Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Yan Qing was absolutely livid.

To add insult to injury, Ye Weian continued to provoke him: "If you had signed the contract last night, securing billions, it would be too late for me to regret it now."

"What a pity. Your hesitation and indecision cost you a golden opportunity. Otherwise, you'd already be on your way to spending those billions."

Yan Qing: "..."

These words were even more infuriating.

It was like having a prime cut of meat right in front of him—he had the chance to eat it but missed it. This kind of experience was frustrating beyond belief.

Since the task was now to humiliate Yan Qing rather than win him over, Ye Weian no longer had to hold back.

He immediately activated his sarcastic mode: "By the way, about this Chi Li situation—when it comes down to it, it's actually your fault."

"He targeted me to stand up for you, but ended up trapping himself. Not only did he lose a trusted assistant, but he also dragged Boqing into a public scandal. All of this happened because of you."

He stared expressionlessly at Yan Qing. "First Bai Yuan and Xie Siming, and now Chi Li. Every person who admires you ends up in misfortune. Don’t you think you’re a bit of a jinx?"

Yan Qing pointed a trembling finger at him: "You... you’re spouting nonsense!"

He was shaking with rage, his eyes bloodshot and his face twisted like a ferocious demon crawling out of hell, ready to devour Ye Weian.

Ye Weian advised him: "Do try to keep your composure."

Yan Qing: "..."

Seeing Yan Qing on the verge of exploding with anger, Ye Weian kindly handed him a cup of warm water: "Have some water. Cool down."

This cup of water had been poured by the waiter during the meal, and he hadn’t taken a single sip.

Yan Qing: "..."

His vision went dark, and he nearly fainted from anger.

The system applauded Ye Weian: "Host, well done!"

This was the King of Zombies it knew—full of unconventional tactics, expressionless yet poison-tongued, capable of infuriating Yan Qing with just a few words.

The system: "Huh? I’ve detected that Yan Qing’s anger level is approaching 80. The maximum is 100."

The system: "It seems Yan Qing can still take it. There’s still room for more face-slapping, Host."

The system: "Go for it, Host! Keep provoking him!"

Ye Weian: "..."

He hadn’t actually intended to anger Yan Qing—he was just telling the truth.

It was Yan Qing’s own lack of mental fortitude that made him unable to handle honesty.

Well.

Anyway, it was Yan Qing’s fault.

Yan Qing was indeed pushed to his limit. His entire being ached, and it took him a long time to barely calm down.

He took a deep breath and turned to Zhou Huaichen beside him. In a choked voice, he said, "Mr. Ye is toying with me like this. His character and integrity are both questionable. How could you like someone like this?"

Ye Weian blinked and also looked at Zhou Huaichen.

Zhou Huaichen usually ignored Yan Qing, but Ye Weian was also waiting for his answer.

"I like him," he said gently, gazing at Ye Weian. "I like him just the way he is."

Ye Weian: "..."

—"A Chen, I suggest you rethink your lines."

—"Where exactly is my character questionable? I’m such a sunny, laid-back person—my character is perfectly fine!"

Zhou Huaichen covered his lips with his fist, hiding a smile, and slowly said, "In my eyes, Wei An is perfect in every way, and his character is the best."

Ye Weian was satisfied.

Yan Qing, however, looked completely crushed: "Mr. Zhou, have you been fed some kind of love potion by Ye Weian?"

He wanted Zhou Huaichen to see himself—wasn’t he a thousand times better than Ye Weian?

Perhaps driven mad by Ye Weian’s provocations, Yan Qing’s mind was muddled, and he accidentally spoke his true thoughts.

Zhou Huaichen’s eyes suddenly turned icy: "Where exactly did you get the confidence to think you could compare to Wei An?"

It was widely known that Mr. Zhou was steady and magnanimous, but at this moment, he was uncharacteristically harsh. "You’re not as good-looking as Wei An, your background is far inferior to his, you’re not as wealthy, and you’re not as devoted."

"Is it because you’ve attracted a bunch of low-quality suitors? Have you been praised by those inferior men for so long that you’ve lost touch with reality and started thinking you’re some kind of celestial being?"

Zhou Huaichen’s voice was equally cold: "In my eyes, you’re not even fit to kneel and shine Wei An’s shoes."

Yan Qing: "..."

The system was stunned: "Host, do you think Mr. Zhou has been picking up your habits and learned your poison tongue?"

Ye Weian: "...Don’t push the blame onto me."

What poison tongue? Can't you phrase it better? A Chen is just like me—he likes to tell the truth!

The system suddenly exclaimed: "Yan Qing is crying!"

The system: "Face-slapping value: 100!"

The system: "As expected of this world’s Big Boss! With just a few words, Mr. Zhou made Yan Qing cry!!!"

A series of exclamation marks showed that the system was truly shocked.

The system: "Mr. Zhou rocks!! (Screaming!!)"

Ye Weian’s head throbbed from the system’s noise, so he muted it.

He turned to look at Yan Qing.

Whether from Zhou Huaichen’s belittling words or his cold indifference, Yan Qing was indeed crying.

His tear-streaked, delicate appearance was quite pitiable.

Unfortunately, neither Ye Weian nor Zhou Huaichen were the type to cherish delicate flowers, and they instantly dismissed this delicate blossom.

Ye Weian was giving a serious talk to Zhou Huaichen: "A Chen, most of what you said earlier was correct, but there's one point that isn't quite right."

Zhou Huaichen looked up at him.

Ye Weian: "What 'low-quality men'? Yan Qing's actual boyfriend is your nephew."

As the legitimate grandson and heir of the Zhou family, his status alone surpasses that of many men in this world.

Not to mention Bai Yuan, Xie Siming, and Chi Li—each of them is a top talent in their respective industries.

If it weren't for the fact that all his suitors are exceptional men, how would Yan Qing, an ordinary little celebrity from a modest background, dare to act so full of himself?

Zhou Huaichen's voice was soft and low: "To me, none of those people can compare to you."

Ye Weian: "!"

—"Zhu Zhu, you smooth talker!"

Zhou Huaichen's eyes were dark and intense as he gazed at him, "None of them measure up to you, including my nephew."

"Not just in my eyes—stop anyone on the street and they'd tell you the same thing: none of those people can compare to you." He spoke slowly, "The Ye family is a leader among the elite, with deep roots and a solid foundation. How can a family like Boqing compare to the Ye family? You helm the Ye conglomerate, worth billions in assets. If it weren’t for your taste being so bad in the past, how could you have ever taken a liking to an ordinary little celebrity?"

Ye Weian: "..."

Well, well, A Chen's jealousy is practically flooding the café.

He freely admitted he was wrong: "You're right, I was blind back then."

He had also muttered before that the original host was blind—so it seemed he and A Chen were on the same wavelength.

Heh.

Zhou Huaichen hummed in agreement and said leisurely, "Your vision's cleared up now."

Ye Weian: "Yes, yes! The person I have my eye on now is amazing—a true dragon among men, one in a million, absolutely peerless in the universe!"

He certainly had to coax the jealous Big Boss.

Zhou Huaichen gave him a half-smile, his gaze lingering on his lips: "So sweet."

Ye Weian: "..."

—"Is he complimenting my sweet talk, or did he taste my lips yesterday and found them sweet?"

—"A Chen sure has a way with innuendo."

Zhou Huaichen chuckled softly, but when he turned to Yan Qing, all traces of laughter vanished from his eyes: "Everything I just said was meant for you."

"Wei An can run an entire Ye conglomerate, while you were a nobody before he made you famous. Where exactly did you get the confidence to compare yourself to him?"

Yan Qing was so crushed he looked dazed, sobbing even harder.

He murmured, "So in your heart, I... am I really that worthless?"

Zhou Huaichen, who rarely showed emotion, was annoyed by Yan Qing’s clingy gaze and said coldly, "Now you know."

"Setting aside family background and status, how can your character even compare to Wei An’s?"

"Do you think I’m one of your blind admirers who would be moved by your fake, emotional tears?"

Yan Qing: "..."

This time, he was truly wounded. He clutched his chest as if he might faint at any moment.

Ever since witnessing Zhou Huaichen’s commanding presence, he had been obsessed, convinced that with his charm, he could win Zhou Huaichen over.

But now Zhou Huaichen was mercilessly telling him that he wasn’t even worth a speck of dust.

He closed his eyes in despair, letting large tears fall freely.

If Zhou Yongnan were here, he’d probably be frantic with heartache and desperately comfort him.

Chi Li and Bai Yuan would likely savagely attack Zhou Huaichen.

Xie Siming would hold Yan Qing and cry with him.

But Zhou Huaichen couldn’t even stand to look at him for another second.

He turned his gaze to Ye Weian and called softly, "Wei An."

Ye Weian, who had been thoroughly enjoying listening to him tear into Yan Qing, instinctively responded, "Hmm?"

Zhou Huaichen said calmly, "Last time you said you wanted to keep him around to make money, but I don’t think the Ye conglomerate is short on funds."

Implied meaning: Yan Qing doesn’t need to be kept around.

Ye Weian understood immediately and nodded, "You’re right."

Before, he had kept Yan Qing only out of consideration for the mission. Now that the mission had changed, he no longer wanted Yan Qing hanging around.

Making a celebrity famous isn’t easy, and since Yan Qing was currently popular, he could indeed make money for the company.

But as Zhou Huaichen said, the Ye conglomerate wasn’t short on money—after all, its other ventures were far more profitable.

Yan Qing, heartbroken as he was, hadn’t tuned out their conversation.

Sensing something was wrong, he snapped his eyes open and raised his voice, "What are you planning?!"

Ye Weian gathered the contract and kindly forewarned him, "Probably blacklisting you."

Yan Qing’s face turned pale instantly.

His voice trembling, he said, "No... you can’t do this..."

But Ye Weian ignored him and said quietly to Zhou Huaichen, "Let’s go. I want to go back to the inn and rest."

Zhou Huaichen hummed in agreement and stood up with him.

The two walked out side by side.

Yan Qing watched as they left the café, crossed the street, and entered the inn opposite... Their retreating figures looked incredibly well-matched.

He couldn’t help but clench his fists.

The system forcibly unblocked itself and returned, checking Yan Qing’s status before transforming into a screaming chicken: "Rage value 100! Slap value 100!"

The system: "Host, this is absolutely brilliant! You and Big Boss Zhou joining forces—your sharp tongues are truly unmatched. You really can infuriate Yan Qing to death!"

When the host invited Zhou Huaichen to come to Yongshan together, it had a feeling that Yan Qing would be driven mad by these two.

Just as it had figured.

Now Yan Qing was nearly going crazy; it felt like he was about to be rushed to the hospital any moment.

Ye Weian: "...Let me say it again, A Chen and I aren't being snarky—we're just telling the truth."

He was chill, he was handsome—how could he possibly be snarky?

A Chen, a magnanimous and forthright Big Boss—how could he possibly be snarky?

It was all just the system throwing shade.

System: "Alright, alright, whatever you say."

System: "This face-slapping was pulled off perfectly, but the mission progress is stuck at 50%. I suspect it won't move until Yan Qing is completely kicked out of the entertainment industry."

It knew Ye Weian and Zhou Huaichen already had a plan, so it didn't push it, simply adding, "Once the mission is completed, there will be a reward."

Ye Weian was somewhat surprised: "There's even a reward?"

System: "Yes, a mysterious gift package from the Chief God."

Ye Weian pondered silently.

The Chief God was mysterious, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this Chief God wasn't very reliable.

Why had his mission been changed so abruptly?

How could readers' resentment sway the Chief God's decision?

Why was the system's connection to the Chief God so spotty?

Holding these doubts, he asked the system, "Can you still contact the Chief God? I'd like to have a chat with him."

The system fell silent for a moment, its voice hedging: "I can't reach him anymore..."

Ye Weian: "Hmm?"

System: "...Fine. The Chief God figured you'd have many questions and asked me to tell you that when the time comes, you'll understand everything."

Ye Weian: "..."

Wasn't that the same as saying nothing at all?

System: "By the way, you have a total of ten missions. Face-slapping Yan Qing is just the first. There are nine more locked missions ahead—I can't see the specifics."

System: "Right now, the first mission is at 50% progress, and the overall mission progress is at 5%."

Ye Weian frowned: "Why are there more missions?"

System: "...The Chief God didn't say."

Ye Weian took a deep breath: "So after you contacted the Chief God, you didn’t get any info out of him?"

He realized it wasn't that the Chief God was unreliable—it was that the system was the flaky one.

System: "Whimpering.jpg"

System: "Oh, the Chief God did say that after completing the missions, you can choose to stay in this world or leave."

Ye Weian nodded.

That was good news.

Ye Weian: "One last question: during the mission period, can I have a romantic life?"

Could he get intimate with A Chen?

System: "I know this one!"

System: "I asked the Chief God, and he said after you complete the missions, you can date whoever you want!"

Ye Weian mulled over it: "Seems like it's allowed."

System: "Yeah, yeah!"

System: "The Chief God only allowed me to ask one question, and the first thing I thought of was whether you and President Zhou could have a HE."

System: "Host, aren't I the best?"

Ye Weian distractedly praised: "Amazing."

By now, he and Zhou Huaichen had returned to the courtyard and were standing in front of their room.

He turned to look at Zhou Huaichen.

Zhou Huaichen tilted his head, meeting his gaze.

Ye Weian's eyes glowed with desire.

—"Let's go, let's get in bed!"

Zhou Huaichen: "?"

System: "..."

Host, are all zombie kings this direct???

Author's note: I don't understand why everyone in the comments is cheering (you all excel at spicing things up, tsk tsk).

Almost 4,000 words, the second update will still be at 3 PM~