Chapter 7#
The Self-Deceiving Liar#
Gu Xi usually spoke very little, and he had never engaged in such trivial conversation with anyone.
But perhaps compared to the expensive and heavy perfumes in the display cases, the scent of cheap soap on Lin Xiaodong was surprisingly clean and pleasant, and the man suddenly had an impulse not to let go.
“How old is your brother this year?” he asked.
“Nineteen.”
Gu Xi was stunned for a moment.
He had originally thought Lin Xiaodong and Lin Xiamian were the same age and that Lin Xiaodong had given up on the college entrance exam because of poor grades to enter society early.
However…
Being an adult was better.
“Your brother is already in university, but you’re working here in high school and have to give your wages to him,” with the last layer of concern gone, the look in Gu Xi’s eyes as he watched Lin Xiaodong gradually became dark and deep. “Do you not resent him in your heart?”
Lin Xiaodong was silent for a while.
Although in reality, he was the brother who gave up his studies to support his younger brother’s education, but…
“What’s the use of resentment?” He smiled and looked down at the hand-tailored black shirt Gu Xi was wearing. “For a family like ours, being able to support one university student is already quite remarkable.”
All the scholarships the “Lin Xiaodong” of this world earned in school were spent on treating Lin Qiaoqiao—the mother of him and Lin Xiamian.
Even so, it was far from enough.
Gu Xi frowned slightly, thinking about something, and didn’t speak for a while.
“Ding! Good Person Card fragment +1.”
Lin Xiaodong’s spirits immediately lifted.
But while the two were silent, President Wang, who was unwilling to fail in his objective today, spoke again: “Xiao Mei, go on, isn’t there a pole over there? Perform a dance for everyone.”
The woman beside him flashed a shy smile and walked to the pole in thin high heels. As the intense music started, her soft and graceful figure stretched and danced against the cold, hard pole. The pink-purple booth lights created an atmosphere that made one’s blood boil.
Some people whistled, others cheered loudly, and the atmosphere on site was gradually pushed to a climax.
Lin Xiaodong stared unblinkingly: “Wow.”
Gu Xi pinched his waist hard.
“Does it look good?” he asked in a low voice.
“It looks good,” Lin Xiaodong nodded like a chick pecking at grain, smiling happily, his cheeks flushed. “Who doesn’t love looking at a beautiful sister?”
President Wang laughed loudly: “Little brother has a true personality! How about it, do you want to go up and try it too?”
Ignoring Gu Xi’s gradually cooling expression, he pushed through: “It’s okay if you haven’t learned. Having fun is the most important thing. President Gu values you so much, dancing one song shouldn’t be a big deal, right?”
But he didn’t notice that the few people in the room who had been around Gu Xi for a long time were already looking at him as if they were looking at a dead man.
Lin Xiaodong glanced at him and suddenly remembered.
This President Wang seemed to be the CEO of a startup company that had risen recently, also doing import and export trade, with a very strong momentum.
Presumably, he was dissatisfied with the distribution of power at the pier under Gu Xi’s control, which was why he provoked him so repeatedly.
He stood up readily.
Fine, Gu Xi helped him once just now, so consider this paying him back.
Gu Xi sat on the sofa without moving, but his eyes were constantly monitoring every slight change on Lin Xiaodong’s face. Only when he saw the cunning smile in the child’s eyes did his tightly furrowed brows relax slightly.
What was this little liar up to now?
Lin Xiaodong walked to the song selection console and tinkered with it for a few moments.
Under everyone’s puzzled gazes, he stood before the pole with a face full of righteousness, cupped his fists forcefully toward them, and said sonorously:
“I will perform the ‘Good Man Song’ for all the bosses. Please forgive my lack of skill!”
Everyone: “…………”
The familiar melody played, and Lin Xiaodong cleared his throat. His loud voice was extremely piercing: “The big river flows to the east, the stars in the sky join the Big Dipper~”
The youth grabbed the pole with one hand and, using it as a center, moved his body stiffly in a circle. His face was resolute, his eyes bright. He kicked out a high leg forcefully; it didn’t look like he was pole dancing, but more like he was performing Lu Zhishen uprooting the weeping willow.
Along the way, he tried to imitate Xiao Mei’s chic head toss, but accidentally used too much force and sent his wig flying. It happened to land on the fruit platter in front of President Wang, and a head of flamboyant yellow hair was revealed to everyone.
Xiao Mei nearby let out an “Ah,” her eyes going wide as she was completely stunned.
She subconsciously turned toward Gu Xi, fearing he would be angry, only to see the man leaning back on the sofa with one hand covering his lips. His dark eyes, fixed on Lin Xiaodong, were full of uncontrollable amusement.
“Act when it’s time to act! Roam through the nine provinces with vigor… Hey-ah! Yi-ah!”
Lin Xiaodong felt a bit guilty too. He forced himself through the song, climbing down from the pole out of breath. He grinned at the equally dazed President Wang, intentionally annoying him: “How about it, President Wang? Was it spirited enough?”
“Spirited, very spirited,” President Wang said with difficulty, staring at his yellow-and-green hair.
More than spirited—his soul was almost scared away by Lin Xiaodong.
Lin Xiaodong wasn’t satisfied yet and continued to ask: “So, after listening to my ‘Good Man Song,’ do you feel heroic and in high spirits?”
President Wang: “…………”
He was practically rendered impotent, alright!
Seeing President Wang’s lips tightly pressed together and not wanting to deal with him, Lin Xiaodong smacked his lips and looked toward Gu Xi with some lingering interest.
“Not bad,” Gu Xi praised. “Unique.”
Now it was Lin Xiaodong’s turn to knit his eyebrows.
Why did it not sound like a compliment to him?
He walked up to President Wang, picked up the wig, and patted it as if nothing had happened, only to find a piece of chewing gum stuck to it. Lin Xiaodong looked at it with disgust, then looked up to apologize sincerely to the others in the booth, especially President Wang: “Sorry, a small problem occurred. Everyone, take a break. I’ll be right back—”
President Wang: …Don’t come back!
“Stop.” Gu Xi called out to him.
Lin Xiaodong looked at him in confusion, but the man stood up directly and walked to him.
Gu Xi grabbed Lin Xiaodong’s wrist and said to the staff member who came in to pour tea: “Tell your manager I’m taking the person with me.”
Lin Xiaodong was stunned.
He stared blankly at Gu Xi’s face and asked the system: “W-w-what did he just say?”
The system said in a voice that had seen through the mortal world: “He said he’s going to ‘keep’ you. Congratulations.”
Lin Xiaodong: !!!
“B-b-big boss, you might have misunderstood something,” he suddenly shook off Gu Xi’s hand, acting both refusing and welcoming. “I-I-I’m not Lin Xiamian. I’m just here working to pay off debts for my brother. I sell my skills, not my body…” But if you’re going to use force, I’ll have no choice.
Gu Xi: “I know.”
He actually didn’t intend to really do anything to Lin Xiaodong; he was just tired of dealing insincerely with the group of guys behind him.
Compared to them, this little liar in front of him was much more interesting.
Halfway there, the system suddenly popped up and asked: “Didn’t you feel anything when you sat on his lap?”
Lin Xiaodong was in high spirits: “Feel what?”
“This one is quite gifted,” the system said tactfully. “The models don’t match. If you try, you’ll die.”
This was indeed a serious practical problem. Lin Xiaodong thought for a moment, and his expression gradually became heavy.
By the time he came back to his senses, he had followed Gu Xi to the underground garage. Lin Xiaodong stopped and looked at the shiny black luxury car in front of him, his eyes going straight.
“President Gu,” he swallowed, resisting the strong temptation and looking away to refuse, “I think I’d better not…”
Before he could finish, Gu Xi suddenly pushed him into the car and leaned sideways to dodge a dagger swung from behind.
Lin Xiaodong was startled.
How did this suddenly jump to a criminal investigation plot!?
Before the killer could swing a second time, he was pinned to the ground by the bodyguards accompanying Gu Xi.
Gu Xi stared at a shallow cut on his arm, frowning as he washed it with clean water several times. Fortunately, the wound wasn’t deep, and the bleeding stopped quickly. But the blade of that dagger had a faint blue tint, which was a clear sign of a problem.
The driver asked worriedly: “President Gu, should we go to the hospital?”
Gu Xi shook his head: “No need. I have a special constitution and am immune to most toxins.”
He walked up to the killer and looked down at the person tied like a twist on the ground: “Speak. Who sent you?”
The other party kept their eyes tightly closed, lying on the ground without saying a word.
The only thing he failed to calculate was that he didn’t expect the poison to have no effect on Gu Xi.
Seeing him uncooperative, Gu Xi didn’t get angry either. He just asked a bodyguard for a cigarette and lit it. After lighting it, he placed it upright on top of a nearby trash can.
Finally, he turned around and said coldly to the bodyguard: “For every cigarette that burns down, break one of his bones.”
“Yes.”
Gu Xi got into the car after giving the order. Listening to the faint screams coming from nearby, Lin Xiaodong, sitting next to him, didn’t even dare to breathe, trying hard to minimize his presence. He didn’t even notice that the man beside him was in a slightly wrong state.
Three minutes later, a bodyguard came over and knocked on the car window.
“President Gu, he spoke. It was the Wang Group that hired him.”
The head of the Wang Group was the President Wang who had intentionally made things difficult for him in the booth earlier. It seemed the conflict between this person and Gu Xi had indeed reached an irreconcilable point.
Lin Xiaodong originally thought Gu Xi would say something like “The weather is getting cold, let the Wang family go bankrupt,” but the man just nodded and said: “Got it.”
“Are you alright?” the bodyguard asked with a frown.
“I’m fine,” Gu Xi opened his eyes and turned to look at Lin Xiaodong. “By the way, what did you want to say to me just now?”
Lin Xiaodong was silent.
He caught a glimpse of the killer still wailing on the ground out of the corner of his eye and slowly shook his head.
Compared to that kind of death, he’d rather “try” it with Gu Xi.
If he was lucky, maybe the models would match?