Da Chang's expression gave Xiaojuan a sense of foreboding. She turned to look at him and asked, "What exactly did you guys do just now?"
Da Chang glanced at Peng, signaling for him to explain.
Peng recounted the events, emphasizing how terrifying the strange phenomena in the vineyard had been, hoping to avoid Xiaojuan's scolding.
"So, you're saying you were shouting in the vineyard, yelling about…?…" Xiaojuan felt a chill run down her spine as she listened, as if the sky were about to collapse.
No wonder Brother Chao had looked so strange when she arrived earlier.
She could hardly imagine how awkward Brother Chao must have felt witnessing that scene.
"You should consider yourselves lucky that Brother Chao has a good temper. If it were anyone else, you'd already be lying on the ground," Xiaojuan said, feeling faint and exhausted. "Let's go back."
"We had no choice," Peng muttered in defense. "Remember how you said Brother Chao's boyfriend is really powerful and a total romantic? We thought if we did this, maybe he'd bless us and help us leave this place…"
"Did you ever stop to think how this behavior would look to others?" Xiaojuan was both exasperated and amused. "I told you, this is the real world."
Her words left Da Chang and Peng stunned. They had grown so accustomed to the logic of clearing game levels that, even if they never intentionally harmed NPCs, they subconsciously saw them as less than human.
They had been too deeply influenced by the game's mechanics, forgetting how to live ordinary lives.
"So, in Brother Chao's eyes, we're no different from lunatics?" Da Chang fell silent for a few seconds before embarrassment finally caught up with him. "What should we do now?"
"Stay out of Brother Chao's sight," Xiaojuan said, leading them back. "And you misunderstood me. Even though Brother Chao's boyfriend is a romantic, he doesn’t even notice other people. No matter what you say, he won’t bless you."
"But we made it out of the vineyard safely," Peng said in an even smaller voice.
"If I had to guess," Xiaojuan smiled, "the one who helped you was Brother Chao."
In Brother Chao, she could see the purest kindness toward life.
Su Chenzhu accompanied Chao Musheng all the way back to his room but stopped at the door without entering.
"Not coming in?" Chao Musheng noticed his unwavering gaze and gestured for him to step inside.
"You need rest more than I do," Su Chenzhu said softly, brushing his fingers lightly under Chao Musheng's eyes, where faint shadows lingered. "Goodnight."
"Alright." Seeing the concern in his eyes, Chao Musheng took Su Chenzhu's hand and nuzzled his cheek against his palm. "It's just a few late nights and early mornings. My senior year of high school was harder than this. Don’t worry."
Su Chenzhu sighed. "How can I not worry?"
Chao Musheng cupped his face and pressed a light kiss to the corner of his lips. "Don’t worry, I’ll take care of myself. Goodnight."
"Goodnight." Su Chenzhu touched his lips, dazed. "Was that… a goodnight kiss?"
Chao Musheng smirked. "It’s a reward for being a good boyfriend."
"Then…" Su Chenzhu stepped forward, leaning down to press a kiss to Chao Musheng’s forehead. "Goodnight."
"Go to sleep." His thumb brushed lightly over Chao Musheng’s cheek before he took a few deliberate steps back.
All his desires and yearnings paled in comparison to his deepest wish—
As long as Chao is well.
"Alright." Chao Musheng rested his hand on the doorknob, about to close the door, when he remembered something. "After this aid mission ends, we’ll all return to campus together. My friends want me to treat them to a meal. Come with me."
Su Chenzhu smiled before even speaking. "Okay."
Chao was introducing him to his friends.
Chao must really like him.
Over the next few days, Chao Musheng remained busy with work but still made time to take walks and share late-night snacks with Su Chenzhu.
"Love and indifference are worlds apart," Secretary Liu remarked as their boss replied to a message from Xiao Chao. He turned to Assistant Yang beside him. "Even during a short lunch break, Xiao Chao finds time to step out of the studio just to text the boss. Meanwhile, those useless men who claim they’re 'too busy' are clearly full of it."
Assistant Yang nearly choked on his chicken as he caught the smile on their boss’s face.
Why did every conversation turn into flattery?
"Exactly. Despite how busy Assistant Chao is, he still makes time for the boss," Assistant Yang said after swallowing. "It shows how much he treasures him."
This wasn’t empty praise—it was the truth.
"Is the anniversary meeting material for the processing plant ready?" Su Chenzhu set his phone down, the smile still lingering.
"All prepared," Secretary Liu replied. "Boss, I spoke with the chief engineer today. The project Xiao Chao’s team is handling is progressing smoothly—they might finish a week ahead of schedule."
What was originally a four-week workload now only needed three. Professor Zhang’s team really was exceptional.
They had already been in Hanyue for over a week. After tomorrow’s anniversary event at the processing plant, they’d have to return to Jing City.
"I see." Su Chenzhu nodded. "Thank you, Secretary Liu."
Watching this, Assistant Yang had an epiphany. Even small details like this were accounted for—no wonder Secretary Liu was the most trusted in their team.
He still had a lot to learn.
"Seven hundred fifty in total. Count it." The foreman handed the cash to Da Chang. "You coming back tomorrow?"
He’d never met laborers this cheap and efficient—strong, hardworking, never complaining about the rough meals.
"Yeah." Da Chang stuffed the money into his pocket. "Thanks, boss."
"Don’t mention it." The foreman tossed them five bottles of iced tea. "Same place, seven tomorrow."
"Got it." Da Chang distributed the drinks and took a hearty swig.
It had been so long since they’d lived peacefully like this—no coworkers suddenly turning violent, no foreman morphing into a monster chasing players.
The food was normal, the water was safe, even the air felt fresher.
This kind of life was like a dream.
"Boss, who are those kids?" A worker sidled up to the foreman, curious. "They’re freakishly strong—that delicate-looking woman lifted over two hundred pounds of rebar like it was nothing!"
So frail-looking, yet so strong!
"Who knows?" The foreman shrugged.
Good mules were hard to come by—why question a good thing?
"Chang-ge." Peng sipped his iced tea as they left the site, his gaze drifting to the vineyard that still unsettled him.
The place that had once trapped them now seemed small, its boundaries clearly visible.
Every time they passed it these past few days, he couldn’t understand how such a tiny vineyard had generated such an overwhelming energy field.
"Stop looking." Just seeing it reminded him of that night’s embarrassment.
Fortunately, they hadn’t run into the "golden thigh" these past few days...
"What a coincidence." A car pulled up beside them, and the window rolled down to reveal Chao Musheng’s handsome face.
Da Chang: "..."
Sometimes, he really hated his own brain.
"Good evening, Mr. Chao." He quickly adjusted his expression, forcing his smile to appear more sincere. "Finished work for the day?"
"Yes." Chao Musheng glanced at the five of them—their clothes were filthy, covered in dust from head to toe.
Had they just come from a construction site?
Peng stood behind Da Chang, grinning foolishly but resolutely refusing to speak first.
The golden thigh’s mysterious boyfriend was here too—he didn’t dare say a word.
"Get some rest early." Chao Musheng gave a slight nod and rolled up the window.
"You don’t like these people?" Su Chenzhu asked.
"Not exactly." Chao Musheng shook his head. "I just find them a bit strange."
At first, he thought they might be undercover agents from some relevant department, carrying out a classified mission. But their behavior didn’t quite fit that assumption.
So who were they, really?
"Don’t waste too much energy on them." Su Chenzhu spoke up. "They’re just insignificant existences."
Hearing this, Chao Musheng chuckled softly. "Got it."
The next morning, Da Chang and his group arrived at the construction site right on time. The regular workers were eating breakfast, but as temporary laborers, they weren’t provided meals.
They instinctively stood with the other temps—most of them in their forties or fifties, their skin darkened by the sun, their bodies lean and wiry.
"Why aren’t you wearing your helmets again?" The foreman walked over, his tone sharp as he noticed two workers without safety gear. "Next time anyone shows up without a helmet, don’t bother working under me."
"Work hard today. Some higher-ups are bringing experts for an inspection later." The foreman’s gaze landed on Da Chang and the others. "You’ll stand in the front row."
Young people had good energy—they’d look lively up front.
"Boss, who’s this big shot coming?"
"Not sure myself. Heard it’s some expert team from the city, here to observe and inspect."
None of them understood what "experts" meant, but they knew better than to offend anyone sent from above. They obediently put on their helmets.
Before 8 a.m., someone called for everyone to gather. The experts had arrived, and the workers were to line up and applaud in welcome.
Professor Zhang arrived at the site with two students in tow. Seeing all the workers lined up at the entrance, clapping in welcome, he couldn’t help but frown.
"Professor Zhang, the site’s a bit messy—watch your step." A staff member reached out to steady him.
"No need. I’m not some frail old man who needs help walking." Professor Zhang took in the sweat on the workers’ faces and couldn’t hold back. "These men are working hard. Let them do their jobs instead of wasting time on formalities."
The receptionist smiled awkwardly. "Professor, everyone genuinely wanted to welcome you."
Professor Zhang’s frown deepened.
"Thank you all for your enthusiasm." Chao Musheng, noticing the professor’s displeasure, stepped in to ease the tension. "But the professor is concerned about delaying progress. Everyone, please return to your tasks. Just have one staff member show us around."
Professor Zhang was excellent in every way—except he couldn’t stand hypocrisy and spoke bluntly.
"Of course, of course." The receptionist quickly called over a worker to guide them.
"The higher-ups this time are really decent—not putting on airs at all." One temp remarked. "Last year at another site, some official made us listen to speeches and present flowers to him. We fell behind schedule and had to work overtime till midnight."
The temps huddled together, swapping stories of the oddballs they’d encountered on other sites.
Only the five players stared at Chao Musheng’s retreating figure, lost in thought.
They’d heard Mr. Chao held a high status here, but they hadn’t expected it to be this high.
The site was cluttered with steel frames and construction materials. Chao Musheng looked up just as one of the frames began to wobble.
"Watch out!" He pulled Professor Zhang back. "That frame ahead looks unstable."
"Rest assured, experts—safety is our top priority. Whether it’s material storage or waste disposal, we—"
BOOM!
A steel frame just meters away collapsed with a deafening crash, sending dust flying into the staff member’s face.
It… collapsed?
The worker stared in disbelief. That was a spiral-welded safety frame—how could it have fallen so easily?
"Something’s happened!"
Da Chang and the others had been hauling sandbags when shouts erupted from the crowd. They dropped their loads and ran over, only to see scattered steel frames and Chao Musheng standing beside the wreckage, his expression grave.
Huaba scanned the surroundings—she could sense the system’s energy, but aside from them, there were no other players here.
"Professor, are you alright?" Chao Musheng helped Professor Zhang step back.
"I’m fine." The professor removed his glasses, wiping off the dust. "As long as no one was hurt."
The staff member stared at the steel frame, now snapped in half, his back drenched in cold sweat.
Thank goodness Advisor Chao had stopped in time. If he hadn’t…
Cough! Cough! Cough!
Back at Jinghua University, a male student suddenly clutched his chest and spat out blood in the middle of class.
"Someone’s coughing up blood!"
"Who?"
"It’s Lin Sheng!"
"What? Did he vomit blood from heartbreak over a breakup?"
A day later, a rumor spread across Jinghua: a freshman had been so distraught over Chao Musheng’s public relationship that he’d coughed up blood in class.
The tale grew wilder with each retelling. By the time it reached Chao Musheng’s class, it had morphed into someone being so obsessed with him they were willing to die for love.
When love and life-and-death intertwined, it always added a romantic flair—so much so that some even pitied the boy’s "depth of feeling."
"Ridiculous." Old Third found the rumors absurd. "Knowing Old Fourth is taken, yet still pulling this weeping-and-vomiting-blood act? That’s not love—it’s harassment."
"Isn’t the weirder part how people are praising his so-called devotion?" Eldest Brother felt something was off. Jinghua’s students weren’t the type to romanticize obsession—so why were they suddenly calling this "deep love" and even blaming Old Fourth for being cold?
"It’s like they’re possessed." Eldest Brother checked their class group chat. Thankfully, their classmates were still sane, untouched by the nonsense outside.
"That Lin Sheng freshman gives me the creeps too." Second Brother added. "A couple days ago, I heard he was asking our classmates to buy Old Fourth’s used belongings."
"Excuse me?" Old Third wondered if he’d misheard. "Is he a stalker or something?"
"Who knows." Second Brother rubbed his arms. "Maybe I’m biased, but there’s something seriously off about that Lin Sheng."
"Old Fourth doesn’t know about these rumors at school, does he?"
"He's always busy with work and dating—how would he have the energy to care about campus gossip?" The Eldest Brother's tone lightened a bit. "And given his personality, even if he knew about these things, he wouldn’t pay them any mind."
"So you're saying Old Fourth doesn’t even know who Lin Sheng is, while Lin Sheng has been putting on a whole tragic love story by himself?" Old Third frowned. "Eldest Brother, Second Brother, is Lin Sheng actually harboring a crush on Old Fourth, or is he just tormenting him like an enemy?"
Who would dare accept this kind of affection?
"It's fine. The freshmen haven’t met Old Fourth yet—it’s understandable if they’re momentarily fooled by a creep." Second Brother said. "Once Old Fourth returns, they’ll change their minds."
"Lin Sheng, are you feeling any better?" A roommate brought food back to the dorm and saw Lin Sheng’s pale face. "Are you really not going to the hospital?"
"I’ve already been. The doctor said I’m fine." Lin Sheng took the food. "Did you find out anything for me?"
"The juniors and seniors all said Chao Musheng’s project involves confidentiality, so I couldn’t dig up anything useful." The roommate wiped down Lin Sheng’s desk, then paused, confused.
He was just Lin Sheng’s roommate, not his slave—why was he being so obedient?
"Give me a pair of chopsticks."
"Sure." The roommate instinctively bent down and handed over a clean pair.
Too slow.
Lin Sheng stared at the posts on the campus forum, his face expressionless.
The students of Jinghua University seemed unusually resistant to influence. Despite his efforts, he had only managed to sway the freshmen slightly in his favor.
But it wasn’t enough.
Only when the beloved is betrayed by those around him will he lose the ability to love others.
He scrolled back to a post from a few days ago.
[Am I the only one who thinks that so-called Chao What’s-His-Name isn’t all that great? I heard his partner is some rich guy—could he just be in it for the money?]
[What’s it to you? Even if he dated a monkey on the street, it wouldn’t be your business.]
[If a rich man can win Chao Musheng’s favor, that’s his good fortune.]
[Alright, we get it—you’re broke. Dismissed.]
Hopeless. Completely hopeless.
He exited the forum and stood up, gazing at the campus. If school gossip wasn’t working, what about the internet?
Closing his eyes, when he opened them again, flickering glitches appeared in his vision. Countless online platforms suddenly flooded with negative rumors about Chao Musheng.
"Jinghua Student Scorns the Poor, Sells Himself to a Wealthy Businessman, Abandons Elderly Grandfather?"
Wan You came across this headline and clicked in confusion—who was this about?
The more he read, the more something felt off. Computer science major, good-looking, popular…
And that supposedly blurred but actually crystal-clear side-profile photo—wasn’t that Chao Musheng?
What was going on?
Some kind of malicious corporate sabotage?
The barrage of push notifications caught the attention of netizens who were usually active online.
[Such perfectly synchronized spam. Based on my years of gossip experience, I’d say this Chao guy must’ve pissed off someone powerful.]
[Damn it. Even with just that 'blurred' side profile, I recognized my beloved internet sweetheart at a glance.]
[LOL, does the mastermind behind this think we netizens are brainless NPCs who’ll believe anything they say?]
[What a disgusting tactic. Maybe it’s because Chao Musheng’s recent interview about respecting consumers offended some shady businesses, and now they’re sending trolls after him.]
Kunlun PR quickly caught wind of the online chatter and reported it to Secretary Liu.
"Don’t worry. The boss won’t believe these rumors." Secretary Liu skimmed the public sentiment—very few were actually swayed.
[I tracked the timing of these smear posts—they all appeared after 1 PM, down to the second.]
[Spending all this money to slander someone and still failing miserably. What a waste.]
"Pfft—!"
Lin Sheng, who had expended massive energy to hijack the internet and plant his narrative, suddenly felt his vision darken before collapsing to the floor.
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
This was data he’d gathered from countless dimensions—why wasn’t it working here?
After a busy day, Chao Musheng finally checked his phone and realized netizens were sympathizing with him. Things like "victim of corporate malice" and "brave for protecting his mom."
Baffled, he looked up the context and pieced together what had happened. Who had dragged the entertainment industry’s dirty tactics into his life?
Plenty of people defended him—friends, neighbors, even parents of his kindergarten classmates. Even the rich kids from the Wangyue cruise came forward to explain why his relationship with his grandfather was strained.
Against this wave of goodwill, the baseless slander seemed insignificant.
"Chao Chao." Su Chenzhu approached him. "Leave the online mess to Kunlun PR. Don’t let it ruin your mood."
"It’s fine. I’m just curious who’s behind this." Chao Musheng tossed his phone aside and took Su Chenzhu’s hand. "We’ve got the factory anniversary tonight—no point dwelling on nonsense."
"Sales for Kunlun products skyrocketed this afternoon." Su Chenzhu, seeing he genuinely didn’t care, added, "Shouldn’t the company give you a bonus?"
"No need for bonuses when I’m making money for my boyfriend." Chao Musheng stepped into the elevator. When it reached the top floor, Secretary Liu was already waiting.
Secretary Liu: "Xiao Chao, are you alright?"
"I’m fine." Chao Musheng shook his head. "Netizens are defending me, and the company’s sales jumped. Silver linings."
Sure, there were some deranged comments, but they didn’t matter. What he saw were people he knew standing up for him online.
"Glad you see it that way." Secretary Liu scoffed. "What kind of competitor even uses such clumsy tactics? Can’t even steer the narrative properly."
"Rich boyfriend." Chao Musheng nudged Su Chenzhu. "Help me pick an outfit for tonight."
"Alright."
After Su Chenzhu chose his clothes and Chao Musheng changed, he handed him a card.
"What’s this?"
"You helped me earn money, so I’m handing over my income." Su Chenzhu met his gaze. "I only brought this card on this trip. The internet says a good partner should proactively share earnings."
"Oh?" Chao Musheng took the card and transferred 5200 yuan to him. "Here’s your allowance. Let me know when you need more."
"Got it." Su Chenzhu saved the transfer—then screenshotted it.
This was the first time Chao Chao had given him pocket money.
Ten minutes later, business tycoons saw another post from President Su’s account.
[Allowance from my boyfriend (image attached)]
Tycoons: …Huh?
They understand what "boyfriend" means, and they understand what "allowance" means.
But the esteemed boss of Kunlun actually needs his boyfriend to give him an allowance?
When the head of Kunlun's research team came across this post, they burst into laughter—clearly, a bright future awaited their team!
[He gives you this much allowance? Boss, your boyfriend must really adore you!]
