BAB 4

“Siyu said you were busy with work on Changshan Island and that it must’ve been quite early when you arrived here. Did this trip interrupt your work?”

In the living room, Sheng Kuan gently placed the teacup he held down and asked Bai Zhou.

“Work?” Bai Zhou was taken aback momentarily, but thankfully his reaction time was quick enough. “…It’s not important work, so it didn’t.”

Sheng Siyu bore some resemblance to the old man; both shared high nose bridges. No wonder why the old man favored Sheng Siyu the most—Not only did they look alike, but they also exuded the same cold and harsh aura when silent.

Bai Zhou added, “Even if it is important, shouldn’t visiting you still be a priority? It has been two years since I last saw you, yet you’re still as vigorous as ever.”

This sentiment was genuine; the old man’s face was covered in wrinkles, but his movements were swift and precise, without any trace of illness or pain.

“Ha ha ha…” Sheng Kuan laughed heartily at Bai Zhou’s words.

Sheng Siyu lowered his gaze and smiled lightly.

Perhaps Bai Zhou was mistaken, but he felt like Sheng Siyu was mocking him.

How dare he mock me now, Bai Zhou thought.

He took Sheng Siyu’s arm, and his body tensed visibly. Why was this couple so stiff even when holding hands? It was almost as if they were acting out a scene for a movie.

Bai Zhou felt that Sheng Siyu’s acting skills were truly lacking—after all, it wasn’t easy to earn ten million yuan, and Bai Zhou couldn’t help but feel that his own award-winning acting talent couldn’t compensate for such a mediocre teammate.

Fortunately, after a while, the housekeeper returned with news that dinner was ready in the dining room.

In the dining room, Sheng Kuan sat at the head of the table, beside whom sat Sheng Siyu’s father along with his brother and sister-in-law.

As the eldest son, Sheng Siyu’s father had been left alone by his parents’ divorce when he was only five years old. His mother later remarried abroad, leaving the Sheng family to become one of the most influential clans in China, with interests ranging from real estate development, restaurants, and shopping malls.

Now, Sheng Siyu had expanded their empire into the entertainment industry within China itself; he was undoubtedly the most ambitious capitalist seated around the table tonight.

The family banquet began with the younger generation offering a toast to the elder. Afterward, the spotlight shifted toward Sheng Siyu, who had swiftly acquired a film production company upon his return to China.

For ten million yuan, Bai Zhou didn’t hesitate to stand up for Sheng Siyu and offered to drink on his behalf.

Bai Zhou was no stranger to these kinds of social situations; he had attended all sorts of banquets since he was young. After becoming an actor, the haze of obscurity actually made him feel more relaxed at such events.

At least this was the first time in two years he’d been invited to dine with a millionaire like tonight.

“I want to sit here with my uncle.” Mingyue ran over and tugged on Sheng Siyu’s clothes, “Uncle, please peel shrimp for me.”

“Mingyue! Don’t bother your uncle,” her father, Sheng Jiaze, immediately scolded her.

He glanced toward Sheng Siyu, relieved to see the man indulgently holding Mingyue in his arms, but then turned anxious again as he warned, “Mingyue’s hands are greasy, don’t rub them against you.”

In front of Sheng Siyu, Big Brother Sheng Jiaze dropped any pretenses of authority, instead acting somewhat cautious and careful.

“It’s fine, let her stay here.” Sheng Siyu carefully peeled the shrimp while holding Mingyue in his arms. The nanny quickly brought over a seat upon seeing their actions, then sat Mingyue down.

Afraid of accidentally bumping the girl, Bai Zhou leaned to one side and turned slightly toward her. The little girl was around four or five years old, dressed in a pristine white princess dress with long black hair adorned by a red hairband. Her mouth was stuffed with shrimp, her chubby pink cheeks lively and bright.

Little did he know that Sheng Siyu had such a cute little niece!

Everyone in the capital knew that while competition between brothers was inevitable within the business world, it didn’t affect their private relationship.

Watching Sheng Siyu peel shrimp for Mingyue, Bai Zhou wondered how someone could spoil this adorable child if they were at odds with their own brother. If he was greeted daily by such a sweet little thing calling him Uncle, he too would respond favorably to all requests.

“How old are you?” Bai Zhou asked softly.

“Xiao-ge, I’m five now.”

Xiao… Xiao-ge? Bai Zhou paused momentarily; the child had never seen him before and likely wasn’t aware of his relationship with Sheng Siyu.

Sheng Siyu chuckled quietly.

“Mingyue, don’t call him ‘Xiao-ge’ so casually—he’s also your uncle,” Sheng Jiaze said awkwardly, offering an apologetic smile to Bai Zhou.

Bai Zhou didn’t mind it, but Sheng Siyu’s laughter earlier was clearly that of someone who felt he had gained some advantage over him.

It was quite awkward.

“Oh, right, you should call me ‘Uncle,’ not ‘Xiao-ge.'” Sheng Siyu said gently with a smile on his face.

“Why?” Mingyue tilted her head, puzzled. “He looks much younger than my uncle, shouldn’t I call him Xiao-ge?”

Sheng Siyu fell silent for a moment.

Hahaha!

Bai Zhou internally rejoiced; even though they were only four years apart, there was no helping it—how could anyone resist looking at this young lad and calling him a child?

The smile on Sheng Siyu’s face froze as he reached out a slender finger to tap lightly on Mingyue’s head. “He is Uncle’s wife, so what do you think you should call him?”

Mingyue playfully stuck out her tongue, determined to insist on calling him Xiao-ge regardless of what anyone else thought.

Seeing this, Sheng Jiaze promptly called out, “Mingyue, go outside and play once you’re done eating.”

As soon as Mingyue left, the nanny swiftly removed her seat, making the space between Bai Zhou and Sheng Siyu seem rather empty. Sheng Siyu scooted closer to Bai Zhou.

He whispered softly into Bai Zhou’s ear, “Does Uncle know how to eat shrimp? I’ll help you peel it.”

Bai Zhou was speechless.

Ha! Does he really enjoy being called an elder that much?

Sheng Siyu continued peeling shrimp while Bai Zhou unlocked his phone and received a message from his sister.

Bai Lu: Sheng Siyu is back?

It seemed the hot search trend had been quite useful; even his sister knew about Sheng Siyu’s return now.

Bai Zhou quickly typed out a “yes” on his phone screen.

Bai Lu: It sure is!

Bai Lu: Just finished a whole day of meetings, so I saw Sheng Siyu trending this afternoon. But the trend has already dropped by now, so just asking to confirm whether he actually acquired Walton?

Bai Zhou glanced down at the WeChat message—huh? The trend had dropped?

He opened Weibo and found that not only had Sheng Siyu’s trend disappeared, but Su Yan’s two trends were gone as well.

Why did they suddenly drop off the trending charts? Was it because of Sheng Siyu’s decision?

Bai Zhou expressionlessly replied with a single word: yes.

Bai Lu:!

Bai Lu: Are you guys together right now? Can you ask him if he’d be willing to do an interview?

Bai Zhou:?

As the founder and editor-in-chief of The Financial Times, Bai Lu spent her entire day today attending meetings for the company’s year-end KPIs.

The sisters were both quite independent; one wanted to major in media while the other pursued a career in entertainment. Their father’s only tactic against them was refusing to provide any connections or resources for their respective careers.

Bai Lu’s major was still somewhat related to finance, and her columns often revolved around financial topics. If Bai Zhou could secure an interview with Sheng Siyu before the end of the year, it would be a great boost for the magazine’s reputation.

Bai Zhou: So you haven’t texted me in days just to ask me to find an interview subject?

Bai Lu sent three flirtatious emoji responses in a row.

Bai Lu: I’ve been busy lately, you know.

Bai Lu: Just help me ask him. If we manage to get the interview, I’ll buy you a bag as thanks.

Bai Zhou responded with the same line from earlier: We’re not together.

If Sheng Siyu agreed to an interview, his calendar would likely be booked until next year.

Aside from the fact that Sheng Siyu had never given interviews, even if he did agree, it was unlikely he’d give Bai Zhou the courtesy considering how superficial their relationship was.

So asking now would be pointless.

Bai Lu: Huh?

Bai Lu: It’s already 9 P.M. Is he hasn’t returned home yet? Or you two have gotten into a fight?

“… No,” Bai Zhou replied after a pause.

As expected, women’s brains really do work differently than men’s. However, it showed that her older sister cared quite deeply about his personal life.

In truth, Bai Lu had always been very concerned about Bai Zhou’s well-being. During her time at university, she interned as a reporter for a magazine while Bai Zhou was still studying at a prestigious private high school. His good looks often made him the target of harassment from some of his classmates, and the principal turned a blind eye to these “jokes” because everyone attending the school came from either influential or wealthy families.

After learning about this, Bai Lu wrote an investigative report exposing the principal’s negligence, along with a scathing critique of those entitled second-generation rich kids who lacked proper education, their parents included. The article’s impact forced many of those students to transfer schools, making Bai Lu quite infamous among financial circles due to her sharp tongue.

Bai Zhou hesitated slightly before glancing sideways at Sheng Siyu, whose focus remained on peeling shrimp. The man’s sleeves were rolled up, revealing cold white wrist bones and a Vacheron Constantin watch. His fingers were slim and well-defined.

When he finished peeling the last shrimp, Bai Zhou cleared his throat and lowered his head toward Sheng Siyu. “My sister wants to ask you if you have time for an interview?”

Sheng Siyu pushed the plate filled with peeled shrimp toward Bai Zhou and responded softly, “I do, but I don’t take interviews.”

“Oh.” Bai Zhou looked at the plateful of shrimp and pursed his lips. “I really want to eat them, but I’m allergic to seafood.”

Sheng Siyu paused momentarily.

After dinner, Bai Zhou sat in the back seat of the Mercedes-Benz and opened WeChat to reply to Bai Lu: I asked, he won’t do interviews.

It took about an hour to drive from the villa at Huilong Bay to the hotel. Afraid that Sheng Siyu might complain about the noise from Bai Zhou’s video game, Bai Zhou worried his lover would then ask him more questions about his habits with other models.

Thus, as soon as he got in the car, he put on his Bluetooth headset.

Upon seeing Bai Zhou’s earbuds, Sheng Siyu yanked out the left one as he slid into the back seat himself. “Bai Zhou, isn’t your fee too high? Do you really need ten million yuan for three hours?”

Bai Zhou was taken aback—what did he mean by this? He had already drunk wine together, called Sheng Siyu ‘honey,’ and even let his lover take advantage of his seniority, so what now? Was Sheng Siyu ready to renege on their deal?

Sheng Siyu scoffed softly. “Don’t worry, I’ll pay you, but we agreed it’d be for the entire night.”

The mobile game had already begun, yet Sheng Siyu showed no signs of relenting. Bai Zhou said impatiently, “Isn’t it just ten million? You want me to… what?”

That was another price altogether.

Sheng Siyu snorted, lazily leaning back against the seat. “Keep dreaming.”

Bai Zhou blinked dumbfoundedly.

Sheng Siyu lifted his eyelids slightly. “There’s nothing to do in the car, can’t you keep me company?”

Bai Zhou internally scoffed; Oh, you think I’m doing this for fun?

However, for ten million yuan, Bai Zhou could endure it all. “How about I play with you?”

“I don’t know how,” Sheng Siyu replied firmly.

Bai Zhou was speechless… He knew there would be no common ground with Sheng Siyu!

As he watched his chat screen fill with curses from gamers calling him a toxic player, Bai Zhou put on the right earpiece and said, “Then why don’t you listen to me play through that headset of yours?”

Sheng Siyu fell silent.

In the first round, Bai Zhou’s team suffered a devastating defeat and even got reported for suspected cheating, but he immediately began another match without missing a beat.

A sudden message popped up from Bai Lu’s WeChat account. Taking advantage of the brief pause before the game started, Bai Zhou swiftly opened WeChat and tapped on the voice recording button.

“Bai Zhou, if Sheng Siyu won’t answer, then whatever, but tell me honestly—has he been emotionally abusing you? You’re only twenty-three now, so why throw away your chance at happiness like this? Why not just get divorced already?”

What nonsense was this?

Frowning, Bai Zhou exited WeChat and returned to the game interface.

***

With his eyes closed, Sheng Siyu heard the voice announcing victory, signaling the end of the game, and then glanced over at Bai Zhou. “We won?”

“Mm-hmm.” Bai Zhou nodded in satisfaction.

“Then shouldn’t you respond to your sister?” Sheng Siyu asked flatly.

Bai Zhou paused.

Fvck! He had forgotten! Sheng Siyu was wearing headphones too!