Chapter 2
The moment that inner voice rang out, the entire venue fell silent!
Countless eyes searched for the owner of the gossip, some subtle, some blatant, all turning toward Song Chuan.
At that moment, Song Chuan was seated in front of a folding screen, with Lin Mubai by his side, smiling and chatting with him.
Sensing all those gazes landing on him, Song Chuan’s expression turned very ugly.
One second ago, he had been enjoying someone else’s gossip. The next second, the gossip had landed on his own head—and such absurd gossip at that. No one would feel good in that situation.
Right now, Song Chuan only wanted to know who that inexplicable voice belonged to!
If he found them…
He would definitely make them understand the consequences of spreading rumors out of thin air!
Lin Mubai keenly noticed that Song Chuan’s mood was off and asked with considerate concern, “President Song, you don’t look too well. Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
Song Chuan froze slightly. “You can’t hear it?”
Lin Mubai looked confused. “Hear what?”
Song Chuan realized something and instinctively concealed it. “A buzzing sound… maybe I’ve got tinnitus.”
“Maybe you’ve been too busy with work and didn’t rest well.” Lin Mubai showed just the right amount of concern. “Do you need me to accompany you to the lounge?”
If it had been before, Song Chuan would never have refused such a perfect chance to be alone with the person he liked.
But today was different.
So he shook his head and said, “I’m fine. No need.”
Lin Mubai inwardly sighed in regret.
On the other side of the hall, Song Fengshi had also received quite a few covert looks.
Assistant Tang beside him asked in a low voice, “President Song, do you need me to go…?”
He gestured with his eyes toward the chestnut-haired young man.
Although this was Song Chuan’s matter and had little to do with Song Fengshi, both of them were still members of the Song family. No matter what, matters concerning the Song family could not be left to an outsider to discuss casually or even slander.
“Not yet,” Song Fengshi said instead.
His features were sharp and cold, his brows pressed low, deep-set eyes beneath them, and a high nose bridge. His lips, however, were rather thin, and at first glance he looked like he might have some foreign blood in him.
His tone was light. “Let’s hear what he wants to say.”
Clearly, he was not affected in the slightest by the faint yet persistent gazes around him.
Assistant Tang nodded and said nothing more.
Lin Zhiqiao, who was completely absorbed in the gossip, had no idea that the entire venue had already become a place of hidden turbulence because of his inner voice.
Lin Zhiqiao took a deep breath. [Let me take a look at what’s going on…]
[Song Chuan’s mom, Zhang Qing, and his dad, Song Zhi, were in a business marriage. Back when they got married… huh? What—?!]
Lin Zhiqiao was utterly shocked. [How is Zhang Qing a man?! He’s been dressed as a woman all these years since childhood?? How can a man give birth? Is that even scientific?!]
[Oh, Song Chuan was secretly adopted and brought back, then passed off as his biological child… okay, that explains it.]
888 complained, [You’ve already been bound to a system, and you’re still hung up on whether a man giving birth is scientific?]
[Forget men giving birth—even intersex people, multi-sex people, sexless people, aliens, and even non-humans aren’t uncommon!]
Lin Zhiqiao thought about it and found that made sense. [Whoa! Is this world really that crazy?!]
And so he adjusted very well and happily continued eating the gossip.
[Continuing, continuing… Zhang Qing married into the Song family only for the Song family’s money and power, but he didn’t like Song Zhi.]
[After their marriage, Zhang Qing secretly went out drinking and fooling around, and by sheer accident ran into his true love. From then on, things completely spiraled!]
[Song Chuan’s dad has been wearing this green hat for over twenty years. It’s one thing that he didn’t realize the child he raised for over twenty years wasn’t his biological son, but he didn’t even notice his own wife was a man?!]
Lin Zhiqiao slipped in a comment of his own. [They couldn’t have not slept together all these years, right? Even if the lights were off at night, there’s no way he couldn’t tell male from female… wait!]
Everyone was being led around by Lin Zhiqiao’s inner thoughts. Hearing such explosive gossip, they all held their breath, eyes gleaming with excitement.
The moment Lin Zhiqiao paused, those people became even more anxious than he was!
Wait for what? Hurry up and say it!
Lin Zhiqiao: [Good grief! Seriously, good grief!]
[Song Chuan’s dad actually knew about all this from the very beginning!]
Although Song Zhi and Zhang Qing were in a business marriage, Song Zhi was deeply in love with Zhang Qing. Not only did he know that his “wife” was actually a man, know that Zhang Qing had a true love outside the marriage, and know that Song Chuan was not his biological son, he even promised that as long as Zhang Qing did not ask for a divorce, no matter how many children Zhang Qing brought home, he would raise them all as members of the Song family and let them enjoy the same resources and status as the Song family’s own bloodline.
[His only request was—his only request was that when Zhang Qing was with that true love, he wanted to be included too! To become one of them!]
[What kind of peerless hopeless romantic—cross that out—invincible bootlicker is this?! Even the Bodhisattva would have to bow in defeat!!!]
888 exclaimed in amazement, [Wow, wow, wow! This is too thrilling!!!]
Inside his heart, Lin Zhiqiao cried out “amazing” several times. His bright, almost alarmingly shining eyes flicked in Song Chuan’s direction, then quickly lowered again, hiding the gleam of gossip in them.
But on the other side, Song Chuan could no longer sit still.
More and more gazes were landing on him, pricking at him like needles and making him unable to stay calm.
“President Song—” Lin Mubai began.
But before he could continue, he was interrupted.
“I just remembered there’s something I still need to take care of. Please excuse me for a moment.” Song Chuan hurriedly stood up. Before leaving, he did not forget to soothe him. “Sorry, Mubai. I’ll treat you next time as an apology.”
A flash of disappointment crossed Lin Mubai’s face, then vanished just as quickly. Considerately, he said, “It’s okay, President Song. Your matter is more important. Go quickly, don’t let it delay anything.”
Song Chuan’s heart softened. He lifted a hand and lightly patted Lin Mubai on the shoulder before finally turning to leave.
Once his figure disappeared into the crowd, Lin Mubai raised his wine glass to hide the doubt on his face.
[066,] he asked, [Song Chuan is acting a little strange. What happened?]
The universal-charmer system 066 replied, [No abnormalities detected, host. At this point on the storyline, nothing major is supposed to happen.]
Lin Mubai was still uneasy. [Check Song Chuan’s favorability toward me.]
[The favorability is 91, one point higher than before,] 066 said. [Don’t worry, host. He’s completely devoted to you now!]
The corner of Lin Mubai’s lips curved slightly. Only then did he put aside his doubts.
After leaving Lin Mubai, Song Chuan immediately hurried over to Song Fengshi. “Fengshi…”
Song Fengshi’s attitude was as indifferent as ever. “What is it?”
Song Chuan choked on his words. After a moment, he lowered his voice and asked, “You heard it too, didn’t you?”
Song Fengshi said nothing, which counted as tacit acknowledgment.
Song Chuan spoke urgently, “Fengshi, that’s pure slander! This nonsense about dressing as a woman, true love, fake love—it’s absurd! We grew up together. You’ve seen with your own eyes how good my parents’ relationship has always been! They’re not that kind of people. You mustn’t listen to a petty villain’s words—”
Song Fengshi cut him off. “Do you think I’m the kind of person who casually believes a petty villain’s words?”
Song Chuan’s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly said, “Of course you’re not.”
Song Fengshi glanced at him. His dark eyes held not the slightest emotion. “I’ll verify for myself what’s true and what’s false.”
Song Chuan suppressed the unease in his heart and wanted to say more, but was interrupted again.
[Holy crap! Leather giving birth to leather—this is leather all the way home!]
Song Chuan’s breathing hitched. He almost wanted to clamp a hand over the voice owner’s mouth and make him stop talking.
The surrounding crowd stirred slightly. In their hearts, everyone was silently screaming—
What leather?! What exactly is so damn incredible?!
[What a coincidence! Zhang Qing is actually here at the Royal Dilante Hotel too!]
People had already begun searching through the crowd for Zhang Qing’s figure, but no one found the target.
[In room 2520! The room was booked by Song Zhi, registered under his and Zhang Qing’s information, but the ones staying there… are Zhang Qing and his true love!]
[Song Zhi went too! He went to join them and, by the way, help cover things up! Does this uncle have some kind of cuckold fetish or what?]
[This is unbelievable, unbelievable. This gossip is way too exciting!!!]
Everyone sucked in a cold breath at once!
Whether Song Zhi and Zhang Qing knew it or not, everyone present knew one thing: the person currently in power over the Song family, Song Fengshi, was also at the Royal Dilante Hotel today!
And those three had actually dared, right under Song Fengshi’s nose, to secretly play this big of a game!
This gossip really was stimulation beyond what they could bear!!!
Everyone in the world had a heart for gossip.
After hearing such explosive news, more and more gazes full of all kinds of emotions turned toward Song Fengshi and Song Chuan.
Even under so many eyes, Song Fengshi’s expression remained unchanged. He tilted his head and instructed Assistant Tang beside him.
“Room 2520. Go take a look.”
Assistant Tang: “…”
When he applied for the job back then, no one had said an assistant’s duties also included catching people in the act of cheating!
Assistant Tang responded and forced himself to leave the hall calmly.
Song Chuan’s back had already been drenched in cold sweat. His former certainty had now been replaced by unease and suspicion, and both were growing stronger and stronger.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, only to discover that he could no longer speak.
The Song family had strict family rules and never allowed this kind of scandalous disgrace. And once it was discovered…
Thinking of Song Fengshi’s usual iron-handed methods, devoid of any warmth whatsoever, Song Chuan’s vision began to darken in waves.
What if he really wasn’t of Song family blood…? Then all these years of lurking, all the traps and schemes he had so carefully laid, wouldn’t they all have been for nothing!
The Song family would never allow an outsider to covet the Song empire!
—Please don’t let it be true, absolutely don’t let it be true!
He prayed in his heart, but that voice, like the voice of a demon, continued on!
[Holy crap, holy crap! Why is the staff taking a key card to room 2520?! And there’s someone following beside them… what? He’s Song Fengshi’s assistant?!]
Lin Zhiqiao: [Hiss! Could Assistant Tang be—]
Going to catch them in the act!
Everyone screamed inwardly, completing the sentence Lin Zhiqiao had not finished.
Lin Zhiqiao was so excited that a faint flush of excitement even appeared on his fair cheeks. He wanted nothing more than to immediately follow Assistant Tang and go eat the gossip live at the scene.
Unfortunately, he could only think about it.
[The staff knocks on the lounge door and directly says they’ve received a complaint about a group sex party inside! There’s chaos behind the door, but no one opens it! The staff gives a first warning, then a second warning…]
[Whoa! They directly swipe the card and push the door open!]
[Clothes, pants, skirts, and socks are scattered messily all over the carpet. The battle situation was pretty intense!]
[As for the bed… huh? Why are there only Song Zhi and Zhang Qing? Where’s Zhang Qing’s true love? Oh, so he’s hiding in the closet, hahaha!]
[My god! Assistant Tang is opening the closet door! As expected of President Song’s assistant! His judgment is freakishly accurate!!!]
With the people and the evidence both caught on the spot, Song Zhi and the other two had no room to argue. The outcome was already decided.
Lin Zhiqiao pointed and commented, [System, your function is way too outdated. Forget video—why isn’t there even a single picture!]
Everyone nodded repeatedly in their hearts.
Exactly, exactly!
How can eating gossip not come with video? This is way too unsatisfying!
888 said uncertainly, [Maybe after an upgrade, perhaps, possibly… there could be?]
Lin Zhiqiao sighed emotionally. [But President Song really is well informed. Coming to this gathering was probably just on the way—his real purpose was actually to catch them cheating!]
Song Fengshi, who had inexplicably been “praised” for it: “…”
Assistant Tang, who had gone to catch them in the act, returned to the hall very quickly and whispered something into Song Fengshi’s ear.
Song Chuan did not hear what he said, but he could feel Song Fengshi’s gaze falling on him.
Still indifferent and calm, yet hiding an invisible blade—cold and piercing.
He had said nothing, and yet it felt as if he had said everything.
That attitude had already told Song Chuan that what the unknown voice had said… was probably all true.
Song Chuan opened his dry throat and said, “Fengshi, th-this proves nothing. It certainly can’t prove my identity—”
“Mr. Chuan,” Assistant Tang interrupted, “what your identity is, isn’t up to you to say, nor is it up to others. President Song believes in science more.”
In other words, a paternity test was definitely unavoidable.
Song Fengshi swept him with a cold glance. “You’d better start praying right now that there’s no problem with your identity.”
—He knew everything.
Song Chuan suddenly realized that all those secret moves he had thought were well hidden—Song Fengshi knew about every single one of them.
It was only because they had supposedly been blood brothers that Song Fengshi had not exposed him before. But if he wasn’t…
Cold sweat had already soaked Song Chuan’s temples. He looked utterly miserable.
[Ah, no more energy left.]
The young man’s voice rang out again. Song Fengshi’s eyes shifted slightly, and his gaze locked onto the chestnut-haired youth once more.
The other party suddenly looked up, and those clear amber eyes crashed straight into his field of vision, only to be swallowed away again in the next instant.
Lin Zhiqiao lowered his head. [What a pity. Today’s blind box still didn’t open up any gossip about Song Fengshi.]
[The youngest person in Song Group history to seize power—with such insane specs, he’s either the male lead of a stallion novel or the male lead of a green-Jinjiang novel. He could even be the male lead of a [beep—] novel!]
Song Fengshi: “…”
[Oh no, wait, he could also be the beautiful, strong, tragic supporting male lead. After all, President Song, he—]
Everyone held their breath and pricked up their ears.
President Song’s gossip! They might not hear even one piece of it in their entire lifetime!
888 screamed, [Ahhh, host! We struck it rich, we really struck it rich this time!!!]
Lin Zhiqiao snapped back to himself, realizing something. Excited and nervous, he held his breath. [How much, how much? No, no, don’t tell me yet—let me guess… 30,000? 50,000? Or—or 80,000?]
A piece of gossip that used up all the remaining energy—no matter what, the reward shouldn’t be too low, right?
[Too low, too low!] 888’s electronic voice was so excited it was practically distorted. [It’s 380,000!!!]
