After Transmigrating into a Sadistic Novel, the Socially Anxious Sickly Beauty Just Wants to Sleep - Chapter 15

Yan Zhimuo glanced at the CEOs around him who had been surreptitiously sizing him up since he entered. Thinking of the incredibly insecure little boy beside him, he made a silent decision in his heart—

He wanted everyone in the venue to know that Jian Anmian was his newly-wedded little Madam!

Jian Anmian had no idea he was about to become famous in this hall. He looked utterly bewildered, thinking only that the male lead was acting very strangely.

“President Wang, long time no see.” Yan Zhimuo led Jian Anmian over to President Wang.

“Oh, President Yan! Haven’t seen you in a while, and you’re looking more imposing than ever! Truly the most outstanding talent of the younger generation! The new waves push the old; we old timers really can’t compare!” President Wang poured out a stream of flattery, smiling as he shook hands with Yan Zhimuo. Then, he looked politely at Jian Anmian and asked, “President Yan, this is…?”

“My husband, the young master of the Qin family, Jian Anmian,” Yan Zhimuo looked down at Jian Anmian with a tender gaze. His large hand affectionately circled Jian Anmian’s waist as he said warmly, “Mianmian is still young and very shy. He’s not much for talking, so I hope President Wang will be understanding.”

Jian Anmian: “…”

I’ve wanted to say this for a long time, Mr. Male Lead: if your company ever fails, you should consider a career in show business.

This acting was much better than some of the popular idols!

President Wang froze for a moment then quickly said, “Not at all, not at all! Master Jian looks talented and outstanding. Standing with President Yan, you two are truly a match made in heaven—perfectly paired!”

Jian Anmian felt his skin crawl with goosebumps, suddenly recalling the horror of being dominated by the male lead’s nephew back at the Yan house.

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

By the end of this round, Yan Zhimuo’s goal was fully realized.

Almost everyone in the venue now knew that the shy, fragile-looking boy who was inseparable from President Yan was the little Madam Yan Zhimuo had just brought home.

Each of them understood clearly: if it weren’t for the purpose of parading his little Madam around to announce her status and importance in his heart, President Yan probably wouldn’t have bothered talking to them at all.

This little Madam was truly pampered to the extreme. She was likely treated like a precious jewel in the palm of his hand; he wouldn’t even let anyone touch her.

Evidence: not a single person had successfully shaken hands with President Yan’s little Madam. 🙂

…

Time passed quickly during these dull social interactions.

Everyone had dinner in the restaurant, and at exactly 7:00 PM, the charity auction finally began.

A real-life auction isn’t as thrilling as those in movies; instead, it’s long, tedious, and monotonous.

At first, Jian Anmian looked around with curiosity, listening carefully to the host’s introductions. However, after round after round of obvious sales tactics, he finally began to understand: this was an auction on the surface, but in reality, it was an undercurrent of social favors.

The items on stage weren’t important; what mattered was who sent them. If someone wanted to suck up to a certain CEO present, they would bid on that person’s item as a polite way of showing goodwill.

“Anything you want?” Yan Zhimuo suddenly leaned in and whispered in Jian Anmian’s ear.

Jian Anmian was startled and shook his head quickly. “No, I don’t want anything.”

Just then, a painting was brought onto the stage. It was the work of the country’s top traditional Chinese painting master, Zhangsun Songyun.

The painting depicted a cluster of peonies in full bloom. Large, plump blossoms huddled around yellow centers, their petals tight and branches interlaced. The crimson and purple hues were vibrant yet elegant, radiating a sense of luxury and grace, like the voluptuous beauties of the Tang Dynasty. It was a sight that brightened everyone’s eyes.

As soon as this painting appeared, the previously bored crowd finally showed some excitement, and the bidding became competitive.

Seeing Jian Anmian’s eyes light up as he stared at the painting, Yan Zhimuo asked immediately, “Do you like this painting?”

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

Yan Zhimuo hummed in response and raised his paddle without hesitation.

When others saw that President Yan wanted it, who would dare to snatch it? They all smiled and gestured toward Yan Zhimuo, dropping out of the bidding.

By the time Jian Anmian snapped out of it, Yan Zhimuo had successfully won the painting.

“If you like it, it’s yours,” Yan Zhimuo said casually, radiating “Domineering CEO” energy. “Buying your happiness with a painting is worth it.”

Jian Anmian’s ears went numb instantly. Spending a fortune just to make the ‘shou’ happy—this is too ‘Mary Sue’!

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

Yan Zhimuo smiled calmly. “It’s fine. It’s a charity auction, so I had to bid on something. I don’t want anything for myself, so I might as well get something you like. It makes the trip worthwhile.”

The CEOs who had been quietly watching them shared a knowing smile: “…”

Ah, so it was all to coax the little Madam.

Jian Anmian’s heart felt a bit tingly. He rubbed his reddened ears and asked hesitantly, “That painting master… his surname is Zhangsun?”

What a coincidence.

As expected, Yan Zhimuo explained, “He is Zhangsun Yong’s grandfather.”

Jian Anmian thought: Zhangsun Songyun, a new character who never appeared in the novel.

But with such a powerful-sounding name, he didn’t seem like a mere “Extra A.” Jian Anmian quietly took out his phone to Baidu the name. Quickly skipping over a long list of impressive awards and titles, he noticed a bit of gossip:

Zhangsun Songyun and a foreign oil painting master studied under the same teacher. Later, they split up due to different styles and couldn’t stand each other—a famous rivalry in the art world.

And that oil painting master happened to be the teacher of his half-brother, Qin Luochen—the male lead’s “White Moonlight.”

Jian Anmian: “…”

The law that ‘everything is connected to the main plot’ really holds true.

Jian Anmian silently put away his phone and chose to ignore it. Rivalry or not, it had nothing to do with him.

…

A while later, the item provided by Yan Zhimuo was sent onto the stage. It was an antique pocket watch he had found in a shop abroad a few years ago. In the end, it was successfully bought by the Rong family for a staggering ten million.

The crowd erupted in applause and congratulations.

The eldest daughter of the Rong family looked toward Yan Zhimuo with a shy and longing gaze. Yan Zhimuo didn’t even look her way; in fact, he shifted slightly toward Jian Anmian as if he were avoiding something dirty.

Miss Rong: “…”

The people around them felt a bit awkward as well.

The fact that President Yan and his father, Yan Zuyi, didn’t get along was no secret in their circle. Rumors had been flying recently that Yan Zuyi was dissatisfied with the marriage and insisted on a divorce so Yan Zhimuo could marry into the Rong family.

In their eyes, Yan Zuyi was truly deluded.

Yan Zhimuo was so young and already so capable; in time, he would reach a position that others could only dream of. He didn’t need a business marriage for profit at the cost of his own happiness—it was better to find someone he actually liked.

Yan Zuyi was his biological father; with such a powerful son, he should be supporting him and staying on his good side to ensure a comfortable retirement.

Could he not see how devoted Yan Zhimuo was to his little Madam?

Yet Yan Zuyi was actually trying to break up a married couple and even had the audacity to try to shove another woman at President Yan. He was truly getting muddled in his old age.

The Rong family was equally foolish. Even if Yan Zuyi was Yan Zhimuo’s father, so what? He had the blood relation but neither the affection nor the power. The Rong family actually thought they could use Yan Zuyi to link up with the Yan family.

Tsk tsk, the Rong family is likely to face a cold reception tonight.

…

The auction ended, followed by celebrity performances. For the businessmen present, it was time for free socializing.

Although Secretary Liu and Special Assistant Yuwen blocked most of the drinks, Yan Zhimuo still had to have a few. After being forced to drink another glass handed to him by a CEO, Yan Zhimuo rubbed his temples and leaned back into the sofa, looking exhausted.

Jian Anmian couldn’t help but show concern: “Mr. Yan, would you like to go rest for a bit?”

Yan Zhimuo opened his eyes slowly. Instead of answering, he reached out and pulled Jian Anmian into his arms, asking softly, “Are you hungry?”

Jian Anmian’s body stiffened. “I’m… I’m okay,” he stammered.

However, the next second, his stomach let out a traitorous growl.

Jian Anmian’s face turned beet red instantly. His first fear was that the man would blame him for lying, so he apologized quickly: “S-sorry, Mr. Yan. I didn’t mean to lie, I really felt okay—Mr. Yan! What… what are you doing?!”

Without saying a word, Yan Zhimuo unbuttoned the bottom two buttons of Jian Anmian’s suit jacket and reached inside, rubbing Jian Anmian’s soft belly through his shirt. “How about now?” He pressed slightly with his palm and chuckled lowly. “Do you still not feel hungry?”

Miraculously, after the man gave his belly a firm rub, a strong wave of hunger actually hit him. Jian Anmian’s vision blurred for a moment; his hypoglycemia was acting up.

“Sorry, Mr. Yan. I think I am hungry.” Jian Anmian looked at Yan Zhimuo with wet eyes, his fingers clutching the man’s arm. He felt both embarrassed and guilty.

“It’s fine. If you’re hungry, eat.” Yan Zhimuo withdrew his hand, tidied Jian Anmian’s clothes, and patted his head. He turned to Yuwen Chi and ordered, “Yuwen Chi, take Mianmian to get something to eat. Check everything carefully before he eats it. Make sure he doesn’t eat anything he’s allergic to.”

“Understood, President Yan,” Yuwen Chi replied.

Yan Zhimuo then turned his dark, heavy gaze to Secretary Liu, saying casually, “Secretary Liu, you’ve had a lot to drink too. You’ve worked hard. Accompany me to the lounge to rest for a bit, and have the kitchen send over two servings of sobering soup.”

Jian Anmian froze, his heart suddenly racing.

Secretary Liu is taking the male lead to the lounge…

The protagonist and the lead are being separated…

The sobering soup will be secretly drugged. Under Secretary Liu’s tip-off, Miss Rong will sneak into the lounge to try and have a relationship with the incoherent male lead…

Secretary Liu will find the ‘shou’, tell him the lead wants to see him, and deliberately lead him to the lounge to catch them in the act…

These were all part of the original novel’s plot. And right now, the first two parts were coming true.

Yan Zhimuo was about to be taken to the lounge, and he had no idea the sobering soup was tampered with!

Seeing that Yan Zhimuo had already stood up, Jian Anmian didn’t think twice—he grabbed Yan Zhimuo’s sleeve and said frantically, “Mr. Yan, don’t go!”