After Redeeming the Paranoid Villain [Transmigration] - Chapter 26

Following a rigorous series of training sessions, Su Yu’s debut album was finally released officially on the internet. The theme of the album centered on “First Snow,” the same concept featured in the photograph used for his official announcement.

In the music video, Su Yu appeared just as he did in that photo, standing amidst a world of ice and snow. To further blend into the wintry landscape, his hair had been dyed white. Clad in a heavy overcoat, he looked like a deity of the frost. As he stepped into the frame, the swirling snowflakes seemed to slow their descent around him. This perfectly captured the sentiment of his debut caption: “He arrives stepping upon the winter snow, bestowing a blanket of pure white upon the world.”

The ethereal visuals of the music video, paired with Su Yu’s vocals and the massive pre-debut hype, propelled the album to the top of the charts immediately upon release. For a time, it held the number one spot, creating a legendary milestone for a newcomer.

The most extraordinary occurrence during the album’s release was a mysterious fan who spent millions of dollars in a single night. This surge caused Su Yu’s album to sweep the charts across the country. Even Su Yu himself was shocked by the news. Li Wen attempted to investigate the identity of this wealthy benefactor through various channels, but the trail went cold. All they could discover was that the fan’s IP address was located within the same city. Any further attempts to track them were blocked.

Li Wen felt something was amiss and reported the matter to Chi Wenjing. That old fox merely gave an enigmatic smile. “I do not care who it is,” Chi Wenjing said. “If they want to send us money, why would I stop them? Only a fool turns down a profit.”

Despite Li Wen’s lingering suspicions, the matter was eventually set aside, and the identity of the mysterious fan remained a secret.

During this period, another force was also pushing Su Yu forward. Although Su Yu did not notice it at first, he eventually followed the digital trail of the internet water soldiers supporting him back to his mother’s company. Seeing the exaggerated praise these paid commenters showered upon him, Su Yu only wished he could convince his mother to stop the excessive flattery. If he had been unaware of their identity, it might have been tolerable, but knowing his mother had purchased them made the situation feel both awkward and ridiculous. Media outlets, witnessing Su Yu’s chart dominance and rapid fan acquisition, labeled him the man who creates myths.

Of course, praise was accompanied by criticism. Sharp-eyed observers noticed that something felt off. It was rare for a newcomer to reach such a peak immediately upon debut, let alone break the records of many established award-winning actors.

While the public debated, Li Wen sat in a meeting room at Huaxing Entertainment, looking at Su Yu. The young man sat with his arms crossed, appearing perfectly composed. “Are you not nervous at all?” Li Wen asked.

“Nervous about what?” Su Yu replied, appearing quite unbothered.

“The internet is full of public opinion, so do not take it all to heart. People are just talking because they are jealous of your success,” Li Wen said, assuming Su Yu was merely putting on a brave face.

Su Yu appreciated Li Wen’s kindness, so he nodded and joked, “Perhaps it is just because I have always been quite lucky.” After all, having money was a form of luck in itself.

“That is a great mindset. Keep it up,” Li Wen said with an approving nod. “Many veterans in this industry do not possess your level of composure.”

As they spoke, the meeting room door suddenly opened. Chi Wenjing leaned against the doorframe with his hands in his pockets. He gave a mock tap on the wood and asked performatively, “May I come in?”

Su Yu turned to look at him. Although the man was a bit of a lunatic, there was no denying he was pleasant to look at. Chi Wenjing had once gained a massive following simply from a single photo taken at a Huaxing annual meeting. It was a pity he preferred making money to being an idol. Otherwise, he would have been the top star of Huaxing.

Chi Wenjing walked slowly toward Su Yu. He extended his hand and said, “Congratulations on successfully taking the top spot on the newcomer music charts.”

Out of politeness, Su Yu reached out to shake his hand. However, as Su Yu tried to withdraw, Chi Wenjing’s grip tightened. Meeting Su Yu’s flashing, angry gaze, Chi Wenjing’s lips curled into a slight smile. He brushed his thumb across the back of Su Yu’s hand before finally letting go. In that instant, Su Yu felt his skin crawl. It felt as though a venomous snake had slithered across his hand, leaving a slimy and disgusting sensation. Sensing Su Yu’s displeasure, Chi Wenjing smiled even more broadly, as if he had found a fascinating new toy.

“I wish you even greater success in the future,” Chi Wenjing said, rubbing his fingers together as if savoring the lingering warmth of the contact.

This interaction left Su Yu feeling unsettled even after he returned home. Gu Chen, who had been reading a book, noticed Su Yu’s mood and hesitated before asking what was wrong. Su Yu could not possibly tell him the truth, so he simply grumbled that it was nothing. Gu Chen knew Su Yu’s personality well enough not to press further, but he made a silent mental note of it.

“By the way, I have contacted some experts abroad,” Gu Chen said, catching Su Yu’s eye. His hands tightened slightly on his knees. “Regarding my legs.”

Su Yu’s eyes lit up. After Gu Chen had mentioned it previously, Su Yu thought he might have just been speaking casually or trying to please him. He had not expected Gu Chen to actually follow through. Ever since Su Yu discovered that the original soul of this body had actually liked Gu Yian and was working for him, the plot of the book had spiraled into chaos. Su Yu knew from the original story that Gu Chen’s legs would eventually recover, but he had no idea why the normally self-destructive Gu Chen had suddenly decided to seek treatment.

“Why?” Su Yu murmured, accidentally voicing his internal thoughts.

Gu Chen froze. He lowered his eyes, his long lashes hiding his thoughts. “Just assume that my perfectionism is acting up again,” he replied.

Seeing that Gu Chen did not want to elaborate, Su Yu did not push him. He nodded and prepared to head upstairs. As he turned, his peripheral vision caught an invitation sitting on the table. He realized it was for the birthday of the patriarch of the Gu family, the father of Gu Chen. Gu Chen saw Su Yu looking at it and realized he could no longer hide it, so he did not bother to move the card.

“Is it Gu Feng’s birthday?” Su Yu mused before asking, “Are you going?”

Gu Chen remained silent. Su Yu understood the answer. He sat down beside Gu Chen and took his hand. Gu Chen’s hand was somewhat cold, so Su Yu gripped it tighter. “It is fine. If you do not go, I will not go either. I will stay here with you.”

Su Yu pushed Gu Chen back to his room. He expected the room to be pitch black as usual, but to his surprise, a small nightlight was glowing on the desk. The light was a soft, warm yellow. Although it was dim, it was enough to illuminate the room so that one would not trip in the dark. Given Gu Chen’s usual habits, he preferred his room to be as dark as possible. It was uncharacteristic of him to leave a light on.

An incredible thought flashed through Su Yu’s mind. His mouth moved faster than his brain as he asked, “You did not leave this light on for me, did you?”

Gu Chen’s hand tightened on the armrest. “Of course not. You are mistaken. Can I not leave a light on for myself? You seem to be overstepping. Am I not allowed to have an extra lamp in my own room?”

Hearing Gu Chen’s visible nervousness and the rapid-fire defensive response, Su Yu realized he had stumbled upon something that made Gu Chen incredibly flustered. Perhaps it was because he had never seen this side of Gu Chen, or perhaps because Gu Chen looked so amusing in this state, but Su Yu felt a sudden urge to tease him. A mischievous smile touched his lips. “Gu Chen, you seem a little nervous.”

Gu Chen gave a soft huff but did not speak. Sitting in his wheelchair with his arms crossed, he tried to appear calm, but a slight tremor in his voice betrayed his facade.

“I am not. You are seeing things. Your judgment needs work,” Gu Chen said, turning his wheelchair toward the interior of the room. His retreat felt somewhat like a frantic escape.

“But I like you. Does that mean my judgment is good or bad?” Su Yu teased, following him and completely ignoring the fact that he was overstepping.

Gu Chen’s figure stiffened. His voice became slightly shaky. “It is barely acceptable.”

“Only barely?” Su Yu stepped further into the room, enjoying the rare sight of Gu Chen being so flustered. “I think my judgment is excellent. I picked you out of the crowd at a single glance.”

Gu Chen was stunned by the flirtation. For the past twenty years, he had lived either in hatred or in cold calculation. He had never spared a thought for romance, which left him at a complete disadvantage in this exchange with Su Yu. He gripped the armrests of his wheelchair tightly. After a long silence, he spoke awkwardly. “Go to sleep!”

“Gu Chen, are you avoiding me?” Su Yu leaned in close with a beaming smile. He felt no hostility from Gu Chen, which emboldened him. His soft breath brushed against Gu Chen’s ear, making it turn a burning shade of red. Gu Chen hurriedly reversed his wheelchair until he was backed into a corner.

His voice was filled with panic. “Housekeeper! Uncle Wang! Uncle Wang, come here quickly! Uncle Wang!”

Downstairs, Uncle Wang heard the thunderous shouts. He detected a hint of panic that was entirely absent from Gu Chen’s usual demeanor. He symbolically smoothed his neatly pressed suit but made no move to go upstairs. A maid nearby heard the shouting and looked toward the stairs, telling Butler Wang that the young master was calling for him.

“Is the young master calling me? I did not hear anything,” Butler Wang replied, adjusting his cuffs and rolling up his sleeves. “The flowers in the garden look a bit dry. I am going to water them.”

No matter how many times Gu Chen called, the ever-dutiful butler refused to appear. Finally, seeing that Gu Chen was on the verge of becoming truly embarrassed and angry, Su Yu laughed and slipped out of the room. He thoughtfully closed the bedroom door behind him as he left.

From inside the bedroom, Gu Chen’s roar broke his usual calm. “Su Yu, get back here! Just wait until my legs are healed. I will settle every single score with you!”

Su Yu stuck his tongue out at the door and walked away with a grin.