Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Returning from Beigang Racecourse, Su He was struck by inspiration. That evening, he buried himself in writing, completely losing track of time.

It wasn't until three in the morning that exhaustion finally claimed him, and he collapsed onto the bed, falling instantly asleep.

The next day, he was jolted awake by a phone call.

Still groggy, he fumbled for his phone by the bedside. He wasn't sure how he answered it, but a furious shout immediately erupted from the other end.

“Su, you son of a bitch! Where the hell have you been?! You even changed your number! It’s been almost a month since you showed up at the company—do you even want this job anymore?! I must’ve been cursed for eight lifetimes to have agreed to partner with you!”

The sudden outburst jolted Su He fully awake. His still-sluggish mind instantly cleared. He had indeed changed his phone number immediately after realizing Lin Jing could track him, switching everything in one go.

Dazed, Su He asked, “Uh… who is this?”

“Don’t play dumb with me!” The other person was livid, launching into a precise, articulate tirade.

“I know what happened to you, but that’s no excuse to vanish off the face of the earth and abandon the dozens of people at the company! I’ve already sent the new proposal and address to your email. We’re meeting the client at 4 p.m. today—if you don’t show up this time, we’re done!”

Panicked, Su He glanced at the caller ID, only to remember he had switched to a new number. The screen displayed nothing but a string of digits, leaving him utterly bewildered.

Dude, who the hell are you?!

In a flash, fragmented memories surfaced in Su He’s mind. The original owner of this body, aside from working at his father’s company, had also co-founded a small business with someone else, specializing in business support services.

His partner was none other than Shao Fei, the young master of the Shao film empire—a hotheaded young heir.

After partnering with the original owner, Shao Fei had gradually grown disillusioned, and the two had been at odds for a long time.

According to the original plot, after being kicked out of his family, the original owner’s financial chain collapsed, and Shao Fei ultimately cut ties with him. But now, with Su He altering the storyline and severing contact, Shao Fei had come storming after him.

Before Su He could even get a word in, the call was abruptly hung up.

His hair a mess from sleep, Su He scrambled around the bed, put on his glasses, and checked his email.

Address: Qiu Pavilion, No. 38-2, Xiangxi Road, Changnan District

Scrolling further down…

Aside from the address, the attached proposal was filled with charts and figures as cryptic as Morse code—he couldn’t make heads or tails of it!

What the hell was he supposed to do now… QAQ

By the time Su He made it downstairs, he realized he had forgotten to set an alarm before his dead-to-the-world sleep. It was already noon—four hours later than his usual wake-up time.

While the assistant slept in, the boss had already left for work. Su He was overcome with guilt. Auntie Ling, noticing his arrival, called him over for lunch.

There was a message from Fang, the executive assistant, on his phone—an itinerary for Sheng Jinyu’s upcoming week.

At 1 p.m., Sheng Jinyu would return to Zhishen for a meeting. At 3 p.m., he would go directly from the office to an inspection site, staying there until evening. However, the exact location wasn’t specified.

Normally, Su He would immediately calculate the timing in his head—when Sheng Jinyu needed to leave to avoid being late, whether there’d be traffic, what outfit would work for his whole schedule without needing changes.

At some point, without even realizing it, Su He had truly settled into the role of a personal assistant. His meticulousness and patience ensured even the smallest details were perfectly arranged.

Su He had become the bridge between Sheng Jinyu’s work and personal life, orchestrating every detail of his daily routine.

Sometimes, when Sheng Jinyu returned to Xiaoxie Garden after work, Fang, the executive assistant, would even call Su He first to confirm his whereabouts before reporting in.

Today, however, was an exception—he had overslept.

And Sheng Jinyu had let him, enabling Assistant Su’s laziness.

With half the afternoon free, Su He sat down to eat, preparing to head to Qiu Pavilion for the meeting later.

~

The Huishui River bisected Guangzhou into eastern and western regions. Xiangxi Road, located along the eastern bank, neighbored the cross-river bridge—the city’s main transportation artery connecting the two halves of the city.

Rows of coconut trees lined the street, and Qiu Pavilion was nestled behind dense foliage.

Originally, the site had been home to an international hotel in the last century. After its owner fled the country under a cloud, the Sheng family acquired the land and renovated it into a high-end business club.

Sheng Jinyu had traded his freedom for Qiu Pavilion’s management rights—not just for its revenue, but because someone he sought was here. Though the time wasn’t right yet.

He made biweekly inspections.

Now seated in the management office, he stared at the wall of surveillance screens while listening to the manager’s report on recent earnings.

A jade incense burner on the table emitted wispy tendrils of sandalwood smoke, its drowsy scent filling the air.

Chin propped on his hand, Sheng Jinyu idly twirled a commemorative coin between his fingers, thoroughly bored—until his peripheral vision caught a familiar figure on one of the corner screens.

The coin fell with a clatter onto the table. Sheng Jinyu froze, then slowly straightened up.

Downstairs, in a second-floor private room.

Su He sat stiffly on the sofa, dressed in business casual attire—a white shirt paired with dress pants. Though simple, the outfit looked undeniably refined on him.

His hands rested cautiously on his knees, back ramrod straight with tension.

The person beside him, however, was dressed far more casually—his slightly long hair tied into a low ponytail, a defiant lip ring glinting as he spoke. Handsome, yes, but equally fierce when reaming someone out.

This was none other than Shao Fei, the partner who had just reamed him out over the phone that morning.

“I’ve been working on this deal for half a month. This should be easy for us, you—” Shao Fei cut himself off mid-sentence, glaring at Su He. “Why the fuck are you shaking?”

How could he not shake?!

You’re asking a bookworm who’s never negotiated to negotiate a business deal—this is completely out of his depth!

He was so screwed… QAQ

Breaking out in a cold sweat, Su He gripped the fabric of his pants, his gaze darting nervously. “I, uh… actually, I…”

“What. Did. You. Say?” Shao Fei bit out each word threateningly.

“They’ll be here any minute. If you pull any crap this time, I swear—we’re done!”

Su He stammered helplessly, fingers digging in hard enough to tear his pants. What was he supposed to do?

He couldn’t exactly say, Look, I’m actually from another world—that’d probably land him in a psych ward!

Under Shao Fei’s dangerous stare, he could only mutter, “I’ll do my best, but… I kinda forgot what I’m supposed to do. Can you remind me?”

His expression was the picture of desperate sincerity, like a clueless student pleading with a math tutor for help with calculus.

“Forgot?! Have you lost your damn mind?!”

Sure enough, Shao Fei shot up with a look that screamed, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

But there was no time for another argument now. Su He steeled himself and memorized a flood of information in just ten minutes.

By the end, Shao Fei's throat was raw and his temper flaring, scrambling for water while muttering, "If I ever work with you again, I’m a dog. We’re dissolving the partnership as soon as we get back!"

Su He quickly handed him a glass of water, placating him, "Sure, sure, whatever you say. I’m sorry, it’s my fault."

The next second, Shao Fei planted himself inches from Su He's face. "You—you actually apologized!?"

Before Su He could respond, the door to the VIP lounge was pushed open by an assistant—their business partners had arrived. But when Su He saw the person walking in, he stiffened, then couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger.

"A-He, long time no see." Lin Jing approached him with a smile, his gaze heavy with implication.

Su He blinked, then felt a wave of unmistakable disgust.

This guy was like a stuck-on leech!!!

Seeing Su He unresponsive, Shao Fei quickly straightened up and stepped forward to greet the newcomers. He could tell something was off about Su He today—completely acting out of character. If he didn’t take charge now, this deal was doomed!

Accompanying Lin Jing were a vice president and a few members of his entourage. Shao Fei and his assistant engaged them in smooth conversation.

Since the meeting was set in this high-end lounge club, it was never going to be overly formal. Top-shelf bottles crowded the table, and amidst the clinking of glasses, most of the business was already settled.

Su He sat quietly, struggling to follow the discussion but getting nowhere. He remained on the fringes of the conversation, to the point where the vice president across the table assumed he was just some junior lackey.

That was, until Lin Jing—who had barely spoken—suddenly lifted his tumbler and directed his words at Su He.

Lin Jing smirked. "President Su, neither speaking nor drinking—is the wine not to your taste, or do you find our offer unsatisfactory?"

All eyes turned to Su He, instantly putting him squarely in the crosshairs.

No doubt, Lin Jing was still holding a grudge over the humiliation Su He had caused him at the flower and bird market last time. This was deliberate provocation.

The already half-drunk VP took the cue and began pressuring Su He to drink. Shao Fei, knowing Su He had a legendarily weak constitution for liquor, tried to intervene.

But Lin Jing, the troublemaker, only fanned the flames, sending the situation spiraling.

Su He figured this might be the only time today he could actually be of use, so he reluctantly accepted the drinks.

One glass after another scorched his esophagus and churned his stomach.

It was only then that he remembered—he hadn’t eaten dinner. Though his original body had a decent tolerance, this spoiled rich boy's physiology was shockingly weak. Before long, Su He’s vision began to blur.

Dizzy, nauseous, his empty stomach clawing at his ribs.

He excused himself from the room, leaning against the hallway wall as he staggered toward the restroom. The world spun violently. He blinked hard, his eyes aching, yet the damned Persian rug beneath his feet still seemed determined to float upward.

So dizzy…

Su He fumbled blindly ahead, stumbling until he pushed open a door. He thought he’d seen a restroom sign earlier, but now he couldn’t find a sink or a toilet.

The room was dim, unlit. His foot caught on something, and he crashed to the floor.

A soft *click*—the door opened again, throwing a knife-edge silhouette across the ground in front of him.

Moments later.

"Let me go!"

Su He gripped the hand clamped around his jaw, words scraping raw from his throat. Pinned against the wall by Lin Jing, he was no match for the taller, stronger man—especially in his disoriented state.

"You’ve exhausted my patience, Su He. I didn’t want it to come to this, but you’re such a goddamn eel—if I don’t take drastic measures, I’ll never catch you."

Lin Jing’s smile was icy, his eyes burning with fury and envy.

To him, Su He shouldn’t be like this. He should be a pitiful stray, groveling at his feet, begging not to be abandoned—not playing the untouchable ice prince!

"You’re living in that garden villa in Jingshan, aren’t you? With the Sheng family's golden boy!? No wonder you dumped me without a backward glance—you already had a backup lined up!"

The words like hammer blows pounded in Su He’s ears. His stomach churned, his head throbbed—he could barely make out Lin Jing’s words.

"Seems I was too gentle before, never even laid a hand on you. And now you’re throwing yourself at another man!" Lin Jing roared, all pretense of civility gone.

His grip on Su He’s jaw tightened, pressing against his throat. Su He dragged in wheezing breaths, crushed under Lin Jing’s weight, the pressure on his stomach making him want to vomit.

"I didn’t!"

Su He bellowed—uncharacteristically loud—his elbow jerking upward and slamming into Lin Jing’s face. The impact knocked Lin Jing’s head sideways, his glasses flying off.

Blinking wildly, Lin Jing’s grip loosened. Su He coughed violently as air rushed back into his lungs, but he wouldn't bet his life on staying.

With all his strength, he lunged for the door.

Fumbling in the dark, he wrenched the door handle—only to bang his head against the frame in his panic. Ignoring the pain, he yanked the door open and bolted into the hallway.

Just then, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor—a group of people rushing toward him.

The harried floor manager trailed behind, clueless why the CEO was storming off. After spotting a conflict on the surveillance feed, Sheng Jinyu had taken off like a shot without a word.

"Young Master Sheng, our staff and security are already on their way! You really don’t need to go yourself—" the manager pleaded.

"Save it," Sheng Jinyu snapped.

He covered ground fast. The moment he turned the corner, a figure reeking of alcohol crashed into him.

Glancing down, he saw Su He.