Chapter 1.6
Jiang Yue Yue had been sitting outside the President’s office for a long time, trying and failing to build up the courage to enter. She really didn’t understand why Zhao He had suddenly interrogated her on her relationship with Chu Cheng Yan. He even went so far as to draw a clear boundary between Chu Cheng Yan and herself.
But even if Jiang Yue Yue couldn’t understand his request, he was her boyfriend of three years after all, and she didn’t want to argue over something so minor so she could only agree to his request.
Just as Jiang Yue Yue was hesitating outside the door with a box in her hands, the door suddenly pulled opened from the inside. Jiang Yue Yue’s mind was blank as she made eye contact with Chu Cheng Yan.
“President, I…” Jiang Yue Yue’s mind was a mess from nerves and couldn’t remember what she initially planned to say.
Chu Cheng Yan walked out of the office on his cellphone. Seeing Jiang Yue Yue, his eyes softened slightly as he nodded and walked past.
Jiang Yue Yue nervously carried the pink box in her hands. Seeing Chu Cheng Yan walking away without a word, she felt uncomfortable and summoning all her courage bursted out: “President! Please wait a moment!”
Chu Cheng Yan paused and turned to Jiang Yue Yue ending his call. “What’s the matter?”
“I…I…” Seeing Chu Cheng Yan staring at her with such cold eyes, the courage Jiang Yue Yue managed to summon deflated.
Chu Cheng Yan frowned. He hated wasting time the most. “Is there anything you need?”
After seeing Chu Cheng Yan’s impatience, Jiang Yue Yue no longer dared to hesitate. Lowering her head she whispered, “President, I just wanted to say…that is…my shoes just happened to get dirty that time. We don’t want anyone accusing us of adultery so can we…Can you please just take these shoes back and just pay me for them in cash instead?”
After finishing her sentence in one breath, Jiang Yue Yue flushed, clutching the box tightly, and lowered her head, too embarrassed to see Chu Cheng Yan’s reaction.
Chu Cheng Yan gaze slowly slid from Jiang Yue Yue with her head down to the box in her hands. His face was grim as he asked, “How much?”
Jiang Yue Yue blinked and as per Zhao He’s request named her price, “*One thousand.”
(*YY: One thousand Renminbi is approximately $160 USD today)
En, to want a thousand dollars just for a pair of canvas shoes, this really is a “free” woman.
“Got it. I’ll deliver the money later.” Taking the box from Jiang Yue Yue’s hands, Chu Cheng Yan immediately promised and turned away boarding the elevator.
To actually pay a thousand dollars for a pair of canvas shoes, en, this is indeed the behavior of a whipped man.
Jiang Yue Yue looked down at her empty hands. Vaguely she felt that she had lost something incomparably more precious than shoes. However, she quickly forgot that feeling of thought as the relief of completing Zhao He’s task swept through her.
Chu Cheng Yan held the bright pink box that was completely inconsistent with his normal image, exuding a dark and gloomy aura in the elevator. At that moment, his phone rang.
Chu Cheng Yan checked the numbers on the phone before taking a deep breath and connecting the call.
Immediately, a lively voice brightened the gloom filled elevator. “Cousin, apologies! You don’t need to go downstairs anymore! The package just arrived at home. It wasn’t the company address after all. I just called you to go downstairs to get the package, too. I’m so sorry!”
Hearing the lively voice over the phone, Chu Cheng Yan miraculously felt his mood getting better. Obviously he was already in the elevator, but to soothe that worried person he instinctively said, “No problem. I haven’t gone downstairs yet.”
“That’s great! Then Cousin, continue to work hard! I won’t bother you anymore.” After the bright farewell, the phone hung up.
Chu Cheng Yan turned off his phone and pressed the top floor button. He lifted the lid on the shoe box. Looking at the plain white shoes nestled in the box, he murmured to himself, “To choose such tasteless shoes and still dare push the blame on me…”
Su Yu who was at the Chu villa did not know his fashion sense was currently being questioned. He was exuberant from the success of his plan. In order to ensure Jiang Yue Yue couldn’t back out and maintain her pure appearance, Su Yu called Chu Cheng Yan and faked a package delivery to create a “coincidental” meeting between the two.
In order to bury the lie, Su Yu now had to make up a package especially for Chu Cheng Yan.
“Host, Zhao He just followed the original plot and had the female protagonist go to the male protagonist for money. Do we need to stop this progression?” The ball followed Su Yu’s orders to report with trepidation in its heart. After all, it had just witnessed the male protagonist give Jiang Yue Yue a thousand dollars without blinking.
While a thousand dollars was nothing to President Chu, the ball was very worried about the underlying meaning to the gift.
Su Yu glanced at the ball out of the corner of his eye. “If Chu Cheng Yan is still choosing to brainlessly give Jiang Yue Yue money despite having 45% of his IQ, then this world’s task is truly pointless.”
“But he wasn’t just…” The ball jumped up and down uneasily. It was really upset that its Host did not seem to be taking the task seriously. Su Yu saw the jumping the ball looked a bit like a yo-yo and suddenly had the urge to tie it up with a string and throw it around.
“For Jiang Yue Yue, that one thousand dollars is the limit. Smart people would have done the same thing. If you want to know if his IQ has truly improved, just keep watching.” Su Yu finished ordering some items Chu Cheng Yan would like before dropping his phone back on the bed.
The ball thought for a moment before deciding the Host’s words were reasonable and completely threw away its worries.
Su Yu’s ordered items from a local shop and a home delivery service. Two hours later, the packages had arrived however, Su Yu did not bother to open them. After all, these were ‘special’ items ordered for Chu Cheng Yan. Perhaps opening them could even help lighten the blow he received at the office today.
Thinking that because of the blow today, Chu Cheng Yan might return early, Su Yu put the packages on the dining room table and rolled up his sleeves in preparation for making dinner.
When Chu Cheng Yan came home, the first thing he noticed were the packages on the table. Then he heard some slight sounds from the kitchen. This made his heart feel a flicker of emotion; today’s shadow on his heart felt slightly lighter. Unbeknownst to Chu Cheng Yan, his lips rose in a slight arc.
Su Yu heard the front door opening so he stuck his head out the kitchen doorway still holding a stirring spoon in his hand to greet Chu Cheng Yan. He thought he would be greeted with Chu Cheng Yan’s dark face but instead saw Chu Cheng Yan smiling?!
It was a lot of stimulation today, but it shouldn’t be enough to directly drive Chu Cheng Yan crazy right?
“What are you making? Do you need any help?” Chu Cheng Yan asked as he hung up his coat.
Su Yu’s heart was full of doubt but his face didn’t reveal anything. Grinning, he refused, “I’m just casually making a few homemade dishes. You don’t need to worry about it. Just sit down and relax for a bit and the food will be done.”
Chu Cheng Yan nodded and went to sit on the couch. Reaching out for the table, he picked up the packages and began to unwrap them. Su Yu also retreated to the kitchen. He couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty in his heart; could Chu Cheng Yan be aware of his influence on events?
After finishing cooking, Su Yu renewed his smile and energy. He walked out of the kitchen holding several dishes. “Did Cousin open the packages? They are some gadgets I bought for Cousin as thanks. Cousin must not dislike them, okay?”
“En, very good.” Chu Cheng Yan sternly responded. Looking at his face, it is very obvious that Chu Cheng Yan is very pleased with the gifts.
Su Yu spread the dishes out on the table. Handing a pair of chopsticks to Chu Cheng Yan, he accidentally saw an ordinary looking bag in the foyer. Curious, he asked, “Is that bag something Cousin brought back? What’s in it?”
Chu Cheng Yan’s relaxed face tightened and he choked on the bite of food in his mouth. Trying to save his dignity, he put down his chopsticks. “Just mass produced products. Eat.”
Su Yu was not going to let Chu Cheng Yan go so easily. He smiled with wide eyes as he continued to ask. “This is the first time I’ve seen Cousin bring something home. It must be really important right?”
Chu Cheng Yan scrutinized Su Yu closely. Refusing to answer the question he repeated himself. “Eat.”
“Oh.” Su Yu quit asking but in his heart he was smirking. The ball was floating around Su Yu’s head and had another taste of his Host’s twisted mind. It felt sorry for the male protagonist being played around with by Host but the ball could not even protect itself from Host much less someone else.
The ball wallowed in self-pity: QAQ
After dinner, Chu Cheng Yan kept a blank face as he grabbed the bag and went upstairs. He refused to look at Su Yu the entire time.
Su Yu watched Chu Cheng Yan’s retreating back with a smile and beckoned the ball over. The ball reflexively trembled and unwillingly floated closer. “*Master Host.”
(*YY: The ball changes its address for Su Yu from Host ‘宿主‘ to Master Host ‘宿主大人.’ Maybe it was intimidated? ╮(╯▽╰)╭)
“Give me an update on Jiang Yue Yue,” Su Yu flicked the ball, laughing.
The ball trembled twice in terror before dutifully reporting the situation, “Jiang Yue Yue gave Zhao He the thousand dollars and they are currently eating out. It looks like they are reconciled from the earlier disagreement.”
“With Zhao He’s inferiority complex this situation is only temporary. He will never be satisfied so easily. I’m very much looking forward to his next performance.” Su Yu stroked his chin, a leering grin on his face. The ball suddenly felt a surge of pity for Zhao He and the female protagonist.
Chu Cheng Yan is no longer the brainless rich man from the story but Zhao He is still the same greedy scoundrel. It can be assumed that his ending will be much more tragic and violent than in the initial story line. Su Yu was greatly looking forward to it.
The ball knew that it shouldn’t question Su Yu’s authority but it couldn’t help but say, “Even if Master Host does nothing else but greet the male protagonist everyday, his IQ would restore itself and would naturally change the ending of the story.”
The implied meaning of the ball is that Su Yu’s influence was unnecessary. He could speed up the plotline but should stay out as the story would naturally fix itself.
Hearing this, Su Yu lifted an eyebrow. Staring at the ball through narrowed eyes, he carelessly said, “I feel very bored. Is that a problem? Or would you like to entertain me instead?”
“…No problem.” The ball was speechless.
Su Yu thought the matter with Jiang Yue Yue had been settled just like this. Who knew that the next day Chu Cheng Yan would come home from work with another bag in his hands.
Seeing the bag, Su Yu thought Zhao He had induced Jiang Yue Yue into making another move when he wasn’t paying attention. Before he had time to clearly think through the situation though, Chu Cheng Yan handed the bag to Su Yu. “Here.”