Gold-Devouring Bottom: A Guide to Pampering - Chapter 14

Shen Xinghuai couldn’t tell if his eyes were playing tricks on him, but Ye Xiuchen’s face had turned a kaleidoscopic shade of black. After a tense silence that lasted a good ten seconds, the man finally hissed through gritted teeth: “Fine, go then.”

Shen Xinghuai lowered his head slightly, putting on a look of utter disappointment. “So, you won’t be coming back today, right?”

Ye Xiuchen’s exit from the bedroom was so swift it practically stirred up a gale.

As the sound of the elevator doors closing echoed down the hallway, the corners of Shen Xinghuai’s mouth quirked upward. Go then yourself!

He immediately flopped back onto the bed and pulled up the covers. He needed to catch up on sleep now, or he wouldn’t have the energy for the racetrack this afternoon.

By the time Ye Xiuchen made it downstairs, his driver was already waiting at the door. Just as he stepped into the car, his assistant called. “Young Master, we found the person behind the plot to send Mr. Shen to your room that night. It was Lu Yan’s fiancé, Han Xu.”

Ye Xiuchen’s slender fingers tapped against his thigh. Half of his face was hidden in the shadows, his expression unreadable. “Han Xu. I suppose those bars and that racetrack of his haven’t been keeping him busy enough lately, have they?”

The assistant had been with Ye Xiuchen for years and knew him well. “Young Master, I’ll make sure he gets very busy immediately!”

“There’s a meet at his racetrack tonight, isn’t there?”

The assistant had already looked into Han Xu’s recent schedule. “Yes, they’ve been preparing for a long time. Practically everyone in Lincheng’s racing circle will be there tonight.”

Ye Xiuchen lightly brushed a speck of dust off his leg. “Handle the bars yourself. I’ll be going to the racetrack tonight.”

“And regarding the investigation into Mr. Shen’s recent movements you requested, Young Master—I’ve compiled the report. Shall I send it to you now?”

“Send it to my email.”

Shen Xinghuai slept straight through until the afternoon. If he hadn’t been woken up by hunger, he probably could have slept until nightfall.

To avoid being disturbed, he had set his phone to silent. When he checked it, he found over 99+ WeChat notifications.

The last traces of sleep vanished instantly as he clicked into the app. He realized the messages were all from a single group—one that was currently hyperactive, with texts popping up every second. He remembered setting his groups to “Do Not Disturb,” but this one must have slipped through the cracks.

It was the group he’d joined at the bar last night.

The chat log was flying by:

Small Vegetable Patch: I just called Huai-huai, but he didn’t pick up. I hope he’s okay.

Small Vegetable Patch was Tian Yuanyuan’s username.

When Shen Xinghuai had seen the 99+ notifications, he hadn’t noticed the missed calls. As he started typing, several more messages popped up:

Didn’t your housekeeper say his boyfriend picked him up last night? He’s fine.

Probably on a date. He doesn’t have time for you. Try calling again in a bit.

Exactly, they’re dating. If I had a boyfriend like that, I’d be holding onto him for dear life too. No time for idle chat.

Shen Xinghuai: [Observing from the shadows] GIF

Shen Xinghuai: I just saw the messages.

Small Vegetable Patch: [40-meter long blade] GIF

Small Vegetable Patch: Finally, you appeared! Where have you been? You haven’t checked your messages at all.

Shen Xinghuai: I just woke up.

Small Vegetable Patch: You slept until now? I’m impressed!

Shen Xinghuai: I didn’t sleep until dawn, so I slept a bit longer.

Shen Xinghuai: I didn’t sleep all night.

The group went silent for a few seconds after that message.

Wind-like Doggy: Summarizing key points: picked up by boyfriend, didn’t sleep all night, only just woke up.

Bro’s Got Candy: Didn’t sleep all night. [Blushing yellow face emoji]

Your boyfriend’s stamina is incredible. [Blushing yellow face emoji]

Ah, these young people. [Blushing yellow face emoji]

A long string of similar emojis followed. Shen Xinghuai felt a bit dizzy looking at the wall of yellow faces.

Small Vegetable Patch: [Rainbow face] Can you still make it to the racetrack later then?

Shen Xinghuai really wanted to smack that rainbow face.

Shen Xinghuai: Of course I can! Why wouldn’t I be able to go!

Wind-like Doggy: Our Huai-huai’s stamina isn’t bad either. [Cute yellow face smile].

Small Vegetable Patch: I’ll pick you up in an hour then.

Shen Xinghuai got up, went downstairs for a meal, and then changed. Not long after, Tian Yuanyuan called. “I’m here. I’m at the corner about 500 meters from the gate.”

“Why are you parked at the corner? Is it easy to pull a U-turn there?”

Tian Yuanyuan gave a somewhat strained laugh. “About last night, I remember a few bits. I’m afraid your ‘husband’ will see me if I park at the front door.”

Recalling Ye Xiuchen’s expression at the time, Shen Xinghuai didn’t argue. “Fine, I’m coming to find you.”

Tian Yuanyuan was driving his beloved Ferrari today. When Shen Xinghuai arrived, Tian Yuanyuan was bent over, hovering near the headlights and tenderly breathing on them to wipe away a speck of dust.

Shen Xinghuai watched him for a while. “That’s a gorgeous car!”

Tian Yuanyuan looked back and made a “shh” sound. “It’s not a car. It’s the apple of my eye!”

The sheer cheesiness of his tone gave Shen Xinghuai goosebumps. He rubbed his arms. “Let’s go.”

Tian Yuanyuan turned back to his task. “Wait a sec. Some dust got on it on the way over. I have to wipe it clean, or I’m afraid my ‘Little Fa’ will get something in its eyes.”

Shen Xinghuai was speechless. After a moment, he said, “How about we just carry your Little Fa the rest of the way?”

Tian Yuanyuan caught the sarcasm and smiled. “You were busy all night; do you still have the strength to carry it?”

Shen Xinghuai, finding no fun in the banter, tried a threat: “Let’s go, or Ye Xiuchen might come out.”

That worked instantly. Tian Yuanyuan dove into the driver’s seat. “Let’s go!”

The engine roared like a beast, and in the blink of an eye, they were long gone.

Upon arriving at the racetrack, Shen Xinghuai realized he’d made the right call. The event was far larger than he had imagined. The sheer variety of high-end luxury cars in the lot was dazzling.

Tian Yuanyuan’s Ferrari looked somewhat ordinary amidst the sea of exotic vehicles, but its owner remained confident: “Compared to my Little Fa, the rest of these are just common tarts.”

Shen Xinghuai looked around. Not only was the crowd massive, but the track and facilities were top-notch.

Since the original owner had never participated in such activities, Tian Yuanyuan assumed Shen Xinghuai was just curious. “When there’s a chance, I’ll take you out for a few laps. It’s a rush!”

The “Yellow Faces” from the group chat had already arrived at the lounge area. Xinghuai and Yuanyuan went to find them, chatting as they walked. “Are you racing tonight?”

“Of course!” Tian Yuanyuan puffed out his chest and walked with a swagger that suggested he owned the place. “Just wait, I’ll bring home first place for you!”

As they passed the main grandstand, Shen Xinghuai felt a sudden chill down his spine, as if someone were staring at him. He turned his head, following his intuition, and locked eyes with a man surrounded by a small crowd on the stand.

For a moment, Shen Xinghuai found him oddly familiar but couldn’t place the name.

The man didn’t look away when he was spotted. Instead, he became even more brazen, pushing aside the person he was talking to and walking straight toward Shen Xinghuai.

As the man drew closer, Shen Xinghuai still couldn’t recall his name and had to grab Tian Yuanyuan. “Wait, what’s this guy’s name again?”

Tian Yuanyuan followed his gaze. “Han Xu. This racetrack belongs to him. He’s the one who organized today’s meet.”

Han Xu, Han Xu. Shen Xinghuai repeated the name twice. A lightbulb suddenly went off: Han Xu was Lu Yan’s fiancé!

Was he coming over to demand an explanation for what happened to Lu Yan?

Shen Xinghuai wasn’t one to shy away from trouble, so he simply stopped and waited for him to arrive.

When the man was still about a dozen meters away, a security guard suddenly ran over from the main entrance and intercepted him. The guard looked anxious, gesturing toward the gate while speaking in a low voice.

Because of the distance and the guard’s lowered tone, Shen Xinghuai couldn’t hear anything, but from Han Xu’s expression, it was clearly something serious. His brow was furrowed so deeply it looked like a mountain range.

He cast a long, deep look at Shen Xinghuai before turning and following the security guard away.

Tian Yuanyuan had seen the whole thing. “Han Xu was coming this way, wasn’t he? What did he want with you? It’s not like we’re close.”

Shen Xinghuai had a pretty good idea, but he didn’t say it. “I don’t know either.”

Tian Yuanyuan was always carefree; if he couldn’t figure something out, he just stopped thinking about it. “Come on, the others are waiting.”

The races soon began. The roar of the engines and the screams of the crowd chased the serenity of the evening sky away.

As a veteran enthusiast, watching the cars fly around the track made Shen Xinghuai’s blood boil. He even had the wicked urge to snatch the car keys right out of Tian Yuanyuan’s hand!

Perhaps his gaze was a bit too intense, because Tian Yuanyuan looked at him warily. “Huai-huai, why are you looking at me like that?”

Shen Xinghuai smiled. “I just wanted to cheer you on.”

Tian Yuanyuan looked at him skeptically. “The look in your eyes just now gave me a fright. I actually thought you were going to snatch my car keys.”

“Was it that obvious?” Shen Xinghuai muttered under his breath.

Tian Yuanyuan didn’t catch what he said as he zipped his racing suit to the top. “My turn’s almost up. I need to go get ‘Little Fa’ ready. Just wait—I’m bringing home that first-place trophy for you!”

Watching Tian Yuanyuan head off, Shen Xinghuai turned his gaze back toward the track.

Two minutes later, Tian Yuanyuan came scurrying back, looking utterly terrified. “Holy crap, that scared the life out of me!”

Shen Xinghuai looked in the direction he had just come from but saw nothing unusual. “What’s wrong? What did you see?”

Tian Yuanyuan ducked behind a nearby feather banner, his heart still racing. “Guess who I just spotted?”

To scare him like this, the first image that flashed in Shen Xinghuai’s mind was Ye Xiuchen’s cold face. But he immediately dismissed the thought; Ye Xiuchen had said he was busy handling things, and since he didn’t drive, why would he be here?

“I have no idea.”

Tian Yuanyuan pointed toward a corner of the grandstands. “Your husband!”

Shen Xinghuai scanned the area carefully for a moment. A man in sportswear wearing a baseball cap came into view.

It really was Ye Xiuchen!

Because his style was so different from his usual attire, Shen Xinghuai hadn’t noticed him at all until now.

Tian Yuanyuan let out a breath of relief. “I almost walked right into him. Thank God I reacted fast enough to retreat.”

Shen Xinghuai arched an eyebrow and started walking toward Ye Xiuchen. Tian Yuanyuan lunged forward to grab him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Shen Xinghuai pointed toward the stands. “I’m going to find him. It must be boring being there all by himself.”

Tian Yuanyuan panicked. “But what about me? If he sees me, he’ll probably tear me apart with his bare hands!”

“Aren’t you supposed to be competing?”

Tian Yuanyuan looked like he’d been granted a royal pardon. “Right, right! The race!” He’d been so nervous he’d completely forgotten. “I won’t come back to find you after I’m done. It’s definitely for the best if I don’t cross paths with him right now.” Seeing him would be the end of me.

Shen Xinghuai thought about it. “Yeah, that works. I’ll just head home with him.”

With that, he and Tian Yuanyuan split up. He didn’t walk straight over but instead circled around to the side of the stands.

Compared to the excitement at the front, this area was much quieter. Shen Xinghuai pulled out his phone and opened WeChat:

Shen Xinghuai: [The Great King has arrived] GIF

Up in the stands, Ye Xiuchen pulled out his phone and looked down at the screen, his brow furrowing slightly.

Ye Xiuchen: Something wrong?

Shen Xinghuai: What are you doing, Brother?

Ye Xiuchen: Out.

Shen Xinghuai rolled his eyes. Is he paying for these texts with his life? Is it that hard to type a few more words?

Shen Xinghuai: I’m out too.

Shen Xinghuai: I just ran into a super handsome man. Want to see, Brother?