Chapter 29: How Did He Suddenly Become a Kept Man?

Xu Yunzhou was respectfully guided by Director Zhang to a heavy solid wood door.

Director Zhang knocked carefully on the door. Only after receiving a response did he gently push it open, step aside, and say with obvious awe in his tone:

"Chairman Song, Mr. Xu Yunzhou has arrived."

After saying that, he retreated silently and closed the door.

The office was so spacious it was almost empty, with the city skyline outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.

Behind a desk with minimalist lines yet imposing presence sat a young woman.

She looked to be about the same age as Xu Yunzhou, wearing a custom-made navy blue suit skirt. Her appearance was extremely resplendent; it was the kind of aggressive, unforgettable beauty.

But what made Xu Yunzhou's heart inexplicably stir was not her beauty, but a vague sense of familiarity between her brows, as if he had seen her somewhere before, yet couldn't recall it at the moment.

He suppressed the strangeness in his heart and got straight to the point:

"Chairman Song, have we met before?"

That woman—Chairman Song Jinxuan—raised her eyes. Her cold gaze stayed on his face for a moment.

She didn't answer his question; instead, the corners of her mouth curled up into an undisguised smile of contempt.

She extended her slender fingers and nimbly pushed a document on the desk in front of him. Her tone was commanding, leaving no room for negotiation:

"Sign it."

Xu Yunzhou suspiciously picked up the document and quickly browsed through it.

This was an employment agreement. The position was Operations Director, and in the monthly salary column, it prominently stated exactly one hundred thousand yuan.

He frowned, completely unable to understand:

"Chairman Song, forgive my bluntness, but I have always developed in the technical field and have never touched operations. You are poaching me to be the Operations Director? Isn't this too much like child's play?"

Chairman Song Jinxuan gave a cold laugh. Leaning back slightly, the mockery in her eyes grew thicker:

"As a kept man, what position do you still care about? It's just a title. If you're given money, just take it obediently. Doesn't asking so much seem superfluous?"

(TL: "Kept man" or "little white face" are terms used to refer to a smooth-skinned, conventionally attractive young man who shuns manual labor or hard work to live off the wealth, patronage, and financial support of a sugar mommy or powerful female benefactor.)

The two words "kept man" were like a needle, pricking Xu Yunzhou so much that his face instantly darkened:

"Chairman Song, please be a bit more respectful."

"Respect?"

Chairman Song Jinxuan seemed to have heard a joke. She chuckled, her eyes carrying mockery,

"During those years you were at Hengchuang Technology, taking a salary far exceeding the market level while doing painless and inconsequential projects, didn't you ever feel it was strange? Did you really think your abilities were outstanding and worth that price?"

Xu Yunzhou's heart shuddered; this was also a doubt he had always had.

He stared at this woman before him with a cold temperament, trying to find an answer on her face. An absurd thought surfaced:

"Could it be... that Chairman Song has taken a fancy to me?"

"Mr. Xu is truly ridiculously confident."

Chairman Song Jinxuan's face completely cooled down,

"The one who took a fancy to you is someone else. After you join the company, your first task is to go on a business trip to Huzhou and properly serve that person. If you coax her into being happy, there won't be a lack of benefits for you."

These words were poured down on him like ice water mixed with insults.

It turned out that the million-yuan annual salary and the so-called Director position were nothing but a "service fee" and a fig leaf!

Extremely angry, Xu Yunzhou laughed instead. Not saying another word, he directly picked up that agreement, tore it in half down the middle with a "rip," and casually threw it into the trash can next to him.

"Sorry, the thing I, Xu Yunzhou, am least capable of doing in this life is serving others. Chairman Song had better hire someone more capable."

"You!"

Chairman Song Jinxuan abruptly slammed the desk and stood up, her beautiful eyes widening. She clearly didn't expect him to dare to be so decisive,

"Who do you think you are? If it weren't for her repeatedly instructing to look after you, do you think you could have lived so smoothly these past few years? You unappreciative thing!"

Xu Yunzhou just shrugged indifferently. Too lazy to even argue, he directly turned around, pulled open the office door, and strode away.

Walking in the corridor, his heart was clouded with doubts.

Who exactly was the person Chairman Song Jinxuan mentioned who "took a fancy to him" and "instructed to look after him"?

Right at this moment, he remembered who this mysterious Chairman Song was!

Her name was Song... Song Jinxuan!

She was Lin Ruoxuan's younger cousin!

He had seen this young Chairman Song with a cold temperament and dominant actions in the "game"!

That little girl who always followed behind Lin Ruoxuan, looking at her older cousin with adoring eyes!

It was just that she was still young back then, her face immature, far removed from the image of the businesswoman with her aura fully unleashed before his eyes, which led to him actually failing to recognize her immediately just now!

Xu Yunzhou's footsteps abruptly halted. He almost had the impulse to immediately turn around, go back, and knock on that door.

The truth seemed within reach.

However, the instant his fingers were about to touch the door handle, rationality regained the upper hand.

Assume the person she spoke of is Lin Ruoxuan.

Assume again that he really did, under the intervention of some incomprehensible power, appear in Lin Ruoxuan's life trajectory and guide her in the capacity of the "Tyrant System."

Then why would her attitude toward him be so condescending, carrying charity and contempt?

That feeling was not like treating a former "guide," but more like handling a... "leftover item" related to the past that needed to be properly settled.

"Thirteen years... the time has been too long after all, people change."

Xu Yunzhou said silently to himself at the bottom of his heart, suppressing that trace of inexplicable bitterness.

And if he really saw Lin Ruoxuan, then what?

Should he directly say to her:

"Hey, I am that 'Daddy System' who shocked you every day back then?"

Perhaps she would believe it, but she would inevitably press:

"Why did you have that kind of ability back then? Is that ability to peer into the future and manipulate destiny still there now?"

When the time comes, how should he explain?

Should he expose the existence of the "Goddess Nurturing" game?

This secret was his biggest reliance now and an inexplicable anomaly; it absolutely could not be exposed to anyone! Not even Lin Ruoxuan!

Thinking of this, Xu Yunzhou took a deep breath and pushed that impulse back down to the bottom of his heart.

"Can't rush..."

The most urgent matter was not to rashly acknowledge each other, but to figure out a way to clearly understand from the side—what kind of person has the current Lin Ruoxuan become?

What kind of mentality and purpose does she hold toward him?

Saturday is Song Jiaru's concert. He had a premonition that he would be able to figure out many things at that time.

...

Going downstairs to the front desk area.

Su Qianran, who had been waiting for a long time and had imagined a grand drama in her head, immediately straightened her back the moment she saw him come out.

Putting on the most arrogant posture, with a tone carrying a sense of giving charity:

"Xu Yunzhou, weren't you quite mighty yesterday? Selling the house and blacklisting me! What, today you know you were wrong, willing to put down your pride and run to my company to apologize? Let me tell you, if you had known today..."

Her words stopped abruptly.

Because she discovered that Xu Yunzhou's footsteps didn't pause in the slightest, nor did he even give her a glance, walking straight toward the open office area.

"Hey! I'm talking to you! Xu Yunzhou! Are you deaf?!"

Su Qianran raised her volume in anger, her face burning hot, feeling like a clown performing desperately while nobody watched.

Xu Yunzhou turned a deaf ear to her clamor. His target was clear—that female colleague who kindly revealed the truth to him yesterday, Zhang Xiaoyu.

He walked to Zhang Xiaoyu's workstation.

With sincere gratitude on his face, he gently placed the exquisite gift bag in his hand, printed with the "Aether" Logo and containing the starry sky blue clutch, on her desk.

"Xiaoyu, regarding yesterday's matter, thank you very much. If you hadn't awakened me, I might still be in the mud. A little token of my appreciation, I hope you like it, please be sure to accept it."

Looking at that obviously expensive bag, Zhang Xiaoyu was startled. She hurriedly waved her hands and lowered her voice:

"Brother Xu, you're too polite! I just couldn't stand watching it and casually said a few words, there's really no need for this!"

"A little gratitude, no need to decline."

Xu Yunzhou's tone was gentle yet firm. He nodded at her, didn't say more, turned around and left, his actions clean and neat.

This action of his instantly stirred up a small commotion in the office area.

"Wow! Xiaoyu! Who is this handsome guy? His temperament is so good! Is he your boyfriend? You hid him quite deeply!"

"Look at that bag! It's Aether! Could what he gave you be that starry sky blue limited edition that's all over WeChat Moments? I just saw it on the official website yesterday, sold out in seconds! The price seems to be over ten thousand!"

(TL: "WeChat Moments" is like an hybrid of an Instagram feed and a Facebook wall.)

"My god! He's too handsome, right?! Tall and stylish, and so generous and considerate! Xiaoyu, your luck is too good!"

The exclamations and envy of the colleagues were like needles piercing into Su Qianran's heart.

She looked at that bag which should have belonged to her, now landing on the desk of her most hated colleague.

Watching Xu Yunzhou be so gentle and polite to Zhang Xiaoyu, yet turning a blind eye to herself, an uncontrollable anger instantly broke through her rationality!

Like a madwoman, she charged over, pointed at the tip of Zhang Xiaoyu's nose, and cursed shrilly:

"Zhang Xiaoyu! You shameless slut! You actually dared to secretly seduce my boyfriend! Stealing my things!"