President Chen had not even touched the smashed cucumber before his face turned green, almost as green as the smashed cucumber.
His zodiac sign might as well be chameleon.
He slammed his thick palm hard on the table, causing the dishes and glasses to clatter. “Xiao President Wang, what’s the meaning of this? You think I have a fat head and big ears, so you’re trying to make me lose weight?”
Wang Heng felt wronged. He never even mentioned the words “fat head and big ears”.
People nowadays are unreasonably dramatic. You don’t say anything, but they fill in the blanks themselves. And this was clearly someone setting him up!
It was the first time Wang Heng encountered something like this. He closed his eyes in despair. He didn’t expect business warfare to be this dirty.
From the moment he got involved in this project, every step felt like walking on thin ice, and he was constantly caught off guard.
Sitting in his seat, he stared at the plates of smashed cucumber, which were clearly plated with luxury, and his expression grew increasingly unpleasant.
Who changed his menu?
He couldn’t even manage to be a decent person, let alone do things properly.
Beside him, President Chen had already mentally broken down. “So what if I’m fat? It’s not like I’m eating your family’s rice. Who are you to tell me to lose weight?! Every morning I drink a cup of civet coffee to suppress my appetite!”
Wang Heng’s patience also had reached its limit. Today was the most restrained day of his life.
He’d swallowed his pride for the sake of the project. When had he ever been humiliated like this?
“Don’t talk for now. I’m thinking.”
President Chen was completely furious. All he saw was Wang Heng not taking him seriously. “So you pull this stunt and don’t even apologize? And now you won’t let me speak?”
Wang Heng couldn’t hold it in anymore. He slapped the table with both hands and stood up. “That’s right, I’m not apologizing. So what? You fatty!”
“Fatty? You… you dare call me that?!”
“Yes, I’m talking about you!!”
“I’m not doing this project with you. There’s no way I’ll hand it over to you.”
“You try it! Do you know how much I’ve invested into this project? If we’re not doing it, don’t even think about leaving this room today!!”
The two of them ran around the private room, chasing each other like a game of cat and mouse.
President Chen was running frantically at the front. It seemed like he didn’t come for a business deal today but for a workout.
Wang Heng was on the verge of a mental breakdown, but through this madness, he slowly began to grasp the essence of business warfare.
With a grand wave of his hand, he shouted, “Close the door! Grab the company stamp!”
President Chen’s pupils trembled.
Wang Heng’s people surged forward. If nothing else, they’d finally figured out how to play this business warfare.
The two groups of people started fighting in the private room, and it quickly turned into a heated melee.
The scene reached a fever pitch.
The door to the private room suddenly burst open. Inside, President Chen was being force-fed smashed cucumber by Wang Heng.
“Well, it’s really lively.”
Several of his men stood at the door. When the person behind approached, they immediately made way.
Wang Huanxiu entered with a fox-like smile. “I heard President Chen was here today for a birthday meeting. It’s been a while, so I came to say hello.”
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
He swept his gaze around the chaotic room. It was even more intense than he’d expected.
Or rather, Wang Heng was even more unable to keep his composure than he’d imagined.
“I hope I’m not interrupting.”
With smashed cucumber stuffed in his mouth, President Chen stared at Wang Huanxiu, who appeared at the doorway like a god descending to earth. His lips covered in minced garlic trembled.
‘Dad!!!!!!!’
At this moment, Wang Huanxiu was his real dad.
He came at the perfect moment. Rumors had been flying in the industry about Wang Huanxiu stepping down soon and everyone was waiting for the drama. But this old crocodile wouldn’t fall so easily, and no one knew yet whether the younger generation could handle things.
During the long and humiliating process of being stuffed with cucumber, President Chen felt like he aged ten years. Now that Wang Huanxiu had come to pull him out of the fire, the contrast with Wang Heng couldn’t have been starker.
He hadn’t planned on picking sides in the Wang family’s internal struggle, but now, he unconditionally chose to support Wang Huanxiu.
As long as the man could save him from the nightmare of flying cucumbers.
Wang Huanxiu casually walked around the room and glanced at the smashed cucumber on the table with a calm expression.
With his men’s help, President Chen quickly escaped from the clutches of the cucumber-stuffer and was reborn. He hadn’t felt that suffocating feeling in a long time.
“President Wang, are you looking to invest in any offline projects recently? I happen to have one on hand.”
President Chen walked beside Wang Huanxiu, chattering non-stop, in sharp contrast to his domineering demeanor in the private room earlier.
Before his mental breakdown, Wang Heng had been respectful and even spoke quite politely to him.
Wang Heng’s first project not only ended in failure, but it was also poached.
As he was leaving, Wang Huanxiu turned back and gave Wang Heng a glance.
This one glance made Wang Heng grit his back teeth so hard he nearly shattered four molars.
This was Wang Huanxiu’s first lesson to him in the business world.
‘Ahhhhhhhhh!!’
Now that the project was dead, Wang Heng clutched his hair in regret, furious at himself for losing his temper.
And the message he received on his phone only made things worse.
[Don’t forget the bet.]
It was from Wang Huanxiu’s secretary, Chen Ji.
If Wang Heng had closed the deal first, he would’ve gotten that land in East City. Now it was obvious that Wang Huanxiu had won.
[Say it, what do you want?] Or what conditions do you have?
Wang Heng was willing to admit defeat.
It was just a bet. It’s not like they were asking for his life. As long as the national constitution was in place, his life was safe as long as he was on Chinese soil.
From the other side: [Today, go see Bai Shuijin and pretend to have back pain. Say you have kidney deficiency.]
“…”
Sometimes, he was not so willing to admit defeat after all.
People should leave some room for each other, so they can meet again someday on a friendly note. But Wang Huanxiu was not a human being at all.
.
Inside the dance studio, Bai Shuijin was drenched in sweat. He had undergone several rounds of dance evaluations since morning. The critical beginning and ending segments required his full concentration, he couldn’t afford to think about anything outside the choreography.
His toes and arches ached faintly. His waist and arms extended naturally, reaching the limits of his ability. As he lifted his dance partner, he summoned all his strength for the next movement.
Bai Shuijin’s shadow on the floor danced alongside Chen Yuan’s. As the music reached its conclusion, the two of them finished the final move cleanly and bowed to their teacher.
Butterfly wings fluttered, bringing the fragrance of spring.
The dance teacher held the evaluation report and was marking their performances in various categories.
After the piece ended, the report was also completed. The teacher tucked the clipboard under her arm and clapped her hands for them.
Bai Shuijin and Chen Yuan held their breath, waiting for the final result.
The teacher looked at them sternly. “You’re both nervous, aren’t you?”
The young man and woman had flushed faces. The color on their faces wasn’t from embarrassment, but the natural flush from intense exertion. Coupled with their slightly dazed eyes, it added a dreamy and tipsy quality. They were like refreshing sparkling wines, waiting for the teacher’s final judgment.
The more critical the moment, the more agonizing it became.
“Your performance was very good,” the teacher said, signing her name on the evaluation form. “In my eyes, you’re both first place.”
The dance teacher had always been strict with the two of them. Since the first day of class, Bai Shuijin and Chen Yuan had never seen her smile.
On hearing these words now, the two of them froze in disbelief.
Was she saying they passed?
Not only passed, she thought they were outstanding.
The teacher handed them the completed evaluations. “I thought you couldn’t handle the hardship. Clearly, I was wrong. Be proud of yourselves for persevering.”
Bai Shuijin looked down at the A+ on the report. A sour warmth rose in his chest, sweat still hanging from his chin.
If possible, he wanted to become an internationally renowned dancer like Mr. Hilton.
He also wanted to stand on the most dazzling and radiant stage and dance his favorite dance.
“I’ll write a recommendation letter for you two.”
Chen Yuan screamed excitedly and threw her arms around Bai Shuijin’s neck. “Brother Shuijin, we’re amazing!!”
Bai Shuijin finally relaxed, showing his first smile of the day.
The chains that had bound him fell to the ground, turning into broken scrap iron.
The two of them held hands and spun around excitedly in the dance studio.
Chen Yuan took out her phone and pointed the camera at herself and Bai Shuijin.
“Brother Shuijin, let’s take a picture.”
Chen Yuan came from a family background not inferior to anyone in the circle, so everything she got seemed too easy in other people’s eyes. Chen Yuan was also well aware of this; in this world, money makes the ghosts push the mill. She had long grown tired of an environment where her abilities weren’t recognized.
Other friends relied on family connections and used money to study abroad at prestigious schools and still got their diplomas, but Chen Yuan just wanted to rely on herself.
This was the true meaning of living.
The flush on their faces had not yet faded. Holding the A+ evaluation forms, they both looked into the camera.
The two youths in the photo looked pure and bright.
Chen Yuan couldn’t wait to post it to her Moments.
[This time it’s a tie for first place.]
Soon, several comments appeared under Chen Yuan’s Moments post.
Her boyfriend was the first to comment, which showed how skilled he was and how much real combat experience he had accumulated.
[Awesome, baby.]
Chen Yuan and Bai Shuijin looked at the comments together. Chen Yuan was sharing her results with others, and Bai Shuijin also wanted to try, but he didn’t post on Moments much.
Chen Yuan looked at the photo and said, “Brother Shuijin, you don’t even need to photoshop your pictures, you are the number one most handsome man in the world.”
Bai Shuijin returned the courtesy. “You’re also the number one most beautiful woman in the world.”
They looked at each other, and then the dance room echoed with two wild peals of laughter.
After becoming partners, they had also reached a high level of tacit understanding in their spiritual worlds.
Someone walked by outside.
“Did you hear? A patient escaped from the mental hospital recently. They still haven’t been found, and I heard they’ve been active in this area.”
“I’m so scared, what if something happens and they hurt people?”
Mental patients were uncontrollable. If they did something, they could escape legal punishment. Even the most capable people would avoid them. Who could be crazier than them?
The two people passing by the dance studio shivered instantly when they heard the laughter inside.
“Fuck, don’t tell me they came in here.”
The two peals of laughter inside stopped abruptly.
“…”
They didn’t expect things to get so embarrassing.
Bai Shuijin coughed, scratched his ear with his index finger, and said to Chen Yuan, “Don’t listen to their nonsense, your laugh is like a yellow oriole.”
Chen Yuan blushed and said shyly, “Brother Shuijin, you’re also like a lark.”
dance teacher: “…”
This was the first time she regretted knowing Chinese.
‘I should have known not to learn it earlier.’
After the exam, Bai Shuijin didn’t even bother to put the evaluation form into his bag and carried it in his hand.
He wanted to share his joy at any moment. This was his first step into his dream university.
In the past, he had no one to share with. Now, he could be someone with family.
Bai Shuijin slung on his backpack and walked out with Chen Yuan. As soon as they reached the first-floor lobby, they saw Wang Heng standing not far away with one hand on his waist, waiting for them.
When Bai Shuijin appeared, Wang Heng’s brow twitched uncontrollably.
He silently repeated in his heart: a bet is a bet, a bet is a bet.
As long as Bai Shuijin didn’t ask what was wrong with his waist, he could completely avoid mentioning it.
The problem was, Bai Shuijin was very good at caring for others. He looked at the hand holding Wang Heng’s waist.
“What’s wrong with your waist?”
Wang Heng mumbled, “I recently \&#￥%…”
Bai Shuijin didn’t hear clearly. “What?”
Chen Yuan: “Brother Shuijin, he said his kidney was cut out.”
‘Kidney cut out?’
‘No wonder he looked so Myanmar today.’
**Myanmar has a wide network for illegal trade of organs and human trafficking.
Wang Heng’s face turned red. “No it’s not, I have kidney deficiency!”
Suddenly the surroundings went quiet.
Everyone around turned their eyes toward Wang Heng. For the sake of his dignity, Bai Shuijin and Chen Yuan instinctively stepped in front of him.
Don’t look! No one’s allowed to look!
Wang Heng’s lips trembled, looking haggard. He didn’t want to live anymore.
Bai Shuijin glanced back at him and said, “If it’s really that bad, go to Myanmar. That way it sounds better when you say it to people.”
“…”
In one day, Wang Heng lost his project, his pride, and his kidney. He had never suffered a setback before…now they came in swarms.
The three of them walked out of the venue together.
Bai Shuijin: “Don’t be sad.”
Chen Yuan echoed, “Don’t be sad, life is still long.”
The two of them in unison: “There’ll be plenty of time to be sad in the future.”
Wang Heng: “…”
He couldn’t even get angry in front of the two of them.
Once they stepped outside, Wang Heng saw the culprit behind his current state leaning against a car.
Today, Wang Huaxiu was dressed differently from usual.
Instead of the usual three-piece suit, he wore a black half-turtleneck top. The size was just right, not loose and could show his body lines well. The plainer the clothing, the more it tested one’s physique. The sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, revealing the curves of his arms.
The sense of oppression was reduced, not making people feel overbearing. The mature, abstinent style was handled with ease.
Bai Shuijin’s eyes lit up when he saw him.
‘New skin!’
Bai Shuijin: “My laogong-ge came to pick me up. I’m heading out first.”
Chen Yuan was like she was eating at a state banquet. “Go, go.”
It was a huge CP feast, and she devoured it greedily, her eyes staring without blinking.
Wang Heng snorted. “Dressing so slutty, doesn’t he know how old he is?”
Chen Yuan: “What do you know, that’s adult sexiness.”
“I’m twenty too, I’m an adult.”
Two years older than legal adulthood at eighteen.
Wang Heng was indignant.
Bai Shuijin held his evaluation form and walked over quickly, practically about to take off flying.
His face radiated joy, and there was no need to ask to know he’d done well on the exam today.
Finally unable to wait any longer, he ran over, arriving at Wang Huaxiu’s side in a hurry.
“Laogong-ge.”
His eyes held the brightest things in the world. “Laogong-ge, I got a perfect score on my exam today.”
See!
Bai Shuijin reached out and slapped the evaluation form directly onto Wang Huaxiu’s face.
Wang Huaxiu: “…”
Long, well-defined fingers took the form down. Bai Shuijin pursed his lips nervously, looking at him expectantly.
It was written all over his face: Praise me, praise me, hurry up and praise me.
The A+ was very eye-catching.
“I knew you’d do well on your exam today.”
Bai Shuijin rubbed his head shyly. He didn’t expect his laogong-ge to have such faith in him.
But this was exactly the feeling he wanted, even if he didn’t realize it himself.
“Because every time you dance, you are so dazzling.”
Plop…like a stone dropping into a spring, Bai Shuijin’s ears heated up at the words, and he was so happy he didn’t know what to do.
He said arrogantly, “I think I still need to work hard, I won’t become proud.”
He remembered that in the morning Wang Huaxiu had said he had a gift for him, but he looked toward the other person’s hands, both were empty.
‘Could it be the gift was in the car?’
Noticing Bai Shuijin’s gaze, Wang Huaxiu asked, “What are you looking for?”
A gift was not something you asked for yourself, that would be too shameless.
Bai Shuijin was silent for a moment, then quietly said to Wang Huaxiu, “Laogong-ge, didn’t you say you prepared a gift for me?”
He had never received a reward gift before, just like he had no one to share his joy with in the past.
Bai Shuijin couldn’t help but voice his longing. Even if he had to ask for it, he was still very happy.
“You can only use the gift after we get home.”
Bai Shuijin immediately wanted to get in the car. “Then let’s hurry home.”
Seeing his urgency, Wang Huanxiu couldn’t help but laugh. “If you want to see it now, you can see it now.”
“Isn’t the gift at home?” Bai Shuijin tilted his head.
The next second, Wang Huanxiu hooked a slender finger under his collar and pulled it down slightly, revealing a collar around his neck made of belt-like material.
The man’s neck had an extremely strong sexual tension, and paired with the black dog collar, the visual impact was explosive.
Bai Shuijin’s face heated up and went fuzzy. For a moment, his brain lacked oxygen and he couldn’t think of anything.
Did Wang Huanxiu’s closet always have such a thing?
Why was such a good thing only being shown now, hiding it from him all this time before?
Bai Shuijin swallowed hard. “Laogong-ge, let’s hurry home.”
Go home and touch it.
For this gift, Bai Shuijin gave a five-star review.
After sitting in the car, he happily started humming his favorite little tune. In his impression, although his laogong-ge was sharp-tongued, he was also someone who cared about face.
Dressing like this now must have taken a lot of mental preparation, not to mention that he wore it hidden under his clothes when going out.
Fortunately, his reaction just now was good. If he hadn’t been so enthusiastic and the other party couldn’t feel his joy, he might have been disappointed and never worn it again.
In order to see such a sight more often in the future, Bai Shuijin decided to increase his encouragement.
He eagerly leaned in close to Wang Huanxiu’s ear, like a cat smelling fish, and said, “Laogong-ge, you look good dressed like this, I think it’s really good-looking, I love seeing it, you can wear it more in the future.”
Bai Shuijin’s face flushed red from his own compliments.
The enthusiasm from a partner was the best medicine for a long lasting relationship, and now Bai Shuijin had mastered this medicine on his own.
Wearing this kind of clothing was something Wang Huanxiu had never thought of before.
The shame wasn’t much, after all, he knew that dressing like this would bring him the greatest benefit. Giving up something to gain something, this was the logic since ancient times.
Looking at Bai Shuijin’s face, blushing but still encouraging and praising him, Wang Huanxiu felt an itch in his heart.
He had really married a treasure home, and it was far more interesting than anything he had gotten before.
The two returned home together, and Bai Shuijin had already planned to eat dinner quickly today.
He even rehearsed a bit in the car.
After sweeping through dinner like a storm, he would go back to the room to take a shower, aiming to be in bed by seven tonight.
After all, his laogong-ge had unlocked a new skin today, and he couldn’t wait to see it.
But as soon as they entered the door, they were greeted by Wang Muguang and Wang Zhenzhu’s enthusiastic celebratory salute, colorful ribbons fluttering in the air.
Bai Shuijin was startled.
The two beamed with smiles. “Congratulations on getting an A+ on your exam.”
Wang Muguang patted Bai Shuijin on the head. “Not bad, Little Shorty, you have some skills.”
Noticing Wang Huanxiu behind him, Wang Muguang asked, “Big Brother, when did you change your clothes?”
‘Wasn’t he wearing a suit when he left in the morning?’
Bai Shuijin didn’t expect that there would be a celebration at home, and his heart rippled with emotion.
His world was bright and exciting now, no longer a stagnant pond.
Wang Zhenzhu suggested, “To celebrate Bai Shuijin’s great results, let’s eat out tonight. I’ve already booked the restaurant, and after dinner we can go out to play a bit, maybe play some golf.”
She had arranged the whole evening to celebrate Bai Shuijin.
She had seen the A+ news from Chen Yuan’s Moments and pulled Wang Muguang along to give Bai Shuijin a surprise.
Bai Shuijin didn’t refuse their enthusiasm. Going out to eat and play wouldn’t take too long; he could still play with his laogong-ge in the room later.
This was their heartfelt goodwill.
He hurried back to his room to change clothes, then went out with the family. First, they went to the restaurant, then they went singing. While singing, they drank some wine. He thought the night would end there.
As a result, the Wang family’s energy was frighteningly strong, and Bai Shuijin was dragged to the golf club like a piece of seaweed.
Once they arrived, Bai Shuijin collapsed into a seat. He couldn’t do it anymore, he felt his body had been drained, and his soul was floating in the air, ready to be blown away by the wind to who-knows-where.
Meanwhile, the three siblings were completely fine and started the game full of energy.
Bai Shuijin looked at Wang Huanxiu pitifully. With the alcohol in his system, he was a little drunk and wanted to go back to see Wang Huanxiu’s new skin.
This feeling of seeing but not eating made him restless.
‘Bai Shuijin is feeling so uncomfortable, is there anyone who can hear Bai Shuijin’s inner thoughts?’
After finishing golf, Wang Zhenzhu was also tired and suggested, “Let’s play one last game before going home, okay?”
Bai Shuijin agreed.
The game was similar to blindfolded tag, except that the player had a weapon…a long balloon. Whoever got hit would become the “ghost” and take the balloon. If the ghost didn’t hit anyone within five minutes, the game ended and the ghost lost.
It had been a long time since the three siblings played together, and with Bai Shuijin joining in, the scene became uncontrollable.
Rock-paper-scissors decided Wang Muguang would be the ghost. Everyone’s dodges were sharp.
Bai Shuijin also played with full concentration, wanting to get home quickly.
As a result, in the last minute, Wang Muguang’s balloon hit him.
He had to become the ghost and continue the game.
Quick battle, quick victory…he had to go home.
Bai Shuijin used a black tie to blindfold himself, picked up the weapon next to him, his cheeks flushed. He was ready to start.
Wang Muguang watched Bai Shuijin pick up a golf club and remained silent.
This weapon was unusual.
He looked at Wang Zhenzhu. “What do we do if we get hit?”
Wang Zhenzhu’s expression was deep. “What do we do? We die.”
