Livestream

Lexi hadn't been to this kind of banquet inner hall before. The moment he came in, he let out a cheer and disappeared, no one knew where he'd gone.

Ying Huai didn't mind either.

He looked around at the cameras in every direction, the corner of his mouth curving slightly.

Although this banquet was secretly a gathering of wealthy young masters, on the surface it was still a proper high-class evening party, and once inside the inner hall there was even a live broadcast.

But Ying Huai remembered that in his previous life, he hadn't been able to enter the inner hall at all—because his heart medication had been mysteriously swapped, and that very night he'd gone straight to the Hospital.

But when they finally pulled the surveillance footage, not a single camera had captured who had swapped his medication.

At this moment, the Live Stream Chat instantly boiled over as Ying Huai appeared on screen.

【?? Am I seeing this right, someone like Ying Huai who's drowning in scandals can get into the inner hall? Does the organizer even care anymore?】

【He slept his way in, or bought his way in.】

【Looks like the Zhang Family's second young master brought him in. Does he have his eye on Ying Huai?】

【Even though the Zhang Family doesn't have much standing in the circle, it's not like they're that desperate. Second Young Master Zhang, get yourself something better.】

【LMAO, it's obvious the guy just wants to use Ying Huai to show off. Ying Huai thought getting into the inner hall meant he could climb the ladder and turn things around, but he didn't realize they were just using him for entertainment.】

【Hahahaha if that's the case, then Ying Huai really deserves it.】

Ying Huai didn't know, and didn't care what the fans in the Live Stream Chat were saying.

He yawned, then looked up at Zhang Xi, who had come over and forcibly shoved a wine glass into his hand.

—As expected, Zhang Xi being this eager meant he definitely wanted to give him a show of force.

But this kind of eagerness to step forward was either confidence in his position, or... desperate to prove himself.

'Since Mr. Ying is here, why not do me the honor of a drink first?' Zhang Xi raised his glass.

Now that he was back on his own turf, his courage had grown directly, and he no longer hid his intentions—the lust in his eyes was about to spill over.

Ying Huai lowered his eyes slightly, stared at Zhang Xi for a long moment, then suddenly spoke: 'What if... I don't want to drink?'

Zhang Xi suddenly laughed: 'I heard Mr. Ying has been drowning in scandals lately.'

He raised his glass, leaning closer to Ying Huai bit by bit, and spoke in a low voice: 'Does Mr. Ying want one more scandal, or one less?'

Seeing that Ying Huai wasn't speaking, he thought he had the upper hand and laughed smugly: 'Why does Xiao Huai keep staring at me?'

'Do you want me to feed you a drink, Xiao Huai?' He gripped Ying Huai's hand, slowly raising both their glasses. 'Or do you want... to drink crossed-arm wedding cups with me?'

The moment his words fell, he suddenly saw the young man in front of him smile slightly, then abruptly raise his hand.

Zhang Xi: ?

The conditioned reflex from two slaps made Zhang Xi instinctively dodge, but the next second, Ying Huai raised his hand and cheerfully waved at someone not far away: 'Shixiong!'

Zhang Xi: ??

He'd already been tricked twice by Ying Huai's so-called 'shixiong,' and now he was about to lose his mind with rage.

He stepped forward and grabbed Ying Huai by the collar: 'You really think I don't dare touch you? You fucking dare use your shixiong to bluff me again...'

'Shixiong Lu Jing, over here!' Ying Huai acted as if he hadn't heard, continuing to wave at someone not far away.

Zhang Xi froze, an expression of disbelief crossing his face, and he gritted out: '...Lu Jing is your shixiong?'

'That's right.' Ying Huai nodded cheerfully. 'I remember Young Master Zhang has always claimed to be evenly matched with the Lu Family.'

His voice dropped slightly: 'Young Master Zhang being this nervous... you're not afraid of my shixiong, are you?'

Zhang Xi's brow twitched, and the fans of various factions in the Live Stream Chat were equally shocked.

【Did I hear that right, Lu Jing is Ying Huai's shixiong?】

【Let me educate everyone: Lu Jing is the current nominal eldest son of Lu Family, and was also Ying Huai's teammate at his former company.】

【Ying Huai does currently belong to Lu Family's company, but Lu Jing hasn't officially debuted either, right? This forced connection is disgusting.】

【You mean the former company, right? I remember Lu Jing and Ying Huai both started at a small entertainment company. That company may be terrible, but the artists who came out of it are all pretty good.】

【Yeah I remember too, Ying Huai's former shixiong-di, although most of them changed careers, they're all big shots in their respective fields. Lu Jing especially.】

—So Lu Jing was also one of the first to abandon him in his previous life after learning about his scandals.

Ying Huai closed his eyes briefly and took a light breath.

—Lu Jing was arrogant and proud, looking down on everyone, but he was after all one of the most powerful people here.

He curved his lips silently.

—Make do with him for now.

【I remember the Lu Family and Zhang Family companies have never gotten along. Looks like Ying Huai wants to use Lu Jing to pressure Zhang Xi so he can get out of this.】

【LMAO, Lu Jing hates meddling in other people's business the most. I swear, the next second he'll just turn around and walk away!】

Unlike Ying Huai's ever-cheerful appearance, Lu Jing's brow was slightly furrowed, his expression always inadvertently revealing a hint of arrogance and indifference.

Today he was wearing a dark gray suit, with a dark red bow tie hidden within it, clearly worth a fortune at a glance.

Lu Jing stared at Ying Huai for a few seconds, then slowly lifted his leg and walked over.

The Live Stream Chat instantly filled with 【???】

A sharp-eyed reporter noticed the situation here and quickly made his way over with his live broadcast equipment.

The fan who had just been proven wrong stubbornly spoke up again: 【It's fine, I swear, Lu Jing definitely has his own plans. He hates Ying Huai so much, he definitely won't help him!】

Ying Huai still wore his cheerful expression, while Zhang Xi's veins bulged at his temples as he gritted out: 'So what if he is? Don't think I'm afraid of Lu Jing. Even if he comes, I still...'

His voice cut off abruptly as Lu Jing came to a stop.

Ying Huai didn't speak either. He casually pushed Zhang Xi's hand away, walked behind Lu Jing, and curved his eyes at Zhang Xi.

Zhang Xi's face was ugly. He looked up at Lu Jing, who said nothing, only turning his head slightly to glance at Ying Huai behind him.

—In Zhang Xi's eyes, this meant tacit approval.

'You really fucking think I'm afraid of Lu Jing...'

Zhang Xi stared at Ying Huai with a dark, sullen expression, mouthing silently.

He slowly walked up to Lu Jing, took a breath, and suddenly bowed deeply: 'Big Brother Lu!'

Ying Huai raised an eyebrow.

'Big Brother Lu, this has nothing to do with you, you—'

Lu Jing was now the actual first person in power of the Lu Family. Even if Zhang Xi had ten thousand grievances in his heart, he didn't dare directly provoke Lu Jing, and could only try to negotiate first.

'—Don't get involved. I'll handle it, I absolutely won't drag you into anything...'

'How can this have nothing to do with shixiong?' Ying Huai poked his head out from behind Lu Jing, his peach blossom eyes curving slightly. 'He's my shixiong. My business is his business.'

'You fuck—' Zhang Xi turned around in rage.

Before he could finish, Lu Jing, who had been silent beside him, suddenly spoke: 'Shixiong?'

'You mean the former teammate you abandoned, who suddenly announced his departure from the team one week before debut, jumped to the major company Lu Family, and made his solo debut as a singer?' Lu Jing looked down at Ying Huai.

He lowered his eyes, a hint of mockery gradually appearing in his gaze: 'But you didn't expect me to be able to return to Lu Family, did you, Ying Huai?'

'How does it feel to step on your teammates to blow up overnight?'

Ying Huai's peach blossom eyes flickered slightly, and he gave a light laugh: 'Shixiong, that's not quite right what you're saying.'

He tilted his head up, his tone softening: 'Doesn't shixiong know better than anyone in this circle? Rumors can't be fully trusted.'

The moment these words came out, Lu Jing's face instantly darkened, and the comments erupted in an uproar.

This matter had been suppressed by the former company back then, and even after Lu Jing and the other three went their separate ways to change careers, it never came out.

It wasn't until Ying Huai suddenly fell from grace now that someone, no one knew who, brought it up again.

But there had never been any detailed evidence.

【Is Ying Huai deliberately provoking him?】

【Why does he always look so indifferent? Is he really that confident?】

【Lu Jing must have detailed evidence, right? Hurry up and expose it!】

'I only know there are still too many things in this circle that haven't been exposed.' Lu Jing hated most of all Ying Huai's flamboyant and casual manner, as if no matter the situation, he would never show weakness.

He gave a cold laugh: 'The facts are already laid out in front of you, and you're still telling me they can't be trusted?'

Ying Huai curved his eyes cheerfully: 'Of course they can't be trusted. Shixiong needs to hear me say it myself.'

Lu Jing suddenly grabbed his chin.

'Hear you say what? Hear you keep lying to me? Hear you say in front of the practice room mirror at night that we'd walk the stage together, only to vanish the next morning with our songs?' Lu Jing forced Ying Huai to raise his head.

Lu Jing's grip was a bit too strong. Ying Huai frowned slightly and spoke softly: 'Shixiong, you're hurting me.'

This wasn't something Ying Huai would have said before. Lu Jing frowned, but still turned a deaf ear.

'Or hear you talk about how you forced the former company to freeze out your teammates.' Lu Jing bent down, staring into Ying Huai's eyes.

Ying Huai's eyes were very beautiful, with slightly upturned corners, and when he smiled there was a hazy, half-drunk quality to them.

—But it was precisely these eyes that had deceived all of them completely.

Lu Jing could no longer contain the anger in his heart. He suddenly flung his hand away, and Ying Huai, off-balance, stumbled a step, his lower back slamming hard into the table behind him.

The pain made his vision go black. While his head was spinning, he heard Lu Jing's disgusted voice come from in front of him: 'Why don't you tell me first how you used to curry favor with the company's upper management.'

He heard Lu Jing's tone, indifferent as if stating an established fact: 'With your... body?'

'Don't disgust me, Ying Huai.'

Ying Huai's breathing quickened slightly. He steadied himself for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled: 'Does shixiong want to know?'

He leaned forward, the Hongyu Jewel Pendant at the ends of his hair swaying slightly with his movement, hanging down in front of him: 'If shixiong takes me away, I'll tell you.'

Lu Jing was so angry he laughed: 'In your dreams.'

'I won't help you clear your scandals, Ying Huai.' He straightened up without hesitation. 'You don't need to explain yourself to me either. It has nothing to do with me, and I don't want to hear it.'

Zhang Xi beside them finally understood something, his tone excited: 'So you're not getting involved, right, Big Brother Lu?'

'Not getting involved.'

Lu Jing turned to walk away, but heard Ying Huai behind him speak again: 'Doesn't shixiong want to know who helped you return to Lu Family?'

Lu Jing's footsteps stopped abruptly: 'What did you say?'

Lu Jing came from the entertainment circle and was originally not accepted by these business tycoons at all.

After many twists and turns, he still couldn't win Lu Father's favor. It wasn't until someone secretly helped that he finally acknowledged his roots and returned to the family a year ago.

Lu Jing had originally thought he could secure his position as the Lu Family Heir Announcement by virtue of being the eldest son, but after entering the Lu family, he discovered that the Lu Group was far more complicated than he had imagined.

Therefore, for the past year, Lu Jing had been trying to find the person who had helped him back then, in order to finally secure his position as the Lu Family Heir.

Lu Jing, hearing Ying Huai's words at this moment, suddenly turned his head, but his brow furrowed: 'What's wrong with you?'

The person in front of him had gone pale at some unknown point, clutching his chest and speaking in a low voice: 'My heart feels bad, shixiong.'

'Can shixiong take me away first?'

Lu Jing gritted his teeth: 'Don't play pretend with me, Ying Huai. What did you just say—'

Before he could finish, the person in front of him suddenly swayed and fell straight toward him.

Lu Jing instinctively caught him.

His face instantly darkened. He had originally wanted to push the person away directly, but a memory suddenly flashed through his mind.

A pale young man half-lying on a hospital bed, clearly just woken from a coma, barely able to speak, yet his tone was still casual: 【Shixiong, do you believe me?】

【I'll be able to find evidence for those scandals in a while. I'll prove it to you. Do you believe me?】

【Wait a few days, and I'll give shixiong a surprise along with it, okay?】

Lu Jing didn't know where this memory came from.

He could sense the caution and anticipation hidden beneath the young man's smile in the memory, but his mind was entirely occupied with calculating whether, in a few days, he could become the sole heir of Lu Family.

What he said was the most hurtful thing he could think of.

【I won't believe you again, Ying Huai.】

【Everything is what you deserve.】

'—No!'

Lu Jing blurted it out. When he came back to himself, he was met with Ying Huai's bewildered expression and Zhang Xi's stunned, slightly terrified gaze: 'You, weren't you just about to leave?'

He paused, then carefully spoke up: 'Big Brother Lu, you, do you want to get involved again?'

Lu Jing frowned.

He suddenly let go of Ying Huai's hand, forcibly ignoring the unease rising in his heart again, and gritted out: 'No.'

'Ying Huai isn't my shidi. His business has nothing to do with me.'

·

Lu Jing's figure had already disappeared. Ying Huai turned his head and sighed imperceptibly.

He'd originally wanted to use Lu Jing to divert Zhang Xi's firepower, but he hadn't expected one of these two to be a coward, and the other—

'Idiot.' Ying Huai said softly.

However, what he'd just said had already caught Lu Jing's attention.

—First lure the fish in, and there will always be a chance to hook them.

'What are you mumbling about over there?' Zhang Xi beside him was practically over the moon with smugness, having not heard a word of what Ying Huai had said.

Ying Huai curved his eyes: 'Nothing, praising you.'

Zhang Xi snorted, his tone growing more smug: 'What, is there someone else you want to call over this time? I'll call them for you.'

He leaned close to Ying Huai, his tone suddenly full of schadenfreude: 'You came over earlier because of Liang Shining, right? What, you want to beg him to help you too?'

Zhang Xi leaned closer to Ying Huai: 'I heard that since that apprenticeship incident, Liang Shining has hated you to the bone. Even if he's not necessarily willing to help you, he'd definitely love to see you looking like this right now, right?'

Ying Huai's peach blossom eyes flickered slightly, and he said nothing.

Zhang Xi's voice grew more excited: 'Want me to call Liang Shining over for you?'

Ying Huai wished Liang Shining would never appear in front of him for the rest of his life, but on his face he seriously said: 'Sure.'

The next second, he suddenly switched to a sympathetic tone: 'But can you even get him to come?'

Zhang Xi froze for a moment, then nearly exploded with rage: 'What the fuck are you saying...'

Before he could finish, he heard the seemingly harmless young man in front of him cheerfully raise his head: 'I just remembered.'

The person in front of him was pale, half-propping himself on the table, his delicate collarbones rising and falling slightly with each breath as he spoke.

The fire in Zhang Xi's heart subsided a little. He took a deep breath: 'What did you remember?'

'I just remembered why I mixed you and shixiong up before.' Ying Huai curved his eyes. 'Last time at the Liangshi Group Annual Meeting, I remember several companies came to attend, but the ones that left the deepest impression on me were your family's company and the Lu Family's company.'

The moment Ying Huai finished speaking, strange smiles immediately appeared on the faces of the crowd around Zhang Xi, and some even openly sneered.

The Live Stream Chat also burst into laughter.

【Ying Huai really is, using the most innocent face to stab the deepest.】

【Let me educate everyone again: every year at the end of the Liangshi Group Annual Meeting there's a bidding segment. Whichever subsidiary wins, it's almost certain that next year Liangshi Group's resources will heavily favor that subsidiary.】

【The previous few years it was always the Lu Family that took first place. This year the Zhang Family had prepared thoroughly in funding and all other aspects, even poaching a few small companies from the Lu Family, planning to take it all at the annual meeting.】

【But at the last moment, those small companies from the Lu Family defected, and the Lu Family won again. The Zhang Family became the laughingstock of every company.】

Hearing Ying Huai's words, Zhang Xi was so angry he was completely dumbfounded.

But the person in front of him continued to speak innocently: 'Right, last time at that annual meeting, Young Master Zhang had this exact expression too.'

'It looked exactly like when shixiong gets angry, I accidentally mixed them up.'

'Are you fucking looking to die!' Zhang Xi grabbed Ying Huai by the collar.

He gripped Ying Huai's wrist, forcibly pressing the glass of wine to Ying Huai's lips: 'Stop mentioning the Lu Family, Lu Family. You really think I don't dare touch you?'

'You're nothing but a scandal-ridden has-been singer right now. What do you think I'm doing here today? Does anyone at your company care about you?'

【emmmm although but, the Zhang Family just can't compare to the Lu Family. What is Second Young Master Zhang even saying, speechless.】

【Summary: Second Young Master Zhang and Ying Huai are both not good people. But I was right earlier, Lu Jing hates Ying Huai to death. Even though Ying Huai dragged Lu Jing into this situation, Lu Jing wouldn't help him.】

The young man in front of him was pale, the slightly protruding wrist bones on both sides clearly palpable through his slender wrists. His lips had been pressed by the glass, leaving a mark that added a touch of redness instead.

Zhang Xi grew vicious, gritting his teeth as he slowly raised Ying Huai's arm: 'Mocking me like this, today I'll let you know what it means to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit...'

Before he could finish, the glass in his hand suddenly went empty.

Immediately after, a glass of wine was poured over his head, the chill instantly piercing to the bone, completely dazing Zhang Xi.

'Who the fuck...'

Before Zhang Xi could finish, a sudden sharp pain shot through his knuckles. Zhang Xi yelled and, no longer caring about Ying Huai, suddenly let go.

The glass was thrown to the ground with a crisp shattering sound. Lu Jing withdrew his hand and stepped in front of Ying Huai, speaking slowly: 'I just remembered.'

'Ying Huai currently belongs to our company.'

Lu Jing thought of what he'd just said, 'Ying Huai's business has nothing to do with me,' closed his eyes briefly, and gritted out: 'Matters within one company are, at most... family affairs.'

Zhang Xi: ?

Ying Huai: ??

Live Stream Chat 【???】

A tenacious comment dragged itself back up and quickly typed: 【Where's that sworn-up Swear Brother from earlier? Want to swear again?】

A few seconds later, a comment slowly scrolled past: 【Swear Brother: No more swearing. Both sides of my face are swollen symmetrically. Let me recover.】

Ying Huai quickly reacted, stepped back, and cheerfully hid behind Lu Jing: 'Thank you, shixiong.'

Lu Jing expressionlessly turned his head to look at Ying Huai, saying nothing.

Zhang Xi beside them was furious: 'Lu Jing, are you fucking sick? Why did you pour that on me?'

A glass of red wine had ruined his entire look and haute couture outfit for the evening. Zhang Xi grabbed some tissues and irritably wiped a few times, then lowered his head and cursed viciously: 'You're fucking just messing with me on purpose, right? You really think I don't dare touch you...'

'I remember Uncle Zhang gave you some advice at the annual meeting.' Lu Jing frowned and suddenly spoke, cutting him off.

'Uncle Zhang told you to learn more from me, and not to keep causing trouble.' Lu Jing said indifferently.

Zhang Xi gritted his teeth: 'That doesn't mean you fucking get to act as my dad...'

'Uncle Zhang should have also told you not to provoke me, and... not to provoke our family.'

Zhang Xi's expression froze.

This was something his father had said to him privately; logically, no one should know about it.

His expression instantly contorted. 'You fucking dare spy on us. You're nothing but an illegitimate child, and you dare threaten me...'

A crisp 'slap' sounded, and Zhang Xi's voice cut off abruptly.

'If all you can do is bark like a dog, go put on an anti-bark collar.' Lu Jing's expression suddenly turned cold. 'Bark again and I won't mind disciplining you on your father's behalf.'

Ying Huai's eyes flickered slightly.

Lu Jing was truly angry now.

—He remembered that in his previous life, what Lu Jing cared about most was his status as a 'legitimate' member of the Lu Family.

Zhang Xi's face alternated between green and red. He stared darkly at Ying Huai for a few seconds, then turned around cursing.

Ying Huai curved his lips slightly and, without hesitation, also turned and walked away.

'Shifu, what happened?' Lexi appeared from who knows where, looking worried as he approached Ying Huai.

'Nothing,' Ying Huai rubbed his wrist and replied casually. 'Young Master Zhang just has some misunderstandings about me.'

Lexi stared at Zhang Xi's retreating figure for a few seconds, lost in thought.

Before he could say anything more, he suddenly saw Ying Huai in front of him sway, his face pale as he pressed a hand to his chest.

'Shifu!' Lexi anxiously supported him. 'Shifu, where do you feel unwell?'

Ying Huai's face was white, and he pressed his chest, breathing rapidly twice: 'Medicine...'

Lexi reached to feel Ying Huai's pocket, but was stopped by Ying Huai's hand: 'The medicine isn't on me, it's in my coat in the side hall. Help me... get it.'

Lexi froze for a moment. His first reaction was to wonder why Ying Huai didn't have such life-saving medicine on him, but the next moment, he obediently replied 'okay.'

Lexi turned and ran toward the side hall. No one noticed that Zhang Xi, who had originally walked away, also hurriedly followed.

·

Lexi's figure quickly disappeared behind the door. Ying Huai propped himself up on the sofa and slowly sat up, the corner of his mouth curving slightly.

He coughed a few times while holding his chest, then reached for the water glass beside him, but his wrist was suddenly gripped by someone.

'Ying Huai,' Lu Jing avoided the cameras and pulled him into a corner, his expression carrying inexplicable panic and anger. 'Where did you just go? Why did you leave without telling me?'

Ying Huai's expression carried some bewilderment. The Live Stream Chat, seeing the two of them, instantly exploded again.

That Swear Brother whose face was swollen on both sides once again stubbornly dragged himself up.

【Swear Brother: I swear, Lu Jing is definitely going to teach Ying Huai a lesson this time!】