Hearing this, Song Xuanhe scoffed. There was undisguised ridicule in his tone, “I must? Who are you to talk to me about conditions?”
He raised his chin slightly and narrowed his eyes. He was clearly shorter than the male model by quite a bit, but even so, the model still took a step back from being looked at like that. Then, the male model took a look at Xiao Yuanmu, who looked fine standing in the back, expression flickering between anger and fear. He was unwilling to give up, but when he thought about who Song Xuanhe was, his reluctance turned to uneasiness.
Song Xuanhe saw the wavering in the other’s eyes. His pale lips pursed. He wasn’t in a hurry. He folded his arms over his chest and waited patiently.
He was very patient. Zhou Nan was the first to have enough. He strode over to the male model and said with a cold voice and dark expression, “Although my house has just been built, and the security measures inside aren’t perfect, the walls around the pool are short, and I’ve had security cameras installed. Whatever you guys just did is on camera. If you don’t say what happened, when you guys get convicted of attempted murder, none of you will be able to escape.”
“I didn’t! Don’t call the police!”
The model’s psychological barrier was broken through. His eyes turned red from being frightened. He carefully pointed at the man standing next to Song Xuanhe. There was a look of determination as if ready to face death on his face. “It was Lu shao. We were playing with water guns, and he came over. He said that whoever pushed that man into the water would be given a load of endorsements. He also said that those who participated would receive twenty thousand dollars. Anyone who participated would get a share. We didn’t agree to it at first, because we were only hired to liven things up. We also knew that we could not afford to offend anyone here. However, Lu shao said that this man was just a pretty boy being kept by someone, so no one would look into it. Only then did we dare to agree. I know that I was wrong. Song shao, Zhou shao, as great men, please don’t hold this against us. Please let us go.”
After finishing, the male model knelt. He was only wearing a pair of swim trunks, and his knees were not at all covered. They directly hit the pool’s glossy marble deck. The sound of his knees hitting the ground resounded clearly.
“Who the f*ck incited you, you b*stard? You’re slandering laozi!”
As soon as the male model had finished speaking, the man next to Song Xuanhe kicked the model, who was kneeling on the ground. The model fell to the ground.
After kicking him, he turned his head in a hurry and said in a half-resentful, half-wronged tone, “This b*tch is slandering me. Er shao, we’ve been friends for so long. If you believe him over me, then I, your bro, will really feel aggrieved.”
Song Xuanhe frowned imperceptibly. He ignored the man, bypassed him, and then said to the other male models who were standing not too far away, “Your friend was kicked to the ground. What do you think?”
They exchanged glances with one another. Some of them acted like it had nothing to do with them. Some of them gnashed their teeth in anger.
In the end, only one person went over to help up the male model who had fallen to the ground. He then lowered his head and stood to the side, not saying a word.
Song Xuanhe could see the veins popping out of that person’s arms. He leisurely spoke with a laugh, “Are you good friends?”
Hearing Song Xuanhe’s laugh, the veins on the forehead of that male model with a crew cut also bulged out. He spat out between gritted teeth, “Yes.”
“What’s your name?”
The male model with a crew cut, who had been spitting out such fierce words but was interrupted by Song Xuanhe, was startled. The people watching quietly on the side were also baffled. Xiao Yuanmu, who had been covered with a towel and was sitting not far off, looked up. His gaze fell on the man with a crew cut, sizing him up inch by inch. Ice gradually formed in his eyes.
The ruthlessness in the eyes of the man with the crew cut, who had a chest full of rage and hatred, lessened. He held himself back but still ended up saying, “Yu Zhong. Zhong is written with the characters for wood and winter.”
Song Xuanhe raised a brow. “Yu Zhong. Not a bad name. You can do what you said you wanted to do.”
Yu Zhong was startled again. He didn’t react.
Lu Chao reacted though. He widened his eyes, “Er shao, what is the meaning of this?”
“I meant what I said.” Song Xuanhe didn’t even glance at him. He smiled at Yu Zhong and said, “Cutting him into pieces would be pretty bloody. You can do the first part until you’re satisfied. If anything happens, I’ll take responsibility for you.”
Yu Zhong: “….”
“Forget it.” Xiao Yuanmu walked over to Song Xuanhe. He raised a hand, placed another towel over Song Xuanhe’s back, and kept his hand on him. He said, “I’m fine.”
Song Xuanhe turned his head to the side and looked at Xiao Yuanmu. Because the other had been unconscious after falling into the water, his face was pale now. His perfect lips were slightly open. There was a line of white in the crack between those slightly pink lips. His jet-black hair was scattered over his pale forehead. The contrast of white and black, of his weakness and beauty, was ineffably sexy.
A beautiful man was indeed a source of calamity.
These words appeared in Song Xuanhe’s mind. He could feel all eyes on Xiao Yuanmu.
Xiao Yuanmu was really too handsome. He was the kind of handsome that would only appear once every tens of millions of years. One would find it difficult to look away after taking just one glance.
However, Song Xuanhe and Xiao Yuanmu were together day in, day out. Although he would sometimes still be stunned, he did have some kind of immunity. At this moment, he didn’t blink though, only because he was shocked.
The first time!
It was the first time Xiao Yuanmu had approached him out of his own will. It was also the first time the other had not used a chilly tone towards him. Actually, it was much more gentle than how he usually talked to him.
The last time he had heard him speak like this was when he had inadvertently overheard Xiao Yuanmu speaking to the Director the first time they met. Although the voice was cold, there hid an impossible-to-ignore gentleness.
It was at that moment, Song Xuanhe, who had no choice but to go against Xiao Yuanmu because of the story, suddenly calmed down. He had seen a gloomy, cold, ruthless, and tyrannical Xiao Yuanmu in the later part of the book. But when he heard that kind of clean, clear voice now, for some reason, he was willing to believe that the owner of that voice would not become that coldhearted.
Song Xuanhe suddenly felt upset. This was because the owner of that voice was foreordained to become the Xiao Yuanmu in the book because of despair and helplessness. He would become the Xiao Yuanmu who would not confide in anyone and would even find it difficult to get close to his own biological parents.
And, it was because this baffling feeling, which was more than just sympathy, had suddenly arose that Song Xuanhe had chosen to act unguarded towards Xiao Yuanmu in the beginning.
It was just that when he looked into those eyes that were no longer stained with ice or darkness, Song Xuanhe felt a bit agitated and was at a loss for what to do.
Xiao Yuanmu trusted him. Then, wouldn’t he be more hurt in the future? Song Xuanhe could foresee that his pure eyes that pretended to be cold would be covered in more despair than expected. In the end, this despair would gradually become still beneath the hate, and his eyes would truly turn bone-chillingly cold.
It shouldn’t be like this.
At that time, he had chosen to collapse his character settings, because he wanted to avoid having such a thing happen. In the end, things had still developed in the direction he had least wanted to see.
The hurt associated with being betrayed by someone you trusted was completely different from being abandoned by someone you hated and were guarded against. Song Xuanhe knew this well.
Fortunately, this was just sprouting at the moment. He could nip it in the bud. It was still easy to turn this around.
Song Xuanhe pulled off the towel Xiao Yuanmu had placed on him and threw off his hand at the same time. His tone was cold and indifferent, “None of your business. Go wait on the side.”
Xiao Yuanmu’s hand fell into midair. He was slightly stiff. The gentleness in his eyes froze slightly. He pursed his lips tightly and then walked away.
Song Xuanhe didn’t even give him another look. He said to Yu Zhong, “Do it, ah.”
Yu Zhong subconsciously looked at Xiao Yuanmu’s back. Even Zhou Nan felt that something was off. He shuffled over and said, “That, uh, little boyfriend of yours seems to be angry. Why don’t you go coax him?”
“Do it.” Song Xuanhe didn’t pay Zhou Nan any attention. He looked at Yu Zhong and said, “I won’t say it a third time. Otherwise, we can do what Lu Chao said. You all can walk the runway.”
Yu Zhong froze. Without another word, he walked over to Lu Chao. When he saw Lu Chao shrink back, he directly kicked the other. He then landed punch after punch. They only heard cries of pain. In the end, there was even a plea for mercy.
Just as Yu Zhong was about to kick Lu Chao into the pool, Song Xuanhe told him to stop. When he saw that Yu Zhong’s rage had been pacified, he smiled and said, “Who’s the other person? There were two people behind the scenes orchestrating this. It couldn’t be that you only want to vent on just one?”
Yu Zhong’s actions paused. There was shock in his eyes as he looked at Song Xuanhe.
“You can’t say?”
“No.” Yu Zhong looked around at the surrounding people and said, “It’s just that I didn’t get a good look. I only know that it was a girl. She was wearing a short, black dress. She had black hair.”
Song Xuanhe nodded pensively. He squatted down and asked Lu Chao, “It’s Song Jiani?”
Lu Chao’s wails stopped. He met with Song Xuanhe’s eyes.
“It’s really her, ah,” Song Xuanhe shook his head and muttered, “Didn’t listen to my advice.”
After saying this, Song Xuanhe stood up and kicked Lu Chao into the water. After a splash sounded, he said to Yu Zhong, “You guys can go. This matter has been wrapped up. No one will come looking to make trouble for you. Remember to act more decently, and don’t kneel so easily. If you really get in over your heads, forget kneeling. Not even kowtowing will help. Don’t count on these old practices.”
The latter part was directed towards the model next to Yu Zhong. Everyone was aware of what he meant. That male model lowered his head in shame.
Song Xuanhe was about to leave after saying his piece. Yu Zhong stopped him though. “Song shao.”
Song Xuanhe looked back and heard Yu Zhong say through pursed lips, “Thank you.”
Zhou Nan laughed. He wrapped an arm around Song Xuanhe’s shoulder and said, “Song Er, you’re especially pleasing to my eye today.”
“Lu Chao’s eyes have rolled to the back of his head.” Song Xuanhe curved his eyes into a smile and continued, “If you don’t pull him out of there, you’ll have to sell your newly bought house.”
The author has something to say:
Oh, my baby boy Xuan has been designed to have a rather complicated heart. However, right now, the story has just started. I won’t be spoiling anything. I can only say that neither he nor Xiao Yuanmu like each other right now. At most, they just have some goodwill for the other. However, my baby boy Xuan is my son. No matter who I abuse, I won’t abuse him. Therefore, don’t worry.
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~Blue Iced Tea❤️