I Became the Darling of the Wealthy Through Gossip - Chapter 7

When Qi Beichen woke up, the car had already pulled over to the roadside. The sun was high, streaming through the car window and scattering onto him in tiny, bright patches of light. What had been a cozy warmth from the heater now felt almost stifling.

“Awake?”

Qi Beichen sniffled and scratched his head. Perhaps because he’d slept in an awkward position, a defiant tuft of hair had sprouted on his head. He reached up and pressed it down, but it was disobedient; every time he pushed it down, it popped right back up, repeating this cycle several times.

Watching from the rearview mirror, Bai Muxuan wanted to laugh but held it in.

“Um, how long have we been here?” Qi Beichen shook his head, trying to clear the lingering sleepiness.

Bai Muxuan checked his watch. “It’s 9:30. We arrived at nine and have been waiting for about half an hour. You were sleeping so soundly I didn’t want to wake you.”

Their agreed-upon time was nine nine o’clock!

“We’re late, we’re late! Brother Muxuan, we need to hurry over.” Qi Beichen instantly snapped to attention, reaching for the door handle.

“You just woke up; take it easy. Your cardiovascular system won’t handle such sudden movement.”

It had to be said, Bai Muxuan was right; his head felt a bit dizzy, likely from the sudden exertion.

“What’s wrong? Do you feel unwell, or did you get dizzy?”

Qi Beichen’s mouth twitched. “Oh, no, nothing like that. I’m young and robust; it’s not that bad.”

Bai Muxuan looked at him skeptically. “Really?”

“Of course it’s really…” By the end, Qi Beichen was practically gritting his teeth. He couldn’t let his facade crack.

“Oh, the great Buddha has finally arrived. The one who initiated the invitation ends up being the last to show up.” The one speaking sarcastically was Liang Han, who was holding a wooden stick and drawing unknown shapes in the dirt.

“Isn’t that so? At past gatherings, Muxuan was always the first one there.” Xie Zhixu was pulling hard on a tent rope. “Come help out, that side needs a bit of strength.”

“Apologies, there was a traffic jam on the road, so we’re late. It has nothing to do with Beichen.”

Three pairs no, four pairs of eyes turned in unison to look at Bai Muxuan.

“Muxuan, tell me, you haven’t been drugged with some love potion, have you? That’s Qi Beichen we’re talking about.” Su Haoxuan looked utterly incredulous.

Qi Beichen started to say something, but Bai Muxuan cut him off. “Yes, it was my mistake in choosing the route. Is there anything else we need help with now?”

Qi Beichen surveyed the campsite. To the side was a small river, and behind it was a forest. The tent was half-built, but he had a vague feeling something was wrong, though he couldn’t put his finger on it.

Su Haoxuan tugged at a tent rope. “Nothing else. It’s almost ten; should we start cooking? It’s about time.”

Qi Beichen: “Who brought a pot?”

Five pairs of eyes met, looking at each other blankly, until they were almost crossing their eyes.

Su Haoxuan: “Don’t look at me! No tasks were assigned yesterday; I assumed Bai Muxuan would bring one.”

Bai Muxuan: “I didn’t bring one because I brought a person instead.”

Liang Han: “Qi Beichen, what did you bring?”

Qi Beichen smiled at Liang Han. “Can I say I brought myself?”

Xie Zhixu: “Damn it, is this what you guys meant by ‘definitely reliable’?”

Liang Han: “Five people, and we can’t even scrape together one decent person.”

Su Haoxuan: “Who are you calling not decent? I think you’re the least decent one here!”

Seeing them on the verge of a heated argument, Qi Beichen felt this was the perfect opportunity to make everyone change their impression of him 360 degrees.

He tugged at the hem of his trench coat and blinked at the other four. “It’s my fault. I should have assigned tasks properly instead of doing it on a whim.”

Xie Zhixu: “…” Liang Han: “…” Su Haoxuan: “…”

Bai Muxuan patted Qi Beichen on the shoulder. “Forget it, it’s fine. We’ll assign tasks right now.”

It had to be said, Qi Beichen was genuinely frustrated; no wonder he’d felt a vague unease before going to bed.

Liang Han volunteered, “When I was in Hawaii, I had wilderness survival experience. Picking up firewood is up to me. Besides, didn’t the campsite entrance say they provide wood from the forest behind for an authentic experience?”

Qi Beichen muttered to himself, “Excuses, all excuses. My barbecue is flying away…”

“What’s the big deal? It doesn’t matter. If we didn’t bring it, we didn’t bring it. Su Haoxuan and I will go together. We can roast meat and fish later.” Su Haoxuan volunteered, pairing up with Liang Han.

A pair… Qi Beichen always felt there was something wrong with the way he thought; he just kept getting the wrong idea.

“Then I’ll prep the ingredients. I brought some vegetables and pork chops, though I’m not sure if it’s enough.” Xie Zhixu held two large plastic bags full of stuff… well, yes, quite a lot. “Don’t look down on it, guys. You said a limit of a thousand, and I couldn’t find anything more suitable. Who here knows how to hunt?”

Qi Beichen’s mouth twitched. “I’m not Tarzan; I don’t know how to do the ‘Aloha’ thing…”

Bai Muxuan shook his head. “I brought a fishing rod, but it’s in the parking lot. I have to go back and get it.”

Xie Zhixu pouted. “Just gather what you can here; no point in wasting time.”

Qi Beichen stared blankly at the small river nearby. He couldn’t come all this way and do nothing while others stole the spotlight. “Then! Then I’ll catch the fish! I’m very good at it; I did it all the time when I was little!”

“I’ll go with you.”

Qi Beichen froze. The “big shot” had volunteered to be in his group. He felt incredibly flattered.

“Um, Brother Muxuan, are you good at this?”

“Mm, I can fish.”

“Then that’s the plan. Everyone do their own part, safety first! Get back here as quickly as possible!” Xie Zhixu put his bags on the ground and began tearing apart the vegetables, showing none of the airs of a young master of the Xie family.

Qi Beichen walked a few steps, but the pebbles on the beach felt a bit sharp under his feet—it didn’t used to be like this. He took a few more steps, and the sensation intensified. It wasn’t his fault; it was this body’s doing—the skin was thin, even if his face was thick.

“Sss…” Qi Beichen frowned. It felt as if his shoes were working against him, too.

“What’s wrong? Do you feel unwell, or is your hand hurting again?”

Bai Muxuan’s concern for him seemed… abnormal. Could it be that something happened before the plot started? Qi Beichen searched his memory, but the original host’s memories only started from the banquet. However, the plot points were no longer accurate, because the incident where someone pushed Qi Beixing down the stairs never happened at the banquet instead, he had fallen into the water himself.

Qi Beichen shook his head like a bobblehead. “No, nothing. Just stepped on a sharp stone earlier, my soles hurt a bit.”

Bai Muxuan looked at the rounded pebbles on the beach, then back at Qi Beichen. This guy really knows how to put on a show.

Qi Beichen met Bai Muxuan’s gaze, not knowing how to explain himself. He was afraid that the more he tried to clarify, the darker it would look, and then he’d get an aversion from the “big shot”—that would lead to a bad ending, and he had to tread carefully.

“Um, Brother Muxuan, have you ever caught fish?” Qi Beichen asked cautiously.

Bai Muxuan shook his head. “No, but I’ve seen others do it, the kind where they spear fish with tree branches. Should we give it a try?”

Qi Beichen looked at the branches by the river; it wasn’t impossible.

“Um, Brother Muxuan, can I admit that I have no idea how to do this?”

Bai Muxuan glanced at Qi Beichen.

“How about you teach me?” Qi Beichen tested the waters.

Bai Muxuan didn’t answer immediately; he picked up a branch and gestured in the air a few times. Qi Beichen watched his expression, wondering if he was being disliked.

“Um, if it’s not possible, that’s fine too. I’ll do it myself.”

Bai Muxuan handed the branch to Qi Beichen. “Take it. I’ll tell you how to spear the fish.”

“This is a campsite, and the organizers provide branches like these so tourists can have fun. There are plenty of fish in the river. When you aim for a fish, you have to account for the refraction of water. Thrust toward the fish’s tail, and you should generally be fine. But you must be very gentle with your movements; otherwise, you’ll startle them.”

“These fish are very smart. They’ll spread the word that there’s someone on the shore trying to catch them, and then it’ll be impossible.”

“Brother Muxuan, is that true? Can you understand fish, like, telepathy or something?”

Bai Muxuan looked at Qi Beichen speechlessly. “I don’t have telepathy, and I can’t understand fish. I just heard it from someone else.”

“Oh, I see.”

Qi Beichen followed Bai Muxuan’s advice and poked randomly into the river, not caring if a fish was near, thrusting hard toward the tail area.

Poking was one thing, but the real issue was the injury on his fingertip. The spot he’d just bandaged began to seep blood, but he didn’t want to seem like he was making a fuss—though he was, in fact, making quite a bit of fuss.

Watching the commotion, Xie Zhixu set down his vegetables. “Hey, Qi Beichen, your posture is wrong. Want me to teach you?”

Qi Beichen looked at Xie Zhixu, then back at the retreating figure of Bai Muxuan. It’s not impossible. Xie Zhixu was also a “big shot,” even if he wasn’t as powerful as Bai Muxuan.

“Then, Brother Zhixu, what should I do?”

Xie Zhixu hadn’t expected Qi Beichen not to reject him, but rather to invite him.

“I’ll tell you, the move should be like this.”

Xie Zhixu approached Qi Beichen, and the warmth of his body rose up from behind. No one had ever been this close to him. Qi Beichen was naturally fair-skinned, so it was very easy to see the color rising to his face.

“Relax, look straight ahead at the water surface. Little fish are very fast, so stand firm. There are loose stones here, so be careful. Keep your center of gravity stable, and keep your legs hip-width apart.”

Qi Beichen blinked, spread his legs slightly, and followed Xie Zhixu’s lead.

“Keep your wrists level, use your waist, and spread your legs a bit wider.”

Qi Beichen felt something was wrong with that sentence definitely wrong. “Um, Brother Zhixu, why don’t I try it myself?”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“Um, we have clear divisions of labor, I feel like I can handle it.”

“What are you two doing?”

Bai Muxuan’s voice suddenly appeared behind them, very deep.

Xie Zhixu let go of Qi Beichen’s hands and smiled at Bai Muxuan. “He didn’t know how to fish, so I was teaching him. But his posture was off, so I was giving him some pointers.”

“His legs aren’t wide enough, and he could raise them higher.”

Seeing Bai Muxuan’s expression turn dark, Qi Beichen could also hear the sour note in the air. He immediately pushed Xie Zhixu back, but he didn’t know there was a stone in an awkward spot under Xie Zhixu’s feet. Losing his balance, he went “splash!”

The river water at the end of October was cold. Xie Zhixu’s clothes weren’t thick. “Damn! Qi Beichen, I was kind enough to teach you how to fish, and you repay me by pushing me into the water!”

Qi Beichen didn’t know what to say. Did he have a karmic connection with water?

He remembered a fortune teller on the street once told him, “Benefactor, your life is lacking water. If you want to replenish your water energy, you must wear aquamarine. You are a person of destiny; this piece of aquamarine is only 9999. You can’t lose, you can’t be tricked, you just buy peace of mind.”

Damn, 9999? Why don’t you just rob me!

Qi Beichen was a million times unwilling; not just unwilling, this was fraud! Pure consumer fraud.

In the end, he didn’t buy it, and he got back on shore.

Xie Zhixu stayed in the water. Seeing Qi Beichen silent for a long time, he thought his words had been too harsh, and he scrambled to stand up from the river. “Um, I didn’t mean it that way, it just slipped out.”

“Spoken words are the most hurtful.”

Bai Muxuan was simply merciless.

“Muxuan, I didn’t realize it before, why are you so protective of this Qi Beichen? Is it that there’s something between you…”

“There’s nothing between us. Brother Zhixu, your clothes are wet. Do you have a change? In this weather, it’s easy to catch a cold. If a cold develops seriously, it could lead to pneumonia, white lung syndrome.”

“Hey, hey, stop it! Qi Beichen, are you cursing me? I’m in great health. Why are you echoing Bai Muxuan? I’ll go to the car to change.”

Qi Beichen exhaled. “Brother Zhixu, I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to. The pebbles here are very slippery; I stepped on a sharp stone just now, my soles still hurt.”

“Where did you step? Why are you so fragile? Your finger isn’t even better, and now your foot hurts?”

“Um, Brother Muxuan, it’s a small problem, a small problem.”

“Not afraid of tetanus?”

Qi Beichen felt like a deflated ball. “Afraid, but I think it should be fine.”

“Looks like you still need medication. The wilderness environment isn’t clean; if you don’t treat it properly and end up with a fever, what then?”

Qi Beichen lowered his head. “Brother Muxuan, it’s all my fault…”

Bai Muxuan sighed. “My uncle entrusted me to take good care of you.”

Uncle? That would be Qi Run. Why would he entrust Bai Muxuan with such a thing? No, he suddenly remembered in the original plot, Qi Beixing married Bai Muxuan’s sister and hit the big time. The Bai and Qi families were family friends. Damn it!

Qi Beichen suddenly realized. He was the eldest son of the Qi family; didn’t that mean this task now fell to him? Everything, everything suddenly seemed to explain itself.

However, the plot seemed a bit different from what the original author had written.

“Qi Beichen, has anyone ever told you that you really like staring at people?”

Qi Beichen swallowed. This was a “big shot,” and one who had delivered himself to his door. This was fantastic.

“Because I have seen the light!”