I Became the Darling of the Wealthy Through Gossip - Chapter 10

“As the provider of the riddle, I’ll answer everyone’s questions. The solution is very simple; I welcome everyone to ask enthusiastically.”

Bai Muxuan put on his gloves and used scissors to cut the already roasted meat into small pieces bit by bit. “Don’t just focus on playing; there’s barbecue to eat, too.”

Liang Han opened a beer. “We also have to drink to our heart’s content. I’m not going back today.”

Qi Beichen blinked. “Um, I should report to my family and see if I can stay out overnight.”

Su Haoxuan couldn’t hold back anymore. “Just who started the rumor that Qi Beichen is a hell-raiser? Looking at him now, he’s very well-behaved, isn’t he?”

As soon as Su Haoxuan’s words were out, Xie Zhixu, sitting beside him, stuffed his mouth with food. “Just eat your barbecue. That was all rumors; I realized long ago that Beichen isn’t that kind of person.”

Qi Beichen opened his WeChat interface and found Su Yao’s contact. To his surprise, their chat history was still stuck on the initial “add friend” interface; it seemed there was really nothing to say.

Qi Beichen: Mom, today I’m hanging out with friends at Xie Zhixu’s Sailing Hotel. I might not be coming home tonight; don’t worry.

Su Yao’s phone vibrated. She was getting a facial at a beauty salon, and the hyaluronic acid injection hadn’t even reached her skin yet. She glanced at it casually. “When did this child start reporting his whereabouts?”

Jessica, lying on the bed next to her, saw the message. “People always change; it’s no big deal.”

Su Yao: Understood. Take care of yourself while you’re out, stay safe, and come back early tomorrow. Don’t forget, we still have to visit the jade factory; don’t be late.

Qi Beichen: [Bear-lying-down.jpg]

After waiting for a while and seeing no reply from Su Yao, he set his phone aside.

Liang Han tapped the table lightly. “I say, can you guys begin? The puzzle-solving session hasn’t even started.”

Su Haoxuan coughed twice and began asking questions. “Did someone die?”

Liang Han: “No.”

Qi Beichen: “Was it inserted into a human body? I mean…”

Qi Beichen originally wanted to explain, but he felt it would only make things sound worse.

Xie Zhixu: “Tsk, how come I seem to have thought of something crooked? I don’t know if it’s just my imagination.”

Bai Muxuan: “Solve the riddle seriously; skip the nonsense.”

Su Haoxuan: “My damned dirty mind tsk can’t think of any proper questions.”

Qi Beichen: “Did I put a dead person in the trunk?”

Liang Han: “No.”

Bai Muxuan: “Am I dead?”

Liang Han: “No.”

Liang Han scratched his head. “Can you guys be a little more reliable? These guesses are all over the place.”

Xie Zhixu: “It was clearly you who brought a riddle that’s easy to misunderstand and then blamed us for having problems. I think the one with a mind full of ‘dirty scraps’ is definitely you. Tell us, are you setting us up?”

Liang Han pounded the table, looking innocent. “How is this my fault? I Baidu-ed this; I didn’t make it up myself.”

Bai Muxuan: “Was it inserted into a closed space?”

Liang Han: “Yes.”

Xie Zhixu: “Was it a living thing?”

Liang Han: “No.”

Su Haoxuan: “Was it inserted into a narrow, long place?”

In an instant, everyone’s gaze focused on Su Haoxuan.

“No, why are you all looking at me like that?”

Liang Han shook his head. “We have reason to suspect you thought of a very unusual place.”

“Slander! This is pure, unadulterated slander!”

“No, hurry up and tell us: is what I asked actually the right direction or not?”

Liang Han: “Yes and no.”

Qi Beichen: “Is it inserting something into a stomach?”

Liang Han glanced at Qi Beichen. “Tsk tsk tsk. One Turtle Soup riddle, and it blows out a crowd like this. Scary, scary. No, it’s not.”

Qi Beichen sighed, picked up a piece of meat, and dipped it in seasoning. It had to be said, this beef was indeed delicious. He took a sip from his glass beer and barbecue were simply human delicacies. The Turtle Soup was no longer fun.

Bai Muxuan placed a paper napkin in front of Qi Beichen. “Wipe your mouth. You’ve got seasoning all over your face.”

Seeing the interaction between the two, Liang Han got even more excited. “There’s an affair going on.”

Xie Zhixu: “Affair +1.”

Su Haoxuan: “Affair +2.”

Qi Beichen was completely helpless. “Um, what affair?”

Liang Han downed his drink in one gulp. “Obviously, you and Bai Muxuan have an affair! What else could it be? Your interaction frequency is high, and the expression Muxuan uses when looking at you is so gentle. Therefore, we can almost conclude that the two of you are acting suspiciously.”

“No, so that’s how your gossip starts?” Qi Beichen felt hopeless. The barbecue in front of him suddenly didn’t seem as fragrant.

Bai Muxuan smiled at Liang Han. “I heard the Liang family is preparing to acquire a piece of land in the southern part of the city recently, and there are no competitors yet. How about…”

Liang Han’s expression changed instantly. “I say, Bai Muxuan, favoritism isn’t supposed to be practiced like this. This is broad daylight, and your abacus beads are practically flying into my face.”

“Is that so? It’s just that the medical facilities and equipment over there aren’t quite complete. If…”

“Alright, alright, your affairs tsk you guys handle it yourselves.”

Xie Zhixu nodded. “Mm, that’s how it is.”

Su Haoxuan: “Mm, that’s how it is.”

A “Human Machine Bureau” sure enough, humans are all AI, all robots.

Qi Beichen didn’t speak for a long time, just buried his head in eating barbecue. Eat it while it’s there, he thought, even ending up with a face full of oil.

Bai Muxuan leaned in close with a paper napkin. “Why are you so careless? You look like a little flower cat now.”

Qi Beichen’s cheeks turned red instantly, and he felt the tips of his ears burning. “Um, Brother Muxuan, I can do it myself.”

“My uncle specially instructed me to take good care of you. The Bai and Qi families are family friends; it’s no big deal.”

That sentence again. But he was a “big shot” the intensity wasn’t quite enough; he had to work hard.

Liang Han pouted. “Are you guys still playing? The riddle hasn’t even been solved yet.”

Qi Beichen: “Is it filling something with cement, like filling a body?”

Xie Zhixu: “Tsk, that’s genuinely perverted.”

Qi Beichen: “…” Liang Han: “No.” Su Haoxuan: “Is it a person?” Liang Han: “No.” Xie Zhixu: “Is it stuffed into a refrigerator?” Liang Han: “No.” Su Haoxuan: “Packing luggage in a hurry?” Liang Han: “Getting closer, very close.” Bai Muxuan: “Is it a book?”

“Yes.”

Suddenly, there was silence.

Qi Beichen’s eyes sparkled. “I know what’s going on now! It wasn’t a person, nor a trunk it was still a confined space.”

“Isn’t it just stuffing a book into a school bag? That’s all I can think of. I’m not sure if it’s right.”

Liang Han paused for a second, then smiled. “The young master of the Qi family is indeed smart. I’d said it was very simple, everyone just overcomplicated it. And besides, some people—tsk—I can only say, if a person’s mind is crooked, everything they think of will be crooked.”

“Hey, hey, hey, Liang Han, this is pure slander! Clearly, the thing you found wasn’t decent.” Xie Zhixu gave Liang Han a dissatisfied glare.

Liang Han: “Everyone who thought of it as dirty, go stand in the corner!”

Xie Zhixu: “I didn’t think of it as dirty.”

Qi Beichen: “I didn’t think of it as dirty +1.”

Bai Muxuan: “Damn, you guys are all repeaters.”

By the time they finished eating, everyone was feeling a bit tipsy. Qi Beichen’s cheeks were flushed with a pale pink, looking really like a little cream cupcake the kind you’d want to eat in one bite.

Su Yao’s call came at the perfect time. She checked on his situation, gave a few instructions, and hung up.

Xie Zhixu looked apologetic. “I originally thought about booking five rooms so we could each have our own with a hot spring, but since it’s tourism season in Jiangcheng, the hotel is fully booked, and since we made plans on such short notice, there are only three rooms left. Someone will have to share. Why don’t you guys choose your partners yourselves?”

It had to be said, Qi Beichen had his own selfish motives. This situation was the perfect time to “latch onto the big shot.”

“Um, Brother Muxuan…”

Before Qi Beichen could finish, Bai Muxuan spoke first: “I’ll share a room with Beichen. You guys can distribute however you want. Beichen looks a bit flushed from the alcohol; we’ll go to the front desk to handle the check-in first.”

A rustling sound came from behind them.

Xie Zhixu looked full of gossip. “Tsk, these two, they won’t even admit it they’re walking side-by-side already.”

Su Haoxuan sighed. “That’s not necessarily true. Muxuan has a good personality, and besides, they’re family friends; it’s only right to take care of him.”

The plot seemed to be moving along surprisingly smoothly. Qi Beichen began to wonder if he had the wrong script, or if the original author had revised the text, correcting the basic narrative of the novel.

“Why are you daydreaming again?” Bai Muxuan’s breath brushed against Qi Beichen’s neck, making it itchy.

“Um, I was just thinking about which room has a better view. Since the weather is nice today, I wanted to see the stars.”

Bai Muxuan brought Qi Beichen to the front desk and took the room card. “I’m familiar with the layout here. This room should be the best for viewing.”

The two entered the elevator one after the other, heading up to the 26th floor. Bai Muxuan walked in front, and Qi Beichen followed behind.

Beep-beep-beep… A blue light flashed at the door.

Beep… Warm yellow light formed a halo on the floor. The room was beige, with walnut-colored furniture. Directly opposite was a large floor-to-ceiling window, with the hot spring outside bubbling with steam.

Inside the room was a spacious king-sized bed. King-sized bed… Qi Beichen immediately pulled the alarm. This isn’t right—what’s going on?

Bai Muxuan immediately sensed Qi Beichen’s tension. “There’s no other way; the other room types have been booked. This is the best viewing deck. Actually, I don’t recommend you soak in the hot spring, mainly because you’ve been drinking, and your hand is injured—it’s not suitable for water.”

Qi Beichen stared at Bai Muxuan, lost in thought. Although the plot had changed, this wasn’t bad. The “big shot” had volunteered to present himself; he couldn’t let this opportunity pass.

“You’re staring at me again.”

Qi Beichen shook his head quickly. “That’s because Brother Muxuan is graceful and handsome. I have a ‘billion-point’ admiration for you.”

“You really are quite different from the rumors. I thought it was an act before, but now it doesn’t look like it.”

“Brother Muxuan, people are multifaceted. Even the moon has a side that forever turns away from the earth, let alone people people are alive, it’s normal to be different. And the rumors outside, how should I put it? They’re definitely distorted.”

“Mm.”

The moment his body touched the hot spring water, his soul practically left his body it was extremely comfortable. Stars had already appeared in the sky outside; it was breathtaking.

On the side were a fruit platter and red wine.

Qi Beichen glanced at Bai Muxuan. He had to admit, this guy really had a great physique: distinct abs, fair skin, tall and well-built, wide shoulders, narrow waist, inverted triangle shape, and straight, long legs with firm muscles.

“Beichen, this is the third time today you’ve stared at me.”

Qi Beichen blushed, blinking his eyes. “Brother Muxuan, your physique is really good. How did you train for it?”

“Born with it.”

“Haven’t you practiced at the gym?”

“Rarely. I remember you’re also studying medicine. You should know that medical studies are very busy; there’s no time. Which department are you in?”

“I’m also in cardiac surgery. However, I have a hidden illness yes, a hidden illness.”

Bai Muxuan swirled the red wine in his glass and glanced at Qi Beichen. “Hemophobia?”

Qi Beichen nodded shyly. “Mm, no good way to solve it.”

“So have you thought about what to do in the future?”

“Speaking of this, I actually do know. The end of medicine is metaphysics. I saw it a few days ago—the attending physician at the Jiangcheng Hospital was setting up a stall on the overpass at the hospital entrance after work, and he even wrote ‘B-ultrasound reports given priority’!”

“Besides, I don’t know much about jade; if I happen to buy a fake, my family will lose money. It might be better to do something more interesting.”

Bai Muxuan finally understood. The “interesting things” in Qi Beichen’s mouth meant becoming a fortune teller.

“Aren’t you afraid of failing?”

“Brother Muxuan, I guarantee my accuracy rate is one hundred percent.”

Qi Beichen felt smug. One hundred percent, of course it is. He had read the full text and knew all the secret histories of these families; he would surely make a fortune when the time came.

“I hope you won’t fail.”

Qi Beichen paddled in the hot spring water. His skin felt slick, like a peeled egg, which even made Bai Muxuan stare for a while.

However, Qi Beichen felt the alcohol kicking in, making him dizzy even the Bai Muxuan in front of him had become a double image.

“Brother Muxuan, why have you become two? And you’re overlapping.”

“I told you, the hot spring water temperature is high, which will accelerate alcohol circulation and likely worsen the intoxication.”

A flush spread across Qi Beichen’s cheeks, and his eyes grew watery. He leaned his head on one hand, dizzy. “Brother Muxuan, let me tell you, I’m not the original Qi Beichen at all. Do you believe me?”

Bai Muxuan shook his head helplessly. “Then who are you, you little drunkard?”

Only then did Bai Muxuan notice that Qi Beichen’s glass had long been empty. He had already drunk too much beer earlier; now, he was even drunker, and he had no heart left to look at the stars.

“Little drunkard should just rest properly. Wasn’t it said there are things to do tomorrow?”

Qi Beichen’s eyes were watery. “Mm… Brother Muxuan, the scent on your body… is so fragrant…”

Bai Muxuan blushed. “Don’t move, be careful not to fall.”