Pampered by Short-Lived Bigshot

The twilight couldn't hold back the arrival of night, as the car sped on the road from Hexi to the downtown area, with mountains stretching in the distance like lurking beasts, danger lurking everywhere.

Qi Zeyan sat in the car, reached out to adjust his tie and glanced surreptitiously at the person beside him.

Sitting upright, as day and night overlapped, dim shadows cast, he sat against the light, his expression unclear, his hair neatly short, his facial contours more defined, and suddenly he murmured lowly,

"Do you have something on your mind?"

Qi Zeyan almost lost it, you freaking made people "invite" me into the car, then drove them to the company without saying a word, you freaking intend to drive me crazy, don't you, and now you're asking me if something is wrong?

"It's a bit hot." He said, adjusting his tie again.

"Lower the window a bit." As the words fell, the glass window beside Qi Zeyan lowered about four fingers wide, the cool breeze blew into the car, and he shuddered, the back of his neck feeling chilly.

Still no talking, what the hell is this!

He had witnessed with his own eyes a man, known for his heart of stone and icy demeanor, personally driving Shen Shuci off work, his spirit had been heavily traumatized, feeling dizzy ever since he got in the car.

It always felt like uncovering an affair and about to be silenced.

Hexi, with its mountains and waters and desolate wild ridges, was soon to be a night perfect for nefarious deeds.

How could he not be nervous, but as the cool breeze hit, he somewhat sobered up, turning his head to look at the person beside him, "That... the morning after Miss Shen got injured, when you went out for your morning exercise, could it be..."

"What could it be?"

"Did you go to take her to work?" Qi Zeyan asked tentatively, his heart surging inside.

"She got injured at our place, shouldn't I take responsibility?"

"But she actually got hurt because of me."

"As a friend, I helped you clean up the mess, shouldn't you thank me?"

At this moment, Qi Zeyan had just two words in mind:

Fuck!

How did we end up here.

"Old Huo, be serious with me, do you have feelings for Miss Shen..." Qi Zeyan kept winking and making faces at him.

Honestly, if he could meet someone he liked, everyone would be happy.

"Old Huo?" Qi Zeyan saw that he was ignoring him, and tried even harder with his gestures.

"Didn't sleep well, your eye twitching again?"

"Twitching..." Qi Zeyan almost hurled a curse at him.

"I meant to ask, do you have feelings for Miss Shen?"

"What kind of feelings?"

His tone was too calm, showing none of the embarrassment of having a secret affair exposed, and he looked at Qi Zeyan with a stern face, as if...

The sleazy one was him.

"So, do you have any thoughts about her?" Qi Zeyan frowned.

His gaze was intense, commanding even without anger, as if he could see deep into your heart, staring at Qi Zeyan for two seconds, Qi Zeyan's heart was wildly thrilled.

Could it be that he really stumbled upon a juicy story?

This could be the hottest news of the year, the eternal bachelor finally welcoming spring?

The more he hesitated, the more excited he became.

But when he spoke, he was stunned.

"My thoughts, I hope her injured hand heals soon."

"Huh?" Qi Zeyan was astonished.

I freaking stripped down, and you give me this?

"Besides this, there should be others?"

"That morning, you obviously took her to work but lied to me about going for a morning jog? What do you mean? Keeping it a secret on purpose?"

"Can't I take her to work while I jog?"

"From your home to Left Bank Garden, that far, and then to her company, a morning jog covering a quarter of Beijing?"

"You should know, I always exercise a lot."

"..."

Qi Zeyan leaned back in the seat, too angry to know what to say.

"Old Huo, everything's been discovered by me, what's the point in being so stubborn?"

"What have you discovered about me?" His tone, from beginning to end, didn't falter at all, infuriatingly straightforward, Qi Zeyan then realized, these military men, their mouths are really hard to pry open.

"Zeyan."

Suddenly called by his name, Qi Zeyan tensed up, "What... what are you doing?"

"Do you think there could be anything between us? We meet in public places, with people around, what sleazy things are you thinking about?"

"I..."

Qi Zeyan had originally thought he might have hit upon his gossip, grasping his vulnerability, but now it turned out he was being threatened?

What kind of justice is there in this world!

"I didn't mean that!" Qi Zeyan hurriedly explained.

"Miss Shen was hurt because of you, and you slept and ate well in our house, then just walked away as if nothing happened. I'm here cleaning up your mess, and now you think there's something going on between her and me? Do you think that's appropriate?"

Qi Zeyan was dumbfounded!

He had said he would take responsibility, but the way he said it made him seem like a beast.

"Old Huo..."

"I've been nothing but honest with her. If I hear any unsavory rumors in Beijing or Xiaowu comes asking, you should know what I'm capable of."

"..."

"She was injured because of you and now her reputation is suffering because of you. How do you plan to take responsibility?"

Qi Zeyan was stunned and confused...

What was happening? Things surely shouldn't be developing this way. He tugged at his tie, not knowing what to say!

He always knew Huo was harsh and biting with his words, but it was the first time he realized he wasn't just logically brilliant; he could also manipulate the truth like no other.

Qi Zeyan had harbored a sliver of hope that there really was nothing between them, but after being threatened, he felt more certain that there definitely was something fishy going on.

What was the meaning of this now?

Was he being told to shut up? That if any rumors spread in Beijing, they'd come back to haunt him?

Threatening him so brazenly, Huo was a class apart.

"Still feeling hot?"

"Yes!"

Qi Zeyan wasn't feeling hot; he was feeling so frustrated he was about to explode. He felt that if he stayed any longer with him, he would surely have a heart attack.

"Let me out somewhere up ahead."

"I'll take you to the company."

"No need, I just remembered there's nothing pressing at the office. Just drop me anywhere."

The car stopped immediately.

The Huo family stopped the car in the middle of nowhere and then silently watched him.

Qi Zeyan was stunned again...

He always knew the Huo family was hardcore, but he hadn't expected this. He had said to let him out somewhere, and while he didn't expect a bustling city center, at least a bus stop would have been decent.

In this desolate place, where birds don't even poop, were they really just going to dump him?

"You said to drop you off at any place, didn't you? Aren't you getting out?" The man spoke again.

"Old Huo—you're awesome!"

"I know."

"..."

After Qi Zeyan got out, the car turned in the direction towards Qi Group in the city center, which was the opposite direction from the Huo family in Hexi. The car turned around right in front of him, kicking up dust as it sped off.

Qi Zeyan was left completely furious, the sky having turned completely dark.

"Boss, are we really just going to leave Mr. Qi here? Could something happen?" The two in the front seats looked at each other, feeling the place was too remote.

"Let's head home."

**

Qi Zeyan, always quick-witted, pulled out his phone to check his location and realized he was quite close to the Jiang Mansion. He called Jiang Jinsang to send someone to pick him up, and in about ten minutes, a car from the Jiang family arrived...

He also took the opportunity to have dinner at the Jiangs'.

"Isn't your sister-in-law home tonight?" Inside the mansion, there were only Jiang Jinsang and the old lady; Jiang Zhenhuan and his wife usually stayed in their city villa, occasionally visiting.

"The studio is quite busy." Jiang Jinsang looked at him. "Weren't you supposed to visit your aunt? Why are you wandering in such a deserted place?"

"Taking a walk."

"..."

Jiang Jinsang knew he wasn't telling the truth but didn't query further, "How was your aunt today?"

"She..." Qi Zeyan was internally distressed at that moment, not having the capacity to care about Shen Shuci, even forgetting what color clothes she wore today, "she's fine."

"Hey, Jiang Xiaowu, I want to ask you something."

"What?" Jiang Jinsang was browsing a furniture company's website, picking out furniture.

"What kind of girl do you think Old Huo would like?"

"What does that have to do with me?"

"..."

Qi Zeyan really wanted to explode, saying it had everything to do with him!

"If he likes someone and they are happy together, that's all that matters. It's not for us to worry about."

Qi Zeyan dared not ask further, otherwise, he surely would have guessed, but even so, Jiang Jinsang couldn't help but give him a sidelong glance, wondering why he suddenly brought him up. But then, Tang Wan arrived home from work, and Jiang Jinsang didn't pursue it.

Qi Zeyan sat there, sighing in relief...

It's like swallowing a poisonous melon. If it sticks in your throat, you might choke; if you swallow it, you might be poisoned; if you can't swallow or spit it out, it's terribly uncomfortable.