Gold-Devouring Bottom: A Guide to Pampering - Chapter 10

Slam! The car door shut heavily, and the vehicle sped away, leaving only a cloud of dust.

Shen Xinghuai arched an eyebrow, turned around, went into the house, and headed upstairs.

Back in his bedroom, he opened the gift from Old Master Ye. It was an exquisite openwork jade carving made of sky-blue “glass-grade” jadeite—transparent and crystalline. It depicted a small courtyard with craftsmanship so detailed it was breathtaking; the veins of the leaves on the loquat tree were visible, and the scholar studying by the window had a vivid, lifelike expression of focus.

Shen Xinghuai loved it. He cradled it in his hands and toyed with it for a long time before carefully placing it back in the box.

After a light midnight snack and a comfortable soak in the tub, he drifted into a beautiful sleep.

The next day at noon, he was jolted awake by his phone. The caller ID read: Gao Tang.

Shen Xinghuai racked his brain for a moment before a memory surfaced from a dusty corner—this was the manager of the original owner’s talent agency. He looked at his long, slender fingers and suddenly felt a wave of anxiety. He knew how to play the piano, but the original owner was a famous pianist; he couldn’t possibly match that level of mastery.

While he hesitated, the call ended, but Gao Tang’s name immediately popped back up on the screen. Well, I have to pick up.

“Hello?”

“You finally picked up! Where are you? Are you stuck in traffic?” Gao Tang’s speech was incredibly fast, words popping out like beans from a pod.

Shen Xinghuai glanced at his large, comfortable bed, feeling a bit lacking in confidence. “I, I haven’t left the house yet.”

“What!” Gao Tang’s voice cracked into a screech. “You haven’t left! You, you’re trying to kill me!”

Apologetic as he was, Shen Xinghuai truly couldn’t remember where he was supposed to be going in such a rush. “Too many things have happened lately, I forgot today’s schedule. What were we supposed to do today?”

“Today is the 20th! Your vacation is over! Didn’t we agree to meet today to discuss a commercial performance? The financier is already here, just waiting for you!”

Shen Xinghuai flexed his fingers. With his current skill level, a commercial performance would be an instant disaster. “Let’s put the performance aside for a moment. I wanted to ask you about something else.”

Gao Tang was practically clapping his hands in frustration on the other end. “How can we put it aside! That’s the financier! You can’t let ‘Daddy’ wait! Get to the Balu Business Club right now! You must arrive within thirty minutes!

Everything else can wait!”

After the call ended, Shen Xinghuai froze for a few seconds, blew the fringe out of his eyes, and jumped out of bed. Being late was rude, and besides, he needed to discuss his inability to continue performing with the agency in person.

After washing up and dressing, Shen Xinghuai quickly reached the meeting point—a high-end business club—following the location Gao Tang had sent.

Generally, these types of establishments pursue a decorative style that is intentionally difficult to understand, which they refer to in the industry as “vibe.” This club had a typical “vibe”: the massive storefront was minimalist to the point of being empty. There wasn’t even a door; just a single wall facing the street with a small banana leaf hanging in the corner.

How do I get in? Walk through the wall?

He had to call for help. Soon, Gao Tang came jogging down a side staircase, pulling him along while lecturing: “Xinghuai, this financier is a big shot. When you see him, be enthusiastic!”

“A big shot?” Shen Xinghuai asked. “How big?”

Gao Tang paused on the stairs, turned around, and made an exaggerated gesture with his hands. “That big. He’s a living God of Wealth.”

Shen Xinghuai pushed away the hands nearly poking his face. “I have something to tell you. I might not be able to play the piano anymore.”

Gao Tang hurriedly dragged him upstairs. “It’s fine, you don’t need to play today.”

The first half of the stairs used natural light, but as they went higher, it turned pitch black, to the point where one couldn’t even see the path underfoot. This style of decor was like a clear broth before a meal—cleansing the senses so that the actual interior would provide a “brightening” effect.

The shop’s interior was indeed bright. Emerging from the black hole of the staircase, Shen Xinghuai was nearly blinded by the brilliant crystal chandeliers. Clearly, the owner of this place had a “flashy on the inside” personality. No one would expect such a wild, opulent interior behind such a minimalist storefront.

Led by Gao Tang, he wove through rows of crystal lamps and finally stopped at a private booth. Gao Tang checked him one last time: “Enthusiasm! Enthusiasm! Give me a smile!”

Under his fervent encouragement, Shen Xinghuai forced the corners of his mouth up into a stiff grin, his voice involuntarily turning robotic: “Is this okay?”

Rarely seeing him so cooperative, Gao Tang nodded repeatedly. “Perfect! Keep it up.”

Gao Tang pushed open the door and led him inside. Rounding a soft partition in the foyer, Shen Xinghuai saw the person sitting on the sofa, and his upward-curving smile instantly collapsed.

Talk about a narrow road for enemies! Lu Yan was sitting among a group of men and women, gazing at him affectionately.

From his calm reaction, it was easy to see that he wasn’t surprised by this meeting at all; it had been deliberately arranged.

Gao Tang was all bows and scrapes in front: “President Lu, Xinghuai is here.” He nudged Shen Xinghuai with his elbow, signaling him to say hello.

But the person beside him didn’t react. Gao Tang looked back to see that the person who was just smiling sweetly now had a face a mile long. However, this wasn’t the first time he’d seen Shen Xinghuai’s “cold face,” so Gao Tang tried to smooth things over.

Lu Yan didn’t mind the cold reception at all; in fact, he loved this icy, distant look. He glanced at the young man sitting next to him; although the boy looked disappointed, he didn’t dare delay and tactfully vacated his seat.

Gao Tang caught the hint and pushed Shen Xinghuai forward, whispering in his ear: “My ancestor, please smile. Financier Daddy, Financier Daddy.”

Shen Xinghuai was dismissive. Financier Daddy? I’m planning to acquire the Lu Group; I’m his daddy.

He was ushered to the front. The others, knowing he was the primary target today, stood up to make way. Shen Xinghuai was pushed, unimpeded, right next to Lu Yan.

Lu Yan patted the spot beside him gently. “Xiao Huai, sit.”

Xiao Huai had no choice. Xiao Huai sighed and sat down.

The crowd gathered around “Xiao Huai” with great interest, showering Lu Yan with flattery that made Shen Xinghuai’s head throb. Lu Yan, meanwhile, kept staring at him with an expression of deep, lingering affection.

One man praised Lu Yan: “President Lu became the Vice President of the Lu Group at such a young age. Truly a case of the young and capable! It’s only a matter of time before you take over the entire Lu Group! Don’t you agree, Xinghuai?”

Shen Xinghuai offered a flat, stinging retort: “His father isn’t even fifty yet. You’re fine with him taking over, but is his father fine with it?”

The room froze for a second before someone else smoothed it over: “Ah, haha! I heard President Lu is interested in film investment lately. With your looks, you’d outshine any male actor. We wouldn’t even need to hire a leading man, right?”

Shen Xinghuai actually agreed with this: “True, don’t hire one. Actors’ salaries are high these days; every penny saved counts.”

The speaker’s mouth twitched. He shifted from hints to direct statements: “President Lu isn’t just handsome; he’s gentle and deeply devoted.” As he spoke, the man stared at Shen Xinghuai with a clear, blatant look—the message was intended solely for him.

Shen Xinghuai raised an eyebrow and looked at the man. “How do you know he’s gentle and devoted? Are the two of you having an affair?”

“Ah, no, no, no,” the man explained hurriedly. “Mistake, total mistake! Xinghuai, why are you playing dumb? President Lu likes you! This is a massive stroke of luck, you should cherish it!”

Shen Xinghuai rolled his eyes at him. “Keep the luck for yourself. Let’s see if his fiancé skins you alive for it.”

Shen Xinghuai shut down every single person who spoke. Gao Tang, listening from the side, was grimacing and winking at him non-stop, but Shen Xinghuai ignored him completely. He had no intention of coddling these people!

Before coming, he thought this was a genuine business negotiation; turns out it was just a trap to pimp him out.

Lu Yan, whose affectionate facade was becoming hard to maintain, signaled to the others: “You all go and order food. Xiao Huai and I will wait for you here.”

The room cleared out. The way they left didn’t look like they were going to order food; it looked like they were going to go out and farm it.

Left alone in the room, Lu Yan brought back that heartbroken expression, looking like a jilted lover who had been dumped eighty times. Even his breathing seemed to trigger a painful heartache. “Xiao Huai, you’re truly suffering staying by that madman’s side. If you were with me, I would treat you so well.”

Although life now was a bit “poor” compared to Shen Xinghuai’s original world, it was hardly “suffering.” He realized the man was trying to PUA (gaslight) him.

“You’re full of sh*t,” Shen Xinghuai said.

“You’re full of sht? Full of sht? Sh*t?”

Lu Yan’s expression went blank for a split second. All the sweet-talk he had prepared got stuck in his throat, and his face twisted into an expression of even greater agony—looking very much like someone who had been constipated for a month, sitting dejectedly on the toilet, willing but unable to perform. “Xiao Huai, you’re angry because I failed to rescue you from his side, aren’t you? You don’t have to be sad. Even if you are trapped with him for now, as long as you’re willing, we can still be together.”

Lu Yan had come to a realization over the past few days: instead of fighting to snatch Shen Xinghuai back, it was better to leave him by Ye Xiuchen’s side for the time being. It made it far easier to act as an informant and scout for information.

“So, you want to be the ‘other man’?” Shen Xinghuai asked with genuine curiosity.

Lu Yan felt a pang in his chest. “No. My point is that we can collaborate. We can work together to utterly crush Ye Xiuchen so he never gets the chance to come near you again.”

Shen Xinghuai refused decisively: “Pass.”

The veins in Lu Yan’s neck throbbed slightly as he exhaled a long breath. Though his tone remained gentle, his eyes turned cold. “Xinghuai, if you don’t agree, I won’t invest in your company’s upcoming commercial performance. More importantly, you will lose the chance to perform on stage forever.

Wasn’t your greatest dream to perform on stage? Do you have any idea how much pain you’ll be in if you can never play before an audience again?”

Shen Xinghuai tried to imagine it. If he could never play the piano on stage again, he felt absolutely nothing. In fact, thinking about it more closely, it actually felt a bit liberating. “Then don’t invest. I just won’t play anymore.”

Lu Yan felt he had exhausted every kind word in his vocabulary, yet Shen Xinghuai hadn’t wavered in the slightest. His patience finally snapped, and a predatory glint flickered in his eyes. “Xinghuai, my patience has its limits. Don’t think that just because I like you, you can do whatever you want. Don’t provoke me.”

As he spoke, he lunged forward, grabbing Shen Xinghuai’s arm and pinning him down. “Xinghuai, you forced my hand! Do you really think Ye Xiuchen loves you? Once I’ve had my way with you, let’s see if he still wants you!”

Shen Xinghuai had long expected Lu Yan to flip and show his true colors. His shoulders burned with pain from the man’s grip, but his mind remained sharp. He was also angry—extremely angry.

F*ck! ‘Had his way’ with me? We’re both men. You think you’re the only one with strength?