I Entered the Villains’ Den While Pretending to Be a Righteous Man - Chapter 6

No, something was completely wrong.

In this filthy, cutthroat world of adults, everything was far more complex and absurd than it appeared. Was this another malicious business tactic?! Having been burnt too many times, the two men’s alertness was now at its absolute peak. After all, those devious minds were dirtier than a sewer omnipresent and impossible to guard against.

The “Love Bento” before them left the two successful men in a stunned, inscrutable silence.

Wang Huanxiu, the undisputed alpha of the pack, was the first to speak. “Do you think this is just a lunch box that looks terrible and actually tastes terrible?”

Jiang You’s sharp eyes flickered like a viper’s tongue. “Impossible. There must be a hidden catch.”

In the world of fiction, what people find most irresistible are the contrasts and plot twists. Although the bento looked unappetizing and smelled foul, everything was an unknown until it was tasted. Perhaps it was a psychological trap: lower the expectations to zero, only to deliver a shock of brilliance that leaves the taster in awe. Besides, the smell might just be because it had cooled down.

Wang Huanxiu stood up, his long legs moving with purpose. “Let’s heat it up and see.”

The two CEOs, both standing over 187cm, walked into the lounge and popped the bento into the microwave for ten minutes.

Ding

The time was up. They took out the box. The originally foul-smelling bento, after ten minutes of heating, became… even more foul.

Wang Huanxiu: “…” Jiang You: “…”

The words written in ketchup had melted into an unrecognizable mess, lying in the box like a food crime scene. Whether one would “fall in love” with Bai Shuijin after a bite was unknown, but they would certainly remember him. To personally concoct such a “poison” he had certainly put in the effort.

In the end, Wang Huanxiu did not eat the Love Bento. After solving lunch at the cafeteria, Jiang You decided he needed another coffee to survive the afternoon.

Wang Huanxiu returned to the penthouse. On his desk sat a freshly brewed cup of black tea. He preferred tea over coffee for a wake-up call. Just then, a light knock came at the door.

“Enter.”

The secretary walked in with a strained expression, holding a desk phone. “President Wang, someone is looking for you.”

“Who?”

The secretary gulped. “I don’t know. They said it was a ‘Warmhearted Caller’.”

No one knew the secretary department’s direct line except for internal partners. The caller ID was a stranger’s number, and the voice was unfamiliar. But since they could reach this line, they weren’t an average person. The caller demanded the CEO immediately, so the secretary didn’t dare hang up.

Wang Huanxiu: “Give it to me.”

He took the receiver.

“Hubby-Ge!”

“…” Wang Huanxiu instinctively closed his eyes. “What is it.”

The person on the other end gave a non-sequitur: “Hubby-Ge, good afternoon! Have you eaten?”

“Yes.”

“I ate too. Mother Li made char siu buns for lunch; they were pretty good.”

Bai Shuijin was sprawled on the floor of the observation deck, watching the white clouds drift across the blue sky. He thought of the bento he had sent. Since the man said he’d eaten, he must have eaten the Love Bento.

Excellent! This was a major milestone in his long-term campaign. He hadn’t tasted his own cooking yet and was quite curious.

“Hubby-Ge, was the Love Bento good? What did it taste like?”

It turned out the boy was a total novice who was blissfully unaware of his own lethal culinary skills. Seeing the man remain silent, Bai Shuijin pressed on: “Hubby-Ge, Hubby-Ge~ what did it taste like?”

The voice through the receiver was practically a purr. Wang Huanxiu recalled the scent when he first opened the box.

“Smoky.”

Incredible! He had even managed a charcoal-grilled flavor. Bai Shuijin felt shy; he really was talented.

“Hubby-Ge, I’ll make it for you again. I’ll make it until we’re eighty.”

“No need.” If he ate that every day, he wouldn’t live that long.

Recalling the bloody-looking ketchup letters, Wang Huanxiu asked, “What did you write in the box?”

Bai Shuijin gave a silly, embarrassed grin. Wang Huanxiu’s lashes fluttered as the reply came: “Of course it was ‘I miss you’.”

Mi si you? I miss you?

“This is the first time I’ve learned that ‘I miss you’ can be written that way.”

“The Pinyin version.”

“…”

Wang Huanxiu checked the time. Normally, he would have started working by now, but his schedule had been disrupted by this call. He had nothing to discuss with the boy no common topics. He prepared to find a chance to hang up, but Bai Shuijin was clingier than he expected.

Having just eaten his fill and lying on the floor for so long, Bai Shuijin’s eyelids grew heavy. He let out a yawn, tears welling in his eyes.

“Hubby-Ge, do you take naps?”

“I don’t.”

CEOs are so busy. Bai Shuijin squinted his sleepy eyes. Busy is good. Earn more grains.

“Then let’s hang up. I’m going to take a nap.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the line went dead.

Beep—

Wang Huanxiu: “…”

Bai Shuijin fell asleep on the observation deck. The deck was a square platform raised half a meter off the ground with a small koi pond in the center. The sound of flowing water was like pearls rolling.

In his past life, he worked like a cow; in this life, he lived like a king. Bai Shuijin nearly laughed himself awake in his sleep. He lay there peacefully, looking like he had passed away.

However, he wasn’t laughed awake; he was startled by a loud phone ringtone. The ringtone was a voice recording he had apparently set himself:

“I love Pei Zhiheng most! Pei Zhiheng loves me most! Pei Zhiheng kisses me eight hundred times a day!”

The ringtone was like a screaming chicken, making Bai Shuijin bolt upright in terror.

Curse that, Pei Zhiheng! I’m calling the police on you!

He grabbed the phone. It was an unlabeled stranger’s number.

Spam or a scam? Sorry, this college youth had taken anti-fraud classes; he was escaping this trap. He hung up.

The world was quiet.

Li Jie gripped his phone. “Fk, that kid Bai Shuijin won’t pick up.”

He looked at the disconnected screen in disbelief. This never happened before. The Bai family were upstarts with low status; Bai Shuijin used to fawn over them, shamelessly trying to join whatever they were doing. Now that he had married Wang Huanxiu, he actually dared to ignore a call.

Li Jie looked at Pei Zhiheng. “He didn’t pick up.”

At the mention of the name, Pei Zhiheng recalled that painted face and felt uncomfortable. Being chased by the boy wasn’t a good memory. “Call him again later. See if you can get through.”

Recently, a collaborative game project at Wang Huanxiu’s company was coming up for negotiation. The startup company these college students had formed also wanted a piece of it. This project was a “golden goose.” If they could secure a partnership before it went public, their valuation would skyrocket.

But the problem was Wang Huanxiu. The man was ruthless, cunning, and had a massive professional team. Their chances of winning against him were slim unless they could get their hands on the original project files.

That’s where Bai Shuijin came in.

Pei Zhiheng frowned. But now, the boy wouldn’t even answer the phone.

That evening, Wang Huanxiu returned from the office right at dinner time. Bai Shuijin, having rested all day, was full of energy. He didn’t forget to pester the man at the table.

“Hubby-Ge, don’t forget to watch TV with me later.”

He sucked on his chopsticks and went for the stir-fried beef. He aimed for a prime piece, but just as he was about to strike, the beef was snatched away. Wang Huanxiu ate it unhurriedly.

Bai Shuijin: “…” Do you know you just committed a crime?

But he was generous. In the novel, Wang Huanxiu was a dark-hearted man a “gentleman” on the surface but a lunatic underneath. Otherwise, he wouldn’t do things that deserved eight lifetimes in prison. Stealing a piece of beef was a tiny thing. The man’s motto was clearly: “Do not fail to commit an evil act just because it is small.”

“Hubby-Ge, eat more.” He shoveled a large portion of beef into Wang Huanxiu’s bowl.

The man looked at him. Bai Shuijin acted coy. “Thoughtful Shuijin, warming you all winter.”

Wang Huanxiu: “…”

After dinner, Wang Huanxiu made a move to leave, but Bai Shuijin wouldn’t let him. He buzzed around the man like a little bee.

“Hubby-Ge, TV!” “Hubby-Ge, let’s go together!” “Hubby-Ge, I made an appointment yesterday!”

“Hubby-Ge!” The man in front stopped suddenly, and Bai Shuijin slammed into his back. He rubbed his nose. “Hubby-Ge…”

Wang Huanxiu looked at him coldly. “Are you always this, nagging at home?”

Nagging? Slander! He wasn’t nagging; they had a deal.

Perhaps Wang Huanxiu was just too annoyed to resist anymore, because Bai Shuijin got his wish. To set the mood and liven the atmosphere, he specifically chose a comedy program. Watching the guests falling over themselves playing games, Bai Shuijin laughed until tears came, slapping his own thigh.

Wang Huanxiu, whose sturdy thigh was being slapped: “…”

Bai Shuijin’s hand kept hitting Wang Huanxiu’s leg as his face turned red from laughing. Usually, the Wang house was silent at this hour, but now it was filled with laughter. Wang Huanxiu leaned back and pinched the bridge of his nose, watching the boy shaking with laughter. He didn’t understand what could be so funny about a TV show.

“Hahahahahaha!” Bai Shuijin laughed with total abandon until he choked. “Cough, cough, cough…”

“…”

When the comedy ended, Bai Shuijin turned his head. “Hubby-Ge, wasn’t that hilarious?” He took the remote to change the channel. “Let’s find something else.”

It was prime time for dramas, and almost every channel was airing its lead show. When he hit the Mango channel, several handsome faces appeared simultaneously the “hubbies” Bai Shuijin had claimed.

But watching them in front of the “Empress” was a bit too scandalous. Bai Shuijin gritted his teeth and prepared to skip them.

Just then, a voice came from behind him. “Watch this one.”

Bai Shuijin’s eyes lit up. “Hubby-Ge, you like this one too?”

Wang Huanxiu looked at the characters on screen, a toneless smile curling his lips. “Mhm.”

“That’s great! I’m following this one too. Let’s watch it together every day; it airs daily.” Bai Shuijin grabbed a pillow—the “second child” he had given birth to yesterday.

Wang Huanxiu rested his head on his hand, looking bored as he watched the actors. “Do you know all of them?”

Bai Shuijin nodded. “All of them.” He watched dramas seriously and remembered every name—a habit from his serving days where forgetting a guest or a table was a disaster.

“What are their names?”

“The lead is Fang Nanzhu, the second lead is Shen He, the third…”

“Is that what you called them yesterday?”

Bai Shuijin’s non-stop mouth snapped shut.

Wang Huanxiu’s voice whispered in his ear like a devil: “What did you call them yesterday? Let me hear it.”

Bai Shuijin: “…”

Silent as a cicada in winter. He silently shifted his gaze to the household staff not far away.

There are traitors among the masses.