I Really Am a Scumbag Bottom [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 10

Chang Qing looked at Chi Zhao with an increasingly scrutinized gaze.

Li Yihan stood about five or six meters away—close enough to see exactly who Qi Yuan was talking to, but not close enough to overhear their conversation.

Two balding, middle-aged men stood by Li Yihan’s side, talking his ear off. Though Li Yihan appeared to be listening intently, his gaze drifted toward Qi Yuan every other second.

A handsome man with an elegant air walked over. Seeing Li Yihan’s distracted state, he arched a playful eyebrow.

Following Li Yihan’s line of sight, he saw two figures: the newly appointed General Manager of the Chang family and Li Yihan’s recently adopted heir.

The two “balding” gentlemen finally finished their pitch. Seeing the head of the Li family nod politely, they left in high spirits, convinced they had found a promising talent. They promptly scurried off to find the next young person to victimize with their lectures.

Once they were gone, Tang Size stepped up to Li Yihan. “Your ward seems quite interested in Chang Qing. Aren’t you going to check on him?”

Li Yihan lifted his eyes to glance at his friend, then lowered them again with feigned indifference. “They’re just talking.”

“Suit yourself,” Tang Size chuckled, his tone layered with meaning. “But everyone knows Chang Qing swings both ways. I heard his recent taste has shifted toward young, vibrant boys like that. Look on the bright side—if he hooks up with your ward, the GM of Chang Corp will be a generation below you. You can use seniority to crush him at the negotiating table.”

Li Yihan frowned. “What are you actually trying to say?”

Tang Size smiled thinly. “Even biological sons don’t always listen, let alone a foster child. From the looks of it, he’s quite taken with Chang Qing. To have ‘designs’ on a man like that, your little heir isn’t as simple as he looks.”

Li Yihan’s gaze returned to Qi Yuan. Chang Qing had already left. He watched as the boy picked up another plate of cake and continued digging in. Li Yihan didn’t respond to his friend’s jab.

After all, he couldn’t exactly tell Tang Size that the person Qi Yuan had “designs” on wasn’t Chang Qing, but himself.

Receiving no answer, Tang Size assumed he’d struck a nerve. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Li Yihan beat him to it: “Not simple? He’s the most simple-minded person I’ve ever met.”

Li Yihan spoke calmly, his tone as matter-of-fact as if he were discussing the weather. This casual conviction proved he was serious—he truly believed Qi Yuan was guileless.

Tang Size: “…”

It’s been a few months; has Li Yihan’s brain short-circuited? Even Tang Size could see that Qi Yuan was no innocent lamb. He was clearly flirting with Chang Qing just a moment ago!

Tang Size voiced his opinion, but Li Yihan only frowned. “Is there something wrong with your eyes?”

Exactly whose eyes are failing here?

Tang Size was incensed. He threw down a challenge: “Just watch. I’ll prove it to you.”

The world was unsure of Li Yihan’s orientation, but Tang Size was a confirmed gay man—and a “top” through and through. He strode toward Qi Yuan. Once Li Yihan realized what was happening, he immediately moved to pull him back.

Tang Size moved quickly, reaching Chi Zhao in a few strides. Chi Zhao had just finished his plate of cake at lightning speed and was feeling a bit parched. He looked around; the only thing within reach was the glass of red wine Chang Qing had brought over.

Thinking of how villainous Chang Qing was behind the scenes, he didn’t want any association with the man. He pushed the glass aside with a look of distaste, planning to find a waiter for a low-alcohol drink.

Just then, Tang Size appeared before him. A waiter happened to pass by, and Tang Size snagged two cocktails from the tray. The drinks were a beautiful, macaron-like pale pink. Only two glasses had been left on the tray; both Tang Size and Chi Zhao had reached for them at the same time, but Tang Size had claimed both.

Chi Zhao’s hand froze in mid-air. Tang Size gave a charming, friendly smile and handed one of the delicate glasses to Chi Zhao.

Chi Zhao thanked him politely. Tang Size curled his lips, about to clink glasses, when he heard:

Gulp, gulp, gulp.

Three swigs and the glass was empty, leaving nothing but a lonely mint leaf at the bottom.

Tang Size: “…”

The drink didn’t taste much like alcohol; it was sweet, almost like juice. Chi Zhao liked it. One glass wasn’t enough, so he turned and picked up the red wine he had previously rejected. “Are you still drinking? I haven’t touched this one—want to trade?”

The smile on Tang Size’s face froze. It was his first time seeing someone try to swap drinks with a stranger at a gala. After a two-second stall, he nodded. Chi Zhao beamed, shoved the wine glass into Tang Size’s hand, and took the second cocktail.

Another three brisk gulps later, Chi Zhao was satisfied. He gave a reserved smile and turned toward another row of buffet tables to find more snacks.

Tang Size: “…”

Li Yihan stood nearby, partially hidden by a group of women, so Chi Zhao hadn’t noticed him. Tang Size walked back with a wooden expression, clutching the wine glass. He looked at Li Yihan, who maintained his usual cold facade, though his lips were twitching ever so slightly.

If you want to laugh, just laugh. Isn’t it exhausting to keep that up?

Tang Size remained speechless. He handed the wine glass back to Li Yihan. “Fine, you win. I misjudged him.”

Hearing this, Li Yihan finally let out a small smile. No matter the age, watching a friend fail is one of life’s great pleasures. He set the wine down, patted Tang Size on the shoulder, and the two went off to catch up.

The wine glass had changed hands four times, and in the end, not a single person had taken a sip.

Li Yihan only spoke with Tang Size for two minutes before returning to the buffet area. He was worried because Qi Yuan had drunk those cocktails far too quickly.

In that short time, Qi Yuan had already vanished from the tables. He had wandered to the other end of the venue and was now slumped in a single-seater sofa, head propped on his hand as he watched the colorful crowd pass by.

He looked sober, but a closer look revealed a hazy, unfocused gaze. The cocktails he’d downed didn’t smell like alcohol, but they had a high proof. After wandering off, he’d spotted more of those pink drinks and downed two more. Though they were small servings, the total amount was considerable. Combined with the speed of his consumption, his brain had gone completely fuzzy.

Chi Zhao leaned against the sofa, right hand supporting his head, left hand resting casually on the armrest. He wore a faint smile for everyone who passed. Two girls walked by; seeing his gaze linger on them, they both blushed and looked away.

Qi Yuan was already handsome, and with today’s grooming plus the “alcohol buff,” he was currently a miniature hormone-emitter.

Having been “solo since birth” for twenty years, Chi Zhao had always wanted to experience romance. Unfortunately, during school he had to study, and in university, he became the “best friend” of all his female classmates—not a single one was interested in him romantically.

Watching the passing crowd, Chi Zhao thought seriously: If I can’t find a girlfriend, maybe I should try a boyfriend?

System: “…” Are you humans really this casual about your orientation? Switching is like switching a pair of chopsticks for you?

Just as Chi Zhao was pondering this, his view was suddenly blocked. Li Yihan stood over him. They stared at each other in silence for three seconds before Li Yihan leaned down slightly. He searched Chi Zhao’s eyes for a moment and asked, “Qi Yuan, are you drunk?”

Qi Yuan didn’t answer.

Li Yihan had his answer. Qi Yuan would never dare to stare at him this boldly unless he was wasted.

“Do you still know who I am?”

Qi Yuan tilted his head and finally answered, “Mr. Li.”

Not too bad, then.

Having made enough of an appearance, Li Yihan didn’t plan on staying longer. He reached out, his fingers like pliers, and firmly gripped Qi Yuan’s forearm to pull him up. “Get up. I’m taking you home.”

Qi Yuan stood up obediently. He stumbled at first, but Li Yihan steadied him. After checking the boy’s complexion to ensure he wasn’t about to be sick, he led him out by the hand.

Tang Size witnessed this and clicked his tongue. Fatherly love is truly great. In such a short time, Li Yihan had become a different person.

Wait, no. He’s still an ice block to everyone else. He only wears the “Fatherly Glow” for Qi Yuan.

Li Yihan was oblivious to Tang Size’s internal commentary. He simply thought Qi Yuan was a “good drunk”—he didn’t make a scene and remained docile. He personally tucked the boy into the car, sat down beside him, and ordered the driver to go. As the car grew quiet, Li Yihan looked out at the scenery.

There were four people in the car, and three of them were perfectly calm. The fourth—the resident System—was not.

The System was panicking because its connection to Chi Zhao had been severed. What did that mean? It meant Chi Zhao had officially reached the “blackout” stage of drunkenness!

It frantically called out to him, but Chi Zhao only blinked as if he heard nothing. Suddenly, he turned his gaze toward Li Yihan.

The System had a very bad feeling.

Sure enough, a second later, Chi Zhao “shredded” across the seat like a skateboarder, sliding forcefully right up against Li Yihan. Li Yihan was slammed against the car door, his hip bone aching from the impact. He turned in shock, only to see Qi Yuan pinching his own cheeks and happily announcing to the air:

“Patrick Star! Let’s go fall in love together!”

Li Yihan: “…”

System: “…”

Zhao Bin: “??!!”