Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Fu Xie was torn. The dilemma lay in the fact that he really didn’t want to go, but if he refused, would it ruin his carefully crafted image?

Truthfully, he wasn’t sure what kind of persona he had with Xi Wenlun. Judging from his bold remarks on their first night together, he must be seen as a D-list celebrity trying desperately to climb the ladder by clinging to someone powerful.

But wasn’t the entertainment industry full of people with low educational attainment? So playing the fool shouldn’t seem too out of place.

Fu Xie softened his voice, making it sound soft and sugary: “But I don’t know how to do anything.”

Here it comes! The ditzy pretty boy persona is coming straight for Fu Xie!

Xi Wenlun: “You don’t need to do anything. Just get to know the company first.”

His words made Fu Xie’s eyes widen in shock. So he really intended to drag him to work? No way!

Seeing Fu Xie still wearing that reluctant expression, a dangerous flicker appeared in Xi Wenlun’s eyes.

“Or—” Xi Wenlun strode into the room, grabbed Fu Xie’s wrist before he could react, and pinned him against the door. Leaning down, he brought his lips close to Fu Xie’s ear and whispered, “Stay here forever. Not a single step outside.”

“Huh?” Fu Xie couldn’t comprehend this baffling turn of events.

How did things suddenly escalate to forced confinement? Whoa, we just met!

Fu Xie was stunned: “But you’re not—” Then he clapped a hand over his mouth, suddenly realizing that the current “Fu Xie” wasn’t supposed to know about Xi Wenlun’s limitations.

Faced with the threat to his freedom, he ignored his social anxiety and stole a glance at Xi Wenlun’s expression, unsure whether the man was serious or simply toying with him.

Fine, it’s just a visit to the company. He could handle that!

Fu Xie closed his eyes like a man walking to his doom: “Alright, I’ll go tomorrow.”

The threatening presence above him instantly dissipated. Xi Wenlun released him, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. “Be downstairs at 8 AM. I’ll take you there.”

Fu Xie wanted to scream into his hands. He hadn’t seen sunlight before noon in a week—an 8 AM start was absolute torture.

With a casual remark, Xi Wenlun turned to leave: “Cancel your flight to the island. You’re not going without my permission.”

Fu Xie stiffened. He knew about the tickets?! Then it hit him—he’d used Xi Wenlun’s card, so of course the man knew where his money went.

The thought of his dream island vacation vanishing into thin air crushed Fu Xie’s spirits.

A sudden realization struck him: Was Xi Wenlun deliberately making trouble for him because he’d been living too comfortably these past few days?

If Ji Ruisi were here, he’d give Fu Xie’s theory a thumbs-up, congratulating him for finally uncovering this man’s nitpicky, vengeful side.

Xi Wenlun had become head of the Xi family and CEO of Xi Corporation by his late twenties, outmaneuvering uncles and cousins alike. He was no innocent lamb.

Ji Ruisi had witnessed the dirty politics of powerful families—their methods were shockingly ruthless.

Xi Wenlun thrived in that world. Judging by appearances alone, he resembled a pristine white lotus (héhuā) blooming amidst foul mud.

Little did people know, beneath that purity lay an abyss of unfathomable darkness.

*

The next morning, Fu Xie dragged himself to the front door of the villa, head drooping. The servants had dressed him in a taupe-colored British-style suit.

Days indoors without sunlight had left his skin even paler, and if not for his sullen pout, he’d look every bit the elegant young master (xiǎo yé) of a wealthy family.

Xi Wenlun studied him with quiet appreciation, the corners of his lips twitching into a subtle smile.

People can’t help going easy on pretty faces—that was one of the reasons he tolerated Fu Xie raising hell at home without tossing him out.

Fu Xie climbed into the car, shoved the door wide open, and prepared to slam it shut with a bang to vent his mood.

Xi Wenlun shot him a frosty look. “Conveniently enough, I have an employee speech and training session today…”

The force Fu Xie had been ready to use instantly lessened; the door clicked shut barely audibly.

The driver caught sight of the faint curve in Xi Wenlun’s eye corner through the rearview mirror and did a double take, only snapping back to reality when Xi Wenlun impatiently urged him forward.

Had to be his imagination—there's no way Mr. Xi would smile over something so trivial.

*

When they arrived at the company entrance, Fu Xie’s social phobia kicked in again. He followed pale-faced behind Xi Wenlun, doing his best to vanish into the background.

As long as nobody talked to him, he could hold up!

But employees of Xi Corporation were seeing such a drop-dead gorgeous stranger by Xi Wenlun’s side for the first time, and couldn’t help but gossip.

“Who’s that with President Xi? A new hire? He looks super young, and his complexion’s flawless—look at that tiny waist!”

“He reminds me more of some celebrity. Hey Lisa, search him online.”

“You think he’s President Xi’s secret lover?”

“No way. Our President Xi is famously the most eligible bachelor around. I’ve worked here years and never seen anyone close to him. Everyone says he’s saving himself for Lin Yubin.”

“President Xi really is devoted. So enviable.”

Fu Xie had trained himself to stay alert and aware while avoiding crowds, so every word from the employees slipped straight into his ears.

So they still didn’t know about Xi Wenlun’s… problem, huh? They all thought he’d stayed celibate for the main character.

But then why did he take *him* in? The question popped into Fu Xie’s mind suddenly, distracting him so much that he almost walked straight into Xi Wenlun, who had stopped abruptly ahead.

Xi Wenlun was already deep in conversation with a shareholder, so Fu Xie awkwardly rubbed his nose and ducked into a corner to mindlessly scroll through his phone.

Though brought along to work, Xi Wenlun wasn’t about to put a clueless newbie like him to actual tasks.

Besides, the moment Xi entered the office, he was swamped—no time to mess with Fu Xie.

He was placed in the top-floor office of Xi Corporation, where he nosily inspected everything, glancing left and right curiously.

The spacious layout outside looked just like what he’d seen on TV before, with a pair of lucky money trees flanking the entrance.

Fu Xie paused there, seriously considering dousing them with boiling water to get back at Xi Wenlun for dragging him to work.

Then he remembered—he was mooching off Xi Wenlun now. If Xi Wenlun went bankrupt, he’d be screwed too. He gave up reluctantly.

Continuing further inside, Fu Xie carefully examined the wall behind the chairs and, sure enough, found a door.

This must be the room where the president usually slept.

The door wasn’t locked, making it easy for him to slip in. The place was decked out like a five-star suite, featuring a large bed, a simple shower stall, and even a luxurious bathtub!

Typical rich people luxury, Fu Xie thought bitterly. Work hard, then enjoy a perfect bath—something ordinary employees definitely wouldn't get.

Since he was already here, Fu Xie glanced at the bed, which looked incredibly soft and comfortable, and felt sleep dragging at him again.

He’d gotten up too early that morning and had been fighting sleep during the drive. If Xi Wenlun hadn’t kept pinning him with glacial stares every time his eyelids drooped, he’d have been out cold by now.

But Xi Wenlun wasn’t paying attention to him now. Fu Xie threw himself onto the bed, ready to crash.

Before long, he suddenly felt a cold shadow over him.

Bleary-eyed, Fu Xie opened his eyes and found Xi Wenlun leaning over the bed with his muscular arms, glaring at him coldly.

Startled awake, Fu Xie instinctively reached out to push him away. Still groggy, his hand accidentally grabbed the collar of Xi Wenlun’s shirt.

In his panic, he yanked hard—ripping open the perfectly buttoned collar. Two buttons popped off, rolling away to god-knows-where.

Xi Wenlun’s well-defined collarbones were exposed, and Fu Xie realized just how pale his skin was. But what immediately caught his attention was a vibrant red mole near the edge.

Fu Xie was never really into beauty marks, but red ones were different.

He had only seen them in comics—where the protagonist had one. Whenever it was kissed or teased, the surrounding skin would flush pink, and the mole would shine like fresh blood, glistening with moisture.

That night, Fu Xie had a youthful dream, shrouded in mist, where that single crimson mark lingered at the very center of his heart.

Now, seeing it in person, it carried an unspoken allure—like a tiny, round ruby, but unlike a lifeless gem, it throbbed with life.

The red mole rose and fell with Xi Wenlun’s breathing, the exposed skin around it blushing faintly.

Xi Wenlun lowered his gaze, his voice icy. “Had enough?”

Fu Xie came to his senses as if burned, abruptly releasing the collar and awkwardly turning away. “Uh, I didn’t mean to.” Against his better judgment, he stole one last glance.

Xi Wenlun straightened up, adjusting his collar, hiding the mole beneath the fabric of his suit.

Fu Xie looked away, disappointed.

Surveying the damage, Xi Wenlun found the collar a lost cause and promptly called his secretary to deliver a new suit to the office.

“Secretary Qin, whose call was that?” a curious coworker asked.

“President Xi’s.” Secretary Qin, mid-conversation about a project, perked up at the question. “Ah, right—you’re Xiao Li from logistics, aren’t you? Could you fetch a suit and bring it up to the CEO’s office?”

With that, she hurried off.

Zhou Jie from the neighboring desk laughed. “Xiao Li, that’s what you get for asking. Now you’ve got extra work.”

“How was I supposed to know?” Xiao Li grumbled.

Xiao Wang frowned, smelling something fishy. “Hey, think about it—President Xi brought that Little Beauty with him today, barely let us get a look, and tucked him away in the office. I saw him go up in the elevator myself, and now he’s asking for a new suit. What do you think they were doing in there?”

The eavesdropping colleagues shared knowing looks.

Zhou Jie tossed a candy at Xiao Wang. “As expected of our head gossip—always sharp.”

“Thanks, Zhou Jie!” Xiao Wang caught the candy, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth. “Can’t blame me for reading into things. President Xi’s the one acting suspicious. Heh.”

The reality of the situation would surely disappoint the imaginative employees of Xi Corporation.

Fu Xie and Xi Wenlun sat side by side at the table, “harmoniously” eating lunch.

Fu Xie fidgeted with his fork, his eyes flickering toward Xi Wenlun every now and then.