EM Chapter 7. Miserable Bastard

The current head of the Shao family was the old master himself. He was swift in action and ruthless in execution. The family owed most of its current standing to his efforts. He had two sons and a daughter. The eldest son’s mother came from a poor background and had died early. The other son and daughter were born to his legitimate wife. Although she did not care for the eldest son, she had a decent nature and did not make things difficult for him, at least not in the beginning. It was only after noticing the head of the family praising him often and showing signs of grooming him as heir that she gradually came to see him as a threat.

She was fortunate in that she never needed to take action herself. That man had one trait that gave the old master endless headaches. He was hopelessly romantic.

A true romantic, utterly devoted to the person he loved. Loyal to the end, sincere to the point of giving everything he had. He flatly refused to marry the high-born young lady the old master had chosen to secure their power base. Instead, he insisted on living with an ordinary woman. He even brought her home one day, knelt on the ground, and begged for their blessing.

The old master, furious, had them thrown out. It happened to be raining heavily that day. A car crash took their lives, and they never came back. All that was left was a child not yet a month old. The old master was overwhelmed with grief. Knowing this was his son’s only remaining bloodline, he brought the child back into the family.

The child’s father was born of a concubine, and the mother had no formal status. That left the boy in an awkward position in the household. From a young age, he was sent overseas. Every year, he would come back once or twice at most, never staying longer than a night. Some of the household staff did not even recognize him.

His name was Shao Xiujie. He was the man Song Feng now called boss.

“Boss,” Song Feng said as he followed behind, walking leisurely toward the main residence, “you seriously came back to inherit the family business?”

“Something like that.”

Song Feng shrugged and didn’t press further. The intel only mentioned that the old master’s health was failing and that he had arranged a marriage for his grandson to strengthen their ties with the Liu family. As for what the old man was really planning and what kind of power the Liu family held, none of that was clear. What would happen in the future was anyone’s guess.

The two stepped into the main house and went up to the third floor. Shao Xiujie entered the study to see the old master, while Song Feng waited outside in the corridor. Voices drifted up faintly from the sitting room below, both male and female. Probably the sons and daughters of some other family.

Shao Xiujie didn’t stay long. Soon he opened the door and said, “Come in.”

Song Feng paused, then obediently followed the order. The old man’s face was a bit pale, but his energy seemed fine. He sat in a rosewood chair, eyes half-closed as he sized him up silently. Song Feng stood there smiling. The man had a powerful presence, but compared to his own grandfather, he still fell short. Song Feng wasn’t afraid.

“I’ve already discussed it with Xiaoshuang,” Shao Xiujie said. “This one handles unexpected situations well. He should be able to do it.”

The old man stared at him for a long time. “That’ll do.”

Song Feng raised an eyebrow. What would do? Shao Xiujie ignored him and said to the old man, “Then I’ll go now, Grandpa.”

“Mm. Xiaoshuang is here today. Show her around and see if anything else needs to be prepared.”

Shao Xiujie gave a quiet reply and turned to open the door. At the same time, the old man smashed a cup hard and shouted, “This isn’t up for discussion. Get out!”

Song Feng was startled by the sudden outburst. Before he could react, someone grabbed his hand. Shao Xiujie shut the door and looked at him in the corridor, giving instructions calmly.

“Try to look a little heartbroken in a bit.”

A bad feeling crept over Song Feng. Shao Xiujie went on, “Imagine that beautiful girl in the garden is getting married, and the groom isn’t you. How would you feel?”

“…Nothing,” Song Feng said. “There are plenty of pretty girls out there.”

“Assume you really love her,” Shao Xiujie coaxed.

“Can’t assume that…”

Shao Xiujie was about to say more when someone came down the corridor.

“What’s going on?”

Song Feng quickly pulled his hand away and lowered his eyes, inwardly losing it. What the hell was this? Shao Xiujie gave his head a pat in approval and led him over.

“It’s nothing,” he said.

The newcomer looked between them. “And this is?”

“My assistant,” Shao Xiujie replied simply, then turned back. His voice softened. “Xiaofeng, this is my cousin.”

Song Feng greeted him quietly, a little timid. “Hello.”

The man raised his eyebrows. For people of their status, there was no need to introduce an assistant to family members. Unless, of course, this assistant was not just an assistant. After what he had just seen, everything became clear. So his cousin had a lover outside, and it was a man. No wonder Grandfather had lost his temper.

“What happened to Grandfather?”

“He…” Shao Xiujie paused briefly. “He is in a bad mood. It would be best not to disturb him for now.”

The man nodded. There was a trace of amusement in his eyes.

“Your fiancée is here. She is sitting in the living room downstairs.”

Shao Xiujie frowned and instinctively turned around. Song Feng avoided his gaze, silently repeating to himself that all the beauties in the world had already been taken and not a single one was left for him. He sniffled, and sadness welled up in his chest. Shao Xiujie was very satisfied with his performance. He sighed lightly, then ignored Song Feng’s resistance and firmly took his hand, leading him downstairs.

There were two women sitting in the living room, and the contrast between them was stark. One of them was the graceful beauty Song Feng had seen earlier in the garden. The other was three times her size.

“You’re back,” Liu Yushuang said gently as she stood to greet him.

As soon as Song Feng heard her voice, his heart nearly melted. Fortunately, the hand holding his gave him a sharp squeeze, pulling him back to his senses.

The other woman had been sitting, but when she looked up and saw Song Feng, she was stunned. His delicate features, striking eyes, and faintly melancholic expression were captivating. She immediately got to her feet.

“Who are you?”

Shao Xiujie instantly stepped in front of Song Feng to shield him. Before he could speak, his cousin, who had followed them down, let out a laugh.

“He’s cousin’s assistant. Don’t even think about it. The man is treasured, can’t you see? He still hasn’t let go of his hand.”

Song Feng shifted uncomfortably and tried to pull away. But once again, Shao Xiujie held on tightly.

Liu Yushuang looked at them. “Xiujie…?”

Shao Xiujie remained silent for a moment, then said, “Shuang, I am sorry. I…”

“Xiujie,” Liu Yushuang raised her voice, her tone trembling slightly. “You don’t know what you’re saying. Come on, we’re supposed to go for the fitting today.”

“No, I’m completely clear-headed right now. I…” Shao Xiujie faltered, then gave Song Feng’s hand a hard squeeze. Receiving the signal, Song Feng thought for a moment and reached out with his other hand to peel his fingers away.

“Boss… Mr. Shao isn’t in good health. Please don’t upset him.”

Shao Xiujie fell silent.

Liu Yushuang took the opportunity to link her arm with his. “Let’s go, Xiujie.”

Shao Xiujie looked at Song Feng, who kept his head down and avoided his eyes. He then turned to Liu Yushuang, and after a moment’s hesitation, finally gave in with a stiff nod. “Let’s go.”

Song Feng made to follow, but was suddenly grabbed by the other woman from earlier.

“I knew it. You and my cousin are involved, aren’t you? Since he’s going to try on suits, why don’t you stay here and keep me company…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Shao Xiujie turned back and pulled them apart, his expression dark.

The woman recoiled in fright.

Song Feng quietly reminded him, “Boss.”

Only then did Shao Xiujie release his grip and silently pull Song Feng away. He did not speak again until they had gotten into the car. Once seated, he finally let go and said with approval, “Not bad at all.”

Song Feng was nearly losing it. “What the hell is going on? Weren’t you just having me pretend to be an assistant?”

Liu Yushuang, sitting on Shao Xiujie’s other side, chuckled. “You are the assistant.”

The corner of Song Feng’s mouth twitched as he looked at his boss. “Aren’t you afraid someone will check in the U.S. to see if you actually have a boyfriend?”

Shao Xiujie replied calmly, “I’ve already made arrangements. They will find enough to confirm your existence.”

Song Feng was momentarily stunned. “You planned this from the beginning?”

“No. It was after I met you,” Shao Xiujie said calmly. “I had a feeling you’d do just fine. And it turns out, I was right.”

“…”

Song Feng understood what he was playing at. The Liu family was a powerful one. In such a delicate time, the old master had personally arranged the engagement, which meant other parties were bound to be on high alert. Too many variables were in play. But if Shao Xiujie was to be linked with anyone, people would inevitably think of his father, the man known for being deeply romantic and dangerously devoted. So Shao Xiujie had simply decided to follow in those footsteps and play the same role, using sentiment to lull others into complacency.

Song Feng sniffled and turned away from them. After a moment, he suddenly remembered something and asked, “That woman… is she your cousin?”

He had seen the files and knew his boss had a younger sister. He had been looking forward to meeting her. Who would have thought the reality would be so cruel?

“Yes. If you’re interested, once I have full control of the family, I’ll tie her up and let her give you a shoulder rub.”

“…No thanks. I don’t think I can handle that.”

Liu Yushuang laughed. “She might not be good for much, but she makes a decent punching bag.”

Shao Xiujie nodded in agreement. “That’s true.”

“…,” Song Feng shrank into a corner, pretending he didn’t exist. He felt like he had been dropped into a very dangerous place.

Shao Xiujie glanced at him. “Now that I’m back, there may be people watching me. You understand what that means, right?”

So they were going to keep up the act.

“…Got it.”

“Good.”

Song Feng continued playing the part of the pitiful lover. When they returned to the bedroom that night, he blinked. “We’re sharing a room?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’m taking the bed. Don’t even think about making me sleep on the couch.”

Shao Xiujie was completely unbothered. “Fine. The bed’s big enough anyway.”

Song Feng took half the bed. The next day, he resumed his role as the heartbroken boyfriend, counting the days until his boss finally took full control. Only then, he would be free.

Meanwhile, Xiao Mingxuan had been feeling extremely uneasy the past few days.

He had returned to the military. Life had become regular again. The days were full, but gradually, he began to feel a dislike for it. This dislike did not come from the monotony or mechanical training, but from the comfort.

He watched the other soldiers. They trained day after day, and might never see blood in their entire lives. Of course, not seeing blood was the best outcome, but he was the only one who felt unsatisfied with that. The past two years he had spent outside had been dangerous, but they were also exciting. He had never considered that kind of life before, but now, wanting it or not was no longer a simple matter. If given the choice, he would rather go to the front lines. Perhaps men were naturally drawn to such things. So when Wang Yizhong came looking for him that day, he came right away.

“Take a look at this person’s file. He fled to Malaysia.”

Xiao Mingxuan frowned. “There?”

“Yes. We sent people after him, but yesterday we received news that they had already been killed. That place belongs to Fu Shanming.”

At the mention of Fu Shanming, Xiao Mingxuan suddenly thought of that lunatic and froze.

“We suspect he may have gotten involved with Fu Shanming,” Wang Yizhong said. “And according to our information, your relationship with Fu Shanming seems to be rather unusual.”

Xiao Mingxuan said nothing. Wang Yizhong handed him a report, with a line highlighted in red: When I went in, the boss and Fu Shanming were getting intimate. To spice things up, the boss had taken something. Fu Shanming saw me enter and tried to kill me so he could keep going. I fought back with everything I had, and that man had no choice but to run. But the boss still had the drug in his system, so I ended up being the unfortunate third party…

Xiao Mingxuan clenched his fists tightly. Only one person could have written that report.

Only that one person.