Chapter 48

Translator: Abo Dammen

When Qin Guchuan emerged from the bathroom, he saw Chen Lu, already changed into fresh clothes, lounging arrogantly in the room, feet propped up, easily playing on his phone. 

Qin Guchuan: “……”

He felt truly, deeply powerless.

But Chen Lu didn’t see anything wrong with his behavior. He even let out a teasing “Wow~” sound upon seeing Qin Guchuan only coming out now.

Qin Guchuan’s mouth twitched. He didn’t know how to react. In the end, he could only glance at the clock and say to Chen Lu, “We can get ready for lunch. After eating, we should discuss how to handle the next part of the plot.” 

In the original plot, Qin Guchuan’s shameless line naturally didn’t succeed in keeping ‘Chen Lu’. That completely unreasonable “Don’t push me,” which shifted all blame, was the kind of thing any normal person would want to slap the speaker for hearing.

Even ‘Chen Lu’, who wasn’t exactly normal, found it unbearable.

—— After the intimate ‘reassurance’ had temporarily stabilized Qin Guchuan, ‘Chen Lu’ was different from how he was at the very beginning. When the plot first started, he didn’t have much freedom of movement. But now, after mutual affection had developed with Qin Guchuan, ‘Chen Lu’s’ degree of freedom had actually increased.

—— Otherwise, ‘Chen Lu’ couldn’t have so casually gone out to meet Madame Feng before. 

—— So, Chen Lu simply left a small note for Qin Guchuan. The note essentially said they both needed some time to cool off. Then he openly left with his luggage.

As for the contract… Clearly, when the plot didn’t require it, this thing was very conveniently completely forgotten by everyone, as if it never existed at all.

This part of ‘Chen Lu’s’ solo plot didn’t really need discussion; they could just follow it normally. The subsequent plot was the real headache.

—— The news of ‘Chen Lu’ leaving the Qin residence reached the two villainous characters. Madame Feng wasn’t too concerned, she thought it was the effect of her five million and began arranging meetings between her niece and Qin Guchuan. 

—— Then, during a moment when ‘Chen Lu’ suddenly missed Qin Guchuan, she would ensure ‘Chen Lu’ saw Qin Guchuan and the niece together, delivering a blow to his heart.

The part that required serious discussion and planning between Chen Lu and Qin Guchuan was, naturally, the other villainous character.

—— Fang Qizhi, seeing ‘Chen Lu’ abandoned, remembered how Qin Guchuan had never looked his way, yet ‘Chen Lu’ could become Qin Guchuan’s officially announced lover. Moreover, Qin Guchuan had actually developed feelings for someone other than Ling Weiyu. This filled Fang Qizhi’s heart with resentment.

—— Although, contrary to his designs, ‘Chen Lu’ and Qin Guchuan seemed to have broken up in the end, this did not quell the hatred in Fang Qizhi’s heart. Watching ‘Chen Lu’ return to a mundane life, Fang Qizhi thought about utterly destroying ‘Chen Lu’. 

—— What followed was Fang Qizhi making ‘Chen Lu’s’ life miserable. Just as ‘Chen Lu’ was about to reach his breaking point, Qin Guchuan would appear to save the beauty, becoming the catalyst for the couple’s reconciliation.

What a perfect and legit early-2000s novel villainous supporting character Fang Qizhi was in the original plot!

But thinking about the current Chen Lu-obsessed career fan…

Now that you mention it… forcing him into a grueling 007 work schedule could indeed destroy one Chen Lu, could also make Chen Lu cry miserably and push him to his limit, allowing Qin Guchuan to emerge as the hero saving the beauty… 

But clearly, the plot couldn’t possibly want that kind of development.

If the original early dog-blooded plot developed like this, the world would truly collapse into a complete mess.

The plot in Chen Lu’s mind had been fully delivered now. Combined with the plot details Qin Guchuan had told him before, Chen Lu knew what Qin Guchuan was referring to.

This was indeed a troublesome matter. 

The plot requirement for Fang Qizhi, the career fan, to break him and Qin Guchuan up was over. Next, they needed Fang Qizhi to bully him. It seemed the only way was for this crazy career fan to undergo a ‘idol reversal’.

But figuring out how to make Fang Qizhi act villainous was still very difficult.

After all, even the people from the companies Fang Qizhi had invested in before their collapse hadn’t been retaliated against by him.

This guy might unfollow, but he wouldn’t necessarily turn against him! 

However, there were still quite a few days before the ‘Fang Qizhi bullies people’ event, so they still had plenty of time to discuss this.

Right now, the focus was on eating.

The morning’s… activities had been unexpectedly physically draining.

Qin Guchuan still needed to return to his room to change out of his now-wrinkled clothes. Chen Lu, already changed, had no such worry and went downstairs a step ahead of Qin Guchuan. 

Having the plot play out in one’s own room did have its conveniences.

Following the scent of food, Chen Lu hopped cheerfully down to the first floor. Then, just a few steps out of the elevator, he saw… Fang Qizhi in the reception room, having tea and snacks with the old butler.

Watching Chen Lu’s light, bouncing steps, Fang Qizhi: “…”

Chen Lu, being stared at by Fang Qizhi’s deeply meaningful, resentful gaze: “… 

Chen Lu immediately switched back into his pained ‘little white flower’ persona in a second. Then he saw Fang Qizhi’s expression visibly turn indescribable, his face clearly etched with the words ‘Do you think I’m stupid?’

Chen Lu: “……..”

Great. It looked like this world was beyond saving.

Watching Chen Lu and Fang Qizhi exchange silent messages with their eyes, the old butler smiled and stood up. “Well then, I’ll let you two young masters chat. This old man won’t keep you youngsters in your fun anymore.” 

Having successfully accompanied Fang Qizhi all morning, the old butler withdrew, his mission accomplished. Steeling himself with the spirit of ‘whether you stretch your neck out or pull it back, it’s still a chopping block‘, Chen Lu finally shuffled into the reception room.

Of course, he stubbornly maintained his pained ‘little white flower’ expression.

Fang Qizhi didn’t comment on Chen Lu’s performance. After all, this ‘Just Passing Green Tea’ acting was part of his schtick.

However, Fang Qizhi gave Chen Lu’s new clothes a slightly meaningful look. 

This set was clearly not what Chen Lu was wearing in the morning, the color was different. What situation would require someone to change clothes in the middle of the morning? It really made one’s imagination run wild.

Fang Qizhi glanced again at Chen Lu’s exceptionally red and moist lips.

Hmm. Mustn’t think too much. 

“What exactly is going on between you and Qin Guchuan?” Fang Qizhi asked Chen Lu directly. 

He had already managed to extract some information from the old butler. Clearly, the whole situation was different from what Fang Qizhi had perceived. He felt a fire of anger inside, the feeling of having been played.

But facing the completely innocent and unaware old butler, Fang Qizhi couldn’t vent it. But facing Chen Lu…

Looking at Chen Lu’s innocent, pitiful little appearance…

Fang Qizhi still couldn’t vent it. 

Damn it!

‘Just Passing Green Tea’s’ face is considered a cheat!!!

Looking at Chen Lu’s timidness, peeking glances, Fang Qizhi felt his initially quite vigorous flame of anger extinguishing bit by bit, leaving him utterly helpless.

Faced with Fang Qizhi’s question, Chen Lu wondered if this was an opportunity arranged by the world for Fang Qizhi to start doing an ‘idol reversal’. But unprepared with a response, Chen Lu didn’t know what to say for a moment. 

His skills had always been about making others feel happy and pleasant. His mischievous tricks were also harmless. Making someone genuinely hate him was completely unfamiliar territory for Chen Lu.

“The whole situation is a bit complicated. Let me explain it to you.” During Chen Lu’s moment of hesitation, Qin Guchuan, who had come downstairs at some point without them noticing, stepped into the reception room and calmly sat down opposite Fang Qizhi.

Fang Qizhi looked at Qin Guchuan, who was also wearing a new set of clothes, and felt his mouth twitch again.

He felt like an invisible car was running over his face, back and forth.