Chapter 9: I Have Someone I Like
Right at this moment, inside Director Zhu’s private reception room.
The room door automatically clicked shut behind Chen Bai.
He instinctively turned back to twist the handle, only to find it wouldn’t budge.
“Chen Bai, don’t be nervous.” Director Zhu smiled as he approached with two glasses of red wine. “I just felt a connection with you and wanted us to get together.”
“In this circle, networking has to be traded for something.” Director Zhu’s expression was confident.
Chen Bai immediately heard the hidden meaning in his words and tried to refuse: “Director Zhu, it’s too late. How about another day?”
“What? You look down on me?” Director Zhu’s face suddenly sank, and he forced a glass of wine into Chen Bai’s hand. “Just one drink. After you finish, I’ll have the driver take you.”
The red wine swirled in the glass.
The gaze of the man before him brooked no refusal.
Chen Bai could only take a small sip. As the liquid slid down his throat, Director Zhu raised his hand and pressed a switch with a “snap”—
Instantly, the lighting in the entire box changed.
It switched from the originally bright business style to an ambiguous, dark red glow.
Even more terrifying, the wall that originally held an oil painting of Zephyrus suddenly slid open silently, revealing a hidden space.
In sight was a circular bed with black silk sheets, and the entire ceiling was a mirrored design.
“Don’t be afraid, baby,” Director Zhu approached with a smile, his breath smelling of alcohol as it fanned across Chen Bai’s face. “I’ll be very gentle; let’s play slowly.”
Chen Bai’s face went white. His back was already against the cold wall, and he had no way to retreat.
“Please don’t do this.”
“Don’t do what? What’s ‘this’?” Director Zhu licked his lips, his fingers gripping Chen Bai’s wrist with enough force to cause bruising. “Little baby, your heart is beating so fast now. Don’t worry, I’ll make it beat even faster later.”
Chen Bai’s strength was no match. He couldn’t break free and was so scared he was about to cry.
Director Zhu undid the leather belt at his waist with one hand, a cold laugh on his face. “Why act innocent? If you serve me well tonight, I’ll give you a lot of money.”
As he spoke, he pointed with the belt toward the bed.
“Baby, go up and lie down.”
Fear and despair instantly submerged Chen Bai.
His forehead was soaked with cold sweat. He wanted to call for help, but his throat felt too dry to make a sound.
Just then—
Bang!
The box door was suddenly kicked open.
Director Zhu was stunned, then turned back in a rage: “Who?! Who’s the blind one!”
No one answered; the doorway was empty.
The smart speakers on the ceiling suddenly began playing at maximum volume:
“Fire! Fire! Please evacuate immediately!”
At the same time, a cold mist descended from above. The fire sprinkler system had suddenly activated.
Director Zhu was startled by the sudden mist and stumbled, instinctively letting go of Chen Bai’s hand as he planned to leave.
However—
Thud!
His 180-pound body suddenly fell hard.
Unbeknownst to him, a thick layer of lubricant had been poured onto the floor beneath his feet.
Director Zhu fell face-first, hitting the ground squarely.
“AH!!!”
Director Zhu clutched his nose, letting out a scream.
Chen Bai stared blankly at the bizarre scene before him, unable to react for a moment.
Suddenly, the room was lit by a beam of strong light.
Five minutes later.
Fu Yue, carrying the soaked Chen Bai, slipped out of the chaotic club, stuffed him into the car, and sat in the driver’s seat himself.
Chen Bai was still shivering, but his eyes were full of curiosity: “How did you…”
Fu Yue gave him a thin blanket and made up an excuse: “I used a cigarette to trigger the fire alarm.”
In fact, he had used the [30-second Invisible Teleportation] provided by the system to enter the room, but of course, he couldn’t say that.
Although this function was powerful, he didn’t know what kind of black technology it used, resulting in some side effects. For the next few hours, his body temperature would be very high.
Chen Bai stared at his reddened ear tips and suddenly reached out to touch Fu Yue’s forehead: “You have a fever?”
“No, I was running fast; it’s just the heat.” Fu Yue continued to lie through his teeth, rejoicing in his heart that he had successfully saved him.
Amidst the roar of the Ferrari’s engine, the system’s notification sounded:
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully protecting core plot character Chen Bai! Reward received! Passive skill ‘Heartthrob Halo’ has been upgraded to ‘Heartthrob Halo PLUS’!]
[PLUS version effect: The halo’s range has expanded. It can now take effect on ordinary NPCs in the novel world! Attraction and favorability are 50% of those for character roles!]
What?
Fu Yue’s originally relaxed mood—plunged into an abyss.
He let out a despairing groan in his heart.
“System! What the hell are you doing?!”
One Heartthrob Halo was already enough of a headache! Why was there an upgrade?
“System, do you want me to die?”
[Host, you complained about the halo’s effect not long ago. Therefore, this reward prioritized strengthening this tool for you. Now, it is even stronger!]
The system’s voice sounded like it was looking for praise.
Fu Yue felt so depressed he wanted to vomit blood. “I beg you, don’t strengthen this halo anymore, or it really will kill me.”
[Well then… I will now block all rewards related to the ‘Heartthrob Halo.’]
The system’s voice was aggrieved. It helplessly blocked a series of functions for the Heartthrob Halo, such as “Flexibly Adjust Halo Intensity” and “Designated Object Blocking Effect.”
Haicheng was a bustling city that never slept.
At 10:30 PM, the city center was still brightly lit.
Fu Yue parked the car in front of a restaurant called “Baiwei.”
The restaurant’s design was avant-garde, with large floor-to-ceiling glass windows rolling three-dimensional electronic posters.
The rich sauce of slow-cooked beef brisket, the golden crispy typhoon shelter crab, the steaming pig stomach and chicken hot pot…
Every picture was mouth-watering.
The glass wall also had hand-made milk tea advertisements, with thick milk foam overflowing from the top.
Fu Yue pushed open the door, and the aroma of food rushed at him.
The two sat in a booth by the window. Fu Yue looked at the menu and ordered a lot.
After today’s ordeal, he was truly hungry.
Chen Bai, sitting opposite him, was wearing a new set of casual clothes—Fu Yue had just taken him to the mall to buy them. His hair, which had been soaked by the fire sprinklers, was now half-dry and clung softly to his forehead.
However, Chen Bai’s expression was still somewhat dazed, and his face didn’t look great.
But the way he looked at Fu Yue had shifted from the initial wariness to complete gratitude and… heartache.
“Is your fever really okay?” Chen Bai asked worriedly. “Should I go with you to the hospital to check it out first?”
Fu Yue was stunned, then realized.
The “elevated body temperature” debuff from using the invisibility skill hadn’t dissipated yet.
When they entered the mall earlier, he had even triggered the security gate’s temperature alarm.
Chen Bai was convinced Fu Yue had a high fever yet rushed into a fire to save him, and then wouldn’t admit it—he was a classic “sharp-tongued but soft-hearted good guy.”
Well, this misunderstanding was beautiful and required no explanation.
“I’m fine, no big deal,” Fu Yue replied.
Soon, the waiter began serving the food.
Golden crispy fried crab with garlic fragrance, black pepper short ribs seared perfectly, and that plate of steamed grouper, fragrant and tender in the rising steam.
“Hey, brother, I didn’t order this,” Fu Yue pointed to a pink heart-shaped pudding.
The waiter had a smile all over his face: “This plate is on the house! My treat!”
After serving the dish and leaving, he even turned back to wink at Fu Yue.
Fu Yue: “…”
Chen Bai bit his chopsticks, looking thoughtful.
Fu Yue, meanwhile, began a roasting session in his mind: “System, is it the halo’s fault?”
[Host, your judgment is perfectly correct.]
Fu Yue: “…”
“Did that waiter just wink at you?” Chen Bai seemed to have caught on.
“Ah, you saw wrong. Eat first, we’ll talk later.” Fu Yue interrupted him quickly, ending the topic.
Before them was the delicious main course.
Fu Yue’s bowl of devil ramen had a thick layer of red oil, looking very aggressive.
Chen Bai’s bowl was clear bone broth, with thin egg noodles holding thin-skinned, large-filled wontons.
Chen Bai looked at the wonton noodles and suddenly smiled: “How did you know I don’t eat spicy food?”
“I guessed.” Fu Yue lowered his head and took a large, unreserved bite of the hot and spicy ramen. “You look like the type who would be made to cry by chili.”
Chen Bai’s face turned red as he argued softly: “I’ve eaten Sichuan hot pot before too…”
Fu Yue looked at him.
The Chen Bai before him was the kind of thin youth common in Danmei novels, with narrow shoulders and wrists so slender they looked like they would break with a snap.
He felt this kid was either malnourished or had bad digestion; he needed to be raised well.
The youth before him was also starving.
Chen Bai bit into a wonton from the soup, then carefully slurped the noodles, his little head looking very cute.
In the atmosphere of steaming food and the relaxation after escaping danger, the meal was very harmonious.
Only when they both put down their chopsticks did Fu Yue speak again: “Why did you stay in a place like that?”
At the mention of this, the light in Chen Bai’s eyes dimmed again.
He was silent for a while before saying in a low voice: “Because of… Ji Linyue.”
“I’ve always liked him.” A faint blush appeared on Chen Bai’s face. “I’ve liked him for a very long time. Since that charity gala, things between us… have been a bit different. But afterward, he’s been hot and cold toward me.”
Chen Bai sounded a bit dejected here.
“I heard people say he likes places like the MUSE club. I thought if I appeared before him, would he notice me more? Even if… even if it was anger or jealousy.”
Chen Bai spoke in snatches, looking entirely like a foolish kid caught in love.
Fu Yue understood. At the MUSE club last time, didn’t Chen Bai “succeed”? The two had intimate contact in the bathroom and almost…
“Unfortunately, it was interrupted by me, the thousand-watt lightbulb,” Fu Yue added a half-joke, following the topic.
Chen Bai turned even redder at his words.
Fu Yue, however, felt at ease.
Fortunately, Chen Bai’s love for Ji Linyue and his personality hadn’t changed.
The root of the plot deviation wasn’t in the protagonist blackening, but in a “love-brain” bottom using the wrong method.
“You have someone you like too, right?” Chen Bai suddenly looked up, summoning his courage to ask back. “You should be able to understand my feelings, right?”
This question stumped Fu Yue.
He almost blurted out “Of course not.”
But with the words at his lips, his thoughts took a few turns.
No, he had to set up an “I have a partner” persona for himself. Otherwise, in the future, if he had to contact Ji Linyue for the plot, it would be hard to guarantee Chen Bai wouldn’t think too much.
So, he cleared his throat and said mysteriously in an experienced tone: “I do.”
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