Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Shen Gali, with half-lidded eyes, said casually, "If you can finish within five seconds, I'll consider helping you."

Since you're asking for a favor, don't pretend it's such a hardship.

Nan Feiyao shot him a displeased glance.

But in the original story, he had a fiery temper and would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. As long as he could get what he wanted, he would swallow his pride and beg this disposable pawn he despised.

"I heard my brother bought Shen Lanqing a Shelby Tuatara. He'll probably just hand over the keys directly, but you know I've been trying to win Shen Lanqing over lately, and I don't want... my brother to steal the spotlight. So could you help me swap it out for this gift? Once it's done, that car will be yours, brother's wife."

Nan Feiyao pulled out a half-human-tall gift box from behind him, wrapped exquisitely in deep blue paper.

Shen Gali opened his eyes and asked lazily, "Why are you so sure I'll help you?"

"Brother's wife, don't you get it? My brother has feelings for Shen Lanqing. You're his husband now—do you really want to watch him put all his attention on someone else?" Nan Feiyao was getting anxious, his words coming out like rapid-fire.

Shen Gali thought to himself that he would be more than happy to do so. He was the kind of person who would even stand watch while his husband cheated, couldn't wait for his worthless husband to drown in the sea of debauchery so he could have some peace.

But thinking from another angle...

Since the original owner had been subjected to Nan Liujing's merciless torment for secretly swapping the gift and would soon die, this could very well become part of his grand plan to pursue a quiet world.

Shen Gali took the gift from the table. "Got it. I'll help you."

Nan Feiyao seemed surprised he agreed so readily, added a few flattering remarks, and didn't forget to caution Shen Gali, "Don't tell Shen Lanqing about this. It's a secret between the two of us."

Shen Gali picked up the two large boxes wrapped in deep blue paper and stood up. "If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."

With that, he didn't give Nan Feiyao a chance to say goodbye and strode out of the café.

When he got home, he happened to run into Uncle Li, who had just picked up the car. Uncle Li was also holding a large box wrapped in deep blue paper. When he saw Shen Gali's two gift boxes, he smiled and said, "Mr. Shen really does care for his younger brother. He even bought two gifts."

Shen Gali responded with a couple of "Uh-huh, uh-huh." Whatever you say.

Once inside, Uncle Li said respectfully to Nan Liujing, who was watching TV on the sofa, "Young Master, the car keys have been wrapped as you instructed. I'll put them in the study now, and I'll remind you to bring the gift tomorrow at the banquet."

Nan Liujing gave a low "Mm," his gaze falling on Shen Gali behind him.

Just shopping at the mall, and he was already breaking a light sweat, his naturally light-colored lips now having lost their last trace of color, making him look sickly pale.

Probably fake sweat from splashing water on himself.

After all, this guy was the famous party animal of Jinhai City, a night owl who could party for days without complaining.

Shen Gali went upstairs. He had just walked for half an hour, so he needed to lie down for at least an hour to recover his strength.

Before sleeping, he set an alarm for midnight.

He slept for who knows how long, then the alarm went off, and he dragged himself out of bed.

Looking at the two almost identical deep blue gift boxes beside him, Shen Gali fell into thought.

Which one had Nan Feiyao given him?

If he opened them to check, he was sure that with his butterfingers, he wouldn't be able to put them back together perfectly.

Oh well, since he was going to swap them anyway, it didn't matter.

He grabbed one box at random, without a hint of guilt, showing no sign of concealment or checking his surroundings. He went straight to the study, pulled a switcheroo, then walked back to the bedroom in a daze carrying the box containing the car keys.

Exhausted. Time to sleep.

Nan Liujing, who had been resting in a corner of the study with his eyes closed, planning to turn on the light later to work, looked up in surprise.

This guy, as if he hadn't seen him, swapped the gifts so matter-of-factly. That blatant audacity impressed and amused him, leaving him with no valid reason to lose his temper.

But that was fine; he was just worried Shen Gali wouldn't go through with it.

He popped a headache pill, opened his laptop, clicked on the "Divorce Plan 5.0," and added a checkmark next to "Switched out expensive gift" under Shen Gali's list of crimes.

*

The next day was Shen Lanqing's birthday banquet. To suck up to the Nan family, the banquet was held at a five-star hotel under the Huanhai Group.

The Nan family had a huge business, monopolizing 70% of the country's electronics. Besides that, they were also involved in real estate, maritime affairs, airports, and more. The newly built luxury developments in prime locations all bore the Huanhai Group logo.

Nan Liujing said he still had work to handle and would arrive later, asking Uncle Li to take Shen Gali there first.

Shen Gali, afraid that Uncle Li would nag him again, changed into a new set of clothes first.

Calling them "new clothes" was a stretch—they were just the ones he had been wearing the day he transmigrated into the book, washed and dried to pass as new.

A simple, unadorned white shirt, straight-leg jeans, and high-top sneakers.

Even the eagle-eyed Uncle Li couldn't tell the difference. He even remarked that Shen Gali looked like a beautiful young lad, like a figure stepping out of a painting. Today, he had truly witnessed it.

Shen Gali hadn't expected that no matter what he wore, Uncle Li would always find a reason to nag.

As soon as he arrived at the hotel entrance, he saw Shen Lanqing's parents standing at the door greeting guests. They were dressed to impress; anyone who didn't know better would never guess they were nouveau riche.

The entrance was lined with luxury cars. Uncle Li couldn't find a parking spot, so he told Shen Gali to go in first while he looked elsewhere.

Shen Gali got out of the car. The sunlight was so harsh he couldn't help raising his hand to shield his eyes. His naturally pale irises were almost transparent in the strong light.

Passersby, whether they knew him or not, couldn't help but take a second look.

The couple greeting guests also spotted Shen Gali. His foster mother continued entertaining guests without a change in expression, but his foster father jogged over, took off his suit jacket, and draped it over Shen Gali's shoulders, chiding, "Li Li, didn't Dad text you saying it would be cold today? Why are you wearing so little?"

In truth, love—or the lack of it—can be seen in small details.

Shen Gali gave his foster father Gong Yuan a faint smile. "Because I was waiting for Dad's concern."

He wasn't sure if he was saying this to the original owner's foster father or to his own biological father, whom he had never met in the real world.

Gong Yuan raised his hand to shield him from the sun and, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, led him into the hotel. "Go sit at the first table. Dad will come keep you company after greeting the guests."

Shen Gali nodded and walked in.

But his foster mother called out to him, her tone icy, "Today is your brother's big day. You'd better behave yourself and not cause us any trouble."

"How could Li Li cause you trouble? Li Li is a good boy." The foster father forced a smile and gave Shen Gali a gentle push, signaling him to hurry in.

Shen Gali was annoyed. He shouldn't have come today.

He crossed the lobby and entered the banquet hall, where many guests had already taken their seats.

Even for a small birthday, it was quite a spectacle, with over thirty tables set up. Klein blue lights shone down, paired with exquisite displays of rare marine fossils, sparkling brilliantly like a dreamlike underwater palace.

A long corridor divided the tables into two sections: the left side for family, and the right side for friends and classmates.

Shen Gali sat at the first table on the relatives' side, as his foster father had instructed.

A few people were already scattered around the round table, but Shen Gali didn't know any of them, so he didn't bother greeting them.

Across from him, a young man about his age, wearing a high-end tailored suit, had his hair slicked back with gel, looking every bit the elite.

But the words that came out of his mouth were anything but elite:

"Cousin, today is at least Lanqing's birthday banquet, and you show up dressed like this? That's way too casual. Looks like you don't give a damn about Lanqing at all."

Shen Gali didn't even look at him. "Looks like you didn't brush your teeth before coming either."

The elite guy's face immediately stiffened, then he lowered his head, cupped his hand over his mouth, quietly breathed into his palm, and sniffed.

Only then did he finally realize that this "didn't brush your teeth" wasn't the literal kind.

Shen Gali didn't think of himself as a quick-tempered firecracker, nor did he have the energy to get into a verbal sparring match. But at times like this, if he backed down, others would only double down on the mockery. To get some peace, he just had to shut them up.

The elite guy's mother, hearing her son get clapped back, flared up and fired off a retort: "Was your cousin wrong? Showing up dressed like this for such an important occasion—isn't that just disrespecting Lanqing? Look around this room—who else is dressed as casually as you?"

Shen Gali turned around, gave her a thorough once-over from head to toe, then looked away. "If you were a good-looking woman, I might have bothered to dress up a bit. But now it's clear—no need."

He wasn't going out of his way to attack her personally; she was the one who started the whole "appearance" thing.

The woman's nose implant nearly went crooked from rage, her face cycling through red and white. But seeing that others were already starting to laugh, and fearing the kid might say something even worse, she had no choice but to back down, stewing in silence with her precious son.

It felt like a leak in her lungs—aching like hell.

Before coming, Uncle Li had been worried that Shen Gali might get sneered at by these snobbish relatives. But the moment he walked in and saw the peaceful scene, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Once all the guests had more or less arrived, Shen Lanqing finally made his entrance into the banquet hall, accompanied by his loyal sidekick, Nan Feiyao.

Under everyone's gaze, he wore a pure white suit, tall and elegant, like a refined jade tree. The perfectly tailored suit highlighted his graceful waistline, narrow hips, and long legs, exuding charm.

As he entered, all the guests rose to their feet, applauding warmly, faces plastered with fake smiles.

"Oh my, our birthday boy is truly handsome. All thanks to the Shen family's fine genes—so different from those from other surnames," one relative said enthusiastically.

Although the comment didn't mention Shen Gali by name, every word pointed back at him.

Shen Gali didn't get it.

Wasn't the person saying that also from a different surname? How could some people be so fierce they even insulted themselves?

Shen Lanqing scanned the room and spotted Shen Gali in the corner.

He abruptly let go of Nan Feiyao's hand and strode over quickly.

Nan Feiyao's face darkened as he watched the man he loved turn and throw himself into someone else's arms.

Indeed, Shen Lanqing hugged Shen Gali tightly, like a child, looking up at him with flushed cheeks. "Brother, you came to my birthday party! I'm so happy. How did you get here?"

As the star of the show, all the guests' attention naturally revolved around Shen Lanqing, and inevitably, Shen Gali became the center of focus as well.

Several guests came up to greet Shen Lanqing, saying pleasantries.

Shen Lanqing wanted to talk properly with his brother, but the relatives and friends were too enthusiastic, interrupting him several times. Finally, he said, "The food's all served. Everyone, eat and drink well."

Everyone there was sharp enough to catch his subtext and stopped bothering them, scattering like birds.

Shen Lanqing sat down right next to Shen Gali, spun the lazy Susan, and asked, "Brother, what do you want to eat? Don't be shy—just dig in."

Shen Gali glanced at the dishes. They were all heavy hitters: Ise lobster, Australian abalone, king crab, etc.—troublesome to eat.

He picked up a bite of shredded bamboo shoots, silently grateful for their simplicity. Any dish that didn't require handwork was a good dish.

Seeing this, Shen Lanqing quickly called over a waiter and instructed the kitchen to stir-fry four more plates of shredded bamboo shoots for their table.

Shen Gali's chopsticks paused.

Everyone knew that the recently reclaimed young master had become the Shen family's darling, and with the heir apparent of the Nan conglomerate actively pursuing him, his stock had shot through the roof. They scrambled to curry favor.

The aunt with the nose job carefully wiped her hands with a wet wipe, picked up a piece of shell-on lobster, and smiled warmly. "Lanqing, this is the first time I've seen you. You're so adorable. I really dote on you. Let me peel this lobster for you, okay?"

Her attitude was completely different from when she had mocked Shen Gali.

Shen Lanqing turned back and gave her a nod with a smile, then immediately refocused on Shen Gali. "Brother, what else would you like? I'll have the kitchen make more."

Before Shen Gali could answer, the aunt had already finished peeling the lobster, piling up a small dish and offering it to Shen Lanqing. "Lanqing, eat the lobster. Auntie peeled it for you."

Every other sentence had "Auntie" in it, as if afraid Shen Lanqing might forget her role.

Shen Lanqing thanked her, pulled the dish over, and held it up like a treasure, his big eyes blinking. "Brother, have some lobster. It's really good."

The aunt's facial features instantly went haywire.

Shen Gali glanced darkly at her fingers, painted with nail polish, and noticed a chip missing from one nail.

He rested his chin on his hand and continued eating his bamboo shoots. "I'm allergic."

"Allergic to what? Lobster?!" Shen Lanqing sprang up in shock, about to call someone to remove all the lobsters.

"Allergic to nail polish." Shen Gali gave a faint smile that could captivate a crowd.

Shen Lanqing let out an "ah," then slowly looked at the aunt's hand.

After a moment, he rubbed his cheek awkwardly and lowered his voice as much as possible. "Auntie, my brother is allergic to nail polish. Could you... maybe find a way to remove it?"

The aunt shrank her fingers in embarrassment, already mentally dismembering Shen Gali a thousand times.

This wasn't nail polish—it was gel polish, which was fragile and would chip just from peeling a shell. But how was she supposed to explain that to two men? They wouldn't understand, and it would only embarrass her further.

Completely mortified, she grabbed her precious son, forced a laugh, said "I have something to take care of," left a red envelope, and rushed out, covering her nose.

The annoying relatives had left of their own accord. Shen Gali suddenly felt in a better mood and even had a bigger appetite. Knowing full well that Shen Lanqing deserved the credit for all this, he broke his usual habit and peeled a prawn for him.

Even though it was still a mangled mess.

Shen Lanqing reacted as if he had received some priceless treasure. His eyes brimming with tears, he excitedly shouted "Brother!" three times, gobbled up the prawn, and spoke honeyed words: "Brother is the best. The prawn you peeled is sweet."

Then he hugged and nuzzled his brother endlessly.

Shen Gali: "I didn't wash my hands."

Shen Lanqing smiled charmingly, not bothered at all. "Even the bacteria on Brother's hands are sweet."

Shen Gali: *hiss*—

Goosebumps everywhere.

Did he really not end up in the wrong book? Why is it different from the original description?

Probably because Shen Lanqing kept clinging to this long-abandoned outcast, his mother couldn't sit idly by any longer. She clicked over on her high heels, sashayed over gracefully, took Shen Lanqing's hand, and smiled: "Lanqing, go greet your aunts and uncles at the other tables. Don't keep sticking to your brother; he's very tired."

Shen Lanqing wouldn't give up, with innocent eyes wide open to seek confirmation from Shen Gali: "Brother, are you tired?"

Shen Gali nodded weakly, mentally urging him to hurry up and leave.

"Alright then, you have a good rest. I'll come find you later."

Shen Lanqing lingered reluctantly, glancing back every few steps.

The foster mother took a deep breath and whispered in Shen Gali's ear: "There will be a gift exchange later. You don't need to give anything; Lanqing doesn't need your things. Just finish your meal and get going."

With that, she stood up and walked off.