Chapter 57: Negotiation Meeting: Wanting to Watch the Butterfly Fall Into White Resin
Tang Xingye was telling the truth; he did treat Lu Zhi differently from others.
After all, Lu Zhi and dogs shared similarities, especially in how much ruckus they caused.
Of course, Lu Zhi was smarter than a dog. He could think, although the result of his thinking was often to come up with new ways to cause trouble every few days.
Tang Xingye rarely bought books unrelated to his studies, but this time, to get closer to Qiuqiu, he made an exception. Flipping through a few pages, he found the tricks taught inside… were unexpectedly effective on Lu Zhi.
Now that his ill intentions had been caught by the subject himself, Tang Xingye rarely experienced the awkwardness of an online scammer being confronted by the victim at their doorstep.
Lu Zhi picked up the book and looked down at him, seemingly about to question him the next second.
Tang Xingye and Lu Zhi spoke almost simultaneously, “I got a—”
“You got a dog?”
Lu Zhi was startled. If he hadn’t asked, Tang Xingye hadn’t planned to share this with him.
“Why didn’t you mention it? Don’t you need me to feed it?”
Lu Zhi’s reaction was unexpected. Tang Xingye paused for a moment and said, “Many people at school feed Qiuqiu, and Lin Mo helps take care of it… It doesn’t need too much painstaking care.”
“……”
Lin Mo again.
Thinking of Qiuqiu, the corners of Tang Xingye’s lips curled up slightly. “Qiuqiu is very well-behaved; he eats whatever you give him.”
“I can raise it.”
“Hm?”
Lu Zhi repeated himself. Staring at Tang Xingye’s face, which was soaked in a smile even to the tips of his brows, his internal abacus clicked loudly.
Tang Xingye liked that dog very much. As long as it was a pet Tang Xingye liked, he didn’t want to leave its care to others.
Moreover, he could use this as an excuse to buy a house nearby and bring the dog to his side. Since Tang Xingye liked it so much, he definitely wouldn’t be able to resist coming to visit.
Tang Xingye suddenly lowered his eyes and looked at Lu Zhi, his clear gaze piercing straight through. He didn’t speak, as if he had seen through his thoughts.
His little schemes were just about to stir, but Lu Zhi felt like cold water had been poured over him. His eyes dimmed slightly. “I’ll listen to you.”
“Apollo is the teacher’s pet,” Tang Xingye lightly rested his fingertips on Lu Zhi’s shoulder. “I don’t dare entrust it to others. It’s been trouble enough for you recently; I don’t want you to be too tired.”
Lu Zhi’s expression brightened instantly, looking just like a large dog that had been petted. “So that’s it.”
Tang Xingye didn’t see any problem with this excuse. He genuinely felt that taking care of a pet was a troublesome task requiring responsibility and patience.
Lu Zhi stared burningly at Tang Xingye’s cold-white face. “Then can we live together?”
Tang Xingye looked at him with confusion. “Aren’t we living in the same dorm?”
“I mean the kind where it’s just the two of us.”
“No.” Tang Xingye refused decisively but allowed Lu Zhi to rest his chin on his shoulder and grumble.
Sniffing the cold fragrance and staring at the pale pink lips, Lu Zhi persisted, “Then can I have a kiss as a reward?”
Tang Xingye: “No.”
Lu Zhi muttered softly, “Bought a fake book. The book clearly said if I did this, you wouldn’t be able to refuse my request.”
Tang Xingye, who had excellent hearing: “……”
He pushed Lu Zhi’s head away. “I’m still busy recently. Please continue to take care of Apollo. I’m leaving first.”
Tang Xingye still had to meet with sponsors and rush back to make a PowerPoint presentation; he had no time to entertain Lu Zhi.
Forum:
[Water Post: Tang Xingye hasn’t come to the library for three days! I don’t want to study anymore!]
[Did he go to another study room? Or is he staying in the teaching building? I was wondering why I could grab a seat in the library these past two days.]
[Crying loudly. Wifey didn’t come, the fountain pen I prepared wasn’t used.]
[Is the person above thinking of imitating that brave warrior, secretly rolling the pen to Wifey’s feet, kneeling to peek at Wifey’s super short shorts?]
[Hehe, brother, you really dare to imagine. Tang Xingye sits anywhere, and in a while, the surrounding seats are full. Who sitting at the same table as Tang Xingye isn’t a person of status? If you dare to do anything out of line, don’t even think about walking out of here.]
[I’m really so jealous of Wifey’s roommates. Living close, being able to see him is one thing, but pestering Wifey on rest days too. I recently performed a ritual hoping they wouldn’t appear, but as a result, Wifey just didn’t come. Boohoohoo, he didn’t faint from doing it in the dorm, right?]
[Person above, compensate me! My cold-faced kitten, his belly is so thin, how can he take so many sticks?]
[I know a bit of news. The Princess is preparing for an investment negotiation meeting, having to socialize with those old geezers with one foot in the grave to pull sponsorship.]
[Wow, is it the kind of socializing I understand? No good, my thoughts are already crooked. I’ll repent to Wifey’s photo tonight…]
Lu Zhi sat cross-legged on the bed, holding the book The Art of Negotiation in his hand, but his eyes stared straight at Tang Xingye.
The other party was tying his tie in front of the mirror. The black suit accentuated his narrow and neat waistline, exposing a section of cold-white skin at the back of his neck. Lu Zhi’s Adam’s apple rolled. Suddenly, he threw the book aside and rubbed against him. “Dressed so nicely, going on a blind date?”
Tang Xingye didn’t look back. “Negotiation meeting.”
“Oh, the place where those old things stare at you and drool.” Lu Zhi curled his lip, his finger quietly winding around the hem of Tang Xingye’s clothes. “…Want me to go with you?”
“No need.” Tang Xingye slapped his hand away. “You’ll only cause trouble if you go.”
Lu Zhi instantly wilted, looking just like a dog whose tail had been stepped on. But as soon as Tang Xingye went out the door, he immediately jumped up and clung to the window, staring until that slender back disappeared at the end of the tree-lined path, the abacus in his heart cracking loudly.
Tang Xingye didn’t let him go, so he couldn’t sneak along. But as long as he wasn’t discovered, it didn’t count as following.
The sponsors at the negotiation meeting included entrepreneurs, but even more were alumni giving back to the school by sponsoring experimental projects.
Influenced by Professor Ye, Tang Xingye had been to large and small exchange meetings. He wasn’t nervous about negotiating projects on his own without his mentor.
Beauty is a scarce resource anywhere. Especially when a Beta from a poor background appeared at the venue, it naturally attracted malicious speculation.
Their gazes circled Tang Xingye’s face—impeccable features, superior figure, and carrying the scents of many pheromones, both Alpha and Omega. This only deepened the obscene conjectures.
The beauty leaned lazily against the back of the chair, casually tapping the armrest.
Someone, eager to make a move, held a drink and approached with an ambiguous smile, handing over a business card to strike up a conversation.
Tang Xingye clicked his tongue internally. He didn’t like this person’s look. Lazily turning his head, he casually placed the business card into an empty wine glass nearby.
“Sorry, I didn’t bring business cards.” Tang Xingye’s tone was polite, but his refusal to chat was clear.
Tang Xingye didn’t care whether he could pull other sponsorships.
The teacher had already negotiated most of the initial sponsorship matters. The number of sponsors was controlled at a balance point where they wouldn’t interfere excessively but was enough for the project to operate. This time was mainly an opportunity for him to show his face, and incidentally, exercise his independent swindling ability.
As for losing face for the school—face couldn’t be converted into money and jump into his pocket.
“Is this your first time here? Haven’t seen you at negotiation meetings before.” The man wouldn’t give up and leaned closer. “You look like an Omega…”
Annoying thing. Tang Xingye frowned slightly. Not seeing him get annoyed, this person still kept running his mouth.
Leaning closer, Tang Xingye glanced at the man with a cold face. The Alpha felt a scalp-tingling pleasure—no wonder so many people are willing to…
Perhaps sensing Tang Xingye’s irritation, a man in a suit came over and whispered something in that person’s ear.
The man immediately stopped the topic, smiling awkwardly. “I suddenly have something to do. Excuse me first.” Then he quickly left the hall.
Tang Xingye, losing interest, looked up at the suit-clad man and perfunctorily said coldly, “Thanks.”
He turned his head to look out the window, the glass reflecting shifting light and shadows.
The man touched the tip of his nose and smiled self-deprecatingly. “Ah, seems like I messed up. Wanted to leave a good impression.”
Like magic, he took a white rose from the inner pocket of his suit and gently placed it on the table in front of Tang Xingye, taking the business card from the empty wine glass. “I want to take this card away. Can I barter?”
Tang Xingye didn’t even look up. “Up to you.”
Only when the sound of the man’s footsteps faded did Tang Xingye look at the man’s retreating figure with slight surprise. He had thought this person was also here to be annoying.
Tang Xingye’s gaze fell on the rose. The petals were white and soft, and the emerald green stem and leaves had been carefully treated, not a single thorn left behind.
He withdrew his gaze and looked at the chat box on his phone again.
Tang Xingye chatted casually with a few vaguely familiar students, then quietly retreated to the shadows at the edge of the venue. This spot faced the entrance, allowing him to see the sponsors immediately.
Alcohol was unlimited at the negotiation meeting. Champagne towers refracted mesmerizing halos under the lights. Shuttling through, crystal glasses clinked with crisp sounds.
Time was running out, and the sponsors hadn’t arrived yet. Tang Xingye felt slightly irritable. He took a gulp of juice, drinking a bit too fast, choking and coughing twice.
At this moment, all the lights in the hall turned on, shining on Tang Xingye like stage spotlights.
Black hair stuck to his cold-white face, a faint redness appeared at the corners of his eyes, and transparent liquid slid down from his wet lips.
The exquisitely tailored formal wear outlined his slender waist, rising and falling with his rapid breathing. The aloof Beta coughed slightly, eyes misty, revealing a rare fragility that hooked out the evil thoughts in hearts even more.
The surrounding noise quieted eerily for a moment, and countless gazes stuck to him as if they had substance.
Wanting to watch the butterfly fall into white resin.
Lin Mo stood not far away, holding an empty wine glass, his gaze penetrating the crowd mingling with cups and chips, firmly locking onto that figure.
Alcohol infinitely amplifies the dark corners of the human heart. Desires lurking within sanctimonious shells find perfect reasons for depravity.
Those greedy gazes around him wrapped Tang Xingye in the center of the light like a sticky spider web.
He knew everyone was looking at Tang Xingye, harboring the same filthy thoughts—including him.
Confirming the sponsors wouldn’t arrive for a while, Tang Xingye went outside for some air.
“Why are you here alone?” A slightly familiar voice sounded.
Tang Xingye recognized this as the man who had just helped him out of a predicament. He was about thirty, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, with a gentle smile, holding two glasses of champagne.
“Out for some air?”
He nodded politely.
“These occasions are indeed annoying.” The man handed over a glass of wine. “Have a drink to relax?”
Seeing Tang Xingye hesitate, the man thoughtfully took a sip from his own glass first, his Adam’s apple rolling up and down with the swallowing action. Tang Xingye couldn’t refuse again, so he had to take the other glass.
Tang Xingye pretended to take a sip, holding it under his tongue, planning to spit it out while wiping the corner of his mouth.
Suddenly, a distinct, bony hand appeared, snatched the wine glass from Tang Xingye’s hand, and threw it viciously into the flower bushes nearby.
“Don’t drink.”
Tang Xingye saw Lin Mo suddenly appear. The bottom of his eyes was as cold as a gathering storm, and the muscles of his arm were tense.
The man was thrown out violently, his back hitting the wall, the champagne glass flying from his hand and shattering on the marble floor.
Lin Mo looked at him coldly, his spiritual power crushing down without reservation, his voice dangerously low. “What did you add to the drink?”
The man grinned in pain but shrank his pupils when he saw who it was. He forced a twisted smile. “Young… Young Master Lu? Is this a misunderstanding? I was just inviting this little friend for a drink…”
“Left hand,” Lin Mo scoffed, also releasing spiritual power to crush him. Two invisible pressures pinned the man firmly to the wall like iron walls. “You rubbed the rim of the glass with the space between your fingers.”
Cold sweat seeped from the man’s forehead. His spiritual power wasn’t low, but under the suppression of double spiritual power, he couldn’t even move a finger.
At this moment, three people in black uniforms with student council armbands walked over quickly, stated the surveillance evidence to the man, and dragged the limp man away.
As soon as the crowd dispersed, Lin Mo suddenly reached out and pinched Tang Xingye’s jaw, his thumb rubbing forcefully across the corner of his lip, wiping away the residual wine.
Tang Xingye was startled by his sudden action. Subconsciously turning his head to dodge, he still swallowed a trace of the wine in his mouth.
In an instant, a strange burning sensation shot from his throat straight to his limbs and bones.
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