When the Villainous Boss Acts as the Protagonist (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 31

Inside the corridor, the dim lighting and dark wallpaper echoed each other, falling over Li Yanzhe and making his grim face appear like a specter crawling out of hell.

His cold gaze landed on the tightly closed door. It was as if he could see through the thick wood to the intertwined figures behind it, making him feel so nauseated he wanted to vomit. The veins on the back of his hands resting on his wheelchair bulged. Li Yanzhe’s voice, cold and laced with a hint of malice, rang out:

“Keep kicking!”

He said, “If this door isn’t open today, none of you need to bother coming to work tomorrow.”

The tone was light, yet it made the nearby bodyguards tremble. Ignoring his throbbing right foot, the guard stepped forward and slammed into the door again. Dull thuds echoed through the silent hallway, matching Li Yanzhe’s increasingly stifled mood.

Anyone with eyes could see his mood was at its absolute worst, yet Zhou Luoluo seemed born colorblind to such signals. Even as Li Yanzhe sat with a frozen face, unwilling to speak, Zhou Luoluo leaned in to add fuel to the fire.

“Brother Ze, please calm down. Maybe that person wasn’t Le’an, but just another waiter with a similar build.” Zhou Luoluo said softly: “I believe Le’an isn’t the kind of person who would sell himself for money.”

Not the kind of person who would sell himself for money.

Visibly, the expression on Li Yanzhe’s face twisted for a moment. It was fine if Zhou Luoluo hadn’t said it, but now that he had, it immediately reminded Li Yanzhe of exactly why Song Le’an had been with him in the first place.

The idea that Song Le’an wouldn’t sell himself for money was as hilarious as saying the sun would rise in the west tomorrow. After all, the contract the two of them had signed was still sitting in the nightstand of Li Yanzhe’s master bedroom.

Originally, during the time Li Yanzhe was in a car accident, Song Le’an’s tireless and meticulous care had caused him to forget that contract. In their daily life, he had genuinely started to believe they were just an ordinary couple. Sometimes, he had even felt his heart flutter over a casual, gentle gesture from Song Le’an.

As a result, just as he was slowly falling for the other man, reality had suddenly jumped out and slapped him hard across the face, telling him that all of it was merely his own fantasy. Song Le’an was still that person who had no bottom line when it came to money. Even now, the man not only wanted his money but wanted to keep him on a hook while searching for a new benefactor.

Li Yanzhe lowered his eyes. Involuntarily, the image of Song Le’an from earlier in the banquet hall flashed before him: the hesitant, panicked expression of someone caught red-handed, and the frail silhouette he had seen on the security monitor ten minutes ago, carefully avoiding the crowd to head toward the top-floor lounge area.

The boy hadn’t even thought to avoid him. Even knowing Li Yanzhe was at this banquet, he had still stepped into that elevator—the one everyone in the circle knew led straight to the top floor.

“He isn’t?” Li Yanzhe said softly. “He isn’t?”

If Song Le’an wasn’t that kind of person, then there were likely no money-grubbing people left in the world! Li Yanzhe looked up, his venomous, snake-like gaze landing on the now-loosening door. He let out a cold laugh, his eyes full of mockery for Song Le’an and for his own foolishness during the past few months:

“Talking is useless. Kick the door open first.”

He wanted to see exactly who the man was that Song Le’an was willing to betray him for!

The corners of Zhou Luoluo’s mouth curved in a place Li Yanzhe couldn’t see, but inwardly, he maintained a look of deep concern. As long as the bodyguards broke down the door and let Li Yanzhe see Song Le’an entangled with another man with his own eyes, his plan to split them up would be perfectly executed.

Zhou Luoluo knew Li Yanzhe well. This was a man with extreme self-esteem and a desire for control. When facing someone who betrayed him, Li Yanzhe was more likely to skin them alive than show mercy. But at the same time, he was someone who responded to softness rather than force. So, as long as Zhou Luoluo stayed by his side, comforted him, and took Song Le’an’s place in caring for him, he could surely reclaim the man’s heart.

When that time came, the other groom in the Li family’s wedding of the century would definitely be him, Zhou Luoluo! He would no longer be looked down upon by the Zhou family. On the contrary, those people would have to lick his boots and flatter him, begging him for a scrap to eat!

The corners of his mouth couldn’t help but turn up. The hand Zhou Luoluo used to steady the wheelchair tightened, his eyes filled with hidden excitement as he stared at the door.

Quick! Kick this door open! Let Song Le’an be completely out of Li Yanzhe’s life so I can take his place!

Zhou Luoluo bit his lip. Beneath the increasingly loose lock, he could almost see the image of Li Yanzhe helping him suppress the Zhou family. However, just as he was agonizing over what to wear when he finally humiliated them, the door that was supposed to be kicked down by the guards suddenly opened from the inside.

The bodyguard who had just raised his foot to kick the wood couldn’t react in time. He kicked straight into empty air. His right leg slid forward uncontrollably, and the massive momentum combined with his own weight pressed down on that most fragile of places.

“AHHHHHHHH!!!!!”

The tragic scream, combined with his forced split position, was enough to cause phantom pain just by looking. The other bodyguards standing behind Li Yanzhe instinctively squeezed their legs together.

But Li Yanzhe acted as if he hadn’t heard the scream. He only looked up at the man who appeared from behind the door. His eyes were sharp, and the volcano hidden in his chest erupted completely at this moment:

“Shen Ci?!”

Within his sight, the man was wrapped only in a white bathrobe. He was covered in water vapor from the bathroom, his black hair was wet, and his face was slightly flushed. Specifically, his red lips, which bore tiny, scattered wounds, were enough to make anyone imagine just how intense the activity in the room had been.

Li Yanzhe’s pupils shook violently. He didn’t believe it, and he couldn’t believe it. The new man Song Le’an had climbed onto was Shen Ci?!

Li Yanzhe instinctively wanted to rush into the room to drag out the other person hiding inside. But he forgot that the Shen Ci before him was not one of those second-generation heirs who would kneel and beg for mercy at a single glance, needing to cling to the Li family to survive.

The Shen family behind Shen Ci was an existence on par with the Li family. In fact, if compared individually, Li Yanzhe was slightly inferior. Especially now that he had been in a car accident, Shen Ci far exceeded him in physical agility.

The wheels of the chair that had just started to turn were stepped on and stopped by the man. The bodyguard still lying on the floor clutching his “brother” was picked up by the collar and tossed out the door like trash.

Amidst Li Yanzhe’s furious gaze, Shen Ci didn’t even bother to give him a second look. His lips moved, and he said softly:

“Get out.”

Li Yanzhe was going crazy with rage. “Shen Ci! What the hell do you mean?!”

“Is it hard to understand?” Shen Ci’s brow furrowed slightly. He even pursed his lips as if he found the person before him too stupid to communicate with. However, considering that if he didn’t explain, the other might continue barking at the door, Shen Ci patiently added: “If you’re sick, go get treated. There’s a pet hospital less than three hundred meters downstairs. Don’t go crazy here.”

His tone was flat, but combined with his haughty expression and words that would sound unpleasant to anyone, it naturally gave people the feeling they were being mocked with extreme disgust.

“You!” Li Yanzhe was so angry he almost stood up from his wheelchair.

“How can you say that to Brother Ze! If you and Song Le’an weren’t doing something shameful here, do you think we’d want to see you?!” Before Li Yanzhe could speak, Zhou Luoluo stepped forward to gain favor. He stood with one hand on his hip and the other pointing at Shen Ci, who was leaning against the doorframe. His face was flushed with righteous indignation: “If you haven’t done anything wrong, why are you afraid of us knocking? Using such foul language, you must be so guilty you’ve lost your tongue!”

Zhou Luoluo’s mouth ran on. Between his words, it was as if he had already seen the scene of Shen Ci and Song Le’an’s affair, so he had to nail them to the pillar of shame and make them feel disgraced!

However, Shen Ci just glanced at him and said:

“You get out too.”

Called out Li Yanzhe and didn’t mention you, so your heart is itching, isn’t it? Any stray cat or dog felt they could come here to find a sense of existence. Shen Ci, whose body heat hadn’t fully dissipated, was already irritable. Being harassed by Zhou Luoluo, who sounded like a hundred ducks, made him even more impatient.

He looked down at Li Yanzhe, his tone turning cold:

“I am reminding you one last time. This is my room. Leash your dog and don’t let me hear another sound!”

As he spoke, he moved to close the door. But how could Li Yanzhe allow Shen Ci to insult him and then shut him out?! With a thwack, Li Yanzhe reached out and slapped the door.

“Did I give you permission to close the door?!” Li Yanzhe looked up at Shen Ci, his sharp gaze sliding inch by inch down from the man’s lips. “If you really want to close the door so badly, hand over the person inside!”

“Shen Ci.” Li Yanzhe grinned at him, his eyes filled with blatant malice. “If you’re really so noble, don’t eat my leftovers.”

Song Le’an was his plaything first. Shen Ci acted like he looked down on him everywhere, yet he was following behind him to pick up his scraps. Who exactly was the dog? Who exactly was cheap?

“…”

Shen Ci looked at Li Yanzhe expressionlessly, his eyes terrifyingly cold. Just as the latter thought he was finally going to break, Shen Ci finally moved his lips. Simultaneously, his gaze drifted downward, landing on Li Yanzhe’s sensationless lower body. Then:

“Are you sure you can even eat?”

The skepticism in his tone was matched only by the confusion in his gaze.

Li Yanzhe: “…”

“???”

“!!!”

“Shen Ci!”

Faced with Shen Ci’s blatant questioning of his capabilities, Li Yanzhe wasn’t just driven mad with rage; he completely exploded. He had no intention of tangling with Shen Ci any longer. His gaze bypassed Shen Ci and landed directly on the room behind him.

“Song Le’an, if you don’t want your mother kicked out of the hospital, you better get the hell out here right now!”

However, much like the way Shen Ci’s gaze had previously refused to settle on him, even though this sentence contained a threat lethal enough to crush Song Le’an, the only response he received after speaking was the glow of the motion-sensor lights in the bathroom. Silence followed.

“Boss, could it be that Mr. Song isn’t actually inside?” a bodyguard standing beside him spoke up cautiously. “The surveillance only showed a blurry silhouette. What if, like Mr. Zhou said, it was just a waiter with a similar build?”

Zhou Luoluo, who had only said those words to make Li Yanzhe angrier: “???”

I just said that randomly! Who told you people to actually believe it!

Seeing Li Yanzhe’s grip on his wheelchair loosen slightly, Zhou Luoluo hurriedly tried to salvage the situation:

“How about we give Le’an a call right now? Since the door is open, if Le’an is really inside, we should be able to hear the ringtone.”

Shen Ci’s body stiffened imperceptibly. He wanted to shut the door immediately, but by then, Li Yanzhe had already pulled out his phone. His fingertips tapped the screen twice in quick succession. Soon, a white character for “Song” appeared on the black screen, and the system’s default “ring-ring” sound drifted from the speaker.

The call went through.

Shen Ci’s eyes darkened. Zhou Luoluo, applauding his own cleverness, curled his lips into a smirk. As for Li Yanzhe, he stared fixedly at the room behind Shen Ci. It seemed the final veil of this scandalous affair was about to be torn away in front of everyone.

However, ten seconds passed.

Twenty seconds passed.

Thirty seconds.

Finally, until the call automatically disconnected, no phone ringtone echoed from the room as Zhou Luoluo had expected. Song Le’an did not seem to be inside.

How could Song Le’an not be inside?!

Zhou Luoluo’s pupils shook with disbelief. He instinctively stepped forward, wanting to rush into the room and drag out the boy he had personally watched drink the drugged liquid. But he was pinned to the spot by a single look from Shen Ci, who stood blocking the doorway.

“Haven’t you made enough of a fool of yourself?”

Shen Ci looked back at Li Yanzhe. “The heir of the Li family driven to madness by a midnight jealousy fit. Do you think netizens would be interested in that headline?”

“You!”

“Li Yanzhe, I was already giving the Li family face by not shutting the door immediately,” Shen Ci said coldly, having no intention of listening to more of Li Yanzhe’s temper. “Now, do you want to leave on your own, or do you want me to throw you out?”

As if on cue with Shen Ci’s words, the elevator at the end of the hallway opened with a “ding.” The silver-white doors slid apart, and a group of men in black—twice as muscular and twice as numerous as Li Yanzhe’s bodyguards—stepped out effortlessly.

Their objective was clear. They walked over to Shen Ci and formed two rows guarding the door. Their bulging chest muscles seemed to be asking Shen Ci exactly when they could toss these noisy pests out.

Who doesn’t know how to call for backup?

Shen Ci looked down at Li Yanzhe, the meaning in his eyes unmistakable: Get out.

Li Yanzhe got out. He had no choice. Shen Ci clearly had the advantage in numbers, and since Song Le’an’s phone hadn’t rung in the room, Li Yanzhe had no direct evidence and couldn’t force his way in. Furthermore, he had been away for a long time, and people at the banquet below were starting to look for him. He had to leave first.

But before leaving, he looked at the quiet room behind Shen Ci and his phone, which hadn’t connected all night. His fingers tightened around his device. Then, he spoke coldly—both to his bodyguards and to the boy who might be hiding in that room:

“As of tonight, the medical expenses for Song Le’an’s mother are cut off.”

Since you like not answering the phone so much, I’ll wait for the day Song Le’an begs me to pick up. After all, while the boy didn’t have many weaknesses, Mother Song happened to be his lifeblood.

Li Yanzhe led his group of bodyguards away in a grand procession. Shen Ci took one last look at the closing elevator doors, his eyelashes drooping slightly. Then he shut the door and walked step by step toward the bathroom where the lights were still on.

The sliding door was yanked open. As the piercing light spilled out, Shen Ci saw the boy leaning against the sink, looking down and toying with a phone. Hearing the noise, the boy looked up toward the bathroom door, locking eyes directly with Shen Ci’s scrutinizing gaze.

With the mist cleared, Shen Ci could finally see the boy’s eyes clearly. They were beautiful, round, and so clean they lacked even a trace of impurity, yet for some reason, they were impossible to read. Those eyes were like the clearest lake water; they allowed one to see every beautiful stone within, luring people to step in while simultaneously preventing them from gauging the depth. Once you stepped in, there was no turning back.

“Don’t you think they’re pretty stupid too?”

Shen Ci saw the boy smile at him. Under the golden light, he looked as vivid as a simple fawn in the forest. “Trying to verify with a phone call? Is the silent switch just a decoration?”

The boy’s smile grew even more brilliant as he tossed the silver-white phone up and caught it like a common toy. Shen Ci watched him silently. That beautiful face was flushed with a faint redness. As he spoke, his bright red tongue peeked out—like a small snake hidden in the dark, using its tail to attract the attention of prey and lure them into the trap.

Shen Ci remembered the boy telling him earlier that he was also drugged. But up until now, the other party hadn’t done anything to vent it out. Only him… even after being washed by the water, the sticky sensation on his face left an unignorable trace.

Shen Ci lowered his eyelashes, controlling his hand so he wouldn’t touch that spot. “You are Song Le’an.”

Chu Sicheng nodded. “I am.”

“The one Li Yanzhe is looking for.”

“Yes.”

“His lover.”

“Yes.”

Chu Sicheng admitted it quite frankly. However, after admitting it, he gave Shen Ci a slight smile. “I won’t be for much longer. So, Boss, interested in being the next benefactor?”

Chu Sicheng watched as Shen Ci walked toward him step by step, pinning him by the neck against the wall with a cold face. He tilted his head back slightly, showing no panic at the loss of air. Instead, his smile became even more bold and reckless.

He said, “Considering how much fun we… I mean, we had just now, I can give you a discount.”

Shen Ci could tell that the “we” was an afterthought Chu Sicheng added at the last second. What he really meant was that he was the one who had fun.

Support