I Entered the Villains’ Den While Pretending to Be a Righteous Man - Chapter 3

A beautiful morning began with Bai Shuijin taking a deep breath of fresh, fragrant air.

The room carried a soothing, pleasant scent. After staying here for a night, he felt as if his entire being radiated that same fragrance. Bai Shuijin gave a shy smile; he felt quite “scent-sational” himself.

Not far away, the door to the walk-in closet was slightly ajar. Someone was inside getting dressed. Bai Shuijin clutched his pillow and performed another “death roll” across the bed.

Snap

The door opened, and Wang Huanxiu stepped out. Dressed in a sharp suit, he stood tall and imposing; his legs were longer than a person’s lifespan. Having a quarter-foreign heritage, his proportions were practically godly, a sight that would make anyone envious.

He watched Bai Shuijin rolling back and forth on the bed, looking like a crocodile thrashing about in a pond after biting its prey.

Wang Huanxiu: “…”

Bai Shuijin caught a glimpse of the figure by the bed and halted his absurd morning workout.

“Hubby-Ge, morning.”

The first greeting of the day the beginning of closing the distance between two hearts.

Bai Shuijin sat on the bed, one snowy-white leg kicking at the blanket while he clutched his “prey” pillow. At that moment, the automatic curtains glided open, revealing a massive wall of floor-to-ceiling glass. Silver metal frames were embedded in the panes, supporting a two-story-high glass wall that offered an extraordinary view. It looked like a giant cage woven for a bird.

Reasonably speaking, Wang Huanxiu should have replied like a normal person.

However, in the next second, a gold card was tossed before Bai Shuijin with a sharp slap.

Bai Shuijin’s eyes widened!

A small morning brought a massive shock.

Wang Huanxiu looked at him coldly, his gaze carrying the wicked and arrogant aura of a CEO. “Remember what I said yesterday. Put away those little schemes of yours.”

He turned on his long legs to leave. “Move out of my room today.”

The bedroom door clicked shut.

Bai Shuijin stared at the gold card on the bedding, then picked it up with both hands and raised it into the air.

Simba! …No, Rebirth!

Wang Huanxiu giving him a gold card didn’t that mean he could spend as he pleased? No more working from dawn to dusk, no more living a stingy life. The gold card was Bai Shuijin’s hope for the future. He held it to his cheek and nuzzled it fervently.

A normal person says “Good morning.”

A bad person says “Get fked.”

Hubby-Ge Wang Huanxiu is different. Hubby-Ge is rich; he gives gold cards.

Money is the essential nourishment of human society, the driving force of tedious work and life. Although transmigration carried a risk to his life, he had also obtained “hush money” for his soul.

Bai Shuijin felt refreshed. He tucked the gold card behind his ear, pushed open the glass balcony doors, and walked out to embrace the world.

Back when he worked part-time and had 8:00 AM classes, Bai Shuijin used to wake up wanting to fight the entire world. But now, with his rainbow hair flowing, he spread his arms.

“Good morning, little birds.”

“Good morning, world.”

Down in the garden, a gardener pruning the shrubs looked up at Bai Shuijin on the third-floor balcony.

“…” The employee thought: I have no idea what he’s spouting now.

Standing out in the freezing winter wind wearing nothing but a bathrobe.

Wang Huanxiu walked downstairs. The butler was waiting at the foot of the stairs, looking uneasy with a furrowed brow and a heavy heart.

Wang Huanxiu’s wedding yesterday had been a disaster, and the news of him being embarrassed had hit every major website. Bai Shuijin’s face, painted in that “death-opera” makeup, was plastered on the headlines it was incredibly gaudy. His actions at the wedding had completely shamed Wang Huanxiu.

When Wang Huanxiu brought him back last night, the butler had seen him too. It was impossible to put into words the visual impact and mental shock. Wang Huanxiu’s expression hadn’t been pleasant either; he clearly didn’t care for this Young Master Bai.

Calling him “Young Master” was a courtesy. The Bai family were nouveau riche upstarts who had hit a jackpot and gotten lucky with some investments, forcing their way into the elite circle. Their breeding and manners couldn’t compare to the great families; their speech and vision were shallow and unrefined. Not to mention, this Young Master Bai was far too close to the Pei family.

That was the first thing bothering the butler Wang Huanxiu’s foul mood was intimidating. The second was that the steamer in the kitchen had broken this morning, so Wang Huanxiu’s breakfast for the office hadn’t been prepared.

A small thing like a steamer breaking wouldn’t be an issue if there were spares, but the kitchen staff had grown slack. Mother Li was too indulgent with the younger workers, who took advantage of her kind nature and snuck items home for personal use.

When they went to swap the steamer this morning, they found the cabinets empty. Mother Li was trembling with fear because the food wasn’t ready, and the young workers were stunned; they didn’t expect their theft to be discovered so soon.

The young ones were trash, and Mother Li was too naive. All the trouble had converged at once. In the end, the butler had to shoulder it all he had to steady Wang Huanxiu’s mood before dealing with the kitchen crew.

As Wang Huanxiu reached the ground floor, the butler hurried to his side. “Sir, did you rest well last night?”

“Average.”

That “average” made the butler’s heart sink. Anything other than “good” was effectively a “no.” It made the news about the breakfast even harder to deliver.

“Clean out a room for Bai Shuijin. Have him move in before the end of the day.”

Butler: “Yes, sir.”

It was clear that despite being newlywed, the couple’s feelings were “average” very, very average. Wang Huanxiu didn’t even want to see Bai Shuijin; last night he had probably held his nose just to share a bed with him.

Poor Master, the butler thought. I wonder if Bai Shuijin tried to force himself on him.

“Uncle Zhang, what are you thinking about?”

The butler jumped. “Nothing, sir. Nothing at all.”

“Is that so?” Wang Huanxiu glanced at him. “Your eyes look quite… murky.”

“…” The butler’s old face turned red.

Seeing that Wang Huanxiu was in the mood for small talk, the butler turned the conversation to food. “Sir, will you have breakfast at home?”

“No, I’ll go straight to the office.”

“Sir, there was a small problem in the kitchen today. The food couldn’t be prepared in time for you to take with you.”

Wang Huanxiu didn’t look at him. “Then have someone send it to the office at noon.” He paused. “Actually, never mind. I’ll eat at the office today.”

Though Wang Huanxiu didn’t scold him, the butler lowered his head sincerely. “Sir, this won’t happen again. The clumsy hands in the kitchen will be handled today.”

Wang Huanxiu would tolerate a first mistake, but that didn’t mean it hadn’t happened. Handling the aftermath and ensuring no second error occurred was the secret to working for the Wang family for a long time.

“You handle it.”

The butler breathed a sigh of relief. Then he remembered something. “Sir, should I restrict Young Master Bai’s movements within the house?”

For instance, the study, which was Wang Huanxiu’s home office. Bai Shuijin was close to the Pei family, and his friends were mostly people who didn’t get along with Wang Huanxiu. Now that he was in the house, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t be “light-fingered” like the kitchen staff. If he snuck into the study and leaked something, it would be bad.

“No need.” A cold smirk touched Wang Huanxiu’s lips; his eyes were like pits of icy water. “Let him wander wherever he wants.”

The butler’s eyes widened. “Sir, is that wise?”

But then he thought about it. Letting Bai Shuijin move freely might make sense. If Bai Shuijin grew greedy and stole documents or company files, it would provide the perfect leverage to kick him out. They could expose his dirty methods, take the Pei family to court, and hold the moral high ground while making a laughingstock of the Peis.

Jiang You hopped out of his supercar. He had a business partnership with Wang Huanxiu recently and was heading to the office to discuss the later stages of a project. Since he was passing by, he decided to pick Wang Huanxiu up.

They had known each other for two or three years. They weren’t exactly “blood brothers,” but they were the same kind of people treacherous, profit-seeking businessmen. They got along well.

He had attended the wedding yesterday. Seeing Bai Shuijin standing before the priest, he had rubbed his forehead and laughed at Wang Huanxiu’s plight. Why did Wang Huanxiu marry such a thing? Beyond gaudy. If it were him, his corpse would be floating in the city river by the next day.

Wang Huanxiu’s marriage was largely a move to spite the old Patriarch of the Wang family. The old man and Wang Huanxiu had a strained relationship and had been pestering him to marry. They thought he’d brush it off like before, but Wang Huanxiu actually found someone.

Bai Shuijin: no family background, no manners, a country bumpkin nouveau riche. Wang Huanxiu didn’t want the refined ones; he married a legendary “peasant” just to be spiteful. The old man was so angry he didn’t even attend the wedding.

Jiang You didn’t have much to say about Wang Huanxiu’s choice; Wang Huanxiu had always been a bit crazy.

The servants knew him and opened the gates. Jiang You walked in. “Is your CEO not out yet?”

He walked through the garden, looking at the beautifully manicured shrubs. His gaze was suddenly drawn upward. Standing on the open balcony above was a vivid, bright figure.

The person wore a pure white robe, the fabric of the hem fluttering slightly in the winter wind. His skin looked translucent and snowy under the sunlight. Because of the cold, the skin on his joints showed a flush of pink.

His eyes were bright, his nose petite. He had a champagne-gold base hair color with rainbow tips, but the colors didn’t look exaggerated on him. Instead, they made his face stand out even more, as if every ray of sunlight hitting him was a deliberate act of favoritism.

The gold card tucked behind his ear sparkled in the sun, acting like an accessory that made his whole being shine. He looked like an elf in the winter morning.

Jiang You’s breath hitched. He stood still with his hands in his pockets, tilting his head back to watch the person on the balcony. He blinked.

“Who is that?” he asked a servant nearby. Just then, Wang Huanxiu walked out of the villa.

Since the man himself was here, Jiang You didn’t wait for the servant to answer. He asked Wang Huanxiu directly: “Who is that person on your balcony?”

Wang Huanxiu looked up and saw Bai Shuijin on the third floor saying “Good morning” to the birds.

The other party seemed to notice them too.

Bai Shuijin: Oi, Hubby-Ge. Is he going out to “earn some grains” (money)?

He happily waved at Wang Huanxiu, trying to be proactive so the man could feel his “affection.” He pressed two fingers to his lips.

Bai Shuijin: Hubby-Ge, kiss kiss.

Wang Huanxiu stared at him expressionlessly for a moment, then turned away coldly.

“Hey, you haven’t told me who that is!” Jiang You followed behind him.

“Bai Shuijin.”

“Who?!”

Wang Huanxiu stopped and looked at him. “Bai Shuijin.”

Jiang You’s jaw nearly dropped. His tongue felt like it had been snatched by a cat; he was incoherent. The person on the balcony and the “painted ghost” from yesterday were the same person!

He pulled out his phone and scrolled to the wedding news. The photo of Bai Shuijin with the white face and red lips was still on the headline.

“What about this one? You’re not keeping him anymore?”

Wang Huanxiu’s voice was chilly. “I strangled him and buried him in the backyard.”