Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The man remained composed, as if the awkward incident from earlier had never happened.

A five-star hotel stood near Xi Corporation, frequently delivering meals to the company’s executives.

The meals delivered were quite exquisite. Xi Wenlun was a workaholic who often ate at his desk, which was why a small dining table for one or two people had been installed in his office.

Seeing that Xi Wenlun himself didn’t seem bothered, Fu Xie decided there was no need for him to dwell on it either.

His mind involuntarily wandered back to that mole. Xi Wenlun had spoken to him a few times, but Fu Xie had let the words go in one ear and out the other, making Xi Wenlun slam his crystal glass down with a sharp clink to snap him out of it.

Fu Xie finally snapped back to reality, realizing he had been mindlessly picking at his rice without even tasting the dishes. He hurriedly took a few more bites before pushing his plate aside.

Xi Wenlun watched him eat so hastily with confusion.

This man had been bold and outspoken at the gala, acting almost clingy toward him, yet he lacked the cautious, ingratiating demeanor typical of those in the business world. Instead, he seemed… indifferent?

Xi Wenlun had already reviewed his financial records the day before. There were no extravagant purchases of luxury goods or jewelry—just spending on frivolous entertainment.

More likely, he was trying to solve Yansheng’s financial troubles. But that wasn’t a difficult problem to solve. Any big investor or company could handle it—there was no need to specifically seek out Xi Corporation.

Frowning thoughtfully, Xi Wenlun wondered: With just these two points in mind, why had Fu Xie taken the risk to come to Xi Corporation? He knew perfectly well Xi Wenlun was tied to the Li family. What exactly was his goal?

Put another way—did he truly have the confidence to achieve his aims without even bothering to conceal his intentions?

Xi Wenlun’s expression suddenly turned cold as he set down his knife and fork.

Life had been dull lately. He could use a little excitement.

If Fu Xie—and whoever was behind him—wanted to play, Xi Wenlun had no objections to seeing it through to the end.

Even Fu Xie, usually so indifferent, noticed the change. He didn’t understand what he had done to upset him again but, after a moment’s hesitation, set down his own utensils as well.

This place was pretty good. I wonder if they deliver to the villa.

Xi Wenlun suddenly spoke, cutting off his train of thought. “Do you remember that we have an agreement?”

Fu Xie blinked dumbly before nodding.

Xi Wenlun calmly folded his napkin and dabbed his lips. “I have no work scheduled for the rest of the day. Would you be ready to fulfill your duties as a partner tonight?”

Fu Xie’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Huh? Wait, already? Hold on—since when do domineering CEOs bring up *that* right after lunch at the office? Shouldn’t this kind of thing happen at home? Then again, office scenarios weren’t exactly rare…

Fu Xie’s face turned bright red at his own impure thoughts. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, “But I thought you were… impotent?”

The moment the words left his mouth, both men froze in place.

Xi Wenlun lowered his gaze, then slowly lifted it again, his eyes dark and unreadable.

“You knew?” he asked, each word deliberate.

Fu Xie slapped a hand over his mouth in panic, jerking back so hard his chair scraped backward.

His gaze darted around nervously, fingers twisting anxiously at his sleeves.

Why did I say that?! How do I explain this?!

If he had said anything else, it would’ve been fine—poking at the villain’s most vulnerable spot? He wondered if he’d even survive the night.

Fu Xie was about to lose it. Frantically scrambling for an explanation, he tried to recall the plot details and come up with something believable for Xi Wenlun.

Suddenly, a wild idea popped into Fu Xie’s head.

Xi Wenlun stared like a hunter toying with trapped prey, casually dropping his used napkin on the table. “Figured out your excuse yet?”

Fu Xie choked. “Figured out—no! Wait—!”

He took a deep breath, trying to ignore that icy gaze capable of freezing him solid, and stared at the face that made his heart race—and that tiny red mole he’d just noticed. Putting on his most lovesick expression, he declared, “Because… I’ve secretly loved you for years.”

Fu Xie had expected some surprise, but Xi Wenlun remained unnervingly calm. Tapping his well-defined knuckles on the table, he raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”

What the hell? A flash of panic flickered in Fu Xie’s eyes before vanishing.

But there was no turning back now. He could only stumble through, scrambling for plot points and cliché confessions as he bumbled out an explanation.

Xi Wenlun kept his “I’m all ears” expression, making Fu Xie even more flustered.

Come on, his social skills were already terrible—how was he supposed to pull off the near-impossible task of lying smoothly to a seasoned professional? Way out of his league!

Fu Xie curled his fingers and lowered his head. “I know you think I’m lying, but I really do like you…”

Xi Wenlun sat back, a smirk playing on his lips, clearly eager to hear more.

“Hubby!”

Xi Wenlun: “….”

In his panic, Fu Xie’s mouth ran ahead of his brain again.

His face burned with humiliation. Calling a guy he barely knew “hubby” after only a few days? Mortifying.

The silence dragged on. Fu Xie cautiously peeked up to gauge Xi Wenlun’s reaction.

Xi Wenlun covered half his face with his hand, eyes shifting away, refusing to look directly at Fu Xie—but the exposed skin gave away a blush he couldn’t suppress.

Fu Xie blinked. The big bad CEO… was actually bashful?

A thought hit him—he remembered Xi Wenlun had ED and was always buried in work. No wonder he had zero romantic experience.

Fu Xie’s eyes lit up. Nothing eased his social anxiety faster than realizing someone else was even more awkward than him. He felt like he’d found Xi Wenlun’s weakness and decided to push his luck.

Xi Wenlun straightened his cufflinks, regaining composure. “You think I’d buy that?”

Fu Xie groaned inwardly. What choice did he have? If he told the truth—that he was a transmigrator—Xi Wenlun would just think he was a delusional nutjob.

Getting reckless, Fu Xie lifted his head and met Xi Wenlun’s gaze. “Believe what you want, but don’t doubt my feelings for you! Hubby~”

This time, since Fu Xie wasn’t hiding behind his bangs, he clearly saw Xi Wenlun’s cheeks flush bright red in an instant.

Xi Wenlun turned away, visibly squirming.

Fu Xie doubled down. Channeling the sickly-sweet tone he’d picked up online, he whined, “Hubby~ Hubby~ Hubby~” while slowly unbuttoning his collar.

As the last button came undone, his smooth, pale collarbones were instantly revealed—so white they were almost glaring.

Fu Xie kept unbuttoning his shirt as if unaware, the suit jacket slipping off like a half-unwrapped gift—just a light tug on the ribbon to pull him into an embrace.

Xi Wenlun let out a cough, hastily standing up. "I'm full. I need to step out." Then he bolted out in a panic.

Only after Xi Wenlun's footsteps had completely faded did Fu Xie slump over the dining table, slamming the table while laughing—he’d finally gotten the upper hand! Ha!

He settled into Xi Wenlun’s usual seat, intending to linger a while longer and soak up the CEO vibes.

Before long, Xi Wenlun texted him, instructing him to take the company car back to the villa while he attended some work meetings.

Fu Xie pouted. Just moments ago, Xi Wenlun had claimed to have no work and told him to wash up and wait in bed. Men—can’t trust a word they say! He pushed the door open and strode out.

As he passed by the employees, he noticed them eyeing him with blatantly suggestive stares.

If not for his social anxiety, Fu Xie might have acted like some poor, wrecked victim. Alas, he could only hurry past the crowd and into the car.

Back in his villa bedroom, he flopped onto the bed, rolling around, giddy with happiness.

Fu Xie felt utterly content. Such carefree, joyful days—no one breathing down his neck—were rare.

The contract lasted a year, and the Xi family was, after all, the wealthiest in the novel. Even the scraps from a rich man’s table could keep a nobody like him well-fed.

Fu Xie resolved to squeeze every penny out of his “cheap fling” during this year, then truly embrace the chill, spoiled life of a trust-fund kid!

After a moment’s thought, he pulled out his phone. When he opened his social app, he found hundreds of messages from Li Junyuan, pinned at the top.

At first, Li Junyuan had been furious, hurling curses, but as Fu Xie remained unresponsive, his tone grew increasingly desperate. The latest message read: *"Little ancestor, I beg you, just give me a straight answer."*

Fu Xie scoffed. He’d seen the original host’s chat history with Li Junyuan—where the original host sent ten messages only to receive one or two replies in return. Yet, the original host had persisted tirelessly.

Who knew that sleazebag would get his comeuppance?

After a brief pause, Fu Xie swiped across the screen with his slender, pale fingers.