I Became the Darling of the Wealthy Through Gossip - Chapter 2

“Eat breakfast first; the designer will be here in a while.”

Su Yao, the mother of the Qi family, and Qi Beixing were sitting at the dining table. The Qi family had few descendants in this generation; originally, Qi Beixing was the only seedling, but now, with the addition of Qi Beichen, the family could finally be considered to have grown.

“Your father has been obsessed with a project at the company recently. He’s out all day and night, rarely coming home,” Su Yao remarked.

Qi Beichen greeted them politely and sat at the far end of the table, diagonally opposite from them. Before he could even settle in, Su Yao called out, “Beichen, come sit over here. Don’t sit so far away. We are all one family now; don’t be so distant.”

Qi Beixing rolled his eyes, stirring the oatmeal in front of him. Without paying attention, he poked his spoon against the table, causing it to clatter onto the floor.

“Child, why are you so careless? Housekeeper, please bring another spoon.”

Qi Beixing picked up his chopsticks and began poking chaotically at the plate in front of him. Qi Beichen glanced over; the jealousy in Qi Beixing’s eyes was intense enough to spark a fire. Qi Beichen used his spoon to scoop up some multi-grain porridge and chewed a few mouthfuls, saying, “The taste is really good.”

“If you like it, eat more. Try this, too—flounder. Flounder has very few bones, and Beixing loves it. You should try it as well.”

“Hmm,” Qi Beichen replied vaguely, placing the extra dates into a side dish meant for bones.

“Beichen, I thought you liked eating dates. Why did you suddenly stop?”

Qi Beichen’s mouth twitched. He had transmigrated into this novel and had no idea what the original owner liked to eat. Furthermore, the author hadn’t written about such details. It felt strange to experience the actual daily life of a character from a book.

“I can’t bite into them.”

“That’s true. With Brother Beichen’s physique, he probably dieted to get it. He shouldn’t have been to a gym,” Qi Beixing commented, his words filled with sourness.

“I recently grew a cavity. The doctor recommended it. Once the inflammation subsides, I still need to get a root canal.”

Su Yao looked at the dates in the bone dish and said, “I see. I will instruct Mother Wu to use less sugar in the meals at noon.”

Qi Beichen felt somewhat restrained. The meal was not very comfortable; his teeth didn’t hurt, but he had no appetite.

Originally, choosing clothes was something Qi Beixing handled himself, but now that another young master had appeared, the two men’s outfits had to be coordinated. Su Yao decided to handle it personally and supervise the process, determined not to let the Qi family lose face.

The meal was stifling. By the time they finished, nobody had spoken another word until the doorbell rang at the entrance.

“Jessica, thank you so much for your hard work, bringing such a pile of clothes. I originally wanted to have them custom-made, but there wasn’t enough time. They say this is a auspicious day for a reunion chosen by a master from Nanshan Temple.”

Jessica was the Qi family’s exclusive designer. He was a man with bright, blinding yellow hair, two large silver hoops in his ears, drawn-on eyebrows, shimmering lips, and a colorful outfit that looked like a rainbow.

“Su Yao, let me see. I’ve heard that your son has red lips and white teeth; he looks even better than a young girl.”

Mother Qi laughed happily. “Not at all. He grew up in an orphanage since he was little, so he is a bit malnourished. We will take good care of him after bringing him home.”

Qi Beichen heard the designer’s words from afar and felt as if his face were on fire.

“Amazing! Su Yao, you still call that malnourished? This is a standard handsome guy!”

Jessica winked at Qi Beichen. Qi Beichen wanted to find a crack in the floor and crawl into it; what kind of strange people did he encounter today?

“Jessica, you said the same thing when you first saw me.”

Jessica looked at Qi Beixing, his expression clearly unhappy. “Hmm? When did I say such a thing? Even if I did, I’ve forgotten it. Alright, let me see what clothes are appropriate for you two.”

Jessica had brought a pile of clothes. He had designed them personally—or rather, specifically for the Qi family, always worried about sudden banquets and the like. This time, it proved to be a lucky accident.

Jessica pulled Qi Beichen to try on three or four outfits, but always felt something was wrong.

“Qi Beichen, what colors did you wear before? I always feel that black is a bit too rigid for you.”

It had to be said that Qi Beichen had never worn a formal suit before—not even before transmigrating into the book.

“I… I just wore whatever I wanted before. You are the designer; your taste is definitely a hundred times better than mine.”

Jessica paced back and forth in front of Qi Beichen, gesturing and measuring his height, never satisfied.

Until the light shone directly on Qi Beichen, “Your skin has a fair tone. I was influenced by Qi Beixing’s style and kept thinking it had to be a dark color. Try this one.”

Jessica took a khaki outfit off the rack. The collar was clearly a peak lapel, signifying the status of the eldest son.

Qi Beixing, standing to the side, exploded. Every time they tried on clothes before, he was always first. Now that this Qi Beichen had arrived, he was stealing his spotlight.

“Qi Beichen, your figure is really good. How do you maintain it? If you say it’s not the gym, is it dieting? Or did you drink some nutritional supplements?”

Qi Beichen shook his head. “No, I was born like this.”

“Really?”

“Of course, it’s true.”

Qi Beichen put on the clothes; they fit perfectly, as if they had been tailored for him.

“I said this one was more suitable. Look, isn’t my taste good?”

Su Yao stepped forward to look, having Qi Beichen turn around. “It really is. Jessica, your taste is indeed good. Yesterday, I flipped through a whole pile, and none of them were suitable.”

Just like that, Qi Beixing was thoroughly forgotten in the corner. He couldn’t swallow this anger.

“Mom, you are all circling Brother Beichen. What about my clothes? Where did my clothes go?”

Jessica glanced at Qi Beixing. “There, over there, aren’t those all yours? Various colors. However, my suggestion is for you to wear white; it matches the khaki better.”

Qi Beixing had been holding back, but now his temper flared up. “Hey, hey, why do I have to coordinate with him? I always wore black before. This is a formal occasion!”

“Hey, let me tell you, Qi Beixing, this is your eldest brother’s reunion banquet after all. He is the protagonist, and you are the supporting role. There is no such thing as the protagonist giving way to the supporting role.”

Qi Beichen smiled at Qi Beixing. “It’s okay. Beixing is younger than me. Besides, I am his older brother; so, I should be the one yielding to him.”

“I am relieved that you two brothers can be so harmonious.”

Tsk, what kind of harmony was this? It was clear that Qi Beixing wanted to be superior in every way. Qi Beichen glanced at the white outfit; oh well, Qi Beixing would surely be unhappy again.

“Mom, look at this suit collar, it’s a notch lapel. Isn’t that clearly implying that my status is lower than his? What is the meaning of this!”

Su Yao looked at the clothes. Previously, there hadn’t been so many rules, as Qi Beixing was the only son. Now it was different; everything had to be weighed carefully.

“Jessica, is there a matching style?”

Jessica was tidying up the clothes and glanced at Qi Beixing. “This is the cut of this piece. If you want a custom order, it definitely won’t be ready for tonight’s banquet. How about Qi Beixing wears an old one?”

“Mom, look, look! They are all bullying me!”

Su Yao wasn’t annoyed. She gently patted Qi Beixing on the shoulder. “It’s okay, it’s okay. The Qi family has raised you for over twenty years; you are the Qi family’s treasure.”

Qi Beixing stuck his tongue out at Qi Beichen as if to claim his territory.

Qi Beichen just held the clothes and looked at them. “How about I let Beixing have my clothes and I wear an old one? It’s just a piece of clothing, after all.”

“That won’t do. This is your reunion banquet. No matter what, we cannot slight you. Beichen, you have suffered in those twenty-plus years outside.”

Su Yao compared the clothes. “This set has a better waist fit. The vertical stripes are slimming. It’s just this color this sky blue doesn’t match well. This one is pure wool worsted fabric, and it should be more comfortable, but the waist is a bit too wide, and it doesn’t show off Beichen’s good figure. It’s really hard to choose.”

Su Yao was in a dilemma, and Jessica, standing to the side, was also helpless. “Actually, picking any of them is the same, because Qi Beichen has a good figure; he’s like a clothes hanger.”

Qi Beichen compared the clothes. The messy patterns on the lapels—who could see those clearly unless they were shoved into his face? But who would do that? It was truly outrageous. He didn’t know if this was just the atmosphere in wealthy families.

“How about this, Mom? To show fairness and justice, we both wear the same outfit. What do you think?”

“I won’t!”

Qi Beixing put his hands on his hips, his mouth pouting in anger. “Who wants to wear the same clothes as you? I used to wear whatever I wanted.”

Seeing that this was about to turn into a family drama, Jessica felt that he shouldn’t stay here any longer. Leaving the clothes was the best thing to do.

“Well, Su Yao, I have another client, so I’ll leave first.”

Seeing Jessica about to leave, Su Yao hurriedly followed a few steps. “I’ll go with you. I still need to go to the jewelry store to pick up the newly ordered jewelry.”

Jessica hooked a chestnut-colored leather purse and blew a flying kiss at Qi Beichen. “Baby, next time, I will custom-make one for you.”

Qi Beichen’s face turned even redder; he had never encountered a man like this before.

Just as Jessica reached the door, there was a “thud” sound, as if he had run into a wall. “Who is it? Did you not see me?”

The person entering wore a crisp chestnut-colored casual suit, stood about 1.9 meters tall, and had a pair of phoenix eyes that were the most captivating. Qi Beichen was stunned for a moment, then thought about it the original owner’s memory gave him a huge surprise. This was the first male protagonist of the book, named Bai Muxuan.

Jessica was stunned for a moment, clearly recognizing who this was.

“Oh, it’s Young Master Bai. You guys chat; I’m going out with Su Yao.”

“Muxuan, you should also give the two of them some advice and see which one is suitable.” Su Yao glanced at the time. “I won’t say more, the agreed time is almost here.”

Seeing Bai Muxuan, Qi Beixing put on a fawning expression and hurried forward. “So it’s Brother Muxuan. Why didn’t you say you were coming in advance?”

Bai Muxuan merely glanced at Qi Beixing and walked straight past him, not even bothering to acknowledge him.

“I’m here to see Beichen. I heard that the Qi family’s son who was lost for over twenty years has finally come home.”

Qi Beixing still wouldn’t give up and walked a few steps forward. “Brother Muxuan, this is Brother Beichen. We are currently picking out suits to wear at the banquet tonight. Take a look, which one suits me?”

Bai Muxuan glanced at Qi Beixing, casually picked one up, and threw it in front of him. “This one. I think it’s quite good. If you don’t like it, choose it yourself. I’m not here to see you.”

Qi Beichen stood silently in the corner, trembling. He had to admit, if he could hold onto Bai Muxuan’s thigh, he would be well-off. If Bai Muxuan was on Qi Beixing’s side, then if he acted rashly, he would die even faster.

Qi Beichen silently observed the plot direction. From the look of it, Bai Muxuan didn’t seem to like Qi Beixing much.

“Brother Muxuan, look at Brother Beichen’s clothes. The collars are different. Doesn’t that clearly imply, clearly imply…”

“It’s just a piece of clothing. This isn’t a feudal society anymore; where do you get all these nonsensical theories? If you need something better, you might as well get a custom set. If you ran out of time, that’s your own business.”

Qi Beixing was left speechless.

Qi Beichen didn’t know if he should go up and greet him actively, but this was a thick thigh. If not now, when?

Qi Beichen lowered his head, his voice slightly deep. “Brother Muxuan, I am Qi Beichen.”

“Raise your head, don’t be afraid. I was sent by the Bai family specifically to check on you. The Bai family and the Qi family are family friends; I just happened to be passing by and came in to take a look.”

Qi Beichen raised his head, blinking his attractive peach-blossom eyes at Bai Muxuan.

Bai Muxuan blushed instantly, and even the tips of his ears turned red.

Bai Muxuan coughed softly and politely extended his right hand. “Hello, I am Bai Muxuan.”

The moment Qi Beichen touched the tips of Bai Muxuan’s fingers, a warm current traveled from his hand into his body.

Bai Muxuan noticed the chill in his fingertips and applied a little force. “Why are your hands so cold? The temperature has dropped in Jiangcheng recently; you should wear more clothes.”

Bai Muxuan noticed that Qi Beichen’s eyes seemed a bit unfocused. “What’s wrong? Is something uncomfortable? I graduated from Jiangcheng Medical University; if you feel uncomfortable anywhere, you can come to me.”

Perfect. This was exactly what Qi Beichen wanted.

“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just that our hands… it seems we’ve been shaking for too long, I…”

Bai Muxuan immediately let go, his face full of apology. “I’m very sorry, it’s my fault.”

Qi Beichen felt like he was floating. A man like this—handsome, rich, and the first male protagonist—could this be his real golden finger for transmigrating into the book? If it was such a thick golden finger, he felt it was very worth it.

“Um, Beichen, is there something on my face? You’ve been staring at it.”

Qi Beichen immediately reined in his infatuated look and shook his head. “I… I just saw hope…”

“This outfit is indeed very suitable for you. I just came to take a look. It’s getting late, and I should go to work. I hope to see you in high spirits at the cocktail party tonight.”

Bai Muxuan waved at Qi Beichen. Qi Beichen’s soul felt like it was being hooked away. This thigh he must hold onto it firmly.