Gold-Devouring Bottom: A Guide to Pampering - Chapter 11

This book truly is a nest of villains—not a single normal person in sight. Lu Yan was just putting on a show of deep affection a second ago, yet he flipped in the blink of an eye, tearing at Shen Xinghuai’s clothes like a madman.

Shen Xinghuai had studied combat in his original world. Although his current body was somewhat weaker, he knew how to use the element of surprise.

Watching for the right moment, he crossed his hands, seized one of Lu Yan’s wrists, and yanked downward with all his might. Simultaneously, he aimed his elbow at Lu Yan’s throat and slammed it home.

A hoarse cry of agony caught in Lu Yan’s throat, his features contorting in pain.

Before Lu Yan could recover from the shock, Shen Xinghuai followed up immediately. He grabbed Lu Yan’s shoulders, used the momentum to flip his own body, and pinned the man onto the sofa. Without a moment’s hesitation, he drove his knee sharply into Lu Yan’s lower body. One hit didn’t feel like enough, so he delivered a few extra “parting gifts” to this massive scumbag.

F*ck, you wanted to ‘have your way’ with me? I’ll confiscate your tools of the trade today so you can stay on the bottom forever!

Lu Yan’s expression went beyond mere pain; his face was twisted with pure disbelief. Shen Xinghuai looked like a delicate, frail scholar who had never been in a fight in his life. Lu Yan never would have guessed that he possessed such lethal, efficient moves, each one striking a vital point.

The battle was essentially over. From the looks of it, Lu Yan was going to be a long-term guest at an andrology clinic.

Shen Xinghuai looked down at the curled-up Lu Yan and tossed out a cool, ruthless warning: “Lu Yan, stay the hell away from me from now on.” He straightened his clothes and walked straight out of the club without notifying anyone.

Since his agency had tricked him into this trap, they clearly weren’t good people either. They could clean up the mess themselves.

Sitting in the backseat of the car, the driver looked at Shen Xinghuai through the rearview mirror. “Mr. Shen, heading back?”

Shen Xinghuai glanced toward the club and said darkly, “Wait a moment.”

A few minutes later, Gao Tang ran out with several bodyguards, looking frantically around the street. They were likely searching for Shen Xinghuai, but it was a lost cause. This club had no windows or visible doors; the inside was blind to the outside and vice versa. There were no witnesses to be found.

Moreover, Gao Tang hadn’t been waiting at the door when Shen Xinghuai arrived, so he had no idea where the car was parked or what its make and model were.

Failing to find him, Gao Tang quickly called. His voice was a shrill, broken scream: “Shen Xinghuai! Get back here right now! You’ve caused a disaster!”

“Let’s terminate the contract.” Shen Xinghuai had been waiting to say those words.

Gao Tang was so furious he punched a roadside tree. “Shen Xinghuai, this isn’t something you can just end with a contract termination! Even if the company doesn’t hold you liable, President Lu won’t let you go. Get back here and deal with this now!”

“Talk to my lawyer.” Shen Xinghuai hung up.

Ten minutes later, an ambulance arrived at the club. Shortly after, a man was carried out on a stretcher. Although his face was covered, his clothes confirmed it was Lu Yan.

Once the ambulance left, Shen Xinghuai had the driver start the car. He didn’t go home immediately; instead, he stopped at a bank to transfer the thirty million he’d swindled from Ye Xiujun into his personal account for “pocket money.”

Lu Yan remained in the hospital and didn’t contact Shen Xinghuai—likely waiting for his chance to settle the score later.

Ye Xiuchen had also seemingly vanished from the face of the earth for the last few days. Shen Xinghuai enjoyed the peace, hanging out with Tian Yuanyuan while waiting for the termination letter from his agency.

Three days after the incident, a notification finally hit Shen Xinghuai’s inbox: a lawyer’s letter from his former agency. He clicked it open and couldn’t help but curse out loud.

What a bunch of bloodsuckers! They paid a pittance in salary, yet the breach of contract penalty was a staggering 200 million!

Shen Xinghuai looked up at the ceiling. 200 million?

A tiny company with barely twenty artists and zero A-listers, whose total market value was maybe a few million at best, actually had the audacity to demand 200 million in damages? Why didn’t they just go rob a bank?

A sudden thought struck him. Was the boss trying to cash out and run? Maybe he realized he’d offended Lu Yan because of the incident and wanted to squeeze Shen Xinghuai for a massive payday before disappearing.

He immediately called Tian Yuanyuan.

Tian Yuanyuan was starting his internship at his family’s company in a few days, so he was partying hard. He was currently at a club, the music so loud it nearly shattered Shen’s eardrums. “Huai-huai, baby! Come out and play!”

Shen Xinghuai pulled the phone away. “Not playing. I have something serious to ask.”

“Oh, hold on.” The background noise dimmed as Tian Yuanyuan moved somewhere quieter. “What’s up?”

“Do you know any ‘packaging’ companies? The kind that specialize in acquiring businesses or shops?”

Tian Yuanyuan was confused for a second. “You mean middleman firms?”

“Exactly.”

Tian Yuanyuan chuckled. “What a coincidence! My boyfriend’s family does exactly that. His dad is the king of middlemen.”

Shen Xinghuai recalled Tian Yuanyuan mentioning his boyfriend at the airport. “Wasn’t your boyfriend a psychiatrist?”

“Not that one, a different one.” Tian Yuanyuan was perfectly open about it.

Shen Xinghuai suddenly realized he didn’t know his friend as well as he thought. “Just how many boyfriends do you have?”

“Quite a few.”

“You’re very humble. Can your kidneys even handle that many? Being a part of your body is truly a stroke of bad luck.” Shen Xinghuai felt deep sympathy for Tian Yuanyuan’s kidneys—two over-exploited workers in the organ kingdom.

Tian Yuanyuan laughed. “F*ck you, they’re just male ‘friends,’ not ‘friends with benefits.’ Stop messing around and just come over. Ask whatever you want; this friend of mine is a real pro.”

Shen Xinghuai checked the time; it wasn’t even 8:00 PM yet. Perfect for a little night out. “Fine, send me the address.”

Uncle Ming didn’t ask questions about Shen Xinghuai going out. Since his young master was taking a “free-range” approach to his boyfriend, he saw no reason for a butler to worry.

Following the location, Shen Xinghuai arrived at the bar. From the moment he walked in, he drew countless glances. In a chaotic, noisy environment, it’s usually hard to focus, but he was the exception. His features were so dazzlingly bright they cut right through the visual noise.

Tian Yuanyuan saw him, puffed out his chest amidst the envious stares, and walked over to sling an arm around his shoulder. “Finally! Everyone’s waiting for you.”

There were several others in the booth, all around his age. Shen Xinghuai didn’t recognize any of them; the original owner would have died before stepping foot in a place like this.

As Tian Yuanyuan enthusiastically introduced them, a young man sitting near Shen Xinghuai kept staring at him. When Shen Xinghuai turned his head, the boy quickly looked away and took a large gulp of his drink. Perhaps the drink was too strong or he was just flustered, but his ears turned a shade of pink.

Tian Yuanyuan noticed and punched the boy’s shoulder. “Nan Yang, what are you being shy for? My Huai-huai is already spoken for!” And by someone you definitely can’t afford to offend.

Nan Yang froze for a moment at those words. He stole another glance at Shen Xinghuai and scooted over to make room. “Please, have a seat.”

Shen Xinghuai sat down, and Tian Yuanyuan handed him a mixer. “Drink this.”

Before he could take it, two guys opposite them started teasing: “Drinking juice is boring! Pour some real alcohol. We’re all friends here; no one’s going to try anything funny.”

Tian Yuanyuan glared at them. “Shut the f*ck up. Huai-huai has a low tolerance; why would I want him to feel sick? ‘Try anything funny’? Believe it or not, I’ll fix you right now so you can be the last eunuch of your family line.”

The guys just laughed, used to his temper. “You grandson, you protect handsome guys like you’re their father.”

Tian Yuanyuan stuffed the drink into Shen Xinghuai’s hand. “Ignore their BS. Drink this.” He tilted his chin toward Nan Yang. “This is the friend I told you about. Ask him anything; he knows the industry inside out.”

Shen Xinghuai turned to find Nan Yang watching him. Their eyes met, and the other boy’s gaze flickered downward. “Xinghuai, uh, I can call you that, right?”

Shen Xinghuai nodded readily. “Of course.”

Nan Yang smiled. “Xiao Yuan mentioned you wanted to know about corporate consolidation?”

Shen Xinghuai hesitated slightly. “Actually, I wanted to ask if you know of any companies or shops in Lincheng that are looking to sell recently.” He kept the scope vague to avoid tipping anyone off.

“Are you looking to invest or renovate? That’s not hard. I’ll ask my dad when I get home tonight; he has internal info. I’ll let you know.”

Shen Xinghuai pulled out his phone. “Shall we add each other on WeChat? It’ll be easier to stay in touch.”

“Sure!” Nan Yang pulled out his phone, and the others crowded in too. “Hey, count us in! It’ll be easier to plan parties and hangouts in the future.”

Tian Yuanyuan’s friends were all second- or third-generation heirs in the Lincheng business circle. Their families were either close or had tight business ties. Barring any accidents, they would eventually inherit their family businesses and remain friends for life.

Shen Xinghuai was naturally vibrant and loved making friends, so he added everyone and quickly hit it off with the group.

The revelry lasted well into the small hours. As they left the bar, someone mentioned a major event happening tomorrow, and the group agreed to meet up at the racetrack.

Eventually, everyone went their separate ways, leaving only Tian Yuanyuan and Shen Xinghuai.

Tian Yuanyuan had quite a lot to drink tonight; he was currently leaning all his weight on Shen Xinghuai, alternating between acting spoiled and giggling like an idiot. Shen Xinghuai tried to help him into his car, but when the Tian family driver reached out to assist, Tian Yuanyuan dodged him.

He clung to Shen Xinghuai, refusing to let go for dear life. “Huai-huai, baby! I’m sleeping with you tonight! I want to go to your place!”

No matter how Shen Xinghuai coaxed him, it was no use. The drunk man had a grip like a vise; there was no prying him off. If Shen Xinghuai were living alone, he would have just taken him home, but since he was staying at Ye Xiuchen’s villa, it wasn’t appropriate to bring guests back. In the end, he had no choice but to drag this human-sized teddy bear into the Tian family’s car.

The Tian residence was in the east of the city, not far from the bar, so it was only a ten-minute drive.

Tian Yuanyuan’s parents were divorced, and his mother didn’t live in Lincheng. He usually had the house to himself; his father would visit occasionally but never stayed the night. The vast house was occupied only by him and two live-in housekeepers.

Since Tian Yuanyuan getting drunk was a common occurrence, the housekeepers lead the way to his bedroom without surprise. Once they reached the room, Tian Yuanyuan flopped onto the bed, still clutching Shen Xinghuai’s waist and clamoring for water.

Shen Xinghuai tried to get up to grab a glass, but the man was stuck to him like a piece of medicinal plaster. He could only ask the housekeeper to bring some water.

While waiting, Shen Xinghuai’s phone suddenly rang. He wondered who could be calling at such an ungodly hour. He pulled it out to find it was Ye Xiuchen, who had been MIA for days. Looking at the rowdy, shouting Tian Yuanyuan, Shen Xinghuai decided not to pick up.

The call ended quickly but immediately started ringing again. Shen Xinghuai gave Tian Yuanyuan a light smack. “Be quiet, I’m taking a call.”

He answered, but the other end was deathly silent. Shen Xinghuai waited a few seconds and was just about to speak when Tian Yuanyuan started howling again like a total creep: “Huai-huai, baby! Your waist is so soft! I’m going to hold you while I sleep tonight!”