After Thinking I Was the Top, I Was Taken by a Cold Beauty - Chapter 2

The following morning, a lingering stickiness hung in the air, a remnant of the fine drizzle that had fallen through the night. Inside a traditional Chinese courtyard house near Jingshan—featuring carved beams, painted rafters, and elegant gray tiles against white walls—several harsh scoldings could be heard.

A figure knelt at the entrance of the main hall. Just as his body began to slump, a crack of a whip startled him, forcing him to snap his spine straight once more. Yun Deng toyed with the hem of his hoodie, keeping his head low and not daring to look at the man seated in the rosewood chair before him.

He had been forced into this kneeling punishment the moment he returned home, and by now, he had been there for nearly an hour. His knees had long since lost all sensation against the icy floorboards. The man seated above him wore a well-tailored Mao suit. Although he was over fifty, he remained energetic and alert, holding a whip as thick as a baby’s arm in his hand.

“Dad, I really know I was wrong,” Yun Deng pleaded weakly.

This was the countless time he had admitted his mistake, but he had not expected his old man to be so stony-hearted as to ignore him completely. Yun Deng stole a glance at his father’s expression, trying to figure out a way to escape. To his surprise, his savior arrived before he could even form a plan.

A phone call successfully summoned Father Yun away. Before leaving, however, he commanded Yun Deng to kneel for another fifteen minutes to reflect properly. Yun Deng watched the man walk out the main gate but did not dare leave prematurely. He endured those final fifteen minutes before using the floor to slowly push himself up.

A pins-and-needles sensation crawled from his calves to his knees; he had no feeling left in them. With slow, dragging steps, he fled the house. As an only son, he had naturally been the “pearl in the palm” of the family since childhood. However, his upbringing was also extremely strict; he was frequently made to kneel and admit his faults. Occasionally, his father would bring out the whip to scare him, though he had never actually been struck.

Yun Deng limped toward the tea room nearest to the hall, intending to rest for a moment and find out which of his friends had leaked the news. He took out his phone, used facial recognition to unlock it, and quickly found the small group chat among his many unread messages. The group was named “The Five Flowers of the Capital,” consisting of four men and one woman. He had long forgotten the reason behind the name. Due to a network delay, a flood of messages overwhelmed his screen the moment he clicked in. Most were from Xia Shisheng.

min: “Damn it, which bastard leaked the news to my family? My sister is going to scold me to death.” min: “Was it you? @Shu” min: “Or was it you? I treated you like a brother and you betrayed me! @MistyRain”

Yun Deng bent over to massage his knees as he found a nearby seat. Last night, he, Xia Shisheng, and a few new acquaintances had left a club and headed to a bar in the west of the city for some fun. By chance, they witnessed a drunkard causing trouble and stabbing someone with a fruit knife. Being at the nearest booth, they were called to the police station as witnesses to give statements.

At dawn, Yun Deng had been summoned home by his father’s call and had been kneeling until now. After resting for a bit, he ran a hand through his hair, stood up, and headed straight for the family garage. Every year since he turned eighteen, his father had gifted him a sports car for his birthday. Occasionally, he would receive surprise gifts like cars or real estate during holidays.

Yun Deng stepped into the garage and pulled a key from his hoodie pocket. Since he was in a rush, he had grabbed one at random, deciding to drive whichever car lit up first. By now, it was nearly noon. He drove out of the Jingshan District and returned to his own residence. To ensure some peace and quiet, Yun Deng had used his savings to buy a villa in Liuxianju, about thirty kilometers away, where he usually lived alone.

The moment he walked through the door, he did not even bother changing his shoes. He collapsed onto the sofa to sleep. His eyes were painfully swollen; the second he touched a flat surface, his spirit finally relaxed. He had some alcohol in the early morning hours, and though he was not drunk, the after-effects were significant. Between staying up all night and kneeling all morning, Yun Deng felt utterly exhausted, as if he had lost half his life.

The midday sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Unlike the soft moonlight, this light was piercing and hot. His left shoulder happened to be exposed outside his blanket, and the harsh sun dragged his groggy consciousness back to reality. Just then, the doorbell rang. The cold, flat electronic chime was an even greater intrusion on his dreams.

Irritated, Yun Deng sat up and glared at the door, wishing he could tear apart whoever was disturbing his sleep. Because of how he had been tossing and turning on the sofa, his hair was a mess and his bangs hung limply over his forehead. He rubbed his bleary eyes and picked up the tablet on the edge of the coffee table to check the security footage. It was a familiar face.

Yun Deng sat on the sofa for a few seconds to let his vision clear before swaying to his feet to open the door. As soon as the door opened, the person standing outside called out in a weak, delicate voice, “Brother Yun.”

The visitor was roughly the same height as him but thinner. He wore a gray long-sleeved shirt with a collar washed nearly white and a pair of trousers that were clearly ill-fitting. He looked at Yun Deng with a pitiful, sorrowful expression. Yun Deng’s brain stayed on standby for a few seconds; he could not recall the person’s name for the life of him, so he remained silent for a long while.

“It’s me, Brother Yun. Do not you remember me?”

He Dong wiped away a tear and moved to grab Yun Deng’s hand. Seeing Yun Deng dodge, he gritted his teeth and suppressed his emotions, pulling a necklace out of his pocket to show him. Seeing the object, Yun Deng instantly remembered who he was. He had met him last winter at Club A. He Dong came from a poor background and was a few years younger than him. To support his younger siblings’ education, he had been forced to work as a host at the club.

Pitying him, Yun Deng often requested He Dong’s company and would give him generous tips afterward. On Christmas Eve, He Dong confessed his feelings to him. Yun Deng, who happened to be looking for a gentle “Little 0” to date, agreed. During their relationship, Yun Deng used his connections to get him a lighter, higher-paying job and paid for He Dong’s seven-year-old sister to attend extracurricular classes.

That necklace was the gift Yun Deng had given him for their one-week anniversary. Memories flooded back like a tide. After recalling the sweet moments, Yun Deng also remembered the reason for their breakup. Looking at He Dong’s performative crying now, he felt a surge of anger. Without a word, he moved to shut the door and tell the guy to get lost.

“Brother Yun, do not. I beg you.” “I have waited for you for a long time. I have something to talk to you about. Please give me another chance.”

Seeing the door closing, He Dong ignored the danger and frantically shoved his hand into the door crack to stop it. Yun Deng was actually a soft-hearted person. Seeing his ex-crying so miserably, he figured the guy must have run into some trouble. After a moment of internal struggle, he let him into the house.

With a cold face, Yun Deng poured him a glass of water and sat in the seat furthest away, prepared to hear whatever nonsense was coming. He Dong took the water, thanked him, and stopped sobbing. He stole glances at Yun Deng’s expression. Seeing his displeasure, He Dong immediately began calculating how to tell his story to get some money.

Unaware of what was on the other’s mind, Yun Deng just wanted him to finish and leave because he felt like he was about to pass out from exhaustion. Seeing the other man remain silent, Yun Deng took the initiative.

“Why did you come to see me?”

He Dong stammered for several minutes before finally speaking. “Are you single now?”

How to accurately poke someone’s sore spot in one sentence? Ask about their relationship status. Already frustrated by his own romantic affairs, Yun Deng felt his defenses break at the question. He suppressed his irritation and nodded. He tried to listen patiently.

“What happened before was my fault, but it was not entirely my fault. That man lied to me, and that is why I broke up with you.” “I still love you. I have been dreaming about you lately. I really cannot let you go.”

He Dong finished his timid speech and looked up from the water glass to Yun Deng. Seeing Yun Deng propping up his head in silence, he thought his words had not moved him, so he started rambling again.

Yun Deng was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. They closed involuntarily, but every time he was on the verge of sleep, the trivial whispering in his ear dragged him back. He Dong was almost moved to tears by his own speech. Seeing that Yun Deng still was not speaking, he did not rush, but sat quietly waiting for a response.

Yun Deng’s head grew heavier. His hand slipped, startling him awake. Seeing that He Dong seemed finished, he simply asked when he was leaving. He had not absorbed a single word He Dong had just said; his mind had been wandering the entire time.

“Alright, I will come back next time when you are free. Brother Yun, please give me another chance,” He Dong said with a sincere face.

Yun Deng found the man truly annoying—just endless chirping. He nodded randomly just to get rid of him. Finally, he told him to shut the door on the way out. He Dong took one last look at Yun Deng before leaving. Seeing that he was not as easy to talk to as before, he regretted abandoning this “big tree” even more. Reconciling now would be difficult.

The moment the door closed, Yun Deng could not hold on any longer. He used his smart home system to close the curtains and used the last of his strength to move to the sofa. He fell asleep instantly. He did not even bother with a blanket; within a minute, he was in dreamland.

Xia Shisheng had also had a rough morning at home. He did not want to go to bars with his “fair-weather friends” for a while, so in the afternoon, he found a niche café to hide away. The location was not great and there were not many customers, but the décor was classical and unique. Xia Shisheng found a seat with a good view, intending to “cultivate his soul.” After a life of debauchery, sitting quietly in a café occasionally helped calm his mood.

Naturally, he took a photo to post on his Moments to pretend his life was sophisticated and fulfilling. After playing on his phone for ten minutes, his attention was caught by a figure. A man was sitting by the window, typing on a laptop. Though only his profile was visible, that side-profile alone was enough to attract many gazes.

Xia Shisheng moved two seats to the left to finally get a clear look at the man’s face. He was handsome with a clear, refined temperament—a scholarly air that made him look like a university professor. As a self-proclaimed top-tier handsome man, Xia Shisheng could not help but admire him. Truly, handsome men appreciate one another.

After admiring the stranger’s looks, Xia Shisheng suddenly remembered the favor Yun Deng had asked of him. Gentle looking and a cool temperament—the man across the room fit those two criteria perfectly. Xia Shisheng was more satisfied the more he looked. He was just about to go up and ask for contact information to take charge of Yun Deng’s love life when a young girl beat him to it.

The young woman walked excitedly to the handsome man’s table, seemingly asking for his WeChat. Unfortunately, the man politely declined. Seeing this, Xia Shisheng knew the guy was a tough nut to crack. If he were rejected, he would feel like he lost face—even if he was asking for Yun Deng. He gave up on the idea, thinking he would wait for a chance encounter where Yun Deng could ask himself.

He pulled back his gaze and sipped his coffee, drafting a message to tell Yun Deng the news. He was halfway through typing when his eyes drifted back to the man, who seemed to have finished his work and was preparing to leave. The moment the man stood up, Xia Shisheng deleted everything in the text box.

Good lord, that guy looked at least 185 cm+. Yun Deng, that shorty, was only 176 cm (178 cm in shoes) and yet he insisted on finding a partner even shorter than himself. This unstarted romance perished instantly over the issue of height.

Between his disappointment, Xia Shisheng could not help but laugh out loud. In a city like the capital, where matchmaking conditions are incredibly competitive, a 176 cm guy wanting to be a “1”… That was simply a pipe dream.

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