After Transmigrating as the Northeast CEO's Pampered Little Husband - Chapter 14

The small interlude meant that neither of them reached for the pitiful plate of braised pork again. When the chef came to clear up after dinner, all the dishes were completely empty, except for that one, conspicuously half-full plate of braised pork.

 

Did I not cook this dish well?

 

The chef looked puzzled. She tasted it with a chopstick but found nothing wrong with the flavour.

 

Perhaps they both just don’t like braised pork.

 

She mused on this while tidying up, until she was scrubbing the chopsticks and bowls, when she slapped her forehead.

 

She knew she’d forgotten something she’d forgotten to serve the dishes separately!

 

Oh, dear, knowing Mr. Dai’s temperament!

 

However, looking at the completely spotless, empty serving dishes, it looked as though Mr. Dai must have been in a rather good mood. So, after a moment’s thought, the chef decided not to bother separating the dishes from now on.

 

With that constant interaction across the dining table, how could they not grow closer?

 

The chef gave herself a mental pat on the back for her brilliance.

 

After dinner and cleanup, it was nearly 9 PM. Gu Jiaoyang was sprawled on the living room sofa, watching television, his eyes glued to SpongeBob SquarePants.

 

Dai Gucan, holding a cup of goji berry tea, walked past the living room. Seeing Gu Jiaoyang, he hid the teacup behind his back. He paused, glancing at the TV where SpongeBob and Patrick were catching jellyfish, and suddenly spoke.

 

“Tomorrow is Sunday. I’m taking you out for a meal. The chef will call you in the morning, so don’t stay up too late watching TV.”

 

“Huh? Oh, okay.” Gu Jiaoyang pulled a crisp from the bag resting on his belly. After crunching it loudly, he caught the aroma of Mr. Dai’s tea. He then looked down, noticed Mr. Dai’s deliberately concealed movement, and, being mischievous, held the crisp bag out towards him, his voice soft and sweet.

 

“Mr. Dai, have a crisp! Braised-pork flavour!”

 

What the devil is braised pork.

 

Mr. Dai, who seemed to have been reminded of something profoundly awkward, coolly rejected the young man’s snack offer and retreated to his study with stiff, formal steps.

 

“Pffft, ha ha ha ha ha…” Gu Jiaoyang covered his mouth with his crisp-crumbed hand, giggling. He found this middle-aged man’s air of high alert and embarrassment completely charming.

 

I think I like him a tiny bit now, actually.

 

Late at night.

 

The posts published earlier in the evening truly exploded once the working-class users returned home. The streamer involved might not have had much clout, but the endless, varied arguments between the netizens and the anti-fans kept the threads burning.

 

Zhou Cheng sat in front of his computer, ceaselessly hitting the refresh key, meticulously scanning every reply to his troll account’s comments.

 

This poster is NYB None Ya Business? What does it matter to you if he’s good-looking or not? Are you definitely a jealous idiot? What kind of skill is it to obsess over someone’s appearance??? Huh? I’ve really seen it all, HAVING-A-GO at people for no reason, are we?

 

Heh heh, poster, open your eyes and look at the screen-recording a random user put up. My Nine-Tailed-Fox-Granny, you think that breathtaking glimpse of a beautiful youth is ugly? Mate, I’d pay you for plastic surgery could you even look this good???

 

I’m just saying, confirmed: you’re probably a competitor. Honestly, Gu Yangyang being blacklisted was already weird. Which streamer in the S-Zone gets blacklisted for anything other than fake eating? Attacking his looks? His poverty? The troll army you hired has no sense, those are reasons for other zones to fight, aren’t they?

 

A zone full of overweight people attacking his looks. Okay, the beauty filter makes him look ugly, but he didn’t even turn it on this time, did he? Come on, check the label on his homepage recommendation this time’No Beauty Filter.’ Are you blind?

 

…

 

As similar comments multiplied, Zhou Cheng smoked cigarette after cigarette, continuously refreshing the page as if possessed. He stared at the thread all night before finally logging onto his instant messenger to message a friend.

 

I Love Eating Congee: Piggy! The stuff about me blacklisting Gu Yangyang is about to be exposed! What do I do?

 

Zhu Zi Pig: ? No, it’s not. Don’t let your paranoia run wild. Netizens guessing is one thing; having concrete proof is another. What are you panicking about? Honestly, as long as you don’t mess up, no one will figure it out.

 

I Love Eating Congee: But half my money was wasted! He’s being cleared by the netizens!!! How can this happen? When they took the money, they guaranteed they would completely blacklist Gu Yangyang and drive him out of the circle. Now he just shows his face, and this is the result! What is wrong with the world? Are they all so shallow they only care about looks?!

 

Zhu Zi Pig: Mate, calm down. I still don’t understand why you suddenly had to blacklist Gu Yangyang. Did he bully you? Tell me and I’ll help you take him down. My fans’ combat strength is far more real than your hired trolls, right?

 

I Love Eating Congee: Fine, I’ll tell you! I went to the Spring Summit Conference this year and ran into him. You have no idea what an attitude he had as a new streamer! He completely ignored me, his senior! He even used his good looks to steal my opportunity to suck up to the Chairman! And he rolled his eyes at me! I can’t stand it! You have to help me! We’re friends!

 

Zhu Zi Pig: Spring Summit Conference? You met? Fine, well, that attitude certainly wasn’t great. Alright, I’ll go live next week and try to guide things for you. Now go to sleep.

 

I Love Eating Congee: Sleep, sleep, all you ever say is sleep! How can I possibly sleep! I’ll be miserable until I drive him out! If you’re not going to comfort me, fine! You sleep. I’ll be here by myself.

 

Zhu Zi Pig: …Good night, then.

 

“Bloody hell, what a sod. If I didn’t have leverage over you, why would I even bother giving you the time of day!”

 

The obese man, whose real name was Zhu Zhengwen, threw his phone onto the table, his face sour as he drank his beer.

 

“Yo, which idiot’s managed to piss off the Second Brother?” The friend drinking beside him noticed Zhu Zhengwen’s change of mood after checking his message and patted his shoulder.

 

“Tsk, just some good-for-nothing idiot in my circle! An ugly wretch dancing around all day, jealous of a good-looking newbie. He’s paranoid that the guy will steal his traffic, so he’s using all these filthy, underhanded tricks!” Zhu Zhengwen downed the rest of his beer, poured another, and took a savage bite of his kebab.

 

“Forget that little wretch! Let’s have another round, lads! Come on!”

 

“Go, go, go! Second Brother, if I don’t drink you under the table tonight, I’ll write my name backwards!”

 

“Drink, drink, drink!”

 

After drinking with his real-life buddies, Zhu Zhengwen drunkenly hailed a taxi home. He leaned sleepily against the window, snoring softly, unaware that on the window reflecting the pre-dawn light, a pale, bony, skeletal hand was resting on his shoulder.

 

Mr. Dai was already perfectly ready at home, wearing a dark blue suit with sapphire-blue cufflinks. He looked so cold and sophisticated that Gu Jiaoyang assumed they were attending some major event, so he kept quiet on the journey. At most, he’d secretly pretend to look at his phone and snap a stealthy picture of Mr. Dai’s profile, which he then locked away in his private gallery.

 

The car park was on basement level two. As they rode up in the lift, Gu Jiaoyang leaned against the railing, staring at their reflections in the metal wall. It made him feel strangely detached.

 

The reflection showed an elite businessman in a suit and leather shoes, standing next to a boy in a three-quarter-sleeve batwing top, ripped knee-length jeans, and white trainers.

 

The gap between the lift doors separated their figures, much like their outfits two different worlds entirely.

 

They were two different worlds. He wasn’t even supposed to be in this one.

 

Gu Jiaoyang, suddenly and inexplicably touched by melancholy, sniffled. A few days after transmigrating, his emotional reaction finally kicked in, and he started to feel miserable.

 

Could he ever go back to his original world? Did he belong to his old world or this one?

 

His mind buzzed with confusion, and Gu Jiaoyang leaned against the railing, his face pale.

 

“What is it? Are you feeling dizzy in the lift?” Noticing the young man’s unusual behaviour, Dai Gucan put a hand on Gu Jiaoyang’s shoulder. Seeing his pale face, his heart tightened.

 

Is he still not fully recovered?

 

Dai Gucan felt a stab of guilt and gently stroked Gu Jiaoyang’s head, the softly curling hair making his palm itch.

 

No wonder he’s been as quiet as a little lamb all the way here.

 

My fault. I didn’t think this through.

 

Mr. Dai mentally chastised himself, then pulled the uncomfortable little lamb against his side.

 

The air conditioning was too low in the summer, and the lift railing was ice-cold; his body was bound to be warmer and more comfortable.

 

The lift stopped on the 12th floor. The moment the doors opened, a young girl was standing outside. She looked utterly stunned at the two men leaning against each other inside the lift, silently withdrew the foot she had extended, and then, with a serious face, waved and made a heart shape with her hands.

 

“I wish you happiness!”

 

The girl spoke quickly before the doors could close, but her deliberately serious expression couldn’t hide the fiery gaze in her eyes.

 

Dai Gucan was bewildered by the girl’s unsolicited blessing. Seeing that she wasn’t planning to get in, he belatedly glanced at the little lamb leaning against his shoulder.

 

Oh, well.

 

Mr. Dai offered a very stiff smile in return, but didn’t release his arm, continuing to hold the little lamb close.

 

“Ding!”

 

As the lift doors closed, the girl on the 12th floor squealed excitedly, pulling out a tightly wrapped manga from her bag and kissing it twice.

 

The cover showed two young men embracing, one in a suit and one in a wedding dress, complete with the artist’s original signature.

 

I can die happy! Living high-value visuals!

 

Gu Jiaoyang, who had been pulled into Dai Gucan’s embrace, was a little confused, but the moment he smelt Mr. Dai’s unique cologne mixed with his own masculine pheromones, all his discomfort vanished instantly!

 

And the muscle mass under the suit, this large, dry hand, and that breathtakingly beautiful jawline…

 

Miserable? What misery? I am a peerless, sexy, flirty uke!

 

This man’s scent! Damnably sweet!

 

Gu Jiaoyang, who had instantly forgotten his existential crisis upon being hugged, pressed himself tightly against Mr. Dai’s chest. If they weren’t still strangers and he didn’t fear being kicked away, he would honestly have reached out with his grabby hands to properly feel up the unique physique of this top-tier male supporting character!!!

 

Mr. Dai looked down at the poor little lamb, who was leaning against him so softly and limply, and his heart softened again. He then mentally cursed the designers of the luxury mall’s lift to hell and back.

 

What a dodgy lift! Can’t it ascend a little slower? The speed design is utterly unreasonable! It doesn’t consider the feelings of children or elderly people at all! Do they want people to feel like they’re on a drop tower? What if a customer with a heart condition comes to shop? If someone dies, will they take responsibility?

 

Rubbish!

 

Mr. Dai fiercely condemned the lift in his mind and decided he would never shop here again.

 

Little did the managing director of Fu Hua (Splendour) Shopping Centre know that he was anxiously waiting to receive President Dai, only to be hit by a disaster from above, losing a Black Diamond customer forever.

 

Dai Gucan and Gu Jiaoyang rode all the way up to the 34th floor, the dedicated floor for high-end bespoke menswear.

 

Gu Jiaoyang had never worn a suit in his life. Although he admitted other men looked genuinely handsome in them, he always felt that wearing a suit was like having a ruler strapped to his back stiff and horribly uncomfortable.

 

Stepping out of the lift, they were met with Western-style decor and deep brown carpeting. Although the surrounding decorations were all wooden, the elaborate Western carving meant they didn’t clash with the atmosphere; instead, they created a feeling of solemn grandeur.

 

The walls were covered in soft-touch wallpaper, which slightly muted sound, and the background music was gentle piano, prompting the usually mischievous Gu Jiaoyang to quieten down and obediently follow Dai Gucan inside.

 

The corridor leading from the lift was long, lined with glass display cases. Inside, resting on beds of faux roses, were half-mannequins, marked with prices in a calligraphic, European script Gu Jiaoyang didn’t recognise. However, the price tag wasn’t just a few numbers; there was a long accompanying piece of text probably about the design concept and its meaning?

 

Gu Jiaoyang looked around with curiosity, turning three corners before finally reaching a single store.

 

“Is Kydry in?” Dai Gucan spoke not in English, but in perfect, measured Mandarin, which given his expressionless face—made him look like he was looking for a confrontation, if the sales assistant hadn’t recognised him.

 

“He is, sir, please come this way.” Dai Gucan was led by the sales assistant behind a screen-like mural. Before leaving, he pushed Gu Jiaoyang towards a nearby seating area, gesturing to the desserts and drinks on the table.

 

“Have something to eat if you get bored.”

 

“Sure.” Gu Jiaoyang nodded. He didn’t know if his glutton image was just deeply ingrained, or if Mr. Dai was simply being thoughtful.

 

I haven’t eaten that much in front of Mr. Dai, have I?

 

After briefly recalling their shared meals, Gu Jiaoyang decided he hadn’t revealed his true colours yet. He picked up a drink, pulled out his phone, and started playing a game while sipping.

 

Dai Gucan was inside for barely half an hour before a sales assistant followed him out, carrying an outfit on a tray, and walked right up to Gu Jiaoyang. Gu Jiaoyang looked up at the slightly submissive foreign woman, truly surprised at how meticulous the lives of the wealthy were.

 

“Try this on. It should fit you well,” Dai Gucan said, adjusting his tie, turning his face away without waiting for Gu Jiaoyang’s reply.

 

“Alright, Mr. Dai. But… how did you know my size?” Gu Jiaoyang cheekily poked Mr. Dai’s wrist, then looked at the clothes the assistant was holding.

 

“Of course, I… I… I measured you.” Mr. Dai didn’t pull his wrist away from Gu Jiaoyang’s poke. He coughed, as if recalling something, and answered quickly and very quietly.

 

Gu Jiaoyang was kind enough not to laugh out loud at Mr. Dai. He used his fingertip to poke Mr. Dai’s palm, and without waiting for a reaction, followed the sales assistant to change, not looking back.

 

Since the clothes his assistant bought for him fit so well, Gu Jiaoyang had already figured out that he’d been completely seen naked, so his measurements weren’t a secret.

 

But he just loved to tease Mr. Dai, especially enjoying reminding him of that night’s incredible flavour.

 

After all, Gu Jiaoyang had finally broken his abstinence, and he needed that sweet memory to keep himself going.

 

Left alone, Mr. Dai unconsciously tightened his hand, wondering why the little lamb had just scratched his palm.

 

Was he flirting?

 

Mr. Dai pondered this, then decided it must be the case. Since he had brought him out to buy clothes, the little lamb must be very happy.

 

However, Mr. Dai, who had only vaguely heard advice from friends about dealing with a lover, shoved his hands into his pockets and sat down in silence.

 

He’s not a lover. Why would he flirt? Especially in public.

 

Completely missing the fact that Gu Jiaoyang was openly trying to seduce him, Mr. Dai sat sternly in the rest area, waiting for the little lamb to try on the clothes he had chosen.

 

Inside the fitting room, Gu Jiaoyang examined the outfit. It seemed to be a casual suit, small in size and not tight, a little bit loose. He liked clothes that were wide and relaxed like this, and he was surprised at how thoughtful Mr. Dai was.

 

It was the same dark blue, only his was a brighter shade, which made him look younger. Mr. Dai’s suit was almost black, giving him a very mature look.

 

Gu Jiaoyang put on the suit and checked himself in the mirror. Not only was the colour similar to Mr. Dai’s, but the style was also quite close. Since it was the casual version, the buttons were fake, and there was a slight pattern added.

 

The suit came with a short-sleeved shirt. When Gu Jiaoyang lifted the collar, he found a tiny sheep embroidered inside chubby, soft, and with comically short legs.

 

After dressing, Gu Jiaoyang ran out and spun around in front of Dai Gucan, earning a confirmed look of admiration in his eyes.

 

“Not bad,” Dai Gucan praised, being sparing with his words, but Gu Jiaoyang couldn’t tell if he was praising his own good taste or Gu Jiaoyang’s good looks.

 

Gu Jiaoyang really liked the outfit, too; it genuinely flattered his figure without being overly revealing.

 

“Well, well, well~ Isn’t this… hiss, isn’t this Uncle Dai?”

 

Gu Jiaoyang was about to open his mouth and ask Mr. Dai for a few more compliments when his good mood was instantly ruined by a voice that suddenly cut in from the side.

 

Cultivators were naturally more sensitive than ordinary people, especially to hidden emotions in speech. What’s more, the person speaking made no effort to conceal the contempt in his tone.

 

We’re not close at all.

 

At the first sound of the voice, Dai Gucan racked his brain, finally locating the face and name corresponding to the speaker in some dusty corner of his memory.

 

He Shengxuan, the third son of the He family.

 

Dai Gucan was technically of the “Uncle” generation to these young men in the capital, but because he was the youngest of the Uncles and the oldest of the young masters, he had become the gold standard the ‘neighbour’s child’ that the parents of all the twenty-something young masters in the capital used to lecture their own sons.

 

In short, the young masters of the capital were generally afraid of him

.

“Third Young Master He,” Dai Gucan responded flatly, without even raising his eyes, acknowledging the other party’s lack of manners first.

 

“Let’s go.” Dai Gucan stood up with a cold face, pulling Gu Jiaoyang towards the shop entrance, heading roughly towards the washrooms.

 

Gu Jiaoyang was slightly confused by Mr. Dai pulling him away, but then he saw the man who had greeted them, along with several others, aggressively following them. He slowly started to understand.

 

Wow, how considerate! They even thought to avoid causing a private dispute inside a shop and incurring unnecessary losses.

 

Gu Jiaoyang looked at Mr. Dai’s tall, straight back, his expression like he was watching a model of moral integrity.

 

The public washrooms were at the end of the corridor, an open, empty area with no shops nearby. Dai Gucan released Gu Jiaoyang, quietly apologised, and shielded him behind his back, turning his frigid expression on the men who were catching up.

 

“Dai Gucan! Why are you running? What, you lost a project to our family and now you’re too embarrassed to show your face?! Where’s that arrogant, high-and-mighty attitude of yours now?!”

 

The leader of the group was actually quite good-looking, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, though his words were grating and unpleasant.

 

The smell of drama!

 

Gu Jiaoyang obediently played the little lamb, sticking his head out from behind Mr. Dai’s back, a distinct ‘gossip-hungry raccoon’ sound in his heart as he looked at the tense, aggressive standoff.

 

Elite family drama! The best kind of drama!

 

“Is that the proper way to address your elder?” Facing the men, who made no effort to conceal their triumph, Dai Gucan frowned slightly, his expression calm, as if he were at a high-end soiree, subtly addressing a problem with a junior in front of their parents.

 

“You? What elder are you! A Grim Reaper? If you hadn’t brought death to your whole family, it would never have been your turn to be our elder!” Hearing the other party claim seniority, and recalling how he was forced to fake a respectful smile in public and defer to him, the man immediately jumped up in a fit of rage, an ugly insult spewing straight from his mouth without thought.

 

Dai Gucan’s expression remained unchanged upon hearing the comment. Gu Jiaoyang, who had been hiding behind Mr. Dai playing the drama-watcher, instantly dropped his smile.

 

Regardless of their feud, a cultivator must never speak without thinking. Heavenly Dao’s causality and karma are relentless, and there are countless examples of disaster arising from careless words especially words that cursed someone’s fate.

 

Too much! This is my damn sugar daddy!

 

Gu Jiaoyang remained behind Mr. Dai, one hand subtly forming a finger gesture. A thread of spiritual energy was being moulded and shaped in his palm, just shy of being cast as a specific curse to attach itself to the back of that stupid man.

 

WARNING! Suspected violation: User is about to cause direct harm to a character in this world! WARNING! Please desist immediately, or Little Zhi will log the action!

 

Bloody hell!

 

Gu Jiaoyang’s hand paused, having almost forgotten the System. He couldn’t help but swear. The System had been so non-existent before, but now he felt an urge to strangle it.

 

“Alright, I get it. I won’t curse him.”

 

Action cancelled. Wish you a pleasant life.

 

“…Hiss, wait a minute. Direct harm? System Little Zhi, are you still there? I have a question for you.”

 

User, please proceed.

 

“I read in your user manual that I can’t directly change this world. So… if my power doesn’t act directly on him, and he can’t detect that I did it, is that fine?”

 

User is attempting to argue. The manual stipulates…] The System suddenly trailed off, stuck for an answer.

 

“See? No stipulation! You only said my power can’t be discovered by the people of this world, and I absolutely cannot directly change this world! But what about passively? Do you know what passively means? It has nothing to do with me. If I use my power and it’s neither discovered nor suspected, and all the consequences are within the scope of what he can accept… surely, I haven’t violated your rules?”

 

But…

 

“But what? Do you see that man opposite me? Does he not infuriate you? Did you hear what he just said? Is that human language? If a normal person encountered this, wouldn’t they retaliate? Well, I have the right to retaliate, right? And I can use my ability, right? But I’m using my ability without him knowing. He won’t discover it or guess it. Based on this world’s worldview, he will just think he’s unlucky.”

 

“Plus, think about it. I’m someone used to the cultivation world. I come to this world and I’m immediately forced into a great harmony of life with someone. Now I’m constantly uncomfortable, and my fighting power is so low. Look at my man. It’s just the two of us, and look at how many people are opposite him. If it wasn’t for you, the Time-Space Administration, I wouldn’t be in this world taking abuse, would I? So, if I’m wronged here and I can’t beat them, my only recourse is to complain to the Time-Space Administration, right? And I’m quite the chatterbox, so a complaint call to customer service could easily last a whole day…”

 

Gu Jiaoyang was a master of talking nonsense with a straight face. System Little Zhi was so bewildered by his data-corrupting rhetoric that after a brief struggle, it shut itself down and retreated to a corner to calm down.

 

After all, the manual really hadn’t covered what Gu Jiaoyang was talking about.

 

It was just a first-generation system, and it suddenly felt that its System Life was meaningless.

 

Having received the observation system’s tacit permission, Gu Jiaoyang quickly changed the shape of the finger gesture in his hand. While the System was still questioning its existence, he quickly plastered the resulting curse onto the back of the man opposite.

 

Dai Gucan hadn’t been entirely unaffected by the man’s words either. However, he had developed a habit of keeping his face expressionless when hearing such slurs, while his mind was filled with boundless anger so much so that he was almost amused.

 

He’s just too young. He has no sense of propriety.