After the little cousin returned the kitchen knife and sat on the sofa, Shi Xuanzhu had already discreetly examined the blond man from head to toe.

The blond man had top-tier looks, even his hands were long and well-jointed, each line flowing perfectly. His fair skin glowed with a gentle radiance, and faint cyan veins under the skin added a subtle sense of restrained strength to his hands.

But what drew the most attention was the watch that had unconsciously peeked out from his wrist.

The platinum case resembled a frosty blade on a cold night—cold yet noble. It collided with the deep and mysterious silver dial, creating a strange spark. The three subdials resembled delicate star trails, and the crocodile leather strap added a touch of casual freedom.

Shi Xuanzhu often followed luxury trends, so he naturally recognized the watch.

—A Patek Philippe 5208P-001.

It not only contained the craftsmanship of a minute repeater but also had a single-button chronograph and an instantaneous perpetual calendar.

This was also a watch worn publicly by a certain president. It was very expensive, and only top-tier clients could submit a purchase request to the brand.

He still remembered reading the official website’s description.

“This watch movement is considered a pinnacle of mechanical watchmaking craftsmanship. The internal structure of the movement is precise and complex, with numerous components, each carefully polished and adjusted to ensure accuracy and stability.”

“The finishing techniques of the movement are astonishing: Geneva stripes, hobnail patterns, and other decorations are clearly visible, as if the inside of the movement were a magnificent stage, each component playing the lead role, together performing the wonderful melody of time.”

Most importantly—the watch was currently worth 6.4 million RMB.

Enough to buy two of the most expensive cars he had purchased just for show.

Yet this wasn’t even the most expensive accessory the man wore.

Shi Xuanzhu shifted his attention to the man’s fingers.

On his index finger was a Graff custom signature single-diamond ring, the 10-carat square main diamond pure and dazzling. On his long fingers, it looked even more striking. The platinum ring setting was simple yet refined, its smooth lines wound along his finger bones, perfectly fitting the contours.

Shi Xuanzhu knew this British brand. Though relatively young, established in 1960, it had become a favorite among the upper class.

He instinctively calculated the price and craftsmanship of the ring in his mind, widening his eyes—the ring alone was more expensive than his house!

The ring cost at least 40 million RMB! Especially with a square main diamond—square diamond rings were always pricier. And he had bought a villa in the capital, where land was precious.

Even at the collar, the man wore a Boucheron custom Quatre tie clip, made from 18k rose gold, white gold, and yellow gold, set with approximately 10 carats of padparadscha and small diamonds. It added a splash of color to his otherwise classic, elegant, yet somewhat dull outfit.

By this point, Shi Xuanzhu was too shocked to speak and even felt a little unimpressed.

After all, the padparadscha as the main stone could not exceed three million.

Considering the overall craftsmanship, at most five million—already extreme.

Then Shi Xuanzhu almost slapped himself—his total liquid assets didn’t even reach five million.

And the man’s entire ensemble likely cost over fifty million.

Fortunately, the blond man did not seem to notice Shi Xuanzhu’s scrutiny—or rather, he didn’t see Shi Xuanzhu at all. His attention remained on the handsome young man across from him.

His gaze carried a gentle, lingering tenderness, as if…

Looking at a lover.

Shi Xuanzhu was startled by this thought.

But the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Ye Wangxing claimed to be widowed, but who truly knew his situation abroad?

Hiring someone to act with him and even causing a scene at the police station was possible.

…Although Mr. Aldrin was unlikely to act with Ye Wangxing, there was no real evidence of the widowhood claim, especially since Ye Wangxing hadn’t told them who his husband was.

Shi Xuanzhu also felt a sense of unreality. Among the wealthy people he could access, an ensemble totaling 10 million RMB was already impressive. Very few would spend 50 million on accessories alone.

Moreover, this man appeared to wear them daily…

Shi Xuanzhu felt dazed. Meanwhile, Song Yun and Song’s parents had no idea of the total value of the man’s accessories, they only knew they must be very expensive.

The little cousin, however, remained alert, watching the man closely.

At first, her cousin hadn’t wanted this man to enter. Only after the man spoke in English that she couldn’t understand did her cousin reluctantly allow him in.

The blond man paid no attention and continued staring at the handsome young man, who seemed accustomed to his outfit and behavior, not even glancing at him, just drinking tea continuously.

The two seemed to be in a standoff, locked in mutual observation for some time.

Finally, the handsome young man could not endure it any longer and asked impatiently: “What exactly are you doing here?”

“Due to the company’s development direction, we are planning to enter this market. The original branch will gradually take on more responsibilities, and I came here to oversee the overall situation.”

The blond man spoke with a smile, his words flowing naturally and sounding both serious and normal.

But the handsome young man did not believe the blond man’s words. He sneered and said: “Octo, you know what I’m asking.”

The blond man remained calm and smiled, saying: “Wangxing, I was really just worried about you.”

“Worried enough to use illegal means to find my brother’s current home address?”

The handsome young man bluntly pierced through the blond man’s facade.

The blond man’s demeanor suddenly shifted, becoming gentle yet still assertive. He said: “Darling, you know I have restrained myself, and this is not illegal.”

Shi Xuanzhu seemed to understand, yet also seemed not to, while Song Yun and Song’s parents looked utterly confused.

The little cousin, sensing the tension between the two, shrank back, glancing nervously between them, afraid they would start arguing at any moment.

But…

Strangely, after the blond man said that, Ye Wangxing only sighed and rubbed his brow, looking as if he thought ‘I knew it would be like this.’

“Show me the plan you mentioned.”

The young man spoke with a tone of apparent resignation. Upon hearing this, the blond man’s previously strong aura disappeared, and he returned to his original gentle and harmless demeanor.

He retrieved a laptop from his assistant, who had remained silent like an invisible presence, and naturally sat next to Ye Wangxing.

“Does your company not have a printer? Why must you put the PPT on a laptop for me to see? I thought I mentioned this issue last time?”

The young man frowned but opened the laptop.

The blond man, however, acted as if deaf, coming almost face-to-face with the young man and began explaining the PPT.

Since he spoke in English at machine-gun speed, the little cousin, whose English was barely above elementary level, was the first to give up and go outside for some air, just in time to gossip with her parents pretending to be busy in the small garden.

Song’s father and mother were the second to give up. They felt like they were listening to a foreign language and, not wanting to fall asleep in front of their son-in-law, chose to supervise the housekeeper in the kitchen.

The housekeeper, suddenly monitored and critiqued: “…”

Song Yun, having been a good student before, understood some words, but the more technical business vocabulary went over his head.

Thus, he and Shi Xuanzhu held on until the end, but as the speed increased and the discussion delved deeper, even including coded language, they eventually left the sofa and moved to the small side lounge to continue their conversation.

After this interruption, their anger calmed somewhat, though they still had significant disagreements regarding the variety show and film crew. Fortunately, they did not argue.

Once they temporarily reached a consensus on Ye Wangxing’s matter, they returned to the living room.

By then, the relatives had already left. Song’s father and mother, helping with hospitality, were not overly rude.

The blond man and Ye Wangxing went to the small garden, with the blond man’s assistant shadowing them.

When Song Yun reached the small garden, he arrived just as their conversation ended.

“…We’ll hold a meeting in a few days once I settle here to discuss matters with the executives in detail and meet the other senior managers,” Ye Wangxing said seriously.

The blond man naturally agreed.

“I will have them greet you with the ceremony befitting an Emperor,” the blond man said enthusiastically.

“That’s unnecessary. Just don’t cause me trouble, that’s the best etiquette,” the young man coldly refused.

The blond man immediately looked like a little dog that had been kicked.

“I’m just pursuing you, darling,” the blond man said pitifully, but his hand firmly held the young man’s, fingers interlocking.

Song Yun gasped and moved to stop the blond man, but the man said: “Kaizer has been dead for six months. You should move on and accept a new relationship.”

The blond man’s tone was gentle yet pitiful, as if trying to make Ye Wangxing pity him, like a caring friend guiding him to open up.

Song Yun froze, unsure whether to intervene. After all…

‘It sort of makes sense… but I still need to see what Ye Wangxing wants.’

Song Yun turned to look at Ye Wangxing and saw him pull his hand away from the blond man.

The handsome young man shook his hand as if it were contaminated. He grabbed a tissue from the table, wiped his palm, and looked cold.

“If it weren’t for all of you approaching me under Kaizer’s name, I might have already forgotten him while spending New Year’s vacation in Sognefjord—but who would have thought you could actually follow me there.”

The handsome young man frowned, rarely showing some disgust on his face.

“God knows, when I was watching the aurora and turned around to see Chris behind me, I almost told the bodyguards to shoot.”

The blond man looked even more wronged: “That was his doing. You can’t blame us for that, my dear.”

The handsome young man merely sneered: “You say that as if I didn’t see you at the North Pole.”

Hearing this, the blond man finally put away his look of grievance.

However, he did not get angry. On the contrary, he took the handsome young man’s hand, brought it to his face, kissed the back of it, and while keeping that pose, smiled at the young man’s newly revealed expression of disgust and said: “It is an honor to leave such a vivid mark in your memory.”

“Uh, Wangxing, is it really okay to drive him away like that? What exactly is your relationship with Mr. Octo?”

Song Yun looked worriedly at the young man, who had just slammed the door, and hesitated before asking.

The young man waved his hand casually, then picked up a tissue from the table and wiped the back of his hand.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. It doesn’t involve you guys—if he dares to do anything to you over this, then he’s really finished. Besides, he and I are partners, so it’s fine.”

After cleaning his hand, the young man took a few deep breaths and calmed himself before speaking.

In this quiet state, he no longer looked like the violent young man who had just shoved the laptop into the assistant’s hands and pushed the two of them out the door.

The young man glanced at Shi Xianzhu, who seemed a bit restless, and added: “Just make sure you don’t go near him and start a conversation.”

He said coldly: “—Otherwise, you won’t even know when he betrays you.”

Shi Xianzhu felt a little unconvinced but still spoke gently: “Brother, he shouldn’t be as bad as you think. He seems gentle and easy to talk to.”

The young man ignored Shi Xianzhu and turned to go upstairs—the maid had already prepared his guest room for the night.

As he went up the stairs, he threw out a sentence abruptly: “My husband’s brother is in Africa and can’t come back yet.”

Shi Xianzhu and Song Yun exchanged a look, initially puzzled, then gradually shocked.

Watching the young man disappear at the stairway, Shi Xianzhu hesitantly said: “He doesn’t mean… that his husband’s brother in Africa is the one sent there by that person, right?”

After that day, Shi Xianzhu and Song Yun never discussed it with anyone else.

Meanwhile, Song Yun’s father and Ye’s mother wanted to use the evening to have a proper heart-to-heart with their two sons.

Of course, by “heart-to-heart,” they meant asserting their parental authority, but unfortunately, neither son intended to cooperate that night. The parents had no choice but to be driven back to their house by the driver.

Their two sons, however, slept well. The next morning, Ye Wangxing even voluntarily brought up the matter with Song Yun.

“…I didn’t expect that after returning to the country I’d sleep well. Abroad, I always had nightmares at night and couldn’t breathe properly.”

Ye Wangxing said casually.

Song Yun felt worried, but Ye Wangxing waved him off: “Don’t worry. The doctor checked me, it’s nothing serious. Blood oxygen is fine. Probably just poor sleep quality at night.”

This reassured Song Yun somewhat. Seeing that a doctor had checked him, he turned to ask about Ye Wangxing’s schedule for the day.

“Nothing much. The assistant already selected a house for me. I’ll go see it and inspect the company afterward.”

The young man spoke casually. Shi Xianzhu, hearing Ye Wangxing’s plan, wanted to build a good relationship with his wealthy young brother-in-law, but unfortunately, he had filming obligations and couldn’t stay home long.

So he could only watch regrettably as Song Yun and Ye Wangxing left together while he went off to work.

Initially, Song Yun wanted to help his brother navigate the property viewing, being a local, to avoid his brother being scammed. But upon arrival, he couldn’t stop talking.

The flat near the second ring road was large, he had seen similar ones before but could not afford them then—though his budget still wasn’t enough now.

His brother had rushed to buy a place, so he didn’t expect much. Yet, in front of him appeared a single-floor, whole-apartment flat with full renovations, huge floor-to-ceiling windows, strong and durable, showcasing a stunning view.

Song Yun quickly regained composure, having seen the world before—he at least lived in a small villa in the capital. Upon hearing the price, he almost shouted: “Eighty! Eighty million?”

He managed to restrain himself, giving Ye Wangxing a shocked look. Ye Wangxing gave him a reassuring glance and left all matters to his assistant.

Song Yun didn’t notice that the seemingly composed Ye Wangxing’s hands actually trembled slightly.

“19, in my original world, I wouldn’t dare buy a 1 million house, let alone 80 million…”

Ye Wangxing’s voice trembled slightly.

“The gold I’ve saved isn’t even half of 80 million.”

19 quietly checked the gold prices in Ye Wangxing’s world and said calmly: “Master, your calculation is off. At your gold prices, your current savings equal about 20 million.”

“Your small-world mission funds have already reached 40 million, enough for half this price.”

Ye Wangxing: [….]

“19, that hurts.”

Song Yun didn’t notice Ye Wangxing’s expression, he was still dazed.

He watched Ye Wangxing complete the procedures, reserve a room for him, and leave the rest to the assistant team.

Then…

Song Yun was taken by his brother to private restaurants that required credentials, various spas, and entertainment venues.

Returning with a pile of skincare products tailored for his skin, the sky had already darkened.

His brother washed up and slept, leaving Song Yun almost overwhelmed by this luxurious life.

Fortunately, lying in the prepared guest room at night, Song Yun slowly regained some of his composure.

But the next second, a surge of worry arose.

Song Yun worried about his husband. Even though it was confirmed he wouldn’t return that night, being away on the first night caused some insomnia.

‘Maybe I shouldn’t have spoken to him that way. In this era of popularity and social media, attending a variety show is also a way to gain exposure. Whether he knows anyone or not, it’s important to become familiar to the audience first.’

Song Yun thought, a bit bitter in the deep night.

‘Maybe my control over him is too strong. I thought it was unreasonable that he didn’t follow my advice to join the crew and practice acting, but perhaps the unreasonable one is me.’

He lay in bed, thinking for a long while, sighed, and decided to check the study for milk to help sleep.

…Then he planned to message Shi Xianzhu on WeChat, explaining that he hadn’t meant it during the day.

However, when he stepped out, he noticed his brother’s door wasn’t closed, leaving a wide gap. He instinctively peeked inside.

The dim room’s only light came through a narrow curtain gap, barely outlining the interior.

The room was empty except for some daytime decorations, which cast eerie shadows under the moonlight.

Song Yun shivered, thinking the room’s size wasn’t entirely a good thing.

On the bed, the cold, handsome young man from the day lay quietly asleep, looking somewhat innocent.

This reminded Song Yun of his brother sleeping in childhood. He smiled silently, about to turn, but suddenly felt that something was off.

—During the day, when viewing the master bedroom, could something that large at the window cast such a shadow?

The thought abruptly entered Song Yun’s mind, frightening him. Upon closer inspection, the room was still quiet.

He sighed in relief and took a few steps forward, but instinctively glanced back.

From the angle blocked by the door, something he hadn’t noticed appeared.

—A pale, large hand suddenly emerged from the gap.

The hand had long, well-defined fingers, visible veins emphasizing strength, neatly trimmed nails with a cold hardness.

It was a beautiful hand, but Song Yun nearly screamed.

The hand was extremely pale, tinged with blue.

Like… like…

—A dead person’s hand.

The icy-white hand gradually tightened, slowly grasping the young man’s neck.

Song Yun: “……”

“Ahhhhhh!”

 

 

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