Cheng Mingjiao had originally planned to schedule another thorough physical examination, but after returning to the mansion alone, all those symptoms disappeared.
Since he had just had two tubes of blood drawn, he decided not to put himself through any more trouble. He ordered a blood-replenishing nutritional meal from a nearby hotel and moved his bedtime up from 10:30 to 10:00.
At 10:01 sharp, the Emperor drifted sweetly into dreamland.
Early the next morning, he was woken by his alarm. The moment he opened his phone, he saw an invitation from Liang Xiao.
[Want to go camping at Lanlan Mountain this weekend?]
Lanlan Mountain was more than two hours from Phoenix City. It had nothing but wild mountains and streams—not even a five-star hotel.
Cheng Mingjiao had no interest in roughing it and rejected the invitation outright: No.
Liang Xiao replied instantly, as if he had been waiting by his phone: Come on. It’ll just be my family of three and Guo Fengnian. It’s been ages since we all got together.
Cheng Mingjiao still answered with two words: Not going.
Liang Xiao: You sure?
Cheng Mingjiao: Absolutely.
A few seconds later, Liang Xiao replied: Fine, then we won’t go either.
Cheng Mingjiao slowly furrowed his brow.
He and Liang Xiao and Guo Fengnian had been close friends for many years.
As an outstanding, steady, and exceptionally successful man, he had always known that his friends regarded him as their spiritual leader. Whatever they did, they wanted to do it with him. Even so, seeing how clingy they were still gave him a headache.
Fine.
He was always far too tolerant: I don’t want to see any outsiders.
Liang Xiao: We’ll reserve the whole place.
Cheng Mingjiao: Acceptable.
Liang Xiao: Should I pick you up Saturday morning?
Cheng Mingjiao: No. I have an assistant.
And so Zhang Xiyue was rewarded with overtime.
Although she knew that a private outing like this was a good opportunity to grow closer to the male lead, sacrificing her weekend still made it difficult for her to restrain her resentment.
Cheng Mingjiao had repeatedly reminded her not to be late, yet he still hadn’t come out. Sitting alone in the car, she lowered her head and chatted in the group named “What Does the Emperor Want, Anyway?”
At this hour, everyone else was still asleep. Only Zhou Ce, who was confined to bed, was awake. After learning that she had to work overtime that day, he expressed his sincere sympathy.
Zhou Ce: Hang in there, Xiyue. Once you make it through these three months, you’ll be successful at anything you do in the future.
Zhang Xiyue stared at the message for a long while before asking for advice: How do you usually calm yourself down when you’re in a bad mood?
Zhou Ce: Curse him out in the group, or look at your bank balance.
Zhang Xiyue: …
Zhou Ce: You know he pays way too much.
Zhang Xiyue: …
An executive assistant’s base salary was 150,000, with a guaranteed reimbursement allowance of 10,000. Overtime on workdays paid triple for the first three hours and five times the normal rate after that. Overtime on rest days started at six times the normal rate.
He really did pay an absurd amount—enough to achieve financial freedom after working for a few years.
But that was useless to Zhang Xiyue.
This world had never felt real to her, and neither had its money. Once her basic needs were met, having a somewhat easier life was enough for her. She didn’t care much about whatever money was left over.
…Prize money she could take back to the real world was another matter.
That was a genuine hundred million. Even if she spent ten thousand a day, it would take her more than twenty years to use it all, not even counting the enormous returns it would continue generating while she spent it.
She could never spend it all. There was simply too much.
When the time came, she would quit her job in the big city and return to her small hometown. She’d spend a few hundred thousand buying back the old house, then split the rest among her friends—ten million each, give or take. She’d keep some for herself, and they could all lie flat and enjoy life together…
Cheng Mingjiao arrived late. Before he had even gotten into the car, Zhang Xiyue happily poked her head out.
“Good morning, Mr. Cheng! You look so handsome today!”
Cheng Mingjiao lowered his head and glanced at himself. He had changed out of his suit and into a beige casual outfit. The soft fabric perfectly outlined his figure, while his two-centimeter-thick air-cushion shoes brought him up to a height of 191 centimeters.
He hadn’t slicked his hair back yet that day. His bangs fell loosely over his brows, making him look both handsome and youthful.
He really was handsome. No wonder she had gotten so carried away that she’d forgotten her place and praised her boss in such a frivolous tone.
Cheng Mingjiao was just about to indicate that he understood when Zhang Xiyue smiled brightly and withdrew her head back into the car.
She was in a good mood now and didn’t want to listen to the Emperor ramble.
The two of them had set out late. By the time they arrived at the Lanlan Mountain campsite, it was already past ten in the morning.
Following the navigation, Zhang Xiyue drove into a remote parking lot. The moment the car came to a stop, Cheng Mingjiao got out.
“What a dump.” His expression was full of disdain, and he was already beginning to regret coming.
Zhang Xiyue’s excitement had already faded, and her longing for rest surged back to the surface. Seeing his tightly knitted brows, she immediately tried to steer him toward the answer she wanted.
“Want to go back?”
Come on.
Say we’re going back. Then we can still have lunch and make up for lost sleep.
Cheng Mingjiao’s lips slowly pressed together. After a long silence, he said coolly, “Forget it.”
Then he turned and walked away.
Her weekend plans were officially ruined. Zhang Xiyue followed after him.
There were staff members along the way to guide visitors, and the moment they saw the two of them, they came over to lead them.
They followed the staff down a narrow path. After ten minutes of walking and turning several times, they finally reached the campsite.
The moment they appeared at the entrance, a man with dyed blond hair jumped out and enthusiastically opened his arms toward Cheng Mingjiao.
The man: “Hug.”
Cheng Mingjiao: “Get lost.”
The man: “Okay.”
Zhang Xiyue: “…”
The man rolled away, then rolled back and took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Zhang Xiyue.
“Hi, I’m Guo Fengnian, Jiaojiao’s friend.”
“Hi, I’m Zhang Xiyue.”
Guo Fengnian grinned and was just about to say something when Cheng Mingjiao cut him off.
“Don’t call me Jiaojiao. It’s disgusting.”
“Then what should I call you? Zhuangzhuang?” Guo Fengnian shot back.
Cheng Mingjiao looked over expressionlessly.
Guo Fengnian immediately raised both hands in surrender. “Mingjiao. Cheng Mingjiao.”
He had originally intended to exchange a few more pleasantries with his new friend, but after being interrupted like that, he forgot what he was going to say. He walked in silence for a while before finally remembering to ask, “Didn’t you say you’d arrived ten minutes ago? How come you’ve only just shown up?”
The question was obviously directed at Cheng Mingjiao.
Cheng Mingjiao: “I went to park.”
Guo Fengnian sucked in a sharp breath. “Don’t tell me you parked in Parking Lot One?”
Zhang Xiyue thought back. Sure enough, the parking lot they had just left had been marked with a “1.”
“That’s way too far from the campsite. Normally, nobody parks over there. Next time, just drive all the way to the campsite. You can park anywhere around here. When you leave the mountain, take the main road straight down—you won’t have to pass through the parking lot,” Guo Fengnian reminded them.
Zhang Xiyue looked around. Sure enough, two luxury cars were parked by the roadside.
There were only two.
She noticed that, apart from the staff and those two cars, there were only a few of them in the entire area. Only then did she realize that the whole place had been reserved for them today.
Damn rich people.
Zhang Xiyue grumbled inwardly and nodded at Guo Fengnian.
Cheng Mingjiao, meanwhile, bluntly declared, “There won’t be a next time. I’m never coming back to some godforsaken wilderness like this.”
“What do you mean, there won’t be a next time?” Liang Xiao emerged from one of the tents, catching the end of his sentence perfectly.
Guo Fengnian: “CEO Cheng says that once this camping trip is over, he’s never coming back.”
“It may not even last that long,” Cheng Mingjiao said arrogantly. “I might leave in ten minutes and then ignore your calls for three days.”
Guo Fengnian and Liang Xiao exchanged a glance, then each grabbed one of Cheng Mingjiao’s arms and forcibly dragged him into the tent.
“Zhang Xiyue, are you just going to stand there?!” Cheng Mingjiao roared at his employee in impotent fury as he struggled against their hold.
Before Zhang Xiyue could say anything, Liang Xiao spoke up. “Have some shame, Young Master. It was one thing to have Zhou Ce help you before, but Xiyue’s a girl. You’re asking her to help you fight?”
Cheng Mingjiao ignored him and continued issuing orders to Zhang Xiyue. “Get over here! Zap them! Zap them all to death!”
Zhang Xiyue: “…”
“What do you mean, zap them to death? She can generate electricity?” Guo Fengnian asked, utterly baffled.
Liang Xiao said, “Even if she could generate electricity, it wouldn’t do any good. Before she got here, I’d already knock you unconscious.”
At last, Cheng Mingjiao shifted his gaze from Zhang Xiyue to Liang Xiao, using his handsome face to express his disdain. “You? You think you can?”
“What, you’re the only one who works out?” Liang Xiao shot back.
Cheng Mingjiao said, “One punch from me could send you flying.”
Liang Xiao said, “Before you can throw that punch, I’ll jab the numb point on your elbow.”
Guo Fengnian added, “I’ll jab the other arm.”
Liang Xiao said, “Break both your arms.”
Guo Fengnian said, “Disable your martial arts.”
Cheng Mingjiao: “…”
By the time they were done trading insults, the three of them had disappeared into the tent.
The world fell silent.
Zhang Xiyue stood outside alone, speechless.
“Don’t worry about them. Just enjoy yourself.”
A bright, hearty voice came from behind her. Zhang Xiyue turned around and found herself face-to-face with a plump young woman wearing her hair in a low ponytail.
After a brief pause, Zhang Xiyue lowered her gaze and saw the little girl she had met a few days ago. The girl was clutching an old teddy bear and peeking out from behind the woman with an openly curious expression.
“Hello, my name is Zhang Xiyue. I’m Mr. Cheng’s assistant.” After introducing herself to the woman, Zhang Xiyue smiled and waved at the little girl. “Youyou, do you remember me?”
Liang Youyou nodded, then shyly hid herself again.
The woman burst out laughing. “She really likes you. After meeting you at the hospital, she kept talking about you for ages.”
“Mm,” Zhang Xiyue said with a smile, her eyes bright. “I know.”
The woman gently patted Youyou and invited Zhang Xiyue over. “I just made some fruit tea. Would you like some?”
Zhang Xiyue felt a little embarrassed about having tea with someone she had only just met.
She was about to decline when Cheng Mingjiao’s irritated voice suddenly rang out from inside the tent.
“Zhang Xiyue! Zap them to death!”
“…Come on, come on.” Zhang Xiyue urged the woman along.
Five minutes later, Zhang Xiyue was sitting beneath a sun umbrella, gazing at the distant peaks and gray mist. She narrowed her eyes in contentment.
“Looks like it’s going to rain,” she said.
“The weather forecast says there’ll be rain tonight,” the woman replied. “Camping in the rain is actually very cozy. Our tent is well insulated, too, so it won’t be too noisy.”
The resentment of being forced to work overtime had been completely washed away by the beautiful scenery. In an excellent mood, Zhang Xiyue poured little Youyou a cup of fruit tea without any actual tea in it.
Youyou was no longer shy. She chattered away like a little sparrow, and when she saw that her own cup was full, she remembered to push the other little cup forward as well.
Zhang Xiyue poured another cup and solemnly placed it in front of the teddy bear.
Seeing that her friend was being treated with due respect, Youyou grew even happier. She took a sip of her own tea, then picked up the teddy bear and clinked its cup against hers, completing a tiny game of house.
Zhang Xiyue set down the teapot and looked up, only to meet the woman’s helpless gaze.
“She’s been carrying it around twenty-four hours a day since birth. She won’t let anyone else touch it,” the woman mouthed.
Zhang Xiyue smiled and patted Youyou’s head.
Children had their own worlds, and adults had their own social lives.
As Zhang Xiyue chatted with the woman, she learned that her name was Wei Chengfang and that she was Liang Xiao’s wife. The two had gotten married right after graduating from college and had Youyou a year later—a textbook example of an early marriage that pleased all the elders.
Cheng Mingjiao and Guo Fengnian were the same age. Wei Chengfang and Liang Xiao were a few years older than them, but they had all grown up together and had been friends for many years.
Wei Chengfang was very talkative, and before long she had told Zhang Xiyue quite a lot.
As Zhang Xiyue listened, she idly wondered: With Cheng Mingjiao’s setup, he should at the very least have been the devoted second male lead. How had he ended up as a minor character with a twisted obsession instead?
She supposed personality determined one’s fate.
She imagined Cheng Mingjiao looking deeply and tenderly at someone and got goosebumps all over. Then she imagined him relentlessly pursuing the female lead in the future…
The Emperor wants it, so the Emperor must have it.
If the Emperor can’t have it, then the Emperor is bound to start acting up.
Mm. That made a lot more sense.
Zhang Xiyue had just managed to convince herself of this when Wei Chengfang mentioned that Guo Fengnian was a doctoral student in engineering. Zhang Xiyue immediately looked up in astonishment.
“Shocked, right? A lot of people are,” Wei Chengfang said calmly. “He may look stupid, brainless, and rebellious, but he really does have a good head on his shoulders.”
The moment she finished speaking, Guo Fengnian crawled out of the tent.
“Even if he’s a Counterfeit, he’s still the Chen family’s eldest son! Those bastards really have some nerve!”
Cursing and swearing, he headed toward the camp entrance, his blond hair bobbing with every step.
Zhang Xiyue: “…”
What did he mean by Counterfeit?
She looked toward the entrance in confusion. In the hazy air peculiar to overcast days, a pale, cold-looking young man stood there, one arm bent at an unnatural angle.
He was slender and frail, as thin as a sheet of paper. Set against the camp staff and the mountain scenery, he possessed an indescribable air of lonely isolation.
Zhang Xiyue’s heart stirred, and she slowly rose to her feet.
The next second, a healthy Emperor appeared and blocked her view.
“Liang Xiao said that candy was given to you by Liang Youyou, not stolen by you,” Cheng Mingjiao said coldly, exposing her lie.
Zhang Xiyue found him annoying. She leaned out from in front of him and looked toward the young man again.
The Emperor: “?”
