Chapter 57

Chapter 57

After sending the princess away, Xi Wenlun wearily rubbed his temples.

His assistant, sharp as always, began massaging his shoulders. "Mr. Xi, you've worked hard."

Secretary Liu, who had seen it all, couldn’t help but sigh. "That princess was a handful, though she’s still more reasonable than that duke."

"Exactly. Just mentioning him gives me a headache," the assistant agreed with a shudder. "He sure knows how to drive a hard bargain. Thankfully, we weren’t just sitting ducks. Though we paid a price, at least we secured the island."

Secretary Liu pinched his temples. "After all, it’s someone else’s priceless treasure. If we hadn’t shown good faith, we’d never have gotten past the duke’s doorstep. It’s just..."

He trailed off. The Xi family, infamous in high society for playing hardball, had suddenly taken a huge hit. The vultures outside would undoubtedly seize the chance to sniff around, searching for any opportunity to get a piece of the action.

Yet Xi Wenlun didn’t seem concerned. Having obtained the key item in his plan, he was in a good mood.

"Bring it on."

He was prepared to bleed, but never for nothing.

The scavengers drawn by the scent of blood would have to consider whether they had what it took to avoid being devoured by the Xi empire and turned into mere nutrients.

With the agreed-upon date approaching, he hoped everything would proceed smoothly.

Xi Wenlun gathered a few people to review the ritual plans and subsequent work, only letting them go when he noticed their hands trembling from exhaustion.

His subordinates had been running on fumes, barely getting any sleep.

Xi Wenlun brushed it off. "You’ve all worked hard lately. Take the afternoon off—go relax or have some fun."

The assistant, still young, let out a little whoop after days of overtime.

Secretary Liu, cool as ever, adjusted his glasses to hide a smile. "Thank you, Mr. Xi."

"Brother Liu," the assistant nudged him with an elbow once they were outside. "We finally got a break, why the long face?"

Secretary Liu gave a wry smile. "My mother’s orders—forcing me to go home for a family dinner and chit-chat."

"I get it, I get it!" The assistant, who also despised such awkward reunions with distant relatives, patted Secretary Liu’s shoulder sympathetically.

……

Fu Xie felt numb, unsure how he had learned that Xi Wenlun wasn’t at the Xi Group or how he had ended up back in the car.

The same driver from before was there—a guy apparently on standby to handle transportation from the villa, given how rarely Fu Xie went out.

Xi Wenlun’s meeting location was quite far, and Fu Xie’s mind kept replaying the earlier scene.

He had acted cold toward Ji Shaoting, but the facts the man had presented were enough to shatter his understanding of his relationship with Xi Wenlun.

He was itching to see Xi Wenlun. He desperately needed answers.

What was Xi Wenlun thinking? Had it all just been a game?

Suddenly, Fu Xie remembered his "special" assistance to Xi Wenlun.

The reasons were plain enough.

Yet, deep down, Fu Xie still hung onto a shred of hope—even if Xi Wenlun had been tied to that princess, or had long been in cahoots with Ji Shaoting.

Here’s the refined translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

He didn’t want to believe those past moments were just lies—sweet illusions meant to reel him in.

"Step on it, driver."

These were Fu Xie’s first words since getting in the car.

The driver jerked in surprise but barked, "Right away!" before gunning the engine.

The driver relaxed—so Mr. Fu was just cranky because he missed Xi Wenlun!

Their luck held through green lights all the way to Xi Wenlun’s location.

When the driver moved to open the door, Fu Xie was already sprinting down the street.

Luckily, he wasn’t that walking skeleton who’d get knocked over by a stiff breeze anymore—his new workout regimen had rebuilt his athletic frame.

Fu Xie sprinted, lungs burning, heart hammering—from the run or the truth waiting ahead, who knew?

Then Xi Wenlun’s silhouette appeared, flanked by his usual entourage. But one figure made Fu Xie’s blood freeze—

No way. That was—

His ankle caught the curb. As he pitched forward, he caught himself on a tree trunk at the last second.

Lin Yubin!

Why here? Had Xi Wenlun invited him?

Wait—could be wrong place, wrong time.

Then Xi Wenlun shook Lin Yubin’s hand, they were laughing like old friends, the whole group at ease.

Fu Xie’s cheeks stung like he’d been backhanded.

He watched them grin as they waved each other off.

The pain from his fall rocketed through him, white-hot behind his eyes.

It hurt—god, it hurt.

Fu Xie’s lungs locked up. Tears fell fast, no stopping them now.

They splattered the pavement, leaving dark stains like little prison cells.

When Xi Wenlun got word Fu Xie was coming, he was practically bouncing out of his seat.

Lin Yubin noticed and smirked. "All delivered, Wen Lun. Unless there’s more, I’ll head out?"

"Let me walk you. Thanks for coming all this way," Xi Wenlun said, rising.

Lin Yubin waved. "You could’ve had some lackey grab my DNA, but you actually gave me a heads-up."

"Besides, I’m invested in this family mystery now too. Mr. Fu and I really clicked."

When Fu Xie had offhandedly brought it up in bed days ago, Xi Wenlun had latched onto that comment.

He wasn’t about to half-ass this future-husband business.

Here’s the refined translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

Although Xi Wenlun had investigated Fu Xie before they met, it was baffling that Fu Xie had recently encountered two people who looked just like him.

Xi Wenlun decided to invite Lin Yubin for a kinship test—perhaps they might find long-lost relatives.

That’s how they ended up here.

The two walked downstairs and shook hands at the door before parting.

Xi Wenlun: "If the testing center has results, I’ll send someone to notify you."

"Alright, thank you, Wenlun." Lin Yubin released his hand, smiled, and left.

An aide stepped forward to remind him, "Mr. Xi, the driver says they’ve arrived."

Xi Wenlun nodded, intending to hurry over and help Fu Xie out of the car.

Suddenly, he turned and saw Fu Xie—who should have been in the car—crouched on the ground, crying.

He strode over, his expression tense. "What’s wrong?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Fu Xie’s hand hovering over his ankle, so he lifted the fabric. The pale skin was now swollen and bruised.

Xi Wenlun frowned—no wonder he was so upset.

He wiped Fu Xie’s tears with his hand, getting his expensive suit wet.

"We’ll get you home soon." Xi Wenlun comforted him while telling someone to grab the first-aid kit.

Soon, Fu Xie’s injury was properly treated. Noticing his low spirits, Xi Wenlun cracked a few jokes to cheer him up.

The pain faded, but the emotional wound stayed raw.

Fu Xie had wanted to say so much—even to ask for answers from Xi Wenlun.

But the moment he saw him, he gave up.

What good would asking do? Xi Wenlun hadn’t told him about Ji Shaoting before—why would he volunteer more now?

Even if he got an answer, could he trust it?

He had no way to verify it.

Xi Wenlun sat right beside him, yet the distance between them felt like a gap he couldn’t bridge.

As someone who’d crossed into this world, Fu Xie always felt separated from the characters in this novel by the fourth wall.

After all, how many CEOs and tycoons filled these stories? Each was extraordinary, favored by fate.

He’d seen too many of these archetypes, treating them all as fictional—observing this world like an outside observer.

Until he grazed the realities of power.

It dawned on Fu Xie that against someone like Xi Wenlun—standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid—he was completely outmatched.

All the privileges he enjoyed now depended entirely on the mercy of men like Xi Wenlun.

He seemed to walk on clouds, but in truth, he balanced on a knife’s edge—one misstep, and he’d shatter. Swallowed by dread, Fu Xie remained in a daze even after Xi Wenlun took him back to the villa.

"Fu Xie!"

He was startled awake, the first thing he saw being Xi Wenlun’s worried expression.

"You haven’t been yourself lately—you’ve been out of it. I called you several times just now, but you didn’t hear me."

Fu Xie stared at him blankly, couldn’t get a word out.

Xi Wenlun held his palm against Fu Xie's forehead.

"Thankfully, no fever."

He withdrew his hand, studying his tear-reddened nose and eyes.

"It's alright. Everyone has things they don’t want to talk about. You must have your reasons for not telling me."

"But when you do want to talk, I’ll be right here, waiting to listen."

Fu Xie felt himself lurching forward, only to be caught in an embrace. The familiar woody fragrance enveloped him, bringing a sense of comfort.

His tense nerves melted on instinct, as if floating in warm water.

Being comforted felt so good, especially coming from Xi Wenlun.

But soon, even this warmth would be gone...

Fu Xie buried his face in Xi Wenlun's chest, choking back sobs before falling asleep with his face still wet with tears.

……

When Fu Xie woke, sunlight streamed into the room, spilling onto his bedside.

It was nearly noon—an unusual hour for him to wake.

He touched his eyes, unsurprised to find them badly swollen.

Every time they went too far, his eyes would swell like walnuts by morning.

What used to be a painful sweetness in memory now left only pain.

In the end, he just couldn’t accept having fate decided for him.

The villainous boss, the Main Bottom, the white moonlight—all caught in an inescapable tangle.

After all this time, Fu Xie had mostly made up his mind.

If he couldn’t fight back—then escape.

If he couldn’t face the reality that Xi Wenlun would likely leave him, then he just wouldn’t deal with it.

Run.

That was the first thought that popped into his head.

If he couldn’t handle it, he could at least hide.

Just as he had originally planned—secure a fortune, find a nice place, and live quietly.

Get as far away as possible from the main characters and their whole orbit.

Here's the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

It wasn't that he didn't want to indulge in the drama, but he genuinely feared accidentally offending these big shots and getting dragged into the plot with a miserable ending.

Simple living is the real deal!

He'd barely escaped the original host's fate, and even with such caution, he'd still had his heart broken by a scoundrel.

Fu Xie clenched his fist. Now that he'd figured out a plan, all that remained was arranging the steps to carry it out.

He could almost see a brighter future beckoning to him.

But the crucial question remained: Would Xi Wenlun be willing?