I Entered the Villains’ Den While Pretending to Be a Righteous Man - Chapter 11

The butler’s heart skipped a beat.

Why the sudden change in mood?! Is it because I praised Bai Shuijin’s looks?

The butler scrambled to fix his mistake. “But in this house, the most handsome one is still you, Sir.”

Wang Huanxiu: “…”

Wang Huanxiu: “Uncle Zhang, if I remember correctly, you’re sixty-two this year, right?”

“I am.” The butler smiled broadly. “Sir still remembers my age.”

Wang Huanxiu spared the butler a single glance before walking away.

The elderly are starting to talk nonsense.

Seeing that Wang Huanxiu’s expression was off, the butler shut his mouth and said no more, following behind with Wang Huanxiu’s belongings as they headed into the house.

Stepping into the foyer, Bai Shuijin who had just been at the floor-to-ceiling window had already “flash-stepped” to the door, his small, oil-slicked mouth huffing and puffing as he gasped for air.

The two locations in this house were so far apart they might as well have been miles away. It felt like he’d run a mini-marathon; he was exhausted. If they held long-distance running events here, they’d accidentally work a college student to death.

Because he had run too fast, a sharp pain flared in the side of his abdomen. Every time he inhaled, the pain intensified. Bai Shuijin clutched his stomach and, seeing Wang Huanxiu looking at him, tilted his head back to speak. “Husband-Bro, I have a stitch in my side.”

This is pain I’m enduring for you.

“Is that so?” A hint of a mocking smile tugged at the corner of Wang Huanxiu’s mouth. “I thought you’d just overeaten.”

Bai Shuijin: “…”

Goddamn bad man.

Wang Huanxiu had been out working all day, yet his suit remained smooth and perfectly fitted without a single wrinkle. However, he had left at eight in the morning and hadn’t returned until ten at night; a fourteen-hour workday was exhausting just to think about.

There were only twenty-four hours in a day. Subtracting time for sleep and meals, Wang Huanxiu spent nearly every waking moment working. It reminded Shuijin of his previous life as a back-to-back laborer. Furthermore, Wang Huanxiu had a habit of reviewing documents even after coming home.

This wouldn’t do. Aside from sleep, the body needed other forms of downtime.

While Wang Huanxiu was changing his shoes, Bai Shuijin sidled up to him. “Husband-Bro, is work very tiring?”

Wang Huanxiu gave a casual reply. “It’s fine.”

In the next second, he was suddenly bumped. Wang Huanxiu stared at the hip that had just nudged him.

Bai Shuijin edged even closer. “Husband-Bro, stop pretending.”

“Pretending what?”

Bai Shuijin glanced at the nearby butler and servants, then stood on his tiptoes to whisper in a voice only the two of them could hear: “Fourteen hours. You must be exhausted.”

Wang Huanxiu: “…”

Overloaded, high-intensity work took a toll on the body; this was something Bai Shuijin knew from personal experience. Moreover, Wang Huanxiu had an extraordinary level of endurance a tolerance that surpassed normal humans. He ignored his body’s warning signs completely; even with the previous bone fracture, he hadn’t so much as blinked.

Among animals, rabbits had the highest endurance; it took an extremely cruel act to make them cry out, and by then, the cry usually signaled the end of their life. Bai Shuijin felt Wang Huanxiu’s endurance was even greater than a rabbit. He never cared about his own feelings and never exposed his vulnerability to others.

“Husband-Bro, don’t go to the study to read documents today. Just go straight to sleep.”

Wang Huanxiu looked at Bai Shuijin’s mouth, which never seemed to stop moving. It was bright red and shimmering, as if he had applied lip gloss; it looked moist and lustrous.

Did he put on lipstick?

Bai Shuijin had a habit of wearing makeup, so it wasn’t surprising he had lipstick. His mouth was cherry-red, and his complexion had always been good, but the lipstick today made him look even more radiant and cute. His mouth was turned up at the corners, and he wore a beige knit sweater with a thin silver chain resting against his collarbone as an accent.

Bai Shuijin’s neck and shoulders were exceptionally beautiful. He seemed to know his own strengths, always knowing how to make himself look pretty. His clothes rarely had high collars, and since he was shorter, the view from above made the lines of his neck and collarbone quite pleasing to the eye.

Wang Huanxiu’s raven-black lashes lowered, and his gaze gradually darkened.

“How old are you this year?”

“Twenty.” Bai Shuijin blinked. “Why, Husband-Bro?”

Wang Huanxiu’s words struck like a bolt of lightning. “You’re twenty and you only grew this tall?”

Bai Shuijin: “…”

A total shock. Bai Shuijin stood petrified on the spot.

Twenty and only this tall? Was the man mocking him or insulting him? Or was he mocking and insulting him?!

What was wrong with 1.76 meters?! Every centimeter of that 1.76 was the result of his hard work! His bones had sprouted slowly in the middle of the night!

Bai Shuijin nearly fainted from indignation. What kind of words are those? I’m asking you, what kind of words are those?!

Bai Shuijin was fuming with righteous indignation. He wanted to speak up for every 1.76-meter person in the world. “I’m 1.76! That’s not short! Don’t tell me you were never 1.76?”

“That was when I was twelve.” Wang Huanxiu didn’t give him another look and headed straight for the third floor.

“…”

This time, Bai Shuijin truly did faint.

Dammit, I’m calling the police to arrest you!

After Wang Huanxiu went upstairs, Bai Shuijin sat on the sofa like a puffed-up balloon, aggressively drinking milk through a giant straw.

He was only twenty; he could still grow! As the saying goes, “at twenty-three, you take a leap.” He’d drink milk every day and hit 1.8 meters by the time he turned twenty-three! The straw in his mouth became Wang Huanxiu’s substitute, bitten down upon ruthlessly.

Just then, the butler approached, carrying a massive fruit platter. It was loaded with fruit, all washed and radiating a natural fragrance a scent that no chemical substance could replicate.

“Master Bai, please take these up to the Master.”

Take fruit to Wang Huanxiu?

Looking at the colorful fruit, Bai Shuijin took a final, massive gulp of his milk. “Fine.”

He tossed the milk carton into the trash and took the platter from the butler. It was getting late; he could take the fruit up and use the opportunity to persuade Wang Huanxiu to rest. The man might be a workaholic, but he wasn’t made of iron. He was only human; it was better to rest. Otherwise, if his health failed, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy his wealth, luxury cars, or mansions. Health was the foundation of everything.

Although Wang Huanxiu had mocked his height and showed no remorse, Bai Shuijin was magnanimous enough to overlook it and bring him fruit. After all, there were three great benevolent beings in this world: Jesus, Buddha, and Bai Shuijin.

Bai Shuijin smiled to himself, amused by his own kindness, and began his ascent to the third floor.

The servants nearby stood with lowered heads, exchanging glances but saying nothing. Master Bai was in for it tonight; he might even be kicked out of the house.

The butler didn’t have a good opinion of Bai Shuijin. Since the marriage, he rarely interacted with the boy unless Shuijin initiated it. Furthermore, the third floor was Wang Huanxiu’s private domain. Servants were only allowed up there to clean or ventilate the rooms. A few days ago, Bai Shuijin had moved to a storage room on the second floor, so they didn’t even live on the same level.

For the butler to ask Bai Shuijin to take fruit up now could only mean one thing: it was Wang Huanxiu’s idea. After all, the Master never let people onto the third floor and never ate fruit at night.

They didn’t know how the boy had offended the Master, but this time, Bai Shuijin was done for.

Bai Shuijin’s slippers went pat-pat-pat as he reached the third floor. He pushed open the bedroom door.

“Husband-Bro, I’m here.”

The room was empty.

Bai Shuijin’s heart sank. Crap, don’t tell me he’s in one of the sub-rooms. Wang Huanxiu’s bedroom was practically a multi-purpose suite; someone could raise pigs in here and no one would notice. Remembering the last time he’d wandered in circles, he wondered how long it would take to find the man. The apples would be oxidized by then.

Just then, a voice came from outside the door.

“What are you looking for?”

It was cold, like the icicles hanging from the eaves outside.

Bai Shuijin backed out of the bedroom and turned to see Wang Huanxiu standing by the study door with his arms crossed, watching him. Working in the middle of the night instead of sleeping in his room… Bai Shuijin muttered to himself. How can someone love work this much? In his previous life, he had worked until he wanted to vomit.

“Looking for you.” He carried the platter over, his mouth pouting as he spoke. “Husband-Bro, why aren’t you sleeping yet?”

Wang Huanxiu’s well-defined hand took the heavy platter from him. “Soon.”

“It’s just…” His raven-dark gaze landed on Bai Shuijin’s face. “There’s a decision I’m struggling with.”

Struggling with a decision?

Bai Shuijin followed him into the study. He really wanted to eat the lychees on the platter. They were bright red and large they looked delicious. Lychees were expensive; he could never afford them before.

Wang Huanxiu placed the platter on the desk. His workspace wasn’t exactly tidy there were papers, pencils, rulers, and a computer yet it had a sense of organized sophistication. Truly a CEO persona; even his desk has such style.

Bai Shuijin looked at the time on the computer: 11:20 PM. It was quite late. “Husband-Bro, how much longer are you going to think about this decision?”

If he thought all night, he wouldn’t get any sleep.

Wang Huanxiu sat in his chair, reached for a lychee, and began to peel it with lazy movements. “I don’t know.”

The juice from the shell ran over his hand, revealing the tender, translucent white flesh and a sweet fragrance.

Bai Shuijin licked his lips. “How about you just sleep for today?”

“How about you help me think?”

Bai Shuijin kept staring at the lychee in Wang Huanxiu’s hand. “Sure.”

He felt a tug on his wrist. With a slight pull from Wang Huanxiu, Bai Shuijin was drawn to his side, stumbling once before steadying himself.

“Sit,” Wang Huanxiu signaled with his eyes.

Bai Shuijin acted coy. “Husband-Bro… this isn’t very appropriate, is it?”

“What’s inappropriate about it?”

Bai Shuijin puckered his lips. “Alright then.”

In the next second, he sat right down on Wang Huanxiu’s lap.

Wang Huanxiu: “…”

The air went deathly quiet for several seconds. Wang Huanxiu’s voice was dark as he asked, “Who told you to sit there?”

Bai Shuijin turned his head, playing the innocent. “Wasn’t it you?”

Wang Huanxiu took a deep breath and gritted his teeth. “I told you to sit on the arm of the chair.”

“Oh.” Bai Shuijin sat on the arm of the chair for a moment, then immediately scooted back. “Husband-Bro, it’s a bit too hard.”

“…”

Anyone would think his backside was made of gold. Wang Huanxiu looked at the person on his lap. “You certainly know how to pick a spot.”

Bai Shuijin replied bashfully: “One of the hundred ways to love myself.”

“…”