't waste too much time, and Zhuo Fan finally showed signs of waking up, his eyes blinking in confusion before widening as he caught sight of Xiao Han. He jumped up from the bed, rushed to Xiao Han, and grabbed his lapel fiercely: "Xiao Han! You finally have the face to see me?! Tell me, did you only get close to me to help the Xiao family rise? Was all your talk of love just a lie?"

Having not eaten for a long time and being under the influence of a sedative, Zhuo Fan's mind wasn't fully clear yet. But the moment he saw Xiao Han's face, the emotions of love and hate surged up, overwhelming his brain.

Having gone through two lifetimes of entanglement, Xiao Han found Zhuo Fan's excitement utterly boring, thus appearing exceptionally cold, even more so than the script described: "So what if it was?"

Xiao Han pulled down Zhuo Fan's hand and then pushed him forcefully. The frail Zhuo Fan was immediately thrown onto the bed, but Xiao Han had used too much force, and instead of just "falling onto the bed," Zhuo Fan rolled twice on the bed and ended up falling to the floor with a thud.

"...Oops, my hand slipped. Sorry," Xiao Han said, scratching his head innocently, not having expected that.

Zhuo Fan, dazed from the fall, struggled to get up from the floor and crawled back onto the bed, panting heavily, angrily and painfully shouting at him: "Why are you treating me like this? I've done so much for you, trusted you so much, loved you so much, why did you betray me?!"

"Betray you? I never had any genuine feelings for you. How could there be betrayal?" Xiao Han sneered, pressing down on the man, quickly stripping off his clothes until only his underwear remained.

"Get off me!" Zhuo Fan struggled violently, but he was completely drained of strength. He closed his eyes in resentment, recalling the intimate moments they once shared on the same bed. Now, facing a lover who had betrayed him, this violation was nothing but endless humiliation and torment. "Xiao Han, back off! Don’t you dare touch me!"

"...You made me lose Chenli, and I’ll make you suffer a hundred times worse!" Xiao Han gripped his neck, letting out a cold, sinister laugh by his ear.

With his other hand, he swiftly pulled off Zhuo Fan's underwear.

The terror of being raped and the sting of betrayal overwhelmed Zhuo Fan, gnawing at his heart. His nerves finally snapped, and he blacked out.

At that very moment, an uninvited guest showed up at the villa. This man was agile and composed, somehow slipping past the villa’s tight security and slipping inside unnoticed. He swiftly took out the two bodyguards at the door, kicked it open, and stormed in!

This man was none other than Wen Muyan.

Although he had anticipated what might be happening inside the room, when Wen Muyan burst in, the sight before him left him speechless—

Xiao Han, wearing only a bathrobe, was pressing down on the unconscious, naked Zhuo Fan. Due to the earlier struggle, the bathrobe had loosened, revealing a large portion of his firm chest.

Wen Muyan stared blankly at Xiao Han on the bed, even forgetting the lines he had prepared.

What really threw him wasn’t just the scene on the bed, but what Xiao Han was doing—he was fiddling with something white on Zhuo Fan's head.

This white object seemed to be a pair of underwear.

This lunatic was trying to put Zhuo Fan’s underwear on his head!

...What the hell was going on?

Hearing the commotion, Xiao Han turned his head and met Wen Muyan's stunned gaze. He quickly reacted and greeted him, "Hey, we meet again in the next life, McDonald!"

Wait... who's McDonald?