CH 17

The head of the maids, Sophia, has realised that her boss has been acting slightly strange lately.

The boss, he… has recently shifted his interests from awkwardly flirting with Ms Su, to staying all day long in his office to watch videos.

And, videos that mainly feature a man.

The kind of video that looks like it was recorded on a potato. Apparently, it was an edited collection of CCTV footage as arranged by butler Cui.

… It sounds awfully like a pervert thing to do.

Of course, even when the boss is perverted he is still unmatched in handsomeness and class.

Unfortunately, Sophia only has three occasions per day where she can enter the CEO Office to clean up and tidy the room. She couldn’t make out what the videos are actually about.

Not that that really matters exactly. Her boss, practically doing what is a severe invasion of privacy, sounds terribly unbecoming.

But then, so what.

Sophia, on her 89th time stealing glances at her boss, so thinks while also diligently mopping the floor, and continues,

‘Given he is such a perfect man, shouldn’t he be forgiven no matter what he did?’

The CEO, Murong Jihua, has realised that he has been strange lately.

Recalling that, three days ago, he was still a very righteous, upstanding citizen, after being shocked by He Jünle’s view on love that is about five centuries backwards, justifiably (TL: ?) demanded butler Cui retrieve candid CCTV footage of He Jünle for him in order to ‘study’ about the scum man’s ‘situation.’

Naturally, it’s edited. The parts where he’s eating or drinking or expelling bodily waste are unimportant.

Three days later, Murong Jihua has been completely overwhelmed by He Jünle’s ‘daily life.’

What kind of student’s day is that?!

He Jünle, the bastard, has way too vibrant a life, hasn’t he?!

To be honest, which boy hasn’t once had the eighth-grade fantasies of indulging in invincible feel-good stories, Gary Stu-styles?

After spending a whole three days peeking into He Jünle’s activities for the month, Murong Jihua almost feels like he’s back to his own rebellious teen era self that fantasised he was the protagonist of a feel-good story—— (TL: What follows is a poem. I can’t translate such a long Lüshi in any form remotely as novel or impressive so excuse the plain descriptions)

The handsome man, young, arrogant, prideful;

Make trouble, ditch classes, giving principals and teachers a handful;

Somehow high-achieving, and professional stand-in at all other times;

Enjoying love from the whole world, gathering lackeys and girls is one of his pastimes;

He plays the eligible bachelor’s romance game, a whole roving street of fanatical fans;

The lone wolf that’s good at everything, from bass to cars to plans;

The cook that’s hands-on, despising all outside food;

The North District legend, Jünle never ends up in a brood.

Murong Jihua’s TL;DR: So damned cool!

——That’s He Jünle, the man, with his unique charms, has not only ties with the many dalaos on both sides of the law, but has even formed a big gang in the North District, living the good life, being the absolute embodiment of ‘cool’ itself.

The Jünle Gang, with that background, has rapidly ended up one of the largest grey powers of the entire North District in City A.

Especially because of his contact with him, with the Murong Jihua himself, has caused related individuals to view the Jünle Gang as even securing support from the Murong conglomerate.

It is additional fire for the growth of the Jünle Gang.

“… So this is, the gangster subtype of the outrageous urban teen character archetype?”

Cor.

Thus, this happiness, akin to watching an Internet episodic drama adapted of a feel-good novel, has overcome Murong Jihua.

‘Though, something is still annoying after all this…’

Murong Jihua thinks in the back of his mind as he takes another bite into his tiramisu.

In this fight for Su Xiaomo’s affection, the guy, He Jünle seems practically unconcerned… He’s still doing whatever is on his mind. Unlike him, who is still spending his time thinking of ways to run into this rival in love to try to one-up him in coolness…

“And also, in his story, I look practically no different to those retarded second-generation rich boys that are just free XP pickups for the protagonist!”

——He’ll have to resolve this, soon. Or he’d be a laughing stock among all the bossy CEOs of the world, wouldn’t he?

Won’t he end up being a third-rate male deuteragonist propping up the Gary Stu then?

Thus Murong Jihua quickly calls this mafia boss he came to know back in the late-night tea party, telling him to arrange for his men in the North District area to ‘take good care’ of the Jünle Gang that is currently enjoying a meteoric rise in status.

“Oh, uh… Murong-shaoye, of course I, lao-Hei (TL: The ‘lao-‘ part means old. It is a friendly prefix for people that are older in generation or mature in general), would be glad to do this favour for you, but uh, openly suppressing these new gangs is quite dishonourable in the culture, you see.”

“500 million.”

“No problem. This new little gang can’t possibly match up to us, can they? Sure! I, lao-Hei, is definitely going to help!”

Murong Jihua’s lips perk up slightly, and he adds, “make sure you give that arrogant young leader of theirs a good lesson in humility.”

Never suffered a single setback, huh?

Hah, those that Murong Jihua wants suppressed, will naturally never ever rise to prominence in their entire life ever again.

And the times are changing too. Murong Jihua is overjoyed that, after he transferred the female lead’s younger brother to a better hospital, Su Xiaomo has clearly changed in attitude when it comes to him.

More specifically, today, when Murong Jihua is driving Su Xiaomo to school in his usual sports car——She is talking to him of her own volition!

“Thank you,”

Murong Jihua naturally welcomes any signs of her favorability rating for him rising. He’s about to give a domineering but also slightly risqué response when Su Xiaomo continues,

“Besides my father, no one else has treated me and Xiaoqiu so well…”

“Ho, woman. We will have much time, and I will show you gradually all the other ways this shaoye will treat you well——”

“I… misunderstood you. You’re such a good, fatherly figure to me.”

“…?”

“Although our father was strict, stringent, and ran into hiding after owing debt… But I thought that, he still was a really good father, undoubtedly no less of a father than any other parent in this world.”

“Even though our Su family did fall from grace in the end… Sigh, but still, thank you, for letting me experience the warmth of fatherly love once again…”

“???”

Yo, isn’t this, even worse than the ‘good-person’ card?! (TL: Or friendzoning for that matter, hahaha)

He’s thinking of her as his girlfriend, but she’s thinking of him as her daddy?

Then what about your Le-gege? He treated you so well, so what, he’s the mom?

Suddenly, Murong Jihua can’t help but feel his spirits enervated, wilting like the 999 blue roses he hid behind the backseat of the sports car. This female lead, definitely operates at a different level to normal people, doesn’t she!

Does he really have to go through the whole rigmarole of the dumpster fire that is winning-the-wife-back? (TL: 追妻火葬場, or literally the ‘chase-wife-crematorium,’ refers to plot development where the male lead (or male top in BL relationship) has to win the female lead (the male bottom) back after all the dog-blood drama. (And I don’t read GL so I’m not sure what the terms and conditions might be there, but I digress))

He might as well give these blue roses to He Jünle instead…

Murong Jihua, completely stupefied, thinks in a daze.

He’s a good fit for the blue colour anyway.

——He’s kidding. He’d rather throw it away than give it to him.

Suddenly, a little yelp from Su Xiaomo pulls Murong Jihua back out from his dulled mind.

He watches as a teardrop visibly gathers within Su Xiaomo’s eye, and decides to be slightly impressed in courtesy before looking towards where her gaze is landing——

Oh.

Life is stranger than fiction, huh.