【Loading the main storyline of the beginner instance “The Top Star’s Secret Husband Is a Hundred-Billion CEO”… Main storyline successfully loaded!】
【Congratulations on completing the main plot event “Engagement”! Congratulations on completing the main plot event “Jealousy”! Congratulations on completing the main plot event “Threatening Chen Jiahe”! Congratulations on completing… Current main storyline completion: 71%!】
【Congratulations on completing the side mission “Gain Your Father’s Approval”! Current main mission progress: 1/3.】
【Current characterization rating: C. Please maintain your assigned persona to prevent the storyline from collapsing!】
【Current instance rank: A. Please complete the main missions as soon as possible!】
By the time the system notifications sounded again, the engagement banquet had returned to its lively atmosphere.
Guests hoping to establish connections with the Xiao Group clustered around Xiao Yi and Xiao Ji, offering lavish praise and discussing business. Meanwhile, Song Liang, one of the guests of honor, stood outside the crowd with a wineglass, watching the uncle and nephew.
“The instance rank staying the same means the main missions are still just as difficult to complete?”
【Yes.】
“So after all these days of effort, one of them still wants to dump me, and the other still wants me dead?”
【…Yes.】
“Beautiful.”
Song Liang tipped back a mouthful of red wine and stared at the two men nearby.
“I really want to kill them both.”
【…】
Terrified that Song Liang might rush over and snap their necks, the system desperately searched for something comforting to say.
【Look on the bright side. Our storyline completion is pretty high, and your characterization rating… is a pass too.】
Song Liang gave a derisive snort, summoned a waiter for another glass, and began gulping it down.
【Take it easy. This body doesn’t tolerate alcohol very—】
“Shut up.”
【…】
Surrounded by guests some distance away, Xiao Yi saw this and frowned slightly.
Then someone beside him asked with a laugh, “Young Master Xiao is already engaged. When can we expect good news from his uncle?”
Xiao Yi couldn’t help looking again at the young man drinking alone beyond the crowd.
Tall and slender, his lashes lowered, his lips and the corners of his eyes flushed red. He was perfectly quiet, yet something about him held Xiao Yi’s gaze like a lethal attraction.
A trace of tenderness surfaced in his eyes, then vanished.
“When fate allows,” he answered lightly.
The man laughed. “Even someone as successful as Chairman Xiao believes in fate?”
Xiao Yi smiled faintly without answering. His lowered gaze, however, instinctively drifted toward the edge of the crowd again.
The man didn’t press. The others merely smiled.
Everyone knew the Xiao family was notoriously amorous. One only had to look at the old patriarch. Xiao Yi might appear restrained, but who would believe that a grown man with such wealth, power, and good looks didn’t have a few secret lovers?
Fate was nothing more than a polite evasion.
Only Xiao Ji followed his uncle’s seemingly casual glance—and saw Song Liang.
His heart gave a sudden jolt.
Song Liang, meanwhile, noticed nothing.
Chu Xiyuan had dragged him into a drinking session. As expected of one of the disreputable friends who led Xiao Ji astray in the original novel, he knew far more drinking tricks than the average person.
Seeing Song Liang drinking alone, he mixed him a cocktail. Song Liang tried it, decided it tasted good, and enthusiastically joined in.
The two were having a wonderful time. Drunk, Chu Xiyuan slung an arm around Song Liang’s neck and recounted Xiao Ji’s embarrassing encounters with his uncle’s lectures.
Song Liang loudly declared that he was going to kill both Xiao men.
Chu Xiyuan cackled with his arm around him, praising his courage and calling him incredible.
Then, a second later, he saw Xiao Yi standing before him, his expression stern.
Chu Xiyuan: “…”
His drunkenness instantly receded. His broad grin vanished, and he straightened tremblingly.
“U-Uncle Xiao.”
Xiao Yi’s cool gaze settled on the hand resting on Song Liang’s shoulder.
As though pricked by a needle, Chu Xiyuan immediately withdrew it.
Without that support, Song Liang began tipping sideways. Chu Xiyuan was about to catch him when Xiao Yi reached out and pulled him close first.
He watched Song Liang lean fully into Xiao Yi’s arms, his eyes slowly widening.
Just as he was about to speak, he met Xiao Yi’s icy gaze. The hand around Song Liang’s waist tightened with unmistakable possessiveness.
Chu Xiyuan: “!”
Holy shit. Now he was really sober.
“I’ll take him to the lounge.”
They were standing in a corner near the side door. Xiao Yi handed his wineglass to Chu Xiyuan and, without calling anyone over, began guiding the drunken Song Liang outside.
Chu Xiyuan opened his mouth to stop him.
Then, from the corner of his eye, he spotted Xiao Ji, who had appeared at some point and looked distinctly unhappy.
The uncle and nephew regarded each other for a moment.
Finally, Xiao Yi spoke first.
“He’s drunk.”
“No need to trouble yourself, Uncle. I’ll take him.”
Xiao Ji stepped forward to retrieve Song Liang from his arms.
Xiao Yi’s arm stiffened around him, but ultimately withdrew.
Xiao Ji took Song Liang and lifted him into a bridal carry. He looked at Xiao Yi for a moment, his lips moving, but said nothing. Then he turned toward the lounge.
Xiao Yi remained where he was, watching them leave without speaking for a long time.
Beside him, Chu Xiyuan was shaken to the core, his mind in turmoil.
When Xiao Yi finally looked his way, he hurriedly lowered his head.
Then Xiao Yi asked, as though nothing had happened, “What did he talk to you about?”
Still reeling from stumbling upon his friend’s scandalous family secret, Chu Xiyuan blurted out the first thing in his head.
“He said he’d kill you and your nephew sooner or later.”
Chu Xiyuan: “…”
Fuck. His stupid mouth.
He smiled awkwardly.
“He was drunk. Or maybe I misheard.”
Xiao Yi showed no anger or offense. Instead, he looked thoughtful.
“Anything else?”
“…He asked how Xiao Ji and Xu Huan got together, and why they broke up.”
He had barely finished when Xiao Yi’s expression visibly cooled.
Alarm bells rang in Chu Xiyuan’s head. He hurried to add, “He asked about you too! When you came back to the Xiao family, and who your mother was…”
As he spoke, he studied the man’s expression.
Xiao Yi remained composed.
“Anything else?”
Chu Xiyuan honestly shook his head. “That’s all.”
Xiao Yi nodded and headed toward the lounge.
Relieved, Chu Xiyuan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
Then he turned and found two pairs of eyes staring straight at him.
“…”
He forced a smile at the two men.
“Can I help you?”
Yang Xuan cleared his throat.
“We hope Young Master Chu will keep what he’s seen confidential.”
Yang Xun added, “Don’t tell anyone about the uncle, the nephew, and Song Liang.”
“…Haha. I don’t know anything.”
Chu Xiyuan laughed awkwardly, but inwardly, his mind was in complete upheaval.
Good heavens. It was real.
The uncle and nephew had actually fallen for the same person!
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