Gold-Devouring Bottom: A Guide to Pampering - Chapter 8

Shen Xinghuai pulled Ye Xiuchen through the door, ignoring the stares of the household staff, and dragged him straight into the elevator. “We’re going upstairs!”

Ye Xiuchen felt he understood Shen Xinghuai less and less.

A few days ago, it made sense for Shen Xinghuai to be submissive because he hadn’t received any signals from Lu Yan. But now, Lu Yan had explicitly offered his help, and Shen Hong bringing the police today was clearly Lu Yan’s doing behind the scenes. Since someone was finally willing to back him up, why didn’t he take the chance to leave?

Before the elevator doors closed, Shen Xinghuai pointedly instructed Uncle Ming, “Do not disturb us.”

Uncle Ming paused, then assured them with the tone of someone who had “seen it all,” “Mr. Shen, Young Master, rest assured—no one will bother you.”

Shen Xinghuai watched the floor buttons and muttered to himself, “Fifth floor, no one’s there.”

The elevator stopped. Shen Xinghuai, still clutching Ye Xiuchen’s hand, looked serious and urgent. “Your room or mine?”

Ye Xiuchen’s fingertips twitched in Shen Xinghuai’s grasp. “Either is fine.”

“Then your room.”

Shen Xinghuai stepped inside first and gestured to the man behind him. “Close the door.”

Ye Xiuchen looked at him with a complex expression and shut the door.

Shen Xinghuai commanded bossily, “Come here.”

Ye Xiuchen: “?”

Ye Xiuchen stood by the door, his eyes so full of conflicting thoughts they could have formed a complex calculus equation.

Shen Xinghuai, annoyed by his posturing, urged him, “We haven’t seen each other in days, why are you acting shy? Don’t just stand there, come here.”

Ye Xiuchen hesitated before taking a step. Shen Xinghuai, impatient with his slowness, grabbed his arm and pushed him down onto the edge of the bed. He stared at him with sparkling eyes. “Brother, can you feel it?”

“Feel what?”

“Someone is trying to screw with you.” I knew you were too busy having indiscriminate mental breakdowns to notice; luckily I’m here to warn you.

Ye Xiuchen: “…”

“Do you know who it is?” Shen Xinghuai decided to play the “good person” to the end and help him out.

“It’s Lu Yan.”

Shen Xinghuai blinked; so, he had guessed it. “Right, so you know what your next move should be, right?”

Ye Xiuchen’s eyes darkened for a split second. So, he wants to play the long game, staying by my side to act as an informant for Lu Yan? “What should I do?”

Shen Xinghuai patted Ye Xiuchen’s arm—both as encouragement and comfort. “If no one provokes me, I won’t provoke them; but if someone does, I’ll pull them out by the roots. So, we’re going to screw with him, too!”

“We?” Ye Xiuchen’s tone was meaningful.

“Yeah, you and I are on the same team!”

Ye Xiuchen’s gaze went back to calculating equations. “Same team? And how do you plan to screw with him?”

Shen Xinghuai froze. “Huh?” How to screw with him? Why are you asking me?

You’re the expert at ruining people! Everyone in this book with a name gets their life destroyed by you—why are you being humble with me now?

Shen Xinghuai figured Ye Xiuchen was testing his potential as a worthy ally. “We’ll acquire his company and kick him and his cronies out of Lincheng.” The scumbag Lu and his pals get what they deserve, but the innocent employees keep their jobs—this plan is perfect!

“Acquire the Lu Group? Right now, the market shares of Lu and Ye are neck and neck. Tell me, how exactly am I supposed to acquire them?”

Neck and neck? About the same amount of money?

Shen Xinghuai thought about it for a while. Money was static, but people were dynamic. “Then you outwork him! Work hard to make more money than him, then buy his company.”

“A conservative estimate for the Lu Group’s market value is 700 billion.”

Shen Xinghuai listened intently. 700 billion wasn’t that much; it was about the price of a planet in his original world. He patted Ye Xiuchen’s shoulder. “Then let’s set a small goal first. You earn 700 billion.”

Maybe he patted a bit too hard; Ye Xiuchen choked. “Cough! 700 billion?”

Shen Xinghuai read the surprise in Ye Xiuchen’s eyes and wondered if he had underestimated him. “Too little? Then let’s round it up—one trillion.”

Ye Xiuchen: “…”

Is one trillion still too little? Shen Xinghuai thought the “Madman Ye” had incredibly high standards for himself. He was so confident; it seemed Shen Xinghuai had picked a real winner. “Let’s stick to one trillion for now. Once we hit that, we’ll set a bigger goal.”

Ye Xiuchen took a deep breath. “Did you used to work at a printing house?”

Shen Xinghuai couldn’t follow the logic. “What printing house?”

“A hell-bank-note printing house.” Only there would people talk about “trillions” as a starting point for paper money for the dead.

Shen Xinghuai shook his head and told him the truth: “I’ve never worked in one. Why do you ask?” His little brain whirred for a second, and his eyes widened. “Are you asking if I have experience printing money? Is that it?” Truly an outlaw! His ideas for making money are so violent.

But he considered the idea seriously and decided it wouldn’t work. Even if this world was a novel, you couldn’t just print money on a whim. “That plan is too unreliable. Think of something else.”

Ye Xiuchen was speechless for a long time, staring at him blankly.

Shen Xinghuai thought the man was still fixated on the idea, so he pulled him up from the bed again. “That plan really won’t work. Think of something realistic. It’s still early—go to the office and talk business!”

He was the one who dragged him upstairs, and he was the one pushing him back down. It wasn’t until Ye Xiuchen was sitting in the car that he processed what had happened. “I’ll have someone pick you up at 6:00 PM to go to the old estate.”

Shen Xinghuai gave him an “OK” sign through the window. “Got it. Work hard, Brother!”

Behind them, Uncle Ming and the servants looked at their young master with sympathy. He just finished “paying his dues” at home and now he has to go out and earn the “bread” immediately. Love is so exhausting.

The car Ye Xiuchen sent was perfectly on time, arriving at 5:00 PM to take Shen Xinghuai to the Ye family estate.

The car drove through the main gate. Shen Xinghuai looked at the estate through the window as night fell. The architecture was ancient and solemn, every brick and tile exuding a deep heritage settled by time.

As soon as Shen Xinghuai stepped out of the car, he saw Ye Xiuchen waiting for him at the entrance. He instantly turned into a happy little puppy, throwing himself into Ye Xiuchen’s arms and calling him “Brother” in a sweet, soft voice.

Everyone present stopped what they were doing, turning into stunned spectators with “disbelief” written all over their faces. They looked at Shen Xinghuai as if he were an alien. In their eyes, Ye Xiuchen was a bringer of calamity; no one dared to get close. In all these years, this was the first time they had seen anyone act so intimately with him.

Ye Xiuchen looked down at the person in his arms and patted his back, signaling him to stand properly. “When you see Grandfather later and he asks about us, I don’t need to remind you what to say, do I?”

Shen Xinghuai looked up, his smile obedient and sweet. “Just tell the truth.”

Ye Xiuchen’s expression didn’t change, but his voice lowered. “And what ‘truth’ would that be?”

Shen Xinghuai acted innocent. “That we are deeply in love, inseparable, and that I’m head over heels for you.”

Ye Xiuchen scoffed, though his voice wasn’t as cold as before. “Let’s go in. Grandfather is waiting.”

With eyes curved in a smile, Shen Xinghuai naturally took Ye Xiuchen’s hand. His slender fingers brushed against the palm, sending a flutter of warmth through Ye Xiuchen’s heart. “Let’s go.”

The warm, soft touch caused Ye Xiuchen’s step to falter for a split second. He looked down at their intertwined hands, then up at Shen Xinghuai.

“What is it?”

“Nothing. Let’s go.” Ye Xiuchen led him inside.

The front hall was built like a palace. Walking down the corridor, their footsteps echoed clearly. The sheer scale of the Ye estate gave Shen Xinghuai a sense of belonging; he loved spacious, grand houses like this.

Ye Xiuchen stopped at a door and pushed it open.

The conversation inside stopped abruptly as everyone turned to look at the pair walking in hand-in-hand.

Tonight, Shen Xinghuai was wearing a light wheat-colored suit. Ye Xiuchen’s suit was a more stable dark navy blue, paired with a shirt that matched the color of Shen’s suit. The designer had even specifically made the buttons, cufflinks, and tie clips into a matching set. The two suits were noble and understated, with their intimacy reflected in every detail.

Shen Xinghuai’s beauty was unparalleled, and his demeanor was elegant and refined, giving off an air of high-class grace.

Ye Xiuchen led him to Old Master Ye, speaking with a rare, gentle tone: “Grandfather, this is Xinghuai, my boyfriend.”

Old Master Ye didn’t hesitate to size Shen Xinghuai up from head to toe, finally ending with a satisfied smile. In fact, on the day he heard the news, he had already sent people to check Shen Xinghuai’s background. Although his family status was ordinary compared to the Ye family, his professional resume was dazzling.

As an internationally renowned musician with extraordinary achievements in his field, his prestige was something the wealthy scions of the business world couldn’t easily match. Now seeing him in person—with such outstanding looks and temperament—Old Master Ye was naturally pleased.

Shen Xinghuai could tell the old man had a good first impression and greeted him politely: “Hello, Grandfather.”

Old Master Ye pointed to the seats beside him. “Come, sit here next to me.”

To put Old Master Ye at ease and ensure no flaws were visible, Ye Xiuchen acted completely out of character. He proactively pulled out a chair for Shen Xinghuai, resting his hand lightly on the younger man’s shoulder as he sat down.

Shen Xinghuai, long accustomed to being waited on, accepted the courtesy naturally. However, everyone else at the table stared with dropped jaws—since when did the “King of Hell” pull out chairs for people?

Once settled, Shen Xinghuai felt the hostile glares from the surrounding guests and swept his gaze across the room.

Aside from Old Master Ye, everyone at the table wore expressions as grim as if they were at a funeral, yet none dared to utter a single word of protest.

Since they offered no kindness, Shen Xinghuai withdrew his smile. He had seen the complete plot in his dreams; he knew that Ye Xiuchen’s paranoid and sinister personality was a direct result of these very family members.

In the Ye household, everyone except the old man had treated him with nothing but hatred and bullying, speaking the foulest words and committing the most humiliating acts. This was precisely why Ye Xiuchen would snap after Old Master Ye’s passing.

He would personally drag the century-old Ye dynasty into the grave. Not a single person at the center of the Ye family’s power would be left alive, and even the distant relatives would end up destitute and broken.

Ye Xiuchen would live up to his reputation, becoming the bringer of calamity they feared, claiming all their lives and forcing the entire city of Lincheng to be buried with them.

Looking at this group of people, Shen Xinghuai silently offered them a metaphorical funeral candle. At the same time, he resolved to leave a stellar impression on Old Master Ye today to secure his “Life-Saving Gold Plaque”!

As the dinner began, the atmosphere remained strictly familial without tedious formalities. Once the dishes were served, a servant behind Old Master Ye symbolically placed a portion of food onto the old man’s plate, signaling that the others could begin.

Old Master Ye’s private nutritionist had designed a specific menu for him with strict standards and timing. The food served by the servant sat untouched on his plate; instead, he shifted slightly to chat with Shen Xinghuai. “How long have you and Xiuchen known each other?”

The others went through the motions of serving themselves, but their attention was entirely on Shen Xinghuai, their ears practically twitching to catch every word.

Shen Xinghuai set down his utensils and intimately tucked his arm through Ye Xiuchen’s. “Grandfather, Xiuchen and I have known each other for quite a while. We understand each other deeply. Although we haven’t been ‘dating’ long, the depth of our feelings makes up for it.” He turned to look at Ye Xiuchen, his eyes brimming with tender affection.

Ye Xiuchen felt he was overacting, but unable to call him out in front of his grandfather, he nudged Shen’s leg under the table, signaling him to tone it down.

The nudge made Shen Xinghuai’s leg itch. He caught Ye Xiuchen’s fingers, squeezing them in his palm. Then, turning his head so the old man couldn’t see, he gave a “fierce” little scrunch of his nose to threaten him.

Afraid the old man would notice the discord, Ye Xiuchen had no choice but to hook his finger against Shen Xinghuai’s palm in response before withdrawing his hand. He leaned back nonchalantly, effectively giving Shen Xinghuai free rein.

Old Master Ye watched their small interactions, the smile in his eyes deepening. Initially, he had worried that Ye Xiuchen had simply hired someone to appease him, but their chemistry didn’t look like a performance between strangers.

“Knowing each other well is for the best.”

He then gestured to the servant behind him. “Xiao Zheng, serve some more food for Xiuchen and Xinghuai. They aren’t eating much.”

The others at the table looked over, their hostility now tinged with jealousy.

Xiao Zheng was no ordinary servant; he had worked at the estate for over a decade and was Old Master Ye’s trusted confidant. Even Ye Ding and his son, Ye Xiujun, had to be polite to him. By asking Xiao Zheng to serve Shen Xinghuai, the old man was making it clear to everyone: he officially accepted Shen Xinghuai.

However, some people’s minds were as twisted as a nine-link puzzle. While they didn’t dare show it on the surface, they were already plotting in the shadows.

Amidst the sea of meaningful glances, Shen Xinghuai accidentally locked eyes with one particularly striking gaze.

The man sat opposite him, leaning back in his chair with a cool, indifferent stare. Shen Xinghuai sized him up for a moment; the man shared about fifty percent of Ye Xiuchen’s features, but his look was more feminine and delicate, lacking the sharp depth of Ye Xiuchen’s face.

This was undoubtedly the madman’s brother, Ye Xiujun.

Catching his gaze, Ye Xiujun’s eyebrows arched slightly, a meaningful smirk playing on his lips.

When dinner concluded, Old Master Ye beckoned to Ye Xiuchen. “Xiuchen, push me to the study. I want to get the ‘meeting gift’ I prepared for Xinghuai. Xinghuai, why don’t you wander around the house for a bit? Xiuchen will be back shortly.”

Ye Xiuchen nodded, giving Shen Xinghuai’s hand a warning squeeze under the table before leaving.

Shen Xinghuai agreed with a smile and watched the grandfather and grandson depart. Once they were out of sight, he stood up and strolled into the garden.

The garden at the old estate was many times larger than the one at Ye Xiuchen’s villa, but since it was his first visit, Shen Xinghuai stayed near the Eastern Parlor.

He stopped by a rockery, watching the koi in the pond. These fish were massive—likely raised by the old man himself. After all, the older generation seemed to have a special skill: no matter what you gave them to raise, it would eventually take the shape of a pig. This pond of fish was no exception.

Just as he was seriously trying to determine which koi was the fattest, he heard footsteps behind him.