Chapter 40

Chapter 40

After agonizing over it for a while, Fu Xie still didn’t throw it away.

Instead, he moved it to a new spot—right next to the trash can, just in case he changed his mind.

Should he go out?

He instinctively crossed out this option. Since he wasn't going out, he figured he'd just hang out in the suite.

He’d grown tired of the aquarium on the lowest floor. Especially that one night when he was carried to the blue display screen and forced to press against it while watching the fish—he’d wanted to smash his head through it.

Since then, except when sleeping, he rarely wandered around the lower levels.

So he headed upstairs instead and happened to run into a housekeeper cleaning their room. The staffer must have remembered his social anxiety around strangers and finished up quickly before leaving.

But Fu Xie wasn't freaking out like he used to. He actually thought about checking out more of the hotel.

When had that changed?

He absentmindedly grabbed the remote. TV was lame—he usually didn’t watch much anyway.

Maybe it was because since coming to this world, everyone treated him well, and he no longer had to face people or situations he disliked.

The suite came with various gaming consoles, but he’d already played most of them back at the villa. He couldn’t continue from saved files, and starting over would suck.

Should he go downstairs?

Fu Xie was still hesitating when the house phone suddenly buzzed.

He scrambled to answer it.

"Hello, is this Mr. Fu? I’m a guest service attendant from XX Hotel."

Fu Xie grunted in acknowledgment.

"Mr. Xi left a message saying he’ll be back late tonight and asked you not to wait for him."

Xi Wenlun had work to do, which made Fu Xie even less inclined to stay cooped up in the suite.

Since he decided to go out, he wanted to be 100% ready.

That meant crashing first!

Just kidding. He’d overdone it yesterday—resting more today was only fair.

Xi Wenlun, seeing how uncomfortable he got every time, once suggested they work out or do yoga together—only to get an immediate rejection from Fu Xie.

This couch potato wasn’t moving an inch.

He crashed hard all afternoon and finally dragged himself out of bed around dusk.

He zoned out for a bit, until his stomach growled.

Looking around the room, Xi Wenlun was still nowhere to be seen, so Fu Xie decided to go to the kitchen as usual to put in his order with the private chef.

But when he arrived, the place was empty.

He couldn't help but frown. During his stay at the hotel, the private chef had kept a strict schedule for preparing meals, so what was keeping him today?

Fu Xie made another round through the suite and noticed that he was completely alone.

It seemed like his outing would have to start earlier than planned.

Fu Xie shrugged and headed to the walk-in closet to change into going-out clothes.

Not being fashion-conscious himself, he relied on the staff to choose outfits based on their own tastes—always dressed in all the latest styles.

Fu Xie randomly picked one set.

A young man in his prime could still shine brilliantly even with a simple look.

As soon as he stepped out among people, he immediately attracted admiring looks.

The clientele here were all well-heeled; although they might be curious about Fu Xie, none would presume to approach him.

Fu Xie brushed aside his bangs. He was getting more comfortable with attention from strangers.

Indeed, when it was time to leave an environment that made him uncomfortable, one should just leave.

Suddenly, he felt a sense of relief. More than half of the year-long arrangement had already passed—just a while longer, and he'd be completely free.

As for Xi Wenlun... if he could be helped, fine. If not, then forget it.

What else could he do? He was just a slacker, and this slacker had already tried his best!

Besides, Xi's patronage had its advantages—hadn't he found new distractions? He believed that whether or not he could pursue Lin Yubin, at least he wouldn’t have to stay celibate indefinitely.

If someone suddenly told Fu Xie that Xi Wenlun was head over heels for him, he’d think they were crazy.

In Fu Xie’s eyes, Xi Wenlun was a great friend—though he suspected Xi might not see him the same way, since his help always seemed like minor gestures.

But to Fu Xie, every bit of help counted, which was why he was willing to cooperate with Xi and try to meet his emotional needs.

His stomach rumbled insistently—he needed to find something to eat fast.

The hotel had several types of restaurants. He picked one, ordered a steak, and casually took a seat.

The waiter brought him bread. Since he was starving, he tore into it hungrily, polishing it off quickly.

He waited and waited, but the steak still hadn't arrived.

Fu Xie frowned impatiently. Though the bread had taken the edge off, what he really wanted was the steak!!

More time passed, and still no food.

Fu Xie was starting to get angry. Anger clouded his judgment, and he decided to confront the restaurant staff.

As for what exactly to say? He hadn’t figured it out yet—he’d wing it when the time came.

But when he stormed over indignantly and stood face-to-face with a waiter in a suit, he found himself tongue-tied.

Fu Xie had forgotten his current English proficiency—he could manage basic daily conversations, but cursing was absolutely out of the question!

Immediately deflated, he turned to retreat.

Yet the waiter had already spotted him and quickly approached, saying in Chinese, "Mr. Fu Xie, your steak is ready."

Fu Xie hadn’t even had time to wonder why the attendant was speaking to him in Chinese before he was caught off guard by his words. He quickly replied, “Is the steak ready? Why wasn’t it brought to me?”

The attendant smiled and said, “Your order isn’t here. Please follow me.”

Fu Xie, puzzled, followed the attendant.

Since he’d accidentally gotten lost last time, Xi Wenlun had made it clear he would install a tracker on Fu Xie’s phone.

Fu Xie accepted this calmly—this goddamn novel world held too much hostility toward him, so staying close to the villain was safer.

So he wasn’t that worried about his safety.

They walked for quite a while, passing through several doors and riding an elevator.

Fu Xie was totally lost. He tugged at the attendant’s sleeve. “Where exactly are we going?”

Is this steak made of gold or something?

“Sorry, just a little longer,” the attendant apologized again with a bow. As he bent down, the emblem of Xi Corporation peeked out from his uniform.

Xi Wenlun’s idea?

Fu Xie was curious what game he was playing now.

For now, he swallowed his impatience, pressed his lips together, and kept walking behind.

They moved from indoors to outdoors and climbed into a luxury car.

If it weren’t for the familiar driver, Fu Xie might’ve thought he really was being kidnapped.

Well, he was being kidnapped—just by Xi Wenlun.

After all that trouble, the sun had long since set, and the car cut through the night.

Fu Xie sat inside, watching city lights flash past.

He remained indifferent, his mind stuck on one thing:

When the hell was he gonna get that steak?!

The car stopped in front of a building, and Fu Xie was led to a door.

The attendant gestured politely. “Mr. Fu, please.”

What kind of secretive crap is this? Fu Xie thought. His mind rebelled, but his body obeyed, pushing the door open.

Inside was pitch black, and the moment he stepped in, the door shut behind him.

Suddenly, a glowing flower bloomed beneath his feet. Tiny flecks of stardust drifted lazily in the dark.

Fu Xie looked down, curious. Each step he took lit up another flower underfoot.

Then they drifted off in one direction.

Fu Xie followed their trail, the stardust shifting as he walked, mingling with brighter colors.

As he walked, the darkness lifted, revealing the scene before him.

Tree shadows, cicadas chirping, even sunlight—it was like stepping into another world.

The guiding flowers materialized into solid form, and with a "swish—" a flurry of petals danced through the air. Fu Xie could even feel the breeze lifting his hair.

He followed the direction of the wind, where a sleek modern house stood.

Fu Xie sprinted toward the house, petals swirling behind him.

The door slammed open, and his pupils contracted—everything before him was instantly recognizable.

This was actually the house he had painstakingly built, brick by brick, in his favorite game!

He could even recall how he had saved up materials, worked every day to earn money, and waited for merchants to refresh their stock so he could buy furniture.

Every detail of the interior reflected his effort, brimming with his hopes for his future life.

The bookshelf was uniquely designed in a slanted diamond shape, the bed covered in luxurious black Bakhu, its crimson velvet petals reflecting a silky sheen, sprinkled with tiny flecks of glitter.

Fu Xie was frozen in shock, momentarily unable to react.

At the other end of the room, a figure stood with their back to him.

When the person turned around, Fu Xie saw his face—it was Xi Wenlun.

Xi Wenlun looked at the stunned Fu Xie and chuckled softly, “Do you like it?”

Fu Xie remembered—when he first got addicted to this game, he had played it obsessively. Xi Wenlun had once curiously asked him about it, but he had been too embarrassed to explain properly and had given a hasty introduction before diving back into the game.

Moreover, he had played so many games at the Xi family villa, with quite a few long-term favorites. Xi Wenlun had only asked about this one once—how had he figured out it was Fu Xie’s favorite?

Xi Wenlun continued, “I noticed you pulled all-nighters nonstop when you first started playing. Even though you switched to other games later, you still visited this one daily. So I just guessed it was your favorite and had Virtual Universe Company’s new product customized for you. I wasn’t sure if you’d like it.”

As he spoke, tears welled up in Fu Xie’s eyes.

Xi Wenlun froze. Though Fu Xie cried quite often, it was always in private.

After intimacy, he was too proud to admit it—even if Xi Wenlun teased him, he’d stubbornly insist he hadn’t cried, that it was just his eyes watering.

But this was the first time he had truly cried without meaning to.

“What’s wrong?” Xi Wenlun stepped forward quickly to wipe his tears. “Don’t you like it?”

Fu Xie covered the lower half of his face, his vision blurred by tears. Shaking his head, he managed to say, “No, it’s not that…”

Xi Wenlun waited patiently for him to continue.

Fu Xie took a deep breath, his eyelids still pink. With effort, he managed a smile. “I’m really… so happy!”

He truly meant it. Xi Wenlun had been so good to him, remembering even the things he had dismissed offhand.

Would Xi Wenlun treat Lin Yubin just as well in the future?

Despite his own painful past, he hadn’t become a jaded, cold adult—instead, he loved with sincerity.

Fu Xie had thought he could walk away easily, but now, it seemed he couldn’t let go after all.

The man who had stirred his emotions even pinched his cheek. “Don’t cry. If you’re happy, why the tears, hm?”

Hearing his gentle coaxing, Fu Xie’s tears only flowed harder.

Tears still clung to his lashes as his voice trembled, “Mr. Xi… I need you—now!”

If emotions surged uncontrollably, then let them be temporarily forgotten in the intimacy of entwined bodies.