Gold-Devouring Bottom: A Guide to Pampering - Chapter 4

Due to the pain, the muscles in the thug’s neck corded with tension. He was seething, yet he didn’t dare utter a word of protest. Clenching his teeth, he admitted his fault: “The Second Young Master is right to lecture us. It was our own lack of memory that caused us to cross you.”

Ye Xiuchen didn’t even deign to give him a second look. His gaze drifted toward the car. “Get out.”

Shen Xinghuai poked his head out of the vehicle, tilting his small face up to blink at Ye Xiuchen. “Brother, Ah—!”

Before he could finish, a large hand gripped his shoulder and hoisted him out of the car like a kitten. The frost on Ye Xiuchen’s face thawed slightly, replaced by a look of unabashed disdain. “Stop ‘clucking’ and get in the other car.”

Shen Xinghuai had intended to praise him, but having been so ruthlessly interrupted, he could only trudge over to the SUV with a look of utter grievance.

Ye Xiuchen’s assistant was a hundred times gentler than his boss. Wearing a friendly, warm smile, he cordially opened the door for Shen Xinghuai. “Please, Mr. Shen. I’ll take you home.”

Two icy glares, sharp as blades, fell upon them, making the air freeze. “Take him to Yujun Garden. Tell him to wait for me there.”

The assistant startled, nodding frantically. “Yes, sir! I’ll take Mr. Shen there immediately.”

Shen Xinghuai glanced back at Ye Xiujun’s menacing subordinates. If he insisted on going back to the Shen family home now, he likely wouldn’t even make it through the front door before being snatched up by Ye Xiujun again.

He pursed his lips and obediently climbed into the car. A wise man knows when to retreat; better to hide out for a while and let the storm pass.

Ye Xiuchen did not join him. Instead, under Shen Xinghuai’s astonished gaze, the man stepped right into the car belonging to Ye Xiujun’s men.

Shen Xinghuai gave him a silent thumbs-up in his mind. A lunatic truly is a lunatic—fearing nothing in heaven or earth. He boarded that “pirate ship” without so much as a blink.

About an hour later, the car reached Lincheng’s high-end residential district. They turned into a private courtyard and stopped before a five-story building. The assistant stepped out and opened the door. “After you.”

Shen Xinghuai stepped out, quietly and subtly sizing up the building.

This is it?

The butler, Uncle Ming, emerged with two servants. He wore a professional, “iceberg” expression. “Please come in, Mr. Shen.”

It was common knowledge that Shen Xinghuai loathed Ye Xiuchen. Naturally, the butler and servants took their employer’s side and held a poor opinion of him.

Shen Xinghuai followed them inside with practiced ease.

Ye Xiuchen had only instructed the assistant to bring him here, but hadn’t specified where to settle him. Uncle Ming didn’t dare make the call himself, so he placed Shen Xinghuai in the drawing-room to wait.

Sitting on the sofa, Shen Xinghuai observed the decor and the dozen or so sparse servants. He let out a sigh.

Didn’t the dream say the Ye lunatic was rich enough to rival a nation?

The yard was so small—where would a plane even land? The house was only five stories, and there were fewer servants here than the staff that used to help him get out of bed in his old life.

By the standards of his original world, this economic status was practically “poverty-stricken.” Shen Xinghuai couldn’t help but feel a surge of worry. Being this broke, and he still wants to keep a ‘canary’? It’d be hard enough just to keep a balding bird in seed.

As he waited, the butler and servants ignored him entirely, deliberately leaving him to sit there from afternoon until evening. He was both starving and bored.

As the sky grew dark, he intended to ask the butler when Ye Xiuchen would return. Just then, the roar of an engine echoed from the courtyard. Uncle Ming moved like the wind, rushing out to greet the arrival.

In the blink of an eye, a tall, upright figure stepped into the foyer, the butler and servants following respectfully in his wake.

Shen Xinghuai marvelled. The madman actually made it back from that pirate ship in one piece.

The man’s peripheral vision caught him. After a brief, cold sweep of his eyes, Ye Xiuchen gestured to Uncle Ming. “Arrange for him to stay in the guest room on the top floor.” With that, he stepped straight into the elevator, leaving Shen Xinghuai behind without another word.

Seeing their master’s coldness, the servants followed suit. They led Shen Xinghuai to his room and retreated with icy faces, leaving him in total silence.

Having had only a few sips of water all day, Shen Xinghuai’s stomach was churning with acid. The pain finally became unbearable, and he pushed open the door to find food.

It was nearly midnight. The corridor wall lamps had dimmed to a warm yellow, and his footsteps on the thick, plush carpet made no sound.

He searched for a while, but there were no servants on this floor. He walked to the elevator to head downstairs, only to find it required a fingerprint.

He pouted, cursing Ye Xiuchen in his heart. Madman. Old fox. Bringing someone home and not even feeding them.

Exhausted from his mental tirade, his shoulders slumped and his arms dangled as he began to “zombie-walk” down the hallway. The midnight hunger was fierce; he felt like a member of the undead looking for someone to bite.

Suddenly, a door behind him opened. Ye Xiuchen stepped out, a single bath towel wrapped around his waist. He froze, staring at Shen Xinghuai’s exaggerated, slumped gait. He knit his brows. “What are you doing?”

Since Shen Xinghuai’s back was turned and the carpet was silent, he hadn’t realized anyone was behind him. Startled by the sudden voice, he snapped upright and spun around.

He stole a quick glance at Ye Xiuchen before lowering his gaze to his toes. “Good evening.”

Ye Xiuchen looked lean in clothes, but once undressed, he was anything but frail. His muscles were perfectly defined, and his body lines were taut and fluid.

As he stepped toward Shen Xinghuai, the shallow muscles of his abdomen shifted with every movement, creating a silhouette that was both powerful and captivating.

Setting his personality aside, Ye Xiuchen’s looks and physique were perfectly tailored to Shen Xinghuai’s tastes. Especially when he had walked toward him that afternoon—it was no exaggeration to say every step had landed precisely on his aesthetic “sweet spot.”

Ye Xiuchen tilted his head, looking down at the soft, fluffy head of hair before him. The “cowlick” at the crown of Shen Xinghuai’s head looked as dejected as its owner. “Why are you wandering around instead of sleeping?”

Shen Xinghuai’s voice had dropped several octaves due to hunger, sounding soft and sweet. “I’m hungry.” He looked up, his expression pitiable and aggrieved. “I haven’t eaten all evening. I’ve been waiting for you on an empty stomach, but you finally get back and didn’t say a single word to me.”

“Why didn’t you eat?”

“No one invited me. This isn’t my house; I was too embarrassed to go asking servants for food, so I just stayed hungry.” He hadn’t felt much while waiting in the parlor, but saying it to Ye Xiuchen’s face made him feel a rush of irritation and genuine self-pity.

Ye Xiuchen caught the hint of a complaining pout in his voice and let out a scoff. “Oh, so now you’re thin-skinned? You were thick-skinned enough when you tried to ‘extort’ me while stark naked!”

Shen Xinghuai was momentarily speechless, glaring at him huffily.

Ye Xiuchen raised an eyebrow, walked past him, and dropped two chilly words: “Follow me.”

Shen Xinghuai followed him into another room with some reluctance, but his eyes instantly lit up!

Whoa! The expansive bed, the opulent décor, he had finally found a sense of familiar luxury in this world. This was his dream room!

Why was his room on the same floor so spartan while Ye Xiuchen’s was like this? Shen Xinghuai looked at the massive, soft bed and muttered under his breath, “I want to stay in this one.”

Ye Xiuchen was on the phone with Uncle Ming, giving him a quick look before continuing his instructions.

After hanging up, Shen Xinghuai pointed at the bed, his eyes sparkling. “Is this bed comfortable?”

When Ye Xiuchen lived at Ye Ding’s house, he had spent over a decade sleeping in a dark, damp basement alongside the dogs. His definition of “comfort” was vague. This bed was essentially a self-deceiving decoration; he had never actually slept in it.

He initially didn’t want to answer, but the image of Shen Xinghuai’s pitiful face in the hallway flashed through his mind. “It’s fine.”

“You don’t like it?”

“It’s fine.”

Shen Xinghuai’s eyes were practically stars. “If you don’t like it, let’s swap. You sleep in mine, I’ll sleep in here.” You don’t like it, but I do!

Just as the words left his mouth, a knock came at the door. It was Uncle Ming. “Master, a late-night snack has been set in the small dining room on the third floor.” The kitchen kept snacks ready every day, so service was quick.

Ye Xiuchen pointed to the bed and spoke to the butler. “Order another bed exactly like this one tomorrow and put it in his room.”

Uncle Ming’s gaze flickered between the two of them, his expression growing complex. Could the rumors online be true? Is Mr. Shen going to be a permanent resident here?

He responded respectfully and led Shen Xinghuai to the third floor.

By the time Shen Xinghuai finished his meal and returned to the top floor, it was nearly midnight. Passing Ye Xiuchen’s bedroom door, he hesitated. Should he go in and talk to the madman? That morning, the man clearly despised him—so why the sudden rescue and the invitation to stay?

As he stood at the door, debating how to start the conversation, a voice suddenly rang out from inside: “Come in.”

The lunatic wasn’t asleep yet.

But the carpet was silent—how did he know someone was at the door? It seemed this house was indeed full of cameras!

Shen Xinghuai pushed the door open. Ye Xiuchen had changed into a blue-grey silk robe, the front left carelessly open, leaving his firm chest and abdominal muscles half-exposed in a suggestive display of “accidental” allure.

Shen Xinghuai stole one glance and quickly looked away.

It’s the middle of the night! Where is his sense of modesty?

Ye Xiuchen looked up, scrutinizing him. “Full?”

Shen Xinghuai nodded. “Yes, full.”

“Not sleepy?”

Shen Xinghuai shot him several suspicious looks. “Not sleepy.”

Ye Xiuchen let out a scoff and shoved the laptop toward Shen Xinghuai. “Perfect. Why don’t you take a good look at the mess you’ve made!”

Shen Xinghuai took the computer. As he scrolled, his eyes widened in genuine surprise. That morning at the hotel, there had only been a few scattered posts about him and Ye Xiuchen.

Now, news of the two of them blanketed the internet, hijacking every major trending topic and headline.

The rumors were getting increasingly absurd. Netizens were widely speculating that Shen Xinghuai had traded his future “carnal happiness” solely for money.

To this, Shen Xinghuai felt nothing but disdain. Me? Lusting after his measly fortune?

“Enjoying the show?” Ye Xiuchen watched him, his gaze chillingly sharp.

Shen Xinghuai gave a sheepish smile and pushed the laptop back. “It’s alright.”

Ye Xiuchen locked eyes with him, the mockery in his expression deepening. “You can still smile?”

Shen Xinghuai blinked innocently. What else am I supposed to do, cry? “Why shouldn’t I, Brother?”

Ye Xiuchen stared at him for a long, unreadable moment before suddenly breaking into a smile. It was a dark, ominous sneer. “From this day forward, everyone who has ever held a grudge against me but lacked the courage to retaliate has a brand-new target. Care to guess who that target is?”

Gulp. Shen Xinghuai swallowed hard.

There was no need to guess; Ye Xiujun had already made his move today. From now on, the word “scapegoat” was spelled S-H-E-N.

Shen Xinghuai’s eyes darted around. He wasn’t entirely panicking; the fact that the madman had rescued him and brought him home suggested he still had some utility.

His slender fingers reached out, inching across the space between them until they climbed onto the back of Ye Xiuchen’s hand. “Brother, you have to protect me.”

He decided to put his escape plans on hold. Given the current situation, the madman’s side was actually the safest place to be.

Ye Xiuchen looked down at the fair, delicate hand resting on his wrist and asked with biting sarcasm, “And why on earth would I do that?”