Chapter 15

Yan Zhimo glanced at the company presidents who had been discreetly sizing him up ever since he entered the venue. Thinking of the particularly insecure boy beside him, he silently made a decision—

He was going to let everyone in the venue know that Jian Anmian was the young madam he had just married!

Jian Anmian had no idea he was about to become famous throughout the venue. He was utterly baffled, finding the protagonist gong’s behavior completely inexplicable.

“President Wang, long time no see.” Yan Zhimo walked over to President Wang, holding Jian Anmian’s hand.

“Oh, President Yan! It’s only been a while since we last met, but you look even more distinguished and imposing than before! As expected of the most outstanding talent of the younger generation! The new waves of the Yangtze drive the old waves forward. Old fellows like us truly can’t compare anymore!” After showering Yan Zhimo with flattery, President Wang smiled and shook his hand. Then he looked politely at Jian Anmian and asked, “President Yan, this is…?”

“My wife, the young master of the Qin family, Jian Anmian.” Yan Zhimo lowered his head and gazed tenderly at Jian Anmian, his broad palm intimately encircling Jian Anmian’s waist. In a gentle voice, he said, “Mianmian is still young and very shy. He isn’t much of a talker, so I hope President Wang will excuse him.”

Jian Anmian: “…”

I’ve been wanting to say this for ages, protagonist gong. If your company ever goes under, perhaps you should consider entering the entertainment industry.

Your acting is far better than that of certain pretty-boy celebrities!

President Wang froze before hurriedly saying, “Not at all! Young Master Jian is clearly a remarkable and outstanding young man. Standing together with President Yan, you look like a match made in heaven. You couldn’t be more perfect for each other!”

Jian Anmian broke out in goose bumps. He suddenly remembered the terror of being subjected to the protagonist gong’s nephew’s flattery at the Yan residence.

After greeting President Wang, Yan Zhimo took Jian Anmian to meet several other people.

By the end of the round, Yan Zhimo’s wish had been completely fulfilled.

Almost everyone in the venue now knew that the shy, delicate-looking young man who never left President Yan’s side was the young madam Yan Zhimo had recently married.

Everyone understood the situation perfectly well. If President Yan hadn’t wanted to parade his young wife before them and declare his place and importance in his heart, he probably wouldn’t even have bothered speaking to them.

This young madam was truly doted on beyond measure. President Yan must hold him in the palm of his hand and pamper him rotten, unwilling to let anyone so much as touch him.

After all, not one of them had successfully shaken hands with President Yan’s young wife. : )

…

Time quickly passed amid such tedious socializing.

Everyone had dinner at the restaurant, and at precisely seven in the evening, the charity auction finally began.

Auctions in real life were nowhere near as tense and exciting as those portrayed in film and television. Instead, they were long, tedious, and dull.

At first, Jian Anmian still looked around curiously and listened carefully to every word of the host’s introductions. But as one formulaic sales pitch followed another, Jian Anmian finally began to understand. On the surface, this was an auction, but in reality, it was yet another arena for covertly trading favors.

The items onstage weren’t important. What mattered was who had donated them.

If someone wanted to curry favor with one of the company presidents present, they could bid on that person’s item, which would serve as an indirect show of goodwill.

“Is there anything you want?” Yan Zhimo suddenly turned his head and asked softly beside Jian Anmian’s ear.

Jian Anmian froze before hurriedly shaking his head. “No, there’s nothing I want.”

Just then, a painting happened to be brought onto the stage. It was the work of Changsun Songyun, one of the country’s foremost masters of traditional Chinese painting.

The painting depicted a cluster of peonies in full bloom, their large, lush corollas embracing pale yellow centers, their tightly gathered petals and intertwining branches overlapping one another.

The brilliant reds and purples were vibrant without being gaudy. The painting exuded regal splendor, magnificent wealth, and stately elegance, like a voluptuous beauty nurtured during the flourishing age of the Tang Dynasty. It immediately caught the eye.

The moment the painting appeared, the ​stolen content​previously bored audience finally showed some enthusiasm and began bidding against one another.

Seeing Jian Anmian staring at the painting with shining eyes, Yan Zhimo immediately asked, “Do you like this painting?”

Jian Anmian instinctively nodded. “It’s beautiful.”

Yan Zhimo murmured his acknowledgment and raised his paddle without hesitation.

Once everyone saw that President Yan wanted it, who would dare compete with him? They all smiled and nodded toward Yan Zhimo, withdrawing from the bidding.

By the time Jian Anmian came back to his senses, Yan Zhimo had already won the painting.

“If you like it, then keep it.” With all the air of a domineering CEO, Yan Zhimo said calmly, “Buying one painting to make you happy is worth it.”

Jian Anmian’s ears instantly tingled. Spending a fortune merely to make the protagonist shou happy—wasn’t that a little too Mary Sue?!

Jian Anmian shyly twisted his fingers around his cuffs, his lowered lashes trembling gently. “Mr. Yan, you don’t have to do this.”

Yan Zhimo smiled calmly. “It’s fine. We had to buy something at a charity auction anyway. There’s nothing I want, so I might as well buy something you like. At least the trip won’t have been for nothing.”

The company presidents who had been discreetly watching ​Read on BaiLianTales​Yan Zhimo’s every move immediately exchanged knowing smiles. “…”

Oh, so it was to make his young wife happy.

Jian Anmian’s heart tingled. Rubbing his scarlet ear hard, he stammered, “That master of traditional Chinese painting—his surname is Changsun?”

What a coincidence.

Sure enough, Yan Zhimo explained, “He’s Changsun Yong’s grandfather.”

Jian Anmian thought, Changsun Songyun—a new character who had never once appeared in the novel.

But with such an awe-inspiring name, he certainly didn’t sound like some ordinary background character.

Whenever there was something he didn’t know, he could just search Baidu. Jian Anmian discreetly took out his phone and looked up the name. He quickly skimmed past a long list of impressive awards and titles before noticing a piece of gossip.

Changsun Songyun and a foreign master of oil painting had studied under the same teacher. Later, because they belonged to different schools of art, they went their separate ways and grew to dislike each other. They were famously bitter rivals within the art world.

And that oil-painting master happened to be the teacher of Qin Luochen—Jian Anmian’s older maternal half-brother and the protagonist gong’s white moonlight.

Jian Anmian: “…”

Sure enough, nothing could escape the law that “everything is connected to the main plot.”

Jian Anmian silently put away his phone and chose to ignore it.

Whether they were bitter rivals or not had nothing to do with him anyway.

…

A while later, the item Yan Zhimo had donated was also brought onto the stage. It was an antique pocket watch he had discovered in an overseas antique shop several years ago. In the end, the Rong family successfully bought it for more than ten million.

Applause and congratulations immediately sounded all around them.

The eldest daughter of the Rong family gazed shyly at Yan Zhimo, but Yan Zhimo continued looking straight ahead. He even shifted slightly toward Jian Anmian in distaste, as if avoiding something filthy.

Miss Rong: “…”

The people around them also felt somewhat awkward.

It was no secret within their circle that President Yan and his [unauthorized copy]father, Yan Zuyi, didn’t get along.

Rumors had been circulating recently that Yan Zuyi had always been dissatisfied with President Yan’s marriage and insisted that he divorce, then enter into a marriage alliance with Miss Rong.

In their eyes, Yan Zuyi truly had no sense at all.

Yan Zhimo was already exceptionally capable despite his young age. Given time, he was certain to reach a position others could only look up to from afar. Why would he need a business marriage to secure benefits, sacrificing his own happiness for nothing? He might as well choose someone he genuinely liked.

Yan Zuyi was his biological father. With such a capable son, shouldn’t he hurry to support whoever his son liked and keep his son happy? Then he would never have to worry about being cared for in his old age.

Couldn’t he see how devoted Yan Zhimo was to his young wife?

But Yan Zuyi refused to let the matter go. The two young men were already married, yet he still stubbornly tried to break them apart and even had the audacity to force another person on President Yan. The older he got, the more confused he became.

The Rong family was equally foolish. So what if Yan Zuyi was Yan Zhimo’s father?

Their relationship existed in blood alone. There was no affection between them, and Yan Zuyi held no real authority.

Yet the Rong family genuinely believed they could use Yan Zuyi to forge a connection with the Yan family.

Tsk, tsk. The Rong family was probably doomed tonight.

…

Once the auction ended, performances by celebrities were scheduled to follow.

For the businesspeople in attendance, it was time to socialize freely once again.

Although Secretary Liu and Special Assistant Yuwen helped fend off drinks, Yan Zhimo still ended up drinking some. After he was once again forced to accept a glass offered by a company president, Yan Zhimo rubbed his brow and leaned tiredly against the sofa.

Jian Anmian couldn’t help asking with concern, “Mr. Yan, would you like to go rest for a while?”

Yan Zhimo slowly opened his eyes but didn’t answer. Upon seeing Jian Anmian’s face, he instead swept out a long arm and pulled him into his embrace, asking gently, “Are you hungry?”

Jian Anmian’s body immediately stiffened. “I-I’m all right.”

Yet the very next moment, Jian Anmian’s stomach betrayed him with a growl.

Jian Anmian instantly flushed bright red. His first reaction was to fear that the man would blame him for lying, so he hurriedly apologized. “I-I’m sorry, Mr. Yan. I didn’t mean to lie. I honestly didn’t feel that hungry—Mr. Yan! What… what are you doing?!”

Without saying a word, Yan Zhimo had undone the bottom two buttons of Jian Anmian’s suit jacket and slipped his hand inside. Through the shirt, he unauthorized copyrubbed Jian Anmian’s soft stomach. “What about now?” His palm pressed down slightly as he chuckled. “Still can’t tell that you’re hungry?”

Miraculously, after the man rubbed his stomach so firmly, Jian Anmian really did feel a sudden, intense emptiness inside. He became so hungry that his vision immediately blurred as his hypoglycemia flared up.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Yan. I think I really am hungry.” Jian Anmian gazed at Yan Zhimo with glistening eyes, his fingers tightly gripping the man’s arm as he felt both ashamed and guilty.

“It’s all right. If you’re hungry, then eat.” Yan Zhimo withdrew his hand, straightened Jian Anmian’s clothes, and stroked his head. Then he instructed Yuwen Chi, “Yuwen Chi, take Mianmian to get something to eat. Carefully check everything before he puts it in his mouth. Make sure he doesn’t eat anything he’s allergic to.”

“Yes, President Yan,” Yuwen Chi replied.

Yan Zhimo then turned toward Secretary Liu. His gaze was dark and deep as he stared into her eyes, his tone casual. “Secretary Liu, you’ve had quite a lot to drink as well. You’ve worked hard today. Come rest with me in the lounge, and have the kitchen send over two bowls of hangover soup while you’re at it.”

Jian Anmian froze, his heart suddenly pounding furiously.

Secretary Liu would escort the protagonist gong into the lounge…

The protagonist shou and protagonist gong would be separated…

Drugs would secretly be added to the hangover soup. After Secretary Liu tipped her off, Miss Rong would seize the opportunity to sneak into the lounge and attempt to sleep with the delirious protagonist gong…

Secretary Liu would then find the protagonist shou, tell him the protagonist gong wanted to see ​read the original at bailiantales.com​him, and deliberately lead him to the lounge to catch them in bed…

These were all events from the novel’s original plot.

And now, the first two had already happened.

Yan Zhimo was about to be taken into the lounge, but he had no idea that there was something wrong with the hangover soup!

Seeing that Yan Zhimo had already risen to his feet, Jian Anmian acted without thinking and grabbed his sleeve. In a flustered rush, he blurted out, “Mr. Yan, don’t go!”